For these 3 things alone?

When they had eaten, Jesus said to Simon Peter, Simon, son of John, do you love Me more than these [others do--with reasoning, intentional, spiritual devotion, as one loves the Father]? He said to Him, Yes, Lord, You know that I love You [that I have deep, instinctive, personal affection for You, as for a close friend]. He said to him, Feed My lambs.

Again He said to him the second time, Simon, son of John, do you love Me [with reasoning, intentional, spiritual devotion, as one loves the Father]? He said to Him, Yes, Lord, You know that I love You [that I have a deep, instinctive, personal affection for You, as for a close friend]. He said to him, Shepherd (tend) My sheep.

He said to him the third time, Simon, son of John, do you love Me [with a deep, instinctive, personal affection for Me, as for a close friend]? Peter was grieved (was saddened and hurt) that He should ask him the third time, Do you love Me? And he said to Him, Lord, You know everything; You know that I love You [that I have a deep, instinctive, personal affection for You, as for a close friend]. Jesus said to him, Feed My sheep.

I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, when you were young you girded yourself [put on your own belt or girdle] and you walked about wherever you pleased to go. But when you grow old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will put a girdle around you and carry you where you do not wish to go. He said this to indicate by what kind of death Peter would glorify God. And after this, He said to him, Follow Me!

But Peter turned and saw the disciple whom Jesus loved, following...When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, Lord, what about this man? Jesus said to him, If I want him to stay (survive, live) until I come, what is that to you? [What concern is it of yours?] You follow Me! (John 21: 15-22)

Look at the way Jesus wants us to love Him:

• with reasoning
• intentional spiritual devotion
• as one loves the Father
• with deep, personal affection
• as a close friend

As I was reading through this passage time and time again, I listened from Peter's perspective. What if Jesus told me today that I would certainly suffer an unpleasant death, and that He was not going to deliver me from that suffering, but that, instead, I would be asked to endure it for the glory of God? That's a pretty difficult thing to wrap my mind around, if I'm being honest. Really, I don't know about you, but I've always kind of had this idea that, as a child of God, I should be protected and exempted from suffering. Even though I know that's not what the Bible says, it still seems like it should be that way. Doesn't it? I mean, Jesus has been given all authority in heaven and on earth. As His own child, why wouldn't He step in and put a stop to the suffering?

This, in several forms, is a basic question that many non-believers offer up as a challenge to even the possibility that God exists. I've faced such questions myself, as unbelieving friends have challenged me to defend my faith. "If God is real, why..." Why do children die? Why do bad things happen? Why do Christians suffer? Why? Why? Why?

And it seems like Peter, in a less direct way, is asking the same thing of Jesus. "Well, what about that guy? Is he going to have to suffer? Why me? Why?"

Jesus knew that this was going to be a difficult pill for Peter to swallow. Look how He prefaces the topic. "Peter, Do you love Me? Do you love Me? Do you love Me?" Peter, do your life circumstances determine your willingness to serve Me? Or do you serve Me because you love Me? Will you love Me - will you follow Me - even if there are painful trials? Even if it seems someone else has it better?

Do you love Me with an intense, intentional, spiritual devotion; with a deep personal affection, as you love a close friend; love Me as one loves the Father? Do you love Me?

Then, because you love Me, follow Me. Live out your life as unto Me; be about My business here on earth while I am away. Use the time given to you to further the kingdom of heaven...in spite of circumstances. Don't follow Me because of what I can do for you - not for how you might benefit from knowing Me. Follow Me because you love Me; because I am God. Follow Me!

[After all] the kingdom of God is not a matter of [getting the] food and drink [one likes], but instead it is righteousness (that state which makes a person acceptable to God) and [heart] peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. (Romans 14:17)

The kingdom of God is righteousness, peace and joy. These three things Jesus died to give us -

• right standing with God,
• peace that passes understanding,
• and joy unspeakable.

These three things alone. I should have no other preconceived idea of what I will gain from following Jesus. This is not to say that God will not poor out blessings upon my life - upon the lives of those who love Him; it is not to say that He is an absent, removed God who does not protect and care for His children. It is simply this: At the root of my faith, am I willing to accept Him, to love Him, to follow Him, based on the kingdom Jesus died to make available to me? Am I willing to follow Him, love Him, and if need be suffer for Him, for these three things alone?

Is my God enough for me?

Yes.

The tragedy of religion

Okay. I've been sitting on this for about two months now. This is something I wrote in my journal back at the end of March, but have not shared so far for a couple reasons. The first reason: it's LONG (consider that your warning...LOL). The second reason: It's very likely to rock the boat, if you know what I mean. Finally today, for no reason in particular, I've decided to step out there and share these thoughts with you. The first part of it is a quoted passage directly from a book I've been reading (Authority of Prayer, by Dutch Sheets). The second part, my thoughts. Hang in there with me if you will. It's a little lengthy, but there is such power in the truth behind it.



The tragedy of 'religion' (words or actions without the power or substance that should accompany them - religiosity- see 2 Timothy 3:5) is this:

Expressions like ['ruling and reigning' and 'more than conquerors'] are often only heartwarming phrases of religious denial among Christians - stemming from a mentality that spouts slogans and verses about 'overcoming,' while people are actually being beaten up by circumstances and walked on by the adversary at
every turn. For many believers it seems enough to simply be called an overcomer or to think of themselves as one. Christ's abundant life is, for them, an appealing hope, perhaps even an intent, but not actual. The tragic reality is:

• Their minds are controlled by sin and compromising thought.


