Shift_

When driving a stick shift or manual transmission car it is important to watch the gauges, and listen to the sound of the engine. As you start in a lower gear the rpm's (revolutions per minute) increase. This is indicated by the the tachometer rising and the engine noise rising in pitch and intensity. Inside the engine the friction is causing the temperature to rise, and the pressure to build. When this process gets to a critical point one is faced with making a choice. There are three options to choose from: 1) back off the gas - but this will slow or hinder progress. 2) ignore the gauges and engine sounds and keep the gas to the floor proceeding as if nothing was happening - this, however, will blow the engine and stop progress. 3) simply shift into the next gear - which propels one forward.

In our world several areas are reaching that critical stage, and we must chose: back off, ignore and proceed as if nothing were happening, or shift.

Saul of Tarsus reached just such a critical point when he was knocked to the ground and blinded by the presence of Jesus Christ. He chose to shift, to change. His shift transformed a staunch Jew with a major religious pedigree and a zealous determination to fight all others, into a follower of Jesus, preacher of the very faith he once tried to stamp out, and writer of much of what would later become know as the New Testament.

In following Saul of Tarsus, aka the Apostle Paul's example, we must choose to shift. We are now at a critical point in at least four major areas:

1. The way we live. Rather than give a bunch of boring statistics, I will simply says that recent stats indicate that there is very little practical difference in the way professed believers live when compared to those who make no profession of faith. In areas such as drinking to drunkenness, viewing of pornography, unwed pregnancy, and divorce rates the stats demonstrate that professed Christians participate in the illicit activities in almost the same percentages that non-Christians do. It is time for us to realize that Jesus saved us from our sins, and that we need to live differently in a positive way that all those who have not yet been saved. The Scriptures challenge believers to come out from among them and be separate. We must shift from living to please our own selfish lusts to living to please God.

2. The way we worship. Jesus says that the Father is seeking worshipers, worshipers of a certain kind. Those who will worship Him in Spirit and in truth. Worshiping in truth speaks of worshiping God, God's way, according to His word. Worshiping in Spirit speaks of recognizing and responding to the presence of God through His Holy Spirit. The response will be emotional, but thats just how God created us, as emotional beings. I recently attended an Indiana Pacers basketball game. I am not a big Pacer's fan, or even a big basketball fan, but the tickets were cheap, the pretzel and diet coke were delicious, and the fellowship was great. While sitting down eating my pretzel a player named LaBron James took the ball, headed toward his teams goal, went overtop of two Pacer players, and did a two handed slam dunk. Even though I am not a big basketball fan, and even though he played for the opposing team I jumped to my feet, screaming with the other 18,000 people in the arena and even high fived the guy next to me. Why? I had an emotional response to a good play made by a great player in the game I was watching. Why should I be any less willing to exhibit an emotional response to the presence of God in worship. I must shift from a passive to a sincere worshiper.

3. Our source of power. As a pentecostal believer in Jesus, I must rely on His strength, and not just my own. His strength turned Simon Peter from a coward who denied even knowing Jesus into a man who stood up in Roman occupied Jerusalem and proclaimed for all to hear that Jesus, whom they had crucified, was both Lord and Christ. By all rights he in making this bold proclamation, signed his own death warrant. He was saying Caesar is not lord, Jesus is Lord. Caesar is not king, Jesus is King. What shift occurred in Peter's life that so changed him? Acts 2 tells the story, and basically says he was baptized in the Holy Ghost. We need to make that same shift, and be baptized in the Holy Ghost.

4. Our mission. This Christianity thing really isn't about us, you and me a believers. It is not about what ministers to us, and makes us happy. Jesus said he did not come to be ministered to, but to minister. To seek and save the lost. Our mission should be more about HIs mission, and less about which church offers the most convenient location, most comfortable accommodations, most entertaining performances from stage, best programs to make my life better and easier, etc It should be about living before our lost family and friends so that they see Jesus, speaking to our family and friends so that they hear about Jesus, and introducing them to Jesus so that too can have a relationship with Him. It is time to shift.

Will you join me, lets Shift_ Life, Worship, Power, Mission.