Quite an interesting text, isn't it? Don't many of us have memories of times we encountered Christ and could feel that squeeze, pressure or downright expression of anger? I am hopeful you are at the point of salvation, and can look back at that and understand what I am stating. If you are still reading this and haven't clicked out of here, but can agree that you are still continuing to have "Jesus Flare-ups" which are ticking you off, please keep reading. He is working on you.
There is quite a misconception that Jesus is the Jesus that our culture has led us to see Him as. He is not a beatnik hippie who accepts all and everything. He is not passive, moldable or a buddy type. I have heard people state things like "The Jesus I love is the one who I could sit and have a beer with". Really. He is perfectly Holy and Pure. Jesus is God. He is a consuming fire. He has provided a time of grace to those who will turn from their sin. This door of opportunity closes either when you take your last breath or when He returns: Whichever comes first.
The Jesus of the New Testament is quite a strong character. Be patient-- I am laying a foundation of information for you as we move forward in this blog towards the entire reason for the blog: Why does Jesus disturb you?
I can recall the summer of 1986. We were on our senior class trip. I was living a rebellious life of sin, being brought up in a Lutheran home. I attended church every Sunday with my family and most every Wednesday during the school year to attend Luther's Catechism Class, along with chili suppers and ice cream socials. I had somehow decided that the commandment to Honor Your Father and Mother did not apply to me, so I had taken liberty to drink alcohol and sleep with my steady boyfriend. I thought I knew it all and thought a lie that somehow this was not sin because "everyone is doing it" and I could do what I wanted. I was either severely backslidden or never saved. It doesn't matter now, as I know now my Savior personally and have had a wonderful conversion (ongoing) experience. Here is my story:
We were vacationing at The Lake Of The Ozarks. As I recall there was a street preacher and I just couldn't handle it. I recall verbally stating out loud, and maybe loud enough for the speaker to hear, that "We already know this, so why don't you just quit yelling at people? Why are you even doing this?" " I'm Lutheran and I already got it". Now I know that my reaction signaled that either I was a champion Pharisee or a never converted pagan. Keep reading. Please, as the Shepard is calling.......
What is your response when you encounter a Gideon Bible Representative, a Gospel tract distributer, a customer who talks to you about being born again, see a person with a flashy Jesus t-shirt or worse yet, try to go to church and get ticked off every time that you come up with comments to defend yourself such as "The church is full of hypocrites", "They don't know what I am going through" or "The church just wants my money". Actually what you are fighting against is that you don't want to stop sinning. Jesus Christ is reaching out to you through these means to make you react. Either you react in humble crumbing, or you keep fighting or kicking against "the goads" or "pricks"? (read Acts 26:14 please)
Let me inform you in love of what is happening to you. Praise God that you are not so cold and hard hearted that you are without response. Something in you is firing up, and it is unsettling. The Holy Spirit of God is working on you to make a decision. This may go on for many years, or may stop someday and then you will be without option to turn to Him who offers salvation. If it is the Lord's will, you will finally collapse under this pressure and give your life to Him. That is a doctrinal issue that we won't cover here. All I will say is that either way, what is happening to you is not an accident and it is for eternal reasons.
Will you please consider what my entry states here tonight and stop and believe in the supernatural work of the Lord Jesus Christ? You can't hide from Him. You can run and anesthetize, but from one lady who once yelled at a street preacher I can let you in on a little secret........He now took my life, shook it up beautifully for HIS purposes and this once obnoxious 18 year old is now a lay preacher, teacher and evangelist. All without pay and all with complete joy, forgiveness of my sins and an increasing peace and rapturous love for my Creator. He is real to me in ways I can't explain, I have answered prayers, He has shared the "Yoke of Life" (Matthew 11:30) with me, assisting with complete alcohol abstinence, sexual purity and gave me a great big handful of Christian women to be in my life. Yes, I have lost some people in my life due to Jesus. I call it all joy, my friend (Matthew 5:11). I am here for them when and if they finally submit and bend their knee.
The time is now if you have not yet responded to this uncomfortable presentation of Jesus that keeps finding you.
