Are you compelled?

What compels you?

Compel (Webster’s 1828 dictionary) - To drive or urge with force, or irresistibly; to constrain; to oblige; to necessitate, either by physical or moral force

     Does the Bible contain just a bunch of commands that you feel that you need to try to obey (at least sometimes, when it’s convenient) since Jesus saved you from hell  or are you compelled to heed His every utterance, no matter what the cost?

I’ve been studying through I John recently, particularly the first part of chapter 2.

 “We do know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments…Whosever keeps His Word in him verily is the love of God perfected. Hereby know we that we are in Him.” 2: 3, 5

     That word ‘know’ is the Greek word ‘ginosko.’ This word is the most intimate form of closeness that humans can have. In fact, it’s used to describe marriage relationships. It’s a deep, intimate knowing, the way a husband who has been married to his wife for many years would know a whole lot about her.

So, how can we be certain that we are intimate and close with Jesus? If we are keeping His commands.

     As I pondered these verses, I thought of two illustrations (though I’m certain there are more and that these both fall miserably short in describing the glorious truths of this passage):

When a godly wife is truly, madly, and deeply in love with her husband and has confidence that his sincere and deep desire is to protect, love, honor, care for, and cherish her with the utmost of his being, she will gladly obey and follow his leading. Secondly, what happens when we are so compelled out of sincere gratitude and love for someone? If we know that someone has given up a lot for us or has helped us greatly, it is a great pleasure of ours to seek to please them and bring honor to their reputation.

     Both of these translate to our relationship with Jesus. His commands are not drudgery. We submit to them and obey them out of complete joy. We are certain that only by heeding His voice can life and joy be found. His sincere desire is our good. And He cannot do us harm (Romans 8:28), so we can have absolute confidence in obeying Him that it will turn out for our good. That’s not to say it won’t be hard (it actually requires us to die to ourselves), but it’s worth it and the thought of not enduring whatever we may have to doesn’t even cross our minds. The end goal is our focus: the glory of God.

     It is essential to realize that we can try to muster up all the supposed love and gratitude we have to God, then seek to obey the commands He gives us. However, we will fail. We must become so intimate and close to Him that His life overtakes ours, and He produces His righteousness in us. You see, we know when we are close to Christ and in Him, when His commands are produced through us. His life naturally overtakes ours. Flesh no longer rules but rather is on the cross. His Spirit is at work and thus produces fruit.

 “I am crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live. Yet not I, but Christ lives in me. And the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me. “ Galatians 2: 20

So, I ask again: What compels you?

You know that He commands us to love our neighbor. Do you just try to put up with that annoying co-worker or are you so filled with love for him and desire to see him saved and set free for the glory of God that you cannot but help pour Jesus into him?

You know that He commands us to reach out to the “least of these.” Do you get involved with a few “ministry” activities just to fulfill a command or are you so broken for them that it breaks your heart to not be involved in their lives, living with them, and pouring Truth into them?

You know that Jesus commands us to be pure, to abstain from sexual immorality (I Thessalonians 4:3). Is this some “line” that you have drawn, the whole “So I can do everything up to this point, but I probably shouldn’t go all the way?” Or is purity truly beautiful to you because He is pure? Are you irresistibly desirous to go all the way in being pure because it’s all about His glory and not your own personal pleasure (though I have found the greatest pleasure and delight in seeking purity and set-apartness!)?

     So, instead of stoically following His commands because we have to have slightly higher morals in order to be “good Christians,” let us seek Him in prayer and on our faces until we are driven or urged with irresistible force, constrained, obliged, and necessitated to obey Jesus because we are so madly and deeply in love with Him. 

Let us not sleep...

Recently, I spent two weeks as a counselor at an amazing camp in Tennessee for inner city children/teenagers. It was an incredible time, and the Lord taught or impressed further upon me so many lessons. One of these lessons was the concept of “watchfulness.”

Matthew 26: 41 says, “Watch and pray, that you enter not into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

This word “watch” literally means vigilant, expectant, and active. As defined by the Webster’s dictionary (of 1828), “forbearance (shunning, omitting, avoiding) of sleep; attendance without sleep; Guard; vigilance for keeping or protecting against danger; to observe in order to detect or prevent; unable to sleep.”

