Farther up and Further in!

Last night I announced that as of August 27th I will no longer be a part of the youth ministry of First Assembly of God.  I have been the worship leader and a youth leader at Ignite youth ministries for 7 years.  It has been the most fun, fulfilling, difficult, amazing, powerful, overwhelming, humbling experience of my life.  I have seen God do so many things, change so many lives, and give so many gifts in the time that I have been there.  We have had the most dramatic and powerful worship experiences of my life and some of the worst as well.  The Lord has been so faithful to meet us where we are and chase us down when we didn't want to come.  His deep and unending desire to be with His people has been displayed to me in incredible, lavish, extravagant ways.  I have loved almost every minute of my time there.  I am so unworthy to have even been involved with what He has done.  He is so good, and He is leading me on.

 

The day before the Fort Wayne One Thing Conference the Lord Spoke to me in a significant way that He was changing my path.  He told me He was calling me into a season of preparation and consecration.  He gave me a whole list of reasons and goals He had for the next season of my life and He told me that none of them could be accomplished to fullness while I was still involved in the youth ministry.  He said to me:

 

Your priority list is as follows -

1. Your heart in me - the first commandment in your life. Your heart has begun to cool from to much time in your comfort zone.  There is still life there but there is frost around the edges.  You must keep your heart aflame!
2. Your family's heart in me - your wife and children need you to be washing them with the Water of my word.  You have not done enough to stir their hearts with love for me.  That is all you've been about in the youth ministry but you have in some ways neglected that responsibility with your wife and kids.
3. Your heart toward others - there are people I have placed in your life that I want you to invest in and you have not had the time.  Make use of the time and pour into their lives in a more intimate and costly way.
4. Preparation for your future - I have a calling on your life.  I have a destiny but you are not ready for it yet, and staying where you are will not get you there.  Go back to school, finish your degree and get DEEP in the Word.  I am forming you.  I am equipping you.  The dreams and callings I have spoken over you are still alive and well.  Become a better writer, a better speaker, and gain more wisdom and confidence with people and money.  LEARN and GROW!!

I don't claim these to be the exact words of God but that was the gist and in typical God fashion each of these is expanding to be much bigger than the small beginning I am able to record here.  I can't wait to see the man I become in 5 years which is my guesstimation of how long this next season will last!  Pray for me and for Ignite as this transition moves forward.

 

Love you all

Josh

 

 

Proverbs 29:18

Where there is no prophetic vision the people cast off restraint ESV

 

I have witnessed this reality in so many ways and in so many lives but most significantly in my own.  I love weekends.  I am, by nature, a somewhat lazy person.  I am infected with the disease of my generation, procrastination!  I spend most of my weekends doing as little as possible.  Oh sure there is stuff that needs to be done.  My lawn requires maintenance.  There are things around the house that need to be done.  There are places to go and things to see, but still I find myself planted infront of the TV watching nothing or playing a video game and I resent any attempt to remove me from my sedentary settledness. 

I know I shouldn't be lazy.  To be entirely honest I don't even really enjoy it.  I know the truth of passages like, "A little slumber, a little sleep, a little folding of the hands to rest and poverty comes upon you like a bandit" (my memory may be faulty no time to look it up this morning).  I have heard the exhortations of the scriptures.  I am haunted by the parable of the talents but none of these can stir me permanently from my lethargy on a Saturday morning.  There is one thing however that can.  A purpose.  A vision.  If I am working toward an end that burns in my heart then limitless energy and endless resource are mine.  If I have a finish line burning in my tunnel vision laziness no longer has a claim on me.  I am a man on a mission, but when I do not have that guiding star in sight I relapse into cycles of destruction and slumber, and so does everyone else.

