This week, a bunch of students are on a missions trip to the St. Louis Dream Center. I'm SO excited for them! I had planned to go earlier in the summer, but I've given a lot of time to ministry, so I decided that it was important to give this month to my family. Keeping the balance...
So while they're there, I'm praying some very specific things for them. First of all, I'm praying that they are able to have a supernatural impact on lives of people who are in need of Christ. I pray that the work they do will have ETERNAL significance.
The second thing I'm praying is that they will have another awakening in their spirit to the purpose that God has for them. Some of them (not just the students; adults too) went down there with some big issues in life. There are some struggles and distractions that have been sucking the passion out of their spiritual lives. So I'm praying that they get a renewed focus on what's important, and continue to seek God about what He has in store for them. He has a plan...but we have to seek Him and His Kingdom first...then He will add those other things that we want to know about. "Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these other things will be added to you." Easy to memorize - difficult to live out.
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Day 14: My 21 Day Journal
Can you still walk away?
Sadly, over the years of being actively involved in church leadership, I've seen too many people that I thought were committed followers of Christ just walk away from Him. They didn't just leave our church...they turned back to their old life. I'm always bewildered and heartbroken by that. It begs the question - "Did they really KNOW Him?" "Had they truly repented?"
Ultimately only God knows that. But I do believe that when you dive deeply into being a disciple of Jesus Christ - there is no turning back for you. Like Peter said in John 6:68, Lord, where are we going to go (my paraphrase)? Only You have the words of eternal life. When you have that AHA moment and realize what Christ has rescued you from, you are forever changed. Salvation results from that revelation...and a deep love that grows in your heart out of that understanding. Once you get there, I don't think you can pretend like it never happened. So my theory...most of those people never quite got there. Only my theory. God only knows.
Sadly, over the years of being actively involved in church leadership, I've seen too many people that I thought were committed followers of Christ just walk away from Him. They didn't just leave our church...they turned back to their old life. I'm always bewildered and heartbroken by that. It begs the question - "Did they really KNOW Him?" "Had they truly repented?"
Ultimately only God knows that. But I do believe that when you dive deeply into being a disciple of Jesus Christ - there is no turning back for you. Like Peter said in John 6:68, Lord, where are we going to go (my paraphrase)? Only You have the words of eternal life. When you have that AHA moment and realize what Christ has rescued you from, you are forever changed. Salvation results from that revelation...and a deep love that grows in your heart out of that understanding. Once you get there, I don't think you can pretend like it never happened. So my theory...most of those people never quite got there. Only my theory. God only knows.
Monday, July 25, 2011
Day 13: My 21 Day Journal
What does God expect from me?
Have you ever asked yourself that question? I think we unconsciously live out our answers, but we don't really think it through. I think we feel lots of guilt when we sin because we think that our performance is what impresses God. I think we go to church because we think He has a big clipboard and is keeping track. We give $2 in the STL offering because then at least people see us participating - and it's better than nothing, right?
But what is God really looking for from us? Why should we strive to do what's right? Why should we discipline ourselves to go to church and meet with other believers? Why should we personally sacrifice so that others can hear the Gospel of Jesus?
Have you ever asked yourself that question? I think we unconsciously live out our answers, but we don't really think it through. I think we feel lots of guilt when we sin because we think that our performance is what impresses God. I think we go to church because we think He has a big clipboard and is keeping track. We give $2 in the STL offering because then at least people see us participating - and it's better than nothing, right?
But what is God really looking for from us? Why should we strive to do what's right? Why should we discipline ourselves to go to church and meet with other believers? Why should we personally sacrifice so that others can hear the Gospel of Jesus?
Day 12: My 21 Day Journal
The Secret Place...
Everyone has one. Even God has one. To me, it's the place where I escape the world to be alone in God's presence. It's a place of conversation, meditation, reading, resting, worship, humility, listening, weeping, pursuing, adoring, waiting, seeking, passion, practicing, soul-searching, understanding, asking, and dying.
Everyone has one. Even God has one. To me, it's the place where I escape the world to be alone in God's presence. It's a place of conversation, meditation, reading, resting, worship, humility, listening, weeping, pursuing, adoring, waiting, seeking, passion, practicing, soul-searching, understanding, asking, and dying.
Day 11: My 21 Day Journal
This is harder than it looks. I think the pre-printed reflection questions would definitely be helpful. :o) Okay - enough excuses. I'll catch up...
I just had my two nephews stay with me for a week. They are 7 and 9 years of age. They are boys, therefore they are energetic, creative, and excitable. That's a gentle way of saying hyperactive, bored easily, and sometimes combative with each other. LOL I already knew that before they came...my purpose was to bless my sister and her husband. They have a special needs daughter who requires very intensive and consistent care, and it definitely puts stress on their family life and marriage. So we gave them a gift of a week of relaxation. They arranged for extra nursing care and had a fantastic week.
So I KNEW the challenge was coming. I was going to have to CHOOSE to be patient and try to prevent problems before they arose. I mentally geared myself up for it the week before. And everything went really smooth! I was with my kids and my nephews all day Thursday and Friday - entertaining them - and by Friday evening, I was worn out. :o) But we had a lot of fun, I felt closer to them, and it was all worth it.
What would have happened if I hadn't prepared myself? I would have been surprised and frustrated by the little conflicts that come up. I would have been annoyed by the messes that were made. I would have not had any ideas how to keep them busy and they would have been in more mischief. I would have probably gotten crabby at everyone else because of all those things. So our house would have been in chaos, we would have been irritable with each other, and the boys would probably not wanna come back.
