T
he time has long since passed when Christians take seriously the heart, desire and command of Jesus when He said while ascending to Heaven, “Go into all the world and share the Good News!” Across the span of 2000 years since his life on earth, we have molded that one and only purpose for which Christ came to earth as a mortal man, into a program of placing dollars behind special teams or missionaries from our local congregations to reach foreign lands with the gospel message. As wonderful as that is, it does not address what we have left behind as a day to day testimony of our personal faith and the very content of our heart and character.
In most cases this symbol of missionary evangelism is our token gesture toward the only reason our Lord suffered and died in the first place. In our churches, our Christian media broadcasts, and in our individual efforts as followers of the ONE who came that none should perish, but that all would be cleansed and free from the bondage of sin, we have taken a different approach to showing the world what it means to be born again. I suppose for the most part, it all depends on which particular Christian or group you’re listening to, but while many of us pepper our conversations with proper Christian buzz words, eventually all roads lead back to…ME, MY MINISTRY, and the personal legacy “I” am building.
Listen to one Christian and he will spout hatred and slander for anyone and any group in his path who does not walk to the beat of his drum. Listen to another, and you will learn that God is really just ONE big banker, and Jesus Christ only came to earth to live, die, and rise again to distribute unto his followers their personal ATM cards to endless fortune and blessing.
Some say that they are good and righteous and that all who follow Jesus are therefore good and righteous. This is quite puzzling when Jesus himself said, “Why do you call me good? There is none good but the Father.” (Mark 10:8)
Many say the gospel is nothing more than a command and commission to change the laws of the land into a mirror image of their Christian beliefs. The only problem with that is, those laws would be continually changing depending on which particular brand of Christian happens to be holding the mirror.
Some say, “Go to your phone right now and pledge $1000 on your credit card (whether you have it or not) and God will answer that prayer for your finances, your marriage, or your dying child. I suppose in some ways that could be directly linked to our Jesus ATM card. But others will spend a lifetime telling the world that the particular programs, classes and membership of their individual denomination or church will give access and clarity to the very heart of God. In other words, “Don’t miss God…He abides here!”
Yes, somewhere along the line we have changed the “Good News” into…”Not so good news”, by making the gospel about us, rather than about the very ONE who died for it. Jesus addressed this selfish quality in Matthew 7:22 & 23 when He said, “Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord! Didn’t WE prophesy in your name? Didn’t WE drive out demons in your name? Didn’t WE do many miracles in your name?’ Then I will tell them clearly, ‘I never knew you. Get away from me, you who do evil!’ (NIRV)
Do you see the common denominator? Jesus is speaking to those who have made it all about themselves. MY ministry, My talent, MY sacrifice, MY giving…and the list goes on. The gospel witness that Jesus spoke of when He commissioned us to go into all of the world and share the Good News has never been about what we do for the Lord, but rather…about what glorious things He has done for us!
Earlier in that same sermon at Matthew 7: 12 Jesus said that the ENTIRE law of the prophets is summed up quite simply. “In everything, do to others what you would want them to do to you.”
I find that at the depth of our hearts, all of mankind simply wants to matter. We want to be encouraged. We desperately seek for peace and personal freedom. We want to be loved, appreciated and highly regarded. By this measure, and by the sum of the total law of the prophets…it would seem wise that, “as Christians”, we should make sure that our fellow human beings know above all that they truly matter. We should speak encouragement and peace to all men. We much love not only our friends and family, but our vilest enemy, thereby displaying the magnitude of our true transformation in Jesus Christ.
In all that we print, in all that we say, and in everything that we do, WE…the children of God our Father, must bring to our day to day lives the very essence of that which we ship abroad to foreign lands, instead of only concentrating on the ministry of ME, MYSELF, and I at home. The power of what we truly possess in the deep recesses of our soul will spring forth in our words and deeds to testify of the greatness of God the Father, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
As a testimony to the world around us and as a gateway of hope to all of mankind, let us speak forth words of life and encouragement. Let us look the other way at offense, and bathe our enemies in God’s best. May we become living vessels of the very nature and heart of Jesus Christ our Lord. May we be found testifying of His great love, mercy and forgiveness, while bowing a humble heart to pray, “Lord have mercy on me, one so unworthy, and yet loved by You.”
