Reigniting Your Passion for Jesus (Part 1 of 2)

Melissa suffered through 11 years of her husband's addiction and she feared the worst. How really the guy being working and related air on Jim Daly this season.

Help us give families hope and when you give to the your donation will be double donated focusonthefamily.com/family second with his 315 says that with the spirit of the Lord is, there is free so Kim where you don't have freedom. Guess where his spirit isn't and will you invite him into that place and step through the ash and darkness of that place into the freedom that you already have Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior this kilometer and she's kicking off our best of 20, 21 Focus on the Family programs. Thanks so much for joining us your hostess focus president Dr. Jim Daly and I'm John Fuller.

I am so excited to come back to this program with Kim. She has such a great heart and her stories are captivating. This conversation with her today is going to give your spiritual life a jumpstart. I guarantee it. Think about when you meet people who have recently accepted Christ as their Savior. You can see it in their eyes. The love for God.

The passion for leading others to Jesus and a longing for everyone to know the hope that they found but a few years down the road. That light starts to leave their eyes. Life gets busy with job kids and other responsibilities. And while that person still loves God praise and goes to church, the kind of spiritually worn out 10 m message will help you reignite that passion and closeness with the Lord as many of you know Kim is a best-selling author very popular just here on Focus on the Family and she and her husband Troy have such big hearts. They founded Crystal peaks youth Ranch in Oregon. They rescue abused and neglected horses and then incorporate those horses into a therapy program for children who are struggling and Kim's newest book is called revival rising and bracing his transforming fire.

We got copies of that. Here you'll find the details in the show notes and really jump in Jim as you greeted Kim and here now is our first test of 2021 episode Focus on the Family him.

It's always great to have you with us or we welcome back.

Thank you so much. It's good to be in the company. My brothers well as many of our listeners know you become a Christian as a child.

After some very traumatic circumstances and were to cover all that today, but if you miss that part of Tim story a minute is powerful. Probably one of the most powerful presentations about God's pursuit for us in and I would encourage you to get the download you and that you can pick up that story. Years later, now you still have that same kind of wonderful exuberance for Christ and you know it's a little sad is that not everybody enjoys God at that depth over a long period of time. So I think that the question is how do you keep that passion alive in your life over the long haul. I think that's a great question because the enemy is nothing if he isn't patient and all he desires is for God's people to look away from the face of the author of love and hope and joy and peace and when we do all there is is darkness and frustration, and so in order to maintain our joy in Christ. It's imperative that we know who he is in us and who we are in him and we do that by knowing his word and spending time in his word every day and when we know what the truth is that we know what a lot is and we know what is literally the enemy or our own negative thoughts saying hey that's not okay yeah I wanted to drill down on this because I think a lot of Christians have been Christians for 20, 30 years maybe or maybe it's only been five years or so, but there is the kind of the demands of life that just keep pulling us down down down to the kind of the normal get out of bed, go to work. Say hi to Fred make sure we treat Fred nicely. You know, whatever it might be, but it's not. It's not that faith that's on fire.

It's not that faith that is exuberant, it's there something missing joy joy joy joy is second in our Holy Spirit arsenal of weaponry only to love God's joy and when we choose his joy were commanded. Jesus commands us in John the book of John to beef filled with joy were only filled when were actually overflowing.

He says that let your joy overflow. We were just talking about having our focus on everything hurts and it's painful and art are negative circumstances and our focus gets bent on everything that hurts instead of on the one who heals in worship realigns our focus on the God that feels everything that hurts within us and when we align ourselves in that truth.

It's literally like looking at Satan, saying I don't fear you I fear him, and he's crazy about me all this negative stuff swirling around my feet.

There is no violence there is no virus there is no crazy politics that can change one promise in God's word. Everything that Jesus Christ did for you and me is still true and for us to keep our focus on the hat. How can we not be full with joy. I agree you know one thing. Often I think begins to falter in a Christian's life is a grasp on God's freedom, which is what will give you that joy and I think we tend to listen to the enemy our own flesh about our our sins, our shortcomings the way we fail God and we start concentrating on those things and they do become a barricade that deep sense of joy because let's face it, if we really got a hold of what the Lord has done for us. We should be walking joy bubbles right that God sent his son to die for us and to take on the sins of the world and the exchanges. Do you believe Jesus is the son of God, right, and in exchange for that you have eternal life is amazing.

