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Ever walk barefoot, as a kid?
“Of course! You don’t wear shoes at Grovewood Pool, silly!”
Fair enough. At least, in the pool area.
Nevertheless.
Even as you walked around the pool before jumping in, you probably noticed something.
At some point, it became quite evident there were consequences for not wearing shoes. Some good, some not so good.
Like, when dragging your bare toes tried to compete with grainy cement.
“Ouch!” … as the blood dripped and the skin chafed.
Wearing shoes gained a new appreciation. A new perspective.
We discovered life is hard.
Toes bleed, people die, parents quarrel and it’s time once again to shop for school supplies.
So, we live … if we are granted so. And, we learn.
Walking or running barefoot offers “freedom.” But then, life gets hard.
Toes bleed. Skin chafes.
Again though, we continue to learn and … we continue to grow.
New information guides and it assists.
Things like shoes and rules help, we find. They aren’t an enemy, keeping us from freedom.
They are there to protect us.
Not only is life hard, but then we learn … the path to Heaven is even harder.
“Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it.
“For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.” —Matthew 7
Why is it harder? Pride.
Pride and self-righteousness, oftentimes.
Yet, in all cases, a lack of trusting the most trustworthy of all—Jesus.
Who is more trustworthy than empty-tomb Jesus?
Yet, we fight it.
We fight the call to adoption; to sonship & daughterhood.
All for some fleeting pleasures of sin. (e.g. idolatry is sin … anything in front of Jesus.)
Over a lifetime, nobody fairs well with the commandments; take my word. Fail.
Else, why did Jesus come?
You can’t be “good” enough for Heaven. Nor, can I.
This is why we need another plan for our life and before our last breath.
Not playing church, not offering mere mental assent. Surrender.
Full surrender to the only One who can heal our sin mess.
So, we continue to learn and … we continue to grow.
New information guides and it assists. Shoes help.
Life is hard, and the way to Heaven … harder.
CLOSING THOUGHTS
By the way: No Jesus, no Grovewood Pool.
No Jesus, no eyeballs. No Jesus, no pleasures, no food, no plants, no air, no life, no Leo Sayer, no nut’n.
Some claim not to believe in God.
Some claim to believe in a God: a God of their own imagination.
One who submits to their will. One who isn’t Christ.
Or, a God who only forgives and never judges. Or, if He judges, it’s not going to be them.
But, that’s not the real God—the God of the Bible.
Many say they believe. But demons also believe, and tremble.
Tough love. Tough love raised us and taught us.
We didn’t like it at the moment, but it rescued us.
Hell and judgment is an infinitely holy and just God meting out justice, as any good judge would do. And, none match God.
Why do we play with this? Why do we mock those who have taken the Pardon (in full surrender) and live for Jesus?
We say, “We believe” … but those people or people like that guy … “they’re radical Jesus freaks.”
HOGWASH. Jesus expects and is worthy of it all.
Our everything. No in between.
“So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth.” —Revelation 3:16
Why is it foreign to us? Why is it scorned?
Sin is why. Pride. Rebellion. Blindness.
But, it doesn’t have to end as such; in defeat.
Jesus can open one’s eyes. He is the truth.
Jesus created out of nothing the elements which would even allow for a Grovewood Pool, an eyeball, a taste bud and a heart which beats within our chests … without batteries.
Regardless, it doesn’t matter what one believes.
What matters is whether or not what one believes is actually true.
Do you believe a thing because it feels good, or because it’s true?
Jesus claimed to be the truth and commanded those who belong to Him to deny themselves and live for Him.
Also, to teach what He taught. This is what a disciple is.
Hard to be a believer if one isn’t studying under and doing as the Master commands, right?
Jesus said, “If you love Me, you’ll obey Me.” Do you love Jesus?
He’s asking for your life. Will you give it to Him?
That, the path to life is to surrender one’s life to Him. As God, He believes He can rule your life better than you can. Do you disagree?
(By the way, if one could properly govern their own life, why do they keep sinning against Him?)
Those who disagree save their life, thus lose their life.
Those who agree lose their life to Him and for his Gospel, thus save their life.
In other words, God “justifies” them (After all, He is a Judge, the Judge) by actual faith in Christ.
Not fake faith. Genuine, saving faith.
Otherwise, how is it faith in Christ? It’s faith in self, right?
One is only saved by grace (a free gift) through faith … in Christ.
He owns a title: Lord. Have you invited Him to be the Lord of your life?
He gives you this opportunity to participate—in your own salvation.
If you were the only person on the planet, Jesus would still have died and rose for you.
“fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” —Hebrews 12:2
It’s the narrow way. It’s the only way.
All people who take a different way are posers. They are prideful and self-righteous.
Else, they’d submit to this Gospel. The only Gospel.
It’s the only Gospel and Jesus is the only way because …
He’s the only One with the right take on the problem and offers the only solution.
They wouldn’t question or complain (to themselves or others) anything of Jesus being stated on a local playground site—because they’d get it:
Jesus is Lord. Over All.
Love confronts. Love challenges.
What loving parent or sibling doesn’t shout, scream, or yell out to the toddler running towards the street with oncoming traffic?
“Turn around!”
The window of grace is still open. Will you take it?
You aren’t too old. You aren’t too young. You aren’t too good and you aren’t too bad.
But, you must come.
All who call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
Have you called? Are you living for Him? Are you walking in holiness (e.g. set apart for God)?
Additionally, is God beneath Grovewood Pool? Is God welcome or not welcome at Grovewood Pool? What about Jesus?
Is there any room at the inn?
Those who trust Him are hated. Will you be hated for Jesus’ sake? Or, will you cling to your life, and lose it?
And, there’s only one way for salvation. It’s not the way of pop culture or the world. That will pass away, but the Word of the Lord endures forever.
Life is hard and the path to Heaven is harder.
But, what did ease ever do for you, when compared with struggle?
Did you learn without studying, get into shape without fitness and nutritional disciplines or learn about God without listening?
Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of Christ.
The Designer and Author of life knows life is hard. And …
He never, ever intended for you to go it alone.
The playground and pool are gone, except for our memories.
Plus … as we’ve seen: people come and people go.
Our life is but a vapor, a bit of mist floating from a hot cup.
That virus or bus could knock you out. It can knock me out, without notice.
But, where will you spend your eternity?
Am I ready? I’m ready. Are you?
You can be.
Life is hard, but God intends for you to win and to walk in victory.
Can you do it in pride and self-righteousness? Let’s check:
“Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.”
Therefore,
“Today, if you will hear His voice, do not harden your hearts …”
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