Romans 8:28

Today's lesson at church was one that I needed to hear again. "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him,[a] who[b] have been called according to his purpose." This passage and some of the things that Pastor Les then went to say, got me thinking about other things that people seem to misunderstand or knowingly intrepret it in a way that makes sense to them. We as followers sometimes like to the word and mold it so that it fits our lifestyle instead of the other way around. How many times in church have we had the pastor say that we are to be Christ-like? How many times does the bible say the same thing? I've yet to hear the message on making Christ Wes-like. But that is exactly what we do. We latch on to the verses that give us comfort and affirmation, yet when we read something that we don't exactly want to hear, we tell ourselves, "that's not talking to me." Well is it talking to you? Have you asked God if its talking to you or are you making the call for Him in saying its not? Saturday as I cut a lady who lost her husband to a rare form of cancer several months before I lost my dad, I had many many thoughts running through my head. I've heard it said so many times, "live like Christ is coming back today". Yesterday I wouldn't have been caught off-guard. I believe I was doing exactly what God would have expected out of me as man who claims to follow Him. But that is not always the case. Why is that? Do we really think that God could come back at anytime? Monday at lunch? Wednesday at 4:34pm? While we are praying? While we are watching Baseball Tonight? While we are watching something we shouldn't? While we are in a bar having a drink? Or driving home from work? I think the answer to why we don't really worry that God is coming back on our watch is because we really don't think He will. We believe He'll come back hundreds of years from now or when the earth gets really really bad. We don't realized the earth is really really bad already except here in the USA where bad means walking outside realizing its hot then going back inside to the air conditioning. Just like a hundred other things that we say we believe about God. We believe them but we don't believe them because if we did, if we feared God the way we are to, we'd do everything possible to do as His word says. But as God says, it will be easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a man to get in to heaven. "For narrow is the gate". There has to be more to Christianity than saying a few simple words to get into heaven and being a true follow of Christ. As the bible says, there will be those who believe without a doubt that they are Christians who will be denied heaven. I believe thinking without a doubt that one is guarenteed heaven, is one of the most dangerous places one can be. Just acknowledging that we are sinners isn't enough either. In all this there has to be a sincere attempt everyday to be Christ-like. In speech, in prayer, in thoughts, and in actions. Christ was a sayer, a doer, and a prayer. If we are going to be Christ-like then we to must strive to have the characteristics of Christ. We may fool others but we'll never fool God. We can either live everyday expecting Christ's return or be surprised and ashamed when He shows up and we're not ready.