THE GREAT CHANGE

Have you ever gone away from something completely changed? Maybe it was the first serious hair-do you ever had done, maybe it was an accident that changed you physically or maybe it was a relationship that marked your soul for better or for worse. A revolutionary faith in Jesus is one that demands change of us. It is IMPOSSIBLE to experience the holy presence of God and to go away unchanged. James writes "Do not merely listen to the word and so deceive yourselves. Do what is says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what is says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after that immediately forgets what he looks like." James 1:22-24
Do we forget what we look like, or more importantly do we forget what we just experienced in the presence of the Almighty God? I think that more often than not, the problem is not one of forgetfullness. I think the more pressing problem is not seeing God clearly in the first place. How can we remember an experience with God and be changed because of it, if we don't first become aware of His greatness?
How do we gain this awareness?

" All scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work." 2 Timothy 3:16-17

"For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; if judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart " Hebrews 4:12

"Woe to me!" I cried. "I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of uclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty." Isaiah 6:5

When we spend time in God's word and time in His presence we are changed. Our reaction may be even as strong as Isaiah's. Woe to Me! I am ruined!
Just to wrap up all of these ramblings, we will be changed as get to know our Heavenly Father. If you are not different after knowing Him, then do you really know Him? The change may be gradual however so don't lose heart if it seems like a long process, but be sure that you are changing! Let me know if you've seen this change take place or is your faith one that doesn't change who you are?

Revolutionary Faith Revisited
I tried to begin a blog back in the summer when things were slower and I actually had time to write my thoughts down... well here goes attempt number two. Please join me on this blog as I write some thoughts about faith in Jesus Christ as the only way to be reunited with our Creator.

I was at a men's breakfast recently and we were discussing how it is that we can gain victory over sinful strongholds in our lives. The normal Sunday School answers were thrown out there initially... "You spend time in the word..." "spend time with God in prayer". There was one answer that threw me off though. I think that it threw me off because it came from a gentleman who had lots of life experience. He said in a rather skeptical tone, "Those answers (the ones previously stated) may sound like they work but they are not enough!" WHAT? Reading the living word of God and spending time communing with Him in prayer is not enough?! It concerned me greatly to hear this as I am still in the young and idealistic category. If a life veteran said that he had tried all that and still it wasn't enough to bring him victory over sin, then what hope do I have? As I pondered this statement I began to realize that the statment is correct. Reading the words written on paper and spending quiet time in prayer and reflection will not give us what we need to stay strong and have victory over sin. If we are to have a faith that revolutionizes, we need an experience much greater than that. We need to be transformed by the purifying presence of The Almighty. We are given many avenues to allow this change to happen. Prayer and time in His Word are two of the many critical life lines that we must have connected to God. We need each other as Christian brothers and sisters. We are the body of Christ and we need to spend time with the body in order for our faith to be revolutionary.
We must stay connected to our life source through all of the life lines (prayer, reading, meditation, fellowship, worship, fasting and more) provided in order to stay healthy and vital as a soldier of Christ. So think about it, how's your circulation today?