Pruning Shears & Living Space

Allowing God to expose and extract sin is one of the most difficult yet rewarding procedures of the Christian life. I have found that this process is especially painful when the sin is deeply rooted in selfishness, pride and entitlement. The hardest sin for God to pull from me is the sin that I wasn't even aware I had. God would take hold of the ugly weed, and I'd wallow in a mire of denial, pity and shock. A spiritual tug-of-war would commence, and I'd struggle with allowing the sharp (but quick) pruning of God's hand.

The most recent weed uprooting took place just a few weeks ago. A situation compressed with just the right elements brought to the forefront an incognito, tightly fastened and fully entitled sin of mine. This particular sin only shows up when the atmosphere is drenched with my supposed suffering and misfortune, and I find myself working in defense mode. Instead of claiming my rights and holding onto my justifications this time, God brought me to my knees with reality. No matter where the division of blame lie, I had to claim the sin that sat in my corner.

I wanted to focus on all the other ingredients of the mess, but God sifted through the bowl and handed me my portion of blame. BLAH! I yelled to God, Why must I be the only one to claim responsibility? Why must I be the only one to humble myself? Why must I be the only one committed to Your correction? (None of those statements are true, but that is exactly how I felt at the time).

Finally, I prayed for God to help me, and I took that weed out and laid it at the cross. Instantly, I was filled with the most amazing peace and satisfaction, and I felt righteous before the eyes of my Creator. God's healing and love covered me, and the presence of the Holy Spirit filled me even more. The entire process from the time I started feeling the pressure of God's hand to the actual removal of my entrenched sin only took a single evening, but it was a miserable journey that, thankfully, ended in a pool of grace.

I used to wonder what it meant to be filled and led by the Holy Spirit, but now I know. The Spirit of God dwells only in the parts of our hearts that have been surrendered to Him. The more sin that God is able to extract, the more places the Holy Spirit can fill. A person who is filled to the brim with the Holy Spirit is a person who has had a lot of sin pulled. When God exposes the dark parts of our hearts, He's trying to secure more living space for His Spirit. So now when I feel God's pruning shears coming, I can be ready with the knowledge that the painful procedure will be over soon, and the tender area will be generously soaked in God's healing peace and presence.

"Whoever heeds life-giving correction will be at home among the wise" (Proverbs 15.31 NIV).

Sifting Thor

Thor is arrogant, prideful and scorns authority. His adopted evil brother, Loki, causes mischief that exposes Thor's selfishness. Thor's immaturity forces his father, King Odin, to strip him of his power and leave him stranded on earth. King Odin wants to relinquish the kingship to Thor, but he knows that unless his son learns obedience and self-sacrifice, he will never be a good king.

The evil brother, Loki, reigns while the king recovers in "odinsleep." Loki lies, deceives, kills and creates chaos, while the exiled Thor comes to terms with his selfishness and learns how to serve and sacrifice for others. King Odin allows evil to dominate for a time, knowing that the evil will sift the impurities from his son. Once evil is subdued, Thor finally finds his footing on the righteous path to his destiny.

King Odin did not create the life of Loki, but he brought this evil son into his family. Why would he allow evil into his kingdom? Because the evil is what sifts the arrogance, pride and disobedience from Thor.

“Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift each of you like wheat. But I have pleaded in prayer for you, Simon, that your faith should not fail. So when you have repented and turned to me again, strengthen your brothers.”

"Peter said, 'Lord, I am ready to go to prison with you, and even to die with you.'”

"But Jesus said, 'Peter, let me tell you something. Before the rooster crows tomorrow morning, you will deny three times that you even know me.'”

- Luke 22.31-34 (NLT)

God allows evil to sift Peter. Peter is brave and strong, but hiding inside of him is his selfish will. He wants to expand the Kingdom of God, but he hasn't experienced a trial that exposes his deception. When his life is threatened, the deep rooted self-centered motives are revealed. Instead of dying for Christ, he goes into self-preservation mode by lying three times before the rooster crows.

Selfishness is the utlimate thorn is our side and the killer of God's power in our lives. By default we all struggle with the idol of self, but God allows the Enemy to reign for a time so our pride, arrogance and disobedience (all outcomes of selfishness) can be sifted. Death to self is the only way we can fully have the power of Christ, and it is the only way we will find freedom from the trappings of this world: worry, doubt, fear, lust, pride, etc. Once our sinful nature dies, we can walk victoriously in the abundance that Jesus promised us (John 10.10 NASB).

Even though evil is allowed to reign, God will have the final and complete victory. He has an amazing purpose for all His children, and He needs the sinful nature to be sifted from us. Life trials are not fun, but when we trust the hand of God, they can pull out our impurities and shape us into the image of Christ.

"We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love."

- Romans 5.3-5 (NLT)

* Obviously, I only believe in the One True God found in the Trinity: God, the Creator; Jesus, the Redeemer; and the Holy Spirit, the Counselor. However, I do use movies like Thor as culturally relevant analogies to illustrate spiritual truths.

Electricity and Predestination

"An electric field is created by a charged body in the space that surrounds it, and results in a force exerted on any other charges placed within the field. The electric field acts between two charges in a similar manner to the way that the gravitational field acts between two masses, and like it, extends towards infinity..." (Wikipedia).

God gave us life, and He gave us free-will. With our free-will we made choices of good (love, forgiveness, giving, etc.), but we also made choices of evil (hate, envy, selfishness, etc.). Our ungodly choices caused sin to enter the world, and God's perfect creation was corrupted. But along with free-will, God gave us Jesus Christ, thereby redeeming what He knew we would mess up. Free-will is our Keys to the Kingdom; we can use these Keys to add more corruption or more redemption to God's creation (Matthew 16.19).

The flow of the Holy Spirit is dependent on our movements. God has a purpose for our lives and He promises to be with us every inch of the way, but because of free-will, we have to make the first move. We take leaps of faith into God's divine plan, and the Holy Spirit guides our every step. The Holy Spirit cannot force God's children into submission, and that is why obedience to inspired promptings and trust in God's will are vital to living out God's best.

I believe God has His best in mind for all His children. I do not believe that God predestined a rare few to be called to His best. That concept goes directly against free-will and our ability to choose. If there wasn't free-will, there wouldn't be sin in this world and the negative aspects that come along with it (pain, sorrow and death). I do believe, though, that God is timeless and eternal. He is past, present and future; and He is not limited to our understanding of time and space. He knows everything, but even with this knowledge, He still has given us the Keys.

"For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified" (Romans 8.29-30 NIV).

I imagine that when God created life, His anointing went out like a Charged Body and extended into our world, the Electric Field, stopping at anyone who would receive it. He sent out a call for His children choose to be conformed to the image of His Son, Jesus Christ, God in the flesh. Automatically when God sent out this call, He could see the end result of those who accepted the call because He is not limited to time. Those people were the Charges, allowing themselves to be filled with the electricity of the Holy Spirit.

Because God "foreknew" who would accept His call, He was able to "predestine" them, but that doesn't change the fact that all of us still have the opportunity to accept the anointing. God wants all His children to conform to the image of Christ. The fact that He knows the end result, doesn't negate the free-will we have to respond. In the Bible God gave His children many chances through the prophets to repent and accept His amazing plan, even when He knew they would repeatedly reject those invitations.

God's anointing is like electricity, flowing throughout this world. He is all around us, and His call to be "predestined" for His greatness is every where. He wants the best for US ALL, but we need to use our free-will to accept His call. If we accept it, we will be like Chargers, lighting the darkness with His presence and glory -- predestined for His greatness.

"For the eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him" (2 Chronicles 16.9a NIV).

Righteous Hunger

Jesus told His disciples, "For I say to you, that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you shall not enter the kingdom heaven" (Matthew 5.20 NAS).

