God or Self?

For some time now, my thoughts keep returning to this: “How have I represented Messiah to others?” Let’s say an ambassador from another country comes to the United States. This person carries the responsibility of truly representing his country to us. If this ambassador has a foul attitude, cusses heavily, and spits on people, then how many would think that the country is just like the ambassador? The same applies to Yeshua’s ambassadors. If we are haughty, self-righteous and condemning of others, then Yeshua will be seen like that, even God will be seen like that!

Pride, arrogance, haughtiness, a judgmental attitude…all these build up within us, damming up the flow of love and compassion from God that I feel must flow through us. Some have never even let God’s love into them, they’ve been given erroneous teachings that God is an angry, volatile God who will pass judgment on each and every sinner, and so they too speak the same.

Here’s the deal: We must stop being so harsh on the world. Remember that though we are IN the world, we are not to be OF the world. What do you expect folks in the world to do? Do you expect them to know all the commands of God and obey them? HELLO! They are IN THE WORLD. They haven’t received teachings of God’s word. They haven’t gone to church, or had a revelation of Messiah, few haven’t even HEARD of Yeshua!

We, in the Body of Messiah, are so doggone selfish, so self-righteous, so eager to point fingers, so ARROGANT, that we have totally forgotten where we came from, where we were, before our Father moved us to seek Him and His Son. What’s YOUR background? Maybe you’re one of the blessed who’s had a relationship with Yeshua since childhood, and have never strayed. Maybe you’re like me, you grew up in church, you received Yeshua by acknowledging the debt he paid, but the spiritual maturity wasn’t there. When a tragedy happened, you turned from what you received and went right into worldly things, giving into the fleshly desires. Maybe you’re a new believer, maybe you’re someone who only knows about Yeshua, maybe you’re someone who really desires to seek him.

I’m not here to judge, or point fingers. I’m here to say what’s on my heart, what’s on my mind. Folks, the time of the return of the Messiah is closer than ever. We can see the birth pangs; there are wars and rumors of wars. So much must happen before His return…we don’t know every detail, and I don’t think we need to. Faith and trust are amongst our armory, and we must use that if we are to make it through.

The “me” theology has gone on for way too long. Too much time has been wasted on building OURSELVES up, on trying to ascend to God’s level. There’s an unnecessary overabundance of books on how to live a better life that are NOT God-centered. I’m not preaching at you, I’m preaching at ME. In the past few weeks, I’ve realized just how doggone selfish I’ve been. I worshipped God only for the supernatural; I didn’t worship Him because I love him. Recently I’ve been praying that He stir up things in me that are not of Him, because I’m anxious to get rid of it all. Why? Because I remember when I DID worship God for who He is, not what He can do for me. I lost sight of the blessings that come because I was worshipping out of love, because I was reading the Word, because my desire was to really get to know my Father. Instead, I let myself be led by the words and opinions of the people around me. I let those words and opinions affect how I see myself, just like I did when I was in school.

Because of that, I became self-absorbed. I was engrossed in changing myself so that everyone around me, and I literally do mean EVERYONE, would view me as perfect. I tried to fix or conceal my flaws, I adjusted the way I speak, the way I dressed. Why did I do this? I was so sick of being criticized that I felt it was best to go with the flow. There wasn’t just criticism about my appearance, but about my spirituality too. I became so obsessed with all this that I would question EVERYTHING I heard from the Lord, even if it was something that was confirmed two or more times. There is such a similar obsession in the Body of Messiah today. WE have to be perfect, if WE are not wealthy, or perfect, or have big houses, lots of THINGS, then something must be wrong with us!

Remember when Yeshua sent out the disciples? (See Luke 9:1-6) They didn’t own a thing, they didn’t bring all their possessions with them when they went out to proclaim the gospel. We don’t NEED fancy cars, or big houses, or lots of STUFF. That won’t fix us, that won’t fill the void in our lives. We truly need God. We need to get back to the basics, to love and worship Him as He truly deserves, to stop asking for the fulfillment of stupid materialistic desires, and to intercede as the Holy Spirit leads us.

That’s what is wrong today. We are just too selfish, self-absorbed, gorging ourselves on feel-good theology. There’s a famine of the Word, the wellsprings of our spirits are drying up fast. Without the Living Water, without the Word, the bread of God, we will dry up and crumble into ash heaps.

I encourage you to seek the Lord in these days. If we don’t, who will have the strength to stand when things REALLY get bad? Wake up people, the time is drawing closer. More will happen before the return of Messiah. We need to take up the armor that God provides us (Ephesians 6:10-18). To me, being an intercessor is akin to being a warrior. I want to pray as the Holy Spirit leads me, not as the flesh wants. I don’t want things of the flesh. I don’t want the things of this world. I want to get intimate with God, to know Him, to once again freely express my love for him. I want to pray as HE leads me, so that I can pray in His will, not mine.

It’s time for selfishness to end. For those who seek after the things of the earth, yet wear the mantle of “Christian” or “Messianic”, there is nothing to be gained. For those who seek the King, who desire to be clean so they can kneel before His throne in supplication, there is the promise of life eternal spent with Him.

How many will weep over the nations? How many will stop pointing fingers at the world and just cry out to God for mercy? How many will throw SELF to the side, allow the Lord to step in, and follow HIM? How many will humble themselves, submitting utterly to the will of God, to approach His throne in intercessory supplication ON BEHALF OF THE NATIONS? Who among you will do this? Who among you will bless, not curse? Who among you will love, not hate?

Judgment does NOT begin in the world, it begins in the Body of Messiah (I Peter 4:17).

Choose either God or self, time is running out. Who will you serve?