Shock the World! A Shout of Reclamation: Take Back what the Enemy Has Stolen

The time for timidity has ended. The time alone on the biblical mountainside has come and gone. The wind has blown. The voice of God has spoken. The time of deep reflection, of introspection, of soul-searching, dark-nightedness and even flagellation has come to its bloody close. I have been righteous and and I have fallen short. I am human and yet I am filled with the very Spirit of God that gave life to Adam, saw Hagar, gave a voice to Balaam's ass, called Hosea to marry a prostitute, strengthened Samson to smash pillars, emboldened David to kill a giant, Joseph to interpret dreams, Daniel to stare down lions, and Mary Magdalene to wash the Messiah's feet with her own tears and hair... it is is this same radical Christ that enables me to again find life in this moment. 

The human part of me has fallen short, and yet the God part of me has never waivered. "Come lift your head weary sinner, all who strayed and walked away. Unspeakable things you've done. Fix your eyes on the mount. Let the past be dead and gone. Come all saints and sinners. You can't outrun God" (Crowder, Lift Your Head Weary Sinner, 2014).

 Jonah tried to outrun God. He was swallowed by a great fish and vomited out to get it right. Moses tried to outrun God. He killed a scum-bag, hid his body, and got called out. I've tried to outrun God. Apparently he created Usain Bolt. Bonus material: you can't outrun God. He is already at the finish line, awaiting your lame limp. You may even find that He is beside you and running with you, behind you and kicking your butt, or even ahead of you and dragging your nearly lifeless body despite your failings. I have been in all of those positions. I find myself where I am... fully because of Him.

Pesky, un-relentless, always faithful (and annoying) Him. Blasphemous am I? No, not quite, although I'm on the edge. I am annoyed by God because I'd rather that He was false, fake, and untrue. I could have blown Him off and moved on with a meaningless life. Live and let live and let die. But... His promises are true. And so, there is something here worth grasping.

Let me state again... His promises are TRUE.  And they are inescapable. This God is REAL. His promises are REAL. His power... yeah, it is REAL. And He can heal. He can mend, He can reclaim the life that you were created to live. He is reclaiming me.

He once split the sky over Bethlehem and a few scraggly Shepherds were there to witness... "Fear not! For behold I bring you good tidings of great joy!" This was the ultimate declaration... God had returned to reclaim what was His from the point of creation. It was time and He had returned to take back what the enemy had stolen... all the way from the time of Adam. All the way to the time of me. All the way to the time of... you.

Yes. It is time to shock the world. Nothing has changed. That is the shocking news that I have to give to you. It is as is always has been. With all of the noise of the world: politics, Hollywood, social media, Kardashians, fashion, and trends... we are still just naked standing beside the tree of knowledge of good and evil. We're still just Eve and Adam... and we're still trying to make sense of this garden and the God who planted us here. 

Nothing has changed since the dawn of everything. And God still speaks His words of creation, "Let there be light."

I am here to chose that light. It is time to hold it high and explore our creation. Let's shock the world together. This is not the end time... this is only yet a beginning.