In the world of today, there are lots of things that annoy me: slow, old people; loud, obnoxious chatty people; atypical oranges; ignorance; indifference...you get my point. Of all these things, there is perhaps one thing that truly sets me off and I am without a doubt peeved. Apathy. You lack concern, interest, or enthusiasm. That describes the attitude of the body of Christ at large. How? Oh, let me count thee ways...
Aren't you tired? Aren't you tired of only going so far? Aren't you tired of only working certain types of jobs? Aren't you tired of being able to afford only certain things within a certain price range? Aren't you tired of driving only certain types of cars? Aren't you tired of always being sick, never truly being well? Aren't you tired of being broken? Aren't you tired of being defeated? Aren't you tired of going through the motions? Aren't you tired of being limited? Aren't you tired of being contained? Aren't you tired of never moving forward? For God's sakes, don't you want more than what you have now? I cannot begin to describe with how many Christians I've encountered and recalled how many times they are tolerating their lifestyle, their mindset, their life...never being satisfied or wanting more. Don't you want more? Don't you want a BMW instead of a Honda? Don't you want to live in a 5.6 million dollar mansion instead of a townhouse? Don't you want to shop at Saks or Neiman Marcus instead of Goodwill or Wal-mart? Don't you want to live your life without ever having to visit the hospital unless because another glorious gift from above has been bestowed to someone? Don't you want more? You can't tell me that you're not jealous of those people who live extravagant lives, who are able to purchase luxurious clothes and cars, who are able to jet-set to exotic places, who are able to truly exalt and eulogize a life of Christ and His riches and glories. Sad to say, Christians who are poverty-stricken (in their minds) talk more about money than prospering Christians. The thing is, prosperity isn't assets; it's a mindset. Instead of talking about money, we talk about the only Source--God. You talk more about how difficult it is, how scarce income is, and how you don't know if you can last through the month when really, you worry more about the "little" money you have than those who have nothing! Don't you realize that God is Provider? He provides all our needs. Philippians 4:19 says this: And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from His glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus. From this Scripture, taken completely in context without reading between the lines or assuming something from nothing, says that God has unlimited riches which has been given to us the moment we receive Christ. We don't need to live poverty-stricken or live with just this much! God has given us everything. Most pastors read this at funerals, although, truth be told, it is not a death or bereaving passage; rather, it's Scripture elucidating how God is Jehovah Jireh (in Hebrew, God the Provider). Psalm 23:1-4: THE LORD is my shepherd [to feed, guide and shield me]; I shall not lack.He makes me lie down in (fresh, tender) green pastures; He leads me beside the still and restful waters.He refreshes and restores my life -- my self; He leads me in the paths of righteousness [uprightness and right standing with Him -- not for my earning it, but] for His name's sake.Yes, though I walk through the [deep, sunless] valley of the shadow of death, I will fear or dread no evil; for You are with me; Your rod [to protect] and Your staff [to guide], they comfort me.You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; my [brimming] cup runs over.Surely or only goodness, mercy and unfailing love shall follow me all the days of my life; and through the length of days the house of the Lord [and His presence] shall be my dwelling place. Since God is our Shepherd, we shall not lack anything, not water or food, neither good things nor essentials.
You talk about how sick you are, how much this or that hurt, and how hard everything is. You know what? You are lazy. That's right; I said it. You are a lazy, indifferent Christian. If you put aside your pride and the fact that whenever you exclaim your pain you gain attention, feeding your ego, you would realize that we have power and dominion over our natural circumstances. There are countless Scriptures telling us to emulate Christ's character, to be like Him. That wasn't only referring how loving and kind He is; it's referring to aligning your character with Christ's character. That means when a headache or arthritis or chronic pain shows up, you summon your faith and you command that pain to get out of your body and back into the pit of hell, in Christ Jesus name by the power of the Blood of Jesus. You don't let that pain enter your body; you have been delivered from that insignificant situation and pain. You don't let a scratch or burn last more than a millisecond on your skin. Let me tell you something, not for enlightenment, but rather confirmation of what happens when you apply the Word and plead the Blood in your life, due to lack of taking nutrients for a period in my life, I noticed that my hair began to grow frail. Particularly, my bottom eyelashes began to fall without reason. Obviously, I already resumed taking vitamins and nutrients in excessive doses to regain normal levels of whatever it is that I at one point lacked. However, the hair issue never improved. I grew angry that nothing was occurring and in my holy anger, I began to command my eyelashes to grow. I pleaded the Blood over it and I demanded that it grow; Jesus paid the price for this at Calvary so I no longer need to live with or tolerate it. Two weeks later, I regained a normal amount of bottom eyelashes without it falling. The power in action. C'mon, you can't tell me that you don't want to live your life without ever visiting the hospital or chiropractor or whatever doctor you visit. If all Christians summoned the faith we are supposed to have, hospitals should go out of business! In Africa, a group of small children, with their faith, prayed over sick people at their local hospital. Well, guess what? That hospital went out of business and converted it into a business since every single person got healed. That, my friend, is the power of Jesus displayed in action.
Do you seriously not want more in this life? More than just this or just that? Don't you want more than a certain amount of something? Aren't you tired of being contained? My God! Aren't you tired of not living in God's fullness and goodness? Aren't you tired of not achieving what you want to achieve? You look scornfully and scowl at Christians who can afford a certain lifestyle and things and you cock your head pridefully exclaiming that they are nothing that just a bunch of spoiled Christians who are not serious about Jesus. What you don't know is the amount of work and effort (as in time spent in prayer, time spent trusting God when it was easier to grow weary and fret, and refusing to let the world determine how far they go). You don't care about the effort, discipline, and hard work they put into accomplishing what is now viewed as riches and wealth. All you look as is their assets, but, oh! you're not jealous. Oh really? You're telling me that you don't want they have? You don't want what they drive? You don't want what they wear? You would be an utter moron to disregard that and say you want to live in a small house and afford a semi-impressive car. You want what they have but don't want the effort in getting it. Well, without hard work coupled with wisdom from God and trusting in Him at all times and spending more time in the Word than worrying or shouting or toiling, you don't get anything. Proverbs 10:22 shares some godly wisdom--the blessing of the Lord--it makes [truly] rich, and He adds no sorrow with it [neither does toiling increase it]. To want more, it requires more faith, more strength, more trust, and more work and many Christians aren't willing to do that. To that I say, fine! Stay sick! Stay poor! Stay having only little! Stay being contained! Stay being limited! When you want more and you desire more, you are more that willing to put the effort in it because the reward is far greater than the sweat, tears, and pain. Rise up and finally claim what is rightfully yours in the kingdom of Heaven. Assume what has been given to you through Jesus Christ the Anointed One. Because when you live wealthily and healthfully and yet the only utterance is Jesus, people stop and notice. And isn't that what you want?
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