Skip to main content

Here and Now

    Worship conferences, mission trips, revival gatherings, etc. all bring in people from around the world hoping to experience Christ. Many believers show up to get a special encounter with God. They think that these things will give them a fresh revelation that they would not otherwise have access to.

    While those things are all well and good, I think that people can use these attractions to chase a ghostly impression of the Holy Spirit. Why do they believe that they have to go looking for Jesus when He is right here with us all the time? When we are born again He lives in us. We do not serve some elusive God that requires us to come search for Him only in the holiest of places. He goes where we go. We take Him with us everywhere.

    If you are seeking God there is no reason that you won't find Him. You don't have to go look for signs and wonders or some gigantic conference to find Him. He is there even when you don't feel Him, if only you'll look. We have Jesus at our disposal at all times. Also, although mission trips are wonderful, we don't have to go out to other places to spread the word about Christ. It starts here and now with those around you. Jesus always meets us right where we are at.

Matthew 28:20 And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age. (ESV)

Colossians 1:27 To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. (ESV)

Galatians 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. (ESV)

1 Corinthians 6:19 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own (ESV)

1 Corinthians 3:16 Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you? (ESV)

Romans 8:9 You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. (ESV)

Jeremiah 29:13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. (NIV)

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

How Firm a Foundation

Matthew 7:24-27 “Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock. But anyone who hears my teaching and doesn’t obey it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand. When the rains and floods come and the winds beat against that house, it will collapse with a mighty crash.” Luke 6:46-49 “So why do you keep calling me ‘Lord, Lord!’ when you don’t do what I say? I will show you what it’s like when someone comes to me, listens to my teaching, and then follows it. It is like a person building a house who digs deep and lays the foundation on solid rock. When the floodwaters rise and break against that house, it stands firm because it is well built. But anyone who hears and doesn’t obey is like a person who builds a house without a foundation. When the floods sweep down against th...

Dancing Through the Fire

     For a couple weeks now the Lord has been pressing this message on my heart. He revealed a flaw in my thinking I hadn't noticed. You see, when hard times come it's in my nature to duck and cover. I go into "survival mode" and I get tunnel vision. I only focus on getting through what's in front of me alive. But in doing so, not only do I miss a lot of opportunities, but I give in to the voice of fear in my life.     I know I don't speak only for myself when I say that God wants to us in our "every day lives." Not only at church or on a special mission trip, but in the trenches of the grocery store, the gym, work, etc. It is His will that every soul is saved and He wants us to go out into the world and win those hearts for Him. But when I put myself in survival mode, I block out all the opportunities God lays before me. When I numb myself with the routine of each passing day, week, and month, I miss out on sharing the one thing of eternal importa...

Pergamum

Revelation 2:13-16  “I know that you live in the city where Satan has his throne, yet you have remained loyal to me. You refused to deny me even when Antipas, my faithful witness, was martyred among you there in Satan’s city. “But I have a few complaints against you. You tolerate some among you whose teaching is like that of Balaam, who showed Balak how to trip up the people of Israel. He taught them to sin by eating food offered to idols and by committing sexual sin. In a similar way, you have some Nicolaitans among you who follow the same teaching. Repent of your sin, or I will come to you suddenly and fight against them with the sword of my mouth." (NLT)     To the church in Pergamum, Jesus commends them for their faithfulness. Interesting that what He told the church in Smyrna they were doing wrong was just what those in Pergamum were doing right! They lived in an area that made it particularly difficult to stay devoted to Christ because of all the persecution, yet...