The Journey

I have heard many Speakers and messages on the topic of being Spirit-filled and Spirit-Controlled, but what does that look like to us in everyday life as Christians.  I have had several conversations over the past week that leads me to believe that believers in general  don’t understand how this is suppose to look.  I’m not a theologian, but I will try to present several points that I believe are vital to the Christian walk being Spirit led. There several levels in my opinion to this process.

1. On a Personal Level - I remember when God showed me that I needed to deal with the resentments and anger that had built up in my life from childhood on and at times thinking to myself “I can’t do this think! It’s too much!”  You see, all that past stuff was influencing my present behaviors. When stressed or confronted with conflict in any given situations, I would succumb to reacting in a retaliatory manor or I would withdraw in defeat and ruminate on how I would handle it differently the next time with the outcome being in my favor.  My anger consumed my ever waking moments at times to the point it had grown to be a monster that I no longer had control of.  Typical of our sin nature, it was always about me.  My mind would race like a mouse in one of those cages that goes round and round, but never going anywhere.  It was at this moment mentioned above when God said to me “You can’t do it!  Give it to me!”  I prayed and asked God to take it from me.  After some resistance initially, I began sensing when that urge to attack would start to come over me and I would stop everything and beg God to take it from me.  I was sick and tired of this cycle and I wanted victory.  When I would do this, God would give me a verse “My grace is sufficient for you, in your weakness I am strong.”or a portion of scripture to reflect on until He gave me peace.   This basic act of my will started changing me.  I was consciously choosing to give the Holy Spirit control.  This process is the foundation to becoming Spirit- filled and Spirit-led.  It starts with small steps and gains momentum once you feel the serenity that only His Spirit can give you.  It gave new meaning to “Come unto me ye who are heavy laden and I will give you rest.”  I remember thinking ” I don’t have to do it.  Jesus is is here with me.” Then I heard a term that I began repeating to myself when I would get stressed  ”Practice the Presence of Jesus”.   Remind yourself He is here with me.  I remember coming home and my family would say “you have changed so much”.  In my heart, I began  saying thank you, Lord for changing me to be a better reflection of You.

2. In My Marriage and Family- then I got married and realized my “old nature” was trying to creep into my marriage.  With close proximity and intimacy, new levels of intimate relations and spirit-led behaviors were being challenged.  It was easier when it is just me to deal with.  Now I was faced with dealing with “us”.  I remember listening to Dr Dobson one day and hearing him talk about something I call the “triangle effect”.  He said to visualize relational communication in your marriage as a triangle.  Christ is at the top and the husband and wife are the base.  If the husband and wife has an ongoing relationship with Christ, the distance between the husband and wife at the base will come closer and closer together as they each become more like Christ.  The Holy Spirit is the agent of change in that as His Spirit convicts and instructs us individually, He also affects collectively.  Which brings me to my last point.

3. In My Church- The scriptures refer to the church as being the Bride of Christ which He plans to return to take back to Heaven some day.  In the same way relational communication occurs in a marriage, it also occurs in the Church.  If Christ is the focal point of every believer in the same manner as the husband and wife are in the marriage mentioned above, then as we all become like Christ, become closer to each other.   As we all begin to reflect the character of Christ, we become one in Spirit.   A “Body” of believers who are looking for His Spirit to do a work in us individually and collectively.  We become a functioning “Body” that he can use.   His ability to use us as a body in our community is directly proportionate to our commitment to Him.  We’ve been  talking for sometime now about the feeling that God wants to do a special work in and through our church.  I believe that will only happen if we all become sensitive to the Holy Spirit’s in each of our lives and let Him lead us which in turn affect everyone around us and in our neighborhood.  They must see Jesus in me, and in you.

By nature, we are beings on a pursuit. Each of us is captivated and motivated by something. We live our lives in pursuit of things or ideas. This is why anxiety is so real to us. We worry about the stuff of life because it is part of our pursuits.

