Living for the Moment

I’m drained today.  Hours at the pool, in the sun, with the kids pulling on me....I’m spent.  It gets worse.  Problems arise. Issues develop.  It’s coming from all perceivable sides and I’m just physically tired to top it off.  It’s one of those days, ripe for Satan to start beating me down spiritually.  

Thoughts of inadequacy take shape, failure.  I begin to only hope in some future tomorrow.  “It will all get better after I get this done, then that.”  I’ll get back on track AFTER I put out these current fires.  Maybe even a deadline is assigned...two, three months from now...it’ll be different.  It’s the same feeling we get when we’re trying to get into gear after the pain of any spiritual, mental or physical crisis.  Someday it will be better.  Someday we’ll know God’s will for our lives and we will get moving in that direction. Until then, we’re in neutral, or putting out fires and dealing with daily life issues at best.  There’s always something, isn’t there?

“Forget about His will for your life!”  I read this chapter heading in Francis Chan’s new book, “Forgotten God” and I thought maybe Francis had lost his marbles!  Then he explains,

How many times have you heard someone say, “I just wish I knew God’s will for my life?”  I know I’ve longed for this before.  But now I see it as a misguided way of thinking and talking.  There are very few people in the Scriptures who received their life plan from God in advance (or even their five-year plan, for that matter!)  

Francis uses the example of Abraham who was told by God to pack up and start walking.  He didn’t know ANY details.  How long, where to, would there be a benefits package, etc.  God said to go, he went.  Francis points out that we need to stop waiting on God to show us the whole picture and instead respond to the Holy Spirit’s leading today, in this moment. He says, “It is easy to use the phrase ‘God’s will for my life’ as an excuse for inaction or even disobedience.  It’s much less demanding to think about God’s will for your future than it is to ask Him what He wants you to do in the next ten minutes.  It’s safer to commit to following Him someday instead of this day.”

So true, isn’t it?  Satan can debilitate us from living fully for God today by simply making us think of a future day and keeping us busy with issues or in waiting on “plans to be revealed.”  What we really need to remember, what I need to remember, is that the Holy Spirit lives in me NOW, wants to work in me and through me NOW.  

There will always be fires and the next thing to keep me at bay.  What really needs to be done in some moments is, as Paul said, “I resolved to know nothing except Christ and Him crucified.” 1 Cor 2:2   Suddenly my day just changed :) Thank you Lord!

Today's Song - Blink by Revive

Teach me to number my days
And count every moment before it slips away
Taking all the colors before they fade to gray
I don’t want to miss even just a second more of this

It happens in a blink
It happens in a flash
It happens in the time it takes to look back
I try to hold on tight, but there’s no stopping time
What is it I’ve done with my life
It happens in a blink

When it’s all said and done
No one remembers how far we have run
The only thing that matters is how we have loved
I don’t want to miss even just a second more of this

(Chorus)

Slow down, slow down
Before today becomes our yesterday
Slow down, slow down
Before you turn around and it’s too late

Purity - What does it mean and why is it important?

I bought a purity ring last week to mark a new beginning; another season in life.  A constant reminder of how God calls us to live.  Then it spurred me to write again after having spent some time in silence. So here we are, once again...

A search for common definitions on purity from several places yields these results:

freedom from contaminants: the absence, or degree of absence, of anything harmful, inferior, unwanted, or of a different type

innocence, virtue, clarity

Freedom from sin or guilt; innocence; chastity: "Teach your children . . . the belief in purity of body, mind and soul"

purity of heart or of life.

Freedom from any sinister or improper motives or views.

The theme being purity brings freedom for the body, mind and soul.  Freedom from guilt, sin, harmful things, even improper motives or views.  It has been a subject resonating with me for some time now; a challenge at times.  In the physical sense there is the obvious...I’ve been 14 months now roughly without my spouse by my side.  If you would have asked me 15 months ago if it was a possible task to take on, foregoing the physical for so long...I would have said you’re crazy! :)  I would have dubbed myself the least likely candidate for that job (as well as most other men I’m sure.)

