When I was in high school I got into a fight with another kid. I remember the details to this day. After I had hit him in the head a couple of times I knew the kid could not see anymore but he kept coming at me.
I remember it not because of the violence so much as for what my teacher, Mr. Dean, did during the fight. He wrapped his arm around my chest leaving my left hand free. I remember leaning back into his chest waiting should I have to fight some more.
I was reminded of that a few days ago because that seems like where I am at currently in my walk with God. I am leaning back into His chest. I have a hand free to fight if I need to but I am increasingly aware that I don't have to anymore. That is a nice thought for me and one that I hold onto.
I have been praying for some time now that not my will but God's be done in my life, in my marriage, and in my ministry as already haven been established in heaven.
How many people know it is one thing to pray something along those lines but it is a different story to walk it out?
Here is where I rest on the chest of Jesus, I have confidence that when all hell is breaking loose, when that job offer does not materialize, when Shel has put in her 50th hour of work and it is just Thursday I can rest and listen to the hearbeat of Jesus.
How is this possible? Simple I stand on the Word of God. All things work together for good who love God and to those who are called according to His purpose. (Rom 8:28) We know that we are called here in this time of our lives.
Intimacy. If Jesus continually went away to the mountain to pray and spend time with the Father shouldn't that be where my heart is?
This was a tough one for me because for the longest time I did this out of spirituality and or a spirit of religion. After prayer and fasting my priorities have changed drastically and I love being in the presence of the Father because that is where true ministry is derived.
Lastly when facing circumstances of the day or week I sometimes lose focus and I become concern with how I am to operate corporately in the Body and during those times of silence from those in authority over me or those times I discern that something is not right I have to go back to Jeremiah 29:11 and realize that God knows the plans for me. I have to understand that it does not matter what those in authority over me do or do not do they cannot stop the plan of God for my life.
When I realize this it leads back to intimacy. Time spent in the Father's presence is time well spent.
So when everything is coming against me I understand the prayers of a righteousness availeth much (James 5:16)
And while I am walking this out you know what I have found? When I am resting against the chest of Jesus, I don't hear nor fear the enemy.
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Monday, October 4, 2010
What's in you?
Over the past few weeks our pastor has spoke at length about what is on the inside of us. Much like the Gatorade commercials where the athletes sweat comes out the color of the Gatorade that they have consumed we have the same thing that is going on. Daniel asked the hard question - how much of the world is in you? Difficult question if answered truthfully.
Along those same lines Rick uses a similar analogy of the sponge. If a sponge is dipped in clear clean water then when it is squeezed the water will be clean whereas if a sponge is dipped in Kool-Aid then the sponge, when squeezed, will be the color of the drink.
So what IS on the inside of you?
This one is difficult because it is a mature question. For a young believer there is a chance for a ton of condemnation to come in when a message like this is taught. Maybe there is a tendency for that person to "force" themselves to study and pray even though that is not what God is calling them to. They may well be in a phase of their lives that they need to be taking it slow.
As for me I kind of took it on the chin when I hear this message. There are some things that I enjoy. Those that know me know that I really enjoy my college football and don't mind to attend some games or maybe buy some Hokie gear.
The thing that I have to be careful of when Saturday's rolling around is what is God doing? Seriously. I have to understand what His plans are before I get started on Saturday's. If not I can see my marriage go haywire, condemnation can and will jump on me, or I might even get depressed.
So how do I handle/balance whether I am striving toward the goal of knowing Jesus and Him crucified? Several things play into this.
1) There are two things I cannot sacrifice (regardless of who Va Tech is playing) and that is my quiet time with Jesus and my wife. Sometimes these two go hand in hand other times no so much. I need to seek the heart of Jesus daily. It helps me to be the priest and prophet of my home. It also helps my wife, just ask her.
2) The fail safe in all of this is my heart. This helps with the condemnation.
Psalms 44:12
...For He knows the secrets of the heart.
and don't bother faking the funk
Psalms 94:11
The Lord knows the thoughts of man, That they are a mere breath
if I can guard my heart and not allow my identity be in the things that I am doing in this world then I am in a safe place.
for example
taking pride in the fact that I have tickets when thousands of other people would love to be there
thinking more highly of myself then I ought to
Romans 12:3
For through the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have a sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith
To bring it all back together and close up we are the King's kids. I am firmly convinced that we are not put here on earth to lead solitary dour lives. HOWEVER we must keep Jesus first in our lives even over our families. It really is that simple. My identity cannot be that I am a Hokie my identity is I am my Father's son who enjoys Va Tech sports.
