Living a life of being distant and detached— well, it comes with its own set of problems. But, how did the Lord Jesus Christ live? Did he live within all the ups and downs and all arounds of humanity? Did he just detach himself and walk around with half closed eyes when looking at something that “irked” him- like tuning himself out or numbing himself out? How would we live our lives if we were perfectly perfect and knew just how much every action our eyes and ears cast themselves upon sucked dust?
(Father, we need a Rushing Wind- Song)
You know– so many of us pray to a perfectly loving God. Enjoy a perfectly loving God. Get all shiny up on the mountain with a perfectly loving God. And then- and then- we must come down from the mountain and cast our eyes and ears upon that which is not perfect– being religious folk, non-religious folk- and then our own thoughts, ideas, and mistakes- as we interact with the fact that there’s something wrong with everything. Easy being just with such a great God- right? (What Do I Know of Holy? Digging Song!) Something wrong with everything is not a teaching I just made up– the Bible teaches it– there’s just something wrong with every little thing. Whether it begins at an atomic level, genetic, temperament, social, physical… or whatever level.
So, Ahem– “Intimacy With Christ” — what does it mean–Does it mean I spend my days in isolation, behind my favorite songs, on the phone with my favorite people, doing all of my favorite things– and you know— avoiding those situations that reflect something about us we know is wrong or something back about what’s wrong around us. Well, what’s the balance– where are we with those things?
(Life Will Never Be Easy Song–Have Your Way)
You know Jesus Christ– as The Word Made Flesh or the Living Word—God’s Son dwelling among the daughters and sons of man had to grow up from baby-hood all the way to adult hood. He had ample opportunity to “blow” it time and time and time again. He was on a learning curve like everyone around him as he grew both in wisdom and stature and favor with men (Luke 2:52’s historical account). He got smarter, wiser, and knew how to socialize. As much as some would like to hide themselves away from people, situations, and things they don’t like– that’s just not our Lord. Jesus– after thirty some years of mixing in he heard from above along with His disciples the evaluation of his life up until that moment– you know– about 946, 080,000 seconds he “mingled with life– “This is my beloved Son with Whom I am well pleased.” OK– break the seconds into halves where Jesus could have just stepped across the line just once. He didn’t. Never. He was “well pleasing” to a Holy- Thrice Holy- Infinitely Perfect Father/God. (Will We Be Well Pleasing- When it’s all said and done?)
I. You ever notice that perfectionists often times are the first to be rude? Melancholy temperaments- though gifted with things such as musical ability, an eye for detail, creativity, … sometimes can’t get beyond others’ imperfections along with their own- so, criticize, criticize, and criticize again. Jesus was Perfect. How do you think things looked to Him? How do you think certain injustices made Him feel?
II. He was not so Phlegmatic (easy-going) that nothing penetrated a thick, thick skull of numbness. Otherwise he wouldn’t have wept, cleansed the temple, or hardly say any saying that some didn’t want to hear. (He was truly The Gentle Healer- and His physical healings are only a reflection of what He wants to do in our heart. About that- he’s not laid-back.)
III. What about being so focused that he became a bone crushing/driven Choleric? Wow– “Look-out everyone— here comes that Jesus guy and he’s out to get ya– he could just end up calling down thousands of angels to deal with us all– run.” No, Jesus Christ was given a mission–but, that mission wasn’t to “judge sinners- rather- to save them” in His own words.
IV. How about being a light-hearted laughy Jesus— ummm— but, lacking in the “commitment” department? “Well boys, you twelve are starting to really get on my nerves. I think I’m gonna chose another 12.” Jesus stayed with His own to the end and still does– no matter how far we have fallen short of the things that please him, encrouched upon the things that displease him, or just have been absent in terms of relationship with Him. He’s a good shepherd and pokes us to come back. He’s committed. (You Are My All in All– Great Song)
When Jesus Christ mingled with our universe/people- he didn’t just put himself in the best of places (Psalm 23)- “beside the still waters”- and stay there. Yes, he was immediately filled with The Person, enshrouded by the Presence, and endued with the Power of The Holy Spirit. Then off to a wilderness alone he went to be “temped by the Devil” ( You know– “the new kid on the block” that gained a footing on earth to be a kind of god/lord here (Apostle Paul’s words) because Adam opened the door to abdicate his total ruling of all things on earth.) And then Jesus entered civilization– and if you think that the Devil left him alone after the Wilderness experience– your wrong. Jesus Christ was not Detatched or Removed— ever—except that He detached His heart to be totally for His Father and Removed His Heart’s affections to be affectionate first and formost to His God/Father and to his neighbor and even enemies.