Jesus just started His ministry. He chose His disciples and began to heal the afflicted. He brought His disciples to the top of the mountain and told them that they needed to be more righteous than the Pharisees. I'm sure these fishermen were pretty overwhelmed. They just began their ministry with Jesus, and already He expected too much from these average men. How could they be more righteous than the religious leaders?

The disciples probably became more bewildered when later on in the Book of Matthew, Jesus told them to be on their guard against the Pharisees' influence (16.6) and when He called the religious leaders white-washed tombs (23.27). Jesus overlooked all kinds of sin with His grace, but the religious leaders were the main source of His righteous anger because of their hypocrisy (Matthew 23.1-8). Jesus went so far as to give the religious leaders Seven Woes (Matthew 23.13-37).

The highest level of righteousness was based on the Laws of Moses made on Mount Sinai. The laws were a standard for a Hebrew nation thousands of years ago in love with their God -- the laws were supposed to be an outward show of an inward heart. However, as time passed the rigorous laws became an outward show of self-righteousness, instead of God-righteousness. Soon the heart of God was replaced by hypocrisy and pretense, which left the masses confused and spiritually lost.

The understanding of righteousness becomes the primary internal conflict of the New Testament. The standard of righteousness was set by religious leaders, but Jesus made it clear that this standard was not His divine standard. The word righteousness that is found in Matthew 6.33 and Matthew 5.6 is the Greek word, dikaiosynē, which means "condition acceptable to God" or "a state approved of God." The religious leaders were deceived. Their righteousness was based on acceptance and approval of people, not God.

So how can we gain acceptance and approval from God?

"And be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith" (Philippians 3.9 NIV).

No matter how good we think we are, we will never gain right-standing with God on our own. We are covered with Jesus' righteousness when we accept His sacrifice by faith. Jesus is God in the flesh who freely took our sins on the cross over two thousand years ago, so we might have right-standing with God and live with Him for eternity. But our righteousness doesn't end there.

If all we had to do was gain Jesus' righteousness by faith, there will be no reason to stay on this earth. God not only wants to cover us with His righteousness; He wants to fill us with His righteousness. Once we are saved, God places His Spirit inside of us, in order to transform us into His likeness: "And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit" (2 Corinthians 3.18 NIV).

God allows us to stay in this broken world, so that we may become like Him. I believe that many Christians -- either out of fear or ignorance -- stay clear of spiritual transformation. They sit content in their wedding clothes but never bother to get to know their King (Parable of the Wedding Banquet: Matthew 22.1-14). I was once such a Christian. I allowed myself to be too busy, too distracted and too self-focused to get to know my Creator. He had to break me, so He could get my attention. And I'm glad He did.

Our righteousness starts out as a spiritual seed, but that seed should manifest itself into physical fruits. People should see a difference in us. They should notice that we have more "love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control" (Galatians 5.22-23 NLT). People should see us walking on Paths of Righteousness (Psalm 23). We should be gaining the Mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2.16) and be filled with the Power of the Holy Spirit (Acts 1.8). However, this transformation will not happen overnight nor without sacrifice (Philippians 3.8).

But how do we start this transformation journey?

We seek it: "But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well" (Matthew 6.33 NIV).

We hunger for it: "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled" (Matthew 5.6 NIV).

"We live in order that our souls may grow. The development of the soul is the purpose of our existence." - John G. Lake (Amazing man of God).

Face to Face

Moses is exhausted. He is the only person diligently seeking God in the entire, nomadic nation of Israel. He finally cries out to God, "I can't carry all these people by myself! The load is far too heavy! If this is how you intend to treat me, just go ahead and kill me. Do me a favor and spare me the misery!" (Numbers 11.14-15 NLT).

I smile when I read this because Moses' humility is so apparent. Many times pride steals our willingness to seek help. But not Moses -- he was overwhelmed, and he let it be known. He was the single intercessor between God and the Chosen People, and he knew he had reached the end of his capability.

God does something amazing for Moses that demonstrates His divine grace. He takes some of His Spirit that He has placed on Moses and puts it on 70 Elders of Israel. It is obvious that these leaders didn't receive this Spirit by their own efforts. Two of the men who hadn't bother to show up to the anointing meeting received the Spirit as well. They disobeyed direct orders, yet God gave them His Spirit.

Moses' apprentice, Joshua, is at the anointing meeting, and he has never seen anybody but Moses prophesy (speak God's will) in the Spirit. He becomes very upset, and he pleads with his teacher, "Moses, my master, make them stop!" Joshua has been learning from Moses for a while, and I'm sure he feels jilted. How could these men receive for free what he has been working for all of his life? Joshua experiences first hand the beauty of grace: a gift not based on the receiver, but on the Giver.

Moses' humility is displayed yet again when he looks at his young assistant and says, "Are you jealous for my sake? I wish all the Lord's people were prophets and that the Lord would put his Spirit upon them all!" (Numbers 11.29 NLT) (emphasis added)

Moses is a shadow of Jesus. Jesus is our intercessor, and God gives us His Spirit because of His love for us and the sacrifice that Jesus made for our mistakes. Jesus wants His sacrifice to spill God's anointing on every person. I'm sure Jesus repeats Moses' words, "I wish all the Lord's people were prophets and that the Lord would put his Spirit upon them all!"

A prophet is a person who hears from God, who sits with God, who sees God face to face and who communicates God's will. Yes, the gifting of prophecy can manifests in other ways, but the visions, dreams and riddles are merely outward signs of an inward discipline -- seeking God. All Christians are called to sit with God, seek His will and tell others about His glory. At salvation we were gifted with spiritual ears that hear God's voice. But are we using them?

Are we filling our lives with the world or with Him? If we want the fullness of God's Spirit moving in our lives, we have to make room for Him. If we want to discern His voice, we have to listen to and recognize it. If we want to tell the world about Christ, we have to seek Him every day and read His Word. We are honored with the power to communicate with God at any time. He waiting for us. We just need to sit and talk with Him -- face to face!

Question: What can you sacrifice or submit to this year to make room for God? What have you heard from God today?

And the Lord said to them, “Now listen to what I say:
“If there were prophets among you,
I, the Lord, would reveal myself in visions.
I would speak to them in dreams.
But not with my servant Moses.
Of all my house, he is the one I trust.
I speak to him face to face,
clearly, and not in riddles!
He sees the Lord as he is.
So why were you not afraid
to criticize my servant Moses?”

- Numbers 12.6-8 NLT (emphasis added)

Motive Contradictions

As I read the story of Balaam, I was intrigued because God seems to contradict Himself. Balak, king of Moab, is worried because a huge, homeless nation (Israel) is wandering in his kingdom's direction. Balak concludes that Israel wants to claim his land, so he sends Moabite officials to persuade the prophet Balaam to aid him. He wants Balaam to curse the already blessed Israel nation.

The king offers Balaam a lot of money to come to him, but at first God would not allow Balaam to go. The king then sends more officials and money, and God tells him that he can go: "That night God came to Balaam and told him, 'Since these men have come for you, get up and go with them. But do only what I tell you to do'" (Numbers 22.20 NLT).

The very next morning Balaam gets up to go with the men, but two verses later God (so it seems) contradicts Himself: "But God was angry that Balaam was going, so he sent the angel of the Lord to stand in the road to block his way" (Numbers 22.22a).

Balaam does not have his eyes set on God, but the poor donkey he's riding does. God sends the Angel of the Lord to confront Balaam. Three times the donkey stops before stepping into slicing distance of the angel's sword; and each time the donkey goes off course, Balaam beats it. Finally, God miraculously gives the donkey the ability to speak.

The donkey asks, "What have I done to you that deserves your beating me three times?" (28b).

What is Balaam's reply? "You have made me look like a fool!" (29). This is a good signifier that something is wrong with Balaam's motives.

