We've heard it said quite frequently that Christianity isn't a religion, it's a relationship, and this is a true statement. However, in the context of today's society, this statement is woefully inadequate. With the wealth of technological communication such as texting, Twitter, and Facebook, relationships are, at best, shallow and impersonal. Face to face communication has been replaced by pounding the keys of a twenty four square inch "phone", and heart to heart communication has been replaced by generic "current status" updates on social network web sites. The "personal" touch in human relationships is quickly barreling into extinction.

Thus, when we tell people that Christianity is a relationship with Jesus Christ their minds grasp the current definition of what relationships are - a distant, impersonal, shallow acquaintance, and this doesn't seem like such a big deal to them,. But this is far from God's definition of what a relationship with Himself really means. Nowhere in the Bible does one find God desiring a shallow relationship with us. On the contrary, He desires us to have a deep, intimate relationship with Him. The Bible says that when we trust Jesus as Savior, we are adopted into the family of God and become His sons and daughters, and we can thus come to Him as Abba, Father (Abba is Aramaic and conveys the idea of "daddy"). Galatians 4:6 says:" Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.” 

One of the incredible realities of the cross is that Jesus reconciled us to the Father. This reconciliation brought us, who were alienated from God because of sin, back into fellowship with the eternal, almighty God of the universe. Romans 5:10 says: "For if, when we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to Him through the death of His Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through His life! ".  Jesus talked about this intimacy in the upper room discourse the night before He was crucified.  Jesus said in John 17:20-21: "My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in Me through their message that all of them may be one, Father, just as You are in Me and I am in You. May they also be in Us so that the world may believe that You have sent Me. " , and He said this in John 17:26: "I have made You known to them, and will continue to make You known in order that the love You have for Me may be in them and that I Myself may be in them.”  How wonderful is that!

The sad fact is, however, that very few Christians ever experience the depth of this wonderful relationship with God.  Far too many settle for a relationship with God that is shallow and distant. Intimacy with Him, which He desires us to have, eludes them all of their lives and they miss out on the greatest relationship one can ever hope for.

But, what is intimacy with God? It is not some mushy, hyped up, brainless emotion, nor is it just an academic understanding of facts about Him. Intimacy with God has its foundation in our intellect and then builds on this knowledge with our experience with Him. It is a healthy balance of our intellectual understanding which leads us to be in awe of Him  and our emotional experience which leads us to be in love for Him. 

Practically, intimacy with God is living each day in the reality and power of His presence. It is knowing Him, really knowing Him, and understanding just how much He means in your life. It is acknowledging who you were without Him, who you are now with Him, and grasping hold of the powerful truths of the cross. It is spending time with Him every day and talking with Him about everything throughout the day. It is having a hunger and thirst to know Him more and surrendering every aspect over life to Him. In short, it is falling in love with Him because of who He is and what He has done for you.

How does someone develop this intimacy with God? Well, it sure doesn't come by osmosis. Like any relationship it takes time and effort. First we must want it, crave it, and not be satisfied with where we presently are in our relationship with Him. Then we must be intentional in doing the things that will build this intimacy: read the Bible - this is God speaking to us; pray - this is us conversing with Him; worship - this is us acknowledging His place in our lives as our All in All; serve - this is us experiencing His power through our lives as we partner with Him in mission here on earth; surrender and die to self - this is giving Him total control of our lives.  Those believers who walked in intimacy with Him practiced these disciplines, which made them hungrier and hungrier to know Him more.

Are you walking in intimacy with our marvelous God? Would you define your relationship with Him as shallow or deep? As "Facebook" or as face-to-face? Remember, intimacy isn't reserved for only the "super saints", it is God's desire for all of His kids.
Are you hungry for God, and are you willing to be intentional in building an intimate relationship with Him? He's waiting for you with open arms.

In John 8:31-32 Jesus said"...If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free".  And He went on to say in verse 36: "So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed".  
 
