by David Brenneman
In Mark 13:31 NASB "Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away."
When we read this simple verse we often think of it meaning only the words surrounding His talking about His return. But look at it in light of the Bible as a whole. Jesus said also that in Matthew 5:18 NASB "For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished.".
Now go to the end of Matthew 28, verses 19-20 NASB "Go, therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to follow all that I commanded you; and behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.".
When we look around at our world, how many are actually following through with what Jesus said to do?
So many have tried creating their own works in order to think that appeasing their conscience will make them more right with God than just obeying Him.
We're created in Christ Jesus for good works that HE HAS PREPARED beforehand that we might walk in them.
The SPIRIT places Believers in the body as HE SEES FIT.
It's not on us to pick n choose. It's not on us to decide what we will n won't do for Jesus. We're all given the 'talents' or valuable things from God, to be used by God for the intended purpose of furthering the Kingdom of God here on Earth. We're not to hide them under a rock until Jesus returns. We're to invest in others as the parable about the talents shows. THAT is doing the will of the one who sent us into the world as representatives of Him.
We aren't to be lazy about our work, nor are we to run from the battles we face as if God weren't able to handle them. As the Lord Jesus said to Moses...is anything too big for Me? Were constant nagging, irritating people for most of 80 years? You think you might have it bad with people being critical of you...Moses had nearly 3 quarters of a million people nagging at him, being critical of him. What happened when he let it get to him? It cost him entry into the Promised Land.
We read also of this: "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways, " declares the LORD. "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts." in Isaiah 55:8-9 NASB.
I've spent time in what I often refer to as 'the wilderness' myself. I know. I often was doing my own thing. But in all of it, God was faithful. He never ever gave up on me. He proved over and over again that indeed that His worlds would not pass away. That His will WOULD be accomplished in me. The same goes for you.
A very very great deception exists in thinking that by garnering the approval of men that we've got the approval of God. God does not care about our worldly titles and accolades. Did we do as He assigned us to be doing? Are we workers in His harvest? Are we going therefore and making disciples, teaching them? Baptizing them? Or are we turning away from that command? Read that passage again in Matthew 28...it wasn't a suggestion. It wasn't something to do when we had nothing of our own to be doing. It wasn't something to fill in the time in our life when bordom hits.
When we are supposed to be followers of Christ and yet go off and do our own thing instead of what we were called to do...which Jesus clearly stated...then it is US WHO PUSH BACK the return of Christ to a later date. Indeed there is a date set by the Father. At that moment in time, in human history, there will be an end to the offer of the free gift of Salvation...to a point. On that particular day there will be a person who's the last to be saved before Jesus returns. SOMEONE will be that person who is the one who talks to whomever it is to be and when they make that wise choice...that will be it. If those who are called of God to be preachers of the Word aren't doing it...then those who were supposed to be taught aren't being taught...then we go down that slippery slope of people not hearing of the truth that could set them free from sin and find salvation in Christ Jesus.
We have a calling in Christ Jesus that the Bible says is irrevocable, as in, not able to be changed, reversed, or recovered; final.
When we decide what we're going to be doing in Christ and not follow what He intended for us to be doing in Christ...then we are saying we know more than God.
That our thoughts are higher than His. That our ways are more important than His. Read it for yourself. "Go and learn what this means, I desire obedience, not sacrifice." It's found in many places in the Bible.
What are you doing with your life? Living it for yourself? Are you building yourself up or is Christ being magnified in your life? In part it was mentioned in another post about I-itis. That disease of the mind that puts self and what self wants on the throne of our lives rather than what God's doing in our lives. What I have done, what I'm doing, what I intend to do, and get done. I, I, I.
We're told to prefer one another above ourselves in Romans 12:10. When something happens in your life, does this come to mind?
Jesus made a very distinct point of saying that there will be many who will claim to have done all kinds of great things in His Name...and He will tell them to depart for He never knew them. It says MANY. Many today think they got their lives figured out and when they speak you don't hear of God in their lives, you just hear about them and their accomplishments. Some will even stand before Jesus saying they were doing what He wanted and He will likely say "Oh really? Who told you?". I remember that line from someone's testimony...they were eventually struggling with life over and over again, and finally came to Christ wondering why life was so difficult. The answer they got, they say, from Jesus was "Oh really? Who told you?" in response to them saying "I was doing what you wanted!".
Part of our calling in Christ Jesus, if not the whole of it, is bound in that "not one part of My Word will pass away before all is accomplished.".
We aren't given a selection of jobs to do and go and decide which ones we will do in the body of Christ. We're to do what the Spirit assigned to do in Christ.
As the Head, He decides what His body needs.
So consider it well the question...has any of God's Word ever passed away as being unfulfilled? Incomplete because He didn't see something coming? That He wasn't able to get done? If there's delays...it could be because we aren't doing what we were called to be doing. Our obedience is paramount. Not our self-fulfillment. Not our self-satisfaction. Not our self-protection. It's "your will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven".
When we give an account of our lives before Jesus...it will be about what we were obedient about in the body. Not every deed, thought, action, done in the body in Jesus's Name will have been done out of obedience. Many, myself probably included, will be pretty shocked at what gets burned away when our lives are examined by Jesus in light of His truth about them.
When you examine yourself...and you ought to on a regular basis...do you see one who's obeying God's calling for you, or are you creating your own works to be done in His Name? Are you living out what He intended you to be doing in this life? Are you seeking first His Kingdom and His righteousness?
The battlefield of the mind will only have one commanding the field. My hope and prayer that in the battles that I face that it's not me who's calling the shots. I want Jesus leading the charge with me obeying what I'm told to be doing, whether or not I like it nor understand it. Whether it's difficult or if it's relatively easy.
We who are in Christ are to be His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, that we might walk in them.
No comments:
Post a Comment