"If we insist on keeping Hell (or even earth) we shall not see Heaven: if we accept Heaven we shall not be able to retain even the smallest and most intimate souvenirs of Hell."
— C.S. Lewis (The Great Divorce)

In an age of relevance and political correctness, people are looking for an easier road to God. In my last blog, The Case of the Jealous Lover, I exposed a side of God’s nature that tends to be overlooked—His jealousy. The truth is, God is a jealous God who demands singleness of heart towards Him, obedience, holy living, and death to self.

The Apostolic awakening that is needed today is not going to happen until we adjust our lifestyle and return to our jealous Lover. True revival will evade us unless we give up our worldly affections. Colossians 3:2 says, “Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.” Yet so many Christians have accrued affections that turn their hearts away from God.

Before returning to Bethel (which means, “house of God”), Jacob told his family, “Put away the foreign gods that are among you, purify yourselves, and change your garments.” (Genesis 35:2). What many people fail to realize is that idols and gods are not mere objects, but affections of the heart.

I wondered how all these idols got into Jacob’s house. Then I read Genesis 31:19, “…Rachel had stolen the household idols that were her father’s”. It all started with some items that Rachel couldn’t live without, some small attachments. The bible doesn’t say where she stashed them, but something in Rachel felt she needed them. Perhaps she saw herself in those little images. Regardless of why she kept them, Rachel’s little idols, little souvenirs, opened the door to other ungodly lifestyle changes. It started as just a few objects of affection, but over time it affected the entire family and delayed the purposes of God.  

The apostle Paul said, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. Now all things are of God…” (2 Cor. 5:17-18a). However, many believers still hold on to little souvenirs from their past. It could be an old girlfriend, boyfriend, or someone who was interested in you. Perhaps you think “What if…”, and you imagine what life might be like with that person today. “What if we stayed together?” “What if I hadn’t moved away?”

These are the idols we don’t talk much about. It’s easier to throw out some bad DVD’s or install Internet blockers, then to remove the idols in the heart.

Your soul souvenirs may be more like trophies, thoughts of reliving your “glory days” at an old company, school or stage in your life. Pentecostals have their church souvenirs and trophies too. Sometimes we enshrine an experience we had at youth camp or during a revival. And whenever we go through a dry spell, we reach back for a sip instead of digging new wells. Even “holy” trophies are still trophies. This doesn’t mean we forget what God has done, but we cannot let memories rob us of fresh experiences.

Perhaps your souvenirs are all the “fun” things you did before you got saved, or during that season away from Church. Christians rarely admit that they still “love” or have a “warm spot” for certain things in the world. We’re afraid to admit that we have some trinkets, some experiences, or guilty pleasures that still captivate us. Soul souvenirs are not simply shiny things you buy in a gift shop, but they are the things you collect in your heart, the places you’ve been in life. They evoke emotion and command attention.

Paul said, “Casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.” (2 Cor. 10:5). Secret souvenirs of the heart are not just memories, per se, but those untouchable thoughts that gradually pull your devotion and steal your worship. They seem insignificant, harmless or even playful. But, the enemy uses little things to establish a pattern of access into our lives. If David allowed the lion or bear to take just one sheep, his resistance would have been weakened. When Goliath came against him, he already had a proven track record.

The issue behind soul souvenirs (or idolatry) is not “stuff”, but “self”. The whole reason man invented idols was to become his own god. Theoretically, only gods can “make” gods. Man creates a god in his own image and likeness. This means that our “idols”—things, people, thoughts we worship other or more than God—are mere reflections of who we are.

Historically, man’s greatest love affair has been with himself. No wonder Paul said, “I die daily.” Because no matter how many times you kill or remove the idol you’re struggling with, you can’t overcome it until it’s uprooted from your heart. If not, all you’re doing is taking a vacation from it. Every souvenir of the soul must melt on an altar of repentance and a burning desire for God.

2 Corinthians 11:2-3 says, “For I am jealous for you with godly jealousy. For I have betrothed you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.”

God is a jealous lover. The term “jealousy” usually carries a negative connotation in today’s culture. We are disturbed to hear of a jealous husband who distrusts his wife and watches every move she makes with suspicion. We frown upon people who are jealous of their neighbor’s success. Even scripture adds fuel to the topic when Paul says to “put off jealousy” (Romans 13:13). We’re explicitly told that “love is not jealous” (1 Cor. 13:4).

