Clear Vision musings

Greetings from Me and My House,

I’m having a “no brainer” moment. So if you get offended by reading “no brainers” just skip today’s blog.

It is said that if you tell people they are sinners, they won’t “come to church”. Duh!! People that are unregenerate don’t need to “come to church”. The Church is the Body of Christ, therefore unregenerate people aren’t part of the Church - so why do they need to “go to church”? Why would they want to?

They are totally opposed to it and its ways. Duh!! They are at enmity with God, why would they want to gather together with Christ’s Body to worship Him? So tell me, just why is it that the gathering of the saints for corporate worship would want to conform to the world to appeal to the unsaved? They aren’t gathering together for them. They are gathering to worship God. It isn’t about the sinners or their comfort. It is about the saints worshipping, praying, and feeding for growth on God’s Word. The ‘natural man’ (unsaved) cannot understand spiritual things. Period. It is only by the drawing power of God’s Holy Spirit that man has any interest in the things of God.

Man-made, especially pragmatic humanistic, methods cannot draw man to God. They can draw man to “church” and programs that the ‘natural’ man may think can meet his needs, but he will be left in his uncomfortable sins, sitting in a comfortable church, without the drawing, saving power of God. Filling the “church” with unregenerated people and trying to help them feel good? Why?

What unregenerate people need is to be saved, not “go to church”. They are lost and need to be found. They have problems that need to be fixed. Duh!! They have no hope of anything else, without the Truth. They need to realize that they are in rebellion to the Almighty God, their Creator, and that their need is to repent, and be converted. Then and only then will they want to gather with the saints to worship God, to learn the depths of His Word. Only then will they not be offended by the message of the Cross. Then and only then will they have any hope for their true needs to be met.

“Church” is not somewhere for unregenerate people to go to, to feel better about themselves. Church is someone, the Body of Christ, and their assembly together, not to stir and please their flesh, but to strengthen their spirit, giving them the grace to crucify the flesh.

It is said that Jesus met people’s (sinners’) needs. Duh!! Of course He did. He met their physical as well as spiritual needs. What He did not do was stroke their carnal self esteem (ego).

This message is not callous to sinners’ needs. Quite the contrary; that is exactly my concern. I’m not advocating that we walk up to people and tell them they are sinners and going to hell unless they change their ways. Though that is certainly Truth, it must be told in love. No, I have a really novel idea, when people recognize/ admit they have a need, how about we introduce them, not to ‘going to church’ so they feel better through pop psychology, but to Jesus the Messiah? How about we tell them of the Almighty, Holy, Righteous God who made everything including them, who loved them so much he came to earth as a sinless man to take the punishment for all of their sins, IF they believe in Him, repent for their sins, turn away from them that they may be truly changed into an entirely new creature. That they put all their trust in Jesus and lay down their life for Him, denying their flesh and picking up their cross to follow Him. Its a radical idea, but hey it’s worked for thousands of years and God Himself thought of it. How about we give it a try?

Perhaps we might even have evangelistic meetings for those that God is drawing, that want to learn more of Him and the different life He will give them - the Full Gospel message for those that are truly seeking and have ears to hear. Whoa, what a concept! Perhaps we might even talk to them ourselves and lead them to a saving knowledge of and relationship with the Lord.

I just started a new book I got. (Yes, in the middle of writing this.) I’m not even to the end of the first chapter, so I don’t know how good it is or isn’t yet. But it sounds promising. It’s called Set Apart. A quote from the first chapter says what I’m saying, so much nicer: “A worldly church cannot and will not reach the world. The church must be distinct from the world to reach the world. We must set ourselves apart to God if we hope to reach the world. In a word, the only hope for us and the lost world is a holy church.
“From the onset God’s plan for reaching the world has been to create a people distinct from the world who would then minister to and reach the world.” Novel idea for meeting people’s true needs.

At Jesus’ feet,
SDG,
Lisa

There are several kinds of churches in America. I’m not talking about different denominations, or different religions. I’m talking about aspects of “Christian” churches. I can sum up 4 kinds with 4 W’s.

