Tag Archives: Jesus

Fear Constrains. God Releases to Boldness.

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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?

Spiritual Dynamics

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A politician sat down with his advisors, that they might conspire how to get him reelected next year.  His record was not stellar.  By a considerable margin, he might well lose the next election.

They discussed six or seven alternatives, but none of them were rated very high in probability.  But the last option rang like a new brass church bell.

“If you are reelected”, one of them said.  “You could easily pocket 7 million over the next four years.”   The politicians eyes smiled, but in his soul the word “if” stood out largely.  He turned to look at Fred.  “What’s your point Fred?”

Fred began.  “It takes money to make money Stan.  How would you like to get 7 million for a 10 percent investment?”   He captured Stan’s imagination like a magnet to iron filings.  “Why don’t you make a conspicuous donation to father Briers little Church?   He’s got a tiny little place and a lot of land to build on.  We will make sure it’s leaked to the press that you are a godly man, and can be trusted.  I guarantee it’ll pop your numbers over the top.”

Stan fell in love with the idea.  The next day Stan and six of his Advisors showed up at the little Catholic Church.  After a bit of small talk, Stan handed father Brier a check for $725,000.

Father Brier accepted the check with great joy.  And Stan’s advisors made promises to help advertise the new building.  Soon father Briers Church would be full of people! 

The priest was overjoyed.  The building was completed long before election time.  The people floated in, as promised.  Needless to say, the income of the Church rose dramatically, and Stan got reelected.

The politician had done what politicians do; they often use whatever means is necessary to secure their position.  But the priest had done something he should never have done.  I’m not referring to accepting the money.

The priest considered his building as the Church.  And from that misconception everything else fell flat. 

A man can own a building.  A man can gain a title.  A man can play politics with the things that are in his hand.  But no one can own the Church.  The Church belongs to Jesus, the Christ of God.

No building, no title, and no politics, are able to wrench it out of the Lord’s hands.  Forgetting that the word church refers to “the called out ones”, can be a grave mistake.

The priest may be happy today.  But he has missed the fluid dynamic of the Holy Spirit’s power.  Stop up the flow of a river, and it will eventually turn putrid.

By His Grace

True Profit

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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.

“Getting There”

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One afternoon, I turned a corner on the sidewalk.  I saw a great commotion.  The flavor of the people was excited and happy.  Curious, I ventured to the crowd.  I could see parts of a beautifully shiny convertible car sitting in the middle of the crowd.  Bold, as was my demeanor at the moment, I went through the crowd and asked the driver what all the hub bub was all about.  “I’m going to heaven!”  He answered.

It was a fast car, yes.  But tires need road.  In my perception, arrival in heaven needs more than a road and tires.  So I was curious about his means.  I didn’t say anything more.  I just stepped back to watch.

The driver waved at the crowd and started the engine.  The car purred with obvious power.  At the signal of his hand, eight strong men came toward the car.  Each one put his hands under the sides of the body and lifted the car.  They all turned their head toward the front of the car and began to carry the car!  All the while, the driver revved the engine up and down.  Everyone in the crowd was shouting with joy.  Applause went up from them like cracks from a large fire.

After a few steps, the men put the car back down.   The driver shut off the engine.  And stepped out of the car.  He was greeted with great enthusiasm.  The entire mass of men was full of great joy.

I was at a loss here.  My mind thought it must be some kind of circus act.  But they all looked to sincere.  I had to ask the driver what the deal was.

He looked at me with puzzling eyes.  “How is it that you don’t understand?  No one gets to heaven without friends to help him.   Accountability, boy!  It takes accountability to keep a man on the straight road.  These men carried me into dedication.  This is a sign of my vow to do what is good.  And by their testimony, I will be accounted as one who has faith.”

I just stood there speechless.  He was as serious as a spider bite.

Isn’t this what the social gospel promotes?  “If we just all get along, God will recognize our righteous intent.   If we do good for one another, God will surely praise our hearts.”  Yep.  That’s what it says.

“Wazzam Shazzam!”  We don’t need Jesus!”

