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Whats the big deal?!

Why all this talk about being effective? I mean, I am saved…can’t I just be content with that? The sad answer is, many are.

While true Christianity is not works based, the follower of Christ is known by the leading of the Spirit in his or her life. It’s something that cannot be hidden. A person who’s been saved from the reality of eternity separated from God in the flames of Hell understands the importance of giving his life fully to the work of the Father.

“Yes, just as you can identify a tree by its fruit, so you can identify people by their actions.” Matthew 7:20 NLT

While the above passage was specifically meant as a warning for believers to beware of false prophets, the same passage provides us the ability to check ourselves and whether or not we are recognizable as children of the living King.

Need more? Here’s what the Word says about those who lose their “saltiness”.

“You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:13-16 NLT

I’ve saved the scariest picture of what happens to the ineffective for last.

“I am the true grapevine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch of mine that doesn’t produce fruit, and He prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more. You have already been pruned and purified by the message I have given you. Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me. Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing. Anyone who does not remain in me is thrown away like a useless branch and withers. Such branches are gathered into a pile to be burned. But if you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted! When you produce much fruit, you are my true disciples. This brings great glory to my Father.” John 15:1-8 NLT

The purpose of this post isn’t to bully you into some form of service for the kingdom. Simply put, as Christians, we need to stop and ask ourselves one simple question. Because of what He has done for us, have we decided to give our lives fully to Him? -or are we still serving self?

“And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all He has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind He will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship Him. Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.” Romans 12:1-2 NLT

Remember, until He calls us home, be effective for Him!

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Something’s missing.

I can remember a time in my life when I looked at other believers and marveled at their passion. I viewed them as being “on fire” for Christ. I could only say, “I don’t feel it”, and wonder how I might realize this zeal. So many of my Christian brothers and sisters have said they yearn for the same passion that drives so many to be a witness for Christ.

The Word tells us our lives indicate whether or not we are living for God. With this in mind, we can easily deduce that our lives indicate whether or not we are seeking Him.

Before you lose hope in Christ or confidence in your decision to follow Him, do the following. Take a few minutes to get away from the craziness of life, open your heart and mind, and ask yourself if you are diligently seeking to cultivate a deep relationship with our Father. This includes giving Him the first of your time (not the leftovers) in the reading of His Word and time spent in prayer with Him. You must seek Him.

When you wake in the morning, arise from bed (if only out of discipline at first) ready to dig into His Word. Don’t over do it. Remember, it’s about quality not quantity. Get alone, turn the phone off, ignore the email and facebook requests, and quieten your spirit for a few minutes of reading. Take a few more minutes in prayer. The key here is undistracted time with God. Make Him the focal point of this special time with Him. If you need help getting started, drop me an email and I’ll be happy to assist. Eventually, you will find yourself trying to increase and safeguard this time with God. You’ll look back in awe, wondering how (and why) you ever started your day without this beautiful time of communion with your Father.

“For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires.” Hebrews 4:12

“How sweet your words taste to me; they are sweeter than honey. Your commandments give me understanding; no wonder I hate every false way of life. Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path.” Psalm 119:103-105

God’s Word is alive! He will speak to you through it. His Word will begin to transform you in ways that will provide a glimpse of the depth of His love, mercy, and care for you. You will begin to grow closer to Him and those things that were elusive to you before will become more visible and realized.

Do you yearn for more from this life? Do you secretly desire the same fervency for Christ as others you know? Let me encourage you to get into the Word and spend time with our Father. Look to Him and He will be faithful to reward your search!

“but what about all my stuff?!”

Americanized Christianity has such a different perspective on what it means to live for Christ than what the Bible teaches. If we consider for a moment when Jesus called His disciples, we would find men who stopped what they were doing, dropped everything, and followed Him. In Mark 1, we see several of the first disciples demonstrate a total lack of personal restraint or reservation. In an instant they left their livelihoods, families, and personal property behind. When Christ called them, they literally got up and left!

I see on facebook and blog posts, and hear verbally from many of my Christian friends how much they love Christ. I wouldn’t presume to dispute that. But I have to wonder whether my brothers and sisters (including myself at times) are in love with the Christ we have created in our minds, the one that wouldn’t really make us leave our families and possessions behind, or the real Christ that we find in God’s Word. How many of us who profess Christ would willingly drop everything such as our careers and retirement plans, walk away from our families and those we cherish, abandon personal property and comforts we try so desperately to accumulate, and follow the living Christ? Would we be like the one in Luke 9 who asked the Lord if He could first go say goodbye to his family? -or would we resemble those back in Mark who, without uttering a word, walked away with the Son of God?

These are tough questions. Regardless, to profess that we are Christians requires our 100% devotion to God. He is, after all, the ultimate Judge who will look on our hearts and deeds and will declare whether or not we were committed to Him.

We must start evaluating our version of Christianity to see if it is consistent with the Bible. Popular Christianity, or “comfort Christianity” even “feel good Christianity”, doesn’t mesh with Biblical Christianity. We have gone so far as to twist Christian living into something that looks ideal (from our perspective) and doesn’t require anything, let alone the slightest sacrifice on our part. We have concocted a God that is only about love and comfort and satiating our needs and maybe even a few of our wants. A God who is satisfied with us slipping a twenty into the offering plate during missions emphasis week at our church, just so He won’t make us go to a foreign country to win the lost.

In reality, the God of the Bible expects uninhibited devotion to Him, and committed, purposeful action for Him. Christ consistently preached that it is by our fruits we would be easily identifiable as belonging to Him and the Father.

So I ask you, would you deny yourself, leave all behind, take up your cross, and follow Him? Would Christ describe you as one who is completely devoted and fervently committed to Him?

Do you want to be an example?

Oh, that we would yearn to identify with Paul in 1 Timothy 1:15-17. That we would realize daily where we are in the grand scheme of things, and desire to be used for the purpose of directing the masses to Christ!

“This is a trustworthy saying, and everyone should accept it: ‘Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners’—and I am the worst of them all. But God had mercy on me so that Christ Jesus could use me as a prime example of His great patience with even the worst sinners. Then others will realize that they, too, can believe in Him and receive eternal life. All honor and glory to God forever and ever! He is the eternal King, the unseen One who never dies; He alone is God. Amen.”