"Christ is all and in all." Colossians 3:11....."I wonder, dear friends, what you covet and pray for more than anything else. For my own part, my coveting, my praying is more than for anything else, a fresh and mighty captivation of the Lord Jesus, a captivation of Christ." T. Austin-Sparks
I've been thinking lately of how easily we say Jesus is all we need, but how our thinking and actions most often say He is not. Now I know we're human and we have human needs and desires. I'm not saying that their presence is sin or wrong for us. What I am saying is that when we come into a place of feeling or believing that unless the longing for some need or desire is met, our life will then be incomplete. We then open ourselves up for a lifetime of frustration and defeat. When we choose to live in the place of "Jesus and...." we are on very dangerous ground. What I mean by this is that if in order to know fulfillment and contentment we must have these things in addition to Christ, we are living very far from the place that He calls us to.
Think for a moment on all the "and's" we believe must be present for us to have enjoyment. We want Jesus and....Jesus and a rewarding marriage or relationship. Jesus and a successful job or ministry. Jesus and good health, comfortable income, lifestyle security, and as much as possible, a trouble free life. We see it in the desires of the majority of the western church. People rarely ask if a fellowship has the power and presence of the Holy Spirit in its midst, but whether there are sufficient, high quality ministries present to take care of them and their families. In effect, does the church offer Jesus and.....a quality youth and children's ministry. Jesus and....high quality and invigorating music and atmosphere. Jesus and......a skilled and polished communicator in the pulpit. Jesus and....a fellowship that offers us very much and asks for very little. This heart attitude then makes those responsible for ministry feel that they must then invest their energy into providing a church that does offer Jesus and.....All these things that people feel they must have in addition to Christ. Because, though none of us want to say it, Christ Himself is simply not enough. Not enough for the sheep or for the shepherd.
Think for a moment on all the "and's" we believe must be present for us to have enjoyment. We want Jesus and....Jesus and a rewarding marriage or relationship. Jesus and a successful job or ministry. Jesus and good health, comfortable income, lifestyle security, and as much as possible, a trouble free life. We see it in the desires of the majority of the western church. People rarely ask if a fellowship has the power and presence of the Holy Spirit in its midst, but whether there are sufficient, high quality ministries present to take care of them and their families. In effect, does the church offer Jesus and.....a quality youth and children's ministry. Jesus and....high quality and invigorating music and atmosphere. Jesus and......a skilled and polished communicator in the pulpit. Jesus and....a fellowship that offers us very much and asks for very little. This heart attitude then makes those responsible for ministry feel that they must then invest their energy into providing a church that does offer Jesus and.....All these things that people feel they must have in addition to Christ. Because, though none of us want to say it, Christ Himself is simply not enough. Not enough for the sheep or for the shepherd.
You may think I overstate all this, but I just can't get past the vast majority of our brethren worshiping and following Him in nations and areas far less blessed than us, and who have little if any of those things we consider to be necessity. And yet they thrive in their relationship with Him. With all they lack, He is enough. They know what Jesus meant when He told His disciples that He had food to eat that they knew nothing about. The food of the Life of the Spirit. More and more I'm thinking that we in the western church know little or anything about that food as well.
Beth Moore said that when we identify the desire or need we feel we cannot do without, we will find that it is in that need or desire that we will be most vulnerable to spiritual shipwreck. She's right. Now the question for you and I is, in what desires and needs are we most vulnerable? What opening to we give the enemy in that place that may well bring us down?
What will this coming year bring for us? Will we live in the place of Jesus is all, or, will we live in the place of "Jesus and.....?" I know what our lips are saying and our ears hearing. What say our hearts? And what do His ears hear them speak?
Blessings,
Pastor O
Beth Moore said that when we identify the desire or need we feel we cannot do without, we will find that it is in that need or desire that we will be most vulnerable to spiritual shipwreck. She's right. Now the question for you and I is, in what desires and needs are we most vulnerable? What opening to we give the enemy in that place that may well bring us down?
What will this coming year bring for us? Will we live in the place of Jesus is all, or, will we live in the place of "Jesus and.....?" I know what our lips are saying and our ears hearing. What say our hearts? And what do His ears hear them speak?
Blessings,
Pastor O
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