The last few months I've been feeling God's pull for me to go deeper; I've increased my time in the word, in prayer, and in just seeking Him. The payoff has been awesome - I am feeling God's presence and His love like I don't remember feeling for a long time, if ever this strong.
But it has not been easy. First it is hard to add more discipline to your life. If you are one of those folks for whom discipline comes easy, then great for you - I am not. It is hard to maintain the focus long enough to get and keep the pattern established. It is hard to find time. It is hard to stay dedicated when you have to push yourself every step of the way.
But even worse is the attacks from the enemy. I hate his tactics; unfortunately they are effective way too often. Every time I am in a spot where I am almost in a spiritual high, feeling like I am floating above any problems, unconcerned with the things of this world and totally focused on God, then the enemy swoops in with a vile attack.
All too often the attack is some sort of temptation. If he can get you to fail, then you feel guilty, then all focus on God is gone while you focus on beating yourself up. Man, I can't count how often I go through this pattern. To feel so good, then to lose it all and feel so vile and retched ... to be floating and then have the weight of sin and this world pull you back down ... horrid. Probably one of the worst feelings in the world. No pun intended.
The other attack is to get you to focus on something else besides God - bring up the cares of your life, something that gets you mad, whatever it takes to break that communion of spirit to Spirit.
Nothing comes easy - we are in a war; every day, every thought, is a battleground. But, greater is He that is in me than he that is in the world. And we are more than conquerors. Just keep claiming it, keep believing it, and keep pushing the focus back on God.
Keep up the good fight.
About Me
- Carlton Jenke
- I like life, and I love God. I try to see how He is moving in every situation, looking beyond the surface to the "super" natural. Far from perfect - but trying to be near to His heart.
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Monday, February 9, 2009
Book: The Shack
I've recently read the book The Shack.
Wow - blow me away. God has been showing me more about His love lately, and this book just reinforced that and took it to a whole new level. The character of God is so different than what the standard view of Him is, even from most Christians, and the author nailed it in my opinion. But especially the love and the way God handles us just shown out from this book.
Wow - blow me away. God has been showing me more about His love lately, and this book just reinforced that and took it to a whole new level. The character of God is so different than what the standard view of Him is, even from most Christians, and the author nailed it in my opinion. But especially the love and the way God handles us just shown out from this book.
Let's try this again!
1 year, 2 1/2 months since my last post. Well, I never meant for this to be a regular thing, having to post something whether I had real content or not. I got on a bit of a roll at the beginning, then just stopped.
But lately I've been feeling like I need to start back up again. I'm not sure why - I don't expect to be widely read, or have people following my ramblings ... I just real feel like it is what I am supposed to do. If I rely on that impression, I have 2 choices - submit and do it, or rebel and not. So in the interest of being obedient, striving for better relationship with Him ... here goes.
But lately I've been feeling like I need to start back up again. I'm not sure why - I don't expect to be widely read, or have people following my ramblings ... I just real feel like it is what I am supposed to do. If I rely on that impression, I have 2 choices - submit and do it, or rebel and not. So in the interest of being obedient, striving for better relationship with Him ... here goes.
Friday, October 26, 2007
Our highest pursuit
I've been converted. I am now an extreme environmentalist.
I don't think we should just strive to conserve resources and maintain current levels of pollution or damage to our planet. We should be working to return the Earth to its original state before man damaged it.
Of course this will never happen until Jesus returns. The Earth is damaged due to the Curse of Sin; it is impossible for the damage to be reversed until the Curse is lifted. Thankfully in Revelation it says that God will destroy the current Earth and a New Earth will be created, this one to be pure and undefiled as the current Earth once was, and to be our eternal dwelling place with God after the New Jerusalem comes down to rest on the New Earth.
Now don't get me wrong - I do believe that we should take care of this Earth. I know I started this post a bit tongue in check, but I am not slamming those who choose to focus their efforts on protecting the environment. After all, God appointed us as its stewards. It is a sorry steward that deliberately or even carelessly lets the item in their responsibility become damaged or through their own actions lessens the value of that item.
