Author: Christine Wyrtzen

THE YOKE OF THE INFANTS

 “Arise, cry out in the night; pour out your heart like water before the face of the Lord.  Lift up your hands toward Him for the lives of your young children”.  Lamentations 2:19

When God tells His child to do something, it is always layered with future implications.  God has been speaking to me about signing up to work in the infant nursery at our church. I was surprised, but when He confirmed it through a stray conversation I had with a woman who had just resigned from nursery duty, I knew I had heard correctly.

The call to work in the nursery might seem simple.  Years ago, I would have thought so.  Go to the nursery.  Volunteers are needed.  

I am also on a small intercessory team that meets during the service.  While in prayer, the Lord spoke to us about praying for the infants in the church, for the unholy yokes of the fathers to be broken.  “Ah, so that’s what this is about!” I said to the Lord.  “I will rock children and pray for their spiritual freedom.”

The spiritual needs of infants are invisible.  All look innocent.  Yet God’s call is clear to cry out for them.  If God is out to save children, we can be sure that Satan is out to harm and destroy them.  What is it we can pray:  

Lord, Break the unrighteous generational yokes.  Apply the influence of righteous family members.  I bless the children to hear Your voice and to respond to the call for adoption. Give them a heart to know You and to hate sin.  Cancel the enemy’s plan to harm them, even to snuff out their life prematurely.  I plead Your blood over them.  Anoint them with Your Holy Spirit and power!  Set your mighty angels in charge, all around, to guard their footsteps.  

The Spirit of the Lord aches for the unborn and for the newly born, the ones whose hearts can be freed to know and worship their Creator. 

“Didn’t our hearts burn within us as He walked with us?”  Luke 24:32 

On the day that Jesus’s tomb was found empty, two men were walking from Jerusalem to Emmaus.  They were both disciples of Jesus and were in deep discussion about the report they’d heard that Jesus was alive.  Incredulous, while simultaneously grieving, they wondered how it could possibly be true.  To hope seemed reckless.

At that moment, Jesus appeared and started to walk with them.  He challenged their unbelief about the resurrection and began to remind them of some Old Testament prophecies about the Messiah’s life, death, and rise to glory.  His words were dynamic but they didn’t yet recognize their walking companion. It was only as Jesus was about to leave that their spirits woke up somehow and they begged Him to stay longer.  As He broke bread with them, their eyes were opened and then He disappeared from their sight.  They looked at each other and said.  “We should have known.  Didn’t our hearts burn within us as He walked with us?”

It’s an awful feeling when you realize you missed something beautiful.  Someone life-altering.  I have failed to recognize more than a few God encounters throughout my life.  There were subtle fingerprints but, like the travelers to Emmaus, I only saw them after the fact.  I’m learning to wake up when my spirit starts to stir in the presence of Holy.   I’m alert when my heart begins to ache and burn.  I know now that this is one of the effects of Him stirring in my presence.

David speaks of these encounters best, I think.  “My heart grew hot within me, and as I meditated, the fire burned.”  Psalm 39:3.   Oh yes!  And then Jesus said of his cousin, John the Baptist, “John was a lamp that burned and gave light.”  John 5:35.   John had never been blind to his cousin’s identity.  He recognized that Jesus was in his vicinity even while in his mother’s womb.

Thirty years later, as He saw Jesus approach from afar, He quickly identified Him as the  Lamb of God.  Whenever Jesus was anywhere near him, I imagine every encounter a supernatural one.   His heart was not dulled to the one he was born to serve.

I want to fully wake up from all vestiges of a life-long religious stupor.

 Make me more like John.  Make the intangibles of Your presence more real than my tangible world today.  I’m awake and watching for You!  Amen

Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a tested stone, a costly cornerstone for the foundation, firmly placed. He who believes in it will not be disturbed.” Isaiah 28:16

Our family has known seasons of trauma. Because of that, all of us have wrestled with some personal theology. There were things I had to work through personally, truths about God’s character that I had to nail down. The pain had rattled these assurances from their foundations. It made me realize how many people, like me, have backed up from God during times of great distress. They have been unable to draw close to Him again. There has been a breach of trust ~ caused by the lies of the evil one who thrives on driving wedges between God and His children.

