Well, I have missed some time on my regular blog. Between bronchitis, possible pneumonia, they discovered that I had an enlarged heart. That has led to several events and changes to this point.
Back to my usual observations.
There was a survey of campers in a wilderness area of the forest. The comments and complaints tended to the lack of amenities. This indicated that the people who made them really didn’t know what it means to stay in “a wilderness area” They were looking for something that certainly didn’t fit the description of where they were staying.
In a similar way, many people do not know what it means to be a genuine Christian. There are many to be sure who follow Jesus or claim to be a Christian, but they do so on their terms not His. They do not truly comprehend the the biblical definition of discipleship.
So many people who say they are followers of Jesus are not, even though in many ways they look like true disciples. They go to church, they have a profession of faith, they read their bibles, pray and even give at offering time. But they are not living and thinking like the real deal.
George Barna wrote in “The State Of The Church” the results of his survey of self proclaimed Christians ; This is some of what he found.:
48% could not name the four Gospels
52% cannot identify more than 2 or three of Jesus’ disciples.
60% of American Christians can’t name even 5 of the 10 commandments
When asking graduating high school “born again Christians” Barna, found that over 50% of them thought Sodom and Gomorrah were husband and wife.!
61% think that the Sermon on the Mount was preached by Billy Graham
71% of American Christians think “God helps those who help themselves is a bible verse..Folks , this is not a laughing matter. What is wrong with our churches, our leaders, our bible studies that perpetuate the myth that being a Christian is a name you carry if you are on a church roll somewhere.
Jesus confronts the problem in Luke 14: 25-27. Large crowed were traveling with Jesus and turning to them he said “if anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children , his brothers and sisters and yes even his own life-he cannot be my disciple. And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple”
Lets first look at the word “Disciple” A disciple is a true follower of Jesus Christ, and committing to him as He said in the scripture passage. In other words, what we would call a Christian. If you are not a disciple as Jesus defines it then you are not a Christian.
I know it sounds like measuring up to that definition is almost impossible. But this is what Christ is telling us…If we come to Him, committed to Him and His direction for our life, then we will be the Christian that we should be. He will guide us into our reading of scripture,, meditation, prayer, , reaching out to our fellow man in Christian love, and then we will shine our light into this sometimes dark world. That is the meaning of being a true disciple…….amen
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