Immanence.

Branching out, a bit. It's taken a few days to line everything out, and there's been very little in the way of certainty, alongside the going. Such as goes, with multi-day migraines, but no matter.

Something considered, still being prayed about, but is at least for-now "done"--a website. Just a blog, is all. Just this, only elsewhere.

Things are still strange, but it's up, now. By the grace of God, it is.

Still asking whether it's the right course, but everything is still...in limbo, regardless. He'll direct, as is necessary.



Church, in three hours. Church, at a distance--must depart in half an hour.

Which is good. Time to drive means time to fellowship with the Lord. Even being reliant on Him, constantly, in all things...there's such a tendency to get distracted from Him. Strange bit of doing, that is--relishing His presence, yet somehow having one's mind drift to external factors in such a way as allows some amount of peripheral anxiety to creep up, attempting to dissuade from conscious and grateful joy at His being.

He's there, regardless, is all. He's no less present, for being less remarked and relished. He's never any less immanant. Never.

That's one point which has been particularly notable, these past few weeks, in terms of what goes on in church: the tendency to view a service as "successful" or "moving" if "the presence of the Lord" shows up....is very contorted. He is always present.

He doesn't "show up" for church.

He doesn't "move" according to what we do.

He's already there.

We just...to varying degrees...become willing to pay heed to His omnipotence and omnipresence.

In terms of God "showing up," though--think on this: He is that in which all things exist, and in which all things are held together. He is the power which creates, He is the power which holds everything in place and makes it possible for anything to continue. He is the power which made the earth, the wind, each and every tree. And He is the power which makes the seasons continue along their course. He is the power in which the earth revolves. And according to which the sun continues to do...whatever it is the sun does, with all the burning and the heat and the light.

He is all that, in ways, as it only continues and has its source in Him, always. 

Back to the idea of how the entire universe went and did, at His very word. No question. No hesitation. No doubt as to whether He was sufficiently authoritative as to warrant obedience. And certainly no insinuation of their being self-reliance unto motion, apart from Him. All which is did as He said, when He said, and will continue along that course until He says otherwise.

Yet we are so far removed from Him, most days, that we don't even question whether He would be grieved or displeased by our thoughts, words, and actions.

Most days, we just go and do, and say and act...without a second thought to whether those actions and words, and the thoughts which spawned them...are in complete defiance of God. Nor concerned at whether, even if they're not in complete defiance, they might be outside His providential will for our comportment.

The rest of the universe does precisely what He wills, awaiting orders to proceed otherwise than is done--remaining wholly consistent in Him. He is that force, that power, that operative mechanism in which and by which all things began and continue.

Yet, we deny that of ourselves, most days.

Most blatantly in church, perhaps, by making passing commentary at how He "showed up." He has never been absent.

That is a terribly difficult concept to accept, really. Abiding in His presence, continually, for a year now, though...I've come to accept it: there is a choice, as to whether to abide in Him. There is a continual, largely conscious choice, as to whether we will or might experience the wonder of His presence.

Acting in ways which grieve Him effectively cauterizes spiritual ability to remain sensitive to Him, is all.

It's not possible to constantly, grievously sin...AND experience His presence.

Again, that's not to say I don't sin. I DO. And it feels like I've been gutted alive, most of the time. It is not pleasant. Such the desire to be sanctified, moreso. Such the desire to draw nearer Him, where there is wholehearted, continual peace and joy. And comfort. And revelation. And growth.

Understanding.

Oh, so many things right now. And this isn't nearly sufficient, but all there's time for.

The Lord bless you and keep you!

Oh, yeah:

http://www.suspendedview.com