I have been reading through the gospels for the past month or two. I am currently reading Luke. The scriptures in these books are amazing! I learn something awesome from the life of Christ every day! I have also been reading the "Crazy Love" book by Francis Chan. About a week ago I read the section on being Lukewarm. I haven't been able to read any farther because God continues to use this chapter to convict me! In this chapter Francis Chan clearly lays out ways that we are lukewarm and uses scripture to back it up. Many of these verses are ones that I have been reading in the gospels. My pride makes me believe that I am doing pretty good and that I am on fire for God, but this chapter convinced me that I most definitely am not. I am living the life of a lukewarm Christian. Many of us know the verse in Revelations 3 verse 16, "So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth." I know I have heard this verse many times before and each time I think well I'm not lukewarm, God (in a sense) won't spit me out of His mouth! It pains and disgusts me to realize that I am "useless" to Him because of my lukewarmness. I have been praying that God would reveal to me areas of my life that I need to change to be able to follow him COMPLETELY and to stop living a life that is lukewarm, but instead on fire with a burning passion to know Him, obey Him and share Him! There has been many things that God has been revealing to me. Below I have listed a few of them. I pray that God will ignite your heart with a passion for Him. Can you imagine what our world would be like if Christians had the burning passion for the Lord? It would be incredible what He could do! So please pray and ask God to give you that on-fire and burning passion for Him. And be willing to give up ANYTHING and EVERYTHING to obey!
Acknowledge Him! This is something that I have seen over and over again in the gospel and it convicts me every time!!!
Matthew 10:32 & 33 - "Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven. But whoever disowns me before men, I will disown him before my Father in heaven."
Luke 12:4-7 - "I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more. But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear him who, after the killing of the body, has power to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him. Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God. Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows." 8&9 - "I tell you, whoever acknowledges me before men, the Son of Man will also acknowledge him before the angels of God. But he who disowns me before men will be disowned before the angels of God."
We must acknowledge Him before men! Don't be afraid to share Him with others. I know that in our country today we get fearful of talking about Him, not because they will kill us, but because there is a chance they will make fun of us and hurt our pride. I am so tired of being afraid of men! I should be fearing God not men! All they can do is make fun of me, who cares! They are just words! Jesus said to the disciples to shake the dust off your sandals when you leave the town of those who do not welcome you. Metaphorically, we should do similar with those who do not welcome the words that we speak to them about Jesus. If they make fun of you for speaking of Jesus and serving Him bear with them in love and don't let the negative words affect you. He loves you and is pleased with you for acknowledging Him before men. That should be all that matters!
Give up everything and give to the poor! Wow this is one that God has definitely given me a passion for! I feel like I see it every other verse, to give everything to the poor and follow Him. We are to serve Him completely, no matter the cost, even if it means giving up everything!
Luke 18:22 - When Jesus heard this, he said to him, "You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."
1 Timothy 6:17-18 - "Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share."
In the Crazy Love Book, it was saying that we live very secure lives. We put our trust in our savings accounts and our 401K's instead of God. We should give all that we have to the poor and trust God to provide for us. If we were to do this I don't know how it would be possible to be lukewarm! We would have complete trust and faith in God instead of material possessions!
Luke 9:57-62 - As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, "I will follow you wherever you go." Jesus replied, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head." He said to another man, "Follow me." But the man replied, "Lord, first let me go and bury my father." Jesus said to him, "Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God." Still another said, "I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say good-by to my family." Jesus replied, "No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God."
Luke 14 25-27 - Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said: 26"If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters—yes, even his own life—he cannot be my disciple. 27And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple."
Luke 18:29-30 - I tell you the truth," Jesus said to them, "no one who has left home or wife or brothers or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God 30will fail to receive many times as much in this age and, in the age to come, eternal life."
Wow! This was huge for me! I realized that the big thing that worries me about being a missionary is the fact that I have to leave my family. This is really scary for me! But God calls me to leave them and follow Him! I love my family so much, but I love God more! I want to be completely obedient even if that means leaving.
Be Humble and Obey! How do we know what we should do? Get to know Him! We should have a desire to get to know Him and to read His word. It shouldn't be something we do out of guilt or because we "have to do". We desire to spend time reading His word and praying! And then listen! God is always speaking all we need to do is stop with our crazy busy lives and listen to Him! Then after we hear Him, we need to actually follow through and obey. I can't count the times that I have heard God talk to me and I have come up with millions of excuses as to why I shouldn't do it! I am tired of disobeying and missing out on amazing opportunities! I have had two recent opportunities that I have actually been obedient in and God has turned that obedience into amazing blessings! I give God all the glory for them and thank Him for giving me those opportunities!!!
Don't love the world! It grieves me to realize how much in love with the world we are. I think the following verses sum it up.
James 4:4, 7-10 - "You adulterous people, don't you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up."
In the crazy love book there was one sentence that really struck me. It says, "the truth is their(meaning lukewarm people) lives wouldn't look much different if they suddenly stopped believing in God".
I want to leave you with one last verse. I was reading Psalm 91 last night and verse 14 - 16 stuck out to me, "Because he loves me," says the LORD, "I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. He will call upon me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him. With long life will I satisfy him and show him my salvation." So love Him, obey Him, give Him everything, and acknowledge Him!
In Christ's Awesome Love,
Julie
Good stuff Julie! Looking forward to chatting soon!
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