Leadership

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The Emmaus Journal
There Are No 10 Easy Steps




Have you noticed your favorite book store shelves jammed with the latest and greatest books claiming '10 Easy Steps', ranging in a multiplicity of topics from A-Z? All expertly presented to help you get out of the problems you seemingly have? Author after author promotes their own promises, along with all the dozens of seminar teachers, lecturers, professional and religious retreats that can come to your aid as well. Each a well planned advertisement to promote your success by just following their '10 Easy Steps' . Everything you could possibly need is neatly packaged into a little set of rules numbered 1 to 10, and presto, you've got it made.


Sure the World will always have their latest Guru's to mesmerize the masses. But, fortunately or unfortunately, the Christian World does not lag far behind in this venue either. From the book store to the seminar circuits, to the ever popular world wide web, you can be led to as many Christian '10 Easy Steps' as you could possibly want. Everything from Water Baptism to Holy Ghost Fire can be minimized into 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9, and 10 (and in many cases the less steps the better). It's that simple!


Really? Is our faith and devotion to Jesus Christ based on such programs bent toward our own shallow instantaneous gratification? Has the mirror of our own God given soul become so dim we cannot see the truthful light of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The Light that does not need the format of religious steps? Do we really believe that we can presumptuously package God into such man made systems in just '10 Easy Steps'?


A righteous indignation should burn within our spirit as this prolific onslaught of chicanery spreads across the Church landscape. Our hearts should cringe in exasperation as we see this deluge of spiritual recklessness sweep away so many of our brothers and sisters in the Faith.


Consider a moment, Brother John in the Bible, exiled on the isle Patmos. While in his great tribulation, he sovereignly declared the testimony of the Revelation of Jesus Christ for all churches throughout history. In sharp contrast, Brother John did not present anything less than the anointed truth given to him at the time. Nothing was summarized into '10 Easy Steps'. In-fact, if anyone needed something like this, John did. But it never could be and it never has been. Never.


As Brother John so eloquently states in Rev. 1:10 ...'I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day and I heard behind me a great voice as of a trumpet'...


Read any Bible translation or version of this scripture and it will still hold the same truth time after time. Not because it was just Brother John who penned this declaration. Certainly not because he was just proving himself as a Believer. But all because the Spirit of God was with him at the time. John knew this even in his season of tribulation while in exile. The key factor was, John was in the Spirit on the Lord's day. The Lord's day, being the time of visitation from the Lord, for John. Did the Lord present him with '10 Easy Steps' to get off the isle of Patmos? Or a plan to escape his tribulation? Or did John contrive a program for success in just '10 Easy Steps' for all Christian to follow in there tribulations? We all know the answer to those questions. Which actually sound silly and a bit presumptuous. But in sincerity, what John received was far, far, greater. And, it's a good thing it was, for all of us that have come along latter.


We know exactly what John received. He received a sure word, a tried word, a faithful word, that rings true and pure to this day. A living word. A word for all Believers that has stood the test of time. A word that still edifies, exhorts, and gives reproof. A word that still prophesies the mysteries of God to all the churches, throughout all the generations. Even while John's feet were bound to a earthly exile, John's spirit was not bound. John's spirit was free to be with the Lord and surpass all his limited earthly boundaries.


Dare we believe this possible? Do we suppose our faith would meet up to such circumstances? Could we possibly think that God would allow such a great Believer as John to be exiled and subjected to such great tribulation? And then not provide him '10 Easy Steps' of deliverance? Could it be that John's tribulation worked a far more exceeding glory?


Oh, Brother and Sister, what a great God we serve. What awesome glory and power does our God bestow upon us. Such great revelations are with God alone to share with us. To be in the Spirit with God is as mightily significant in this day and age as it was back when John lived, and just as greatly needed.


Jesus puts forth a very simple question in Luke 18:8. Will He find faith when He returns to this earth? Will He?


tgy
© C.L. Mareydt d23


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