Ok..I admit that the title might have some of you thinking, "what"? Well, if you really stop and think about it, the title will make perfect sense to you!! Hell is not a good thing, right!! Hell is something that we'd never use in a positive light, right? In fact, we'd love to get as far away from such a place as hell as possible, right? Well, in truth, there is no mistaking the meaning of this word...!! Hell is a terrible concept and there is nothing good about hell! Furthermore, not one of us wants to go to hell and be separated from God...!! Yet, when we sin..we choose our love over His and our ways over His and our sin over His life and victory!!
To be separate from the Love of God is Hell!!
Verily I say to you that we separate ourselves from His perfect love all the time when we choose our ways over His..our will over His!! Yes, we have purchased our tickets to tar shish and we have literally chosen to experience hell, or life without His plan, will, and Love. Sin separates us from the Lord and His Love, His perfect love...and places us through hell all the time!!! When sin is full grown it gives birth to death and Hell!!
James 1: 13-15 clearly lays out what happens when we choose to sin,
"13 When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; 14 but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. 15 Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death."
So what do good Nazarenes everywhere have to say about that?? Get rid of all sin and Let's sing, and rejoice... Ha..Ha Ha...!!! Cum by Yah anyone???
Let's get real for just a second and think about why we cannot sing that song during a storm without itching and squirming just a bit!! Well, maybe if you are comfortable in your life right now and tragedy has escaped you for the moment..you are singing that song....!! Don't be deceived!! Did you really get rid of all sin??? Are you in full agreement with the known will of God for your life...???? If you interpret good times or the apparent lack of storms with being in God's will then
I'm not happy for you...no offense!! I'll explain more about that below...!! FYI...I'd be happy for you if you were singing sweet victory in Jesus in the midst of a storm due to full reliance on the Master...but that's not where we are in my story and since this is my blog..we'll dive into that in God's time!!
But for now, let's talk about when tragedy strikes??? What about when the pain hits you blind sided and you are shocked by each wave???
What do you do when comfort is 50 feet in front of you on a dark and stormy night, looking like a ghost and walking across the water?? Feeling the conflict???
Consider for a moment Matthew 14: 22-33,
What if you have to get out of your boat to go and meet the Lord..and at 3am?? What happens when the God of all comfort calls you out of your comfort zone soooo far that you are scared to death that you are going to drown??? What happens when God created your boat..and you're in it and your are safe from the waves and then the same God that called you to get in the boat..calls you to get out of it?? Awkward!! Conflict!!
My wonderful Nazarene pastor pointed something out to us this last Sunday...!! When you come into conflict it's always because you see the Lord in front of you and you take a look at what He seems to be calling you to do...Yet, you see your plans..plans you have made..plans He might have even called you into...and your conflict is that you think your plans are better than God's..more comfortable...more pleasing...
When you are too close to having things your way and when you see God's call on a one or two dimensional level, you will resist his plan!! When we are not close enough to the creator of the things, and to the God of every call, then when God calls you will feel backed up against a wall.
In short...God's call will scare you to death...!! And God's Love will make you run!! That's right:
Principle: When the world's comforts condition you to expect that love is always like the Love boat...God's perfect love will definitely conflict with the show!! Good news for you: Hope in Him floats...and God walks on the waters of your life for even the wind and the waves obey the Lord!!
Do you think for even a moment that Jonah thought it possible that God might call him to Nineveh?? This was more than just a case where Jonah thought he was better than Assyria!! Yep, yep, yep... this was not just a case where Jonah thought that he would be in danger!!
Truly, this was a case where Jonah thought he already knew the end of his story!! Jonah was God's mouthpiece to Israel..plain and simple...!! Jonah didn't want out of the boat God had fashioned for him...!! I'm like that too! God gives me something and I don't want anything else...because I'm comfortable with what I've grown to know..!! Personally, when God puts me in a boat, it's my hope today that I'm willing for Him to ask me to leave that boat as well!!
Moreover, perhaps this was a case where Jonah just didn't know God well enough beyond the present part of his personal story!!! You see, God is eternal and we are stuck in time!! We forget that don't we?? God is already in the future..waiting to show you even more than we can imagine about the story He's writing for you!!! Are you stuck in time today?? Has God given you a life and now you have left Him on the shelf while you run it?? Which book are we going to leave on the shelf?? Which book are you reading??? Most importantly, is God the author of the book you're reading???
Principle: When the master calls and you resist...you've forgotten that you are His!!
If you are like me and you had a plan...a plan that had the appearance of wisdom and love...but God had other plans that just flew in the face of your plan, then it's time to listen and it's time to understand....!!
Hear this: My thoughts are not your thoughts and my ways are not your ways says the sovereign Lord...!!! My timing is not your timing and my love is not your love...!! Don't be surprised when God's perfect love for the world comes calling for you to be a part and your comforts and your plans are blown out of the water...!!!
Why does God's Perfect love scare the hell out of me??? Because God's perfect love drives out the comforts and the conveniences and the misconceptions about God straight out of my life...!! God's perfect love drives out my sin and lets God's will be more important than mine and God's light shatters...that's right, it shatters every bit of my darkness...!!
I don't want to shatter your illusions..that's God's job...but I will be honest with you...honest about my personal experience with God's will and His love: If you want God's will...be prepared for His love to be radically different than yours...!!! Be prepared for His call to be far far different than planned!!
If you are in conflict tonight with God's call...then let me ask you again...Who is the author of your story?? Are there whales in your story?? Are there waves??? Is there a Savior...?? In the next blog..we will hear what happened when Jennifer was called to go to the edge of nowhere and how it conflicted with her plans...Until then, I hope you end your conflict with the declaration that God's story is the only story that will ever be right for you!! Let Him write it??? Let Him calm your storm??? Let Him call you??? Listen to His voice??
