I could swim to the bottom of the sea,
where the seahorse floats and the octopus play.
I'd ask the whales if they know you
and they'd say "Yeah, he tickles us everyday".
'Cause you're everywhere
You're everywhere
You're everywhere, oh
You're everywhere.
And I could climb the highest mountain,
and there I'd find a goat that knows your name.
I'd ask the pine if they'd seen you
and they'd say "Yeah, we praise him every day".
You're everywhere, God you're everywhere.
-You're everywhere, Benjamin Dunn& Friends
My letter to God; the one who reigns over all, yet bends low to listen to my heart,
For "The earth is the Lord's, and everything in it." ( 1 Corinthians 10:26)
Sometimes God, I find you not in a service, but in-between the warmth of sunshine and the smell of rain. I believe I've seen you hiding somewhere beneath the Sycamore trees waiting for me to find you.
Sometimes I hear you say my name in the ocean waves, sometimes I hear it under my covers on a rainy day.
I've found you in art galleries, and you appear radiantly in anything that's done excellently.
The more I get to know you, the more I realize you aren't confined to a box. I think you must really hate being trapped, labeled, or stereotyped. You really like to surprise people, and I really like when you surprise me. I feel your delight over me at the sound of my heartbeat, and I can feel your joy towards me in my creativity.
God, grant me the freedom to think outside the box with you and live beyond my self imposed limitations.
I think you are more playful than I have imagined. I think you must be more fun than I was taught. I think your love over me is endless and unexpected. I just want to be your child, and find you in everything, because you are everything.
Break open my box, the prison of expectancy and agendas I keep you in. Teach me who you really are. Tell me what you really say. My greatest desire is to know you and be known by you. I leave behind the fear of what people will think of me and embrace the real you. I will find you in the mundane as well as the sacred. There is now no separation, you came to rip the veil in two, so rip away all that keeps me from you. I give you permission to expand my realm of imagination and creativity to grasp more fully who you are. I take off all limitations I put you in, and I will find you in the silence, as well as the chatter.
But knowledge puffs up while love builds up. Those who think they know something do not yet know as they ought to know. But whoever loves God is known by God. (1 Corinthians 8:2-3)
Wednesday, December 11, 2013
Sunday, July 28, 2013
The Hem of His Garment
As I arrived on Nepali soil, I was totally void of expectations. The only certainty I had was that I was uncertain. Uncertain of what would happen, uncertain of what this land would offer me, uncertain of the way it would all come about. All I knew was that God had asked me to come and I had said Yes. I knew my Yes was powerful but I had no idea what it would entail. It has entailed me confronting every fear I had and choosing to trust in the midst of uncertain circumstances and unexpected situations. Now as I’m living out that Yes on a day to day basis, obedience has never embraced sacrifice at this level. What propels me forward is knowing. Knowing that I am being refined by trials and testings; knowing that every obstacle has become an opportunity for upgrade; and knowing that Jesus is good no matter what the circumstance.
This past week we went on an outreach to a more remote part of Nepal called Chitwan. So many amazing stories and testimonies of God’s goodness and mercy were seen throughout the peaceful village we were so graciously welcomed into. After the sweatiest 6 hour long bus ride I’ve ever experienced, we made it through the many terrifying twists and turns on extremely high mountainous peaks. Upon arriving we were greeted and hugged by a beautiful 21 year old Christian Nepali girl who immediately found a soft spot in my heart with her generous hospitality and charming winks. She allowed us into her home with open arms and began working with her Hindu mother to quickly make us a traditional Nepali dish for dinner. After that we were shown where we would be staying for the next couple of nights , one of the most precious churches I’ve ever seen. To see the Holy Spirit moving so strongly upon people in such a remote village encouraged my heart to no end. As we worshiped with them in Nepali, the presence of God filled the room like a consuming fire, the atmosphere was saturated with desperation , hunger , and passion for Jesus. In this moment I couldn’t help but feel the desire of God’s heart to see every nation, tribe, and people group come to the knowledge of Jesus. It was so beautiful to see such pure, unadulterated worship, to the King of kings. What an honor it is to partner with God’s dreams , such an amazing privilege. As I was introduced to the pastors of the church, I learned that the wife had been fasting for 40 days and during the fast had many dreams and visions about going to a cancer hospital about an hour away to pray for the sick. So the next day we set off on our journey, in a very small hot crowded sweat box on wheels, called a Tempu. As we were praying for the sick and passing out food, we got to share the gospel to many people that had never heard of Jesus before, all of which were very eager and receptive to hear. It was all amazing experience and such a blessed time. But out of all the stories there was one in particular that really caught my attention.
