God a Prankster?

Reconnecting with an old friend of mine of few weeks back I was reminded of a day trip we took a few years back to Minneapolis. We were going to visit a Christian nightclub (I think it was called the Firehouse) We had wanted to try and open a club in Des Moines and heard about this one so went to check it out. We arrived in MN a couple hrs before this place opened so we decided to check out the “Mall of America” It was fairly new back then and very very busy. Being the optimist that I am I always make a quick pass through the front parking spaces before heading to my real spot in the back of the lot. On this day God was smiling on us. We pull into the first aisle and immediately see a car pulling out of a spot. We smile, laugh and do the whole Thank you God thing, I can’t believe this, God is looking out for us today. Then the car pulls right back in and the people get out. WHAT! We started laughing and said Thanks God that was a mean joke. Just then another car pulled out three or four spots over. This caused us to really bust out laughing. Whoever said God wasn’t a prankster. Being jokesters ourselves we had fun with that one for quite awhile. I’m sure this was probably one of those “you just need to be there moments” But to us it was hilarious we were and still are convinced that God set it up just for us a “Prank the Pranksters” type scenario (We were known as Larry Long and his Buddy Bald) All that to say I think God has a sense of humor. I think he loves to relate with us just like we relate to each other and that means jokes as well. Don’t believe me lets look at the bible. Exodus 3 is the story of Moses and the Burning Bush. God could have gotten Moses attn anyway he wanted. He could have spoken to him in a dream, It could have been a voice in the sky but no he chose a Burning Bush that didn’t burn. I think God said “I’m going to have fun with this guy” Why not? He wanted a relationship not an employee. Go on to chapter 4 God says to Moses drop your staff without telling him what was going to happen. He does, it becomes a serpent and MOSES RUNS. Tell me God wasn’t laughing at that. I would have split my sides. For the sake of time lets move to the New Testament. Matthew 8 They are in a boat Jesus is a sleep a storm comes that is so fierce they fear for their very lives they wake Jesus and he shakes his head (I think with a hidden smirk) then yells at the storm to stop. Tell me he and God weren’t giggling a bit at their reaction. Feeding of the five thousand Jesus could have just said at the beginning we’re going to feed them and this is how it’s going to play out. It would have been just as impressive but I think he wanted them to sweat a little. He wanted to blow their minds. Jesus walking on the water. When he sent his disciples away he could have told them I’ll catch up remember I’m God I don’t need a boat but no instead he walks up and they think he’s a ghost. I really imagine Jesus laughing all the way out to the boat anticipating their reaction. Here’s one of my favorites Matt 17 Jesus tells Peter to catch a fish and money will be in its mouth to pay the temple tax. Can you see Peter going to the Ocean shaking his head the whole way? Believe me there are many more examples. But there are also examples of Jesus sacrificing daily for others. There are examples of Jesus crying, eating with others, Teaching, Healing. The examples I’m thinking about are specific for his Disciples and close knit group of friends. They experienced it all! Others would experience one or two things but not the jokes, no explanation of his parables, not the intimate relational things they were reserved for specific people those who wanted more from him than a quick fix. Jesus could have come to this earth lived his life and died. He could have chosen 12 disciples and sat them down as students (Like I assume the Pharisees did) and said when I’m gone this is all up to you so pay attn. But he didn’t he developed a relationship with them. So much so that after his death they were lost and confused. If he were just a teacher they would have shrugged their shoulders and said oops guess we were wrong back to the boats and not been around to see his resurrection. Here’s my point To God we are more than just a number. Every person that accepts Christ and repents of their sins God has a personal vested interest in. Jesus knew what to do on a daily basis because he had a personal relationship with his Father and did nothing without first seeing his father do it John 5:19. The Disciples had a personal relationship with Jesus and did what they did because Jesus told them to do it even when it seemed far fetched. If I were Peter I never would have gone looking for that “Money Fish” if I didn’t already trust Jesus. So, Jesus had his Father, The disciples had Jesus and his Father, We have Jesus, His Father and The Holy Spirit. Now if that’s really the case then I have to ask. Why don’t we step out in faith more often when God says Give money to ______, or Go talk to _______, Quit your job and _________, Start a ministry for__________? The best I can figure is because we don’t REALLY trust him and we don’t really trust him because we aren’t doing our half of the work in getting to know him. We know it’s not the other way around. How do we do it? How do we do our part? Jesus had a different relationship with each of his disciples and I’m sure he does with each of us as well so I’m not going to answer that. All I’m going to say is Go to God and ask him. God how do we develop an intimate relationship with each other? You and I God? Then listen for the answer and do it even if it means “Going Fishing”.

