An Early Breakfast in Atlanta

I got up early this morning to have breakfast with two friends. One friend I met a year ago, the other I was meeting for the first time. Both of these friends are believers and both love Jesus very much. You can feel their desire to know Jesus. You can also feel their struggle to follow Jesus with deep passion. They are both committed to church attendance and worship. They both want Jesus to transform them but they are also honest to state that life is just too busy and the responsibilities too large. One of my friends stated that "...going to church on Sunday caused them to feel absolved..." from the previous weeks busyness and infused them with just enough spiritual juice to keep them going for another week of getting their batteries drained.

I challenged them to begin a L.T.G., to read the Scriptures deeply (20 -30 chapters a week), to talk about life it's difficulties and sins they succumb to along with praying for individuals and families to come to Jesus. After 30 minutes of discussion, questions about what I was challenging them to do and some hesitation, we parted ways with hugs.

Both of these friends stated that they needed and wanted to be 'abiding in Christ'. They both wanted to let the life of Jesus flow through them and onto others. They both knew it was a struggle to make the time to pray, read, meditate and soak in the Word of God and in the presence of Jesus. They wanted it, but life screams for more of them and Jesus simply invites them to follow Him. Screaming demands for time often wins out over the loving invitation of the one who purchased us for Himself.

How can we gain a heart that is desperate for Jesus? How can the Word of God become alive to us when it feels like a text book? What does it take for our spiritual hunger to grow to the point of driving us to God for more? How can I help my friends cross the line between the screaming of life and the invitation of Jesus. When will Jesus be enough for me, and for them?

I want to say thank-you to the folks at VLC for allowing me and providing for me to be in Atlanta this weekend. Because of their support for me, we (I and VLC) are able to affect the friends above and a whole bunch of other saints here in the Atlanta area for the Kingdom expansion of God. I'll try and post more later on what takes place here in Atlanta this weekend.