Maybe we should require ourselves to read this again from time to
time. Might help us keep our eye on the doughnut, and not on the
hole.
Terry
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[EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
Is this too pentecostal for the some of you?
bro John
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Is Jesus Enough?
by Chip Brogden
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"After they had eaten, Jesus asked Simon Peter, 'Simon, son of
Jonah, do
you love Me more than these other things?'" (John 21:15).
If Jesus was all you had, would Jesus be enough for you?
Many precious believers are in love with the things of the Lord,
but they
are not in love with the Lord Himself.
Many Christian workers and ministers are in love with the Lord's
work.
Almost without realizing it, the work of the Lord becomes more
important
than the Lord of the work.
There are prophets and teachers who hold words from God in higher
esteem
than the God Who speaks the words they attribute as being from
Him. People
seek these words and teachings. The more they receive, the more
they want.
Before one word is digested they are craving another. They are
seeking
"things" - words, prophecies, teachings, visions, dreams - but
they are
not seeking the Lord Himself.
Is Jesus enough?
When the saints gather together most of the activity is focused
on "one
another". This is important, but it is not the most important
thing.
Fellowship is good: but is Jesus enough? Gatherings are good: but
is Jesus
enough? Meetings are good: but is Jesus enough? Special speakers
and
special music are good: but is Jesus enough?
Even with praise and worship it is possible to sing "about" Jesus
and not
truly worship Jesus. With preaching and teaching it is possible
to talk
"about" Jesus and not truly meet Jesus in what is shared. In
prayer it is
possible to talk "about" our needs and never actually commune
with Jesus
Himself.
Among Christians I have discovered something. There is Jesus, and
then
there are all the things ABOUT Jesus that are NOT Jesus. Jesus
Himself
occupies only a small portion of what is said and done in
Christian
circles. Most of what is said and done is merely ABOUT Jesus, but
it is
NOT Jesus.
I have learned that stress, strife, disillusionment,
dissatisfaction,
bitterness, anger, hurt, misunderstanding, and confusion comes
from
everything said and done by religious people ABOUT the Lord, and
IN THE
NAME of the Lord, that does not, in fact, have anything to do
with Jesus
Himself.
How much of your focus is directed to the things of God, and not
to God
Himself? How much of your discussion centers on things about
Jesus, and
not Jesus Himself?
Just look around. This brother is focused on end-time events, and
that
sister is devoted to inner healing. This brother is primarily
concerned
with prophetic things, while another sister is keenly interested
in
spiritual warfare. That brother is deeply involved with
theological
discussions, while that sister is in love with Christian music.
One
movement emphasizes this particular thing, and another group
stands for
another thing.
There may be diversities of gifts and callings. There may be
various and
sundry things to be involved with. There may be many topics to
study and
discuss. Many things compete for our time, attention, affection,
energy,
and money.
But there is only one Lord Jesus.
Just as some people cannot see the forest for the trees, I
believe most
sinners cannot see Jesus for the Christians. And I believe most
Christians
cannot see Jesus for the "church".
Is Jesus enough?
Whenever I am ministering to pastors, whatever they think their
calling
is, I always have them turn to Mark 3:14:
"And he ordained twelve, that they should BE WITH HIM, and that
He might
send them forth to preach."
You are called to be with Jesus. That is your calling. That is
the primary
thing, the highest ministry. Going forth to preach or do anything
else is
of secondary importance. We should be with Jesus; after that, He
might
send us forth to preach. But before Jesus said, "Go into all the
world" He
said, "Be with Me."
The call of the Lord is not more important than the Lord of the
call. The
work of the Lord must not replace the Lord of the work. No amount
of
ministering FOR the Lord will make up for a lack of ministering
TO the
Lord. And knowing the Word of God does not necessarily mean that
we know
the God of the Word.
Everyone wants to go and do something for God, but few people are
willing
to stay and do "nothing" for Him.
Jesus asked Peter, "Am I enough for You? Do you love Me more than
everything else? Do you love Me more than you love the things
about Me?"
A few weeks later, when Peter stood with John before the
religious rulers
to explain the healing of a man who had never walked, "...they
marveled;
and they took knowledge of [Peter and John], that THEY HAD BEEN
WITH
JESUS" (Acts 4:13b).
