Ways exist for us to eviscerate the dynamic influence of Jesus Christ in life. We can limit the influence of Bible teaching by letting it be entirely personalized, not objectively activated: having it as an intellectual stimulation, not a behavioral change.
We can also be frozen by inactivity to our present level of spiritual growth. This being a specific danger to Christians, consider QUESTION two, therefore:
Consider the apostle Paul as our example. In Philippians 3:10-11 he listed his desires as a Christian:
Don’t stop reading util you see his disclaimer in verse 12. He:
THEN, be sure to read:
THUS:
Summary Christian discipleship has always been the essence of:
However, the better things of belonging to Jesus, the:
Are always ahead of us:
When we PRESS ON to God’s high Glories:
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Jesus recruited his first six disciples:
He chose the final six some months later from:
Mark 3:13-15 summarizes the instructions given all the chosen men he specified as the TWELVE. Like them, all Christians are either:
Question.
The fourth truth in this series: every believer must repeat in his life the forceful self-denial Jesus embodied in his; the cross his ultimate self-denial; self-will ours.
He practiced perfect self-denial to challenge our discipleship not to focus on self-study, self-improvement, self-fulfillment, self-absorption, etc. That truth has not been emphasized enough even in strong Gospel churches; certainly not in people-pleasing churches. Christianity is all about God in Christ, and about us ONLY as we repeat in our lives, however poorly, the self-sacrifice he perfected. Only then can we be the forceful men and women God used to begin his crusade to re-take all the human life, and geographical territory, Satan usurped. If we only incrementally achieve more self-denial for Jesus, Satan loses. If we even once consider ourselves the center of life, Satan wins. God recognizes the scale of conflict we experience in being a Christian. (And, if we have no conflict, we are not trying hard enough to be Christ’s witness.) In whatever way God gifts us to serve him, use it. With whatever testimony he endows us, speak it. Whatever way we can strike a blow against Satan’s lies, land it! Let us consider ourselves, as those valiant spiritual pioneers considered themselves, as outriders in a cultural clash, riding the powerful Gospel Message and engaging a depraved society. “The Son of God goes forth to War…who follows in his Train? Fini The third truth in this series: Jesus carefully calibrated the occasion he clearly taught the violence personally experienced. Only when Simon confessed the Twelve’s combined agreement of his Deity and Messianic identity did he explain his coming crucifixion and resurrection.
That threat hit them squarely between the eyes. And so shocked them it hardened them to the promise. It defied cultural expectation John 12:34; it also defied humanity’s treasured opinions I Corinthians 1:22-23. That Jesus waited for the disciples to confess his Deity teaches us that the facts, truth and reality of Jesus Christ, while altogether reasonable, can be understood only by FAITH, not by REASON! People who now say they need answers to some questions before accepting Christ have a long wait. For, by way of extension, Christ assures us that doubts, questions, reservations (D.Q.R.) expressed by prospects can best be resolved within FAITH, not outside in D.Q.R. All of them are like the veil over Jewish minds now. In turning to Christ it’s removed; it’s only removed AFTER turning to Christ, not BEFORE! By faith Noah saw rainbows before RAIN fell; David saw Goliath a CORPSE before flinging his smooth stone; Abraham saw Isaac’s RESURRECTION even though he would slay him. Faith in God, not Reason, explained those victories. And God’s spiritual truth conquering all satanic lies, claims and possessions still rules by FAITH today! The key for the believer is: we want to KNOW God by faith, not merely God’s benefits. Many people seek his benefactions but do not want him. Christian want God in Christ. Whatever they may get from it, whatever price they may pay to possess him, whatever negative replies God may give our prayers, we want to KNOW HIM and HIS CHRIST! End Part IV Spiritual – violence necessary in Christianity, Part III....NOTE: Blogs back Tuesday, 7/5/2229/6/2022 Consider the second truth applicable from Matthew 11:12 and Luke 16:16: spiritual forcefulness characterizes citizens of God’s kingdom. True, if you ask the secular person what kind of people want God, he likely says they:
When she lay dying, and heard someone at her bedside say God would help her, actress Joan Crawford gathered strength to snap, “Don’t you dare ask God to help me.” Last Words, online. In reality, those who come to Jesus, have grit unknown to those who refuse to accept the self-denial Jesus demands as basis of discipleship. They:
More importantly, those seeking GOD:
For most people then and now, ALL they want from God: benefits for this life; help when needed; sympathy in disaster; assurance in death. Otherwise, leave them alone. Those who come to God want him:
You have to be forceful if, in this degraded age, and fast degrading further, you want Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, no matter how popular or unpopular it makes you, however many friends it gains you, or loses, whether you find yourself in a group of Christians witnessing, or yourself ALONE holding fast to Christ. All that matters is Christ, and Christ and Christ! End Part III Consider the first truth applicable from Matthew 11:12 and Luke 16:16: Spiritual violence characterized Christ’s every attack on Satan’s presence in humanity.
Like the German guns sweeping Omaha Beach D-Day, June 6, 1944, every available satanic problem confronted Jesus: sickness, deformities, demon-possession, disunity, leprosy and death among them, death the unconquered enemy of living things. And in every collision of wills between satanic strength and Christ’s spiritual Grace, Jesus WON the battle. When he said:
When he said:
Jesus WON. Every time. Without fail. And SO ON! Each challenge summoned spiritual POWER excelling the spiritual problem masquerading as physical disability. None of the damage Satan caused could be:
Spiritual violence had to explode in Satan’s face to banish his presence, to cause his panic, to bring his flight, leading his underlings away ashamed and humiliated, they yapping their sympathy, he cursing them to SHUT UP! Almighty God came in Christ demanding Satan’s evacuation of every place he had usurped. And, Praise God, he had no choice but to obey the order to GET OUT! End Part II Matthew 11:12 and Luke 16:16 use a single Greek word translated in Matthew as violence and in Luke as force. The Master’s reference teaches spiritual truth Christians often overlook.
First, however, while the texts offer difficulty, it’s minimized by interpreting them in the context of Christ’s over-all ministry, particularly in those men and women God used to establish Christianity in history. Remember the rule of interpretation: obscure or difficult passages should be studied by clear-meaning ones. Joseph, step-father of, and Mary, mother of Jesus, modeled spiritual force. John the Baptist, Jesus and the Apostles embodied it, initiating, directing and empowering the church. John fierce-force; Jesus spiritual grace-force; the Apostles, once Baptized in the Holy Spirit, Christ’s Vicar-force, like elephants trampling opposition, like tree-trunk shredders, chewing up and spitting out in little pieces any satanic obstruction faced. Consider others in that first-generation of leaders and the force they expressed:
And on and on. Hardened by confronting life-circumstances; softened by experiencing God’s Grace; quickened by following the Holy Spirit’s leading, they blazed the spiritual trail we follow today. But who now would claim to rival their Spiritual Force? Let alone equal it? Let alone surpass it? At our best, we dim lights can only study Bible passages to some depth, hoping to cast SOME scriptural illumination to those listening. In the next blogs, great truths surfaced in the words violent and force. |
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