from a distance...........

so, today was a good day. i bathed Grunter ( the big Boerboel), opened the shop for an hour for a few eager shoppers, scrapped and went to church. church was good. God has a way of talking straight to me when i need it most - i really was kinda not in the mood to go today - i was just getting into the swing of my new page, but knew i had to go ( i am big on duty that way - even if i don't feel like doing something, i will - just because i feel so bad if i don't!!!) anyway. so oom Piet opens the sermon and asks us where Jesus is now. and we agree that He is with us. so he reads Luke 22: 54-62. key verse was v54b: " But Peter followed at a distance." now we all know what happened - Jesus told Peter that he would deny Him ( Jesus) 3 times before the rooster crowed. and it happened as Jesus said it would. Peter felt terrible. the Bible says he 'wept bitterly". to get back to the distance - alot of us are like that. we follow Jesus at a comfortable distance. there is the story of a head deacon in a church. (true story, i can give you his name - he lives here in town) so he tells us how he used to stand with a hangover on Sunday mornings collecting the tithes in church with the other deacons ( who all also had hangovers from the previous night). and everyone was quite happy. the minister would preach feel good sermons, the churchmembers all felt good 'cause they were seen on Sunday in their best attire, and life was just dandy. until he went to visit his grown children in another town for a weekend. he went to church with them. the minister there did an alter call. ( that's when they ask the congregation if there is anyone who would like to accept Jesus as their Saviour). and this man tells that it was the first time in his life he heard an alter call, and he accepted. he was also babtized and his life had to change. he says he came back home, went to tell his minister that he was now truly Saved, and that he was a changed man. it did not go down well. people could not understand why things could not stay the same. suddenly he did not drink with the boys on a Saturday evening, so he made them feel all bad on Sunday mornings when he was all bright eyed. eventually it got so bad, he had to sell his farm and move away because people were pushing him out of the community due to the fact that he was now CLOSELY following Jesus. people want to follow Jesus where it is comfortable. they are Christians - only if they don't have to talk about it, or do anything to show the world, or as long as it does not interfere with their lifestyle, or Jesus' word tells them how to lead Holy lives. they follow Him at a distance. how wide is the gap between you and Jesus? how big is that distance between the two of you? are you right behind Him so that He can grab you when you are falling? or are you so far behind Him, that you are out of His reach? i know it is hard. most of the time i also only want to do what feels good and what i want to do, when i want to do it. i know that i am also way too far from Him. i need to close the gap. if you need to also close the gap between you and Him, ask Him to wait for you while you catch up. He will. unload those burdens that is slowing you down. forget about what other people are going to say. all that matters is what He thinks. other people won't get you into the Kingdom of God. only through the Cross of Christ can you get there. may you have a blessed week and remember to follow Him closely. xxxxxxxxx