Monday
Oct122009
Just Show Up
Monday, October 12, 2009 at 12:40PM
Every morning when I get to the church, I spend the first half-hour or so in prayer. Well a few mornings ago, my heart's cry was simply this: Just show up. I'm really tired of a God that I know is all powerful, reduced to a science experiment. I'm tired of Him being explained away. I'm tired of Christians falling prey to the power of suggestion, and then finding out that their "miracle" is false. I feel this is why Christianity has become such a joke. And I'm tired of it.
So my heart's cry for the rest of this week, for the rest of the month even, is for God to Just Show Up. Lord, please, show your power to these people. Let Your glory be revealed, and may there be no excuse, no possible way to explain it, or to rationalize what is Your glory.
So my heart's cry for the rest of this week, for the rest of the month even, is for God to Just Show Up. Lord, please, show your power to these people. Let Your glory be revealed, and may there be no excuse, no possible way to explain it, or to rationalize what is Your glory.
Reader Comments (3)
hey daniel,
i glad you wrote this. i know exactly what your saying. i've seen it too, and it has made me sick. yes it is hard to trust men but keep staying faithful to the Word and our Savior. I sort of give up sometimes too but i know Who i can turn to. Be careful about Ed Young and the "emerging churchers" who water down the gospel and make it "too easy" to believe in Jesus who had some very hard to believe sayings, (study Jn6:60-70 emphasis on 6:66.)i also recommend reading some if John MacArthur's books such as "Charismatic Chaos" and "Hard to Believe." He is pretty sound in his teaching although watch out for some of his beliefs on predestination that i don't totally agree with. Another thing is, i too used to pray in what is called "tongues" in the church today. but the jibberish spoken today is not the tongues spoken at Pentecost or what the apostle Paul spoke of especially to the Corinthians who erred in many areas since they lived in a debaucled, confused society much as we do today. it was hard for them to leave the world behind as they came to the Faith. Today people are taught the same thing but that is not what Jesus taught. Theoligically, salvation is free, physically it might cost you everything! Family, home, fame, fortune etc. Jesus said it not i.
I'm about to turn 45 next month so, yes, your not alone. i've seen the worst of the worst from Oklahoma, to Texas, Arizona,Tennessee, back here to Texas, brother. it is everywhere! we can't run from it/them. but we need to strengthen our spirits with the unadulterated Truth and fight the good fight and,when called to do so, start to rebuke and warn these false teachers and demand repentence towards sound, uncompromising doctrine! That's what i did with ed young. He calls for "back to basics" but he doesn't teach it. i did visit one of his campuses and was appalled by what goes on. 95% of the people don't even bring their Bible to "church"!
Anyway, Brother Daniel, please, by all means email me back to let me know you recieved my comment. i pray God's best for you in the midst of your storms. i know how frustrated you feel. Stay strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.
God bless,
Randell danner
Randell, I appreciate your comments and encouragement. I have to disagree with a few things, although I have no intention of turning this into a debate. I do want it clear to other readers where I stand, though. I do believe in the baptism in the Holy Spirit, with the evidence of speaking in "tongues". It's not something I focus on because I don't believe that the "tongues" are the point. I believe that the Acts 1:8 "power" lives inside of me, and I cannot imagine life without Him. I'm a big sissy otherwise!!
And I'll be the first to admit, I don't carry a Bible everywhere I go, including at church. It usually sits on my desk, open, with notes, or something nearby from where I was studying. But for our regular church services, the Scriptures are on the overhead, and I don't see a difference reading them there, or on a page. However, as a staff Pastor, I am not in one place for very long (stage, sound booth, checking to make sure no knuckleheads are messing with the kids, etc), and therefore find it simpler to rely on my Blackberry or the overhead for the Scriptures during a live service. So I get that. However, my wife disagrees (and I get her point), saying that you can't show someone something in the Bible if you aren't used to rifling through it and finding passages. So I think it comes down to preference. As a tech geek, I prefer the tech to the parchment.
But those minor issues aside, I yearn for a balance. I do believe that our God is a loving God, but I also believe that He's fed up with our panzy ways and wants us to just shut up and allow Him to show up. It's not about us, and we have to recognize that we aren't preaching a popular message. And that means that we may not have a large following. In fact, if there are too many followers, there is a chance, however small it might be, that something is missing. Perhaps conviction? :)
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oops sorry. i do see my first posting after i just sent you another one. i have to say your wrong and tongues is and needs to be an issue and a debate. i believe in the power of the Holy Spirit as well. The Word says that the same power that raised Christ from the dead dwells in us. i used to pray in "tongues" also but i know that everything that i learned and have grown up to be (still growing) came from long and hard study and self discipline according to the Word. I can hear God's voice in my own language and still know a little German so it's possible for the Holy Spirit to speak to me in two known tongues/dialects/languages. I have never heard the Spirit speak jibberish to me!