Pursuit of the Holy

Who am I?

What is this talk about the Holy Spirit?

Who is God?

Well, I have been reading this book called "Pursuit of the Holy" by Corey Russell, and those are just a few questions that are addressed in the book. It is one of the most incredible books I have ever read, and will create a burning desire within you to pursue the Lord with everything that is in you! I could write a novel on my own personal opinions of the book, but a compilation of excerpts will do it way more justice. So, enjoy:

Identity Crisis

"We don't know who we are. We don't know why we're here. We don't know why we were created. We live with our eyes on the ground, just trying to obey the Lord and resist temptation and do good deeds, not realizing that the Lord wants His people to know Him, to understand His heart. He created us out of His desire for communion and fellowship with mankind. But we have lost God's high vision for us. Instead, we're trying to find our own purpose in life. " pg. 12

"We were made by God for God. Period. We were made to search Him out." pg. 13

Living with the Holy Spirit

"The day we said 'Yes' to Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, He placed within us the very spirit of God as a down payment of the age to come, for the purpose of leading us into all truth concerning God, both the Father and the Son. The Holy Spirit now lives in us, and His job is to lead us into revelatory knowledge of the son, who reveals the Father." pg. 16

"Knowing God is about more than having information. It is about who can and who cannot be trusted with the deep things of God's heart." pg. 19

The Knowledge of God

" The majority of us, even in the church, are wasting our lives doing good things instead of the best thing: living in intimacy with our Father in His house. We do a thousand things in His name, but the true and living knowledge of God is absent in our experience. We get burned out and bored when we continue serving without truly knowing God, without relating to Him intimately and personally. We need something more than our ministries. We need to be filled with God." pg. 57

"Our Father will reveal His heart and His commitment to us, and this revelation will mature us and bring us into the knowledge of God." pg. 58

"It's not about our commitment to God; it's about God's commitment to us. He is the God of blazing holiness who will not ignore His people just because they ignore Him." pg. 101/120

Praise the Lord for the way He uses His children to write such incredibly inspiring and provoking books. I'm telling you, this book will challenge you and push you closer and closer to the Lord as you seek to pursue holiness.

The Gospel in the Classroom

"Buenas Días clase. Siéntense en un círculo, por favor.”

As my spanish class slowly moved our desks into a circle, I had no reason to believe that today’s class would be any different than any other. We were going to be discussing a play that we were assigned to read about a group of puppets that were placed in a room and randomly chosen by “la niña de muerte” (the girl of death) to die via explosion. (I know, it sounds a little messed up)
Anyways, the professor randomly called on students to answer the questions about the story. When she called my name, I realized that the question I was about to answer was the question concerning the depiction of “god” in the story. The god in the play was portrayed as blind and unable to help the puppets in regard to life and death. So I answered the question of how the puppets perceived god, and was then asked my opinion of god in the real world.

My pulse instantly tripled.

I don’t know how it happened, (or how my Spanish was good enough to explain such a concept in a different language), but obviously I had a little help. *Thanks Holy Spirit… you’re the man.
I proceeded to explain how the true God was alive and not blind at all, but a happy, loving God who is very much involved in our lives.

The professor then posed the statement: So then God must control death? We all still die. So then God is bad.

I quickly responded: No, God is good. He gives us the choice to believe in Him and His Son, and if we do then we don’t die. We die from this world, but we will never die because we will live with Him in heaven for eternity!

After that she changed the subject… It may not seem very extravagant, and it may not seem like much.. but it’s a seed. A seed of Truth that was planted in the hearts of my classmates as well as my professor.

Jesus… Thank you for courage. And the opportunity to speak the Gospel in a classroom! Never in a million years would I have thought it wouldn’t be in English… haha

He.Is.Faithful.

A New Adventure

*Actual date: January 25, 2011

I have officially embarked on my newest adventure: Back to college! *Who’s to say college can’t be an adventure?? Anything is an adventure when you’re living by the Spirit! However, sometimes it does become a little difficult. It’s only after so many days that you start to feel trapped in the system of the world again… But I know my God has a purpose in everything, and He didn’t send me here to just fill time and space.

In the times when the journey seems boring or monotonous, we must hold fast to the promise of God’s Word and know that, whether we feel it or not, we are being changed every day. - Corey Russell

Just these 2 short weeks of being back at school have already showed me the value of pursuing the knowledge of God. It’s a choice, a fight. You have to fight for time with the Lord, and if it’s not your first priority… well, consider it swept away under the stacks of homework and activities on your to-do list. Prioritizing the secret place is one of the most violent things you will ever do.. if you commit to it. And I have undoubtedly been learning this, the art of violently pursuing the knowledge of God.

And will continue to learn this.
After all, it is a journey…