We approached a Hindu man and his wife, who was lying in the bed beside him and asked politely if they would like us to pray. The husband readily agreed and began to tell us that his wife had swelling in her mouth and tongue (most likely a cancerous tumor) that prohibited her from being able to eat or speak so she was being fed through a feeding tube. We then explained to him that we would love to ask Jesus to heal her and send blessings to her. So we began to pray. As soon as we started praying, I felt the overwhelming love of God for this woman and felt the need to disreguard cultural sensitivity and grab hold of her hand. As I did this I felt the Holy Spirit move with compassion in me as she looked directly into my eyes. At that moment I realized the overwhelming need that’s in the world and my immense desire to see Jesus fix those problems. I know that He is more than willing and able. I know that He is the answer to all the hurt I see around me. And I know He can use me to help bring restoration to the world. So I press into that truth that the word of God proclaims into it becomes a reality in my life. The prayer ended and nothing changed that we could visibly notice, except the bright smile on the husbands face and the look of thankfulness in the wife’s eyes. So we walked away to the next bed and began praying for another girl who was suffering severely from demonic possession, who was now getting touched by the love of God. The atmosphere in the hospital room shifted and the woman who we had just prayed for noticed it. Her faith compelled her to grab our clothes and pull us back to her. Once we turned around she firmly grabbed our hands and placed them on her face where the swelling was. We started praying again and tears started filling her eyes, we prayed for what we thought was quite a while but apparently to her wasn’t enough, since every time we tried to move our hands she grabbed them again and put them on her face. Her faith was so astounding. She couldn’t even understand a word of what we were saying or praying but the Holy Spirit was ministering to her so strongly that she would not let go. Then all of a sudden she moved our hands to other parts of her face as if to say, “ok that part is healed, now fix this part.” After a while, she then put our hands down and gave us a thumbs up sign, announcing to us that things were feeling better. I couldn’t help but realize the similarities of this story and the story of the woman who touched Jesus’s robe.
“So Jesus went with him. A large crowd followed and pressed around him. And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years. She had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better she grew worse. When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, because she thought, “If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed.” Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering. At once Jesus realized that power had gone out from him. He turned around in the crowd and asked, “Who touched my clothes?’ Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell at his feet and, trembling with fear, told him the whole truth. He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering. “ –Mark 5:24-30,33,34
Faith moves the heart of God like nothing else can. This small example of faith that was displayed before me caused me to see that like nothing else ever has. I so yearn to move God’s heart like that. To really believe He is who He says He is; to believe for things not yet seen. As I finish up my last 6 days here in Nepal, I expect nothing less than to see more of God’s miraculous glory displayed in this nation then in again as we travel to Thailand. Please keep me and the team in your thoughts and prayers as we go, that God would be going before us and directing our every step. If you feel lead to donate or would like to be part of my email updates to hear more testimonies or prayer requests, email me at bwolfe824@gmail.com.
