Answering Legacy’s Call

Contributor

Chastity Owens

Founder & Clinical Director of Owens Behavioral Health

Have you ever thought about what people would say about you years from now?

What things are you doing that will have a lasting impact in the world? What will impact God’s kingdom?  Ultimately, what will be your legacy?

When I was in high school, most of the posters in the hallway encouraged me to attend afterschool programs, read books and so no to drugs. However, there was a poster that stayed with me.  It was a message about legacy. It said,

This poster challenged my adolescent brain. While I was often preoccupied with my appearance, this poster told me to focus on my legacy which I defined as what I learned and how I used it. I have not been out of high school for 30 years yet, but so far this poster has been true. Even when I look at pictures of myself from high school, I do not even remember a lot of the clothes I wore. 

We live in a world that is focused on the present. How many things are you worried about today that you won't even remember 5 years from now? The bible guarantees us looks will fade. Yet we live in a society where billions of dollars are invested from consumers in the beauty industry.

Despite the time and effort that I put into assembling my clothes everyday, I’m not sure how much it has mattered compared to the knowledge I have acquired over the years. Today, I still consider my appearance; however, I am more interested in how I am making a difference in the lives of others.

What satan will try to do is get you so preoccupied in the obstacles and the small things of today, that we lack the desire to think about our future in terms of what God has called us to do. If God called you to be a praise dancer, you are a dancer. This is true no matter how much you weigh, or how you look. If God called you to be a pastor, you're a pastor! And this is true no matter how shy or insecure you may be.

Let's take Moses for example. He was preoccupied with his speech. He did not think that he had the communication skills to carry out his legacy - bringing the Israelites out of Egypt. Lies! Despite his insecurities, Moses submitted to God and His assignment. God told Moses: 

Exodus 3:10 “I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt” 

When God commissions us to carry out the assignment that He has for us, He gives us the provisions to carry out those assignments.  To some those plans appear impossible but with God, all things are possible (Philippians 4:13).  In other words, God supplies the anointing when He assigns us to do things that seem impossible to us. 

The anointing flows when we open ourselves up to God's will. This happens when we let God take full control of our desires, insecurities and worries. Now God has blessed me with my own private practice so I am the Founder & Clinical Director of Owen's behavioral Health. But this only happened after I showed obedience by wanting what He has for me.

God taught me this lesson in college. When it was time to choose a career, I chose journalism. I brainstormed my personal gifts and assets. I loved being a published writer. Up until that point, I served as a sports writer for my college newspaper.  After I completed a summer internship at the Minneapolis Star Tribune, I realized that as a journalist, I was not helping people in the way I wanted to. I documented people’s struggles, what they overcame and exposed their vulnerabilities.  This was not enough for me. I knew that there were many hurting people in the world and I had a burning desire to be a catalyst for change. However, I did not feel that my work in journalism fulfilled me. I realized that I was out of the will of God for my life.

I prayed, “What is going on, Lord? What’s wrong with me?”

I heard the Voice of the Lord say: “You have been doing what you wanted to do this summer. Now, are you ready for what I want you to do?”

I asked the Lord what He wanted me to do but I did not receive an answer right away.

A few months later, I helped one of my housemates with a paper that she needed to write.  She was an exchange student from China and she asked me to help her write her paper.  While I assisted her with her paper, her demeanor shifted from depleted, unsure and anxious to refreshed, confident and relaxed.

“That’s what I want you to do,” I heard the Voice of the Lord say to me a few months later.

“You want me to teach English as a second language?” I replied, confused.

“I want you to change the atmosphere,” the Lord replied.  Through much prayer and fasting, the Lord revealed to me that He wants me to change the atmosphere by connecting people to resources, speaking life into desolate situations and by speaking His words to help comfort people.  

In the same way God chose Moses to mediate His covenant with the Israelites, He chose me to change the atmosphere.  Moses felt that he – a mere Hebrew boy – was inadequate to accomplish the things that God called him to do. But he chose to trust God.  In a similar way, we often think that we are inadequate to change the atmosphere. However, God has been using me to change the atmospheres of people who come into my office. If He can use me, He can use you! God has a calling on our lives. The more we communicate with him, the more prepared we are for what is to come.   As His children, God wants us all to change the atmosphere in our lives and in the lives of others.  He wants us to usher in His Spirit, like Ezekiel  did in the valley of the dry bones. Ezekiel explains:

Ezekiel 37: 1-14 The hand of the Lord was on me, and he brought me out by the Spirit of the Lord and set me in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones. 2 He led me back and forth among them, and I saw a great many bones on the floor of the valley, bones that were very dry. 3 He asked me, “Son of man, can these bones live?”


