“”Now His Parents went to Jerusalem every year at the feast of the Passover. And when He was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem after the custom of the feast. And when they had fulfilled their days, as they returned, the child Jesus tarried behind in Jerusalem and Joseph and His mother knew not of it. But they, supposing Him to have been in the company, went a day’s journey, and they sought Him among their kinsfolk and acquaintances. And when they found Him not , they turned back again to Jerusalem seeking Him. And it came to pass that after three days, they found Him in the temple sitting in the midst of the teachers, both hearing them and asking them questions. And when they saw Him, they were astonished and His mother said unto Him, Son, why has thou dealt with us? Behold thy father and I have sought thee sorrowing. And he said unto them, how is it that ye sought me? Knew ye not that I must be about my father’s business? And they understood not the saying, which He spoke unto them”” LK 2:41-50.
As we begin the countdown to the year 2008, it’s time again for reflections on the year gone, planning and praying for the coming one. Each day, month and year gone by is a step closer to Eternity and there can be no better time suitable for reflection on your preparation for it than this season.
I realise we take Life and the many opportunities given by God for granted, until they are taken from us. Man is always consumed with the passion and desire to become accomplished that he fails to notice the little but vital things done in his life by God and therefore fails to give Him thanks for all of His mercies.
The year 2007 was full of blessings and challenges for us as a family. While many prayers and expectations were fulfilled, some others were not. However, it’s because of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed. There were serious challenges too that we had to cope with and my meditation for this season is drawn from them.
Part of the challenges we had to face was coping with the loss of two dear people to us. One of which was a friend of mine who passed away few months ago. A wonderful and faithful brother, we became friends in the University and served the Lord together on campus. I learnt so much from him and he was faithfully ministering the gospel till his death. He died in his mid-forties and there’s no doubt that the death of a close one is devastating, however, it gets more devastating when they are taken at the time you need them the most. The bottom line is that our “days upon the earth are a shadow” (Job8:9) and “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints,”(Ps 116:15) no matter the age He chooses to take them out of this world. The experience also served as a reminder for me to:-
- See everyday, month or year I’m privileged to experience as an opportunity given by God to make myself ready to meet Him and to get people Certain, Sure of their salvation, and be Prepared to meet God. The Apostle Paul writes in Romans13:11 “Knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of our sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than we first believed.”
- Life on this earth is only temporary, priorities of life therefore needs re-arranging, wasted time and hours must be recovered, and the life I have now must be lived only for God’s glory. Every situation and circumstance must be seen as an opportunity allowed by God to show forth His glory.
What would you do if you were informed that you only have one year to live? The response will be swift, changes will be made, things would be done differently, things that were once important will suddenly loose it’s value, and for the spiritually minded, the issue of eternity will be taken seriously.
Apostle Paul writes in 1Cor7:29, “But this I say brethren, the time is short”, and this truly gets me worried not necessarily for myself but for many that are not ready and prepared to meet God. In the wake of the delusion and the false gospel taught today, many who do not understand the concept of the gospel, takes solace in the false assurances given them by false teachers who claim believing in Jesus and that He died for your sins is all there is to Salvation. James wrote “Thou believest that there is God, thou doest well: the devils also believe and tremble”. The believing that does not bring about a life changing experience which will be reflected in a person’s daily life is nothing but mere delusion.
1Jn2:3-6 “”And hereby we do know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. He that saith I know Him and keepeth not His commandments is a liar and the truth is not in him. But whoso keepeth His word in him verily is the love of God perfected : hereby know we that we are in Him. He that saith he abideth in Him ought himself also to walk, even as He walked.””
1Jn5:3-4 “”For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments: and His commandments are not grievous. For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world and this is the victory that overcometh the world even our Faith.””
We are living in a time when Modern Christianity has cheapened the gospel and belittled the cross of Christ, where Sin has been minimized to just mistakes we make, when repentance and turning away from sin is no longer a condition for salvation but are being told to just accept Jesus as saviour, I am afraid people are no longer “Saved”, they just become Church members like joining a club. There could well be a great percentage of people attending church every week who do not have a true relationship with the Lord.
It is for this reason that I take my meditation from the above passage in the book of Luke. It’s a very familiar story of how Jesus was left behind in Jerusalem by Joseph and Mary after the completion of the Passover feast. It’s not the story that I’m interested about, but the lessons that can be drawn out of it. It’s a clear example of what we have today, there are several people and even churches in whose lives Jesus is presently missing and they don’t know it. It would be costly for anybody to assume to be born again and ready to meet God only to get to the gate of heaven and hear the words “Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels.”
It’s reasonable to reason that if the experience of Luke 2 could happen to Joseph and Mary, then it could happen to anyone. Remember these two are not just some careless godless people, rather their testimony recorded in scripture shows them to be disciplined, sound and very religious. Matt1:19 calls Joseph a just man, Matt1:24-25 described him as one who feared and obeyed the Lord. Mary was a virgin Lk1:27 a virtue not popular even in her days, no wonder she was called “Blessed among women,” and Lk1:38 described her a woman of Faith.
How then could she have missed Jesus and not know it, a woman that carried Jesus in her womb for nine months, stayed with Him for twelve years (Jesus was 12 at the time), how could she have let him out of her sight, I believe for the very same reasons why many in the church though very religious and busy with church activities but do not have a true relationship with Jesus Christ.
“”Now His parents went to Jerusalem every year at the feast of the Passover”” Lk2:41. When the Passover was instituted in Israel (Ex 12:1-15), it was meant to mark their deliverance from bondage into freedom. It was an experience that marked their Passover from the dominion of darkness into light. It symbolised their new birth in God. Sadly, what the Lord meant to be a life changing experience degenerated into a feast and custom.
What has our Church services today become? Have they not been turned into centres where people are entertained for few hours and then told all is well with them and are on their way to heaven? I’m afraid this is nothing but a religion that has turned into feasts and customs. When going to Church meetings is no longer for encountering God, but for serving personal interest, when churches have become so attractive to the world where there are no requirements of repentance or dying to self but places where our ears can be tickled and people hear only what they want to hear and do not care what the other side of the coin reveals, is an indication that their relationship with God have turned into a mere feast.
Should we not pause at this moment to ask ourselves these important questions?
What is the true state of my spiritual life? The passion and fire that was kindled in your heart for God when you gave your life to Him, are they still there?
The convictions and your subsequent commitment to holy and consecrated life to the Lord, has it faded away?
The once deep burden and desire for the salvation of the lost you carried before, has it turned into mere duty and routine?
Are you living above sin and having daily victory in your life or has your walk with God become a group experience? Verse 44 of our text says “”But they supposing Him to have been in the company, went a day’s journey and they sought Him among their folks and acquaintances.””
What is the motive behind the Church or group you are in at the moment. Are you sure Jesus is still in the midst of all you allow and is He still behind the motives for all the decisions you make?
My concern is that it’s possible for us to get carried away with religious activities and all the running around that Jesus will be missing and not know it.
These are some of the issues we need to consider at this time of the year as we close in on the new year, let’s be sure we take care of the most important matter in life, our salvation. Apostle Paul writes “”Examine yourselves whether ye be in the Faith, prove your own selves how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates? 2Cor13:5.
I pray as you step into 2008, “”May you continue in the Faith, grounded and settled and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven.”” and
May God Himself, the God of Peace sanctify you through and through in the new year, and may Him keep your whole spirit, soul and body blameless till the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
I WISH ALL A BLESSED AND HAPPY NEW YEAR
Taiye Arimoro
Filed under: Church Matters