Jesus comes along and calls his followers to not be consumed with the basic needs of our lives. Rather we are to rearrange our priorities so that we can place God at the head of our pursuit. Consider Luke’s record of Jesus’ words:

But seek the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you.  “Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.  Sell what you have and give alms; provide yourselves money bags which do not grow old, a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches nor moth destroys.  For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.  (Luke 12:31-34 NKJV)

Jesus calls us to a different priority. It is one where my pursuit of God affects every area of my life.  Consider these points from Jesus’ instruction.

1.  Prioritize God in the pursuit of life.
Jesus calls us to no longer strive for the stuff of this world. Rather I am to actively seek the kingdom of God. If my priorities are right, I do not need to worry about my basic needs. They will be met by God. He will take care of me.

2.  God enjoys taking care of you.
It is simply amazing to consider the reality that our lives bring joy and pleasure to the God of the universe. God the Father wants to give you the kingdom. The writer of Hebrews states clearly this reality. He writes, “… He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. (Hebrews 11:6)” It pleases God to meet your needs as you prioritize him in your life.

3.  A proper priority will be reflected in action.
Jesus tells his followers that a proper priority is going to be reflected in action. If they are pursuing God and are no longer consumed with the stuff of this world, it will be seen in their generosity. In particular, they will be sensitive to the needs of others and they will do something about it.

4.  Your heart is reflected in what you pursue.
Talk is cheap. Actions speak louder than words. Jesus tells us that our hearts will be reflected in what we pursue. What do your pursuits tells us about the condition of your heart?

It is time to stop being consumed with the stuff of this life. We need to rearrange our priorities. It is time to pursue the God the Universe. Are you willing?

We would love to know your thoughts, please feel free to comment for the encouragement of others who are on the Journey.

Please note: As we are making the journey together, this blog provides you the opportunity to respond with your thoughts. You can also interact with others who have commented. We encourage you to use this blog as a vehicle for your spiritual growth.

It is easy to deceive ourselves concerning our motives. I may do or desire something and be fully convinced that my motives are pure. The problem is my heart is wicked. Jeremiah states:

 “The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it?
(Jeremiah 17:9NKJV)

Therefore, if I were to go deeper, I may find out that my motives are selfish and self-serving. This is why I have to continually pray that the Lord would “purify my motives.”

This is what Jesus was pointing to when he addressed the man who wanted Jesus to tell his brother to give him his inheritance (Luke 12:13-21). Jesus was looking at the deeper issue concerning the man’s heart and what truly motivated him. Ultimately, Jesus warns us against being motivated by money and stuff.

Based on Luke’s account of Jesus’ words, we can see several things that we need to consider if we are not be motivated by money and stuff.

1.  Recognize that the issue is not having wealth and stuff, but our attitudes concerning them.

2.  Examine your heart and motives by asking yourself some questions

• Who does the stuff I have belong to?
• Who ultimately gave my money and stuff to me?
• Is what I own just for me?”

3.  Don’t presume anything about the future. Recognize that we have no control over the future. What motivates you now may be meaningless in the future. Keep everything in perspective.

4.  Decide who you are living for. Is it God? Is it yourself?

As we consider Jesus’ word about our motivations, we need to purposefully choose to live for God.

We would love to know your thoughts, please feel free to comment for the encouragement of others who are on the Journey.

Please note: As we are making the journey together, this blog provides you the opportunity to respond with your thoughts. You can also interact with others who have commented. We encourage you to use this blog as a vehicle for your spiritual growth.

Each of us is motivated by something or someone. That is especially true with regards to how we live our Christian life. Whether you realize it or not, most of us live our lives as a result of fear.  Specifically, it is a fear of men. While our relationship with Jesus Christ is real, we stifle it because we are afraid of what others will say or do. That, my friends, is the fear of men.

