The Black Lives Matter Movement has stirred up a lot of controversy. They have brought to light the injustice felt in the black community. There is no question that the black community faces more scrutiny and suspicion from law enforcement, especially in our inner cities where crime rates tend to be higher. Cell phone videos catch every encounter of police actions, good or bad. The rhetoric of some Black Lives Matter protesters decried war or at least violence against all police officers everywhere, which only make police officers more tense, on the defensive, aggressive, confrontational for their own safety. The turmoil only grows with every encounter and confrontation. The fuse has been lit and the powder keg is close to blowing.
There is frustration everywhere. People are frustrated about life in general. The middle east escalating turmoil keeps people on edge. Fear of another 9/11 catastrophe lurks, as does another mass shooting in some school or mall. Although the government reports numbers of less unemployment and job creation, more and more people can't find work, have dropped off the unemployment rolls or can only find jobs paying just above minimum wage. We are at the highest level of people on food stamps. The middle class is losing ground. The Affordable Health Care act is proving to be unaffordable to individuals and businesses alike as rates climb. Our government is in political grid lock and when they do pass something it seems to make life worse. Polls show that nearly 3/4 of Americans believe our country is heading in the wrong direction. Fear, uncertainty, insecurity, racial tension, political division, class warfare seems to have gripped our country.
Are there any answers? Is there any hope? Where is the security in this world?
As I was reading through Isaiah 32, I felt an overwhelming sense of the anxiety and frustration people are feeling today. Christians, today, are feeling the squeeze even more as they see more and more of their moral values being bashed, ridiculed and legislated away. Their cry, "What's happening to our world?" echoes across the diminishing church landscapes as more and more people leave the pews and join the sweeping post modern wave.
The world is in deep turmoil! Anxiety and hardship is real for everyone. But the corruption of this world flows from the corruption and apathy of our own hearts. Our sin, our complacency, our selfishness, our inward focus is a primary reason for the fear, frustration, anxiety, etc that we all feel. Our inaction, lack of sacrificial commitment to the cause of Christ has exacerbated the deterioration of society around us. It happened to the Israelites and not only did they lose their way, they lost their nation and the blessing of God's hand on them.
The key to a renewal, reassurance, peace comes from a fresh flow from the Holy Spirit, according to Isaiah 32:15 and following. Only through the power of God, poured out onto us and flowing through us will our society, our world, our community, our neighborhood change. World change doesn't start with some governmental power. It starts on our street, in our neighborhood. It starts with us!
Isaiah goes on to talk about how when God's Spirit is poured out into the desert or the wasteland, that it becomes a fertile field and even the fertile fields will become as dense or prolific as a forest. Justice will move into the badland deserts and righteousness will consume the fertile fields. And the fruit of righteousness will bring peace and the produce of that peace will bring quiet lives and endless trust or confidence. Isaiah assures his readers that God's people will experience peaceful neighborhoods, safe and secure homes and a blessed and bountiful life.
So how is it that neighborhoods, inner cities, communities can see this kind of transformation? In The Message paraphrase of John 1:14 says, "The Word (Jesus) became flesh and blood and moved into the neighborhood." What an incredible word picture. Jesus became flesh and blood and moved into the neighborhood. Brad Brisco and Lance Ford ask the question in their book, Missional Essentials, "What would it look like if Jesus moved into your neighborhood?" How would our neighborhood be different if Jesus actually moved into our neighborhood? Would we see what Isaiah was talking about in Isaiah 32? Would that kind of transformation take place? What if He moved into the darkest of our inner cities? Would gun violence and crime suddenly cease? Would homes without fathers disappear? Would poverty diminish? Would calls for killing police be silenced?
Isaiah said that when God's Spirit is poured out in the desert or wasteland, that it becomes a fertile field. According to Acts 1 and 2, because of the death, burial, resurrection and ascension of Jesus, the Holy Spirit has been poured out already on His people. For those of who claim Jesus as our Lord and Savior, that means us. That means that God's Spirit dwells in us wherever we live, go, play, work, or rest.
