The Big Diehl

My previous post was about the need to live a life of a crescendo - never be lacking in zeal but always holding your spiritual fervor. If you’ve been a Christian longer than 7 days, you probably know that keeping your spiritual fervor is easier said than done. Today I want to present an idea of how to keep living with zeal and spiritual fervor for a lifetime.

Have you ever noticed that airport terminals have a lot of chairs? What are those chairs for? –they’re for waiting. I am on my way to a conference this morning and my flight was canceled. I was put to a later flight to the same city. So here I am — sitting in an airport terminal. In the chairs. Waiting.

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If we want to live a life of continual zeal for God, we must live a life of consistent spiritual renewal. Oh, how I wish that God would have told us how to live a life of consistent spiritual renewal! Oh wait, he did. Check it out, “They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength” (Is. 40:31). The NIV says that “those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.” After looking up the original language, I think a great translation would be, “Those that earnestly seek after God will renew their strength.”

Do you want to maintain a high level of zeal and fervor for Christ your entire life? That’s the secret - seek Him. Wait for Him. Expect Him.

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It’s really annoying to have to wait for this next flight. I’m waiting for my flight and I’m hoping and trusting it will depart timely. But after the waiting - I know I’m going to get on my flight. The Good Thing can only come after the wait — the hoping — the seeking.

Crescendo is the musical term that means to get louder. Decresendo is the opposite — it means to back down and get quieter.

I hear people talk about how the spiritual encounter at a church camp will fade away. I’ve even been told of “youthful zeal,” and that one day it will also fade.

That’s pretty stupid if you think about it. If you want to say that I have “youthful zeal” I hope you’ll be saying that until I die. What’s “youthful” about it? — that only implies that it will fade with age. My Grandpa had youthful zeal for Christ - he drove around town with big signs on his car that read, “JESUS SAVES.” I’m serious. That youthful zeal continued his whole life until the day he died and he left an amazing legacy. One year ago this very day, I met an old preacher who had tears come to his eyes every time he thought about the faithfulness of God and who was leading people to Christ in the nursing home. That’s youthful zeal in an 80 year old with Parkinson’s. 

Youthful zeal my butt.

Youthful zeal should just be “zeal.” It’s always supposed to be there.

Zeal was never intended to fade (I’m not just talking about “youthful” zeal, either). Zeal for Christ is supposed to last our lifetime. In fact, we’re instructed to do so in Romans 12:11, “Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.”

Our spiritual life will be filled with all sorts of ups and downs - there are no plateaus. Ultimately, God has called us to live a spiritual life that is one big gigantic crescendo. Let’s keep living louder.

Last year I shared this wonderful audio file for Christmas. This year I wanted to share a wonderful music group from Indiana University called “Straight No Chaser” getting confused on their Christmas repertoire. This is fantastic on so many levels. You’ll love it!

My father and pastor has mentioned several times (while on stage) that he gets frustrated sometimes. Understandably so — he gets frustrated when he prepares a weekend message for the church about how to heal a broken marriage - and then all throughout that week, couples call him and ask for Godly counsel on how to heal their broken marriage. They would have heard all of it had they just came to church. I get frustrated occasionally as well in a similar way, only with my blog, not a sermon. Think about how frustrating that must be — we go through the work to help people, but the people that are thirsty for that specific thing — the ones needing it — don’t care enough to show up.

It made me wonder how God must feel.

We claim we want to know God’s will. If we’re really on fire we’ll shout out to God, “Speak to me your plans! Let me hear your voice!” And then get mad at him when he doesn’t answer. Think about that - that’s really what we do, isn’t it?

God already spent 1500 years writing down his plans for us. Not only that, but he inspired a group of early church leaders to compile all of it together into one organized book. It’s called the Bible! He did all this - yet we ignore it and holler out for God’s voice saying, “Why won’t you tell me anything?!”

It’s a wonder we can be so stupid and still breathe!

I’m not saying that God won’t speak through Divine Revelation - he certainly does. But Divine Revelation will never contradict scripture and we should always start with the Word of God that He as ALREADY given to us.

Let me end with some strong words that were said to me once:

“You want to know God? How DARE you say that you want to know God when you haven’t even read His Word — all of it — Genesis through Revelation. –the whole thing straight through.”

That same night I started Genesis 1. I’m reading Hebrews tonight. It’s been amazing how much more I understand God when I’ve read things in their context.

If you are not aware of my feet disability, please click here to read my previous post about that. This post is more of a personal journal entry, but its one I want to share with my readers.

My left foot has been giving me a lot of problems the past few days. It’s been getting worse and worse every day this week. I think its because of the weather and also because my church has a big drama this weekend and I’ve been working a ton of extra hours on my feet this week getting the lights set for that. But today my left foot actually hurts even if I’m just sitting here.