• Their marriages fail along with those of the world around them.


• Their children grow up questioning God's reality or relevancy.


• Their business fail alongside those whose owners don't know God.


• They walk in very little true peace or joy, experiencing the same stressed
  out lifestyle as unbelievers. (No wonder most unsaved Americans see no need for
  God. What difference would He make? they question.)


• They speak of prayer's power, but rarely pray; even less frequently do they
  see answers.


• They speak of an all-powerful God who is 'in charge' but who seems to be
  losing control of our nation - our schools, government, and culture as a
  whole.


• They glibly sing, 'Come on, let's take this city...' but they haven't taken
  even one yet, at least in the U.S

Yet off we go to our church services, week after week, learning our lingo and getting our denial fix, all the while wondering why the rest of society - and many of our children - think we live in a make-believe world of religion without reality, performance without power.

What I see as I read through this is that this is the vital key to reaching America, which is arguably the 3rd largest mission field in the world:

The church must heal - individual by individual - each person taking responsibility for his or her own life, living vitally connected to and ultimately governed by Christ Jesus, until one by one our lives are transformed into lives of victory, full of God's presence and power and abiding peace and joy. When the church is full of healthy Christians who live the lives God intended - seeking constantly to know Him better, to love Him more, and to be ever in His presence - our lives will begin to mirror Him to a nation of individuals who have been watching and waiting for a reason to believe the Bible is true and that God is Who He says He is - that we are what He says we are. That we are conquerors; we do live with peace and joy. Until our words match our lives, until our actions are backed with power and substance, we will hold no weight with the unbelievers of our nation. We will go on in a charade of religion without substance, power or purpose. We will continue in denial of all that is really lacking, completely and utterly falling short of the purpose God has intended for our lives. We will continue to sell ourselves short on the awesome life that we could experience if we would just get it and get real!

Truly, until we do this, they have every reason to question, 'What difference is He making in our lives?' What do we have to offer up as evidence of our God to a lost and desperate world but a life empty and void of peace and power? Until we get over ourselves, connect with God, and allow His ways to guide and govern every aspect of who we are, we cannot tap into all He wants to manifest in our lives, and through us, in the lives of others. Until we really connect with God, completely abandoning our lives to Him, we ourselves run the risk of falling into doubt, and questioning the reality and relevancy of the very God we so love to profess.

Until we become vitally connected to Christ, as individuals within the church, the church as a whole will continue its cycle of internal illness and will continue to be wholly ineffective at reaching out to, ministering to, and impacting the lives of the unbelieving men and women who are standing right outside the church - just on the other side of the walls that hold us in.

Few and far between

It seems my blog posts here are getting fewer and farther between as time goes on. This is NOT intentional. I've been wanting to post for weeks. The problem when you have a brain that works the way mine works...if I don't sit down and post it right away, after a while I just sort of move on. Sad, isn't it? Welcome into the head of a slightly-adult-ADD girl like me! So now I have a journal full of things that I've not shared, and they feel 'old' to me now. (Another side effect of having a quirky mind like mine...I internalize things quickly and get bored easily. So after I've thought it through and processed it, I just sort of move on???)

Anyway, I have had a very busy few weeks, and I've been living life very last-minute...getting somewhere just as it starts, or maybe a few minutes late; getting things done in the last possible moment; jumping from one task to the next to the next without having time to pause or get ahead. Today seems to be shaping up in much the same way already, since I have way more to do today than hours in the day. So I say a prayer for God's grace to rest on me, so that I can work efficiently and with ease.

Not surprisingly, God has, in the last few days, brought some correction to me in this aspect of my life. It is not the best way to go about life, being always rushed, doing the bare minimum. God's plan for us is to live lives of excellence, and to enjoy the life we are living (not watch it go by in a blur!). Anyhow, His correction came through a story in the Bible that I have known since childhood - the story of Martha & Mary.

Luke 10:38-42 - Now while they were on their way, it occurred that Jesus entered a certain village, and a woman named Martha received and welcomed Him into her house. And she had a sister named Mary, who seated herself at the Lord's feet and was listening to His teaching. But Martha, overly occupied and too busy, was distracted with much serving; and she came up to Him and said, Lord, is it nothing to You that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me! But the Lord replied to her by saying, Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things; There is need of only one or but few things. Mary has chosen the good portion that which is to her advantage, which shall not be taken away from her.

Martha was not doing wrong - she was serving the Lord. The problem was that she was too busy serving to take time to enjoy what she was doing. Why was she so busy? Probably the same reason I get busy - because I fail to adequately prepare ahead of time, and my chores ends up invading the time I should be enjoying. Poor time management. Doesn't sound super spiritual, but it can be the difference between enjoying life or rushing through it, having time to enjoy those around me or feeling to busy to give them my attention, receiving from the Lord or missing what He has for me.

As I go through the day today, with so much to do to get ready for weekend guests, I want to keep this story at the forefront of my mind. It is good to serve, but it is not the most important thing. There is need of only one or a few things, and I want to focus on that. Lord help me get this.