It may not always be easy to follow his lead but the more we do the more we see him work, the more we see him work the better we know him, the better we know him the more we trust him, the more we trust him the easier to follow his lead. So what do you say why don’t we go out and ask God to blow our mind. Lets ask God to dinner, go for a walk, to reveal the meaning of his scriptures, to tell us a joke and to blow our minds. Lets invite him into an honest full fledged intimate relationship with him. Once we do I promise our lives will be turned “Upside Down”.

Southern Hospitality!

So, I spent Saturday night in Charleston SC. Even though I desperately wanted to I fought off the urge to go dancing (Don’t know how to do the Charleston anyway). But what I didn’t fight off was the desire to go to church Sunday Morning. I stumbled on a good ole Southern Baptist church. Lets remember tradition dies hard in the South. So I pull up and see all these people walking in wearing suits and dresses. I haven’t seen that in awhile and I knew I was in for a good old fashioned Baptist worship service complete with the hymnals. Believe it or not I was kinda looking forward to it. It’s been a long long time since I’ve been in a “Traditional Service”. I’m not going to spend any time talking about the actual service or the pluses and minuses of the style but what I want to talk about is what I observed before and after the service. I walk in about 15 to 20 minutes early and go find a seat. I feel slightly out of place since in my riding gear but I do feel a little better as the younger crowd begins to filter in (They are at least in slacks and a Button Down shirt instead of a suit.) People are all smiling and chatting with each other looking very happy to be there. Then I see one older gentleman walking up and down the aisle shaking everyone’s hand. Now I see another doing the same thing. The pastor is doing the same but slumbering a bit longer chatting with the people. A middle aged lady walks up to me (Mr. way out of place) and begins chatting. Then I see this stereotypical science teacher. Slacks and a sport coat (Tweed), White hair, bald up top long in the back, Handlebar mustache that blends into his mainly white Beard trimmed along the jaw line but very full beard in the middle (Just felt like detailing his look) Doing the same as the first men I saw but instead of just walking the aisle he is going to the middle of the pews as well literally walking from group to group shaking hands and laughing with each of them. I can say I have never seen such an active group. People were going out of their way to chat with each other not just stand and chat with a close friend. Growing up my church may have been like that. I know they were friendly and like family. Generation after generation grew up there so it was easier to “Be Friendly”. After church pretty much anyone that walked by me said hello and shook my hand. The lady that had spoken with me earlier introduced me to her husband and then invited me to their house for lunch (This happened once before when I was in college at another Baptist church). I walked into the church that morning feeling out of place but left feeling very welcomed. Honestly during the service I was bored, I spaced off during the choir can’t believe it but didn’t recognize the hymns and the sermon gave no new revelations. It was a solid salvation message complete with alter call. Now I’m not picking on the service. It is exactly what some need just not what I typically look for but if I were in Charleston again I would go back in a heartbeat. If I moved to Charleston I would check it out again. Why? Because of the display of love I saw. They made an underdressed stranger feel perfectly at home. I’ve had less people talk to me at my home church and it’s a pretty friendly church. Obviously I know nothing about these people. Maybe they all hop in their cars and begin to fight with each other. Maybe there is a problem with gossip I have no idea but what I do know is for the hour and fifteen minutes I was there (Somehow the pastor found mercy for 15 minutes :-.) ) I felt welcomed. I’ve been traveling for six months now going to churches every Sunday. Some I knew others not, some were proud of their openness to strangers they went so far as to brag about it. What’s ironic is those are the places I felt most unwelcome. Anytime I’ve traveled over the last few years I’ve tried to find a church to attend on Sunday the best I’ve ever gotten was people saying hi during the “Greeting time” and maybe one or two before or after the service.

If you haven’t already guessed it I am about to present a challenge to everyone reading this. “Grab hold of some good Ole’ Southern Hospitality!” Do you want to see guests return to your church? Do you want to see others come to know Christ? Do you want others to feel comfortable opening up to you? Then smile and shake a hand! It really is that simple. People want to feel welcomed and they want to feel loved give it to them and they’ll keep coming back. I was blown away as I watched a half dozen people befriend the majority. Can you imagine what would happen if someone walked into your church and they saw the majority doing it? Not to mention you may meet someone that’s been at the church for years. If you’re already doing this let me present one more challenge. Every time you meet someone new “Invite them to Lunch” You never know this one thing may turn your life and the life of your church “Upside Down”

Freely Give?