However, epistle writers Paul, James, Peter, and Jude, call themselves "bond-servants" of Jesus. The term "bond-servant" (doulos in the Greek) literally means a slave. How can we have complete freedom in Jesus while at the same time be His slave? The remarkable truth is that we have been set free in order to become His slave. When we surrender to Jesus and become His bond-servant (ie: slave), we are set free from the tyranny of the old self that is opposed to God's ways.

There is no greater freedom a human being can ever experience than the freedom that comes with being a slave to Jesus. The old "self" (our sin nature) is a cruel master that enslaves us to the things that make our lives miserable and alienate us from God. When we trust in Jesus as Savior we are "born again", we become new creations in Christ and have the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit. Our new nature desires the things that God desires for us and leads to a life of holiness that brings glory to God. However, this power we now have becomes operative only as we surrender to Jesus and become His slave (the old nature is not destroyed, it still exists and is in constant battle with our new nature).

Paul knew the glorious freedom of being a slave to Jesus, and this reality is available to every believer. The key, however, is found in surrender and brokenness. As we surrender ourselves to Him, giving up all rights to ourselves to His Lordship, and as we come to Him in brokenness acknowledging that without Him we are helpless, we will know the liberating truth of what His freedom brings - joy, peace, perseverance, holiness, and victory. Not perfection, but a journey of true discipleship and intimacy with Him.

The Old Testament sheds a beautiful light on this. In Deuteronomy 15:12-17, God laid down the command that if a Hebrew owned a fellow Hebrew as a slave, the one held as a slave could only serve for six years. The master was commanded to set him free in the seventh year. However, if the slave loved the master so much that he wanted to serve him for life and thus voluntarily refused to be set free, the master would take the slave and pierce his ear with an awl. This would be a sign to the world that the slave loved the master so much that he chose to be his slave all the days of his life.

What a beautiful picture of what being a slave to Jesus means! He, our Master, is everything to us and loves us with a perfect, everlasting love. We, in turn love Him so much that we dare not want anyone or anything else to be our master but Him. So we, out of act of our will, surrender in our brokenness and choose to be His slave forever.

Are you a slave of Jesus? Have you come to the point in your life where you have become spiritually broken and realize that you can't live without His presence and, in the process of surrendering to Him, have given Him all rights to yourself by becoming His slave? There is no greater freedom on this planet than this.

When I was a kid, low calorie and fat free foods were almost nonexistent. Lately, however, just about everything has a low calorie or fat free version: mayonnaise, sour cream, cheese, peanut butter, cookies, chips...and the list goes on and on. Have you ever taken a look at the ingredient list of these foods? You need to have a degree in chemistry to read it. This stuff isn't made in a kitchen, they are made in a chemistry lab!

In order to have the taste of these "lite" foods comparable to their higher calorie. higher fat counterparts, artificial ingredients or cheap counterfeits need to be substituted for the real ingredients. The taste ends up being close to the real thing, but it really never is the same.

Unfortunately, Christianity has followed this practice. In recent years, a form of Christianity has become popular that is close to biblical Christianity but is" light" on intellectual demands and deep discipleship. We want the "taste" of God without having the "added calories" of having to surrender our lives to Him.

The church growth "experts" tell us that we must remake church into something the masses will accept, and that church must not look like church or have any resemblance of it. The mantras are: "think outside the box", "conduct cutting edge services", and "be non-threatening and relevant".

In response to this thinking, modern Christianity, in order to get people in the door, has painted a picture of God that resembles a "Cosmic Sugar Daddy", or has created a "Mr. Potato Head" God where everyone creates a God to their own liking (remember Mr. Potato Head - you created a face that you liked using different noses, eyes, etc.).

No longer is there a sense of awe and wonder of our marvelous God. No longer is there passionate uncompromised preaching of the Word of God. "Self" has replaced Jesus as the main focus of far too many church services. Entertainment has replaced worship, technology has replaced the Holy Spirit, and "feel good" messages have replaced the truly life transforming power of God's Word.

