Speaker 1: 0:01

Hi and welcome to our podcast Revelation Within On the Go. I'm Heidi Biles-Maepperson, one of your hosts and the owner and lead coach of the RevelationWithinorg ministry.

Speaker 2: 0:14

And I'm Christina Motley, your other host, also a Revelation Within coach and Heidi's partner in all things Revelation Within, and we're so happy to invite you to join us for this episode of Revelation Within on the go.

Speaker 1: 0:39

Oh well, welcome to our third and final episode in this series. Yes, the Real Thing, letting Go of Almosts and Living. F episode in this series yes, the real thing, letting go of almosts and living fully in Christ, love it. In this series we've been looking at the difference between just getting by, managing life and truly living, between that almost and abundance. Yes, today we're going to talk about how Jesus often brings freedom through something quite unexpected Disruption. Yeah, you can't relate to that, can you?

Speaker 2: 1:12

Christina Is something going on outside right now.

Speaker 1: 1:17

We tend to have this idea that peace comes through calm, the absence of people. But what if sometimes it starts with a holy interruption?

Speaker 2: 1:29

Sometimes life feels like it's just one interruption after the other, doesn't it? Yes, definitely, sometimes it's like where did that peace and calm go? I've lost it. I'm going to go ahead and open with a little bit of a prayer. Lord Jesus, we invite you right now into this space. We ask for ears to hear you and hearts soft enough to be disrupted in the best way. Lord, open our eyes to what you have for us today. Open our hearts and our minds in Jesus name, Amen.

Speaker 1: 2:05

Amen, thanks for that. Yeah, all right. Well, let's jump right on into scripture. This is a powerful moment. From scripture. Luke 19, verses one to 10, tells the story of Zacchaeus, and rather than reading all the verses, I'll highlight some and do some commentary, just so y'all know where we are. Zacchaeus was a wealthy tax collector, and it's so interesting to me. Tax collectors were such a big big thing in those days. They were hated and despised and they were rich, oh my goodness. But Zacchaeus was curious about Jesus and he probably didn't ever expect an actual face-to-face, one-on-one encounter with him. And then this happened, according to verse five in Luke 19,. When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up. Now, zacchaeus was in a tree watching.

Speaker 1: 3:02

And he said Jesus said Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.

Speaker 2: 3:09

What, what? That man in the tree?

Speaker 1: 3:14

Yeah Well, and the story goes that Zacchaeus was kind of a smaller in stature person who couldn't see what all the crowd was going on about. He knew Jesus was at the heart of it. So he climbed this tree and Jesus like zeroed in on him and said Zacchaeus, come on down, let's go to your house and partay.

Speaker 2: 3:38

I love it.

Speaker 1: 3:39

Jesus kind of basically interrupts Zacchaeus' hiding place. He didn't wait for an invitation, he just gave one. Jesus gave an invitation. Yes, I love that, love that, love that. So let's dive into this a little bit more. This word stay at your house today, and that's in the Greek, it's meno. The word Jesus uses here for I must stay at your house comes from this Greek word, which means to abide, remain, dwell continually. Wow, what, there it is again, oh my goodness. And it's actually the same word that we're pretty familiar with from John 15, when Jesus says abide in me and I will abide in you. I find this fascinating. I don't know. It's not a pop-in visit, it's not a quick hit and run. It's intended that it be a new way of life, a permanent shift, and it started with a divine disruption. You may think you're hiding up there in that tree, but guess what I'm coming to?

Speaker 2: 4:51

your house today, right Exactly. Oh, I love it. It's such a good story. And it's so fun to imagine it, you know, just happening, yeah. So, thinking about this and I'm thinking about this right now, as we're talking about it has Jesus ever interrupted your normal, even a?

Speaker 1: 5:11

broken normal? Well, and what is normal? But a setting on my dryer? I mean seriously.

Speaker 2: 5:17

Exactly. But you plan your day, you've got your calendar out, you've got your list. You're going to do work over here, we're going to have this. We've got to list. You know you're, you're going to do work over here, we're going to have this, we've got to run these errands, pick up, so-and-so.

Speaker 2: 5:30

We have kind of what we see as our normal life and then there's an interruption and you know it's like, oh no, well, what's well, what is this? What you know, and we can respond different ways. But what if Jesus actually interrupts our normal? What if that's from him? It might be a health scare, it might be a moment of conviction, a conversation that just wouldn't leave your heart, okay. So I remember a moment like this. I remember a moment like this. It was a few years ago, heidi.