I said, “Sovereign Lord, you alone know.”


Then he said to me, “Prophesy to these bones and say to them, ‘Dry bones, hear the word of the Lord! This is what the Sovereign Lord says to these bones: I will make breath enter you, and you will come to life. I will attach tendons to you and make flesh come upon you and cover you with skin; I will put breath in you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am theLord.’”


So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I was prophesying, there was a noise, a rattling sound, and the bones came together, bone to bone. I looked, and tendons and flesh appeared on them and skin covered them, but there was no breath in them.


Then he said to me, “Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to it, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Come, breath, from the four winds and breathe into these slain, that they may live.’” So I prophesied as he commanded me, and breath entered them; they came to life and stood up on their feet—a vast army.


Then he said to me: “Son of man, these bones are the people of Israel. They say, ‘Our bones are dried up and our hope is gone; we are cut off.’ Therefore prophesy and say to them: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: My people, I am going to open your graves and bring you up from them; I will bring you back to the land of Israel. Then you, my people, will know that I am the Lord,when I open your graves and bring you up from them. I will put my Spirit in you and you will live, and I will settle you in your own land. Then you will know that I the Lord have spoken, and I have done it, declares the Lord.’”

Unlike Moses, who focused on his shortcomings, Ezekiel focused on God. Ezekiel knew that he himself could not cause the bones to live again. But he knew that God knew. He was obedient and said what God told him to say. As a result, Ezekiel resurrected the people of Israel. They were dried up, hopeless and cut off. Do you know anyone who has been sucked dry by the vacuum of life?  Do you know someone who feels that they are in a hopeless situation? Is someone out there lonely because they have been cut off? Children of God, I urge you to speak life into those desolate situations. There is a vast army that’s waiting on you to speak life to them. There is a number of people who is waiting for your words of encouragement. There is a generation who has been cut off and who desperately need to be plugged into the generator of life. The Lord is calling you to your assignment. He is urging you to be a light in the midst of darkness. He wants you to speak life into desolate situations. He’s calling you to prophesy to the dry bones - to encourage those around you. Oh yes! God is calling. Will you answer?

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Message From God: The Heart of Worship

I'm pretty sure I'm not alone when I say this season has been filled with spiritual ups and downs. It's literally like God and satan are having a tug of war for your mind! Some days you may feel like you're on the top of the world and other days you seem to hate everything in your life. For those of you not going through this keep reading. This word from God still applies.

Last week, I just so happened to go through a "not-so-good" day. I began focusing on the things I didn't have in my life instead of the blessings in front of me. As I poured my heart out, Jesus said something to me so powerful that I will never forget:

"Since when is my cross not enough?"

This left me speechless.

Such a wise word from our Lord and Savior. It's worth repeating. "Since when is my cross not enough?"

What Have you Done for me Lately?

After hearing this word, I began to reevaluate my worship. When we worship, are we praising Jesus for what He did on the cross or for what He's done personally in your life? We live in a time where many churches associate praise with expectancy. This is the modern day yeast in the church, mass-producing Christians who are more thankful for the things Jesus did or will do for them rather than Him dying for their sins. Don't get me wrong, there's nothing wrong with being grateful. We all have our testimonies, and we have every right to be grateful. But what Jesus is telling us is this shouldn't be the foundation of our praise. Our foundation should be the cross followed by our testimonies.

What makes Jesus praiseworthy is He, the son of God, lived a sinless life in the flesh--but he took on our sins and died the death that we were supposed to suffer. Because of Him we will not perish. He is the only way to escape the pits of hell. He is why we don't have to be tormented for eternity in the lake of fire. Many of us have been desensitized to this. We hear it so often, it doesn't quite sink in. So we turn to moments in our life when Jesus showed up and we use that as a foundation for worship instead.

The cross is the heart of worship. From the cross all worship should flow. It should be what gives us life when we feel hopeless. It's our everlasting seal that ensures our joy. Lately (by lately I mean our lifetime) there's been a shift, and now to many the fruits are more important than the vine. Jesus said He is the vine, not the fruit. The fruits we enjoy are from Him, but it isn't Him. Jesus' identity is best defined through the love He displayed on the cross.

John 15:5 I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.

