impact of the spiritual

July 24, 2008 at 8:59 pm (church plant, serving, spiritual battle, spiritual storm)
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What if this is your welcoming committee upon entering the kingdom of heaven:

Convicted felon now teaching bible studies
Meth addicts now praising God
Angry sons and daughters now filled with God’s love
Suicides now sitting at the banquet feast
Adulterers who are forgiven
Rebellious teen turned missionary
Serial killers reconciled to God

I recently viewed a video titled, Cardboard Testimonies. Powerful stuff. Thought provoking. And, in the moment, life changing.

I say “in the moment” because as soon as the next life altering crisis or trauma enters my life, that video will be forgotten. I might remember it as I’m falling asleep, but the impact this video has in my life will not be as weighty as its content warrants.

There are a handful of powerful videos, songs and messages that impact me intensely as I’m watching/listening to them. Every single time. But it would seem that the effect stops there. I don’t carry the message of impact with me into my everyday life. I feel greatly moved, deeply touched and then WHAM! The phone rings, the cat meows or someone else needs to be served and the message of hope and love I was just immersed in is like a vapor in the wind. It’s gone. Just like that.

What is wrong with me? Am I so weak-minded that I can’t stay focused and meditate on these things? Am I so weak-willed that I allow other issues to cloud my mind?

Or…does God have me right where He wants me so that “none may boast…” When I do finally become a mature Christian, it will be so blatantly obvious that it was all due to His work in me, that I am able to do nothing but point others to my Lord and Savior?

Of course, the last option would be my choice. It is, after all the “holy” answer. The answer that makes me feel better about the blackness of my heart. The answer that allows me to continue in the same manner I am, displacing all the pressure of results on God alone.

What do we do with the impact of the worshipful in our lives? How do we share it with others when we can’t get it to stick in our own lives?

I struggle with these things. A lot. I want to be God’s vessel for change, for ministry, for furthering His kingdom. But I’m not sure if I’m the willing vessel for God or simply the vessel of convenience for the emotionalism of this human body.

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holy spirit or magic 8 ball

July 11, 2008 at 8:00 pm (spiritual storm)
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Hasn’t everyone treated the Holy Spirit like one of those Magic 8 Balls we played with as kids?

I mean we all have asked questions expecting immediate and definitive answers to many issues when, in fact the answer itself is progressive. The answer takes some inward work, a heart change or even some outward work such as self control. And yet we want immediate results, instant gratification and pop culture responses.

I wonder what would happen if we actually tried using the Magic 8 Ball instead of waiting on the Holy Spirit.

I desire to live my life in God’s will. So, Magic 8 Ball am I living my life within God’s will?
Magic 8 Ball: Concentrate and Ask Again
okay…eyes squeezed shut…am I living my life within God’s will?
Magic 8 Ball: Outlook Not So Good

I would like to stop working at a job and devote my time to serving in ministry. How’s that looking Magic 8 Ball?
Magic 8 Ball: Reply Hazy, Try Again
I just want to quit my job!
Magic 8 Ball: My Sources Say No

After asking these questions of the Magic 8 Ball, I’m not convinced that the answers are any clearer or better or faster than what the Holy Spirit convicts in us, works through us and comforts our hearts.

For some reason, we have forgotten that most of the time, the progression of working and thinking through an issue is the answer. We forget that our relationship with God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit is somewhat interactive. It is not always about receiving some divine inspiration, sometimes it’s about giving when in pain and learning from our sins and how to love others as God loves us. It’s not magic and it doesn’t appear to be immediate. But it is for our benefit and for us to glorify God with.

So once again, Magic 8 Ball, is my future hopeful?
Magic 8 Ball: Ask Again Later

Great…out of all the Magic 8 Balls, I get the one with attitude.

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passion re-defined

July 1, 2008 at 9:05 pm (church plant, serving, women's ministry)
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When Christians say or hear the word passion, a few specific things come to mind.

The Passion of Christ – as so vividly demonstrated in the recent movie. Or this question, What is your passion or calling with regard to ministry?

I’m speaking of the latter in today’s blog.

I remember being asked that question many years ago and trying to figure out what it meant. What was I passionate about? What did I get excited about, what rejuvenated me, etc. I always thought it was women’s ministry since the programs, the studies, the events all fit under the banner of women’s ministry and it was really all I knew.

After many years of thinking this way, I just got so frustrated with the same programs, studies and events. Wondering why women were not being reached.

what was wrong with them?
or me?
or anything aside from the actual program, study or event?

Because it couldn’t possibly be those things. Those things had been meticulously thought out by people smarter and much more holy than me. Thought out, put in writing, correlated, stapled, glued and packaged into a neat box, ready to implement with a group of willing women.

Then another epiphany. I seem to be getting these closer together and somewhat more obvious, so the end must truly be near.

But I digress…

I heard an amazing and clarifying word from the Lawd via Shawn Maze, the founding pastor at Sanctuary. An amazing group of people who love the Lord with a great passion.

He spoke of passion in terms of dying for something. Serious terms of being so passionate about something, you would be willing to forfeit your life for it.

Wow.

Jesus did it. That must be why it’s called His Passion. He loved us and was so passionate about the Father, that Jesus died for it. For us.

Well, I can tell you. That changes the way I view my passion for anything now. I am surely not willing to die for a program or a study or even an event. I am not willing to die for a building or a tradition. I’m not even certain I’d die for an ideal or even the baby seals, no matter how many signatures were on the petition.

But I would put my life on the line for the Truth. The Truth that is Jesus. The truth that is the body of Christ.

So, what am I passionate about? What would I be willing to sacrifice my life for?

It goes without saying that I would give up my life for my husband, my children, my grandchildren, my parents, my brother and sister and any other family member.

However, I wanted to talk about the non-obvious…

I am passionate about those women who have been shot in the foot by other Christians. Those women who have been dissed by their Christian sisters in the name of homeschooling or some other ridiculously unbiblical cliche. And no…homeschooling is not unbiblical but making it a cliche to keep others out most certainly is.

I’d put my life on the line for those women who suffer, those women who stumble through life just looking for a kind word, a loving smile and genuine relationship.

My passion is for women who don’t know what they’re missing when they focus on anything but Jesus. When they find greater satisfaction in things of this world than their Lord and Savior.

My passion is for those dear sisters who don’t know that they are loved. They don’t know that others feel what they feel. Other women have been through what they have been through.

And through it all…they are loved by a God with a passion for them. A passion that I finally get. A passion that has now been adequately defined.

A passion for redemptive relationships.

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