Apprentice2Jesus

Ramblings of a Confessing Pentecostal

Archive for the category “Spiritual hunger”

11 Feb 2012

Consider These Numbers

The Super Bowl last week garnered a record number of viewers in the U.S. : 111.3 million.

Hundreds of players in the NFL train year round for the opportunity to square off on television’s biggest stage. Only two teams and few dozen players will make that stage. One team walks off the LOSER.

But they train like maniacs for months to get to that stage so that over one hundred million people can see them. They train for glory.

And the world population is around 6.8 billion.

These players put their bodies through a lot of discipline and 99.8% of the world will NOT see what they are doing. Yet, they do it willingly. It is the glory of the game. It is fleeting. Everyone knows the Giants won’t repeat next year. It’s the NFL. It’s rare to get to the Super Bowl even in back to back years, let alone win.

For that very fleeting glory those men are willing to lay it on the line.

Meanwhile, millions of Christians have the opportunity to “play” for eternal glory. Not for the adoration of millions of viewers. It is for an audience of One. And it is not simply to be noticed by the One. It is the opportunity to lay it all on the line so that OTHERS can have the chance to see the One…

And we can’t get ourselves out of bed sometimes. We think about going to church for worship. We scramble to find our Bibles. We give our pocket change to missions.

Anything wrong with this picture?

24 Don’t you know that all the runners in the stadium run, but only one gets the prize? So run to win. 25 Everyone who competes practices self-discipline in everything. The runners do this to get a crown of leaves that shrivel up and die, but we do it to receive a crown that never dies. 26 So now this is how I run—not without a clear goal in sight. I fight like a boxer in the ring, not like someone who is shadowboxing. 27 Rather I’m landing punches on my own body and subduing it like a slave. I do this to be sure that I myself won’t be disqualified after preaching to others.(1 Cor. 9:24-27, CEB)

Posted in Church Life, Culture, Spiritual hunger and tagged , | Leave a Comment
07 Feb 2012
2 Comments

Run in a Way to WIN

Paul’s passion for the ministry, his passion for souls, is amazing. He wanted Christ glorified so much he was willing to give up so much in his life to make sure the way was clear to Christ. It was not about his rights. It was about others being able to see Christ as clearly as possible.

The metaphor of “winning” was not for him as individual. It was for the glory of Christ. If others are coming to Christ, and they aren’t stumbling over him… he wins. Run to win.

24 Don’t you know that all the runners in the stadium run, but only one gets the prize? So run to win. 25 Everyone who competes practices self-discipline in everything. The runners do this to get a crown of leaves that shrivel up and die, but we do it to receive a crown that never dies. 26 So now this is how I run—not without a clear goal in sight. I fight like a boxer in the ring, not like someone who is shadowboxing. 27 Rather I’m landing punches on my own body and subduing it like a slave. I do this to be sure that I myself won’t be disqualified after preaching to others. (1 Cor. 9:24-27, CEB)

 

Posted in Common English Bible, Spiritual Formation, Spiritual hunger and tagged , ,
03 Feb 2012

The Rage Against Religion While Thinking You Are Spiritual

David Brooks is one of my favorite columnists. He hits it out of the ballpark again on THIS COLUMN.

He took the viral video of the guy raging against religion and got into the why, and then the results of the video. Challenged with the exact words of the video, the young man actually realized he needed to learn to say some things differently.

Brooks goes on to demonstrate how it’s not a problem to have “angst” in our world. It’s just what to do after that angst is our problem.

For generations we’ve been told to think for ourselves, but all we know how to do is say what we don’t like.

For generations people have been told: Think for yourself; come up with your own independent worldview. Unless your name is Nietzsche, that’s probably a bad idea. Very few people have the genius or time to come up with a comprehensive and rigorous worldview.

Brooks’ remedy is rather interesting:

The paradox of reform movements is that, if you want to defy authority, you probably shouldn’t think entirely for yourself. You should attach yourself to a counter-tradition and school of thought that has been developed over the centuries and that seems true.

The old leftists had dialectical materialism and the Marxist view of history. Libertarians have Hayek and von Mises. Various spiritual movements have drawn from Transcendentalism, Stoicism, Gnosticism, Thomism, Augustine, Tolstoy, or the Catholic social teaching that inspired Dorothy Day.

Passion is great. Just give it some place to land. Rigorously examine what is out there. What have the ancients taught us? Where is a path we can find?

I am deeply thankful that even in my time of angst I found the ancient paths still leading to Christ. Over the years I have been so thankful to keep exploring those paths and found the richness of who he is, and realized that within “religion” there is a design that helps to truly follow Christ. It gets expressed in so many ways, and most of them awkward in one way or another. But following those paths has given me the beauty of Christ.

I don’t fly solo very well.

Posted in Culture, Spiritual Formation, Spiritual hunger, Spirituality and tagged , , , , , | Leave a Comment
02 Feb 2012
2 Comments

The Place of Glory

3 Who among you is left who saw
this house in its former glory?
How does it look to you now?
   Doesn’t it appear as nothing to you?

