Do you have Apostolic passion? Do you know what it is? Did you have it at some point but seemingly have lost it thru the everyday grind? Can you remember a time when you felt absolutely confident in what the Lord was calling you to do? What happened? What got in the way? How are you going to respond to that call? What are you willing to do in pursuit of your calling? How far will you go for Jesus? Will you obey at all costs? What if it means you have to suffer, are you ready? Where are you storing your treasures? If called will you make the ultimate sacrifice......YOUR LIFE???
HE DID!!!!!!!!!
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15 comments:
Welcome back, Craig.
So, what are your answers to those questions?
Apostolic Passion:
Apostolic=from apostle means a sent one, a messenger.
Passion=from the Latin word passerre, to suffer. It is what you hunger for so intensely that you will sacrifice anything to have it.
Apostolic Passion is a deliberate, intentional choice to live for the worship of Jesus in the nations.
(from "Apostolic Passion" by Floyd McClung)
Craig - you didn't answer his question. What is YOUR apostolic passion?
In due time my friends, in due time! Now is about letting this sink into the inner most parts of our hearts and encouraging others to step back and take a closer look. I don't want my answers to be the guide post of this discussion.
As if!
Angie is totally right, Craig.
Now is the time to make your passion known as the first step to making it a reality!
At least the first few steps (which I know you already know!).
Ok,that's take a step back. I am not afraid to say what my passion is nor have I ever been afraid. I think that my passion is known to those of you that know me and thru this sabbatical I took, God confirmed some things and also has taken me in a somewhat different direction then before. Again let me reiterate, I am not afraid to make my passions known to a few or to many (if they are the right people).
My point about not wanting to write them here and now is that I really want others to think about thier passions and what God is calling them to. That is my responsibility as home group leader. I don't want it to be about me. As all of you are aware of I will chime in and put my two cents worth in when I feel it is needed. At this time it is not needed. My passions are on the road to becoming reality as we speak! Now the time frame for that happening I do not know, I only know that God confirmed to me that my heart was where it needed to be and I need to continue to be "pliable" in His hands. I respect your cares and concerns about me, trust me God is in control of my life in every aspect. I would not have it any other way. There was not necessarily any BIG revelation given to me during my break, as I stated before there was a confirmation that I was on the right track. Sure some things have to go and I have to die daily to others but my eyes are squarely focused on Jesus.
Good for you Craig you tell it like it is!!!
Angie- I feel there is a disconnect between what I am trying to say and what is actually being heard.
Do I need more accountability in my life-maybe, but I don't think that is the point I was trying to make. I have shared with you all my passions and feelings in different ways. If you feel that I have kept you at arms length then I will take that before the Lord and see how I can better bridge that gap. I have never made an effort to keep you away- in fact in my eyes and as I see it I have tried in the only ways I know how to bridge that gap. I will ask direction from the Lord on how better to do that.
Now I don't want to answer for Brandy but is it possible that the place she was in before this new found enthusiasm was exactly where the Lord would have her be. Is it possible that we need time of self-reflection and a time when we aren't about doing stuff but a time of refinement, a time of spiritual inventory taking?
I guess what I am getting at and I really didn't want to share it in this forum is that during my "sabbatical" I felt the Lord saying that my heart was in the right place. To quit trying so hard and to allow Him to do His work in me. I only mess it up when I try to "get busy" doing His work without truly being told to get busy. The Lord deals with us all on a individual basis and we run a risk when we try to carbon copy what works for others. I know the Lord has taken me in a new direction that will further help my chances of being used on the mission field someday. It was not a direction that I dreamed of or even wanted 6 months ago. But it only goes to show that it is so little about what we actually do but more about where our hearts are!!! Where our focus is. Do it all for the glory of God and He will bless you in the place that you are in.
As far as what my "thing" is I don't know that I can define it. At times that has been frustrating but as I stated earlier I felt a release from God saying you are where I want you to be. You will know your "thing" when you are suppossed to know your thing, not before. That is the reason I pulled out the acticle "Apostolic Passion" from our Perspectives class and revisited some of the points that Floyd McClung was making. As he said it is less about asking the where and the when questions and more about asking the "Where shall I serve you?" question from a perspective of His glory in the nations. My "thing" is right here and right now. My future thing is as yet unknown. Do I have apostolic passion? YES!!! My root desire and passion is that God would be glorified in the nations. I am willing to be used in what ever small or large way HE decides. Whenever or where ever that may be. I am committed to it and if I am asked to lay down my life for it I beleive that I would do so.
