Jesus Knocking

The lyrics “Knock, knock, knocking on heaven’s door” comes to mind when I think about people on their deathbeds, but also when I think about being persistent in prayer. I picture myself knocking on the door of a quaint little cottage with smoke escaping the chimney. God is sitting in the cozy living room, reading the newspaper, when I start knocking. He sets down the newspaper, calmly and slowly gets up, and walks to the door. As he opens the door I have my arm raised at 90 degrees, hand in a fist ready to knock on the door with a scowl on my face. Our eyes meet for a split second before I bow my head but not before I notice the sparkle in his eyes. 

God welcomes me in and we walk to the living room where I begin talking to him. He listens patiently as I pour out my heart to him, but a slight movement by the fireplace catches my attention and I stop my rambling, I look around, and I realize I’m not alone in the room. “Who are these people and why are they here?”  I ask impatiently. His smile fades as our eyes meet again, and ever so softly he replies, “These people came a knockin’ before you got here, and they haven’t left. You didn’t let them in when they came knocking at your door, so I have no choice but to let them in and wait until you decide what you’re going to do.”

Obviously, that is a scenario my brain just conjured up, but let me ask you a few questions. When is the last time Jesus knocked on your door? Did you let him in or were you too busy? Are the doors to your home open? Are the doors to our churches open? Are we too busy to allow Jesus in?

We knock on Jesus’ door throughout our lives and expect him to open up with immediate answers. We constantly seek him to fill our lives with our wants and needs and to give us all that we think we deserve. We rarely slow down and thank him for all he has done for us, much less allow him in. IN… to our lives. IN… to our day-to-day moments. IN… to our hearts. IN… to our plans. 

Jesus is knocking and his knock is getting louder. We have a decision to make. Will we open the door and let him in or allow the busyness of our lives to keep the door locked? We are at a pivotal moment in history. God is on the move. Are we willing to allow Jesus in and shake up our lives so the lost souls will be saved?

When we let Jesus in our lives will change. We will live life differently. It will be scary, but it will be worth it. People are hurting and looking for acceptance and love. As Christians, we can show them what they are looking for once we allow Jesus in. 

When we repent and allow Jesus to have full access to our lives He will use us. When we open the door for Jesus, he will open the doors for us to make the difference in this world that we are longing for. How many people are waiting for us to answer the knock at the door?

“See! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.” Revelation 3:20

"I Wanna Be Different"

Micah Tyler wrote a song titled, Different, which speaks to my heart every time I hear it. I want this song to be my life. It is truly something that I seek to do, but fail to be consistent. 

The song starts with these lyrics, “I don't wanna hear anymore, teach me to listen, I don't wanna see anymore, give me a vision, That you could move this heart, to be set apart, I don't need to recognize, the man in the mirror, And I don't wanna trade Your plan, for something familiar, I can't waste a day, I can't stay the same.”

I want to live my life so that others see Jesus in me. I want to live my life so that I am different, but I tend to get caught up in what will others think of me. I pray often that God will allow me to see what he sees, hear what he hears, and recognize His voice or nudge to help others. The truth is being different comes at a price. One that I’ve never truly been ready to pay until recently. God is on the move and He’s working in me and those around me. I also see him drawing others to him around our country and the world. Hallelujah! A revival! 

I have prayed for years that God would start a revival in me, the city, the state, and the country. It’s happening, but am I, are we, as Christians, ready for this? What does being different look like? What will it require of us? What will we have to sacrifice for a true revival to take place? What if others don’t want to do this? There are so many questions that are running through my head, but I know God is telling me your time is now.

Have you felt this? Let’s respond with an I’m all in and get to work. I’m tired of living scared and worried about what others will think. 

What does being different look like? The answer is really quite simple, but not always easy. Pray daily. Love others. Be kind. Be intentional with your words and actions. In the words of Micah Tyler, “We need to ask God to teach us to listen, to give us a vision, to move our hearts to be set apart and to not trade His plan for something of this world.” 

What will it require of us? It will look different for each of us because we all have our strengths and weaknesses. The overall requirement is going to be for each of us to deny ourselves daily and put others first, just as Jesus would do. We will need to slow down, seek God, and ask him to reveal how we can make a difference throughout our day. We will have to ask him, “How can I be different to make a difference in my circle today?” We may not be able to change the world, but we can change our world and that starts with the changes we make in our daily lives.

What will we have to sacrifice for a true revival to take place? Again, this will look different for each of us. God wants us to give him everything. God wants us to walk with him daily. God wants us to be ALL in. A true revival will start when we are willing to give up what he asks us to give up, to turn away from what is keeping us from drawing close to him, and live a life that shows we are walking with Him. Sacrifice can be a scary word, but if we live our lives fully expectant of God to take care of us we can have peace. 

What if others don’t want to do this? First, we don’t know what others want to do until we ask or we start doing it ourselves. Second, if God is telling us to do something we should just do it and not worry about if others will want to join. God will send those who he wants to be on the journey with us. There might be moments when we feel alone but we can rest assured that we are not alone, because God is with us. We can use those moments when we feel alone to seek God and draw close to him.

I no longer want to live a life that I recognize as something I planned, but one that has been directed by God. As the song says, “I don't need to recognize, the man in the mirror, And I don't wanna trade Your plan, for something familiar, I can't waste a day, I can't stay the same.” I’ve realized that my race started when I accepted Christ as my savior, and there have been many obstacles along with some false starts, but the urgency I have in my soul is overwhelming. God has drawn me closer to him, and while I know I will always be a work in progress; I am ready to let go of all my doubts and fears and follow him no matter the cost. I owe it all to Him, and there is no price higher than the one that Jesus paid for me. 

So, here I sit scared and excited about what God is about to do, because, 

“I wanna be different

I wanna be changed

'Til all of me is gone

And all that remains

Is a fire so bright

The whole world can see

That there's something different

So come and be different

In me”

“Therefore, with your minds ready for action, be sober-minded and set your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. As obedient children, do not be conformed to the desires of your former ignorance.” 1 Peter 13-14