What's Happening?
2009-07-08 12:30 a.m.
Wow, I just realized that I haven't posted a blog in, like, FOREVER. It's high time that I gave all you guys an update on my oh-so-ordinary life.
So, first of all, God has really been working in me; in SO many ways. He keeps showing me how incompetent I am on my own, and how much I need to stop trying to do things in my own strength and trying to make things happen in MY own time. Instead, I need to stand back and allow Him to work, and do things how He wants. And, just like the lyrics of that old song state: "He makes all things beautiful IN HIS TIME". It's SO important that we realize that God's timing is not always OUR timing, which can be a hard lesson to learn, *sigh*.
He's also been blessing me with SO many incredible songs, which has been so amazing. They've been coming so thick and fast this summer, I haven't had time to keep up with recording them as they come (I do use a tape recorder so I won't forget the ideas), but I haven't had time to make a real, professional recording of many of them. It seems like most of the songs are all about coming back to that place of surrender to God; where we come out of the world and begin to TRULY dedicate our lives to Him.
That's ANOTHER thing He's really been showing me. I need to surrender my life to Him 100%. It's not good enough to be sold out for God 86%, or even 99%, but He wants ALL of us. And WHY does the majority church today do just enough to "get by"? Why aren't they on fire for God? Why can't the preachers stand up in the pulpits and NOT be afraid to speak out against sin and call it just what it is? Where is the fire and the zeal that we once had in this nation? The call to repentance? Why are people just content to sit in their little shells every Sunday morning and listen to the nice "feel-good" message, and then go right back to living a lie?? Can't these people understand that you CAN'T water down the truth of God's Word!?? It's ALL OR NONE. Either you are a follower of Jesus Christ, or you are not a follower of Jesus Christ, and MAKE UP YOUR MIND!! Like I John 1:6 says: "If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth." But why does the church think that they have to be "relevant" to the world? I thought we were supposed to come OUT of the world, not be conformed to it! I John 2:15-17 says: "Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is NOT in him. For all that is in the world--the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life--is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever." But so often, it seems like the church tries to be part of the world! What's the problem with that?? THEY JUST DON'T MIX!!! Isaiah 5:20 says: "Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!"
I think we need to start praying that God would deliver this country from it's apathetic state. That He would open the eyes of these spiritually blind and deaf people, many of whom claim to be "Christians", yet are walking in the world. I certainly don't want to be lumped in with the Laodicean church in Revelation 2:15-16 where Jesus says: "I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. So then, because you are LUKEWARM, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth." I want Jesus to say "Well done, good and FAITHFUL servant". I want to be SO on fire for Him that if He came this second He would find me about His business. We all need to be praying that God would REVIVE this land!!!
I'm sure you all have heard II Chronicles 7:14: "If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, [which literally means to bend-the-knee], and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land." So let's begin to humble ourselves. To get down on our knees before God and PRAY. Pray and seek His face, turn from our wicked ways, so that our land may be revived!
Now for a TRUE revival to take place: three things are needed. #1: People HAVE TO GET BACK TO GOD'S WORD. No leaving out the parts you "don't like", or "disagree" with. You HAVE to accept God's Word in it's ENTIRETY.
#2: People are open to the work of the Holy Spirit. Unfortunately, so many churches are either abusing the gifts of the Holy Spirit by over-emphasizing them, or suppressing them. God intended there to be a BALANCE between the Word of God, and His Spirit. After all, the Spirit WROTE the Word of God. It's never going to contradict anything written in there. So you can't just accept the Word and throw out the Spirit, or just accept the Spirit and throw out God's Word. It doesn't work that way.
#3: People PRAY. They humble themselves and seek God's face.
I don't know about you, but I'm SOOO hungry for more of God. I want to see His hand move like never before. I want to see Him do a NEW work in THIS generation. It's hopeless without Him!!! LET'S START PRAYING!!!
So, first of all, God has really been working in me; in SO many ways. He keeps showing me how incompetent I am on my own, and how much I need to stop trying to do things in my own strength and trying to make things happen in MY own time. Instead, I need to stand back and allow Him to work, and do things how He wants. And, just like the lyrics of that old song state: "He makes all things beautiful IN HIS TIME". It's SO important that we realize that God's timing is not always OUR timing, which can be a hard lesson to learn, *sigh*.
He's also been blessing me with SO many incredible songs, which has been so amazing. They've been coming so thick and fast this summer, I haven't had time to keep up with recording them as they come (I do use a tape recorder so I won't forget the ideas), but I haven't had time to make a real, professional recording of many of them. It seems like most of the songs are all about coming back to that place of surrender to God; where we come out of the world and begin to TRULY dedicate our lives to Him.
That's ANOTHER thing He's really been showing me. I need to surrender my life to Him 100%. It's not good enough to be sold out for God 86%, or even 99%, but He wants ALL of us. And WHY does the majority church today do just enough to "get by"? Why aren't they on fire for God? Why can't the preachers stand up in the pulpits and NOT be afraid to speak out against sin and call it just what it is? Where is the fire and the zeal that we once had in this nation? The call to repentance? Why are people just content to sit in their little shells every Sunday morning and listen to the nice "feel-good" message, and then go right back to living a lie?? Can't these people understand that you CAN'T water down the truth of God's Word!?? It's ALL OR NONE. Either you are a follower of Jesus Christ, or you are not a follower of Jesus Christ, and MAKE UP YOUR MIND!! Like I John 1:6 says: "If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth." But why does the church think that they have to be "relevant" to the world? I thought we were supposed to come OUT of the world, not be conformed to it! I John 2:15-17 says: "Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is NOT in him. For all that is in the world--the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life--is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever." But so often, it seems like the church tries to be part of the world! What's the problem with that?? THEY JUST DON'T MIX!!! Isaiah 5:20 says: "Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!"
I think we need to start praying that God would deliver this country from it's apathetic state. That He would open the eyes of these spiritually blind and deaf people, many of whom claim to be "Christians", yet are walking in the world. I certainly don't want to be lumped in with the Laodicean church in Revelation 2:15-16 where Jesus says: "I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. So then, because you are LUKEWARM, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth." I want Jesus to say "Well done, good and FAITHFUL servant". I want to be SO on fire for Him that if He came this second He would find me about His business. We all need to be praying that God would REVIVE this land!!!
I'm sure you all have heard II Chronicles 7:14: "If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, [which literally means to bend-the-knee], and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land." So let's begin to humble ourselves. To get down on our knees before God and PRAY. Pray and seek His face, turn from our wicked ways, so that our land may be revived!
Now for a TRUE revival to take place: three things are needed. #1: People HAVE TO GET BACK TO GOD'S WORD. No leaving out the parts you "don't like", or "disagree" with. You HAVE to accept God's Word in it's ENTIRETY.
#2: People are open to the work of the Holy Spirit. Unfortunately, so many churches are either abusing the gifts of the Holy Spirit by over-emphasizing them, or suppressing them. God intended there to be a BALANCE between the Word of God, and His Spirit. After all, the Spirit WROTE the Word of God. It's never going to contradict anything written in there. So you can't just accept the Word and throw out the Spirit, or just accept the Spirit and throw out God's Word. It doesn't work that way.
#3: People PRAY. They humble themselves and seek God's face.
I don't know about you, but I'm SOOO hungry for more of God. I want to see His hand move like never before. I want to see Him do a NEW work in THIS generation. It's hopeless without Him!!! LET'S START PRAYING!!!