Well, here I am-sitting in the Walmart parking lot in a downpour about 15 hours away from heading to Atlanta for launch. My team/squad/squad leaders and everyone working so hard behind the scenes at AIM are amazingly selfless people with a Kingdom mindset. Everything is just going so well right now and I AM READY!!! This time is hectic, busy, exciting, & a mixture of other emotions. But, right now something else is clouding my mind. The direction of this nation. I’ve been constantly thinking, praying, curiously searching the Word, sermons, articles, etc. for anything relating to: “conforming to what’s popular” & what direction it’s leading us in.
Here’s an example of how easily we are swayed into trends, lies that the world feeds us, or ways of the world in general. Take a second to think about people who you associate yourself with, your neighbors, loved ones, co workers, etc. Now think about how many claim Christianity, but celebrate halloween. Or reverse it. How many claim to be atheist, agnostic, or jewish, yet still celebrate Christmas and Easter. Now, I understand most of this is done in fun and innocence. i used to beg my parents to let me go Trick~or~Treating. But, that’s not the point. We are so obsessed with satisfying our flesh and following patterns of the world that we aren’t even aware of what we’re doing… what we’re participating in. Yes, this “holiday” example seems kind of silly, but where do we draw the line?? When are we going to stop trying to justify what WE want even if it “only SLIGHTLY goes against the Bible.” We have to stop trying to slide by. We have to die to ourselves to live a life that will be pleasing to the God who was merciful enough to sacrifice His only son so that terribly sinful people like us would be forgiven and promised eternity in Heaven. We have to start living our lives to bring Glory to His name.
Please don’t think this blog is me condemning a bunch of my supporters because, BOY o boy, I’m guilty of this myself in certain cases. One of my greatest temptations is watching a funny show regardless of the crude comedy (Family Guy, for example). I know it seems silly or little. But, it’s not. I’m feeding my brain with things that COMPLETELY oppose Jesus Christ. It’s hard to say no. And we all struggle differently.
There’s great news in all of this though. Filling our minds with things above, meditating on the Word more, praying continuously (yes this means multiple times a day), and saying no to watching that show on Netflix that’s filled with language, WILL soften our hearts. It will grow our hunger for God’s Word and things of Him. The creator of the Universe is on our side and when we desire things of Him, when we pray to be more like Him, He is faithful in answering that prayer. We are called- built, on justification by faith ALONE. He has already done it all for us because of His grace alone. It IS possible to live pleasing to God because we revere Him that much and because we have the Holy Spirit. It is also a lie to say “all I can do is confess that I’m unrighteous and bank on the righteousness of Christ.” We have to try better. We must start looking like we value God more than anything. I used to value smoking weed a WHOLE lot. BUT, the Bible says: “Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to reckless indiscretion. Instead, be filled with the Spirit.” So I stopped smoking weed because Jesus is better than anything on this whole earth. Even better than Spikeball.
We’re such an influential nation, yet we’re also the most influenced people. Ministry tools, upon means, upon resources is what we have. This is an encouragement, brothers and sisters, to stop being influenced by the world and what’s “cool,” and instead be an influencer for the Cross. Because you know the love, mercy, freedom, grace, forgiveness AND everyyyyythinggg else that comes with living a life for Christ. We can do SO much for the Kingdom!!!!! Let’s get after it!!!
