The Gospels record, by large crowds, Jesus was often thronged,
By the sick, blind, hungry, and curious re. …‘what’s happening?’
But the crowds quickly shrunk as on folks, His core message dawned.
To just a precious few did His Word become …heartwarming.
But some in the crowds decided to …’hang around,’
Following Him from a comfortable distance --
In the crowds, but to Him …spiritually unbound.
In the crowds, not displaying any resistance. 1
I imagine some folks who ‘hung around’,
Later converted, and their lives displayed,
Hearts warmed by His core message, so profound.
They became God’s sons when Jesus was raised.
Then there were hang arounds who would never be …Christianized,
Folks who may have been satisfied just to be in His crowd,
And Pharisees just seeking something …Him to criticize,
There for His triumphal entrance, and piercing of His brow. 2
Some scenarios just like this persist in our day,
Though Jesus isn’t here traversing Earth’s dusty roads.
Still ‘crowds’ grow, then significantly fade away.
Some folks hang around, but won’t change their life’s modes. 3
Then there are the few who are committed, to their core,
And of their commitment to Christ, their lives testify.
Some hang arounds might later join this committed corps,
And live transformed lives that demonstrate and verify.
Then there are the hang arounds who to Christ will never commit.
Crouched in the crowd, living lives that contradict their façade,
They proudly wear the Christian label, but outwardly admit,
‘I’m a believer, just not ‘born again’. They self-defraud. 4
And just like when Christ was here as a Man, so it is today.
And to Him, for now, you’ve gotta know …that’s really okay!
You see, He foreknows who will and won’t walk His righteous pathway,
So He’s content to wait to settle scores …on judgment day.
Cozy in their ‘life’s boat’, not with what Christ requires and requests.
Most folks have no interest in their hearts being renewed.
Thus only a small remnant of us humans will pass His tests.
So when they parade as a Christian, whom do they delude?
Describing folks who just wear Christian identification,
Can quite frankly be a somewhat challenging task.
‘Fake Christians’ or ‘CINOs’ sound like such harsh expressions.
Let’s pray for/be polite to folks who’re just …Christianesque! 5
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1 Like the Pharisee, Nicodemus. See: John 3:1-21
2 See: Matthew 21:1-11 and John 19
3 Crowds today include folks (both the ‘churched’ and the ‘un-‘) who are sincere in strengthening/deepening their relationship with God through Christ; others who may not yet be ready to make a solid commitment; and still others who may be only attracted to glitzy entertainment worship and preaching styles, to prospects of finding a mate, to church social scenes, etc.
4 ‘You must be born-again to enter into The Kingdom Heaven - born of water (physical birth) and of The Holy Spirit (spiritual re-birth)’. That is the clear message Jesus gave to Nicodemus, signifying ‘Christian’ is synonymous with ‘being born-again’. Yet this Truth many deny, or about it, they are deluded.
5 Christian-like in some insignificant way(s), but not in a personal, intimate, born-again relationship with Jesus Christ. They remain 'dead to God' (Revelation 3:1) because Jesus doesn't 'know them'. (Matthew 7:23). PLEASE SEE: Audacious Christians (Series) to perceive what will likely happen to most Christianesque folks who will MISS THE RAPTURE! Finally, recall Apostle Paul warned of a ‘great falling away’ from the faith toward the end of this current age of Grace, people who were formerly committed believers, losing their faith for a variety of reasons, yet for some, this loss may not be evident, publicly. Hence, they may swell the crowds that are ‘Christianesque’. My prayers are that I will not be counted in these groups, and will stay strong in my faith, and that many in the groups noted herein will wake-up and turn around before it is too late. Bible predictions are the seeds of human history, and like it or not, we are all seeing and eating their fruits.
