74. Here I Go Again 02.22.20

Oh, this walk with the Lord. I tell you what. It’s been a crazy change since last August. Most of you have been following my posts and by now probably just say things to yourself like “oh here she goes again” or “who does she think she is now”. I know I may sound crazy to a lot of you but there is a purpose behind my words. I can’t seem to listen to a teaching, read the word or even take a shower without the Holy Spirit urging me and pushing my shoulder saying “Don’t forget to tell them about this, Ash”. There was a time in my life where I’d have thought about what people think, a time where I’d shut up and would not speak a word. That time is over. I can’t keep this inside. I’ll get a word or a topic on my mind and it will burn in me like fire until I get it out. Then the next one and the next one. If I hold anything back I feel immediate conviction from the Lord. We are called to make disciples with the knowledge and gifts that we are given through the Holy Spirit.

Matthew 28:19-20 (NIV)
19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

It doesn’t say anywhere in the Bible that we are to go and make church members. It doesn’t say anywhere in the Bible that we are only to worship on Sundays. What it says is that we are to make disciples. It says Jesus is the bread of life and the living water. Do any of you go a day without food or water? I’d probably say no, most of you don’t, unless you’re sick or fasting. So then why would we let our Bible, the living word, sit on a dresser or night stand collecting dust until Sunday? Why would we live a worldly life enjoying all the things Jesus died to conquer and then come to church on Sundays asking for forgiveness. Bowing our head as sinners to receive grace, only to go back out into the world and do it all again for another week. We can’t as Christians keep going out and living in knowing sin and expecting constant grace and mercy to cover it all up. Repentance isn’t saying I’m sorry, repentance is turning away from everything you know is wrong. When you have the Holy Spirit inside you, sin tastes different, music sounds different, movies and TV shows you used to enjoy will look and sound different to you. You become transformed by the Lord and sin looses it’s taste.

John 6:35 (NIV)
35 Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.

James 4:17 - Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.

I believe that new fire has a purpose. I love to hear stories of those who came to find Jesus later in life. After years and years of collecting the garbage of this world and packing it in their suitcase and carrying it around, they finally dump it all out at the foot of the cross and find freedom. Normally they won’t shut up about it and I find that refreshing. I think thats why I love Todd White so much. We share a lot in common from our backgrounds. Don’t get me wrong, I love everyone no matter what you believe, or where you are in your journey, and I love Christians who have been in church their whole lives. One thing I’ve noticed though, is that a lot of times Christians who’ve grown up in the church, or who have been in this for a long time can just go through the motions. They read scriptures they’ve been hearing their whole lives, they listen to their Christian music, they watch their Christian movies and they remain frustrated and in bondage. They get into this cycle and they forget the beauty of the word. The Bible should come alive to you. You should continue to find new revelations and have scripture hit home to you in new ways all the time.

When you’re at a camp fire and the wood has been burning and smoldering until the flame dies down, what do you add to make the fire come back to life? You add new wood to make new fire. I believe that the new fire in me is here to bring back the life to those who are left smoldering. I believe that everyone that calls themselves a Christian should be on fire for the Lord.

Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying I’m sin free, I still deal with sin. We will all still deal with sin as we are flesh. I struggle with jealousy, I still deal with coveting, but I repent as soon as I am convicted. I can catch myself before those thoughts take hold in my mind when I couldn’t before. The Holy Spirit brings a quicker conviction without condemnation. When you’re in the world and you sin you can get in a cycle of feeling condemned, feeling like “oh well I blew it, I might as well keep doing it and I’ll ask for forgiveness later”. Little do we realize that there might not be a later. So many people who pass away had plans for their tomorrow, and tomorrow never came.

Don’t spend another day, week, or year going through the motions as a Christian. Claim what is yours. You should be a living example of the fruits of the spirit.

Galatians 5:22-23 (NIV)
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

You should be experiencing the gifts of the spirit on a very frequent basis. If I can, surely everyone else can too. I’m no better than you. When we are given a gift, do we simply use it once and then throw it away? I’d sure hope not. I wouldn’t want my children to throw away the gifts that I paid for, that I have freely given to them, or ignore them as if I’d never handed them the gift. So, how much more would our eternal Father want us to enjoy and use the gifts that were freely given to us paid for by the death of Jesus on the cross?

1 Corinthians 12
7 Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. 8 To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, 10 to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. 11 All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines.

Matthew 10:7-8
7 As you go, proclaim this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ 8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give.

Jesus said these words to His disciples. He told His disciples as I mentioned earlier, to go and make disciples. We are called to this as Christians. It’s not just going and sharing the word and telling everyone Jesus loves you. It’s living it out, it’s becoming a disciple yourself. It’s becoming a walking book of Acts here on this earth in these days. We aren’t called to live one foot in the word and one foot in the world. It’s never in scripture to go enjoy the worldly life and come see me on Sunday for your weekly dose of grace. Think about what you’re thinking about during the week. Think about what you’re putting into your mind and body, what you’re viewing with your eyes and what you’re hearing with your ears.

2 Corinthians 5:21
He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

Romans 6:18
and having been freed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.

1 Corinthians 1:30-31 (NIV)
30 It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. 31 Therefore, as it is written: “Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.”