Who Has the Spiritual Unction in Prayer to Bring Us Together for Confession?
Good Morning Friends,
Nothing in scripture comes back void. Some of it is hard reading, but it too can be as examples of the Kingdom breaking through. Today we see that God attends and measures all the details against His planned Kingdom to come. Here in the stream of Holy History the devil is in the details. Here the Holy Spirit battles. Here we battle and hopefully learn to confess our sins. And here we need never need ask if a task, person, flock, or part of scripture is insignificant. So measure twice to make the cut of sin. Think in your hearts and be ready to answer the question. Who Has the Spiritual Unction in Prayer to Bring Us Together for Confession?
Scripture: All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness.
2 Timothy 3:16 (NRSV)
In the twenty-fifth year of our exile, at the beginning of the year, on the tenth day of the month, in the fourteenth year after the city was struck down, on that very day, the hand of the LORD was upon me, and he brought me there. He brought me, in visions of God, to the land of Israel, and set me down upon a very high mountain, on which was a structure like a city to the south. When he brought me there, a man was there, whose appearance shone like bronze, with a linen cord and a measuring reed in his hand; and he was standing in the gateway. The man said to me, “Mortal, look closely and listen attentively, and set your mind upon all that I shall show you, for you were brought here in order that I might show it to you; declare all that you see to the house of Israel.” Now there was a wall all around the outside of the temple area. The length of the measuring reed in the man’s hand was six long cubits, each being a cubit and a handbreadth in length; so he measured the thickness of the wall, one reed; and the height, one reed. Then he went into the gateway facing east, going up its steps, and measured the threshold of the gate, one reed deep. There were recesses, and each recess was one reed wide and one reed deep; and the space between the recesses, five cubits; and the threshold of the gate by the vestibule of the gate at the inner end was one reed deep. Then he measured the inner vestibule of the gateway, one cubit. Then he measured the vestibule of the gateway, eight cubits; and its pilasters, two cubits; and the vestibule of the gate was at the inner end. There were three recesses on either side of the east gate; the three were of the same size; and the pilasters on either side were of the same size. Then he measured the width of the opening of the gateway, ten cubits; and the width of the gateway, thirteen cubits. There was a barrier before the recesses, one cubit on either side; and the recesses were six cubits on either side. Then he measured the gate from the back of the one recess to the back of the other, a width of twenty-five cubits, from wall to wall. He measured also the vestibule, twenty cubits; and the gate next to the pilaster on every side of the court.
Ezekiel 40:1-14 (NRSV)
Therefore confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The prayer of the righteous is powerful and effective.
James 5:16 (NRSV)
Therefore, brothers and sisters, holy partners in a heavenly calling, consider that Jesus, the apostle and high priest of our confession, was faithful to the one who appointed him, just as Moses also ‘was faithful in all God’s house.’ Yet Jesus is worthy of more glory than Moses, just as the builder of a house has more honor than the house itself.
Hebrews 3:1-3 (NRSV)
Message: God is with us in the Spirit. The Lord is present with us throughout scripture and in Ezekiel’s prophesy God is also in the city. The city over which Jesus wept and Ezekiel had visions is Jerusalem, but we too have our cities. And just as God divided the nation of Israel so He divides the stream of our expressions of what we today call church in the places we live until the unity of the Body of Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit will Evoke, Engage and Empower leadership worthy of bringing us together. Friends, the church is to be filled with believers who are filled with the Spirit of God. But what we call church is more like silos of privately held corporations where people are managed. But still people and groups with wonderful gifts. So who is worthy to bring us together? Who is worthy to hear our confessions? We must have both a clue and a cause to stop competing against each other and begin to address our common enemy. Then we might have a little civil dialogue on bringing reinforcements and resources where the Kingdom is breaking through. Here we are to embrace a vision of restoration and reconciliation. Here we are to be as one. Friends, the Lord is at work when we realize that the Temple is also a place in our hearts where the rebuilding really begins. So do you know the God who is there? Do you know the God who numbers the hairs on our head and can also order the days of our lives? Friends, read scripture and believe that God gave it to us for a purpose. Believe that God reveals His truth to us through the Bible and that God works in our lives through scripture. But also believe that God is here in the lives of people called to be part of Holy History. So clear away obstacles that hinder our relationships with God and with others. Confess as an act born out of true repentance. Overcome the pride that discourages us from developing a desire to please God and rid ourselves of the burden of the sin that separates us.
Pray we not overlook any of the details. Pray we confess our sins with specificity to God so that our prayers might be more effective. Pray we always expect to learn something from scripture. Pray we realize that we are in slavery until we have a vision that moves us to weep and act. Pray we see God at work in our cities. Pray we know God as the Lord of our homes. Pray we become alive with a vision for the places in which we live. Pray that when we are at the end of our resources we are encouraged to keep on living because we are not alone and God knows the details of our situation. Pray we believe that God is able and that Jesus is worthy and the church collective is deserving of being restored. Pray we hear God calling sinners to salvation for sanctification. Pray the doors of confession are opened. Pray Jesus hears our cries and understands them. Pray we are not busted by the experience but blessed.
Blessings,
John Lawson
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