The group of us: children, students; a teacher, leading.
Cold, steel folding chairs--beige and gray--in a chilly gymnasium, barely illuminated by late afternoon sunlight filtering in through the ceiling-level windows and through the doors at either end of the building. Filling the room are reverberations of the hushed scraping of metal upon tile, muted whispers, a rustle of barely restrained energy throughout the crowd, then followed starkly by abject, fearful stillness as the teacher began to speak.
Questions about authority: specifically, from where does it derive. Then..
"What is the source of all authority?" she queried with grave resonance, unto her rapt, anxious audience.
The correct answer--the one given and acknowledged by all--recognized God as the source of all authority, specifically including reference to Jesus as Lord of all creation.
All were willing to acknowledge this. No one in the entire class dared question His existence, His authority, dared speak against Him, nor dared evidence any qualms. Everyone believed in God, in Jesus Christ, as the ultimate source of authority. Even those who might have resented His Lordship, still they readily acknowledged His sovereignty.
His name was held as sacred, publicly, in the dream.
And, in retrospect, it seems as though the same was the case in society even throughout the 1980s.
...so I wonder, now, whether that observation is entirely inept.
Having so recently begun to wonder whether every generation has been envious of a retrospectively perceived "relative purity" in past times, I'm wondering whether perhaps things actually are essentially different, now, than they were 30 years ago--or whether my perspective was just entirely limited, then, by lack of awareness of things else. So, furthermore...I'm wondering whether things now are essentially different from the ways they were in the 1st century anno Domini and proceeding from that century, onward. Cyclically, at least--is this cycle, now presenting and pervading, truly essentially different from any and all such cycles which preceded?
As with prior atrocities which were committed in Christ's name, in centuries past--massacres and mayhem perpetuated under the banner of Christianity...
...still, there was a public reverence for His name, wasn't there?
For the name of Jesus Christ.
Beginning with the adoption of Christianity by Emperor Constantine, at least?
Or, even then, had that reverence only been amongst Christian-dominated countries? ...which...that would seem the most likely case. But...I don't know. Whatsoever.
Just, except to note how, now, His name is constantly tried for defilement per use as an expletive.
...His name is being uttered, as such, in the way of a curse as from the lips of an unrepentant people (and even by some who do call themselves by His name): We are such a blasphemous, mocking generation...of which I am one, even saved by grace.
I'm reminded again how nothing and no one seems (ultimately) to be considered sacred or even due respect, these days. Not religious leaders, not political leaders. Not even the leaders of scientific fields are beyond open mockery (although these latter are perhaps more revered than anyone else...Perhaps).
But, still...it doesn't seem as though this would necessarily be essentially different than the previous cases wherein society at-large became disillusioned (or, moreover, delusional) of the powers that be, to the extent of having gone to idol worship. As certain periods in time along the course of Israel's entire history sounds to have been precisely the same. During the times of Amos or Ezekiel, for example. Or of Hosea. Or even (as a more singular instance) in regard to Jezebel--she certainly mocked God without remorse.
Oh, I don't know. There's just still such a desire to believe "here and now" is more uniquely special than any other point in history--there's such a desire to see the Lord...here and now, regardless of whether it's really the end of the end times. Which would make the case that this time and place in history is singularly unique, if that were truly the case. Just...I'm not entirely convinced that it's not just another cycle. Wanting it to be the absolute end of days, so as to see the Lord return is such a strong desire, is all.
Becoming wrapped up in that desire is all too easy--desperately wanting to see Him, worship Him no longer from "afar"...but in-person. To experience the tremendous gravity and enormity and incomprehensible glory of His immediate physical presence...experienced, in entirety, as standing (more likely quaking in terror, collapsed prostrate upon the ground) in His direct presence.
But yearning for that, nonetheless. Not, as is often heard, longing for "all this to be over," or even "for that final day of rest...the beginning of eternal Sabbath"...no. And especially not longing to see judgment fall. Especially not that--praying, instead, that all as He wills continue to be saved. I deserve salvation no more than anyone, and knowing myself so unworthy...seeing so many who profane His name inspires longing for mercy, for Him to glorify Himself in them, too.
So, the yearning...is a desperate longing to be in His direct presence, all in all. This, even while wholly giving thanks for His abiding spiritual presence--without which, all would have already been entirely lost so many times over, these past many months.
Yet, it's incomplete somehow. There is more, is all. A greater degree of righteousness. A more fully embodied experience of sanctification. ...there is so much more of Him, and more to Him, than even has begun to be realized...so, it's known that what's now given is yet a partial fulfillment of the promise I have in Him. So, only more, ever more..always...is craved.
