Challenged

Last nights 9 p.m. Bible study was very intense.
During my study time in preparation for it, I was going over several different verses and none seem to catch my attention. Usually when this sort of thing happens, I stop what I'm doing and sit back asking God, "What is it you really want to do tonight?" A thought came to my mind of something I wrote down back in May of 2001. I have a spiral notebook that contains different thoughts and revelations that I perceive to be from God that I have written down over the years.

In this particular entry I was struggling with what to do with the men from Rapha. What did God expect of me? In all of the writing of that entry, one sentence seemed to stand up on the page...."The men are not being challenged." This took me to Hebrews 5:12....."For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you the elementary principles of the oracles of God, and you have come to need milk and not solid food.'

That was it. As pastor/teacher I was to challenge them to not be satisfied with where they currently were....physically, mentally, and spiritually. Too many people have this belief that the Christian life or the life of following Jesus is made up of a few things.
1.) Join a church
2.) tithe
3.) Be conscripted within the church for a job or duty
4.) read the Bible
5.) Pray

All of these behaviors do become a part of our life, but there is so much more that we have traded away.
Matthew 6:10 has probably been quoted by more Christians than any other verse in Scripture.
"Your kingdom come........Your will be done.......here on earth as it is in heaven."
If you prayed that part of the Lord's Prayer, then what you have done is to ask God to bring here into our time and space the divine will that is currently being played out in heaven. How is that will manifested? Through the lives of every believer. We place such great emphasis on our church services and rightfully so, but bottom line is that the average person probably only spends 2 / 3 hours a week at the church site. That leaves a lot of time for interaction in the work place, the market, the school and other homes. Here is where the challenge comes in. Celebrate the work of your church but realize that you have a privilege to carry the message of Christ to others who have not heard or do not understand. Not a message cloaked in "religiosity" and a language that cannot be understood. No! The message of the cross is simple. I have a nature that seeks to do wrong and seeks to have its own way. A sin nature. The things I do that I know to be wrong, I commit against an eternal God. The punishment that is stored for me for me seeking independence from God is an eternal punishment. God knowing that I was incapable of saving myself from this just deserved punishment, paid the price and satisfied his own anger for sin thereby opening a door that I can come and be restored before Him. His love is so much more than I can wrap my brain around and when I come into relationship with Him, He invades my life and shows me how to life rightly.

IF you have never shared your story with anyone else, pray that God would give you boldness and a hunger to.
God on you.........
mb