The Garden

I was at Dunkin' Donuts yesterday reading "Destine for the Throne" & I got so inspired that I put the book down & I cried.  Right there in the store. Next to my small decaf coffee. 

I had to write this:

February 26, 2011
The last Adam entered the garden again, a replay of Eden. The garden, the tree, the lust for power, the temptation.  He literally took Adam's place. God played my role. He took on everything that I had to face. He came to redeem- to win back what we lost. What I myself had let go, what we gave away willingly to the enemy of our souls.

He didn't have to. He was God: the God who created all things. The God of all, the ruler of heaven & earth.

That's what it means for Christ to take my place. Instead of me talking to satan, he talks to him. Instead of me facing the temptation, he does it for me. Instead of me falling & giving away what God made for me, Christ wins it back. I am behind Him, I am hiding under the shadow of his wings. Thank you Lord. Christ became Adam for us.

"In that day you eat, you will surely die" the curse that God spoke to us was taken by Christ. I took the fruit. I did. I willingly took it from the tree knowing I was dileberately disobeying God. Christ took the fruit & willingly ate it for us, on our behalf.  Sins breeds death, because Christ became sin, the end of result of him eating the fruit was his death. We will never know the cost of our sin until we look at the cross & see what it cost God: the humilation, the sorrow, the suffering, the very death of God.

And yet all that poured out was love. Love how could it be? The world was created in love, we gave it away in lust, & God bought it back in love again. Man! How good can he be?!

Because of the cross, Christ literally put the fruit back on the tree. The tree that was at the center of the story changes when the last Adam comes on the scene. Instead of taking from the tree like us, Christ gave on the tree. From the tree that brought the greatest loss, the greatest victory was gained.  What was once our destruction became our salvation. Thank you God for the tree.

Why the Revolution?

I'm sure many of you have been wondering why I named my blog Let's start a Revolution.  
Ok... maybe not, but I'll tell you anyway.

The world sees revolution as violent, aggressive, & forceful.  The world sees revolution as winning & overpowering your enemy; like a lion devouring its prey.

A little bit about lions. I've always been drawn to the analogy of God being a lion, thanks to Lewis. Ok, so I'm obsessed with lions. There, I said it.  But for good reason: Jesus after all is the Lion of the tribe of Judah.  The King: strong, powerful, ruler of all, no one compares to Him.  The lion represents God's majesty & glory.  I used to yell out Christ Tomlin's song, "The Lion"-and whisper the next part- "and the lamb."  I never understood lambs.  Weak sort of creatures.  Lately though God has revealed that being a lamb is the true revolution.

Jesus is not just a revolutionary man; He is the Revolution. So if Christ is the revolution, his life speaks to us about what true revolution is. Christ, the lamb of God loses to win.  That is the cross, the lamb that was slain.  The power of a life lost in love.  That, my friend is the revolution.   This revolution is the only source of true & lasting change.

   True revolution is not shouting on the rooftops, forcing your way in but rather it is an underground movement of love. But Jesus is also the lion. How can this be? He is so strong that He can be quiet. He is our Shepherd King. In being the lamb, he becomes the lion. I think therein lies the secret of true revolution. The way we can be revolutionary is by being lambs; A term Robert Brimer calls "roaring lambs."  I think this is the revolution Christ calls us to.  The revolution of lambs with lion hearts. 

What does it mean to be a lamb?  Losing so that love can win. 

It is in loving that the world will be changed.  The slow process of love.  It is in losing that we win.  So "when all seems lost, love is still a worthy cause" -Sara Groves.  Love is sacrificial.  It will at first glance seem like a waste, seem like a failure.  So did the cross.   But we know the cross is what saved humanity: the lamb did.  We must believe that when it will cost us everything we are not really losing at all Like Brandon Heath sings,"You know the effort I have given.  You know exactly what it cost.  Though my innocence was taken.  Not everything is lost." When I'm weak, then I'm strong.  When it feels like we are losing, then we are really winning. 

And it is in being lambs of God that Christ will change the world through us. I wrote on November 21, 2010 inspired by Matthew Henry's quote: "A lion in God's cause must be a lamb in her own."

