NOTHING BETWEEN THE LINES!
Sunday’s Monday
It may seem that I use the subject of self a lot in my writing and you’re right. I do! Years ago, I was taught the art of self-examination, and I knew I needed it because I was living the lazy dream of one foot in the spirit realm and one foot in the world. Yes. I know it’s comfortable, but it also is nonproductive for all sides and lots of people were in my boat. As I read between the lines of the bible, I take charge of the decision making which justifies my every action. I did what we do best and that is read what suits us in between the lines to temper the meaning to something more suitable. Kind of like putting words into the mouths of others. We are warned of this in 1 Corinthians 4:6 ESV, I have applied all these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit, brothers, that you may learn by us not to go beyond what is written, that none of you may be puffed up in favor of one against another.
God knows our love for controlling outcomes as well as our gift for finding ways to make it possible, pleasurable, and self-serving. This is probably why He had Deuteronomy penned to forewarn us that there is a price to be paid for misrepresenting God’s guidance for us. Moses writes in Deuteronomy 4:2 (ESV), You shall not add to the word that I command you, nor take from it, that you may keep the commandments of the Lord your God that I command you. You see there is no between-the-lines in God’s realm, no room to hear what pleases you when God speaks, nor dressing up visions when God sends them to you. It is, what it is and that’s what we have to work with. Example: when God says go, unless he puts a date, and/or time on it, He means now! This is a huge issue with Christians today, reading between the lines. Jesus said in Matthew 16:18 (ESV), “And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock, I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” Jesus spoke of one church, and He declared ownership of His creation by granting it the power to sustain with Him. Today we have millions of churches with thousands of different beliefs forming hundreds of denominations of which each is very protective, and it’s being used to block the unity that Jesus desires. What happened? How did we go from “I will build my church” into this scrambled web of what we have today? People are reading between the lines through those feel-good filters, and because of that many will never reach the roots of discovering who God really is!
I have a question for you; are you a part of this division, is it you who are helping to support this great divide in the church that Jesus built? How often do you talk to God about where you are in your walk with Him? Are you where you and He hoped you would be? Are you guilty of reading between the lines? Is it time to start looking for the truth in your life? Many of you will move on and not finish because this doesn’t abide well within you. However, a lot of you will read to the end and never do anything about it. Some will not be happy with the status quo but will not turn to God for help, because they are ashamed to face God. News flash! We face God every moment there is no hiding anything from Him. More questions; Are you in an active, working partnership with Jesus? Does He bring contentment into your life? Are you continually seeking to be more like Jesus “instead of having more of Jesus” which many see as T-shirts, jewelry, hats, and things depicting spiritual one-liners, (to which many may be found guilty of false advertisement?) More like Jesus means exactly that: more time learning Him, more listening to Him, more trusting in who He is and this is only a snippet of what is truly involved. Titus 2:7 (ESV), Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works, and in your teaching show integrity, dignity, and sound speech that cannot be condemned, so that an opponent may be put to shame, having nothing evil to say about us.
Father we know that you’ve told us in Revelation 22:18-19 (ESV), I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book, 19 and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which is described in this book. Help us to be content with what is written and rest upon our trust in you to not seek our meaning of what is said by reading between the lines. Lord open our eyes to see it is our continual time in prayer that completes and gives understanding to your holy writings. Father00 help me to grow beyond my dependence on this mortal body and start living through my spiritual man to cast aside these feeble desires for temporal things. Bless us Lord as we faithfully do our best to serve as you desire. Amen
HAVE A BLESSED WEEK BY BEING A BLESSING TO OTHERS!
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