Just read this a few minutes ago; it really gave me solace because I beat myself up alot when I am not committed to God in my spiritual disciplines as much as I should be
"aren't you glad that God is more committed to us than we are to Him"
God, thank-you that are I can throw myself daily on your throne of grace and your commitment level to me isn't gauged on how committed I am to you
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Counterfeit
2 Timothy 3:5.........."having a form of Godliness, but denying the power of it in my life
There have been times in my life where I have gone through the motions of Christianity; sadly enough even times where I have preached the word not from the power of the spirit within but from the human wisdom found in the intellect of my mind. Paul reminds me that his life is not governed by persuasive, smooth words but by the power of the Holy Spirit. How many times have our lives or our churches just had forms of godliness but lacked the power of the Holy Spirit that comes from really engaging in God. The reason why our lives are not overwhelmed with the presence of God or our churches filled to overflowing is because we are practice a counterfeit presence of God. We try to conjur him up in our services, bribe him into our lives, or start programs to achieve temporary success. I am convinced that if I want to walk in the power of the Holy Spirit, I must daily make sure that I am not faking God in my life. I never want to be in a place in my life where I fake God's power or his presence. Also, I never want to be part of a body of believers (church) that fakes God's power or counterfeits his presence. The only way to truly see the power of God evident and alive in our lives and churches is to get back to holy-living and gut-wrenching, tear drenched prayer. Our churches are limping and on life-support because the church is made up of people and we are limping and on life-support. We think we are fulfilling our Christian duty by having 15 minute devotion and prayer times and showing up to church for an hour a week. That kind of lifestyle will never help you to live empowered, spirit led lives. We must engage our lives to make every part of our life bathed in the presence of God. My prayer: God, let the stench of the world on me be gone and bathe my days and nights with your presence and power. Everything I own, that I hold so close; it is rubbish, junk, nothing compared to knowing you and being found in you. I don't want to live one day without the leading of your Holy Spirit. I don't want to fake you or try to replace you with a counterfeit. It must be You!!! God if the woman with the issue of blood felt your power by just touching one hem of your garment, how much more is for me if I grab ahold of ALL you are.
There have been times in my life where I have gone through the motions of Christianity; sadly enough even times where I have preached the word not from the power of the spirit within but from the human wisdom found in the intellect of my mind. Paul reminds me that his life is not governed by persuasive, smooth words but by the power of the Holy Spirit. How many times have our lives or our churches just had forms of godliness but lacked the power of the Holy Spirit that comes from really engaging in God. The reason why our lives are not overwhelmed with the presence of God or our churches filled to overflowing is because we are practice a counterfeit presence of God. We try to conjur him up in our services, bribe him into our lives, or start programs to achieve temporary success. I am convinced that if I want to walk in the power of the Holy Spirit, I must daily make sure that I am not faking God in my life. I never want to be in a place in my life where I fake God's power or his presence. Also, I never want to be part of a body of believers (church) that fakes God's power or counterfeits his presence. The only way to truly see the power of God evident and alive in our lives and churches is to get back to holy-living and gut-wrenching, tear drenched prayer. Our churches are limping and on life-support because the church is made up of people and we are limping and on life-support. We think we are fulfilling our Christian duty by having 15 minute devotion and prayer times and showing up to church for an hour a week. That kind of lifestyle will never help you to live empowered, spirit led lives. We must engage our lives to make every part of our life bathed in the presence of God. My prayer: God, let the stench of the world on me be gone and bathe my days and nights with your presence and power. Everything I own, that I hold so close; it is rubbish, junk, nothing compared to knowing you and being found in you. I don't want to live one day without the leading of your Holy Spirit. I don't want to fake you or try to replace you with a counterfeit. It must be You!!! God if the woman with the issue of blood felt your power by just touching one hem of your garment, how much more is for me if I grab ahold of ALL you are.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Tired of Business as Usual
Got some personal revelation from God's spirit today in my time of prayer and study.
I am blind, naked, wretched, miserable and poor, and that how God loves me, because that is something he can work with. God wants to open my eyes to his beauty, clothe me with his righteousness, cause me to boast in Him, give me joy everlasting, and give me the riches of heaven. I am tired of business as usual in my life, my ministry and my church. I am not addicted to sin, but see that I am addicted to harmless,permissible things that are not sin but take up time in my life so much that my time with God beholding his beauty and seeking the deep things of his Spirit gets neglected. In a sense this behavior leaves me the same as a sinner, empty and dissatisfied. I want the Spirit of revelation in my life. I want to behold the beauty of Christ in my life to the point where my fascination is from Him and not the world.
Psalm 119:8- "Open my eyes, that I may see wondrous things from your law"
Psalm 119:37- Turn away my eyes from looking at worthless things, and revive me in Your way"
I am blind, naked, wretched, miserable and poor, and that how God loves me, because that is something he can work with. God wants to open my eyes to his beauty, clothe me with his righteousness, cause me to boast in Him, give me joy everlasting, and give me the riches of heaven. I am tired of business as usual in my life, my ministry and my church. I am not addicted to sin, but see that I am addicted to harmless,permissible things that are not sin but take up time in my life so much that my time with God beholding his beauty and seeking the deep things of his Spirit gets neglected. In a sense this behavior leaves me the same as a sinner, empty and dissatisfied. I want the Spirit of revelation in my life. I want to behold the beauty of Christ in my life to the point where my fascination is from Him and not the world.
