state of the church

"The true man of God is heartsick, 

grieved at the worldliness of the Church, 

grieved at the toleration of sin in the Church, 

grieved at the prayerlessness in the Church. 

He is disturbed that the corporate prayer of the Church 

no longer pulls down the strongholds of the devil."

-Leonard Ravenhill

No matter how much we try to fit in and be comfortable with those around us, no matter how close to the world our lifestyle tends, there is yet a great chasm between the broad and narrow ways (Matt. 7). And sadly, Jesus says that few will find the narrow way that leads to true life! The more I read about the faith of our fathers, the more I think that modern Christians have missed it.

Several weeks ago, one of my FB acquaintances posted that his church was having a Wednesday prayer and worship evening, so he invited everyone on his friends list to come. And then he said, "Come out and support our pastor." I recoiled, "WHAT?!? What does supporting a pastor have to do with worshiping and praising and magnifying and spending time before our AWESOME GOD?!" Besides missing the point, his post reflected a "churchianity" that I don't share or believe in. God calls us to Himself, to worship Him, to commune with Him, to let Him change us into His image, and to let Him turn us into ministers of His saving grace. Not to follow a man or a dogma or doctrine.  Or get hung up" on one issue or another, totally missing the whole picture of our purpose for existence and life here on earth in view of eternity.

Paul addressed this in 1 Corinthians 3 when he was confronted with Christians who wanted to segregate and divide Jesus' followers into "camps of belief." He first states that some ministers plant seeds and some water them, but God is the one who  gives the increase. You almost think he is dismissing his own role in the ministry process, yet he says that every man shall "receive his own reward according to his own labor." So, yes, the church does play an important role in the spiritual life, but "supporting our pastor" should not be a motivation to spend an evening with our Maker and Savior!

I counsel and talk to students and parents every week who have no tools of the Kingdom, no power of the Holy Spirit, and no victory over their flesh, sin, and the devil to live a dynamic Christian life. It is sad but true. Sometimes I feel overwhelmed by the tide or spiritual and Scriptural ignorance that surrounds me (and I am not talking about my immediate family here!). I can only do my part to stem it and shine the light towards paths of righteousness, and leave the rest to the Lord! 

Case in point...several months ago, I had to call for an intervention meeting with the parents of one our struggling students. Only the mom could make time in her schedule to come. And when I asked her if she and her husband prayed over their children, she looked at me with a blank look and didn't know what to say. I still can't fathom the feeling that crashed into my spirit as I sat there, realizing that this parent didn't really care about their child's spiritual welfare. She could cry and weep all she wanted, but when the rubber hit the road, she wasn't willing to do what that Bible says to train up and intercede for her child(ren). 

Demonic apathy is rendering us powerless...it has crept in and stolen our zeal and thirst and hunger. In Matt. 11:12, Jesus was talking to his followers about John the Baptist, and explaining why John was so different and why he couldn't be like everybody else around him. And He ends with, "From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and violent men take it by force."

"May the things of this world so lose their power over us that we do not in the slightest wish to be "worldly"; nay, we even delight in not remaining 'in the world.'"

-Watchman Nee 

violence

No, this is not a rant against television violence, even though that does have a time and place of its own. :-)

This is about the call of God to His people, to just a few of His people, to be violent in seizing His kingdom. Matthew 11:12 says, "From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and violent men take it by force."  Here Jesus is talking to his disciples, the twelve that are nearest to Him. Right in the middle of a tribute to John the Baptist, his cousin and forerunner, He makes this comment and then ends it with "He who has ears, let him hear." Then he goes into a critique of "this generation," one which mirrors this current generation well.

But what does this "violence" entail? A desperate, zealous setting one's self apart for the work of the Lord. A voracious drive and determination to become more like the Savior. A desire to draw nearer to the God who so loved us all that He sent His Son to shed His blood to save us from the clutches of hell.

I have had a sense of spiritual change coming in my life for about a month now. I always get these "premonitions," if you will, that God is going to mix things up in my life, or ask me to do something that I would rather, in my own flesh, not do. I was listening to Banning Liebscher preach last week at BBF via livefeed, and he made an offhand comment that God may ask from you what He may never ask from your friends. I have often thought that about my family. Some of the things that He asked us to do that made absolutely NO sense from a human perspective. And when He asked it, He never clarified or told us why or how to explain our lifestyle or beliefs. He just said to obey Him.

And so, I feel strongly that He asked me to give up most of my leisure television time, shows that I have loved and watched for years, and to tighten the spiritual  belt of the movies that I watch. So I  am going to endeavor to spent this extra time (even though it was mostly late-evening and weekend time) cooking for the love of it, reading books that will help me counsel and teacher my kids better, re-learning the tricks of gardening, and exercising to get in better health. I ask the Lord to give my kids, in exchange, more victory over sin, more healing to their souls, and for myself, a closer and more Spirit-filled life that pleases Him!

The Fruit of the Spirit in my Life

Lord, I pray that the fruit of Your Spirit will manifest powerfully in my heart and life.
Fill me with Your love, peace, and joy.
Enable me to be patient, kind, and good.
Teach me to be faithful and gentle, and help me to have self-control at all times.
Control my life so much, Lord, that all these qualities are revealed in me and seen clearly by others.
Bring fruitfulness into my life today in every way possible.

Galatians 5:22-23
"The fruit of the Spirit is
Love, Joy, Peace, Longsuffering, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, Self-Control.
Against such there is no law."

