Power Supply

Heard a message this morning at a conference that made me think about how I live my life. I've been living reflectively since returning home from Brazil, and have a couple of thoughts today.

One, now I love my church, but man, I really struggled this past Sunday. One of our board members got up after worship, and talked more about the band, and the person leading worship, than the one we were there to worship. It was the _____ ______ show, not worship. Now, maybe our worship leader needed strokes this past week, but my re-entry didn't handle that well. Was I there to be entertained, to feel good? Is church just a show? I'm not sure.

I'm also growing tired of how stale my faith has become. Don't get me wrong, there are times I feel extremely close to God, and actually, this is one of those times. I'm not feeling down, not struggling, my marriage is great, my family is healthy, generally life is good. But I don't want my faith to be bland.

Have you ever wished that maybe your faith was actually a threat to the enemy, so much so that he had to come against you? Well, that's where I'm at. I'm not looking for a fight, I just want my faith to be on the map when it comes to the adversary. I want the enemy to know that Mark and Terry are out there. I want to be driven to my knees because of my need for dependence, not because of my independence and it's convenient. I want to need it. I want to "need" to pray!

This morning our speaker talked about 2 Peter 1:3, the fact God's "divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness." Everything we need. Do I believe that? Do I live like that? Do I resemble that?
I watched a group of people who believe it, live like it, and resemble it. Don't get me wrong, they aren't perfect, but I want the faith I saw them live out. I didn't listen to them debate theology, not that there is never a place for that, but they don't have time for that. There's too much to do for the Kingdom, and they're about building it. They were delivered from alcohol addictions, the occult, witchcraft, so why would they debate whether they could flirt with destructive behavior, like we do. I didn't see them question God's ability to deliver someone from cocaine, witchcraft, alcohol, tobacco, or disease, they just believed he would. I didn't see them reading books about how to pray, I watched and heard them pray. I didn't hear anyone complain about the music being too loud or too fast, and it was; they just sang.

I want that in my life. I want to live from the reality of God's presence giving me what I need. I want it.

I've heard a lot of talk recently about how we shouldn't ask God to be active where we are, but we should look and seek out places where he is already active and join him where he is at. I think that is good, sound, theology. I know one place where he is active, I saw it, but my prayer is that I see another much closer to home.

Will you pray for that with me? Any takers?