Do you see how important this word is in the spiritual sense? What happens when we let down our guard, when we “fall to sleep” spiritually? Temptation is able to take hold of us and gain ground. The enemy is able to ransack our own souls and the souls of those around us.

What would have happened if, even though we were all very tired, the rest of the counselors and I decided to “fall asleep” spiritually? What if we decided that we all needed some “veg out” time, and the campers could just talk about whatever they felt like talking about, do whatever they felt like doing, etc.? The work that the Lord was seeking to do in their souls would have been hindered, and temptation could have taken root within us, since we weren't on our guard against it.

“But know this, that if the good-man (or strong man) of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken into.” Matthew 24: 43

If we are not watchful, the enemy can gain access to our souls and the souls of those entrusted to our care.

“Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving.” Colossians 4: 2. 

One of the main excuses we can give for not praying is that we don’t have time or that we are too tired. If we don’t pray, we are not on guard against the enemy. One of our greatest weapons is prayer. If we “don’t have time” for prayer, what are we doing instead? Watching TV? Facebook? Movies? Idle talk with friends? Texting? We aren't being watchful. We are giving the enemy ground.

Or maybe we’re too tired for prayer and to keep watch with Jesus?

“You are the children of light, and the children of the day. We are not of the night, nor of the darkness. Therefore, let us not sleep, as do others, but let us watch and be sober.” I Thessalonians 5:6.

The word “sober” implies clearness, clarity of mind, no fogginess. We are not to be asleep or foggy-minded spiritually. We are to be constantly engaged, constantly watchful. The enemy will take every opportunity to plant a seed of temptation in our hearts if we are not watchful. Let us not allow one iota of darkness within our souls.

“Be sober; be vigilant because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.” I Peter 5: 8

How would all this apply practically?

                *We don’t “disengage” from the battle by “vegging out” in front of movies, television, Facebook, etc. Even if we do participate in these things, we are still alert spiritually with a focused mind. We are extremely watchful about what we partake in. Darkness gains ground in our souls subtly.

                *Tiredness does not rule us. If we are in Christ, we have the authority of Jesus. Therefore, our bodies are not our masters. They are subservient. And when we feel tired or like we just need a nap, we command our bodies to be subservient to the Lordship of Jesus Christ and call upon Him for His enabling grace. He will supply all we need for what He has called us to.

                *We don’t seek to “preserve” our energy for a later time. We pour out ourselves and all we are constantly, trusting that He will fill us back up.

                *Pray. No matter what we must sacrifice, no matter how much sleep we must give up, we seek Jesus in prayer. This is where true refreshment and renewal comes from. This is the only way we will be able to pour into others.

This probably seems impossible. It is. However, since He has called us to it, He has also given us the means to live it out. We can’t live this out. I knew very clearly last week that I had no human strength to live out this impossible calling. His grace is sufficient (II Corinthians 9: 8; 12:9; Philippians 2: 13; Romans 6-8). Let us lean upon Him, pick up our swords, and fully engage in this battle to see souls rescued for the glory of King Jesus!

Mediocrity is Normal...Really?

In the opening of her biography about the life of Amy Carmichael, Elisabeth Elliot describes her with a phrase that has become an intense desire for my own life in the past couple years. She says,

“The preoccupations of [young people] —their looks, their clothes, their social life—do not change very much from generation to generation. But in every generation there seem to be a few who make other choices.”

In the church today, it is a commonly accepted notion that we are supposed to live “normal” lives. We get up and go to work in the morning, just like everyone else does. We go about our classes and go to school just like everyone else does. We hang out with our friends and have a typical social life. In our free time, we can typically be found watching TV, playing some sport, reading the latest novel, updating our Facebook status, and shopping. However, what apparently makes us “different” and “set-apart” as Christians is that we go to church on Sundays (maybe even Wednesdays, too!), and have slightly higher moral standards.

“Christianity is not morality on stilts.” Leonard Ravenhill

Shouldn’t there be something radically different about our lives? Are we really supposed to be living normal, mediocre lives that don’t have an impact on anyone or anything? Is this all there is….?