But as with everything else, the most important task set before us is to reach the world for Christ. It is not to influence the government, or to eliminate abortion, or to bring prayer back to schools, or to protect the environment, or to bring social justice to the world around us. It is only after He returns that all injustice will be set right, and all wrongdoers will be punished (and stopped), and all people will do the right things. And also only then will the Earth will be renewed.
There is nothing wrong with any of those pursuits I mentioned, or others that we strive for. Many of them are valid, and some may even be things that God calls individuals to do. But we cannot lose our focus of the world above.
Our constant pursuit above all else should be last words of Jesus: preach the word and make disciples. Our constant cry should be the cry at the end of Revelation: "Come quickly Lord Jesus".
I don't think we should just strive to conserve resources and maintain current levels of pollution or damage to our planet. We should be working to return the Earth to its original state before man damaged it.
Of course this will never happen until Jesus returns. The Earth is damaged due to the Curse of Sin; it is impossible for the damage to be reversed until the Curse is lifted. Thankfully in Revelation it says that God will destroy the current Earth and a New Earth will be created, this one to be pure and undefiled as the current Earth once was, and to be our eternal dwelling place with God after the New Jerusalem comes down to rest on the New Earth.
Now don't get me wrong - I do believe that we should take care of this Earth. I know I started this post a bit tongue in check, but I am not slamming those who choose to focus their efforts on protecting the environment. After all, God appointed us as its stewards. It is a sorry steward that deliberately or even carelessly lets the item in their responsibility become damaged or through their own actions lessens the value of that item.
But as with everything else, the most important task set before us is to reach the world for Christ. It is not to influence the government, or to eliminate abortion, or to bring prayer back to schools, or to protect the environment, or to bring social justice to the world around us. It is only after He returns that all injustice will be set right, and all wrongdoers will be punished (and stopped), and all people will do the right things. And also only then will the Earth will be renewed.
There is nothing wrong with any of those pursuits I mentioned, or others that we strive for. Many of them are valid, and some may even be things that God calls individuals to do. But we cannot lose our focus of the world above.
Our constant pursuit above all else should be last words of Jesus: preach the word and make disciples. Our constant cry should be the cry at the end of Revelation: "Come quickly Lord Jesus".
Thursday, October 25, 2007
The Fall of Saul
(Note: originally posted as guest blogger on Dallas First Assembly of God blog 10/25)
1 Samuel 15 tells a very poignant story.
It starts off with Saul the great King of Israel. Victorious in battle, slaughtering his enemies, he was the champion of God. The anointed. The chosen to lead God's people.
It ends with a heart-wrenching condemnation of Saul:
v35 Samuel never went to meet with Saul again, but he mourned constantly for him. And the Lord was sorry he had ever made Saul king of Israel.
How did Saul reach this point? How could he fall so far so fast? By doing something most of us do everyday.
My wife and I have been fighting this very thing in our 3 3/4 year old son Connor. There are times we tell Connor to not to do something and he goes ahead and does it anyway. Normal kid, right? But normal for us too. When I ask Connor why he did the thing I told him not to do, his reply is almost always: "But I wanted to ...". There is a direct conflict between his will and mine. He then makes the choice to obey or not.
We make that same choice everyday, probably even every minute. Do we obey God or not? Even in the smallest things that choice is there. It boils down to this: do I value God's commands higher than my desires? Or is what I want more important to me than what God wants?
Saul fell so fast. Don't fall with him.
v22-23 What is more pleasing to the Lord:
your burnt offerings and sacrifices or your obedience to his voice?
Listen! Obedience is better than sacrifice,
and submission is better than offering the fat of rams.
Rebellion is as sinful as witchcraft,
and stubbornness as bad as worshiping idols.
So because you have rejected the command of the Lord,
he has rejected you as king.
1 Samuel 15 tells a very poignant story.
It starts off with Saul the great King of Israel. Victorious in battle, slaughtering his enemies, he was the champion of God. The anointed. The chosen to lead God's people.
It ends with a heart-wrenching condemnation of Saul:
v35 Samuel never went to meet with Saul again, but he mourned constantly for him. And the Lord was sorry he had ever made Saul king of Israel.
