by David Brenneman
C.H. Spurgeon notes on Genesis 22:1 "Note here that God did not try Abraham like this at the beginning. "After these things" God tried Abraham. There was a course of education to prepare him for this great testing time, and the Lord knows how to educate us up to such a point that we can endure, in years to come, what we could not endure today --just as today he may make us stand firm under a burden, which, ten years ago, would have crushed us into the dust. After all the instruction God had given to him -- after close communion with God, receiving the Spirit of God into his soul in rich abundance -- "after these things" God tested Abraham.
I myself have had it said to me as well as remembering saying it myself to others. Have also heard it said to and about others: "You haven't learned anything from this have you?".
For everyone class is never out of session. For those who have indeed come to Christ for salvation...the coming to Jesus to be saved is only the first step. The Spirit of God begins teaching us the ways of God.
Our problem is the same as it's been throughout human history...not paying particular attention in class to what's being taught. The term "microwave society" was born of a generation that learned to want things instantly rather than waiting or earning. The business world would capitalize on this by ensuring people would stay in debt as much as is possible.
Read through the Old Testament in the books of Chronicles and Kings. You see Kings who either walked in the Lord or those who rejected Him.
You see example after example of what obedience brings and what disobedience brings.
Welcome to what the passage that says everyone will be without excuse before Jesus.
Class is always in session. Our hardest part is keeping our focus and attention where the Teacher, the Spirit of God, is wanting us to be looking, listening or doing.
There's nothing going on in your life that is remotely more important than at minimum you couldn't spend 15 minutes a day in prayer and or reading your Bible. Nothing. Most with smartphones spend that much time on that just getting caught up on social media or the news. 1 to 3 videos are at least that much time. So why is it so difficult to pay attention in class?
We have an adversary who prowls around like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour. He uses every single distraction and subtlety possible to entice your eyes off the prize...your upward call of God in Christ Jesus for you.
He will play on every single thing that has ever produced a happy or joyful response out of you. You sleep, he doesn't. He has his demons spending time studying you. They cannot inhabit a Believer but they can seek permission from Jesus to do things in your life.
You will be under assault every single hour you are alive. The Bible says that everyone who seeks to walk Godly in Christ Jesus is going to suffer. Suffering is often descriptive of and associated with pain. People can suffer without pain being involved. People suffer all the time when interacting with the ignorance of others. Suffering comes in many forms.
You've probably heard it said that you often don't realize what you had until it's gone.
Many create shrines in their homes to memories that can never live again in order to self-encourage. To lift themselves up and not listen in class.
They don't want to hear that their choices weren't the best way to spend their money. Reality is its all God's anyway.
They don't want to hear that their interests don't align well with growing in Christ.
They don't want to hear that their choices don't allow for time with Jesus.
They then wonder why life really isn't satisfying. Why there's more month than money. Why the things that they say brings them happiness really aren't.
Everyone is a breath away from eternity. Nobody is safe. Everyone literally can be considered on the chopping block.
What would your life say about you? Would people have to make up great and wonderful things to say about you or would they talk more about your love of Christ?
Nobody is exempt from bowing before Jesus.
Nobody who is claiming the name of Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior is exempt from class. There are no sick days. No personal time off days. No days where we aren't available to live the life in Christ that He desires for us.
10 to 15 minutes a day is not too much to ask when you know you are wasting that much doing fruitless things. Start there.
You have much to learn but until you start paying attention in class...you'll miss the lessons.
We aren't going to go further in life without understanding what has brought us this far. This isn't to say that God owes you an explanation to what you are doing or going through. You may never know. Your job is to trust your Teacher.
We go through things to remove things from our lives that aren't going to grow us in Christ.
We go through things that, while they may be difficult, are not really for us but rather to help others.
Those 4 books I mentioned earlier are definitive. Obedience and disobedience. Most Kings are compared to King David.
Add: "that they may know that I am the Lord" to these lessons.
Jesus wants you to know Him.
Jesus is going to tell millions to depart from Him for He never knew them. Never had a relationship with Him.
This is no resolution. This is your class assignment: 10 to 15 minutes to start with in prayer and Bible reading. We already established you wasting that much.
It's time to pay attention in class to the things that matter to your Savior and Lord if indeed you came to Christ for salvation.
For those who haven't? You're never going to know or understand the love of God in Christ until you do. Never going to know what truth really is. Never going to understand the things of God because they are spiritually discerned. Will always be on the outside looking in. Just don't wait too long. Class isn't in session forever.
"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 disappointed.” 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 “Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved.” Romans 10:8-13.
Age has nothing to do with this. Jesus said to come as a child. He'll take care of you from there.
All NASB 1995 and NASB Scripture Excerpts used by permission. (C) Lockman Foundation.
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