Tuesday, October 05, 2010
I have a word of testimony that I would like to share with you. For the past year, there has been a struggle taking place in my heart. I would see someone at church, whom I felt was a total hypocrite and that would eat away at my spirit. I would talk with my husband about how wrong "so and so" was for trying to put us under the Law. I would tell him how hypocritical "so and so" was for saying this was wrong while doing that. Something terrible and ugly was growing like a cancer in my soul and it turned me dreadfully bitter. My words were like a poison. I could see everyone else's wrong doing, yet I did nothing wrong~or at least nothing like they were doing.
God's Spirit mercifully allowed me to see that something was amiss. I felt that my prayers were not getting past the ceiling. I felt alienation from the Lord. I passionately began crying out to God for an answer to my soul's questions. What was wrong with me? The Lord Jesus, in His gracious and loving way, slowly began to reveal to me that the REAL Pharisee was ME. He began to ever so gradually break down the walls of pride that surrounded my hardened soul. I searched the Scriptures daily and found that LIFE and LIGHT are truly within the pages of the Sacred Book. I searched because I wanted to see Christ! He revealed Himself to me, yet He also revealed something else. He revealed ME. He revealed to me that I am nothing without Him. I know you agree that you are nothing without Him, but do you really believe that? If we do, why do we go through a day or days without even acknowledging Him?
So He takes away the bitterness and puts blessing in its place. He has shown me that when we look at Him, we will see our need for Him. We are a desperate and needy people, but He is more than willing to be our source of Life. So if you were wondering why I love Him, this is the reason why. I was saved years ago, but I never got to know my Saviour like I have in the past year. I trust Him with my life and with my death. Yesterday was the funeral of a great Christian man that died at the age of forty-one. His wife sang at his funeral. It blessed my soul to hear her sing and she thanked the Lord for all He had done. To be able to thank the Lord when your soulmate dies is truly grace from above. That is real Christianity. There are so many in our day who profess the name of Christ, "but deny the power thereof". They call themselves Christians and then deny His will daily. There is much sin and deception in our land, but the goal today is not to look beyond yourself. I want you to look at yourself and ask the Lord to show you what is in your heart that is not pleasing to Him. Are you a Pharisee?
I have shared this with you because Jesus was completely transparent and I would like to be as well. Christians should not have things to hide and be ashamed of. We need to be real. Yes, there are still hypocrites in the church, but I don't have to be one myself. We need revival in our land, but it must start in our hearts. It must start within me. If you can, check out my friend David Brown's blog entry dealing with this. It is called, "Characteristics Of Pharisees". Ask the Lord to speak to your heart. I'm praying for you today.
Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. Psalm 51:10