The King With Smiling Eyes

Does your king have a smile in his eyes?  Mine does.

He also deeply experiences the emotion of wrong committed in his kingdom.  My king grieves over injustice and wickedness and does something about it.

Read this carefully:  "The LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.  And the LORD was sorry that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart....  But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD."  (Genesis 6:5,6,8, ESV)

The Lord, the Creator King, is not an emotionless, passionless being.  He is not a cosmic justice scale made of some eternally frigid metal.  He has a heart.  When he looks on wickedness or righteousness His heart is moved by it.  The Creator King cares and feels; He grieves and smiles; and He acts with clear purpose to defeat wickedness and to advance His kingdom of righteousness.

I see the extreme contrast of God being "grieved ... to his heart" and the favor that is found in His eyes toward a man like Noah.  When God looked upon Noah, His eyes were smiling.  When He looked upon the sin of the world and and the depravity of sinful man He felt sorrow.

Often, I think we can forget that God is a "He", not an "It"; a Person, not a Force; a King that rules with care and love.  His kingdom is not just an idea but a realm with an eternal ruler.  This ruler leads with passion and His royal code means something to His heart.  The instructions He gives (His laws and decrees) represent His own love for righteousness, justice, and truth, as well as His genuine love for His people.

As I write this morning, it gives me great strength to know that because of Jesus' righteousness credited to me, though my sin has grieved the heart of God, I have been declared righteous.  His favor rests on me and the eyes of my King are smiling at me like they smiled at Noah.  This is true for every Christian, even the ones who don't know it yet.  What an adventure it is to continually discover this King with smiling eyes!

Rebel Planet

This morning I read about the day we became a rebel planet.  It was the day a crafty snake convinced a man and his wife to pursue being like God apart from the very instruction of that God.  He stirred doubt and confusion in their hearts with words like, "Did God really say...?"  This cunning serpent suggested that God was somehow holding out on this couple, and that there was a better way, a way for them to really know things.  It just wasn't God's way.  They ate the forbidden fruit and mankind fell.

Though mankind has fallen to the deception of the serpent, the awesome plan of God continues to unfold.  Throughout the pages of Scripture, the Sovereign God of the universe will advance His kingdom of righteousness, peace, and joy, while the lesser, albeit crafty, enemy wreaks destruction and wickedness on our rebel planet.  God will win the day (and if you're a Christian, you know He already has)!

Still, the enemy who opposed the rule and reign of God that day is real.  His deceptive, slippery words are still crafted to stir doubt in the very ones God is commissioning to bless the earth.  If he can continue to convince the chosen ambassadors of God's kingdom to act outside of their commission, to violate the word of their Maker - if he can break the trust and relationship between man and his Lord - then this antagonist could destroy the plans of this God he so hates.  Or so he thinks.

Today, although the Deceiver may beckon with alluring words that drip with rebellion, our Creator King is extending a call through His ambassadors that rings across the rebel planet:  "Grace to you and peace from God our Father!"  Could this be true?  Could God really be extending peace to the rebels?  Could His favor once again rest on a fallen race?  This is the gospel message of hope to a deceived and dying world.  I pray that the church across my city, my nation, and my world will resound with this good news!

It's His Kingdom

Let's just say I'm not a huge fan of New Year's resolutions.  However, last night Becca and I ran a 5k as a part of the First Night festivities in Spokane, and of course it was called "The Resolution Run."  We were all invited to write down our resolution for 2014, run the race, and then throw the resolution into a fire at the end of the race.  I thought to myself, "That's perfect, because most resolutions go up in smoke anyway!"  Even though I didn't write one down, I do have a plan for 2014.  But first, here's the back story:

My Bible reading plan and
stack of journals

Eleven years ago a pastor friend of mine invited me to read and journal along with him through the year.  I happened to work for him, so it was really more of an assignment than a simple invitation!  Well, eleven years later I'm still using that same Bible reading plan and have found it to be a great launching pad for my personal devotional life as well as a great resource for preaching.  It gives me enough structure for genuine accountability while leaving me free to use the resource rather than be a slave to it.