The journal reads:

I want to be a "lamb in my own cause." Naturally, I want to get on with business to make things happen for my future, with church, with family etc.  I want to change people. But I think God asks me to wait.. a lamb doesn't fight, devour, attack, chase or force its way.  Instead it waits silently, listens, & is led.  I am the Lord's lamb.  The Lord is my Shepherd.  Where God goes, I want to go.  He'll go before me & I'll just follow. That is what lambs do.  Help me Lord to be a lamb; to say with all my heart "where you lead me I will follow" -Jars of Clay.
                                              -Your girl, Linda

God, the longsuffering lover

From a journal written on November 26, 2010 

As I was struggling with things happening in my life and my very impatient heart: 

I want things done quickly, I see things and I want change now now now. I don't have any longsuffering, or patience.

I haven't been doing a lot of loving lately. When you are patient you are showing love.  Being patient is the opposite of being selfish.  It takes sacrifice to wait for people.  It's an inconvenience & it seems like a waste of time.  I guess that is my biggest issue with waiting, it seems like a big waste of time.  

But God is patient, does God ever waste time? What if patience wasn't postponing the plan- what if patience was the plan?  What if God had in all His mind in all eternity past to wait for us: isn't His salvation & the way it came patience?  Isn't our sanctification despite our mistakes & our humanness patience?

Patience is love because love waits. Love doesn't wait for nothing, love waits because waiting will bring the best thing. Love waits because waiting produces change.

When we wait, we are not placing our hope in ourselves because we are just waiting. We are essentially not doing anything. I have always been such a go getter, such a "just do it" kinda girl that I saw patience as not being productive. Technically, when I wait, I'm not being productive but I'm relying on anothers' productivity, on God's productivity. 

The amazing thing about God is even when He "waits" He's working & when I am waiting the amazing thing is God is working. He is working, He is the ultimate go getter, He is doing something. And when I wait, I realize it was never me anyway, it was always Him doing it all along. 

Wow God wow. Teach me to be patient & wait on You & trust that You are bringing about a beautiful story while I wait. And so the waiting begins... tick tock tick tock ...

Husband

I'm not sure what today's culture seems to think a husband is but the ancient word "husbandmen" literally means one who cultivates.

Cultivate: to prepare and work on land in order to raise crops; to promote the growth or development of

A husband is someone who is diligent in the planting & the tending of a family.  Into lives, into a vision, investing love in his wife. Building her, willing to be diligent in reaping the harvest of great relationships.

A husband knows the cycles of seasons & that time is the most important ingredient if he wants anything to grow.

Like the Great Husbandman God,

"who waits for the precious fruit of the earth, and has long patience for it. He cannot gather the fruit till it is ripe. He knows when we are spiritually ready to receive the blessing to our profit and His glory. Waiting in the sunshine of His love is what will ripen the soul for His blessing. Waiting under the cloud of trial, that breaks in showers of blessings, is as needful." -Streams in the Desert Devotional

You can't just pick up & leave, God calls you to tend to us, to wait it out, to work hard & wait for the harvest of something greater than a crop, you are called to work & plant people. We need you. Women & children are lost without husbands!

"If dad does not do his job, the whole social structure tries to make up the difference & it can but only in varying degrees.  Nothing replaces the work of a good, godly Father.  He's irreplaceable." -Mark Driscoll


Someone asked me what I am looking for in a husband.  I want to be nourished & cherished Eph 5:29, taken care of, given what I need to flourish. Looked after, considered, tended to, treated with kindness, respected. 

I'm looking for someone who sees the same value in me as Christ sees in His church. Someone who thinks I'm worth sacrificing for.  Someone who leads me. Someone who is wise & can stand for what he believes despite what everyone thinks. He must have this integrity. Eph 5:26.

Someone who loves me like he loves Christ. Loving me is his reflection of how he loves God. Don't abuse me, take advantage of me, or take me for granted. Christ holds his church close, I want to be someones priority. I don't wish to be ignored, or someone to be merely put up with. This man takes the initiative, just like Jesus initiated with his church. He cherished His church, He went to great lengths to pursue her. He still pursues, thoroughly enjoys us.... I want to be enjoyed, pursued, loved, cherished.   

I'm not looking for a perfect man, just a farmer.