The result of this "new way to do church" is obvious - shallow Christians that are an inch deep and a mile wide. Oh, the large attendance numbers are flaunted as proof that this new way works. However, are we raising a spiritually malnourished generation of believers?

I've been told that we can't bore people with preaching that emphasizes theology, the cross and blood of Jesus, surrender, brokenness, and dying to self because these topics make people feel bad about themselves. And, after all, we must make people feel good so they'll come back next week. And the way to do this is to preach around the Bible and emphasize "me".

No way. I am absolutely convinced that Jesus is enough. He was 2000 years ago, and He is today. Relevant? Jesus is ALWAYS relevant! Sure, culture has changed, but human beings, and their need of Him, has not. Don't get me wrong, I am not saying that we should ignore the cultural context that we live in. There is nothing wrong with using the latest innovations at our disposal. However, we must put these "things" in their proper perspective. The power of God doesn't need any help from our worldly devices. When God's Word is proclaimed with the conviction and passion of the Holy Spirit's anointing, lives will be transformed.

If we are to mature in our faith and become sold out disciples of Jesus, if we are to have a real and lasting impact in our world for the Kingdom of God, then we need to dig deep into the Bible, have a strong foundation in proper theology,  and cultivate an intimate relationship with God.  The cheap substitutes and counterfeit additives that have replaced the real ingredients of our faith only produce a Christianity that is a mere shadow of what God desires, and builds mediocre, lukewarm believers.  We don't need more "chemistry lab" Christians, we need more "real ingredient" Christians. 

Don't satisfy for the fat-free lo-cal Christianity that is marketed so extensively today. Go deep into your relationship with Jesus, and be hungry to know Him more. Surrender "self" to Him and be on the journey of real discipleship. There is no greater journey, no greater joy, no greater reality than this.

The most important aspect of a disciple of Jesus is found in the concept of dying to self. This is a concept that is repeated often in the New Testament. For example, Colossians 3: 3 says :For you have died, and your life is hidden with  Christ in God". Galatians 2:20 says: "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me...".  Matthew 16:25 says : "For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it". These are just a few of the many verses that communicate this truth.

But what does it mean to die to self? Does it mean I lose my identity and walk around aimlessly without purpose, not using the talents God has given me?  No at all. "Self" is the part of each of us that wants to be in control of our own lives. It is the power behind the pride that desires to be first and drives us to promote ourselves at the expense of others. It is the drive that does everything it can to see that we get what we want, when we want it, and how we want it.  In short, "self" is the polar opposite of the humble surrender God wants us to exhibit as His bond slaves.

We live in a culture that screams "it's all about me"!  We are taught from a very young age to promote ourselves and grab for all the pleasure and power we can; our "happiness" is all that matters.  So we go through life acting like we are captains of our own ship and masters of our fate. However, as we go through life, we discover that we are neither. All the self centered pursuits we go after are like mirages in the desert - appearing to offer everything but, in the end, delivering nothing. 

Sadly, this "cult of self" has infiltrated the church. "Me" focused books,music, and sermons can be found in abundance. The church has become self reliant, self sufficient, self righteous, self centered, and self absorbed instead of being totally dependent on the Holy Spirit.  We have become "Me" focused instead of God focused, and in essence, have pushed God out of our lives and out of His church.

Dying to self is the key to life. It involves absolute surrender to Jesus as His bond slave. When we die to self we live for His glory, not our popularity; we hunger and thirst for holiness, not our happiness; we promote Him, not ourselves. Dying to self contains the humility to recognize that, when "self" takes over, nothing good occurs. Dying to self is the main ingredient in brokenness, and it is a broken and humble spirit that really knows the incredible awesomeness of God's presence (Isaiah 57:15).

Do you see - it's not about us! It never has been and it never will be! It's about our awesome God.  Jesus laid it on the line when He said, as I quoted above : " For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it". Ouch! that hurts our ego, but these are the words of life. When we make ourselves large He becomes small. But when we become small, He becomes large, and this is what we so desperately need in our lives.