We Remain Rooted through His Vine:

Here Jesus tells us He is our vine. Only through Him can we bear fruit. So how do we remain in Him?

First we must know Him. Many of us feel we know Him more than we actually do. To know Jesus isn't about only knowing Him through our life experiences. As I said earlier, I am not discounting this. However as we grow more and more spiritually, it helps to know Jesus and His role in defeating sin. Use the cross as a foundation to evaluate you experiences. For example, look at this statement:

"Jesus Christ is amazing! He blessed me with peace so I no longer suffer from fear and panic attacks."

That's great! Praise Him because that is an amazing testimony. But to kick this up a notch, let's make the cross the foundation for this praise:

"Jesus Christ is amazing! Because He died on the cross, I don't have to fear death any longer. He rescued me from my sins and the consequences so now I don't have a reason to fear. Now I have peace and I no longer suffer from panic attacks."

I know many of you are thinking, "so what?" It may not seem like a big difference, but it will once a storm comes.

Mark 4:35-41That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.” Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?” He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?”They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!”

At this point the disciples were with Jesus for quite a while. They seen Jesus perform miracles in their own lives as well as the lives of those around them. Now granted, the cross didn't happen at this point. The cross is a huge part of Jesus' identity now, but back then He being the son of God was His main identity. But here's the issue with only knowing Jesus for His miracles in your own life. As soon as a storm came, the disciples panicked. They didn't know who Jesus was, so He couldn't be their foundation in that time of need. If they had truly known Jesus they would have known they had no reason to panic. They didn't even address Him correctly, they addressed Him as teacher. Teaching is only a small part of His identity. The disciples admit their shortcomings in knowing Christ. 

Mark 4:41”They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!”

This leads me to the beginning of this post. Allowing the cross to be the heart of worship is the key to preventing a falling away due the constant highs and lows we go through spiritually. If we only identify Him through His role in our life experiences we make ourselves easy targets to be uprooted. If the cross isn't the heart of worship, then when we are feeling great about our outlook on life, then we love Him more. But when a storm comes and we don't see our lives in the best light, we won't see Him in the best light either. Sticking to the cross keeps us grounded because no matter the chaos in our lives, we can always be grateful for Him dying on our behalf. We will always have our ups and downs in terms of our outlook, but keeping the significance of the cross in our hearts grounds us so we won't blow away.

Take me to Cross

1 Peter 2:24 "He himself bore our sins" in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; "by his wounds you have been healed."

Take some time to meditate on this verse. Write down 5 things that makes this significant. Here's my 5:

1.) Jesus took on my mistakes and my addictions and He suffered the penalty on my behalf.

2.) Because of the cross, I can overcome any addictions and remnants of sin left in my life,

3.) The cross represents the moment where we no longer live in this world, but choose to live for righteousness. Jesus made that possible, He gave us hope and another chance to do right by God.

4.) Through His wounds, His torture, I have relief from my pain. If someone went through that much just to see me saved, who am I not to take His gift of salvation and healing no matter how many times I've messed up?

5.) Jesus loved me so much that He endured the pain and torture of the cross just to save me.

The more we understand the cross and it's importance, the more we appreciate. The more we appreciate, the more we get to know Jesus. The more we know Him, the more we love Him. The more we love Him, the closer we get to eternal happiness with Him.

Jesus did what no other will ever do for you. He gave up His life in the most painful way so you don't have to. Let that be the first thought everyday as you go into worship. From there everything else will flow.

Now that my loves is the heart of worship.

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Can a Christian be in a Fraternity and Sorority?

Now I'm sure I'm going to lose some readers over this post, but it must be discussed. Can I still love God and pledge a sorority and fraternity?

For those of you in college now, this may be a question you ask yourself everyday. It's hard not to want to join a sorority or a fraternity, the temptation is great. During my college days I remember seeing the beautiful jackets the women wore,  and watching them joke around with each other like true sisters. Not to mention, the parties, the guys (or girls for the guys reading), the esteem you were given on campus, all under an umbrella of respect that went outside the perimeters of campus due to the community service and professional success members enjoyed. Earning greek letters has become a rite of passage in college, but how does God feel about this?

First things first. This post is pretty random, so I feel I must explain. This is a season of refinement. God is chipping off pieces that must go for what is to come. The more we are in-tune with Jesus Christ, the better off we will be. 

When God put it in my heart to write about this subject, I asked Him, "Why now?"

God replied by saying, "Many of my people are seeking me, but their allegiance is elsewhere."

