Monday, February 18, 2008

Where the Goal Came From!

It seems strange that someone would decide, out of the blue, that their goal in their Christian walk would be to be unshakeable. I mean if we want to be technical then the Bible is a teaching of God's salvation of mankind through his son, Jesus, and also an instruction on how to be that unshakeable man or woman of God. Think about it...from Genesis to Paul's Letters to Revelation we are constantly taught through God's Word how to live the life he designed for us, and that includes being such great people of faith that when the world smacks us around...we can still stand in the comfort and knowledge that God is still on the throne.

The idea of being unshakeable hit me one day when a friend of mine by the name of Nathan told me a dream he'd had about my wife and I. In this dream, my wife was sitting on a couch on one end, and on the other end of the couch, I was sitting there consumed by the Joy of the Lord. I was unshakeable. I wasn't paying the slightest bit of attention to my wife, but I was entirely focused on God and it intrigued her. She talked to me a little, and I laughed and talked to her. Then she moved a little closer and talked some more and so forth. The dream ended with an angel watching us with arms crossed with an approving smile and my wife was directly in front of me. Now I want to make this clear that I'm not seeking to be an unshakeable man of God to get my wife back. But the idea that I would be so focused on the Lord and have such joy in my life appealed to me. I decided thats exactly the kind of man I want to be: Unshakeable. I ran it past my prayer partner, David, and he liked the idea too. We're now using it as a basis for the men's ministry David leads at our church and has become a focal point in our lives.

There are many people in our generation that seem to be unable to withstand Satan's assault on mankind. However, that is not what we are called to do. "Resist the devil and he will flee from you," states God's Word. We are called to be the men and women of faith that God uses for his glory. I want to be used by God for his glory every day of my life. Do you?

For those of you reading this blog thinking I'm preaching...well...you're right. This is a passion that the Lord has laid on my heart. We have nothing to lose by going for it and everything to gain.

For those of you reading this blog thinking I'm nuts, well thats fine too. But still...keep reading just to see how nutty I get. My journey is just getting started after all. Cya all later.

By the way, if you are interested in reading about being unshakeable outside of the Bible, check out Frank Damazio's Seven Declarations for an Unshakeable Life. It will give you definite insight into living the life of an unshakeable Christian. Okay...I'm done rambling....for now.

2 comments:

Unknown said...

Thank you for your comment, Derek. I read your entire blog and I am excited to follow you on your journey! I am on a journey myself—out of a marriage to a narcissistic abuser. In the circumstance (which is far too detailed to fit in a comment box), I had to leave my four-year-old son behind with my husband. My son and husband and are Missouri and I am in Washington state. I left to literally save my life...and the heartache is indescribable.

In your pursuit to be unshakeable, pursue LOVE with all you’ve got! Perfect love casts out fear (1 John 4:18) and provides the foundation for the unshakeable! God is love, and His greatest desire is that we embrace His love, love Him in return and give the love He has so generously given to us to others!

“Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He will give you the desires and secret petitions of your heart. ” - Psalm 37:4 AMP

“Now when the Pharisees heard that He had silenced (muzzled) the Sadducees, they gathered together.
And one of their number, a lawyer, asked Him a question to test Him.
Teacher, which kind of commandment is great and important (the principal kind) in the Law? [Some commandments are light--which are heavy?]
And He replied to him, You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind (intellect).
This is the great (most important, principal) and first commandment.
And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as [you do] yourself.
These two commandments sum up and upon them depend all the Law and the Prophets.” - Matthew 22:34-40 AMP

“And so faith, hope, love abide [faith--conviction and belief respecting man's relation to God and divine things; hope--joyful and confident expectation of eternal salvation; love--true affection for God and man, growing out of God's love for and in us], these three; but the greatest of these is love.” - 1 Corinthians 13:13 AMP

“EAGERLY PURSUE and seek to acquire [this] love [make it your aim, your great quest];” - 1 Corinthians 14:1 AMP

“And above all these [put on] love and enfold yourselves with the bond of perfectness [which binds everything together completely in ideal harmony].” - Colossians 3:14 AMP

“Above all things have intense and unfailing love for one another, for love covers a multitude of sins [forgives and disregards the offenses of others].” - I Peter 4:8 AMP

“Now to Him Who, by (in consequence of) the [action of His] power that is at work within us, is able to [carry out His purpose and] do superabundantly, far over and above all that we [dare] ask or think [infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, hopes, or dreams]” - Ephesians 3:20 AMP

“I have held many things in my hands and I have lost them all; but whatever I have placed in God's hands, that I still possess.” - Martin Luther

Derek said...

Oh wow! Great verses to leave here...thank you!!! I'll be sure to keep checking your blog as well. Psalm 37:4 especially hits me as an amazing promise from God.