Those that have truly tasted, will never go back: Day 31

Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good!
Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!
(Psalm 34:8 ESV)
I was riding home from work yesterday and God gave me a new song with a new thought and vision. The name of the song was never going back by William McDowell. I thought about this 31 day journey with Christ that I have been on. It has been filled with His presence. He makes His presence known in my life all through out the day. Its because I'm actually spending time with Him and making the effort to be in His presence. Now don't get me wrong there is nothing that I'm doing to deserve His presence. Its all because of Christ and His perfect work (The Cross) and His continuance of interceding prayer for me to the father.
I believe God will reward His children that deliberately seek Him out and desire to know and hear from Him.
And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.
(Hebrews 11:6 ESV)

Psalm 14:2 (Psalm 14)
The Lord looks down from heaven on the children of man,
to see if there are any who understand,
who seek after God.

Psalm 27:4 (Psalm 27)
One thing have I asked of the Lord,
that will I seek after:
that I may dwell in the house of the Lord
all the days of my life,
to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord
and to inquire1 in his temple.
I pray that God's presence will always be with me. May I never lose the fellowship that He has given me. I have tasted the greatness and seen the beauty of God. I don't want to go back to where I was 31 days ago. Though there will be rough days ahead. My enemies will come against me. Life and other distractions will continue to fight for my time.
Psalm 114:7 (Psalm 114)
Tremble, O earth, at the presence of the Lord,
at the presence of the God of Jacob,

Now what do I do? :

Do I just absorb Him everyday and become spiritually obese. Do I become comfortable in just having His presence with me? Do I ride the quote on quote wave or movement out?
Absolutely not....................... i along with other radically change Followers should stand ready to give an account and share the gospel. At all times extend His love and grace to others. Seek out those that are hurting, lost and hopeless. Share with them the healing to their pain. The road map that will help them find their way, and also the Hope that will end all of their hopelessness. I am to share and extend Jesus to everyone I come in contact with. Some way or form I have to Present my God, Leader, Lord, Savior, Owner, Redeemer, Lover of my soul to them all. So that's what I am to do with this new life that He has given me. I am not to waste not one moment. I will have to give an account for the time he has given me. For the special intimacy that He has allowed me to embrace. The joy of knowing Him,yet the compassion for the ones that don't know Him yet.

Wow!!!!! If they truly have tasted, they will never go back..........................

The Journey : Day 30 That which will last vs That which will fade

The firm foundation of God stands, having this seal, “The Lord knows those who are His,” and, “Everyone who names the name of the Lord is to abstain from wickedness.” Now in a large house there are not only gold and silver vessels, but also vessels of wood and of earthenware, and some to honor and some to dishonor. Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from these things, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified, useful to the Master, prepared for every good work. Now flee from youthful lusts and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. (2 Tim. 2:19–22)

Well I'm a third of the way through my challenge/fast. God continues to rock my world. So a quick synopsis on my past 30 days.
Purity: Renewing my mind through out each day is so important. Keeping my mind on things eternal has been really important. There has been some tough days. I won't use the excuse I'm only man either. I will say that I'm still a fleshly being. My desires and wants try to take control on a moment by moment basis. I'm in a constant battle to deny my own selfish desires. Christ has given me the victory over every sin or snare that tries to entrap me.
No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.
(1 Corinthians 10:13 ESV)
Intimacy: My time with Jesus has been extraordinary. We sang a song last night in group (Set a fire down in my soul) I was so caught up with Jesus. I was suppose to talk a bit after the worship but I was so swept away with Jesus. I was in a moment. The crazy thing about that moment is that I have been having them everyday and sometimes multiple times a day. The taking the hour min. time out of my day and spending it with Jesus has been phenomenal. I can't see going back to not spending these daily time that He has given me with Him. Yesterday was one of those days. I got off work a little early. Came home to read and prepare for our Monday night Group meeting and ended up spending hours with Jesus. Just Him and I. My soul was so content. He will totally satisfy your every need. He will do it in a way that all other life's satisfactions will seen empty.
Clarity: I have never heard the voice of the Lord so clear in my life. I know that there is so much more that He wants to share with me. I will share just one of the things He is saying to me in these past 30 days.
I'm starting to see my life as a Follower of Jesus in a different light. I know that it will look crazy to the world. I will glory in the Cross of Christ. I will lose my identity in Jesus. I know what it means to become and to live as a slave to Christ. I am not my own. My desires are being slowly transformed to His desires. Though I fight it sometimes surrendering is allowing me to be transformed.
I finished last night's lesson with a verse that God put on my heart.
Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.
(Revelation 3:20 ESV)

