Living on Cash or Credit

As believers we are called to do more than sit on the pew or in-front of the TV or computer on Sunday morning or whatever day you take time to attend service in today’s culture. We see this modeled for us in the Gospels as Jesus sends out the 12 disciples. I chose to look at Luke’s account but it is also recorded in Mark and Matthew.

¹ And he called the twelve together and gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases, ² and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal. Luke 9:1-2 (ESV)

One point you need to understand; Jesus did not just pick them to be his disciples one week and put them out doing his work the next. By most accounts Jesus has spent the better part of a year teaching and preparing these twelve men to be heralds of the good news that God’s Kingdom is close at hand. There was a time of preparation. They were equipped to perform miracles in the realm of healing and casting out demons. This served a two-fold purpose one it brought the end of suffering to those who needed it. However, it also showed the power of God among the people, it added credibility to the testimony they were sharing. This is the point that I want to touch on.

Today how creditable is your witness. Do your actions, attitudes and words reflect a relationship with Jesus Christ that has Him at the center to your life or do you have to announce that you are a Christian in every situation you enter into. There is no record in scripture about how any of these encounters went as the twelve went out so let us look at John 5:1:17 and the Healing at the Pool of Bethesda.

The Sheep gate was located off the northern side of the temple it was how the shepherds would bring the animals into the temple area in order to have them available for sacrifice. Here is located a pool that was believed had the ability to bring healing to the sick. However, this healing was only available when the waters had been stirred. In the case of the man Jesus heals he was never able to get to the water in time so he had laid here waiting all his life for someone to help him into the water. Jesus confronts the man with a question, “6 When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had already been there a long time, he said to him, “Do you want to be healed?” John 5:6 (ESV)”. The man explains the problem of not having any help and Jesus responds, “8 Jesus said to him, “Get up, take up your bed, and walk.” 9 And at once the man was healed, and he took up his bed and walked. John 5:8-9 (ESV)” Then the real action starts then people start to come to see what has happened. The purpose of the miracles was always to bring healing and end suffering but also to bring an opportunity to glorify God.

Now personally I believe that the God I serve is an unchanging God; who has promised to provide us a helper (the Holy Spirit), who convicts us of our sin and draws us to salvation through our relationship to Jesus Christ. With this same Holy Spirit being the one providing us the gifts of the Spirit to serve God as we walk in accordance to His Word. We to have been sent out to tell the world about the soon coming Kingdom of God, Matthew 28:16-20 shows this to be the truth.

So today what is missing in our walk with God that keeps us from being the witnesses he has called us to be? In our culture today we are a society built on credit. As Dave Ramsey says, “we are buying stuff we don’t need with money we don’t have to impress people we really don’t like.” It’s funny to me how true that is of our Christian walk just in reverse. As Christians we are using our energies, to try to win people who don’t really like us, because as Christians we have no credibility because we lack power to live the lives God has called us to. Today as Christians we are living on cash; our own ability and power, what we have is all we can spend on God. Meanwhile God has provided us an unlimited line of credit if we will just tap into His power through our surrendering to the Holy Spirit’s guidance. What will you do today depend on your ability or depend on God’s?  The question is CASH or CREDIT? Have a blessed day as you walk in the light of God’s Word.