When we die to self, we finally understand what God meant life to be - a total surrender to Him. We still possess the personality, talents, and make up He created us with, but now we are under His control. He calls the shots, and we live with a hunger to glorify Him. This is the abundant life that has meaning, purpose, and fulfillment. Indeed, by becoming a bond slave of Jesus we discover true freedom.

The story of Job is a classic illustration of dying to self. He was a righteous man, but was self righteous. God needed to break him of this so He allowed Satan to devastate Him. Most of you know the story, and you'll recall that in Job's banterings back and forth with his three "friends" this self righteousness comes out clearly. Then in chapter 38-41 God speaks and Job is in awe of Him. Finally, Job sees God for who He is, and sees himself for what he is, and repents in brokenness and utters the immortal words: "My ears had heard of you, but now my eyes have seen you. Therefore I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes" (Job 42:5-6). Job was dying to self on the way to true life.

May we do likewise. My friends, die to "self"...and live!

In my travels I have found a common characteristic in many churches - the lack of interest in prayer. A church can have a Christian comedian or recording artist perform in the church and the place will be packed out. However, call a prayer meeting and you'll get a scarce handful. What a tragedy!

While all churches pray, there are very few "praying churches".  We too often relegate prayer as an afterthought to our church activities and in our daily lives. God is not impressed with our hurried shopping lists of "gimmes" and shallow "newscast" prayer meetings. Prayer and Scripture are the avenues that build intimacy with God., and our often hurried prayer times, or neglected prayer altogether, definitely leave us spiritually weak and vulnerable to the attacks of the enemy. Simply put, without prayer, we are powerless.

When we pray we don't inform God of our needs - He is omniscient and knows all things. We don't change God's mind or coerce Him into doing what we want - He is totally sovereign. Well then, why do we pray? Many ask: "Since God is omniscient and sovereign why do I need to pray?"  It is important to remember that prayer isn't for God, it is really for us. When we pray, we humble ourselves before Him and acknowledge that we need Him, We cast ourselves at his feet in our desperate need and tell Him just how much we need Him.

Another question that is asked is: "Since God id totally sovereign and knows what He is going to do, what good do my prayers do"?  While we may not understand all of the theological aspects of prayer, we do know that the Bible tells us to pray, Jesus Himself prayed, and we know that prayer works. I try to explain it by saying that God, in His foreknowledge, weaved His perfect will through the prayers of his people.

Prayer needs to be one of strongest elements in the church. The church started in a prayer meeting at Pentecost, and this is how God continues to respond to His church today. We don't need more programs, pragmatic activities or promotional efforts. What we need is more fervent, passionate prayer.

We, as individuals and churches, fill our calendars with an endless array of busyness and activity, but forget to pray. We have forgotten that without prayer, all of our endeavors are futile. The effectiveness and fruitfulness of our activities - including preaching, teaching, evangelism, outreach to the poor, etc -  are determined in our prayers. Yes, the most important thing we do is pray. Everything hinges on this.

America, and specifically church in America, is in desperate need of revival. While revival is a sovereign work of God, all historic revivals were birthed in prayer, and if we are too a revival in our time, it very well could be the byproduct of our prayer. Where are those followers of Jesus who sense the desperate need of our time and fall on their faces in fervent prayer for God to move in our midst in revival? We need prayer warriors who live with a sense of urgency and who will stand in the gap for revival!  Yes it is hard work, but nothing is more important than this.  Satan and his mignons will do everything they can to stop us from praying because they know that prayer is the weapon that will bring them to defeat.  Satan and his forces fear nothing on this planet except a Christian who is serious about, and saturates their life in, prayer.

There is a war raging around us and the stakes are enormous. As disciples and soldiers of Jesus, we dare not shy away and retreat. We need to take the land for Jesus, and we do this in prayer and then, and only then, do we get busy with activity. Prayer always precedes ministry, not vice versa. Ministry without prayer is like racing in the Indianapolis 500 with a Segway scooter.

