james polits

Today, I was reminded of the Shane & Shane song Yearn. A line of the song reads:

I want to yearn for you. I want to burn with a passion over you.

That’s totally been my prayer. I often find myself not really yearning for God, but really wishing I did. And that’s a frustrating place to be. I start asking myself why I don’t and trying to figure out things I need to do to want to know Jesus more.

But the truth of the matter is that I’ve bought into a lie.

When we come to know Jesus as our Savior, He says that the old is gone and the new has come. We are new creations in Christ. We are set free from sin and death. The key word is “are.” If God says we are, that means that we are. Period.

The truth that I’m reminded of tonight is that we need to stop settling for statements like “I just don’t yearn or desire God.” The Lord has declared us his children and that we are free from sin and death and being bound by the things of this world. So, we need to start speaking it as if it were. Even when I don’t feel like I want God enough, I will declare that I yearn for him and that I am living for him. I speak the truth that God has already declared.

I am a man of God. I am a person of prayer. I do yearn for God. I am good enough. I am free.

During the Truth Project this morning we talked about history. At face value, today seemed like one of the more boring subjects that the TP have addressed. However, I think this may have had some of the most practical applications of them all. And that’s what this is about.

Remember. Throughout the Bible, God is constantly calling Israel to remember. That always had been one of their struggles. Right after God delivered them from their exile in Egypt, they started forgetting what he had done. During the time of the judges and kings, you see countless accounts of the prophets to remember what God had done and what he’d called his children to. Whenever they would forget, the Israelites would start turning to the things of the world.

I think we do the same thing. Daily. I know I do. I forget what God has done in my life and who I am according to him. I believe lies. I’m not good enough. I don’t know enough. I don’t have enough time. I can’t… I don’t… I’m not… These are lies that we all face.

Remember. Remembering is the answer. Remembering what God has done in the larger picture and in our lives personally. And remembering who he says we are.

I’d challenge you to take some time right now, and reflect on what God has done in your life and who you are in his eyes.

What do you think? There was a man who had two sons. He went to the first and said, “Son, go and work today in the vineyard.”

“I will not,” he answered, but later he changed his mind and went. Then the father went to the other son and said the same thing. He answered, “I will, sir,” but he did not go. Which of the two did what his father wanted?

Matthew 21:28-31

Wow! This is a good question, but not a hard one. The one who actually did what the father wanted, not just told him what he  wanted to hear. Sometimes I find myself telling God what I think he wants to hear when I pray. He doesn’t want my words. He wants my heart. He wants me to come before him honestly and tell Him what’s bugging me, my frustrations. He wants me to share my joys, hopes and dreams.

What areas have you been just giving God what you think he wants instead of your heart?

For the last 4-5 years, I’ve followed the efforts of the Invisible Children movement. In 2003, three young men went to Africa in search of an adventure and stumbled upon an untold war in northern Uganda that had been going on for almost 20 years. Aside from being Africa’s longest running war, the saddest part of the war is that the soldiers are children. Abducted and forced to fight, these children are made into killing machines.

Invisible Children has made it their mission to see this war come to an end and the child soldiers set free and rehabilitated. They have invested into the infrastructure of the country through schools as well as micro-economic opportunities.

The current effort of Invisible Children is The Rescue. Here is a synopsis of the event: (more…)