So today was my first day back at Church from being away cottaging. I always struggle coming back into anything - it's why I'm a routine person. If I'm away from a place, or even from people, for too long I just get all uncomfortable again. I have to restart everything. I hate that about myself. Seriously, it sucks. I wanted to go back, but then I'd just feel sick about it. The worst part is that that starts right away - it started even before I'd left. It was a definite need to go back thing though, and through my worries I knew that - knew that I'd go - but still the struggle. It was cool though, it took me awhile, but then I was actually glad about it (though apparently that didn't show on my face... invisible/shadow person struggles, I guess). I didn't watch any of the services while I was gone, so I got that 'I'm a little worried I'll be out of sync' feeling. But for God. The message today was what I'd been struggling with in my 'Stars in a Box & Action Words' post from a few days ago. I like that. I like that God was preparing me for these words we received today. I like that His lessons are never finished, that they are always furthered by our understanding in them, by our willingness to live them out. I like that they are drummed into me from all sides. I like that no matter where I am, or what I do, they're in a corner of my head, waiting to be heeded to. There's such a safety in that, in knowing that the Holy Spirit is an active participant in my walk. That I am not alone. Anyways, the service was great - it was such a leap from where I was to where I'm going. It was about the enemy defining your boundaries. It was about being restricted, when we're called to live in freedom. I really like the verses that were tied to this understanding.
Acts 17:26-28
"and He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their habitation that they would seek God, if perhaps they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us; for in Him we live and move and exist, as even some of your own poets have said, 'For we also are His children'"
--> I LOVE THIS! We are forced to grope around because we put ourselves, or let ourselves be put, in the boxes and restrictions and darkness of the enemy! God is light!!! We rip off the boundaries not of Him and then we live in Him Himself! If I put Him in control of my boundaries, my time, my life - then what will He do? All. I want that. I can't live on my own, haven't been able to since that first day I was saved; I went through seasons of trying, but they were in reality just seasons of foolishness. Walking towards Him is the only decision of worth and value that we can make. Everything else falls in line - into His epic order. Everything rests on the daily decision to live for such a God.
Pastor spoke of how God wants us to grow. He does. It's everywhere in the Bible. We're called to mature in our faith. We're called to press in, to understand, to push, and to build. We're supposed to be in the action of moving forward in God - furthering the case of Christ - not just staying in the planning stages of a strategy that is so obviously already in play:
Isaiah 54:2-3
"Enlarge the place of your tent; Stretch out the curtains of your dwellings, spare not; Lengthen your cords And strengthen your pegs. For you will spread abroad to the right and to the left. And your descendants will possess nations And will resettle the desolate cities."
--> 'Spare not' were the words Pastors really stayed on - our responsibility in living in God is to actually live in Him - to both move and be still in obedience (His timing); To do that, we always have to put everything else down - like in the verses of this 'Year of Transition': Philippians 3:12-16 - and then be all for God!
Okay - I've got to go! Watch the morning service (night one too ;P) because this is a piece of the whole - of what I needed to pull on - but there is a lot a lot more: Third Day Worship Centre - Livestream
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