Busy, Busy, Busy!!A message from Lahry SibleyTozer once wrote: “It would be a shock to most of us to learn what God thinks of our breathless activity, and a greater shock to many to find out the true quality of our service as God sees it. For not all religious activity is accepted by God, not even when it appears to get results, and get things done.”*******God does not count success as man does. Remember the woman who gave two mites? God has a completely different value system than what most who call themselves Christian leadership. Notice that I said “they call themselves”. That’s a clue.What about when Jesus came proclaiming that He had fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah? Was this not “shocking” to the religious system of that day? My Lord, I know it was. When are we going to begin to pray for a “shock” beloved? When are we going to ask God for His “Holy” nature, to live a holy life. We have become so complacent with our sin, so used to compromise, so thrilled with leaven, that almost nothing convicts our spirit save maybe the “big 5”. If I’m not drinking or smoking, doing drugs; if I have not killed anyone or stolen anything, then I wrongly assume that all is well. The Christian life is not about avoiding wrong doing. It is all about a love affair with the Creator of all things. It’s all about seeking His kingdom first, and also His righteousness. If we are not in personal relationship with the Father through the Son by the Holy Spirit, we have nothing but religion and knowledge of His Holy Book.The bible says, “to know to do good and not do it is sin”. When was the last time you or I were convicted in our soul because we failed to do good when we knew it was the thing to do at the time? Paul told us to walk after the Spirit. How can we do that if we are not in personal relationship with Him on a daily, even moment by moment basis? We are either walking after the flesh, being religious, or we are walking after the Spirit of God trusting in Him for our blessed hope. Is our life all about what I can do in His kingdom today? Or is it all about achieving my own personal goals today. Do I get up in the morning praying that somehow others will see Jesus in me? Or is my own personal glory and accomplishment the fuel that feeds the burning passion of my man pleasing self? Oh God, deliver us from ourselves today. Reduce my flesh to the grave, that my spirit may show forth the praises of Him. Jesus be Jesus in us today. Lord, be all you can be in us today. Give us the desire and the will to do your good pleasure. Help us to flee in horror from all wickedness, even anything that could be thought of by others as wickedness. We promise to give You all the Glory, the Honor, and the Praise, in Jesus’ Holy Name. Amen and amen.
