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Tuesday, December 07, 2010
Today: The true Gospel and the true Christ
Passage: 1 Cor 1:22-24 NIV
22 Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom, 23 but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, 24 but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.(emphasis added)
Paul preached Christ crucified, not when Christ was still on the cross
It was way after Jesus resurrected and ascended to heaven, that Paul preached Christ crucified
Was Paul doing the right thing or the wrong thing?
Today, we see many people preaching the Christ without the cross
Especially here in America, people love to preach the gospel of convenience and comfort
Most of what we see today in a “comfortable” setting, has nothing to do with the true Church
Often, these preachers of the “comfortable Christ” has brain-washed people, of the “crucified” Christ
The world that offered the cross to Christ, is still offering the same, for the same Christ; it will never offer the crown, for the true Christ
Ministry of Christ will never be effective, as long as it is done in a “comfortable” setting, where one does not have to pay any price for that
If you are one who is taking pains to do the work of Christ, you are really gaining something; no pain-no gain
23 Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. 24 For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it.(Luke 9:23-24, NIV)
This is a verse I rarely hear anyone preaching here, in America
While in India, I always used to hear someone preaching on this
Are we really after the true Christ, or are we after a “fake” Christ?
Think about it; may be we have been following a “custom-made” Christ!
May be we have been walking with the crowd (Church) like Joseph and Mary, who left Jesus in the temple-still thinking “he is with us”
But there are some who understand, “it looks like we left Jesus somewhere; He is not with us!”
The earlier we find that out, the better
The more you go without Him, the more difficult it is, to get Him back!
When Jesus was nearing the cross, Peter tried to find a safe haven!
He did not want to identify himself with someone who was going to be crucified publicly!
Peter was very much our brother!
When we know that someone we know is getting “crucified”, we will tend to stay away from them, as far as possible
But Peter was at least somewhere in the vicinity; he did not run away!
In that, he was different from us
It is time to take the cross and follow Jesus, people
It is painful; but His yoke is easy and His burden light, compared to the yoke and the burden anyone else would give you (Mt 11:28-30)
Read Matthew chapters 10 & 11
May God continue to minister to you;
Amen!
BG
Prayer: Lord Jesus, I am sorry for following “another” Jesus, where everything was so comfortable. I never had your yoke upon me yet. Help me to have it and carry it, yielding fruit for you. Amen