True Christianity is anything but mediocre. The apostles turned the world upside down (Acts 17:6). Amy Carmichael rescued a thousand little girls from temple prostitution. Gladys Aylward led 100 orphans safely across mountains and stopped a men’s prison riot herself. Jackie Pullinger walked into the walled city of Hong Kong (where even the police refused to go) and saw people radically delivered from intense drug addictions and prostitution. Jim Elliot gave his life for a tribe that had never before heard of Jesus. Rees Howells established an entire Bible college, trusting God to provide all the money that was needed and interceded for the nation during World War II, that helped to shape the direction of the war. George Mueller never made requests for financial support when he established orphanages but saw God provide each and every time for money or resources that were needed.

So, what’s the difference between the majority of the church today and what the early apostles and these Christian missionaries had? It’s that they were radically given to Jesus. You see, when we truly come to Jesus and surrender everything at the cross, we no longer have the “luxury” of living normal, self-indulgent lives. We are His, for Him to spill and spend as He sees fit. That means that He can call us anywhere He sees fit. Something vital that we also need to understand, though, is that what made these men and women extraordinary was not what they did. It was Who was living inside of them. Yes, many people are still called to go about daily routines at work or school. However, they will never again be living mediocre existences. When Jesus is truly owning and operating their existences, their school or work places will be turned upside down for His glory. Eyes will be opened to see that these seemingly “mundane” routines are spiritual battle grounds. Souls of men and women are at stake, and people that He gave His life for upon the cross are living enslaved to sin, defaming His Name. Can we really stand to live normal, self-indulgent lives while the world around us perishes and goes to hell? May it never be so again!

“Normal Christianity means never being ‘normal’ again.” Leslie Ludy

“Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.” I John 2: 15

“I have given them Your Word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.” John 17: 14

I for one want to be “one of the few” in this generation. I can’t stand the thought of living a “normal” life any longer. All my soul longs for is that He would get the glory that is due His Name. If this means that He sends me to some distant country to share the Gospel with a tribe who has never before heard His Name, so be it. If this means staying here in America and fighting to see Truth prevail against the mounting lies, so be it. However, I know that, no matter what, it will not look normal to the rest of the world or church.

“The whole play act of Christianity which is all about us and fits in Jesus around the edges to make us feel better about ourselves needs to go. And the way it’ll go is when Christians start being Christians once again.” Eric Ludy

Is Jesus your Addiction?

What are you clinging to?  Is there something in your life that you cannot imagine living without?

It’s normal in our culture to have things that we are addicted to or “need” in order to get through our days. Common examples that I’ve observed or that have been present in my own life are: shopping, TV, texting, hanging out with friends, video games, school, food, soda, music, magazines, work, any so many more…

What does Scripture say? Titus 1 says that we are to “hold fast the faithful word that [we] have been taught…” Though this passage is specifically talking about bishops (overseers or watchmen of the church), I think this qualification applies to us all. “Hold fast” literally means to “hold to firmly; cleave to; pay heed to.” It’s used 3 others times in the New Testament, and two of those times are when Jesus is talking about how we cannot have two masters; we will either serve mammon (literally “treasure or riches”) or Him.

So, in other words, we cannot hold to firmly or cleave to both Jesus (the living Word) and [insert your addiction here]. We cannot find our satisfaction in shopping and Jesus. We cannot depend on both television and Jesus. We cannot be addicted to texting and Jesus simultaneously. Jesus must be all.

You see, we’ve accepted so many counterfeits. We turn to things that promise to give us what we need, all the while rejecting the One who has already provided us with all that we could ever need in Him.

We don’t need caffeine for our energy or to keep us awake at work or while we are writing that 20 page paper. We need Jesus.

We don’t need to veg out in front of the TV in order to “relax” or have “downtime” in the evening. We need Jesus (Acts 3: 19).

We don’t need to be constantly surrounded by our friends or constantly texting in order to not feel lonely. Jesus has promised to never leave us or forsake us. He is our constant Companion.

Leonard Ravenhill said, ““Where there is no joy, you have to fill it up with entertainment. The more joy you have in God, the less entertainment you need outside of yourself.”