Several years ago, pour pastor began a series on the book of Nehemiah. He began by asking this question. “Where are there broken walls you feel burdened to rebuild? I remember spending time that week praying into that. It didn’t take long for me to discover the answer.

I want to re-build the broken walls by ~ defending the character of God to those in great distress, and I want to restore the breach caused by the bad theology, nurtured by the enemy when they were vulnerable.

Jude, Jesus’ half-brother, pleaded with God’s children. ‘Show mercy toward those who have doubts.’ Jude 1:22

How are you doing in the deepest places of hurt? How tenuous is your trust? I’m praying for you right now, where questions have chipped away at your assurances of God’s love and mercy.

Lord, bind our spirits together across the miles. Let faith live. And let our faith roar. Amen

“Nazareth!” exclaimed Nathanael. “Can anything good come from Nazareth?” “Come and see for yourself,” Philip replied.  John 1:46 NLT

No one has ever fallen in love with Jesus because of another person’s story of faith.  At best, it only intrigued them enough to seek Jesus for themselves. Philip must have understood that because he urged Nathaniel to ‘come and see’Jesus himself. 

When someone pursues Jesus today, will He still reveal Himself personally?  Yes.  Some moments will be so dramatic that they will be described as mountaintops; others will be personal and profound and become a Bethel experience. These encounters will not be limited to unbelievers seeking to be saved.  They will also be for followers of Jesus who suffer monotony, who try to live on yesterday’s manna but come up empty. 

He implores each of us to seek Him relentlessly. Right now. The rest of today. Upon waking tomorrow morning.  He promises that He will be found!  He does not play hide and seek.  His glory will surprise us again and again at unsuspecting times and in unsuspecting ways. An ordinary day will be turned upside down as the eternal penetrates the temporal.  As He fills our field of vision, earth’s trinkets will no longer impress us.  They will cease to satisfy what we’re really craving. Those around us may not see all that is really going on, that we are in the middle of a holy moment.  We will know, however, as we draw in our breath and take off our shoes.  Even in the afterglow, our spirit will be hushed and dazed by the memory of it.  We will continue to tremble as the divine love story replays in our spirit.  

We will also know the frustration of trying to capture it in words for those closest to us. Ultimately, we will end up joining the many others through the ages who urged others to come and see for themselves.  Not all drop everything to seek Jesus.  They are content to be entertained by our stories.  They settle for a kind of second-hand faith, sometimes authentic but often inauthentic.  Faith for them is usually a casual thing.  But for each whose heart is stirred to personally taste and see that Jesus is glorious, life is never the same.

Jesus, You have met me in places too deep for words.  The wonder of it never leaves me.  Amen

Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of these men who heard what John said and then followed Jesus. Andrew went to find his brother, Simon, and told him, “We have found the Messiah” (which means “Christ”). John 1:40-41

Life can be turned upside down by unexpected news, or by an encounter with a person, or because of an experience you had with God.  When you attempt to share it with others, the impact is often far less on them than it is for you.  If it’s your good news, it’s not the same good news to them.   If it’s your bad news, the ramifications aren’t felt as deeply by them.  There can be few things more frustrating than to share something which sets your heart on fire to only get back polite responses.

But there are exceptions!  Never in a million years did Andrew expect to meet the Messiah.  But he did.  The encounter was brief, but there was a deep impact.  It was like lightening.  Breathless, he ran to find Peter to share the news.  Peter got up immediately and traveled with Andrew to see Jesus for himself.  His life was also forever changed, and this became the brothers’ shared experience.

Perhaps this kind of fellowship should be the litmus test for where we worship and with whom we study the Word together. We should dwell with a lively congregation of worshippers. Spirit partners can be family members and that’s ideal!  For brothers, Simon and Andrew, life took them on a journey where they walked in Jesus’ footsteps.  First, they traveled together as disciples of the Savior.  Then, on different continents as ambassadors and, eventually, martyrs.   

Take me to those whose ears are open to the difference You have made in my life.  Let me dwell with those who share Your impact.  Amen

“Nazareth!” exclaimed Nathanael. “Can anything good come from Nazareth?” “Come and see for yourself,” Philip replied.  John 1:46 NLT

No one has ever fallen in love with Jesus through the intimate stories of someone else’s faith encounter.  At best, the story inspired them and then opened the door for them to seek Jesus for themselves. Philip knew that Nathaniel would only be convinced about the Messiah if he saw Him personally.  That’s why he urged him, “Come and see.”

