Matthew 21:42-44- The Bible says before Jesus can return, the Gospel must go to all the world. Why do we not focus more on sharing that element? Jesus said, "I AM the way, THE TRUTH and the life." Sabbath rest is truth, but it is not THE TRUTH. The importance of eating a healthy diet is truth, but it is not THE TRUTH.
Laodicea this, laodicea that.... somewhere along the path we lost our first love experience & Revelation 2 solemnly warns us to go back to Jesus or our light will be REMOVED from it's stand. Many are bored with the simple elegance of the Gospel, go on to focus on more complex theology, then lord it over everyone else. (I'm guilty of this) Jesus said, "He who falls upon this rock (meaning Himself/Truth) will be broken, but whomever the rock falls upon will be crushed. He was letting us know that every believer must reach a place of brokenness in order to see our great need for Him. I know from experience that being broken is not a pleasurable thing, but I'm sure it's better than being crushed. Many hold the Holy Spirit at arms length, because they do not want to see the true state of their sinful hearts. They are content to embrace a certain code of beliefs and find security in being among spiritually "elite". (Been there- done that) The message I share is not popular, because it requires one to admit there is nothing we can DO to be saved, except fall upon the Mercy of God & believe He is big enough to do what He promises. There is no room for pride or self-exaltation at the foot of The Cross. Satan's greatest deception will not be about the state of the dead. His biggest deception is getting us to feel like we are good people that have it all together- don't fall for it. From a distance, many of us look like fully-mature fig trees. People who spiritually hunger look to us for fruit, but upon closer inspection, often they find no fruit- just foliage. Jesus cursed the fig tree for this very reason. His love is the ONLY thing that will ever satisfy the soul. Stepping into the warmth of His Grace is like coming home after exile in barren Artic fields. The fruits of the Spirit are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. These spring forth from those who stay connected to The Living Vine. Jesus IS the greatest TRUTH! In our efforts to prosyletize the world & build up our ranks, don't forget Jesus said, "The Stone the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone." Is He the cornerstone of your faith? Is HE your focus and the center of your outreach??
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
1 comment:
Great post Paula. This leads to another thought - that one big problem is looking to others instead of Jesus. We do this for a number of reasons. One of the main ones is that to look at Jesus is painful. It shows us who we are in full light. That usually hurts. It is much easier, though not beneficial, to look to others who appear righteous. May we always look at and to Jesus - ONLY JESUS!
Post a Comment