It's time to come up...

As I’ve gotten older, I’ve realized that I just want God. I want to be where He is and feel His presence. I want my decisions and my destinations to line up with His will and purpose for my life. I want my reactions and responses to be in sync with His Word. I don’t want to be distracted by man or the world. Money will come and go and so will people. Jobs will change and even where you live will not always be the same but God…He is a constant. He is the same yesterday, today and forever. He doesn’t change and He doesn’t leave. I think I can say all of this definitively now because there was a time when the presence of God was not a priority in my life. I just wanted a good time. Even at church, I just wanted it to be fun. I wanted to sing the “right” songs and hear an upbeat happy sermon without anyone telling me what I needed to get right. I just wanted the end result without the process. Unfortunately, there are quite a few folks that are still in that same place but today God is calling us higher. He’s saying it’s time to come up! It’s time to stop settling for what the world says is your best and seek after His Kingdom and righteousness because there’s a whole lot of “all” to be added to you (Matt. 6:33). It’s time to stop expecting the church to come down to your level when God desires you to leave the elementary principles of Christ and go on to perfection (Heb. 6:1). It’s time to come up.

I’m definitely not comfortable writing this type of message but God has put a burden on my heart to pray for His people to grow up. I’ve heard of too many churches fighting about things that have nothing to do with God’s business. I’ve seen too many Christians focused on judging the world instead of praying for redemption and salvation. It’s time to come up, saints. It’s time to take your focus off of what man and the world wants you to be doing and concentrate on what God wants you to do. It’s time to live your life like you know who you belong to. Paul always kept it real with the churches that he visited and prayed for. He wanted them to be better and live the life that God intended them to have. His words still speak loudly to you and me thousands of years later. Look at what He says about how to live a life dependent on God and not the world or the law in Galatians 2: 19 – 20. “… I tried keeping rules and working my head off to please God, and it didn’t work. So I quit being a “law man” so that I could be God’s man. Christ’s life showed me how, and enabled me to do it. I identified myself completely with him. Indeed, I have been crucified with Christ. My ego is no longer central. It is no longer important that I appear righteous before you or have your good opinion, and I am no longer driven to impress God. Christ lives in me. The life you see me living is not “mine,” but it is lived by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I am not going to go back on that.” (MSG) There has to come a point where you recognize that your life is not your own and you start living it with Christ in control. It’s not about you but rather the God that lives inside of you. It’s time to come up.

You see, every day God is waiting to pour into you, talk to you and fellowship with you. He’s ever ready to meet with you. The question is are you waiting to meet Him? Are you giving your day, your appointments, your everything over to God’s leading?  Or are you letting the distractions of people, technology, and life keep you from seeing God? It’s hard to admit that you might fall into the last category, but the truth of the matter is that most of us do at times! The key is being aware of where you might be falling short and making changes. Make sure your priorities line up with God’s word and will. You don’t have time to miss what He’s doing by focusing on the wrong things. So no more seeking after things that will fade away. No more chasing after people that can’t heal you. No more losing sleep about what you don’t have. It’s time to listen. It’s time to obey.  It’s time to come up.

Amen…