The last few days I have been thinking, again. And tonight all I've been thinking and feeling has started to come together into one tangled blob of something....something that I don't know if I can express through words but I want to try. I cant promise it will make any sense, but here goes.
I do a lot of observing, and a lot of listening. And sometimes I get lucky and see or hear something that catches my attention. Well lately I have been seeing and hearing something that has been doing just that, but it has brought a lot of heaviness to my heart, partly because I see it in myself and partly because I have seen where it is going to lead us in 10 years.
When I look around I see so many of us young people wandering around, lost, not sure where we're going or what we should do. We can't figure out why we cant live victorious or why we don't have the joy of the LORD flowing though us. We feel aimless and lost and we don't know how to fix it. Our Bibles are gathering dust and our knees? Well lets just say kneeling in church on Sundays is a little awkward due to the lack of conditioning on those knee cap muscles.
We are trying so hard to not become legalistic and to still have a little fun in our lives. We don't want to appear as radicals for fear others would think us strange, or super-spiritual. We don't want to be odd balls because we might get put in the spot light. Oh and those things we love that aren't necessarily bad but they're not necessarily good.....I mean, the Bible doesn't say anything bad about it and I do seriously like it.....Well what if that is all that is keeping us from what we're seeking.
Oh I believe we're seeking. In fact I know we are. We long for more of Jesus, we long for that sweet relationship, we want communion with Jesus, victory over sin and joy in our hearts, but for some reason we don't get it, and yet we pray and ask GOD to send revival etc, etc.
Well I think I have the answer. Awhile ago I was reading in Ezekiel and something scary started striking my attention. I realized that he was dealing with idols in Isreael, and that GOD was using Ezekiel to proclaim His punishments on them. And I realized that we as youth [myself so included] have a lot of idols. We have so many things that we love more than GOD. Yes idols are anything that takes away from GOD. Whatever we don't want to willing lay down for the sake of the Cross of Christ is an idol.
GOD will not chose to continue dwelling in a vessel that keeps crowding him out. He wants hearts that yearn after him and seek him with all their heart, soul and mind. Not someone that loves him on the side. GOD wants our full attention, our complete love, and if he doesn't get it we will pay a price. We can not live with one foot walking on the path of righteousness and the other foot walking on the path of the world. We have to be one or the other. We have to be hot or cold. We CANNOT serve 2 masters. Either we will hate the one or love the other. And if we are lukewarm GOD WILL SPIT US OUT!
If we continue living our lives the way we have been we are in for a lot of heart ache and sorrow. Sure we need reviving, and revival etc. But more so we need deep relationships with Jesus Christ and that is not going to happen unless we smash down the idols in our lives and turn back to GOD. We must choose, one or the other. You cant walk the middle line.
I propose an assignment so to speak, for the next 40 days. If we want GOD to really come through we have to come through for him too. And the way to do that is to fast and pray. I am not saying abstain from actual food, but searching your heart for the idols/possible idols you have and fasting from them for 40 days. And instead of reading that book, watching that movie/game, buying that outfit etc.....spend that extra time focused on prayer and studying the Bible. That is the only way these bondages in our lives can be broken. It is the only way for us to gain that relationship with Jesus. It is the only way we can become the person we are meant to be. And I honestly believe GOD will come through for us.
This 40 day 'fast' will start September 1st and go until Oct. 3. If you are a young person who is searching but cant find the answers, then please do this with me. Please, let us become all GOD called us to be. Lets be willing to sacrifice our idols for a Holy Jesus that sacrificed his life, his family and friends and even GOD himself, for us. All for us. Lets rise up and be either IN or OUT. Lets stop trying to take the world with us to heaven because it will only cause us to detour towards hell.
Saturday, August 20, 2011
Monday, August 8, 2011
He Is Preparing Something....
The past week of my life has literally been one of the most life changing weeks I have ever encountered. So much so I don't even know how to express or explain it.
