We headed to the cars. We were supposed to worship God and pray at my friend’s new place, a house-blessing event, but received news that her friend’s old mother’s health had taken a turn for the worst. And her friend was about to leave for a mission trip in just a few days.
So after lunch we went to that friend’s place. Now ‘we’ were an interesting mix of people. A retired couple that used to be missionary pastors, a newly ordained Presbyterian pastor, my friend (an undergrad) and me. Along the way, we found out that the old lady had cancer for years, and in fact outlived the doctors’ expectations while refusing conventional treatment and taking massive amounts of fruits and vegetable juices every day.
But just when her daughter was about to go for an important missions trip in just a few days, her mother suddenly became sicker. So we became a kind of prayer Emergency Response team, going there to pray.
“We fall down, we lay our crowns at the feet of Jesus” – Chris Tomlin, “We Fall Down”
For years I just couldn't click with that song. The lyrics seemed artificial and contrived somehow.
“And we cry holy, holy, holy is the Lamb” – Chris Tomlin, “We Fall Down”
When we got to the home and entered the room, we saw a tiny, frail old lady sitting in a chair, head down. She seemed so weak, barely able to lift up her head to look at the sudden burst of visitors that appeared out of nowhere, struggling to lift her hand to signal to her maid to show hospitality to these people who seemed to know her daughter.
She didn’t understand English, we were told, so the pastors in the group tried to speak to her in Cantonese. Because she was too weak to respond, we gave up trying to communicate, and the rest of the people started praying for her.
Now, because I hold quite strongly to Word of Faith teaching, I felt that the way the rest of the people there prayed lacked faith. It was as if they weren’t too sure that God wanted to heal the lady and wanted to pray in a way that would hedge their bets, whatever happened. (this was just my impression, ok?)
When it came to my turn to pray, I had a choice. I could pray in a way that would show off my theological position, make me feel superior to the other people in the room and alienate these brothers and sisters in Christ from me, or I could pray the same way they did (and leave me feeling like a hypocrite, because I wasn't praying the way I felt was right), or I could just take a song and worship God. I chose to worship God.
And when we all ended the worship song, that old lady finally looked up. Looking into her eyes I saw so much life in there, I was bowled over. And I felt God telling me in my heart that He touched her body and gave her life because I sought to bypass our theological differences and unite our prayers around Jesus Christ.
I sat there, stunned by the transformation that took place right before my eyes. And at that moment I realized that what the Chris Tomlin song spoke about, laying our crowns before Jesus, could not make sense to people who did not know, in their heart of hearts, that they have been made kings and are therefore crowned with power and authority.
And this is what I’d like to share with you. The question is not how to we, as believers, get more power and authority. Its how are we going to use the power and authority we already have as kings and priests serving God the Father. (Rev 1:5-6)
In the situation described earlier all it took to unite these believers from very different background into a group that saw the hand of God at work was a simple worship song. Why was this unity so powerful and life-giving? Because it was an alliance of kings.
And that is why there are so many accounts of kings, those of Judah and Israel, in 1st and 2nd Kings and Chronicles. God included all these accounts in the word of God so that we, as kings-in-Christ, will learn from whatever they did, whether wrong or right.
So what does that mean to you now, king and priest of the Most High God? How does my reminder of your power and authority in Christ affect you? I’ve got a couple of suggestions, practical steps you can take to exercise the life-giving kingship powers God has given to you.
1) Pray with confidence and authority.
2) Worship God more, especially with people from a different denomination or church. (Tuesday Group is perfect for this, of course)
3) Seek alliances with other believers, whether in work, ministry or even in family life. Some believers I know are talking about home-schooling their kids together when they have kids. This is a powerful example of the alliance of kings that we can set up.
Prayer time: God has been speaking to me through his people about growing up even further as a son of God, joint-heir with Christ. Pray for me that I will be led to the Scripture Passages that I need to feed on at this time, as well as the believers whom God has chosen to mentor me in this area.
