Approaching a Magnificent Throne

Last week while at work my friend Todd saw two men dressed in hare krishna orange with shaved heads coming down the walk towards his business.  They were stopping in at every business along the way and engaging anyone in sight with animated conversation. The bells on the door announced that is was his turn, so under his breath he prayed, "Lord give me a word for these two men!" As expected they came dancing in waving their arms and offering their literature for reading. "Just tell me how your religion deals with salvation,"  he said, which seemed to stop them in their tracks without an answer. "Would you like to hear about salvation through Jesus Christ?" Then he and young  his assistant watched in amazement as the man he spoke to seemed to fall backwards a few feet and began a fumbling exit. "I was born Catholic and look where it got me" were his last words, to which Todd answered quickly, "You weren't born anything!", but they were gone.They were in the garden again and Jesus simply said, "I AM".  The true God is amazing, and He is so close that He will be a part of daily life in so many ways, if we can only learn to live with Him.

"...when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on High." Heb.1:3

I'm diving into an exposition on the book of Hebrews by Andrew Murray and I loved this thought about the verse above.

"The same share you have in Jesus on the cross, you have in Jesus on the throne." (The Holiest of All, pg. 45)

There is a great tendency in me, in us,  to know only the first part of Jesus' great work on our behalf, when in fact it is only the beginning. The second part is Jesus on the throne, where He is sitting with Majesty. Let's see, what would you do if you were snuggled up to Greatness and had His ear always? If someone you loved at that time was in desperate need, would you talk about some frivolous recreation or the weather? No! You would use your position to put that power to work where your heart loves the most. Would Jesus do any less? No, He talks constantly about His own, meaning we who trust Him.  Jesus is the privileged heir who gets everything, and He is the way that the Father communicates with us.  My friend got to experience first hand this power of God in his daily life when he received the word he asked for and watched its effect on the worshipers of a false god. This is a great example of living your life in God's life and God's life in you.

The way to abiding has been illuminated more for me in another way this week too. The writer of Hebrews begs us to have confidence in Jesus' privileged and powerful position so that we will come into that throne room of Almighty God unafraid. You see, the cross is outside the door, it got the sentries to open those big double doors for us and let us in. Now what? What do you do in the throne room? Have you stepped inside? I know I have taken timid steps, and in times of desperation I've been a bit more bold, but His Majesty on High wants us close by, to talk, to listen, yet getting myself all the way to that throne can be difficult. Abiding would be right up close in conversation at the throne rather than hiding behind pillars in the back, or wandering around in the foyer!

I've been a really good observer I have to say. For most who seek advice in this "abiding" malady , their antidote would be a prescription for God's word. "Read it daily and let God speak to you through it." I've been doing that for 35 years. I have definitely missed plenty of days, but for the most part it is a part of my daily routine, and I will say that it's guidance, conviction, and encouragement have navigated my life. But you see, as my author Murray points out and I whole heartedly agree, the black and white printed word is kind of like the prophets. They are words which are like a finger pointing us to the living Word,  the person of Jesus. (John 1)  We don't worship the prophets, rather we look where they are pointing. We likewise don't worship a document of wise sayings, stories, and rules set down God, rather we let those printed words point us to the living Word who is a person.  A relationship requires trust, and that is where I sometimes fall back.

In our journey as a Christ followers we go through many different stages, just as in a marriage if you can use that as an example in your own life. Things don't stay the same because life doesn't; it is constantly in motion.  Things feeding our "happiness appetite" are in constant flux. Sometimes these changes are good teachers, sometimes they bless our socks off, and sometimes they bring us down to the studs. That is where the last six or so years have been for me, a process of taking all the drywall off to fix what is in the walls. When I was told I had cancer I was shocked of course, but in another sense it was the logical next step for someone who had pretty much let go, and let go, and let go anyhow, to the point where letting go completely didn't seem too scary at all. But I don't really want to go home, I want to finish camping here with those I love, but trusting more too.

I feel like I have come to the end of one switchback on the trail and I'm now ready to head the other direction for something new, even though there are radiation and hormone therapy yet to come. I don't want to write about cancer anymore, rather I want to think of myself as graduated. From now on I will talk about abiding and what that journey looks like, where it leads me, how I do it, with the sole intention of inspiring another pilgrim if that is possible for me to do. Thanks to all who have been with me this whole time, keeping up and praying. I'm getting my strength back daily and hopeful about what is to come! May we bravely venture all the way to the magnificent throne where we can hear much better. May we know that strength that hearing His voice for ourselves gives. May we know Him more today than we did yesterday, and then even more tomorrow.

Bless you all dear friends!!