Ready to Rise/By Michael Davidson

I've been studying & praying for a good word all week long for Monday evening. Yesterday I was reading in Ephesians & Philippians 3 & it jumped out at me. I think I got one I'm working on unless The Lord changes my mind. But then I got to thinking about some other things/people & I just had to share my thoughts. We all know those people who claim to be Christians. I never went to church growing up but I knew plenty of people that would cuss like a sailor on a Saturday & praise God on a Sunday. My idea of a Christian was women in long sleeve shirts with hair to their knee caps & men with shaved faces. Now don't get me wrong there's nothing wrong with that if that's how you choose to live your life but let me tell you something; you are foolish if you think that alone is going to get you into Heaven. You're out of your mind if you think a jean skirt to your ankles is the key to salvation. There's more to the body than raiment! Colossians 3:11 reads "In this new life, it doesn't matter if you are a Jew or a Gentile, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbaric, uncivilized, slave or free. Christ is all that matters, and he lives in all of us!" God doesn't care about your outward appearance. He doesn't care about the make up you put on or the razor you take to your face. He cares what's on the inside! Romans 2 says a person with a changed heart seeks praise from God not from people. It's whats on the inside that counts. You can stand on the front pew & raise your little arms all you want to. If you're just standing there hoping to be seen you're gonna get passed right on by when The Lord returns. You can shout out praise all you want & speak in tongues like there's no tomorrow but if there's no Spirit behind its just gibberish blabber. I'd advise you to be careful if that's you because there may just in fact be no tomorrow. The Lord has really been dealing with me for the past couple weeks with something & it wasn't until just a few days ago that I fully embraced it and realized that it wasn't so much the devil trying to pull me back but more of God trying to push me forward & away from certain things in my life. I'm not sure about you but when the train leaves the station this guy is gonna be on board! You can stand in front of the congregation in your Sunday best with your luggage in tow but if that bag is empty what's the point in lugging it around? He's gonna call out from the Heavens & buddy, you best be ready to rise!