God then opens Balaam's eyes, and he sees the Angel of the Lord. The Angel tells him, "Go with these men, but say only what I tell you to say" (35).

So in all, God tells Balaam to go with the officials twice and not to go with them twice. What is going on? It all comes down to motive. God sees sin before it manifests itself into the physical world. God wants Balaam to go with these men, but Balaam's heart isn't right. 1) He doesn't have his eyes on God. He is unable to sense the presence of the Lord even though his donkey does. 2) He worries about what others think more than what God thinks. He yells at his donkey for making him look like a fool in front of the officials. 3) He isn't planning on being obedient to God. The Angel of the Lord has to remind him to say only what God wants him to say. A reminder isn't necessary if Balaam is intending to be obedient.

What I learned from this story is this: We can't just be obedient to God in the physical world; we must also be obedient in the spiritual world. God dwells in the Spirit, and He sees the motives of our hearts. We can go to church, read our Bible and talk about spiritual things; but if our eyes are not on God, if our focus is on other people's opinions, and if our souls are not obedient to the daily movement of the Holy Spirit in our lives, we will not be able to move on the paths of righteousness He has set for us (Psalm 23.3 NASB).

I believe that God wants to pull out every root of selfish motive (especially the small ones), before we enter into a promised land that He has for us. Even though that root might not be visible to us now, it will grow and start affecting our lives in apparent ways. God has great plans for us, but He might be placing Himself in our way for a reason. He may be protecting us from our ugly motives we haven't even discovered.

The only way we can find out for sure if there is something wrong with our motives is to allow the Holy Spirit complete access to our souls -- mind (thinking), will (actions) and heart (feelings). As Christians, God's Spirit is in us, and He will bring to light any darkness He finds, exposing all our pretty, sugar-coated intentions.

We will not claim victory unless God fights for us; however, He will not fight for us if our motives are not pure. How do we know when our motives are pure? King Nebuchadnezzar said it best after he lost his throne and spent 7 years living like an animal in the wilderness.

His dominion is an eternal dominion;
his kingdom endures from generation to generation.
All the peoples of the earth
are regarded as nothing.
He does as he pleases
with the powers of heaven
and the peoples of the earth.
No one can hold back his hand
or say to him: “What have you done?”

- Daniel 4.34b-35

Once King Nebuchadnezzar understood the magnitude of God, his kingdom was restored. Our little lives are nothing compared to God. God is what makes our lives worthy, and He can do what He pleases. The mere fact that we have the choice to be obedient to His will is an honor. I pray that I can understand the expanse of who God is. If I truly knew Him, my motive would always be to glorify Him.

* Another example of motive contradiction is when the people of Israel were too afraid to occupy their Promise Land, even though God promised to be with them (Numbers 13 & 14). After they disobeyed God, they felt guilty about not going. A group decided to finally fight for their land, but it was too late. God did not go with them because their motives were wrong, and the people that went to fight were slaughtered. Their physical actions seemed right, but their motives were not pure. God had the nation of Israel wait 40 years before He reopened the path to the Promise Land, so that the selfish motives of that generation could die off (Deuteronomy 1.26-46).

Moving Mountains

“Truly I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them'" (Mark 11.23 NIV).

Like any great writer or orator, Jesus chose His words carefully. He paints an awesome picture of faith in the above promise, but I think we miss so much when we don't explore why Jesus would choose the metaphor "mountain." If a mountain were to fall into the sea, it would be a natural disaster of monstrous proportions, destroying everything in its wake. Since I don't think that Jesus really wanted Christians calling mountains into the sea, I have to believe that He chose this word for a specific reason. As we dig for understanding in His Word, so much treasure comes up that it's hard to take it all in.

The symbol of a mountain is used many times in the Old and New Testament. God's glory appears on the mountain and people experience supernatural phenomena; but I've noticed that most of the time, the people have to climb up the mountain to be a part of what God is doing.

Abraham climbed a mountain to sacrifice Isaac (Genesis 22.2). Moses saw a burning bush (Exodus 3.1), received God's laws (Exodus 24.12), and saw God Himself (Exodus 33.21-22) on a mountain. Elijah heard the voice of God on a mountain (1 Kings 19). Isaiah and Micah both promise that the Lord's Temple will be established on a mountain and God's people will make their way to it (Isaiah 2 1-5) (Micah 4.1-5). Jesus led Peter, James and John up a mountain and transfigured (Matthew 17.1-11).

So many times we want God to move our mountain, but from reading Scripture, I think God wants us to climb it first. I quickly researched the process of climbing a mountain, and it is not easy. Mount Everest is the highest mountain in the world. In order to ascend it, you must sacrifice a lot of money and time, find guides who are knowledgeable and go through a strenuous and lengthy acclimation process.

Mount Everest is 8,848 meters above sea level, and anything above 8,000 meters is called the "death zone," because one cannot survive for more than two or three days in it. Complete oxygen saturation in the body is impossible, even when taking three times as many breaths. Most people bring portable oxygen to ease the stress on the body. The wind, weather, freezing temperature and slick ice all add to the implausibility of reaching the top.

When climbers start out, they must move slowly so that their bodies can assimilate to the ascension. At sea level our bodies have 98% - 99% oxygen saturation. At the base camp of Mount Everest (5,380 meters) the oxygen saturation is already at around 85% and there is still a mountain left to climb! In order to acclimate to the altitude, climbers will "climb high, sleep low." I find this interesting because it sounds like wasted time, but the climbers push their bodies during the day and retreat to lower altitudes during the night to help their bodies get used to the height.

When we imagine mountains in our spiritual lives, we think of Exodus 15.17: "You will bring them in and plant them on the mountain of your inheritance—the place, LORD, you made for your dwelling, the sanctuary, Lord, your hands established." God plants our inheritance or His promises on the mountaintops. Often times we beg God to fulfill His promises to us; yet if He did, we would surely die. We will NEVER get acclimated to His anointing for our lives if we don't climb up the mountain--the climb is what prepares us for the summit!

Many people wonder why God would put His promises on mountaintops if mountains are so difficult to climb. Why wouldn't He make it easier on us and simply lay our promises at our feet? The one human condition that robs us of serving God is serving self. If the promises were strewn at our feet, we would stay in our self-idolatry state. Instead, God plants His promises on His mountain at His feet (Psalm 132.7-8), so we can have an encounter with Him. This earth, our souls and life in general were created to know Him; because in forming a personal relationship with our Creator, we find our purpose, our joy and our true love.

How beautiful on the mountains
are the feet of those who bring good news,
who proclaim peace,
who bring good tidings,
who proclaim salvation,
who say to Zion,
“Your God reigns!”

- Isaiah 52.7 NIV

When we finally reach the mountaintop, our own feet become beautiful because we have finally discovered the meaning of our existence. We are to proclaim God's peace and salvation to the world. We are to use His promises for our lives to tell the world about Christ--any other reason would be idolatrous. We are to yell from the mountaintops that God created us because of His glory, Jesus sacrificed Himself for our sins so we can commune with a perfect God, and the Holy Spirit lives in each of us, guiding us through the mountains and valleys of our lives.

The climb to the top changes us. We sacrifice all we have and are then filled with God's glory because now our emptied selves have room for Him. And when we finally make it to the pinnacle, our faith causes the mountain to fall into the sea! Jesus gives us a beautiful promise: the highest point of that mountain -- a place where we can't survive on our own -- supernaturally becomes sea level. We can now function at 99% oxygen saturation on a mountaintop that we could never have survived before we started our journey up.

But don't get too comfortable on that sea-level mountain for long. God will place another mountain in your horizon. Don't worry, though, I'm sure He'll let you rest before He expects you to gather your climbing gear. And just remember, "climb high, sleep low." God will give you rest on the mountain, and He'll never push you beyond what you are capable of doing.