Speaker 2: 6:12

You had this amazing dog who was with you for about a year. I remember when I first met Savvy her name was Savvy, like seven, because she was the seventh dog, not for you, heidi, but for the previous owner. Not for you, heidi, but for the previous owner, um, and because you and Michael were leaving to go to Catalina Island and you couldn't take animals with you, you gave Seve to us and we loved Seve and Seve loved us. There will never be another dog like Seve. Oh my gosh, she was amazing. She was so special, she was so sweet, she was so special, she was so sweet, she was so, um, just all about us. And that was during COVID. We really needed her. My youngest daughter was going through a tough, tough time and Seve slept with her on her bed every night. Anyway, there was this moment. So we're going along, we're going along, life is going along, we're working, we're doing our things.

Speaker 2: 7:07

And Seve got sick. And you know, she was one of our kind of rock solid like let's walk Seve, let's snuggle Seve, let's sit with Seve, you know. And so for her to get sick, especially, was just a really big deal. And we took her to the vet and found out that she had Lyme disease, which is just so crazy, because that's what I have, um, and so we're. We were both from California I was from Southern California where I was bit by my tick, and Seve in Northern California.

Speaker 2: 7:47

But it was this moment of total interruption, like wait a minute, where did this come from? This is like coming from left field. And what does it mean when a dog has Lyme disease? Well, it's different than people. It means that their kidneys are damaged when they have a flare up and there's no way to fix it, which means that her life will be shorter, and we weren't even sure if she would make it through this one, but she did.

Speaker 2: 8:18

We had her for three years, which feels really short right now, but, boy, we love those three years. We loved it. But that was an example of one of those interruptions where life just happens out of left field and it's like what is this about, lord? What are you doing through this? Sometimes we know, sometimes we see it, and other times we don't. What I do know is that Seve was an incredible gift to our family for those three years, and she was an incredible gift for you, heidi, for one year, oh yeah. And so we both had her for short times, but boy was she a blessing, and I have to admit, I loved having a Lyme buddy. I did.

Speaker 2: 9:06

You know there was a camaraderie there. I just appreciated. It felt like God was saying this is just for right now, for this season. What a blessing she was to us.

Speaker 1: 9:18

Yay, I know we're both crying.

Speaker 2: 9:24

I loved her. I can't wait to see her again, and we will. We'll see her again. That's that's what I believe. Yeah, so it was disruptive. It was not what we ever would have expected, or?

Speaker 1: 9:38

wanted, of course.

Speaker 2: 9:40

Right, but boy, she was such a gift to us, that precious, precious dog.

Speaker 1: 9:47

Yeah, you know what she was kind of like a ministering angel. I mean, really, covid for all of us was hard, but can you imagine being a teenager during that? Oh, the fact that she bonded so well with your daughter and it's like God, I could picture him planning it. He knew COVID was coming. He knew how hard COVID would be for your daughter and he's I'm going to give a little ministering angel to that family, both for Christina and her Lyme disease, yeah, and also that precious sweet daughter of yours who I love dearly. I'm so glad that Seve was able to be a part of her encouragement and comfort. So when she got that diagnosis, it's like life came to a screeching halt. What's this going to mean Exactly? Oh, my word.

Speaker 2: 10:40

And I know that we have all experienced things like that. Maybe you're experiencing something like that right now.

Speaker 1: 10:47

Well, how about you lead us in a breath prayer.

Speaker 2: 10:49

Yeah, so I've got this beautiful breath prayer to share and it's just so simple but wow, so, so healing, it's like like honey for our souls. I heard someone say that the other day and I'm, I'm using it now all the time it's like honey for my souls. I heard someone say that the other day and I'm, I'm using it now all the time it's like honey for my soul. Um, so we're going to inhale and say Jesus, disrupt what needs disrupting. And then we're going to exhale and say so, I can abide with you. And then we're going to inhale and say you are welcome here. And then we're going to inhale and say you are welcome here. And then we're going to exhale and say even if it changes every I'm not reading that, I am not praying that one.

Speaker 2: 11:37

No no, no what? Even if it changes everything? No, All right. Okay. So take a deep breath and say Jesus, disrupt what needs disrupting Jesus.

