I have a friend who recently told me to go and be “the 65 year old man” in my community – the one who isn’t afraid. The one who won’t back down and ‘tells it like it is’. He said, to be the man who God has called me, already, to be….and actually is.
What would it be like? If I would not feel that time is owed and practice needs rendered in my own life and ministry in order to earn something along the way where I would then….whenever that really is…have the opportunity, the respect, the reputation or whatever else to be in ministry. Would I then be able to tell others about Jesus in a different way? Would I be Godlier than I am now or ever will be? The bible says I have have inherited “every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms…” – it’s present tense. Not will-be, or shall become, or one day when every tongue confesses and at the 2nd coming, etc. – but I HAVE ALL of God’s blessings from His infinitely wonderful and eternal Kingdom within me, now!! Christ in me. This is reason enough to believe in who’s I am and not what I am or what I will become. So, Andy; stop acting like your time is coming, and, in the name of Jesus, GO, now…and BE the man you are.
I have been camping here off and on in my heart…and this a.m. during some reading time I thought of this a little bit…It wasn’t just my life, but the lives of those around me who embark on this same journey. A journey to reflect the love of God and invest in lives of teenagers in our community. Young Life leaders. Youth Pastors. Friends. Followers of Christ. His body, really. I wondered, “What are we doing?” ; “Are we pursuing the love of God?”; “How do we know that we know the love of Jesus and are truly known by Him?”
Is there any evidence in your life that you KNOW Jesus? Is there any evidence in my life of what my words, my blogging, my tweets, my emails and my “title” would SAY I (so called) am? According to Jesus….there better be. It’s worth consideration. What about those I’m partnered with? Can we simply rely on a cool t-shirt or a plethora of ministry momentum and “success” to gain an interest in what the Savior has done for us? Can we rely on this and follow a pattern of “ministry” but really live in a middle-of-the-road life pattern? This means not actually following Jesus and His words. It’s a big deal. Another friend of mine says, “How will we know if John or Jane Doe truly IS a Christian…..we’ll see!” What he means is by a reflection of their lives.
Here’s one way of seeing it:
What I do comes from who I am; who I am comes from who’s I am…and who I am called to be.
Or, as one ‘old, black preacher’ put it, “…Be who you is, and don’t be who you ain’t…” (Ragamuffin Gospel; Brennan Manning)
So, friends in ministry – what are we doing? Where do we stand? Do we say it….believe it….or do we know it and practice it all the better?
Are we standing at the gates of Hell? Are we fighting off those who have yet to see or hear or even really understand? Are we reminding and telling and living in a way as we suit up for battle…a war…a stand off against the other side – the one created by God who wanted equality with God or greater….so God sent him to be punished – forever. In the process he is allowed to attempt to terrorize you and me. And he tempts us in many ways to believe our way is better than God’s. I think our own way in its core – is the way of God; yet there is one who is really good at deceiving our minds and hearts. Therefore, we must stand at the gates of Hell….and point to the One who is everlasting life and love. We must live a life of one who has been changed by the Redeemer and has “changed direction”(repented) and wears the gear every day to, with the Love of God, encourage not only the saints….but the others – all of them….all of us. We must point to the love and embrace and saving power of Christ Jesus….into eternity in Heaven with God the Father.
Will you do this?
Will we cloth the unclothed? Will we be ones who stand up at Club and proclaim Jesus..will we attend church and raise children to sing “Jesus loves me, this I know…for the Bible tells me so…” and yet bypass those who are in need? Will we forget to communicate the gospel in our very lives only to “communicate” the message of Jesus with our lips alone?? The message of God’s love is imperative that more than lip service occur – we must be affected…if we are not “seized by the power of a great Affection….” we have no effect. Perhaps we have no reality other than ultimate parting-of-ways with a loving God. Can we love Jesus and teenagers and anyone else in the way Jesus told us to? Can we communicate the gospel and yet live it out, too? Well, that was the intent…..somehow we have botched it. But, in Christ, I can look to Him and receive IN Him all I ever need – He will send me out to do “all these things and more” and to do “greater things” than what was once done.
If Jesus came to reveal the love of God. I suppose I am to reveal Jesus. If I am to reveal Jesus, perhaps my life should reflect the same message of Christ. I think that’s a good place to start. My life. Reflecting the love of Jesus.
Will I really do this? Will I do this or simply hand out “lolly pops” of “sweet” mercies to my high school friends, others in the church, and encourage those around me to eat from a bag of goodies which lasts only a little while and is a temporary token of what is designed to be forever and is very real: The Gospel. The love of Jesus Christ.
Do we know the love of God? By what evidence…..
Blessings,
-ao
No comments:
Post a Comment