Jim Elliott once said: "A saint who advances on his knees never retreats".  Brothers and sisters, let us pray.

In talking to many Christians over the years, I have discovered that the majority have a common theme. While they are born again and love the Lord, there is something missing - they don't sense the presence of God in their lives. So they journey through life as half-hearted, lukewarm Christians.

Experiencing God's presence in our lives should be the norm for all Christians, not the exception. But the question that begs to be answered is: what is the presence of God?  As we talk about God's presence, some might say "but God is omnipresent (all present), so His presence is always with us"! Indeed, one of God's attributes is omnipresence, which means that He is separate from, but immanent in, His creation.  There is no place in the universe that God's presence doesn't dwell. However, even though God is omnipresent, the manifest experience of the reality of His presence in our lives is something totally different.  Defining the presence of God, however, is like defining love - about as easy as nailing jello to a wall.

What is God's presence? At times God's presence is as gentle as a silent whisper; at times it is as loud as 100,000 screaming fans in a football stadium. At times it's as exciting as a roller coaster ride; at times it's the hush of a ballet.  At times it is dancing with exuberance and joy; at times it is falling on your face in humility and awe.  At times it's singing at the top of your lungs; at times it's being so overwhelmed at His glory that you can't speak.  It is David slaying Goliath, Isaiah on his face before God's throne, Peter preaching at Pentecost, Paul and Silas in prison praising God.

The presence of God is not a physical manifestation, but an undeniable knowledge that He is with you. My definition of God's presence is this: God's presence is the overwhelming result of our abiding in Him in deep intimacy and complete surrender. 

It is popular for Christians to say  "I want more of God". This is not theologically correct. When someone trusts in Jesus as Savior the Holy Spirit does a marvelous work: He baptizes, seals, and indwells the individual. The indwelling aspect of the Holy Spirit's work is complete, meaning the Holy Spirit, who is God, comes and makes residence in our lives, and this is a complete indwelling. We don't get half of God, or ninety percent of God. We get all of Him. Thus we can't get more of God than we already have.

Thus, the correct statement to make is not " I want more of God", it is "I need to give God more of me".  We need to give God more and more of us until we give Him all of us. As we do this, we empty ourselves of "self" and allow God's presence to manifest itself in a greater way. When we die to "self" and fall in love with our marvelous God, His power, peace, and anointing engulfs us.

What, then, are the evidences of God's presence in our lives?  An insatiable hunger for, and a deeper understanding of, His Word;  a strong empowerment for obedience and service; the courage and enablement to resist temptation; a determined perseverance through trials; a renewed ecstasy of worship; an unquenchable thirst for holiness; and a passion for deeper intimacy with Him..

Just think, what if every born again believer lived with God's presence manifest in their lives? Do you think that the church would have a powerful impact in our world? Imagine how the kingdom of God would be furthered. We NEED God's presence more than anything else!  Are you living in the presence of our awesome God? If not, I encourage you to take a realistic evaluation of your life. Are you giving more and more of yourself to God in surrender? In Exodus 33:15, Moses, as he was leading the Israelites through their wilderness journey, said this" :If Your presence does not go with us, do not lead us up from here". Moses knew the crucial importance of God's presence in their midst. In Avalon's song "I Don't Want to Go", the lyrics include the following: "I don't want to go somewhere if I know that you're not there, because I know that me without You is a lie...". May we grasp this truth, and be hungry for God's manifest presence in our lives.

In looking at the condition of our country as we enter 2010 we see lots of needs. The terrorist threat looms ominously over us which threatens our national security. The economy is still limping along on very weak legs. The health insurance reform bills that were passed in the Senate and the House have some very suspect provisions in them. The illegal immigration issue still needs to be addressed. And the "politically correct" philosophy that dominates our culture is threatening the religious freedom that is woven strongly into the fabric of our rights as Americans.

