Always Amazed
I don’t know why it amazes me so, but it always does. I just heard several stories of what God is doing as people connect and stay willing. A twenty-year old told me last night about his wife who divorced him. They were both coming out of a life of drugging and partying. When they both came to faith, he was more zealous about growing than she was, and he drove her away by being critical and demanding.
During the 60-60, he sensed that instead of giving up on his marriage (which he had done), he needed to pursue her–but not to change her–to love her as God does. He told me that in the past month, she as seen such a change that she doesn’t go 12 hours without calling him now (they weren’t talking before that). She says she still doesn’t want to be married, but she wants to be his friend for life (he said that alone is a miraculous change, and he’s praying for a full re-uniting one day). Then he told me that his parents, who have never had an interest in faith, have been coming to Gateway and doing the 60-60 and he thinks his father has found faith!
I keep hearing such amazing things that the Lord is doing. At the same time, this is stirring up a lot of pain and emotional junk for a lot of people. When you’ve lived for years running and hiding in order to not face old painful junk you’ve been dragging with you through life, often the first thing the Lord wants to do is set you free from it—that stirs up a lot of fear and angst.
Jesus once encountered a man blind from birth and asked him what seems to us like a silly question: “What do you want me to do for you?” When being blind has been all you’ve known (and it’s even become your identity), and Jesus comes along and asks, “What do you want me to do for you?” Some of us out of fear say, “Leave me alone—I’m afraid to get better. How will I survive? I’ve never done anything but beg. If I get better, how will I eat? Who will I be with eyes that see?” You have to overcome your fear with trust. You have to focus on God, not on your fear of that which you don’t know. Let go (you don’t have as much to lose as you think), and let God show you what you have to gain!
Pastor John Burke:
I just wanted to let you know how thankful I am that you were obedient to write this book.
I have been on fire for the Lord however, this has turned it up to a new level.
Challenging myself to yield to His voice and His desires versus mine is awesome. To think on Him more and more, moment by moment is so life changing…I have been able to see God utilize me as a vessel in areas that may not have happened if I had not been sensitive to His amazing still small voice.
We have heard that saying, “They are so heavenly minded, they’re of no earthly good.” Well, I believe through this revolution, we can be both heavenly minded and of earthly good, when we see that our purpose on this earth is much greater than we could ever imagine. It’s for His purpose to do mighty exploits!
I have found that as I have been reading “Soul Revolution” and the Word of God, God is challenging me to prove Him. It may not go the way I have planned 99.9% of the time, but I am being reminded thankfully, of Isaiah 55:8-9~”For My thoughts [are] not your thoughts, Nor [are] your ways My ways,” says the LORD. ‘For [as] the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts.’” Praise God for that, even when we don’t understand it at that moment.
I just want to say, thank you for being bold in the Lord by the power of the Holy Spirit and I am thankful for your heart that reveals Jesus Christ!
God bless you and your wife as you serve the Lord with boldness!
Comment by Godisenthralledbyyourbeauty — November 7, 2008 @ 3:17 pm