Material things mean very little to me. I’ve never spent very much money on them. I very seldom see a material thing that I want or need. When I do I tend to buy the cheapest version of it. When my wife asks me what I want for my birthday or for Christmas, I never can think of anything.
I guess the most expensive personal item I’ve ever bought is the $500 computer that I am typing on at this moment. I appreciate it because it gives me access to the internet and is a platform for me to tell people about the love of my life — the living, resurrected Jesus Christ.
Here’s what I’ve just written:
It’s easy to be like the people of ancient Jerusalem who didn’t recognize Jesus even though the Old Testament prophets’ words about Him were read every Saturday in their synagogues. When Christ’s presence isn’t recognized and fully surrendered to, we’re left with a religious form of godliness that denies the power thereof. Although words are read about Jesus and His will, we live our lives as though He is dead because we don’t literally encounter and obey the risen Jesus as “the radiance of God’s glory.
When the Bible is preached and people aren’t trained and empowered to daily apply it and live it, nothing much happens. Christianity needs to focus on heart-to-heart relationship with Christ, daily discipleship, and heavenly citizenship, not just on lectures based on a pastor’s religious scholarship.
Church trains Christians to rely on hearing external religious lectures rather than on Christ’s internal presence. People can’t be lectured into discipleship no matter how many Christian conferences they attend.
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