EVERYONE HAS AT LEAST HEARD THE SAYING THAT AN OPTIMIST DELIGHTFULLY SEES THE GLASS AS HALF-FULL WHILE THE PESSIMIST CAN ONLY BEAR TO SEE THE GLASS AS HALF-EMPTY. IT IS ALL DETERMINED BY HOW YOU CHOOSE TO LOOK AT THE GLASS.
THE SAME IS TRUE IN REGARDS TO THE LORDSHIP OF JESUS CHRIST. DEPENDING UPON HOW YOU LOOK AT HIM WILL DETERMINE WHAT HE BECOMES FOR YOU. THAT DETERMINATION IS WHAT MAKES CHRISTIANITY SO SPECIAL BECAUSE WE CAN PROCLAIM, AS PETER EXCLAIMED IN MATTHEW 16:16, “YOU ARE THE CHRIST, THE SON OF THE LIVING GOD.”
THAT’S HOW WE CHOOSE TO SEE CHRIST. OTHERS, STILL DON’T DO THAT AS WE LEARNED ABOUT THE VARIOUS RELIGIOUS GROUPS SUCH AS THE MORMONS WHO BELIEVE JESUS WAS THE FIRST-BORN SPIRIT-CHILD OF GOD AND WE ARE HIS BROTHERS AND SISTERS.
MAYBE IT IS LIKE THE JEHOVAH’S WITNESSES WHO DENY THAT JESUS IS GOD, BUT, LIKE US, IS A CREATED BEING WHO FIRST APPEARED AS MICHAEL THE ARCHANGEL, THE BROTHER OF LUCIFER, WHO WAS LATER TRANSFORMED INTO A MAN. WILD, LUDICROUS, AND FAR-FETCHED FOR US, BUT TO SOME IT IS BELIEVEABLE. THE WHOLE POINT BOILS DOWN TO THESE FEW QUESTIONS: HOW DO YOU SEE CHRIST AND WHAT DO YOU DO WITH YOUR VISION OF THIS MAN CALLED CHRIST?
MANY THINGS CAN BLURR OUR SPIRITUAL VISION TO KEEP FROM SEEING CHRIST SPIRITUALLY CLEAR. THE MAIN CULPRIT, OF COURSE, IS SIN. FOR OTHERS, IT CAN BE LACK OF RELATIONSHIP, LOVE, OR DESIRE FOR THE THINGS OF GOD.
FOR OTHERS, BAD DECISIONS, GIVING IN TO HATRED AND ANGER, CAN CAUSE THEIR VISION OF CHRIST TO BE SEEN AS A HARSH, JUDGMENTAL, AND CRUSHING GOD WHO LOVES TO MAKE LIFE MISERABLE FOR OTHERS.
THE DEATH OF A LOVED ONE THROUGH ILLNESS, DISEASE, OR TRAGIC CIRCUMSTANCES, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT INVOLVES CHILDREN, CAN DISTORT ONE’S VISION OF CHRIST TO SEE GOD AS CALLOUS, INDIFFERENT, AND HORRIBLY CRUEL.
SOMETIMES IT CAN BE A LOSS OF A JOB, FINANCIAL STRUGGLE, A STRING OF BAD-LUCK, UNANSWERED PRAYERS, THE BETRAYAL OF A TRUSTED FRIEND, OR A SEEMINGLY NEVER-ENDING BARRAGE OF HATRED FROM A RELATIVE, FAMILY OR CHURCH MEMBER, THAT THROWS OFF ONES VISION OF CHRIST TO SEE GOD AS A DEAF AND DISTANT LIAR AND THE GRAND-MASTER OF TRICKERY.
WE KNOW THAT THOSE THINGS ARE NOT TRUE. WE KNOW THAT GOD IS NOT AN INTOLERANT MISER WHO LOVES TO REAK HAVOCK OVER HIS PEOPLE AND HIS CREATION. GOD HAS MADE IT VERY CLEAR TO US IN HIS WORD THAT HE WANTS TO BE KNOWN AS A HOLY, LOVING, PERSONAL, AND RIGHTEOUS FATHER.
GOD ALSO WANTS TO BE SEEN AS ONE WHO IS NOT TO BE KEPT AT A DISTANCE OUT OF FEAR, BUT ONE WHO DESIRES TO BE CLOSE TO US, ALWAYS SEARCHING FOR US, AND WISHING FOREVER TO BE FOUND. IT IS ALL ABOUT AN INTIMATE RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM.
JEREMIAH 29:11-14A, “FOR I KNOW THE THOUGHTS THAT I THINK TOWARD YOU SAYS THE LORD, THOUGHTS OF PEACE AND NOT OF EVIL, TO GIVE YOU A FUTURE AND A HOPE. THEN YOU WILL CALL UPON ME AND GO ADND PRAY TO ME AND I WILL LISTEN TO YOU. AND YOU WILL SEEK ME AND FIND ME, WHEN YOU SEARCH FOR ME WITH ALL OF YOUR HEART. I WILL BE FOUND BY YOU, SAYS THE LORD….”
THAT IS WHAT SPEAKS TO ME OF THE WALK TO EMMAUS. THE TWO MEN LITERALLY WALKED WITH CHRIST AND TALKED PERSONALLY “WITH HIM” AND “ABOUT HIM.” BUT, IT WASN’T UNTIL THEY FELLOWSHIPPED WITH HIM IN THEIR OWN HOME THAT THEY TRULY EXPERIENCED THE RISEN CHRIST.
