"Gains...And Los[s]es"

"For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?'  (Mark 8:26)

Classic "rhetorical."  The answer is quite obvious if one is familiar with the teachings of Jesus, Absolutely nothing.

Yet, how many are attempting to, "save his life," and, "gain[] the whole world"?  Few people turn down job promotions, increase salary offers, inheritance money.  In fact, the whole of humanity is bent on getting more.  And do not think for a moment that this does not included the "99 percenters."  What do you think motivates their hatred of the 1%?!?  The reason the Left, the socialists, the communists, the Democrats in the US want to "redistribute the wealth," is that everybody wants wealth.  Marx was no different from the capitalists whom he railed against.  The only difference in humanity is those who have, and those who do not have what the others have worked for, or inherited, or stole----- but desperately want it.  It makes no difference; greed is a universal malady.  Everything a politician promises is an appeal to get you more.  It is cloaked many times in "the need" of people, but it is mostly the want and desire of people.

Our Lord Jesus taught us that the losing of wealth/possessions was nothing compared to gaining one's soul, and one gains one's soul by, "Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me."  Coming after Jesus Christ is "saving" one's life.  Coming after Jesus is, "profit a man."  The only truth in "more is better" is "more" of Jesus is better.  Notice the verbs, "come after Me,.. deny,.. take up...and follow Me."  This means that you and I are not in charge of our lives after we surrender our lives to Jesus.  Somewhere I read, "Jesus Christ is Lord," not I.  Perhaps this is the reason so little is spoken of, "The Kingdom," and so much spoken of what I can get from God.  There is no vote in, "The Kingdom of God/Heaven."  There is no press conference, no question and answer, no "think tanks" in, "the Kingdom of Heaven," just, "come after Me...and follow Me."  One, "....gains the whole world," when one, "....loses his life for [Jesus'] sake and the Gospel's...."  The world scratches its head at this.  You and I rejoice in This, in Him, in the Living Triune God.

Father, in Jesus Name, I only want to "gain" You.  Amen. 
 

When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"

Hebrews 12:2

"It Takes A Village?" NO-- It Takes the Church

"Think of how you have instructed many, how you have strengthened feeble hands.  Your words have supported those who stumbled; you have strengthened faltering knees.  But now trouble comes to you, and you are discouraged; it strikes you, and you are dismayed.  Should not your piety be your confidence and your blameless ways your hope?" (Job 4:2-6, NIV- from 5/4  "Wisdom Books" reading)

It was the darkest day of my life, June 12, 1970.  My buddy was gone from his life.  In the succeeding days, however, indeed, until now, I never recall that I "got mad at God."  I didn't doubt Jesus' keeping power, nor the power to sustain in the Holy Spirit.  I think if I had any "doubts," it was concerning myself; where was I headed?  Would I survive this?  In essence, What now?

I was an energetic preacher, proclaimer of Jesus, Our Lord Jesus Christ Who could do anything, Healer of the sick, Great Deliverer of the oppressed.  I said then, as now, a resounding, No, to Eliphaz's question, "Should not your piety be your confidence and your blameless ways your hope?"  I had no, "piety," no, "confidence," no, "blameless ways...."  I was numb, and it seemed as though I had "nothing."  Yet through the encouragement particularly of my Grandpa and Dad in my growing up years, I was always encouraged to live my "signature" verse at the end of every email, "Looking unto Jesus."  It was as though even if I wanted to, or was tempted to, I could not have looked elsewhere.  It was not I by myself, nor I leaning on some, "piety," or, "blameless ways."  Rather, it was the faithful witness of many people around me in the years prior to 1970.  I would change the humanist cliche, "It takes a village," to, It takes the Church. 

If one thinks that "making it" in life means a personal power, conviction, faith without the Church, they are greatly mistaken.  Eliphaz's assumptions were all wrong.  He was condemning Job by appealing first to his ego, "Think how you have instructed many, how you have strengthened feeble hands.  Your words have supported those who stumble...."  He then turned this against Job, "Now, look at yourself; shame on you."  But I don't think Job was buying it.  Job realized that it is not "personal power" which sustains us.  Fundamentally, it is Father Power, Son, Jesus, Power, Holy Ghost Power.  But you can tell by Job's statement elsewhere, "Miserable comforters are you all," that he was looking for some comfort from his friends. 

