Matthew 11:12 - From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing and forceful men lay hold of it.
Another translation says: "...the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force."
My question today is: are you one of these men? Are you grabbing onto and seizing the kingdom of heaven that Jesus who died for us on the cross gave us a right to? Are you crucifying your sin to Jesus daily so you can walk in full glory with your Lord? Have you walked away from the fear of man and boldly into the fear of the Lord? Are you living boldy for Christ being an example worthy of the violent death Jesus suffered on the cross?
Or are you still in that same place you have always been? Are you still making excuses for your sin and not taking responsibility? Do you warm the chair at church or a Warrior at Heart meeting and then walk back into your worldly life and live in fear of being ridiculed, fear of what others might think if you boldly go where your called to go?
I'm guessing most of you are exactly where I am...caught in the middle.
One of my favorite Casting Crowns songs is called "Caught in the Middle". In it Mark Hall the writer defines where we are exactly. The line that haunts me is this one "Just how close can I get, Lord, to my surrender without losing all control"
The lyrics to Caught in the Middle:
Somewhere between the hot and the cold
Somewhere between the new and the old
Somewhere between who I am and who I used to be
Somewhere in the middle, You'll find me
Somewhere between the wrong and the right
Somewhere between the darkness and the light
Somewhere between who I was and who You're making me
Somewhere in the middle, You'll find me
Just how close can I get, Lord, to my surrender without losing all control
Fearless warriors in a picket fence, reckless abandon wrapped in common sense
Deep water faith in the shallow end and we are caught in the middle
With eyes wide open to the differences, the God we want and the God who is
But will we trade our dreams for His or are we caught in the middle
Are we caught in the middle
Somewhere between my heart and my hands
Somewhere between my faith and my plans
Somewhere between the safety of the boat and the crashing waves
Somewhere between a whisper and a roar
Somewhere between the altar and the door
Somewhere between contented peace and always wanting more
Somewhere in the middle You'll find me
Just how close can I get, Lord, to my surrender without losing all control
Lord, I feel You in this place and I know You're by my side
Loving me even on these nights when I'm caught in the middle
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