Reflecting Deeper Still Part 2

It's been a week since I got home from the Deeper Still conference in Atlanta and the truths presented there are still sinking in. I keep praying that God would not allow everything that so impacted me in that place to fade as time goes by.

As I left off in my last post, Travis Cottrell, left us Friday night with an invitation to arrive back at the arena a bit early Saturday for a special pre-worship treat. He said we wouldn't want to miss it. I'm so glad I didn't.

The worship team began Saturday morning with some great music and led us in Joyful, Joyful, which has been one of my favorites for many years. Midway through the song, out came Beth Moore and Priscilla Shirer wearing dark sunglasses and treated us to a rap. Yes, you read right - a rap. It was hilarious and they were pretty good! I can only hope Lifeway releases an an audio or even better a video of the entire conference. It was a riot.

After worship ended Beth, Priscilla and Kay came up to the stage and welcomed everyone after which Beth and Priscilla prayed over Kay and the message she was going to bring. As Kay came forward she made it clear that she had a difficult word for all of us. She stated that she had literally been sick over having to bring it. You could see it in her entire countenance. She choked up off and on and even mid-way needed to stop and asked us all to pray before continuing.

She asked us this question: Do you know, love and sow Truth? She read from Jeremiah 36; 6:27-28 and 9:1-9 then stated that God does not want to bring clamity or judgement to His people but said His character demands Him to bring such things when we don't obey. Ezekiel 14:13-19

She spoke of and with great concern for our nation and said she believes the United States is getting set up for a famine and quoted Ezekiel 14:12-23 as a comparison. She asked us from where are we getting our truth and how are we forming our views, quoting Isaiah 59:14-15. Are we forming our views based on the media that often lies and/or twists the truth or in the Word of God?

Kay said God wants us to be a Jeremiah (Jer 1:1-19; Eph 1) and speak the Word of God but in order to do that we must know the Word of God. She gave a great word picture of our needing to be so filled up with the Word of God that if someone were to bump into us it would spill out. She read from 2 Kings 22 where the Word of God had gotten lost in the house of God and said the same thing has happened in America. Essentially, we are staying within the church walls instead of bringing Christ to the world. The fact is, "we are not saved for ourselves alone but for the world and the kingdom at large." Jesus said to deny yourself and take up your cross and follow Him.

Kay said it grieves her because so many churches tend to spend more time in the New Testament but we meet God in the Old Testament. Churches seem to be more concerned about comfort than holiness and wind up in captivity as a result due to their lack of understanding (Isa 5:13; Hosea 4:1-6).

Kay then compared the culture in which we live to what was happening with the Israelites in Ezekiel 22:1-4 and Jeremiah 6:10-14 People are turning from the Truth in order to stay in their comfort and trust in deceptive words that do absolutely nothing for them.

She then said in light of all of this, there are 7 things we can do.

1) Jer 4:3 - Break up the fallow ground - the hardness of our soul - return to God. Get on your face before God and ask Him to break my heart with what breaks His

2) It is a time to Mourn and Weep: When was the last time you wept over the pain of this nation? Jer 9:17-18; Ezek 9. Destruction came to those who didn't mourn the sins of Israel yet He spared those who did.

3) Pray!!! Jer 36:7; 1 Tim 2 Pray for all those in authority.

4) Love God's Word (Jer 20:7-9) Make time for in-depth study. Know the whole consult of God.

5) Love Others as Jesus Loves Them - Jer 31:3; John 13:34-35. This love is active and unconditional.

6) Introduce People to Jesus Christ. Ask God what to say and do. (Jer 31:31; jer 33:1-9, 15, 17)

7) Rest (2 Tim 4:1-4) If you do all these things, you rest in that. Rest in Faith. He's the One who does the work.

It was indeed a heavy message and left all of us with much to contemplate. I believe it was during her closing prayer that she asked us all to pick up our Bibles and kiss them and hold them close praying that we would truly love God's Word more than anything in life. My recap probably doesn't do her message the justice it deserves. I had the feeling that when Kay left the platform, she probably went to her room and just wept.

Be blessed. I will post on the rest of the conference in a day or so.

Melanie