Rebellion

The teenage years have been on my heart and mind a lot recently. Namely because of one of my sons. I've been asking God for a way to explain that his walking in the world after being so close to God is just dumb. However, realizing that I'm dealing with a teenager, I needed a way to make sense to that particular time of life.

The Lord answered me with this...

What is rebellion? What is bucking the system? What is defiance? What is nonconformity? What is being unique and being different?

Satan is identified in Scripture as the ruler of this world.

Joh 14:30 I shall no longer speak many things with you, for the ruler of this world comes, and he has nothing in Me.


So, if Satan is the ruler of this world, that means that sin in all its forms is the norm. It means that rebellion against God and His law is the norm. That's the status quo. All this talk of doing my own thing, living the way I want, etc. is really just announcing to the world that you don't want to be different than anybody else. You're buying into the norm. You're being unique, just like everyone else. You're making a bold statement that you're just another sucker who's following Satan's lead like a dumb ox heading for the slaughter house without even knowing it.

Now that I have your attention, let's ask the real question here. How can I really be unique? How can I really be different? How can I express myself? Well, the norm is following Satan's lead and living in the things of this world. The opposite is taking a stand as a Christian and not compromising. Of course, that has some nasty side effects too...

Joh 15:19 If you were of the world, the world would love its own. But because you are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.

Joh 17:14 I have given them Your Word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
Ouch. Doesn't sound like much fun does it. Course, taking a stand as a Christian, and being true to His law isn't always easy. Satan's way is easy, but it has a nasty ending. Being a Christian means being a Christian in front of everyone, not just those who are. You can't be doubleminded. You can't walk on both sides of the fence. You have to pick a side.

Old saying. "You have to stand for something or you'll fall for anything". That predates the song with that in the lryics by a lot of years by the way.

So, what do we get for riding the fence? For not taking a stand?

Jas 4:4 Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever desires to be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.
Jer 6:15 Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? No, they were not at all ashamed, nor could they blush; therefore they shall fall among those who fall. At the time that I visit them they shall be cast down, says Jehovah.
Sounds pretty clear to me. Either believe it and live it, or there are the consequences.

Here's the punchline. True rebellion is walking with God. Truly being unique is choosing to take a stand for God and His word. True difference and expression is separating yourself from the world and it's ways, and LIVING IT!

Satan makes out Christians to be weak, boring people who never have any fun. Why? Cause he doesn't want us rebelling against him. He wants to drag us down with him cause he hates all mankind. He knows that if he makes the other side look dull and wimpy and lame, we won't want to go.

Be a rebel. Take a stand. Express yourself. Be unique. Be different. Separate yourself from the herd. Walking with God isn't always easy, but it comes with TRUE power and authority. 

Let me tell you.... IT'S A WILD RIDE!!!

Prophecy

Well, we went to Friday night service this past Friday at RCCI. I knew going in that we were going to hear from the Lord, but I had not idea what about. This is what was given to me through the pastor. Christine got downloaded on too, but I'll leave that to her to share.

Father, in the name of Jesus, we thank you Lord God for what you have begun to do within the life of Shawn. The Lord says, I am about to bring you into an arena of revelation, of discovery even, says the Lord. For I have begun a shift within your heart and within your spirit and I am going to bring you into another arena of things concerning My kingdom says the Lord God. Some things you have to unlearn and something’s you have to re-learn, but there are some new things that are in store for you says the Lord.
For even this dissatisfaction that had been rising up within you was not something that you have manufactured within your own heart, but, the Lord says, I’m the One that has been stirring you up and the Lord says, I’m going to bring you out of the passivity into a Holy Aggression says the Lord. For you have been marked and designated as one of My warriors! And the Lord says, I am going to teach you how to intercede and the Lord says I will put that fire within your belly , I will put it within your spirit and the Lord says, There I will begin to speak, there I will begin to work, there I will begin to deal and there I will begin to perfect you says the Lord. And you will begin to see things differently and the Lord says, I will make you a sharp and an accurate instrument in the arena of prayer and spiritual warfare. I will teach you when you start to read the Bible, you will see things that you did not see before. You say “How? How in the world did I not see that before, I’ve read this so many times!” But the Lord says I am going to show you how to do it right. The Lord says I am going to purge out all the leaven and any impurity, anything that is not of Me. The Lord says, In My presence it will be chased away by my Word, it will be purged and the Lord says you will be a strong and a mighty warrior and champion in my kingdom, in the arena of prayer you will give birth to it says God, and there is more for you says the Lord, but I will reveal it Myself to you, in the place of prayer, in the place of intimacy, in that arena in which I will make myself manifest! Says the Lord to You!

Faith vs. Religion

I've been thinking about the differences between the two for a while now. This morning I was given a very clear example.
Faith is like a gift you are given. It's not wrapped up, it doesn't have requirements. It's simple and clean and pure.
Religion is a wrapper around faith that we as humans put on it. The image I was given was of a pure gift being wrapped in a gift box, then wrapped in wrapping paper, and then wrapped with an entire roll of duct tape.
Till it's all said and done, you need a chainsaw to get at your gift. What's sad is that all the layers are what we put on it.