The only right response to Christ’s lordship is wholehearted submission, loving obedience, and passionate worship.

I believe that the true signs of a believer is that they will be in such communion with Jesus that they began to talk, think, and act just like He did. The way the believer lives their life shouldn't be far away from the life of Christ that He exemplified when He was here on earth. Why would it be. If we are truly following the leader wouldn't we talk, walk, think, and act out what He lead and commanded us to do?

As the saying goes, actions speak louder than words. The profession of faith that never evidences itself in righteous behavior is a “dead” faith ( James 2:17), being no better than that of the demons (v. 19). This is not to say that true believers never stumble. Certainly they do. Yet the pattern of their lives is one of continual repentance and increasing godliness as they grow in sanctification and Christlikeness.

MacArthur, John (2010-12-28). Slave: The Hidden Truth About Your Identity in Christ (Kindle Locations 1403-1406). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition.

A Deep Deep Praise........ : Day 26

But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith—that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.
(Philippians 3:7-11 ESV)
These were the scriptures that were heavy on the hearts of my roommate(Daniel) and I on last night. For us it is truly Jesus on nothing at all. As the days go by my desire to spend time with Jesus grows. Last night I was hanging out with my books and music at a local coffee shop until I met with one of my guys from the group. The time was so so good. I could not believe some of the things God was illuminating my eyes to in His Word. It is true that if you desire to be near Him and grow closer to Him He will show Himself to you. It may not start out like that but it will happen. I'm living proof that when I prayed the scriptures that I started out my blog with today I got exactly what I needed. As a matter of fact I got all I will ever need. King Jesus!!!!!
This morning when I was getting ready for work and preparing for the day I kept hearing His voice saying Praise, Praise, Praise.............. He is worthy of All praise. One day every knee will bow down and worship Him. Everything that was created and is created is created by Jesus and for Jesus. Everything shouts out praise and glory back to Him. If its not currently shouting fourth that praise one day it/we will be brought to that point. The purpose of our lives is to bring glory to God. We are here on this ball of mud (Earth) for that very reason. So today as I look back over my life to the present and I give Him total Praise. There has been nothing along the way in my life that I have done to deserve Him. He gave and continues to give Himself to me everyday undeserved.
What shall I do in return?

I will give him my life NOW.. Today I say yes.......... No more living my life for me. It will not be easy, but that was never the promise. I won't be perfect, In Christ I have perfection. My sin nature will battle me everyday, He's given me victory over it. The world will offer counterfeits, He is the only Real, True satisfaction to our lives. If you haven't given your life to Him you are still blinded by the the counterfeiter (Satan, your dream world, and your sin nature)... I say to you today Let Go............ Let go of your life. You can't make it without surrendering it all to Him. Well I take that back. You will succeed from the world's point of view, but that's not succeeding.

In order to succeed you must Lose,Give up, Surrender, & Rest................

Lose your life and identity: Be found in the identity of Christ.

Give up the rights to your own life: Put your trust in the One (Jesus) who can do way more in and through you than you could ever imagine..

Surrender: Choose moment by moment, day by day for the rest of your life that you will live for the One who has given His All....(Jesus)

Rest:

I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.
(John 15:5-7 ESV)

When you abide (Rest and Remain) in Him your desires become His desires. You see things through His eyes. Your heart loves like His Heart. Your wants,dreams, goals, ambitions are all God centered. Your regenerated life and heart changes the way you talk,think and act.

