"Rivers of Renewal"
"A Father Who promises
dynamite"
In
Nebraska there are years when, during the winter, explosive experts in
helicopters have to fly over the Missouri or Platte Rivers or other rivers to
drop down dynamite to blow up huge chunks of ice that threaten the flow of the
river. It requires this explosive power in order to restore a proper flow
of a river. In the bible there is a
remarkable shift that takes place from the Old to New Testaments concerning the
word, power. In the New Testament the word, power, is predominantly the Greek
word, dunamis. This word, dunamis,
is the root word from which our English word, dynamite, comes from. One might
say that the Holy Spirit is the ultimate "Explosives Expert". He knows how to
fill each of us with divine love power, the fire power needed to bring forth
the essential breakthroughs for intense, intercessory prayer. The Holy Spirit
is the power behind all effective intercession.
In
Acts 1:8 The resurrected Jesus tells his Apostles, "You will receive power when
the Holy Spirit comes upon you." Here,
the word used for power is dunamis (dynamite).
Again, in Luke 24:49 Jesus tells his Apostles: "And behold I am sending the
promise of my Father upon you ; but stay in the city until you are clothed with
power from on high." Again, the word, dunamis,
appears. Jesus promises to clothe everyone who believes in him with
"spiritual dynamite".
I
am reminded of the story of the Canaanite woman found in Mt. 15:21-28. She
approaches Jesus begging him to heal her daughter. Here is a woman with the
faith of a fighter. We might call her, "Canaanite dynamite". She stands
in the breach between Jesus and her demonically tormented daughter. We are
told, "she keeps calling out..." (verse 23). We all know that there are, at
times, difficult, intense intercessions that require sustained perseverance in
faith-filled prayer. The woman perseveres in her request, begging Jesus'
intervention until the breakthrough comes. In the end she prevails over his
heart. Jesus says to her, "O woman great is your faith! Let it be done for you
as you wish" (Mt. 15:28). Hers is a "dynamite faith". There are many "huge
chunks of ice" of deeply embedded sin and spiritual darkness in our Church,
nation and world today that require the "spiritual dynamite" of Holy
Spirit-empowered intercession in order for breakthroughs to come.
We
all need the Holy Spirit's empowerment in order to conquer our egos, to lay
down our lives, to forgive others, and to become effective agents of God's Holy
Love in the world. The Spirit is the Gift Who gives us a lift--a mighty,
spiritual lift to both live the life in the Spirit, and to intercede before the
"thick, black walls of Mordor" (see "The Lord of the Rings") of entrenched sin
and spiritual darkness that engulf our Church, nation and world today.
St.
Paul experienced this "spiritual dynamite" of the Holy Spirit. He lived it
after his conversion:
"Now to him who is able to accomplish
far more than all we ask or imagine, by the power ("dynamite") at work within us..." (Eph. 3:20)
The
Father wants to break though seemingly impossible barriers through communal
intercession--far beyond what we can even imagine. The scripture says in 1Cr.
2:9, "What eye has not seen, and ear has not heard, and what has not entered the
human heart, what God has prepared for those who love him." Is there
anything God can't do through the spiritual "TNT" of the Holy Spirit? :
"Strengthened with power ("dynamite") through his Spirit in the inner
self" (Eph. 3:16).
In Luke 24:29 quoted earlier in this
teaching Jesus says, "And behold I am sending the promise of my Father..."
Throughout the Old Testament one of the consistent themes is that of "the
promises of God". The Father is both the Supreme Promise Maker and Supreme
Promise Keeper. Whether it be the promises made to Noah, Abraham, Moses, David
and others--promises of a new beginning, promises of a "promised land",
promises of a royal heir, etc. the Father always remains true to His word. As The
Dictionary of Biblical Theology states on p. 465:
" To promise is
one of the key words of the language of love. To promise is to announce
and at the same time guarantee a gift, to pledge one's word, to
proclaim oneself as sure of the future and sure of oneself."
The Father promised us a Savior. He
gave His word. Literally, He gave His WORD, His Jesus, to the world: "And the
Word became flesh..." (John 1:14). The Father promises because He loves. He
promises to give us gifts from His Heart. He promises each of us the Gift of
the Spirit, and He promises not to ration the passion!: "He does not ration His
gift of the Spirit" (John 4:34). The Father is a generous Lover! He doesn't
penny pinch nor "nickel and dime" us. He desires to fill us with the abundance
of His love power, the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit will always be both the
Father's guarantee to us of a future of hope, and the fighting power we need
for the effective, intense communal intercession our times call for. We have a
Father who promises us "dynamite": "With you I can break through any barrier,
with my God I can scale any wall" (Psalm 18:29; Liturgy of the Hours,
vol. III, p. 747).
Scriptures: Luke 4:14; Luke
10:19; 2Cr. 4:7; Eph. 1:19;
Questions:
1)
Am I experiencing the "spiritual dynamite" of the Holy Spirit in
my prayer as a contemplative intercessor?
2)
Can I recall--or am I even now in the midst of--a particularly
intense burden of intercession that is requiring persevering, Holy Spirit-empowered faith?
3)
What promises have I heard the Father speak into my heart?
