Flesh vs. Spirit. Which one are you hungry for?

I have given myself goals for each week to accomplish. These goals are things that draw me closer to Christ. One of them in reading 2 chapters of a book each week. This morning as I was reading Ravi Zacharias I was struck by what I was reading about, and how pertinent this is for me, and for the people I surround myself with. And of course, it can tie in with the sermons from Sunday, and into what I have been reading in the Scriptures as well. How convenient eh?

First, a couple questions to challenge yourself with:

How do we view God? How do YOU view God?

Is He distant? Or is He near?

Is He All Powerful, or is He just powerful?

Is He Good, or is He just good enough?

Is He worth everything, or is He worth only some things?

...

What do you crave?

Do you crave things of the flesh, or things of the Spirit?

Do you crave Jesus, or do you crave men?

Do you crave freedom, or do you crave shackles?

Do you crave the world, or do you crave The Kingdom?

...

I see people not living. I see people wishing for things to be so different than they are. I see people not willing to live in the now, not being okay with God being LORD of their lives, but wanting to be lord of their lives instead. This looks like discontentment, lazyness, lack of trust and faith...And this is something we all must walk through, and learn from. And I admit, I still struggle with this more often than I would like to admit.

In chapter 4 in the book Jesus among other Gods, Ravi mentioned this play, where a woman asks "Do any human beings ever realize life while they live it?

The only way one can realize life while one lives it is if he or she realizes that life is not a matter of nutrition alone but of the greater hunger that is beyond words and food. We do not live so that we can eat, nor do we just eat so that we can live. Life is worth living in and of itself. Life cannot be satisfied when it is lived out as a consuming entity..."

I see people (myself included) living life very one-track minded. With one entity in mind. And that entity, being themselves. We forget, as believers especially, that there is a spiritual realm, something greater than us. Our lives are not just about us, or what we see here and now, what we feel here and now. There is a battle going on that we cannot see, but so often that we can feel, and cannot understand, and we dont seem to give any attention to it sometimes for that reason (lack of understanding).

Yesterday while flying to Boston, I was reading in Isaiah 6, quite a famous passage. But as I was reading it, i was struck by the beginning, and challenged by my view of God and how I worship, by the way that the seraphim worshiped the LORD.

     The seraphim has 6 wings, and in the presence of the LORD, 2 of those wings covered his face, and 2 covered his feet, and the other 2 he flew with. And there was more than 1 serpaphim, and in God's presence, one called out to another, 'Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory." (Isaiah 6:3)

      The presence of the LORD is always with me. And when I am with fellow believers, brothers and sisters, do I call out to another how Holy God is, and how the earth is full of His glory? Of all His goodness and the works that He has done? 

    I can say that sometimes I do, but I definately should be doing this more. And I definately should find more ways to do so, other than just on a  Sunday morning on the worship team. But on a daily basis, whether thats by words, or by actions, or however else the Spirit can lead me to worship and I can be obedient to share all He has done.

That is what we are unaware of. How the earth groans for the coming of the LORD. How these spiritual beings that we cannot see, worship the LORD, and how the angels fight for the LORD, often times on our behalf. How the Spirit is alive and at work in us and through us, calling out to us to come and be with Him because He is with us. We just have to do the work, that God has already given us and created for us. (Eph 2:10)

So i leave you with more questions to ponder. I dreamt that I wrote some of these the other night, so now I am doing it, and I hope and pray that you seriously consider what is more important to you, and if you are willing to do whatever it takes to love the LORD your God with all of your heart, mind, soul, and strength. Because it is not easy, but it is worth every effort. Every tear. Every act of rejoicing. Everything...that feels good and bad. Christ is worth it. Where is you focus? What is your perspective? Do you need to broaden it, to a kingdom focus rather than a worldly focus?

   I know I need to change, I need to grow, I need a shift in focus. So....

Is joy worth the sorrow?

Is freedom worth the shackles?

Is healing worth the pain?

Is suffering worth the turmoil?

Is understanding worth the confusion?

Is beauty worth the refineing?

Is completeness worth the work?

