Go Tell It....off the Mountain
"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne."
-Hebrews 12:1-2
Lately God has been speaking to me for the past few years of stripping things away, in fact, I have written a few posts in the past about this topic. God is revealing more and more that what we possess here on Earth is just stuff. What he is doing is stripping away everything to show who we really are....simple human beings before an Almighty God. He convicts us of our imperfections, putting His light in all the dark corners of our life. He challenges us, He places callings on our lives when this "stripping away" takes place.
Many times we feel we need things to make us happy, such as the latest electronic, movie, book, or CD. This past week I was touched by a verse found in Colossians 4:18 the little parts of the Bible that don't get read by preachers in the pulpit you have to find it for yourself, and they are normally the biggest blessing. Paul at this time is imprisoned in Rome. He wrote Colossians to a church who was mixing secular and hethenism in with Christian theology and philosophy. So Paul was writing them letters from prison like you can't be doing this, he also wanted to assure Christians everywhere that they (we) have all we need in Christ. The last 10 words of the whole book of Colossians is incredible. Paul said, "Remember my chains. May the grace of God be with you." I think in saying that he was reminding Christians that He was in chains yet it didn't stop him from writing letters to churches, or people to encourage them in their witness for Christ. In other words Paul was telling them I've made some sort of impact chained up in prison, now what can you do outside of a prison wall with no chains? And if you're going to do something for Christ you're gonna need a lot of grace because you might just end up like me....in chains.
Many times in the Gospels when we read about Jesus healing people, the person Jesus healed wants to go with Jesus. But Jesus always said, "No, go back to where you came from and tell your friends what happened." It's just like us to want to stay on that mountain top experience with Jesus. Oswald Chambers says it best, "We must be able to “mount up with wings like eagles” (Isaiah 40:31), but we must also know how to come down. The power of the saint lies in the coming down and in the living that is done in the valley."
Our calling in our service and ministry is to see that there is nothing between Jesus and us. It should all be stripped away so that it's just "me and God." We need to run off the mountain and go tell the world about Jesus, and remember even in Valley Jesus is there. The valley strips away the things that keeps us from fully letting Jesus have us.
Be blessed!
-Hebrews 12:1-2
Lately God has been speaking to me for the past few years of stripping things away, in fact, I have written a few posts in the past about this topic. God is revealing more and more that what we possess here on Earth is just stuff. What he is doing is stripping away everything to show who we really are....simple human beings before an Almighty God. He convicts us of our imperfections, putting His light in all the dark corners of our life. He challenges us, He places callings on our lives when this "stripping away" takes place.
Many times we feel we need things to make us happy, such as the latest electronic, movie, book, or CD. This past week I was touched by a verse found in Colossians 4:18 the little parts of the Bible that don't get read by preachers in the pulpit you have to find it for yourself, and they are normally the biggest blessing. Paul at this time is imprisoned in Rome. He wrote Colossians to a church who was mixing secular and hethenism in with Christian theology and philosophy. So Paul was writing them letters from prison like you can't be doing this, he also wanted to assure Christians everywhere that they (we) have all we need in Christ. The last 10 words of the whole book of Colossians is incredible. Paul said, "Remember my chains. May the grace of God be with you." I think in saying that he was reminding Christians that He was in chains yet it didn't stop him from writing letters to churches, or people to encourage them in their witness for Christ. In other words Paul was telling them I've made some sort of impact chained up in prison, now what can you do outside of a prison wall with no chains? And if you're going to do something for Christ you're gonna need a lot of grace because you might just end up like me....in chains.
Many times in the Gospels when we read about Jesus healing people, the person Jesus healed wants to go with Jesus. But Jesus always said, "No, go back to where you came from and tell your friends what happened." It's just like us to want to stay on that mountain top experience with Jesus. Oswald Chambers says it best, "We must be able to “mount up with wings like eagles” (Isaiah 40:31), but we must also know how to come down. The power of the saint lies in the coming down and in the living that is done in the valley."
Our calling in our service and ministry is to see that there is nothing between Jesus and us. It should all be stripped away so that it's just "me and God." We need to run off the mountain and go tell the world about Jesus, and remember even in Valley Jesus is there. The valley strips away the things that keeps us from fully letting Jesus have us.
Be blessed!
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