We should be going yahoo right I see the whole world and pictures and I love that Jesus Christ spoke in parables to take something that we can seek to illustrate something that we can't yet see. And recently I was at home. It was warm. The first warm morning of spring.

I didn't start a fire and I'm spending time in the word and all of a sudden I can hear this racket over my head in the scratching and thumping and bumping and what could only be a bird falling into the stovepipe of our woodstove and falling down the pipe fighting the whole way, until finally in exhaustion. It just drops and lands in in the woodstove box. Gratefully, there was no claim and it saw the light, it flew hard. It smashed into the glass and then retreated and so I set everything aside and looked in in the very back corner was a female starling, one of the most despised of all birds and yet looking at her in this firebox covered in blackness. It was like Jesus saying yeah that that was just like you and so I put a towel over the door and reached in carefully and drew her out and other than being covered in ash. She was fine and I walked outside into the brilliant sunlight and just open my finger slowly and she didn't ask questions. She didn't ponder she didn't need to process or talk about it. She flew hard and fast into the freedom that was offered to her and she never looked back and I could hear Jesus saying TC that that's what I'm calling my people to do. Here's what I'm not calling them to do fly back over your shoulder into the living room into the firebox and close the door and then cry and saying God, oh God, where are you when Jesus Christ came to this earth. 2000 years ago. He lived a perfect life and laid that life down for you and me and when he did that he broke the lock on that prison door suffering and sin and that firebox place where we are left to die and it is his love that reaches in and we choose if working to take his hand and step out into the freedom that he's already purchased for us.

Galatians 51. It is for freedom that Jesus Christ to set us free, and if we don't have freedom in any area of our life and I pointing my finger at myself.

It's for one reason only, I'm not choosing and I came up in our Sunday school class of the day Jim we were talking about freedom and God says I have didn't care that Jesus covered that I've moved on, will you hate, but so often we don't. Second Corinthians 315 says that where the spirit of the Lord is, there is free so Kim where you don't have freedom. Guess where his spirit isn't and will you invite him into that place and step through the ash and darkness of that place into the freedom that you already have. If Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior.

And if you don't know Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. We want to invite you to call Focus on the Family today so we can tell you more about experiencing true freedom in Christ are numbers 800 the letter a and the word family or click the link in the show notes and when you get in touch with us. Be sure to ask for Kim's book revival rising.

We got copies of that that we be happy to send that to you. The Kim and another mistake that we can often make as Christians is that we get so wrapped up and I think you know with some reasonableness. We get kinda wrapped up in her own world, our own issues our own problems and we don't feel like there's any capacity.

There to really love on other people, which when you get down to it that's really why were here right that's what it is done everything for us is to show that kind of kindness and love to others in the sound like as I read the book you you had an experience like that where you were in that spot and you were busy and you pulled into a gas station to get gas in the Lord set up. You know what a minute I want to show you some what happened again. Of all the weaponry from the Holy Spirit gifted to God's people. Love is the most powerful weapon of warfare. We carry and as I was driving into a gas station on autopilot. You just need gas and go get it.

The Holy Spirit highlighted the attendant working there that day in Oregon. They pump your gas for those of us who don't live in most states, and so on. This very cold day. I was actually grateful for that. And as I was prompted to study this man. He was probably in his mid-60s. He was very thin. He wore tattered filthy clothing and he never looked at me once, and I could sense the Lord saying to you see him I love him so much. Will you let him know how much I love him and today I want you to make him laugh, what okay okay and so put the window down and started to engage this man in what seemed like meaningless conversation but every conversation that's driven by love is far from meaningless. Every single one, and pretty soon we were talking about some silly things and I I shared something really really goofy and in he broke into this great big smile and his hand flew up over his face, but not before I saw what he was trying to hide in this beloved son of God was embarrassed because he had no teeth and he didn't want me to see that and finally I looked at him and I said brother when you smile your face gets so warm.

