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A Little Dab Won’t Do 
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In this fast-paced world that we live in, everyone is looking for a quick fix.

Some seek relief in drugs and alcohol. Yet, others will seek Christianity long enough till they think they’ve gained enough strength(they think),  that they can once again handle life’s situations on their own. Drugs and alcohol are only temporary and can lead to addiction, while playing religion can be detrimental.

Matthew 11:28-30 reads “Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. ²⁹ Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰ For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light”.  

The Contemporary English reads ²⁸If you are tired from carrying heavy burdens, come to me and I will give you rest. ²⁹Take the yoke I give you. Put it on your shoulders and learn from me. I am gentle and humble, and you will find rest. ³⁰This yoke is easy to bear, and this burden is light.

(a yoke was put on the necks of animals so that they could plow or pull a wagon-it was a symbol of obedience and hard work)

Jesus didn’t say come unto me to receive temporary renewal, be energized and get back out there and fight. It is not like a boxing match. When the bell rings, the boxers go to their corner, get their faces wiped, water squirted in their mouths, receive some instruction and are sent back out to the center of the ring. You make it that way when you don’t grow in the Word of God. You are fighting alone. We are supposed to use the power and authority that we receive through the reading, hearing and studying of his word, which is the Bible, to give us victory over the situations that arise in our lives. 

There are so many in the world, who are part-time Christians. You can’t be a part-time Christian and think you can receive what you need reading the Bible at home, watching religious shows on TV and then thinking you are equipped to face challenges in life. 

We only remain in the boundaries of God’s protection when we are obedient to him. Within his boundaries, we find peace, joy, strength, healing(whatever you need), boldness, protection and direction. 

 Paul told the church at Ephesus in Ephesians 4:9-15

⁹(Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth?  ¹⁰He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.)  ¹¹And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;  ¹²For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:  ¹³Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:  ¹⁴That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;  ¹⁵But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:

The Contemporary English Version reads:

⁹When it says, "he went up," it means that Christ had been deep in the earth. ¹⁰This also means that the one who went deep into the earth is the same one who went into the highest heaven, so that he would fill the whole universe. ¹¹Christ chose some of us to be apostles, prophets, missionaries, pastors, and teachers, ¹²so that his people would learn to serve and his body would grow strong. ¹³This will continue until we are united by our faith and by our understanding of the Son of God. Then we will be mature, just as Christ is, and we will be completely like him. ^[14We must stop acting like children. We must not let deceitful people trick us by their false teachings, which are like winds that toss us around from place to place. ¹⁵Love should always make us tell the truth. Then we will grow in every way and be more like Christ, the head ¹⁶of the body. Christ holds it together and makes all of its parts work perfectly, as it grows and becomes strong because of love.

We need to heed his words!

Staying within God’s boundaries we grow

We can grow because in Jesus there is light. Just as plants need light we need light.

Psalm 27:1 The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?

The Contemporary English Version reads ¹You, LORD, are the light  that keeps me safe. I am not afraid of anyone. You protect me, and I have no fears.

You have to make up your mind to let God completely in to be that light in your life.

When GOD IS IN CONTROL, you don’t have to concern yourself with the situation around you. You put your trust in him and not in what you can do. You speak his words not yours.   

It doesn’t matter where you are in your spiritual life or who your kin may be that you can’t still go the wrong way or do the wrong thing. It is still better to have a faith based life than going on your own, for you can always turn around. 

Several decades ago, there was a product for men called Brylcreem. It came in a tube and the commercial would show a man squeezing a dab into his palm, rubbing his palms together and then messaging the cream into his hair. He would then comb his hair and it would keep his hair in place and make it shiny and smooth. Their jingle was "Bryl-creem, a little dab'll do ya",

Well, a lttle dab of Christianity is not going to shine you up, smooth out the rocky paths in your life and keep you in a place of safety. God is not guiding if you are just living bits and pieces of his Word. A small amount of Word gives you no strength to stand when trouble times come or stand when life deals unexpected blows.  

So

A Little Dab Won’t Do!