All of these are critical issues that must be addressed. However, there is another need that far outdistances these, and which is absolutely critical to the survival of our country.  What is it? The desperate need of a revival in our land. As we see the deteriorating morality that is so prevalent around us, it is clear that nothing short of a powerful move of God in our midst will save us.

We have asked God to leave almost every facet of society, and He has left. Make no mistake about it, God will leave where He is not wanted, and the results of not having His presence are devastating. All we have to do is look around . We desperately need God's presence now more than ever.

As I wrote in a previous blog, this revival must start in the church. The church of Jesus Christ, which is the most powerful entity on planet earth, has become fat with the world's ways. We have saturated ourselves in the "cult of self" and have become so "self" sufficient, so "self" reliant, so "self" righteous, and so "self" centered that we have become powerless to impact our culture for Jesus. We need the power of the Holy Spirit to blaze in our hearts again so that we live uncompromised, emboldened, fearless, and passionate lives for our awesome Savior. We need a return to authentic biblical holiness and unashamed loyalty to our King. We must desire above all things an intimate relationship with our Jesus. Revival, in short, is God's people falling in love with him all over again.

Is it still possible for God to send revival our way, or have we gone too far and crossed the line of hopelessness? I believe that we can still see a powerful, transformational move of God in our midst. But what will it take? We, God's church, the bride of Christ, must humbly fall on our faces in deep repentance for our own sins and the sins of our nation. We must be willing to forsake everything that goes against biblical holiness and seek His face in every aspect of life. We must be hungry for Him and His glory. We must earnestly and fervently pray for Him to move in our midst. We must come to the point in our lives where we see the condition of our hearts in the light of His holiness and be willing to do anything, and give up anything, in order to leave our superficial, mediocre spirituality for a deep, passionate intimacy with Him. In short, we must become serious about revival.

America needs revival, which must start in the church. But, and this is crucial in understanding and desiring revival, it must start with me. I need revival big time. As I pray for God to come down and move in our midst, I need to draw a circle around myself and ask God to start the revival within this circle. Are you willing to join me with a sense of urgency in fervently praying for God to send revival, beginning with you and me? Will you be willing to do whatever it takes to see God move in our midst? Will you humbly fall on your face before Him in deep repentance and die to self in total surrender to Him? Oh, that the Lord would sweep across this land in 2010.

"Oh, that You would rend the heavens and come down, that the mountains might quake at Your presence"  Isaiah 64:1
"Will You not Yourself revive us again, that Your people may rejoice in You?"   Psalm 85:6

I've heard it said many times that whenever Jesus taught He used stories (i.e. parables).  However, as I read Scripture, I find that Jesus taught in straightforward directness most of the time, and challenged His listeners with some soul jarring truth.  For example, His words about discipleship were deep, and continue to stretch us as much today as they did two thousand years ago.

In Luke 14:33 Jesus uttered what is probably the most unpopular verse in the Bible when He said "In the same way, any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple". You won't find too many sermons on this verse (after all, we must make the congregation comfortable), and many Christians seem to either ignore it or just don't delve into what Jesus meant by these profound words.  However, these words of Jesus are timeless and are as relevant today as they were when He said them.

But what did Jesus mean by this statement? Did He mean that we need to liquidate all of our assets, quit our jobs, and go to Papua New Guinea as missionaries? While God does call some to the mission field or full time ministry, for the majority of Christians the answer to this question is probably "no". Well, what, then did Jesus mean?

Jesus was telling His listeners, and all of us today, that He, and He alone must be Lord of our lives. He must be the object of our devotion, our love, and our worship, even over our portfolios, pleasure, careers, calendars, and "self". He must be number one in our lives. He is telling us that we are to hold everything we call "mine" with an open hand, willing to give up everything for His sake if He should ask us to do so.

True discipleship requires an absolute surrender of everything to Him, even our very lives. While salvation is a free gift from God (we are saved by grace alone through faith alone through Christ alone), discipleship, on the other hand costs us everything. It requires dying to self so that He may live through us. It means giving up all rights to ourselves to Him, and becoming His bond slave for life. It is to be so in love with Him that surrender is actually considered a privilege. It's being a Christian of conviction, and having an unquenchable passion and hunger for Him.

