I’m Desperate!

What is the definition of desperation? Being desperate means feeling a strong, often urgent, need or desire, sometimes to the point of recklessness or despair. Essentially, it describes a state of intense wanting and a feeling that one's needs are not being met.

How often do we feel “desperate”? How often do we feel like there is more to life than our day to day routines. Our innermost being cries out for more. Some of us look for the “more” in drugs or alcohol. Some of us look for the “more” in society attending book clubs, ice cream socials, etc., etc. However the “more” is really found in Jesus Christ and we don’t even realize it.

Most of us think of being a christian and going to church is boring. It’s a chore to get dressed and file into a building. Listen to three hymnals and a monotone preacher speak to us about a subject that we can’t even remember after we leave. It’s an obligation we must endure To deserve the Christian label. What if I told you there’s “more” than what meets the eye.

The word of God is alive! Living and breathing into our lives every single day but how desperate are we to receive it? How much of an effort to we put forth to receive the precious word of God?

Matthew 13:45 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, 46 and upon finding a single pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it.

This passage says this man was actively searching for fine pearls. He was putting forth effort to find this pearl. He wasn’t sitting at home daydreaming about this treasure. Instead he was desperately searching for a specific pearl. And when he found the pearl of great price he sold ALL he had. He sold his Ferrari and his jacked up 4 wheel drive Ford pickup truck. He sold his six bedroom, six bath mansion. He sold his wife’s Gucci purse. He sold his kid’s x-box. It didn’t matter what he had to give up (sell) he was desperate to have the treasure.

Matthew 13:44 The kingdom of heaven is like a [very precious] treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid again; then in his joy he goes and sells all he has and buys that field [securing the treasure for himself].

The Kingdom of Heaven is a treasure! It’s “more” than ordinary! It’s “more” than three hymnals and a sermon! It’s life and that “more” abundantly.

John 10:9 (Jesus said)  “I am the Door; anyone who enters through Me will be saved [and will live forever], and will go in and out [freely], and find pasture (spiritual security).
10 “The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life, and have it in abundance [to the full, till it overflows].

Abundant life is “In” Christ Jesus! He is the door and we must stand up and enter in through the “door”! Eternity in heaven isn’t a privilege given to everyone! It is for those that desperately seek His face! It’s for those that are obedient to His Word! It’s for the ones that feel that desperate unction to get closer to God and act upon it. The ones frantically searching for the truth with the attitude of “I’ve got to have it at any cost”!

Think about these scriptures! 
Matthew 6:19 “Do not store up for yourselves [material] treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.
20 “But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in and steal; 21 for where your treasure is, there your heart [your wishes, your desires; that on which your life centers] will be also.

The rich man wasn’t willing to sell all he had and receive eternal life. The things of this world meant more to him than eternal life. He really tried because he obeyed all the commandments but he wasn’t desperate enough to do that “one more thing”.

Our desperation for the Holy things of God must supersede the carnal things in our world. Does this mean we need to go sell everything we have and go feed the poor? No, I don’t think so unless of course Jesus spoke directly to you. It just simply means that nothing on this earth will come between me and my relationship with Jesus Christ. We must be able to lay it all down for the cause of Christ! In truth, when you receive the Holy Ghost, the Spirit will open your eyes to more truths in the word of God. You think that its impossible to live a life free from sin but that’s a lie from the enemy. The Holy Ghost gives you the power to succeed.

Matthew 6:24 “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon [money, possessions, fame, status, or whatever is valued more than the Lord].

What drives you? What direction are you moving in? Is it toward Jesus Christ? Or is it toward satisfying your own desires. To be totally transparent, often those desires aren’t “wrong desires” they just keep you distracted from your real purpose, which is your relationship with Jesus Christ.

Romans 8:5 For those who are living according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh [which gratify the body], but those who are living according to the Spirit, [set their minds on] the things of the Spirit [His will and purpose]. 6 Now the mind of the flesh is death [both now and forever—because it pursues sin]; but the mind of the Spirit is life and peace [the spiritual well-being that comes from walking with God—both now and forever]; 7 the mind of the flesh [with its sinful pursuits] is actively hostile to God. It does not submit itself to God’s law, since it cannot, 8 and those who are in the flesh [living a life that caters to sinful appetites and impulses] cannot please God. 9 ¶ However, you are not [living] in the flesh [controlled by the sinful nature] but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God lives in you [directing and guiding you]. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him [and is not a child of God]. 10 If Christ lives in you, though your [natural] body is dead because of sin, your spirit is alive because of righteousness [which He provides].

There is peace in Jesus. Your trust is in Him and He will direct your steps according to His will for your life.

There is unspeakable joy in Jesus even when the world around you is falling down you can rest assured in Him.

The love of God reaches down to your inner most being, to your very bones! When you are in Christ nothing can touch you that He doesn’t allow. He will make a way of escape for you when the trial becomes too much to bear.

1 Corinthians 10:13 No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.

I don’t know about you but I want to be “IN” Christ! I must strive to enter in.