Is fulfillment worth the hunger?

Is safety worth the danger?

Is peace worth the chaos?

Is the outcome worth the wait?

Is the Eternal Kingdom of God, worth the fight?

Reminders in the sky

I love thunderstorms and lightning storms.

And I think that I love them because of the power that they portray and display.

There is something about a show of such power, that reminds me how mi-nute and small I am, and how Holy and Big and Powerful my God is. At any moment, a bolt of lightning could strike my car. Could strike a tree and kill it and the ground near it. Yet I am not fearful of that, because I believe my God is in control. 

Sometimes these shows, the thunder that shakes the whole house, the lightning that hits a little to close, gets your heart beating rapidly, shakes you up a bit, puts a little fear in you. As it should. As God should, because He is ALL POWERFUL. 

Sometimes, we just need to be reminded how small we are and how big God is.

Sometimes, we just need to be reminded who is LORD, who is in control of our lives and the world.

"For His invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse." Romans 1:20

It's an odd thing to say goodbye....

You never expect to say goodbye for good to your friends.

It's an odd thing to say goodbye to someone who was once such a part of your life everyday, and then one day, because of growing up and life happening, and maybe other circumstances, they aren't apart of your life everyday. But maybe once a month, maybe once a year, or every couple years, or maybe even not at all, (whether just for a time, or for a really long time). And then, they are gone from this earth.

And you ask questions...

    Could I, should I, have done more to keep in touch?

    Could I, should I, have made more of an impact if only....

...

Regret in past relationships can creep in, but the past, is the past. You can't change what happened, where your life went, where their life went. You can only choose whether to remain in discontent and questioning, or to be grateful for the time you had together, the season of life you shared, and to remember the individual you loved so dearly. 

Death has never really affected me. I haven't had many people I care about die, at all. Until this past year, so this is a new thing for me to be walking through. My heart is deeply saddened in ways that it is difficult to describe, and even process. But I do know that death is nothing to be fearful of, for those who are found in Christ. But it definately makes you think, and process the relationships you have. 

Am i making the most out of the time I have with those God has put in my life in the present?

Being in ministry, I meet a lot of people. I am and have been involved in hundreds of people's lives over the past 8-9 years of ministry. I have had great successes, and great failures in relationships. Ive stayed in contact with many, and have lost touch with many. I have been greatly hurt and have done the hurting in many relationships, I have given more than I ever could have imagined, and I have not given enough a lot of times. But what I believe I have just learned, it is all worth it. All the heart-ache, all the suffering, all the joyous times, all the laughter, all the tears, all the frustration, all the prayers, all the rejoicing, all the chill times...are worth every effort I've ever made. I have grown weary, my friend who just passed, grew weary. And Jesus is worth growing weary for. 

So what if I have been hurt.  So what if I am tired. If things (even people) don't go the way I expected, or planned. My life, is not about me. It is about honoring Christ, and leading people into an intimacy with their Father, Creator, Friend...and walking life with them, the time that God has given me with them. 

So i exhort you, reader, (and myself), to not grow weary. To do the work because we were created to work hard, to toil, to be in relationships. Do The Work. Sweat. Cry. Don't sleep. Pray. Laugh. All you can do, and have to do for the sake of Christ and being like Him and walking WITH Him, and with people. Don't give up on people, on your relationships, let the past be the past, live in the now, come to be at peace with Christ, trust Him, surrender everything to Him, please. Love others, with the love of Christ. Love yourself with the love of Christ. Forgive. Have grace. Don't life defeated, and please don't die defeated. God can heal. God can bring peace and rest. God brings redemption and victory. Jesus already won the victory and has made you righteous and whole! Just walk with Him.

"And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart." Galatians 6:9

It Won't Last Forever

I write about seasons a lot. Probably because we all go through many different seasons, some are full of immense joy, some are full of a lack of understanding, suffering, happiness, great things happening one after another, testing of our faith, good relationships, bad relationships, humility, being intensely built up, great encouragement, loneliness, intimacy, lack of intimacy...the list can go on. But what I have come to learn, and have become extremely grateful for, is that seaons are seasons. Meaning that they don't last forever. A new season will always be coming. And the season you are in, will always come to a close. 