Jesus expected that all believers would be on the journey of discipleship. Why, then do the vast majority of Christian avoid it like the plague? Because we have bought into the worldly philosophy of pleasure, possessions, and power. We consider the cost of discipleship too high, or rationalize that it is only for those select few "super saints". We don't want to deny ourselves, take up our cross and follow Him. We are content with our comfortable, casual, and convenient Christianity and don't want Jesus to interrupt our lifestyles and agendas with His plans. We like our easy generic brand of discipleship which, in reality, is no discipleship at all. We basically treat Jesus like we treat our insurance agent: "Don't bother me unless I need you. When I'm in trouble I'll call you and expect you to get me out of the mess I happen to find myself in. Then, when you fix everything, you can leave me alone until I need you again". So sad, but so true.

My friends, there are way too many mediocre Christians filling churches today.  There are way too many believers entrenched in the temporal pleasures of the world instead of experiencing the awesome, intimate presence of God.

However, for those who take Jesus' words in Luke 14:33 to heart, life takes on an incredible transformation. When we dare to plunge into the depths of discipleship we find that the cost is nothing compared to the abiding presence of God, that in being His bond slave we find the greatest freedom one can experience, and that in surrendering to Him we experience the greatest victory in life.  

Please keep in mind that  discipleship doesn't mean a trouble free life. Trials still come but we can still have peace and victory through them  Nor does discipleship mean a life of cold legalism or distasteful drudgery. On the contrary being a sold out follower of Jesus is the most fulfilled life one can live. Finally, remember that no one "arrives" in this life, and we will struggle and fall at times along the way. Discipleship is a lifelong journey that necessitates a daily surrender to Jesus, an intentional path that we, by an act of our will, choose to be on because we love Jesus so much. We count the cost, and determine that the cost is nothing when compared to the intimacy with Him that we will experience.

Yes, the cost of discipleship is high. Jesus told us that it is everything. But it is the only journey for a true believer to be on. Jesus is asking you and I to open our hands in total surrender to Him and let Him be Lord of our lives. What will our answer be?

Webster's dictionary defines the word "desperation" as a loss of hope. When we think of someone who is desperate, our thoughts usually paint a picture of someone who does everything he or she can to either escape an unpleasant situation, or to hold on to something or someone at all costs. Desperation is often one of the more frightening experiences in life.

However, if you are a born again believer in Jesus Christ, hopelessness is gone. You have the assurance of sins forgiven and eternal life. You have everything to hope in because of the cross and blood of Jesus, and thus you need not be desperate over the circumstances of life.  The One who saved you is the One watches over you and keeps you strong in the ups and downs of life.

However, I believe that every Christian needs to live in "holy desperation".  By holy desperation, I don't mean we should live in a state of empty spirituality. Holy desperation must not be viewed in the same context as the desperation defined in Webster's.

Holy desperation means that you are passionate for God's presence in your life. It is to come to the realization that without God, you are nothing and can do nothing. Holy desperation is having a hunger for God, not so much for what He can do for you, but because of who He is.

And who is He?  He is the all powerful, holy, righteous, merciful, sovereign lover of your soul. He created you, loves you, saved you, and keeps you. Without Him, you would be an empty shell heading like an out of control locomotive straight to hell. He is truly your all in all.

Unfortunately, too many Christians have no real desire for God's presence in their everyday lives. They live in self reliance, self sufficiency, and self righteousness.  And the result? The shallowness of many believers. These folks are deceived by the false claims of worldly things and grasp tightly to these counterfeits. When anyone clutches tightly with both hands to materialism, pleasure, recreation, and to the almighty "self", it is impossible to cling to God.

You can only cling to one thing at a time. If you try to cling to two or more things at a time, your strength and attention are divided, and you will lose your grip on everything and end up with empty hands. You cannot hold on to God and the world at the same time. The worldly things that we cling to only lead to hollow emptiness.