Although in 2003 my journaling was fairly spontaneous, it's developed into writing on a different theme each year.  For example, 2011's theme was marriage, 2012 was leadership, and 2013 was prayer.  I usually write down one or two verses a day that speak to the topic, as well as what I feel God is teaching me.  Sometimes, I write down a simple prayer that gives voice to my heart's response to Jesus.  Do I write every day?  No.  Do I always write on just this one topic?  No.  Is there flexibility here?  Absolutely.

The point here is that my plan for 2014 is to discover the topic of the Kingdom of God.  It's been a passion of mine for years, coming out in songs, prayers, sermons, etc., but I've never taken the opportunity to be systematic about reading the Bible with God's kingdom in mind.  Here's to a great year of learning about the Kingdom of God!  What do you feel God stirring your heart to learn?  Why not ask Him!  Then, whatever reading plan you choose, I'd invite you to learn from God along with me this year.  He has great adventures in store for us, and great instruction to equip us along the way.


I may not have written down a "resolution" but I'll be writing all year long anyway!  Look for more on the Kingdom of God on the blog this year.  Here's a sample from today's reading/journaling.

Date: January 1, 2013
Title:  It's His Kingdom

Jon's journal entry from January 1, 2013

"In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth....  Then God said, 'Let us make man in our image, after our likeness...'  And God blessed them.  And God said to them, 'Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it and have dominion...'" (Genesis 1:1,26,28, ESV)

At the beginning of time as we know it there was God.  God created the heavens and the earth, the skies, the waters, the land, the fish, the birds, the other animals and plants, and ultimately mankind.  Man was different than the rest of creation, formed in the image of God and specially blessed by Him.  "Man" - male and female together - was commissioned by God to be fruitful, to multiply, to fill the earth and subdue it.  They were commissioned to have dominion (authority, leadership and stewardship) over all the earth.

It's important to realize that everything begins with God, and that mankind, both individually and as a whole, is subject to this ultimate King.  From His authority comes a powerful commissioning, a blessing, to enjoy relationship with one another and to be a blessing to the whole earth that He created.  From the first chapter of The Story of God, He is drawing mankind into a special relationship with Him and into a very unique place in His kingdom.  But it's still His kingdom. 

Prayer:  Lord, open my eyes this year to the wonders of Your eternal kingdom, to Your rule and reign, Your ways and Your purpose, Your sovereignty, and Your majesty in earth and in heaven!

Ready For Launch

Well, we've officially been on the Spokane launch pad for 14 months!  The Meek family moved at the end of July 2013 and it's now the last day of September 2013.  What a ride it's been so far!  We've immersed into new schools, new friendships, new jobs, new home, new everything it seems.  Over the past 14 months we've loved participating as God has drawn together a team of amazing people around us to help plant a new life-giving, Jesus-honoring, grace-saturated, Spirit-filled church in Spokane, Washington that exists to glorify God and to serve people.

As our team has been learning and growing, it's become clear that it's time to "go public."  We haven't been hiding, by any means, since we've been meeting in a rented facility at 303 W. Main on Sunday mornings since the beginning of March.  Our sermons have been online, our sign goes up every Sunday, etc., but we haven't really done a big, splashy, publicly advertized "here-we-are" event.  (If you don't count the outreach carnival and car wash we did in the West Central neighborhood in July!  I guess that was pretty splashy!) So, if you happen to read this and live in the Spokane, Washington area, you just might see some Facebook ads inviting you to come check out Grace Church Spokane this month, especially for the big "Launch" on October 27, 2013!  You might also see some posters or receive an invitation from a friend.

I promise one thing about October 27.  It will be a great day to bring friends who don't know much about Jesus, friends who are already Christians but are burned out on "religion," or friends who are looking to connect with a healthy local church because they just haven't yet!  Maybe you're reading this and you fit into one of those categories yourself.  If so, why not come see what Grace Church Spokane is all about?  Come and discover with us what Jesus meant when He said, "I came that you may have life, and have it to the full."