I have also learned, and have been greatly encouraged (especially recently) in, that the promises of God never leave us in those seasons, no matter what season it is. His promise to provide, to love, to be WITH me, will last forever, in every season. So even though seasons come and go, my God never does. His presence, is will me always. And that is why we can endure any season of life, the good and the bad, and the "i don't even know." 

This week has been a week full of mixed emotions. There has been immense sadness, for the loss of a friend, there has been great encouragement from friends older and younger, full of wisdom and joy in Christ and in that, I feel rejuvenated. I feel a stirring in my heart that has been missing. I feel a readiness for whatever the LORD has next. I feel excitement and determination. I feel heart ache, and brokenness. I feel. I feel the good, and the bad. But I feel. and to feel is a blessing. And whatever we feel...won't last forever. And in the midst of my feelings, Jesus is there. His presence...I am so so so so grateful for. Ashamed that I so often forsake it, when He never forsakes me. Grateful for His grace, because I am so wretched.

And whatever I don't feel, that won't last forever either. 

Seasons. are a beautiful journey that Christ takes us on in order to make us more and more like Him. Loving like Him, being gracious and forgiving like Him, suffering like Him, rejoicing like Him, sacrificing like Him...and all of that we can do IN Him. He will never leave us nor forsake us. He is the only thing in our lives that will last forever.

"For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: 

      a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; 

      a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;

      a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; 

      a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;

      a time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;

      a time to tear, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;

     a time to love and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace."

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

"Can our singing, our preaching, our prayers, our books, even our blogs and tweets and Facebook updates be said to reflect an all-encompassing yearning for God?"

I have been reading this book, 'To live is Christ, to die is gain,' by Matt Chandler.

This book, has been a divine intervention in my life. It has made me see that the gospel is not of utmost importance in my life. It has made me see that I don't have discipleship down to a T. It has made me see that I still have massive attitude problems, that I'm not as mature of a discple as I thought. It has been humbling me, from page 1. It has made me seek Christ more. It has made me realize that I am still learning, and that to learn is a great thing that I will only continue to do. It has made me see that I have a ways to grow, and I want to grow. I want to learn. I want to have the gospel at the forefront of my thoughts and my (inter)actions. I want to grow in maturity in Christ. Christ truly is enough in my life, and I am truly content in Him and that comes through belief and experiencing life and suffering. And in the midst of suffering, only to be more like Christ, there is immense joy, and rejoicing, because I trust God, and that can grow!

All of this is a big deal to me. And it's a big deal, because a couple months ago, I felt like giving this all up...throwing in the towel...but I learned that I love Christ more than I thought, and I could never turn Him down, or walk away, and even though I still may not feel like myself, my heart is His, my life is His, and I am content, and even happy! Suffering is a part of life, anything we go through, Jesus truly is greater, and enough, and my prayer is that all who read this, all who are apart of the bride, and all those who don't even know Christ yet, will come to truly know and believe that Christ is enough and greater and to be content in Him.

So i want to finish this blog post with some quotes from this book that has been so encouraging to me. There's so many, so it might be long, but its worth it. Also, I now recommend everyone to read this book along with the book of Philippians. Philippians is my favorite book of the Bible, and now this book (to live is Christ, to die is gain) is my favorite book (convenient that its on the book of Philippians!). I hope that some of these quotes will challenge you, convict you, and encourage you. :) Peace my brothers and sisters. You may never know the amount of love I have in the depths of my heart for you all, but I hope and pray some day you understand and know!

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"...the gospel defies race, defies class, defies status, and even defies aptitude."

"When he commands others to live in a 'worthy' way, he means we should live in such a way that shows what we believe is of supreme worth."

"When everything considered valuable in life is seen to be nothing in comparison to the glory of Christ, you learn rather well that Christ alone is worth living for. Christ alone is worthy of an entire life's affections and devotions."

