"The tempter came to him and said, 'If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.'" ~ [Matthew 4:3, NIV (©1984)]
¶ Boko Haram, ISIS, blood-stained knife in hand, bark at them, "Convert or be beheaded!"
The disciples of Christ, with eyes filled with love for their killers, and a heart devoid of animosity, defy them: "No! We won't deny our Lord and Master. Go ahead and behead!"
ISIS beheads. Boko haram beheads. And as they die, the last words on their tongue is, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do."
••• And the world wonders, 'What is wrong with these Christians? Why would they rather die than just say a mere yes to a forced conversion?'
••• And the world wonders, still, 'Why are they so freaking insane to believe in a mythical character called Jesus Christ mentioned in a fictional book called the Bible?'
¶ I, too, would have wondered … if I didn't taste, see, touch, hold him. We speak; we laugh, plan and share my great moments and my trying times. He teaches me daily, whispers me out of danger and forgives me when I falter. Even now, He sits right beside me, with the most gracious smile on His face, reading what I'm writing. So, I wonder, 'Why doesn't the world see Whom I see?'
••• How many times have you heard someone exclaim, "If only Jesus will appear to me like He did to Kenneth Hagin, I will definitely believe!" Or, they pray, "Jesus, if only you appear in my dream this night, I'll give my life to you."
The belief problem didn't begin today. Thomas, His very own disciple, said, "Until I poke my finger through His hands and side, I won't believe." And true, he didn't until the Risen One appeared before him and said, "Thomas, see My pierced hands and feet. Go ahead and poke!"
¶ Some people take this matter further. Like the tempter, they administer psychometric tests on God, "If you are the Son of God…" Who told you He has a problem with that? You're the one with the problem. He knows Who He is.
Meanwhile, psychometric test won't work on Him - is not subject to your HR recruitment strategies. Can't you get used to this, once and for all: God is not a job applicant!
••• Why didn't Jesus Christ just "erase all doubt" and come down from the cross as His mockers challenged Him to do in Matthew 27:40? Because He isn't Richard Branson! The Cross was not a marketing stunt! Does Golgotha sound to you like a film shooting location? Calvary was a bloody business upon which the divine plan of universal and ageless atonement rested.
••• Why didn't Christ just appear to His enemies after His resurrection - Pilate, Caiaphas, the Pharisees and Scribes, the Roman authorities - spread His nail-pierced hands and declare, "See what I told you guys? I am truly the Messiah!" Because He has no self image issues!
••• Why doesn't Christ just appear in New York, Paris or London ("The Great Appearance") and grant a global press conference in front of CNN, BBC, Al Jazeera, NTA, and all the major news media of the world? Because He has NO BURDEN OF PROOF! And he doesn't have a PR department in heaven.
≈ "I am Who I am" is not an explanation; it is a revelation. Moses was puzzled by God's self-introduction. He wanted an explanation, something to say when the Jews, or Pharaoh, asked, "Who sent you?" But he quickly learnt that God doesn't offer EXPLANATION; He offers REVELATION. No where in Scripture is He called "The Spirit of Explanation."
In Apostle Paul's time, he wrote: "Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom (philosophy) but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles." [1 Corinthians 1:22-23]
... Nigerians, too, are desperate for miracles. The Western worlds seek philosophy and rational explanation for God. BUT miracles DO NOT convert the heart, and humanism and philosophy do not cure the human heart! The millions of miracles reported at camp grounds, prayer mountains and on TV should have made us "good people, good nation," shouldn't they?
≈ So, now what?
••• Quit whining and challenging God to prove that He exists. He WON'T do it! Genesis Chapter 1 verse 1 simply started with, "In the beginning, God..." No introductions, no pleasantries, no protocols observed, no explanations... just God! You simply key into it, or you don't.
Jesus told Thomas, "Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed." [John 20:29]
••• millions of people are looking for proof, like Thomas of old... but those who come to him MUST FIRST BELIEVE.
••• This week, will you seek revelation or hunt for explanation? Will you continue to give God the ego test or just accept Him for Whom the Scriptures reveal Him to be, and offer worship and thanksgiving to Him?
I love you!
Have an awesome week and be healthy, wealthy and wise!
Source: Ogbo Awoke Ogbo Facebook Post
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