Are You Known

I know over the years you have been known by many people but are you known by the One that really counts?  Through the years you have probably met some very important people and some may have had a great influence in your life and there is nothing wrong with that, it is very important that you meet and converse with many different kinds of people even those who think differently than you do.  Only listening to people that think just like you, can get you into a rut and lead you down the wrong path in life, so be very careful.

God’s Word says this in Proverbs 27:17, “As iron sharpens iron, so a man sharpens the countenance of his friend.”   It is good to have friends that we can learn from, and that can learn from us as well.  By listening to others we learn things, we get encouraged and even blessed and there are also times we get discouraged and sometimes we get corrected and that can be a positive, good thing.  We can receive a vast amount of knowledge by talking and listening to others.

God’s Word says this also in Proverbs 11:14, “Where there is no counsel, the people fall; but in the multitude of counselors there is safety.”  A good responsible leader doesn’t go it alone, they seek advice from others.  One person’s advice and perspective may be limited because of bias or even a lack of all the facts.  

It also says this in Proverbs 15:22, “Without counsel, plans go awry,

But in the multitude of counselors they are established.”

Some people seem to have what we might call tunnel vision, stuck into only one way of thinking, and because of it may be close-minded to other ideas.  Talking to others that are more informed and have more experience in the matter at hand may help tremendously.  Listening to other people can enlarge our vision and give us a whole new way of looking at things.   This is not only good advice for a believer, but also for the non-believer as well.  

But even more important than who you know, is who knows you.  I was talking to my brother yesterday and he was telling me about a guy that he was talking to on the phone, who said he knew me better than my brother did, because he worked with me years ago.  My brother corrected him, telling him what our relationship was, that he was my brother and he knew me personally.  The other guy knew me, but he didn’t know me personally like my brother does.  I said all that to tell you this, there are people that claim to know the Lord but the problem is, they know of Him, but they don’t know Him personally.  There are many people that can tell you about the Lord, but it is all hearsay, not because they have had an experience with Him.  The sad thing is the Lord doesn’t know them personally either.

These people may be in church every week while others may never go to church, but both claim to know the Lord, even though their life and the things they do and their speech tell a different story altogether.  I am not saying believers are perfect, by no means, but I believe the elect of the Lord are striving for perfection every day.  If you are one of the Lord’s children He knows you.

It says this in God’s Word in John 10:14, Jesus speaking, “I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own.”

This is why I said it is more important to be known by the Lord, because if the Lord doesn’t know you in a personal way, you are not His.  There is a way that seems right unto man but the end thereof is death.  There are people that teach that there is more than one way to get to God and heaven, but the truth is, there is only one way.  Jesus said this in John 14:6, “Jesus said to him (Thomas), ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.’”   If someone tries to tell you something other than what the Lord said, they are flat out lying, so be careful who you listen to.

It says this in Matthew 7:21-23, Jesus speaking, “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’”

It is a sad thing, but there are many that will hear those words because they believed a lie and thought they were born again, but weren’t.  You may not want to hear that, but it is the truth.  If you want to be sure, and you feel convicted because of this message and you want to get things right with the Lord, then bow before Him and take some time to sit in His presence.  Repent of your sins and ask the Lord to come into your heart and be the Lord of your life and to forgive you and to make you one of His children.  Then pray and ask the Lord to guide you to a Bible believing church that will help you grow in your faith.  Get your hands on a Bible and start studying and spending time with the Lord, building that relationship with Him.  Then share with others what you have done and what the Lord has done for you.  Something to think about!  Have a super day and may the Lord bless you and yours!!