The title really says it all. It has been way too long since I wrote on of these. I have to confess, I always feel guilty when I neglect this and not write anything for a long time. My last post was in January, that is just pathetic.
However, this time I am approaching resurrection of my "blogging" (I hate 21st century terms like that) in a totally different way. I see now that those times when I don't write anything for an extended period, those are the times that God teaches me the most and hopefully the times that I learn the most. All the ideas I get for my writing and sermons and such comes from these times of silent growth. I truly hope that this time I can keep up with this and produce more devotionals but I don't feel so bad leaving such a long time period in between times when I'm really cranking them out and when I have nothing to say.
I do apologize to any of you out there who enjoying reading these. I don't mean to purposefully neglect writing (and anyway y'all should be reading and studying on your own). But it is in these times that God teaches me and I actually have something to write about down the road.
It has been a wild couple of months. With the church planting going up and down, back and forth and finally landing at a place we can let God do his thing, I have learned a great and grown a great amount.
That is the point though isn't it??
Something that God has been laying on my heart recently is what the bible calls sanctification. Which is a big fancy word that means the process God takes us through to take on more godly characteristics and become more like him. Rich Mullins once said "God became one of us, so we could become more like Him."
I have been more and more convicted that if I am not growing and maturing in my relationship with God and becoming closer to him, than I am staying stagnate and in essence dying. As followers of Christ we should be striving to grow closer to God and falling more in love with Jesus. He himself said if you love me you will obey my commands. To obey the commands of Christ is in itself to draw closer to him. You can't have one without the other.
Paul says in Galatians that we should walk by the Spirit. I believe that is allowing God to transform and change you. Don't think that it can't happen to you. Sometimes when I look at people like Francis Chan or John Piper, I think that could never be me. But the only thing they and others have going to keeping in step with the Spirit. Paul also says that we should say Yes to the Spirit and not the desires of the flesh. When we say yes to the Spirit and no to the flesh (because they are polar opposite) we are becoming more like God.
Are you striving or even wanting to be more like God or take on more godly characteristics? I'm not trying to sound judgemental but if you claim to be a "Christian" but have no change in your life or desire to change anything in your life, I would rethink that title you give yourself. Like I said I don't want to come off judgemental but I think the time has come for truth and not political correctness. Paul said if there is one who claims to be a believer but their life does not reflect it, cast him out and let him come to repentance.
Read the bible for yourself and see if your life matches up with what God is calling His people too. If you are not growing and maturing or obey Jesus' commands...really what is the point of calling yourself a follower??
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