This was originally a comment on Willie Macs note, but as I wrote the comment I decided it needed to be a whole blog.
Disclaimer: This is written specifically for guys, so ladies if some things don’t click, I’m sorry.
I can count on my hands the number of men that I really respect on this campus. There are over 700 people within 200 yards of me, and I can’t think of ten Godly men. That puts up red flags all over the place and honestly, it makes me mad.
God is screaming at so many men to stand up and be the righteous MEN OF GOD that they are called to be. But until you step up you’re still a boy. I don't care what John Eldredge says.
To be a man is not wondering around in the woods, not satisfying your emotional urges with breaking things or using a woman to make yourself feel better--in whatever way that may be.
There are two things that can undo a man before anything else: pride and a woman. Those two things will never fail to bring you down, just look at David in 2nd Samuel.
The Devil always uses the same method, and he often fools us into the lie that he attacks in many different ways but really it all boils down to one thing. He will always use your emotions against you; he will never attack your heart, soul, mind or strength without attacking your emotions.
The Devils goal for our lives, specifically for the campus of UM is to get a bunch of emotional train wrecks that are useless to the Kingdom of God. I propose to you that he has succeeded. That all these men who are called to be leaders are sitting around moping about their problems as God is shouting to his soldiers to STAND UP and FIGHT.
He has promised you deliverance, and indeed it is already given to you, but instead you are content to sit in a pool of your own self-pity and let the Kingdom pass you by.
So many of you are “called” to be pastors, preachers, missionaries and worship leaders; Church planters and counselors. You all have the opportunity to practice that here, but you just sit and wait on God to open doors. Brothers, the DOORS ARE OPEN and no one is stepping up. So I beg you in the Spirit of the Living God, step up and be a man, take your place in the grand masterpiece of Gods work and watch what he does through you all over everything you touch.
Back to where we started. Campus Ministries is looking for a few good men and you’re one of them, if you step up. You are here, so you are called to this school, therefore you are called to play a part in Gods work here. Campus Ministries is by no means representative of Gods work, but it is a major way to get involved and find a place where you can serve. If you aren’t serving, then you’re out of the will of God.
That doesn’t necessarily mean Campus Ministries specifically, but what I’m trying to say is simple. Stand up, be a man, and wash somebody’s feet.
Please don’t think I’m just bashing for the heck of it, because I’m really preaching to myself here. I just want the brothers here at UM to be unified for something, because there are so many men that could be such rocks of faith, but they are just a kick in the pants shy of pressing onward. I’m not here to give you that kick in the pants, that’s the Holy Spirits job, I just wanted to pass on what is on my heart about the men on this campus. I am here for each and every one of you, I am praying for you generally, but I would be happy to pray for you specifically, I welcome anything you have to say about my blog and I would love to hear what God is doing in and around you.
Grace and Peace to you
1 John 2:13-14
-Israel
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Passion, Worship, and the Thirsty Deer
God I miss you.
These words roll off in prayer before I think them, then I stop for a moment as I realize what I just said. How can I miss God when he is always with me? But from the overflow of the heart I seem to have spoken a phrase beyond my own understanding, so I write.
Though God is always with me I do not always feel his presence, as all Christians know, whether we like it or not, we do not always as if God is there at all. This is usually a fault of our own but occasionally it is simply a test from God himself to take us beyond where we thought we could go.
I feel the presence of God with me now to an extent, he is the only reason I can maintain the pace that I do and not burn out.
What I miss is the overflow of joy that comes from not only his presence but his love constantly pouring out in my life that does not allow me to get comfortable, the outpouring of love that not only makes me joyful but passionate. Not just passionate in the things that matter most, but passionate with every thing that I do, because he called me to this place, and every word I speak and every move I make should be for the glory of him, within his perfect will and plan.
That passion is what I miss. The passion that only comes from God,
The passion that makes me want to SHOUT and DANCE and SING.
Call me foolish, that I should be content with the style of worship in quiet reverence and stillness that is an attitude of the heart and is not reflected externally.
I cannot hold in what is within my heart without it showing externally, I cannot keep myself still, to be reverent is not only the attitude of the heart but for me to worship in spirit and truth I CANNOT KEEP SILENT.
As I seek God I see glimpses of what he is doing, whether directly in my life or in the world around me I see it. It brings me joy; it makes me hunger for more. To live in an attitude of worship, of constant prayer is my greatest desire, and as I see God work it makes me want to pursue more and more.