Transformation will begin to happen in your life. From that transformation out of the depths of your soul will spring up deep deep praise and adoration for King Jesus.

Checking in on my challenge: Day 24

Today I'm reflecting. I'm not even a 3rd of the way through my Challenge/Fast. The journey has been amazing. I feel closer to Jesus than I have felt in a long time. It's not because the journey has been easy. Its because I know that He is close to me. He is holding me. So how am I doing in my walk? Purity with God has been amazing. Capturing those thoughts that would normally entangle me. Renewing my mine with the Word,good Christian music, Prayer, and quality time with other believers. His voice has been clear in the last few days.
My greatest challenge right now is blocking out the time. There is a battle going on for the time that I have everyday. So many things come at me trying to challenge and take my sweet precious time with God. Some of them are very good things. Not bad at all, but I have to be careful not to give myself over to those things. So I'm currently reading 3 books, Every young man's battle, Slave, and of course the Bible. I feel like there will be more challenges to come as my relationship with Jesus grows. I stand firm to the scripture that I vowed years ago. Today this is my prayer once again.
Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith—that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.
(Philippians 3:8-11 ESV)
The last time I prayed this prayer to God was 3 years ago. I lost my Uncle(James) who was very instrumental in my life. He taught me how to live a life of self-control. He taught me that you didn't have to have your life wrapped up in an identity of another person. Just Jesus.....
I didn't question God when He took my Uncle home. I knew that his pain was over and that he went home to be with Jesus. I also knew that it was teaching me a lesson at the same time. How to deal with the lost of a love one. I thought that was my (Identifying in pain and suffering and knowing Jesus in the power of His Resurrection) moment.
Little did I know it would be the catalyst of what was to come. Two months later the love of my life told me she was leaving. Finished with our relationship.She walked out of my life for the rest of my life. Oh did I need His power and Oh did I need to know and Identify myself in Him at that moment. Life became really real to me. I was losing everything that I had. In a series of about 4 months my life went to shambles. The goody two shoe life was gone. My heart was in more that a million pieces.............
But God..............
He would not have me stay there. Bit by bit the Potter molded and restored the broken, smashed, crushed, clay.....

I am that clay today. Still being built and restored. He has not left me not one moment through it all. He has been right beside me holding and even carrying me at times.
So today I'm praying this prayer once again. Jesus I want you more than anything else in this world. This world has nothing for me. I want you................ I will follow you, no turning back. No looking back. I press forward to more intimacy which will ultimately lead me to more purity and clarity with Him....

The Joy to being Enslaved to Christ......Day 23

Romans 6:22, NLT- 22 But now you are free from the power of sin and have
become slaves of God. Now you do those things that lead to holiness and result
in eternal life.
Romans 14:7-8, NLT- 7 For we don’t live for ourselves or die for ourselves. 8 If we
live, it’s to honor the Lord. And if we die, it’s to honor the Lord. So whether we
live or die, we belong to the Lord.
When we call ourselves Christians, we proclaim to the world that everything about us, including our very self-identity, is found in Jesus Christ because we have denied ourselves in order to follow and obey Him. He is both our Savior and our Sovereign, and our lives center on pleasing Him. To claim the title is to say with the apostle Paul, “To live is Christ and to die is gain” (Phil. 1:21).
Yesterday's message at church was amazing!!!! Over 70 people received Christ and followed Him in baptism. The series is called Follower. We were challenge to give up the North American thinking and lingo when it comes to being a follower of Christ.
It has been 23 days in to my challenge/Fast. These are the exact things that God has been confirming in my life. Tonight we are going to be looking at the group study on being a follower. I have been challenged greatly in my studies. God showed me 2 examples of people who were slaves yet when they were purchased they devoted themselves to their owner. Even though they were free, they chose not to be their own. They Stayed surrendered to there owner.
The first one was a slave girl who was purchased by Abraham Lincoln. He out bid everyone that day for the young girl. After she was purchased Abraham and the girl headed towards his home. On the way back he told her she was free to go,do,say and be anyone thing she wanted to be. In return she said: I choose to follow you......


