I was reading an interview with a man named Mike Yaconelli this afternoon and was O.J.'d by God (ask Danny what that means). I wanted to share a portion with you and say " I'm sorry for being too busy. You'll see what I mean and I love you. t
" . . . I’m one of these guys that when I read a book by somebody that really impresses me I call them up and ask them if I can come see them. Most of them tell me no. Nouwen said sure, come on. He pastored a group of 140 mentally challenged people. (He's refferring to Henri Nouwen.)
Q. Yeah.
A. So I went and spent a week with him. At the end of the week I discovered a word I had never know in all of my years as being a Christian, and that was the word “intimacy.” I had no clue that you could be intimate with God. And the person that taught me the real meaning of intimacy was not Henri Nouwen, this great teacher at Harvard and Yale and Notre Dame and all that. It was a little guy by the name of John Bloss, who was 40 years old, who had a hundred word vocabulary. And after a small group meeting where I had said I was too busy—because, you know, busy-ness is the biggest sin in America. It’s not pornography, it’s not abortion. It’s busy-ness. And I was wiped out and burned out and I told everybody that. And after it was over John comes up to me--and when you’re mentally challenged you have no sense of space. He’s right in my face and he goes, "Busy". And I go, "Well, yeah, John. Yeah, I am." I’m being very patronizing. I don’t expect anything from John, you know. He’s got a hundred word vocabulary. What can he teach me? And-and he goes, "Too busy." And I said "Well, John, you’re absolutely right. I am too busy." Again, I’m being very patronizing. And he got right up next to my face and he went, "Why?" And I started crying.
Q. Hm.
A. Because for the first time in my life I realized why. John was the only guy who could ask me that question. He wasn’t afraid to ask me the one question I couldn’t ask. And the reason I was busy is because I believed if I kept busy then God would love me. And it was at that point that the grace of God became so real to me and I began to realize that this isn’t about me following Jesus. You know, I mention in my book that I always have this dream that I’m going to be with a bunch of people following Jesus and he’s going to turn around and he’s-he’s going to look straight at me and he’s going to wave his hand to come up to him. And I’m going to start walking toward him and he goes, no, no, no, not you. The guy behind you. I’ve always had this sense that, you know, I just don’t make it. I don’t—
Q. Yeah.
A. --measure up. And-and John Bloss taught me that the grace of God is what
this is all about. And it’s extravagant. It’s wild, it’s dangerous, it’s unpredictable, it’s—you can’t put it in a category and that began this kind of wild ride with God.
Saturday, November 22, 2003
Saturday, November 01, 2003
Graham Cooke- Thoughts on Healing
Graham's Statement:
We all know how able the Father is to heal instantly. There are times for many of us when we are healed by power, and at other times through relationship with the Father. At times the Lord is developing our capacity to walk in power and authority. On these occasions, when under the guidance of His will, we pray the prayers of authority and faith and we see immediate results. At these times, too, our prayers are accompanied by a specific gift of faith, healing or miracles and we can be amazed at how heaven comes to earth in those moments. Still, there are other times when we enter a process of healing that seems to be in line with God's desire to redevelop our relationship with Him.
We are not ill because our relationship with God lacks depth. God Himself is not mean to us to deny healing for the sake of relationship building. Rather, it is that the Father simply uses what is available to touch and deepen us in difficult moments.
In certain situations, our ailments may be purely physical and require healing; other circumstances require us coming into wholeness because our human circumstances may be more complex.
In all our situations, the love of the Father is profound enough to upgrade our image of Him, that we may know His Nature and Lordship in a more realistic manner.
Healing through relationship is more of a process because the Lord is developing our patience, endurance and steadfast trust. It is the Keeping Power of God that increases our faith and brings us to a new level of perception and relationship. He nurtures us as we pray in faith and learn to abide in the shadow of His wings. He does not always deliver us from the valley, but He does always walk with us through it.
We learn to trust the Father as we actively listen to the One who ever lives to make intercession for us (Heb.7:25), whilst learning to walk with the Comforter. It is so vital that we allow the Holy Spirit to develop this particular role in our lives. We can be weak and find God's strength through comfort as well as joy.
In the valley, in the process of restoration, renewal and finding health, we learn how best to fight. In this instance, the weapons of our warfare are thanksgiving, praise, trust and patience. Sometimes we inherit the promises of God immediately and at other times through faith coupled with patience.
If God does not speak initially, He always will eventually, as we learn how to wait on Him. If His power is not demonstrated immediately, His Sovereignty always comes through progressively.
Sometimes we get an elevator to the next level, sometimes we take the stairs. Power or process is designed by God's will.
If it is process, then we must choose to wait gladly on the Lord and remain attentive to His voice and bound to His loving nature.
Words of knowledge may come through others about our circumstances. Sometimes these words are accompanied by another gift of faith, healing or miracles and we are set free. If not, they are God's encouragement for us to continue praying and believing in the process of life.
These words of knowledge may carry the certainty of God's ultimate will, giving us confidence (1 John 4:14,15). We can craft them into a prayer to confess/declare daily knowing we are praying God's will and therefore the answer to our dilemma.
Freed from the tyranny of our current condition, we are now released in heart and mind to pursue the other purposes of God in our circumstances. What else does He want to do apart from our ultimate healing? Is our healing a part of our wider restoration and renewal? Is the Lord taking us into a deeper place of abiding love and intimacy? He knows the plans He has for us, in every situation, to give us a future and a hope!