I have been thinking about today’s topic for quite some time. Actually a friend of mine and I have been chatting about it pretty much since my arrival in Houston 2.5 months ago. It’s become hard for me to let go of this one even though it fits with a conviction God gave me for the Upside Down Group months ago. My friend has had this conviction for awhile but since we’ve begun chatting it has grown ten fold in him. I want to be very careful as we dive into this one and today I’ll just be scratching the surface of it. It would be very easy to fall into legalism and we must remember in all things it boils down to a matter of the heart. But there is also the message it spreads and more so the hindrance of learning that makes this topic particularly dangerous. ENOUGH OF THE SET UP GET ON WITH IT LARRY! Ok, lets first dive into it by looking at scripture. Then I’ll give you my thoughts.

Matthew 10:7-10 (New King James Version)

⁷ And as you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ ⁸ Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead,^[a] cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give. ⁹ Provide neither gold nor silver nor copper in your money belts, ¹⁰ nor bag for your journey, nor two tunics, nor sandals, nor staffs; for a worker is worthy of his food.

John 2:13-19 (New King James Version)

¹³ Now the Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. ¹⁴ And He found in the temple those who sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the money changers doing business. ¹⁵ When He had made a whip of cords, He drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen, and poured out the changers’ money and overturned the tables. ¹⁶ And He said to those who sold doves, “Take these things away! Do not make My Father’s house a house of merchandise!” ¹⁷ Then His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for Your house has eaten^[a] Me up.”^[b]
18 So the Jews answered and said to Him, “What sign do You show to us, since You do these things?”
¹⁹ Jesus answered and said to them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.”

John 13:14-15 (New King James Version)

¹⁴ If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. ¹⁵ For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you.

John 13:34-35 (New King James Version)

³⁴ A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. ³⁵ By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”

John 15:12-14 (New King James Version)

¹² This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. ¹³ Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends. ¹⁴ You are My friends if you do whatever I command you.

I’m not going to talk too much today. Just point out what I see then ask you your opinion. In Matthew 10 Jesus gives his disciples power then sends them out and tells them FREELY you have received FREELY Give. They went out with nothing other than clothes on their backs and power from God. They were told to give out freely not Heal for a fee, preach for a fee. In John 2 Jesus goes into the temple sees them selling in the courtyard gets upset makes a whip drives the people out and gently turns the tables upside down (More like throws everything around) (The following is a paraphrase from the book Fresh Wind Fresh Fire) They could have argued they were offering a service. They needed a sacrifice and couldn’t carry theirs all the way from where they lived. The problem is they were profiting exorbitantly from the service. John 13: 14-15 says follow my example “He served them” John 13: 34-35 He says Love as I have loved you. John 15 he says the same thing and ads No greater Love than to Lay your life down for your friends.

Looking at all of this my question is. Are we profiting from the Gospel when we should be freely sharing? God gave me a revelation let me write a book sell it, God gave me the gift of healing I’ll do it but charge an entry fee to the crusade. Are our “Christian Bookstores” any different than the money changers in the temple? How many people don’t have access to some incredible insights into scripture or into how to walk after God because they can’t afford the 20 to 50 dollar book? When we think of this the very fact that you have to “Buy” a bible is pretty disturbing.

My big argument has been “But a worker is worth his wages” and “But you have to cover your expenses” The worker is worth his wages that’s why I go back to What’s your heart saying? Why are you writing the book? I’m not going to try and find a formula to determine when someone has made too much or too little, when it’s good and when it’s bad that’s between them and God. But I am very very concerned when I see a ministry that someone desperately needs yet they can’t afford it. Here is a great example of what I’m talking about. (Please don’t think I’m knocking this ministry I think it’s doing a wonderful thing.) Have you ever noticed that nearly every time you go to a Christian Concert anymore “World Vision” is a sponsor. The artist takes some time out of his or her show to chat about what World Vision is doing and to encourage you to sponsor a child. Did you know that World Vision gives (I can’t remember how much) the Artist money according to the number of Children sponsored (Which is better than just paying the artist a blanket fee for sponsorship. It encourages them to push it harder.) Please hear me I’m not knocking specific Artists some need that sponsorship to survive as an artist. When an Artist is doing well and they know the tour is paid for along with a nice little profit. Aren’t they themselves taking money from the starving kids? God tells us to Love our neighbor as we love ourselves and to lay down our lives for a brother. If you were starving would you want someone to say I raised 1,000 to help you but I’m going to keep 100 of it for myself. If you were dieing would you want someone to say I have the cure but need to make a living so I’ll sell it to you. You can’t afford it I’m so sorry. Christ spoke to over 5,000 people in I assume all states of wealth then proceeded to feed them all for free. Whoops never mind I’m wrong he paid WITH HIS LIFE!

