Passion and Glory

Think of the craziest, most beautiful, and the best gift anyone can give you. Maybe it's a brand new car, a diamond ring, a painting, or maybe a dozen of your favorite flowers. Whatever gift that is, to you it is the best and there is probably no better gift, in the world. Nothing compares to receiving that gift. If there is, than obviously what you thought of before isn't the best. But when you think about receiving that specific gift, emotions run down your veins and joy fills your soul. You are so in awe and in joy when that person gives you the keys, or opens the velvet box, or displays the masterpiece, or hands over a piece of nature to you. It's also like receiving something from God, like His strength, wisdom, blessing. Even things like the ministries or the spiritual gifts that God has given us, we take them and embrace them. Whether we are receiving things from others or from God, there are just some things where we say to ourselves, "nothing can be greater than what I just got!"

But let me tell you that there is. There is something greater and better than the gorgeous flowers or the diamond ring or the box of the finest chocolates. And that is the person that gave you that gift. There is also something greater than reading and learning about God, being involved in a certain ministry, and receiving your spiritual gift or His strength and boldness. God himself.

See, sometimes we can get so caught up in the things we do as Christians such as leading a Bible study or being involved in a certain ministry or being on fire after an event, that we forget about the God who is over all, through all, and in all. We see what we are doing and we think to ourselves that there can be nothing greater than this.
It's like going to a beautiful wedding; the cake and food is perfect, the decorations, and music, and the setting, everything is just perfect and wonderful. And we just look around and say "wow, this is awesome!" But we can forget that all these things, the flowers, chairs, tablecloth, the centerpiece, the lighting, and all that is there...it's all for the Bride and her Groom. Being in awe and wonder of God's creation and being filled with joy and excitement when we teach others about Christ is good. But we can get so focused in these things that we do and receive that God and the sole purpose of glorifying Him can become oblivious to us. We need to be doing what we do as Christians yet also having this awareness and understanding that all that we do is to glorify the King of Kings.

Sometimes we can get all on fire for God and the ball is just rolling and building momentum. We're having such an awesome time at church and hanging out with our Christian friends. We have so much fun evangelizing to other people and giving to the needy. But we must not forget the God who is seated at His throne and that all our passion and desire and fire is to be directed to Him in hopes of bringing glory to the God who is holy and pure and great.

You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being. Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise. And to Him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!

They need His love, not His history.

I had no school today so I decided to make lunch at home. I was looking through a cookbook and saw this really yummy recipe for chicken. I went to buy some ingredients and started to make the chicken along with some mashed-potatoes. And after I made it, the smell of the Italian seasoning and the white wine sauce brought me to Heaven. And I ate my lunch and posted my status on facebook: "made for lunch...mushroom, garlic, cranberry stuffed chicken breasts with italian and basil seasoning; garlic basil mashed potatoes; all poured with a chicken broth with white wine sause (: ..and a coke." And I was just thinking of how I should have taken pictures so people could at least see what I made.

But then a thought came to me. Even if I took some pictures of my meal and showed it on facebook, people still wouldn't experience what I cooked. It's like when I watch the food channel or the travel channel, where they show like deep fried food, and steaks, and seafood, and how to make this and that. And I'm always saying to the tv, "Oh my God that looks so good!" But it in the end all I see are colored pixels on a screen or a colored picture in a cookbook. I can hear and read and see all I want about the food and how delicious it is, but in the end they are just words and pictures that I can't experience for myself.

The Bible is the same. If I tell you all the goodness and power in the stories of the Bible but you don't experience it, then its just another history lecture. Then the Bible is nothing more than a book of the experiences of people in the past. But God is the same from beginning to end. He doesn't change and His love and presence does not change either. You need to get out of just knowing and teaching people theology and history. It's time to ask for heaven to come down so that the presence and power of God can fall on those you encounter, that they may experience the transforming power of the Love of Jesus Christ.

Stop giving history lectures and theology to the lost and broken. Start giving the Love of Jesus and the presence of the God of Heaven and of earth! "Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another." As the bride of Jesus and the host of the Holy Spirit, you constantly owe others the everlasting Love of your Savior and God. God's love is not meant to be a lake that is stopped inside of you by theology and wisdom. It is meant to be a river that flows from you that is supported by the wisdom and knowledge of the Truth but is to be pushed to fall upon and to consume others through the power of the Kingdom of God! "For the Kingdom of heaven is not of talk. It is of power!"

We need theology, we need bible studies, we need to memorize scriptures, we need to understand the stories and the Truth of His word. But if we say we have the best armor, the longest firing range, the best radar detection, the finest and most advance technology, and the best firing capabilities...but we have not left the docks, nor the barracks, nor the runway, nor fired a single shot while two kingdoms are at war...we might as well live in a military museum so people can just see the descriptions of us but not see us in real action...

Yes, we need the bible and the scriptures to present the gospel. But when he is alone and we don't comfort him, when she needs forgiveness but we are too stubborn to forgive, when he is in need of money but we are too worried that he might be trying to cheat us, when she falls in this world and we gossip about her faults, when he is drunk with alcohol and sex but we are to clouded by our judgment and view him as insignificant, when she rejects us and we become prideful and say "whatever it's your loss"...how much more different are we than the pharisees? Than this world? Than the person we were before we were kissed by Jesus and hugged by His Spirit?

Ask God to fill you with His presence, that when you love, not just teach and share, that His power and transforming Love can touch their hearts, that they can experience the same God that changed your life forever!
God release your kingdom realities upon my brother and sister right now. That they can feel your touch and empower them with courage and boldness to take your amazing Love to those they encounter everyday. Father, I ask for your favor to be upon those who read this. Bide any complacent and hardened hearts, any pride, jealousy, or anger in Jesus' name. And I loose peace and joy that comes from Your Son, I release blessing on them and boldness and strength to overcome their fears and worries in Jesus' name. Father hear my invitation to invade this place. Hear my call for revival. God, my God...come and show us just how beautiful and good You are!