In 1971, the great 20th century preacher, Martyn Lloyd-Jones, brought these remarks to an annual Minister’s conference:
“We must not be content until we have had some manifestation of the activity of God. We must concentrate on this. This is my plea, that we concentrate on this, because it is the great message of the Bible, so substantiated by the lessons of history. That is obviously today the only thing that gives us any hope as we face the future. And God seems to be saying that to us. ‘Prove Me now. Try Me. Risk your everything on Me. Be fools for My sake. Cast yourselves utterly upon this belief.’ Let us put it like this: Do we really believe that God can still act? That is the question; that is the ultimate challenge. Or have we, for theological or some other reasons, excluded the very possibility? Here is the crucial matter. Do we individually and personally really believe that God still acts, can act and will act - in individuals, in groups of individuals, in churches, localities, perhaps even in countries? Do we believe that He is as capable of doing that today as He was in ancient times - the Old Testament, the New Testament times, the book of Acts, Protestant Reformation, Puritans, Methodist Awakening, 1859, 1904-5? Do we really believe that He can still do it? You see, it is ultimately what you believe about God. If He is the great Jehovah - I am that I am, I am that I shall be, unchanged, unchanging, unchangeable, the everlasting and eternal God - well, He can still do it.”
What does a manifestation of the activity of God look like? How do we know God is present to act? The most significant evidence of God’s activity is conversion, when a defiant rebel is miraculously transformed into a forgiven lover of God through the Gospel and the power of the Spirit. Lavish generosity and humble servanthood can also be evidences of God’s activity. People who no longer live for their own glory but for the glory of the Savior display God’s power at work. I’m among those who believe that the gifts of the Spirit described in various New Testament passages (1 Cor. 12, 14, Eph. 4, etc.), such as prophetic impressions and healing, continue to this day. They, too, are a sign that God is active in our midst.
However, I’m sobered and challenged by Lloyd-Jones’ question: “Do we really believe that God can still act?” He is asking if we have faith for God to move among us in clear, distinct, and powerful ways. He is asking us to consider if we are settling for an “appearance of godliness, but denying its power?” (2 Tim. 3:5) At the end of the day are we placing more trust in God’s activity or ours? I find that I can still approach congregational meetings in a way that expecting God’s active presence is almost an afterthought. Maybe you’ve had the same experience.
Scripture explains God’s presence in different ways. Psalm 139 and other passages teach that He is present everywhere at the same time. Quite a feat. But, there are many Scriptural examples of God making his presence known in a unique way. Some of these are expected, as when we gather to share the Lord’s supper or sing His praise (1 Cor. 11:23-32; Eph. 5:18-20). Other times, God reveals his presence and activity in ways that are startling and affecting. In 1 Cor. 14:23-25 Paul seems to assume that will be a regular occurrence in our meetings if we are responding to the Spirit’s leading. Unbelievers will fall down and proclaim, “God is really among you!”
How do we respond to Lloyd-Jones’ penetrating question - “Do we really believe that God can still act?” – without falling into emotionalism or idolizing experience? How do we maintain a balance between celebrating God’s presence among us and expectantly looking for his active presence?
What about you? Where do you need to grow in faith for God’s activity in your life and your church? How have you maintained a balance between celebrating God’s promised presence through ordinary means and an expectation for his supernatural activity in unexpected ways?
(HT: Bob Kauflin)
pear-i
a bit of sharing –
I was challenged/am still being challenged earlier this school year about something related to that..
that is, how do you *love* God? and alternatively — if i can love a girl at a particularly high level — (e.g infatuation, constantly thinking about her, always think about her, have my heart break when she is sad, constant anticipation to talk/spend time with her) — then how much more do I need to love my Lord! And logically — to Love Him more, i’d have to first love Him to that ‘high degree’ (in my thinking, romantic love is the ‘ultimate’ expression level of human:human love, albeit its different for each person, each culture, and even denomination)
As such — with that particular challenge, my year began as a search, yearning — and seeking to go DEEPER into God, to KNOW HIM.
And I guess in that knowing Him he revealed himself in varying different ways… constant conversation, guiding, tongues, intercession, sanctification, spiritual fruits, renewed thirst to spiritual things etc..
Very experiential/emotionally tied things (in a sense). Some would say I was on a “spiritual high” for a very long time — I’d argue, the Christian Life is very exciting and experiential, active…
despite that — something God has been showing me in the last while is just in how we experience God.
1. “Don’t let your previous spiritual experiences define how you experience God, rather let it enhance it” - Raineer(roughly quoted)
- often times we experience God a certain way (particularly charismatic and/or more emotional/ vivid ways), we hold on to that because it is God blatantly revealing Himself to us. However when that fades or changes — its easy to fall into the trap of restricting God to that certain experience/atmosphere; thus hindering a person to experience God more fully and freely or at all (if one’s expectations exceed sensitivity)
2. The Source to experiencing God is beyond merely the experiencing, rather its the heart — to genuinely know God. (x’ref to CC sermon w/ the kids who went on the roof to get ‘visions’). God is not in the experiences themselves. Rather the experiences are within, flow out of — seeking and being in God.
- For myself, He’s been showing me this through the past few months and that is, we often trust/depend on God via ‘emotions, spiritual manifestations, answer to prayer, inspiration etc..’ in short we depend on God in a way like this:
I –> %experience –> God.
There are 3 components.
Often times, when you’ve come so deep in that %experience, He will withdraw your sensitivity to His presence from you, and that experience
leaving you with
I –> nothing ??? God.
Thus your ‘medium’ in which you experience God is removed, dry.. and in very essence you find emptyness in those experiences before — This is because God wants us to grow deep in Him, the experiences lead us in Faith — but the emptyness tests our faith… because God wants your faith to be like this:
I –> God.
NOT
I –> %experience.
Because then you have idolatry, you begin worshipping the experience, and in very essence emotionalism.
Similar Biblical Example of this –
Elijah confronting Jezebel’s prophets — He massively experiences God’s power/presence in the like raining down of fire etc..
Yet later there’s that massive earthquake, fire, wind where he’s hiding and he can’t find God in all those things which are similar if not even greater than the raining down of fire?
and instead of experiencing God that same way — God reveals himself in emptyness, silence.
so yes.. thats my bit of ranting :p what do you think?
*cheers*
thanks for doing worship coordinator for CC
May 23, 2006 @ 7:01 pm