Last night, at Refuge...

Last night I went to Refuge for the first time. During our worship/prayer time I just began to write:


Thursday, September 9, 2010
God, I'm concerned. And frankly, it makes me angry to see people claiming You and living like hell. Open their eyes! In Philippians 1:20 it says, "For I fully expect and hope that I will never be ashamed, but that I will continue to be bold for Christ, as I have been in the past. And I trust that my life will bring honor to Christ, whether I live or die." Why is that not our cry as it was Paul's? We all miss the mark, I understand that, but You did not come to Earth and suffer and die so that we could freely sin and expect You to be okay with it! God, I cry out to You! Open their eyes! Open mine! Your word says in Romans 12:2, "Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God's will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect." So why don't we as Christians do that? What message are we sending the lost? They are already in a mess! Why the heck would they want ours? TURN AWAY from wickedness and run as fast as you can into the arms of God! If "God blesses those who are persecuted for doing right, for the kingdom of Heaven is theirs" (Matthew 5:10) then why are we expecting God to bless our mess? He won't do it! "I know all things you do, that you are neither hot nor cold. I wish that you were one or the other. But since you are like lukewarm water, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth!" (Revelation 3:15-16). You may be fooling everyone else, but you're not fooling God. Take off the mask and show everyone the real you! "But if we would examine ourselves, we would not be judged by God this way. Yet when we are judged by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will not be condemned along with the world." (1 Corinthians 11:31-32). No one is perfect, which is why we need God. Let Him lovingly correct you! Be the fireball for Christ that the world needs. Show them something different. Break the stereotypes that either we are all hypocrites or we are all stuffy and boring. Be the light; be the difference; be what this world needs! But "you must not turn away from any of the commands I am giving you today, nor follow after any other gods and worship them." (Deuteronomy 28:14)


There you have it. I'm not here to condemn, because I am just as guilty sometimes. But that is what God put on my heart last night. It was like a heavy burden I couldn't shake until I wrote it out. I am praying for all of you! Until next time....
-Amanda