{eric ludy}

Depraved Indifference

Intercession

If you have some time, please listen to both these links. They are INCREDIBLY amazing and mind blowing. They asked a lot of hard quesitons and produced a bunch of thought provoking ideas. Check em out...each one is no longer than 8 minutes.

{lukewarm}

Revelation 3:15-16 (New International Version, ©2011)

"I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth."

Revelation 3:15-16 (The Message)

"I know you inside and out, and find little to my liking. You're not cold, you're not hot—far better to be either cold or hot! You're stale. You're stagnant. You make me want to vomit."

Apocalipsis 3:15-16 (Nueva Versión Internacional)

"Conozco tus obras; sé que no eres ni frío ni caliente. ¡Ojalá fueras lo uno o lo otro! Por tanto, como no eres ni frío ni caliente, sino tibio, estoy por vomitarte de mi boca."



Robs and Kiki and I were talking about lukewarm vs. hot/cold this morning and what it looks like. This theme has really been put on my heart lately. What does it look like to be sold out for Christ? to be hot all the way? to not sit on the fence? to be willing to give everything that you have and are for the glorification of our Lord Jesus Christ?

There are so many lukewarm Christians today. There are. The people that go to church on Sunday, then act however the rest of the week because then they'll just repent at church again on Sunday. That's not what Christ calls for. It shows plainly in this verse that you either fully chose Him, or you don't chose Him at all. He will spit out the people who sit on the fence. The people who chose Him, but only certain parts of Him or only at certain times or only when it feels good. What does a faith look like to choose Him, all of Him, every day of the week, whether it feels good or not? Now that is an all consuming fire. That is a lifestyle that is demonstrated by Christ. To have every moment, every second, every thought, every action, every event, every word, every emotion, every tear, every smile, every hug completely and totally enveloped and saturated with the love of Christ and with the purpose of glorifying Him.  Are you willing to give up everything that YOU are to recieve everything that HE is? are you willing to take a leap of faith off the fence?
Loves!

{Thy will be done}

My God, my Father, while I stray
far from my home, on life's rough way,
O teach me from my heart to say,
Thy will be done!

Though dark my path, and sad my lot,
let me be still and murmur not,
or breathe the prayer divinely taught,
Thy will be done!

But if my fainting heart be blest
with the Holy Spirit for its guest,
my God, to thee I leave the rest;
Thy will be done!

If Thou shall call me to resign
what most I prize, it never was mine:
I only yield thee what is thine;
Thy will be done!
Thy will be done!

Renew my will from day to day;
blend it with thine, and take away
all that now makes it hard to say,
Thy will be done!

Then when on earth I breathe no more
the prayer oft mixed with tears before,
I'll sing upon that joyful shore,
Thy will be done!
Thy will be done!

My God My Father (click here to hear the song)

We sang this song last night at group...and it gripped me. Especially the refrain:

Renew my will from day to day. Blend it with thine and take away all that now makes it hard to say "Thy will be done!"

It reminded me alot of "It is Well" and just learning to say "God, even though this feels impossible and I don't like my life situation right now, and even if you ask me to give up all I have ever wanted, I choose to say Thy will be done!" I encourage you to listen to this song and just think about what your faith in God looks like. If He asked you to give up your life (which...He sorta does), are you willing to give it ALL up?

{ephesians 2:8-9}

"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast."
[New International Version]

"God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it."

[New Living Translation]


I've really really been stressed out over the past like 4 weeks. I mean really. You can ask anyone who's been around me that I wouldn't have classified myself as doing well over the past 4 weeks. And one of the BIGGEST reasons that I've been down is that I felt like I can't ever get this 'living-as-a-Christ follower' thing down. I mean every time I try I fail. Every time. I just felt like I was a horrible Christ-follower and I couldn't do anything right, which then led to me comparing myself to other Christ-followers and how they were doing everything right and I couldn't do anything right. It was just a bad situation. And I was really really down about it. Then this morning I sat down and had a long talk with God. I explained how I felt, and why I felt that way, and I asked Him for His help (which I've done many times in the past few weeks). But today was different. I was sitting there thinking and praying, and then all of a sudden had this realization. You know how we've been told from like the dawn of time that we weren't saved by works? I mean thats what the Christian belief is...that we aren't saved by what we do. Now we also know that faith without deeds is dead...but our deeds aren't what saves us. It is our FAITH! It is our choice to believe in what can sometimes be hard to believe. Our choice to believe in Someone that is greater than ourselves. And thats what hit me today. As I was praying, God just started saying "hey tay...you aren't saved by what you do. It isn't your works that gets you saved or brings you salvation. It is your faith in me!! And so while I know that you need to follow up your decision by striving to do whats right, your deeds don't determine whether or not you are saved. I love you because you chose to believe in me! And btws, I hate to break it to you but you won't ever get everything right so I would suggest you just get used to that now. You are going to fail...you are human. But the important part is that you get back up and you still trust in me either way. So for now, just choose to rest in the grace and mercy I am giving you!!" After thinking for a bit, I realized "yeah duh...i've been told my entire life that i'm not saved by what i do." So that would make sense huh? All of a sudden I was going "lightbulb!"

Hope this encourages you. Now, off to kick some Colonization =) loves!
tay