The climb may take years, but Jesus never mentioned a timetable when He promised the mountain would be moved. Take a good look at the mountaintop before you start your ascension; you won't be able to see it until you make it to the "death zone," and God supernaturally throws the summit into sea level for you. You'll have to press forward by faith, knowing that God gave you a vision of the mountaintop and planted your inheritance at His feet.

* Mountain research from Team Everest 03 and Wikepedia.

Locusts and Honey

I used to have trouble hearing from the Holy Spirit; and from talking with other Christians, this is a common concern. Although the Holy Spirit doesn't answer all my questions and I don't understand many of my steps of obedience, I am now able to discern His voice more clearly.

I'm impressed by many figures in the Bible who receive revelation from God. They didn't question whether or not they heard from Him; they stood firmly on His direction in their life. Job, Abraham, Gideon, Joseph, Moses, David and Paul all heard clearly from God and tried to follow His leading.

I know that sin can clog our ears from hearing the Holy Spirit, but I think there is another phenomena plaguing Christians today, preventing them from hearing God's voice. We are bombarded with the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. We have so much information streaming into our minds that we can't hear above the noise.

I believe that we could consume more information in one day than people from history's past could consume in one year.

While David spent his days watching sheep and cultivating his relationship with God as a youth, our children spend their days devouring video games, magazines, Internet sites, television shows, books, movies, music, texts and the influences of dozens of people in a single day. I don't believe any one of these things is wrong, but too much exposure to information is causing our brains to become overweight and our spirits to starve.

I started hearing from God when I turned off the TV, threw away the magazines, walked away from the computer, monitored my music, became picky about movies, guarded my choice of books and protected myself from the influences of others. I stopped the flow of the information dump into my life, and finally the voice of God sounded from the mountaintops!

I thought, "There You are, God!"

God told me, "I was always here!"

Now before I decide to consume information, I tell myself this statement: "Eat the locusts and God will give you honey."

Entomophagy means to eat insects as food, which includes both locusts and honey. John the Baptist ate locusts and honey when he lived in the wilderness and preached God's Word. Locusts are continually found in the Bible, usually seen as pests devouring crops (Exodus 10.14). Obviously, there were a lot of locusts, and John didn't need money to buy them. Even though John was the only son of a Levite mother and father and had the ability to consume the choicest meats given as sacrifice, he settled for the bug.

However, John also ate honey. Honey is also found in the Bible and is used in reference to the abundance of the Promise Land (Deuteronomy 26:15), to cheer people up (1 Samuel 14:29), in celebration (Song of Solomon 5.1) and to describe God's Word (Ezekiel 3.2 & Psalm 19.10). I find it interesting that John topped off his day of bug munching with an amazing batch of wild honey!

I thought, "If honey represents God's Word, I want some more!"

God said, "Then start eating locusts, and you'll have more room for my honey!"

What I've discovered is that whenever I choose to avoid the delicacies of the world, God blesses me with His honey. Every time I sacrifice my cravings for what the world serves up, God is able to feed me with His glory. I'm learning to cater my appetite to spiritual things because I know that my life on this earth is short, and I don't want to be on my deathbed with stomach full of the world. I want more of God in my life.

I choose to eat locusts, so God can bless me with more honey.

"Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is on earthly things" (Philippians 3.19 NIV).



Here's a fun article written in 1875 published in The New York Times about John the Baptist: "Locust-Eating."

Internet Cafe: Stretching

As I build my physical strength, I’ve noticed that I hurt more. I’ll do something seemingly easy, and I’ll sprain, twist or pull something. My back begins to hurt, and I wonder why building muscle is not preventing these aches and pains.

I finally figured out that I’m not flexible. The strength training I’m doing is great, but it needs to be accompanied with stretching all the tendons and ligaments that connect my muscles and bones. If one area of my body becomes stronger, the weakness in other areas become painfully obvious….literally.

So I’ve begun to stretch. I stretch while watching the kids play, before or after my time with God, even during a family movie night. Finally, I’ve noticed a difference in my performance. I don’t hurt as much, and my aches and pains have lessened because my body is better able to withstand the stress.

I have noticed this same connection in my spiritual life. Many times Christians work hard at building our strength as Christians; yet we get hurt easily. Someone says something or does something, and we immediately take offense. Something happens in our life and we get offended at God. We become strong Christians who are weak with mercy, grace and loyalty.

Christians can be spiritual-powerhouses all they want; but if they’re groveling over all the offenses they receive, they’ll never fulfill their destiny to the fullest. We gain our greatest range of movement when we are flexible. God wants our influence to be mighty in His Kingdom, so He’ll stretch us so He can use us in amazing and wide-ranging ways.

I don’t know about you, but I’m tired of being offended. I want to shine glory on God’s throne, so I’m determined to allow God to stretch me until it is uncomfortable — even a bit painful. But I know that when He is done, I’ll won’t find myself hurting all of the time. I trust God’s hand in my life, and I will lean on Him instead of clinging onto hurt.

Have you encountered an offense lately? Did you not offer mercy and grace only to feel bad about it later? How has God been stretching you?

“He who covers over an offense promotes love, but whoever repeats the matter separates close friends” (Proverbs 17.9 NIV).

You can also find this devotional over at Internet Cafe!

Serving in Leadership

Solomon's son, King Rehoboam, lost half his kingdom (ministry) because he had no idea of the true meaning of leadership. He was at a crossroads, and he chose the wrong direction. His friends defined leadership as punishing people and forcing them to do his will. Yet, the city elders knew the true core of leadership: "They said, 'If you will be a servant to this people, be considerate of their needs and respond with compassion, work things out with them, they'll end up doing anything for you'" (2 Chronicles 10.7 MSG).

Ministries are designed to provide for needs. As leaders, we are called to serve those around us. However, I think many of us get it wrong. Sometimes we serve to receive, we serve to grow our desires, we serve to be good enough, we serve to show others our works or we serve without the anointing of God. And we forget that serving becomes white-washed unless we are doing it out of a pure heart to do God's will. God wants to cultivate a desire in us to serve the needs of others; however, this desire does not come easily.

Our walk of service starts with those closest to us: spouses, children, siblings, parents and friends. We do not serve because we have to; we serve because that is our calling. We place our family's and friend's needs above our own, and work diligently to be Christ-like figures in their lives. Our family is our primary ministry, and we should be serving them first. They know everything about us, and they are the main witnesses to God's transforming power in our lives. I've come to the conclusion that if I am not fulfilling my husband's or children's needs, I have absolutely no right to be in ministry.

Once we find joy and purpose in serving our family, God will lead us to a small circle of people that He wants us to pour into and serve. This is not glamorous, and some people want to ignore it. But this is an important part of our own transformation. While we serve these hand-chosen people, God is able to do a good work within us. The fruits of our labor may not be obvious, because the fruits are produced within us, building and strengthening our character and faith. Once God trusts us with leading our small group, He will begin to open doors for greater influence.

By now we are serving our families and others on a small scale, but our capacity (territory) is growing. God broadens our reach of influence now that we have strength to do more. However, this broadening may not look how we want it to look. We might be called to reach individuals, small groups or the masses; and they each have equal impact. The world's standard of success is different than God's, and we need to remember that He grows our ministries into the shape He has for it. We probably won't know the extent of our influence for God's kingdom until He shows us in heaven.

The critical aspect about having influence is that when we stumble, many people are affected. That is why during this entire process of learning leadership, God has been teaching us to rely solely on Him and to obediently serve Him. There is much Scripture on the accountability of leaders, and they shed light to the awesome responsibility of leadership:

"The LORD enters into judgment against the elders and leaders of his people:"It is you who have ruined my vineyard" (Isaiah 3.14a NIV).

"It's because our leaders are stupid. They never asked God for counsel, And so nothing worked right. The people are scattered all over" (Jeremiah 10.21 MSG).

