Christ Centered

"PLIABLE: This is excellent. What further details are there?
CHRISTIAN: There will be no more crying or sorrow; For he
who is the owner of that place will wipe all tears from our eyes.
PLIABLE: And what company shall we have there?
CHRISTIAN: There we shall be with the seraphim and
cherubim, creatures that will dazzle your eyes to look on them.
There also you shall meet with the thousands and ten thousands
that have traveled ahead of us to that place; none of them are
unkind, but rather loving and holy, everyone walking in the sight
of God and standing in his presence with everlasting acceptance. In
a word, there we shall see the elders with their golden crowns;
there we shall see the holy virgins with their golden harps. There
we shall see men who were, by this present world, cut in pieces,
burnt in flames, eaten by beasts, drowned in the sea, because of
the love that they maintained for the Lord of the place, all well,
and clothed with the garment of immortality.
PLIABLE: The hearing of this is enough to ravish a person’s
heart. But how shall we be able to enjoy and share in these things?
CHRISTIAN: The Lord, the governor of that country, has
recorded in this book that, in essence, if we are truly willing to
have them, he will bestow them upon us freely."


Once again, we see that Pliable's heart is after what he can get from this relationship. The root of sin is selfishness. We are born not caring about others. Babies are extremely interested in their needs and no one else. We learn this is unacceptable.


"Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there." Galatians 5:24


As Christians we fight against this. Often times we crawl in his lap and ask for things. We use God as a cosmic Santa Claus. This shouldn't be so. We need to stop lusting after how we want things to be.


"When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it." Genesis 3


Christ is our example. He did not ask His Father for the easy way out. He did not pray as most of us do today. Even facing death, He prayed for God to have His way.


"Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done." Luke 22:42


Eldon Raley was an incredible man of God. He taught me more about the heart of God than any other man. His central theme was death to self. If we can place our selfish desires, plans, hopes, expectations on the cross then we will never be disappointed. Allow God to be in control. Pray, "Not my will, but your will be done."