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Bullet Trains

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Mark 1:34 And He cured many who were afflicted with various diseases; and He drove out many demons, but would not allow the demons to talk because they knew Him [intuitively]. Reading chapter one of the Gospel of Mark feels like you are riding along the bullet train A bullet train is a high speed train in Japan that reaches speeds of over 200 mph. Yet, in this one chapter Mark records that Jesus was baptized, He was led in the wilderness to fast and pray for forty days and nights, called and chose His 12 disciples, visited the synagogue, cast out demons in the synagogue, healed Simon Peter’s mother-in-law, healed the sick and cast out demons. I’m exhausted just reading it. But how? How did Jesus do all of these things? Mark one offers two clues: Mark 1:10 And when He came up out of the water, at once he [John] saw the heavens torn open and the [Holy] Spirit like a dove coming down [to enter] into Him. Mark 1:35 And in the morning, long before daylight, He got up and went out to a deserted place, and there He prayed. Did you catch it? He was filled with the Spirit and He took time to pray – first thing, early in the morning.

Bullet Trains achieve their fast speeds primarily through dedicated tracks, electric motors, and electro-magnetic levitation. Everything, but the dedicated tracks are invisible. What really makes them accelerate is what is unseen. It’s unfortunate that when it comes to looking at the things Jesus accomplished that we dismiss the impact of it all by saying, He was God. When our focus dismisses His humanity we fail to see the miracle achieved and modeled. Yes, He was, and is still – God. BUT, He was also human. If you dismiss His humanity you’ve missed the fact that He modeled His life as an example for us all. When we dismiss His humanity we dismiss the fact that He needed to be filled with the Spirit. He needed to pray. He needed to go to synagogue. He needed to read, study, and memorize the Word. He needed thanksgiving and worship. He needed to gather with like-minded believers to share Who God was to them and what He was doing in their lives. When we dismiss His humanity we dismiss His suffering through to the Fathers’ will in the Garden of Gethsemane – a struggle that was so intense He sweat drops of blood. We dismiss His suffering on the cross. We dismiss His being tempted in every way we are tempted. This was what the Apostle Paul was conveying to us: 1 Cor. 2:2 For I resolved to know nothing (to be acquainted with nothing, to make a display of the knowledge of nothing, and to be conscious of nothing) among you except Jesus Christ (the Messiah) and Him crucified. If we focus on Jesus simply being God we miss the fact that He lived a crucified life. The crucified life prepared Him for the crucifixion. Everyday of His life was a crucifixion. Everyday he hauled His soul – mind, will, emotions, and personality – onto His Fathers’ will bringing it into submission. But this only happened as a result of His surrender to the “dedicated tracks” the Lord placed before Him.

A few of us are preparing to travel to Kenya for ten days of dedicated service to the people of Mlolongo. Part of our preparation involves reading the Book of Acts. Today our reading was in Acts 24 and one verse stood out to me: Therefore I always exercise and discipline myself [mortifying my body, deadening my carnal affections, bodily appetites, and worldly desires, endeavoring in all respects] to have a clear (unshaken, blameless) conscience, void of offense toward God and toward men. (Acts 24:16) Why did he live this life of dedication? He believed in the Resurrection of Jesus and because of this hope he believed Jesus would raise his body to new life. Now Acts 24:15 states that Jesus is going to raise the righteous and unrighteous to life. Righteous means, rightly related to God and to man. When that day happens do you want to be known as one who traveled the same dedicated tracks as Jesus or one who ran off the tracks? Do you want to rise up to, Well done? Or do you want to rise up to everlasting shame? I don’t know about you but I want to be a bullet train like Jesus.

Tick Tock

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Acts 1:4-8 And while being in their company and eating with them, He commanded them not to leave Jerusalem but to wait for what the Father had promised, Of which [He said] you have heard Me speak.5 For John baptized with water, but not many days from now you shall be baptized with (placed in, introduced into) the Holy Spirit.6 So when they were assembled, they asked Him, Lord, is this the time when You will reestablish the kingdom and restore it to Israel?7 He said to them, It is not for you to become acquainted with and know what time brings [the things and events of time and their definite periods] or fixed years and seasons (their critical niche in time), which the Father has appointed (fixed and reserved) by His own choice and authority and personal power.8 But you shall receive power (ability, efficiency, and might) when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you shall be My witnesses in Jerusalem and all Judea and Samaria and to the ends (the very bounds) of the earth.

Human nature is confoundingly interesting, and pathetic, simultaneously. In this setting, Jesus had recently emerged from a horrific crucifixion, and resurrection from the dead. Presently, He is about to ascend to His Father to be seated on His throne. For all appearances it would seem, to any casual observer, the eleven disciples would have had enough sense to keep their mouths shut, and listen attentively to every syllable that poured from His lips. In fact the word transfixed comes to mind as what would appear to be the only adequate response to Jesus’ Presence. But what did these disciples inquire about? Time. What was of the utmost importance to Jesus? The Baptism of the Spirit. Specifically there being baptized in the Holy Spirit. Time versus being Baptized in the Spirit. Let that profound statement sink in deep. One more time: time versus being baptized in the Spirit! Guess what? Nothing’s changed. Yet, we are no different than the disciples with their preoccupation with time. In fact, instead of our being transfixed with Jesus we remain, stuck, fixed and focused on time. Man’s agenda versus God’s agenda. Self-centered versus God-centered. I have heard it said, that we are too preoccupied with the gifts of the Giver rather than the Giver, Himself. Since that is emphatically true, what are we doing with His Gift of Time? Have we become too occupied with the gift rather than the Giver? Have we learned the value of being baptized, and immersed in the Spirit?

What does it mean to be immersed in the Spirit? Ephesians 5:18 states: Do not get drunk on wine which leads to debauchery. Instead be filled with the Spirit. The Greek version of this text literally states, Be, being continually filled with the Spirit. The comparison is obvious. Being filled with the Spirit is comparable to being drunk. Drunk’s aren’t concerned about time. Everything is centered around the alcohol. Everything that they are is controlled by the “spirit’s” influence. Their speech, muscle movements, thoughts, and emotions are all controlled by the alcohol which has consumed them. The analogy is clear and obvious. Those who are drunk with the Spirit are consumed by the Spirit. Things on fire tend to be consumed. Fortunately for Spirit-filled followers of Jesus we become burning bushes for those who take the time to turn aside to look and see, What is the meaning of this? Question is, Who or what is consuming you? Are you a sign and wonder to those wandering in their spiritual wasteland?

Never is defined as, at no time in the past or the future. In J.M. Barries fictional work, Peter Pan, Captain Hook is stricken with fear of the crocodile who has swallowed a clock. Whenever the crocodile is near the sound of the ticking clock grows louder and louder. Mankind is fearful of the crocodile of time that comes for all men ready to devour all in its abysmal jaws. The good news is we have been given an invitation to Never Land which begins in salvation, and its manifestation of reality exists in the Spirit-filled, spirit-yielded life. Now the question becomes are you controlled by the Croc of Time or by the boundless, expanses of the Spirit-filled life? Is the Spirit-filled, spirit-controlled life your preoccupation or are you running from time simultaneously grasping for more of it?