Universal Life Church Monastery of Massachusetts: October 2015

Tuesday, October 27, 2015

Got Troubles? Seek God.

2It was told Jehoshaphat, A great multitude has come against you from beyond the [Dead] Sea, from Edom; and behold they are in Hazazon-tamar, which is En-gedi. 3Then Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself [determinedly, as his vital need] to seek the Lord; he proclaimed a fast in all Judah. – 2 Chronicles 20: 2-3
Tsunamis are gigantic waves that destroy everything in their path. They obliterate buildings and cities as though they were made of paper. Few things can withstand their power. Such are the things of life. We encounter colossal storms that wreck havoc on your psyche. They tear down our esteem, and fill our souls with debris. We are left ravaged but not without hope.

King Jehoshaphat knew what that felt like. Can you imagine an army of hundreds of thousands coming against you? Can you imagine the fear that punches you in the gut when you weigh your situation? The bible says that the King was afraid and rightfully so. It also says that he sought the Lord as though his life depended on it—probably because it did.
Many of us do not seek the Lord when things seem like they are at their worst because we do not believe our life depends on it. There is still some small part of us that believes we can handle or manage it on our own. WRONG!

Our personal wisdom and insights will only take us so far before we crash and burn. Our livelihood of peace, joy and faith depend on our relationship with God. We need to pursue Him as often as possible. His ways and thoughts far surpass ours. King Jehoshaphat understood this. When His enemies decided they would all attack Him, he had to know what his strategy should be. Should he leave? Should he stay? Should he fight?
A tailor-made strategy from God for your situation is precisely what you need. You need to know what direction to go in, when to do it and how to do it? The only way to obtain that is by seeking the Father. When we look further down in the passage, we see that Jehoshaphat received his answer from the Lord.
The Lord says this to you: Be not afraid or dismayed at this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God's.16Tomorrow go down to them. Behold, they will come up by the Ascent of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the ravine before the Wilderness of Jeruel. 17You shall not need to fight in this battle; take your positions, stand still, and see the deliverance of the Lord [Who is] with you, O Judah and Jerusalem. Fear not nor be dismayed. Tomorrow go out against them, for the Lord is with you.

The King did not have to fight. He did not have to leave. He simply had to worship. Matsuri is the worship of the living God. Because he worshipped, God said the battle would be His.

Friday, October 16, 2015

Restore My Soul

THE LORD is my Shepherd [to feed, guide, and shield me], I shall not lack. 2He makes me lie down in [fresh, tender] green pastures; He leads me beside the still and restful waters. 3He refreshes and restores my life (my self); He leads me in the paths of righteousness [uprightness and right standing with Him--not for my earning it, but] for His name's sake. 4Yes, though I walk through the [deep, sunless] valley of the shadow of death, I will fear or dread no evil, for You are with me; Your rod [to protect] and Your staff [to guide], they comfort me.

Holy Spirit, take rest in me. Make me your temple, restore my soul. For I am yours, Lord, this I decree. Holy Spirit, take rest in me.¬ This is one of my favorite worship songs; it is titled “Take Rest.” One of the reasons it speaks to me so much is that the song isn’t really a song—it is a prayer. Every time we sing this song, we are imploring the Spirit of God to take rest in our hearts, to fill us with His splendid presence. Restoration is not something that materializes by happenstance—it occurs when the Spirit of God rests in us. The above passage drives this point home. God is our Shepherd. He cares for us, tends to our wounds and protects us from life’s wolves and predators. He leads us beside waters that are still and peaceful.
He refreshes and restores our soul. When God refreshes He restores our strength. When God restores, He brings us back to into His glory where we can behold His marvelous wonders.

Restoration means to restore us to our rightful places in God. Think of it like a 2-hour hiking trip in the woods on a hot, humid day. You’re sweaty, smelly, famished and dirty. If God were to refresh you, He’d feed you and give you a drink to restore your strength. If He were to restore you, He’d bathe you, dress you, make sure you hair was styled and anoint you with your favorite scent thereby restoring you.
Restoration is all about intimacy and relationship. All of us can be refreshed but only those who truly thirst for restoration will ever have it. Why? Restoration can only come if we ask. God can only restore us if we invite Him to take rest in our souls. We need the splendor of His presence to saturate the cracked, dry places in our mind. We need His grace to wash and refresh the barren wells of our hearts. We need Him to take rest.
If you desire a weary-free heart, a lack of sorrow and anguish or a joy-infused livelihood, ask the Spirit of the Living God to take rest in you. He is your God and He loves you. Shintos practice their faith through worship and honor of the Master of Creation. Remember, restoration is not something that simple occurs. It has be cultivated and harvested.

