These pictures were claimed from an old book that was about to be thrown away. It’s not that the book is useless in itself. It was that the book would never be read. At least by posting these here, the work of His servant, whoever it was, won’t be in vain.
As we believe, we live. As we know, we do. As we worship and serve, the Living God’s Holy Son is Glorified.
I woke to be with the Lord this morning. In our time together, he revealed a mystery to me. I will try to relate it as best I can.
Why are people so reluctant to grasp a fearless doing of the Gospel? What cuts some apart to boldness, while most live out the Gospel as if in secret?
The answer is simple, they fear.
Fear of man compels most to withdraw from public displays of Holy Truth. Desire to “profit” among men drives most into a life of subdued worship and expression of God’s Holy Will among men.
They hear what the bold disciples say. But they also see how such bold men are treated. They quickly weigh the prospects of shunning, and make the determination that such travail is not worth the effort. They must make a living. They must eat. They must compete in this wicked world. And a bold proclamation of the Gospel will surely diminish their chances of survival. Men will certainly hate them and exclude them from “prosperity” among men.
But what makes the difference between those who fearlessly proclaim the Gospel, and those who believe yet hide (to whatever extent)?
Two things play within the bold. It’s hard for me to describe which one comes first. Perhaps they come in unison. One provocation to boldness is the blessing of God in the way of knowledge. God causes the bold one to understand that the way of God is absolute, true, and sustaining no matter what. The other provocation is that the bold perceive the wickedness of man as endless chaos. No matter what they do, man will never protect. Man is incapable of sustaining. Man is full, and endlessly so, with lies and empty promises. And the riches of man, that so called “profit”, can provide nothing eternally valuable.
It is written, “They hated me for no reason”. The bold receive the same treatment. Their brothers and sisters in Christ see this treatment of the bold and withdraw to secrecy. It’s that simple.
There were only 12 Apostles. There were only 72 that were sent out. And of the mass of men, there are (in my personal estimation) less than 1 percent of the population that will give all to God for the sake of His Holy Son’s Honor. And it’s quite possible that I have over estimated the number of those who are bold for Christ.
I have seen many rise up to boldness. But I have seen very few remain bold. Usually, when a man stands up for Christ, the world around them beats them back into submission, and quickly. They sink back into the “profit” of man and never rise up again. Let no one misunderstand the power of the world to destroy. This even happens, often, to men who wear the titles of pastor, preacher, evangelist, and so on!
If you would be bold for Christ, then be bold. But first it would be wise to learn to hate the ways of man’s “profit”. For they will surely use it against you to drive you back into their slime. But if you would be willing to loose all for Christ, then, by all means stand!
Who is willing to die for Christ? Who is willing to receive the beatings that man is all too ready to dispense? Is it you? If not, then ask yourself, “Why do I fear”.
God will sustain the willing heart. He will feed the wicked, why won’t he feed you? And if they come and take all you have, what have you lost? These sayings are readily available among Christ’s people. But the key to making the decision to be bold lay in a fearless belief. Are the promises of God TRUE?
I do not respect the customs of Men. I have no regard to the differing “customs” of certain groups. One eats just these things. Another eats other things. Certain clothing is appropriate for differing circumstances, relegated to the demands of pomp, pleasure, and expectations of society. What do I care? Eat what you will. Dress as you desire. What is that to me?
But the things of the soul. Now these things matter! Differing languages, differing customs, differing surroundings, differing expectations of society, what are these things? When it comes to the soul, none of these things have any bearing at all. For we are all created for the singular purpose of being profitable to the Most High God.
Profit, profit, profit! That’s all the body desires. We wake to “do”, that we might gain profit. To one man profit is pleasure. To another, profit is to gain, that he might add to his mountain of treasure. But profit to God is that His Holy and Righteous Son be glorified.
Some call profit for God in various and differing terms, each according to the religion he has been taught. But God has elevated His Holy Son to the place of First Above All. And wouldn’t it matter that God has done this for His Righteous Son? What does it matter if man considers another religion above Christianity? It is God, alone, who dictates what is Righteous.
But let it be said, Jesus is the King of kings. He is the Lord of lords. He is the Mighty One over all! It is to Jesus that every knee will bow and give Glory to God the Holy Father.
You say, “This is your opinion. You were raised up under the constraints of Christian teaching. But we were raised under the constraints of Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism, Judaism, Baha’i, Confucianism, Jainism, Shinto, atheism, humanism, [or a million other worthless tripe of human reasoning]. To you, Christianity is singular. Realize that our faith is singular to us”.
But God has chosen His Christ. God has secured salvation by His own Holy Hand. And this is the message that has no dependence on the customs of man. For it comes from Heaven. It is delivered to God’s chosen ones to speak. And it is secured in their souls by the Holy Spirit’s presence.
Do you want profit of Man? Or do you want Profit of God? Seek the Holy Father’s advice regarding this. Strip your mind of the customs you were taught. Strip your expectations from your soul. Seek His Holy Face in Truth. As we humble ourselves before the Living God, so the Living God responds. Likewise, as we stand proud in our own understandings, the Living God is shrewd in his response.
Profit comes from humility. True profit. The profit of eternity that is dressed in the Glorious Living God’s Holy Son, Jesus the Christ.