Speaker 1: 11:57

disrupt what needs disrupting.

Speaker 2: 12:01

Breathe out and say so, I can abide with you.

Speaker 1: 12:08

So I can abide with you.

Speaker 2: 12:11

We'll do that one one more time. Inhale, Jesus. Disrupt what needs disrupting. Exhale, so I can abide with you.

Speaker 1: 12:33

That's a good one. All right, now let's continue with breath praying. This time we're going to inhale deeply and say you are welcome here, inhale, you are welcome here and exhale, even if it changes everything. I hope it doesn't, though, lorna. Even if it changes everything, I hope it doesn't, though, lord, I can't do that one today, all right. Let's inhale again. You are welcome here, inhale.

Speaker 2: 13:15

You can do that you are welcome here. Even if it changes everything. Even if it changes everything.

Speaker 1: 13:24

One more time for good measure, inhale. You are welcome here, you are welcome here. Even if it changes everything, oh my goodness. So let's look at the rich young ruler in Mark, chapter 10, verses 17 to 22. And again, I won't read the whole entire passage, but you are welcome to refer to it. The rich young ruler asks Jesus what must I do to inherit eternal life? You know he's checked all the boxes. But Jesus sees deeper and says one thing you lack just one, just one.

Speaker 2: 14:09

Yeah.

Speaker 1: 14:10

Sell everything you have and give to the poor. Then come, follow me. And here's the heartbreaking part, of course, the scripture goes on to say in verse 22 at this, the man's face fell. He went away sad because he had great wealth. Jesus didn't scold him, though that's really a cool thing to notice, right? Yes, jesus loved him, but love sometimes disrupts us. It kind of puts it on the line for us.

Speaker 2: 14:47

It does. Well, I should maybe just say a little word about why I'm having such a hard time with this topic today. I'm having a little bit of a kind of a question mark health crisis going on, and I don't really know what's happening, and so I'm having some fear about that, and so it is hard to think about these things. Am I going to have a disruption that changes everything, or will it not be a big deal? I don't know. I'll know next week.

Speaker 2: 15:15

So just being real, just being honest, that's why I'm having a hard time with this, but I do want what God wants. I do want his holy interruptions. It's just hard, it's hard to surrender.

Speaker 1: 15:29

One of the good things you know in saying, even if it changes everything, we know that God's motivations for what he does are driven by his love. I mean everything.

Speaker 1: 15:42

The backdrop of it I've said this so many times is the cross of Christ, which was the ultimate expression of God's love for us. He sacrificed Jesus for us. So whatever he allows or whatever he does to disrupt our lives, even if it changes everything, it's with the intention of showing us that he loves us. It is total, complete love. It says in Romans 8 somewhere I don't know the exact verse. But he who gave up everything, including his son, how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?

Speaker 1: 16:20

And we know it doesn't mean all things like. You know a catalog of cars that I, you know, exotic cars buy this one, buy that one, or here, get a horse and get the special saddle for it.

Speaker 1: 16:32

No, no, no it's. He wants to graciously give us all we need for the life he's called us to Right. Yes, but nevertheless, this man went away sad. Yes, he did. Let's look at this word sad in the Greek, and it's. The word in Greek is stignazo, and it means to be shocked into gloom, not just disappointed, but he's deeply disturbed. I find it fascinating that it's like this shocked into that gloom. Yes, and it's only used one other time in the new Testament and it's describing the Pharisees reaction to Jesus's authority.

Speaker 1: 17:12

It's like Whoa, that's a bummer. Jesus has all authority and the Pharisees, who were stuck on having the control and having the power and the authority with the people, were shocked into this gloom over Jesus's authority. Hopefully, the thought of Jesus's authority doesn't shock us into gloom but gives us joy. I know it brings me a lot of peace when I'm in the right place in my head, but disruption can feel like grief when we're clinging to our almosts Almost that's for sure. Let's do a different episode today.

Speaker 2: 17:57

This is just like can we just do, lord I love? Let's just do gratitude. Yeah, well, going back to Zacchaeus, jesus didn't just disrupt Zacchaeus or the rich young ruler. He interrupted Martha's perfectionism. He stopped in his tracks when a bleeding woman reached for his robe. I mean going back to these stories in the word, it's like, wow, he stilled a storm, but not before letting it rage. And then what else? Well, he flipped temple tables, he changed travel plans on dusty roads. He blinded Saul so he could finally see. He disrupted ordinary lives and offered extraordinary transformation. That's what God does. He does it all over his word. It's recorded there for us to see. It's part of who he is, it's part of his way, it's part of his character, it is how he, it's like his MO.