I’m not saying it’s been a breeze or I haven’t had to face temptations, BUT there is something amazing in abstinence and purity.  For starters, it puts the focus all on God and off of self. (Perhaps we’ll elaborate on this another time)  Equally important areas in purity are of the mind and soul.  When we strive towards purity in all areas of our lives (even though we may stumble at times) the resulting freedom is priceless.  Our accuser can’t hold anything over us.  When we are selfless in our motives and actions it becomes difficult for Satan to make us question ourselves so we can stand firmly on the rock. “Flee the evil desires of youth, and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.” 2 Tim 2:22

What would it be like to daily ask God to reveal our hidden motives and expose our hearts openly before the Lord? “...He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men's hearts...” 1 Cor 4:5 We have to be willing to accept and change our thought process and our actions to be in line with His will for our lives...even when it’s inconvenient for us.  After all, if God is convicting us, isn’t it because He loves us and wants what is best for our lives?

Besides, the alternative is willingly giving Satan a foothold in our lives to create guilt, shame, helplessness, low self esteem, timidity, etc.  “For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.” 2 Timothy 1:7  Satan can tear us down and incapacitate our lives.  Perhaps this one area has been holding you back from the abundant life God has for you. 

Don’t buy into the lies anymore, you know the ones that liar tells you (and I know the ones he tells me.)  If it feels good... OR ...many other Christians are ok with (fill in the blank)... OR...it’s not a sin if I only take it “this” far...OR... music and movies don’t affect me...

“...let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.” 2 Corinthians 7:1

Whatever it is that contaminates and the lies we buy into...you know.  Choose purity, walk it out with God, set apart.  In the world, but not of the world, right?!! :)

Jesus is very fond of you and so am I,

Brian

Who do you live for?

How are our lives different because of Christ?  We believe in His sacrifice, in His goodness and grace.  What does it require of us, anything short of our very lives?  Do the deeds of our heart outwardly show this level of devotion and thankfulness?  If we are no longer slaves to sin, but were purchased at such a high price to be slaves to righteousness then shouldn’t it move us to give up ourselves.

Jesus said that to gain our lives, our freedom in Christ, we must loose it.  Freely give up our “rights” of serving our own emotions and fleshly desire.  Give it away, give it all away!!!  If we try to hold on to our lives, we WILL loose it.  Let go of justice, let go of hate, let go of anger, let go of hurt, let go of the idea that we can not overcome or forgive certain sin, let go of the belief that matters are in our own hands.  They are not, believe...have faith and believe.  Believe that He parts seas, that He calms storms, that He heals the sick, He raises the dead to life, makes the blind to see and the unclean clean.  He heals the broken heart, returns the prodigal, brings the proud to their knees, brings hope to the hopeless.  Believe, truly believe.

We say we believe, but the truth is not in our words but in our deeds.  For out of the heart comes the actions of men.  If we are full of the Spirit, then it will bear fruit in the form of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness and self-control.  If our actions are full of anger, bitterness, jealousy, hate, judgment, etc.  Then our actions testify against us as to what is in our hearts.

In our self assessment, what is our spiritual food?  Are we getting any?  How much time do we devote to God, getting to know Him better, serving Him....living with heavenly purpose.  Is He our Sunday activity or is He truly our “all in all.”  Our actions speak the truth.  The hours of the day are for Him or they are not.  

Don’t tell me you’ve done your time.  Really?  Is that what you’re going to tell Jesus when you give an account for your life to the one who gave His very life for you?  Is this the view you have of the sacrifice He made, that it only deserves a portion of your life?  How lukewarm will we be before He spits us out of his mouth, before we stand before the throne and He says, “depart from me, for I never knew you.”

“Not everyone who calls out to me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter.  On judgment day many will say to me, ‘Lord! Lord! We prophesied in your name and cast out demons in your name and performed many miracles in your name.’  But I will reply, ‘I never knew you. Get away from me, you who break God’s laws.’ Matthew 7:21-23

Are we doing His will?  Is our life bearing the fruit of the Spirit?  What comes out of our hearts and is manifested through our actions and emotions?  Only those who do the will of the father...will enter. Is it enough to claim Jesus as savior with our words, but deny Him with our hearts?  You decide and live accordingly.