Meet Biggs. The Big Snort! The Lovable Doofus!  He goes by many names but seldom comes no matter what you call him. He is a bundle of hairy fun and has quite the personality. He is our 5 year old English Golden Retriever.  He loves to be outside. Outside laying down, surveying the vast kingdom of our backyard. Occasionally we have intruders. Little brown creatures with long furry ears and a cottontail. They are everywhere. Now Biggs is not the most stealth creature and has never come close to catching a rabbit but he tries. Well until one time, we aren’t really sure when, he planted his 120 pound body and made a quick turn tearing the ACL in his back knee. In fact we learned that at some point he had torn the ACL in both back knees. He was in bad shape. Fast forward through x-rays, two weeks of hobbling around, losing 25 pounds, taking daily meds and he is back at his post guarding the back yard. There are still bunnies to be chased and while his head says go, those back legs have lessened his already minuscule chance of catching that rascally rabbit. But he still tries.

Biggs’ situation reminded me of a verse that Jesus shared with his disciples the night he was arrested. He was in deep sorrow of his soul knowing the cross was just hours away. He went into a garden to pray and asked his disciples to be praying as well. At one point he came to the disciples and found them sleeping. “He asked Peter, ‘So couldn’t you stay awake with me one hour? Stay awake and pray, so that you won’t enter into temptation. The Spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.’ (Matthew 26:41, NASB)

We are entering a season of consecration at Eagle Church. Consecration is a practice throughout the Bible where people were called on to consecrate or set apart for God, items used for worship or service. At times they were to consecrate themselves. Say one big Yes to God which leads them to say a thousand no’s to the world. Last Sunday we learned that Consecration is the opposite of Compromise. Consecration is a choice we make. A daily choice to devote ourselves, our stuff, our life to the things of God, the person and purpose of God.

And while the concept is easy to understand. And I would guess, by the 100+ who came forward at the end of the service, it is something we want to do. But a lot of times the Spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. That word weak in the Greek is used several times in the New Testament but almost every other time it is translated ‘sick.’ That is the hard part of consecrating ourselves. We want to in our spirit but our bodies are sick. Sin is the great opponent to consecration. This is why it must be a daily choice. A moment by moment decision to chase after God and not the things of the world.

If you make the decision, take heed to Jesus’ words: Stay awake and pray! Stay awake or stay alert. Consecration is a declaration of war on the enemy. And he will not go away quietly. The call to consecration is a call to prayer. 
Pray for yourselves – that you will be aware of the devils schemes, so that you won’t enter into temptation.
Pray for one another – that we might see what God can do with a church fully consecrated to him.
Pray for your church staff and leaders – that they would be sensitive to the Spirit’s leading as we navigate these days of unprecedented compromise.

Biggs has to daily take his anti-inflammatory meds and his glucosamine supplements or any progress he has made will be lost. You and I need to daily present our lives, consecrated to the Lord. We need to daily be praying as we chase after the person and purpose of God by the power of God.

“The world is yet to see what God can do with a person fully consecrated to him. Will you be that person?”