The
Allure of ‘Christ-less’ Christianity
Following
Jesus Christ, if we are not extremely careful, may be fraught with real danger
of eternal consequences. This is probably why the Bible urges us to work out
our salvation with ‘fear and trembling’. (Philippians 2:12)
And this is the greatest danger: we may think we are following
Him when we have actually gone back from Him.
When we
wander away from Christ, no loud bang is created. It is an eerily silent
phenomenon. We may not even be aware we have left Him. Just like Samson had no
clue that the Spirit had departed from Him (Judges 16:20), thinking
he could carry on as usual.
Christ
has promised that He will never leave us,
or forsake us (Hebrews 13:5). And He keeps this promise faithfully. But as
creatures of free will (even after conversion) we still have the propensity to
wander away from Him to do our own things.
That’s
why Apostle Paul admonishes us to examine ourselves to be
sure we are still in the faith (2 Corinthians 13:5).
Self-deception in this sphere of Christianity is in abundance in the world
today.
The Bible
gives us antecedents to warn us of this danger. The hard-working ‘faithful’
church of Ephesus in Revelation 2:1-7 had no clue that Christ was no longer at
the one-million-and-one things they were doing in His name! Similarly, the
rejoicing, bubbling, ‘living’ church in Sardis (Revelation 3:1-6) did not know
that it was in fact DEAD in God’s estimation.
In the
same way, the prosperity-loving church in Laodicea (Revelation 3:14-22) did not realize
that they had eased Jesus out of the church, such that He was outside knocking
and seeking re-entry into the few hearts that will truly allow Him to abide.
Are we better than any of these three churches? Are we different from them? Or
more spiritual? We need to be watchful, brothers and sisters.
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HOW DO WE KNOW WHEN
CHRIST IS NO LONGER AT THE CENTER?
Easy to
spot when we prayerfully search our hearts with the light of God’s Holy Spirit.
Christ may no longer be there when we are working for Him, instead of waiting
on Him. When we are living progressively, instead of dying daily. When we are
insisting on our rights, instead of giving them up. When we are reigning,
instead of serving. When we are taking, instead of giving. When we are gaining
all in this life, instead of losing all. And when the glamour of the world
deceitfully lure us to tread the alluring, grey, middle ground that is a little
to the left, or a little to the right of the narrow way prescribed by Christ.
All who
come to Christ come at His invitation, and on His conditions. To remain ‘IN CHRIST’, it will still have to be on His terms and
conditions. For instance, Christ will not play second fiddle to any man. He is
either in the driving seat of your life, or He will soon be out. You have to be
‘dead’ to be able to continually abide in Him, and walk with Him. Outside this
framework, it is just a matter of time….
It is
God’s will that none of those He has called into the marvelous
light of the Kingdom of His Son should be lost (John 10:27-29, 17:12). And, mercifully, He gave us a fail-proof
way of forever securing our place IN CHRIST on this side of eternity. It is
simply this: carry your CROSS daily and follow Christ. The real CROSS, I mean.
Not the jewel-encrusted cross that the Church has created today to keep us
happy in the pew while they joyfully collect our tithes and offering.
The hard
truth is that the real CROSS of Christ brings shame and has to be endured
(Hebrews 12:2). There are no thrills or frills about the CROSS. The real CROSS
of Christ brings us freedom by limiting and restricting us in a lot of ways.
The real CROSS of Christ is not something that we pick-up and drop at will, and
re-pick up when convenient. There has to be consistency in carrying the CROSS,
that’s why the word ‘daily’ is in Luke 9:23. The pick-drop-pick-drop approach
eventually leads to Luke warmness, which is just a bus stop away from being
spewed out from the mouth of Christ (Revelation 3:16).
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What the
CROSS is designed to do is to keep us close to Christ. For when the CROSS has
done its job of separating us from the world, and made us the ‘laughing stock’
of the world, we’ll quickly discover that we have no-one else to turn to –
except Christ Himself! He alone will be our strength and our way. He alone will
understand and comfort us. He alone will matter.
This is
exactly why the Apostles could not go away when Jesus asked if they would join
the throng of disciples that were deserting Him in large numbers in John 6:66.
Hear the words of Apostle Peter, “… Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou hast the
words of eternal life.” (John 6:68). The CROSS had indeed caused them to suffer
the loss of all things. Their choices were narrow.
But
today, the Church has given us options, choices, and ‘freedom’. We can have
Christ and enjoy the world. We can have Christ and still follow our carnal
cravings. Craving to show more flesh, to pursue materialism, to show we are the
ones that matter the most, etc. We even have the ‘freedom’ to obey convenient
Bible passages, and twist the not-so-convenient passages to mean what we find
convenient.
These
‘freedoms’, as desirable as they may be, are not from Christ. They are from
men. Men that do not mind the things
of Christ (Philippians 2:21), but are more
concerned with secretly building their own empires. Child of God, can you
continue to be in that camp?
Christ-less Christianity is
convenient today, but ultimately, it is a dead-end that will not take us
anywhere near the joy and glory that Christ promised to those that will follow
Him faithfully till the end.
If we
suffer with Him, ONLY then will we
reign with Him. (2 Timothy 2:12)
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The
second coming of Jesus is around the corner. He will come as a
thief in the night. His coming will catch many by surprise. Please
do not be missing when the roll is called up yonder. The time to confirm that
you are still in Christ is today. Tomorrow may be too late.
Thanks for reading, God bless.
Word from
Church Watch in Nigeria
Prayer Points
1. I refuse to be a counterfeit Christ by the power in the name of
Jesus.
2. Every evil snare prepared for me and my family; Catch your owner
in the name of Jesus.
3. Let the silent operation of Satan in my life .scatter in the
name of Jesus.
4. Let the progress of the enemy in my life; be frustrated in the
name of Jesus.
5. Lion of Judah roar and swallow every confidence of the enemy in
my life, in the name of Jesus.
Declare these Confessions to
yourself:
6. I shall not be used as Sacrifice; my family shall not be used as
sacrificed my the power in the power of Jesus.
7. I laminated my life and my family with the blood of Jesus.
8. Throughout the year, People shall not have a cause to say to me;
Sorry! In the name of Jesus.
9. This year, my God shall arise and make me a mysterious wonder in
the name of Jesus.
10.
This year, what others call a
problem, shall become promotion for me in the name of Jesus.
Seven Fold Amen
with Faith!!!
Amen! Amen!
Amen! Amen! Amen! Amen! Amen!
2015 is your Year of multiple restoration and
unparalleled Favor in the name of Jesus
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IF THE ENEMY HAS STOLEN FROM YOU;
RECOVERY IS BY FORCE.
STOP THEM BEFORE THEY STOP YOU,
GOD BLESS YOU.
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