How did Saul reach this point? How could he fall so far so fast? By doing something most of us do everyday.
My wife and I have been fighting this very thing in our 3 3/4 year old son Connor. There are times we tell Connor to not to do something and he goes ahead and does it anyway. Normal kid, right? But normal for us too. When I ask Connor why he did the thing I told him not to do, his reply is almost always: "But I wanted to ...". There is a direct conflict between his will and mine. He then makes the choice to obey or not.
We make that same choice everyday, probably even every minute. Do we obey God or not? Even in the smallest things that choice is there. It boils down to this: do I value God's commands higher than my desires? Or is what I want more important to me than what God wants?
Saul fell so fast. Don't fall with him.
v22-23 What is more pleasing to the Lord:
your burnt offerings and sacrifices or your obedience to his voice?
Listen! Obedience is better than sacrifice,
and submission is better than offering the fat of rams.
Rebellion is as sinful as witchcraft,
and stubbornness as bad as worshiping idols.
So because you have rejected the command of the Lord,
he has rejected you as king.
Praise God!!
(Note: originally posted as guest blogger on Dallas First Assembly of God blog 10/24)
I will be glad and rejoice in you; I will sing praise to your name, O Most High. Psalm 9:2
Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Philippians 4:4
I will proclaim the name of the LORD. Oh, praise the greatness of our God! Deuteronomy 32:3
Praise God!! Praise Him for the blessings He has given!
Praise God!! Give him praise for the calamities He has spared you!
Praise God!! Praise him for being the unbelievably, unspeakably, inconceivably awesome God that he is!
What, you are going through tough times and don't feel like praising?
In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. 1 Peter 1:6-7
Through it all, in it all, because of it all - Give Him Praise!!!
I will be glad and rejoice in you; I will sing praise to your name, O Most High. Psalm 9:2
Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Philippians 4:4
I will proclaim the name of the LORD. Oh, praise the greatness of our God! Deuteronomy 32:3
Praise God!! Praise Him for the blessings He has given!
Praise God!! Give him praise for the calamities He has spared you!
Praise God!! Praise him for being the unbelievably, unspeakably, inconceivably awesome God that he is!
What, you are going through tough times and don't feel like praising?
In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. 1 Peter 1:6-7
Through it all, in it all, because of it all - Give Him Praise!!!
He's not done yet
(Note: originally posted as guest blogger on Dallas First Assembly of God blog 10/22)
In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. Philippians 1: 4-6
Not satisfied with where you are at? Not happy with the way things are going? Great! You are just where God wants you to be. He's not done with you yet.
We too often look at what we are today and think that is all we can ever be. But God still has new heights he wants to take us to, with new adventures just around the next bend. Just don't get comfortable where you are. One of the laws of physics states that an object at rest tends to stay at rest, while an object in motion tends to stay in motion. In other words it is easier to start doing something if you are already moving, harder to start if you are sitting still.
So you want God to do something big in your life? Get moving!! Find something to do, some way to press in deeper. Start something new, anything from a Bible Study or time of prayer to trying to apply a new virtue to your life. Maybe you could start being more friendly to waiters and cashiers, or finding a way to help around the church with some physical labor. Whatever it is, find a way to start something new. Anything to keep from getting comfortable with where you are now, or God may not be able to move you.
In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. Philippians 1: 4-6
Not satisfied with where you are at? Not happy with the way things are going? Great! You are just where God wants you to be. He's not done with you yet.
We too often look at what we are today and think that is all we can ever be. But God still has new heights he wants to take us to, with new adventures just around the next bend. Just don't get comfortable where you are. One of the laws of physics states that an object at rest tends to stay at rest, while an object in motion tends to stay in motion. In other words it is easier to start doing something if you are already moving, harder to start if you are sitting still.
So you want God to do something big in your life? Get moving!! Find something to do, some way to press in deeper. Start something new, anything from a Bible Study or time of prayer to trying to apply a new virtue to your life. Maybe you could start being more friendly to waiters and cashiers, or finding a way to help around the church with some physical labor. Whatever it is, find a way to start something new. Anything to keep from getting comfortable with where you are now, or God may not be able to move you.
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