Pretender - Pastor's Thoughts for February 2002

Pretender
Pastor's Thoughts for February 2002

Philippians 4:11 "Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content."

Three little words: "to be content".
The question today is - are we really content, or do we just put up a pleasant front for others to see? We say this sadly, as there are a lot of so-called Christians that are living in the world today. That have their conscious mind covered over with thoughts of this world; as they speak, are truly far from God. They have learned the language, but not the language of divine love. They may hide behind Bible verses, but their thoughts are still of this world.

They are what God calls "great pretenders", saying one thing and living another secretly. The only time they may be content is when things are going their way.

The pretender has a divided heart that speaks words out of their natural being. These words may be pleasant, and kind, but all the time they are just words they have learned when they were around Christians that live in divine contentment.

Time always has a way of showing whether one is a pretender or a real Christian that is truly in love with the Lord.

The pretender lives in the shadows of Christianity. They have learned how to pretend when around the Church's body of Christ, while at home or work they are anything but content. They can be hard on their wife, or the wife can be hard on their husband at home. They are no longer content with the gift God has given them, but they still pretend. They say shallow words as they pretend that they are still in love. Their actions speak above their shallow words. Their terms of endearment become empty of the substance of true love. They hold their love as a weapon, no longer a gift of God between two that should cleave together as one in love deeply with each other.

Ezekiel 33:31 "And they come unto thee as the people cometh, and they sit before thee as my people, and they hear thy words, but they will not do them: for with their mouth they show much love, but their heart goeth after their covetousness."

There are all kinds of pretenders, even in the Christian Church. Their aim is for a greater position, because position has power in it. Power to a pretender is their contentment.

We need no more to write about the pretender, for we think you have by this time gotten some idea of the deception a pretender lives in.

To be content is to be bathed in the love of Christ one day at a time. Happy to be alive in Christ, letting the love of God be shed abroad in our hearts.

This is where contentment starts, as we live in heavenly places content to commune with our Saviour Christ Jesus on a day by day basis. Contentment ends when our breath is gone and we are in the arms of our loving Saviour for eternity. We are now full of His contentment, because we have learned to be content in whatsoever state we are in here on earth.

Time is precious, so please use it wisely. One day at a time learn to be content in Christ Jesus, and you will not become a pretender. You will become Christ-like, saying "Godliness with contentment is great gain" 1 Timothy 6:6

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