Until recently I’ve never even thought about this it’s the way the economy works. I’ll lay odds most haven’t. We wonder why we don’t see the Spirit work as much today. I wonder how much we would see him work if we said “God gave this for me to share freely I’ll trust him to provide.”

Ok, I spoke more than planned. That tangent thing kicks in and I forget how to shut up. Anyway, I want to hear your thoughts on the subject. How do we adjust even if we aren’t acting as a “Money Changer”? Here’s one thing I do. I finish reading a book I give it away. What are some of your idea’s. This goes far beyond selling “Freely give” what has God given you? How can you give of those blessings?

God bless all, Hope you have a wonderful week turned “Upsidedown”!

On your Knees! please?

One of the biggest breakthroughs I’ve ever had when it comes to studying the bible is the day I realized that the Old Testament points to the New. It doesn’t just talk about what’s going to happen in the New but the Very lives of his people told the story of what God was planning in Christ. His people the Jewish nation is meant to symbolize “US” Christ followers. Moses is symbolic of God, Aaron is symbolic of Christ. Once we understand this our eyes and hearts become open to understanding the Old Testament. With that in mind lets look at Exodus.

The Jewish nation grows so numerous that Pharaoh begins to fear them so he decides to enslave them so they wont have the chance to realize their power. He then puts them to work (forced labor). He beats them and overworks them so they fear him for one, and two are too tired to make babies. They do fear him but make lots of babies. Pharaoh fears their numbers even more so he has said babies killed.

TRANSLATION: Satan saw Adam and Eve and knew that they and their children would join with God and have power over him now he will not even have control of the lower regions. So he enslaved them and got them so busy focusing on their sin and their work that they had no time to focus on God himself and develop any kind of relationship with him. The more kids they had the more he caused them to focus on their own shortcomings and the work they had to do as a result of said shortcomings. Man still populated the earth and Satan still feared them so he sought to kill them (Spiritually by forcing them to focus on themselves rather than God)

Fast forward about 300 years Moses and Aaron come confront Pharaoh and free the slaves. They leave Egypt and wonder the wilderness for 40 years. Each time they encounter a problem or hardship they begin to desire a return to Egypt.

TRANSLATION: God and Jesus confront Satan and set us free from our bonds of Sin. Now as we spend/live our days we are constantly fighting the tug of returning to slavery because we fear the unknown in our current journey. God led them in a cloud by day and fire by night. We have the Holy Spirit. Now for today’s purposes lets stop right there.

The wilderness is the moment I want to focus on because that is where we are right now. We have been set free through Christ and are now Journeying to the Promised Land, Heaven Bound Baby! What happened while they were in the wilderness? They encountered a lack of water, no food, snakes, Pharaoh chasing them all sorts of nasty situations where they were forced to depend on God. Despite the clear leading of the spirit they always turned away and Moses constantly had to turn them back. They would have turned back to slavery if they could have. They longed for the safety of the Whip and chain. Even though they knew it meant certain destruction and total loss of freedom. In the desert they had total freedom and complete protection all they had to do was follow a fiery cloud.