Blessings and love in Him, Brittany
This past week we went on an outreach to a more remote part of Nepal called Chitwan. So many amazing stories and testimonies of God’s goodness and mercy were seen throughout the peaceful village we were so graciously welcomed into. After the sweatiest 6 hour long bus ride I’ve ever experienced, we made it through the many terrifying twists and turns on extremely high mountainous peaks. Upon arriving we were greeted and hugged by a beautiful 21 year old Christian Nepali girl who immediately found a soft spot in my heart with her generous hospitality and charming winks. She allowed us into her home with open arms and began working with her Hindu mother to quickly make us a traditional Nepali dish for dinner. After that we were shown where we would be staying for the next couple of nights , one of the most precious churches I’ve ever seen. To see the Holy Spirit moving so strongly upon people in such a remote village encouraged my heart to no end. As we worshiped with them in Nepali, the presence of God filled the room like a consuming fire, the atmosphere was saturated with desperation , hunger , and passion for Jesus. In this moment I couldn’t help but feel the desire of God’s heart to see every nation, tribe, and people group come to the knowledge of Jesus. It was so beautiful to see such pure, unadulterated worship, to the King of kings. What an honor it is to partner with God’s dreams , such an amazing privilege. As I was introduced to the pastors of the church, I learned that the wife had been fasting for 40 days and during the fast had many dreams and visions about going to a cancer hospital about an hour away to pray for the sick. So the next day we set off on our journey, in a very small hot crowded sweat box on wheels, called a Tempu. As we were praying for the sick and passing out food, we got to share the gospel to many people that had never heard of Jesus before, all of which were very eager and receptive to hear. It was all amazing experience and such a blessed time. But out of all the stories there was one in particular that really caught my attention.
We approached a Hindu man and his wife, who was lying in the bed beside him and asked politely if they would like us to pray. The husband readily agreed and began to tell us that his wife had swelling in her mouth and tongue (most likely a cancerous tumor) that prohibited her from being able to eat or speak so she was being fed through a feeding tube. We then explained to him that we would love to ask Jesus to heal her and send blessings to her. So we began to pray. As soon as we started praying, I felt the overwhelming love of God for this woman and felt the need to disreguard cultural sensitivity and grab hold of her hand. As I did this I felt the Holy Spirit move with compassion in me as she looked directly into my eyes. At that moment I realized the overwhelming need that’s in the world and my immense desire to see Jesus fix those problems. I know that He is more than willing and able. I know that He is the answer to all the hurt I see around me. And I know He can use me to help bring restoration to the world. So I press into that truth that the word of God proclaims into it becomes a reality in my life. The prayer ended and nothing changed that we could visibly notice, except the bright smile on the husbands face and the look of thankfulness in the wife’s eyes. So we walked away to the next bed and began praying for another girl who was suffering severely from demonic possession, who was now getting touched by the love of God. The atmosphere in the hospital room shifted and the woman who we had just prayed for noticed it. Her faith compelled her to grab our clothes and pull us back to her. Once we turned around she firmly grabbed our hands and placed them on her face where the swelling was. We started praying again and tears started filling her eyes, we prayed for what we thought was quite a while but apparently to her wasn’t enough, since every time we tried to move our hands she grabbed them again and put them on her face. Her faith was so astounding. She couldn’t even understand a word of what we were saying or praying but the Holy Spirit was ministering to her so strongly that she would not let go. Then all of a sudden she moved our hands to other parts of her face as if to say, “ok that part is healed, now fix this part.” After a while, she then put our hands down and gave us a thumbs up sign, announcing to us that things were feeling better. I couldn’t help but realize the similarities of this story and the story of the woman who touched Jesus’s robe.
“So Jesus went with him. A large crowd followed and pressed around him. And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years. She had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better she grew worse. When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, because she thought, “If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed.” Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering. At once Jesus realized that power had gone out from him. He turned around in the crowd and asked, “Who touched my clothes?’ Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell at his feet and, trembling with fear, told him the whole truth. He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering. “ –Mark 5:24-30,33,34
Faith moves the heart of God like nothing else can. This small example of faith that was displayed before me caused me to see that like nothing else ever has. I so yearn to move God’s heart like that. To really believe He is who He says He is; to believe for things not yet seen. As I finish up my last 6 days here in Nepal, I expect nothing less than to see more of God’s miraculous glory displayed in this nation then in again as we travel to Thailand. Please keep me and the team in your thoughts and prayers as we go, that God would be going before us and directing our every step. If you feel lead to donate or would like to be part of my email updates to hear more testimonies or prayer requests, email me at bwolfe824@gmail.com.
