Why Is Being a Lukewarm Christian as Dangerous as Not Following Jesus?

January 29, 2019 by Kristi 4 Comments

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Why is being a lukewarm Christian as dangerous as not following Jesus? Read to see.

There’s something about a nice, hot bath. It warms chilly bones.

I confess, I love soaking in the tub. But not in lukewarm water.

Lukewarmness teases but never gets around to business.

I’ll refuse a bath in that case.

I wonder if a middle-ish faith lands us in a similar way.

God warns about being lukewarm Christians (Rev. 3:14-22), and the picture ta’aint pretty. He vomits in that place.

Give me the heat or give me nothing at all. I refuse a faith that’s lukewarm. That feeling rose when I first became a Christian, and it continues even today.

I wanted more of God.

How about you?

Do you want faith that’s fully hot or simply simmering?

I plan to dig further into scriptures this year on the blog. I will not only label myself as biblically literate but as a follower of Christ on fire for God. Not lukewarm. Here’s why:

“He who is not with me is against me, and he who doesn’t gather with me, scatters.” Matt. 12:30 WEB

Could choosing NOT to follow Jesus be a choice to follow Satan? That’s what the notes on the Chronological Life Application Study Bible (NLT) mention.

And I shudder when I read it because that’s such a line. Like a fault line, it’s the edge of our God defining life and that within it.

Good and evil.

Night and day.

Male and female.

Following and not following.

Do you want this too–saying yes to good versus evil, living in light not dark, being hot for Christ–not cold or even lukewarm? Here’s why that’s a good desire:

Matt. 12:30 lands just after the verses noting the exceeding power of Jesus versus Satan.

For who is powerful enough to enter the house of a strong man and plunder his goods? Only someone even stronger—someone who could tie him up and then plunder his house. Matt. 12:29 NLT

After reading Matthew 12, my mouth hung open. The power. The God we serve…Wowzers!

In society today, we hand darkness permission. We think it strong and overcoming, growing in fear with each glance. I fall prey, that’s for certain. But after reading Matt. 12, I desire to keep focus Above, on our Strong Tower.

You too?

Our God exudes power. He ties up the evil one. The Almighty plunders his house. He brings victory to you and me. Praise God!

Why are we scared of the evil one? Why fear his power?

So we’ve no need to grow cool in this faith walk. Forget lukewarm. God vomits in that place. That’s why being a lukewarm Christian stands as dangerous as not following Jesus.

Turn on the hot. Let the Holy Spirit water pour. Hop in the tub of “on fire faith.” Warm those spiritual bones, my friend.

Be encouraged this year as you soak in the goodness of God Almighty through praise, thanks, prayer, His Word, rest, and more. He’s powerful and worthy. And a life with Him is never be the same.

Follow Jesus. And grow baby, grow. I’ll be right beside you, running the race with heat running through the bones.

Glory to God.

Action Steps

Prayer

Father,
I love You. Your power exceeds anything else I’ll face in life. I choose You and a faith with the temperature turned high. Show me how to live fully for You and Your purposes. I pray for ears that hear, eyes that see, and a heart willing to follow. All majesty and glory and honor is Yours. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Free Printable

To help you turn the temperature to “hot”, make sure to grab your free printables in the Subscriber Library. (Password is in each monthly newsletter.) Not a subscriber? Join here. The current featured dowload is “I Am Enough: Truth and Declarations to Squelch the Voice of “Not Enough”.

Memory Verses

Join us for our memory verse program: Who AM I? Each 1st and 3rd Tuesday will showcase a new verse to memorize, complete with a printable and helpful ideas concerning how to memorize scriptures.

God, Can You Help Me? + Book Reviews & a Giveaway

October 2, 2018 by Kristi 7 Comments

God, can you help me? The words swirl in our thoughts when we find ourselves in a quandary, at times when the battle grows strong.

We grow weary.

Fighting one.more.day feels defeating.

Silence emanates from God’s side.

The situation appears impossible.

And then the thought slips into our brain.

God, can you help me?

But God…

Thank the Lord that we serve Him, a God who continues to deliver His people even today, a love-filled Father who helps His righteous amid their afflictions.

Psalm 34:18 casts the picture clear.

Many are the afflictions of the righteous.

BUT…

Yahweh delivers him out of them all.

Our God delivers.

Still.

Looking to build your faith muscles? After reading today’s post and jumping into this month’s memory verse, check out this TRUST-related nugget.

As we go about memorizing Psalm 34:18 this week, yet another stellar verse in our #Word18 Memory Verse Program, let’s set our trust in Him. (If you’re new to #WORD18, welcome! Simply click the previous link to gather more information.)

But There’s More…

Crystal Storms published a piece of mine last week called 5 Powerful Action Steps When You Ask, “God, Where Are You?” That piece is a perfect match for our memory verse this week. Don’t miss it.

