I can remember the day my father marched into my room and told me in a very bold tone: “Get your butt out of bed right now…we are going to church.”
It was September of 1987, and I had just receive the news that I had torn my anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). I was expecting a pity party and I got a stern admonition.
There would be no pity party.
There would be no “poor me”.
There would be no feeling sorry.
It was time to get up and move on.
My father’s demands led to me adopting a toughness that has served me well in life. Laying on the ground was not going to be an option that I could use with him.
This was Tough Love. And my Dad was my hero in every way and I never looked back.
Our Father in heaven sent us Jesus with the same mandate. He came to give us a chance to be something greater than what we could ever do on our own accord.
John 10 9 I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out, and find pasture.
This is not a sugar coated verse.
And Jesus repeated it throughout John in as clear of terms as you could express. If there was ANY WAY INTO HEAVEN it would be through Him—and through HIM ALONE.
This is not a popular sentiment in 2019.
We want to do it our way.
We want to live the way we want to live.
We want to eat what we want to eat.
And we want to write our own playbook and play by our own rules.
But that will not fly.
And the God of the Universe has made that clear.
Jesus is the only way to the Father.
There is not an alternative option or a different entrance.
There is not a recalibrate the map directions as a cell phone does.
It is Him….and Him alone.
“I am the Living Water”
“I am the Ladder that goes to heaven”
“I am the gate”
He goes on in chapter 10 to let us know that you “can not sneak into the sheep pen” by a different means. We simply can’t get to God without Him.
WE MUST SURRENDER
WE MUST BOW BEFORE THE KING
WE MUST UNDERSTAND THAT WE ARE FULL OF SIN
WE MUST UNDERSTAND THAT WE ARE BROKEN
AND WE MUST UNDERSTAND THAT JESUS–AND ONLY JESUS–IS OUR ONLY HOPE
SOME WILL TELL YOU THIS IS INTOLERANT, BUT I SAY IT IS JUST THE OPPOSITE
THE GOD OF THE UNIVERSE HAS GIVEN YOU THE CHANCE TO BE KNOWN BY HIM!
SO TAKE HIM UP ON IT
What a gift this song is. It exemplifies what Jesus truly offers.
These words cut to my heart as I drove in my car and listened to this song.
It’s so unusual it’s frightening
You see right through the mess inside me
You call me out to pull me in
You tell me I … can start again
And I don’t need to keep on hiding
I’m FULLY KNOWN AND LOVED BY YOU
You won’t let go, no matter what I do
And It’s not one or the other
It’s Hard Truth And Ridiculous Grace
To Be Known–Fully Known–And Loved By You
I’m Fully Known–And Loved By You
It’s So Like You To Keep Pursuing
It’s So Like Me To Go Astray
But You Guard My Heart With Your Truth
The Kind Of Love That’s Bulletproof
And I Surrender To Your Kindness
I’m Fully Known–And Loved By You
You Won’t Let Go—No Matter What I Do
And It’s not one or the other
It’s Hard Truth And Ridiculous Grace
To Be Known–Fully Known–And Loved By You
I’m Fully Known–And Loved By You
In The Name of the Father and the
Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Know anyone who might like these? Encourage them to jump on to 2minutewarning.blog and hit the FOLLOW button!!!
Coach J
2 MINUTE WARNING 
August 6, 2019 at 2:10 pm
Coach J my Dad was like yours Al Paone
LikeLike