Getting There (2)

They said to Him, ’Rabbi . . . where are You staying?’ He said to them, ’Come and see’ (John 1:38-39).

Where our self-interest sleeps and the real interest is awakened. “They . . . remained with Him that day . . . .” That is about all some of us ever do. We stay with Him a short time, only to wake up to our own realities of life. Our self-interest rises up and our abiding with Him is past. Yet there is no circumstance of life in which we cannot abide in Jesus.

“You are Simon . . . . You shall be called Cephas” (John 1:42). God writes our new name only on those places in our lives where He has erased our pride, self-sufficiency, and self-interest. Some of us have our new name written only in certain spots, like spiritual measles. And in those areas of our lives we look all right. When we are in our best spiritual mood, you would think we were the highest quality saints. But don’t dare look at us when we are not in that mood. A true disciple is one who has his new name written all over him - self-interest, pride, and self-sufficiency have been completely erased.

Pride is the sin of making “self” our god. And some of us today do this, not like the Pharisee, but like the tax collector (see Luke 18:9-14). For you to say, “Oh, I’m no saint,” is acceptable by human standards of pride, but it is unconscious blasphemy against God. You defy God to make you a saint, as if to say, “I am too weak and hopeless and outside the reach of the atonement by the Cross of Christ.” Why aren’t you a saint? It is either that you do not want to be a saint, or that you do not believe that God can make you into one. You say it would be all right if God saved you and took you straight to heaven. That is exactly what He will do! And not only do we make our home with Him, but Jesus said of His Father and Himself, “. . . We will come to him and make Our home with him” (John 14:23). Put no conditions on your life - let Jesus be everything to you, and He will take you home with Him not only for a day, but for eternity.

~ John 1:38-39
38 Turning around, Jesus saw them following and asked, “What do you want?” They said, “Rabbi” (which means “Teacher”), “where are you staying?” 39 “Come,” he replied, “and you will see.” So they went and saw where he was staying, and they spent that day with him. It was about four in the afternoon.


~ John 1:42
42 And he brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon son of John. You will be called Cephas” (which, when translated, is Peter)


~ Luke 18:9-14
9 To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else, Jesus told this parable: 10 “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’ 13 “But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’ 14 “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”


~ John 14:23
23 Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them.

You can not pick an choose when you want God in your life!  You can't only want him in your time of need!  I want God all the time, I want him when I am having the best days and the worst!  I don't only want him to stay in my life for short periods.  I want my new name written in bold, underlined, bright ink all over me for the world to see!  I want it to be evident in my relationship with Jesus Christ.  I don't want people to have to wonder if I am a Christian.  I WILL, from this day forward, show my love for God everywhere I go!  When someone says to me "Well aren't you just a saint?"  I will respond with "Why yes, yes I am!!"  

I don't want to be one of these people who, when behind closed doors, they have nothing to do with God.  No, let me rephrase that, I WILL NOT be one of those people.  Can someone truly live a happy guilt free life by only having a relationship with Him publicly?  I know I was not happy.  I was once one of those people, not on purpose, but I was.  You can't only show up to church on Sunday to Praise God, and not think about Him any other day of the week.  Thank God I have changed my ways.  I am a new me forever, and very proud of it!  Jesus is Everything to me!