The fact is “We need to get over it!” When it comes to your relationship with the God of the universe, our fear of men is trivial. This is the point that Jesus was making in Luke 12:4-12. Consider his words:

 “And I say to you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do.  But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear Him who, after He has killed, has power to cast into hell; yes, I say to you, fear Him! “Are not five sparrows sold for two copper coins? And not one of them is forgotten before God.  But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows. “Also I say to you, whoever confesses Me before men, him the Son of Man also will confess before the angels of God.  But he who denies Me before men will be denied before the angels of God. “And anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but to him who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven. “Now when they bring you to the synagogues and magistrates and authorities, do not worry about how or what you should answer, or what you should say.  For the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say.”   (Luke 12:4-12 NKJV)

Based on Luke’s account of Jesus words, we can see several things that we need to consider if we are not going to live as a result of the fear of men.

1.  Fear God because he is the one who will judge humanity.

2.  Fear God because you matter to him.

3.  There is a corresponding result for either acknowledging him or deny him in our lives.

4.  Don’t worry about what you will say when men confront you about your faith.

5.  The Holy Spirit will guide you in your testimony before others.

So ponder the question, “Who are you afraid of?”  Make a choice not to allow the fear of men to dictate your walk with Jesus Christ. Do not allow the fear of men to guide you.

We would love to know your thoughts, please feel free to comment for the encouragement of others who are on the Journey.

Please note: As we are making the journey together, this blog provides you the opportunity to respond with your thoughts. You can also interact with others who have commented. We encourage you to use this blog as a vehicle for your spiritual growth.

This may be shocking to you, but it is possible to become corrupted by church. We often embrace the idea that church is where we can escape the corruption of the world and its values. In a sense, that is true. However, the church community provides an unique opportunity for another form of corruption.

Consider Jesus’ warning in Luke 12:1-3.

In the meantime, when an innumerable multitude of people had gathered together, so that they trampled one another, He began to say to His disciples first of all, “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.  For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, nor hidden that will not be known.  Therefore whatever you have spoken in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have spoken in the ear in inner rooms will be proclaimed on the housetops. (Luke 12:1-3 NKJV)

Jesus warns his disciples to beware of the leaven or yeast of the Pharisees. Leaven or yeast in the scriptures is often a picture of corruption that slowly permeates a person’s life or community. He specifically identifies this leaven as hypocrisy. He is telling his disciples to be on guard against hypocrisy in their lives. Like the Pharisees, those who are engaged in kingdom living can succumb to hypocrisy and never be aware of it.

This is why it is possible to be corrupted by the church. Because of the nature of the church today, we can easily become fake and present ourselves to the community as if everything is okay, when in reality everything is not. That, my friends, is the corruption of hypocrisy. It is presenting ourselves to others as someone we are not. It happens frequently in church. It is easier to be fake than to be real.

But notice what Jesus told his disciples about hypocrisy.

1.  Hypocrisy is short-sighted.
Hypocrisy results as a short-term attempt to hide the truth about our lives. What we forget in our efforts to cover the truth is the fact that in the long term the truth will come out.

2.  Everything will be revealed.
Jesus makes it clear that everything that is hidden in our lives will at some point be revealed. That is scary. Eventually, whether now or when we stand before Jesus, our hypocrisy will be exposed for what it is.

3.  God sees everything.
Jesus makes an interesting point that we can miss. He states that what is whispered in an innermost room will be proclaimed on a housetop. When we whisper something in someone’s ear, we do so to keep others from hearing. It is a form of covering. Jesus is making the point that God is even aware of that which is whispered in private. He sees everything.

So what do we need to do to be on guard against the corruption of hypocrisy? We must make a conscious decision to choose to be real rather than fake with God. You see if I am real with God, it will be reflected in how I live my life with others. If I am fake with God, I will be fake with others. So make an effort to be very real with the heavenly father. He already knows who the “real you” is.

We would love to know your thoughts, please feel free to comment for the encouragement of others who are on the Journey.

Please note: As we are making the journey together, this blog provides you the opportunity to respond with your thoughts. You can also interact with others who have commented. We encourage you to use this blog as a vehicle for your spiritual growth.