Ebbing Interest

Interests are connected to the desires of the heart that attract you; therefore, whatever attracts you also gains your attention; this is your interest. Natural draws the attention of the natural; spiritual draws the attention of the spiritual. Your attractions are your interests and the dominant interest wins your soul.

Your interests are those things, people, or activities that captivate your time, draw on your wealth, and motivate your pursuit. Those interests will flood the thoughts of your mind, and will shut out all others seeking to gain preeminence. A hobby or club is in this realm; when someone has a hobby or belongs to a club, it becomes part of his or her life, depending on the depth of interest. Those interests are usually noted on a person’s obituary. In the end of life, people note and talk about a person’s interests that consumed his or her life, such as, avid golfer or loved to play cards.

One’s interests will always become part of a person’s identity; you become known for your particular interest. When you have interest in something or someone, then conversations lean toward that interest and you enjoy others who share that interest. You may even become known as the “Go-To” person for that interest. Even families can become known for a specific interest as well—they snowmobile, camp, travel, or do certain activities.

There are numerous interests in this world; whether it is a sport, craft, boating, game, or becoming an enthusiast for cars, trucks, hunting, fishing, golfing, home decorating, cooking, work activities, or even family life. And there are a host of unscrupulous, immoral, or unethical interests as well. Your interests have your heart, and all other interests are pushed aside to make room for that interest that stirs your mind’s pleasures and give you value. Conversely, you will become annoyed with things or people that hinder your quest to fulfill your interest. Work itself or your family can become drudgery because you cannot wait to meld with your interest.

Also, you can tell when someone starts losing interest in someone or something, as they will start looking elsewhere for satisfaction or gratification. The attention span shortens, finances will be redirected, and their annoyance will surface toward the very one thing or person that once captured their attention. When people lose interest in Christ, the kingdom, church, or for the pastor, then you will see these same traits. For myself, over the years many who once said they loved me, grew annoyed with me as their love shifted to self-fulfillment in some way. I became the hindrance in their life. When their eye became more natural or they did not want to yield to the Lord in some way, then they would distance themselves from me; it often started in small ways and increased as they became more comfortable with their fleshly ways. This is ebbing interest at work in the heart!

I have seen many grow weary with seeking and serving the Lord with their whole heart. An ebbing interest developed toward pursuing the Kingdom as they sought fulfillment in other things that gained their attention. You can tell when someone is entertaining the thought of leaving the job, the church, the faith in Christ, or their family; to go elsewhere or do something else, because of the ebbing interest. Marital affairs start here, and the same holds true with the things of the Lord.

Sadly, today’s Christianity has adopted the ebbing interest form of believing; many have replaced and displaced the Lord’s admonishment to “seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness” with a more inclusive definition. Seeking and serving the Lord is now just part of their life, but not their life. The Lord now fits into their identity, but is not their identity. Today’s believer will label himself as a Christian, but he has many other interests that rival the spiritual interest to know the Holy Spirit and to make the Christ known in their lives of others. They take the Lord serious, but so is their work, family, and having fun and time to themselves. They include everything into their Christian lifestyle and believe that all of this is needed for a balanced, healthy life. So foolish! They soothe themselves with a form of Christianity that serves them well and makes room for their other interests. When this begins happening  and people grow slowly disenchanted with the Holy Spirit’s convicting message and command for change, then they become annoyed with me as well. Conversely, here is the time when I surely want nothing to do with this sort of Christian living. They desire all those things that the Lord cut-away from me. His freedom and love came to my soul by cutting away the very things these Christians now want in their life. I have found Christians fighting me so they can have harmony with their demons.

Before I was awakened to Christ and alive to His work of salvation, I went about my life doing all the things Christians enjoy doing today. I made and invested money, built a home, had a family, did the Halloween activities, the Santa Clause silliness, and the Easter Bunny and tooth fairy folly. I sang worldly songs, laughed much, drank some, and enjoyed my life. I even thought about the seriousness of aliens from other planets, and I wondered about the future of life and how I fit into it all. I was known as one who worked hard and played hard. I went skiing, boating, hunting, and fishing—much captivated my messy life of lusts and pride. I lived in constant state of bewildered insecurities. Yet, amid all this, in my mind, I was a Christian as well. I went to church, had a Bible, went to church activities, helped out teaching Sunday School, and served on the Deacon Board. Oh my! But I did not know the Lord. I was an American Christian.

When the Holy Spirit awakened me to the truthfulness of Christ, He captured my heart and mind. I wanted to know Him and I was amazed that knowing God was possible. Soon, all my interests in other things slowing gave way to Christ as I came to know that He is my life. I displayed an ebbing interest toward all things that once gave me identity, but a new interest permeated my mind and heart. This was a deep battle in my soul as the Holy Spirit planted His Kingdom’s flag in my heart and began winning my life. He vanquished all other interests: The world grew strangely dim as I welcomed His glorious grace. I gave myself to truth and became an enemy to all lies, deceptions, and delusions, especially the ones that I personally believed for so long; those delusions that kept me hidden in darkness—in the deep recesses of my soul.

