It’s Not What You Do… It’s Who You Know

Matthew 7:21-23, “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. Many will says to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I NEVER KNEW YOU; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’”

I think that I could write another book based on Chapter 7 of Matthew, but today I choose to focus on just these 3 versus. And the reason is that with the Pope visiting the US today, I can’t help but look back in my life and look at the false importance I gave to Ministers and ministry. Too often I believed that a particular Pastor was closer to God than I could ever attain myself. Even in my own self-worth I valued casting out demons, and seeing God’s miracles of healing over my relationship to Him. I wanted to see the miracles, and if I am truthful wanted others to see the miracles so that I could judge myself, and be judged by man as being closer to God.

But man’s judgments… even our own judgments, do not count in our relationship to God. We cannot ask ourselves if our jobs have importance. We cannot count on our pious acts to afford us eternal life. On the contrary we must ask ourselves, do we know Him? Or perhaps we should ask, does He know us?

And so as the Pope visits attracting millions to his masses. As Catholics faint in his presence, I wonder aloud. Does Pope Francis know God? Does he have a relationship with Christ? Though truly the answer is none of my business as I do not follow him, I also wonder aloud, do I know Him?

To that question I have a resounding answer, YES!

What is your answer to the question of, do you know Him? Do you know God the Father? Do you know His Son?

If you cannot say without qualifier, “yes” then by all means look for someone who teaches knowing Christ.

Being Pope does not mean you know Christ. Being a convicted felon does not mean you do not know Christ. That is a question that can only be answered in your heart.

What I can tell you with certainty, is that if you want to know Him. If you will seek Him, you will find him. (Matt 7:7) Seek HIM!

Stories

Acts 9:5, “He said, ‘Who are You, Lord?’”

I had a wonderful conversation with my friend Paul yesterday. Among the many things we talked about he apologized for not reading my blog more. He said, “I like the stories, I just don’t like when you get preachy.” Now to some that might sound like criticism, but it was said in love and taken as such. In fact, I have heard many compliments about the “stories” which are really nothing more than real life experiences, or testimonies as evangelicals might call them. As I talked to Paul I went into the stats, and in fact most of the posts in the top 10 viewed are stories.

But as I explained to Paul, and as you see here, I don’t write for Him or you, or even me sometimes. I write what I feel like God puts on my heart to write and to my amazement I wake up and find this blog unintentionally fulfilling the great commission. Mark 16:15 Jesus said, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.” And so that is what I do. I share, sometimes in stories, sometimes in preaching the good news of knowing Christ. Sometimes I find Him in the least of people. Sometimes I find Him in His word. Sometimes I find Him in struggles or blessings or the exciting or the mundane. But here, all of these writings are a collection of just a few of the times I am acutely aware He is not only with me, but in me.

Shameless surrender in hopes that we might know Christ more. That is what this is about. Staying true to that vision. Not for me to know Christ more, not for you to know Christ more, but for US to know Christ more. I am not here to preach or tell stories. I am not here for accolades. I am not even here to explain things, reinforce doctrine, or create religion.  I am just here hoping in shameless surrender.

Oswald Chambers has some wonderful commentary on today’s passage which I took directly from Utmost for His Highest. He says, “Many people begin coming to God once they stop being religious, because there is one Master of the heart – Jesus Christ,  not religion. But ‘Woe is me’ is after seeing Him I still will not obey.

This is my act of obedience, now you go and obey Him today in whatever it is He has called you to do.