Rebuilding Our Cities and Lent
Rebuilding Our Cities and Lent
Last night I had a dream. We were driving, following some friends who were driving an older car that looked like a Lincoln Versaille. We drove along Columbia Falls Stage Road, and our friends turned west and drove across the Old Red Bridge. I was quite nervous following them, since I knew that the bridge had been condemned, even to foot traffic, for some years. As we drove across (one at a time), I noticed that some repairs had been done on the bridge. It wasn't a full restoration of the bridge, but it seemed "just enough" to make it barely usable for someone to venture across the bridge. Eventually I think we made it across, but "just barely." When I prayed about the dream, I heard the verses from Isaiah 58: "If you pour yourself out for the hungry and satisfy the desire of the afflicted, then shall your light rise in the darkness and your gloom be as the noonday. And the Lord will guide you continually and satisfy your desire in scorched places and make your bones strong; and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail. And your ancient ruins shall be rebuilt; you shall raise up the foundations of many generations; you shall be called the repairer of the breach, the restorer of streets to dwell in." God is after the restoration of our cities and the places where we live, including run-down buildings, neighborhoods, and streets. Are you feeling dry, broken-down, or weak? God promises to refresh those who reach out and give to meet other peoples' needs out of sincere, selfless love (not hidden motives, seeking something for themselves).The whole chapter (which is worth reading in its entirety) is about a true fast (that God accepts), versus a "religious" one, based on performance. This is interesting, since we have just entered the season of Lent, when people in many denominations "fast" the weeks preceding Resurrection Sunday. We also just had the fast of Esther, which precedes Purim (16 March, 2014). The difference between a "bad" fast and a "good" one is what the fast is directed to accomplish---merely a quest to become "more spiritual," or a sincere "turning-away" from sin, a freedom from quarreling to pursue unity, freeing those falsely imprisoned, releasing people from heavy burdens and bondage, feeding the hungry, and clothing the vulnerable. In connection, he mentions specifically not "pointing fingers," falsely accusing (this is the meaning of the word "devil"), or spreading rumors. Most people are aware of the promises in Jeremiah 29:11 - "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope." but the verses which precede this are also important: "Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat their produce. Take wives and have sons and daughters; take wives for your sons, and give your daughters in marriage, that they may bear sons and daughters; multiply there, and do not decrease. But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare."Settle-down, don't try to run away from where God has located you. Pray blessing over your city, your neighborhood, your area. Your own personal growth and welfare is dependent upon the welfare (prosperity) of your area, since we are all connected. Ask God to show you what needs to meet. Everyone has needs. People miss this sometimes, because they look at these verses and only think of soup kitchens, Africa, and homeless shelters (which are definitely important). But if God is interested in rebuilding cities, he needs civil engineers who have a vision, families who are strong, schools with wisdom and understanding, businesses who have integrity and are generous to their workers. He needs city counsels with wisdom. He needs health practitioners with spiritual understanding. He needs a community of people who foster and cultivate love, generosity, and genuine care for each other. This is only accomplished by those who support and encourage this type of community. God's not fooled by vain performance or selfish, ulterior motives. "...let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth." (1 John 3:18). This sincere love, coupled with actions birthed out of His vision by His Spirit brings transformation to our cities and our land. This is a transformation that everyone living it it benefits from, not just Christians.
Last night I had a dream. We were driving, following some friends who were driving an older car that looked like a Lincoln Versaille. We drove along Columbia Falls Stage Road, and our friends turned west and drove across the Old Red Bridge. I was quite nervous following them, since I knew that the bridge had been condemned, even to foot traffic, for some years. As we drove across (one at a time), I noticed that some repairs had been done on the bridge. It wasn't a full restoration of the bridge, but it seemed "just enough" to make it barely usable for someone to venture across the bridge. Eventually I think we made it across, but "just barely." When I prayed about the dream, I heard the verses from Isaiah 58: "If you pour yourself out for the hungry and satisfy the desire of the afflicted, then shall your light rise in the darkness and your gloom be as the noonday. And the Lord will guide you continually and satisfy your desire in scorched places and make your bones strong; and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail. And your ancient ruins shall be rebuilt; you shall raise up the foundations of many generations; you shall be called the repairer of the breach, the restorer of streets to dwell in." God is after the restoration of our cities and the places where we live, including run-down buildings, neighborhoods, and streets. Are you feeling dry, broken-down, or weak? God promises to refresh those who reach out and give to meet other peoples' needs out of sincere, selfless love (not hidden motives, seeking something for themselves).The whole chapter (which is worth reading in its entirety) is about a true fast (that God accepts), versus a "religious" one, based on performance. This is interesting, since we have just entered the season of Lent, when people in many denominations "fast" the weeks preceding Resurrection Sunday. We also just had the fast of Esther, which precedes Purim (16 March, 2014). The difference between a "bad" fast and a "good" one is what the fast is directed to accomplish---merely a quest to become "more spiritual," or a sincere "turning-away" from sin, a freedom from quarreling to pursue unity, freeing those falsely imprisoned, releasing people from heavy burdens and bondage, feeding the hungry, and clothing the vulnerable. In connection, he mentions specifically not "pointing fingers," falsely accusing (this is the meaning of the word "devil"), or spreading rumors. Most people are aware of the promises in Jeremiah 29:11 - "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope." but the verses which precede this are also important: "Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat their produce. Take wives and have sons and daughters; take wives for your sons, and give your daughters in marriage, that they may bear sons and daughters; multiply there, and do not decrease. But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare."Settle-down, don't try to run away from where God has located you. Pray blessing over your city, your neighborhood, your area. Your own personal growth and welfare is dependent upon the welfare (prosperity) of your area, since we are all connected. Ask God to show you what needs to meet. Everyone has needs. People miss this sometimes, because they look at these verses and only think of soup kitchens, Africa, and homeless shelters (which are definitely important). But if God is interested in rebuilding cities, he needs civil engineers who have a vision, families who are strong, schools with wisdom and understanding, businesses who have integrity and are generous to their workers. He needs city counsels with wisdom. He needs health practitioners with spiritual understanding. He needs a community of people who foster and cultivate love, generosity, and genuine care for each other. This is only accomplished by those who support and encourage this type of community. God's not fooled by vain performance or selfish, ulterior motives. "...let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth." (1 John 3:18). This sincere love, coupled with actions birthed out of His vision by His Spirit brings transformation to our cities and our land. This is a transformation that everyone living it it benefits from, not just Christians.
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