If we will be with Jesus, then Jesus will be with us.
The reason the New Testament church had power was not because
they spoke
in tongues, or held meetings in their living rooms, or had a
certain
system for planting churches. The secret was they had been with
Jesus.
But some Christians are more in love with methods and ministries
than they
are in love with the Man.
The prophets and teachers in the church of Antioch were gathered
together:
not to have a house church conference, not to begin a new
ministry, not to
discuss the latest prophetic word or the newest teaching, not to
exchange
ideas on how to grow the church, not to fellowship, not to share
a meal,
not to minister to one another. But "as they ministered TO THE
LORD, and
fasted, the Holy Ghost said..." (Acts 13:2a).
Paul and his fellow workers had many souls to save, many
disciples to
make, many churches to plant, many places to visit, many messages
to
deliver, many letters to write. There were many needs to be met,
many
doors of opportunity before them.
But the work was suspended. Activity ceased. Ministry came to a
standstill. Fellowship and food were forgotten. The prophets were
there,
but the prophets did not prophesy. The teachers were there, but
the
teachers did not teach.
Instead, they ministered to the Lord. The focus shifted from
horizontal to
vertical. The emphasis was directed away from man and man's
needs, and
onto the Lord and His Need. They were busy being with Jesus. They
were at
His feet.
So when the Holy Ghost finally spoke, they were ready to go
forth. Thus
began the first missionary journey of Paul.
When apostles love church planting and mission work more than
Jesus, then
they are saying that Jesus is not enough.
When prophets love their prophecies, dreams, and visions more
than they
love Jesus, then they are saying that Jesus is not enough.
When evangelists love traveling, preaching, and holding meetings
more than
they love Jesus, then they are saying that Jesus is not enough.
When pastors love their church services and building programs
more than
they love Jesus, then they are saying that Jesus is not enough.
When teachers love their teachings more than they love Jesus,
then they
are saying that Jesus is not enough.
When preachers love their preaching more than they love Jesus,
then they
are saying that Jesus is not enough.
When ministers love their ministry more than they love Jesus,
then they
are saying that Jesus is not enough.
When musicians love their music more than they love Jesus, then
they are
saying that Jesus is not enough.
When writers love their writings more than they love Jesus, then
they are
saying that Jesus is not enough.
And when the simplest disciples grow tired of "just" being with
Jesus, and
begin to long for something bigger, something better, something
greater,
something more powerful, something other than what they have in
Jesus
already, then they are saying that Jesus is not enough.
If Jesus was all you had, would Jesus be enough for you? Or do
you have to
have all the "trappings" of Christianity, all the bells and
whistles, all
the toys and trinkets?
Make no mistake: there is no life in the things that are ABOUT
Jesus.
There is life only in Jesus Himself.
May I speak candidly? If you are dissatisfied and disappointed
with your
Christian walk today, it is only because of one thing: Jesus is
not enough
for you. Somewhere along the line, something else became more
important
than Jesus. Maybe you have become focused on the things ABOUT
Jesus that
are NOT Jesus.
There is only one solution. You do not need more of the Lord,
because He
has already given Himself completely to you already. You just
need less of
everything else.
Remember.
Remember what it was like to hear His Voice, to be so filled with
passion
and love for Him, that you wanted nothing more than to sit at His
feet,
and hear His Word.
Remember when you were so infatuated with Him that you did not
want to do
anything else.
Remember what it was like to just be with Jesus.
Go back to when Jesus first called you to be with Him.
Go back to the time when all you had was Him.
Go back to the time before you were planting churches, speaking
prophetic
words, preaching to the unsaved, pastoring the congregation,
teaching the
people, or leading worship.
Go back to the time when there was no work, no ministry, no
vision, no
special calling - except Jesus calling you to be with Him.
Remember when you said, "He's all I need!"
So what happened?
I pray the Lord will draw us after Himself and make us thoroughly
sick and
tired of things - especially the things that are ABOUT Him, but
are NOT
Him.
God so loved the world that He gave His Only Son, Jesus.
Well... is Jesus enough?
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