SEIZED BY THE POWER OF A GREAT AFFECTION

 

Over 100 years ago, people in the south, who where in a relationship with Jesus Christ used the phrase, “I was seized by the power of a great affection.” (Google it) Brennan Manning quoted it often. I was seized by that power In 1978.

Let’s face it, 2020 sucks. But we need not live in fear. We must come to grips with the fact, whether we believe it or not, God is in control. He’s allowing all of these things to bring the church closer to Him, individually, and corporately as His Body.

We MUST NOT blame God, or see Him as the master of puppets behind all this craziness. If we indeed have spiritual eyes we will see the truth of Satan’s assault on our country and the world today: “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” Jesus in John 10:10

The heart of God is to give us a full and abundant life. What a glorious promise! But we are in a sin-sick world in which Satan (for now) has limited freedom to accomplish his purposes of stealing, killing, and destroying.

There a so many voices (Christian and Secular) today screaming for our affections. But God’s Word is truth. Not believing it is truth doesn’t change the fact that it is.

• If we’ve been seized by this power, then we can relate to this passage from Isaiah: "Woe to me!” I cried. “I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty.” Isaiah 6:5

Have you really seen the King with your spiritual eyes?

• If we’ve been seized by this power, then we MUST live by this rallying reminder from the Apostle Paul: "Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good, to slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and always to be gentle toward everyone.”   Titus 3:1-3

We MUST pray for this country’s leadership.

• If we’ve been seized by this power, we will not be blinded by the truth of these verses that are holding our country captive: "He (God) said, “Go and tell this people: “ ‘Be ever hearing, but never understanding; be ever seeing, but never perceiving.’ Make the heart of this people calloused; make their ears dull and close their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed.” Isaiah 6:9-10

We MUST understand that the church is under attack. We MUST be praying for the church.

• If we’ve been seized by this power, we will acknowledge that God is the only One to be feared (revered) and stop worrying about conspiracies: "Do not call conspiracy everything this people calls a conspiracy; do not fear what they fear, and do not dread it. The LORD Almighty is the one you are to regard as holy, he is the one you are to fear, he is the one you are to dread.” Isaiah 8:12-13

There are so many conspiracy theories out there. We MUST pray for God’s truth to be revealed. Pray for discernment.

• If we’ve been seized by this power, we will experience TRUE FREEDOM to love and work for a free world. And yes, I’m an idealist.

“Freedom belongs to the core of the spiritual life; not just the freedom that releases us from forces that want to oppress us, but the freedom also to forgive others, to serve them, and to form a new bond of fellowship with them. In short, the freedom to love and to work for a free world.” Henri Nouwen

There are many in our culture and the world who consider Christians a disease. There is an old Russian proverb: "Those who have the disease called Jesus will never be cured.” In Jesus name, may we never be cured!!

MORAL COMPASS

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MORAL COMPASS

In God's eyes we are all equal. But sin makes us unequal. As Christians, we are not better people, just unequal. Forgiven. Because we either believe and live like Jesus has redeemed us or we don't. And if we do, then He is our moral compass. And if we don't, our moral compass never stops spinning...no direction of right and wrong. That is the difference.

The problem is our culture has so muddied the reality of sin that we have gotten used to the darkness...not unlike dusk when the darkness gradually creeps in and we just accept it. If intended to reflect the nature of God, man is to be judged not by how he compares to other humans, but how he measures up to the Divine Standard. And remember God loves us for who we are, not for what we do. He also loves us as we are, not as we should be. We need to stop trying to measure up and start resting in the arms of His love. That doesn’t mean we don’t continue to live in a sinful state. Come on, if we’re honest with ourselves we still sin. What it does mean is that we must admit (confess) our sin, continually walk in forgiveness, and stop condemning ourselves! Romans 2:4 - “Don’t you see how wonderfully kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you? Does this mean nothing to you? Can’t you see that his kindness is intended to turn you from your sin?” Oh the blessed mercy of God!

Here’s a prophetic verse, written about 600 years BC, that expresses God’s mercy and love in such a powerful way that expressed the heart of God back then, and was fulfilled in Christ Jesus: Zephaniah 3:17 — “For the Lord your God is living among you. He is a mighty savior. He will take delight in you with gladness. With his love, he will calm all your fears. He will rejoice over you with joyful songs.” Did you get that?!!! Yes…He’s alive. God’s not dead or some figment of some religious nut’s imagination! He takes delight in you…unconditionally! We should never fear coming to Him no matter how dirty we think our souls may be. He rejoices over you  and me with joyful songs! It’s as if God is singing love songs to us! Unfathomable but true! Crazy? No. Relentless? Yes! That is my Jesus! All proven over 2000 years ago on the cross of Calvary.

"For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him." (John 3:16-17) If we really believe in Him, we will surrender to His compass. And that, my friend, is neither political or religious.