Changing The World

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In the film Evan Almighty, Evan Baxter is a modern-day idealist who wins election to Congress by promising to "change the world." As he is entering office, however, he comes to find that God has chosen him to be a modern-day Noah.

Fighting God's plan for his life and the dramatic sacrifices it will require of him, Evan (portrayed by Steve Carell) has an encounter one day with God. God says to Evan, “You want to change the world, son. So do I.”

Problem is for most of us, God doesn't go about changing the world like we would. God starts with us and those around us, and changes the world from the inside out.

In the special moment from Evan Almighty in the clip below, God (portrayed by Morgan Freeman) explains to Evan's confused and bewildered wife (portrayed by Lauren Graham) about how He does things, how He changes things.

Thinking that she is asking a server for a refill for her fried fish basket, she is at first unaware that it is God speaking to her. When the encounter concludes, however, she is left speechless.

When we pray for patience, when we pray for courage, when we pray for closeness with others, how does God change the world? (Click on the arrow in the middle of the video screen to play)







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22 Years and a Million Miles

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"I need to tell you what I was really doing before I met Jesus, my wife," I said, terrified that she might walk out of my life when she heard the whole Truth.

I went on to tell my wife of the full extent and every detail of my past addictions to drugs, alcohol, pornography and my habitual lying. She knew much of it, of course, but not the extent to which these bondages had controlled my life until 6 months before when I had finally and truly surrendered my life to Christ.

She sat on the bed, looking me in the eye as I shared who I had become over the years since my childhood, and since the first time we had met some 9 years before. When you're asking someone for forgiveness for such grave injustices, such dark sins against them, you look at their face intently. You're looking for any twitch, and facial expression that might indicate how they're taking what you're saying. But my wife just looked at me calmly and listened to what I was sharing. Her countenance never wavered.

When I was finished, I said, "I truly believe that this is everything, and I need to ask you to forgive me." She looked at me as I will never forget, and I realized before she ever spoke that she had truly and from the bottom of her heart already forgiven me. She said... (Click on the "Read More!" link below) "My husband, I never prayed that you would stop doing any of those things. I only prayed that you would come to know Jesus, and that you would walk with Him for all of your days."

She then showed me computer disks that contained her daily prayers, prayers that she had typed into her computer as she prayed, prayers she offered on my behalf every day for almost 7 years. I read on the screen and saw that she had prayed exactly what she said she'd been praying for all those years. And I was stunned by the magnitude of her faith in God, and of her forgiveness for me.

And so, surrounded by a love like that, I took the hand of my wife and walked with her and Jesus.

Yesterday, we celebrated our 22nd wedding anniversary, but it is not the date of our wedding that we celebrate. My wife and I celebrate 22 years and a million miles.

We celebrate the Journey which He first purposed for us before the foundations of the universe. We celebrate the lessons learned together, the wrongs forgiven each other, the moments experienced as one, and 22 years and a million miles that we have shared with Christ and one another.

We celebrate living in a present moment that is the product of every step of that Journey.

We celebrate the knowledge that, for as long as we have breath, we will never be divided from one another. For God has allowed us to live within a temple made one out of two by His Holy Spirit. No one else treads there but us and God. No one else is allowed. Ours is a sacred bond lived out in a sacred place.

Looking back, we realize that the degree of the cloistered, spiritual intimacy that my wife and I share is directly proportionate to the "miles" we have walked together. Every mile has had a price and a blessing. Every mile is etched with vivid meaning and color upon our collective memory. Every mile speaks to us from within that collective memory as a testimony to His grace and mercy, and to the love which He alone has placed within us for Him and one another.

And so, I share with you today that, being one with Him and with her, I am the very least of this equation. Deserving nothing, I have been blessed beyond compare by both of them, because they desired to give to me. Deserving rejection, I have been made one with both of them, because they desired it to be so.

I give testimony of that love to you this day with these words. I have those words for you.

But toward my God and my wife, the capability of words passed long ago. The capability of words has faded with the miles, melting away into something fearfully wondrous in its depth and magnitude.

For them, I no longer have any words.

Rather their deep looks into my deep, and they just know.

Today, look again, my wife, and know.

The Journey to Fleshleshness and Seamlessness

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For God Who said, Let light shine out of darkness, has shone in our hearts so as [to beam forth] the Light for the illumination of the knowledge of the majesty and glory of God [as it is manifest in the Person and is revealed] in the face of Jesus Christ (the Messiah).
However, we possess this precious treasure [the divine Light of the Gospel] in [frail, human] vessels of earth, that the grandeur and exceeding greatness of the power may be shown to be from God and not from ourselves.
We are hedged in (pressed) on every side [troubled and oppressed in every way], but not cramped or crushed; we suffer embarrassments and are perplexed and unable to find a way out, but not driven to despair;
We are pursued (persecuted and hard driven), but not deserted [to stand alone]; we are struck down to the ground, but never struck out and destroyed;
Always carrying about in the body the liability and exposure to the same putting to death that the Lord Jesus suffered, so that the [resurrection] life of Jesus also may be shown forth by and in our bodies.
For we who live are constantly [experiencing] being handed over to death for Jesus' sake, that the [resurrection] life of Jesus also may be evidenced through our flesh which is liable to death.
2 Corinthians 4:6-11

So then Pilate took Jesus and scourged (flogged, whipped) Him.
John 19:1

For the Lord corrects and disciplines everyone whom He loves, and He punishes, even scourges, every son whom He accepts and welcomes to His heart and cherishes.
For the time being no discipline brings joy, but seems grievous and painful; but afterwards it yields a peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it [a harvest of fruit which consists in righteousness--in conformity to God's will in purpose, thought, and action, resulting in right living and right standing with God].
Hebrews 12:6,11


When our flesh has been whipped away like our Lord’s was, we will look more like Him than we do now.


When the soldiers crucified Jesus, they took his clothes, dividing them into four shares, one for each of them, with the undergarment remaining. This garment was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom.
John 19:23


God, from top to bottom, is seeking to weave us seamlessly into one. We are on a journey to seamlessness. If we continue to hold firmly and faithfully onto His hand with one of ours, and with the other hold firmly and faithfully onto each other, we will arrive there together.

None right. None left.

One.

Like Little Children, Touching This World

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For an answer Jesus called over a child, whom he stood in the middle of the room, and said, "I'm telling you, once and for all, that unless you return to square one and start over like children, you're not even going to get a look at the kingdom, let alone get in. Whoever becomes simple and elemental again, like this child, will rank high in God's kingdom. What's more, when you receive the childlike on my account, it's the same as receiving me.
Matthew 18:2-5

A community of spiritual children giving birth to other communities of spiritual children and becoming a network of communities of spiritual children, then joining with other networks of communities of spiritual children until those networks begin to live and move more like one childlike spiritual community - the Body of Christ around the world.

Not invisible and not silent, but nameless and faceless other than His own.

Beginning to respond to God all over the globe, beginning to live and move as one in His Spirit like a school of fish or a flock of birds.

Not identical, but one. Like little children, barely noticing the differences but revelling together in the shared wonder of the Journey.

Like little children, breathing out regret for yesterday and concern for tomorrow, and breathing in the exhilarating hope of today living fully and well in the midst of our Father's kindness.

Trusting enough in the Destination and the One who takes us There to put down our fear and become Love.

Like little children, touching this world.

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The video below, entitled Unless You Change, will bless you with its simple presentation of this Truth from Matthew 18 about becoming like little children. Sit back and enjoy.