Speaker 1: 19:05

So let's dive a little bit more deeply into a couple of these instances, like, for instance, with the woman with the issue of blood. In Luke 8, 43 to 48, jesus stopped everything I mean he stopped everything and said who touched me? And then he called her daughter, which is a validation and affirmation of his love for her, and he tells her to take heart. So the word that is translated take heart in this passage, or have courage is tharsay, and it's used by Jesus when he's giving her divine reassurance in the face of her fear. You got to love that. How many of us have experienced fear and to know that Jesus is putting upon us his reassurance. He knows everything and it's in the face of our fear. What was also going on with the woman with the issue of blood is it was a public disruption of her private shame and that set her free.

Speaker 2: 20:08

Yes, and then the story of calming the storm. In Mark, chapter four, verses 35 to 41, jesus leads the disciples right into a storm. I mean, that's what he does. He knows the storm is going to be there. He knows that. The disciples right into a storm. I mean that's what he does. He knows the storm is going to be there. He knows that the disciples are going to be actually really afraid and he's going to let the storm rage while he takes a nap, lord what? And then, after some time has passed and the disciples are freaking out and they're like Lord, lord. And then he calms it. I mean, why did he do that? Why did he do that?

Speaker 2: 20:53

As we kind of look at it more closely, we see that the storm wasn't the disruption. His calm was the disruption. They said who is this? Even the wind and waves obey him. If he had done this in a different order, if he had, you know, had this event happen in a different way, they wouldn't have seen who he really was. And that was the plan, that was the goal and he really brought his point home. He really did.

Speaker 1: 21:26

Yeah. So the other one is Mary and Martha. In Luke 10, verses 38 to 42. And this, of course, you know, jesus says, you know, martha is busy doing all kinds of preparations and Mary is just kind of sitting at Jesus's feet enthralled with his every word, and Martha complains to Jesus about it.

Speaker 1: 21:51

A real gutsy lady and he says Martha, martha, you were worried about many things. So this word worried is in the Greek. It's actually means to be pulled apart by anxiety. Whoa, that's intense Sometimes. Jesus is going to interrupt even our service done for him. So we'll return to his feet and be still and know.

Speaker 2: 22:20

Yeah, these are tough truths, Heidi. I mean they're good, god is good, but yeah, these are tough. So then we have the story of the temple tables from John, chapter 2, verses 13 through 17. So in this story, jesus actually flips tables. He's angry, he's angry, he's upset, he drives out the money changers and he calls out corruption. I mean, this was a loud disruption. This was kind of a big deal. I imagine what it was like to be there and see Jesus doing this. But it was loud, it was a disruption, but it was holy. He was restoring a sacred space.

Speaker 1: 23:09

I love that Really when we can look past the offense, kind of like the rich young ruler, we can look past the offense instead of walking away sad or in deep gloom going okay, he's restoring something that needs restoring. If we can kind of go along with that idea yes. So another instance where Jesus definitely disrupted the life of somebody is in.

Speaker 1: 23:38

Acts chapter nine verses one to 19. And this is where Saul, often known as Paul, was converted and was shown that. I mean well, jesus blinded Saul so that Saul could see, see more clearly what was going on, to see him. And sometimes the most loving thing Jesus can do is stop us dead in our tracks, and we need to stop if he stops us and and ask him what can I do differently? What do you need? Are you here, lord? What is it that you're doing?

Speaker 2: 24:15

Yeah, and in the moment it's hard to be open to something like that. It's easy to say it, but in the moment it's like okay, am I open? Is my heart soft enough to receive this? Am I listening? And it's hard, it's hard sometimes.

Speaker 1: 24:34

It is hard. Yeah, we're not pretending any of this is easy. No, we're not.

Speaker 2: 24:42

Okay, let's go ahead and do another breath prayer. We're going to inhale and say even disruption is mercy. We're going to exhale and say when it comes from you, um, so again breath prayer. You know, it's just breathing, with being able to say a truth, breathing in and out, and it helps us to get to that place of having a softened heart toward the Lord. It reminds us we're renewing our mind with truth and calming our bodies at the same time. So let's do that right now. Let's breathe in and say even disruption is mercy.