Today as I look around this is exactly what I’m seeing and my heart hurts. I see brothers and sisters that have experienced the freedom and protection of Christ giving in to slavery because it’s easier it’s what they know. They’ve been set free but are putting the cuffs back on themselves. I see them living active sexual lives, giving into homosexuality, chasing after the dollar, positions of influence, liars, cheaters, drunkards, druggies. Most of them fought these temptations for years then just grew tired and gave in. Their brothers and sisters (Myself included here) were too busy fending for themselves to realize anyone else was struggling. We put on such an heir of righteousness or such a busy attitude that no one felt safe going to anyone else for help or support. Remember when Moses went onto MT Sinai and God gave him the 10 Commandments. He was gone for so long that Israel turned to Aaron and said “make us an Idle” They needed Moses to point them to God That cloud by day and fire at night wasn’t enough. Once they were set free Moses symbol was that of prophet (God spoke to him and he spoke to us) He was in Mt Sinai and Israel fell apart. After Christ died his Apostles stepped into that position pointing his family to God. Now I don’t have it altogether. I don’t have the answer to this question but who is pointing us to God now? Who has God called to stand in the place of the Apostles? You could say no one that’s why he gave us the Holy Spirit. They had that in the Desert and still needed Moses. They had the Holy Spirit after Christ but still needed the Apostles. God uses his people to point to him. He appointed Apostles, prophets, teachers… (1 Cor 12:28, Eph 4:11) Where today are those he has called to point us to him? We are Israel without a Judge! You may think I’m painting a pretty bleak picture here, you may think I’m being a little extreme but I ask. Where is his light? And the light shines in the darkness but the darkness does not comprehend it John 1:1. Yes that is out of context. But is it really? We know the light is Christ but we sure aren’t acting like we understand him. If we do we sure aren’t acting like we trust him. Who is going to take the mantle

My friends, as I said earlier my heart is breaking for these brothers and sisters that have given in and offered themselves back into slavery. And for those ready to turn back that don’t think they have the strength to fight anymore. (Lets not bring permanent salvation into this. That’s not what I’m talking about here.) This post today offers up no answers, no solutions just questions. I do offer an assignment though and that’s PRAY! First pray for forgiveness: That God forgive our casual attitude toward him, our unwillingness to trust him in ALL things. Second: Pray that he will give us those that point us to him. Those that live without compromise, that fearlessly call us to account. Lets not just pray for revival lets pray that we grow hearts sold out 110% dedicated to him, No compromise. So we can show the others that it is possible. That our God is indeed the 1 true God. Come on Gang lets spend this week on our knees. God has already given the call evidently those called are afraid of the call. Ask God to raise them up to cancel all fear. Ask God “Am I one that you are calling?” No it’s not presumptuous, it’s a question. Before you ask it make sure you’re willing to live with the answer. It may just turn your life Upsidedown.

Love you Gang!

Why do it?

I sit here tonight in a state of ??? I really don’t know what to call it. Hundreds of separate thoughts running through my mind but unable to lock in on anything. So here’s what I’m going to do. I’m going to give you a peek into my brain. Brace yourself, I have no idea what you are going to see, it may be ugly, it may be quite disturbing. If you understand it I would seek medical attn immediately as you don’t process like a normal individual.

This morning as I was sitting in church John 15: 12,13 once again popped into my brain. It wasn’t the pastors topic but what he was saying brought me back to this verse. “Love as I have loved you. No greater love has man than this that he lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do as I command you.” Now I’ve said a few times that this means we are called to love greater than we love ourselves. Today I began to seriously ask “What does it mean to lay down our lives for our friends?” Well it means when a friend is in need we should set aside our own desires and our own self interest in exchange for theirs. This means a friend loses his or her job and can’t pay rent. We have money set aside to buy a new TV. We forget the TV and pay our friends rent. A brother breaks his leg and doesn’t have insurance because he just lost his job. We are strapped for cash but know we need to help our brother so we sell our _____ to help him out. Our sisters car breaks down she has no way to get to work so we set our alarm to get up one hr earlier everyday until she can get her car fixed and give her a ride even if she works on the other side of town. I think this is also what Paul is saying in Romans 12:1 when he says “… present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy acceptable to God which is your reasonable service (Other versions say spiritual act of worship) He goes on to talk about transforming our minds and seems to spend the rest of the book talking about “How to live the Christian Life” Last week I asked the question “How do we exhort daily? How do we develop a community with the lifestyle of confession and exhortation? We had one person respond (I loved her response) Basically she said “This is what we should do but will we? (I am paraphrasing pretty big) We are too concerned with looking good to others and it’s too easy to run to the church next door if we are held accountable. We should strive for this but is it really possible in today’s church?” She is absolutely right. I see few signs that it is possible in today’s church. This morning I’m thinking “This is how we get there.” By living as Christ said. If we sacrifice of ourselves for our brothers and sisters our community would become so tight knit that we wouldn’t run away when confronted. How beautiful! The problem is… That’s a pretty big IF most of us aren’t even willing to give up our daily coffee to help a friend let alone really sacrifice. I know I’ve not answered my phone because I knew the caller was going to ask me to help with something. How pitiful is that? Who cares if he has needed support every Tuesday for the last month and I’m tired of missing American Idol. What’s more important a brother or a talent competition? Now please don’t think that I’m trying to lay a guilt trip on anyone or that I’m sitting here down on myself for not being perfect. A guilt trip doesn’t work when we are all guilty of the same thing. WE ARE ALL SELFISH HUMAN BEINGS!! That’s a natural result of the fall. Eve eating that piece of fruit and Adam following suit. I can’t sit here and guilt anyone into action. Best case scenario would be a few of us say we will live this way. We dig in our feet and are really good at it for a month maybe two then we grow tired and move back to the way we were before. How many times have any of us heard a sermon and said “AMEN! I will begin living this way.” Then go to work on Monday and forget what was said on Sunday.

