What Was Your Name Again?

As Easter approaches and we remember the death, burial and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ I came across a verse that motivates me and drives me in my relationship with the Lord. You're probably aware that Easter draws the most people to church on any one given Sunday during the year. Then it becomes business as usual the following week.

Jesus' words in Luke 13:24-27 compel me to know the Lord more today than yesterday. "Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to. Once the owner of the house gets up and closes the door, you will stand outside knocking and pleading, 'Sir, open the door for us.' But he will answer, 'I don't know you or where you come from.' Then you will say, 'We ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets.' But he will reply, I don't know you or where you come from. Away from me, all you evildoers."

Talk about piercing words. Would you want the Lord to say, "away from me" or "I don't know you." A portion of the Message translation puts it like this. "A lot of you are going to assume that you'll sit down to God's salvation banquet just because you've been haning around the neighborhood all your lives. Well, one day you're going to be banging on the door, wanting to get in, but you'll find the door locked and the Master saying, 'Sorry, you're not on my guest list.'

Men and women, I want to be on the Lord's guest list. I want Him to know me and better yet, I want to know Him. And I want to know Him more and more. I sense that people think just because they believe in God or hang in the "neighborhood" of people that know God then that will be enough to get them into heaven. It takes much more than that.

It's not enough just to believe, but you have to receive Jesus into your life. That's only step 1. After that the adventure and the ups and downs of the life of being a Christian begins. As I wrote recently, it's not always easy, but it's always rewarding.

To know God is to spend time with him which means you have to schedule time in your day for him or you will find there is not enough day left. I encourage you to schedule quiet time with the Lord daily where you are free from the distractions of tv, kids, chores, etc. That time might be first thing in the morning or on your lunch hour. Whatever time you choose make sure it is the time that you are at your best. Don't you think the Lord deserves that much?

As you spend more and more time with Lord in His Word and in prayer and thru fellowship of other believers you will start to think more and more like him. You will find yourself coming into situations asking, "What would Jesus Do?" (Sounds like a good slogan to me) Life is too hard to try and make all the decisions yourself. Why not let God make them for you. It's amazing what you will find in it. It has answers to all of life's problems and issues.

As you make the comittment to be in His Word, I encourage you to find a good Bible reading plan and not go with the open the pages and wherever my finger lands I start with idea. Did you know you can read thru the Bible in one year by reading it for 15 minutes a day. I think we can come up with 15 minutes. And if you miss a day, unlike diet and exercise don't get discouraged and quit. Start back up again.

I'll check with you at the end of the year and you know what? You'll be confident that the Lord will say, 'Oh hi (fill in your name) I've been expecting you. How ya doing? I'm glad I got to know you.'