You see it everywhere all the time.  People walking around with no goals visions or aspirations, the living dead.  This is the greatest struggle of my generation.  I spoke to a friend last week and she is really worried about her husband. His entire life consists of getting up, going to work, coming home, flopping in the lazy boy and watching TV until he falls asleep, waking up around midnight or later and going to bed, and then beginning the whole thing over again.  He has no friends and is doing nothing to gain them.  He has no hobbies and doesn't want one.  He resents his wife and his family.  He hates his life and it is tearing their marriage apart.  He is completely unmotivated and at the same time completely dissatisfied with his life.  You would think that dissatisfaction would be a motivator for change but it almost never is.  People come to the place where they acknowledge their dissatisfaction and choose to live with it rather than risk the reach for something better.  They know that change is often painful, always costly,and NEVER safe, therefore they run from it, avoiding it at all costs and choosing numbness, sleep, and death. 

Let's return to the above sited scripture then; "where there is NO prophetic vision the people cast off restraint".  I have painted a picture of paralysis and stillness, not a people "casting off" anything how does this make sense?  It makes perfect sense.  "The human heart is a desire factory" says John Piper and he is absolutely correct.  The lethargy I am referring to is a lethargy of forward motion, but no on can go on forever desiring and not doing something to quench the inner fires.  People in this predicament look for ways to numb the pain.  They forget morality and cast off the restraint of wisdom and seek pleasure and release in every way that comes to hand.  I know men who have sought perverted extra-marital relationships, deeper and deeper pornography addictions,  drugs, alcohol and violence just because they were bored.   They have no purpose in life, therefore they have nothing to lose.  All they value is a lack of pain.  I have heard addicts say things like, "It isn't about the high, it's about feeling normal again, it's about surviving."  This is the cry of the cold dead heart.

A prophetic vision however enters this cold grave like a breath of life and awakens the heart to something BETTER!  Rev 19:10 says "the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy".  A prophetic vision is a vision of Christ.  Jesus always said of His own ministry that He never did anything He didn't SEE the Father doing.  When we get a view to what Christ is up to in our world it will compel us to get off our backsides and get our hands dirty, and I don't just mean what we would label "ministry".  the longer I am around the more I HATE the segmentation of life into categories.  Our life is a continuous whole and we will be held accountable for every second used or wasted.  God have mercy!  What is Christ up to in our homes?  What is Christ up to in our inner man?  What is Christ up to in our back yards?  In our jobs? 

 

It is going to be my goal over the next few weeks to open my heart and ask my Father everyday to show me what is doing around me on that day and to involve myself in it whole heartedly.  He is never idle.  Therefore I will never be.

 

 

Old Blogs Old Journals

I love going back every once in a while and reading old things that I have written in the heat of passion for God.  I have many of my journals from when I was a teenager.  I found a devotional today that my Mom and Dad gave me on my wedding day.  I read in these statements of faith, prayers, desires, etc that were so strong in me and in reading I revive those emotions.  To look back and see the patience that God has had with my stubborn heart and the methodical yet loving way that He has led me down the path of seeking Him stirs me.  Am I really any closer than I was all those years ago?  Do I know you any better Daddy God?  I really hope I do.  I once heard it said that everything Jesus is involved in will grow and change and that if we are not growing or changing we need to see how involved Jesus is with us.  I definitely feel like I have changed!  I hope for the better.  Do yourself a favor friends.  Record your walk with God.  Write, Journal, Blog do what you have to do but do not let God's activity in your life go unmarked and unremembered. 

I hope and pray that anyone who reads these little sentences I squirt into cyberspace is uplifted and encouraged but to be entirely honest, this is for me and God, and that is why I do it.

 

 

The redemptive story of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory

I know you are all thinking, "Willy Wonka and redemption has Josh been snorting Hershey's again or what?", but trust me and hang in there and wait for it because, folks this is GOOD! 

 

Ok check this out. 

An eccentric Genius "creator" Wonka has made the most wonderful enjoyable things for a long time.  He is odd and mysterious and he does things in ways no one can understand, but it is his wisdom and eccentricity that make his creations so wonderful.  