However the word “jealous” is a neutral term that may be expressed both negatively and positively. In the Old Testament, the word “jealous” is translated from the Hebrew word qin’ah. In the New Testament, it derives from the Greek word zelos. The original idea behind both words is that of “warmth” or “heat”. Paul’s passion was for Christians to live in the heat of God’s love. Therefore, he used appropriate language to persuade the bride of Christ to be clean and committed.

Exodus 20:5 says, “You shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me”

Deuteronomy 4:24 says, “For the LORD your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.”

God expressed His love for Israel by declaring Himself “a jealous God”. He is jealous for fidelity, priority and preeminence in our lives. Throughout history, however, God’s people constantly struggled with staying monogamous. She was convinced she was missing out on the fun and enjoyment of having other lovers, so she flirted, smooched, and eventually cheated with false gods. The Lord’s fervent wooing was never enough. This love triangle was graphically portrayed and illustrated in the book of Hosea.

Paul reminds us to “Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth” (Colossians 3:2). Earthly things are temporary things. It’s anything with an expiration date, anything seasonal, and anything that cannot love you in return. And since man was created from the dust of the earth, it also represents the flesh—the carnal man. As Christians, we have to resist the urge to fall in love with worldly things. American culture is riddled, hypnotized with the glimmer and shine of new stuff. Anything that’s fresh out-of-box, off the rack, on the lot or just released has way of luring us in. It’s intoxicating.

Beware, the devil plays cupid with our flesh by getting us tangled up with false lovers.

These false lovers could also include people, sports, fashion, technology, and even Christian stuff (i.e. books, music, and clothes). I’m not totally against these things. I enjoy certain sports and technology. However, I’m against what I consider “spiritual adultery”. The way I see it, these are “other lovers” that can betray our passion for God and steal precious time, energy and resources that can otherwise be used to advance the Kingdom of God. Even religion has its lovers, usually in the form of traditions and doctrinal creeds. It’s sad to see some are more in love with their religious history and heroes then Jesus Himself.

Remember the covenant you cut with God, the vow you made to be His. Shred, burn, delete or remove anything that violates your covenant. Basically, it’s time to break up with those other lovers. God has a mad case of jealously concerning His love for you. I think it’s time to return the favor.

Lately, I’ve been in a hot pursuit to know God. I don’t want a recycled experience or a fleeting moment in His presence that fades the moment I dismiss from church, or conclude my morning prayer. This God-hunt of mine really began to surge about two years ago. After being raised in the church, sleeping under the pews and attending service after service, I had always brushed the glory of God. Throughout my lifetime I’ve had significant encounters with God that changed my heart, caused deep conviction and shaped my faith. However, a deeper desire for His presence has emerged, and I simply can’t ignore it.

God created man to know Him. Sadly what many consider a relationship is nothing more than religion, and ceremonial duty. Pentecostals are not exempt. Our doctrine or creeds don’t give us a license to become dry or stagnant. When we turn encounters into monuments, instead of a lifestyle, we forfeit God’s true desire—intimacy.

Remember what Jesus said, “Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’” (Mat. 7:22-23). Praying, healing the sick, and prophesying does not equal relationship. The word "knew" Jesus uses literally means to “recognize” or “become fully acquainted with”. When these people come to Jesus, He says, "I don't recognize you or have any acquaintance with you."

Everything we do should flow from our relationship with God. Our fruit should be a byproduct of knowing Him. Jesus said, “If you love me, keep my commandments” (John 14:15). In other words, “If you know me intimately, you’ll know what I like and don’t like. You’ll be in tune with my heart.” My greatest desire is not to become a better preacher, a better writer or a better leader—but to become a better friend. I want to feel the heartbeat of God. I want what He wants.