The toughest part of the lesson I had to learn and walk through was giving it all back to the Father and letting Him restore a healthy appreciation for those worldly things in my life. When He asked for a television fast right in the middle of college football season I about lost my mind. Yet what I learned through that and what God was able to do was remove the worldly influence of my likes and restore a pureness to them.
I am still walking that out but I have gotten to the point now where most of the time my entire Saturday's aren't consumed by football and I can go shopping with my wife and not get into a fight because I am missing the "game". God had to do that work in my life and I had to be willing to go along with Him. And you know something? Those worldly things never advanced my life or the Kingdom anyway.
So what is in you? Do you have the desire to get rid of it and turn it over to God or do you want to hang onto it? If you get rid of it just know there is a ton of mercy and grace for ya.
See a banana split is the perfect dessert for me. Been eating them my whole life and could never imagine them getting any better. Then one day someone puts walnuts on my split and all of a sudden that thing that I loved has been improved and now I really love them.
Same thing with giving your passions and desires over to God. When my Father restores he does so with a gentleness and with love and the next thing you know that thing that could never get any better - well suddenly it is.
Along those same lines Rick uses a similar analogy of the sponge. If a sponge is dipped in clear clean water then when it is squeezed the water will be clean whereas if a sponge is dipped in Kool-Aid then the sponge, when squeezed, will be the color of the drink.
So what IS on the inside of you?
This one is difficult because it is a mature question. For a young believer there is a chance for a ton of condemnation to come in when a message like this is taught. Maybe there is a tendency for that person to "force" themselves to study and pray even though that is not what God is calling them to. They may well be in a phase of their lives that they need to be taking it slow.
As for me I kind of took it on the chin when I hear this message. There are some things that I enjoy. Those that know me know that I really enjoy my college football and don't mind to attend some games or maybe buy some Hokie gear.
The thing that I have to be careful of when Saturday's rolling around is what is God doing? Seriously. I have to understand what His plans are before I get started on Saturday's. If not I can see my marriage go haywire, condemnation can and will jump on me, or I might even get depressed.
So how do I handle/balance whether I am striving toward the goal of knowing Jesus and Him crucified? Several things play into this.
1) There are two things I cannot sacrifice (regardless of who Va Tech is playing) and that is my quiet time with Jesus and my wife. Sometimes these two go hand in hand other times no so much. I need to seek the heart of Jesus daily. It helps me to be the priest and prophet of my home. It also helps my wife, just ask her.
2) The fail safe in all of this is my heart. This helps with the condemnation.
Psalms 44:12
...For He knows the secrets of the heart.
and don't bother faking the funk
Psalms 94:11
The Lord knows the thoughts of man, That they are a mere breath
if I can guard my heart and not allow my identity be in the things that I am doing in this world then I am in a safe place.
for example
taking pride in the fact that I have tickets when thousands of other people would love to be there
thinking more highly of myself then I ought to
Romans 12:3
For through the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have a sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith
To bring it all back together and close up we are the King's kids. I am firmly convinced that we are not put here on earth to lead solitary dour lives. HOWEVER we must keep Jesus first in our lives even over our families. It really is that simple. My identity cannot be that I am a Hokie my identity is I am my Father's son who enjoys Va Tech sports.
The toughest part of the lesson I had to learn and walk through was giving it all back to the Father and letting Him restore a healthy appreciation for those worldly things in my life. When He asked for a television fast right in the middle of college football season I about lost my mind. Yet what I learned through that and what God was able to do was remove the worldly influence of my likes and restore a pureness to them.
I am still walking that out but I have gotten to the point now where most of the time my entire Saturday's aren't consumed by football and I can go shopping with my wife and not get into a fight because I am missing the "game". God had to do that work in my life and I had to be willing to go along with Him. And you know something? Those worldly things never advanced my life or the Kingdom anyway.
So what is in you? Do you have the desire to get rid of it and turn it over to God or do you want to hang onto it? If you get rid of it just know there is a ton of mercy and grace for ya.
See a banana split is the perfect dessert for me. Been eating them my whole life and could never imagine them getting any better. Then one day someone puts walnuts on my split and all of a sudden that thing that I loved has been improved and now I really love them.
Same thing with giving your passions and desires over to God. When my Father restores he does so with a gentleness and with love and the next thing you know that thing that could never get any better - well suddenly it is.
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