9 This house will be more glorious
than its predecessor,
says the LORD of heavenly forces.
      I will provide prosperity in this place, says the LORD of heavenly forces.(Haggai 2:3,9, CEB)

In this passage the story is of the Return. The people of God have come back from exile and the call has been to rebuild the Temple. As they try desperately to rebuild the Temple, the realization hits that what they are trying to build just doesn’t compare to the former Temple of Solomon. The older folks were crying over the bad attempt.

The word from the Lord was to understand the outer structure was not what was important. The glory to come would be greater. This would, of course, be looking forward to the coming of Messiah. Messiah would be in this Temple area, so he would usher in something far greater than anything Solomon had accomplished.

As I read this text I reflect on some conversations I’ve had in the past week regarding experiences with God. I’ve had those moments and struggles in my own life, and I am trying to walk through these times with some college-age students right now.

The struggle goes like this: We have a very powerful time with God and there is a time in our lives when we would spend hours in prayer or hours in the Word and for several months we were having amazing experiences with God. Then, life happened. We went off to college, got jobs, etc.

But instead of realizing our walk with God is dynamic, we keep reaching back for that exact same experience. We don’t allow for life changes.

“Why can’t I seem as close to God as when I was in ______.”

We keep looking for that same feeling.

What we need to understand is that a greater glory can actually come into our lives. The dynamics of God walking with us may change, but it may just get sweeter.

I am a Pentecostal and grew up Pentecostal. When I was in high school I could get up at 5 in the morning, watch Jimmy Swaggart, go over to the church to pray for an hour, and then head to school. I would walk and pray and shout my praises and shout my rebukes at the devil, etc.

In college I didn’t get the same amount of time so I felt like I was drifting. What I learned was that season change. The walk with God can get deeper. The glory can be greater.

As a Pentecostal it is now odd to write that the most powerful experiences with God I have ever had have been in silence. And it is true. (To this point.)

Several years ago I was part of a three day silent retreat led by a director who helped us walk through the struggles of quieting our souls before God. Then, about 18 hours into the roughly 36 hour experience, God came down. I experienced his presence in such reality I get goose bumps just writing it. I wept uncontrollably for hours as he poured his abundant love into my life.

Since that time I have had the privilege of going on several more silent retreats. I have found a wonderful retreat center about an hour from my home that is dedicated to silence.

At this point in my life, I can almost set an alarm for when God will show up. It is so overwhelming. The experience is so breathtaking and beautiful I simply can’t describe it. His glory is far greater right now than when I was 16 or 17.

Here’s the thing: even that may change in the next few years. But I can’t worry over my method. I simply look for him and find a new way to understand his glory.

Do not despair if how you walked with God is not the same as a few years ago. It need not be that way. Something new can happen. A greater glory can come.

Posted in Spiritual Formation, Spiritual hunger and tagged , ,
01 Feb 2012
3 Comments

I Think Jesus May Have Meant These Words

12 I assure you that whoever believes in me will do the works that I do. They will do even greater works than these because I am going to the Father. 13 I will do whatever you ask for in my name, so that the Father can be glorified in the Son. 14 When you ask me for anything in my name, I will do it. (John 14:12-14, CEB)

The question is this: Am I going to believe what Jesus said? Am I going to appropriate these bold words into my own life?

There is a place of radical dependence where God calls me. A place where I am dependent on his provision. Do I trust these words? Do I trust him?

Posted in Spiritual hunger and tagged , ,
30 Jan 2012
1 Comment

What TRULY Matters

I had a guy in my church one time who had a favorite saying: “It’s all gonna burn.”

It was his way of saying, “The stuff of this life just isn’t that important.”

He wanted to keep the things of the Kingdom in focus.

Peter reminds us that this temporal side of life isn’t going to last. So, in light of that, how should we live? He returns to his main theme: holy and godly lives.

Our lives count. We need our hearts and minds fixed fully on the One who is the Author of our salvation. He will complete that work. And in that day, may we be ready.

9 The Lord isn’t slow to keep his promise, as some think of slowness, but he is patient toward you, not wanting anyone to perish but all to change their hearts and lives. 10But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. On that day the heavens will pass away with a dreadful noise, the elements will be consumed by fire, and the earth and all the works done on it will be exposed.

11 Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be? You must live holy and godly lives, 12 waiting for and hastening the coming day of God. Because of that day, the heavens will be destroyed by fire and the elements will melt away in the flames. 13 But according to his promise we are waiting for a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness is at home. (2 Peter 3:9-13, CEB)

Posted in Common English Bible, Spiritual hunger and tagged , ,
28 Jan 2012

The Willingness to Give Up the Distractions

When the Kingdom of God invades your life there is a decision to be made. The disciples hear the call of Jesus in Mark 1 and by the time he calls to them, they have determined he is worth it. They set aside the distractions of nets, and boats, and servants. Jesus was worth their full attention.

The Kingdom comes calling. The Kingdom invades our world. Are we ready to give up the distractions to give him the attention he deserves? He is worth it.