Fueling Prayer

There's something about gathering with God's people to pray that really excites me - I think it's a combination of knowing that God is really listening (Luke 1:13) and really appreciating the camaraderie of gathering with others who believe that too.  Last night was the first of five nights for several churches in the Spokane area to gather together to pray for each other and for our city, and I found myself praying with two college students from Whitworth University, a 40-something working guy, and a woman retired from her career but serving Jesus as she travels.  Together, we represented three of the multiple churches gathered.  I had never met any of these people before, and yet we were able to come to Jesus together in prayer and worship, coming to the same Savior, the same Good Shepherd.  We prayed, as we will all week, for a fresh reality of knowing Jesus as the shepherd of Psalm 23.  There was heart-felt repentance, there was thanksgiving, and there was simple worship; and it was really good.

It's a powerful thing, a rewarding thing, to set aside a few days for prayer and fasting, but I was really stirred this past week by the story of a woman whose life demonstrated a decades-long pattern of consistent prayer and fasting:  she has gone on to heaven now, but her name was Anna.

Anna was an old woman at the time of this story - at least 84 years, maybe even older - and she routinely filled her life with prayer.  When her husband died, rather than getting stuck in the pain she found fresh life as she invested countless hours into prayer.  This worship-filled prayer erupted quite naturally one day into a very public, God-centered overflow from her thankful heart.  It was the day an infant named Jesus came to the temple where she prayed, carried by his mother and step-father when he was just eight days old.

Anna had consistently led her life along a course of fasting and prayer, and the Bible says it was an expression of her worship, night and day.  Because she knew the blessing of finding her deepest desire in God Himself, it's no wonder that God enabled her to recognize Jesus as the fulfillment of that desire, the one who would bring redemption to His people.  God's revelation to her poured out that day in a thankful declaration to everyone around her that this little baby would be the long-awaited redeemer, the Messiah.  (Read this story for yourself in Luke Chapter 2.)

3 Lessons from Anna's Life:

1. Those who spend time in prayer that is full of worship and thanksgiving can expect to enjoy actual fellowship with God too, not just have a one-way monologue.  This adds a whole new dimension and anticipation to prayer!
2. An ongoing pattern of prayer is more likely to be sustained when it's full of worship, rather than consisting only of presenting our petitions and problems.
3. Those who come hungry for God can expect to be filled and "fed" in their times of prayer.  Anna had 84 years of proof that this is true, and Jesus would affirm it about thirty years later:  "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied." - Matthew 5:6

As Grace Church Spokane joins with other life-giving churches this month to discover the richness of Jesus as our Shepherd, I'm looking forward to filling this time with worship, thanksgiving for the amazing grace of God, and rediscovering just how true it is that Jesus is enough for me personally and for us together as the Church.  Like Anna, I pray we find that the overflow of time spent with God will be a blessing to those around us.

God's Heart For Your Heart

Franklin Park, slightly earlier in the season than my run!

So there I was, jogging through Franklin Park last week, just north of my home in Spokane, the chill in the brisk morning air kept at bay through my accelerated heart rate, when it hit me.  This is what I began praying for over ten years ago; this is one of the desires of my heart.  I thought to myself, "Here I am, planting a church in Spokane, Washington, my kids have each found a niche in their schools and with great friends, my wife is putting her university teaching degree to good use and loving her job, and I'm running through a neighborhood - MY neighborhood - in the city God has called us to love and to serve.  Thank You, Jesus."  My run was easy that day as my mind was filled with gratefulness to the God who fills our hearts with passion and then fulfills the very desire which He inspired in the first place.

Today, which was supposedly the end of the world (come on guys, seriously...?) I'm pondering just how amazing God's call is for each of us.  He puts a longing for "something more" in the hearts of every man and woman on the planet, then He points us to the fulfillment of that longing:  Jesus, the Christ, the Messiah, the Savior of the World, Lover of Cities, Souls and Nations.  Despite the distractions of the Holiday Season, in the midst of the tragedies that accompany life in a fallen world, God is continually and persistently at work in the hearts of young and old alike, drawing our hearts toward His own and transforming our hearts and lives into His own likeness.