There's no other joy. There is no other peace. There's no other truth known, except in and through Him--through which all truth is come and known and applied.
And, yes, there is no other name by which we must be saved.
Jesus. Only Jesus Christ--by His name, alone.
Upon His authority. Through His divine authority.
...thus, in His name.
Not as though His name, itself, is a talisman. Even as there is power in saying His name, period. But He is the one who is the power.
All power and authority is given to Him, eternally.
To consider: Would you sign something, or ask something, on behalf of the President of the United States, without knowing him personally (and having been given explicit authority to do so)? ...you could, and if you were bold enough, some people might fail to realize your audacity for so using his name without the actual authority to do so--if you were conniving enough, per se, in your application of such a technique. And then, even, certain people might recognize you as someone who perpetuated such misdeeds often and they may simply patronize your usage of such an authoritative name, as a means of allowing the status quo to remain. Such that you might never come to a point where you're forced to question yourself, your motives, your actions...as you'd never been called to task for doing such a thing, given that those who choose to indulge you have no desire to disabuse you of your deceits (even if they yet perhaps mock you behind your back).
It's not different to use the Lord's name, is all, without His fellowship being a part of your life...in a lot of ways.
Only, the Lord is far more merciful that the President. Far more gracious. Far more loving. And far more powerful. He will even do things just for His name's sake. Which, I haven't really read very deeply into that particular topic...but again and again throughout the Old Testament, He spoke of having mercy, of saving Israel, of sparing Israel...for His own name's sake. Even while yet acknowledging the nation's nature--its sheer incapability of maintaining faithfulness, of maintaining lawfulness, of remaining devoted...acknowledging Israel's inherent shortcomings by choosing not to do what had ought be required for justice to be done, He chose instead to remain faithful out of His inherent nature, having ever made covenant with the nation of Israel...thus, remaining faithful for His own name's sake--the same by which He swore to Abraham. Even the progression of His covenant with us was in such a way as to further account for our weaknesses by making Himself all the more our source of ability unto faithfulness (He leads, He guides, He saves, He keeps us).
So, He does do things for His own name's sake, according to His covenant(s) and according to His very nature... ...when His name is invoked, even. As Jesus said...those who call upon His name will be saved.
There's a nuance to that, though. One which only He can differentiate--thus far, I only perceive its presence, but not its substance (unto elucidation, thus understanding).
Point being, then... ...His name is worthy of all reverence. His name is worthy of honor. Moreso than any other name. His name is worthy of all praise.
He is worthy of all praise.
Yet, publicly, often in this society...His name is slandered, degraded, blasphemed, made a curse...deplored.
Has that been so, before?...at any time, in history?
Has the very name of God ever before been so thoroughly and continually profaned?
That fact that it's so now is just...humiliating (for having been party) and utterly distressing (for seeing others who are yet a party). So, again, there's just a desire to believe that such a thing will not last for long. As it certainly won't last forever, regardless.
To hear His glorious, precious, beautiful name profaned so glibly even as to be bandied about unto divisiveness betwixt professing Christians...is so very, very, very heart-wrenching.
Thus, the longing is even for His deliverance from such atrocities. That He would glorify His own name in this people, in this age, in this nation, in this society...that He will do so, without delay...is such a prayer. Hearing and seeing His name blasphemed is torturous, is all--perhaps especially so for having once done such a thing for so long without remorse.
Yet, rage and indignation rule the day--readily giving party to denigration of all things sacred by counting all things equal...thus profaning the sacred and elevating the profane. Fingers pointing in all directions, as we all then smugly settle back into our own respective senses of self-justification, ever charting our favorite cause to a new course of development. Forgetting entirely that we none are justified, apart from Christ. None. So proclaiming justification of our actions, apart from prayerful progression...apart from profound humility?...is not done in the Spirit of Christ.
Thus the outrage, the indignation, and the perpetual tendency to fling invectives haphazardly, as we theorize some better means of finding common ground (ultimately to "win one another over," according to "inevitable" establishment of who remains most justified in their beliefs) is all coming to naught but further turmoil and declension. Fighting the world on its own terms is pointless--period. Paul tried to tell us that quite plainly in his epistle to the Ephesians, yet we've still rationalized our way back into "fighting" flesh and blood as though it were the only reasonable course. This is not to say that God won't direct action in the physical realm, but that it will ever be in addition to prayer and proselytizing, seeking sanctification and righteousness, and ardent Bible study and devotion. These, however, don't seem to be what we have all collectively been beginning with and maintaining, all the while, along the entire course of whatsoever has ever been attempted to "fix" or "help" things.
