PRAYER OF CONSECRATION
Wake up, sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.
Jesus, I belong to you.
I lift up my heart to you.
I set my mind on you.
I fix my eyes on you.
I offer my body to you as a living sacrifice.
Jesus, we belong to you.
Praying in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, amen.
Acts 6:11–14 (NIV)
Then they secretly persuaded some men to say, “We have heard Stephen speak blasphemous words against Moses and against God.”
So they stirred up the people and the elders and the teachers of the law. They seized Stephen and brought him before the Sanhedrin. They produced false witnesses, who testified, “This fellow never stops speaking against this holy place and against the law. For we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and change the customs Moses handed down to us.”
CONSIDER THIS
The whole scene feels strangely familiar. It’s like déjà vu.
Déjà vu: The feeling that you have already experienced something that is happening for the first time. Remember this?
The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were looking for false evidence against Jesus so that they could put him to death. But they did not find any, though many false witnesses came forward. Finally two came forward and declared, “This fellow said, ‘I am able to destroy the temple of God and rebuild it in three days.’” (Matt. 26:59–61)
Do we hear an echo?
So they stirred up the people and the elders and the teachers of the law. They seized Stephen and brought him before the Sanhedrin. They produced false witnesses, who testified, “This fellow never stops speaking against this holy place and against the law. For we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and change the customs Moses handed down to us.”
This is no glitch in the matrix. Jesus was quite clear: As it was with me, so will it be with you. Check this out:
If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. Remember what I told you: “A servant is not greater than his master.” If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. (John 15:18–20)
It is one thing to say you believe in Jesus Christ. It is another thing entirely to identify with him. In every age, the former are a dime a dozen. The latter, in our time, tend to be anomalies and outliers. In the early days of the church, the anomalies and outliers formed a fellowship. Then and now, this is the fellowship of the Holy Spirit. The word is koinonia. It is the fellowship of and for the awakening.
If you are reading or listening to the Wake-Up Call, chances are you are searching for this kind of fellowship. It’s because you are longing for more than the conventional religion of our age. You are looking for the sacred fellowship of sharing in his suffering; becoming like him in his death; and delving ever deeper into the power of his resurrection.
I want to say, I see you. We see you.
THE PRAYER OF TRANSFORMATION
Lord Jesus, I am your witness.
I receive your righteousness and release my sinfulness.
I receive your wholeness and release my brokenness.
I receive your fullness and release my emptiness.
I receive your peace and release my anxiety.
I receive your joy and release my despair.
I receive your healing and release my sickness.
I receive your love and release my selfishness.
I receive your fellowship and all who share in it and release my self-sufficient isolation.
Come Holy Spirit transform my heart, mind, soul, and strength so that my consecration becomes your demonstration; that our lives become your sanctuary. For the glory of God our Father, amen.
THE QUESTION
Are we understanding that there really is no middle ground? The place of a comfortable Christianity, while perhaps the character of many churches, is simply not in the kingdom of Jesus. It is another flavor of the world. Journal out your longing for more of Jesus and the fellowship of his saints in this life.
THE HYMN
Today we will sing “Crown Him with Many Crowns.” It is hymn 278 in our Seedbed hymnal, Our Great Redeemer’s Praise.
For the Awakening,
J. D. Walt
Sower-in-Chief
seedbed.com
P.S. Please continue praying with us through these days of the New Room Conference.
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5 Responses
Today’s Wake-up Call is a stark reminder that, “But if anyone obeys his word, love for God is truly made complete in them. This is how we know we are in him: Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did.” (1 John 2:5-6) This truth that if we are truly His is that we will experience the hatred of the world, aka, “The Way Of The Cross.” Martin Luther referred to those who taught and lived this as Theologians of the cross as opposed to Theologians of glory. In order persevere in this manner , we must first consider the cost, and then be thoroughly convinced that Jesus is truly worth it.
Jesus doesn’t call people to be comfortable and entertained. He calls His followers to go beyond the conventional religious wisdom and church structures of our age and to become a living demonstration of His presence and power.
I woke up this morning with these thoughts about Christ’s calling stirring in my heart before I got out of bed and saw today’s Wake-Up Call:
* The best pastor (shepherd) is Christ in you. He will lead, guide, and disciple you from the inside if you will let Him.
* The risen Jesus is the most effective Bible teacher. He makes the words burn in your heart.
* When people are aware of Christ’s presence, they don’t need a program about Him.
* Jesus is the best worship leader. Awareness of His presence releases spontaneous adoration!
Calling all Christ-followers: Let’s begin to continually notice, appreciate, surrender to, and obey the presence of the risen Jesus.
This poem just came to me:
Before there was music
In my soul
I never felt whole.
I had no real goal.
I was only
Playing a role.
It took a toll
Until one day I heard
The sound of Jesus
Singing in my soul.
Earbuds never
Brought me such joy!
“It is one thing to say you believe in Jesus Christ. It is another thing entirely to identify with him.”
Legacy.
Many strive to leave a legacy. Money, stocks and bonds, power or position, properties or possessions, many people attempt to overload their storehouses so loved ones can own what they once possessed. To give family or friends something to be remembered and identified by.
Me?
I have neither silver nor gold. I have Jesus. I’m complete in Him. Now to grow and live as if that is so, especially when the evil one tells me that I’m not.
Legacy?
In remembrance of me, I hope others will mention Jesus’ name with my name.
Matthew 25:21
His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’
Oh, what a legacy that would be!
Staying 💪’n Christ
Ephesians 6:10
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might.
Doc..well said..help us to live!
It reminds me of casting crowns song “Only Jesus”
I don’t want to leave a legacy, I don’t care if they remember me, only Jesus! I’ve only got One Life to Live, I’ll let every second point to Him!