“There is a way that seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death. – Proverbs 14:12
“The things we are going through are either making us sweeter,
better, and nobler men and women, or they are making us more critical and
fault-finding, and more insistent on our own way. The things that happen either
make us evil, or they make us more saintly, depending entirely on our
relationship with God and its level of intimacy. If we will pray, regarding our
own lives, “Your will be done” (Matthew 26:42), then we will be encouraged and
comforted by John 17, knowing that our Father is working according to His own
wisdom, accomplishing what is best.” Oswald Chambers, My Utmost For His Highest
Do you think of yourself as a disciple or are you “merely” a
Christian. In my mind, there is a
difference. I will explain. If you read the Gospels you see that there
was a large crowd that follow Jesus, initially.
But, as He got nearer to the cross ..
fewer followed. The life that
Jesus represented was appealing to the crowds so long as there was something in
it for them. Food .. healing … being
known as a Jesus follower. But when the
cross was on the horizon, even those closest to Jesus were tested in their
commitment to following Him .. to being identified with Him. I don’t presume to understand everything ..
many things are a mystery to me. For
example … at what point did the disciples find salvation in Jesus? Was it by faith before the cross? Or, was it after the cross? The Bible doesn’t tell us. I am thinking the former … I do know that
Jesus told them to wait for the Holy Spirit .. which means that with Jesus
ascended, they needed supernatural power to live and do. Before they had it in Jesus. After the cross, they needed it from the
Spirit. And so, by the way, do we.
So back to the question.
Are you a disciple or “just” a Christian. We must all answer it. In fact we all have. Our level of dedication to Jesus is displayed
every day by the way we live and love.
Like the parable of the talents .. have you buried the reality of your
faith in the ground intending to dig it up when Jesus returns or you join Him
in heaven? Or are you multiplying your
faith by loving God more than you love the world … showing Jesus to the people
you meet? It is important that we
reflect on our life in Christ. The cares
of this world are like barnacles on the hull of a ship. If you don’t deal with them early and often,
they will multiple and soon obscure who you are in Christ. Your God-purposed life will be made
impotent. You will be lulled into a
sense of satisfaction that you are living the Christian-life as it was
intended. That is until you come face to
face with Jesus.
I have wondered, often, about why I write the things I do in this
BLOG. I sense that, in some ways, I am
like a lighthouse warning the sailors that there are dangers to avoid. I certainly am not judging anyone … but I am,
instead, encouraging you to be on your guard .. to consider who you are in
Christ and where you are in your faith walk.
To be alert to the dangers of embracing this world and your
culture. (Proverbs 14:12) “There is a way
that seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death.” My role is to raise
an awareness, frankly, what you do about it is between you and the Holy
Spirit. God Bless You!.
Think about it – Pray about it – Believe it –
Walk in it. Let your light shine and give God the glory.
By Faith Alone By His Grace Alone And For His
Glory Alone
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