Stired but Not Shaken
The Lord is telling me (and many others) that we are in the beginning of a sifting or shaking time that springs from God’s heart of love. Christianity in the western world is soft, unfocused on the Kingdom and easily distracted by western life. 65% of American Christians say they have no time to read the Bible. (from the Center for Biblical Engagment, 2009).
Preparing for a shaking. God is preparing committed Christians by letting us be shaken is incremental ways that build our spiritual muscles and focus us on things above rather than on earthly things. Detachment from the worldliness of our culture actually gives us more focus on what is really important: especially among all the seemingly important things that sap our time and energy and keep us from engaging in deep prayer, vertical worship and joyous service.
Disengagement from the trends of life brings freedom from non-stop activity: texting, cell calls, internet, TV, movies, etc., may all have some value, but seeking God and his Kingdom has ultimate value. That’s why we go on retreats….no phones, to email, no entertainment. Just Awesome God time!
That said, God is calling us to be radical lovers of God, each other and those who are on life’s margins. Sally feels that ministering to the 80 lepers we laid hands on 7 weeks ago in India was the most meaningful ministry we’ve ever done—I agree with that assessment.
The Lord is calling us all to sacrifice, to give as much as we can—of our time, talents and treasure to spread the Kingdom one heart, one life at a time…That is the theme of both of my books. One is a personal look at our own hearts and the other a 10,000 foot view of what Kingdom service looks like globally. I know that God pays for what he orders. He favors the faithful. He anoints us for what he wants us to be and to do….So ministry isn’t burdensome, but it is frequently challenging given that doing God’s will irritates the enemy. More next week
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