Now you take offence at these things. For I have spoken that Jesus is the singular means to God the Father. But Christians should take no such stance as you. We do not take offence at the accusations against Christianity. We do not defend the Christ. It is the Christ who defends us. We have no means to sustain our teachings. It is God who sustains the teachings of Christ. We are witnesses, not defenders. We testify that the Living God has secured our salvation. We do not defend the Faith He has given us.
Perceive the difference. Listen to what I am saying. There is no salvation for anyone outside the Holy Son of the Living God.
The mother of a little girl sat her child at the kitchen table. Mom placed a drawing of a cross on a hill with a shash before the child to color. Then mommy went about preparing dinner.
The child knew the color of wood. She knew the color of grass. She knew to shade the rocks with gray, and the sky with blue. But when it came to the shash, the little one was perplexed.
“What is the color of the cloth?” The tiny one asked. Mother responded with the wisdom from God. “Let God tell you what color to use honey.”
Tiny fingers reached for the box. With the pure faith of a child she drew out the proper one. And with all the care she had she shaded the cloth.
“It’s done.” The precious one said. But when mom came over to see, understanding reached deep into her soul. God spoke to Mommy with clarity. The color the child had chosen was the palest pink in the box.
As we are, so we teach. Does God see? Yes he does.
Do we worship in the true Gospel? Or is our version so watered down that the very blood of Christ is but a pale pink?
What is the value of one man?
With clamoring, Man elevates all his unholy “strength”.
One man can corrupt millions.
And so, ungodliness prospers like violent weeds.
But what is the value of one servant of Christ?
I consider Stephen, the celebrated first martyr in Christ.
He was not one of the 12.
There is no miracle attached to his witness.
Yet see how God used him with excellent power of revelation.
In the midst of worthless power, Stephen testified with revealed Glory.
What is the value of one man of God?
How the kingdom of lies was shaken and stirred to violence,
When God moved within the soul of that one man.
Let us not consider that a mass of men must rise in order that the Gospel might become a prominent power among men. But let us remember the Promise of God. “For thus the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel, has said, ‘In repentance and rest you will be saved, In quietness and trust is your strength.'” (Isaiah 30: 15) Does the Holy Fire of God seek a place of venting among men? As lava seeks the place of release, does the Holy Will of God seek a man to “do”? And what shall be said when the Will of God finds that soul who “will”?
With confidence, the man of God lives out his days. He knows the Living God’s Holy Son. He is not restrained by terror. He speaks with authority, for from Authority he is taught. He joyfully does the Living Will of the Living God. With a whisper he quiets the clamor of Man. With the Holy Wisdom of God, he dispels the lies in which men trust so violently.
What is the value of one man? What is the power of that man’s prayer? How brilliant does that one shine before the Holy Throne of the Living God? How willing is God to teach he who is willing to hear? How sharp is the eye of the one who desires to see? How powerfully is God willing to act when He finds one man willing to be used?
“For to the one who has, more will be given, and he will have an abundance.” (Matthew 13: 12)
“I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” (Matthew 10: 10)
What is the value of ONE MAN?
Profit and loss. The entire world is based on these two concepts. Absolutely everything we do contains things that are considered profitable, and those things that are considered loss.
In every possible way, creation has been subjected to loss. It takes serious diligence to build and maintain anything. And if we are slack, we will quickly witness our work returning to “nothing” from which it came.
This is true of material things. It is true of our relationships with one another. It is true of all “life”, which is so very abundant in this world, And it is absolutely true of Spiritual things.
“By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible.” (Hebrews 11:3) We could easily say that all creation was created from what was “not”. And if left alone, to its origin all things glide. Creation could easily be perceived as a great splash in an eternal ocean. The water will reclaim its equality of height, by absolute necessity.
It is the blessing of God to provide Life. It is the curse of God to restrain His hand. That’s all it takes for man to experience loss. Just as we can produce loss by neglect, so it is with God.
He is the Sustainer of all things. But even the idea that something must be sustained, indicates that it tends to obliteration.
There are two promises from God. If you will consistently turn to me, I will sustain you. But as you desire your own strength, you will suffer loss. The first promise leads to eternal life in Christ Jesus, for God offers no other source of blessing and life. The second is simply our natural destination; we came from nothing, and to that nothing we will return. But God offers eternal life to every soul that will turn to His Holy Son in faith.
I know that there is a massive misunderstanding of these things. Man thinks that he can save himself. How can you save yourself if your hands are busy trying to hold up your own roof? What knowledge do you have of eternity? Isn’t it true that eternity is only a concept within the heart of every man who ever lived? We are born and die. That’s not eternity, friends!
What do we know of Holy Sustaining? We can’t even make it through an entire day without causing some sort of destruction. We crush a bug as we walk. We speak an unholy word in casual conversation, or we do not speak what is holy when it should have been spoken.
Proof lies abundant within us, that we can’t sustain anything for very long. Quickly, the glide to oblivion pushes past our strength to keep things going. We are, by nature, walking death. God alone, and this in His Holy and Righteous Son, is LIFE.
Make your own choice. Consider these things with the utmost diligence, or relegate these promises to obscurity. Choose death or Life. The one is a given, we slide through time to the place of obliteration without any effort at all. But life must be gained from He who is Life, Christ Jesus, the Holy Son of the Living God.
We: Live, Die, Face Judgment. Jesus or die twice.
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