Absorbing it all

Last night we had college and career and discussed some things taking place in our nation. Some values our country once had is now ridiculed and Christians have had to take a back seat to other religions and beliefs. Just thinking about the greatness of this situation tugged at my heart. I have heard that there is a mandate on my generation. A lot of youth pastors talk about it and refer to us as the "John the Baptist" of our time because we prepare the way for the second coming of the Messiah. I mean all of this stuff just made me think. Considering the things that our nation is facing, the prophecies in the word and everything literally tugged at my heart. As things were being brought up, I immediately went to places in the bible. Moses and Pharaoh, and how Moses was put in a favorable position and worked through in order to free God's people. Then there is Esther who was chosen to go before the king on behalf of her people. Christians are the called ones to stand up to our people, just like she was. Mordecai explained to her that if she didn't stand, deliverance would rise from another place. What about David, a king placed in a mighty position who had a heart after God. Then John the Baptist who stood and spoke with a voice to introduce Pentecost, a voice in the wilderness, paving the way. The prophet Jeremiah, who was born a prophet to the nations, a voice to people. In his time it was time to up root and tear down but a time to rebuild. Last night they spoke of an awakening. A time when people need to wake from their sleep otherwise like a thief coming in the night will every thing as we know it end. The mandate of purpose is strong. The mandate for us to fight is strong. The mandate for us to love more than ever before is great. But why are we self focused? Why am I so self focused, why am I so focused on here and now, with no focus on anyone around me or the future. Why do I not care about the destiny of myself and others. It's easy to be sucked in and gradually fade. That's what makes falling asleep so easy. I know sometimes I fall asleep and I'm not even aware I'm asleep until frantically I wake up thinking, "how in the world did I fall asleep?" I guess now spiritually, I'm like how in the world did I fall asleep. It's hard to focus on bigger things outside of who we are, when we are struggling to make it ourselves. As long as we stay sensitive to His spirit, his will is ultimately done. Sure people fall, but stay after his heart. I guess the bottom line of this whole thing is. Potential lies in us, for a life of worship, to make Jesus known, and to see lives changed. Everything is created by Him, for Him. Bottom line is that it made me look at me. I just know that I don't want to be caught sleeping. Not because I fear hell or death, because I love Him. I love my family. I want to use the things He has given me for His glory... but the key thing I want to have instilled in my heart is the simple fact of communion with Him. Getting to the place of the alter, sacrifice of myself, surrender of myself to allow worship and greater things to be established and moved through me to the outward surroundings. That place where everything bigger than me is battled out to victory. This great mandate can only be fulfilled from communion with Him. There we see with His eyes and become more spiritually in tune with what He wants. When we worship in Spirit and Truth, many things take place. We worship in Spirit, not flesh.... one dies in that process. Then Truth that glorifies, frees, and displays a genuine person. I have so much to soak in and process, but the key is communion. That's where everything will be created... through a relationship with God...everything else will be a product of the relationship. I guess I can't stress or fathom that enough. I want to change, I want to be used, I want people to be changed.
Another point that is very important is this. I heard during a lecture in class about an earlier socialization of people called hunters and gatherers. Right at the end of that era of society, men began to actually establish land and use land to grow and produce food. This way began to cause disruptions in society and started wars or feuds. Because then people wanted others land etc. For instance, I had no land and you did. You were producing food so I wanted it. We would go to war for the land. We would be fighting over something. View creation (people) as a valuable piece of land, that can produce many great things, for one owner or the other. The enemy of our soul fights us so bad, because we are land that will produce for the master that owns us. If God owns us, we produce for Him. If satan owns us, we produce for him. I have to protect myself. Ownership is why we are fought against, but also fought for. So much thought, so much to sink in...