Don't ever stop that and through a single conversation as often as I was able I would return to that same gas station and their minutes at a time. The love of Jesus Christ was poured out into a life that needed to know. He was seen and valued in perfect and is often times is the case, I don't know the end of the story.

I returned one day and he was gone. But what I do know is the authority of God's word, which says in Isaiah 55 it everything that we pour out into this world that is filled with the love of God goes out like arrows that the receiver can't pull out they can't un-field they can't un-hear truth, they can't un-experience being seen and valued and that went with him wherever he went, and I just got to be a piece in his journey of knowing the love of Jesus Christ and maybe you who are listening, will be the next piece for this beloved man who has no teeth to know he is a son of the living, and whoever that person is that the Lord is wooing uses his people to woo the of the unbeliever to him and at such a beautiful poetic, I think expression of God's heart for us and how he does it and how were all part of the solution for that individual. You know Kim, I don't want this to sound like psychobabble or anything like that but a lot of people they mass themselves or say to themselves, they don't feel they can give love to the don't really experience that for some reason even from their father in heaven. What would you say the person who is in that place the sometime some people may express that is temperament, but it doesn't create. You don't have to have those gifts to do God's bidding.

That's right, and he'll equip you and speak to the person doesn't feel loved and therefore can't give love, so I would begin this answer with equal psychobabble that that for anyone who would say that's just not for me it's not my nature.

I would tell you my nature is split right down the middle 49 introvert, 51, extrovert. I'm not either but that doesn't matter. What matters is that we avail ourselves to be used by the one and only living God. She's the one who equips us when were trying to do something out of our own strength were to fail every time we don't have what is needed. I don't have enough love.

I don't have enough wisdom or hope, or joy, but I do have the owner and the creator of all those things. And when we know who he is in us and that all those things are available to fill us to overflowing that that when we move about in the world that were so flattered with the presence of God that he is what comes out in every situation that is literally heaven coming to earth through God's people and that's what changes the environments that were in for someone who says I cannot give love because I don't genuinely feel love, you are trusting your future in something that is fallible and that's your feelings. Let me just tell you straight your feelings cannot stand against the power and truth and authority of God's word. It's the same yesterday today and forever and you can build a life on it. So let's step off the feelings and stand on the truth of God's word, trusting him to always give you what you need when you need it, that's who. Absolutely. And I think him. In addition, the irony of it is when you take that step of boldness or whatever might be to show people concerned show someone else the love of God.

It's amazing how you feel the spirit of God well up and you yes. That's when he's on fire and you're right yes you can feel it when everything's working in sync. You are the beneficiary of feeling God's presence. I think absolutely I again see everything in pictures and and as I am learning to avail this vessel to two pour out the fruit of the spirit of the living God. I always see it like this molten honey coming down and if it's love or joy or peace, you cannot help but be covered in that beauty and glory yourself as you just avail yourself to be used by God. I wonder it's so true and II love of them in the idea that the fruit of the spirit, love, joy, peace, goodness and mercy self-control. All those good things.

I once encountered somebody say well I don't have much patience. I remember saying to this person. I don't think it's a menu you order for like it's all present. The Lord is present in your heart.

It's accessible to you. You may have obstacles that you're placing to get there and one of those is joy and I want to end today will come back next time. If you can stay with us and will come back tomorrow and talk more about your grade book revival rising, but this idea of accessing joy feeling joy embracing joy knowing joy letting that joy renew our lives speak to that joy aspect and then that great story you have about the and how he found joy. This is going to make me cry. I was invited with four other women to travel through Eastern Europe to share the gospel in some of the poorest nations in Europe and we were finishing our tour we didn't traveling for week speaking up to four times a day and had been invited to an equestrian facility where they were doing equine assisted therapy and what we do at the ranch is equine assisted ministry and those are two highly different things, and as soon as I got there they wanted me to demonstrate what I do and instantly they were frustrated that I was not following a model of logic. I was following the leadership of the Holy Spirit that Jesus himself says in John 1613, that the spirit is the one who leads in all truth. You want to know how to work with someone who's hurting follow the spirit into their life where he wants to go he knows them. He made them. He always knows what to do and it doesn't matter if it makes sense. It only matters that you trust him more than you and you follow and that annoyed them and so basically they let a horse and in a little boy and said prove it, prove it and they were Matt and so this little boy was brought in. He was 12. He was small he had dark hair and dark eyes and I was told he is highly autistic.

