Gary Rich (16
Sep 2006)
"The Barbarian Call : Untamed
faith"
You cannot meet the Creator of the Universe
and remain the same. If the God who is all-powerful , all-knowing and all-present
comes to dwell within your soul, you would expect at least some minor disruption.
I think there's a problem when people talk about meeting God or knowing
God and yet remain unchanged by God. When the Creator chooses to dwell
within His creation, there is transformation. If Jesus has come to dwell
within you, you are no longer suited for a normal life
To have the Spirit of God dwelling within the heart of
someone who chooses a domesticated faith is like having a tiger trapped
within a cage. You are the recipent of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ
who cannot be tamed and of a faith that must not be tamed. You are no longer
a prisoner of time and space, but a citizen of the Kingdom of God, and
a resident of the Barbarian Tribe. When you finally chose to join the Barbarian
Tribe, you begin to live your life with your eyes and your heart wide open.
When the Spirit of God envelops your soul, your spirit comes alive, and
everything changes for you. You are no longer the same. You are living
your life completely for Jesus Christ, and His eternal Glory. And those
around you who see you living a totally sold out life to Christ, see the
path you chose, the life you live, may lead them to conclude that you are
not simply different but insane. Followers of Jesus Christ who are fully
alive look out of their minds to those who jus! t simply exist
The civilized Christian build shelters and invite God
to stay with them, Barbarian Christians move with God where-ever He chooses
to go. The civilized Christian has a routine, the Barbarian Christian has
a mission. The civilized love tradition, the Barbarian loves challenges.
For the Barbarian - a life in God is one of daily risk and mystery. And
maybe even a little insanity. There's no way to escape that Barbarian believers
can appear out of their minds. No reasonable person would ever fully follow
God everywhere He calls
No matter how we try to spin the story, the bible is
filled with tribes of irrational people. When Noah built the Ark, he did
not live in a flood zone. When Elijah called down fire from heaven, he
had never tried it before. David should have left the giant alone, Hosea
never should have married a prostitute. What was Moses thinking when he
pointed his staff at the Red Sea. These people did not live normal lives.
Their actions were irrational if you take God out of the formula to do
what they did
The very vitality of their lives in God moved them beyond
the practicality of simple being reasonable. Their lives didn't make sense.
Anyone who ever risks listening to God and following His voice knows that
to everyone who is deaf to His voice, your actions will seem as if you've
gone crazy. We are not created to be normal, but deep followers of Jesus
Christ. Enter into God's presence, let Him unleash the untamed faith within
you !!!