In the Gospel of Christ Jesus, I bring you life.
It is painful by reason of necessity.
For you have not moved your limbs since a little while after you had been born.
Now the Gospel tells you to move your limbs.
It tells you to believe and do.
But in the wickedness of desire you have let your soul become lazy.
Spiritual atrophy belongs to you.
Now the message I bring you is of difficult work.
You must let yourself believe.
Endure the pain or die.
By His Grace
Of all the things that man can perceive, there is but one truth. The Holy Christ of God has given himself for the salvation of every man, woman and child who ever lived.
As we believe this we are set free of every wicked thing. We are set free of fear; the greatest enemy of man. Who can fear anything if he knows he has eternal life?
Because of fear, men turn to all manner of wicked and abhorrent behavior. They invent their own religions. But every religion of man is full from top to bottom with fear.
By fear, men subject one another for the sake of wicked gain. But it is impossible to subject the one who believes.
“Christ has died for my sins. Nothing you can do to me can take that away. Though my body shake with anxiety for the coming pain, my soul is that perfect rest. For when you are finished applying what torture you may envision, I will go and be with he who has died for my sins. How should I fear? What can man do to me? When in comparison, Christ has given me eternal life.”
A Christian believes this and is saved. Anything less than this is not the fullness of Christ within us. Anything less than this is worthless religion.
By His Grace
Standing on the balcony, I stood in silence. Listening to the natural noises, as opposed to the noises of man.
From the trees flew a Blue Jay. His intent was the railing of the balcony; his perch to search for food on the ground below.
I didn’t move as I watched his intent. His target was 15 feet from my body. But having stood still, he didn’t perceive me.
He came within inches of setting his feet on his intent. But just as he neared landing, he perceived a man standing there.
With a tiny squeak, he turned as though he had bounced off the railing, and bolted back to the trees. Safety is his primary concern, eating is his second.
“Look at him with understanding.” So my soul whispers to my heart. See how quick he is to turn from his desire at the slightest provocation against his safety.
Does man do these things? Doesn’t man head into his desire without consideration for safety? Look how we run headlong into destruction without the slightest perception of danger.
Where we go matters. What we choose to do matters. Who we desire to become matters. Freely God gives wisdom. Who, among men, is willing to take his warnings and freedom?
22 He went on his way through towns and villages, teaching and journeying toward Jerusalem. 23 And someone said to him, “Lord, will those who are saved be few?” And he said to them, 24 “Strive to enter through the narrow door. For many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able. 25 When once the master of the house has risen and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and to knock at the door, saying, ‘Lord, open to us,’ then he will answer you, ‘I do not know where you come from.’ 26 Then you will begin to say, ‘We ate and drank in your presence, and you taught in our streets.’ 27But he will say, ‘I tell you, I do not know where you come from. Depart from me, all you workers of evil!’ 28 In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God but you yourselves cast out. 29 And people will come from east and west, and from north and south, and recline at table in the kingdom of God. 30 And behold, some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last.” (Luke 13)
What is the grace of God?
It is his faithful promise.
For even while the wicked rose from the unholy beds, God has done this as a token of his love.
Yet, with their minds full of gain, who has truly seen?
By His Grace
The Gospel of Christ Jesus cannot be sweet, unless it has been allowed to be violent. The pride of man must be shattered. Humiliation of our wickedness must be endured. Our wickedness must be exposed. And Truth must be exalted.
The Righteousness of God is firm and will cut through the things of men with eternal violence. Those who can say, with great asuredness, that the Gospel is sweet, have stood up before the Most High God that He may cut them to shreds.
Those who live forever in the Kingdom of the Most High God’s Christ must be purified. The wickedness and pride of man is pleasurable to him. But God demands purity righteousness and holiness. Nothing wicked will never enter God’s presence.
“From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and the violent take it by force.” (Matthew 11: 12)
9 After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. 10 And they cried out in a loud voice:
“Salvation belongs to our God,
who sits on the throne,
and to the Lamb.”
11 All the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures. They fell down on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, 12 saying:
“Amen!
Praise and glory
and wisdom and thanks and honor
and power and strength
be to our God for ever and ever.
Amen!”
13 Then one of the elders asked me, “These in white robes—who are they, and where did they come from?”
14 I answered, “Sir, you know.”
And he said, “These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
15 Therefore,
“they are before the throne of God
and serve him day and night in his temple;
and he who sits on the throne
will shelter them with his presence.
16 ‘Never again will they hunger;
never again will they thirst.
The sun will not beat down on them,’
nor any scorching heat.
17 For the Lamb at the center of the throne
will be their shepherd;
‘he will lead them to springs of living water.’
‘And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.’” (Revelation 7)
We are all forced to answer a question. Has the Gospel of Christ Jesus become sweet to us? And another, as God’s righteousness become peace to us?
By His Grace
In everything our God told us, it is our joy to suffer for him. As he was cast out, so will his disciples be, simply because he spoke what is true. As we speak what is true, they will treat us like they treated him.
Everything he taught (and by the Holy Spirit of God within us, he still teaches) contains the element of extreme choice. The teachings of Jesus do not offer mediocrity as an option. The best examples of this can be found in Matthew chapter 25, and Revelation 3.
Matthew 25 tells us what became of the wicked and lazy servant. Revelation 3 tells us what became of the Church of Laodicea.
The world describes joy as happiness, peace, and pleasant prosperity; “Let’s all just get along”. Christ Jesus describes his disciple’s joy as having the honor to suffer in His Holy name.
Our joy is hidden in his promise. The Christian’s joy is not revealed to him as the world defines joy. For now we die. But his promise is the eternal joy of eternal life.
As we openly associate ourselves with him, the world will come and try to take away our toys. They will try, with everything they have, to destroy our right to speak; to mock a life of holiness. That’s how they treated him. He has promised, that is how they will treat his disciples. For that is how they have treated every godly man. I promise you in Christ, nothing has changed.
Christianity is divided about their response to this. Some say, “That’s for the prophets only”. Others say, “This applies to every Christian. Everyone has to make up their own mind about this.
10 “We have an altar from which the priests in the Tabernacle have no right to eat. 11 Under the old system, the high priest brought the blood of animals into the Holy Place as a sacrifice for sin, and the bodies of the animals were burned outside the camp. 12 So also Jesus suffered and died outside the city gates to make his people holy by means of his own blood. 13 So let us go out to him, outside the camp, and bear the disgrace he bore. 14 For this world is not our permanent home; we are looking forward to a home yet to come”. (Hebrews 13 New Living Translation)
It is like humanity to choose the easy path. It is like Christ to choose the path that leads directly to crucifixion. But let every man make his own choice. Only let us be sure that every Christian understands these things. Teach them well, that they may make an intelligent and willful choice.
By His Grace
We: Live, Die, Face Judgment. Jesus or die twice.
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