Acts 2:42 says, “And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine…” The word “steadfastly” means “to adhere to, be devoted or constant to, be steadfastly attentive to, give unremitting care, persevere and not to faint, show one’s self courageous for, be in constant readiness for.” This word is used of prayer (Acts 6:4; Romans 12: 12; Colossians 4: 2), fellowship (Acts 2:42), doctrine (Acts 2: 42), and the ministry of the Word (Acts 6:4).

So, what are you adhering to, being devoted to, and giving unremitting care to? Is it your TV? Texting? Work? Shopping?

Let us forsake all that would hinder us from pursuing hard after Jesus and cling to His Word instead! For only in Him can true life, joy, and satisfaction be found!

Let us be steadfastly attentive to, be constantly devoted to, and give unremitting care to knowing His Truth, prayer, fellowship, and ministering His Word. This is what the early Christians did. And the result?

Well, they turned the world upside down (Acts 17: 6). 

Believe It

God can’t lie. It’s just fact:

“In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began.” Titus 1: 2

“That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie…” Hebrews 6: 18

“God is not a man, that He should lie…” Numbers 23: 19

“The Strength of Israel will not lie…” I Samuel 15: 29

What He has been pressing upon me recently is that God cannot lie. It is literally impossible for Him to lie. He simply can’t do it. So, what does this imply, as a result?

The promises He has made in His Word? Yeah, He is legally obligated to fulfill them.

*Victory (Romans 6-8)

*Comfort (II Corinthians 7: 6)

*His Faithfulness (Isaiah 54: 10)

*Forgiveness (Jeremiah 33: 8)

*Grace (II Corinthians 12: 9)

*Guidance (Isaiah 30: 21)

*Healing (Psalm 103: 3)

*Joy (John 15: 11)

*Life (I John 2: 25)

*Mercy (Deuteronomy 4: 31)

*Peace (John 14: 27)

*Provision (Psalm 37: 25)

*Redemption (Job 19: 25)

*Strength (Ephesians 3: 16)

*Wisdom (I Corinthians 1: 30)

*(and so many more…)

Do you realize that we, as Christians, can claim every single one of these promises in Christ Jesus? Not on our own merit or based off of anything that we have done but based solely upon what He has done. Our confidence in approaching the Throne of God is not that we are righteous or have anything good in and of ourselves, but that we are IN Him Who is perfect and has all the authority in the world to approach this throne (Hebrews 10:19).

Therefore, if God has promised and cannot lie, what are we saying when we disbelieve His promises or allow anything that is opposite of them into our lives?

What are we saying when we allow anxiety into our lives?

-He’s a liar. He cannot or has not given us complete peace in Jesus Christ.

What are we saying when we allow ourselves to be controlled by sin?

-He’s a liar. He cannot or has not given us complete victory in Jesus Christ.

What are we saying when we allow depression into our lives?

-He’s a liar. He cannot or has not given us complete joy in Jesus Christ.

You see, in the lives of believing Christians, there should be no such thing as any of those things. We have the promises of God, and He cannot lie. So, let us claim them as true and let Him make them true in our lives!

Because He’s promised. And He cannot lie.

“To walk in the Spirit is to assume by faith the victory with which He credits you, and God will vindicate your assumption and make it real in your experience.” 

Major Ian Thomas

“We’re waiting to feel like it. Are you willing to reckon it?” Eric Ludy

“Learn, O pleading saint, to hold up the promise and the oath of God before Him. The Lord cannot deny His own declarations. Hold up the rod of promise, and have what you will.” Spurgeon

“If you have a divine promise, you need not plead it with an ‘If.’ You may urge it with certainty. The Lord meant to fulfill the promise, or He would not have given it. God does not give His words merely to quiet us, and to keep us hopeful for a while with the intention of putting us off at last, but when He speaks, it is because He means to do as He has said.” Spurgeon

“Covenant blessings are not meant to be looked at only but to be appropriated…There is nothing Christ dislikes more than for His people to make a show thing of Him, and not to use Him. He loves to be employed by us. The more burdens we put on His shoulders, the more precious He will be to us.” Spurgeon