Oh...

Oh...

by David Brenneman 

Sober...in my mind it's a time of clarity of thought.  To at least one website they say the Biblical definition is: A sober person is one who has calm and dispassionate judgment and is not desirous of great things or high estate but is free from extravagance or excess. Such a person is guided by sound reason and is sane and rational. Looking at the dictionary we are looking at the verb tense.

We often ponder what other's are thinking or what drove them to say or do something that has been observed by maybe one other person or by a crowd.  Thoughts go from sadness to disbelief to wonder to surprise or other extremes.  

Jesus, while on Earth, was sober at all times.  He didn't allow others to manipulate Him. He always sought the Will of His Father in everything.  He, on many occasions, had escaped crowds for speaking the unbridled truth.  He didn't trust Himself to anyone because He knew what was in the heart of man.  Thinking on that particular statement I just now realized it IS written in the Old Testament and as now living as a human among humans His perspective on humanity was complete.  It certainly is yet another way every single person will be without excuse.  Anyone who tries to mount a defense on Judgment Day will find Jesus pointing to His Deity and His humanity.  Every single excuse will be met with a Holy response from Jesus. 

Oh is often a response after some truth is revealed and there are no words to say in regards to what has been said or done. 

Everyone who's name isn't written in the book of Life will probably utter "Oh" when all their accolades that defined their lives are burned away and no evidence of salvation in Christ Jesus existed. 

There is no second choice, no second option, no second opportunity, after dying to "get it right with Jesus".

There is no reincarnation. There is no other levels of life to be born into that allow for anyone to turn to Jesus Christ to be saved.  You either ask to be saved in this life, this here, this now, or you don't.  You then, at the point of your life's end, either show up in Heaven or in the throws of Hell.  You have no other options there is no other door to go through to get into Heaven. Jesus says of Himself that He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No man or woman comes to the Father but through Him.   You want Heaven, you want to meet His Father? You have to go through Him first. 

We live such unnecessarily complicated lives.   We listen, many times, to the wrong things and make bad decisions.  We spend money to get things or do things to impress people we probably don't even like.  We aren't here to impress people into a life in Christ.  We aren't here to sell religion.  We who are in Christ are to share what He's done in our lives and the Spirit does what He does in the hearts of those who haven't yet come to Christ.  

People who haven't come to Him to be saved can't glorify our Father who is in Heaven unless they see undeniable evidence of what He's done.  People don't really talk about things like the moon until something special is happening to it.  

We are to be the light of Jesus in this world.  We're not to blend into the world. 

We aren't to cease being who we are in Christ because of circumstances. We have a responsibility to live a life that is what Jesus wants of us.  Not our will being done but His. 

I often debate with me about things that my mind wants to pursue.  I sometimes go back and forth for days, months, even years about doing something or pursuing something.  While I indeed have achieved much in my life, it's not my life to live.  Jesus said to deny myself, take up my cross, and follow Him.  

For obvious reasons, many people calling themselves Christians put Jesus in a side room to stay out of their way in having what they have determined is being fun or enjoyable. Our sin nature wants to be calling the shots. Our hearts want the accolades of others.  Our desire is ease and comfort. Our goal is an unhindered life that is day to day personal enjoyment. 

Compare that to 2 Timothy 3:12 NASB "Indeed, all who want to live in a godly way in Christ Jesus will be persecuted."

"For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us." Romans 8:18 NASB. 

Oh.

Yeah.  Oh.  We aren't promised every desire.  We are promised everything we need for a life in Godliness.  

We aren't going to become who we are to be in Christ if we keep turning down His Spirit's attempts to transform us into the likeness of His Son. 

If we let people dissuade us, discourage us. If we pursue things that aren't going to grow us in Christ, we invite greater trials until it's His Will being done and not ours.

We need to look at everything we do from what we call entertainment to what we do as work.  The movies and music we subject our minds and hearts to.  The people we listen to. I was working at an employer and never once realized that a coworker was manipulating me with his psychology background to get what he wanted of me.  We too ought to follow Jesus's example and not put our trust in anyone but Him.  Regardless of what this person did, God still turned it for His good in my life.  Psychology doesn't save people. Jesus does.  

We indeed are very likely in that generation when we will see the return of Jesus Christ.   We also might not make it out of today alive.  We all must have either chosen to follow Jesus and receive His free gift of salvation or we choose to reject it and eternally live with the consequences. 

Jesus came, lived a sinless life, died a horrific death. Was crucified in the place of all people. Arose from the dead 3 days later. Now sits at the right hand of God the Father. Salvation is in no one else. There is no other name under Heaven by which we must be saved. He opened the door of choice.  You must choose to come to Christ to be saved.  You must ask. 

It says this in the book of Romans "But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart”—that is, the word of faith which we are preaching, that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved;  for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes in Him will not be put to shame.” For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, abounding in riches for all who call on Him; for “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

Don't let today be wasted.  It can be your new birthday in Christ Jesus.  

Don't let today be wasted.  If you have claimed to be saved in Christ Jesus...live it.