Draw Near

FaithWalkDaily September 18, 2008

Heb 10:22-2522 let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. 25 Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another-and all the more as you see the Day approaching. NIV

Today is my earthly father's birthday.

He was not a very good man and unless he made a deathbed confession of faith, I don't believe he walks with Jesus. Perhaps because I lacked a good father to raise me up through life I cling all the more desperately to my Father in heaven so I'm grateful for my dismal history.

As a result of my broken family I've always been disturbed by brokenness amongst human beings and am forever trying to patch things up. In the depths of my being I know that there is a logical order to things, that there must be one to lead while others follow. Followers are no less important than leaders - the work would never be done without them. So a leader is lost without his support. Of course the flock is lost without a Shepherd.

We are living in desperate times beloved. Look around you. Satan is having his way in every arena around the world. Many Christians sit passively complaining in disgust but do nothing. Careful. It's not wise to speak if we're not prepared to act.

I'm prompted by a couple things. One is the endless stream of politically flavored email circulating ad nausea. The other is division in the body of Christ. I'm not going to speak to what I call splat - candidate bashing slander - in this blog. I've already done that elsewhere. I want to talk about the latter today - body slashing.

This issue of disunity, grumbling, complaining, demanding our own way, changing for the sake of change, and ultimately dividing the body of Christ, must so grieve God's heart. We must look to Him like the mentally deranged "cutter" who slashes himself. If we're honest with ourselves, most of our complaints are petty. People leave churches for the stupidest reasons. Don't even get me started on doctrinal issues! If I didn't believe fellowship were an absolute necessity and a mandate, I'd withdraw completely. But that's not what we're about. God wants us to gather, to support and encourage one another, and to confront sin in love. Lift up, not tear down.

Instead, what's happening today is, you don't like somebody or some thing in your church so rather than address it or get over it, you leave. So I want to talk to both of you today. You who's hotfootin' and you who's made him mad. You're both in the wrong. What you need to do is sit down with Scripture and settle it.

Heb 4:12 For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nobody needs to leave. God wants you to work it out. God wants you to work it out. God wants you to work it out!

God wants you to work it out. God wants us to draw near to Him.

I want to talk to you today about loyalty, dedication, support, encouragement, edification.
1 Peter 5:6-7 Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. 7 Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. NIV

Don't worry about getting our own way or getting the position you want. Our reward comes from God. Don't be concerned about the program somebody wants to run you don't agree with - God has it all under control. Don't be fretting over so and so not doing what they're supposed to - they're a work in progress just like you. God can handle them. Satan causes you to think you've been wronged by your brother to take your eyes off the work Jesus is doing in and through the body as a whole. Get off your high horse and offer it to your brother or sister. Love one another, lift each other up, cheer the other guy on. Forget about yourselves. It's not about us! Satan wants you to think it's about what's best for you. Only God knows what's best for you.

So let's not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don't give up.
~ Galatians 6:9, NLT

Draw near to God.

O heavenly Father, all this petty bickering among Christians is a nuisance and hinders the work you have planned for us. I pray now that You would help each of us to stop thinking about ourselves and start thinking about Your holiness, You great mercy, Your love and most of all, Your perfect plans and purposes for our lives to glorify You. Would we humble ourselves to simply serve as Jesus served, to wash the feet of our brother; to come to the aid of our sister; to love one another as You love us. Would we stop being about the busy-ness of church and start being about spreading the gospel through godly living and an active testimony of faith in our communities. Let us draw near You O Lord, we need You desperately! In Jesus' name I pray, amen.