Night in the garden

I first want to say I miss all of my friends from the TEAM conference very much. We drove home yesterday afternoon and I have been an emotional wreck ever since. (sorry, you're seeing my femenine side).

On the second night of the conference Nathan Barnes from Canada (http://plunge.mindsay.com/) spoke and gave a life changing message. He started out with a clip from "The Passion;" the beginning of the movie where Jesus is in the garden praying.

Phil 2:5-8
5Your attitude should be the same that Christ Jesus had.
6Though he was God, he did not demand and cling to his rights as God. 7He made himself nothing; he took the humble position of a slave and appeared in human form. 8And in human form he obediently humbled himself even further by dying a criminal’s death on a cross.

He gave this verse and discussed the idea of "Kanosis" which allows us to think of Jesus as 100% human (and God).

We sometimes have this Idea that Jesus was, as Nathan said it, "kinda excited" about dying. No, that's far from true He was afraid, He was human. At this moment Jesus does not want to do what He knows needs to be done. But Jesus turns around and does it. Nathan said," no way, if I was in the garden, I could do what Jesus did in the garden."

Luke 9:51
Now it came to pass, when the time had come for Him to be received up, that He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem.
according to Nathan "this is where the garden acctually starts." Jesus essentially "striking a pose" leads Him to the garden and ulimately to the cross.

The word "steadfastly" in Luke 9 means "resolute determination." Being a Christ follower is not a simple task. You will have your night in the garden. "followers of Christ get persecuted, that's just the way it goes." We have to be prepared mentally and spritually. We, with resolute determination, must "set our face toward Jeruselem." We have to "strike a pose" of determination. Something interesting; to set your face toward Jeruselem there has to be a Jeruselem, You have to have a mission. The theme of the conference was "Revolution." We are revolutionaries seeking to reshape the world. In this I have definately had my nights in the garden. Whenever you start talking about changing the world, whenever you start thinking differently people will attack you. I have had times where I have felt utterly alone in the world, many of them.

As Nathan asked us...

"What's your garden?
What's holding you back from being a revolutionary?
Why do you believe that cou can't live it out?
What is that thing that you need to prepare for?"

Comments

The garden is a dark and scarey place to be at night. There are all sorts of voices condemning and threatening. And I can't see my Jerusalem through the fog. Will Jesus stomp on the snake's head for me, or will I have to do the stomping myself. But I think Dawn is coming...