Now we arrive on the scene.  The "creator" offers "eternal enjoyment" a life time supply of chocolate, but you get to tour the factory first "live life".   On the tour "life" you are required to follow the creator's rules for enjoyment of the pleasures that abound inside the factory.  There is however a "counterfeit creator" Slugworth who hates the creator and offers his own version of eternal enjoyment if those touring the factory will only steal from the creator and break his rules. Once the tour begins candies, sweets, and experimental goodies are everywhere you look but enjoyment of those things must be according to the rules of the creator.  These are rules he has set in place for their safety and to maximize the enjoyment of the factory.  Here is the most important part.  If at anytime you violate the creators rules of enjoyment you are no longer eligible for the eternal enjoyment he is going to award at the end of the tour.  As the lucky tourists walk through the beautiful, amazing, overwhelming creations of the creator each of them finds the temptation to step outside the rules to powerful to deny.  One by one all of the tourists, even the hero Charlie, break the rules of the creator and all to disastrous result.  Charlie however does not get caught in the act. 

    They proceed to the end of the tour and the awaiting eternal reward losing another person at every turn. Those that are lost all leave the factory vowing to choose the alternative enjoyment of the "counterfeit creator".    When the end is reached Charlie alone remains, and he is confident of his reward, but the creator has not been fooled.  He tells Charlie he gets none of the expected reward due to his disobedience and foolishness.  Charlie's Grandpa Joe is irate he screams at the creator about his false promises and unfair cruelty to an innocent child.  Grandpa Joe also vows to choose the alternative enjoyment of the counterfeit creator and goes to leave, but Charlie realizes his own error.  He repents, rejects the counterfeit creators temptations and readies himself to leave with nothing, and that is when the tables turn.  Charlie's repentance moves the creator's heart and he says joyfully.  "You've won!" but not just the eternal enjoyment of a life time supply of chocolate.  Charlie has won so much more than that.  Here the hidden desire of the creator is revealed.  The creator did not just want to give away a life time supply of chocolate, the creator wanted someone to be his partner in ruling and reigning over the factory, and even more importantly the creator wanted a friend that he could teach his ways too.  He had this plan from the beginning but he could only give this awesome reward to one who chose HIS ways and HIS reward over those offered by counterfeit creator.  The whole point of the story is that the real prize isn't the factory or the chocolate it is the mysterious creator Himself.

 

What a picture of God the Father and His heart for the church!  Isn't that cool!  The only element that is missing is the story of the creator's son who died to save Charlie's life and make the way for Charlie to get his reward.  That would make it perfect!  Even better would be if Charlie was a girl and Wonka had a son who gave up the factory and His Father's wealth to die to save the girl's life and then through some kind of magic candy he was restored to life and married the girl at the end!  maybe I'll write that one sometime!

 

Oh Lord let me walk right past all the pleasures of this world and lay hold of the ONE who they point to.  You are my exceeding great reward. 

Amen.

 

 

 

 

The Everyday Fight

You know I don't know what it is, but keeping my heart alive in God is a FIGHT!  In days past I just let things come and go, some days I was attentive to the Spirit and some days I wasn't and that was just how it was.  I can no longer allow that kind of inconsistency in my own heart.  The grace of God has awakened me again to my desperate and constant need for the influence and assistance of the Holy Spirit.  I need Him just to make it through the day right now.  There is a line to a song that is making more sense to me all the time it says, "but now I see that I'm more complete everyday that I can't live without you."  I'm saying amen to that with all my heart, but man it is hard to stay in the place of leaning.  Isn't that weird?  It's hard to stay in the place of dependence on God.  Why?  It is a battle to rest.  It is a battle to be at peace.  wow.