Are such defining moments possible today for the one who asks Jesus to reveal Himself to them?  Yes. There are moments that become mountaintops; encounters that become a Bethel. These are not limited to unbelievers seeking to be saved.  They are also for believers who have settled for monotony, who are trying to live on yesterday’s manna. We are to seek, listen, and pursue God relentlessly.  The glory of Jesus will surprise us again and again at unsuspecting times. An ordinary day will be turned upside down as the eternal penetrates the temporal.  God’s glory will fill our field of vision and earth’s trinkets will no longer impress us nor satisfy what it is we’re really craving.

Those around us may not see what we see but we know it is a holy moment.  We’ll take our shoes off even as we remember it.  In the afterglow, we’ll live dazed by the memory and tremble in the distraction of it. We know it’s hard to capture it in words. That’s why we join the many other evangelists through the ages to say, “Come and see for yourself.” 

Lord, commune with us today in a place that doesn’t need words. Amen

John testified about him when he shouted to the crowds, “This is the one I was talking about when I said, ‘Someone is coming after me who is far greater than I am, for he existed long before me.’”  John 1:15

The birth of John the Baptist happened months before the birth of Jesus. Elizabeth was pregnant first and was well into her pregnancy when Mary conceived through the overshadowing of the Holy Spirit. And yet, John told the people that Jesus existed before he did. The only possible explanation is that John was not talking about conception dates or birth dates. Something far greater was being revealed, and I believe they could tell that his reference was to something otherworldly by the breathless tone in John’s voice. 

Now, I know what you may be thinking. Nowhere in these verses does it say that John was breathless. Yet, when I imagine how John delivered this news while trying to comprehend the eternal storyline of Jesus, it is impossible for me to believe that he could be nonchalant. 

The Gospel of John Movie and The Chosen series unveil this scene in the most stunning way possible. I’ve watched them hundreds of times, and each time I see John speak, I remember Jesus’ words that ‘John was a lamp, burning and shining.’ His ministry was so short, but his impact was massive. 

It begs me to ask myself whether or not I’ve ever talked about Jesus this passionately. Does my ministry reflect such urgency? It is a litmus test for my own soul, and I assess myself often to see if I feel the degree of intensity I witness in John. 

Lord, I don’t want my testimony ever to be casual. Turn me into a burning flame. Amen

He came into the very world he created, but the world didn’t recognize him.  John 1:10

The Treasure that Israel had been waiting for was born in the middle of the night.   He was the Savior of the mother who delivered Him, the Teacher of the man God chose to be the father in their household.  He was the Rabbi in a manger who would know more than every other Rabbi he would meet.  He was the stone that the builders would reject, the Bread of Life for which His people would have no appetite. He was rejected in every way.

In many ways, I just don’t understand.  From prophecy, Jewish people in Nazareth knew their Messiah would be born in Bethlehem. They knew He would be born of a virgin, and they knew Mary’s story.  Certainly, they had heard the stories of the shepherds who witnessed a glorious display in the heavens and the wise men who followed the brightest star for 400 miles with expensive gifts in tow.  They also knew from their people’s history that many of God’s chosen leaders came from obscurity.  God had anointed a shepherd fresh from the pastures to be their greatest king from thousands of years before.  Why, then, did the Messiah from Nazareth make them stumble?

For the same reasons, I stumble today.  More than any other generation, I know the history of Jesus.  I have more Bible teaching at my fingertips than any previous people group who has lived before me.  Despite all these resources, I struggle to believe the promises in front of my face.  I’m not hearing them secondhand.  I’m reading them for myself with full spiritual understanding. 

I need peace, but I often look elsewhere outside the Peace-giver.  I need composure, a moment to take a spiritual breath, but I often remain so worked up that anxiety overtakes me.  I need hope, but instead of raising my eyes to look into the face of the One who has planned my eternity, I’m spun up about the hopelessness of the times.  Oh, it need not be. 

Rabbi, teach me.  Put your hand on my head and bless me.  I am at Your feet.  Feed me from Your hand. Comfort me, hush me, like the Mother and Father I need.  You are exactly what I need, the One right here, right now.  Amen