This pursuit is directly reflected in actions, once again the overflow of the heart…. Therefore it is most directly reflected in my worship, as my life should be an act of worship, but it isn’t always (workin on it) so we’ll just talk about the specific worship in Church or a Campus Bible Study.
(Disclaimer: I must thank Dr. Younce for this paragraph, because after I wrote this in Christian Studies building lobby he speaks on this in class, so this stuff is from my notes.)
God desires us to worship him; he seeks us to worship him. Worship draws you closer to God, and as you draw closer to God you begin to look more like him, therefore being reflected in your life from the meditations of your heart to where you decide to eat lunch to how you respond to hardship. It is all changed because of worship.
So as I worship I find myself drawing closer to God and him in turn to me. This means my heart, my soul, is more like his, and thus I have joy, I have peace, I have a PASSION for LIFE that is BEYOND understanding, I have passion to spread his love, just as Isaiah 26:8 says: “LORD we show our trust in you by obeying your laws, our hearts desire is to glorify your name.”
Hearts desire. When he has our hearts within his love our will looks like his, I know I’m repeating myself a lot but this affects so much of our lives I could write forever and never reach the end of how much worship means to us every moment. I’ll just leave the interpretation of this to you and the Holy Spirit and stop saying the same thing over and over….
Perhaps we should all be missing God, and we should all be so hungry for his love and for the fulfilled life he brings that it is not only a desire for more but it is a palpable emotion of actually missing our Father.
But then again maybe I’m wrong. Seek God and decide for yourself. ☺
Psalm 42:1
-Israel
These words roll off in prayer before I think them, then I stop for a moment as I realize what I just said. How can I miss God when he is always with me? But from the overflow of the heart I seem to have spoken a phrase beyond my own understanding, so I write.
Though God is always with me I do not always feel his presence, as all Christians know, whether we like it or not, we do not always as if God is there at all. This is usually a fault of our own but occasionally it is simply a test from God himself to take us beyond where we thought we could go.
I feel the presence of God with me now to an extent, he is the only reason I can maintain the pace that I do and not burn out.
What I miss is the overflow of joy that comes from not only his presence but his love constantly pouring out in my life that does not allow me to get comfortable, the outpouring of love that not only makes me joyful but passionate. Not just passionate in the things that matter most, but passionate with every thing that I do, because he called me to this place, and every word I speak and every move I make should be for the glory of him, within his perfect will and plan.
That passion is what I miss. The passion that only comes from God,
The passion that makes me want to SHOUT and DANCE and SING.
Call me foolish, that I should be content with the style of worship in quiet reverence and stillness that is an attitude of the heart and is not reflected externally.
I cannot hold in what is within my heart without it showing externally, I cannot keep myself still, to be reverent is not only the attitude of the heart but for me to worship in spirit and truth I CANNOT KEEP SILENT.
As I seek God I see glimpses of what he is doing, whether directly in my life or in the world around me I see it. It brings me joy; it makes me hunger for more. To live in an attitude of worship, of constant prayer is my greatest desire, and as I see God work it makes me want to pursue more and more.
This pursuit is directly reflected in actions, once again the overflow of the heart…. Therefore it is most directly reflected in my worship, as my life should be an act of worship, but it isn’t always (workin on it) so we’ll just talk about the specific worship in Church or a Campus Bible Study.
(Disclaimer: I must thank Dr. Younce for this paragraph, because after I wrote this in Christian Studies building lobby he speaks on this in class, so this stuff is from my notes.)
God desires us to worship him; he seeks us to worship him. Worship draws you closer to God, and as you draw closer to God you begin to look more like him, therefore being reflected in your life from the meditations of your heart to where you decide to eat lunch to how you respond to hardship. It is all changed because of worship.
So as I worship I find myself drawing closer to God and him in turn to me. This means my heart, my soul, is more like his, and thus I have joy, I have peace, I have a PASSION for LIFE that is BEYOND understanding, I have passion to spread his love, just as Isaiah 26:8 says: “LORD we show our trust in you by obeying your laws, our hearts desire is to glorify your name.”
Hearts desire. When he has our hearts within his love our will looks like his, I know I’m repeating myself a lot but this affects so much of our lives I could write forever and never reach the end of how much worship means to us every moment. I’ll just leave the interpretation of this to you and the Holy Spirit and stop saying the same thing over and over….
Perhaps we should all be missing God, and we should all be so hungry for his love and for the fulfilled life he brings that it is not only a desire for more but it is a palpable emotion of actually missing our Father.
But then again maybe I’m wrong. Seek God and decide for yourself. ☺
Psalm 42:1
-Israel
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