Blessings and love in Him, Brittany
Tuesday, April 30, 2013
Nobility in the Name
We are part of a world where you can't use the term "Christian" without getting some type of reaction. If talking to someone who doesn't profess the same belief in Jesus, your mention of the word will usually elicit some type of negative response followed by guardedness. I can't help but wonder when the word "Christian" lost it's respect and edge by the eyes of the onlooker. When did Christians become the weaker, mocked, disrespected, lesser vessels when they have the power of resurrection residing inside their bodies? How is it that in Acts 5:12-16, the world looked on to the Christians and were so afraid they didn't dare join them, but the unbelievers highly regarded them, and they were respected by the people.
"Great fear seized the whole church and all who heard about these events. The apostles performed many signs and wonders among the people. And all the believers used to meet together in Solomon’s Colonnade. No one else dared join them, even though they were highly regarded by the people. Nevertheless, more and more men and women believed in the Lord and were added to their number. As a result, people brought the sick into the streets and laid them on beds and mats so that at least Peter’s shadow might fall on some of them as he passed by. Crowds gathered also from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing their sick and those tormented by impure spirits, and all of them were healed."
I just want to suggest that it isn't common place, or God's plan, that His children would be mocked, harassed, or thought negatively of by unbelievers. However, I think the church has by and large accepted this position as their fate, or just the way it has to be. An us against them mentality.
I want to propose that the the loss of respect for Christians by the world is two-fold. Firstly, I believe that we are not operating in the power God intended for us to have. Compared to the portion of scripture I just quoted in Acts, Christians sometimes appear as a bunch of people who are just trying to abstain from things and condemn everyone else who are doing those things. It become more of a list of do's and don'ts than it was about seeing God move in miraculous powerful ways in people's lives. Secondly, I believe that our worth of God dictates the world's worth of God, which is what I want to focus on more in this post. When we are willing to sacrifice much for Him, we earn the respect of unbelievers. Sacrifice never goes unnoticed, even by the hardest heart. The world will always be impressed by selfless love. They are not so impressed by theologies that do nothing to change the heart or religious agendas to get people on to their "side". If He really is the giver of eternal life then let us demonstrate His value by the value He has in our life. How do we treasure Him? What are we willing to do for Him? For the immense present and joy that He is, He is worth a lifetime of devotion.
To further expound on this point, I believe the persecution of the early church can be used as an example. I noticed that where there was persecution, Revival followed shortly after. A sacrifice of one's life spoke volumes of how precious their God was to them. This display of genuine sacrifice changed the hearts of unbelievers and thus opened their minds to receive Him in a different way. I believe that at the core of this truth is Jesus as the prime example. As He sacrificed Himself for us, He gave the greatest sacrifice of all, and it changed everything. It changed how we even viewed ourselves and the worth of His devotion to us. His sacrifice was not a small gift, it was so large it was humbling. After understanding all that He had done, we had nothing left to give other than respect and honor. Sacrifice changes everything, it elicits respect.
My desire for this generation of people who profess the name of Christ, is to see them respected and honored even by those who don't believe. Jesus is the desire of the nations, and if we represent Him well, the nations will desire Him, and to be around those who carry Him. They will respect us because they see we are genuine, they will respect us because they see there is true devotion. When they look at us they will see depth, not shallowness. They will see no hypocrisy, but a church unified in power and love. Jesus was first mocked and disrespected by religious leaders, then the world followed suit. I believe the precedent we set between our fellow believers sets the bar for how the world will treat us. When Jesus died He gave us authority, and when that authority is used wrongly to tear each other apart, it is noted.
