As this COVID thing drags on
the impact on our lives increases. A few felt it early on, when the sickness
hit hard leaving their bodies weakened or when death visited their family. The
rest of us were coping with the loss of normal social interaction, kids at
home, work hours curtailed, or the threat to our business. We complained about
being ‘stuck at home,’ or not being able to go to a restaurant, or seeing grocery
store shelves bare, but we assumed that we would find ‘normal’ in a few week’s
time. Several months in, with no end in sight, we are realizing that life has
changed, maybe forever.
Every decision, right down to
deciding where we will eat, how we will worship, and who we will invite into
our home now carries the weight of wondering ‘is it safe?’ Things we once took for granted like sending
our children off to school, going to church, or taking a vacation are now
sources of stress. Our governing authorities are unreliable guides, imposing
capricious rules, issuing contradictory information. Often our leaders are outright
incompetent. Added to the weight of COVID
is the social upheaval we are now experiencing.
The future is a murky mess. The
result?
Stress is UP. Marriages are strained. Communities are breaking
down. And, quiet yet urgent questions will not go away. A lot of us are
re-thinking the way we live, the choices we make, the foundations on which we have
built our lives. Is there a nagging sense that “there must be more to life”
than what you have been chasing after?
It is time to return to
Jesus Christ. You knew I would say
that, right? After all, I am a Christian pastor. True, but even my faith is
being re-defined. Church programs, religious shows that masquerade as ‘worship,’
celebrity preachers that offer self-help sermons about human potential are
being shown for what they are; “clouds without rain.” Serious
Christianity, a dedication to Jesus Christ; to love of God and love for others,
is making a return. Little groups of people hungry for God are re-discovering the
God of the Word. At our core we desire immortality,
want to know hope, and to live a life that means something. There is no one on
earth that can offer us that, no place we can buy those things. Christ alone
gives us life eternal, peace that is anchored beyond our present trials, and true
purpose.
Real Christian discipleship
will satisfy our soul hunger. Let’s
not confuse our ‘church-ianity’ with real Christianity! Recent history shows that millions can ‘go to
church’ without having their lives even superficially touched by the Gospel of
Christ. (Think racism that remained rooted in churches long after civil rights
arrived in America.) Church-goers of the
last 50 years lived the same way as non-believers with a thin veneer of
religion glued on the surface of their lives. The prescription for ‘life to the
full’ involves radical repentance for sin, deep commitment to Christ, and
profound care for others. The pursuit of Christ and a life that is holy will be
costly, difficult, and yes – will change us and the world in which we live miraculously.
(That is not hype or oversell. It is the Gospel Truth!)
Here is a word from the Word.
Though familiar, take time to meditate on Jesus’ words. "Then Jesus
said to his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and
take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose
it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it. What good will it be for a
man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give
in exchange for his soul?" (Matthew 16:24-26, NIV)
“Not all people who sound
religious are really godly. They may refer to me as ‘Lord,’ but they still
won’t enter the Kingdom of Heaven. The decisive issue is whether they obey my
Father in heaven. ...
“Anyone who listens to my teaching and obeys me is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse, because it is built on rock. But anyone who hears my teaching and ignores it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand. When the rains and floods come and the winds beat against that house, it will fall with a mighty crash.” (Matthew 7:21-27, NLT)
“Anyone who listens to my teaching and obeys me is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse, because it is built on rock. But anyone who hears my teaching and ignores it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand. When the rains and floods come and the winds beat against that house, it will fall with a mighty crash.” (Matthew 7:21-27, NLT)
___________
(A great song that points us
to real faith in the Builder)
Worthy of ev’ry song we
could ever sing
Worthy of all the praise
we could ever bring
Worthy of ev’ry breath we
could ever breathe
We live for You
Jesus the name above ev’ry
other name
Jesus the only one who
could ever save
Worthy of ev’ry breath we
could ever breathe
We live for You
We live for You
Holy there is no one like
You
There is none besides You
Open up my eyes in wonder
and show me who You are
And fill me with Your
heart
And lead me in Your love
to those around me
I will build my life
upon Your love
It is a firm foundation
I will put my trust in
You alone
And I will not be
shaken
Brett Younker | Karl Martin |
Kirby Elizabeth Kaple | Matt Redman | Pat Barrett
© 2016 Martin, Karl Andrew
(Admin. by Arkyard Music Services Limited)
Kaple Music (Admin. by Bethel
Music Publishing)
Bethel Music Publishing
CCLI License # 810055
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