The Apex

Hitting road blocks in our relationship with Christ can be very overwhelming and frustrating at times. It can even lead to us turning our backs on the one that at one point set us free from ourselves. This got me thinking in regards to Spiritual maturity and how we can be at different "levels" in our walk with God.

It made me think of the word "apex". An apex is defined as- the uppermost point; the highest or culminating point. So when I thought more about this it made me think about how we all are living on one side or the other of this point. We are living a life where we claim to be a good person or even a good Christian but the fruit doesn't match. This is one side. The other side is where serving the Lord has become natural and if we aren't pursuing Him then something is wrong. To better explain this, picture an equilateral triangle (see picture above). On one side it represents our lives without Christ as the center. On the other side Christ is everything to you in every area of your life. What divides these sides is an apex or culminating point that clearly defines what side you are on. The thing with the Apex is that it isn't just a boundary marker, it is a definitive moment in one's life that a decision is made to quit playing "Christian" and rather get serious about God. What's difficult with this is that it is hard for people to identify which side they are on. Or they know what side they are on but don't want to climb over the apex. They haven't had an Apex Moment.

The Apex moment in one's life isn't normally instantaneous. It comes from multiple encounters with Jesus and finally wanting to "go all in". This is where after countless times we as believers would rather be all consumed with Christ all the time rather then when its convenient. Now you might be asking whether or not you had had an Apex Moment. If you have to ask that question, then you probably haven't. But regardless with what side you are on the only thing that matters is a constant pursuing of Jesus. Not everyone is ready to jump to the other side. But we should all be wanting to get there. If not then there is something greater that needs to be done.

So have you had the Apex Moment? If not do you want to? You should!!

2 Corinthians 5:17- "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new."

Hope for the Lost?

I have been reading the Bible from beginning towards the end and during this time I stumbled upon a blog from an atheist who was doing the same thing. This gave me hope for the atheist, because surely the Scriptures would reveal the truth of who God is and what He wants for our lives. I firmly believe that the Bible is inspired Scripture from God. God-breathed as referenced in Timothy. The power in the Word was sure to show itself and this person was almost but guaranteed to have an experience with Jesus. How I was wrong.

I read this person's last post and it seemed as if they were even more close minded than when they started. Here is an excerpt from her last post:

"I do wonder why anyone would want to worship this God who uses humans as pawns in his celestial feud with Satan, condemning any who are deceived by Satan and only letting those into heaven who were already destined to go. Seems that if there was even a slim chance of his existence then I'd choose not to worship him."

This made me disheartened and made me question, "Is there hope for the lost?" Now I could have gone the other route and questioned my own faith, but I know that with in my very being I have experienced Christ in all His fullness. And to me that is where the difference lies.

You can read about bungee jumping, but until you take the plunge yourself it is just going to be something adrenalin junkies do to get their next thrill. I have taken the plunge and all I can do is convince others of how real and exhilarating being a Christ follower is. The Bible is the Word of God and I do believe it has power, but only to those who apply it to their lives. To only those who make a decision to let it direct them to Christ.

So is there hope for the lost? Most definitely there is. His name is Jesus and He is just as real today as He was 2000 years ago.

1 Peter 1:21- "Through Him (Jesus) you believe in God, who raised Him from the dead and glorified Him, so your faith and hope are in God."

50 Touches

It is said that it takes a non Christ follower an average of 50 encounters with someone who tells them about the Lord before they choose to make a decision for Christ. That is quite alarming and not easy to swallow. It is not like people are going around with a sign around their neck exclaiming that they are at the coveted high 40's. Oh how easy would that make my job!!!

This came up in discussion today as I was out on the streets inviting people to church. One of the guys with me got really discouraged when he got a cold response from a couple who really didn't want anything of which we had to offer. My buddy first got upset with me, because I prompted him to go and talk to the couple. Then he turned on himself and began to question whether he did the right thing. I immediately intervened and explained to him the Law of 50 Touches. It is not our fault if someone does not respond to the message of Christ. It is our fault if we pass idly by and not even bother sharing the message of love and hope.

Scripture says that it is the Lord that does the work (John 14:10). We are only to be obedient and available to share the Gospel with those people who do not know Him.

Later today I had the privilege of being some one's 50th encounter. Long story short, I made myself available to what the Lord WANTED to do. He used me and gave me a word for the man who needed to hear it. It was nothing that I did than respond to God's prompting and reach out to this man. The Lord knew he was ready. He did the work.

So don't be frustrated if you try to reach out to someone and they don't respond to you. You might be encounter #1, 13, 37, or 49. Just know that with every seed planted God is cultivating it for when it is the right time. Just be ready and available always!!!