Changed into a different person?

The month of February was a different month for me. As my closest friends in ministry already know, few days before February 1st, I felt the Lord led me to unplug from all ministry and business activity and take the month off to fast, pray and seek the Lord. 

So how did I fare? That's an open answer. Because only time will tell. The simple answer is, I had fantastic moments with God, powerful experiences and fresh revelation of Jesus. I can even say I've fallen in love with Him all over again. I've made some quality decisions about the way I'm going to live and work in the future. Decisions that were probably long overdue. But I'll be careful to say I'm changed into a different person (I can hear my wife saying here "...and you should be" :) 

You see, looking at the Scriptures, the idea of being "changed" is a rather serious proposition. Let me explain, it may do you some good, too....

The whole month of February the Holy Spirit led me to a new place of intimacy with Jesus. He's more real to me now that He has ever been before. Remember, we believe in a God we can't see with our natural senses, even though we can see plainly the handiwork of His awesome creation. But we still worship a God who is a Spirit (John 4:24). Moreover, we, his creation, are also spirits who have a soul and live in a physical body. So we can't see Him, who is a Spirit, but guess what, we can't even see people, who are spirits, too. We can discern people's spirits and motives, but we can't see them with our plain, physical eyesight. One day we shall be revealed in fulness when we are glorified with Jesus at His coming. (1John 3:1-2) But while in our earthly vessels, we remain limited to who are appear to be based on our physical features, way of presenting ourselves, etc. 

Now what does change have to do with this? 

First of all, when Jesus came, he called people to repentance, which really means a change of mind, change of direction, change of allegiance. So change is a huge theme in the New Testament. The word repentance of course is a rape victim of the spirit of religion and may be, just may be, a new generation of believers can bring a new life to this concept some time soon. 

See, that's why I'm careful in declaring "I'm changed!" I feel changed, I feel like a different person, but...I'm reminded of another fellow who was changed into a different person, only to slip back into being his own rotten self faster than you can say "who was that". 

I'm referring to the tragic figure of Saul, the infamous first king of Israel. Prophet Samuel pours oil over Saul, kisses him (a seal of sonship and covenant) and gives him a powerful promise: you will be changed into a different person (1 Sam. 10:6)

So he did. Saul finds himself among the prophets, the Spirit of God comes upon him and he is turned into a different man. For a moment, that is. 

You see, Saul never retained this change. He failed to capture the promise of this experience. This was his divine moment and he failed. How do we know? Time showed it. Saul began his journey in God in the company of prophets, but ended it up in the company of compromisers. He never really remained changed. Just like so many Christians today. We begin well, we start by having powerful experiences with Jesus, we're dramatically changed into a different person so that everyone takes notice. But with time we cool off. Our inner person, our inner spirit begins to decay and yet we fail to take notice and come back to the Source of our salvation. 

I don't know what you might need in order to reverse such process, if indeed it's in motion already. I know I had to take a month off and come back to the centrality of Jesus in my life. I experienced some powerful emotional release and healing, some physical manifestations of God's power, some awesome revelations. 

But whether I will allow retain the spiritual substance of these experiences, is a completely open question, which only time will tell. I will strive to remain changed. I will apply all willpower and will trust God to keep me in this new place of devotion I've found myself in. But here I stand before Him and everyone else and am the first to admit and make myself vulnerable - I may fail! I may slip back into being overly busy and drifting away from the intimate fellowship of the Spirit. I may end up my journey in the company of compromisers. Sounds like a scary admission? I prefer to look at it as refreshingly honest. 

I'll end with a quote from Keith Green's song "The grace by which I stand": 

"And how I wish it had been explained that as you're growing, you must remember, that nothing lasts, except the grace of God, by which I stand in Jesus" 

PS: If you can ignore the corny graphics, you can hear the song here.

Or here, if you really don't want to deal with the corny graphics :)