Me thinx the struggle ultimately— to walk as Jesus did among men as a perfectly balanced, normal, and righteous individual before God required that nothing– absolutely nothing took place on the throne of His heart– except to love the Lord His God/His Father. And now– ours is to not allow anything upon the throne of our hearts except the Lord Jesus to the glory of God the Father by the Holy Spirit (Jesus words: “As the Father sent me so send I you.” How did the Father send Jesus? With the Father on the throne of His heart by the Holy Spirit).
How many seconds did I say Jesus pretty-much lived up til he heard that he was well pleasing to the Father from baby-hood until that moment? 946,080,000 seconds lived and logged-in as perfect and having nothing on the throne of his heart other than a Love for His Father and His Father’s Perfect Loving Will. Was that ever seriously tough and seriously testing for the Lord Jesus (And now- He knows our frame when tested and can comfort perfectly)– Ummm- Yes, big time as he “broke-down” (not in a sinful way) in the garden just before His crucifixion from the weight of the thing he was about to do.
“Guard Your Heart for out of it…..”In terms of solutions to “being caught of guard” as a believer around imperfect situations, imperfect religious folk and non-religious folk, bad news of losing this or that…. on and on– one really must pray contritely/humbly in the spirit of this kind of prayer- “Lord Jesus- take my heart– I don’t want it— it’s yours– you bought it and Your Father planned on you buying it before the worlds began.” (I emphasize the spirit of this prayer rather than word for word in that you’re an individual and “Intimacy With Christ” is personal. There are “crafted” prayers that only you are meant to craft to express your desire to have only Jesus on the throne of your heart. (A Great Heart Song- Ministries All Over The World)
When things get wacky: Did things ever get wacky for the Lord Jesus? You bet– the God of His nation had promised to restore them through a greater covenant than Moses– the covenant of “the prophet” Moses spoke of and the “Christ” the scriptures spoke of as well as the “Kiss the Son” King King David speaks about (Psalm 2). So, there He was– the New Covenant/Abrahamic Covenant popping up again in time and space (real history) and people on the most part were glib towards him much of the time.
He had:
1. People plotting to kill him again and again and again.
2. People telling Him that he was of the chief of demons.
3. People pulling open other people’s homes from the roof to lower down the sick. How’d the person owning that house think?
4. His own disciples- who he had poured out pretty much everything too- missing the point again and again and again in petty rivalry, unbelief, jutxtapositioning, cowadice to the point of denial, and going off the deep end at times in their thinking.
5. The mother of a couple of His disciples asking if they could be sitting with him on his throne in His future Kingdom– wow– the nerve. LOL Yet, there He was talking with them/or listening more?
6. People throwing palms down at him and calling him a King crying out “Hosanna in the highest.” And later crying out “crucify him.” Talking about being famous for a day and infamous for a day–who’d want that on their worst enemy?
7. Spending hours alone in some place like on a mountain or in a garden praying into the wee hours because he so desperately and intensely needed the Father’s Grace and Power to face a day of thousands of people, many miles of travel, places where food wasn’t plentious, and not having a home to just go an relax in as his own.
8. Him– the Son– a King– being treated so rudely—the One “by whom all things were made” treated worse than the thieves and haters of God.
9. People dying and crying around him, and then even bringing him to tears and then him calling out to the dead, “Lazarus come out!” — and out comes the dead and people are happy again. An emotionally taxing moment. Up and down and around.
