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Come Further Up and Further In!

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Joel 1:14 Sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly, gather the elders and all the inhabitants of the land in the house of the Lord, your God, and cry to the Lord [in penitent pleadings].

Preaching Today gave the following illustration regarding fasting: A woman from Omsk, Russia, is reportedly suing McDonald’s over an advertisement featuring cheeseburgers and chicken nuggets, which she said caused her to break her fast during Lent. Ksenia Ovchinnikova, an Orthodox Christian, said she was trying to stay away from meat and other animal products during the six-week period leading up to Easter. She said, “When I saw an advertising banner, I could not help myself. I visited McDonald’s and bought a cheeseburger.” In her official complaint, she explains: “In the actions of McDonald’s, I see a violation of the consumer protection law. I ask the court to investigate and, if a violation has taken place, to oblige McDonald’s to compensate me for moral damage in the amount of one thousand rubles ($14 US dollars).”

It’s easy to laugh at the irony of this woman’s spiritual condition but truth be known it actually mirrors the spiritual condition of many. In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus described Kingdom Citizens as those who gave, prayed and fasted. He didn’t say, If you give, pray and fast – He said WHEN. The value of getting closer to Jesus was forfeited for a fourteen dollar cheeseburger (and may I add, not a very good cheeseburger). How much was getting closer to Jesus for this woman? $14! Throughout the Bible you discover characters selling out for far less (Esau sold out for a bowl of soup). At least Judas held out for thirty pieces of silver (approximately $340 US). Ananias and Saphira held out for recognition and praise from men. (Which didn’t turn out so well for them).

The whole point of prayer and fasting is to sanctify, or set apart time to seek to draw near to God; to enter into His manifested presence. To make this issue even more pointed Rom. 1:7 states: To [you then] all God’s beloved ones in Rome, called to be saints and designated for a consecrated life….We are called to be saints which derives from the word where we get our english derivative, sanctified. 1 Cor. 6:11 states: And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. In other words, you were set apart – for giving, fasting, and praying. But Scripture doesn’t end there. 1 Peter 3:15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts,…If we are sanctifying as Lord in our hearts – we are setting apart Jesus as Lord of our heart; the Lord of our mind, will, emotions, personality, and body.

Jesus said in John 15 repeatedly, If you abide in Me….Jesus hadn’t yet ascended to the Father when He spoke this to His disciples in the Upper Room. It must have sounded strange to their ears. (Most of the time they didn’t understand what He was talking about). It wasn’t till later they connected the dots. For Jesus to make this command, and expectation, He knew they would connect this saying with how, and what He taught. In other words, later on they would know what it meant to abide, or remain in Jesus; to stay in close proximity to Him. Since they knew what it meant to abide, or remain in Him, they also knew what it would take to not abide, or remain in Him. Not only did they understand this aspect of abiding they also knew there was more of Him. They saw Jesus as C.S. Lewis described Aslan carrying the children of Narnia into the New Narnia: “Come further in!” Aslan cries, with laughter in his eyes. “Come further up!” (C.S. Lewis, The Last Battle) The Unicorn, of The Last Battle, in the last of the seven novels of the Chronicles of Narnia, entered the New Narnia, describes drawing near to Jesus well: “I have come home at last! This is my real country! I belong here. This is the land I have been look- ing for all my life, though I never knew it till now. The reason why we loved the old Narnia is that is sometimes looked a little like this. Bree-hee- hee! Come further up, come further in!” He shook his mane and sprang forward into a great gal- lop — a Unicorn’s gallop, which, in our world, would have carried him out of sight in a few moments. But now a most strange thing happened. Everyone else began to run, and they found, to their astonishment, that they could keep up with him: not only the Dogs and the humans but even fat little Puzzle and short-legged Poggin the Dwarf. The air flew in their faces as if they were driving fast in a car without a windscreen. The country flew past as if they were seeing it from the windows of an express train. Faster and faster they raced, but no one got hot or tired or out of breath.

What Are You Dying For?

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Once John Maxwell’s leadership word for the day was Warrior.  He said that a warrior is best defined as the character, William Wallace from ‘Braveheart’. Wallace had a cause that he was so committed to that he was willing to die for it. In essence that is a warrior. His life’s cause earned him the title of Braveheart. Franklin Roosevelt once stated: Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the assessment that something else is more important than fear. We see this courage on display as Jesus lived His life on earth. We see it demonstrated in what He was willing to live and die for.

In the first temptation of Christ it is revealed what He was willing to live for. In the second temptation what He would die for: Matthew 4:5-7 Then the devil took Him into the holy city and placed Him on a turret (pinnacle, gable) of the temple sanctuary. And he said to Him, If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down; for it is written, He will give His angels charge over you, and they will bear you up on their hands, lest you strike your foot against a stone. Jesus said to him, On the other hand, it is written also, You shall not tempt, test thoroughly, or try exceedingly the Lord your God.

1 John 4:18 states: There is no fear in love [dread does not exist], but full-grown (complete, perfect) love turns fear out of doors and expels every trace of terror! For fear brings with it the thought of punishment, and [so] he who is afraid has not reached the full maturity of love [is not yet grown into love’s complete perfection].

Jesus had heard the Father thunder, This is My Beloved Son in Whom I am well pleased!” Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness. God His Father had drawn near and Love led Jesus on though the fasting, the wilderness, the hunger and thirsting. Love led Jesus through His earthly life and ministry, and Love led Him to the Garden of blood soaked, sweat and tearful prayers. Love led Jesus through the darkness of man’s questionings, beatings, and trumped up charges. Love led Jesus through the scourge of the soldiers whip, the splintered, crucifixion tree, and the nails that pierced His hands and feet; thorns that pierced His brow. And as death closed His eyes, with its cruel grip, Love warmed His heart on Resurrection morn. This is the Love that found us and the same Love that calls to us. This ascent, His Ascent, is for those warriors who shake off the self-centered, proud-filled, fears for something else and Someone Else – more important than fear. Love calls us Home and Love calls us higher. Are you hearing the call of Love? The call to Love?

C.S. Lewis wrote in his book The Last Battle: I have come home at last! This is my real country! I belong here. This is the land I have been looking for all my life, though I never knew it till now….Come further up, come farther in!”