The Cream of the Crop!
©
Written by Danny Bunn,B.A. (Born-Again believer in the Lord
Jesus Christ)
Chapter 31
A Time and a Place...
All good things must come to an end, I guess. So around
9:00pm-12:00midnight, slowly the group of people are trimming
down as they head for their homes to get ready for another week's
work but they are more fired up for the Lord, more in tune with
his Spirit, more encouraged in the faith. They want to be used
to see more and more changes brought about in this world for the
glory of God. Jesus said that if the world persecuted him then
they will persecute us. Joe and Cindy have seen a little but
very little. Other members of the body of Christ, his church here on planet earth had incredible stories to share with them, how the Lord wrought miracles in the midst of persecution, harassment, etc. The more that they get
together and spend quality time with the Lord of Glory, the more
they realize the awesome love that he has, he just wants us to
spend time with him, seek his face, so that he can prove himself
to us. The more that they feel a part of one another, the more they are becoming what he meant them to be, his body. Christians are called light in a dark world, salt, overcomers, victors. Jesus said that the world would know
we are his disciples if we move in love towards one another.
Something that many in this group hunger for, to see that God
love to go deeper than shaking hands and saying, "See you next
week, bro!" Not to be afraid of one another like if it is a guy
talking to a girl then treat her as if she has leprosy. No!
Treat her as a sister in the Lord. Don't lust her but love her.
God is love, he isn't lust so love by his Spirit. Love your
brothers and sisters in the Lord equally. That isn't saying to
treat a girl like a guy or vica versa but love. God made women
different than he did men so remember that. The Lord wants to
be more than some faint figure in a book or even in the book of books, the King James Bible. He wants to fellowship, commune with his people and that seems to be spooky to many Christians. The written word is quick and
powerful since it came from the one who is quick and powerful.
His word shows us his character, his ways, his love and as we
look to the Lord he shows us more, leads us deeper in his life.
There are so many things that the ones who became Christians
and left the Roman Catholic Church never completely left behind
so Christianity was Romanized to a large degree. Whether it's the
holidays, the ways of some worship services, the sacraments, the
rituals, the programs, they are not needed. What is needed is
that we worship the Lord in Spirit and in truth. That we
minister the hope, the life that is offered to all by what Jesus
Christ did for us on the cross. Most all cults got a lot of
their false teachings from the Roman Catholic Church. Water
baptism doesn't save, Jesus saves and those who preach water
baptism saves teaches baptismal regeneration which is another "gospel".
If Christians just lived, acted like the 1st Century Christians
in the Book of Acts what an incredible difference it would have
on society as a whole. To see the love, the life of God
manifested in his saints, those who have been born-again, born of
God. That is what the whole world hungers for and many have no
idea what it is that they need and God's people know and he is
going to require their blood at our hands. What an awesome, incredible, unbelievable thought. Yet this God who has called us to be witnesses has
furnished us with all that we need to be the witnesses that he
has called us to be. We will not come short in any area as we
look to him.
Well, the day is just about over and a few more leave, those
who do not have to get up early stayed the latest. The house
that they are meeting at is owned by an older brother who is
retired so he is really not concerned how late they stay. Tony
ends up sleeping on the couch after Peggy wakes him up and tells
him that he would be more comfortable on it. She hugs Tony again and
tells him that she is glad to have him in the family of God. Tony nods in
agreement as if he was embarassed. Peggy turns to leave and tells
George that she will see him later. He smiles and tells Peggy to
have a nice day in the Lord tomorrow.
Well the sun has gone down, retired for the evening, so to
speak then it is good to know that the Son of God never retires.
He is ever watching his people, leading them into a deeper, closer,
more intimate communion with himself. The day and the night are all
alike unto him. Cindy well knows that doctrine now and she is so
thankful for it. Tony is laying on the couch trying to comprehend all
that has happened today. He was a child of the darkness- the devil's but
now he is a child of the light- a son of God. He starts praising Jesus
once again. He cannot get over what has happened and he pinches
himself to see if he is really awake, if he is really experiencing these
things and the pinch hurts so he concluded that he was awake.
Praise the Lord! He rolls off of the couch and gets on his knees to
the one who created him and everything else. The one who knows
the hairs on his head as the street preacher said, this Jesus Christ
who loves him with an everlasting love, who gave his life so that Tony
and all others like Tony who come to him might have life. "Whosoever
believeth..." Those two words are a mind blower. Now Tony is
one of the whosoever believeth. Salvation is a prayer away and
he prayed and God answered. The one who has no beginning, who
will have no ending, the one who is everywhere present, all-
powerful, all-knowing...
Tony can't think about it anymore, his mind seems to be
short-circuiting. It's time to sleep but how is he going to do
that. He climbs back on the couch going over the scripture that
the street preacher gave him to memorize. Tony keeps going over
and over the verse. He dozes off to sleep as his mind is going
over the last few words of the verse, "...I am come that they
might have life and that they might have it more abundantly."