Many of the most common ones today - found throughout a WIDE difference of doctrine and denomination backgrounds from one another, dead, alive, whatever - is the Worldly church. These are “market driven”, denying the sufficiency of Scripture (perhaps not vocally or consciencely) adding much psychology, pragmatism, and entertainment to make the gospel appealing to the masses. Now I’m not against reaching the world, just justifying pragmatic methods that compromise the Gospel to do so, and I question the true and lasting “fruit” of such.

Then there is the Weird church. They have taken Bible truths of freedom and power and left the ones of holy living and reverence behind. They’re usually pretty pragmatic too, attempting to justify anything by “God told me so.” Now I’m not against “God told me so”, nor freedom in Christ, nor the power of the Holy Spirit alive and active today, only when the “word from God” is against clear Scripture commands and principles, and freedom becomes a license to sin, and power is man-constructed.

Then there is the Wasting church. The ones that are both dead and dying. They follow a ritual with no life in it. Make a check list of the few things they should do, and if they’re done it doesn’t matter what else they do. I’m not against Disciplines, only when they replace a transforming relationship with God.

What I’m wanting to see is a WOW church. One full of passion, purity, power, and purpose. A church based wholly on His Word, walking in the power of the Holy Spirit, trusting in the redemptive blood of Jesus. A church that loves God with all its heart, soul, and mind. A church that is set apart to be holy. A church that proclaims the Word in power with signs and wonders following. A church that has a mission calling from God that they pursue wholeheartedly for His glory alone by His prescribed methods. Many of the above churches may claim to be this, but … I just don’t see it.

At Jesus’ feet,
SDG,
Lisa

Greetings from Me and My House,

Herein lies the beginning thoughts, in unpolished format, for this blog.

There can be no compromise in Christianity. Without absolute truth there is no truth at all. If everything can be true, then there can be nothing false, and if nothing is false, then also nothing is true.

If Jesus is the way, there is no other way. If there is any other way, Jesus is not the way. There cannot be Jesus PLUS other ways that are equally as good. The Gospel is completely exclusive, because Jesus is the only way.

The world (and now even much of the Church) screams toleration, for everything — except Biblical Christianity. It is easier to accept everything else, than to accept the One thing necessary/ needed. For that One thing will exclude all else. All that is built on humanism (man as his own god and savior) can co-exist in false peace/ tolerance. But only God can bring true peace. And that ONLY brings exclusivity.

One little word makes Biblical Chrisitanity “untolerable” - ONLY.
Only One God.
Only One Savior.
Only Begotten Son.
Only One way to salvation.

At Jesus’ feet,
SDG,
Lisa

Greetings from Me and My House,

The destruction of passion and desire is so subtle. It is worn away, by a slow erosion until it no longer appears the grand mountain it once was. Many times, its grandeur is not only lost, but also forgotten.

Perhaps it is better said, a mighty fire roars within us. Like the bush we’re to burn but not be burnt up or out. We’re to feed on the energy of the flame as we pursue its pull on our heart. That flame of passions and desires brings our life meaning and purpose. But little by little the raindrops of life can slowly quench the flame, until there remains only a flicker. Many times that flicker is buried in a pile of ash, dormant, apparently dead. Now and then rekindled in a pocket of sparks here and there as the gentle breeze of the Spirit seeks to revive it. But largely quenched and buried. It no longer burns hot and bright, a brilliant blaze. It no longer is able to give of its light, warmth and comfort.

Perhaps someone, perhaps it was you, felt its heat, and deemed it out of control and splashed it with buckets of water to purposely quench it. Or perhaps it was just the droplets of life that gradually turned your roaring blaze into a pile of cold wet ashes.

But can there be Life without fire? What is Life without fire? Not living. Without fire there is no direction, no purpose, no meaning. Without direction, purpose, and meaning there is not Life – for these are the issues of the heart and without a beating heart, the issues of life cannot flow.

