Remember Me.

Colossians 1:21-23

“And you, who once were alienated

and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds,

he has now reconciled in his body of flesh

by his death, in order to present you holy and

blameless and above reproach before him,

if indeed you continue in faith, stable and steadfast,

not shifting from the from the hope of the gospel that you heard,

which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven,

and of which

I, Paul became a minister.”

When I have walked in the flesh, I have felt hostile, and alienated not only from God but others as well. We talked about the Holy Spirit in chapel last Thursday, and walking in the Spirit. My walk with Christ has been like a bumpy road some days, and sitting beside a serene lake on others. As I think about how it has been most recently I think of the bumpy road again. As I think longer maybe not so much like a bumpy road as like walking through nothingness. My times of prayer are either somewhat fervent, or else simply empty.

The answer is quite simple to all of this, I have been walking in the flesh. Perhaps not in big ways, but more like slowly covering my ears when I hear His voice.

The problem is when I stifle His voice once, try not to feel the guilt of ignoring Him, I stop feeling altogether. Worst of all, when I wish to seek out His counsel again, it's hard to tell which voice is His because I have become so accustomed to the others I have listened to, my own, or friends or for all I know, the devil himself. There comes a point where the conscience can become seared beyond repair, I pray I never get there. What can also happen is a person can forget their first love. What is scary is this tends to happen to those who are working in ministry.

“I know your works, your toil and your patient endurance, and how you cannot bear with those who are evil, but have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not, and found them to be false. I know you are enduring patiently and bearing up for my name's sake, and you have not grown weary. But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first.” Revelation 2:2-4 This admonishment was written to the Church of Ephesus.

I am incredibly prone to this. I get busy and that's when I stop listening to His voice, I start thinking I can do ministry and life without Him. I don't say this proudly but to my own shame. When I start thinking I have it all together, I hold it all together that's when my relationship with Him begins to fall apart. I can be doing good works and still have a dirty and crooked heart. Why? Because somewhere along the way I forgot the reason I was doing ministry in the first place. I abandoned my first love. I forgot that how He saved me and loved me is the reason I love others. Works in ministry are still walking in the flesh if I am not relying on His Spirit, and am instead relying on my flesh. My gaze has shifted from living in communion with Him to finishing tasks put before me. As I forget my reason for serving, I become lazy. However the admonishment does not end in verse 4.

“Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent.” Revelation 2:5

The answer is very simple, Remember. Remember just what this Scripture is saying.

“he has now reconciled in his body of flesh

by his death, in order to present you holy and

blameless and above reproach before him, “

If I don't remember where I came from and what He has done for me I will let my hope be shifted. It will shift from Him to myself. And when I look only at myself since there is nothing good in myself, I become full of guilt. When I don't look to Him to deal with my guilt I begin to stuff it, and I get numb. This is why I feel I am walking through nothingness when with Him, because instead of dealing with my sin I'm ignoring it, I am ignoring that there is an answer to it. As I ignore those things I ignore His very presence.

During training one of the ways I made my prayer times intentional was by simply confessing and turning from my sin, then leaving it there with Him. Allowing Him to deal with it. Many Times He spoke words of Kindness and love into my heart during that, and I was able to start growing in my relationship with Him again, and move forward. As that happened I began growing in my other relationships.

I need to remember from where I have fallen. Where I started my walk was Faith, now as the verse says I must continue in that Faith, by it I remain stable and steadfast. That my hope does not shift from Jesus to myself or earthly pleasure. As I remember the depth of God's love and the hope I have in Him it will flow out into sharing the gospel with others.

When I first came to Ignite a Scripture popped out to me. And I am still chewing on and thinking about it 5 months later.

“remember the former things of old;
for I am God, and there is no other;
I am God, and there is none like me,
declaring the end from the beginning
and from ancient times things not yet done,
saying, ‘My counsel shall stand,
and I will accomplish all my purpose,’
calling a bird of prey from the east,
the man of my counsel from a far country.
I have spoken, and I will bring it to pass;
I have purposed, and I will do it.

“Listen to me, you stubborn of heart,
you who are far from righteousness:
I bring near my righteousness; it is not far off,
and my salvation will not delay;
I will put salvation in Zion,
for Israel my glory.”” Isaiah 46:9-13

When I meditate on these verses I find Hope, especially as I read that He bring His righteousness near.

Essentially God is telling me remember who I Am everyday, remember that I am near, and remember what I have done in you.

Application.

Be present in prayer by remembering Who God is, and that He is before me.

How?

Each morning at the beginning of my prayer time this week I will confess my sins and receive forgivness for them. I will also write one time I remember God acting in my life to show me His forgiveness each day this week.