Welcome! Take a listen to the message on Sunday on our YouTube Channel and then read through the prayer directive and reflection to dig a littler deeper.
Sit with Me/Fill Me Up | Psalm 23 | 2 Corinthians 4:17-18
The words that were given during worship lead the way for the word that Pastor brought. One of the songs that came out was about slowing down and God asked us, “What’s your hurry? Sit with me.” And our response was, “Fill my cup.” I love this interacGon! As I listened to the message further, the invitation from the Lord expanded a little bit for me into,
“What’s your hurry? Sit with me. Look at my hands and my feet.”
What might happen if we linger long enough to look? What might bubble up in our soul? What strength might come to our spirit? Healing to our body? What is it like to experience the feeling of a full cup?
The discomfort of pain, the discomfort of the pressure of war, the weariness of battle wants to hurry us. Not just to rush on to accomplish the next thing, but to avoid the feeling pain. But as we learn to stay right in the midst of the discomfort and look at Jesus, our Miracle, our cups begin to fill. As we abide, as we learn to gaze deeply and linger, we move from a transactional, “fill me up,” to a relational, “as I commune with you, I’m filled up.”
It doesn’t make logical sense! But there is an invitation to experience the truth that this light momentary affliction can actually be eclipsed by the glory that we see in His face. Not that the pain no longer exists (although in some cases, it might no longer exist!!) but that we see Him, and the reality or experience of His glory begins to weigh more.
Jesus is the Door | John 20:19-31
In John 20 we find the first apostles gathered together as they are launched into in the very beginning stages of a new era. This new Kingdom era came with confusion, chaos, disillusionment, sorrow, pain, fear... you name it. Sitting in that room were a handful of loyal, devoted and very disoriented followers of Jesus. They had just heard the news that the grave was empty and that Jesus was alive, but if it’s true, what does that even mean? And how do they move forward from here?
As they were forced to adjust to this new way of living with all their questions, all their uncertainty, all their fear, Jesus walks into their room. What a wild ride this must have been for these guys! Can you imagine what the reaction would have been seeing Jesus? They would have needed peace to be with them, alright! But it says that in seeing Jesus, they were overjoyed. This is still true of us today. Right in the midst of our trials - the things that have caused us to go into a room and just lock the door because we don’t want to face what’s on the other side – if we can just see Jesus, our Miracle, we will be filled with joy.
When we are living in discomfort like the apostles in that room, it’s easy to shift our gaze to the manifestation of the miracle in our body, soul or situation and off of the manifestation of the miracle of Jesus, the door into everything we could need right where we are.
As the hymn Pastor shared so adequately outlined, when we are in trials, Satan will try his best to get our eyes off of Jesus. The feelings of pain, despair, disappointment – you name it – can cause us to take our eyes off of Jesus and lock down. Or we take our eyes off Jesus and fix it on the ‘miracle’ we’re waiting for – the healing, the shift in an impossible situation, the freedom. It’s learning to abide amidst these deep feelings that cause us to experience the Miracle that’s always been right in front of us. Because the battle belongs to the Lord, we can let go and receive the victory in those things Jesus wants to bring into our lives. Kind of an oxymoron – letting go to receive.
Scars and Wounds | John 20:19-31 | Matthew 9:5-8
The moment Jesus walked through the walls to meet the apostles was a profound moment in the scripture to me because it wasn’t the miracle of Jesus walking through the walls that caused them to believe, but when they saw his scars. His scars were evidence of the encounter he had with the worst humanity could throw at him, with sin, death, hell and the grave. But more than that, they were evidence of the loyalty and power of the Father who did just as He promised He would. They revealed Jesus’ true identity at the same time as drawing the apostles back to himself. Is it possible that the scars that we’ve let forgiveness heal, reveal our identity and draw people to the presence of Jesus? I think so! If we let them be seen and touched.
Our scars and wounds need not be hidden from our story because they boldy tell of where we have encountered Jesus. They open up the way for people to ask, “Tell me your story. How did you get these scars?” Scars mean that healing has already taken place. They carry hope! Instead of boasting about our wounds, we can boast about the healing that happened as a result of the finished work of the cross – as a result of forgiveness.
