Committing Spiritual Suicide

Have you ever experienced a loss of appetite? It happens when the thought of food makes you sick to your stomach. You don’t want it, and you feel fine without it. You loose all pleasure in eating, and you don’t even think about breakfast time, lunch time or dinner time. Your once favorite meal takes the back burner and amazingly, sweets don’t look appealing anymore. When offered a good meal you turn it down because you don’t have hunger. The idea of tasting something good just doesn’t seem very good to taste anymore.

You become weary. You loose energy. Laziness quickly settles in because you don’t need to cook meals. Your body begins to take a different shape. You become thin and therefore look different. And as a result of the lack of food, your stomach shrinks. It doesn’t have the capacity to allow the same portion of food it once did so eventually it becomes harder to expand. Your doctor tells you to eat small meals throughout the day, increase fluids, balance your carbs, proteins and fats, and lift weights to increase your muscle mass. Well gosh, now gaining your appetite back causes you to work harder than you anticipated, when you're feeling your weakest. Now it becomes a discipline.

In the medical world, loss of appetite is a symptom that can trigger a more serious, underlying health problem. It could be a link to a number of different diseases and illnesses, including cancer, one of the top ten most deadly diseases in America next to heart disease. When you’re not hungry anymore it should cause you to think about your health and contact your doctor.

Ironically, the same results happen when you loose an appetite for the Word of God. When you loose your appetite to read it, you quickly disregard it because for some reason you don’t find pleasure in it anymore even though it's critical to your survival. It looses its essential portion in your life. You put devotional time on the back burner because you're not hungry and the result is complacency. You're committing spiritual suicide without even knowing it.Just like your body lacks food and suffers, your spirit lacks spiritual food and suffers. Your Doctor knows that what will replenish your spirit is increasing spiritual milk, eating the Word of God throughout the day, increasing and keeping balanced the elements that stabilize your blood, or lifeline that keeps you alive (worship including praise, prayer, Bible reading, fellowship, outreach, etc) and exercising your spiritual muscles (using your spiritual gifts, stepping out in faith, etc).

What have you lost an appetite for? What are you lacking? The surface of your life reveals a lot about the condition of your heart. Practice humility and truthfully examine what your spiritual symptoms may be. You can only jump the bridge when you get to it. Ask your holy Doctor to reveal to you the underlying cause of your loss of appetite. And then be prayerful, intentional and faithful about using discipline to regain your spiritual health. Taste, and see that the Lord is good. :)

Standing Out in a Standard Crowd

Have you ever found yourself picking up on the habits of your best friend, repeating her phrases, picking up her accent, and imitating her attitude? Did you become so accustomed to being in a state other than yours that you hear yourself speaking differently? Are you constantly around a complacent Christian that you find yourself being complacent at some point in your day? Have you left boot camp cussing because all the other soldiers cuss? Have you watched so much Idol that you find your words are cutting and piercing to the heart? Have you been around such a pessimistic person that you find yourself thinking pessimistically even though you know you are an optimist? And, if you can honestly tell me you don’t talk differently to a 45-year old police officer than you do a puppy either you’re perfect and don’t innately conform to the world on some level like the rest of us, or you just downright disrespectful!

How is it that we can imitate people, but we lack in our imitation of Christ? I would dare to suggest that if your habits are not endangering and guiding you on your “own” path, and leading you away from your Maker, you’re likely not positioning yourself in spiritual danger. Rockin’ the boat, however, likely. If you can examine yourself close enough to pick up on a change as "mundane" as an accent change or a bad attitude change it’s possible you’re also compromising other areas of your life because of your surroundings. Be alert! Don’t be naïve; the enemy knows his days are limited and is prowling around looking for souls to devour, hearts to crush, and spirits to give up and give in. He is crafty in his work so learn to discern good and evil, right and wrong, natural and acceptable perimeters of change and change rooted from bad motives. Do not be conformed by the pattern of the world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind! God uses imperfect people, but He commands holiness.

If you are truly abiding in Christ and He is abiding in you, you will bear much fruit. Your life will be a direct result of living in your Creator and your Creator living in you. You will love like Him, speak like Him, and act like Him. As a child of the most High God, you are light in a dark world. People living in darkness will follow you because they can SEE, when you are around. Your light leads them to light. Your devotion leads them to devote their lives to Jesus Christ. Your actions lead them to withdraw from their current group of dope-y friends because somehow, you’re free from all that crap. Bottom line: when you cultivate a life for God by a living a life IN Him you cause others to want to get on the boat of salvation, too.

