Counterfeit Bills

Totally His Youth Conference was fun, convicting, revealing, memorable, happy, and heart-breaking all at the same time. It's weird how you can be revived, crushed, and feeling loved all at the same time. I will be posting about the messages by the speakers, giving them credit, of course but also adding my own thoughts.

The very first night God hit me with a whammie that set my heart mood for the rest of the week.

The message by Barrett Mashall was about motivations.

Just thinking about some of the motivations my heart has had are enough to make me hide under my bed forever. I can't even recognize some of the sinful motivations of my heart. I contort them so badly in my mind that my evil motivations don't even feel evil anymore. Does that scare you? It does me! Here is a freaky verse.

Proverbs 16:2 "All a man's ways seem innocent to him, but motives are weighed by the LORD."

I don't know about you, but after hearing that verse, all those good things I did at thus-and-so time, don't seem so good anymore. My good deeds have been tainted by my wrong motives.

Mr Marshall talked about counterfeit Christians. If you want to find counterfeit money, the best way is to look at a bill and compare it's differences to the real bill. Not look at the similarities. The same goes for Christians. If you want to find a counterfeit, Christian poser, the best way is to compare his or her life to the life laid out in the Bible. How does the Bible say Christians should act and how is this person NOT like that?

One way you can tell a difference between real and fake Christians is that the counterfeit Christian has the wrong motives for seeking Christ. They follow Him for their own gain. They see Christ as the ticket to heaven, and the salvation from hell, but not the ticket to righteousness and redemption from sin. He or she uses God for what He can give them, eternal security. They use Christ to fit in with the church crowd and to make themselves look better to other people. They use Christ as a security blanket that they hide under and never deal with the reality of the sinful human beings that they are.

Can you relate?!

But Jesus said that only those who do the will of His Father will enter the Kingdom of Heaven.

What is your motivation for seeking God? Are you someone who is just "following Him" for what He can give you? If that is your main purpose, then you need to examine your salvation. The true disciple's motive is the worthiness of Jesus Christ and the glory of God! You can come to Jesus for your own good, because it is good and will bring contentment, but if that is your supreme motive for following Him, you must ask, "Do I really know Him?" A disciple follows God to glorify Him.

In John 6, it talks about the people who were seeking Jesus. In verse 26, He says to them, 

"Very truly I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw the signs I performed but because you ate the loaves and had your fill."

We scoff and talk smack about the girls who use their boyfriends for their money, or low class citizens who vote for the Presidential candidate who offers the most benefits, but never pay taxes or do anything to help the situation of our country...but isn't that what counterfeit Christians do on an even larger scale? They come to God because He can still their fears for a time, but make no commitment, never change and don't plan to...

Why are you seeking the Lord? Can you say that He is your all in all? Is He a commitment in your life? Someone that is transforming you from the inside out? Or is He just the handbag you carry to complete your social outfit? the name-brand that helps you get along in the right crowds? Are you seeking Him because you are scared of eternity, or has really become and inevitable, joyous part of your life?

Are you a counterfeit Christian that hopes no one will spot the differences?

People may not, but God, most certainly will.