The definition of dab is a small amount.  

A small amount or hearing a little of the Word is not enough to give a person everything they need. It is just like receiving a small amount of food. There is no fullness. You have I’m sure eaten with someone who ate so fast, that it seemed that they inhaled their food instead of eating it. It is as if they had not eaten for days. We need to get that type of hunger for the Word. Not just dibbling and dabbling. We need to scarf it down, inhale every bit. We can’t fool ourselves into believing that our lives are all right. Attending church is not enough for anyone. It goes beyond just attending. 

You have to attend, take in and extend 

In other words, attending a Bible teaching church, inhaling every word and scripture that is presented and stretching out in all directions of your life as you implement what you are taught into your everyday life. 

Mark 4:2-8 tells of Jesus and the parable of the sower. The ground he describes is how the Word(seed) is being received today. 

²He used stories to teach them many things, and this is part of what he taught: ³Now listen! A farmer went out to scatter seed in a field. ⁴While the farmer was scattering the seed, some of it fell along the road and was eaten by birds. ⁵Other seeds fell on thin, rocky ground and quickly started growing because the soil wasn't very deep. ⁶But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched and dried up, because they did not have enough roots. ⁷Some other seeds fell where thornbushes grew up and choked out the plants. So they did not produce any grain. ⁸But a few seeds did fall on good ground where the plants grew and produced thirty or sixty or even a hundred times as much as was scattered.

When the disciples asked him to explain he did so 

Jesus then explained in Mark 4:14-20

¹⁴What the farmer is spreading is really the message about the kingdom. ¹⁵The seeds that fell along the road are the people who hear the message. But Satan soon comes and snatches it away from them. ¹⁶The seeds that fell on rocky ground are the people who gladly hear the message and accept it right away. ¹⁷But they don't have any roots, and they don't last very long. As soon as life gets hard or the message gets them in trouble, they give up. ¹⁸The seeds that fell among the thornbushes are also people who hear the message. ¹⁹But they start worrying about the needs of this life. They are fooled by the desire to get rich and to have all kinds of other things. So the message gets choked out, and they never produce anything. ²⁰The seeds that fell on good ground are the people who hear and welcome the message. They produce thirty or sixty or even a hundred times as much as was planted.

So getting the Word and running with it without feasting upon it, opens the door for the enemy to enter in and take it away because it is not grounded.

I was one doing my share of dabbing a few years ago, when it hit me light a thunderbolt, you haven’t stepped out.  The realization was shocking. For over twenty years I thought that I had turned control of my life over to God only to find that it was me trying to control and had God sitting on the sidelines. I was quoting scriptures like God will supply all my needs(how could he when I was trying to do it), I walk by faith and not by sight(Yea, I had faith when I saw things I was doing were working), the Lord is my refuge and my strength( if so, why was I feeling like the weight of the world was on my shoulders and that the only one I had to depend upon was me). 

 I was not doing as Psalm 27:1 said ¹You, LORD, are the light  that keeps me safe. I am not afraid of anyone. You protect me,  and I have no fears. 

If God is not involved in your life wholly, what do you have for strength when the trials come, the enemy, Satan, is speaking and what is being said, you are absorbing into your mind as truth? Yourself? No!  Friend or Family? No!

In Phillipians 4:13 Paul tells the Phillippians ¹³ For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.
The contemporary English version says: ¹³Christ gives me the strength to face anything. 

We are totally lost, no direction for your life or the situations you will encounter. When you falter, choose the wrong path, there is no light to give you instruction.

Proverbs 6:23 (Contemporary English Version)

²³The Law of the Lord is a lamp, and its teachings shine brightly. Correction and self-control will lead you through life.

We attend church, hear the Word of God and are leave ready to walk it out UNTIL
we deem it necessary to go our own way(disobedience). That is being rebellious and disrespectful, that is making your own rules instead of following after God. Is that not dabbing at Christianity? Does that not create distance between you and God(outside of his boundary).