About a month ago I felt like I needed to start praying for my church and some weekend meetings that were coming up, and yet when I began to pray about it, it was like GOD told me to pray that He would meet me and fill me with His Spirit. All of the sudden I didn't even see my church as needing revival, I saw that I need the breath of GOD on my own heart and soul, and I realized in a greater way that I am the church (or a part of it), and that GOD has too work in me first. So I began to pray for GOD to fill me and nothing happened. I prayed all day long every day, often times crying as I begged GOD to fill me, yet nothing happened.Instead I became so week I could barely hold on. I was (am) so desperate for Him yet it seemed as though the more I begged Him to fill me the more of a failure I became in my walk with Him. Well the meetings came and guess what they were about? Your right, they were on being filled with the Holy Spirit and what the purpose of the Holy Spirit is. At this time I decided to go to a VBS in Lancaster and I knew that unless GOD filled me I would not be able to make a difference for Him because I would be filled with myself, and NOTHING HAPPENED. So I went empty and weary of begging. I knew that if GOD wanted to use me He would have to use me empty.
Well VBS was amazing, and did I get filled with the Holy Spirit? Well lets just say that my cup is full and I am begging GOD for that well, that stream and that river.
I am sharing all this to say that GOD is working. I see it. He is coming down and meeting us right where we are IN HIS TIME. I believe He did not give me all that I wanted because He sees so many areas in my life that need to be weeded out, and I know He sees areas in my life that will hinder the work of the Holy Spirit. But I know that He is perfecting and preparing me for something much bigger, as He is doing to each one of us. Never get frustrated with GOD because He isn't moving quite fast enough. Instead, open your heart to Him and expose all those ugly areas and allow Him to cleanse you from all the filthiness inside so that He can use you.
Our purpose on this earth is to bring GOD glory. That is what He created us for and yet we can't bring Him the glory He deserves unless we allow Him to purge us. Unless we are willing for Him to send those tough difficult times our way to refine our hearts and desires.
We must get on our knees and stay there, allowing GOD to put our hearts on trial.
If your heart was set before a judge, what would the verdict be?
About a month ago I felt like I needed to start praying for my church and some weekend meetings that were coming up, and yet when I began to pray about it, it was like GOD told me to pray that He would meet me and fill me with His Spirit. All of the sudden I didn't even see my church as needing revival, I saw that I need the breath of GOD on my own heart and soul, and I realized in a greater way that I am the church (or a part of it), and that GOD has too work in me first. So I began to pray for GOD to fill me and nothing happened. I prayed all day long every day, often times crying as I begged GOD to fill me, yet nothing happened.Instead I became so week I could barely hold on. I was (am) so desperate for Him yet it seemed as though the more I begged Him to fill me the more of a failure I became in my walk with Him. Well the meetings came and guess what they were about? Your right, they were on being filled with the Holy Spirit and what the purpose of the Holy Spirit is. At this time I decided to go to a VBS in Lancaster and I knew that unless GOD filled me I would not be able to make a difference for Him because I would be filled with myself, and NOTHING HAPPENED. So I went empty and weary of begging. I knew that if GOD wanted to use me He would have to use me empty.
Well VBS was amazing, and did I get filled with the Holy Spirit? Well lets just say that my cup is full and I am begging GOD for that well, that stream and that river.
I am sharing all this to say that GOD is working. I see it. He is coming down and meeting us right where we are IN HIS TIME. I believe He did not give me all that I wanted because He sees so many areas in my life that need to be weeded out, and I know He sees areas in my life that will hinder the work of the Holy Spirit. But I know that He is perfecting and preparing me for something much bigger, as He is doing to each one of us. Never get frustrated with GOD because He isn't moving quite fast enough. Instead, open your heart to Him and expose all those ugly areas and allow Him to cleanse you from all the filthiness inside so that He can use you.
Our purpose on this earth is to bring GOD glory. That is what He created us for and yet we can't bring Him the glory He deserves unless we allow Him to purge us. Unless we are willing for Him to send those tough difficult times our way to refine our hearts and desires.
We must get on our knees and stay there, allowing GOD to put our hearts on trial.
If your heart was set before a judge, what would the verdict be?
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