That Place of Seemingly No Risks...

I've been thinking a bit about the part in the Bible where it talks about the wheat being separated from the tares and I know there is so much more to Christianity than saying a sinners prayer and pretty much looking and behaving just like everyone else. I think about the modern version of Christianity and how it is neither totally sold to the world's ways or God's. It is a place where we are most comfortable - somewhere in between where there is seemingly no risks. But, in reality, the only safe place is where we are totally abandoned to Jesus. Those who are not willing to follow Him to death and consecrate themselves wholly are going to be spewed out His mouth and those who overcome and stay strong will remain. God is looking for a fully consecrated, holy heart - someone who can be of use in the battle to come, someone who will follow Him no matter what people say, how difficult it may be, or how much it hurts.

I think about it because it is so easy to fall into a place of complacency at a Christian college where Christianity is something that neither changes you or challenges you to be any different from the world. It's easy to say "Well, look around. That's what's normal", when God isn't calling us to be normal Christians.

A good analogy of these thoughts came while I was reading the book "The Vision" the other day. I thought I would share a portion of it, though it will make this blog post insanely long. The story is from a dream the author had about the time before the Lord returns. In this dream, the author saw an army composed of three groups.

All members of the first group wore a full set of armor that was fully polished and refined - made of gold. They were characterized by an unspeakable peace as the faced the battle ahead. They were all sure of who they were and what they were doing, but they were not concerned with personal recognition.

The second group was similar to the first, but members were not wearing a full set of armor and some were not even carrying weapons. He also noted that the armor and weapons of this group were not nearly as polished as the first group. The primary distraction of this group was how consumed they were with personal recognition and ranking.

The third group marched quite a distance behind the other two groups, but it was many times larger than the first two groups combined. Only a few people had a single piece of armor. They seemed almost confused as they attempted to march, only heading in the general direction of the first two groups. They were swayed by every wind of doctrine that came their way. Their uniforms were gray and dull and they seemed uncertain if their own identities.

As the armies passed through the land, the first army left everything green and beautiful, the trees bearing much fruit. They restored the Earth. As the second army passed through, they muddied the streams with their feet and took some of the fruit from the trees. As the third group passed through, they stripped the trees bear of their fruits and totally polluted the streams, completely undoing all the work the first group had done.

In this dream, the Lord said of the third army, "...there will be many who call on My name and follow those who follow Me, but they do not know Me or walk in My ways. They destroy the fruit of those who follow Me. Because of this, the world does not know whether to consider My people a blessing or a curse."

In the dream, it goes on to say that the primary difference between the first group and the other two is that the first group was willing to deny their flesh and live selflessly and wholeheartedly for the Lord. They lived for one purpose, and, in that, knew their identity.

"The time is coming when those who want to be called by My name but do not walk in My ways will be trodden underfoot. Before the last great battle, My army will be holy, even as I am holy. I will remove those who are not circumcised of heart... There will be no third group as you see here."

I think this third group represents Christians who stay in that place of "safety" - following the Lord but unable to abandon themselves completely to Jesus and leave the world behind.

This next semester and throughout the rest of this new year I am going to strive to stay focused on the only One who truly matters and remember that He alone defines the way I live my life. Anyone with me?