Friday, October 9, 2015

He’s Able

God is able to do just what He said He would do. He’s going to fulfill every promise to you. Don’t give up on God because He won’t give up on you—He’s able! – Excerpt of He’s Able by Deitrick Haddon
God is able to do exceedingly and abundantly more than we can ever hope or ask for. The bible says that we cannot even begin to imagine the wondrous things God can do. We serve an Almighty God. All power, all dominion and all glory belong to Him. He causes all things to work together for the good of those who love Him. In His appointed time, the bible says that God will release His promise and cause it to manifest in our lives.

Remember Abraham and Sarah? Both were well past their reproductive years when God made them a promise. Of course, like most of us they grew tired of waiting on God and decided to take matters into their own hands. Hence, Ishmael was born to Haggar and Abraham. However, when God’s timing arrived, God did exactly what He promised Abraham he would do: cause Him to have a son. Yes, Abraham and Sarah were just about 100-years-old when Issac was born; but God fulfilled His promise. Their age did not veto the decree He issued in the presence of heaven’s tribunal. The condition of their bodies did not thwart His promise. The fact that they arrogantly tried to manifest the promise themselves did not even cause God to miss a beat!

So My word that comes from My mouth will not return to Me empty, but it will accomplish what I please, and will prosper in what I send it [to do]." – Isaiah 55:11
God’s word never returns to Him unfulfilled. It will accomplish everything He designed it too. Therefore, if you are waiting on God to satisfy a promise He made to you, know that He is able. It does not matter how much time has elapsed or what things seem to look like. When David was anointed King over Israel it took years before he was able to operate in that call. When God made His promise to Abraham, it is estimated that it took twenty-five years before the promise, Isaac, was born.

God is not confined by the laws of time or space. He moves effortlessly through dimensions and space-time complexities like a swimmer glides through water. He is all powerful and omnipresent. He is able to do what He promised and He will—wait on Him. One of the most important things we can do is give God time to move. Abraham and Sarah failed to do this initially.

They became impatient and made decisions that were grossly unwise. What kind of person thinks it is a good idea to let their husband sleep with their personal assistant? Clearly, the person was prideful and impatient. God is God all by Himself—he does not require our help. Sikhism teaches there is only one God.

Friday, October 2, 2015

You Win!

24 "[The LORD also said,] 'Get up, move out, and cross the Arnon Valley. See, I have handed Sihon the Amorite, king of Heshbon, and his land over to you. Begin to take possession [of it]; engage him in battle. 25 Today I will begin to put the fear and dread of you on the peoples everywhere under heaven. They will hear the report about you, tremble, and be in anguish because of you.' – Deuteronomy 2:24-25

How many of you know that when God hands your enemy over to you, your victory is sealed? God never sends us into a situation that will result in our failure. He promises that He will not allow our enemies to put us to shame. He guarantees that our enemies will not triumph over us. When God sends us into a place or circumstance, it is because the outcome is already determined—we win!

Although the outcomes of our battles are determined by God, we still are required to get on the field and reinforce God’s spoken promise of victory. This is heavily chronicled in the Torah or Pentateuch. If you’re expecting to kick your feet up while others do all the work, you are sorely mistaken. Get up, move out, and cross the Arnon Valley. We do not have the luxury of remaining stagnant in our thought or deeds. The Almighty God is commanding us to get up off our behinds, move forward and go where God sends us. While some battles—like with Gideon—may not require us to pick up a weapon, others call for more combative methods. God tells the people to possess their inheritance and engage the enemy in battle.

We have an enemy whose sole purpose is to rob, kill, destroy or distract us. He is not going to give up without a fight. In truth, neither will we. When God sends us into the battle, He always goes ahead of us to make sure we have the advantage. What an awesome God He is! In this passage, God began to ignite fear in the heart of the enemy so that when the people showed up, fear, chaos and retreat showed up too.
Battles are not pretty. If you’re looking for a place to sit back, relax or sip on your favorite iced beverage, then this is not the place for you. The battlefield is not the place to make friends, play nice or goof around. Battles can be fierce, long and draining. Often times there are casualties. Some people who started out with you may not be there when the smoke clears. Some people may turn their back on you. In battles, people get wounded and sometimes they are victims of friendly fire. This is why it is important to have your marching orders before you get on the field. Know what you’re fighting for and why you’re fighting.
When God sends you into the battle, know that you even though you are in the trenches, victory is yours.