THE SEARCH FOR KINGDOM

1/23/19

I HAD ALWAYS CONSIDERED MYSELF TO BE A RELIGIOUS PERSON. I DEFINED MYSELF AS A CHRISTIAN. I BELIEVED IN GOD, AND JESUS WAS MY SAVIOR. I KNEW THERE WAS A HOLY SPIRIT, BUT THE CONCEPT WAS KIND OF A MYSTERY TO ME. GOD THE FATHER WAS ON HIS THRONE IN HEAVEN, AND JESUS WAS BESIDE HIM, AND THE SPIRIT WAS HERE ON EARTH WITH US. OK! GOT IT! SO I WOULD GO TO CHURCH, LISTEN TO THE PASTOR’S MESSAGE, SOMETIMES INTERESTING, SOMETIMES NOT, BUT ALL WAS GOOD. I AM SAVED. MOST IMPORTANTLY MY WIFE IS HAPPY BECAUSE WE ARE IN CHURCH WITH THE KIDS. LIFE IS GOOD :) IM SURE THAT IF YOU ARE A GUY YOU CAN PROBABLY RELATE, AND I KNOW THE WIVES CAN !!!

THEN I MET THIS GUY NAMED DEREK, AND EVERYTHING CHANGED! HE ASKED ME THIS QUESTION THE FIRST TIME I MET HIM….”ARE YOU ALL IN”??? HERE I WAS SITTING IN A GROUP OF 100 PEOPLE, AND I FELT LIKE I HAD JUST BEEN PULLED UP FRONT ON A STAGE. I COULD LITERALLY FEEL GOD STANDING BESIDE ME, AND I WAS SWEATING BIG TIME! I JUST MET THIS GUY….BUT I LOOKED HIM IN THE EYE AND SAID, “I WANT TO BE”!!! HE SMILED AND SAID “ GOOD, LETS GET STARTED. WE MEET AT GLENMOOR EVERY THURSDAY MORNING AT 7AM. SEE YOU THURSDAY”. “YOU SEE, MOST PEOPLE ARE OK IN BEING SAVED, BEING IN A WIDE OPEN SPACE AT THE BOTTOM OF A PYRAMID WADING ANKLE DEEP IN MILK”. “IT’S GOOD, BUT THERE IS SO MUCH MORE”. “IF YOU LOOK UP, IT GETS A LOT MORE NARROW, AND YOU HAVE TO CLIMB, AND JESUS WANTS TO BE YOUR LORD, AND WAY UP THERE, YOUR KING”. WOW….WHAT A VISION AND A CHALLENGE. DEREK HERE I COME.

THAT WAS A FEW YEARS AGO, BUT IT SEEMS LIKE YESTERDAY! I MARVEL EVERY DAY AT HOW THAT MOMENT OF CHANGE HAS IMPACTED MY LIFE. I AM CLIMBING UPWARD, WANTING TO BE EVER CLOSER TO GOD, AND KNOW HIM INTIMATELY AS MY LORD, AND MY KING. IT MEANS SURRENDER, IT MEANS WORK, AND IT MEANS TRANSFORMING YOURSELF IN SO MANY WAYS! IT MEANS GROWING, LEARNING, FAILING, WRESTLING, LISTENING. NOT EVERYBODY LIKES THE CHANGE, AND SOME ARE EVEN UNCOMFORTABLE WITH YOU,….EVEN YOUR FAMILY AND CLOSE FRIENDS. BUT WHAT IS COOL IS HOW I FEEL!!! NO WHERE NEAR PERFECT, NO WHERE NEAR COMPLETE….BUT I SEE MY IDENTITY, I SEE MY PURPOSE, AND I SEE THE BEGINNINGS OF A PATH TOWARD HIS KINGDOM.

JOIN ME ON THE SEARCH. TOMORROW IS FULL OF PROMISE. JA