As Pastor shared on Sunday, I couldn’t help but wonder: what if forgiveness not only sets us free but heals our wounds? Or another way to ask it might be: what if forgiveness is the door to apprehending our healing? Jesus gives us a hint of this in Matthew 9:5 where he says to the accusing Pharisees, “Which is easier: to say, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Get up and walk'?” It seems that forgiveness of sins can heal us! In both the receiving and the giving. It is the scar all disciples must bear as a mark of encountering Jesus - we are forgiven so we can forgive. I think it’s very important to point out that believing that we are forgiven is different than knowing we’re forgiven. We can all know in our heads that we are forgiven because of what the Bible says. It’s plain as day! But where belief happens is when the knowledge in our head collides with the experience in our heart. This is an experiential knowing that the Bible talks about. How many of us in the body of Christ are living in the space where we know in our heads we are forgiven, but are unable to believe it in our hearts? So, instead of letting our wounds be healed and revealed, we cover them with fig leaves and hide away, knowing we’re forgiven but unable to live in the forgiveness that was extended to us. Without believing (head knowledge + heart experience), we become numb to our own stories and so, numb to the stories around us.
The religious spirit is interested in keeping us satisfied with head knowledge rather than heart experiences with the Lord. Head knowledge confines Jesus to the pages of the Bible. He may be the truth but he can’t really set us free. Do you see why the religious spirit would want you to ‘erase’ your scars? If we go through the journey with Jesus and have our wounds healed, the scars become a powerful testimony that forgiveness and healing has taken place. They are evidence that Jesus is alive! He’s not just on the page but he is alive and can be experienced by anyone who wants to experience him. Every scar is evidence of resurrection life!
Personal Reflection
Q. Ask the Lord – “Show me your scars” and then sit. Wait. Listen. Become attuned to the heart of the Lord. Don’t go into this moment with the Lord with an idea of what it even looks like and see what He reveals to you. Perhaps He carries more scars than just the one’s on His hands, feet and side.
Q. What stops you from showing your scars and wounds? What might it look like to be willing to reveal the areas you’ve been healed as Holy Spirit leads you?
Q. Ask Holy Spirit to reveal if there is unforgiveness that you are carrying in your body or soul. As He does, lean in to listen to what Jesus is saying over you.
Q. We have individual scars that are evidence that we’ve encountered the Miracle. Each scar is a testimony that shouts – He’s alive! Scars also represent the pain that we may have caused in other people’s lives. In what ways and to whom might we need to extend forgiveness towards so we can look at their scars with joy instead of offence? Is there anyone that you sense you need to as for forgiveness from? Make a plan to make it right!
Prayer for the Body of Christ
Pray for a binding of the religious spirit personally, corporately and across the body of Christ. Pray for a loosing of the spirit of wisdom and revelation (head knowledge and heart experience).
Pray that wounds would be healed and revealed. This is a picture of evangelism! Pray for the strategies, wisdom and sensitivity to the Spirit as we continue sharing Jesus in a new way.
Every scar has a story that contains a seed of resurrection life! Pray that we could become great ‘storytellers’, allowing those around us to be drawn in to Jesus.
Pray that there would be a fresh receiving and believing of forgiveness all across the body of Christ. Imagine Jesus stepping right into that ‘locked room’ to reveal His scars with the message of forgiveness coming alive!
We have individual scars that are evidence that we’ve encountered the Miracle. There are also corporate scars in the ministry of CFT and the Body of Christ at large. They are not things in our past to be ashamed of, but areas that we can point to in order to say, yes, we may have missed it, but Jesus came to restore, heal, rebuild, redeem! Each scar is a testimony that shouts – He’s alive! Scars also represent the pain that we may have caused in other people’s lives. In what ways and to whom might we need to extend forgiveness towards so we can look at their scars with joy instead of offence?
When we look at the scars from the past that others hold, we can become offended rather than moved by compassion. Pray for a release of forgiveness to flow in the hearts of believers, one to another that would blanket the rough parts of our history with a love that covers a multitude of sin.