Let the Lion In.

This week at Club 180 we introduced the students to the role of God’s Word in our lives.  Although we’ve used God’s Word extensively each week, we’ve held off teaching it’s role personally – until now.

Dealing with fresh and open heart is a thing of beauty.   As we approached each week I’ve felt the Lord pull me back from the ‘auto’ instruction of encouraging immediate ‘spiritual disciplines’.   Read your Bible and pray;  truth, but without healthy context even good things can become religious duty and bring death.

Relationship is the purpose of our existence – we bring Him the most glory through a surrendered heart.  Faith is the key in this relationship, not outward performance.

This week Deb and the girls decorated the Cafe for Christmas – we got our first snowfall within hours 🙂

Nonetheless, arming new believers with the Sword of the Spirit, and teaching them how to nurture their faith is essential to victorious living.  We talked about the nature of Light, dispelling ignorance – How God’s Word is a light for our path.  We discussed how we nourish our Spirit, not with physical but spiritual food.  It’s amazing how caring we are for our natural bodies – even if we don’t feed it nutritious food, we still feed it!   What does our spirit look like – do we supply it the resources it needs to walk and live by the Spirit?

Finally, how Truth ‘is’ ultimately Jesus.  In a world that aims to make Truth only subjective, and even obsolete, Jesus comes as the Word, the revelation of eternal Truth – we must let Him in, and let Him take dominion like a Lion would in the jungle – bringing order and setting right God’s design in our hearts.

I really like that Augustine quote above.  It’s time to step up our game as Christians, speaking more truth in love!

God’s Word.  We don’t consume in order to be ‘good’ Christians.  We let it in because we want to know His heart more, and be filled with truth.  Motivations matter to God!

We also don’t pray to be ‘good’ Christians.  We pray because we enjoy growing in our relationship with the Father.  We don’t go to church to be ‘good’ Christians, we surround ourselves with those that will build us up in our faith.

The Ukrainian army is attempting to draft again. Alyosha however has several options he is exploring before going down that terrible road. Please pray!

Each week Deb and I relish the joy of investing in these open hearts.  Sowing only the things that have helped us press into relationship with the Father.

We presented each student with a new Bible – none of them (from a show of hands) had ever owned their own before.  Peeling them each open, you could see the treasured look on several faces – Their own road map, spiritual food, and Lion to let in.   We then were able to write, per their request, verses and personal encouragement within them.

Thank you Jesus for the journey you are taking these students this coming year – we pray for many more to find their place in the Kingdom of God, and for wisdom as we pray about the next steps this coming Spring.

I also pray that this encourages you as well to give God a fighting chance in your life – let the Lion in!

Bruce & Deb