Leading others through serving their needs is an amazing opportunity with a high costs. We must allow God to change our hearts if we are to lead affectively and righteously. I believe God would love for all His children to be shining-star leaders in our world today; however, He will protect us from ourselves if we are not ready. We need to start with the basics and joyfully serve those we see everyday. Only then can God securely position us on the path to doing more service for His kingdom.

"If anyone wants to provide leadership in the church, good! But there are preconditions: A leader must be well-thought-of, committed to his wife, cool and collected, accessible, and hospitable. He must know what he's talking about, not be overfond of wine, not pushy but gentle, not thin-skinned, not money-hungry. He must handle his own affairs well, attentive to his own children and having their respect. For if someone is unable to handle his own affairs, how can he take care of God's church? He must not be a new believer, lest the position go to his head and the Devil trip him up. Outsiders must think well of him, or else the Devil will figure out a way to lure him into his trap" (1 Timothy 3.1-7 MSG).

Where's the Sugar?

I made a sugar free apple cobbler for my kids. Even the whipped cream on top was sugar free. I was so excited because it looked beautiful, and it tasted pretty good. My three year old sugar connoisseur son was so excited. I put the dessert in front of him, and his eyes bulged. He took his spoon and started taking big bites. After a few mouthfuls, he put the spoon down and looked up at me.

“What’s wrong?” I said. “You don’t like it?”

He pushed the bowl away and said, “It needs sugar.”

I couldn’t believe it. I looked at my husband, and he shrugged. How did he know there was no sugar?

The same concept goes with ministry. A ministry leader can make sure that everything is perfect and looks great, but there is only one way to ensure that God’s sweetness (Holy Spirit) is present. Unless the leadership is sensitive and broken to the will of God, the Holy Spirit cannot freely move through the ministry like it should.

Before we had kids, God moved my husband and me to Dallas. I saw a commercial for a local Christian school, and I knew that God wanted me to teach there. The position paid very little, so I taught college at night. The year was challenging for me, and I couldn’t wait until summer so I could get outside the classroom.

I started applying to other positions, but I had an uneasy feeling that I was supposed to teach one more year. I got offered an amazing job located downtown Dallas, creating English software to help kids with standardized testing. I was ecstatic because this job paid twice the amount of my two current positions combined, and I could sit behind a computer and analyze grammar and syntax all day.

For five days, I wrestled with God. I knew He didn’t want me to take the job. I remember jogging on my treadmill, and I jumped so hard out of anger that I broke it. I stomped around my living room and finally fell against the wall crying. I cried until there was nothing left. My family and friends didn’t understand. Why would I not go for such an amazing opportunity? All I could say was, "God says so."

During the last day of school, I finally resolved to be obedient, but I still felt very abandoned by God. I went to my desk and opened the Bible. I read Jeremiah 29.11: “’For I know the plans I have for you,’ says the LORD. ‘They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope’” (NLT). I decided that I would learn everything God wanted to teach me the following year, so, hopefully, he would allow me to leave the classroom.

My last year teaching, I taught seven subjects, including seventh and eighth grade Physical Education. For one of the six weeks, I felt God wanted me to teach them a Christian song in sign language. I didn’t know anything about music, but two of my students were daughters of the choir teacher. I didn’t have a plan, so we just worked each day at putting together a performance. I taught the girls some “choreography” and the sisters helped with the chorus. We finally finished it, and the girls had created something special.

I saw the principal in the hall, and I asked if she wouldn’t mind just taking a quick look at what the girls had created. She said sure, and sat down in an empty auditorium. After the principal saw it, she demanded that they perform in front of the school at the next pep rally. The girls were thrilled, and I was happy that they were able to show the school how hard they worked.

The girls performed in front of the entire school, and the teachers and students were amazed. People were crying, and I didn’t understand what was going on. The choir director came up to me with tears in her eyes and said, “Now that's what it's all about.” Till this day I value the fact that she didn’t thank me. It was obvious that I did nothing except allow myself to be broken by God and stay obedient to His will.

God’s spirit is unleashed through the brokenness of the ministry leader. Leaders are called into dry areas, so Living Water can flow through them, saturating everything with God’s presence. However, the ministry leaders must be broken so that the Holy Spirit in them can move freely. Leaders are responsible for having a broken self-nature and an obedient heart; the rest is up to God.

God’s glory comes in all shapes and forms and through all types of ministries, but it is obvious when the Holy Spirit is present….you can taste His sweetness. God needs our brokenness, so the Holy Spirit in us has free reign. How is God breaking you today? Do you receive it or become callus? How would your ministry (family, marriage, career, relationships, etc.) be different if God's Spirit was in control?

"Our bodies are buried in brokenness, but they will be raised in glory. They are buried in weakness, but they will be raised in strength. They are buried as natural human bodies, but they will be raised as spiritual bodies. For just as there are natural bodies, there are also spiritual bodies" (1 Corinthians 15.43-44 NLT).

Striving Laundry: Guest Post for Writer's Manna

I'm doing a guest post over at Writer's Manna, authored by Heather Spiva! I hope it encourages you today!


I have been anxiously striving to finish edits on my first book. My mind has been consumed with writing, and I’m constantly telling myself to get to work. I feel the pressure of a deadline, and I told God one afternoon, “I can’t wait until I’m done.”

I could sense God smile and say, “Then you’ll start your second book.”

I stopped in my tracks. I realized that I will never be finished. When I’m done climbing this mountain, God will have another one for me in the distance. While I’m alive on this earth, God will always place promises for my life in the horizon.

God places promises beyond each of us; and as we move closer to them, God is able to mold us into the likeness of His son. Promises are in the core of Jesus; they pull us toward Him like gravity and slowly perfect us into our original design.

At that moment, I had a reality check. Obviously my perspective was wrong because God would not want me to be anxious about anything (Philippians 4.6).

How do we strive towards God’s promises without becoming overwhelmed? How do we find balance and joy in a life that will always be pulled toward higher goals and greater accomplishments?

I would like to answer this profound question with one simple word: Laundry.

Laundry is never done. Whenever I go from room to room with arms filled with dirty clothes, I like to sing the theme song to the 1984 movie The NeverEnding Story. If that story were written by a woman, I am sure it would have been about laundry.

I’ve learned to do a little bit of laundry every day. I don’t even think about it anymore. When I wake up, I’ll notice that the hamper is getting full, so I’ll grab the clothes and start a load. That afternoon after I put the kids down for a nap, I’ll put the clothes into the dryer and forget about them. While the kids are playing before bed, I’ll take the load out, fold it and put it away. Never once was I anxious.

I used to let the laundry build up, but I noticed that I always became anxious. The lack of clean clothes would begin to affect my life, and my mind would send me distracting signals to “get to work.” Laundry would become a big deal, when, in reality, it is such a small part of my life. If I would simply give laundry a fraction of my attention every day, it would be manageable.

This concept is the same for God’s promises. God doesn’t want His promises to become anxiety builders in our lives. His promises are supposed to draw us closer in relationship with Him. The imbalance comes when we stop daily focusing on God, and we let our relationship with Him build up, unused in the hamper.

If we hungrily seek God everyday and align our lives in His will, He would ensure that we have just enough time every day to work on His promises. As we seek God, He will groom our lives of everything unnecessary, and we will have perfect amount of time to complete His will. Also, when we focus on God, He will fill us with joy and peace that will filter through every aspect of our lives, dispersing our anxiety, worry and procrastination.

The purpose of life is to glorify God. If we are not doing that in our daily life, we probably need to ask God for a healthy dose of perspective. I decided to give up on striving; instead, I’m keeping my eyes on God and allowing His grace to move me toward His best for me.

"Cease striving and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth” (Psalm 46.10 NASB).

You can also check out this article here!