This leads me to the million-dollar question. Can a Christian pledge a fraternity or sorority?

The short answer to this question is no. Being a part of a sorority or fraternity requires giving your allegiance to an organization. It requires discipleship with someone other than Jesus Christ. Let's look at the reasons satan tries to pull us into these organizations.

Prestige

To the world, joining a sorority or fraternity is an honorable accomplishment. It means you had the grades, community service, personality and endurance needed to achieve all of the organization's requirements. On a college campus, a jacket with some greek letters is guaranteed to get you stares and attention at the student center. Think about what is this appealing to?

This is something everyone knows but no one wants to admit. People join these organizations for acceptance and admiration from your peers. Even if this wasn't your main reason for joining, it was still a reason at one point or another in your road that went from interest to a full-blown member. Satan uses organizations such as these to appeal to the flesh. Our flesh craves acceptance from others. Anyone who wants to get on their high horse and say differently, scroll down your Facebook timeline and count the selfies and statuses of friends boasting about themselves. Wanting acceptance doesn't make someone a monster. This is in no way a critique--but it is a warning.

The moment we decided to give our lives to Jesus Christ, we gave up the things of this world. We basically told Jesus that we want Him more than this world. That includes the admiration from this world. The Bible constantly reminds us that we are no longer a part of this world starting when we welcomed Jesus into our hearts. This means our cravings must change. We must long for the cravings of the Spirit rather than the cravings of this world. Seeking prestige is a craving of this world because it requires attention and admiration from the people of this world.

Romans 12:2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will.

The verse explains the separation in Christianity today. There are Christians who seek the desires of the flesh, and there are Christians seeking the desires of the Spirit--and both groups proclaim to love Jesus Christ. Indeed, both groups probably do love Jesus to an extent, but one group is more rooted than the other. Those who say they love Jesus but are intentionally or unintentionally chasing after the desires of the flesh will be a part of the falling away the Bible foretells:

2 Thessalonians 2:1-3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition.

To chase after the Spirit means rejecting the world. Jesus had dominion over all through the Father, but He chose to be a homeless person who depended on the kindness of strangers from many standpoints. He served the people who came to Him. Jesus' disciples followed in this same pattern. I'm not saying abandon your homes and live as a homeless person, (unless God tells you to!) but we do need that mindset. Your home is your comfort place, and to leave your home and everything in it you must solely depend on God to take care of you. This is what we must do in the spirit. We must leave our comfort zones and deny all of our sources of comfort by declaring God and only God is our foundation. 

However the Christian group seeking the desires of the flesh say they love Jesus Christ, but chase after the desires of the flesh. They want Jesus, but they link Jesus with worldly possessions and desires.  They love Jesus because through Him they believe they can have these things. They say with their mouths they love Christ, but through their actions they sought after houses, honor, and other items of this world.

The bible tells us living for the Spirit conflicts with the flesh, so you can't do both.

Galatians 5:17-21 For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law. The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

I urge you to go down the list of acts of sinful nature in the verse above, and see how many of these line up with the desires you may have to join a greek-lettered organization. Seek Jesus instead of admirers from the world.

John 15:18 If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you. "If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, because of this the world hates you. "Remember the word that I said to you, 'A slave is not greater than his master.' If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you.

This is the standard Jesus calls us to. If you are admired by the world, then something is wrong. As Christians we aim to be like Christ and He was hated by the world. The more we reflect Him the more the world will hate us. So a sorority and fraternity is a step in the wrong direction.

Connections

I can't tell you how many times I've heard greek organizations speak of the connections members receive out of college. I'm not doubting that's true. These organizations are willing to offer you a lifetime of networking and favor for joining. Satan offered Jesus the world if He neglected us and joined him. Just because perks are on the table doesn't mean the deal is good. Why do we need connections from people? Some would argue that's what networking is all about. I would agree with that statement, but I'm looking at the same solution from the other side of the fence. God offers connections and favor without the pledging and fees. All God asks for is just an ounce of faith. Jesus told us faith the size of a mustard seed does the trick.

Sometimes it's easier for us to turn to the world for solutions rather than believing in what we can't see which is a definition of faith. This is how satan tempts us into joining organizations such as these. We believe it's more credible than waiting for God to move on our behalf. Some of us turn to greek life to find comfort in the fact that we can see potential connections and we know someone will connect with us because of the sorority or fraternity. Don't settle for less! God's connections is far more greater. God created the person reading your resumé and graduate school application. Surely He is capable of swaying the very mind He created into choosing you.

