My Two Cents

by Rev Chuck Behrens

January 2011

If you look on the backside of an American nickel, you’ll see a picture of it It's the domed mansion of President Thomas Jefferson known as Monticello. And it's a living monument to the genius of one of America's great minds - the author of America's Declaration of Independence, the architect of the Louisiana Purchase that more than doubled the size of this nation in a day. Monticello reflects so much of his creative genius and his insatiable, inquiring mind. Everywhere you turn, there are inventive touches that were there years ahead of their time. Perhaps the single feature of that house that best reveals the mind of Thomas Jefferson is the direction that its main rooms face. His study, bedroom and library for example, all face west. Jefferson loved to look west; he wanted his guests and friends to be looking west because he said that's where the frontier is. And Thomas Jefferson was always facing the frontier!

Facing that frontier - that's an exciting way to live. With a restless heart that says, ''There's more out there and I want it.” That's the heart of the spiritually healthy Jesus-follower. However far you’ve come in your relationship with Christ, however much you've experienced of Him, you know there's much more. And you want to go beyond anywhere you've gone before; especially as we face this New Year of 2011.

That's the passion of the great Apostle Paul - 30 years into what may have been the most powerful relationship with Jesus anyone ever had. But in Philippians 3 beginning with verse 10, our word for today from the Word of God, he says: “I want to know Christ and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in His sufferings ... Not that I have already obtained all this or have already been made perfect but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it "

If the great Apostle Paul felt that way - that he had much more of Jesus to experience - you should be concerned if you find your heart isn't restless for more! Oswald Chambers put it this way: ''Beware the danger of spiritual relaxation.” The spiritual level you're at may very well be enough to satisfy your pastor or other Christians, but I hope it isn't enough to satisfy you.
I pray for you and me the driving passion of Paul as he says: ''Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. There's so much more ¬a greater experience of the closeness of Jesus, the power of Jesus, the moment-by-moment leading of Jesus. Sounds great for the end of one year and the beginning of a new one.

There are two major spiritual frontiers to hunger for. First, greater intimacy with Jesus. I'm by nature a . doer. I'm more Martha than I am Mary, busy running around serving Jesus. But I want to experience more of the realness of His presence and His love, the sound of His voice in my soul. I want to be a lot more like Him a lot more minutes of the day and dare to HIT THE PAUSE BUTTON…. OFTEN!

The second frontier is a greater impact for Jesus; making a greater difference for Him than I've ever made before. The road to His glorious ''more'' is increased time with Him each day, more "cuddle time" where I just love on Him and let Him love on me; a passionate pursuit of personal orders from Jesus every time I open His book. Every time we're in His book, every time we're in a Christian meeting, we should go with this prayer in our heart, ''Jesus, help me come away with more of You!" And then we need to be mining each day for every possible opportunity to have an impact on somebody else's life for Him.

''More, Lord, I want more. I want all You have for me. I want to go beyond anywhere I've ever gone with You before!" Wow, let that be the cry of your hungry heart, and don't ever be content with how far you've come. There's so much more; for this New Year and so many more moments past it!

See you in Church, many times in this New Year of blessing!
Chuck