Well, then, you may be thinking, "what does it take to live on 'holy desperation'"? It takes an absolute surrender to Jesus Christ. The relinquishing of all rights to yourself to Him. A brokenness that cries out your deepest need of Him in every aspect  of your life. A "falling in love" with Him that leads to an insatiable hunger for Him and His awesome, incredible presence. it takes dying to self so that He may live for you. Holy desperation means all these things, and nothing less.

"RADICAL."  In politics it defines someone with extreme views, either liberal or conservative. In a revolution it pictures a group that is fanatically opposed to the reigning power. In medicine it describes a surgery that totally eliminates a part of the body. In today's context it has a highly negative connotation because it defines the terrorists that bring so much fear, pain, and death to the world.

However, I believe that God wants all of His children to be "radical Christians".  What comes to your mind when you hear the term "radical Christian"? Wild eyed fanatics standing on the street corner with fifty pound Bibles screaming "turn or burn you heathen"? A monk who lives in seclusion, isolating himself from the mainstream of life? An ascetic who lives in self imposed austerity, sleeping on a concrete floor and eating only bread and water? No, by radical Christian I mean something very different from these.

The word "radical" means "to the root". Thus, a radical Christian is one who is sold out to Jesus to the very root of his or her being, not just on the surface. A radical Christian is one who is on the journey of absolute surrender to Jesus, one who loves Him with all their heart, all their soul, all their mind, and all their strength, and one whose commitment to Him is first and foremost in every aspect of their lives.

What does a radical Christian look like? Well, they certainly aren't perfect, don't ever get that idea. They are sinners saved by grace who struggle with temptation like everyone else. A radical Christian just loves Jesus so much that they ooze with His presence. They have a burning passion for Him, and they want to know Him more. They have an insatiable hunger and an unquenchable thirst for Him, and they have a deep desire for holiness and for a life that brings Him glory.

Radical Christians have no trouble talking about Jesus when the opportunity arises, regardless of where they are or who they are with. They can't wait to come to Sunday service to worship their Lord and Savior with their church family. They sing the songs with robustness even if they are a little (or a lot) off key. They listen to the message with attentive ears to grasp what the Holy Spirit is teaching them, give financially with joy and generosity and come expecting to meet with God.  They eagerly look forward to their quiet time with the Lord everyday in prayer, Bible reading, and worship, and humbly serve in their churches in the areas God leads them to with commitment and excellence. 

Are these radical Christians a hand-picked-by-God select group of super saints - the "elite" that others stand in awe of? No. They are just common everyday folks like you and I, but they have a deep understanding of how truly awesome God is and are amazed that they can have an intimate relationship with Him. They understand the cost of this marvelous relationship - the cross and blood of Jesus- and are humbled by the fact that God would love them so much.  They know, and I mean really know, how amazing God's grace really is, and they understand the delicate balance between having a reverential awe of Him as the Sovereign King of Kings and Lord of Lords and having a deep intimacy with Him as Abba (daddy).

How do you become a radical Christian? You won't find it in a "how to" book that gives you A-B-C step by step method. Radical Christians don't pop up over night or go to "Radical Christianity" school. No, nothing like this.

Radical Christianity is the natural result of grasping the reality of just how much God loves you, and understanding all that the cross and blood of Jesus accomplished on your behalf. It is having such a profound gratefulness to Him for saving you that you develop a passion to know Him intimately and serve Him unreservedly. It is, simply put, desiring to live as His bond slave for His glory.

Just think for a moment what our country would look like if every born again believer would live as a radical Christian. We would most assuredly turn this nation upside down for Jesus - not with civil disobedience, bombs, or marches, but with the power of His abiding presence in us that others can't help but notice and be attracted to; wIth a life that acts like a mirror that reflects His holiness, love, and grace to all we meet.

Are you a radical Christian? Do you want to be? There is no greater journey on planet earth than this.