For today we are well known by our own words. They reveal so much more than we would hope to be revealed. Make no mistake about it.....Our Words Shall Reveal Our Hearts.
Listen to one Christian and he will spout hatred and slander for anyone and any group in his path who does not walk to the beat of his drum. Listen to another, and you will learn that God is really just ONE big banker, and Jesus Christ only came to earth to live, die, and rise again to distribute unto his followers their personal ATM cards to endless fortune and blessing.
Some say that they are good and righteous and that all who follow Jesus are therefore good and righteous. This is quite puzzling when Jesus himself said, “Why do you call me good? There is none good but the Father.” (Mark 10:8)
Many say the gospel is nothing more than a command and commission to change the laws of the land into a mirror image of their Christian beliefs. The only problem with that is, those laws would be continually changing depending on which particular brand of Christian happens to be holding the mirror.
Some say, “Go to your phone right now and pledge $1000 on your credit card (whether you have it or not) and God will answer that prayer for your finances, your marriage, or your dying child. I suppose in some ways that could be directly linked to our Jesus ATM card. But others will spend a lifetime telling the world that the particular programs, classes and membership of their individual denomination or church will give access and clarity to the very heart of God. In other words, “Don’t miss God…He abides here!”
Yes, somewhere along the line we have changed the “Good News” into…”Not so good news”, by making the gospel about us, rather than about the very ONE who died for it. Jesus addressed this selfish quality in Matthew 7:22 & 23 when He said, “Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord! Didn’t WE prophesy in your name? Didn’t WE drive out demons in your name? Didn’t WE do many miracles in your name?’ Then I will tell them clearly, ‘I never knew you. Get away from me, you who do evil!’ (NIRV)
Do you see the common denominator? Jesus is speaking to those who have made it all about themselves. MY ministry, My talent, MY sacrifice, MY giving…and the list goes on. The gospel witness that Jesus spoke of when He commissioned us to go into all of the world and share the Good News has never been about what we do for the Lord, but rather…about what glorious things He has done for us!
Earlier in that same sermon at Matthew 7: 12 Jesus said that the ENTIRE law of the prophets is summed up quite simply. “In everything, do to others what you would want them to do to you.”
I find that at the depth of our hearts, all of mankind simply wants to matter. We want to be encouraged. We desperately seek for peace and personal freedom. We want to be loved, appreciated and highly regarded. By this measure, and by the sum of the total law of the prophets…it would seem wise that, “as Christians”, we should make sure that our fellow human beings know above all that they truly matter. We should speak encouragement and peace to all men. We much love not only our friends and family, but our vilest enemy, thereby displaying the magnitude of our true transformation in Jesus Christ.
In all that we print, in all that we say, and in everything that we do, WE…the children of God our Father, must bring to our day to day lives the very essence of that which we ship abroad to foreign lands, instead of only concentrating on the ministry of ME, MYSELF, and I at home. The power of what we truly possess in the deep recesses of our soul will spring forth in our words and deeds to testify of the greatness of God the Father, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
As a testimony to the world around us and as a gateway of hope to all of mankind, let us speak forth words of life and encouragement. Let us look the other way at offense, and bathe our enemies in God’s best. May we become living vessels of the very nature and heart of Jesus Christ our Lord. May we be found testifying of His great love, mercy and forgiveness, while bowing a humble heart to pray, “Lord have mercy on me, one so unworthy, and yet loved by You.”
For today we are well known by our own words. They reveal so much more than we would hope to be revealed. Make no mistake about it.....Our Words Shall Reveal Our Hearts.
