BLESS YOUR BOUNDARIES

RESOUND: The Lord is saying, 'You need to bless your boundaries.'

(Anya McKee, Torn Curtain Collective)

There are parents who are diligently setting boundaries for your children, but those boundary lines have ended up being a cause of angst, frustration and conflict. They feel restrictive and seem to be working against you. God is saying, 'Bless Your Boundaries. Bless the boundaries you have set. Declare that your boundary lines will not divide you, but unite you.'

There are people who have set boundaries on what they believe or know, people whose experiences have defined them or hemmed them in. God is saying, 'Bless your boundaries. Declare that the boundary lines must fall only in pleasant places - not places of despair or arrogance or vulnerability or harm.'

Wherever there is a perimeter - around your church congregation or community, your business, your circle of friends, your emotional capacity, your worship and what that looks like, your obedience or faith, and particularly, the boundaries of your love - BLESS YOUR BOUNDARIES!

The Lord wants all your boundary lines to fall to you in pleasant places today.

Psalm 16:6 'My boundary lines fall in pleasant places.'

WORSHIP UNDER ATTACK

Terror attacks on worshipers are not a new phenomenon. Through the centuries plenty of churches, mosques and temples have been burned and destroyed, but what are we to make of this glut of killing, burning, destruction and even accidents that are pervading the global worship landscape right now?

What does a burning cathedral last week have to do with a vicious mass slaying in a mosque in Christchurch last month? And, on the same day the Notre Dame inferno began, another sacred space dedicated to worship caught fire – Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa Mosque, the third holiest site in Islam. Yes, it was a different faith and the fire wasn’t severe and quickly extinguished but at least one reported was quick to call it ‘an eerie coincidence.’ 

And then. last night, Easter Sunday worshipers in Sri Lanka were killed in large numbers as churches (and hotels) became a place of slaughter and destruction.

One thing is clear – behind whoever and whatever is physically responsible for all of these incidents, some force has risen to a new place of power and prominence—an arch-demon who detests worship of any form or faith, one that cannot stand places of worship or worshipers of any kind or creed. 

It is instinctive to recoil when we hear of one place after another experiencing such tragedy and trauma. And the only thing that speaks hope into the growing dread is the progressive rule and reign of Christ.

What we are looking at, is a changing of the guard within the kingdom of darkness. One enemy falls and another rises. When an evil throne’s previous occupant is subdued, placed under the feet of Jesus, another will always rise, bringing their own distinctive stench to the role. And yet, each will eventually find their terrible wills subverted, their heads and knees bowed low, and their tyranny cut short. One by one, every form of evil will be removed from the board like pawns expended in a cosmic contest for dominion on the earth. 

It’s time to pause in thankfulness and worship.

The beauty of Notre Dame lies in a smoking ruin and the death toll rises around the globe, and while the people of the world rise to condemn the atrocities, adjust gun laws and pledge to rebuild, the worshiping people of God must take a more nuanced response. An unseen evil entity has set his face against worship. Its reach is global, and the label on the door of the mosque or church or temple in his sights is of little concern to him. This spirit is determined to shut down the aroma of worship in the world, regardless of its flavor. This is a spirit repulsed by worship; to him, worship is toxic - and therein lies our clue!

Worship will be his downfall!

God is calling us to rise as worshippers unbowed by any threat, to extend the concept of sacred space to every surface of the earth, to touch heaven’s heights in ways that are beyond the reach of evil. There's a way to overcome this enemy and it's by taking our worship into the open, by dancing before the Lord on windswept hillsides, by lifting up praise to Him amongst the business of city squares or council parks, by falling on our face before him late at night between the dining table and a lounge chair, between the dishwasher that is yet to be loaded and the bookwork that is a month overdue. 

The most effective response we can have right now is to bring our worship with its sweet savor to God, past all the distractions and obstacles of the here and now, into a place of worship made without human hands. And as we do, yet another principality or power will be subverted; his dominion will be short-lived, his demise will come and we move ever closer to the day when every wrong will be set right.

GOD HAS MORE PEOPLE FOR YOU

GOD WANTS TO TRANSFORM YOUR AREA OF WEAKNESS

Revelation > Information

The Lord is saying to His people, revelation is more than information. You delight in my revelation. You receive my words, you catch insights as I give them to you, you love sharing my perspectives. But the thrill of revelation is not meant to leave frustration in your soul.

I want you to know that when I give revelation, I intend to do more than simply inform you. My desire is also to minister comfort and strength to you. Many of you have missed my heart in this, and you feel unsettled. You know things that matter. You have insight into situations, but hear this: When I impart knowledge, I also minister the grace to work with it. When you listen to my voice, you also need to share my heart. Linger a while when I speak, and let me minister my heart into yours. Then you will be able to impart clarity and blessing to others. 

From this day on, I want you to seek me, not just for what I can reveal to you, but for what I want to minister into you.

TAKE IT FURTHER:

Read Matthew 16:13-20

Peter, the uneducated fisherman, had received the revelation of a lifetime. There's no doubt Peter had witnessed Jesus up close for the past few years, that he had a good idea of who this man he followed really was. Still, when Peter opens his mouth in response to the 'Who do you say I am? question that Jesus poses, Peter's words are nothing short of heaven-scripted.

'You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God.'

And I wonder, what if Peter had received that revelation, yet never brought it out in that moment with Jesus? What if those words were given primarily that the truth about Jesus might resound on earth and thus bring joy to the Father in Heaven? Or was the declaration intended especially to fortify the heart of the Son of God? Could it be that by this stage in his journey, Jesus longed or even needed to hear his Sonship affirmed by one of His dearest friends?

If so, Peter was faithful with the revelation he'd been given.

And yet, it didn't end there. What if Peter had simply answered Jesus' question and then changed the topic? What if he had heard the words, 'Yes! You are blessed,' and moved on, not perceiving how much more God had to say on the topic - how God longed to speak into Peter's identity as well. Did Peter even know how much his own soul needed some affirmation of it's own?

But Peter does linger, and in so doing, more is imparted than he ever imagined. Now Jesus adds to the revelation. 'It has been revealed to you who I am. Now let me reveal to you who you are,' He essentially says, and then proceeds to tell Peter these famous words:

'You are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church.'

For a man who had been a fisherman, left his hometown and followed Jesus recklessly, receiving that information would be incredibly helpful - finally there was some focus to bring to his rather erratic life. But God wanted to do more than simply let Peter in on His mission statement. In saying those words, He wanted to minister something right into Peter's soul - to impart strength and confidence into Peter's shaky being, and to reassure him that, however volatile he may feel, he belonged in an established, enduring, purpose of God.

Revelation is so much more than information!

MAKE IT YOUR OWN:

Take time to hear from God. What is He saying to you today? Is there a scripture He is highlighting to you, or a word in your spirit that resonates with His?

How could you first take that word and offer it back to bless the heart of God?

Now, let His words go deeper, until they enrich your soul and strengthen your heart. How do those words minister to you today?

As you linger in His presence, do you get an idea of who else the words might be intended for? What is God's desire in giving this revelation? 

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