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Thursday, December 20, 2018

WHO IS JESUS?

As i sit here i am pondering and going around in my mind with this question. Who is Jesus? Why is he still being spoken and talked about today? Is he relevant? Does he matter? This season we all sing songs about him, put up decorations, make preparations for the season, some of us get ready to go to church the one time a year cause we feel guilty and maybe we also feel that Jesus will be happy or that we can maybe appease a whole year of focusing on everything else but Him. Maybe some of us come to ask for his blessing for the rest of the year, and we feel like sending Christmas cards with positive messages, hoping maybe to feel better about ourselves and the choices we've made throughout the year that have nothing to do with a personal relationship with Him.

So, i ask myself, what does His birth really mean to me? The verses that talk about Him coming to save us from our sins, to redeem us, to snatch us away from the powers of darkness into His kingdom of light, to cancel the debt that condemn us into an eternity without him, to forgive us, to give us new life and hope, to show us what life truly is all about.

Does that mean anything to me? His birth? Coming to earth to put on flesh and dwell among us? To come and suffer just like us? To experience life on our terms? That Him, the one and only true God, coming down to be born in a "shady" situation with a girl that got pregnant by divine intervention, to a normal average family, into a tough culture oppressed by another kingdom, to a hopeless people?

Does that mean anything to you?

Do we even feel the need to know Him? Are we aware of our need for forgiveness? Of everything he offers and did so that we wouldn't be condemned?

Do we even care? Or are we so caught up in all of our empty pursuits that we, now more than ever, could care less about having a relationship with Him? Heck, in fact, we don't even know what that means or how to go about it. We deem it somewhat important, but hey, who has the time? I have bills to pay, toys to buy, meaning to pursue, value to achieve through my own efforts, more money to make, more things to acquire, cause that is what makes me happy, what fills my heart, what gives me meaning? It doesn't matter that my marriage is falling apart, that i live a double life, that i lie, cover up and lie again just to keep the facade going.

I'm too busy doing life. I don't have time for Jesus and this whole church thing. Work, school, my social life, social media, my own escapes that i treat as idols, like sports, money, fame, popularity, social status (which comes by the way of how much i make, how much i have, where have i been to, toys i own).

I mean, how do you think God feels and thinks about sending his son Jesus to save us and us not even realizing and/or understanding what that cost Him and how much love he has poured out on us undeservingly?

Here we are, the object of His love and affection, turning around and saying, "thanks, but no thanks!"

WOW! Do you hear that? This is how many of us live today. Hey Jesus, it all sounds cool and great and heroic, but...no, thanks, i think i'm ok. I'll be alright. Don't really need that. Or you. I can manage. But hey, stay close though, i know you love me and you'll be there for me anytime i need you, so when I am in a pinch, make sure you stick around cause i might just then give you a shout.

This is exactly how a lot of us are living today. And so, as i sit here wondering about these things, i ask myself this?
What will it take for Jesus to become relevant in our lives? It's not that he is not relevant. He IS!

But, what will it take for us, his creation, his people, to wake up and realize our deep and desperate need of Him?

When will we see parents teaching our children again how to have a personal relationship with Him?
And i am the first one to confess that raising my teenagers in this age is so challenging and i have made so many mistakes and have hurt them so much that i have been repenting so much lately asking God to redeem the years and the so many times i have not focused on giving them the best thing i can give them, and that is the knowledge of how to pursue a personal and intimate relationship with Him.

Social media is killing us. It is killing our relationships. Our ability to interact and connect with other people personally, closely and meaningfully.

Empty pursuits are giving them the wrong message. Academics, sports achievements, climbing the ladder of success, a great job, etc. These are all good things, but they're not the source of meaning and worth and value. They're blessings. The only true living, true fulfillment and true worth we'll find in only one person. Jesus. That's why he came. That's why he's here.

Why is he not the most important thing in our lives? Why is he not the aim of all of our pursuits and efforts? Why is knowing Him not the ultimate goal of our lives? Why is where will be spending eternity not alarming? How can we be so numb? Apathetic? Unaware? Careless?

Who is to say we'll live forever? We won't. Our days are counted. We will one day face our creator and he'll only ask us one question. Did you believe in me? Believing is not saying "i believe". Or, what will we tell him when he asks that? Well, i went to church on christmas, and maybe easter. I tried to be good. I gave my kids a great education. I made sure they had a great job. I went to all of their games. I helped coach their team. I was a very positive member of the community. I gave to the poor. I was nice to people. I didn't drink too much. I didn't swear (except when i got hurt, i think), etc.

And he'll say "that's nice", but did you know me? it's not about the things you did. It's about what i did for you. Did you embrace my love? Did you rest in my provision? Did you love well? Did you honor me with your time? Finances? Relationships? Did you delight in my commands? Did you find joy in my words? Did you Were you satisfied with my provision? Did you tell others about my gift of love? Did you offer up your gifts to bring glory to my kingdom? Did you believe that by living for me you would be the most satisfied and fulfilled, therefore you forsook all empty pursuits to pursue me and my presence and my words and my commands? Did you believe that doing those things were the only way to find true joy, love, meaning and purpose?

Brothers and sisters, we need to reflect on these things. This time we're living on, this generation we are seeing grow, we are in great danger. Now more than ever the enemy is succeeding in numbing us and making us the greatest godless generation ever. And there's only one solution. Return to God. Fell His conviction and ask for a spirit of repentance and turn our hearts back to God.

There's no other way. Stop fooling yourself. And i'll do the same.

Otherwise, yeah, we can keep going on like this, but we know better. And if we don't do something about it, then we will have raised a generation that doesn't know God, and a godless generation, gosh, that's scary!!!