It’s funny to me, the way the Lord answers my prayers sometimes. After coming back from the trip, I have been praying for more quality time to spend with the Lord. First, my prayer was answered by my employer suggesting quarantine for a week. Now that I’ve been back to work, it’s been these late night, early morning hours. I’ve often found myself up late writing, reading and praying. Of course this morning the Lord gently woke me up about an hour before my alarm was set to go off. I really enjoy when that happens, it’s a little reminder that the Lord wants to spend time with me as much as I need to spend time with Him.
I began thanking the Lord for my children, my job, my friends and family, my home, my car, etc, just going down the list of the million things I have to be thankful for and I began to realize how comfortable my bed was in that moment. I began snuggling into the blankets and rubbing my cheek on the pillow to find that spot that’s just right. The sun was starting to come up and the light warmed the room, chasing away the darkness. It was so peaceful. I looked over at my son Nash sleeping. His eyes closed and his cute little nose melted my heart. Max was snuggled in his little doggie bed still asleep. In that moment I was completely comfortable. I didn’t want to move. I could have laid there forever. As I was thanking the Lord for this comfort, the Holy Spirit stopped me. I heard the Lord whisper to my heart “Comfort is complacent”.
I had to look up what complacent meant. It’s defined as showing smug or uncritical satisfaction with oneself or one's achievements. Has it gotten that far? Have we become so comfortable in our flesh, in this world, in our homes, hiding behind our screens, cashing our paychecks, making our social media posts; that we have become nothing more than a smug bunch of jerks that are so self absorbed that anyone that doesn’t agree with us becomes nonexistent or deserving of being treated with disregard just for who they are and what they believe? Are we really, in general, all that comfortable being so smug to people? I saw His point there, I really did.
The Lord brought my attention to thinking about my bed and how cozy I was. In that moment, I was dreading that alarm going off, I would have quit my job if I could have afforded it, just to stay there another hour. I just wanted to stay in that comfortable moment where my entire flesh was satisfied for as long as I possibly could. I felt that tug on my heart and I was reminded of the cold bunks in Mexico. How the cold was uncomfortable. How so many of us were up early and excited to get moving in order to get warm and to find some level of physical comfort that we had lacked during the night before. How since we were so uncomfortable, it was that much easier to move forward and to take on the day. Also how that ease was driven by a need to search for and obtain that physical comfort that our flesh desires.
That’s what our bodies desire, to be comfortable. We like routine, we like predictable. We like calm, we like to have enough money to pay the bills, we enjoy having a clean bill of health, to have cars that start when we get in them. We expect things to work as they should and when they don’t. (when, not if...when. Because it will happen). When they don’t, we don’t like it. We become uncomfortable and that can lead to a bunch of different things but what it leads to the most is action.
I heard the Lord again, comfort is complacent in the Spirit, Ash. Keep moving forward. With those words, I pictured an elementary school. The Lord brought to my mind how scared we all are when we go to kindergarten. We are ready, we are able, but we are terrified. We enter an entirely new routine. You get corrected often, leading to insecurities. As the year goes on you notice the 5th graders. They look so cool and like they know everything. You focus on that feeling of one day not being corrected and being that intelligent 5th grader. Years pass and each year you’re more and more comfortable with the school. You learn more material, you get to know more of the teachers and you feel more at home. Then finally after all that time, you’re a 5th grader. You’re top dog. You’re comfortable. You begin talking differently, having more attitude than confidence. You get arrogant about being king of the school, you look down on the younger kids forgetting how you felt at that time in your life. You become complacent. The next thing you know, you graduate elementary school and it’s time to level up to middle school.
The cycle repeats itself there. You start off as nervous and novice but by 8th grade you’re the complacent king of the school again. Then the high school transition, finally college if you’re blessed and able; and then there’s your career or transitioning into becoming a parent or a fully functioning adult. Every one of those transitions was/is/will be terrifying. Every one of those transitions requires you to become uncomfortable in order to level up.
I’d say the most terrifying part of this entire process , for me anyway, would be constantly being challenged by those special people that the Lord has placed in my life to accompany me on this journey. They are the kind of people who see the best in you and expect more out of you based on the faith they have in the Jesus in you. They challenge you to become who you’re destined to be. Those people, those tough love people, can be terrifyingly wonderful to do life with. It’s an exciting challenge to grow, and so much better that we don’t have to grow alone. We should always aim to grow in our understanding and we should never grow complacent in who/where we are in the moment. Those people have kept me going when I’ve wanted to stop many times. We aren’t meant to walk alone.
