New England Aflame Part 3
So what does that look like for us over here? What do I do right now to move in this direction? I'm not 100% sure, but I do know it requires a radical change of current thought patterns. I need to reevaluate what I want versus what I actually need. Three questions I've been asking myself and they have been even more highlighted this weekend. The other questions have come as I have been processing the conference.
Where do I spend my time?
How do I spend my money?
What do I put in my mouth(fasting)?
I believe the answers to these questions really show our spiritual condition. There's a million reasons, including "practical" ones even given by well meaning Christians about why we can't do these things.
Am I willing to spend time in prayer when I could be doing other things? Prayer really is a waste of time in a worldly sense. It is sacrificing real things that need to be done. The house isn't as clean, the laundry piles up, things don't get done as often as they should. I am giving up practical, material things, to invest and spend time with the eternal ones.
Am I willing to give, not when I see a need, but when He tells me too? Regards of how valid I think it is? Money is one of the biggest hurdles and I believe, it is the one that will be the deciding factor in our level of faith and trust. Money in a practical, real, day to day living. Am I willing to give my utility money in the moment of need knowing that when the time comes my Father will provide?
Here's new question that I've been thinking about. Do I need really need to save hundreds of thousands of dollars for retirement when there are so many needs right now? Most people would freak at this question and consider even entertaining it as madness. And I know all the responses I would get about stewardship and being responsible, people misusing what you give them, how many times do you bail someone out(as many times as the Lord tells out whether it's once or a hundred)etc etc. But looking at the acts church, there was no retirement, no saving, no hording of the money. Everyone shared as they had. And I've heard "well that won't work because everyone would have to do that and most people won't..." So I'm going to follow the crowd and not going to do what's shown in the bible because the rest of the church isn't? Really? We give all our money to our churches, but are they caring for the orphan, the poor, and the widow or planning the next program or upgrade? Good intentions don't meet the need. Good intentions kill people-spiritually and physically.
Am I willing to fast when called to-giving up physical time and energy in order to create change and shift in the unseen realm? Like praying fasting takes energy and time. You have less energy and real things that you should be doing you can't. But again in the light of all eternity, does it really matter?
Am I willing to love with reckless abandon for the good and safety of myself? Am I able to step out pray for the healing of the sick and/or terminal or the raising of the dead, knowing that my Dad's going to back me up?
The light of eternity. That has been my prayer as of late. Lord give me You heart and let me see my time, money, and energy in the light of the eternal. At first that'll really wreck you day. It's foreign, it's strange, it's goes against everything that we've been taught to do as people, even in the church. We've come up with why we can't do something and then created doctrines and ideals around them in order to fortify ourselves and make it easy on ourselves.
Somewhere along the line we have reversed the first two commandments and made religions out of it. Our calling, our purpose is not to save the lost. It's really not. We are to love Him with the spirit of mary of bethany and the fire of John the baptist. It's hard enough to control or humanity and love Him with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength. It's no wonder why I can't do everything else too. When we have daily encounter with His love, we love, and out of that love flows love and desire to save to lost and it can't help but overflow-THAT'S evangelism. Taking care of the orphan, the poor, and the widow.
As I have tried lots of the prayer and little of fasting and money part, I'm feeling a release-and I didn't even know I was bound. There's a new freedom taking place that I didn't know existed. The freedom of not having to have all the answers, not having to have it all figured out. It's living in the place where the Spirit is. And where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.
Where do I spend my time?
How do I spend my money?
What do I put in my mouth(fasting)?
I believe the answers to these questions really show our spiritual condition. There's a million reasons, including "practical" ones even given by well meaning Christians about why we can't do these things.
Am I willing to spend time in prayer when I could be doing other things? Prayer really is a waste of time in a worldly sense. It is sacrificing real things that need to be done. The house isn't as clean, the laundry piles up, things don't get done as often as they should. I am giving up practical, material things, to invest and spend time with the eternal ones.
Am I willing to give, not when I see a need, but when He tells me too? Regards of how valid I think it is? Money is one of the biggest hurdles and I believe, it is the one that will be the deciding factor in our level of faith and trust. Money in a practical, real, day to day living. Am I willing to give my utility money in the moment of need knowing that when the time comes my Father will provide?
Here's new question that I've been thinking about. Do I need really need to save hundreds of thousands of dollars for retirement when there are so many needs right now? Most people would freak at this question and consider even entertaining it as madness. And I know all the responses I would get about stewardship and being responsible, people misusing what you give them, how many times do you bail someone out(as many times as the Lord tells out whether it's once or a hundred)etc etc. But looking at the acts church, there was no retirement, no saving, no hording of the money. Everyone shared as they had. And I've heard "well that won't work because everyone would have to do that and most people won't..." So I'm going to follow the crowd and not going to do what's shown in the bible because the rest of the church isn't? Really? We give all our money to our churches, but are they caring for the orphan, the poor, and the widow or planning the next program or upgrade? Good intentions don't meet the need. Good intentions kill people-spiritually and physically.
Am I willing to fast when called to-giving up physical time and energy in order to create change and shift in the unseen realm? Like praying fasting takes energy and time. You have less energy and real things that you should be doing you can't. But again in the light of all eternity, does it really matter?
Am I willing to love with reckless abandon for the good and safety of myself? Am I able to step out pray for the healing of the sick and/or terminal or the raising of the dead, knowing that my Dad's going to back me up?
The light of eternity. That has been my prayer as of late. Lord give me You heart and let me see my time, money, and energy in the light of the eternal. At first that'll really wreck you day. It's foreign, it's strange, it's goes against everything that we've been taught to do as people, even in the church. We've come up with why we can't do something and then created doctrines and ideals around them in order to fortify ourselves and make it easy on ourselves.
Somewhere along the line we have reversed the first two commandments and made religions out of it. Our calling, our purpose is not to save the lost. It's really not. We are to love Him with the spirit of mary of bethany and the fire of John the baptist. It's hard enough to control or humanity and love Him with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength. It's no wonder why I can't do everything else too. When we have daily encounter with His love, we love, and out of that love flows love and desire to save to lost and it can't help but overflow-THAT'S evangelism. Taking care of the orphan, the poor, and the widow.
As I have tried lots of the prayer and little of fasting and money part, I'm feeling a release-and I didn't even know I was bound. There's a new freedom taking place that I didn't know existed. The freedom of not having to have all the answers, not having to have it all figured out. It's living in the place where the Spirit is. And where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.
posted by John | 2:33 PM
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