Speaker 2: 25:25

Breathe out when it comes from you. One more time, breathe in Even disruption is mercy.

Speaker 1: 25:45

Even disruption is mercy. Breathe out when it comes from you. It comes from you. Ask yourself maybe, where is Jesus disrupting you right now? And invite him to show you Lord, where is it that you are disrupting me right now? And then you can ask him also to show you what discomfort have I been resisting? Ooh, this is a good one for me right now, because I know that I've been resisting all you know some things he wants to do in my life. And then consider this could this be the beginning of transformation? Wow, yeah. And if you want to take it into a little bit of a journaling activity or a written activity, you can write out Jesus, you are disrupting and then fill in the blank there.

Speaker 2: 26:38

And.

Speaker 1: 26:38

I choose to trust you in it. I'm going to say that again. Jesus, you are disrupting blank and I choose to trust you in it.

Speaker 2: 26:52

Okay, so here are just a few simple ways, kind of something that you can grab a hold of and do this later today or later this weekend. The first one is light a candle and just kind of make space. Make space to have a little bit of quiet with the Lord. Let it represent welcoming Jesus into whatever it is that you're struggling with. So the second one is to name the disruption and then just say this truth out loud. This discomfort might be holy, just as a way to kind of open yourself up to the possibility that God might be using it to do some transformation in your life. That will be very beautiful. In the end, this discomfort might be holy.

Speaker 2: 27:40

Oh boy, and then the third one is ask for abiding. So talk to God, maybe in this way, have a conversation with him, say don't just visit Lord, stay with me here. And of course he does, and of course he is and he never leaves us. But sometimes just saying words like that are so helpful in our trust relationship with the Lord. Don't just visit Lord.

Speaker 1: 28:07

Stay with me here this episode is yeah, this one has been tough for me. And tough for you too. Oh well, and here we go. Jesus loves us way too much to leave us in our comfort zones, doesn't he?

Speaker 2: 28:26

Yes, he does seem to yeah comfort zone.

Speaker 1: 28:30

Are you kidding me? No, let's kick you to get out of it, kick you to get you, get out of it. He's kind of always calling us to go deeper, farther still, fuller and freer.

Speaker 2: 28:45

I just wish that I could do the fuller and freer and deeper without the more painful you know like you know, so many years my prayers were kind of always the same, were kind of always the same Lord, bring smooth sailing. Lord, bring a season of peace. Lord, fix this and end this trouble and figure out this problem. But maybe, maybe what we should be praying is you know, give us what we need, give us an open heart, a soft heart, eyes to see your thoughts, so that we can persevere through the difficult times and be transformed in the way that you will for us. I mean, that's a big shift in prayer types, yeah it is, that's challenging.

Speaker 2: 29:36

So I wanted to mention also that when you're ready to respond, we do have a place for that. Our private online community is a space where people are letting Jesus in every single day. We are doing this, we are practicing this, we are praying for each other, we are loving each other and we are pointing each other to Jesus. Disruptions and all.

Speaker 1: 30:00

Yeah.

Speaker 2: 30:01

You can try it free for a month at wwwrevelationwithinorg. Come and visit us. We would love to see you there.

Speaker 1: 30:12

Thanks for sharing that. And you know I gosh. Maybe what feels like disruption is really an invitation. I've got to wrap my brain around that a little bit again and again. Maybe he's already right there at our door, you know, knocking so gently and lovingly, wanting to be let in.

Speaker 2: 30:34

I'm going to go ahead and close this in prayer, because it does seem like we really need it, heidi and I, for this podcast. Lord Jesus, thank you for being bold enough to interrupt us. Thank you, lord, that you love us so much that you want to go deeper with us. Help us, lord, not to be afraid, not to run from it. Disrupt what you need to, and stay with us in the change, in the transformation. Our hope is in you, in Jesus name.

Speaker 1: 31:10

Amen, you know. Thank you, listener, for putting up with us today. Yeah, For walking with us. You know, let's trade managing for abiding. I know it'll be well, it's trading almost for abundance, which is the life that Jesus came for us we're going to trade control for Christ, and that's a good thing.

Speaker 2: 31:31

Yes, and we're so glad that you've been here today with us as we grappled with this difficult but so important topic, and we would love for you to join us at our next episode of revelation within bye, bye, see you next time.