One of the coolest things I have done in recent times was to go on an authentic American Mid-West road trip! My friend and fellow pastor, Pastor Aaron, and I took the trip as we were visiting a friend of ours in Casper, Wyoming. Such road trips and the thrill thereof was only heard of, by me, through the various American movies and television shows that promoted the freedom of the great American road ways. It allowed me to see beyond metropolitan, “concrete” and “flashing lights” America, and to instead observe “wild horses“, “Rockies mountain range“, and “vast lands beyond the horizon” America. For many Americans this might seem as a regular day on the road, but for an island boy from the sun-kissed beaches of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines in the Caribbean, such as myself, it was quite an epic quest; a great adventure in fact!
The journey reminded me of a song that was released in the 1990’s by the contemporary Christian music artist, Steven Curtis Chapman, entitled “the Great Adventure“. The music video for the song was filled with country and western visual influences, and backdrops of pristine and majestic American geographical features. Wide open grasslands, running horses, the wind blowing through your hair, the cowboy attire, and just rocking out with your instruments in the middle of this vastness added to the “adventurous” theme of the video. However, Chapman wasn’t singing about this “American freedom”. He used such visuals as an assistant to highlight a greater adventure and freedom that he experienced; an adventure and a freedom that can only be found in Jesus Christ.
Both the road trip and the song reminded me of a very important fact concerning my faith. I am called to enjoy my relationship with Christ! It has to be seen for what it truly is, not a torture chamber or a pleasure reducer, but a Great Adventure! There are visions and miracles God wants us to see, words He desires us to hear, and actions He desires us to take that would launch us into realities beyond our own human limitations. His Spirit desires to do a transformation work that could only be divinely orchestrated in preparing us for such an adventure. It’s an adventure that begins in this life and continues for all eternity, beyond the limitations of our own bodies, even into eternity itself when we leave this earth.
How then can we truly enjoy our relationship with Christ and see it as it is – the Great Adventure?
#1: Accepting Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour
Because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.
Romans 10:9-10 (ESV)
Everything starts with accepting Jesus as Lord and Saviour. Your walk with Christ must be one that is Christ-centred and Christ-dependent, with Christ actually living in your heart. Believing on the Lord Jesus Christ and trusting in Him signifies your commitment to Him, to His cause, and to availing yourself to becoming more like Him. Such a move is in direct defiance to sin and everything it stands for and seeks to bring forth. As a result, a life of true joy and victory must start with you making the decision to surrender yourself to the authority and saving grace of Christ.
#2: Abiding to and being cleansed by His Word
How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to Your word.
Psalm 119:9 (ESV)
God consistently encourages us to abide to His word. The psalmist in Psalm 119 even presents to us a deep spiritual principle; we are made clean by the Word of God. “How can a young man keep his way pure” is the question that is asked. In our younger years we tend to seek after pleasure, enjoyment, fulfilment, and adventure. However, the emphasis on “young” here shows how susceptible to impurity or demise someone young literally or young in the faith can be. Therefore, if you are to truly enjoy this life in Christ, there must be a cleansing. This cleansing occurs in your mind and life in general and is accomplished by the indwelt Word of God that is meditated upon, prayed and lived according to. A believer who abides to, is cleansed by, and becomes consistently dependent on and guided by God’s word is a believer who will understand and experience the true blessings and power of the Almighty God.
#3: Having Effective Prayer Lives
Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.
James 5:16 (ESV)
Many believers lose sight of true joy in their walk with Christ because of prayerlessness! Prayer is the Holy Spirit-led mechanism that builds a consistent communication link between us and Almighty God. Prayer allows us not only to utter our praises, queries, or needs to God, but it allows us to hear from God Himself, which should be prayer’s primary purpose. James 5:16 tells us that we must “pray for one another“. Such an action, along with fostering unity, would bring holistic healing (physically, spiritually, emotionally, in relationships, etc). This becomes possible if the person engaged in prayer is considered “righteous”, with the prayer of such a person yielding incredible results. Interestingly we are made righteous by Christ dwelling in us, so such a person is one surrendered to and completely reliant on Christ. Believers who practice having effective prayer lives, and who actively pray according to the Word of God, experience the true riches of joy and revelation in and from Christ. As the Word cleanses, guides and prepares us, prayer establishes the intimacy that is reliant on the principles of the Word. When such a formula is followed by a redeemed person, the results are nothing but glorious.
#4: Living a Life of Faith
And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who seek Him.
Hebrews 11:6 (ESV)
God can never be pleased if you do not have and live a life of Faith. Faith is not just simply believing in God, otherwise we can classify anyone, even demons, as having Faith (see James 2:19). However, Faith is the Holy Spirit-led reliance on the Word of God as the substance and the evidence of what we are hoping for and what is unseen (see Hebrews 11:1). The Holy Spirit is the source of Faith, so therefore it is virtually impossible to have true Faith without Him (see 1 Corinthians 12:3). Hebrews 11:6 even tells us that if you desire to draw nearer to God, therefore having intimacy with Him, you must have Faith. This involves the Holy Spirit-initiated and led ability to believe who God is and that He exists and is who He says He is, and also to believe that He rewards those who seek Him diligently. A people who live a life of Faith in Christ know their God and are able to do great things (see Daniel 11:32). You can never enjoy Christ and your relationship with Him if you are not living a life of Faith.
If you desire to know more about living a life of faith, check out the three-part series “the Faith Life” here on Beacon Of Flavor (see the links to the articles below):
#5: Understanding and Embracing Wisdom
If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.
