April 1st, 2014
As each week passes, I rarely have
difficulty deciding what to write about because, as always, the Holy Spirit is
faithful to put on my heart what I need to be addressing. .. Well, this week
there are a whole bunch of thoughts, so I decided to wait on Him to sort it
out. ... In the meantime, I've been wanting to share with all of you this
article I received from a Christian friend some time back. ... It was written
by a 25-year head high school football coach by the name of Dave Daubenmire.
... The title .. "How Great is That Darkness" is his, and to honor
his work, I didn't want to dilute it in any way. ... Here is what he wrote back
in December of 2010 .......
"But if thine eye be evil, they whole body shall be full of
darkness. If therefore the light that is
in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness" - Matthew 6:23
"Okay Lord, I'll write it. But I really don't understand why you give me
these dirty jobs. Why haven't you
anointed me to write about the evil Democrats, or say, those God-haters who
want to take Manger scenes off of the courthouse steps? Why can't I be like Ann Coulter and just
expose liberals? Why do I always have to
write things about folks who are supposed to be on my side? The liberals hate me enough ... why do I have
to keep poking 'conservatives' in the eye?
"It won't be long before I won't be
welcome anywhere in the Christian circles.
But I promised you years ago that I would be faithful to write and speak
what you put in my spirit. As President
John Adams famously said, 'Duty is ours. The results belong to God.'
"So, I'll lay it out there and trust
you have reason for putting the words in my heart.
"Most Christians are not. Not really disciples of Jesus that is. As I go about my work, I have become more
convinced of that truth. The American
Experience is in trouble because those who claim to be followers of Jesus
really don't follow Him.
"Oh, don't get me wrong, they 'go to
church,' and most 'believe in God,' but they are not followers of Jesus. They don't even know what it means ... to
follow Jesus ... even though they are 'Christians.' In fact, I doubt whether the Apostle Paul, or
any of the first-century believers, would even recognize the 'religion' that we
call 'Christianity' today. Just
wondering ... was Jesus a 'Christian?'
"Jesus hated religion. It was the 'religious' folks He tried to free
us from. 'But woe unto you, scribes and
pharisees, hypocrites! For ye shut up
the kingdom of heaven against men; for
ye neither go yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in.'
... Read Matthew 23 to understand what He had to say to 'religious'
leaders. He stated it better than I can.
"Look. Christianity is not a religion, it is not
'going to church,' it is not a set op rules and regulations after which you
pattern your life, it is not a crutch for the weak, it is not an answer on the
U.S. Census, and it is not a home business designed to increase one's earthly
possessions.
"Christianity is the life of Jesus
living through you. It is an exchange of
your life for His, a living out of His nature instead of yours, a 'putting on'
of the life of Jesus, not a process where you 'accept' Him, or 'receive' Him,
or 'come' to Him. It is a death process
... a dying of you and your old nature ... a transformation really ... out of
an old life to a new one. 'Christ IN
you, the hope and glory.'
"Most folks who identify as Christians
claim to know Jesus as Savior. Very few
know Him as Lord.
"That's why Christianity is so
shallow in America. We love the 'Savior'
part of Jesus, but aren't quite ready to bow to that Lord thingee. Most are interested in having 'their Savior'
bless their endeavors, but few are willing to 'lay down their lives' for Him.
"Everyone wants to follow Jesus
until they find out where He is going ... He is heading to the Cross ... and He
asks you to take up yours and follow Him.
This flies in the face of popular Christianity and its 'felt needs' ...
"The hearts of Americans are hard to
pierce. Stephen called folks like us 'Ye
stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy
Ghost: as your father did, so do ye.'
"How did the religious folks receive
Stephen and his honest rebuke? 'Then
they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with
one accord, and cast him out of the city, and stoned him.'
"Here is what I am getting at. Most
'Christians' are not open to the true Gospel because they already think they
have it. They have learned to
compartmentalize it, to compromise it, to hang it on the coat rack. But they have heard a different Gospel. They have been taught to follow Christianity,
not Jesus.