I can’t let the ink dry on this writing until I recall Philippians 3:10. This scripture has become my anthem. “That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death.” The word "know" that Paul uses (Greek, ginōskō) means to be aware of, to feel, to perceive, to be resolved in, to speak with, and to understand. The issue I see is that the modern church, directly or indirectly, makes the corporate gathering of worship (Sundays, conferences, camps, revivals, etc) the pinnacle of their walk with God. However, it really should be a launching pad to something more extraordinary in your daily life. The reason it’s so hard for people to take home what they experience at church, is because we pump in so many additives that what we have these days are supercharged, entertainment-based services.

A contemporary or cool worship service can be comprised of: velvet-voiced worship leaders, stage lights, ambient lighting, smoke machines, amplifiers, jumbo screens, praise dancers, flag teams, choreographed platforms, video arts, and much more. Then we say, “Take this experience home with you”. Really?

I don’t have a problem with using technology and creative methods. I simply have a problem when we make this the summit of the Christian experience. The reality is, knowing God requires that I get unplugged, and stripped down of everything that embellishes my own tastes more than God. The reason many people struggle to know God everyday is that we’ve taught them that a church event is the coolest thing in the world. Whereas God thinks the coolest thing is when you’re in your car (or wherever), with no music or production, and you’re worshipping Him with a broken heart and contrite spirit.

The true pinnacle of our walk with God, is not in a corporate setting of worship, but knowing God in the privacy of your life. That’s where God marks you. That’s where He whispers. Paul’s craving to know God was an intimate pursuit. My hope is you and I share the same passion.

God forbid we become like the generation in Judges Chapter 2, which says, “When all that generation had been gathered to their fathers, another generation arose after them who did not know the LORD nor the work which He had done for Israel. Then the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD, and served the Baals” (Judges 2:10-11).

Let’s awaken this generation with a passion for God!

Like the majority of Christians, my relationship with God used to be more emotional then spiritual.  Before developing a consistent hunger for God, my prayer life and Christian walk was up and down, hot and cold, dry and saturated—depending how I felt on a given day or moment. Prayer was fervent one day, then pointless the next. Worship was tearful and passionate one day, then detached and cold the next day.  Certain days God felt close enough to whisper in His ear. Other days, He seemed so far that I wondered if I could be heard.

Admittedly, I had a bipolar relationship with God. My mood often determined how I viewed myself in relation to God. If I “felt” spiritual, I rode the wave until it washed up. If I felt carnal, I hid from God, or worse tried to compensate with serving harder or crafting ideas for ministry. Instead of relying on God’s word, I would tend to rely on my emotions for validation. A successful day depended on how I felt, how intense my prayer was, or how motivated I was to serve others. I would judge a prayer by how emotional I felt, or how expressive I was.

Does this describe anyone else?

Using emotions to measure spirituality is like using a thermometer, instead of a compass, to determine your route. Temperature doesn’t reflect direction. How my heart feels, whether hot or cold, is not generally an indicator of my spiritual progress. In fact, Jeremiah 17:9 (NIV) says, “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?” Feelings cannot be trusted.  

Psalm 119:25 says, “I lie in the dust, completely discouraged; revive me by your word” (NLT). The ultimate compass and plumb line is God’s Word.

Here are some questions we need to wrestle with: Have we cried out for the wrong things? Have we made the pinnacle sign of success about miracles and demonstration? Miracles should not be our goal. God must be our goal. Miracles come as a result of getting His manifest presence here. 

The tragedy I see is like the woman of Canaan who cried out to Jesus to deliver her demon-possessed daughter (Matthew 15). Her idea of a miracle was a peaceful, healthy daughter. Who could blame her? But in her desperation for an unmet need, she bypassed the greatest miracle, which was the presence of God. Jesus ignored her until she got a revelation that the miracle was Him being present. That’s when she threw away her formula and rehearsed prayer, and worshipped Him.

So many times we come to God with predispositions, only to be flattened by His presence. The greater miracle was not that Jesus turned water into wine; it’s that He came to the wedding.  The greater miracle was not that Jesus rebuked the winds and waves; it’s that He’s in the boat. I’m all for signs, wonders, and miracles. They will happen as a result of His presence.

While the world is scrambling, trying to flesh out solutions to our economic crisis, our natural instinct to is to turn up the heat and start working harder, longer, and better. The thought of carving out more time to something other than work may seem a bit farfetched. More then ever, though, it’s time to get away with God. There hasn’t been a more crucial time to seek His face and draw deeper into the wellspring our relationship with Jesus.

