“Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you? Everyone who comes to me and hears my words and does them, I will show you what he is like: he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when a flood arose, the stream broke against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built. But the one who hears and does not do them is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. When the stream broke against it, immediately it fell, and the ruin of that house was great.”- Luke 6:46-49 ESV
Warrior;
Jesus asked this question many ways and in many situations. It seems to be an important question. Many claim allegiance or alliance with people, causes, beliefs and movements- but what is really in ones heart is hard to ascertain. There has to be a way, a trail of evidence to prove that your commitment to said thing, person or cause is real and\or legitimate. Just because you are at McDonalds, that does NOT mean you are a BIG MAC! Just because you show up at church on Sunday does NOT mean you are a follower of Christ, just because you were born in America, that DOES NOT mean you are a CHRISTIAN? Jesus made the clear, unabashed statement: If you love me, you will keep my commandments! In one of the harshest, scariest sections of scripture for a believer Jesus makes it abundantly clear that MANY are lying to themselves- they profess to be ONE OF HIS, but He says they ARE A LIAR! “Not everyone who calls out to me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter. On judgment day many will say to me, ‘Lord! Lord! We prophesied in your name and cast out demons in your name and performed many miracles in your name.’ But I will reply, ‘I never knew you. Get away from me, you who break God’s laws.’ (Matthew 7:21-23)
Leader, if being a Christian was illegal, would there be enough evidence to convict you? Are you different then the EARTH DWELLERS? The term, “Those who dwell upon the earth” denotes the unsaved at the time of the end who steadfastly continue in their rejection of God. How do we reject God? Some claim to be with God, the opposite of REJECT GOD, with their words, but their actions tell a different story. God addressed this early on in the old testament; “These people draw near to Me with their mouths and honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me. Their worship of Me is but rules taught by men.’ (Isaiah 29:13) And Samuel said, “Has the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of divination, and presumption is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, he has also rejected you from being king.” (1 Samuel 15:22-23) The first KING OF ISRAEL, the ONE GOD PICKED, was removed of Power because Saul did it HIS WAY, while professing to be a FOLLOWER OF YAHWEH! Moses and Aaron found out the same thing; they couldn’t claim to be GODS MEN and do things their way! “Aaron will be gathered to his people; he will not enter the land that I have given the Israelites, because both of you rebelled against My command at the waters of Meribah. (Numbers 20:24) In America we seem to think, we can VOTE and PICK LEADERS who are an abomination to the LORD, who promote and pass laws that make what God calls EVIL, GOOD! We have entire legions of people who claim to be followers of JESUS, voting for leaders who mock JESUS, who DENY the DEITY of JESUS and who BAN THE SAYING OF JESUS in the public square. We have entire churches that promote voting for a party that is against their God. They have meetings at church to GET OUT THE VOTE and raise up leaders that hate their God- yet they claim to be followers of JESUS. They sing songs to Him and RAISE THEIR HANDS as they cry out to HIM and then go out and VOTE AGAINST HIM!
Conduit, In John 14:15, Jesus says, “If you love me, keep my commandments.” Praying to God His Father, Jesus says, “I have revealed you to those whom you gave me out of the world. They were yours; you gave them to me and they have obeyed your word” (John 17:6). The oft quoted Romans 12:2 says it clearly, as well: Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.” And if you call on him as Father who judges impartially according to each one’s deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile, knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot. (1 Peter 1:14-19) We are supposed to be NEW CREATURES in CHRIST. Who cares how you were raised, who cares about the history of your family, who cares if you were raised in Jim Crowe days, or in the 80’s- we are called to serve JESUS, WALK WITH JESUS and BE DIFFERENT THAN THE WORLD! The Bible says the ONE WHO HEARS Jesus’ words, and still does their own will- their FALL WILL BE GREAT! There are only 2 teams in this world: God’s team and the Devil’s team. In Albert Mehrabian ‘s book “Silent Messages: Implicit Communication of Emotions and Attitudes”, Mehrabian makes the claim that 7% of communication is words, everything else, is everything else. Whether you argue the truth or validity of that argument, or not, God says what you DO, tells what you believe! James said, “Faith without works is dead”- see James 2:17. Jesus in essence is saying, “What you are doing speaks so loudly, that I can’t hear the words you profess, that say you are one of mine”. When your WORDS and your CHOICES you make, YOUR VOTES- are congruent, then others will know whose child you are, they will know- WHO IS YOUR DADDY! When you do it GOD’S way, instead of YOUR WAY…When it comes time to separate the GOATS and the SHEEP God will place you on HIS RIGHT SIDE and say to you; “Well done MY good and Faithful servant enter into MY Kingdom”!
Way of The Warrior- A Daily Devotional 