10. The Most innocent man ever to live spit upon, beard plucked, flesh torn from whips perhaps tied with glass at the ends or metal, kicked, punched again and again, laughed at, scorned, forced to carry a cross, nailed to it, lifted up among the guilty, not “worthy” enough to be within the Holy City– rather crucified outside of it…… (Jesus Truly Had This Song Fixed In His Heart- We Can Too- Not Easy- It Never Is.)
The Bible says, “He learned obedience through the things which he suffered.” He couldn’t completely withdraw. He couldn’t be detatched. To Finish His Race/His Work.” Neither can we in this life unless we become a Hermit or get to the moon somehow with a life’s supply of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. You see- there’s not much to learn by way of obedience if your Father/Maker only sent you again and again and again to sun-tan and slurp on your favorite drink on some beach. If that was Jesus lot– there would have been no “learning obedience” at all– as this would be more a gift from God than an act of obedience to God. God, for Jesus to be our perfect Priest to understand our situation fully before God’s face as He pleads our case required His Son to know what obedience means in a terribly imperfect world.
How is it that godly men and women of the past made their way through this life growing in God’s Grace and Knowledge of Him?
1. They realized that at any given second there could be a curve ball and so the need for meditating upon God’s supportive/comforting truth.
2. They realized that at any given second there could be a curve ball and so the need for going to a lonely place to get alone with Jesus and seek mercy in time of need regarding to the circumstances they knew about and the ones that were going to come they didn’t know about.
3. They realized that at any given second there could be a curve ball and so the need to exercise “self-control” (even while whispering to the Holy Spirit) I need Thee– how I need thee— to guard their hearts from idolatry/other things getting back on the throne.
4. They realized that at any given second there could be a curve ball and so the need to soak themselves in “Intimacy With Christ” by counting all the ways in which He/God has loved us and how He made that clear on the cross.
5. They realized that at any give second there could be a curve ball and so they entered into worship either secretly signing/humming or making melody in their hearts around the goodness, mercy and perfections of their Great and Wonderful God-so, keeping their hearts soft– the kind of Throne Jesus seeks as he is near to the contrite spirit.
6. They realized that at any given second there could be a curve ball and so realized that being “on guard” — there wasn’t and apathetic or lukewarm gear they kept themselves locked into…rather, they kept “aware”, didn’t sleep on the job, took every thought captive to the obedience of Christ and set the Lord Jesus as Lord apart– over them.
7. They realized that at any given second there could be a curve ball enough times and came to “Relax”, “Rest” and “Realize” in the Lord Jesus God’s Grace– so that if their foot did slip— His mercy, grace, and love is always here to catch. Always–so, this list—well, it’s helpful but, honestly — “Jesus and Intimacy With Him” is at the center— not a list like this one– as helpful as it may be and emphasizing our need to be second by second believers. Really– there is a “Rest” for the people of God in Jesus– a faith that move in Him.
Father God, help us to first thirst and hunger to be “Intimate With Jesus Christ.” Help us to not “freek” at a “second-by-second” authentic Christianity—rather, help us to keep it all simple and child-like. We need Thee and need to be aware that we need to be aware and to find as many ways possible to tap into the strength and grace in the Lord Jesus Christ (which by the way isn’t morphine to take away all pain, trials, suffering, or even being caught off guard). (What The Lord Has Done In Me–Without Morphine.) Yes, You care for us– even us Oh God, and You will show us Your good in the Land of the Living. Yes, You will show us Your Good in the Land of the Living. If our foot should slip– help us to repent/change our mind/heart and turn back to the right way, right response, the right way of recovering our mistakes. Oh God, Oh Holy God, “lead us not into temptation” to show us that we must be soft, we are weak, and to show us when we aren’t depending on You. Rather, Father, open our eyes and ears far, far before it would require us ever to be “led into temptation” – rather, deliver us from Evil. Lord Jesus– we give You our hearts. We can only make a mess of our lives if we use Your Measuring Bar to tell the truth apart from giving ourselves to You— as for other Measuring Bars– they are so low that we feel just spiffy when we use them– but, then there’s Yours Oh God. And that Yours is now in the shadow of the Mercy Seat- the Cross of Christ. Help Me- Us Oh Lord. In Jesus Name- AMEN.
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