Continuation of 100% pursuit
I'm back to this... actually i haven't left it... i'm just back to sharing my thoughts on it. There is a saying that says "so heavenly minded they are no earthly good." I have never liked that saying.
Can we really be TOO heavenly minded? I think we can be too self focused, too isolated in our pursuit of God, but I don't think it is possible to be TOO heavenly minded. The Lord commands that we love him with all our heart, mind, soul and strength. That doesn't leave much left over for other pursuits. The Lord also requires that we act justly, love mercy and walk humbly with our God.
These two focuses have plagued me (and many others i know) for a long time. Can one be TOO heavenly focused that they forget BEING Jesus to people around them? I guess it's possible if the intent of being heavenly minded is a selfish, self fulfilling way. But I believe the more we focus on God, on his goodness, his power, his justice and perfected love, the more we are empowered to reach out to those around us.
I have been involved in teaching, preaching, and being the gospel for years, to children, to teens up on the reserves, and on a few occasions in a church setting. I am now also involved in a 24/7 prayer movement. The Winnipeg Centre Vineyard was a justice church. My heart is justice for the poor and especially for the children, and here I am at 12:45 am in the prayer room...
Where am I going with this you ask? I'm not exactly sure.
I know that my heart is stirred and empowered to go out the more I stay at His feet. It's the classic Mary and Martha discussion. Martha wasn't wrong in wanting to serve Jesus supper and prepare the meal, but Mary chose the BETTER thing, to be at His feet and hear His words.
Does that mean that Mary never lifted a finger again to help her sister with the daily chores? I don't think so. After Lazurus dies, Martha is the first to run out to Jesus. She loved him too.
Somehow these two, the doing and the being at his feet have to go together. Back to the 100% pursuit. Jesus requires no less than holiness. (Thankfully he is the great editor! He can edit our lives before the Father through his blood...) When we give our lives to him wholely... everything, He calls us deeper still. To a longer time in his presence, to a deeper honesty and communication with him
But what about going out to minister to the lost, broken, and poor? What about those children who are fatherless, those women who are widows, the poor, hungry and thirsty ones? DO we not respond to these as well? And how do we do any of this when we are just trying to keep our heads abouve water financially, or are raising our children?
I saw the two come together today in our staff meeting. There is a man here named Hal Lindhart. He is an amazing evangelist and constantly brings to our attention opportunities and places to serve. He has said similar things before, but today it struck me. He said that "IHOP is an evangelist's answer to prayer! Where else will you find 400 prayer warriors to pray for a month before an event, the whole time during an event, and have a place to celebrate what the Lord has done after the event!" He had this analogy as well:
IHOP is like the air covering of the Air Force that gives the covering for the ground forces to go in!" I love that. We are all part of the same army. One cannot be successful with out the other.
I have the honour of longing to do both... and I need wisdom and revelation to figure out how to do both and not lose one or the other.
Can we really be TOO heavenly minded? I think we can be too self focused, too isolated in our pursuit of God, but I don't think it is possible to be TOO heavenly minded. The Lord commands that we love him with all our heart, mind, soul and strength. That doesn't leave much left over for other pursuits. The Lord also requires that we act justly, love mercy and walk humbly with our God.
These two focuses have plagued me (and many others i know) for a long time. Can one be TOO heavenly focused that they forget BEING Jesus to people around them? I guess it's possible if the intent of being heavenly minded is a selfish, self fulfilling way. But I believe the more we focus on God, on his goodness, his power, his justice and perfected love, the more we are empowered to reach out to those around us.
I have been involved in teaching, preaching, and being the gospel for years, to children, to teens up on the reserves, and on a few occasions in a church setting. I am now also involved in a 24/7 prayer movement. The Winnipeg Centre Vineyard was a justice church. My heart is justice for the poor and especially for the children, and here I am at 12:45 am in the prayer room...
Where am I going with this you ask? I'm not exactly sure.
I know that my heart is stirred and empowered to go out the more I stay at His feet. It's the classic Mary and Martha discussion. Martha wasn't wrong in wanting to serve Jesus supper and prepare the meal, but Mary chose the BETTER thing, to be at His feet and hear His words.
Does that mean that Mary never lifted a finger again to help her sister with the daily chores? I don't think so. After Lazurus dies, Martha is the first to run out to Jesus. She loved him too.
Somehow these two, the doing and the being at his feet have to go together. Back to the 100% pursuit. Jesus requires no less than holiness. (Thankfully he is the great editor! He can edit our lives before the Father through his blood...) When we give our lives to him wholely... everything, He calls us deeper still. To a longer time in his presence, to a deeper honesty and communication with him
But what about going out to minister to the lost, broken, and poor? What about those children who are fatherless, those women who are widows, the poor, hungry and thirsty ones? DO we not respond to these as well? And how do we do any of this when we are just trying to keep our heads abouve water financially, or are raising our children?
I saw the two come together today in our staff meeting. There is a man here named Hal Lindhart. He is an amazing evangelist and constantly brings to our attention opportunities and places to serve. He has said similar things before, but today it struck me. He said that "IHOP is an evangelist's answer to prayer! Where else will you find 400 prayer warriors to pray for a month before an event, the whole time during an event, and have a place to celebrate what the Lord has done after the event!" He had this analogy as well:
IHOP is like the air covering of the Air Force that gives the covering for the ground forces to go in!" I love that. We are all part of the same army. One cannot be successful with out the other.
I have the honour of longing to do both... and I need wisdom and revelation to figure out how to do both and not lose one or the other.
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