16 As Jesus passed alongside the Galilee Sea, he saw two brothers, Simon and Andrew, throwing fishing nets into the sea, for they were fishermen. 17 “Come, follow me,”he said, “and I’ll show you how to fish for people.” 18 Right away, they left their nets and followed him. 19 After going a little further, he saw James and John, Zebedee’s sons, in their boat repairing the fishing nets. 20 At that very moment he called them. They followed him, leaving their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired workers. (Mark 1:16-20, CEB)

Posted in Common English Bible, Spiritual Formation, Spiritual hunger and tagged , , | Leave a Comment
27 Jan 2012
2 Comments

Does It Get Old?

I love sports, and I LOVE the Kansas Jayhawks in basketball. On my bucket list is going to a game at Allen Fieldhouse once before I die. Just once. I was in there one time years ago. Roy Williams was in his first season. They had won the national championship the year before. A friend and I walked into the fieldhouse for a practice. We were promptly chased out. Didn’t matter. We looked at each other and said, “Was that cool or what?”

But a game… I would LOVE to get to a game.

Duke is another school passionate about the game. I’ve always equated Duke with crazy fans. This article seems to indicate it is just not the same anymore. Students aren’t filling up the student section any more. Top ten program. Fans aren’t coming. The author of the article speculates it’s because things get old. Chants are the same. Songs are the same. (Even winning is the same.) So… are fans bored?

The article sparked another thought in me: Do we get bored of the Kingdom of God?

Do we reach a point where we think: “Same songs. Same Bible. Same church (or series of churches).”

So… we… yaaaaawwwwwnnnn.

Does the Kingdom get old? If it does… why? And if it does… do we change up the routine? Or… hold on now, this may shock you… is it US?

Nawww… couldn’t be us. It MUST be the worship team… or the pastor… or the Bible… or…

You know what? For some reason, if we’re “bored”, or things so to have slipped into a rut, and we keep on looking… and searching… and not finding any solutions with outward stimulus… the answer just may be us.

WE may need to get right back into that Word… right back into that worship service… right back on our knees… and stay at it until we understand what may be wrong inside… not outside.

Just. A. Thought.

12 Sow for yourselves righteousness; 
      reap faithful love; 
   break up your unplanted ground, 
      for it is time to seek the LORD, 
      that he may come 
      and rain righteousness upon you. (Hos. 10:12, CEB)

 

Posted in Common English Bible, Spiritual Formation, Spiritual hunger and tagged , , ,
25 Jan 2012
5 Comments

The Leading of the Spirit

12 At once the Spirit forced Jesus out into the wilderness. 13 He was in the wilderness for forty days, tempted by Satan. He was among the wild animals, and the angels took care of him. (Mark 1:12-13, CEB)

The Spirit did not lead very softly. The same Greek word for “force” is the same word used to talk about Jesus casting out demons.

We may not always understand that “force.” I have met many who do, and the stories they tell are amazing. When there is a compelling of the Spirit they know it.

One missionary I knew was under the direction of the Spirit to go to a village hostile to the gospel for several days. Every day he went they would physically harass him in some way. He would often come home bloody. The next day the Spirit would compel him to return to that village and stay at the task.

In so many ways we are just too soft in our culture. It is so hard to rise up and sense a compelling Spirit leading us into hard areas to go through something so necessary. Jesus was “forced” into a wilderness experience that empowered him for ministry.

Where are those areas in our own lives where the Spirit is truly compelling us… driving us… to move into a whole new realm of spiritual depth and insight?

Posted in Common English Bible, Holy Spirit, Spiritual Formation, Spiritual hunger and tagged , , ,
31 Dec 2011
3 Comments

Farewell and Hello

I used to set goals for each year. I got away from it because somehow in setting goals it also implied a deadline.

Now, I am trying to realize that I need to take time to re-evaluate my goals from time to time. Forget the timeline in many cases.

For instance, I need to set a target weight for my health and stay at it. I don’t need to say, “I need to lose 20 pounds.” (Once I’ve lost the 20 pounds, back I go!)

This coming year I’ve set goals to keep my mind and spirit sharp. I’ve also made it my goal to develop some writing that I feel is necessary for ministry and for the church. Along with that I hope to develop another blog for pastors. But in those goals I need to have them mind, work at them, but forget the timelines. If they are not in full swing by this time next year, I need to re-evaluate and see if I need to keep at it. I don’t need to feel like a failure.

We say farewell to 2011 and hello to the last year of the planet (for the Mayans, anyway). There is really one supreme goal I carry with me, which I pray for all of us:

12 It’s not that I have already reached this goal or have already been perfected, but I pursue it, so that I may grab hold of it because Christ grabbed hold of me for just this purpose. 13 Brothers and sisters, I myself don’t think I’ve reached it, but I do this one thing: I forget about the things behind me and reach out for the things ahead of me. 14The goal I pursue is the prize of God’s upward call in Christ Jesus. 15 So, all of us who are spiritually mature should think this way and if anyone thinks differently, God will reveal it to him or her. 16 Only let’s live in a way that is consistent with whatever level we have reached. (Phil. 3:12-16, CEB)

Many blessings in this new year!

Posted in Ministry, Spiritual Formation, Spiritual hunger and tagged ,

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