Quit asking yourself “is it worth it?” and start asking, “is He worthy?” (like my dear missionary friend Courtney says)

May you experience deeper intimacy with Papa God every day. May you walk in love, integrity and purity. May you never grow weary in doing good and may others be attracted to your brightness in Christ. May your every step cause the lights to come on in the room and may the sound of knees hitting the floor cause your heart to burst with gratitude. May your heartfelt intercessory time in the closet propel God to action and may you be a privileged witness to His answers. May your testimony activate slumbered hearts. May your spirit cause revival in your community and in the nations. And above all, as John Piper says, may our God be most glorified in you when you become most satisfied in Him!

A Neverending Heartbeat

More and more I am finding myself flat on my face weeping for God's people who have yet to encounter Him. This morning a random blast of the Holy Spirit fell on me and I was weeping so hard I could barely breathe. I kept asking for more... I wanted more of God's heart and He gladly gave it to me. Even now I am still crying, feeling God's compassion for "Nineveh", those living far from His purpose. All I can see are people making decision after decision thinking they will be led to fulfillment, led to happiness, led to life without misery. I interceeded for those in the sex slave trade, abortion, and the small villages of people in the heart of every nation who have never heard the love story of a Father in pursuit of them. Papa kept showing me that His eyes have never left them.

Last night I had a dream of God, as an enormous man sitting beside and hovering over a regular sized house. His eyes were on the entire house, and his arm was surrounding it. He looked nowhere but that house, His presence was surrounding it and in it like the Protector that He is. I woke up with a deep sense of comfort that God was saying His eyes never leave His people and He is never too far away. It's written throughout scripture that God is always surrounding us whether we respond to Him or not. He kept showing me His deep-rooted love for His people. It runs deeper than the surface and conquers all fear.

I had such a sweet and powerful encounter with Daddy this morning. Feeling His heartbeat is worth more than anything I have or even desire. This is the whole purpose of my being--to know and live God's heart. And it's why I'm willing to give everything up to share the Gospel all over the world. Third Day sings Love Song, a song from the perspective of Jesus to His people. But I sing it back to Jesus today... "just to be with You, I would give everything... I would give my life away... there's no price I would not pay..."

Old has gone, New has Come

Okay so I know I shouldn't be blogging right now when I have a million other things to do but I'm burnin' up here and gotta spill ;)

I feel like I'm in another genre of transition, amongst the other change that's happening right now. My desire to be with those "my" age has significantly decreased. It began stirring when I finished my summer session at Regent. I found myself "over" 18-20 year old freshman who had heavy metal Christian concerts at midnight and would rather play in the laundry carts outside, watch T.V., or do other teenager-like things that normal college freshman do rather than talk about what God is doing in their life. I always wanted that "dorm" experience, but I guess when I was 18, not 23.

This past fall my friend/pastor took over the young adult ministry and we got an entirely different group of young adults. Praise God! I love the vision behind the ministry, but I'm not as passionate/purposeful about seeking relationships with this crew. I'm just kinda over "young adults" even though I am one. Somewhat a catch 22, I know.

The past 6 months I have found myself with an entirely different group of believers--those in their late 20s, early 30s. I've poured out in ministry so much the past few years and have loved it, but the Lord knew I had a deep hunger for knowledge, insight and understanding in Him and it could only be fed by those a bit more mature in the Lord. Especially now I want to have deep conversations about the things of God, I want to grow deeper in my understanding of certain leadership qualities, spiritual gifts and cross-cultural missions.

So, there ya have it. I want to stay open to opportunities to be with the young adults, but I believe the Lord is primarily transitioning me out and gearing me in towards those a few years ahead of me. I'm about to hit the field for a bit and it "ain't 'gon be easy", so I need wisdom and instruction like never before.

Lord, thank you for your divine imprints in my life. Thank you for the calling and mantle you've placed over me. Continue bringing others into my life who will speak truth and wisdom into areas I may not pay attention to detail. Surround me with those who will teach, instruct and guide me with a servant heart. I ask for a renewed and refreshed vision as I encounter these 28-35yr old believers. May I keep my eyes fixed on You but learn the lessons they've learned the hard way and enjoy a new season of deep fellowship. Amen!