Crazy Love « Journeyman Journal

I’d Like to Find Out…

Wednesday, September 22nd, 2010

I started reading the latest book by Francis Chan, Forgotten God, this morning. I fully expected to to challenge me as his last book, Crazy Love, did. I could not have been more spot on. So much so that I’m not exactly sure what to do with what I’m reading.

It saddens me. It challenges me. It shakes me to my core spiritually.

Chan is talking about the Holy Spirit in our spiritual lives and how the Holy Spirit is supposed to be evident in our lives. But that’s not often the case. He goes so far to say…

I think the worst part is when you get outside the church’s walls and interact with believers and nonbelievers in the same sphere. Can you really tell a difference? (p 31)

OUCH! If I answer that question honestly the answer is far too often that I cannot tell the difference. And I am including myself in that indictment. But we’re supposed to be different. We’re not just supposed to ACT different (although even that doesn’t always happen); we’re supposed to BE different…

This is the question I just can’t get around: If it’s true that the Spirit of God dwells in us and that our bodies are the Holy Spirit’s temple, then shouldn’t there be a huge difference between the person who has the Spirit of God living inside of him or her and the person who does not? (p 32)

Um….yes. There should be a huge difference. So why is that not often the case? Why is that not the case in my own life?

That’s what I’m going to start examining and praying about. Where have I missed the mark? What am I holding back from God? What am I afraid will happen if I live my life fully in the presence of God’s Spirit? What would happen if I fully allowed Him to guide and direct my life on a daily basis?

That the question we’re asking over the next three weeks at Pinecrest too. As a community, what would happen if God really got a hold of us and we let Him lead…let Him do some amazing things…got out of the way and got on-board with God’s plan?

All I know is that I’m going to start this journey, because I’d like to find out…

22.09.2010 Books, Holy Spirit, New Pastor Journal, Spiritual Musings No Comments

The Holy Spirit: Part 1

Monday, March 8th, 2010

I just picked up the book Forgotten God by Francis Chan. I absolutely loved Crazy Love so I thought this book would make for a good devotional read for Anita and me. We haven’t started it yet, but here’s a quick synopsis…

A follow up to the profound message of Crazy Love, Pastor Francis Chan offers a compelling invitation to understand, embrace, and follow the Holy Spirit’s direction in our lives. In the name of the Father, the Son, and … the Holy Spirit. We pray in the name of all three, but how often do we live with an awareness of only the first two? Chan contends that we’ve ignored the Spirit for far too long, and we are reaping the disastrous results. Thorough scriptural support and compelling narrative form Chan’s invitation to stop and remember the One we’ve forgotten, the Spirit of the living God.

During a breakfast meeting last week I had a quick discussion about the Trinity…and specifically about the neglect of the Holy Spirit in many Christian circles. So I’m excited to read the book. BUT…I’m not going to start it just yet. Why? Simple…I want to do a little study of my own and see what I can uncover myself before getting into Chan’s analysis (I fully expect his version to be much better than mine, but I still want to do a little discover on my own).

So I’m starting simple, and slow. I decided to take a look at what the Old Testament has to say about the Holy Spirit. We don’t typically think about the Holy Spirit in the OT, but He’s there. A quick word search of “Holy Spirit” turns up three verses in the New Living Translation(NLT):

Psalm 51:11: “Do not banish me from your presence, and don’t take your Holy Spirit from me.”
Isaiah 63:10-11: “But they rebelled against him and grieved his Holy Spirit. So he became their enemy and fought against them. Then they remembered those days of old when Moses led his people out of Egypt. They cried out, “Where is the one who brought Israel through the sea, with Moses as their shepherd? Where is the one who sent his Holy Spirit to be among his people?”

The Hebrew phrase used here is “qodesh ruwach” which is literally translated “Holy Spirit” or “spirit of holiness”. It carries with it the idea that God’s Spirit is sacred and set apart. It’s a direct reference to God’s Spirit…to the Holy Spirit. The Psalm passage makes it clear that we have relationship with the Holy Spirit and that it’s this Spirit that can change and transform us. The Isaiah passage talks about grieving the Holy Spirit and that God sent the Holy Spirit to be with the Israelites. Both passages make it clear that the Holy Spirit referenced is not just an abstract concept or one way to think about God…but that the Holy Spirit is real and tangible.

The Holy Spirit is right there in black and white…but this isn’t the only place we see God’s Spirit referenced in the Old Testament. In fact, we’re just getting started. Next, we’ll take a look at the more common phrase used in the Old Testament: “The Spirit of God”. And that’s when things start to get really good…but you’ll have to wait for more…

08.03.2010 Holy Spirit, Spiritual Musings 1 Comment

Have a Little Will Ya?

Wednesday, March 3rd, 2010

This past Sunday I sat in on a LifeGroup (which is always a great time…awesome to see God working in these groups!). They are walking through the book Crazy Love by Francis Chan. It’s a great book and our LifeGroup went through it a few months ago. I had loaned my book to the leader and he returned that night. So I flipped through it and one of my highlights caught my attention again.

It was one small sentence, but it has stuck with me all week…

What are you doing right now that requires faith?

What a great question. What am I doing in my life right now that requires faith? The question has haunted me all week. God is using this simple question to challenge me spiritually. Am I only doing things that are fully under my control? Am I even willing to attempt something this week that requires me to depend completely on Him?

It’s a challenging question…it stretches my faith (pun intended). And it’s not the first time God has spoken on this topic. Jesus admonished His disciples to have just a little faith…

“You don’t have enough faith,” Jesus told them.
“I tell you the truth, if you had faith even as small as a mustard seed,
you could say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it would move.
Nothing would be impossible.”
Matthew 17:20, NLT

Just a little bit of faith makes a huge difference…because that’s when God does His thing. Just a little faith and nothing is impossible…because nothing is impossible for God. A little faith is enough…because we’ve got a huge God.

Imagine what could happen with a little more faith.

So…what are you doing right now that requires faith?

03.03.2010 Faith, Spiritual Musings No Comments

Hanging with Mr. Z

Friday, November 13th, 2009

Who are the primary people in my sphere of influence? Are they the same type of people that Jesus hung out with?

Yes and no.

One the one hand, Jesus hung out with His disciples. Men who followed Jesus and were dedicated to learning everything they could from Him. Men who left everything to walk in His footsteps. I hang with a group very much like this. Imperfect men and women who are sold out on becoming more like Jesus. They challenge me. They encourage me. They inspire me.

But on the other hand, Jesus hung out with guys like Mr. Z (you’ll have to look it up in Luke 19). And He was constantly criticized for it…

But the people were displeased.
“He has gone to be the guest of a notorious sinner,” they grumbled.
Luke 19:7, NLT

I don’t know that the same would be said of me…certainly not very often. And this is an area that God is working on in my life. Where am I coming into contact with people that need Him most? A few weeks ago the topic came up in a book we are reading in LifeGroup (Crazy Love). Am I hanging out with “notorious sinners”? Am I feeding the hungry, clothing the poor, taking care of widows and orphans?

Not like I should be…and I’m praying for God to show me how He wants me to be involved at this level. Who does He want me to serve…and how?

13.11.2009 Spiritual Musings No Comments