It's all about Jesus
You know what
is amazing? Read throughout the New Testament and you
discover that it is not about us, but it's all about Jesus,
what He has done and what He is still doing. All that we
were able to do is sin and our good works are all but far
from God's plans. However, it is through Jesus that we are
forgiven! It is through Jesus that we can experience victory
in our life! It is through Jesus that our addictions can be
broken! Funny that "some" Christians don't always see it
that way and think that it's all about them. What Jesus is
looking for is people who are willing to step out in faith
and desire to have a personal relationship with Him, with
the One who was willing to die for them, so that they could
experience eternal life. Rob Chaffart
Answers2Prayer Ministries,
www.Answers2Prayer.org
It's Not about the church
Many Christians believe that the church is the authority
about God's truth. What happens if your pastor is like Jim
Jones who led his hundreds of members to death? What if your
pastor is a David Koresh who promoted only his own will?
What if your pastor doesn't even know God personally? Read
the tragedy of what happened to the "church" at Jesus' time.
Rom 9:30-33 "How can we sum this up? All those people who
didn't seem interested in what God was doing actually
embraced what God was doing as he straightened out their
lives. 31 And Israel, who seemed so interested in reading
and talking about what God was doing, missed it. 32 How
could they miss it? Because instead of trusting God, they
took over. They were absorbed in what they themselves were
doing. They were so absorbed in their "God projects" that
they didn't notice God right in front of them, like a huge
rock in the middle of the road. And so they stumbled into
him and went sprawling. 33 Isaiah (again!) gives us the
metaphor for pulling this together: Careful! I've put a huge
stone on the road to Mount Zion, a stone you can't get
around. But the stone is me! If you're looking for me,
you'll find me on the way, not in the way." (from THE
MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language © 2002 by Eugene
H. Peterson. All rights reserved.)
The "church" in Jesus' days missed God's visitation! Why?
Because they were "absorbed" more in what they were doing
themselves and not on what God was doing! They missed the
fulfillment of the prophecies they were studying regularly,
not realizing that they were being fulfilled right in front
of their eyes!
No, it's not about the church and what the church can do.
It's about Jesus and what He has done and is still doing.
Nothing we do of ourselves will have everlasting results.
However, if we join God where He is at work, then watch out
world!
John 5:19 "I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing
by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing,
because whatever the Father does the Son also does." NIV
If Jesus could no nothing by Himself, unless He joined God
at what God was doing, even less can we!
John 15:4-5 "Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No
branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine.
Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. "I am
the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I
in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do
nothing." NIV
We can do nothing apart from Jesus! However if we abide in
Him we will bear much fruit! It's all about Him, not us! Our
won efforts are but futile attempts to reach heaven!
It's Not about Me
Can you imagine spending 3 years with Jesus? The first
person you would see when you woke up would be Jesus. The
last person you would talk to before going to bed would be
the Messiah. Would you need anything else if you had that
opportunity? Jesus' disciples had that opportunity. Read
what their actions were the day of Jesus' arrest: Luke
22:23-24 "They began to question among themselves which of
them it might be who would do this. Also a dispute arose
among them as to which of them was considered to be
greatest." NIV
They were fighting with one another because each of them
wanted to be the greatest. They were full of themselves and
empty on Jesus. No wonder they fell asleep when Jesus was
agonizing in Gethsemane. Here's what the Bible says about
how strong you are when you are full of yourself:
Matt 26:56 "Then all the disciples deserted him and
fled." NIV
Not a pretty picture when one is full of oneself, isn't it!
Even prayer becomes empty when one is full of oneself:
James 4:2-3 "You do not have, because you do not ask God.
When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong
motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures."
NIV
Can anyone boast about what they are doing for God? Not at
all:
Eph 2:8-9 "For it is by grace you have been saved,
through faith-and this not from yourselves, it is the gift
of God- 9 not by works, so that no one can boast." NIV
Jesus is the One who initiated our reconciliation with God.
Jesus is the One who died for our sins. Jesus is the One who
makes a difference in our lives. Where are we in all this?
Nowhere! However, Jesus is in us!
1 Cor 3:16 "Don't you know that you yourselves are God's
temple and that God's Spirit lives in you?" NIV
It's All about Jesus and what He has done for us
When a church or someone says they have the truth and start
to recite doctrine, they are in the dark! The truth is not a
set of doctrines. It isn't even a set of rules! The truth is
a living person!
John 14:6 "I am the way and the truth and the life. No
one comes to the Father except through me." NIV
Jesus Christ is truth! None of your doctrines will bring you
to God! None of your rules will help you to see the Father!
Only through Jesus Christ who is "the way and the truth" can
someone come to the Father. It's all about Jesus!
Have you ever wondered why "God causes everything to work
together for the good of those who love God"? Read this
text in it's context:
Rom 8:28-29 "And we know that God causes everything to
work together for the good of those who love God and are
called according to his purpose for them. For God knew his
people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son,
so that his Son would be the firstborn, with many brothers
and sisters." NLT
Whatever happens to us, may it be trials, may it be
blessings, it is all to help us "become like His Son". It's
all about Jesus!
What about those who prefer to believe in their church or in
themselves? What does Jesus say about them?
Matt 15:14 "Leave them; they are blind guides. If a blind
man leads a blind man, both will fall into a pit." NIV
The choice is ours to make. Do you make the choice in
putting your trust in a church? Or do you prefer to believe
in yourself? Wouldn't it be better to choose Jesus who is
"the way and the truth" and be full of Him? It's all about
Him!
In His love,