THE WORLD BECONS , BUT GOD CALLS US BACK TO HIM.

11/15/2020

There are times in my life when the Word of God just seems to grab ahold of my heart and mind and just shouts out a truth so deep and meaningful that it consumes me. Today was a day like that, and it came from a sermon given by a visiting Pastor to our church. C B Barthlow. Beacon Church in Denver, Colorado. What would he have to say ? Would it be of value ? Maybe I should just have breakfast and do some paperwork. And so I settled in to listen. That quiet voice of God….” Jim, this is important, let these words fill you and let you see My Truth.” OK….here we go. The World. It is such an alluring place. It is the most amazing place to live in. So many opportunities. So much pleasure. So much fun and excitement. Like a never ending story about us. Our accomplishments, our history, our dreams and goals. It lets us taste everything . It is the ultimate place for our fleshly bodies to do anything our heart desires. The ultimate place of self. Self awareness, self fulfillment, self interest, and self satisfaction….but are we ? If the world and self were really and truly the ultimate pinnacle of life, why are so many of us looking for fulfillment, and satisfaction, and acceptance, and truth, and help ??? God. A divine being. Supernatural. Holy. A lot of work to understand, contemplate, wrap our heads around. Big expectations on how to live, and behave as a person. He is invisible most if not all the time. I can’t hear His voice speaking clearly and loud like everyone around me. How would I even know if He really exists, because I’m not quite sure how to have a relationship which requires That Much Faith beyond my usual senses ! The World Becon’s Me To Indulge In All It Offers And It Seems So Much More Real and Understandable…..But,….Why Am I SO EMPTY and RESTLESS ?

I think the TRUE ANSWER LIES IN ONE SIMPLE TRUTH. JESUS. The Son Of God. Among us as a man, and yet, Fully God. Alpha and Omega. Beginning and End. The one person in your life that can tell you exactly where you are, who you are, and reaches out His Hand to Make You Into Who You Were Meant To Be.

THEN, LOOKING UP AT HIS DISCIPLES, HE SAID: BLESSED ARE YOU WHO ARE POOR, BECAUSE THE KINGDOM OF GOD IS YOURS. BLESSED ARE YOU WHO ARE NOW HUNGRY, BECAUSE YOU WILL BE FILLED. BLESSED ARE YOU WHO WEEP NOW, BECAUSE YOU WILL LAUGH. BLESSED ARE YOU WHEN PEOPLE HATE YOU, WHEN THEY EXCLUDE YOU, INSULT YOU, AND SLANDER YOUR NAME AS EVIL BECAUSE OF THE SON OF MAN. REJOICE IN THAT DAY AND LEAP FOR JOY. TAKE NOTE - YOUR REWARD IS GREAT IN HEAVEN, FOR THIS IS THE WAY THEIR ANCESTORS USED TO TREAT THE PROPHETS.Luke 6: 20-23

Poor, Hungry, Weeping, Hated, Insulted, Slandered. How can that possibly make us Blessed ?

BUT WOE TO YOU WHO ARE RICH, FOR YOU HAVE RECEIVED YOUR COMFORT. WOE TO YOU WHO ARE NOW FULL, FOR YOU WILL BE HUNGRY. WOE TO YOU WHO ARE NOW LAUGHING FOR YOU WILL MOURN AND WEEP. WOE TO YOU WHEN ALL PEOPLE SPEAK WELL OF YOU, FOR THIS IS THE WAY THEIR ANCESTORS USED TO TREAT THE FALSE PROPHETS. Luke 24-26

Rich, Full. Laughing and Happy, and Well Thought Of ? What am I missing here. These sound backwards right ? Blessings sound like Woes, and Woes sound like Blessings. This is uncomfortable. This seems not to make sense. FOR THE WORLD, IT IS, …. BUT NOT FOR GOD ! God is not calling us to Be of the world. God is calling us BACK TO HIM ! God is concerned about our Eternal Life In His Kingdom. All earthly things will pass away, but NOT HIM, or HIS KINGDOM, or ALL WHO ARE HIS. The point is that the things of value on earth have little value in Heaven.

It is so easy to live in a comfortable “Religiosity” when you have food, safety, security, a full stomach, a way to take care of your family, and all is going well. Easy when persecution is simply push back on your tax status as a church, or someone doesn’t believe what you believe and tells you you are crazy. This Gospel is pretty COMFORTABLE. Far different when you are starving, no shelter, threatened with death, hiding from those who would harm you and your family. PERSECUTED AND THREATENED. I feel blessed and lucky to be pretty darn comfortable. I feel sick for those who are persecuted, and I weep for their suffering….But Mostly, I Pray That I Can Have The Strength And Faith In God To Follow Jesus And Trust In Him As They Do. Against All Odds. OUR REWARDS AWAIT US IN HEAVEN, NOT HERE. OUR LIVES ARE FULL WHEN WE GIVE THEM TO CHRIST. OUR HOPE LIES IN ETERNAL LIFE, NOT EARTHLY EXISTENCE. Some can see this truth and know it. Many will scoff at it and reject it. IT IS A CHOICE FOR ALL OF US ! I am looking forward to being with brothers and sisters who have seen Christ in every struggle and circumstance, and in every blessing and joy. Our Bond Is Jesus, And The Kingdom Of God. May we all hear as our Lord, Savior and King Calls Us Unto Him :) Christ Alone, Cornerstone/JAA

DO NOT CONFORM TO THE PATTERN OF THIS WORLD, BUT BE TRANSFORMED BY THE RENEWING OF YOUR MIND. THEN YOU WILL BE ABLE TO TEST AND APPROVE WHAT GOD’S WILL IS- HIS GOOD, PLEASING, AND PERFECT WILL. Romans 12:2

I HAVE TOLD YOU THESE THINGS, SO THAT IN ME YOU MAY HAVE PEACE. IN THIS WORLD YOU WILL HAVE TROUBLE. BUT TAKE HEART! I HAVE OVERCOME THE WORLD. John 16:33