How Can You Not?

Hi!

before i get into this blog, i want to give you a little update on what’s happening! in the beginning, the plan for after costa rica was to go to colombia. however, because of the Lords plan and covid restrictions, our route got changed to GUATEMALA! so, since january 7th, the squad and i have been in guatemala and have been loving it. but yeah, that’s the little update!

this is what the Lord has been teaching me for awhile now: 

recently we have been talking a lot about what it looks like to dream with the Lord, along with that the conversation about our passions came up. to be honest i thought that some of my passions were women in the church and serving the nations, but when i asked the Lord He told me differently. yes, i am still very passionate about those things, however since being on the race a new passion has been revealed and that is lukewarm christianity in america. lukewarm christianity, as i see it, is when you know the name of Jesus, go to church every sunday, and say you are a christian but that’s it. you essentially get comfortable only worshiping God at church on sunday, and there is no relationship with the Father. as for me in america i was a lukewarm christian, but now i have see the kingdom, and i have found the freedom that can only come from Jesus.

As i have been trying to figure out what a passion of lukewarm christianity means for me the phrase ‘how can you not?’ kept coming to mind. how can you not love Jesus after everything He has done for us? how can you not want to dance in the freedom that He gives us? how can you not want the overwhelming, uncomprehending love that He gives us? how can you not want a perfect Father? the list goes on, but those are some of the questions that i have had to ask myself. as i was asking the Lord for more i was reminded of Ephesians 2:1-10

“And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”

??as i read this passage one of the first things i noticed was that was before it says “but God” it is talking in past tense and after “but God” it is talking in present tense. how can you not  follow Jesus with your whole heart after all of that? when it says “but God” it really means what it says, it doesn’t mean God only on sundays, it means God everyday of the week, 365 days a year, 24/7. after “but God” it says that He is your maker, He made YOU alive because of His blood. God cannot help but love you, you don’t have a choice if He loves you, but you have a choice if you love Him, He gives you that freedom. 

i heard from a friend one time say that having one foot in each kingdom (Gods kingdom and the world) wrecks the church. now when he said church he didn’t mean the four walls we go to every sunday to worship, he means the body of Christ. to be a follower of Jesus you have to have both feet planted in the Kingdom of God. As believers we clearly have a call to play in the importance of witness and faithfulness and obedience. Jesus’ last instruction to His disciples was to be a witness to all. this wasn’t a suggestion, or an option. it is a commandment for all of His followers- to share His message with all people. how will people know if they aren’t told about the love that will save their soul? Gods love language is obedience. so will you obey? 

as i come to a close i want to leave you with this. God gave His one and only son for you. He died and shed His blood for you, He paid the ultimate price for you, do you act like it, do you share the news? isn’t He a God who is wonderful, perfect, and cannot help but love you? He says you a enough, worthy, and loved. isn’t that exactly what we desire? to feel loved and wanted? His arms are open wide for you. are we people who know truth or are we people that live truth? 

luv ya, grace 

ps. please read “the insanity of God” by Nik Ripken (it’s amazing)