Dead Come to Life

A few weeks ago I was speaking to my teens on a series I am doing, “Dead Come to Life.” The Lord placed a vision of a pig’s pen in my mind. Now, I have never been to a pig’s pen, nor do I ever want to be near one, but from what I have heard, it is one of THE smelliest places to be, even worse than being around cows. The Lord gave me 5 different locations in which to speak about. The pig pen being the first, the second was a field cows, the third was of a beautiful peaceful duck pond, the fourth was of the ocean, and the last - refreshing rain. The passage of scripture in which this vision was born from was Ephesians 2:1-10 1-6 “It wasn’t so long ago that you were mired in that old stagnant life of sin. You let the world, which doesn’t know the first thing about living, tell you how to live. You filled your lungs with polluted unbelief, and then exhaled disobedience. We all did it, all of us doing what we felt like doing, when we felt like doing it, all of us in the same boat. It’s a wonder God didn’t lose his temper and do away with the whole lot of us. Instead, immense in mercy and with an incredible love, he embraced us. He took our sin-dead lives and made us alive in Christ. He did all this on his own, with no help from us! Then he picked us up and set us down in highest heaven in company with Jesus, our Messiah.7-10 Now God has us where he wants us, with all the time in this world and the next to shower grace and kindness upon us in Christ Jesus. Saving is all his idea, and all his work. All we do is trust him enough to let him do it. It’s God’s gift from start to finish! We don’t play the major role. If we did, we’d probably go around bragging that we’d done the whole thing! No, we neither make nor save ourselves. God does both the making and saving. He creates each of us by Christ Jesus to join him in the work he does, the good work he has gotten ready for us to do, work we had better be doing.” I read that passage to the teens from 3 different biblical versions, the ESV, the NIV, and the last which I have above, The Message. I think it is important to read more than just one version of scripture to get a better read, feel, take, historical accuracy, etc. on what is exactly being said and also for more texture. (For those who know me, texture is very important to me in almost all things, ha ha.) The vision came especially from the first verse. “It wasn’t so long ago that you were mired in that old stagnant life of sin.” I hope and pray the following encourages you, challenges you, and spurs you to take an honest look at your own life and where you might be in your walk with or without the Lord. God Bless The Pig Pen: Represents those who are willfully rejecting and defying the Lord in their lives. Either as one who has never come to the Lord, or one who has turned away and is running full throttle in the opposite direction. Just like the Pin Pen which is filthy, so too the heart of an unbeliever. Evil is rampant and darkness rules the mind and heart. Sin has a stench that causes us to no longer be able to distinguish between filth and a pure pleasant aroma. The Field of Cows: Represents those who are not believers, but consider themselves good people. These people are those who don’t need God, because, well, they are already “Good People.” So, if you are good, who needs God to help you? These people live in a life of continual sin, chewing their own cud of sin, day in and day out without seeing their need for God’s living bread and His life giving water. They have the inability to digest their need for confession of sin and repentance. The Duck Pond: Represents those who are the “Church” goers. These people go to church, dress the part, sit in the pews, sing the songs, might even pray out loud if asked, might even be an elder, but have no genuine heart, mind and soul transformation in Jesus. There has never been a genuine repentance that has taken place and there is no relationship with Jesus, just religion, just tradition. This is a very scary place to be in life, because behind the pretty picture of their religion, they are still filled with a bacteria of sin festering within them and do not see it, because they have so beautifully painted the picture that is on the outside. If you look at most paintings or children’s books where “Duck Ponds” are painted, they are beautifully surrounded with flowers, lily pads, butterflies and cute little duck families with baby ducks swimming joyfully within their surroundings. Yet, if you really look closely at the duck pond, it is a stagnant body of water where bacteria and unclean living creatures are breeding within it, and all sorts of impurities float about that your eye will never see unless examined under a microscope. Just like these people’s hearts and minds, unless closely examined by God, one might never know how truly impure their hearts are, because they live a “Good life and they are The Church Goer.” The Ocean: Represents those who are in a personal relationship with Jesus, and have made a genuine commitment to follow and serve Him. We would call them, “Born Again Believers.” Yes, these are the ones who are very active in their faith, in their church, bible studies etc., but they are still concealing, struggling and dealing with very personal sin areas in their lives that they fear being exposed or that they are simply unwilling to let go of. There is comfort in sin at times even though it may bring shame and self-condemnation. Just like the Duck Pond, at first glance, The Ocean can seem so beautiful, breath taking, refreshing even - until you run in and submerge yourself tasting the water - forgetting it is not fresh water, but very salty, bitter water. There is a sting of displeasure even in the midst of such great beauty and power. Just like that coveted sin we are holding onto, there is a sting of great shame and guilt that keeps us from living the abundant life that would allow to swim freely in Christ Jesus. The Rain: Represents those who are in a personal relationship with Jesus, and have made a genuine commitment to follow and serve Him just as The Ocean People, but the difference with these people is simply this; they want to be honest in their relationship with the Lord and desire the Lord to help set them free from their addictions, secrets, fears, strongholds, weaknesses, etc. They are willing to seek help if needed and then to do something about it. They are willing to let God be Lord over all areas of their life. They are willing to let Jesus’ shed blood on the cross purify them wholly and completely, inside and out. So today, just as I told my teens, I challenge you with the same questions: “You reside in one of these locations spiritually. Where are you in your walk with Christ? What are you filling your life with? Are you being honest with yourself and with God? Stop, “letting the world, which doesn’t know the first thing about living, tell you how to live. (Stop) filling your lungs with polluted unbelief, and then exhaling disobedience,” surrender today, “Instead, (embrace His) immense mercy and His incredible love, (because) he embraced us (first). Let me close with a Psalm. Psalm 40:1-10 “1 I waited patiently for the LORD; he turned to me and heard my cry. 2 He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. 3 He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear the LORD and put their trust in him. 4 Blessed is the one who trusts in the LORD, who does not look to the proud, to those who turn aside to false gods. 5 Many, LORD my God, are the wonders you have done, the things you planned for us. None can compare with you; were I to speak and tell of your deeds, they would be too many to declare. 6 Sacrifice and offering you did not desire—but my ears you have opened burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not require. 7 Then I said, “Here I am, I have come— it is written about me in the scroll.8 I desire to do your will, my God; your law is within my heart.” 9 I proclaim your saving acts in the great assembly; I do not seal my lips, LORD, as you know. 10 I do not hide your righteousness in my heart; I speak of your faithfulness and your saving help. I do not conceal your love and your faithfulness from the great assembly.”