" 'For there are certain men crept
in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men,
turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord
God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.' ...
Jude
"Do yourself a favor. Take the time to read the Book of Acts. It is a record of the 'Gospel' being lived
out by those who were most familiar with the Savior. You will look long and hard, far and wide, to
find anything even remotely resembling the modern-day humanistic, self-serving,
Jesus-wants-me-to-be-happy-and-rich-Gospel belching out of the pulpits
today. Would they invite Paul, the
greatest evangelist the world has ever known, to appear on TBN? Would Rick Warren and Joel Osteen allow him to
stand in their pulpits? Can you picture
him 'dancing with the stars?'
"Americans are following a
'different' Gospel, which is 'no Gospel at all.'
" 'Because you sayest, I am rich,
and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and
miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked.'
"Permit me to state it more
succinctly so that there can be no misunderstanding of the point I am trying to
make. Most church-goers are not
followers of Jesus Christ. They are
merely members of a social club called 'Christianity.' 'Membership has its advantages ...'
"How do you heal someone who doesn't
know he is sick? How do you save someone
who doesn't think he is lost?
" 'If therefore the light that is in
thee be darkness, how great is that darkness ...'
"Americanized Christianity has
everything backwards. Somewhere along
the line the life-denying Gospel has morphed into a life-enhancement
Gospel. Instead of us giving ourselves
for the advancement of the kingdom we have been fooled into believing that
Jesus gave Himself so we could be masters of our own kingdom.
"The idea of sacrifice and suffering
is anathema to modern, Americanized Christianity. How else can you possibly explain the
calloused attitude that most 'Christians' have towards the 'increase of his
government and peace.'
"Read Matthew 13. It is here that we read of the wheat and the
tares which GROW UP TOGETHER. That's
right. When you go to 'church' on Sunday
it would behoove you to look around .
Many of those sitting beside you are destined for the bon-fire. They look like Christians, they sing like
Christians, and they speak the Christian 'language,' but they are not children
of the Lord.
" 'Many will say to me in that day,
Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name?
and in thy name cast out devils?
and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never
knew you: depart from me, ye that work
iniquity.' - Matthew 7
"Could it be that many are getting
the wrong answer because they are being asked the wrong questions? It is not 'do you know Jesus,' but rather,
'does Jesus know you?'
"In recent polls 85% of all
Americans self-identify as Christians, yet this nation has become a moral
wasteland. 'Christians' complain about
others 'shoving Christianity down our throats.'
'Christians' declare that 'religion' is a 'private matter' while atheist
teachings swamp their children in 'public schools.' 'Christians' have abortions and vote for
'pro-abortion' candidates. 'Christians
embrace homosexuality. 'Christians' fail
to keep their marriage vows.
'Christians' ignore the precepts that Jesus taught.
"How do you rescue someone who
doesn't think he needs rescued? How do
you bring sight to one who thinks he sees?
How do you bring knowledge to one who thinks he knows? How do you bring truth to one who doesn't
know he is deceived? How do you bring
light to one who doesn't know it is dark?
"America is the most 'Gospelized'
nation in the world, but my dealings with Americanized 'Christians' have
convinced me that the greatest mission field in the world is inside the four
walls of most American churches.
"The darkness thinks it is light.
...
" 'And the evil spirit answered and
said, Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but
who are ye?'
" 'Thou believest that there is one
God; thou doest well: the devils also
believe, and tremble.'
"Most 'Christians' don't know enough
about Jesus to tremble.
"How great is that darkness."
Well said coach! .... So now, all of you
.... now that you have read coach Dave's thoughts, it's time to look at
yourself closely to see if even any of it fits you and your 'walk' with Jesus.
.... and be honest. ... The consequences are too great .. and eternal .. to be
self-decieved ..
Until next time,
Red