In the second Century a man named Eusebinus Sanctus was being beaten, whipped, stoned, brutally battered for his faith in Jesus Christ. This went on for several day and even to His death. Through torture and all that he went through he spoke until he was only able to whisper. I am a Christian(Follower of Jesus Christ)

MacArthur, John (2010-12-28). Slave: The Hidden Truth About Your Identity in Christ (Kindle Locations 185-188). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition.

23 days ago play time and taking life lightly ended. My life no longer belongs to me. I'm free yet I am a slave to Christ. He has given me abundant life. More than I could ever imagine. Free Free Free is what I am. Yet my total identity is wrapped up in Jesus Christ. No more Greg but it is Jesus.
My question to you is short yet not easily answered. Can you honestly say you are a Follower of Christ?

Are you Enslaved yet abundantly Free in Christ...................

Do you spend time with Him? Are you following His commands?

What goals, dreams, vision, ambitions have you placed before your surrender to Him.
You must surrender to Him first. You will then hear His voice telling you what your next steps are...
John 10:27, “My sheep
hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me”


In Closing: I want to leave you with some words that rang out in my heart yesterday. Jesus to His Followers these words............................

“If anyone wishes to come after
Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me.” To
follow the Master is to come to the end of oneself and submit completely
to His will. Anyone who would be His disciple must also be His slave. Those
unwilling to give up everything to follow Him are not worthy of Him.

Augustine (354–430) simply asked his congregation this rhetorical question: “Does your Lord not deserve to have you as his trustworthy slave?

MacArthur, John (2010-12-28). Slave: The Hidden Truth About Your Identity in Christ (Kindle Locations 279-281). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition.

Jesus only Day 21 Do I really want Him?

Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.”
(John 14:21 ESV)

I have been on my 90 day (Fast/challenge) with God for 21 days today. Honestly it feels like just a few days ago I was being led to start this challenge with Him. I remember praying back on December 17th of last year about starting this challenge with Pastor Smoothe in February. I was sitting in my normal place that I usually get breakfast and spend Saturday morning with Jesus. As I was in prayer God spoke gently to me saying that I needed to start my fast/challenge today. So on that day I Vowed Intimacy and Purity to God. That day God started showing me things and stuff that was blocking my intimacy with Him. So I started taking those things out of my day to day life. It has not been easy to be purged of these things. Some of it was sin and some of them were not bad things they just took time away from me spending with Jesus.

These questions speak to my heart today.................

Am I done playing games?

Do I trust Him completely with my life? Can I truly give God a blank check with my life?

Is my view of God big enough for my life. (Not that it will change who God is because what I believe about God won't change who He is only who I am.)

Is my identity totally in Christ? Am I willing to lose my life to gain all of Him?

Do I live my life like Jesus in Lord?

How obedient am I to His commandments?

Do I want what Greg wants or do I want Jesus. If I know He is all and He is, why do I chase the things of the world?

I know that the things of this world will fade away..................

But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
“Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.
(Matthew 6:33-34 ESV)

A New Start : The Bad The Good The Ugly

Man It has been a while since I last blogged. I know its time again.I started a 90 day Purity, Intimacy & Clarity walk with God. Moment by moment the challenge/fast is growing and evolving. This is what it looks like right now:

Vowing to God daily to keep my mine,heart & body pure to Him.

No Secular music in my life right now.

No movies PG13 and above or that has any hint of sexual content.

Reading the Bible through and through as a love story to me from God.

Spend minimum of one hour a day in prayer to God. Journal everyday.

I won't make any decisions about the opposite sex relationships in my life until my 90 days are up.

There will be more added as my relationship continues to grow.
Its day 19 and I have fallen in love with Jesus all over again. More today than I have ever been. He continues to overwhelm me with His love.