You see, Jesus has already moved into your neighborhood through you. As a Christ Follower, we need to unleash the power of God's Spirit on and into our neighborhoods, communities and inner cities. What does that look like? Let's go back and ask the question again. What do you think it would look like if Jesus moved into your neighborhood? What would He do? The wasteland becomes a fertile field when Jesus pours Himself into the field.
I'm afraid that many of our inner cities have become wastelands because we, as representatives of Christ, have abandoned them. In fact, our own neighborhoods are moving that direction, as is virtually every city, town, community in the US, because we have become complacent and comfortable with satisfying our own needs. When we, even as "committed believers," focus only on showing up at church and doing church duties, we've abandoned the fields. And when the fields get abandoned, the weeds take over and the work becomes ten times harder to work it to produce a bountiful crop of peace again.
The solution to peace and security in the world, in our neighborhood, in our streets is simple. If each of us who professed to be a Christ Follower would get off our couches and out of recliners, wake up and go pour the Spirit of God out into our own neighborhoods, workplaces, gyms, coffee shops and classrooms by investing in people like Jesus did, the world would ultimately be transformed into a righteous field of peace. One person at a time. One neighborhood at a time. That's what Jesus had in mind when He gathered His twelve together and sent them into the world telling them to love God with everything they've got and love their neighbor as themselves.
God, I confess that I get frustrated and even angry as I reflect upon the situation of our country, culture and changing norms. I sometimes wind myself up into a depression over what I perceive in the world around me. Even though I tell myself that your are still in control and we win in the end, I get exasperated by the constant self destruction of our world. Sometimes I feel like the disciples who wanted to call down fire from heaven and destroy all the evil doers and godless people. But I realize that longing for the days of Andy Griffith and Mayberry is pointless and they aren't coming back anytime soon (if they ever really existed). As I read again, Isaiah 32, I feel convicted of my complacency. I'm doing little to pour out my life in Your Spirit into my neighborhood, my wasteland around me. God, I know that if I do it, if other believers would unleash Your Spirit through their lives into the lives of our neighbors, your promise would soon come to fruition and my neighborhood, their neighborhoods would become a fertile field producing peace and righteousness. Thanks for the kick in the pants, the wake up call, Lord. I know I can't change the world, but in Your Power by Your Spirit, I can see my neighborhood change.
There is frustration everywhere. People are frustrated about life in general. The middle east escalating turmoil keeps people on edge. Fear of another 9/11 catastrophe lurks, as does another mass shooting in some school or mall. Although the government reports numbers of less unemployment and job creation, more and more people can't find work, have dropped off the unemployment rolls or can only find jobs paying just above minimum wage. We are at the highest level of people on food stamps. The middle class is losing ground. The Affordable Health Care act is proving to be unaffordable to individuals and businesses alike as rates climb. Our government is in political grid lock and when they do pass something it seems to make life worse. Polls show that nearly 3/4 of Americans believe our country is heading in the wrong direction. Fear, uncertainty, insecurity, racial tension, political division, class warfare seems to have gripped our country.
Are there any answers? Is there any hope? Where is the security in this world?
As I was reading through Isaiah 32, I felt an overwhelming sense of the anxiety and frustration people are feeling today. Christians, today, are feeling the squeeze even more as they see more and more of their moral values being bashed, ridiculed and legislated away. Their cry, "What's happening to our world?" echoes across the diminishing church landscapes as more and more people leave the pews and join the sweeping post modern wave.
The world is in deep turmoil! Anxiety and hardship is real for everyone. But the corruption of this world flows from the corruption and apathy of our own hearts. Our sin, our complacency, our selfishness, our inward focus is a primary reason for the fear, frustration, anxiety, etc that we all feel. Our inaction, lack of sacrificial commitment to the cause of Christ has exacerbated the deterioration of society around us. It happened to the Israelites and not only did they lose their way, they lost their nation and the blessing of God's hand on them.
