“Persuasions”

John 6:66  “From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.”

 This is one of the most chilling passages in scripture and I’m convinced that the numbers assigned to this verse at a much later time didn’t fall there by accident.  It speaks of people who once walked with the Lord, but stopped doing so.  This crowd had been following him, beholding the miracles and being fed when Jesus performed the miracle of the loaves of bread and fishes.  In fact Jesus had to depart; perceiving that they would seek to take him by force to make him a king.  (verse 15)  Later, when they locate him in Capernaum, he makes the statement below; one that should be a warning to every true saint of God today. 

John 6:26-27  Jesus answered them and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled.  Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed.” 

A lot of professing christians today are labouring for the meat which perishes.  Building up earthly kingdoms, heaping treasure, and overcharging themselves with the things of this world.  (Everything that we own here will, at some point, cease to be under our jurisdiction)  The crowd above was failing to look at things from an eternal perspective and in the following verse, Jesus makes a statement that sifts out the disingenuous.

John 6:65  “And he said Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father.” 

The crowd dwindled from a multitude down to twelve and even one of them wasn’t as he appeared on the surface.  The multitude had been following Jesus and even been miraculously fed in a wilderness setting, but departed when he made a statement that didn’t sit well with them.  I just remembered what Phil mentioned recently; that we need to seek the face of Jesus and not his hands.  When we begin to focus on stuff, the stuff becomes our priority and we begin to associate physical gain with godliness instead of being content with such as we have.  Our joy and peace is in the Lord Jesus Christ; not in the physical circumstances that surround us. 

Earlier tonight, I came across a blog; written by a person who claims to have once been a christian, but is now an agnostic.  Even more astonishing is that this person appears to have a lot of company as there were several comments left by folks who claim to have been christians, but are now agnostic or even athiestic in their beliefs.  (It’s quite possible that many of these folks never had a genuine encounter with the Lord Jesus)  In scripture, we’re warned that “falling away” would be a bellwether of the end times where falsehoods masquerading as truth will lure away those who are “almost persuaded.”  Last winter, I was pondering this falling away while shoveling out the driveway.  While normally, I’m not one who has visions, I saw, for a split second, a battlefield covered with fallen soldiers.  The uniforms looked like those of the early or mid 1800s and they covered the ground in every direction. 

John 6:68-69    “Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go?  thou hast the words of eternal life.  And we believe and are sure that thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.”   

When Jesus asks his remaining disciples if they want to join in the exodus, Peter affirms his belief that Jesus is the Messiah.  It hits on something that’s been on my mind a lot lately, but I’ve not been able to put it into a post yet.  Our testimony is of utmost importance as “with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”  In the book of Revelation, “they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony.”  Our testimony of Jesus Christ when all of the physical evidence will appear contrary.  We’re entering a time of unimaginable deception and if we’re not completely persuaded that Jesus is the way the truth and the life, we’ll fall.  Thus the exhortation to “examine ourselves” in II Corinthians 13:5 should be taken seriously.

Time doesn’t permit going into it, but the parable of the sower is incredible.  (Matthew chapter 13)  While the seed that fell by the wayside represents those who hear the word but it never has a chance to take root, the seed that falls on stony places and in the briars represents those who are converted.  Some aren’t adequately grounded and so they endure only while things are going smooth.  The others are overcharged by the cares of this world and become unfruitful.  Three more verses.

Luke 12:15  “And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he posesseth.”

Colossians 2:8-9  ”Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.  For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.”

II Peter 3:17  “Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own steadfastness.”

These three verses have a notable word in common.  “Beware!”  We’re admonished to be watching and seeking the Lord continuously.  To keep our heart with all diligence and not allowing a root of unbelief to pop up.  One more verse that just came to mind. 

I Corinthians 10:12  “Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.”

It’s imperative to not think that we’re in such a place spiritually that drifting isn’t a danger.  While none of us would admit thinking this; even to ourselves, it’s an attitude that I once held (although I didn’t recognize it at the time) and it resulted in a season of rebellion.  The issues of the heart are imperative and should not be taken lightly.  There seems to be a lot of lightness these days as too many fail to grasp the dangers.  Drifting can take place so subtily that by the time we recognize a problem, we’re miles off course. 

Well, it’s now 1:40am and while I’m on a three week layoff, I have a lot to get done tomorrow.  Until the next time, have a blessed day in Jesus.