You know when Jesus preached the Sermon on the Mount he was not just speaking empty cliches? Those “sayings” of His are the standard that God holds us all to. In fact if we fail to keep His commandments we will hear Him say DEPART FROM ME YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.
I downloaded an Mp3 version of the the New Testament on Friday morning as I was driving south in the B Double. I began listening to the Gospel of Matthew and got as far as chapter 12 before pausing it and crying with tears streaming down my cheeks.
Go back a little in the week. On Monday I had not sung or spoken to the Lord much at all. Just lost in my thoughts, driving 8 hours and sleeping. Then Tuesday was turning out the same again. But at some point around noon I realised inside that I was still silent to the Lord.
I simply began to say Lord Jesus I need you so much! I need You Lord! I need you more than anything or anyone! I need you more than this job, I need you more than houses and wife and reputation and validation from peers! I need you more than intimacy with my wife! I need you more than friends and relatives! I NEED YOU JESUS!
The merciful presence of His grace filled me and seemed to fill the cabin of the prime mover as well. I wept.
The singing came back. The flow of grace broke through the hardness of the flesh…and softened me.
Then on Thursday I went to a pallet depot where we have our trailers loaded full of timber pallets to take to the southern depot for redistribution to the farms we service. While waiting in the drivers area I was supposed to stay put in there until the loud door-bell chime blares through a speaker notifying me that I can come out safely.
Well I didn’t hear it, I don’t think it even sounded. But the Fork-truck loader was irate with me. He came to the room I was in–a lightly built transportable building- and began smashing his fist on the wall -BANG BANG BANG BANG!!
When I came out he immediately tore into me yelling abusive language at me that “the alarm went off –didn’t you hear it???? I said no –to which he continued shouting at me that I must be F)_+*g deaf!! and that “Time equals money!!” “Sorry”, I said.
I have never been treated in such a way by anyone in this job in 9 years. He just vented all over me. Inwardly I was thinking “Wow! He must be under a lot of pressure”….and I left his depot and gave Him to Jesus in prayer.
Then Friday night I had to go to the Woolworths depot and straight away after entering the main refrigerated area a Fork-Truck driver yelled abusively at me to “Use the F;($ing pathway!!” The painted lines for that pathway were long since rubbed off by the fork-trucks going over them.
Again I have never been yelled at or sworn cussed at like that at that depot in 9 years.
I went to my driver’s area and waited to be unloaded. It is 34f degrees in there and they made me wait until I was the last trailer left to unload even though I got onto the dock before other trailers. I froze in there.
In my heart I was like– “What is happening Lord?” My spirit man was watching my natural man. I had cried to Jesus on Tuesday that I needed Him, and He had given me his grace and anointing FOR THE REST OF THE WEEK.
I don’t go home from Monday through to Saturday night. I sleep in the Truck and do 16-17 hours a day. Sometimes 18 hours.
Then on Saturday I downloaded the New Testament and wept in contrition and repentance after hearing Jesus preach the Sermon on the Mount and warn that many will come saying Lord Lord didnt we do many mighty things in your name etc…to which He will say depart from Me I never knew you, you practice lawlessness.
It matters not what you do in “Christian ministry” as it is called. What matters is what is done in your normal daily interactions with people.
When you do a hard days work and get treated poorly…when you get that well deserved pay packet and someone texts you and tells you that they really need some money because this happened and that happened and you know that Jesus expects you to give it. When people are completely rude to you….
So that is what it means for Jesus to KNOW YOU….For in hearing His sayings and doing them you identify yourself with Jesus. In not trying to save your life or to find your life–instead you lose your life for His sake. You be the one who gets “vented on” by the person whom Jesus loves…even though they don’t know Him yet. You be the one that is talked about in the office and laughed about when you are not among them.
Before I downloaded the audio files on Saturday morning the only Bible audio I had on my device was the Book of Psalms read by Stephen Johnston. I listened to David wanting God to smite his enemies and break their arms and knock out their teeth.
I searched and found the new testament instead….
BUT WITH A BIG DIFFERENCE!
I had happened upon (by Father’s leading) faithcomesbyhearing.com ‘s version of the Gospels read by a team of people.
They don’t read it they PREACH IT! To me it was like being there in the field on the day Jesus preached that sermon and told those parables! I found myself at His feet crying “Lord! Lord!” —but not boasting in what I had done with His name and gifts…but grovelling admitting that I can not serve Him and cannot follow Him–and that I do not follow Him…that I am not worthy to be His disciple!!
Again His mercy and grace filled the cab of the Prime mover like He did on Tuesday…and again– I wept.