At The Refuge we get naked...

Do I have your attention now?

I wish other churches would be brave enough to do the same. It is hard to be naked, even in front of your spouse. When you are naked you are vulnerable, EVERYTHING is visible. But when we are in total humility and surrender before our God that is when He can begin to poke and prod and weed out all the secret sins and rebellion that we try to keep hidden deep inside where no one can see. God knows us so well...Psalm 139 reminds us that God knows all about us...even our very thoughts...we can't hide anything from Him. But still we try. We go along day by day living our lives and telling the world that we are following God but maybe what we are really following is a set of beliefs set down for us by some institution.

In the book, Jim and Casper go to Church, author Jim Henderson says this about the way he sees Christians attempting to live their lives:

"Beliefs are part of life, but when we make them the central identifier of our lives, they can make us mean at worst and shut off to good ideas at the very least. I simply think Christians need to make a small change. We need to major in otherliness and minor in beliefs, that's all."

Are you guilty of practicing "beliefism" or "otherliness"? Is it about religion or a relationship?

God, the God who created the universe, loves us and sacrificed His only Son for us!! We need to prostrate ourselves before this incredible, holy and righteous God! In total submission we should ask Him to reveal to us anything that offends Him (Psalm 139:23-24) and to cleanse us from that sin and renew in us a passion for Him! We need to remember that we are sinners, just the same as the drunk at the bar, no better, no different. We need to humble ourselves before God and cry out to Him like David did after sinning with Bathsheba:

Have mercy on me, O God,
because of your unfailing love.
Because of your great compassion,
blot out the stain of my sins.
Wash me clean from my guilt.
Purify me from my sin.
For I recognize my rebellion;
it haunts me day and night.
Against you, and you alone, have I sinned;
I have done what is evil in your sight.
You will be proved right in what you say,
and your judgment against me is just.
For I was born a sinner—
yes, from the moment my mother conceived me.
But you desire honesty from the womb,
teaching me wisdom even there.

Purify me from my sins, and I will be clean;
wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.
Oh, give me back my joy again;
you have broken me—
now let me rejoice.
Don’t keep looking at my sins.
Remove the stain of my guilt.
Create in me a clean heart, O God.
Renew a loyal spirit within me.
Do not banish me from your presence,
and don’t take your Holy Spirit from me.

Restore to me the joy of your salvation,
and make me willing to obey you.
Then I will teach your ways to rebels,
and they will return to you.
Forgive me for shedding blood, O God who saves;
then I will joyfully sing of your forgiveness.
Unseal my lips, O Lord,
that my mouth may praise you.

You do not desire a sacrifice, or I would offer one.
You do not want a burnt offering.
The sacrifice you desire is a broken spirit.
You will not reject a broken and repentant heart, O God.
Psalm 51:1-17

I urge you today to get naked! Be broken and repentant before God. Until you do you will never be able to move on...to truly experience God's grace and mercy...to really be used by Him.

Experience intimacy with God as you never have before...be real...be humble...be open...be transformed...get naked!!

Be blessed,
Steve