In my first year of Bible school, an upper classman asked me about my time learning the Bible, theology, ministry, and chapel services. I told him about my excitement; he looked at me and said, “That will end.” He walked away leaving me with that seed of unbelief. My response immediately rose in my heart, “No!” My prayer began there, “Lord, give me a love for your word, the Spirit, and the Kingdom; give me a love for my wife, my family, and for the ministry of your word.” I did not want to have this ebbing interest in me, but was most willing to lose interest in all other things. I sought to live a surrendered life. I was working out my “yes” to God. As of this month, October 2019, it has been thirty years since I was awakened, and I pray that my interest in the Kingdom of the Son of His love never wanes.

So, what are your interests? Are you more natural minded with fleshly concerns than spiritually minded? What holds your attention? What interests are your identity markers? What would someone place in your obituary?  

Many Christians have become satisfied with attending church, and numerous pastors are more than willing to offer a church that keeps trying to entertain your fancies so you’ll keep coming to their church and appreciate them. Pastors are going out of their way to please you and keep your interest in them. Though it is called church and the term pastor is referenced, this is not the focus or work of the Holy Spirit.

Know this, if the truthfulness of God’s presence and power is not keeping you interested, then nothing else will keep your attention. If the promise of God for eternal life is not consuming your life and motivating you to read and study His word, to fellowship with those of like precious faith, then you are in a state of unbelief, regardless of how much you say that you love God and believe God.

No church should be competing for your interest using fleshly things to capture your attendance. I am not interested in trying different techniques to attract people to church; pastors keep coming up with all kinds of ideas for holiday activities for the children, using candy excursions and egg-drops to honor the resurrection of Christ; face-painting and trunk-or-treats to make church fun for the little tots, as though they’re missing out on something valuable. Pastors love their motorcycle rides for a carnal release, golf activities to raise money, pie-in-the-pastor’s face for missions-money, or any other of the manufactured foolishness the churches are doing to keep church fun and Jesus cool; it diminishes the Gospel.

Many parents have fallen for this seditious way of Christian living, trying to keep their children content by keeping them happy. True happiness is knowing the Lord; thus, training a child in the way he should go. The Holy Spirit does not use the fleshly to produce the spiritual; He uses the cross.

In my life,  the truth in Christ caused a disturbance in my relationship with others, but loving the truth and living in the truthfulness of His love and holy justice has caused a rift with many over the years, with family, friends, and ministers. But I decided that I wanted His abiding presence of truth for me, my children, and grandchildren, and their children and grandchildren. I’m in it for the long game! So the costs are worth it; the value of the Lord’s promises is too great to forego. For me and I hope for you, the old has gone and the new has come. I want the faith and I want to see people awakened to righteousness as well: to live in the reality of eternal life’s power right now. I don’t want to be duped with lies or live in the shadows of the truth, and I certainly don’t want that life of lies for anyone else.

Sadly, many love their delusions, and prefer the envies of their heart; it has ensnared many. Natural lusts have captured their Christian souls and they assume they are doing well because they go to church, hear a sermon, post about Jesus, and sing songs, but they are far from Him in the heart. their obedience to the faith reflects their lack, and their love for self has caused a hard heart toward the faithful and true.

Even writing this, so many names come to my mind and vex my soul. Yet still, I write this knowing that some will be upset and offended. People have unsubscribed from previous newsletters that addressed Halloween or some other issue that bothered them. The Pharisee spirit is quite active in the church. Others have written an email to me and will say, “Amen,” yet often times, they are the ones I am talking about. Then there are those who read, learn, and live the faith; they share with others so that true Christianity develops.

Surely, we need a revival of consecration. Churches talk about revival, but it usually means trying to get people to start coming to their church. What we need is an awakening that consumes all of your other interests. There is nothing more important than knowing the Holy Spirit of Christ. This doesn’t mean there can be no other activity; it means that no other interest is your identity marker. I love doing many things, but none of them hold my interest and consume my thoughts, time, and wealth.

Do not let anything cause your interest in the Holy Spirit’s powerful presence wane in your life; don’t allow any interest to squeeze Him into a corner of your life. Stir the faith in your heart, sing that song that glories Him, and exalt His presence, magnify Christ in your soul that all others would see Him in you within each moment: this day and every day, till that day! Believe God!

Many this newsletter stir your interest to pursue the Christ!

I encourage you to print this out and read it with others in the family of faith.

I urge you to share this message with others.

In the Service of Christ,
Dr. Gary H. Cote 
(#DrCote)  (#TruthBeKnown)

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