Also, Crystal blessed us with a guest post here last Tuesday. Her piece, When God Doesn’t Answer Your Prayers in the Way You Hoped was powerful. Make certain you don’t miss it. And it’s A-OK to spread its encouraging message by sharing on social media or in an email.

Subscribers

Look for my “3” Newsletter this Friday. Watch for your helpful ministry freebie inside. <3

Not a subscriber?

No problem. Simply sign up here to receive access to the subscriber-only library which houses all our free scripture, prayer, and ministry downloads, faith-building lists, and more. You’ll also receive regular, courage-building email updates and monthly newsletters for “family connection.”

And More…Book Reviews & Giveaway

Two new books from Revell Publishing hit bookstore shelves recently. Both grabbed my attention. Take a look…

Silencing Insecurity: Believing God’s Truth About You

by Donna Gibbs

In this day and age, words, actions, and ideals splatter all over us from a wide range of sources, all attempting to paint our identity.

Magazine covers.

Television.

Social Media and more.

But what about the Bible? What about God and His truth?

Silencing Insecurity pulls from God’s Word and plain ‘ol wisdom to encourage readers in their search or reassurance of identity.

This book resembles a breath of fresh air, the aroma of Christ spoken from a friendly source. I don’t know Donna personally, but I feel as though we’re friends–in a Christian, professional way–after reading this book. She doesn’t wag a finger or stand on a podium. Her writing comes alongside as a friend and counselor, offering solid, strong suggestions and encouragement from the Bible.

The author identifies thieves many of us face in our search for “who we are.” She helps throw off their cover, exposing them in the light of God’s Truth. I nodded my head during several of the chapters.

Donna dives into various problems we may face such as mental, emotional, or relational issues. She brings real life to the pages and helps readers understand what they are facing and why.

Then comes the most important part. Donna leads us toward conversation surrounding transformation and freedom with our Father. Her words leads us to the throne of the Almighty and His truth.

Is it a book I’d pull out the highlight for? Indeed.

Is this a book I’d buy for a friend? Absolutely!

Consider grabbing a copy of Silencing Insecurity if the tumultous world of identity is rocking your boat, if you love refreshers every now and then of God’s truth, or if you simply enjoy new reads.

Second-Chance DOGS

Edited by Callie Smith Grant

Pure sweetness, a swelling of the happy kind–that’s what this read offers. Although it’s a-typical for the type of books we read and review here at KristiWoods.net, this one deserved a chance, just like its subject-matter.

I’m on the dog bandwagon right now. I love rescues and their heart-warming stories. After all, my family and I just adopted (at our best guess) a collie/terrier mix. A few days after Ellie joined our family, another rescue sprinted into the picture–a Belgium Malinois named Kasey.

Considering our house full of rescues, this book is appropriate.

If you’re looking for stories that warm the heart, bring out one’s inner cheerleader, create a smile, even cause a tear, then grab a copy of this Revell publication. It’s appropriate for you, too. I fell in love with dog after dog, story after story. You might find yourself doing the same.

Second-Chance DOGS is an easy read. Each story covers a handful of pages, give or take. Beautiful bedtime reading. A few of the contributor names rang familiar, like Lauraine Snelling and Cyle Young from the Christian arena. (I cried at Cyle’s story, but you’ll have to read it for yourself to see what impact his words make on your heart.)

This book would make a great Christmas gift for a friend or work acquaintance. Consider it also for your own nightstand table.

The publisher supplied a free copy of Second-Chance DOGS and Silencing Insecurity in exchange for my honest review.

Giveaway

I’m excited to give away 1 copy of Second-Chance DOGS. (US addresses, please, and you must be 18 years or older to enter.)

To enter:

Comment below for 1 entry.
Gather 2 entries by subscribing to KristiWoods.net and letting me know in the comments below that you’ve done so.
Share this post on social media (and let me know in the comments below) for 2 entries as well.Make certain to leave your email address (confidential) in the appropriate space when leaving a comment. Otherwise, I won’t be able to contact you. ;-)Giveaway ends at 10pm, central on Sunday, October 7, 2018. Winner will be announced in the Tuesday, Oct. 9th blog post, and I will email the recipient–after I’ve asked one of my kids to pull a number out of the hat. 🙂

Have a beautiful week!

Linking with other Jesus lovers here: #heartencouragementThursday, #faithonfire

Do You Doubt God Hears You? Grab this Piece of Truth.

March 20, 2018 by Kristi 2 Comments

Do you ever wonder if God hears you?

Maybe that small voice sends taunting questions your way. You begin to question whether God hears you. After all, nothing’s changed. Maybe God set out the “do not disturb” sign when your request came His way. Yes, maybe.

But when we peer into God’s Word, we see truth squelching the taunts of temptation.

God hears you.

Grab this memory verse, the 6th in a series of year-long ditties to hide deep in the heart this year. Mull its truth around with your spiritual taste buds. Take a taste and watch the lies flee.

God hears.

Find past verses here.