It’s just too bad that Jesus was so amazingly mistaken.  He didn’t need to die on a cross to save our souls.  He didn’t need to suffer at the hands of men.  All he needed to do was praise our intentions.

negativethinker.wordpress.com

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bible1

  • If you are already famous blogger having hundreds of follower, then does your attitude has changed?

    • Pride is.  And immaturity exists, yes.  But as experience comes, both are found to be false and incomplete.  I have found that one follower is just as viable as 10 million.  My attitude has changed as the Lord Jesus has allowed me to testify.  I am but a servant of the Most High God in Christ Jesus.  Humility appeared.  Pride is diminished.  And maturity buds, like a tiny bloom on a sapling.

  • Why & How, you started your very first blog?,

    • I started my blog because I was fed up with trying to testify by my physical presence.  I could only reach one person at a time, in my body.  But the blog has allowed over 11 thousand “impressions” of Christ to appear in this wicked world.  Blogging may be considered a second rate form of writing by many.  But the effectiveness of dispensing the Gospel can’t be denied.
    • Was their fear in my first post?  Yes.  Why?  Because I knew how full of hate for the Gospel is every man’s heart.  As they hate the Living God’s Holy Son, they were about to hate me.
    • Why, then, should I risk their hatred and isolation associated with testifying for the Living God’s Son?  Because, as they hate the Lord, they also hate one another.  If they already hate me for being a man, let them also hate me for loving Jesus.
    • He is worthy of every possible suffering for His Holy sake.  And why should I not suffer for His Holy name, as have millions of others?

  • Your feelings before posting your very first post,

    • I was tired of watching the Righteous One be ignored.  I was tired of seeing men waste their lives in search of what cannot last.  I was tired of witnessing acts of murder; from simply being silent in the face of wickedness, to literal shedding of blood.  I decided to speak.  It’s that simple.

  • What is reason  behind your writing?,

    • I will live a life of testimony regarding He who is true.  I do not do this to secure a place in eternity.  I write that Jesus might be glorified in my otherwise ridiculously useless life.  I will take His Holy promises.  I will employ my soul on His Righteous behalf.  I will raise up the Holy Name of Jesus, the Righteous Son of the Living God.  And I will not shrink back.

  • How your blog is useful to others?

    • My blog is tiny.  Yes there are many posts, well over 2000 now.  But the usefulness of this accumulation of words is not for me to determine.  And if I could determine their usefulness, would that be useful?  It is better that I continue to write without hope.  Let me simply serve my Lord.  Pride waits crouched just outside the door of worship.  It is far better to serve without expectation of reward.  Humility makes no demands of others for praise.  Pride seeks praise without ceasing.

  • What is your purpose to write a blog?is it for professional use,for fun,only as hobby,for being a writer,for fame,increasing contacts,for sharing your thoughts,showing your skills?or any other?

    •  I write to allow God to have what is rightfully His.  In this unholy world, there will be a place within this man to allow Him to speak.  There is no other rightful reason to speak at all.  Everything else is trivia and will prove itself to be useless use of our ability to communicate.  If Christ is not glorified in our every moment, we have lived a relatively useless life.
    • Many will say this is trite.  They will consider that I speak of items far too high for a man to contain.  They will consider such words as too high minded to be real.  What’s that to me.  I know Him.  He knows my heart.  And I am not ashamed to have spoken of the highest possible expectation of purpose.

  • what are your expectations and dream as a blogger?

    • I desire to introduce 10,000 souls to the Holy Lord.  By the time this world comes to an end, may God bless Himself in this servant of His Holy Son, that He might take for Himself at least 10,000 souls into eternal joy.
    • My dream is to see His Holy Face without fear.  My dream I to stand shoulder to shoulder with those who were not afraid to testify on behalf of the Most High God’s Righteous Son.  My dream is to bring pleasure to the One who made me.  My dream is to ignore the threats of man, and embrace the joy of service to the Holy One.

Thanks to “itsmine”, the one who supplied these questions.  You can find his blog at negativethinker.wordpress.com

Stop by his blog.  Say hi.  Embrace one another in the Holy Name of Christ.  Support one another for His Holy Name’s sake.  Live Christ Jesus!

 

Amen.

Two Promises

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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.