Which is wherein the longing springs up, yet again--of a sheer desperation to plead His Name to people who do believe..
..because it's a different course entirely, and also yearned for, to see those who don't know Christ come into a saving relationship with Him..
..but of those who do know Him? ...the desire to seek assent in praising His sovereignty and praising His glory--unto repentance for the whole of the ills being done by our society, unto begging His mercy on all our behalf--is ardent.
And that particular urge is very difficult to deny, despite that prayers requesting permission to do so are almost always met with a redirection of prayer: then, to pray that realization will arise; then, to await any moment provided for prayerful speech. Waiting, then.
It's as this, and I'll share it again and again and again until it becomes so:
2 Chronicles 7Seriously.
13 If I shut up heaven so no rain falls, or if I command locusts to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among My people,14 If My people, who are called by My name, shall humble themselves, pray, seek, crave,and require of necessity My face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven, forgive their sin, and heal their land.
The longing, in part, is of this nature.
To return to Him. For all of us, who are His, to return to Him.
Rather than postulating some better means of combatting the degradation of society.
Rather than formulating some more effective strategy for engaging in political and litigious warfare.
Rather than preaching doom, gloom, brimstone, and destruction.
Rather than admonishing on the ill-effects of sin, calling all to repent to be saved from hell...without proclaiming the above call to humility and sanctification, unto all.
Rather than reminding us all of Christ's inexplicable love and mercy, without highlighting the needfulness of humble supplication on behalf of sinners and saints, society and sanctity, alike.
Rather than speaking of our own soon deliverance, when speaking of the judgment soon coming.
Where are those proclaiming the need to humble ourselves, to repent entirely, to seek His face above all--requiring HIM, craving HIM, seeking HIM above and beyond all...?
*ahem*
Repent! For the kingdom of God is at hand!
...that--^
Where is that? Where's that message?
Why is there not more of it, amongst the brethren?
Why is there not yet an ardent call to intercession?
We had all ought be praying daily, for hours...weeping between the porch and the altar..
We must.
Oh, we need to.
Lord, please forgive us, we don't know what we're doing. Help us to see. Help us all to see. Help us to see Your precious light and to follow You in it, and out of this murk which mires our vision so horrendously from realizing the depths of the atrocities being perpetuated, even in Your precious name, all around us. Please, Lord. For Your name's sake. Please deliver us, Your people. Help us to see You. We've become so lost. So very lost, that we don't oft even recognize You when we see You, anymore.. We oft don't even know Your voice when we hear it, anymore.
We don't know the voice of our own precious Shepherd, anymore, Lord...for our own bleating has become so loud and beloved unto us. Please, Lord, forgive us for our abominable idolatries. We have so sinned against You.
We have...all so sinned against You. Please, forgive us. Please, Lord, for Your name's sake...have mercy, deliver us, glorify Your name amongst Your people.
There is nothing else for us, Lord, save that You do this. We have nothing else. No one else has the words of life. No one else can save. None other is faithful, as You are. Please, Lord.
Help us. We have nothing, except that You give. We know nothing, except that You shed light. We can do nothing, except that You empower and endow. Help us to see and to know these things, Lord. Help us to see You again, Lord. There is nothing else for us.
And everything else is against us. Oh, Lord, please.
We have no idea what we're doing. We have no idea what we've done. We're all just vastly confused, wandering, building sandcastles in our minds with Your name on them...seeking You through the means given to knowledge in the world, seeking You by ways of intellectual design, seeking You solely by experiential means which aren't in keeping with Your divine Word, seeking You to sate our own lusts, rather than for Your sake, for who You truly are. As to know You, as You would have us do.
Please, Lord. There's nothing else.
Nothing.
We can only survive as You allow. And I know You have retained a remnant. I know You have, You always do. Lord, please. We do hunger and thirst for You, even if perhaps we know naught of how to be filled. Please, for Your name's sake...guide us, as You said You would. You said You would teach those who were called. You would guide us into all truth, even. Please, Lord.
We desperately need You, even as we don't begin to know the depths of how limitless is that need.
There's nothing else, Lord. Help us to know that, to perceive the truth of it. Help us to rely solely upon You, and to require You. Help us, Lord. We can do nothing, except that it be through You and by Your will...as are all things. So, please, Lord...glorify Your precious name in Your people. Glorify Yourself in Your people, for Your name's sake.
Lord be with us, make Your face to shine upon us. Lead us in the way's of righteousness for Your name's sake, and teach us Your ways.
Thank You for all You are and are doing, this great work in all which is. So vast beyond reckoning of our comprehension. So mighty to save, You are. And ever worthy of praise, Lord. So worthy.
So eternally worthy.
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