The way I believe this relates to the spirit is in the same way as it does to elementary kids. Growth is a challenge. Many want to remain comfortable and complacent in their Christianity as if feeling like king of the school is easier than level up and moving out of that comfort zone. This is the same for those who attend church living in sin or want to attend church but don’t because they’re living in the flesh of the world. Those living together outside of marriage, those committing willful sins, adultery, drinking, doing drugs, watching pornography etc. It’s more comfortable for them to stay away from church. They would rather live anxious and depressed submitting to what makes the flesh comfortable than they would to challenge themselves to level up, to get past that discomfort, to find a church family, hear some tough messages that might challenge and encourage us to set biblical boundaries in their lives. I know, I was that person for years!!!! I can call you out because I was you. I know what’s on the other side of that discomfort and I will never stop encouraging you to step out in your faith. It was the best thing I have ever done.
Some come to church on the big holidays and believe in Jesus; some are members and come every Sunday. You have your folks that come to Sunday and mid week services. You have the folks that volunteer at the church, the choir, the greeters. You have the pastors, evangelists, prophets, apostles, and teachers. You have those that hold high positions in the church but never have a personal conversation with the Lord. You have those sitting in the pews that have intimate relationships with the Lord and are blessed with healing gifts, deliverance, seeing, and prophetic gifts. They’re all functioning on their individual levels. I am always one to say that you will get out what you put in and more, when it comes to your relationship with Jesus. Sometimes I give him 15 mins and he blesses me beyond measure. It’s not about the quantity it’s about the quality and the submission of your heart to the will of the Father. I mean, guys, He gives us a book. The book tells us what happened in the past and what will happen in the future; and yet more people bank on the farmers almanac than they do the Bible because of the way the church is viewed by the general public. We are viewed as hypocrites because we have churches full of demonically oppressed Christian congregations who live stuck in sin and wonder why they can’t get a break in life, why they’re depressed or anxious or in pain. You can be pitiful or powerful but you can’t be both.
How did we go from powerful disciples that would die for the gospel to today’s church? How did we go from disciples who showed miracles signs and wonders everywhere they went because they were bestowed with the power of the Holy Spirit; to I don’t want to go to church because they will call me out on my sin and make me feel like I can’t do what I want?! The commission is go and make disciples, duplicating this Church of the living Christ and having the Holy Spirit inside you. It’s not go get a bunch of people in a building and sing three songs, do a ten min messsge and let’s go eat while we pull the name of Jesus into our miserable sin ridden lives and expect blessings heaped upon us as we barely tip our servers.
Don’t become complacent in the Spirit. Don’t become complacent in your salvation. So many people think they have it all figured out. You don’t. I don’t. There’s nothing that I do, see, speak or write about that you all can’t experience for yourselves if you wanted to. I encourage you all to not be comfortable with where you are with your relationship with the Lord. It can always improve. If you want to heal the sick, heal yourself, submit to Jesus as your savior, take the step to get baptized, to take communion, take the steps to attend worship and to learn from people who function in that gift you’re drawn to. When the time is right the Holy Spirit will lead you to have the impartation that you desire to have to function fluently in those gifts.
Freely we receive freely give. There is no knowledge you can’t obtain if you try hard enough. If you’re interested in casting out demons, get a book on how to cast out demons. There’s an online zoom deliverance on the 27th you can take the class for free from home. You’d be surprised how many Christians are not living up to their full potential all because they think there is this elite gifting for pastors and those with theology degrees. You can read the very same Bible that they study. The Bible never changes. The words should quicken your spirit and give you a desire to have the relationship with the Lord that will transform you. Your taste for sin changes. You don’t have to change for the Lord to love you, but His love is a burning fire that will consume and burn up anything not of truth. It’s transforming.
Level up, ditch sin, ditch the demonic oppression. The only reason you’re stuck in the situation that you’re in, is because you’re not moving forward.
Dig deeper. Times running out.
Psalms 119:50 - This is my comfort in my affliction: for thy word hath quickened me.
John 16:22 - And ye now therefore have sorrow: but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you.
Jeremiah 9:23-24
23 Thus says the Lord: “Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, 24 but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the Lord.”
Romans 12:2 - And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
Ephesians 4:10-15
10 He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things 11 And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds a and teachers, 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, 14 so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. 15 Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ,
2 Peter 3:18 - But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him [be] glory both now and for ever. Amen.
Matthew 5:6 - Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.
2 Timothy Chapter 3
16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
17 That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.
Titus Chapter 2
11 For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,
12 Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;
13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;
14 Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.
1 John 4
4 Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.
2 Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:
3 And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.
4 Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.
5 They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them.
6 We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.
7 Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.
8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.
9 In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.
10 Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.
12 No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.
13 Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit.
14 And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world.
15 Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God.
16 And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.
17 Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.
18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.
19 We love him, because he first loved us.
20 If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?
21 And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.
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