I want to thank everyone for their prayers over the last week or so. While in the hospital, I noticed something that both troubled me and reminded me of where today’s political correctness is taking us, even in the religious world. While resting in the room, I overheard a chaplain talking to a patient in the adjacent room. She introduced herself as “interdenominational” and followed it rather quickly with these words, “I really don’t think God cares about what denomination you belong to.” If that were not enough, she led a prayer for the patient in which she mentioned God and the Holy Spirit, but not Jesus.
I have little doubt about the sincerity of this person. Honestly, I can relate to how simple it is to leave out the purpose for that which we do: that purpose being Jesus. Here are some verses to remind us all about the importance of Jesus.
*John 20:31, “… but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.”
*Acts 4:12, “Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”
*Acts 19:5, “When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.”
*Ephesians 5:20, “…giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ…”
*Colossians 3:17, “And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.”
Sadly, I too can become pre-occupied with things and begin to lose sight of Jesus, the reason for all that we do. The writer of Hebrews exhorts us to run the race while “looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith” (Hebrews 12:2). In the context of our giftedness and the search to understand what that entails, we should not neglect the why of it all, and that is Jesus, our Lord and Savior.
In the weeks to come, my hope is to draw our attention to Jesus anew. What he did, what He is doing and what we are capable of doing as members of His church. Listen to what God proclaims about us, His church, “Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.” (Ephesians 3:20-21) If we look to Him, the possibilities are beyond what we can imagine. Thank you Jesus!
Dennis