God cares about the very things we care about!  Our Heavenly Father loves to see our hearts fulfilled, both in the little things and in the grand purposes of His ever-advancing kingdom.  He absolutely loves to bless His people with good gifts, daring dreams, and unquenchable hope in the middle of the hustle and bustle of a world in desperate need of everything He has to offer.  Here's a little reminder to all of us that God is for us, not against us, His heart beats with a passionate fervor for His chosen people, and He is still in the business of restoring, encouraging, and satisfying hearts.  He's doing it here in Spokane and He's doing it all over the world.

Baptism, Prayer, and Prophetic Update

It's November and it's snowing here:  heavy wet snow that the girls are enjoying, and Gabe is shoveling!  This weather reminds me of my childhood in Missouri, so I'm feeling a bit nostalgic today.  That being said, I'm also full of faith for the future and for what God has in store for the church in Spokane.  Since it's Veteran's Day and the whole family has the day off from school I have a chance to update everyone.

Prayer just before baptizing Michelle...

...Just baptized!

If you've been following my blog (www.jonnydavids.blogspot.com), you'll know that we were preparing for our first baptism in October.  Well, we've now had two baptisms!  Two young ladies, Erika and Michelle, were baptized this past month.  The day Michelle was baptized, we had 30 people there for the celebration - lots of family, friends, and even a French professor from Whitworth University (she teaches French - I have no idea if she has any French heritage)!  Since our own home did not come equipped with a "baptismal" (of course), we were able to use another home up on Five Mile Prairie in Northwest Spokane.  This home has a great baptismal tank in the form of a hot tub.  After we all prayed for Michelle we went outside to the hot tub, where I prayed for her one more time and then her sister baptized her.  Very fun!  Hot tub baptisms, anyone?  I know you are jealous. 

   

Following the baptisms we enjoyed a great meal at another home on Five Mile Prairie, where we discussed the finer points of running, soccer, and other sports with two of Gabe's cross-country coaches.  One of his coaches, Tracy Walters, used to be a USA Olympic track and field coach so he's full of amazing stories!  I don't think Gabe really realizes yet just how privileged he is to have such high-caliber coaches training him.  These guys love Jesus and are also really good at what they do!

We are just finishing up taking our launch team through Terry Virgo's book, "Start," a book designed for new believers and an excellent first-step discipleship training tool.  We've been using the book as a way to cover some of the core values of who we are as a Newfrontiers church, while also equipping each member of our team to take others through the book.  As we wrap this up, the challenge is for each team member to personally take someone else through the book now!  This Friday night, we'll be sharing our own testimonies of how Jesus has changed our lives.  We'll also go through the basics of sharing the gospel with our friends, family, and co-workers.  Please pray for effective gospel communication within our relational networks here in Spokane!

Friday night prayer in our living room

Two Fridays ago, our team spent most of the evening just praying for each other, prophesying into each other's lives, and praising Jesus together.  It was a really great night of prayer.  We know that as we develop a culture of prayer and worship that our roots will go deep while our effectiveness multiplies.  We have much work to do here in Spokane, and we look forward to continued partnership with all of you who are mutually invested with us through prayer, encouragement, and even finances.  Thank you!

  

As I bring this update to a close, I thought I'd share some prophetic encouragement:  On the morning of October 16, I felt God gave me a mental image of a rock dropping into a pond.  I was feeling a bit like I'd been dropped into Spokane kind of like that rock - under the surface - but knowing that the ripple effect was real and would be effective.  Then I saw myself re-emerging from the water, like I was extremely buoyant.  It was a forceful, fast explosion up and out from the water.  It's a good encouragement that our small beginnings are not insignificant and that the Grace Church Spokane team will have a strong launch from the "waters" of Spokane!  I hope you remember that too; no matter where you are, God is the one who makes you strong, makes you effective, and enables you to rise up!  As Paul reminds us in Colossians 3:1-4, we are both hidden in Christ and raised with Him!  Let's fix our eyes on Jesus.

For The Kingdom,

Jon

FYI - Giving is now possible directly to Grace Church Spokane, PO Box 10312, Spokane, WA 99209.  Thanks for all your support!