Turn your ear, burnt out one, to the Word of Hope, the Truth that will set you free.  As Paul exhorted Timothy, “stir up that gift that was placed within you.” Allow the wind of the Holy Spirit to fan into flame that dying ember. Allow the blaze to burst forth, knowing that it is fed by the Breath of the Spirit. He will not fuel a destructive, wild fire. But will contain its hot burning blaze. The bush burned. Its light drew. But it did not consume all that was around it. It wasn’t even consumed itself. Its flame did not turn to ash. As the wind of the Spirit fed the fire it continued to burn, as brightly in the end as at the start. Its light drew. It gave warmth and comfort, as well as light. And he who encountered the blaze came away from the bush a man changed forever.

Forgive my horrendous paraphrase on revival, “People will come to see a fire. Set yourself on fire, and they will come.” Oh yes, a fire is needed. But we cannot set ourselves on fire. Notice, the God Himself set the bush ablaze. Still, it is the bush that burns (with the fire of God) that offers light, warm, and comfort. It is the bush that burns that draws others near. It is the bush that burns that has something to offer that will change lives.

It is “safe” to just be a bush. It takes vulnerability to be a burning bush. It takes being a living bush to not be consumed. The dry bush can quickly turn to ash. But the bush that is continuously drawing up the Living Water of Life, will burn and not be consumed when ignited by the blaze of the Spirit. It takes this balance of the Spirit and the Word to live a burning life of passion, that doesn’t burn up or out.

Many fear that their passions, when allowed to burn deeply will only draw prideful attention to themselves. That passions are self-centered and selfish. That they are only about “doing what I want”. Perhaps that is true of the dry bush. The dry bush that sets itself on fire, will probably draw attention to itself but then turn to ash quickly. But this is not so of the living bush, drawing on the wells of Living Water, that is ignited by the Fire of Heaven Himself. Think, what was seen by Moses? It was the Fire that drew him, not the bush. He could tell there was a bush, but he came near because the Fire was different. It was the Glory of the Fire that changed his life, not the bush itself. The bush was only an instrument for the Fire to flow through.

Where do passions and desires come from? The flesh? Oh yes, there are many fleshly passions. But we are not talking of those passions that consume you, those passions that prey on your dryness and quickly turn you to ash. We are talking about the passions of a living bush. The burning desires of the heart of one who delights himself in the Lord. “Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart.” Who gave you the desires of your heart? Or worded differently so you can really catch the meaning here, Who put the desires into your heart? He did! Yes, when you delight yourself in Him, He will place the desires He wants you to have in your heart. Your heart will burn with passion for the things He desires to give you. Your desires will be His desires. And as you allow the Breath of His Spirit to blow upon them, they will ignite into the blaze that does not consume.

Oh bush, are you dry? Draw from the well of Living Water. Quench your thirst by the Word of God – the Living Word - Jesus and the Spoken Word - the Bible. Love the Word – the Living and the Spoken. Fill your life with it, with Him.

Oh living bush, have you or the circumstances around you caused your fire to grow dim? Allow the Breath of the Spirit to blow once again on you, to ignite your passions. To fan those embers into a blaze.

What are those passions He has placed inside you of which you always said, “I could never do that?” What are those desires of which you always said, “Oh, that is just me?” What sparks has He placed inside of your heart that you have feared allowing them to be fanned, for you couldn’t see how it could be. Those are the desires He gives to those who delight themselves in Him. Those desires that cannot be accomplished on our own. Those desires that will take His Spirit, His All-Powerful Spirit, to accomplish in our lives.

What have you been told you cannot do? He can do it. Living bush, dare to allow the fullness of Life through the Water and the Fire to set you ablaze but not be consumed, an unquenchable Fire. Dare to dream. Dare to desire. Dare to pursue your passions. Dare to allow the Fire to bring purpose, direction and meaning to your life. Dare to Live. Dare to be a Burning Bush.

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“Deep calls unto deep.” It is our desire to provide thought provoking ideas that will draw you to seek deeper in the Spirit, to gain Clearer Vision as you pursue a Life of purpose through Passion, Purity and Power.
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“Legacy is… equipping our children - spirit, soul, and body - to face, stand, and shine in a world of cunning deception.”
Want to know how you can best glorify God? Shine!!! It’s your highest calling. “Let your light so shine before men that you may glorify your Father in heaven.”

At Jesus’ feet,
Lisa @ Me and My House Ministries