Hi Steve,
Your extremely deep thinking cracks me up. First of all, don't think so hard. LOL :) We are never going to understand all of God's ways or how everything works. I have oftened asked these same questions when I have been searching around alot of "information". Just get back to Jesus.
I like to remind myself to just work out my own salvation with fear and trembling and not worry about anyone elses. :) Your quest to do everything the right way equals complexity , don't you think. I am a former perfectionist, so I know the routine. I still struggle at times to find all the answers. But then again i just get back to the simplicity of Jesus and hide myself in Him- and then I am at rest.
Day by day, just following Him is enough for all of us to do. He will honor your heart that seeks so diligently for answers- you have found HIM. That's all you need.
I am posting a cute little poem that I like to look back over as I sometimes get caught up in all the complexity of men's religion. Hope you like it.
Many, many blessings Steve. May you expereince the rest and hope and love of the Father each and every day.
In His perfect love, Chanin
-BACK TO JESUS ALONE-
When you can't figure out whether to: sit at His feet, walk in a manner worthy of His call, or run the race with all diligence, It's time to get back to Jesus alone...
When you can't even remember: the twenty-two characteristics of a good wife or husband, the seven steps of appeal to authority, the eight things to do when you are worried, or the nine ways of love, It's time to get back to Jesus alone...
When the proof of authority is simply "they say": "Have faith, just trust; let go and let God", "Just find the sin and repent", "Just love; have joy; receive peace, and pray", and you can't figure out who "they" are, It's time to get back to Jesus alone...
When some Pastor/Preacher/Teacher/Evangelist/Prophet/Apostle, et al says: "Hear the Word", "Read the Word", "Memorize the Word", "Study the Word", "Meditate on the Word", and you are lost in the middle of Leviticus or Lamentations, and even Luke is just too much, It's time to get back to Jesus alone...
When you hear: "It's pre/mid/post/pan/all tribulation", "Don't take the 'mark'", "It's 3 times, time and a half," and you can't get through the next half hour, It's time to get back to Jesus alone...
When you hear testimonies of others: raising the dead, praying all night, fasting forty days, leading thousands to the Lord, memorizing the entire Bible and you hear it from someone who hasn't done it and they expect you to do it, and you feel obligated, It's time to get back to Jesus alone...
When you hear: "Have faith, work hard, repent, conquer, tithe, give, suffer, evangelize, make disciples, wait on Him, walk in Him, pick up your cross, claim your possessions, pray, fast, and you feel pulled in 16 different directions on a rack, It's time to get back to Jesus alone...
When it is: home school, Christian school, public school, Sunday school, Bible school, the school of hard knocks, no school. and the discussion is heating up and you feel like skipping school all together, It's time to get back to Jesus alone...
When you are getting a multitude of letters, newsletters, magazines, etc from 700 CLUB, CBN, TBN, AOG, BOM, CBN, CCC, CFI, CFNI, CMA, CORE, IVF, LCM, POAC, WCCF, YFC, YWAM....ABC.....XYZ...... and each of them contains a request and a return envelope: It's time to get back to Jesus alone...
When you can,t figure out whether to wash the dishes, do the laundry, mow the lawn, fix the car or read, It's time to get back to Jesus alone...
When it is running the car to: baseball, football, handball, volleyball, broomball, ballroom dancing, and everyone is having a ball but you, and you feel the car is your home and the road leads to nowhere, It's time to get back to Jesus alone...
When you been through the circuit and you've heard and watched preachers preach, exercise faith, build ministries, movements, and monuments, pray, praise, teach on power, signs & wonders, laugh, cry, dance, prance, motivate, manipulate, and you can,t stand any more, It's time to get back to Jesus alone...
When you are asked, "How's it going at your church, your ministry?" and you know it really means "Ask me how it,s going at mine", and you know you are about to hear about: increased miracles, money, numbers, new buildings, broadcasts, converts, and you feel a failure, It's time to get back to Jesus alone...
When you hear about and go to another conference that promises to "be it": and you went, listened, prayed, paid, bought the books and tapes, tried it, and it didn't work, and the guy/girl left town and you're left wondering why it didn't work; "what,s wrong with me?", It,s time to get back to Jesus alone...
When you just heard another: "Thus saith the Lord"; that contradicted the last "word from the Lord", that was contrary to the previous "the Lord told me", and you finally get the picture that the Lord's name is being taken in vain, It's time to get back to Jesus alone...
It is time to hear His voice, It is time to seek His kingdom, It is time to simplify, It is time to love Him with all our soul, heart and strength, It is time to commune with Him alone in the secret place, It is time to get back to Jesus alone!
_________________ Chanin
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