Of course, we know that this translates into more time—time that you feel you may not have very much of. I would like to point your attention to Exodus 33:7. This scripture describes how Moses

“Moses took his tent and pitched it outside the camp, far from the camp, and called it the tabernacle of meeting. And it came to pass that everyone who sought the LORD went out to the tabernacle of meeting which was outside the camp”

Everyday, Moses needed to get away from it all—especially the drama of people’s affairs, problems, complaints, gossip, frustrations, and disagreements. Moses was basically pastoring a large group of stubborn people who were spiritually shallow, socially high-maintenance and financially irresponsible. To make matters worse, they had an “on again, off again” relationship with God.

A real life “show of hands” would unquestionably reveal that we all know and come into contact with people like the ones I just described. Moses knew that if he spent all his time in front of the people, their demands would drive him crazy and influence his relationship with God. Sometimes you have to get away from all the drama and get alone with God. Moses pitched his tent “outside the camp”. In today’s terms, he silenced his cell phone, went offline, ignored text messages, took the evening off and got alone with God. Moses went to a place where people couldn’t bother him, demand from him, challenge him or confuse him.

Here’s a principle you need to remember. The more time you spend with someone, the more like them you become. People rub off on us. It’s not that you necessarily try to become like them, but as time goes on, you’ll pick up certain traits, words, habits or attitudes. And if we’re not careful, their negative attitude will become ours; their opinions will become ours; their way of dealing with conflict will become ours; their likes and dislikes will become ours.

However, if you spend more time in God’s presence, guess who you will become more like? His power will become your power. His love will become your love. His peace will become your peace. His will, will become your will.

Consider Jesus for a moment. Luke 5:16 says, “Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.” This wasn’t something Jesus did occasionally, whenever he was in a bind, or whenever he prepared to preach. This was a common practice, a discipline. Jesus loved people and he loved to interact. But even the Lord had to get away from human drama in order refresh his spirit and recalibrate his purpose. Even Jesus had to isolate himself, clear his mind and connect with God.

God will honor your time and heart when you get away with him. Exodus 33:11 says, “So the LORD spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend. And he would return to the camp, but his servant Joshua the son of Nun, a young man, did not depart from the tabernacle.” Everyday, Moses blocked out precious time to be alone with God—not simply out of routine, but out of passion. What happened in that small tent of meeting was incredible. The Lord spoke to Moses face to face.

Notice the scripture says, “the Lord spoke”, not “Moses spoke”. It’s one thing for you to talk to God and vent all your feelings, concerns and complaints. But it’s quite another thing for God to vent all his feelings, concerns and yes, even complaints to us. Sometimes what we call “prayer” is nothing more than a one-way conversation. After you’ve said all that you wanted to say and unloaded your heart, you get up thinking that you’ve talked to him. Rather, all you did was deliver a speech, a monologue. Hearing what God has to say requires more time, silence and openness.

I’ve heard just about every explanation for what it means to come “face to face” with God. Some will suggest that it’s the volume of your shout and clamor of your tearful praise that brings you face to face with God. I don’t know how you talk with your close friends. But I certainly don’t need to shout, dance or do jumping jacks to carry a heart-to-heart conversation. What I do need is an authentic, open heart.

Life is full of distractions and drama. Don’t let those things, or people, cheat you from getting away with God. The more time you spend with the Lord, the more he’ll bless and expand His holy influence in your life and in the lives of those you come in contact with. Moses’ first tent of meeting had enough room for just him and God. If it were a car, it would have been a two-seater. But later on, God gave him plans to build a much larger tent of meeting for the nation to connect with Him. Remember, what you build in private, God will increase in public. The time you spend with God “privately”, will affect what He does “openly”.

By Jacob M. Rodriguez

“And many who had believed came confessing and telling their deeds. Also, many of those who had practiced magic brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all. And they counted up the value of them, and it totaled fifty thousand pieces of silver. So the word of the Lord grew mightily and prevailed.” Acts 19:18-20

Kicking an old habit or practice is usually easier said than done—especially when you’ve spent most of your life doing it. Perhaps nothing is harder to change then the mind. Once someone has their mind made up about a certain idea, it takes a lot of convincing to break them away from their beliefs. No one knew this better then the apostle Paul. While stationed in Ephesus, he encountered a society that was deeply rooted in heathen education and sorcery. These false beliefs were integrated into the culture at nearly every level.