"If any of you has a dispute with another, do you dare to take it before the ungodly for judgment instead of before the Lord’s people? Or do you not know that the Lord’s people will judge the world? And if you are to judge the world, are you not competent to judge trivial cases? Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more the things of this life! Therefore, if you have disputes about such matters, do you ask for a ruling from those whose way of life is scorned in the church? I say this to shame you. Is it possible that there is nobody among you wise enough to judge a dispute between believers? But instead, one brother takes another to court—and this in front of unbelievers! The very fact that you have lawsuits among you means you have been completely defeated already. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be cheated? Instead, you yourselves cheat and do wrong, and you do this to your brothers and sisters."- 1 Corinthians 6:1-8
I want to be part of a church that doesn't point fingers, but extends a hand. A church that loves each other without the need to be right.
For the world to understand who we are as royal ambassadors, we have to start treating our own brother and sisters as such. We have to stop the slander, gossip, and division to be a church that lives in unity. I believe once we respect each other, the world will start to take notice. As we are unified will see undeniable signs and wonders from God, and they will see the sacrifice and devotion we ascribe to our savior. Then we will finally take back our position of ones who deserve to be highly regarded by the people.
"Great fear seized the whole church and all who heard about these events. The apostles performed many signs and wonders among the people. And all the believers used to meet together in Solomon’s Colonnade. No one else dared join them, even though they were highly regarded by the people. Nevertheless, more and more men and women believed in the Lord and were added to their number. As a result, people brought the sick into the streets and laid them on beds and mats so that at least Peter’s shadow might fall on some of them as he passed by. Crowds gathered also from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing their sick and those tormented by impure spirits, and all of them were healed."
I just want to suggest that it isn't common place, or God's plan, that His children would be mocked, harassed, or thought negatively of by unbelievers. However, I think the church has by and large accepted this position as their fate, or just the way it has to be. An us against them mentality.
I want to propose that the the loss of respect for Christians by the world is two-fold. Firstly, I believe that we are not operating in the power God intended for us to have. Compared to the portion of scripture I just quoted in Acts, Christians sometimes appear as a bunch of people who are just trying to abstain from things and condemn everyone else who are doing those things. It become more of a list of do's and don'ts than it was about seeing God move in miraculous powerful ways in people's lives. Secondly, I believe that our worth of God dictates the world's worth of God, which is what I want to focus on more in this post. When we are willing to sacrifice much for Him, we earn the respect of unbelievers. Sacrifice never goes unnoticed, even by the hardest heart. The world will always be impressed by selfless love. They are not so impressed by theologies that do nothing to change the heart or religious agendas to get people on to their "side". If He really is the giver of eternal life then let us demonstrate His value by the value He has in our life. How do we treasure Him? What are we willing to do for Him? For the immense present and joy that He is, He is worth a lifetime of devotion.
To further expound on this point, I believe the persecution of the early church can be used as an example. I noticed that where there was persecution, Revival followed shortly after. A sacrifice of one's life spoke volumes of how precious their God was to them. This display of genuine sacrifice changed the hearts of unbelievers and thus opened their minds to receive Him in a different way. I believe that at the core of this truth is Jesus as the prime example. As He sacrificed Himself for us, He gave the greatest sacrifice of all, and it changed everything. It changed how we even viewed ourselves and the worth of His devotion to us. His sacrifice was not a small gift, it was so large it was humbling. After understanding all that He had done, we had nothing left to give other than respect and honor. Sacrifice changes everything, it elicits respect.
My desire for this generation of people who profess the name of Christ, is to see them respected and honored even by those who don't believe. Jesus is the desire of the nations, and if we represent Him well, the nations will desire Him, and to be around those who carry Him. They will respect us because they see we are genuine, they will respect us because they see there is true devotion. When they look at us they will see depth, not shallowness. They will see no hypocrisy, but a church unified in power and love. Jesus was first mocked and disrespected by religious leaders, then the world followed suit. I believe the precedent we set between our fellow believers sets the bar for how the world will treat us. When Jesus died He gave us authority, and when that authority is used wrongly to tear each other apart, it is noted.
