Space Invaders

I wanted to share what we talked about in our small group on Thursday night.

I feel the Holy Spirit tugging me, drawing me closer to him. I have no clue what this means, or what it even looks like. However, in the past month or so I have felt and gone through situations that bring the issue of my closeness, my intimacy with God, to the forefront of "Greg's
Agenda(s)". When we make the decision to become closer in our walk with God, it leads to a change in us. Always. Or, it leads us to choose whether to progress, or remain still. Progression leads to change, they go hand in hand.

In scriptures, we read about a man named Moses, who chose to progress in his walk with God. (Exodus 34:28) If we read this we realize a couple things.

1. If progression(closeness) leads to change there has to be a stimulant or desire to change. Moses' stimulant was the long list of promises and commands that God had just laid out to him. Look at them.
(Exodus 34:10-12) The Message Bible

I will work wonders that have never been created in all Earth.

I'm clearing your way by driving out Amorites, Caananites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites.

Tear down alters. Worship only God-his name is The-Jealous-One- is a jealous God.
Do not make molten Gods.
Keep the feast of unleavened bread.
Every firstborn from the womb is mine.
Redeem each of your firstborn sons.
No one is to show up in my presence empty-handed.

There is alot more but you get the point.

God is setting up the peramiters of the covenant with Israel. God is, not another man. God.

God is moving into Israel's neighborhood. And this alone made Moses want more, more God, more. I think God gave him all he could handle. Scriptures say that his face glowed and everyone was afraid to get close. He was changing, progressing in a walk with God. Master...Creator...God.

This is how God wants us to be.

A lot of people want to feel the fire of God, The Holy Spirit, but are afraid to get close. The are afraid to get burned. If you ever have been burned by fire, two things happen.

1. It hurts like hell, and there is nothing to take the pain away, except time.
2. Where you are burned, it leaves a permanent mark.

Getting closer to God in your walk is going to hurt like hell. Why? Because you are human and he is God. As we progress closer there are things, emotions, hang-ups, sins, addictions, emotional battles, that we will have to let go of to progress toward the consuming fire of God's presence. The decision to go through this battle is where most of us decide whether it is going to be more pleasant to stand at a safe and comfortable distance to maintain a sense of warmth from God like we have been doing, or to go head first and let God's consuming fire burn the things that keep us away off. This is where I am at. I'm making the plunge, or maybe I'm letting God plunge in me.

Moses wanted to see God's glory because he realized that God wanted to be close to him.

Men dropped there nets because they were consumed by the realization that Immanuel, God with Us, Jesus, wanted to be close to us.

Rich men anguished over the battle to give up everything they built themselves out of; the hang-ups, the selfishness, the addictions, the corruption of thier minds, to be close to God.

And what makes me feel like I can do it is, that these guys are just like me.

Paul was one of these people. In the Book of Phillipians, Paul was as he says a Hebrew of Hebrews. The best God-fearing Jew in the land.

We have to take these things that we are, that we have accumulated, or become, whether "good" or bad, and treat them as dog dung. Why? To become closer to God. Paul says "I want to know Christ." I have said that millions of times. But what i rarely say is, I want to know what it is to suffer like he did. Create me to be discipined in your ways, to experience the liberation that salvation truely gives, which is not just forgiveness but wholeness, and mold me to be the creature that will go all the way, even if it means dying in the name of Jesus.

Paul didnt have it all together and he admitted it, even though he was "The Man". Why should we even think that we do. We are half the men that Paul was. But what he says is that he is on his way, he is progressing. He went all the way, till death for Jesus. Just read the new testament.
It seems like everytime you read about him he is in jail. The truth is, we have this open template of a story just waiting to be written about us. Just like Paul he went all the way.

Daniel's friends went all the way. You remember them. Shadrach, Meshach, and Nebendago.
In fact they told the King. "Your threats mean nothing to us. If you throw us into the fire, the God we serve can rescue us. But even if he doesn't, it wouldnt make a bit of difference, we still wouldnt serve your Gods or worship the gold statue."

I want for people to read about me like i just read about them. I want to be a story that when people think about God, they talk about me. Not to puff me up, but to let out this story of a God who came down to us and let us in on his plan and our parts in that plan.

Ive often heard people say, "Don't invade my personal space". "you see this circle? Dont cross it. Your too close."

Well God I'm about to invade yours and I brought my SPF 60 with me because i burn easily.
I have plenty for those who want to join me. Its a big bottle.


Let the invasion begin.



Whip......