Answer the Dang Door….

The one night at PFW he explained the difference between the Holy Spirit and the religious spirit.  He only could share a few sentences… but it was just one of those things.  I knew I was supposed to pay attention.  I knew he was right… about how close they resemble each other, right up until the actual action.

I see how it is like a knocking on a door

knock

knock

knock

knock

knock

and the Holy Spirit led would answer it.

and the religious spirit would go to the door, same as the Holy Spirit led would…even put his hand on the knob…look through the peep hole…

but in the end the religious spirit would check his watch….or go watch TV… because the religious spirit would know there is set times to do things…the way they have always been done.

The religious spirit would know (because he always knows just how and just so) Jesus only shows up if you play 2 fast songs and 3 slow songs…and of course only the ones people like to sing.

The religious spirit  knows Jesus likes when we get out on time…. when we say diplomatic things… when we sing just enough songs and read just the right amount of Bible verses, all of which happen at set in stone times because how else would we know when to say the “right things”?

and he knows it because that is the way things are done…and it is late…so you don’t answer the door to the unknown.

The religious spirit loves to control… it is safe there… he likes the business of church…he knows what will happen…and people like hamsters on the wheel get very little accomplished by his direction.

Because sometimes Jesus is scary for people…even those who love Him…even those who love Him a lot…what He says and what they think He will want ,is scarier than anything.

The Holy Spirit answers the door….He welcomes Jesus at anytime… and no one need sit in a circle with Bibles open on laps…although He likes that too.

He knows that since the start, Jesus shows up looking to find who will make room for him…even in a stable.

The Holy Spirit knows that even though Jesus can be scary…He really is the most amazing loving kind of scary…the kind that will overcome you and make you catch your breath.

The Holy Spirit leading you will make you do crazy things… like sit and talk about the church in Afghanistan and how it is  beautiful….even when you were going to do something else entirely.

While the Holy Spirit takes your hand…or your drum stick (smile) you play for way past the allotted time…and people become blurs as notes resonate channels straight into heaven.

or you move to South Africa…or you sacrifice your life to sing praises every night…. or you sit quietly as you child tells you their troubles, even when you had dinner plans.

To open the door or not… there is Grace covering it all.

But I needed the tools to decipher many things that were occurring…that are occurring at such an accelerated speed in my life… some a bit scary…. some at inconvenient times.

But I have found He truly does work all things together for good….

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