Matthew 6:31:33 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

Brotherhood/Sisterhood

Jesus told us the greatest commandment of all is to love one another as He loved us. He also defined His disciples:

John 13:35 By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.

Therefore our love for one another is one of the ways we are defined as disciples of Christ. Being a Christian, our goal must be to love others as Jesus loved us. Jesus loves us so much that He saw our sin, loved us anyway, and laid down His life so we can be saved. This is an indiscriminate love. sororities and fraternities place a limit on love by drawing lines in the sand. Sure members love their families and things like that, but the organization calls for a family within a family. If you are a Christian in a sorority or fraternity, then you are expected to love your Christ family and also have a special love for your greek family. We all make up one body of Christ and there aren't any subgroups. When subgroups are formed, this causes division in the body of Christ. We all know these organizations doesn't necessarily have an "everyone welcomed" kind of set up. Jesus specifically prayed against this kind of division:

John 17:20-23 My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one—I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.

The Holy Spirit was our gift to unify us. We don't need greek organizations for that purpose. Jesus said in His prayer we are to be unified, and by doing so we show the world His love. If we begin breaking off into different sectors and excluding others, that unity crumbles. For those in greek-lettered organizations who will try to convince me there aren't any divisions that occur due to these groups, think of this scenario:

I"m visiting your school. I walk up in the student union with your sorority t-shirt on, but I'm not a part of the sorority. At any school someone is bond to approach me about this. You decide that person might as well be you. So you walk up to me and ask me flat out if I'm your soror. I say no, but I'm your sister in Christ. How would you react?

Good Deeds

Greek organizations are known for the reputable things they do for the community, but the assumption behind this ploy from satan is you need to belong to a group in order to do great things. This is completely false. If you want to volunteer you can do that by yourself or with friends! This point usually comes up with people who are in or seeking to be in Christian fraternities and sororities. Many argue that it's okay because through the organization the members are serving God. Can you not serve God in a way that doesn't involve greek letters and in many ways are tied to false greek gods and goddesses? From day one when God rescued the Israelites from Egypt, he warned:

Deuteronomy 12:31 You must not worship the Lord your God in their way, because in worshiping their gods, they do all kinds of detestable things the Lord hates. They even burn their sons and daughters in the fire as sacrifices to their gods.

By using greek organizations to serve God or do a good deed, you are actually displeasing Him because you are serving Him from a filthy platter.

What does all of this mean?

Luke 11:28 He replied, "Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.

Don't let satan trick you into thinking these organizations are best for you. Obedience is key to blessings and a relationship with God. Don't welcome idols into your hearts by joining organizations requiring you to set the works of God aside or cause division in the body of Christ. God is all you need. You may not get the attention and prestige you can get from others by pledging, but stand firm for your reward is in Heaven. Connections are best made through the creator of every person on earth so there's no need to turn to others for that service. Through Christ you have a family commanded to love you as Jesus loves you. Most of all, you have Jesus Christ. Through Him you can do many good deeds and services for your community and for the world. Through the gift of the Holy Spirit you can command demons to leave and heal a person of their sicknesses! That sure tops some fundraisers and can drives done through greek organizations right? 

Joining these organizations welcomes an idol into your heart. Many of these organizations are doorways to freemasonry and other secret societies. They involve rituals that are satanic in nature. For those involved in these organizations, Jesus loves you and He's fighting for your heart--all of it. He wants to do great things through you, but He needs your full allegiance. This is a warning from Christ. If this organization is too hard to let go, then you may want to consider, are you a Christian chasing after the Spirit or the desires of the flesh? If you are correctly chasing after the Spirit, then all the above reasons of why people join these orgs should seem pointless to you. In these last days our focus should be on allowing ourselves to be vessels for Jesus Christ. There's no room for other commitments outside of that purpose. 

I get it, it can be hard to resist at times, especially when you're on a college campus. I once wanted membership in a sorority years before I was saved, and years after I was saved I was still fighting the urge to join. Remembering the reasons for joining are contrary to the Spirit helped me through. Reject the temptations of the enemy. Give your heart fully to Him. God will never leave you nor forsake you. In this season of refinement God is asking for all of you so He can transform you and bring about healing. Chase after the Holy Spirit as Jesus Christ works through you and prepares your home with Him in Heaven. People will almost always fail you at one point or another, but God will never disappoint you.

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