Thanks, everyone! Be blessed!
So after lunch we went to that friend’s place. Now ‘we’ were an interesting mix of people. A retired couple that used to be missionary pastors, a newly ordained Presbyterian pastor, my friend (an undergrad) and me. Along the way, we found out that the old lady had cancer for years, and in fact outlived the doctors’ expectations while refusing conventional treatment and taking massive amounts of fruits and vegetable juices every day.
But just when her daughter was about to go for an important missions trip in just a few days, her mother suddenly became sicker. So we became a kind of prayer Emergency Response team, going there to pray.
“We fall down, we lay our crowns at the feet of Jesus” – Chris Tomlin, “We Fall Down”
For years I just couldn't click with that song. The lyrics seemed artificial and contrived somehow.
“And we cry holy, holy, holy is the Lamb” – Chris Tomlin, “We Fall Down”
When we got to the home and entered the room, we saw a tiny, frail old lady sitting in a chair, head down. She seemed so weak, barely able to lift up her head to look at the sudden burst of visitors that appeared out of nowhere, struggling to lift her hand to signal to her maid to show hospitality to these people who seemed to know her daughter.
She didn’t understand English, we were told, so the pastors in the group tried to speak to her in Cantonese. Because she was too weak to respond, we gave up trying to communicate, and the rest of the people started praying for her.
Now, because I hold quite strongly to Word of Faith teaching, I felt that the way the rest of the people there prayed lacked faith. It was as if they weren’t too sure that God wanted to heal the lady and wanted to pray in a way that would hedge their bets, whatever happened. (this was just my impression, ok?)
When it came to my turn to pray, I had a choice. I could pray in a way that would show off my theological position, make me feel superior to the other people in the room and alienate these brothers and sisters in Christ from me, or I could pray the same way they did (and leave me feeling like a hypocrite, because I wasn't praying the way I felt was right), or I could just take a song and worship God. I chose to worship God.
To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. (Revelations 1:5-6, NKJV)
And when we all ended the worship song, that old lady finally looked up. Looking into her eyes I saw so much life in there, I was bowled over. And I felt God telling me in my heart that He touched her body and gave her life because I sought to bypass our theological differences and unite our prayers around Jesus Christ.
I sat there, stunned by the transformation that took place right before my eyes. And at that moment I realized that what the Chris Tomlin song spoke about, laying our crowns before Jesus, could not make sense to people who did not know, in their heart of hearts, that they have been made kings and are therefore crowned with power and authority.
And this is what I’d like to share with you. The question is not how to we, as believers, get more power and authority. Its how are we going to use the power and authority we already have as kings and priests serving God the Father. (Rev 1:5-6)
In the situation described earlier all it took to unite these believers from very different background into a group that saw the hand of God at work was a simple worship song. Why was this unity so powerful and life-giving? Because it was an alliance of kings.
“When a king’s face brightens, it means life…” Proverbs 16:15 (NIV)
And that is why there are so many accounts of kings, those of Judah and Israel, in 1st and 2nd Kings and Chronicles. God included all these accounts in the word of God so that we, as kings-in-Christ, will learn from whatever they did, whether wrong or right.
So what does that mean to you now, king and priest of the Most High God? How does my reminder of your power and authority in Christ affect you? I’ve got a couple of suggestions, practical steps you can take to exercise the life-giving kingship powers God has given to you.
1) Pray with confidence and authority.
2) Worship God more, especially with people from a different denomination or church. (Tuesday Group is perfect for this, of course)
3) Seek alliances with other believers, whether in work, ministry or even in family life. Some believers I know are talking about home-schooling their kids together when they have kids. This is a powerful example of the alliance of kings that we can set up.
Prayer time: God has been speaking to me through his people about growing up even further as a son of God, joint-heir with Christ. Pray for me that I will be led to the Scripture Passages that I need to feed on at this time, as well as the believers whom God has chosen to mentor me in this area.
Thanks, everyone! Be blessed!
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