A Stump

As you read through the final chapters of Exodus, you will find God's very particular blue print for His worship place. From the material, design, usage, accents and construction -- each aspect of the Holy dwelling was unique and intricate. After reading such detailed instructions, you might say, "Geez, God! You have pretty picky expectations!"

We are the New Testament Temple, and I want to say that God is just as picky about you (His chosen one) today as He was about His chosen people back then. You are His worship place; He dwells in you, and He has a plan for the temple He has given you.

If you daily seek God, you will find that He will give you detailed instructions. Some instructions are lasting, some are seasonal and some are for the moment; but He has a design, a purpose and a bunch of awe-inspiring accents that He wants to carve into your life. But, you have to be obedient and let Him wield the hammer.

In my life, God has given me finite laws that go beyond the 10 Commandments. The 10 commandments are the basic moral foundation for all humanity; however, God's children have very explicit commandments. These laws shape our temples and make us a unique and fruitful creation fashioned by God: "A life devoted to things is a dead life, a stump; a God-shaped life is a flourishing tree" (Proverbs 11.28 MSG).

I've come to realize that a God-shaped life is a very disciplined life. I have a list of things that I can't do. I sacrifice those things for God because I know that He has amazing blessings for me that far outweigh what I have given up for Him. I also have a list of things that I must do, but I have found joy that is not based on my circumstances. I now enjoy doing tasks that I once deemed as boring, difficult or trivial. I trust God, and I want Him to mold me; otherwise, I'll be molded by the world or the insignificance of my own understanding.

So my encouragement to you when God tells you to give up something or to do something is that there is a purpose. God has a plan, and He has to make a particular pattern in your life because He is creating your temple to hold the beauty and power of His glory. And realize that your pattern will be different from other people; but don't worry, they're getting shaped in other ways.

Do you want your life to be filled with God's glory? Do you want to be more than a stubby "stump" stuck in the trappings of this world? Then forget about what everyone else is doing and live within the parameters that God has tailored to your life. Stay focused on how the Holy Spirit is leading you this day and stay obedient to where He is directing the fullness of your life. Walk in discipline; and at the end of your days on earth, your life will be a gorgeous, fruit-filled tree.

"No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it" (Hebrews 12.11 NIV).

Internet Cafe: Confusing One-liners

I enjoy jogging on a certain main street in my neighborhood. A lot of joggers, skateboarders, and cyclist make their way down this road. The etiquette while jogging is to nod and say hello as you pass another jogger. If one is feeling very festive, she can try to squeeze in a fast one-liner during the few seconds of contact.

For example, one could say, “Windy day. Can’t wait to go back the other way” or “I forgot that summer has arrived already” or “Wonder if I can call a cab to pick me up.” These are quick little remarks that entertain the joggers as they sweat out all their frustration and that morning’s donut. The comments are not terribly witty or remarkable; rather, they mainly work as creative little fillers.

I always wear my headphones and jam out to Christian music while I jog. So whenever I see another jogger in the distance, I turn off the music so I can respond to whatever is being said or I can make a remark if so inclined.

However, one particular afternoon I didn’t want to turn off my radio. I was in a runner’s groove, and I didn’t feel like slowing down to look at my IPod. I decided that I would just speak to the passerby with the music playing in my ears. I prepared a quick comment about the weather and rehearsed it in my head. I was confident that I could give my small one-liner, make eye contact with the jogger and continue running my course. Simple.

Since the music was so loud in my ears, I really couldn’t hear how I sounded, but it was obvious the other jogger had no idea what I had said. All I saw as I ran past him was an expression of confusion and a little shock on his face. I’m horrified to think about what noises came out of my mouth.

Many times we as Christians do the same thing. We want to tell someone about Jesus, but we are listening to the loud noises of the world and we are unable to articulate clearly. We want to explain our relationship with Christ, but our words come out all jumbled and confused. Sometimes our entire life is one chaotic mess because we can’t distinguish God’s voice from amongst the world’s racket.

I’ve realized that in my own walk with God, I have had to tune out a lot of the world. Much of what I filter is not necessarily deemed as evil – it’s just distracting. Once I started turning down the ruckus filling my ears, I was much better at hearing from the Lord. When I could hear God’s voice, I became better at sharing His insights with others.

I know that God’s grace covers all my mess-ups, but I would like to do a better job at focusing my radar on Him. I want to clearly hear God’s voice, so He can do a mighty work in my life. If I could be diligent enough to tune-out the world’s transmissions, my ears will have greater ability to receive God’s holy signal, which is filled to overflowing with truth and promises.

What about you? What distractions can you tune out of your life, so you can better hear from God? What changes can you make that will keep your radar alert to His plan?

“God’s voice thunders in marvelous ways; he does great things beyond our understanding”
(Job 37.5 NIV).

You can also read this at the Internet Cafe.

Silence in the Storm

During Jesus' day, disciples (students) didn't just go to school and learn from their teachers. They immersed themselves into their teacher's life. They followed their teacher almost every moment of every day. This is true for Jesus' twelve disciples. They were always with Jesus.

They experienced all the miracles first hand that Jesus performed. Each miracle I read, I believe in my heart that it is a historical fact that has been recorded into the Living Word of God. I don't doubt what the Bible says; however, that doesn't mean that I have faith in them. Belief and faith are two totally different claims.

As I was reading in my one-year Bible, I came across another of Jesus' miracles: "Then he stood up and told the wind to be silent, the sea to quiet down: 'Silence!' The sea became smooth as glass" (Matthew 8.26 Message). Jesus and His disciples were floating in the middle of a severe storm. The disciples believed they were drowning, and Jesus was taking a nap on the deck.

After Jesus spoke peace into this middle of this storm, The Message Bible reads in verse 27, "The men [disciples] rubbed their eyes, astonished. "What's going on here? Wind and sea come to heel at his command!"

Just that day Jesus had healed a leper, the Centurion's servant who was not even present, the "inwardly tormented" and the "bodily ill." Why all of a sudden did the disciples rub their eyes? What had changed to cause them to ask, "What's going on here?" They had seen Jesus do miracles. They had belief, but they still lacked faith.

The distinction between belief and faith occurs when the miracle needed becomes personal. It is easy to believe victory over someone else's storm, but it takes faith to claim victory over your own storm. God is teaching me faith because I'm learning to claim victory in my own storms while the waves of life are crashing on me, causing me to want to give-up and drown.

Faith is hard because everywhere I look, all I see is impossibility and hopelessness. I don't see an answer in the physical, but I need to claim God's solution in the spiritual. The storm is causing me to feel pain, worry, mistrust, fear and anger; but I need to take those thoughts captive and claim victory (2 Corinthians 10.5). The physical world is merely a manifestation of what's going on in the spiritual world. If I can shout victory in the spirit by faith, God can take that mustard seed of faith and create the solution (Matthew 17.20)!

What storm are you in the middle of today? A finance storm? A marriage storm? A job storm? A ministry storm? An inward storm? You are the eye of the storm. The storm wouldn't be there if you didn't exist. Don't just believe that God can do a miracle. Have faith that God is producing a miracle from the storm's center -- you. Stand up in faith and allow the Holy Spirit within to claim "Silence" over the storm.

Shutter Island Moment

I watched the movie Shutter Island, and it prepared me for what God was about to do in my life. I'm always reminded that God can use anything (Christian or not) to get His perfect will done. If you haven't watched the movie, this post will spoil it for you. I'm sorry.

At the end of the movie, Dicaprio's character realizes he has been living the past several years in an insane asylum in an altered state. He believed he was continuing his U.S. Marshall work, trying to uncover a conspiracy at the hospital. His doctors needed to bring him back to reality, so they planned an elaborate role play experience, allowing Dicaprio's character to uncover the "conspiracy." The plot became layered and confusing until it climaxed with an intervention of facts.

Dicaprio's character wouldn't believe the information at first. Then, he became disoriented between what was real and fake. But finally, he fell to his knees in despair. He carried guilt from tragedy that occurred in his life, and he couldn't handle the fact that he was a monster.

