Tuesday, 6/24/2014
I think it is safe to say that during the time of His earthly ministry, the majority of the population did not know who Jesus was. When He asked His Disciples “Whom do men say that I am?” they answered that some thought He was John the Baptist; others said that He was Elijah, and some just perceived that He was one of God’s prophets. The sad thing is that things haven’t changed much and though today just about everybody you meet will say that they know Him, they really don’t. They know about Him but they don’t know Him personally. In this day and time, and especially in our part of the world, it seems unimaginable that there could be anybody that has not heard about Him. Therefore, if people don’t know Him today, it is mostly because they don’t want to. That was the case even during Jesus’ time on earth. Even after He proved, by the scriptures, to His religious opponents that He was indeed their Messiah, they refused to come to Him. That is why He told them “Yet you refuse to come to Me that you may have eternal life.” (John 5:40) One thing has never changed and that is that anybody who seeks Him will find Him. I pray that if you don’t know Him personally, you will reach out to Him today.
On the other hand, there are millions of people today who do not even know who they are, and I don’t mean they don’t know their own name. I mean they don’t know or else have forgotten who they really are. That even happens in the case of God’s children. I want to share what I wrote this past Sunday for our church bulletin: [[The Prodigal Son thought that he could go and be just like the rest of the world when he chose to leave his father’s house. In time, he painfully found out that he could not. Though it is mostly the young, Christians of all ages make that same mistake today. The bottom line is they’ll never really find the pleasure and satisfaction they seek. You know why not? Jesus added this eternal truth in His prayer to the Father concerning His followers: They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. (John 17:16) If you are a genuine child of God, you no longer belong in the world and you cannot change that. Elephants don’t belong in the Kentucky Derby, and turtle doves don’t hang around with buzzards.]] God knows who you are and deep down in your heart, so do you. If you are in Christ, you are different now. I pray that today you’ll start being the person you know God made you.
Memory verse for the week: The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul: The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.— Psalms 19:7