The key to a renewal, reassurance, peace comes from a fresh flow from the Holy Spirit, according to Isaiah 32:15 and following. Only through the power of God, poured out onto us and flowing through us will our society, our world, our community, our neighborhood change. World change doesn't start with some governmental power. It starts on our street, in our neighborhood. It starts with us!
Isaiah goes on to talk about how when God's Spirit is poured out into the desert or the wasteland, that it becomes a fertile field and even the fertile fields will become as dense or prolific as a forest. Justice will move into the badland deserts and righteousness will consume the fertile fields. And the fruit of righteousness will bring peace and the produce of that peace will bring quiet lives and endless trust or confidence. Isaiah assures his readers that God's people will experience peaceful neighborhoods, safe and secure homes and a blessed and bountiful life.
So how is it that neighborhoods, inner cities, communities can see this kind of transformation? In The Message paraphrase of John 1:14 says, "The Word (Jesus) became flesh and blood and moved into the neighborhood." What an incredible word picture. Jesus became flesh and blood and moved into the neighborhood. Brad Brisco and Lance Ford ask the question in their book, Missional Essentials, "What would it look like if Jesus moved into your neighborhood?" How would our neighborhood be different if Jesus actually moved into our neighborhood? Would we see what Isaiah was talking about in Isaiah 32? Would that kind of transformation take place? What if He moved into the darkest of our inner cities? Would gun violence and crime suddenly cease? Would homes without fathers disappear? Would poverty diminish? Would calls for killing police be silenced?
Isaiah said that when God's Spirit is poured out in the desert or wasteland, that it becomes a fertile field. According to Acts 1 and 2, because of the death, burial, resurrection and ascension of Jesus, the Holy Spirit has been poured out already on His people. For those of who claim Jesus as our Lord and Savior, that means us. That means that God's Spirit dwells in us wherever we live, go, play, work, or rest.
You see, Jesus has already moved into your neighborhood through you. As a Christ Follower, we need to unleash the power of God's Spirit on and into our neighborhoods, communities and inner cities. What does that look like? Let's go back and ask the question again. What do you think it would look like if Jesus moved into your neighborhood? What would He do? The wasteland becomes a fertile field when Jesus pours Himself into the field.
I'm afraid that many of our inner cities have become wastelands because we, as representatives of Christ, have abandoned them. In fact, our own neighborhoods are moving that direction, as is virtually every city, town, community in the US, because we have become complacent and comfortable with satisfying our own needs. When we, even as "committed believers," focus only on showing up at church and doing church duties, we've abandoned the fields. And when the fields get abandoned, the weeds take over and the work becomes ten times harder to work it to produce a bountiful crop of peace again.
The solution to peace and security in the world, in our neighborhood, in our streets is simple. If each of us who professed to be a Christ Follower would get off our couches and out of recliners, wake up and go pour the Spirit of God out into our own neighborhoods, workplaces, gyms, coffee shops and classrooms by investing in people like Jesus did, the world would ultimately be transformed into a righteous field of peace. One person at a time. One neighborhood at a time. That's what Jesus had in mind when He gathered His twelve together and sent them into the world telling them to love God with everything they've got and love their neighbor as themselves.
God, I confess that I get frustrated and even angry as I reflect upon the situation of our country, culture and changing norms. I sometimes wind myself up into a depression over what I perceive in the world around me. Even though I tell myself that your are still in control and we win in the end, I get exasperated by the constant self destruction of our world. Sometimes I feel like the disciples who wanted to call down fire from heaven and destroy all the evil doers and godless people. But I realize that longing for the days of Andy Griffith and Mayberry is pointless and they aren't coming back anytime soon (if they ever really existed). As I read again, Isaiah 32, I feel convicted of my complacency. I'm doing little to pour out my life in Your Spirit into my neighborhood, my wasteland around me. God, I know that if I do it, if other believers would unleash Your Spirit through their lives into the lives of our neighbors, your promise would soon come to fruition and my neighborhood, their neighborhoods would become a fertile field producing peace and righteousness. Thanks for the kick in the pants, the wake up call, Lord. I know I can't change the world, but in Your Power by Your Spirit, I can see my neighborhood change.