The day following the intervention, Dicaprio's character slipped back into the altered state. Before the orderlies took him to get a lobotomy (which would make him passive), he asked his doctor, "Which would be worse: To live as a monster or die as a good man?”

God planned a Shutter Intervention for me three days later. I noticed that I had been criticizing people, and I couldn't understand why. I kept reprimanding myself for criticizing others, but I knew it wouldn't go away unless I let God pull out the root cause. I prayed and asked God to help me, and He quickly unlayered the sin. I criticized because of arrogance. I became arrogant because I was covering up for jealousy. I was jealous because I was insecure. But why was I insecure?

I drove to the beach and continued reading the book, Why? Because You are Anointed! by T.D. Jakes. And there in the car I was confronted with reality. I am selfish. I see life through the lens of "I" and my entire opinion of people, actions and circumstances is altered. I was insecure because I am not perfect. And because I idolize self, I couldn't handle the fact that I too am a monster.

T.D. Jakes writes: "The most prevailing sin of all mankind is sin of selfishness...the idolizing of self (self idolatry). Selfishness is the epitome of satanic, demonic, and rebellious sinful motivations and behavior."

My entire life I have seen everything from my own perspective, which is blurred by the cataracts of sin. If I were truly seeing life through the lens of God, I would never have those negative feelings of jealousy, hate, lust, pride, envy, discontent, etc.

When I realized that I had been seeing everything through an altered state, I became disoriented. I could barely get a grip of what God was teaching me. How could I apply this new truth? My understanding of everything is tainted, and I didn't know how to begin seeing clearly.

I was about to call it quits. There was no way I was going to be able to live my life with a new set of eyes. But God reminded me of what Dicaprio's character asked: "Which would be worse: To live as a monster or die has a good man?"

The reality is none of us are good enough. We all have tragedy. We all have sinned. We are all monsters. If we truly understood how ugly we are compared to God's beauty, we would all fall to our knees in despair. But Jesus died a good man to save us from ourselves. Yes, I'm a monster, but Jesus lived a sinless life and died to redeem me. If I can focus on Him being good and see through His eyes, then I don't have to worry about living in an altered state. If I can live by grace, I can live free.

"Your eye is the lamp of your body. When your eyes are good, your whole body
also is full of light. But when they are bad, your body also is full of
darkness" - Luke 11.34

What about you? Have you ever realized that you were seeing a situation or person through the wrong perspective? How do you try to prevent seeing life through the wrong eyes?

Blogging: A Higher Purpose

It is interesting to me that so many Christians feel led to blog. We don't blog because we have so much spare time on our hands. Most of us sacrifice a lot of personal free time in order to keep our blogs updated. We blog because we have a God-given desire to share. God is calling us to write about our experiences. Our words might not seem interesting or even relevant, but we obediently punch away on our keyboards.

Are we wasting our time? Or is there some higher plan that God is organizing behind the scenes of heaven?

I don't think God is surprised by the number of Christian bloggers. I think He's the reason.

I opened my home to a Bible study last night. It was nice seeing all of my friends; but when the study started, I quietly went back upstairs. I had some writing to do.

When it was over, I helped clean up and said goodbye to all of the women. I also walked my new friend, Michelle, to her car. She has the spiritual gift of prophecy, and she told me many of her stories about ministering in the spiritual realm. She has had visions, dealt with evil spirits, prayed for healings and much more. She obviously is gifted, but I could tell she was uncomfortable talking about it. She didn't want me to think she was weird.

On the contrary, I was excited to hear about her experiences. The Bible speaks so much about the spiritual realm, but it seems that Christians say so little of it. Paul says, "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms" (Ephesians 6.12 NIV). I'm sure most Christians have had some experience dealing with spiritual forces, but like Michelle, they fear being labeled as "weird."

Then Michelle went on to share some of her prayer request to me -- one of which was to journal. For several years God has been calling her to journal, but she didn't understand why and she never took that step of obedience.

From my perspective, I could easily understand why God would want her to journal. God calls us to teach our children the ways of the Lord (Deuteronomy 11.19 NIV), but I fear the current generations have dropped the ball. There is a new crop of Christians that have the Bible and the Holy Spirit, but they are completely lost about how to draw closer to God, serve their purpose and live victoriously.

Don't get me wrong, I know the Holy Spirit will teach them and the Bible will form their foundation, but the Bible says that "many advisers make victory sure" (Proverbs 11.14 NIV) and that "A matter becomes clear after two or three witnesses give evidence" (2 Corinthians 13.1 NIV).

How much easier would it be to confront the unknown when you have many Spirit-led Christian experiences to glean from? We have to remember that God uses the Bible, the Holy Spirit and others to achieve His perfect will. We are designed to need each other. We can't expect to be victorious if we isolate ourselves. We each make up a piece of the Body of Christ (church) according to our design and purpose. We have a much better perspective of God when we can see Him through the eyes of a multitude of Christians.

I finally told my friend, "You need to journal so you can empower the next generation. You can provide them with a tool that will help them to battle against and with spiritual forces."

She was shocked by my reply. She had also told the Bible study about her prayer request. She felt like God was telling her that if she didn't journal, she would be harming herself and others. The women didn't understand. How could Michelle harm others if she didn't journal? Without her journal (brimming with amazing victories in the spiritual realm) many Christians will be facing battles without "advisers." God wants to make sure His children are prepared.

I'm discovering that God is calling Christians to produce media that will empower and teach the following generations how to live for Christ. The line between what is holy and common is dividing, and lukewarm will disappear. Christians are going to jump over to the holy side, but they are going to need help. Some day the church will be called away from this earth, and all that will be left of us is our music, movies, books and blogs that we felt called to produce. It is imperative that we leave as many bread crumbs leading to the cross as possible.

So continue to diligently write on your blogs. You will never know how many people you will lead to Christ once you are gone.

"Those of us who are strong and able in the faith need to step in and lend a hand to those who falter, and not just do what is most convenient for us. Strength is for service, not status. Each one of us needs to look after the good of the people around us, asking ourselves, "How can I help?" (Romans 15.1-2 The Message).

Formula for Spiritual Growth

October 8, 1998

"I know God wants me to be a writer, but it is not going to happen over night. I am trying to be in God's will, but it is getting me nowhere. I've stopped socially drinking. I go to church, pray, read the Bible; but I think it is time for me to stop taking and to start giving. I want to give myself to God as a vessel for spreading Christ. I just do not know where to start...."

I wrote this in my on-and-off again journal when I was twenty-one. I had such a desire to follow God, but I didn't know what I was doing. I had no previous Spirit-led example to fall back on. I desperately grabbed onto Christian disciplines, hoping they would force me to have a better relationship with God. After about a year of getting "nowhere," I fell back into a common life of social normality. The spiritual disciplines I had been taught did nothing to help me. What was I doing wrong?

Spiritual disciplines are part of the spiritual formula that equal a growing relationship with God. Jesus Himself fasted, read Scripture, prayed, sought solitude, worshiped, served, fellowshipped, submitted, abstained and sacrificed.* He did many of these spiritual disciplines in the private sphere of His life; so that when He entered the public sphere, He was able to do amazing and beautiful acts of love.

On my blog, I explore many spiritual disciplines. I desire to draw closer to God, and I know that emulating Jesus' private life will help me to emulate His public life. However, spiritual disciplines are merely Christian motions that have no lasting effect unless we understand the formula of why we do them. Spiritual disciplines are only half of the equation. The other half is made up of three components: the product, the purpose and the push.