Preparing yourself for difficulties that lie ahead (and there ALWAYS are some) is always worth the effort, and saves you a great deal of pain. So take that approach in your spiritual life too. What may change?
I just had my two nephews stay with me for a week. They are 7 and 9 years of age. They are boys, therefore they are energetic, creative, and excitable. That's a gentle way of saying hyperactive, bored easily, and sometimes combative with each other. LOL I already knew that before they came...my purpose was to bless my sister and her husband. They have a special needs daughter who requires very intensive and consistent care, and it definitely puts stress on their family life and marriage. So we gave them a gift of a week of relaxation. They arranged for extra nursing care and had a fantastic week.
So I KNEW the challenge was coming. I was going to have to CHOOSE to be patient and try to prevent problems before they arose. I mentally geared myself up for it the week before. And everything went really smooth! I was with my kids and my nephews all day Thursday and Friday - entertaining them - and by Friday evening, I was worn out. :o) But we had a lot of fun, I felt closer to them, and it was all worth it.
What would have happened if I hadn't prepared myself? I would have been surprised and frustrated by the little conflicts that come up. I would have been annoyed by the messes that were made. I would have not had any ideas how to keep them busy and they would have been in more mischief. I would have probably gotten crabby at everyone else because of all those things. So our house would have been in chaos, we would have been irritable with each other, and the boys would probably not wanna come back.
Preparing yourself for difficulties that lie ahead (and there ALWAYS are some) is always worth the effort, and saves you a great deal of pain. So take that approach in your spiritual life too. What may change?
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Day 10: My 21 Day Journal
So what do you do when a really bad day comes? When it seems like every area of your life is getting messed with? What is your response to that?
A lot of people blame God or at the very least, get really angry at Him. He CAN stop it, so why doesn't He? I think that a lot of the things that we really care about are basically meaningless to God...in the scope of ETERNITY. So many things we spend time on will not matter in our eternal life.
But if we have an eternal mindset all the time, even those "trivial" things can matter. I'm sure I won't be a cheerleader in heaven - BUT if it brings me a little social status and attention at school, I could use that influence to attract people to our Souled Out Club!! Then they may become curious about church...and maybe then about God...and maybe they would make a decision to follow Him for life... Now THAT'S eternally significant!! And it all started with cheerleading! If we change our perspective about the way we look at life, we can find God's hand everywhere!
So when the terrible days come...and they will...you will still be able to see Him moving in your life if you have your eternal lenses on. We go through seasons of mountains and valleys, and God doesn't leave us through any of it!
A lot of people blame God or at the very least, get really angry at Him. He CAN stop it, so why doesn't He? I think that a lot of the things that we really care about are basically meaningless to God...in the scope of ETERNITY. So many things we spend time on will not matter in our eternal life.
But if we have an eternal mindset all the time, even those "trivial" things can matter. I'm sure I won't be a cheerleader in heaven - BUT if it brings me a little social status and attention at school, I could use that influence to attract people to our Souled Out Club!! Then they may become curious about church...and maybe then about God...and maybe they would make a decision to follow Him for life... Now THAT'S eternally significant!! And it all started with cheerleading! If we change our perspective about the way we look at life, we can find God's hand everywhere!
So when the terrible days come...and they will...you will still be able to see Him moving in your life if you have your eternal lenses on. We go through seasons of mountains and valleys, and God doesn't leave us through any of it!
Monday, July 18, 2011
Day 9: My 21 Day Journal
So I'm wondering how everyone is doing with seeking RADIATION like we talked about at camp. I used an analogy that I thought might help an idea stick.
We are all born with the same "disease" - sin. It's like cancer. You didn't choose it - you were born with it. It begins to make you "sick" very early on. Two year olds act out in anger and selfishness without anyone teaching them how. It's the cancer. So we learn to TREAT the disease as we get older. When you become a Christian, you receive the cure for it! But like cancer, you have to take care of your spiritual health so that the cancer will stay in remission. It's like when the Bible talks about mastering your sinful desires. It doesn't mean the desires disappear - but it does mean that they are not mastering you - you are mastering them by the power of the Holy Spirit.
In order to keep this cancer in remission, you need to nourish your spiritual life with the right things...prayer, the Word, Christian fellowship, etc. But you also need to seek RADIATION - time soaking in God's presence. His love and forgiveness is what keeps the cancer from killing us. You can be saved and get into heaven on just receiving the cure, but your life will be one full of pain and sickness if you don't continue to seek His radiating presence.
Have you been taking care of your spiritual health? How much radiation have you had this week?
We are all born with the same "disease" - sin. It's like cancer. You didn't choose it - you were born with it. It begins to make you "sick" very early on. Two year olds act out in anger and selfishness without anyone teaching them how. It's the cancer. So we learn to TREAT the disease as we get older. When you become a Christian, you receive the cure for it! But like cancer, you have to take care of your spiritual health so that the cancer will stay in remission. It's like when the Bible talks about mastering your sinful desires. It doesn't mean the desires disappear - but it does mean that they are not mastering you - you are mastering them by the power of the Holy Spirit.
In order to keep this cancer in remission, you need to nourish your spiritual life with the right things...prayer, the Word, Christian fellowship, etc. But you also need to seek RADIATION - time soaking in God's presence. His love and forgiveness is what keeps the cancer from killing us. You can be saved and get into heaven on just receiving the cure, but your life will be one full of pain and sickness if you don't continue to seek His radiating presence.
Have you been taking care of your spiritual health? How much radiation have you had this week?
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