NEVER GIVE UP!

 

I Peter 2:9-10 (The Message Bible)
But you are the ones chosen by God, chosen for the high calling of priestly work, chosen to be a holy people, God's instruments to do His work, and speak out for Him to tell others of the night-and-day difference He made for you----From nothing to something, from rejected to accepted.

1969....
We were the generation that was going to change the world.
A revival was sweeping the country and it was unlike any revival that we'd ever seen.
From California came a wave of God's Spirit calling out those from the counter culture to be changed. Salvation was everywhere, touching and changing lives that had been counted out by society.
Those who were changed by the Holy Spirit began to tell others...
The ones who heard this message  were changed through God's Salvation....
They, in turn, told others, and it became a wave of God's love and freedom that took off across our country. Funny part in all of this..........it began out side the walls of the traditional church. In fact, the very fabric of church began to change to accommodate new music....new language for theology. As I've said over and over...."The message never changes...God's truth does not change. The vehicle the message is delivered in may change, but not the message."
And empowered by this message, we knew that we were going to be the generation that changed everything with the Kingdom message of Jesus.
We thought this movement would last forever.....

It has.
It has not lessened or lost power.
It has not become static or institutionalized by ritual or rote services.
We've grown older....
But as for me, I still burn with the fire of God to see people meet my Jesus.

You see, movement in the kingdom......this dynamic of bringing change to society through the message of Jesus Christ is not confined  to only those who are young.
No doubt about it....those who are young have passion and fire. When they are touched by the Holy Spirit, something wonderful happens in the midst of all their "young-ness".
It's like being in love for the first time in your life. You want to tell everyone how great it is, and how they are missing out if they don't have that special someone in their own life. So you run around telling your story.

But I've found out something about having a few years under my belt that I could never have known when I was younger.  There is this thing called wisdom. Not as the world defines or gives to us, but that which comes from walking with Jesus for a number of years. Wisdom that comes from life experiences. I do not want my wisdom or view of life to distort the beauty and splendor that is Jesus. I don't want to be cynical of new ways or models that come along. I want to see Jesus in every aspect of His church. I don't want to be the old geezer who is always complaining and punctuates his sentences with "Back in my day....."

I want to be a torch passer. One who comes along side of this generation and encourages them to strike out and follow Jesus. I want to be like Billy Crystal in the movie "The Princess Bride" telling the hero and his followers...."Have fun storming the castle". I may not physically be able to do as much as when I was in my twenties....but my love for Jesus and the Kingdom message is still as fresh as the day I heard it for the first time.

I want to worship Him and see Him in new ways.
I want His word to unfold and reveal to me things I've never seen before.
I want the presence and power of the Holy Spirit to move and heal people.
I want to be the conduit through which the Holy Spirit flows and brings new babes into the Kingdom family.
I want Jesus.
Lastly, I do  not want to define this upcoming generation. I want them to let Jesus define them and what they are called to do.
Think on these things today...

God on you...
mbb