|
“The thing is… it’s a different world… but it’s in this world!” A few weeks ago, I had an incredibly vivid dream, where I was leading people up a hill and whispering the preceding sentence to them as if it were a precious secret. The “other world” was the Kingdom of God, and I woke up with such a sense that our role as believers is to lead people to this other world—to share the secret that if we just open our eyes, the Kingdom of God is all around us. When Jesus says the Kingdom of God is at hand (Mark 1:15 and elsewhere) and that it is even within us (Luke 17:21), I don’t think he is just taunting us. I believe this is a reality. It’s a different world, but it’s in this world.
Yet, we are told to seek the Kingdom of God as well. I believe it is when we focus our mind and heart on God and seek him with our whole being that we are able to lead people to this Kingdom, because we ourselves are able to see that it is truly at hand. Last month I wrote about my “second honeymoon” with Jesus. This month has reminded me of the simple truth that we must not take such intimacy for granted. We are so easily distracted from the present Kingdom, and we must continue to seek it ourselves in order to reveal it to others.
More than anything, I want to show other people the Kingdom of God and lead them into it. But I find that not only sin “easily entangles” us (Hebrews 12:1). Other, good things can also occupy our thoughts so that we lose sight of the other Kingdom that defines the true reality of our existence. I know that if I do not consciously seek God constantly throughout the day, I forget that his Kingdom is within me and that my primary purpose in life is to display it to others. Moreover, I see an almost absurdly direct correlation between how focused I am on God and how powerfully he speaks to others through me.
I do not want to miss out on the opportunity to lead others to this Kingdom that is so near and that we yet must seek with our whole being. I do not want to be entangled by things that dim my vision of God’s reality. I believe my upcoming time in New Zealand is an opportunity to throw off those things and to renew my heart’s focus on God. I cannot wait.
I leave for New Zealand on March 3 and will return April 3, so you will not hear from me next month unless I manage to get someone back home to send out a letter for me. I will see what I can do. My time there is going to consist of some training for the international ministry I will be doing with David and Jodi Pierce (the founders of Steiger), as well as planning and preparation for that work itself. In addition, David has asked me to re-edit one of his books while I am there. So I will have plenty to do, but I will also have time to seek the Kingdom and again refresh my vision. I want to see his Kingdom clearly so I can more effectively lead other people to it.
When I woke up from the dream I have described, I had a strong sense that leading people to God’s Kingdom is somehow going to involve writing. I do not know what form this will take yet, but I am excited to see any new ways that God may want me to show people that his reality—the true reality—is here among us. I want to continue to turn to God with open eyes, so that I may then remove the scales from other people’s eyes and help them see the incredible gift that this “other world” is right before us!
Last year when I arrived in New Zealand, I was struggling with what the commonly-used phrase “seek God” actually meant. One of the most important things I believe God taught me while I was there last year was how I personally “seek” him. As I return this year, I believe that one of the things God wants from me is to deepen my understanding of seeking his Kingdom and increase my determination to do so. I know that everything stems from that.
Thank you so much for your prayers and support. I know I say it every month, but I am continually amazed at the blessing and gift you are in my life. May God bless you all. As usual, there are specific prayer requests on the back. Thank you so much.
Take hold of the life that is truly life!
Molly S. Waggoner
Please pray that my time in New Zealand would be free of distractions and full of refreshment. The last year has been very fast-paced and full, so I am in need of a time of rest and recuperation. I also want to renew my focus on God and get “disentangled” from some things here in Minneapolis. Please pray that I would come home renewed and ready to keep driving forward.
I have been praying recently that God would give me the ability to speak like Stephen in Acts 6:9-10, where people who heard him simply knew he was speaking the truth. I have begun to see glimpses of an answer to this prayer, and I only want more. You all know that my heart is in evangelism, and the more I speak to people about Jesus, the less interested I am in presenting “convincing arguments.” I want to speak words that are imbued with God’s power so that they resonate in people’s souls and cannot be denied. I feel that intimacy with God is the key to this gift, so please pray that I would grow in my ability to “practice the presence of God,” hear his voice, and magnify him to others.
Please pray for clarity and guidance with regards to writing. If this is something God wants from me, I need to know how to proceed.
My administrative work for Steiger has begun. I have been organizing speaking tours for Steiger leaders and preparing a program whereby church groups can “adopt” Steiger missionaries doing international work. It is going well, but I would appreciate prayers for how to proceed, since both these things are new for me. I believe that it will also be a wonderful opportunity to make more personal connections with churches and organizations, so you can pray that I would be able to develop relationships with people who will be a blessing to my ministry as well.
Thank you!
MSW
|
