Monday's Musings

I would like to reiterate a thought that I shared on our Facebook page over the weekend. It is truly my desire and hunger to connect with the heart of God. I believe that satan is doing everything in his power to interfere with our "connection" with God. I don't think that the devil is concerned about us knowing about God as long as we don't get to know God. I sincerely believe that there is a GREAT DIFFERENCE in knowing "about God" and "knowing God through a personal relationship. I do believe that it is possible that many believers in the present day church are trying to survive on knowledge rather than relationship.

It is also possible that many of us believe that just being "present" in church will satisfy that spiritual thirst that God has placed in all of us. The present day church attendance can also be very sporadic due to the fact that we place many "things of life" as more important than our time with God. But doesn't our relationship with God have more to offer than just being counted present? Jesus has promised us a journey that will produce "abundant life." Doesn't that  declaration sound like more than just getting a check mark by your name signifying that you WERE PRESENT AT AN EVENT? God has so much more to offer the present day church and I believe that it is TIME FOR EACH OF US  to stop settling for less and reach for more!!

The Spirit is challenging me to increase my level of faith which in turn will increase as well as strengthen my level of expectation. I sensed that "call" in service yesterday as well as in prayer this morning. Don't settle for the lies of satan! Don't settle for just going through the "motions" of a religious practice! Don't settle for the crumbs when Jesus offer so much more to each of us through the continuing development of our relationship with Him. 

I believe that far too many Christians have their spiritual relationship in PARK rather than DRIVE!! It is time for the present day church to move forward. Moving forward will move us out of complacency, excuse making, spiritual laziness, lethargy and a host of other fleshly actions that will move us away from God rather than near to God.

I would like to share some thoughts from John Maxwell.

"When Peter was a young fisherman in Galilee, no one would have thought he was destined to become the passionate leader of a world movement. After all, he had almost no education and probably would have been happy to live the remainder of his life in obscurity. But God had something else in mind, and when Peter met Jesus, his priorities began to change.

Like many leaders, Peter had to learn how to put first things first. In fact, Scripture reveals a lot about the inconsistencies of his behavior and his many irrational decisions. But the more time Peter spent with Jesus, the more he learned the difference between mere activity and accomplishment."