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Last year, I found out that one of my best friends died. When I realized that I'd never get the chance to speak to him again, I couldn’t help but think about how many pointless conversations we'd had. I thought about how many times we'd gotten on the phone, not taking life that seriously. Occasionally, we'd talk about God and serving Him, but I was never that intentional in getting the message across. We were both young. I figured I'd have more time. And if we’re being honest, no one really cares about death in the early stages of adulthood anyway, because no one thinks that they’re going to die – at least not anytime soon.
My friend died of an overdose after a long night of partying. I could probably convince myself that in the middle of being high and intoxicated, he said a last minute prayer and entered into heaven. But I’m too honest and real with myself to truly accept that. The truth is that my friend went to stand before God and my influence or impact on his life didn’t give him a better chance of going to heaven.
Occasionally, I think of him and wonder if he is in hell being tortured every day. This thought made me promise myself that anyone in my life from that point forward would see my devotion and love for God and would be told exactly what God expects from us.
I woke up around 2am last night and I heard Jesus say, “You’re doing it again.” He told me that I wanted friends more than I wanted people to be saved.
The truth is, there are a couple people in my life that have knowledge of God, but aren’t completely sold out. Oftentimes, we think that keeping the peace or sustaining a relationship is more important than the urgency of the true gospel message. However, this is not the way that Jesus thought. Jesus loved God so much that you couldn’t be around Him and pretend.
"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, pretenders (hypocrites)! For you travel over sea and land to make a single proselyte, and when he becomes one [a proselyte], you make him doubly as much a child of hell (Gehenna) as you are." - Matthew 23 :15 AMPC
Jesus loved people so much that He would tell them that they weren’t fit for the Kingdom, not to humiliate them, but to potentially save them from eternal damnation.
And He said unto another, “Follow Me.” But he said, “Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father." Jesus said unto him, “Let the dead bury their dead, but go thou and preach the Kingdom of God.” And another also said, “Lord, I will follow Thee, but let me first go bid those farewell who are at home at my house.” And Jesus said unto him, “No man, having put his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the Kingdom of God.” - Luke 9:59-62 KJV
One of the problems I have with today's Christianity in most places is that it doesn’t require you to be that different from your neighbor. We have watered down the gospel so much, that our salt tastes more like artificial sweeteners.
"You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste (its strength, its quality), how can its saltness be restored? It is not good for anything any longer but to be thrown out and trodden underfoot by men." - Matthew 5:13 AMPC
Last night, I realized that no matter how much I want to deny it, I have become part of the problem.
If we read what it takes to be a disciple, the commitment and devotion you must have, and see someone who isn’t living that way, how could we say we love them if we never tell them the truth?
"If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his [own] father and mother [in the sense of indifference to or relative disregard for them in comparison with his attitude toward God] and [likewise] his wife and children and brothers and sisters—[yes] and even his own life also—he cannot be My disciple. Whoever does not persevere and carry his own cross and come after (follow) Me cannot be My disciple." - Luke 14 26-27 AMPC
The truth is that watering down the Gospel message doesn’t actually change it. Jesus set the example with His life and the lives of the disciples
that followed Him. The harsh reality is that if your life isn’t similar to the original disciples, you aren’t on your way to heaven.
"Jesus said to them, 'Truly I say to you, in the new age [the Messianic rebirth of the world], when the Son of Man shall sit down on the throne of His glory, you who have [become My disciples, sided with My party and] followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones and judge the twelve tribes of Israel.'" - Matthew 19:28 AMPC
"Put out of your minds the thought and do not suppose [as some of you are supposing] that I will accuse you before the Father. There is one who accuses you—it is Moses, the very one on whom you have built your hopes [in whom you trust]." - John 5:45 AMPC
"Do you not know that the saints (the believers) will [one day] judge and govern the world? And if the world [itself] is to be judged and ruled by you, are you unworthy and incompetent to try [such petty matters] of the smallest courts of justice?" - 1 Corinthians 6:2 AMPC
This is not a judgment because I’m in no position to judge anyone. But the truth is, the body of Christ has become a body of prosthetics — and it’s time to change.
Question of the day (1/2): Who told us that this life was supposed to be easy when our example was crucified on a cross?
Question of the day (2/2): Do you think Jesus will turn the other cheek to our lack of devotion after being tortured and crucified on the cross?
"he too will [have to] drink of the wine of the wrath of God, mixed undiluted into the cup of His anger; and he will be tormented with fire and brimstone (flaming sulfur) in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb (Christ)." - Revelation 14:10 AMP