Wednesday, May 17, 2006
fire for the church
Dear fellow warriors of the Cross of Christ,
What joy it is that the internet allows us to join together in modern day "epistles". Letters that tell about how great our awesome God is can now be read by anyone that wishes to visit a site. The fire from heaven can fill a mind with the thoughts of God and allow a jar of clay to contain and display that glory. That fire can fall upon man, and in devotion to love, we can write about the Romance with Jesus that we all dance in. My walk with Christ tends to have the steps that are more like a dance than a walk---rather than going "straight forward" all the time I tend to sway side to side. It is more risky to do so, and less ordinary or common to do so, but as I march to music I find this great fire in my soul that can only come in that place of love. Works, deeds, or ministry cannot give that to me; but a place of rest in Christ can provoke me to where I am no longer aware of working......kinda like a young boyfriend and girlfriend...him changing the oil on her car feels not like a chore, it feels more like a connective place where hearts join in the manifestation of love in action.
And that is the "work" that I so love to do. My father once said "son, my best advice for you is this: find a job that you love, and you will never have to work a day for the rest of your life." How true that is! I am not aware that I am working for the Lord, or that I am serving Him, most of my journey. Rather, as I walk, I dance. My words are not just words, they are the songs of Ephesians 5:19, "Then you will sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, making music to the Lord in your hearts." Walking around and talking to people about Jesus is just like going into a worship service and lifting my hands and declaring the beauty of God---if I stay in that resting place. Of course, it is entirely possible sometimes for me to take the eyes off the prize and look only at earthly destinations such as food, sleep or material needs; and I do that far too often. But in that place of being lovesick for Jesus, we never feel truly at home untill we rest in those little slivers of eternity that intersect with our day to day. Jesus said in John 14:4, "And you know where I am going and how to get there." We do? Yes! We sure do! We get there through the blood, and if we don't just stop at salvation being the last prayer we pray, we then walk in abundance and every word of our life becomes a song.
So that is the place of fire for the Church of Jesus to walk in. Today, as I type, I am enjoying the coolness of a Wisconsin spring day. I have been adjoined to some ministry friends of mine this week, the hosts of a prophetic prayer and intercessory ministry that have "covered" me for a number of years now. With the rain drops tapping on the roof, I think of the rains of the Holy Spirit that have been tapping on the lids of so many jars of clay this week. First, He filled me up this week, singing a song to me through a worship pastor who had a prophetic word for me. In that place, I was broken and sobbing, and Jesus just loved me. He then gave me a physical touch of fire, where my body was full of the warmth of God, and my eyes were full of tears and my nose was full of snot!!! I was a baby boy, being held by my Pappa God, and He just loved me.
And as I ready myself, moreso He readies me, to speak forth the Word of God tonight to a youth group in the area; I feel a burning in my heart. It wouldn't even matter if I didn't speak, because I get to be with Jesus either way. But it is my hope and goal that as I walk about this world with the stride of a dancer, and as I say words that sound more like songs, that teenagers in this generation will hear the calling of God on their life, and they will be drawn to that place where it doesn't matter what is put upon the altar; where we get so madly and crazily in love with Jesus that our gifts for Him and to Him seem so small and never enough, but always ready to give.
And I pray that you, the Church of God, feel His fire pouring down into your hearts today. I pray that you know and recognize that you are promised the good gifts of God as you dance with Him. I pray that you know that all the riches of Christ are available, that there is so much more after salvation that He wants to give. He has a call for all of us (Eph 4:1) and it is for you today.
together, as we get caught up with Jesus, lets change the world for His sake.
in Him,
Nate
What joy it is that the internet allows us to join together in modern day "epistles". Letters that tell about how great our awesome God is can now be read by anyone that wishes to visit a site. The fire from heaven can fill a mind with the thoughts of God and allow a jar of clay to contain and display that glory. That fire can fall upon man, and in devotion to love, we can write about the Romance with Jesus that we all dance in. My walk with Christ tends to have the steps that are more like a dance than a walk---rather than going "straight forward" all the time I tend to sway side to side. It is more risky to do so, and less ordinary or common to do so, but as I march to music I find this great fire in my soul that can only come in that place of love. Works, deeds, or ministry cannot give that to me; but a place of rest in Christ can provoke me to where I am no longer aware of working......kinda like a young boyfriend and girlfriend...him changing the oil on her car feels not like a chore, it feels more like a connective place where hearts join in the manifestation of love in action.
And that is the "work" that I so love to do. My father once said "son, my best advice for you is this: find a job that you love, and you will never have to work a day for the rest of your life." How true that is! I am not aware that I am working for the Lord, or that I am serving Him, most of my journey. Rather, as I walk, I dance. My words are not just words, they are the songs of Ephesians 5:19, "Then you will sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, making music to the Lord in your hearts." Walking around and talking to people about Jesus is just like going into a worship service and lifting my hands and declaring the beauty of God---if I stay in that resting place. Of course, it is entirely possible sometimes for me to take the eyes off the prize and look only at earthly destinations such as food, sleep or material needs; and I do that far too often. But in that place of being lovesick for Jesus, we never feel truly at home untill we rest in those little slivers of eternity that intersect with our day to day. Jesus said in John 14:4, "And you know where I am going and how to get there." We do? Yes! We sure do! We get there through the blood, and if we don't just stop at salvation being the last prayer we pray, we then walk in abundance and every word of our life becomes a song.
So that is the place of fire for the Church of Jesus to walk in. Today, as I type, I am enjoying the coolness of a Wisconsin spring day. I have been adjoined to some ministry friends of mine this week, the hosts of a prophetic prayer and intercessory ministry that have "covered" me for a number of years now. With the rain drops tapping on the roof, I think of the rains of the Holy Spirit that have been tapping on the lids of so many jars of clay this week. First, He filled me up this week, singing a song to me through a worship pastor who had a prophetic word for me. In that place, I was broken and sobbing, and Jesus just loved me. He then gave me a physical touch of fire, where my body was full of the warmth of God, and my eyes were full of tears and my nose was full of snot!!! I was a baby boy, being held by my Pappa God, and He just loved me.
And as I ready myself, moreso He readies me, to speak forth the Word of God tonight to a youth group in the area; I feel a burning in my heart. It wouldn't even matter if I didn't speak, because I get to be with Jesus either way. But it is my hope and goal that as I walk about this world with the stride of a dancer, and as I say words that sound more like songs, that teenagers in this generation will hear the calling of God on their life, and they will be drawn to that place where it doesn't matter what is put upon the altar; where we get so madly and crazily in love with Jesus that our gifts for Him and to Him seem so small and never enough, but always ready to give.
And I pray that you, the Church of God, feel His fire pouring down into your hearts today. I pray that you know and recognize that you are promised the good gifts of God as you dance with Him. I pray that you know that all the riches of Christ are available, that there is so much more after salvation that He wants to give. He has a call for all of us (Eph 4:1) and it is for you today.
together, as we get caught up with Jesus, lets change the world for His sake.
in Him,
Nate
# posted by Nate Sanow @ 10:26 PM 
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