There is within most single-reflex lens cameras a focus ring or meter that helps determine the correct focus at any particular depth of field that the photographer wishes to shoot from. Some are very easy to use. Others are very complex. Some have "auto-focus" capability.
Oh for a life that never becomes out of focus!
I have watched for years as close minister friends, young ministers who I have mentored, and new converts I have won as well as senior saints who helped mentor me in my youth and spiritual growth, as they struggled, grew cold, pulled away from God and finally slid out of the church. At one time they were sizzling hot, on fire for God, zealous, hungry, and fervent. Yet something crept into their lives, their homes, and their hearts. It never happens over night, but somehow, somewhere, something slipped into their hearts and minds and they grew cold and indifferent, turned from the church, their pastors and ultimately from the Word of God, to fall away. I've run into some of them years later, totally unrecognizable from the glory they had fallen from. They lost their commitment, their holiness, their righteousness, their fervor, their zeal for God and soul-winning. Inevitably they also lost their soul.
Something got inside their spirit. Something dampened the fire, their love, their commitment. The men and women who used to travail in the altars, laying hands on young men and women and praying for them until they got a breakthrough, interceding for those who could not or would not intercede for themselves! In a moment of pain, hurt, abuse, anger, remorse, complacency and unforgiveness sprang up into bitterness and killed the fire from within that could not be extinguished from without!
I've dropped cameras before. The jarring, cracking, popping and grinding noise as I sought to work their functions told me that the damage was done. It took only a look through the view finder to realize the camera bezel, lens or focus ring were damaged and no matter how I tried to get it to function, it just WOULD NOT come into focus. The only way to fix it was to hand it over to a master technician and let him repair what I or another had damaged through neglect, accident or deliberate intent.
Some digital cameras are set to take readings from all areas of field so that the image is always in focus. God help us to always strive to be in focus! The problem is when we err from the Word of God and put our faith, trust and confidence in ourselves, or another person and not in the Word; we are unwittingly placing our life out of focus. We can try to counter this by various means, distractions, getting involved in other things, ministries, outreaches, church programs...but all these do is to further shift our focus from the things that are our real focal-point!
So many times I have ministered to those who have fallen and slipped away. I have a burden for families and backsliders, homes and marriages on the rocks, backslidden children...God knows my desire. I'd like to say I have had a life free of storms, pain, hurts, fallen friends, loved ones, backslidden family and failures. I cannot. What I have learned that by learning to take heed to correction by the Word and the ministry, I can bring my life back into focus with God's word. I never want the scales of error to be placed over my eyes, like some massive spiritual cataracts that keep me from seeing what I really need to see.
With all of my hunger for the supernatural, miracles, signs and wonders, I cannot afford to lose focus on what really matters, the Word of God, prayer, fasting, intercession, study, outreach, purity, holiness, and righteousness. All of these are focal-points that can pull us back from being out of focus. I can't afford scales on my eyes and no matter what my personal desires are or who my personal heroes are; I cannot afford to become a cast-away for any man or woman.
I have to keep in my thoughts that although I can stretch to my limits to reach a fallen friend, I cannot let go of the hand that is holding me. We are fast running out of time to reach the lost, the backsliders, the weak, and the fallen. Friends, young and old, saint and sinner, who have slipped into apathy, complacency, failure, bitterness and hurt...they have to be reached, but I cannot lose my own soul by stepping beyond the word to reach them. I have no divine edict from God that would allow me to water down the Word to somehow accommodate friends, family and acquaintances and their desires to live less than Godly life-styles, full truth and pure holiness, or to slip off into apostasy and heresy. I expose myself to a curse if I do so!
I cannot let my love, admiration, adoration or loyalty to anyone take precedence over my walk with God and the call of God on my life to be His ambassador on this earth. I cannot look back at by-gone years, by-gone ministries, or a past generation for a Word. I have to be in focus myself or I will miss the move of God in the present!
Let God's word be true and every man a liar! God bless.
Oh for a life that never becomes out of focus!
I have watched for years as close minister friends, young ministers who I have mentored, and new converts I have won as well as senior saints who helped mentor me in my youth and spiritual growth, as they struggled, grew cold, pulled away from God and finally slid out of the church. At one time they were sizzling hot, on fire for God, zealous, hungry, and fervent. Yet something crept into their lives, their homes, and their hearts. It never happens over night, but somehow, somewhere, something slipped into their hearts and minds and they grew cold and indifferent, turned from the church, their pastors and ultimately from the Word of God, to fall away. I've run into some of them years later, totally unrecognizable from the glory they had fallen from. They lost their commitment, their holiness, their righteousness, their fervor, their zeal for God and soul-winning. Inevitably they also lost their soul.
Something got inside their spirit. Something dampened the fire, their love, their commitment. The men and women who used to travail in the altars, laying hands on young men and women and praying for them until they got a breakthrough, interceding for those who could not or would not intercede for themselves! In a moment of pain, hurt, abuse, anger, remorse, complacency and unforgiveness sprang up into bitterness and killed the fire from within that could not be extinguished from without!
I've dropped cameras before. The jarring, cracking, popping and grinding noise as I sought to work their functions told me that the damage was done. It took only a look through the view finder to realize the camera bezel, lens or focus ring were damaged and no matter how I tried to get it to function, it just WOULD NOT come into focus. The only way to fix it was to hand it over to a master technician and let him repair what I or another had damaged through neglect, accident or deliberate intent.
Some digital cameras are set to take readings from all areas of field so that the image is always in focus. God help us to always strive to be in focus! The problem is when we err from the Word of God and put our faith, trust and confidence in ourselves, or another person and not in the Word; we are unwittingly placing our life out of focus. We can try to counter this by various means, distractions, getting involved in other things, ministries, outreaches, church programs...but all these do is to further shift our focus from the things that are our real focal-point!
So many times I have ministered to those who have fallen and slipped away. I have a burden for families and backsliders, homes and marriages on the rocks, backslidden children...God knows my desire. I'd like to say I have had a life free of storms, pain, hurts, fallen friends, loved ones, backslidden family and failures. I cannot. What I have learned that by learning to take heed to correction by the Word and the ministry, I can bring my life back into focus with God's word. I never want the scales of error to be placed over my eyes, like some massive spiritual cataracts that keep me from seeing what I really need to see.
With all of my hunger for the supernatural, miracles, signs and wonders, I cannot afford to lose focus on what really matters, the Word of God, prayer, fasting, intercession, study, outreach, purity, holiness, and righteousness. All of these are focal-points that can pull us back from being out of focus. I can't afford scales on my eyes and no matter what my personal desires are or who my personal heroes are; I cannot afford to become a cast-away for any man or woman.
I have to keep in my thoughts that although I can stretch to my limits to reach a fallen friend, I cannot let go of the hand that is holding me. We are fast running out of time to reach the lost, the backsliders, the weak, and the fallen. Friends, young and old, saint and sinner, who have slipped into apathy, complacency, failure, bitterness and hurt...they have to be reached, but I cannot lose my own soul by stepping beyond the word to reach them. I have no divine edict from God that would allow me to water down the Word to somehow accommodate friends, family and acquaintances and their desires to live less than Godly life-styles, full truth and pure holiness, or to slip off into apostasy and heresy. I expose myself to a curse if I do so!
I cannot let my love, admiration, adoration or loyalty to anyone take precedence over my walk with God and the call of God on my life to be His ambassador on this earth. I cannot look back at by-gone years, by-gone ministries, or a past generation for a Word. I have to be in focus myself or I will miss the move of God in the present!
Let God's word be true and every man a liar! God bless.
No comments:
Post a Comment