"‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship is a farce, for they teach man-made ideas as commands from God'" (Matthew 15:8-9, NLT). What type of Believer are you: a mindful Believer who is a Disciple of Christ or a mindless one who thinks he/she is a Disciple? One of the ways of man is to get so used to something, to begin to take the thing for granted. This happens when one does not deal with the issues (ambitions) of the heart.
What manner of conversations was Adam having with the Woman that brought on the idea of wanting to cast away the command of God to them? What possessed King Saul to think it was the people who would keep him as king when it wasn't them who brought him to that position in the first place? Are you a believing Disciple or an unbelieving Disciple? You claim to be a believing Disciple yet you have chosen to live some of the life of Christ and not all! The life of Christ for you has become mechanical. You say the right words, but your life belies what you say.
You are in good company, sadly. When the LORD Jesus told His Disciples that the one who eats His flesh and drinks His blood lives in Him, with many other deep teachings, most of His Disciples reacted thus: "When many of His disciples heard this, they said, “This is a difficult and harsh and offensive statement. Who can [be expected to] listen to it?” But Jesus, aware that His disciples were complaining about it, asked them, “Does this cause you to stumble and take offence?... As a result of this many of His disciples abandoned Him, and no longer walked with Him" (John 6:60-61, 66, AMP). Even among the remaining 12, one betrayed Him for financial gain!
Beloved, check your heart, examine your ways, are you still in your first love: "But I have this [charge] against you, that you have left your first love [you have lost the depth of love that you first had for Me]" (Revelation 2:4, AMP)? Or you are offended at Him, thus you do not obey Him completely? Do you remember the love you had for the LORD Jesus Christ when you gave your life to Him: "Remember how it was with you in the past. In those days, after God's light had shone on you, you suffered many things, yet were not defeated by the struggle" (Hebrews 10:32, GNT)?
Sadly, many are no longer operating in the love of Christ! Therefore, they transmit this lovelessness into their lifestyles and messages. These had forgotten the goal of the Gospel of Christ: "Now the purpose of the commandment is love from a pure heart, from a good conscience, and from sincere faith" (1 Timothy 1:5, NKJV). Such teach messages they cannot live, and they force their followers to walk in the life they preach. Since it is not preached from the place of truth, they breed hypocrites! Sadly, this is why we see some of these followers in places of authority, overtaken with corruption, debauchery and immorality in the society they were meant to affect; bringing shame and disrepute to the name of Jesus Christ! Enough!
Beloved, the day is far gone, the night has set in, how much of God's Word do you have in your flask, to sustain you through the night (Luke 12:35-40)? This Way is not about being loyal to an individual, a denomination or a man-made doctrine. Are you (still) loyal to the Doctrine of Christ, or does your heart respond a little bit to the stirring of the world when no one is looking?
If you claim to be a Disciple of Christ indeed, how have you affected the space you currently occupy? In your family and neighbourhood, are you seen as a pretender, a hypocrite or a true ambassador of the LORD Jesus Christ? After all, the Bible tells us that by their fruit we shall know them; you have refused anyone to get close to you because your fruit is rotting! Remember, a good and edible fruit is not seen from afar, except one gets close to the tree! One may pretend for a while, but when Light comes, it reveals everything that is hidden!
Beloved, the time has come to stand up from everything that hinders: "Don’t be fooled by those who try to excuse these sins, for the anger of God will fall on all who disobey Him. Don’t participate in the things these people do. For once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. So live as people of light! For this light within you produces only what is good and right and true" (Ephesians 5:6-9, NLT). May the LORD keep us surefooted in Him as we return to Him, in the mighty name of Jesus Christ, Amen! God bless you!
Amen
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