Let’s look at Peter. Peter was a disciple of Jesus, but still, he had times his words did not correspond to what he had been taught, but abode within Jesus’ boundaries.  

Matthew 16:21-26 (Contemporary English Version)

 ²¹From then on, Jesus began telling his disciples what would happen to him. He said, "I must go to Jerusalem. There the nation's leaders, the chief priests, and the teachers of the Law of Moses will make me suffer terribly. I will be killed, but three days later I will rise to life."  ²²Peter took Jesus aside and told him to stop talking like that. He said, "God would never let this happen to you, Lord!"  ²³Jesus turned to Peter and said, "Satan, get away from me! You're in my way because you think like everyone else and not like God."
(God’s way of doing things keeps the enemy away, which is why we need to stay in his boundaries so when we step out, his word will bring us back in)

    ²⁴Then Jesus said to his disciples: If any of you want to be my followers, you must forget about yourself. You must take up your cross and follow me. ²⁵If you want to save your life, you will destroy it. But if you give up your life for me, you will find it. ²⁶What will you gain, if you own the whole world but destroy yourself? What would you give to get back your soul?

John 13:6-10 ( Jesus sets an example)

 ⁶He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, "Lord, are you going to wash my feet?"
 ⁷Jesus replied, "You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand."  ⁸"No," said Peter, "you shall never wash my feet."  Jesus answered, "Unless I wash you, you have no part with me."  ⁹"Then, Lord," Simon Peter replied, "not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!"  ¹⁰Jesus answered, "A person who has had a bath needs only to wash his feet; his whole body is clean. (he was telling them that being his disciples, they were clean except for 1 of course)

If you are clean you are free from moral corruption, you are spiritually pure
(I Thessalonians 5:17 if any man be in Christ he is a new creature), you are upright and honorable.

Peter,  allowing his feelings on what Jesus was doing caused him to open his mouth, when he should have just kept if shut and observed.
We do this a lot of times, speaking when we should be quiet and partake, but I would rather have plenty of word in me when this happens than just a dab.

Peter’s had times of faithlessness — for example, his three denials of Jesus.

Matthew 26: 31-35 (New Living Version) 

 ³¹ On the way, Jesus told them, “Tonight all of you will desert me. For the Scriptures say, ‘God will strike the Shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’  ³² But after I have been raised from the dead, I will go ahead of you to Galilee and meet you there.”  ³³ Peter declared, “Even if everyone else deserts you, I will never desert you.”  ³⁴ Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, Peter—this very night, before the rooster crows, you will deny three times that you even know me.”  ³⁵ “No!” Peter insisted. “Even if I have to die with you, I will never deny you!” And all the other disciples vowed the same.

We all know that what Jesus told Peter did happen. From his own mouth Peter denied knowing Jesus three times, but Peter’s failings were overcome through his faith in Jesus.
We have to have a rock solid faith or else we are just dabbling. 

Peter stepped up in time, after Jesus ascended into heaven, and was the first to begin preaching to the gentiles.

So,

Our covering should be the Word of God because it will protect or shield us from harm or danger(Ephesians 6 talks of the armor of faith, which is the Word of God). It is our shelter.
(Psalm 46:1 God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble.)

 (Psalm 91:1-4 Contemporary English Version)

 ¹Live under the protection of God Most High  and stay in the shadow of God All-Powerful.  ²Then you will say to the LORD,  "You are my fortress, my place of safety; you are my God, and I trust you."  ³The Lord will keep you safe from secret traps and deadly diseases.  ⁴He will spread his wings over you and keep you secure. His faithfulness is like a shield or a city wall. 

Our faith in him will allow him to be our light our protection, our everything.

God can only stand on the sidelines, until you place your trust in him, give him full control and be obedient to his word before there can be changes in your life

So sisters and brothers where does that leave Brylcreem Christians?

Stumbling and falling in the messes they make
No place of comfort
Lack of joy
No direction
Vulnerable to every wile of the enemy
Unable to heed Philippians 4:8 (New International Version)
which says
 ⁸Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

A little dab just won’t do!

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