How long will you Limp

“And Elijah came near to all the people and said, “How long will you go limping between two different opinions? If the LORD is God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him.” And the people did not answer him a word.”

“how shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation? It was declared at first by the Lord, and it was attested to us by those who heard,”

John 10:24  So the Jews gathered around him and said to him, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.” Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father’s name bear witness about me,  but you do not believe because you are not among my sheep.  My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.  I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.

Acts 2:22     “Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know—

2 Corinthians 4:3     And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing.  In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

John 12:37     Though he had done so many signs before them, they still did not believe in him,  so that the word spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled: “Lord, who has believed what he heard from us, and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?”  Therefore they could not believe. For again Isaiah said,  “He has blinded their eyes and hardened their heart, lest they see with their eyes, and understand with their heart, and turn, and I would heal them.”

In the scriptures today we see those who have set their heart and mind not to believe no matter what, those who go between whatever is popular at the time, and those who believe and are fully committed.  Do you wonder what keeps people grouped like this?  What is it that blinds the non-believers to Christ? What is it that keeps the wafflers from committing to fully?  What is it that keeps the believers committed?  Are the non-believers that way because of pride and condition of a hardened heart/closed mind?  Are the wafflers that way because they want to have what seems like the best of both worlds or are they afraid of what others might think?  Are the believers that way because God opened their heart and mind and drew them to Himself?  Hardened hearts and minds, waffling are always possible even to those who believe.  If we are complacent and neglect His word and lose desire to humbly serve, honor, follow and obey we can harden and we can waffle.  Paul said we should guard ourselves.  We need to take every thought captive.  We cannot prevent the first thought that comes to mind but we can certainly get a proper thought put into place.  Paul said to put on the full amour of God.  There is so much more to being a follower than salvation.  It would seem like this – we want a warm bed to sleep in but want nothing to do with the household or maintaining the house.  Our walk to to be so much more than believing and salvation.  We are to reflect the light of Christ, proclaim the good news, be able to give reason for why we believe, able to encourage, able to disciple, able to correct,  and have a daily walk that is filled with joy, peace, hope, kindness, gentleness, and love.  Spend time in His word and grow in knowledge and understanding of Him.  Hear His whispers of guidance and humbly obey Him.

Become brighter

“Whoever does not love me does not keep my words”

“But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, which shines brighter and brighter until full day.”

John 3:9  Nicodemus said to him, “How can these things be?”  Jesus answered him, “Are you the teacher of Israel and yet you do not understand these things?  Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know, and bear witness to what we have seen, but you do not receive our testimony. If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you heavenly things?

Isaiah 50:2     Why, when I came, was there no man; why, when I called, was there no one to answer? Is my hand shortened, that it cannot redeem? Or have I no power to deliver?

Isaiah 42:16    And I will lead the blind in a way that they do not know, in paths that they have not known I will guide them. I will turn the darkness before them into light, the rough places into level ground. These are the things I do, and I do not forsake them.

Isaiah 65:2    I spread out my hands all the day to a rebellious people, who walk in a way that is not good, following their own devices;

Acts 28:27    “‘Go to this people, and say, “You will indeed hear but never understand, and you will indeed see but never perceive.”  For this people’s heart has grown dull, and with their ears they can barely hear, and their eyes they have closed; lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and turn, and I would heal them.’

Scripture from God states many hearts are dull and eyes and ears shut to the word of God.  They can not perceive Him, or see His hand at work, or hear His whispers of guidance and leading.  I do not know what is worse; to have rejected Him and live apart from Him, or to have tasted the love of God and live a life apart from Him.  One says I don’t want to know You.  The other says I want to know You but only for the benefit of myself and  stay at arms length but be ready when I need you.  We must choose to humbly serve, honor, follow and obey.  This choice is between do we serve self or do we serve God.  If the choice is to serve God we have to ask what does a life look like that is being lived out with this choice.  Does it keep God at arms length or does it reach out seeking, pleading, wanting, willing, needing to have communion and leading with and from God each day?  If we want to stay close to God we must have hearts that are open willing, ears that are open and seeking whispers of God, and eyes that are open and wanting to see the hand of God working.  Stay in His word each day, live to honor and glorify Him, follow, serve, obey.