Modern Disciple Magazine for Men (MDM4M), published in Canada
JUNE / JULY 2004
Cover |
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One-On-One with Jeff Frankenstein |
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Socially Acceptable Sin
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The Music of Duvall
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More Than Accountability
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God in the Wild
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The Pond or the Power
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Surrender
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LifeLine
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Viva III
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GOD IN THE WILD (page four)
The third temptation was political. Satan offered Jesus the
leadership of the world. Again: bypass the cross and take power
now. Fortunately for us, Christ resisted-and his victory gives us
strength to resist our temptations.
Power, be it political or otherwise, is one of the chief
temptations. The danger is not to be influential, but to be
influential for our own sakes. Time spent in the wild is a good
remedy. With pager and cell phone left behind, we temporarily lose
our ability to make any type of power play in the world. As the
wild strips us of counterfeit power, it leads us to the only source
of true power.
Growth
Life's routine saps our strength and leaves us cluttered and
frustrated. Time in the wild jump-starts our spiritual growth.
Just as people go on vacation to refresh their physical lives, I
go into the wilderness to refresh my spiritual life. Wilderness
living does not sap my strength-God restores it. Think of your
life like a mirror reflecting Jesus' glory. The cleaner your
mirror is, the more brilliantly you reflect Christ. Daily life in
our fallen world dirties our mirror. Priorities become twisted.
The unimportant attains massive status. Time alone with God gives
us an uninterrupted opportunity to repent: to let God clean our
mirror.
The most difficult trip I have taken to date was a five-day,
hundred kilometer trail through mountains. Weariness following the
trip would be expected. However, I was more full of energy and
vision for the future two days after returning home, than weeks
before I left. This sounds crazy, but give it a try. If you're
feeling a little worn out-maybe church seems like a dull
routine-head out into the wilderness for a few nights. Let God
restore your soul.
God has always spoken to people in the wilderness. Consider Elijah.
After proving that Yahweh was the only God, and slaughtering 450
prophets of Baal, Jezebel sent him a message: "By this time
tomorrow you'll be as dead as any one of those prophets" (I Kings
19:2, The Message). Elijah took off running into the desert. We
tend to be hard on him and criticize him for his flippancy, but
think it through: he thought he had won! He had defeated 450 false
prophets-and now God left to leave him as prey for Jezebel?
Here's what God did for Elijah in the desert: he gave him freshly
baked bread and water. He sustained him through a forty-day walk
to the mountain of God. Then he taught Elijah to hear his voice:
not in the hurricane, earthquake, or fire, but in a gentle
whisper.
If you need to hear God's voice, run to the wilderness. The Old
Testament prophets knew the value of wilderness. John the Baptist
and Christ himself understood the need to spend time alone in the
desert. Saints throughout church history ran to the wilderness to
develop their relationship with God. Why don't we?
Everywhere you look today, you find the word "extreme".
Traditional sports are no longer exciting enough-we need extreme
sports like rock-climbing and snowboarding. Game shows are no
longer interesting-we crave extreme shows like Survivor.
Wilderness is extreme-life. In the wild, everything is more
intense: temptations are greater, God seems closer, and the
rewards are sweeter. Give it at try.
- Stephen Barkley
