I have been reminded lately of God’s Kingdom and what it’s doing in this world. I learned in training that the Kingdom is at my fingertips. I can access all that God is doing at any time and the power, authority, and love that it entails. I am still amazed that God is still doing things in this world. It’s a great thing I am not God because I would have nixed us awhile ago and started over. But, God has decided He’ll take a different route, one where He knows the outcome already.
He is the victor. The battle is won already. Jesus died on the cross but rose again. And as Scripture promises us, He will come again. But until he physically returns to this world, He continues to do amazing things around us. I have received many emails recently about what God is doing in people’s lives. These are people that I have prayed fervently for as well as people who represent in my eyes hearts that truly seek Him. We also got the opportunity to lead five university students to Christ these last couple weeks. The Kingdom is moving!
However, through all the rooftop prayers for Thailand as a nation yet to know God, I always seem to miss seeing the complete view of how the Kingdom moves. I was warned from Lori in training that the Kingdom moves around us as well as IN us. Lori warned me, “Thomas, don’t forget to stop and listen for yourself. God is moving and speaking, so don’t miss it.” If we aren’t paying attention and ready to see the Kingdom move in ourselves, then we will surely miss what God wants to do in us!
I have a feeling that I’m not the only one in this boat. We always ask, “What can I pray for you for?” and feel that it is selfish to pray for ourselves. And yet, Christ prayed for God’s Will to be done in His life the night before He died. It isn’t selfish to pray for yourself, to take time for yourself, to listen for yourself. Take the time to look for the Kingdome in yourself. It doesn’t take long before you find something. God is active, moving, living, and working in us.
There is always room for a couple stories. These are going to be sweet bathroom stories because really now, when aren’t there crazy bathroom stories? The first is the lack of privacy. There is always one cleaning lady in the bathroom when I go. She’s mopping, washing, restocking. It’s a nice system because never have I seen the bathroom dirty. But seriously though, she always insists on mopping right next to me in the urinal. There are plenty of other floors to mop, why right next to me? And yet, it never fails. While the cleaning lady is trying to get a little peaky peaky there’s almost always boy bands from the 90’s playing on the loud speaker. There’s nothing that eases the bathroom experience then a little 98 Degrees or Enrique. Yikes.
While in Cambodia the other day the urinal next to me spawned a cockroach out the top crack. Stage fright to the max.
And last one: There’s a shopping mall that has the urinals in two lines where your back is facing the other side. It’s sweet because you don’t have to look at people while you go. But, the sink, with a giant mirror, is facing both rows of urinals. Kind of like this picture:
http://thumb11.shutterstock.com.edgesuite.net/display_pic_with_logo/105562/105562,1215366063,12/stock-photo-two-rows-of-urinals-14579980.jpg
With no sides on the urinal and someone washing their hands you have to basically sit in the urinal to stay private. If that’s not enough, the mopping lady joins me. Then this creepy old man parks himself two urinals away leaving the entire other side empty. Then, he breaks male restroom etiquette and starts talking to me in Thai. In his creepy 55 year old voice he says, “Tamalai” [What are you doing?]. Really? I’m peeing. Please don’t talk to me. What he was meaning was, “What are you doing in Thailand?” So I pretend like I don’t understand. But with the audience of peeping mopper and this guy’s incessant questioning, I buckle and answer, “I’m a volunteer” and I quickly sprint from the restroom. I haven’t gone into that shopping center since. See you all July 1st! –Thomas
Thomas, thank you for your thoughtful words – even the ones about urinals! The words below came into my e-box this morning from David Wilkerson. For some reason it really hit me, maybe because I know that I have not been fully obedient and have wondered why I’ve felt far from God and the Holy Spirit. I have concern sometimes about Christians who are seeking after an ecstatic experience and feeling with God when, maybe, the real sense of presence and communion comes with what is written below. Maybe that’s when we quietly are able to watch God expanding His Kingdom. We probably won’t see you again since we are moving to Indiana soon. Lawrence is going back to teaching social work; just a plain ole professor, and he’s greatly looking forward to it. Blessings Thomas. Keep me on your note list. Sharon
OBEDIENCE OPENS THE FLOODGATES
It was said of Christ that he endured and was obedient to his heavenly Father,
not because of fear, but because of the joy that was set before him. He laid
aside all weights and ran the race with patience. He endured shame and never
fainted or wearied in his mind, because he saw the glorious rewards of
obedience.
Shouldn’t we be getting weary enough of all the inner turmoil that we begin to
hunger after the glorious riches promised in Christ? Fear is not the best
motivator toward obedience—love is! After all, divine threats were finally
ignored by the children of Israel. Even God’s audible voice and his frightful
thunder could not keep disobedient Israelites from dancing around the golden
calf. Only a deep, abiding love and reverence for God could have kept them from
such disobedience.
It is sweet surrender to the will of God that opens the heavens to us. It is
the yielding of every sin, every act of disobedience, that allows us the
revelation of who Christ really is. The Scripture says, “Whosoever sinneth hath
not seen him, neither known him” (1 John 3:6).
Could it be possible that we, through living in disobedience, become distant
from him? Could it be that we our own way because we have never had a
revelation of Christ, his hatred of sin, and his glory and mercy? In plain
language, “He who lives in disobedience has never truly seen Christ in
reality.”
Jesus said, “He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that
loveth me; and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love
him, and will manifest myself to him” (John 14:21).
What greater reward for loving obedience could we want than having Christ
reveal himself to us? What a simple formula for such a great revelation. “Love
me enough to obey me—I will love you and show you who I am!” You can read all
about him, study his nature, his historical background, but you will never get
to know him until you do such a simple, basic thing as obeying him completely
in all things.
Jesus said of Nathanael, “Behold, an Israelite, indeed, in whom there is no
deceit…you shall see heaven open [to you]…” (John 1:47, 51 NKJV).
The very moment we surrender, and commit ourselves to absolute obedience, a
marvelous healing power is released in our inner man. No more dread of God, or
hell, or retribution. No more fear of what men can do to us. Instead, the
Spirit of God begins to flood us with new light, new hope, great joy, glorious
peace and abounding faith.
By: Sharon Ressler on May 13, 2010
at 12:44 am