From Prayers for Emotional Wholeness by Stormie Omartian

Jesus in my heart

I always loved this painting by Warren Sellman. He is said to have been inspired to do this painting back in the mid 1900s by the passage found in Revelations 3:20, "Behold, I stand at the door and knock: if any man hears my voice, open the door." 

When I was a kid, I understood the concept of Jesus obeying His Father to die on the cross to save us from sin. Mark 14:36, ""Abba, Father, all things are possible for You. Take this cup away from Me; nevertheless, not what I will, but what You will." Later on, I understood what Jesus meant when He told the disciples that He had to go back to heaven to sit at the right hand of the Father, and that He would send the Holy Spirit to be with them..."But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you" John 14:26. 

I was reminded today of the import of the theology of the Triune God. Its first mention is in Genesis 1:26, "Then God said, 'Let us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness." Jesus knocked on my heart's door as a small child. He opened the way to The Way. While I am here on earth, the Holy Spirit has been helping and teaching me. When I get to heaven, Jesus will be sitting at the right hand of the Father. 

Every day, my students ask me questions about God and our relationship with Him through Jesus. In January 2009 as a New Year's resolution, I promised the Lord that I would witness for Him every day. I never get tired of telling it. I'll tell it again and again, as long as I have breath.

Holy Spirit

Cori forwarded me an article by David Wilkerson (from Jan 6, 2010). I wanted to post and respond to it here on my blog in length.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Subject: FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT

“According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue” (2 Peter 1:3).

For years I’ve claimed to be filled with the Spirit. I have testified that I’ve been baptized in the Spirit. I’ve preached that the Holy Spirit empowers me to witness, and that he sanctifies me. I’ve prayed in the Spirit, talked to the Spirit, walked in the Spirit and heard his voice. I truly believe the Holy Spirit is the power of God.  

I can take you to the place where I was filled with the Spirit, at eight years of age. I’ve read everything that Scripture says about the Holy Spirit. Yet lately, I’ve found myself praying, “Do I really know this incredible power that lives in me? Or is the Spirit just a doctrine to me? Am I somehow ignoring him? Am I not asking him to do for me what he came to do?”

The fact is, you can have something very valuable and not know it. And you can’t enjoy what it is you have, because you don’t understand how valuable it is.

There’s a story about a farmer who worked his small farm his whole life. For decades he tilled the rocky soil, living poor and finally dying in discontent. At his death, the farm was passed down to his son. One day, while plowing, the son found a gold-streaked nugget. He had it appraised and was told it was pure gold. The young man soon discovered that the farm was full of gold. Instantly, he became a wealthy man. Yet that wealth was lost on his father, even though it was on the land his whole life.

So it is with the Holy Spirit. Many of us live in ignorance of what we have, of the power that resides in us. Some Christians live their entire lives thinking they have all the Holy Spirit brings, yet they truly haven’t received him in fullness and power. He isn’t accomplishing in them the eternal work he was sent to do.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I think that this is right on. Several years ago, I promised the Lord that I would witness at least once a day to someone, whether it be a student or stranger. And I have kept that promise for every day that I have left the house to work. Over this period of time, I have felt more spiritually empowered and emboldened than I ever have in years past. My spiritual energy and ministry output is much stronger, and I have been making use of more spiritual gifts than ever before. 

The more I spend myself for the Lord in His Harvest work, the more of the Holy Spirit I feel I am getting...a continual filling I might say. I want to become more and more "perfect, even as (my) Father in heaven is perfect," so this must continue for me to be the woman of God that I have been asked to be. As 2 Peter states, if He has given me "all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him," then He is enabling me to KNOW Him, and by knowing Him, I will have everything that I need for life, dealing with my sins quickly, and developing Godliness. 

I have never been ignorant of the Holy Spirit in me. My own childhood experience with Jesus and the Holy Spirit was moving and memorable. I have had a constant sense of His presence in my life since I was saved. But I want His infilling continually. I never want spiritual apathy or stagnation to drown His wooing and whispering. 

Fill me up, Lord! Let me come to You continually for the Water of Life!

the 4th

We had a great July 4th with most of the family gathered at the "White house" for fun, food, and general niece-enjoyment! Corrie Lynn was a hoot the whole day...what a character! Mom, Trish & I got there a little after 2 and finished setting up the food service. Nanny Linda came late, but she seemed to enjoy herself. Sarah came for a short while, but only ate and slept and left early. Daniel worked so he didn't come. Trish and I took CL in her little red car down to the water for a stroll. Several of their neighbors were putting on competing fireworks shows; it was fun to watch. Then we got out the sparklers that I had gotten at the tent sale and CL LOVED them. Cute pics coming! :-D A lovely day in all.

 

I think that Cori is having a boy, but we should find out for sure in several weeks. She is carrying very high this time, and the heart beat is slower than CL's was, even though they could hear it earlier this time. He will be Benjamin Michael (I know...common name). Anyway, I would like for it to be a girl. But then again, I don't really care which it is! :-D More to LOVE!!!

Upon finding out that Sono Harris had died today, I perused several blogs by her family members and found this article about their household of Faith Community Church's tenants. It mirrors almost exactly what I believe about the Holy Spirit and His gifts. Not being a cessationist makes me different in theology from just about everyone I know in my literary world and the homeschool community in general. I had no idea, except for the fact that Josh took over C. J. Mahaney's pastorate, that they were full-gospel.  Charismatic In Ministry
I did know that they were Reformed/Calvinist. I wonder if there is a branch church nearby here anywhere. Something to research. Our local full-Gospel churches are liberal in doctrine, so we haven't ever fit in anywhere.

Marisa gets married on Saturday. Looking forward to that. She and Dustin are very happy together! :-)