Psalm 119:8- "Open my eyes, that I may see wondrous things from your law"
Psalm 119:37- Turn away my eyes from looking at worthless things, and revive me in Your way"
Monday, October 19, 2009
Engage
I've never been a huge reader or have the discipline or focus to read for more than a few minutes. I usually acquire creativity or fresh wisdom through videos, teaching on cds, or face to face meetings with people. This month I felt the urge or conviction to get into the written word. I am not talking about the Bible, because that is a discipline in my life already, but the written word from spirit filled, god-led authors. My favorite books this month are "Pursuit of the Holy" by Corel Russell, "The Next Level" by Scott Wilson and "The Seven Longings of the Human Heart" by Mike Bickle. Whether this is a good idea or not, I am reading all three of them at the same time. Right now in my life I am passionately drawn to the topic of intimacy with Christ and taking my relationship with him to another level. I have been so inspired by these authors. God's Word has always taken the lead in my life and always will be but there is something to be said about identifying with another person in this world as their written words resonate in your Spirit. As I read their words, I love the myriad of emotions; from tears to laughter. I find myself stopping in between paragraphs and sending up 30 second prayers to God in regards to what I just read. The power of the written word is so much more powerful than audio on a cd or images on a video. Even when I listen or watch a teaching or inspirtational story I find myself sometimes wandering off or becoming distracted, but when I sit down with a pen and highlighter and read a book, I take notes, highlight the highlights and I am fully engaged. I feel like the author and God are partnering together to share truths, wisdom nuggets, and lightbulb moments in my life. Believe it or not, someone is going what you are going through, thinking what you are thinking, or experiencing what you are experiencing, and the cool thing is, they probably wrote about it in a book somewhere. Engage today!!!
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Testing
2Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. 4Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything
I long to be mature, complete, and not lacking anything when it comes to my relationship with Christ. In James 1, it says in order to get to that place it is not through worship, reading God's word, or meeting with Christian believers. Although those are great things to be a part of, but at the beginning of that verse it says that trials and tests bring forth this kind of spiritual maturity or Godly character. I used to look at every problem, tragedy, setback or frustration that would come into my life as a thorn in my flesh or a huge hinderance or roadblock when it came to growing in Christ. Rather, it is the opposite, these tests and trials are usually authored by God and are initiated in my life to mature me, grow me, and teach me. Wisdom comes from reading the Word. Intimacy comes through worship and prayer. Spiritual maturity comes through testing. Though some problems in my life are caused by my rebellion or selfish/wrong choices, the majority of my problems are initiated by God to mature me in my spiritual walk. The Bible is full of men and women who went through many tests, some passed with flying colors, some failed miserably. I have found that God keeps on putting me through the same test until I pass it. It is kind of like school. You pass a test in 1st grade to graduate to second grade. Then the second grade test comes to graduate you to third grade. Every time you graduate through a test, sooner or later, another test (harder test) will come to get you to the next level. I don't know about you, but I don't want to be stuck in elementary grades taking tests. I don't want God to keep on holding me back in 3rd grade tests. (there is nothing worse than being in third grade with a beard and underarm hair). I want God to throw at me high school tests, then i want to run for my masters, my doctorate, and so on. You see, every test I pass means I am reaching a place spiritually where my mind, heart, and spirit are becoming truly one with God. When I am in this place, my thought life, my heart desires, and my passions become on a God level that is intense. Lord, help me to get up every day and be faithful, faithful, faithful. Then get up the next day and be faithful, faithful, faithful, then the next day, be faithful, faithful, faithful. Help me to understand that delayed answers, delayed dreams does not mean denial but it means that i am not through the test yet. God thank-you for my tests. I accept them, embrace them, and need them. I consider it pure joy when I go through these tests, because you are working in me something that at the end of the test will cause me to be closer to you.
I long to be mature, complete, and not lacking anything when it comes to my relationship with Christ. In James 1, it says in order to get to that place it is not through worship, reading God's word, or meeting with Christian believers. Although those are great things to be a part of, but at the beginning of that verse it says that trials and tests bring forth this kind of spiritual maturity or Godly character. I used to look at every problem, tragedy, setback or frustration that would come into my life as a thorn in my flesh or a huge hinderance or roadblock when it came to growing in Christ. Rather, it is the opposite, these tests and trials are usually authored by God and are initiated in my life to mature me, grow me, and teach me. Wisdom comes from reading the Word. Intimacy comes through worship and prayer. Spiritual maturity comes through testing. Though some problems in my life are caused by my rebellion or selfish/wrong choices, the majority of my problems are initiated by God to mature me in my spiritual walk. The Bible is full of men and women who went through many tests, some passed with flying colors, some failed miserably. I have found that God keeps on putting me through the same test until I pass it. It is kind of like school. You pass a test in 1st grade to graduate to second grade. Then the second grade test comes to graduate you to third grade. Every time you graduate through a test, sooner or later, another test (harder test) will come to get you to the next level. I don't know about you, but I don't want to be stuck in elementary grades taking tests. I don't want God to keep on holding me back in 3rd grade tests. (there is nothing worse than being in third grade with a beard and underarm hair). I want God to throw at me high school tests, then i want to run for my masters, my doctorate, and so on. You see, every test I pass means I am reaching a place spiritually where my mind, heart, and spirit are becoming truly one with God. When I am in this place, my thought life, my heart desires, and my passions become on a God level that is intense. Lord, help me to get up every day and be faithful, faithful, faithful. Then get up the next day and be faithful, faithful, faithful, then the next day, be faithful, faithful, faithful. Help me to understand that delayed answers, delayed dreams does not mean denial but it means that i am not through the test yet. God thank-you for my tests. I accept them, embrace them, and need them. I consider it pure joy when I go through these tests, because you are working in me something that at the end of the test will cause me to be closer to you.
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