I had to reread what you said about accountability and I want to let you know that I agree with you. It is more than just pointing your finger and asking how are you coming with that. Accountability, true accountability flows both ways. Not just asking each other how are you doing with that but when needed asking the questions that need to be asked if someone is unable to answer a question. Many people don't know how to verbalize or articulate what is in thier hearts. Accountability steps in and says ok let us explore this together. Surface accountability is only about asking how are you doing with that. Deeper relations involve asking penetrating questions that get to the root of the issues. As a community we are called to the deeper relations, we are required to ask the penetrating questions in a loving, sometimes exclusive, setting.
With that said I will go for now. I realize I have written a book here and it may take awhile to read. I want to let you know that I love you guys. I appreciate where you are coming from and your desire to hold me and each other accountable to what God has placed in our hearts. That is the reason I love this group so much.
Passions are great! The one I have in my heart feels great until I start thinking about how it will effect others. I guess I need to become cold hearted in that way and say you are not my problem and look the other way. Can you tell I am frustrated? I wish I could just do what God wants and not feel bad about it. I feel fine about my passion until I tell certin people about it. When they start makeing me feel guilty about what I feel God wants me to do because it will not be good for them and their lives. I know what you will say you do not need people like that in your life anyway move on. It should be that simple. Hu? what? If it is that simple then God please tell me how to do that. How do I move on with out bad feelings from me or them? So no Angie right now their is not much encoragement here. Sory Craig!
I think the risk we run is that we are looking for emotional comfort at times. What I mean by that is, for instance, I know Brandy's heart has always been for God's glory (at least as long as I have known her). The places that we are in are good places if our eyes are focused on him. Inevitably when we move into a place of new revelation we can have a tendency to look for comfort once again in that place, comfort outside of God. We need to remember how it felt to enter into the place we just left, we had the same anxities, cares and concerns as we do now. The only difference is that the scope may be widening but we must also realize that thru our previous places we have been God has developed within us the ability to handle these situations. We must not allow the world or the enemy to deceive into thinking otherwise.
It's all about the journey. It's all about being conformed to HIS likeness. As the book says, "Don't sweat the small stuff" "it's all small stuff". The people that God puts in our path are a blessing and maybe much more are the ones that push back against us. Because, let us be honest, it is those people who cause us to reexamine the what, and the why and they help us better understand the reasons we are following God.
As I read over this post and the comments to it I can say one things with absolute confidence.
YOU ALL HAVE APOSTOLIC PASSION!!!
WOW! I haven't checked in in a couple of days and there's so much wisdom here!
I love this discussion; it shows that this group has a passionate desire to serve the Lord and to seek His wisdom first.
But, I think Megan gives us the best quote:
"So let us all let go of our branches, fall through the air & let Jesus catch us & throw us back up in the air again!! Let's laugh like little children trusting our Daddy to catch us. It's all for Him."
She's absolutely right. Why should we spend our time worrying? God is in control, we've been freed from condemnation already. We should be rejoicing and running after God as a child follows his father.
Imagine a child playing with his dad in the front yard! Really, imagaine it. It's summer and it's gorgeous and the sun hasn't set yet, but the lightening bugs are out.
Can you imagine it? Can you feel it?
Cause that's us. You and me. We've been blessed to be called children of God and we have no worries.
So tell, don't tell, go, don't go. All that matters is the Lord.
WOW! I haven't checked in in a couple of days and there's so much wisdom here!
I love this discussion; it shows that this group has a passionate desire to serve the Lord and to seek His wisdom first.
But, I think Megan gives us the best quote:
"So let us all let go of our branches, fall through the air & let Jesus catch us & throw us back up in the air again!! Let's laugh like little children trusting our Daddy to catch us. It's all for Him."
She's absolutely right. Why should we spend our time worrying? God is in control, we've been freed from condemnation already. We should be rejoicing and running after God as a child follows his father.
Imagine a child playing with his dad in the front yard! Really, imagaine it. It's summer and it's gorgeous and the sun hasn't set yet, but the lightening bugs are out.
Can you imagine it? Can you feel it?
Cause that's us. You and me. We've been blessed to be called children of God and we have no worries.
So tell, don't tell, go, don't go. All that matters is the Lord.
"So tell, don't tell, go, don't go. All that matters is the Lord."
Hmmm...
Would have been good to hear about two and a half hours ago...Those are good words.
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