You know God is teaching me about some huge issues right now and I am really really excited about them all.  He is teaching me how to say Yes to Him.  He is teaching me what it means to have faith the size of a mustard seed.  He is teaching me how to be a friend.  He is teaching me about the calling on the church as a collective whole to behold and reflect the Glory of God to the earth and back to God Himself.  He is teaching me about the place of wisdom in the heart of a believer.  He is teaching me about creativity and productivity and how God created us to live in such a way that He is the fountain but we are the outflow.  He is teaching me the REALITY that God works by creating a man and putting dreams in His heart and empowering that man as He operates from faith to create something beautiful that produces fruit for the Kingdom and brings Glory to God.  All of these things are being planted in me right now, but the one that is REALLY HARD for me to learn right now is the one that feels the smallest but that I think is probably the biggest.  How to stay "in the vine".  How to flow in "repentance and rest" and "quietness and trust" every minute of every day.  How to keep my heart in God.  How to lean.  How to wait.  wow.  Oh God I want this thing.  I can't even explain it, but I want it.  I need it.

Downward Ascension

In God's kingdom we must go down to go up.  This militates vehemently against the world system which says, pull yourself up as high as you can and knock down anyone who tries to take your spot.  Jesus says the meek will inherit the earth, the poor in spirit will gain the kingdom of God and the persecuted are the happy ones!  I am feeling a little upside down today.  I have lofty dreams that I believe are from God.  I want to be a man that changes history.  I want to be a man that brings real Glory to God.  I could honestly care less if my name is ever known, that is not the point, I don't want to live a life without meaning or accomplishment.  I want to know that I did all I could with all I had by the grace of God.  I want to see Heaven respond to my cry because my heart is aligned with His purposes and I am saying YES.  I want to be jealous with His jealousy and stand in the gap for a nation, a state, a city, and a generation.  I do not think these desires are my own, or my flesh seeking glory for itself.  I believe this is the prophetic calling of God, but not just for me.  I believe it is an invitation to a generation.  I believe it is a stirring from Heaven over His bride to stand in her place beside the groom.  The only question is, "How?"

 

It is the "How?" that gets us in trouble.  If we attempt to do this in ways that make sense to us we will fail miserably or worse we will have an ounce of success and get satisfied with that when it is NOTHING like what God has in His great heart for us to be.  So "How?".  I don't really know or rather I don't know it all!  I know it will look like the sermon on the mount.  I know it will look like humility, and compassion, prayer and worship.  It will look like the God of all coming down to take on the frame of man forever.  I know it will look like doing what the Father is doing, saying what He is saying.  That much I know, but I don't think there can be a handbook written on this.  I don't think it will fit in a seminar or a how to.  I don't think 4 points will cover it and I don't think a program can teach it.

 

I think it is about living incarnationally.  Not doing God's things but BEING the beauty of Christ Jesus on the face of the earth.  Impossible right?  That's exactly why it will work.  John 17 has been informing me on this, but I am only scratching the surface of this reality.  I have lots more to say about this I am very much in process.  Stay tuned.

 

Fighting to stay

The Lord has done some beautiful things in my heart over the past couple weeks.  I have had a brand new passion installed in my heart.  I new sense of calling, a sweet intimacy and joy with Him that has been so satisfying and wonderful!  I love it, but this Jealous Lover of mine is not satisfied with where we are.  I am almost willing to kind of sit here and say, "this is a good place I don't want to leave", but the Lord will not allow me to sit still. EVERY opportunity to be with Him that I miss He brings to my attention.  Every time I choose something else instead of Him He lets me know.  Not in a guilt ridden way where I feel horrible about it, but in a prodding way.  "I want you and you missed me here." etc.  I am trying to sleep but He keeps my heart awake and I keep running to door handles covered with myrrh an instant to late to catch Him waiting for me.  It is maddening and wonderful all at the same time.  He is provoking me.  I like it. 

So I find myself fighting my flesh at every turn.  My flesh wants to stay the same, to hide from His presence and to sleep, but my inner man has been awakened and it keeps pushing me away from those places of comfort and apathy.  I prayed for this you know and He said yes!  My most real fear right now is that I will sleep once to often and He will stop waking me up.  I know what happened to the Shulammite and I don't want to be beaten and stolen from.  So I am fighting to stay AFTER HIM, and it is an uphill battle for my own heart.  Pray for me my friends!  I want to burn!

 

Joshy