"...we show (the gospel) is supremely valuable to us when we deny ourselves and take up our crosses to be a blessing to the people who the gospel is calling us to."

"...the gospel is commended when we can admit we aren't perfect, even after we're saved."

"Living a life worthy of the gospel does not mean pretending to be perfect. Instead, it means having the humility to think of others as better than ourselves. It means putting self-concern aside to work together, realizing that we are all still in process."

"Fearless faith results from holding on to Christ as our treasure."

"If a mature Christian life, or a life worthy of the gospel of Jesus Christ, is a life where you are living deeply with others, regardless of external differences, if you strive for a deeper faith and grow in your faith together, pressing into Christ together, chasing Him together, and if it is fearlessness in faith...how are you doing?"

"...if the gospel is true, your life should look like it's true. If you have been united with Jesus, this unity should be exemplified in your lives."

"...everytime we think of ourselves as better than others or look only to our own interests, we are essentially saying, 'I am god.'"

"The godly fear that humbles us and receives mercy does not keep us in a nervous or timid state."

"Are you using God to get something from Him? Or is God Himself the goal of your striving?"

"The foundation, the motivation of a life of humility, is the example of Jesus Christ's humble life and sacrificial death on the cross."

"Always remember the gospel, so you won't forget that God will not expect something of you that He won't both empower you to obey and forgive you for not obeying."

"Nobody stumbles into godliness, ever."

"A mark of mature Christianity is discipleship-making disciples and being discipled."

"It's our responsibility to find people we can disciple, and it's our responsibility to be discipled."

"Mature believers in Christ rejoice in the Lord always."

"If our theology does not drive us to worship God in Christ, it is pointless."

"We become like Jesus in His suffering by sharing in His suffering through our own suffering."

"If we are busy rejoicing, we won't have time to be anxious."

"Fear is legitimate for the vulnerable, and pain is a natural consequence of being mortal. But worry is a choice made in distrust."

"Love is not simply something that we feel. It encompasses our affections, yes. It gets expresse in emotiona ways, yes. But the Bible tells us that real love 'rejoices with the truth' (1 Corinth 13:6). I assume from Ephesians 4:15 that it's possible to speak the truth from a lack of love, and by extension, that it's possible to express love from a place of ignorance and even falsehood. But mature, godly love is a truthful, orthodox, doctrinal love. It brings the thinking and feeling together..."

"The fact that he has to tell us to practice-to strain, to press, to 'work out'- tells us again that this stuff doesn't happen naturally."

"contentment means being satisfied not with the gift but with the Giver."

"The message of Philippians is that life is lived for Him, to Him, through Him, with Him, about Him, and in Him."

...

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"Finally brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things."  Philippians 4:8

He is Faithful.

17 They refused to obey and were not mindful of the wonders that you performed among them, but they stiffened their neck and appointed a leader to return to their slavery in Egypt. But you are a God ready to forgive, gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and did not forsake them.

18 Even when they had made for themselves a golden calf and said, 'This is your God who brought you up out of Egypt,' and had committed great blasphemies,

19 you in your great mercies did not forsake them in the wilderness. The pillar of cloud to lead them in the way did not depart from them by day, nor the pillar of fire by night to light for them the way by which they should go.

20 You gave your good Spirit to instruct them and did not withhold your manna from their mouth and gave them water for their thirst.

21 Forty years you sustained them in the wilderness, and they lacked nothing. Their clothes did not wear out and their feet did not swell.

22 "And you gave them kingdoms and peoples and allotted to them every corner. So they took possession of the land of Sihon king of Heshbon and the land of Og king of Bashan.

23 You multiplied their children as the stars of heaven, and you brought them into the land that you had told their fathers to enter and possess.

24 So the descendants went in and possessed the land, and you subdued before them the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites, and gave them into their hand, with their kings and the peoples of the land, that they might do with them as they would.

25 And they captured fortified cities and a rich land, and took possession of houses full of all good things, cisterns already hewn, vineyards, olive orchards and fruit trees in abundance. So they ate and were filled and became fat and delighted themselves in your great goodness.

