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 28:17–24
Three days later he called together the local Jewish leaders. When they had assembled, Paul said to them: “My brothers, although I have done nothing against our people or against the customs of our ancestors, I was arrested in Jerusalem and handed over to the Romans. They examined me and wanted to release me, because I was not guilty of any crime deserving death. The Jews objected, so I was compelled to make an appeal to Caesar. I certainly did not intend to bring any charge against my own people. For this reason I have asked to see you and talk with you. It is because of the hope of Israel that I am bound with this chain.”
They replied, “We have not received any letters from Judea concerning you, and none of our people who have come from there has reported or said anything bad about you. But we want to hear what your views are, for we know that people everywhere are talking against this sect.”
They arranged to meet Paul on a certain day, and came in even larger numbers to the place where he was staying. He witnessed to them from morning till evening, explaining about the kingdom of God, and from the Law of Moses and from the Prophets he tried to persuade them about Jesus. Some were convinced by what he said, but others would not believe.
CONSIDER THIS
Growing up in small-town America, it was always a big deal when we went to the city. With Dumas, Arkansas, in the rearview mirror, the anticipation of seeing the great metropolis—Little Rock—began. There was a particular place on the far outskirts of the city where we would crest the last hill obscuring our view. We had a contest between my sisters and I. It consisted of who would see Little Rock first. At the first and slightest glimpse of the skyline, we would shout, “I see Little Rock!” Despite the fact we usually fought the rest of the way into the city as to who won, it is a great memory. It reminds me of those signs all over the southeast, “See Rock City.”
I sense this was something of what it must have been like for Paul, albeit in a bit different spirit, as he crested the last hill and caught his first glimpse of the great city of Rome. Paul carried this city in his heart and prayers for years now. He had tried to get there multiple times and had been prevented. Finally, he arrived; an imprisoned apostle (that’s almost as big an oxymoron as “dead church”) in a procession of criminals likely on their way to death.
Paul, the citizen of Rome, had a special burden to preach the gospel of the kingdom of God in this famed city. It brings to mind the heart of Jesus over the city of Jerusalem when he said, “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing” (Matt. 23:37).
God loves cities. Though the world began in a garden, it will end with the coming of a city—the New Jerusalem.
I imagine Paul looking over the breathtaking expanse of the city of Rome with the longing of the love of God, and declaring with humble audacity, just under his breath, “Jesus is Lord of Rome!”
As I remember those days long ago when we shouted “I see Little Rock,” I’m asking myself have I really seen the town where I presently live? It makes me want to go out to the outskirts of town and find a good vantage point and look over the place and ask for God to open the eyes of my heart to really see the place in a fresh way in the power of the Holy Spirit. I’m really a nobody in the scheme of this town and yet I’m an ambassador of the kingdom of God. I think this is the beginning of what it might look like to start taking apostolic responsibility.
How about you and the city or town where you live? I’m praying for the Holy Spirit to rise up within you with an emboldened kingdom imagination to do such a thing where you live.
I love the song by the Irish band, Bluetree, and popularized by Chris Tomlin—”God of This City.” Here’s the chorus:
You’re the God of this city.
You’re the King of these people.
You’re the Lord of this nation.
You are.You’re the light in this darkness
You’re the hope to the hopeless.
You’re the peace to the restless.
You are.
And then this battle cry of a chorus:
For greater things have yet to come
And greater things are still to be done in this city.
How about getting familiar with the tune and start singing it over your town or city today? Listen here.
THE PRAYER OF TRANSFORMATION
Lord Jesus, I am your witness. I long to be like you.
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.
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 JOURNAL PROMPTS
So have you ever considered humbly taking apostolic authority over your town or city? Would you consider it? What is the small, bold, gesture you might take today to signal this move?
THE HYMN
Today we will sing “This Is My Father’s World” (hymn 19) from our Seedbed hymnal, Our Great Redeemer’s Praise. Get your copy here.
For the Awakening,
J. D. Walt
P.S. HOW TO KEEP A WORD AND SPIRIT JOURNAL
There’s still time to register for our How to Keep a Word and Spirit Journal workshop coming this Monday evening, August 26. Link here.
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2 Responses
Personally, I believe that apostolic authority is initially proceeded by an apostolic calling. Although I believe that the original apostles were unique in both their calling and their Spiritual Gifting, I also believe as Alan Hirsch has written in his book The Forgotten Ways, that apostles along with prophets, evangelists, shepherds and teachers, will be required to reactiveate an apostolic movement. I see here in todays text that Paul’s first apostolic move when arriving at any new place is to get acquainted with the local religious folk. Because we Christians are fast becoming a minority “sect”, we need to foster strong relationships with all the other Spirit led believers in our neck of the woods. Only a strong unified body of believers will make any progress in Kingdom expansion in todays re-paganized culture.
Humility, kindness, and honesty cause people to be curious about what you believe. After Paul, the sent one, was falsely accused by the religious people in the city of Jerusalem and imprisoned for two years, He was finally sent to the city of ancient Rome as a prisoner of the government.
One of the first things Paul did was to call together the leaders of the Jews who lived in Rome so that he could humbly, honestly, and kindly explain his situation to them. He didn’t accuse them or insult them. They responded to Paul’s warm approach by saying: “We want to hear what your views are, for we know that people everywhere are talking against this sect.”
Rather than feeling threatened by Paul and his “sect” (party), they set up a time to come back and bring more people with them so they could all hear what he had to say. Then Paul “witnessed to them from morning till evening, explaining about the kingdom of God, and from the Law of Moses and from the Prophets he tried to persuade them about Jesus. Some were convinced by what he said, but others would not believe.”
Instead of accusing and verbally attacking people who support a party you believe is hurting you, be like Paul. Reach out to them with honesty, kindness, and humility. Then they might even say to you: “We want to hear what your views are,” and listen to you “explaining about the kingdom of God,” “from morning till evening.” That’s what happened to Paul, the sent one (apostle).
If you are a Christ-follower, you have been sent to where you are so that you (as an ambassador of the kingdom of God) can be a first-hand witness to and a living demonstration of Jesus’ literal presence, sacrificial love, and grace-filled humility. The kingdom of God begins to manifest when a person learns to freely surrender to, rely on, and humbly flow with Spirit-produced inner rivers of childlike innocence, trust, creativity, openness, spontaneity, and playfulness that release the fruit and the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Refuse to let an obsession with your rights quench the light of Christ that wants to freely shine in and through your heart.
The energy, influence, and insight of God’s Spirit produces indescribable joy! “O taste and see that the Lord is good!” The Bible isn’t a textbook to be learned but a handbook to be experienced and lived. As I strive to LUIGS (Live Under the Influence of God’s Spirit) I’m amazed at how Jesus works in me to keep my heart and mind ever focused on Him, so that I don’t feel threatened by the confusion and hostility that surrounds me in this world.