Ephesus had a profane reputation throughout the Roman Empire and was considered to be the capital of magic and witchcraft. As you can imagine, the message of Jesus Christ generated quite a stir of controversy. It was such a clash of viewpoints that the apostle Paul spent three months in the synagogue arguing about the kingdom of God. Day after day he debated the most influential thinkers and sages—to no avail in some cases. After some stubborn leaders tried to smear Paul publicly, he held small group discussions in a nearby lecture hall.

At this point, it would seem as though Paul backpedaled himself into a corner. Perhaps the mentality in Ephesus was too stiff. However, Paul didn’t forfeit. After two years of teaching and preaching, Ephesus had a breakthrough. It all began with a huge collapse in the religious establishment. Seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish priest, were badly injured by a demon-possessed man after a failed attempt to set him free. The evil spirit answered their demands by saying, “Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are you?” This event dismissed the idea that the Name of Jesus was simply a magic formula. It also proved Paul’s arguments about the authority in the kingdom of God.

Not only were these pretentious men exposed, but also a newfound reverence for the Name of Jesus emerged in Ephesus. The emptiness of their beliefs caused them to grope for something genuine. Their failed system provoked reverence and honor for the true God. Sometimes you need to experience emptiness to appreciate the God’s abundance.

The Ephesians not only confessed the error in their ways, but responded by burning their sacred books. These books weren’t just any books; they were used for corrupt guidance, sorcery and false doctrine. By burning the books, they made a public statement—essentially saying, “We will no longer live by these teachings. This is not who we are anymore.” They burned the books and turned towards God.

These groups of Ephesians had to make a choice between an impostor, and the real thing. Burning their revered books represented a transformed heart and mind. Perhaps there are books in your life that you need burn. The books in your life may not be actual books, but ideas, ways, beliefs, attitudes or mentalities that you need to burn in order to know God more.

Notice that Paul didn’t have to threaten or bully anyone to repent. These people simply felt conviction and decided to do something about it. The Holy Ghost tugged tightly at their hearts and brought them to a place of complete surrender. Sometimes, even though we sense the Holy Ghost convicting our hearts of something, we resist, fight and pull away. Let’s learn from the Ephesians and respond quickly to God’s call.

You’ll also notice that these people came “confessing and telling their deeds”. Remember, there’s no need to pretend like everything fine when you know things are not. When you come before God, be honest and transparent. Don’t reserve your faults and present your best. Instead, be real and open yourself up to God. After all, He already knows your secrets.

Remember these lessons:

1. Some Bridges Must be Burned – Someone once said, “don’t burn your bridges”. In other words, don’t mistreat people because someday you may need them again (i.e. employer). Thus, you’ll have a way to come back to them. However, there are some bridges in life that must be burned, because they lead back to a destructive place. Unless you burn certain things in your life, you’re simply taking a break. It might be gone for a season, but someday it will reappear. Unless you completely clear yourself from an unhealthy relationship, it will find it’s way back into your life. By burning their books, the Ephesians eliminated the avenue to return back.

2. You Must Count the Cost – According scripture, these burned books had great financial value. In fact, the total amount of all the burned books soared at around 50,000 pieces of silver. In today’s terms, that would be equivalent to several million dollars. Keep in mind that they didn’t just surrender these items, but they burned them. For all intents and purposes they set millions of dollars on fire. However, when your heart turns towards God, you’ll get rid of things that the world holds dear. This was a cost that this group was willing to pay.

When the Ephesians publicly denounced their old ways and worshiped God, something powerful happened. The bible says, “So the word of the Lord grew mightily and prevailed.” Once they burned their old books, a new book opened up. Suddenly, the word of God flourished in their hearts. It spread widely and had a powerful effect on the whole city. It’s interesting that the word of God didn’t prevail until they surrendered and destroyed the other books. You’ll notice that God’s word won’t grow and prevail in your life until all your old books are burned. When your old mentality is put to rest, God’s word accelerates in your life and causes great things to happen.