The product of spiritual disciplines is two-fold. First of all, spiritual disciplines humble us. We must be broken if we want to give the Holy Spirit access to mold us. Spiritual disciplines remind us that we are nothing without God, and they give us a healthy perspective of who we are in Christ. There is nothing like an empty belly, a dwindling bank account or a silent prayer closet to remind us that we are not the kings and queens of the universe. We are dependent on the Creator for everything, and we should have great joy that we have a spirit to soak up God's glory.

Second of all, spiritual disciplines make us available to gain the knowledge of God: "and if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding, and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of the LORD and find the knowledge of God" (Proverbs 2.3-6 NIV). God has knowledge He wants to give us, but we need to be seeking it. Spiritual disciplines are like tools that help us dig for godly insights. The more we wield our tools, the more we find treasures.

The purpose of spiritual disciplines is love. Just like a mathematical formula, if a student doesn't understand the purpose of why she is finding "x," she won't fully understand the equation. Love is the root of spiritual disciplines. We do them because we love God, and we desire to have an intimate relationship with Him.

Finally, the push of spiritual disciplines is our obedience. Obedience is the only thing in this life that we can take credit for. God gives us everything: our bodies, brains, passions, talents and plans. However, God does give us free-will. We can choose to obey Him or not. I have learned that I can give people credit for their obedience, but the rest of the glory goes to God. Without obedience we have no momentum to move us into Christlikness. We can love God all we want; but if we do not have obedience, our spiritual growth will lag behind.

When I was twenty-one, I think part of the formula that I was missing was humility. I did not have a good example of how beautiful and beneficial the product of humility is in our lives. I saw people doing spiritual disciplines, but I didn't see many people humbling themselves. Humility gets such a bad rap. Humility is actually the precursor to a bounty of blessings: wealth, honor, wisdom, life (Proverbs 22.4, 15.33, 11.2). I've realized that when I'm being humbled, I'm not being humbled to others. I'm being humbled to God. God just happens to use others to humble me. If I can get over my pride and my fear of others, humility wouldn't be so painful. I desire to make the process of humility look good.

For you the formula might be missing something else. Maybe you saw plenty of spiritual humility but not enough push (obedience). Or maybe you saw lots of obedience, but the purpose of love was never evident. Whatever the case may be, Christians need the entire formula to experience accelerated spiritual growth.

(product + purpose + push) * spiritual disciplines = spiritual growth

I was horrible in math -- especially algebra -- so if you have a better formula, by all means use it!

* Spiritual disciplines and explanations can be found in The Spirit of the Disciplines by Dallas Willard.

FORSAKEN

I've seen movies and heard descriptions of Jesus' crucifixion. The physical torture that Jesus experienced is explained in detail, and we see each lash ripping His flesh, the excruciating walk to Golgotha, and the nails hammered into His hands and feet. Many times the pain is our sole focus, and we assume that the fear of this pain explains why Jesus petitioned God at Gethsemane to "take this cup from me." However, the physical sacrifice is only one aspect of Jesus' death on the cross. There is so much more that we many times forget to examine and meditate on.

The crucifixion is made up of three components, and physical pain is only one of them. Yes, Jesus is human, so the pain was a big part of why He said, "My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death" (Mark 14.34 NIV). But I do not believe that it was fear of pain that made Jesus sweat drops of blood (Luke 22.44 NIV). I know that Jesus loves me more than I can comprehend, and He would boldly confront physical persecution for my sake. I think He had a greater reason to feel anguish -- a reason that our culture has trouble even understanding.

The second aspect of the crucifixion that would cause Jesus to be overwhelmed with sorrow is that He became sin for us: "God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God" (2 Corinthians 5.21 NIV). Please note that Jesus became sin. He was sin for us. What is sin? Sin is the absence of God. Sin is the absence of light, love, beauty, glory, etc. The best way I can illustrate this concept is to take the innocence of a newborn baby and force that innocence to experience every disgusting, revolting, hideous sin you can think of. Try to imagine the innocence of those you love (especially your own children) and your mind will shut down. Your heart can not process the anguish.

The third aspect of the crucifixion ties directly into the second. This was the "more" that I was looking for. It took a while for me to comprehend, which demonstrates just how much I do not know about love. Several months ago, I was reading through the New Testament, and I was struck by the relationship between God and Jesus. They are so deeply rooted together, and I wanted to know how it felt. I prayed and asked God, "Show me how much Jesus loves You."

After I prayed that prayer, I read about Jesus praying to God in Gethsemane. His soul was in anguish, and God sent Jesus an angel to comfort Him. As I read about Jesus just minutes before He would be betrayed, I remembered how I had always been dissatisfied with explanations of the crucifixion. Yes, the physical pain Jesus endured was incomprehensible, but I know that there was another pain that I wasn't understanding. Finally, it hit me. If Jesus became sin, and God can have no part of sin, then God would have to disconnect from Jesus for a time.

Jesus loved God so much, and His entire existence was solely dependent on God; therefore, Jesus' biggest fear was to be forsaken by God. I believe Jesus feared this more than the physical pain and more than becoming sin. When Jesus cried out on the cross with His only complaint, He did not cry out, "My God, My God, this pain hurts so bad" or "My God, My God this sin is so revolting." No, Jesus cried out, "My God, My God, why have You forsaken me?" (Mark 15.34 NIV).

Nothing else mattered more to Jesus than the presence of God. That is how much Jesus loved God, and this showed me how much I do not. As I meditated on this, I became overwhelmed with anguish. God has been a sidenote, a ball I juggle in my busy schedule. Yes, He has also been a Father, a Friend, a Savior, a Healer, a Teacher, a Guide, an Encourager, yet He has never been my core. How do I know this? Because I constantly struggle with forsaking Him.

I forsake God for sleep, for my own desires, for my spouse, for my children, for my career, for the opinions of others, for security, for money, for prestige, for acclaim, for comfort, for pleasures, etc. I daily struggle with forsaking God, and I have no fear of it. Yes, I feel guilty and I repent when I know I've purposely walked away from His will, but do I fear? No.

I know that God loves me no matter what, and I'm happy to say that I have forgiveness of my sins through Jesus. However, I want God to be my core. I want Him to be my everything. I think that is why Jesus says, "If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters—yes, even his own life—he cannot be my disciple" (Luke 14.26 NIV).

Jesus does not actually want us hating people or ourselves. Research the Scriptures, and you'll see that Jesus tells us over and over again to love others. However, our love for God should be so immense and so deep that our love for anything else should be comparatively weak. Would we be willing to give up all that we have for God? Jesus did.

When Jesus asked God to "take this cup from me," I do not believe He was talking about the physical pain or even becoming sin. Jesus' prayer before His crucifixion is the only time I see that Jesus took a step of obedience that He did not willingly want to take. God asked Jesus to give up the one thing that Jesus loved the most so that humankind could have everlasting life with Him: Jesus gave up God. Jesus became sin, and God can not have any part of sin. If this weren't true, then our sins are not really forgiven. If Jesus did not take our sins upon Himself, they are still on us. If they are still on us, God can not allow us into His glory.

If I could just understand Jesus' step of obedience, His sacrifice for me, I think I could have a glimpse of how much Jesus loved God. I love Jesus so much because He took this step of faith for God, even if He didn't want to. I love God so much because He "so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life" (John 3.16 NIV). That God chose to weave me into this Divine Romance between Father and Son boggles my mind. I want to love them both back with a love deserving of their love for me. I know that my love will pale in comparison, but God beautifully makes up the difference with His grace!

Jesus is my hero because of His complete obedience to God. Many times God asks me to do things that I don't want to do, but I do them out of obedience. However, I can trust that God will never ask me to do it alone -- God will never forsake me (Hebrews 13.5) and Jesus is always praying on my behalf (Romans 8.34). The words that Jesus whispered before becoming my Living Sacrifice have become my new life's prayer: "yet not my will, but yours be done" (Luke 22.42 NIV).

"For a brief moment I forsook you,
But with great compassion I will gather you" (Isaiah 54.7 NASB).