James 1:5 (ESV)
The books of the Psalms, the Proverbs, and the account of Job highlight heavily the need to pursue and embrace “Wisdom”. Job chapter 28 does a marvellous job in poetically describing how difficult it is to find Wisdom, where even the deepest depths of the sea would say to us “it is nowhere here” (see Job 28:14). But the last verse of that said chapter provides to us the answer: “And unto man He said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding” (Job 28:28). Understanding, acquiring and embracing wisdom occurs in one primary way; when we develop holy reverence for the Lord. As revelations about Almighty God are made to us by the Holy Spirit from His word, it births in us an appreciate and deep-rooted reverence for God, which sparks the genesis of Godly wisdom in us. Many of us seek wisdom in making the plethora of life decisions that come our way. But in order to make wise choices concerning those and any decision, there must be an understanding and reverence of who our God is, what He stands for, and what He can and desires to do. Wisdom is the Holy Spirit’s tool given to us to help us be effective in our decisions, discernment, and effective ministry and impact (see Psalm 111:10 and Colossians 3:16). Many believers do not experience true joy in their walk with Christ because of poor decision-making and, generally speaking, a lack of Godly wisdom. Lacking wisdom, however, is not just an inconvenience, it is in fact sinful. This is because (1) lacking wisdom classifies you as a fool, equating you to a fool who says there is no God (see Psalm 14:1), and (2) Jesus Himself is described as “the Wisdom of God” (see 1 Corinthians 1:24). For that latter point, Jesus is the Word of God made flesh and the true and full image of God Almighty revealed. Therefore, in essence, understanding and embracing God’s wisdom is not just “acquiring knowledge”; it is in fact understanding and embracing Jesus Christ Himself.
#6: Telling others about Jesus Christ
And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.
Mark 16:15 (ESV)
The God-given purpose of any believer would remain unaccomplished and unrealised if they refrain from telling others about Christ! Everything that God has anointed and called us to do in this world is to equip us to effectively carry out the mandate of the Great Commission (see Matthew 28:19-20 and Mark 16:15). The most loving and unselfish thing you can do for someone is to share with them the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It shows that you desire that the joys of the Lord’s salvation not just be experienced by you but also by all and sundry. It actively portrays what the Kingdom of God seeks to do now in these times, as well as giving a fore-taste of what is to come. The Great Commission allows persons to encounter the Almighty, true and living God, adhering to the power of God that leads to salvation, which is the Gospel (see Romans 1:16). The greatest joy you will experience is when you effectively engage in the Great Commission, dedicating your life to it through the use of every natural gift, spiritual gift, and ministerial office that you may be given by God Himself. Telling others about Christ shows forth your love for Christ and for others (see Matthew 22:34-30), your stewardship Of His mysteries (see 1 Corinthians 4:1-2), your willingness to be a complete vessel of God (see Romans 9:21), and your willingness to be a purveyor of His Kingdom (see Luke 17:21). True enjoyment and fulfilment in Christ is seen when we help others draw closer to Him.
#7: Being Strong and Courageous in Christ
Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.
Joshua 1:9 (ESV)
Joshua chapter 1 is quite an interesting passage of scripture. Moses had recently died and God declared that Joshua was to be Israel’s new leader. God encourages Joshua to “be strong and courageous” with verses 1 to 9 of that chapter highlighting three key importances of such an encouragement:
(i) Being Strong and Courageous actually helps you to observe the Law of God. Joshua 1:7 says “Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper withersoever thou goest“. As the Holy Spirit leads us to become strong and courageous, it makes it easier for us to trust God’s Word and follow His commandments, even in the midst of opposition.
(ii) Being Strong and Courageous helps to remind us that God is with us. Joshua 1:9 (seen above) sees God encouraging Joshua to be strong and courageous, which would be motivated by the knowledge of God being there with Him. God’s presence with us is the motivator to be strong and courageous, and it is also the strengthening factor of that said strength and courage.
(iii) Being Strong and Courageous helps us to make a generational impact. Joshua 1:6 says, “Be strong and of a good courage: for unto this people shalt thou divide for an inheritance the land, which I sware unto their fathers to give them“. Joshua had a huge task of allocating lands for the people in this new soon-to-be-established-and-rooted nation. He also had to ensure that things were put in place not just for the present sustenance of the nation but also for its continued well-being. If you desire to impact your children and the next generation for the glory of God, it would take immense strength and courage in the Lord!
Joshua needed to be strong and courageous as God had him to acquire vast amounts of land. God promised him land reaching from Lebanon to the Euphrates river. Even the land of the Hittites was to be Israel’s. However, we have seen in scripture where Israel acquired these territories (such as in the days of Joshua and King David) and where they lost out. They lost out when they did not abide to God’s word and lost strength and courage. Many of us as believers miss out on the fulfilment of God’s precious promises towards us because we lose strength and courage easily. That’s why we encouraged to be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might (see Ephesians 6:10).
Conclusion
So, saddle up your horse! Pack your truck! Get your things in order! Whatever phrase you want to use, let it motivate you towards readiness in Christ. He has called us to Kingdom living, our lives consumed by establishing and developing effective relationships with Him and with each other. Do not see your walk with Christ as an unnecessary burden giving by colonial masters. Our relationship with God is a journey through peaks and valleys, deserts and grasslands, encountering challenges and victories, and seeing wonders of absolute beauty, all while having Christ as the driver. Enjoy intimacy with Him, enjoy His presence, enjoy hearing His voice, enjoy seeing His mighty hand at work. Enjoy seeing Him using you for His Kingdom’s advancement. We truly have a trail to blaze, so enjoy it while we blaze it. This is the Great Adventure!
Beacon Of Flavor 