Home     |     Sitemap     |     Contents EGO – About Edging God Out October 12, 2019 I just read the letters to the seven churches in chapters 2 and 3 in the Book of Revelation. They need to be resurrected. Do read them for yourself and take them to heart. I am merely agreeing with what is written in the Book of Revelation. Jesus said it all two-thousand years ago through the apostle John. If I don’t read it, don’t believe it, and don’t do it, my soul will remain barren and my life will bear no fruit. The Lord’s true followers are a rare breed indeed. They would rather live on the street than in palaces or penthouses. Jesus’ true disciples are not popular. They will never be popular. Their ego (self-importance) has been crucified so that Jesus can shine through them. They are hated and maligned by the world. They are put in prisons and mental institutions. They would rather die than compromise or allow their faith in Jesus Christ be diluted. They have opted to suffer with Jesus, even be crucified alongside of Him. Many have, more will be. This letter addresses high-profile teachers, preachers, priests, prophets, evangelists, politicians and CEO’s who may have an exalted opinion of themselves or about what they do. I am speaking to those who have measured their success by the size of their audiences and organizations. They love attention – the more the better. They love seeing their faces on TV monitors. Let’s not make idols out of people, preachers or prophets. It’s so tempting to do that. It’s being done all the time. These words are also for those who may have started out having Jesus on the front burner of their lives; but when the honeymoon was over, they moved Him to the backburner. The cares of this world, the lust of the flesh and the enticing aroma of applause caused their first love to grow cold. They forgot that God is not impressed by large audiences, big numbers or fancy buildings. This writer loved applause far too much. He had an insatiable appetite for it. In a kind and gentle way his handmaiden Rebekah made him aware that there was a problem. She did not say anything but surprised him one day with these words. They found a place in their home where his eyes could easily fall on them. It took a long time, but eventually he realized that his inordinate need for attention and applause was a sickness, a very serious one. It is called pride, an unholy love affair with self and our own importance. It put his soul in jeopardy. Pride is never satisfied. The ego is never satisfied. It is always hungry for more. High is never high enough. Rich is never rich enough. Pretty is never pretty enough. Famous is never famous enough. Smart is never smart enough. Fast is never fast enough. Big is never big enough Do I have such an insatiable, unholy appetite? Dismantling a puffed up ego takes time and is painful. Not only a person, an entire denomination, even a whole nation can have an ego problem. Recognizing the problem and then asking for help is a necessary first step. But whom do we ask for help? I asked Jesus to help me. He took my hand and took me step by step into a brand new life, new world, new friends, new challenges and new work. I am in the same body, yet I live in a different world. Yes, Jesus does make all things new. Old desires and habits are passing away but not without a struggle. All things are being made new, but slowly. I am being renovated from the inside out. Ouch and hurray! Jesus is the only way! Have I been robbing Jesus of His glory by the way I have done LIFE? Does the way I display Jesus promote me and build my self-importance? If so, run for your life before you ruin it or waste it. We can be a president and still wear that mantle of humility. Jesus, God’ Son, wore that mantle. He washed his disciples’ feet. Without exception, Jesus was willing to die for all who have gone astray. We may be a bum and still think more highly of ourselves than we ought to. We may be a CEO and yet have a servant’s heart. It takes courage to honestly examine who or what controls our life. Go for it! Allow the Holy Spirit to examine your heart and show you what is in it. Be brutally honest! Be courageous! Be radical in the way you examine and do LIFE. Have the humility to ask Jesus to help you examine it. Information about Jesus does not save souls. Entertainment does not save souls. Big buildings do not save souls. Sitting in churches does not save souls. Going on cruises does not save souls. Feeding the hungry and housing the homeless does not save souls. Knowing Jesus as the Christ, the Messiah and making Him known, that is what saves souls. Keeping Jesus on the front burner of our lives grooms souls. All have debts they cannot pay and sins they cannot erase. Only Jesus can restore our credit rating. The Blood of the Lamb is the only stain and debt remover that works. Being healed, cleansed and groomed is an ongoing process. Don’t we wash our hands more than once? Oh, how we all need Jesus to be clean, stay clean and stay focused. I say to you, media moguls and high-profile teachers, preachers, prophets, CEO’s, politicians, “If the devil has crawled into bed with you, smoke him out and get rid of him fast.” He is very sneaky. How can I know if he has? If I am addicted to this world’s applause, there is no room for me in heaven. In fact, you won’t even like it there because you will no longer be the center of attention. You will no longer be famous or in control. All the glory in heaven belongs to Jesus, the Son of the Living God. If we have lived a life that draws attention to ourselves rather than to the Crucified and risen Christ, fall to your knees and repent. If we have kept the glory for ourselves that rightfully belongs to Jesus, fall to your knees and repent. If we have used the name of Jesus to entertain or manipulate a crowd, fall to your knees and repent. There is no room in my Father’s House for superstars. We already have one. His name is Jesus, the Christ – King of kings, Lamb of God, Lion of Judah. The Lion of Judah is ticked off. God paid for a new heart for all, but only a handful received the gift of a new heart and a new spirit. How very sad. Am I chasing the wind. Am I in danger of missing the boat? I recall the day I said to Rebekah, my handmaiden, “I see myself as the knight in shining armor on a white horse slaying the dragon.” Without hesitation she replied, “Peter, you are the horse; Jesus Christ is the Knight in shining armor.” All the days of our married life she and a few true friends have kept a vigilant eye on me so that I would not get my hands into the cookie jar of God’s glory again. Let’s keep an eye on one another. The Lord is asking us to keep an eye on the backslidden Bride of Christ that has prostituted herself with worldly agendas. Please read chapters 2 and 3 of the Book of Revelation again. Keep reading and pondering it. We are all a member of one of the backslidden churches or have been. I am lifting up Jesus, not the Pope, not the President, not Peter. Will you help me? Jesus said, ”And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw all people to Myself." (John 12:32). A high profile CEO said, “I must keep our stockholders happy.” Jesus, the Christ, is Peter’s CEO. He has chosen to make Him happy. Ask yourself this question, “Who have I decided to make happy?” Sitemap    |    E-mail Us    |    Contents All writings by Peter, the Lord's Scribe and Storyteller and all paintings by Rebekah, the Lord's artist are copyright free.