It’s hard to stay positive when you hurt, know what I mean? I just want to lay down with my foot elevated and feel bad for myself - but I just don’t have time to feel bad for myself. I have to keep going for now. But more importantly, I have to keep my joy.

It’s not my joy, really. It’s more like God’s joy - but he gives it to me. My pastor preached about joy a few weeks ago and one of his points was: “To get joy, you have to take back what the devil stole.”

Here I am, 23 years old yet aching with the joints of a 70 year old (bad feet mess up your leg, hips, and back as well), and today is a “bad day” for my feet. Obviously my temporary crummy circumstances could lead to feeling down; losing your joy — the internal happiness. Discouragement is the easy road to travel - honestly I feel like heading in that direction! This isn’t fun!

But I know my circumstances are completely irrelevant to the love of God which gives me joy.
My circumstances are irrelevant to the Calling God has for me.
My circumstances are irrelevant to living with God’s joy.

There are two kinds of “know.” There’s a common “know” — like how I know the mailman or how I know some friends. But there are a few people that I really know. I know what makes them tick. I know if they’re having a bad day before they even tell me so. I know their dreams, their passions, and their deepest struggles. I really know a few people.

Consider this verse in Matthew 7:21 where Jesus said, “Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’”

Can I please see a show of hands from anyone who has driven out demons? Even to some of those that have, Jesus will say, “I never knew you — Away from me.”

Whoa.
I think too often we say we “know” God . . . but we know God like we know our mailman or even as common friends. “Am I a Christian? Yea. I know God.” But do you really know him, or do you know him like you know the mailman? — you acknowledge that he’s there everyday and gladly welcome and accept whatever he brings, but that’s it.

“I never knew you.” Those are some strong words, and Jesus will say those to some who think they’re living a Christian life. Let’s know God. Really know him. Know his heart - know his desires - know his passions. This starts with the Bible.

“We’re living in the Laodicean [Apostate] Church. Christians pass over scripture like its nutritional information on a bag of Doritos: ‘That information helps me be healthy, but I really don’t care.’”

For you, has scripture lost its potency? If you say, “No” then let me ask you another, perhaps more revealing question:

How is scripture transforming your life?

The missing link for evangelism in your generation is transparency/authenticity/genuineness, whatever you want to call it. THAT is what your generation wants. I’m speaking confidently about “your” generation because I really think this idea is the “missing link” for all generations. Let me talk about what I think it means to be authentic.

John 4:36-38 says “The Harvester isn’t waiting. He’s taking his pay, gathering in this grain that’s ripe for eternal life. Now the Sower [the planter] is arm in arm with the Harvester, triumphant. That’s the truth of the saying, ‘This one sows, that one harvests.’ I sent you to harvest a field you never worked. Without lifting a finger, you have walked in on a field worked long and hard by others.” (TheMessage)

Which deserves more credit- the harvester or the sower? They’re equal.

Don’t beat yourself up because your personality isn’t outgoing enough, or you “ain’t no good word-smith”, or whatever. Now, we should all be stretched outside of what’s comfortable for us — but what about the people who fervently stand in the gap and pray for the lost? What about the people who live boldly for Christ in their actions? What about those who actually pray with the lost to receive Christ? Which part is most valuable? They’re equal.

God cares about the lost. The more we know God, the more we’ll care about what He cares about. I guess what I’m trying to say is that Evangelism must start with knowing God. If we’re not close with God, we’re going to do very little for the Kingdom of God.

When God’s passion becomes your passion - you can’t help but evangelize. Maybe you’ll be the person who prays for the lost. Maybe you’ll plant a seed by living a holy life in a dark place. Maybe you’ll be the person who presents God’s plan of salvation to those around them. etc. etc. etc.

When God’s passion is in your core - evangelism will be a lot like sweat.

I was in a hurry at the supermarket and I grabbed the first toothbrush I saw. I got home to find out that the head of the toothbrush was bendy so that when I pushed against my teeth it actually would bend away. I found it so annoying. That was two days ago.

Tonight I was brushing my teeth and I realized that I wasn’t bothered by it anymore. Then it hit me - what if what we think is “normal” isn’t “normal” at all?

Check out this scripture in Acts 2:47, “And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.”

DAILY.

uh . . . daily?

It was normal for people to accept Christ every single day. What’s going on in your neighborhood, in your circle of influence? If you’re like most American Christians — not much.

If we are not striving to see people come to Christ, we are living an abnormal Christianity. But most of us settle for “abnormal” because it seems normal. We’re stuck in the twilight zone.

Not anymore. I want to live a normal Christian life -passionate, evangelistic, and difficult. Anything else is abnormal.