He's unresponsive and he's was born blind and so do your best with this subject. They called in the subject.

He was a little boy made in the image of Christ, and he was made perfect just because he was different doesn't mean that he's not perfect and so his name was Christian.

Then we went through introductions I was delighted.

He knew quite a bit of English that we didn't need a translator and and he'd written there before and throughout a brief conversation. This was his favorite horse and and I told him that still this horse always gives you a gift what you think. If we get this course a gift. He thought that was a good idea and so I said what do you think would be the best gift you could give horse that's your friend, and he thought for a while and maybe that sounded like a trick question and I said why don't we give him love that horses receive love through your hand.

So let's put our hands on him everywhere because he's big and he needs lots of love and so by putting my hands over his hands. We went over this whole course from muzzle, eyes, cheeks, years, mane all the way down through the whole horse, and now that he's been loves so well. Let's love him from his back and so a pad was put on the horse and there was a leader in a couple side walkers and and I'm just narrating the scene and so I was aware that they were rolling their eyes till they hurt their so frustrated with me that I'm not doing therapy you need to bend him and twist him and help him find balance, which are great things and so to satisfy that logic. I had him ride forwards and backwards and sideways, touching the horse all around, and he did that and so now the Holy Spirit is like a deeper go deeper and I said Christian. Have you ever trotted and he didn't know what that was and I said it's going faster and it's really bouncy does that sound scary or fun.

He smiled and he said that sounds fun.

And so I gave them some simple instructions hold the main with both hands. Mane always stays with the horse and then we can ask the horse to try and so the man leading the horse asked him into a trot and this horse burst into a lively trot and this little boy rocked back and screamed.

And this half child, half man and I looked at him and he wasn't afraid he was excited and so as he started to to ride this horse at a trot.

He started laughing. This unresponsive subject was laughing and then I saw something that is change my life. From that moment on, and it was like heaven split and glory and joy and light started filling this child and pouring out of his smile as he's laughing is like Christian all my goodness. Your smile is so cool it's so full now and as he's trotting away from me. He says I will.

He's writing away from me now is still yes I can. Now I'm weeping. I think everyone behind me is weeping to see this unresponsive child respond to the joy of the Holy Spirit. And as he came up to me he's just laughing and beaming and then he leans down where he thinks I am. And he says can you tell me what my smile looks like home, and Holy Spirit lead on and I said you know what putty you when you're in in your room and son hasn't come up yet and you know that because your room is dark and you don't have to see the darkness.

You can feel it.

It's really cold and then the sum person over the horizon and light streams in and it fills your bedroom and you don't have to see it, you can feel it because it's warm your smile is like that. It is so brilliant and beautiful and warm that it filled this entire arena and it covered me and everyone in it. Don't you ever stop smiling and he's just beaming and then he leans down and he whispers that Ms. Kim what is your smile and I took his little hands and I put them on my face and I said you tell me he's feeling my face all over and to even get the whole picture and he put his little horse grubby fingers on the inside of my he's really checking this out and finally down precious little boy. He says your smile just looks like the best dream is blind to what he sees in his dreams are given by God. And just as quickly as he was letting he was let out completely transformed by joy and as he was leaving he turned her hand and said in the direction where he thought I was standing missed him. Now wherever you go in the world and you see a sunrise, you will remember me and my beautiful smile because I'm Christian and I happen smile. Well I trust that this conversation has spoken your heart really say that that brings us to the end of today's episode of Focus on the Family with Kim meter you know I always love having Kim on the program. John her stories are such great reminders that God is there in our everyday moments waiting to offer us the freedom, peace and joy that we all long for that.

We just have to invite him in.

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