by Ernest Liu
about the author

  • Random Snippets
    • Vote God’s Values?
      Many preachers will encourage their congregation to neglect the last item. In which case, they should, quite literally, vote for their pastor.
    • Graduating? Getting a Job?
      This post is about money. Because money is awesome, and much of what we do requires it.
    • So Busy
      …I don’t feel like I do enough of that, and it’s hard now that things have stockpiled on me…
    • CBM and the Spiritual High
    26
    Jul
    2013

    Campers and counselors are excited, because in the next two weeks, we’re gonna rock the grounds at CBM Camp! It’s that time of year when we get a taste of Heaven, where we rejoice among saints without distraction. Many of us will ignite a spiritual high, the feeling of love and empowerment by God.

    But Beware.

    There’s a caveat. Many of you remember feeling high on Christ at camp. But it was temporary. You stepped back into the real world, and the passion faded. If that’s the case, if you found yourself falling back into your old life where God was only tacked on to your weekly activities, then you’ve got to question yourself.

    Seriously. Look in the mirror and ask yourself if you’ve changed since the last time you went to camp.

    Did you become any more loving? Have you found more joy in the Lord? Do you have more peace and more patience? Are you more kind, more faithful, or more gentle? Do you strive for goodness? Do you have a higher level of self-control? Do you love His word and read it more? Do you love Him more?

    Don’t Fool Yourself

    I’ve been to camp about a dozen times, and I’ve seen many people fool themselves. Teens have jumped into a spiritual high only to reject God years later. They banked their faith on a feeling, and once those feelings were gone, so was their skin-deep faith.

    I Have a Secret for You

    And it is this: what used to be the spiritual high is now the spiritual norm for me. I’ve owned my own faith, and I love God. I am high on Christ. Sure, I may have temporal downtimes caused by the sin within me, but the Holy Spirit keeps me up and running. God’s omnipotence never ceases to amaze me.

    Do you want the spiritual high to become the norm for you too?

    Okay. Here’s How.

    At camp, you’ll find yourself immersed in God’s glory. You will be bombarded with Biblical theology and have access to people who can answer the tough questions about God. You’ll have all the time you want to pray to Him, begging Him for more of His love.

    So start now. Immerse yourself in His word and find your dependence on Him. Talk to Him. Share everything. Hear everything. I promise you that in the end, everyone who remains faithful to Him won’t regret it.

    I promise, because God promised.

    Drown Yourself

    Of course, all of your efforts will be futile unless you’ve died to your sins. Jesus is the source of living water, the one who can save you from the penalty of your sins. He is the one who died on a cross to absorb the wrath of God that you deserve. He’s the one that conquered the grave three days later.

    You’ve got to drown yourself in His living water. It is terrifying and exhilarating, but as you die to your old self, you’ll discover that you can safely inhale the living water. It will fill your lungs, and you’ll find new life as it run through your veins. You’ll discover the power of His love and wish never to resurface.