THE SAME IS TRUE FOR US: IF WE TRULY WANT TO EXPERIENCE THE RISEN SAVIOR, WE MUST WALK WITH CHRIST, TALK WITH CHRIST, LISTEN TO CHRIST, COMMUNE WITH CHRIST, AND INVITE HIM INTO OUR LIVES TO BECOME THE PRIORITY OF OUR LIVES.
JESUS CHRIST CANNOT BE TREATED LIKE A RELIGIOUS TOKEN BECAUSE THAT MAKES HIM NOTHING MORE THAN AN IDOL. JESUS CHRIST CANNOT BE IGNORED FOR THAT MOCKS HIS OMNIPRESENCE. JESUS CANNOT BE LIKE A BUDDY FROM OUT-OF-TOWN AS THIS DEGRADES HIS DEEP, PROFOUND AGAPE LOVE FOR US.
INTIMATE FELLOWSHIP IS WHAT JESUS WANTS OF US. SUCH FELLOWSHIP IS WHAT WE SHOULD BE SEEKING AFTER. OUR LIVES SHOULD BE THE AUTHOR OF A LOVE-LETTER TO GOD FOR ALL HE HAS DONE FOR US THROUGH HIS SON JESUS CHRIST.
HOW DO YOU SEE CHRIST? HOW DO YOU WALK WITH HIM? HOW DO YOU COMMUNE WITH HIM? WHAT DO YOU DISCUSS WHEN YOU WALK ALONG YOUR ROAD TO EMMAUS? WHEN YOU DO TALK, WHAT IS THE CONTENT OF YOUR WORDS AND THEIR CONTEXT?
IF WE TRULY WANT TO HAVE THE KIND OF RELATIONSHIP WE WERE CREATED TO HAVE WITH CHRIST AND WANT TO SEE HIM AS HE IS, THEN WE MUST MAKE THE MOST CRITICAL DECISION IN OUR LIVES BY ACKNOWLEDGING HIM AS THE SON OF GOD.
1 JOHN 4:15, “WHOEVER CONFESSES THAT JESUS IS THE SON OF GOD, GOD ABIDES IN HIM, AND HE IN GOD.” ONLY UNTIL THE TIME TOGETHER WITH CHRIST BECAME PERSONAL AND INTIMATE DID GOD ALLOW THE TWO MEN’S EYES TO OPEN AND RECOGNIZE CHRIST.
I THINK THIS IS WHY MOST PEOPLE TIRE OF CHRISTIANITY OR BECOME DISGRUNTLED OR DISAPPOINTED WITH GOD BECAUSE THEY NEVER GET PERSONAL. THEY TRY TO MAKE IT A “MECHANICAL RELIGION” OF “DO’S AND DON’TS” RATHER THAN A “RELATIONSHIP” OF LOVE, FELLOWSHIP AND OBEDIENCE.
CHRISTIANITY IS NOT A RELIGION. IT IS NOT A MECHANICAL ROUTINE OF SACRED RECITATIONS, HYMN SINGING, AND SCRIPTURE READING. IT IS NOT A LOP-SIDED, ONE-SIDED RELATIONSHIP WHERE WE DO ALL THE TALKING AND NO LISTENING.
I WILL SAY IT AGAIN! IT IS ABOUT RELATIONSHIP! WHEN WE SEE CHRIST AS RELATIONAL, LIFE WILL NOT ONLY TAKE ON NEW MEANING, IT WILL HAVE MEANING. IT IS AMAZING THE THINGS THAT WILL TRANSPIRE AND GROW IN OUR LIVES IF WE WILL SEE CHRIST AS RELATIONAL. LIFE BECOMES VALUABLE. THE TRUTH AND ALL ASPECTS OF LIFE THAT ONCE SEEMED UNIMPORTANT OR EVEN IRRELEVANT TAKE ON NEW SIGNIFICANCE AND NEW MEANING.
SERVING BECOMES MORE IMPORTANT THAN BEING SERVED. CHURCH BECOMES A PLACE OF WORSHIP RATHER THAN A PLACE WHERE WE ATTEND A RELIGIOUS SERVICE. STUDYING AND DIGESTING THE BIBLE REPLACE JUST READING THE BIBLE.
THE NEEDS OF OTHERS ARE JUST AS, IF NOT MORE, IMPORTANT THAT OUR OWN. WE LOVE MORE. WE EMPATHIZE MORE, WE GIVE MORE, WE SACRIFICE MORE, WE DO MORE. WE CARE MORE. WE ARE MORE. ALL BECAUSE WE SEE CHRIST AS RELATIONAL AND GROW OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM.
IT HAS BEEN SAID: UNLESS THE EYE CATCH FIRE, GOD WILL NOT BE SEEN. UNLESS THE EAR CATCH FIRE, GOD WILL NOT BE HEARD. UNLESS THE TONGUE CATCH FIRE, GOD WILL NOT BE NAMED. UNLESS THE HEART CATCH FIRE, GOD WILL NOT BE LOVED.UNLESS THE MIND CATCH FIRE, GOD WILL NOT BE KNOWN.
SIMPLY PUT: YOUR CHRISTIANITY HAS TO GET PERSONAL, BE PERSONAL, AND STAY PERSONAL! JESUS PATIENTLY, YET URGENTLY PLEADS WITH YOU TO MAKE THAT PERSONAL DECISION RIGHT NOW. HE MAKES THAT OFFER KNOWN TO US BY STATING IN REVELATION 3:20, “BEHOLD, I STAND AT THE DOOR AND KNOCK. IF ANYONE HEARS MY VOICE AND OPENS THE DOOR, I WILL COME IN TO HIM AND DINE WITH HIM, AND HE WITH ME. WILL YOU INVITE CHRIST IN TODAY?