I leave you with this beautiful song about Faith by Brit Nicole,
To be separate from the Love of God is Hell!!
Verily I say to you that we separate ourselves from His perfect love all the time when we choose our ways over His..our will over His!! Yes, we have purchased our tickets to tar shish and we have literally chosen to experience hell, or life without His plan, will, and Love. Sin separates us from the Lord and His Love, His perfect love...and places us through hell all the time!!! When sin is full grown it gives birth to death and Hell!!
James 1: 13-15 clearly lays out what happens when we choose to sin,
"13 When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; 14 but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. 15 Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death."
So what do good Nazarenes everywhere have to say about that?? Get rid of all sin and Let's sing, and rejoice... Ha..Ha Ha...!!! Cum by Yah anyone???
Let's get real for just a second and think about why we cannot sing that song during a storm without itching and squirming just a bit!! Well, maybe if you are comfortable in your life right now and tragedy has escaped you for the moment..you are singing that song....!! Don't be deceived!! Did you really get rid of all sin??? Are you in full agreement with the known will of God for your life...???? If you interpret good times or the apparent lack of storms with being in God's will then
I'm not happy for you...no offense!! I'll explain more about that below...!! FYI...I'd be happy for you if you were singing sweet victory in Jesus in the midst of a storm due to full reliance on the Master...but that's not where we are in my story and since this is my blog..we'll dive into that in God's time!!
But for now, let's talk about when tragedy strikes??? What about when the pain hits you blind sided and you are shocked by each wave???
What do you do when comfort is 50 feet in front of you on a dark and stormy night, looking like a ghost and walking across the water?? Feeling the conflict???
Consider for a moment Matthew 14: 22-33,
"Jesus Walks on the Water
22 Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. 23 After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. Later that night, he was there alone, 24 and the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it.
25 Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. 26 When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear.
27 But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”
28 “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.”
29 “Come,” he said.
Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. 30 But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”
31 Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”
32 And when they , meaning the Lord and Peter...climbed into the boat, the wind died down. 33 Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”What if you have to get out of your boat to go and meet the Lord..and at 3am?? What happens when the God of all comfort calls you out of your comfort zone soooo far that you are scared to death that you are going to drown??? What happens when God created your boat..and you're in it and your are safe from the waves and then the same God that called you to get in the boat..calls you to get out of it?? Awkward!! Conflict!!
My wonderful Nazarene pastor pointed something out to us this last Sunday...!! When you come into conflict it's always because you see the Lord in front of you and you take a look at what He seems to be calling you to do...Yet, you see your plans..plans you have made..plans He might have even called you into...and your conflict is that you think your plans are better than God's..more comfortable...more pleasing...
When you are too close to having things your way and when you see God's call on a one or two dimensional level, you will resist his plan!! When we are not close enough to the creator of the things, and to the God of every call, then when God calls you will feel backed up against a wall.
In short...God's call will scare you to death...!! And God's Love will make you run!! That's right:
Principle: When the world's comforts condition you to expect that love is always like the Love boat...God's perfect love will definitely conflict with the show!! Good news for you: Hope in Him floats...and God walks on the waters of your life for even the wind and the waves obey the Lord!!
Do you think for even a moment that Jonah thought it possible that God might call him to Nineveh?? This was more than just a case where Jonah thought he was better than Assyria!! Yep, yep, yep... this was not just a case where Jonah thought that he would be in danger!!
Truly, this was a case where Jonah thought he already knew the end of his story!! Jonah was God's mouthpiece to Israel..plain and simple...!! Jonah didn't want out of the boat God had fashioned for him...!! I'm like that too! God gives me something and I don't want anything else...because I'm comfortable with what I've grown to know..!! Personally, when God puts me in a boat, it's my hope today that I'm willing for Him to ask me to leave that boat as well!!
Moreover, perhaps this was a case where Jonah just didn't know God well enough beyond the present part of his personal story!!! You see, God is eternal and we are stuck in time!! We forget that don't we?? God is already in the future..waiting to show you even more than we can imagine about the story He's writing for you!!! Are you stuck in time today?? Has God given you a life and now you have left Him on the shelf while you run it?? Which book are we going to leave on the shelf?? Which book are you reading??? Most importantly, is God the author of the book you're reading???
Principle: When the master calls and you resist...you've forgotten that you are His!!
If you are like me and you had a plan...a plan that had the appearance of wisdom and love...but God had other plans that just flew in the face of your plan, then it's time to listen and it's time to understand....!!
Hear this: My thoughts are not your thoughts and my ways are not your ways says the sovereign Lord...!!! My timing is not your timing and my love is not your love...!! Don't be surprised when God's perfect love for the world comes calling for you to be a part and your comforts and your plans are blown out of the water...!!!
Why does God's Perfect love scare the hell out of me??? Because God's perfect love drives out the comforts and the conveniences and the misconceptions about God straight out of my life...!! God's perfect love drives out my sin and lets God's will be more important than mine and God's light shatters...that's right, it shatters every bit of my darkness...!!
I don't want to shatter your illusions..that's God's job...but I will be honest with you...honest about my personal experience with God's will and His love: If you want God's will...be prepared for His love to be radically different than yours...!!! Be prepared for His call to be far far different than planned!!
If you are in conflict tonight with God's call...then let me ask you again...Who is the author of your story?? Are there whales in your story?? Are there waves??? Is there a Savior...?? In the next blog..we will hear what happened when Jennifer was called to go to the edge of nowhere and how it conflicted with her plans...Until then, I hope you end your conflict with the declaration that God's story is the only story that will ever be right for you!! Let Him write it??? Let Him calm your storm??? Let Him call you??? Listen to His voice??
I leave you with this beautiful song about Faith by Brit Nicole,
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