"If any of you has a dispute with another, do you dare to take it before the ungodly for judgment instead of before the Lord’s people? Or do you not know that the Lord’s people will judge the world? And if you are to judge the world, are you not competent to judge trivial cases? Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more the things of this life! Therefore, if you have disputes about such matters, do you ask for a ruling from those whose way of life is scorned in the church? I say this to shame you. Is it possible that there is nobody among you wise enough to judge a dispute between believers? But instead, one brother takes another to court—and this in front of unbelievers! The very fact that you have lawsuits among you means you have been completely defeated already. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be cheated? Instead, you yourselves cheat and do wrong, and you do this to your brothers and sisters."- 1 Corinthians 6:1-8
I want to be part of a church that doesn't point fingers, but extends a hand. A church that loves each other without the need to be right.
For the world to understand who we are as royal ambassadors, we have to start treating our own brother and sisters as such. We have to stop the slander, gossip, and division to be a church that lives in unity. I believe once we respect each other, the world will start to take notice. As we are unified will see undeniable signs and wonders from God, and they will see the sacrifice and devotion we ascribe to our savior. Then we will finally take back our position of ones who deserve to be highly regarded by the people.
Wednesday, March 13, 2013
Seal It With a Kiss
Jesus said to him, “Judas, would you betray the Son of Man with a kiss?”
While he was still speaking, Judas came, one of the twelve, and with him a great crowd with swords and clubs, from the chief priests and the elders of the people. Now the betrayer had given them a sign, saying, “The one I will kiss is the man; seize him.” And he came up to Jesus at once and said, “Greetings, Rabbi!” And he kissed him. Jesus said to him, “Friend, do what you came to do. -Matt 26:46-50
Betrayed with a kiss. The kindest of all things used for the most vial of all things. I've read these verses a hundred times but for some reason this time it hit me different. I felt it deep within my heart as I began to understand the immense blow of betrayal inflicted upon Jesus. He knew Judas would betray Him, yet He wanted him still, He chose him still. Even in the midst of a the most horrific betrayal Jesus continued to love Judas, even allowing him to kiss Him and calling him friend. I can only imagine the eyes of mercy that were gleaming with love as Judas sealed the deal with a kiss.
After wondering why Jesus would allow Judas to kiss him, I started to understand the picture Jesus was painting through this demonstration. The ones who betray the son of God most are the ones who are close enough to kiss Him, yet do not love Him. The verse "These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.-Matthew 15:8 took on a whole new meaning after understanding this illustration. We who call ourselves heirs of the Kingdom of God have been invited to kiss the face of the Living God. An invitation that was not possible in the Old Covenant. Even the most favored and chosen of God in the Old Testament did not get to partake in this invitation. However, Jesus through his sacrifice of love, opened the door for a new level of intimacy with the Father by taking on our punishment, so that we might be made holy. We have now been granted access to approach the throne of grace boldly without fear or insecurity because we now appear before God without blemish.
"Let us then approach God's throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need."-Hebrews 4:16
As the Father extents the invitation for greater intimacy with His children, nothing offends Him more than when we reject the heart connection He's yearned for by acting like we love him and accept His offering (the Son); but in reality we keep our hearts far from Him. When we worship Him because of what it's gaining us, or because it's what people told us to do, or even when we worship Him because we want to appear desirable to people; we are worshiping Him in vain.
"They worship me in vain; their teachings are merely human rules.’”- Matthew 15:9
"Each man’s work will become evident; for the day will show it because it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test the quality of each man’s work. If any man’s work which he has built on it remains, he will receive a reward. If any man’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.- 1 Corinthians 3:13-15
As we continue to serve God our work for Him will be tested and our motives exposed. If the motives behind what we did was really to glorify ourselves it will be exposed as such and will amount to nothing. God alone examines and tests the heart of people and He alone knows why we do the work we do. Let us not be people who kiss Him but do not love Him. People who honor Him with our lips but keep our hearts far out of His reach. Let us be people who do everything unto the Lord and every motive of the heart has been tested and purified through the fires of refinement. Let us redeem the reward that was bought for us in the blood of Jesus. Let us take hold of our heavenly calling and capture the heart that has been extended to us. We have been invited to the most scandalous of love affairs and if we partake in His goodness we will never be unsatisfied.
Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters,since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. - Colossians 3:23-24
Let's draw near to His heart today and kiss Him back with the consuming love He lavishes on us. Granting Him the love he so deeply desires and rightly deserves.
Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and you perish in the way, for his wrath is quickly kindled. Blessed are all who take refuge in him.-Psalm 2:12
While he was still speaking, Judas came, one of the twelve, and with him a great crowd with swords and clubs, from the chief priests and the elders of the people. Now the betrayer had given them a sign, saying, “The one I will kiss is the man; seize him.” And he came up to Jesus at once and said, “Greetings, Rabbi!” And he kissed him. Jesus said to him, “Friend, do what you came to do. -Matt 26:46-50
Betrayed with a kiss. The kindest of all things used for the most vial of all things. I've read these verses a hundred times but for some reason this time it hit me different. I felt it deep within my heart as I began to understand the immense blow of betrayal inflicted upon Jesus. He knew Judas would betray Him, yet He wanted him still, He chose him still. Even in the midst of a the most horrific betrayal Jesus continued to love Judas, even allowing him to kiss Him and calling him friend. I can only imagine the eyes of mercy that were gleaming with love as Judas sealed the deal with a kiss.
After wondering why Jesus would allow Judas to kiss him, I started to understand the picture Jesus was painting through this demonstration. The ones who betray the son of God most are the ones who are close enough to kiss Him, yet do not love Him. The verse "These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.-Matthew 15:8 took on a whole new meaning after understanding this illustration. We who call ourselves heirs of the Kingdom of God have been invited to kiss the face of the Living God. An invitation that was not possible in the Old Covenant. Even the most favored and chosen of God in the Old Testament did not get to partake in this invitation. However, Jesus through his sacrifice of love, opened the door for a new level of intimacy with the Father by taking on our punishment, so that we might be made holy. We have now been granted access to approach the throne of grace boldly without fear or insecurity because we now appear before God without blemish.
"Let us then approach God's throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need."-Hebrews 4:16
As the Father extents the invitation for greater intimacy with His children, nothing offends Him more than when we reject the heart connection He's yearned for by acting like we love him and accept His offering (the Son); but in reality we keep our hearts far from Him. When we worship Him because of what it's gaining us, or because it's what people told us to do, or even when we worship Him because we want to appear desirable to people; we are worshiping Him in vain.
"They worship me in vain; their teachings are merely human rules.’”- Matthew 15:9
"Each man’s work will become evident; for the day will show it because it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test the quality of each man’s work. If any man’s work which he has built on it remains, he will receive a reward. If any man’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.- 1 Corinthians 3:13-15
As we continue to serve God our work for Him will be tested and our motives exposed. If the motives behind what we did was really to glorify ourselves it will be exposed as such and will amount to nothing. God alone examines and tests the heart of people and He alone knows why we do the work we do. Let us not be people who kiss Him but do not love Him. People who honor Him with our lips but keep our hearts far out of His reach. Let us be people who do everything unto the Lord and every motive of the heart has been tested and purified through the fires of refinement. Let us redeem the reward that was bought for us in the blood of Jesus. Let us take hold of our heavenly calling and capture the heart that has been extended to us. We have been invited to the most scandalous of love affairs and if we partake in His goodness we will never be unsatisfied.
Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters,since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. - Colossians 3:23-24
Let's draw near to His heart today and kiss Him back with the consuming love He lavishes on us. Granting Him the love he so deeply desires and rightly deserves.
Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and you perish in the way, for his wrath is quickly kindled. Blessed are all who take refuge in him.-Psalm 2:12
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