What is He planning in that beautiful heart that loves us so amazingly? What grace will come our way, what wisdom and insight may open the eyes of our heart?
This is the path and the process of enlightenment which enables us to fully know God and be known (Eph.1:15-23). We use what we are exploring and discovering to write our crafted prayers of certainty and to formulate our own psalms of thanksgiving. David's journals (we now know as the Psalms) were what enabled him to become a man after God's own heart through all the crises of his life.
What is it specifically that God wants to be for us now, that He could not be for us at any other time?
Do not ask why things are happening. The 'why' question is never answered on earth. It is the wrong question. Rather ask, "What does this mean?" and "What must I do?". God is faithful and kind. His love endures for ever. He is good. So, what is He doing?
We seldom hear God in a vacuum. Learn to engage with God's heart through praise. Better to write your praise out on paper than rely on spontaneous utterance.
How do you praise when you don't feel like it? If you write out your psalm of thanks, you don't need emotion to speak it out. Whereas you do if you rely solely on your heart. Be wise, therefore, and learn the ways of the Spirit. Follow David's journal approach to spirituality and you will always have insight, power or attachment to the heart of God.
Keep smiling, there is more going on in favour of your life than you realise."
Graham Cooke
We all know how able the Father is to heal instantly. There are times for many of us when we are healed by power, and at other times through relationship with the Father. At times the Lord is developing our capacity to walk in power and authority. On these occasions, when under the guidance of His will, we pray the prayers of authority and faith and we see immediate results. At these times, too, our prayers are accompanied by a specific gift of faith, healing or miracles and we can be amazed at how heaven comes to earth in those moments. Still, there are other times when we enter a process of healing that seems to be in line with God's desire to redevelop our relationship with Him.
We are not ill because our relationship with God lacks depth. God Himself is not mean to us to deny healing for the sake of relationship building. Rather, it is that the Father simply uses what is available to touch and deepen us in difficult moments.
In certain situations, our ailments may be purely physical and require healing; other circumstances require us coming into wholeness because our human circumstances may be more complex.
In all our situations, the love of the Father is profound enough to upgrade our image of Him, that we may know His Nature and Lordship in a more realistic manner.
Healing through relationship is more of a process because the Lord is developing our patience, endurance and steadfast trust. It is the Keeping Power of God that increases our faith and brings us to a new level of perception and relationship. He nurtures us as we pray in faith and learn to abide in the shadow of His wings. He does not always deliver us from the valley, but He does always walk with us through it.
We learn to trust the Father as we actively listen to the One who ever lives to make intercession for us (Heb.7:25), whilst learning to walk with the Comforter. It is so vital that we allow the Holy Spirit to develop this particular role in our lives. We can be weak and find God's strength through comfort as well as joy.
In the valley, in the process of restoration, renewal and finding health, we learn how best to fight. In this instance, the weapons of our warfare are thanksgiving, praise, trust and patience. Sometimes we inherit the promises of God immediately and at other times through faith coupled with patience.
If God does not speak initially, He always will eventually, as we learn how to wait on Him. If His power is not demonstrated immediately, His Sovereignty always comes through progressively.
Sometimes we get an elevator to the next level, sometimes we take the stairs. Power or process is designed by God's will.
If it is process, then we must choose to wait gladly on the Lord and remain attentive to His voice and bound to His loving nature.
Words of knowledge may come through others about our circumstances. Sometimes these words are accompanied by another gift of faith, healing or miracles and we are set free. If not, they are God's encouragement for us to continue praying and believing in the process of life.
These words of knowledge may carry the certainty of God's ultimate will, giving us confidence (1 John 4:14,15). We can craft them into a prayer to confess/declare daily knowing we are praying God's will and therefore the answer to our dilemma.
Freed from the tyranny of our current condition, we are now released in heart and mind to pursue the other purposes of God in our circumstances. What else does He want to do apart from our ultimate healing? Is our healing a part of our wider restoration and renewal? Is the Lord taking us into a deeper place of abiding love and intimacy? He knows the plans He has for us, in every situation, to give us a future and a hope!
What is He planning in that beautiful heart that loves us so amazingly? What grace will come our way, what wisdom and insight may open the eyes of our heart?
This is the path and the process of enlightenment which enables us to fully know God and be known (Eph.1:15-23). We use what we are exploring and discovering to write our crafted prayers of certainty and to formulate our own psalms of thanksgiving. David's journals (we now know as the Psalms) were what enabled him to become a man after God's own heart through all the crises of his life.
What is it specifically that God wants to be for us now, that He could not be for us at any other time?
Do not ask why things are happening. The 'why' question is never answered on earth. It is the wrong question. Rather ask, "What does this mean?" and "What must I do?". God is faithful and kind. His love endures for ever. He is good. So, what is He doing?
We seldom hear God in a vacuum. Learn to engage with God's heart through praise. Better to write your praise out on paper than rely on spontaneous utterance.
How do you praise when you don't feel like it? If you write out your psalm of thanks, you don't need emotion to speak it out. Whereas you do if you rely solely on your heart. Be wise, therefore, and learn the ways of the Spirit. Follow David's journal approach to spirituality and you will always have insight, power or attachment to the heart of God.
Keep smiling, there is more going on in favour of your life than you realise."
Graham Cooke
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