A Knock-Off Christian?

Matthew 7:21-23 from The Message: "Knowing the correct password--saying 'Master, Master,' for instance--isn't going to get you anywhere with me. What is required is serious obedience--doing what my Father wills. I can see it now--at the Final Judgment thousands strutting up to me and saying, 'Master, we preached the Message, we bashed the demons, our God-sponsored projects had everyone talking.' And do you know what I am going to say? 'You missed the boat. All you did was use me to make yourselves important. You don't impress me one bit. You're out of here.'"

Did you receive any knock-offs for Christmas? I have never been so into any brand name items that I had to have the real thing...no knock-offs. But some people just have to appear to have the very, very best. But if they can't afford the very best, they want something appears to be the best. A Knock-Off.

And where did that word "knock off" come from? I guess it's a less "offensive" word than FAKE. But that's what they are...fake. They can make us look good on the outside but they just aren't the real thing. They probably won't last very long and usually there are some of those people we are trying to impress that will see through the fakeness and know that it isn't genuine.

God wants our genuine self. He wants us to love Him because He loved us first. He wants our hearts, our souls, our minds. Remember L1! The new year is fast approaching and New Year's resolutations will be made to lose weight, get out of debt, and get physically fit. Mine will be to not be a Knock-Off Christian--to be more genuine to my Father and continue to be the gift that He was to me--to live each moment as a true Christian.

I think it's going to be the best year I've ever had!

Happy New Year!

- Susan White