Luke 13:23 And someone asked Him, “Lord, will only a few be saved [from the penalties of the last judgment]?” And He said to them, 24 “Strive to enter through the narrow door [force aside unbelief and the attractions of sin]; for many, I tell you, will try to enter [by their own works] and will not be able. 25 “Once the head of the house gets up and closes the door, and you begin to stand outside and knock on the door [again and again], saying, ‘Lord, open to us!’ then He will answer you, ‘I do not know where you are from [for you are not of My household].’ 26 “Then you will begin to say, ‘We ate and drank in Your presence, and You taught in our streets’; 27 but He will say to you, ‘I do not know where you are from; DEPART FROM ME, ALL YOU EVILDOERS!’

I don’t like being negative. We always speak of heaven but never mention hell. As real as heaven is, so is hell. There is a notion that everyone goes to heaven when they pass away but if the Bible is the infallible word of God that we believe it to be, without a doubt, completely true, then there are many, many people in hell. I know this is harsh and it really pains me to say it but it is simply because (not because I am the judge over their souls the word judges) but because, it was obvious, they didn’t want to obey the word of truth and live a holy life unto Jesus Christ. They refused to be “IN” Christ. The earthly things of this world meant more to them than a relationship with Jesus Christ.

Read Mark 9:42-48
2 Peter 2 speaks of false prophets teaching a doctrine different than that of Jesus Christ. Hell was literally created by God for the disobedient angels that sided with Lucifer (better known as Satan). 
Think about this. God sent a flood to cover the entire world to save a total of 8 people that chose to live a holy life. The world at that time was corrupt beyond imagination. Noah worked on the ark between 50 and 75 years preaching the flood was coming but no one would listen. They were given chance after chance but Noah’s preaching fell on deaf ears.

Sodom and Gomorrah was a vile city where a righteous man named Lot and his family lived. God sent an angel, at the request of Abraham’s prayers’ to save the city but no one would listen. Lot, his wife and two daughters escaped but while leaving the burning city Lot’s wife turned and looked back in remorse over what she was leaving behind. She literally turned to a pillar of salt. So only Lot and his two daughters escaped an entire burning city.

How are we any different? Unless we obey the gospel of Jesus Christ, we will not be saved! That’s hard to hear but it is truth! We cannot afford to do nothing with the truth we have been given. We don’t live in a country with religious restrictions. You can open your Bible and read it anytime you want to. Matter of fact, the internet has made the word of God easily accessible by everyone. We don’t have an excuse if asked why didn’t you read your Bible today!

Where is our desperation to be like Jesus? Why do we shrug off the call to pray? How is it that I allow the distraction of everyday life cloud my judgement? How come I push away the desperate call to repentance, roll the dice and say I’ll pray tomorrow.  But what if tomorrow never comes?!

The gospel of Jesus Christ is our ticket into eternal life with Him! He died for us! He taught us to repent, be baptized in His precious name and then, only after we are obedient to that word, answer His call, would He fill us with His Spirit. Jesus told the disciples “I am with you but not many days from now I will be in you”. If the disciples had to be filled with the Holy Spirit so do we! We aren’t special cases!

We won’t get to the gates of heaven and God change His mind! In Numbers 23:19 we read, “God is not a man, that he should lie, nor a son of man, that he should change his mind.” First Samuel 15:29 affirms, “He, who is the Glory of Israel, does not lie or change his mind; for he is not a man, that he should change his mind.” Psalm 110:4 says, “The LORD has sworn and will not change. The word of God is forever settled!

Believe me when I tell you, I didn’t want to tell you this today. I don’t want to upset my friends and family. Oftentimes they will shut the door and not want to hear any more, because they feel a devine pull of the Holy Ghost (that they don’t understand)! Instead of reaching out for help they shut the door! But if I don’t say it who will?! This is real. This should birth a desperation in you to be sure you are saved according to the the Holy word of God! My words here today should cause you to call or text me and say “Tell me what I need to do to be sure I am saved according to the word of God!” I don’t want guess if ’m saved, I want to know for sure! Desperate times call for desperate measures!

Hell is a real place just like heaven. Trust me, heaven is worth the sacrifice. The odds aren’t in your favor if you gamble with where you will spend eternity. Jesus taught us to “sell out” for Him. We’ve got to be willing to trade it all in for the cause of Christ! I’d rather have Jesus than silver or gold. I’d rather be led by His nail scarred hand than to be a king (queen) of a vast domain and miss heaven.

Mark 8:34 Jesus called the crowd together with His disciples, and said to them, “If anyone wishes to follow Me [as My disciple], he must deny himself [set aside selfish interests], and take up his cross [expressing a willingness to endure whatever may come] and follow Me [believing in Me, conforming to My example in living and, if need be, suffering or perhaps dying because of faith in Me]. 35 “For whoever wishes to save his life [in this world] will [eventually] lose it [through death], but whoever loses his life [in this world] for My sake and the gospel’s will save it [from the consequences of sin and separation from God]. 36 “For what does it benefit a man to gain the whole world [with all its pleasures], and forfeit his soul? 37 “For what will a man give in exchange for his soul and eternal life [in God’s kingdom]? 38 “For whoever is ashamed [here and now] of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.”

Hear me today! I am desperate to be saved! Take this whole world but give me Jesus!

Lord, let desperation drive me to be saved! Not just for one day or one week or even one year but let it drive me for the rest of my life! I must be saved no matter the cost! Show me the way to salvation!

Send me a message, tell me what you’re truly thinking!