Are You Brave Enough to Deal with the Truth?

“You sin because you love your sin more than you love God.” That was a disturbing but true reality spoken to me by Joy Dawson in her book, “Intimate Friendship with God.” I prefer to ignore that raw truth. However, because I have a covenant relationship with Jesus, He won’t let me ignore it. It has been over 10 years since I read Joy’s book and I find myself being pulled back to this stark truth. I sin because I love my sin more than I love God.

I am a self proclaimed “world class justifier.” I can give a convincing argument for just about any action, even sinful ones. I am my own most gullible audience. I have justified my pride, anger that leads to sin, slothfulness, and a myriad other things that are far from Christ-like. When my “justifications” are honestly assessed under the convicting gaze of the Holy Spirit, I am left “wretched, miserable, poor, blind and naked” (Revelation 3:17) and must repent.

You see, for some time I have been praying for those who willfully live on the fence. At the same time, to my chagrin, the Holy Spirit is exposing the lack of compassion in my own heart. God is calling me to a higher standard of compassionate intercession. I am frustrated with how easily so many just seem to be playing church. I am fearful for those who want the safety net of praying the sinner’s prayer, but have no visible desire to follow Jesus’ teaching, let alone deny themselves or pick up a cross.

I am finding God laying their care on my heart. I don’t want to carry this load. I can easily justify not agonizing in prayer for them, because they have already heard and know the way. Then God points to me, and reminds me of my willful disobedience and love for sin.

James chapter four deals with those who call themselves Christians yet are involved in terrible, sinful things. As I read through the chapter, my heart grows heavier, and I even use these verses as promptings to pray for others. But then I come to the last verse and find my name all over it.

You see, in my eagerness to wipe the dust of those who don’t receive the message of holiness and righteous living (Matthew 10:14) off my feet I am confronted with James 4:17 (NKJV) “Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.” And the simple truth I must deal with is this: I haven’t been carrying the load of intercessory prayer for those whom God is laying on my heart, and I must. (Galatians 6:2-6) I might end up wiping their dust off my feet, but not today. Today I must pray for them. Today I must plead with the God of Mercy to pour out His grace upon them one more time. If I don’t, I love my sin of prayerlessness more than I love my God.

If you are interceding as you ought, I pray that this reflection encourages you. If you are not, I pray that it will have the same haunting affect on you as it has on me.

Blessings as you pick up the cross of intercession!

It's Time to Weep

I posted this Monday on myspace. It expresses the things the Holy Spirit is currently challenging me with. I trust it will cause a pause in your day and give you something to think about. blessings,

PB

Many of you know that I have had a growing burden. It’s not letting up it’s intensifying. I am feeling like John the Baptism must have when he was preaching “prepare the way of the Lord”. Like the children of Israel who stopped looking for the Messiah to return, I am afraid that many Christians have stop expecting and praying for the return of Christ.

My heart is breaking, I find myself now crying (weeping) every time I address a group. It happened yesterday in Sunday School, as I preached at Christ Church in the Valley and again last night a youth. I am not sure if I am even making sense, there is so much on my heart I want to convey. The church must be red hot on fire for Jesus.

The two questioned etched on my heart from the Lord are: “Why are you on the planet?” and “can you be trusted with my babies?” As Christians we are here for two primary purposes, 1. to love God with all our heart, soul, strength and mind and 2. to influence everyone we can for Jesus. (Mark 12:28-30) We cannot do either passively or half heartedly.

If you are a Christian then live for Him as if you life depends on it because it does, not only your life but the lives of others. Jesus warned of a falling away in the last days. People who once knew him and served him would stand before him and be told, “I never knew you”. I am seeing it happen, that is why I am pleading with you to make sure you are living a life pleasing to God. Not only are people fallen away, they are literally dying without having a personal relationship with Jesus. Last week I was told of a boy who was in youth group with my girls who once knew Jesus, he was murdered while living a life away from God. Today, I was asked to pray for a young man who no doubt had heard the message of Jesus but who was not serving the Lord, he was in a bad accident because of drinking, this young man will probably die and if he lives he’ll be a vegetable. None of us better think it couldn’t happen to us because it can. Falling away from God is only one unchecked thought at a time which leads to one uncheck, un-repented of sin at a time. By God’s grace that wouldn’t be anyone I can influence.

Coming into focus is the reality that many are happy to asked Jesus to be their savior but not their Lord. I challenge you to live your life for God, not yourself. May everything we do, say and think line up with the scriptural model of a righteous and holy life.

Through out history those who passionately and consistently served God with all their hearts where considered radical and fanatics. To be red hot on fire for Jesus is consider irrational by most, especially Christians who are convicted by their own lack of commitment.

People have been beheaded, stoned to death, imprisoned, stripped of property, lost jobs and positions because they dared to live a radical life for Jesus.

Today, when challenged to take a stand and live it real for God far too many are choosing to go along with the crowd, keep silent when they should speak up and look the other way when ungodly thinks are being done in their presence instead of taking a stand.

I am weeping for the lukewarmness in the church. Selfishness seems to be ruling many hearts instead of Jesus ruling. I was feeling like I needed to apologize for coming on so strongly, delivering a heavy, not so fun message until the Holy Spirit encouraged me this morning to pick up the challenge and bring it to everyone I can. I am optimistic because I know that this kind of burden makes way for a move of God. Repentance and prayer always precede God sending revival. And the church needs revival. We need to return to our first love.

I challenge you to go after God with everything within you. Don’t settle for a life that does anything but please God. Examine your heart in light of scripture and with an ear tuned to hear God tell you what He sees and wants. Repent as needed and then please, please join me in praying that everyone you can influence will love God as He deserves and love others enough to live a life that will challenge them to go after God with everything they’ve got.

Psalm 126:4-6 (The Message) And now, God, do it again— bring rains to our drought-stricken lives So those who planted their crops in despair will shout hurrahs at the harvest, So those who went off with heavy hearts will come home laughing, with armloads of blessing.

God will bless but only if we are willing to weep as He weeps over a church that needs to get serious about Him and our responsibility for others. Blessings are coming for those who will repent and pray.