26 "Nevertheless, they were disobedient and rebelled against you and cast your law behind their back and killed your prophets, who had warned them in order to turn them back to you, and they committed great blasphemies.

27 Therefore you gave them into the hand of their enemies, who made them suffer. And in the time of their suffering they cried out to you and you heard them from heaven, and according to your great mercies you gave them saviors who saved them from the hand of their enemies.

28 But after they had rest they did evil again before you, and you abandoned them to the hand of their enemies, so that they had dominion over them. Yet when they turned and cried to you, you heard from heaven, and many times you delivered them according to your mercies.

29 And you warned them in order to turn them back to your law. Yet they acted presumptuously and did not obey your commandments, but sinned against your rules, which if a person does them, he shall live by them, and they turned a stubborn shoulder and stiffened their neck and would not obey.

30 Many years you bore with them and warned them by your Spirit through your prophets. Yet they would not give ear. Therefore you gave them into the hand of the peoples of the lands.

31 Nevertheless, in your great mercies you did not make an end of them or forsake them, for you are a gracious and merciful God.

32 "Now, therefore, our God, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God, who keeps covenant and steadfast love, let not all the hardship seem little to you that has come upon us, upon our kings, our princes, our priests, our prophets, our fathers, and all your people, since the time of the kings of Assyria until this day.

33 Yet you have been righteous in all that has come upon us, for you have dealt faithfully and we have acted wickedly.

Nehemiah 9:17-33

I could say much about this passage, but I'm just going to leave it with this....do you know, and not just know, but believe, that you are loved with a fiercly faithful, and wildly unconditional love by a Holy, Just, Gracious God? Do you see His provisions for you? His love for you? His grace for you?

He is there. He hears, He sees, He knows. He does not promise that your life will be easy and that everyone will like you and you will get things the way you want them. He does promise, persecution, suffering, discipline...His Holy Spirit and with Him comes, every spiritual blessing we need, salvation, eternal life with God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, free from damnation, forgiveness of our sins, new life, we ourselves made into a new creation...and thats just to name a few.

Grace and peace to you!

Nothing is wasted

I haven't done well at all this year at being an encourager in the some of the best waysI know how. Life and other things have gotten the best of me it seems. And as I just sat down to have a date with Jesus on my couch,I turned on pandora and I heard a song, and wanted to share it and this;

Sometimes your in those seasons of life where you feel like you have failed, or that your efforts are pointless, that the pain and frustration will never end, that your stuck. And people tell you, just endure, God is good, and sometimes, that just doesn't help. I have been in this season, numerous times, and expect to experience quite a few more, but I also know quite a few people who have experienced and are experiencing this season too. And this song, reminded me of those seasons, that there is hope and God is there and those seasons are not wasteful even though they often feel like it. God is still working for our good, He can revive, redeem, and restore every part of who we are and our lives. Even when we are unfaithful, He is faithful (this promise and truth, has been especially precious to me recently). We don't deserve the goodness of God, yet He lavishes us with it, and Himself. Nothing is wasted.

Even when you feel tired or weary, and don't want to pray or read, put on some music. Say 3 words...God help me. And I bet you, something will happen in you. Maybe not right at that second, but just wait for it a little, and The Spirit will start whispering, and your heart will start crying out, you will hear something that resonates, that will restore your hope, restore even an ounce of joy, bring some peace...hold onto that, and allow yourself to be drawn in. God works all things for his good. 

This song is called nothing is wasted, and it's by elevation worship. 

You know my every need

You see my poverty

You are enough for me, Jesus

You gave the blind man sight

You raised the dead to life

You've done the same for me, Jesus

You are loving, You are wise

There is nothing in my life You cannot revive

You are loving, You are wise

There is nothing too hard for our God

Your word inside of me

My strength, my everything

My hope will always be Jesus

Your breath inside my lungs

You're worthy of my trust

You will forever be Jesus

You are loving, You are wise

There is nothing in my life You cannot revive

You are loving, You are wise

There is nothing too hard for our God

Nothing is wasted

You work all things for good

Nothing is wasted

Your promise remains

Forever You reign

...