This is where I am. God reveals these incredible things to his people but we only half accept them or we sit back and say “That’s a perfect world scenario the church today is not perfect so it wont work” We are living in defeat and we haven’t even tried. We are settling for far less than God intended for us and there is nothing I can say or do to change that. There is nothing you can say or do either. But this isn’t what God wants. God is the most powerful being in this universe. God controls all/Created all. Nothing happens that he doesn’t allow. If he doesn’t want us to live like this than why does it seem impossible for us to do anything about it? Put simply it’s because we are believing a lie. A terrible idiotic lie from the scum of the earth. This scum can do nothing without Gods approval and we are sitting down here believing its lie. How do we defeat this liar? How do we get around our “Can’t” attitude and begin doing? How do we learn to set aside our own selfish desires and begin living sacrificially for each other? How do learn to ”Confess” confidently? How do we learn to “Exhort” each other daily? How do we finally break through and live the life that God has for us? How? How? HOW?

John 14:15-18 If you love me keep my commandments and I will pray the father and he will give you another helper that he may abide with you forever. The spirit of truth whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him, but you know him for he dwells with you and will be in you. I will not leave you orphans I will come to you.

John 14: 26 …The helper, the Holy Spirit whom the father will send in my name, he will teach you all things…

John 16: 7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the helper will not come to you; but if I depart I will send him to you.

We’ve been believing lies but “The Helper” is the spirit of truth. God has given us a helper. The Holy Spirit living in us. This makes it possible for us to recognize lies and move onto the truth. “But Larry, if we have the spirit living in us we should be recognizing it already.” Yep, we should. Here is what I would like to propose the problem is. 1 Thessalonians 5:19 “Do not quench the spirit” I think, (This is me, my opinion take it or leave it.) We have become so adept at quenching the spirit we don’t even recognize when he speaks anymore. Do you remember getting those tuggings that said “Go and talk to that guy you just passed?” or “I should turn off the tv and study my bible” how about “Call so and so and see how they are doing” to which we respond “As soon as the show is over” “I feel weird going up to a total stranger” “If I call them and everything is ok I’ll feel stupid” Our selfishness quenches those little tuggings. Then we grow confused at why “The Spirit” doesn’t listen to us when we ask him to heal a friend. Or provide a job for our brother. We’ve grown quite talented at calling on the Spirit according to our own terms not his. (This thinking seems kinda upside down yet we all do it) We are so good at quenching the helper God sent that we don’t recognize him anymore. So what do we do about it? How do we learn to recognize him and stop quenching him? Again my opinion take it or leave it but this is what I plan on doing. Go to God and repent. Tell God that you are sorry for ignoring him/ His Spirit. Then ask him to help you recognize his voice and tugging once again. Then whenever you hear or feel what you think may be the Holy Spirit. Stop and listen. 1 Thessalonians 5 after he says don’t quench he says to test the spirits. So ask, Holy Spirit is this you? Test it? Is it asking you to do something contrary to scripture? No! Then Do it? He hasn’t gotten tired of us ignoring him, packed up and gone. He is still in us. Ask him every day to give us a fresh filling. Ask him to give us the strength to follow his tugging. I think we may be a little more than surprised at how much we hear and how much our lives are changed. We may even begin to experience the Community God desires for us. That’s my thought what about you? Do you have any idea’s? I’d love to hear them.

As always lets live this week “Upside Down!”