The only tyrant I accept in this world is the still voice within.
~Mahatma Gandhi (1869-1948)
Of this gospel I was made a minister according to the gift of God’s grace, which was given me by the working of His power. To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things, so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. This was according to the eternal purpose that He has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through our faith in Him. So I ask you not to lose heart over what I am suffering for you, which is your glory. For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of His glory He may grant you to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
~ paul, The Least of The Apostles, in Ephesians 3
Oh beloved, it is true. We live in a system that is based on chaos. Everything in this fallen world is designed to distract us from the reality of who we are (or who we should be) in the Light of the astoundingly good news of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Somehow though, this same chaos gives way to His laminar and torrential flow of Truth and Love. Christ Jesus has indeed saved us. We, those who have fully looked to Him, have been made completely new. And after we stop choking on the perfectly clean Air of His presence, we find that we have entered into the inner courts of The Kingdom.
Here we will dwell forever. And while the place is intimate, it is not confined. We have infinite freedom of movement. However, instead of our (e)motions driving us back towards slavery to our flesh, we find that we want to move closer to the center of the place in which we now live and move and have our being.
We are in Him.
Alive,
Whole,
Real,
Free,
True,
Complete,
Unspeakably wealthy,
Utterly full in Him,
and in Love.
And it seems that this is the perfect place to stay forever. And it is. But outside the inner courts is the chaos we left. And in that storm, billions are dying.
They are alone,
dying,
incomplete,
corrupted,
in bondage,
living a lie,
incomplete,
unspeakably poor,
completely empty apart from Him,
and looking for Love.
If we go back out there, we will be washed away by the chaos abounding in the system. We left the world, because we knew that it was completely unviable. There was nothing there for us. What to do?
Stay. And Go.
What?
Yeah.
We now, those who have fled in under the protection of our Saviour, have been given something we did not have before. We have been filled with all the fullness of G_d. And as such, we may look like we did before – but nothing could be more different than what we are (as compared to then).
And so, in simply moving back towards the world, we come to see that we are no longer moving into it. We now stand as ushers and rescuers to help people escape from it. We have utterly closed the door on the things and patterns of the world. We are cleated now to the One who does not change – and we are filled to overflowing with Who He Is.
Love. And His Presence.
We are no longer alone in the world. We are emissaries from another realm. His Presence burst forth upon the earth at the tearing of the veil some 2,000 years ago. Even so, it is not that everyone is instantly included in the Kingdom (for nothing impure will be admitted). It is that the inner courts and Holiest of places is now a decision instead of a location. And it is a decision that anyone who has ears to hear, and a heart to believe, can make. So, even though we are in physical proximity to many, we are now only truly near to One.
Can we see it? His Love is the superstructure of His relationship with Himself. It is all there really is (at least that which will endure). Love is real. It is the Grand Unifying Force of reality. Gravity, Galaxies, Eternity, Infinity, the entire story of our redemption – all of it – falters and falls away into insignificance in the Light of Love. Love is the manifestation of His Great Name. It is what comes to His mind He thinks of Himself. And it is now all of This Love that goes before us, protects us, molds us, and compels us back to help the people facing the eternal damage of sin and the storms sin causes.
So, is He calling you to something beloved? Listen. Go. Fear Not. The very fullness of God is That which will supply you the strength to proceed. He will never leave you, nor forsake you. And even in the darkest of tempests and temptations, The Light of His Presence, and the Voice of Love are our Inner Guide.
Stay. And Go.
