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“Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. – Jesus (Revelation 3:20)

I am finding this book I am reading interesting. It’s by a self-avowed Jewish agnostic attempting to live what the Bible teaches. He provides an honest, non judgmental, secular perspective – a viewpoint I haven’t seen for a long time.

He, of course, approaches the Bible’s teaching as a “religion” and as such he is scared by it because:

To embrace religion, you have to surrender some control. But what if it’s a slippery slope, and you lose all control, slide right past the Judeo-Christian mainstream, and end up in a yurt kneeling in front of a guy wearing a tablecloth who has renamed you Lotus Petal?”

But our agnostic friend has a dilemma – he has a small son

It’s why I don’t know what do with Jasper. If I give him some religion, then he might become obsessed and go Guru Gill on me. Then again, if I give him no religion, he could descend into moral anarchy. They’re both so risky. I feel like I can’t win!” – The Year of Living Biblically by A.J.Jacobs, page 103

That’s a dilemma that can only be solved by yielding control not to a religion but the living Christ. He never forces us to do anything, but calls to us in love and leads us gently “Beside the still waters…” (Psalm 23:2).

We open the door to Christ, the living Lord, who physically walked out of the tomb and walks into our hearts. He leads us like a good shepherd.

Fall in love with Jesus and there is no dilemma.

– fritz@langgang.com

Feeling Saved

“Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. – Jesus (Revelation 3:20)

More than once I have heard, “I asked Jesus into my heart but I don’t feel saved!”

I always ask two (2) questions – first, “What is being saved supposed to feel like?”, and without exception they say, “I don’t know!” Then I ask, “How do you know, then, you don’t feel saved?!”

When you ask Jesus to come into your life, that IS what feeling saved feels like, right then, at that moment! Sure, we read stories in the Bible where lights flash, people fall, holy voices speak – we like those stories, they make good theater. They are the exception rather than the rule. God seldom does theatrics but he will do what he says.

When we open life’s door to Christ we know he comes in simply because he said he would. Start with that simple fact. Feelings may come and go, but trust in God’s word stays.

– fritz@langgang.com

Jesus Passing By

Two quick stories about Jesus with the same lesson:

The first, after feeding the multitude, Jesus sent his disciples ahead of him by boat but they ran into trouble. A terrible storm was sinking their boat when, to their shock, Jesus was walking past them on the water. Mark records that detail the others missed.

“…about the fourth watch of the night he cometh unto them, walking upon the sea, and would have passed by them. But they saw him” – Mark 6:48

The second story involved two lesser known disciples who encounter the risen Lord without recognizing him. They walked and talked but then

“[as] they drew nigh unto the village, whither they went: … he made as though he would have gone further. But they constrained him, saying, Abide with us” – Luke 24:28-29a

Without some sort of personal response it seems Jesus is quite content to pass right on by.

Don’t let him do that!

Blind Fanny Crosby put it this way in her famous hymn:

Pass me not, O gentle Savior,
Hear my humble cry;
While on others Thou art calling,
Do not pass me by.

Refrain:
Savior, Savior,
Hear my humble cry;
While on others Thou art calling,
Do not pass me by.

Let me at Thy throne of mercy
Find a sweet relief,
Kneeling there in deep contrition;
Help my unbelief.

Refrain

Trusting only in Thy merit,
Would I seek Thy face;
Heal my wounded, broken spirit,
Save me by Thy grace.

Refrain

Thou the Spring of all my comfort,
More than life to me,
Whom have I on earth beside Thee?
Whom in Heav’n but Thee?

Refrain.

– fritz@langgang.com