You and I were never intended to "go it alone."  Paul once wrote, "For when we came into Macedonia, we had no rest, but we were harassed at every turn-- conflicts on the outside, fears within.  But God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us by the coming of Titus."  If you do not have a "Titus" in your life, you had better get one!  Never allow your ego to make you believe, "I'm my own church."

Father, in Jesus' Name, I thank You for all the people like Titus in my life, then and now.  Amen.

When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"

Hebrews 12:2

"Deliver My Life From...Men Of This Age"

"Arise, O Lord....Deliver my life from...men of the world who have their portion in this life...." (Psalm 17)

A footnote in the ESV says, "whose portion in life is of the world."  The word for, "world," can also mean, "age."  The word for, "portion," is translated elsewhere as, "inheritance, territory."  How about this: "Arise, O Lord.  Deliver my life from...men of this age whose territory is of the world."  There is definitely Biblical Theology for this.

The Republican Party in the US is full of people who think they are one thing, but in reality, they are another.  They do not hold to the Party's fundamental platform.  They are just like everyone else: opportunists.  Republicans had the opportunity to elect a man who "carries" fundamental Biblical principles in him, but pundits, like the blond on "The Five," simply marginalized him.  Now look what they have.

People, "who have their portion (inheritance, territory)  in this life," are people who operate only in the "me" factor.  They simply, "lean...to your own understanding."  Most people live like the pebble which you skip across the water, never going deep and ends up sinking.  This is true also of nations.  You and I, however, are called to, "follow the Lamb wherever He goes," in whatever Jesus is "about," whatever is, according to His purpose.  Here is the Ephesian account of what I am referring to:  "In [Jesus] we have redemption through [Jesus'] blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses,..making known to us the mystery of his will, set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in [Jesus], things in heaven and things on earth....In [Jesus] we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of Him Who works all things according to the counsel of His will...." 

Christendom has not been living this way.  The above passage says that Father in Jesus is, "making known to us the mystery of His will, set forth in Christ...."  This applies to so much more of life than most are willing to accept.  Rather, with far too many, culture, ethnicity, gender and everything else rules.  Too many Followers of Jesus just throw up their hands at world events, when we could actually be shaping them so much more than we are.  After all, it is still, "Go into all the world and and disciple the nations, teaching them to observe (obey) all that I command you."  Sure sounds like, "take over," to me. 

Father, in Jesus' Name, "Arise, O Lord, deliver my life from...men (and women) of this age whose inheritance is in this age."  Amen.
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New articles at:   jhs58.blogspot.com

When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"

Hebrews 12:2

"I Will Also Visit Destruction On The Altars...."

"....In the day I punish Israel for their transgressions, I will also visit destruction on the altars of Bethel; and the horns of the altar shall be cut off and fall to the ground." (Amos 3:14, from yesterday's Minor Prophets reading.)

What Bonhoeffer called, "Cheap grace," would say that our text no longer applies in God's economy.  Wrong.  The Cross of Jesus is the forgiveness of sins, not the elimination of the consequences of sin.  We build "altars," God, "will also visit destruction on the altars...," Old and New Testament.  We put "horns" on the altar, by the Hand of Jesus they, "shall be cut off."  After His Cross and Resurrection and Ascension, Jesus did not go somewhere to wait passively for the close of the age.  Jesus is now reigning in the affairs of men and nations.  Mankind is in "the river."  Jesus is the banks of that river.

"The altars of Bethel," are in every nation on earth, and the United States of America has erected a "disproportionate" number of altars in the last 55 years.  "[Jesus] will also visit destruction on the altars...; and the horns of the altar shall be cut off."  Those who resist the Reign of Jesus Christ are operating under a false assumption when they think they "control their own destiny."  They use the phrase as a nobody-is-going-to-tell-me-what-to-d0.  The reality is that while that may be true for a season, ultimately my surrender or rebellion to Jesus is what controls my destiny.  This is also true of nations (see Matthew 25).

Verse 11 says, "An adversary shall be all around the land; he shall sap your strength from you, and your palaces shall be plundered."  This is America of the last 55 years.  This is also any person who is not in Jesus Christ and Jesus Christ and His Words, "living and powerful, and sharper," in them.  Grace does not give anybody a pass on neglecting, "The Word of God," in their life.  Grace does not wink at sin.  Grace does not overlook man's or a nation's mocking of Him.  "Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man (or nation) sows, that he will also reap."  This is New Testament; nothing trumps this.  Reality is not as the farmer who prayed, "God, forgive me for the bail of hay I stole from Farmer Jones last night.  And while you're at it, forgive me for the bail I'm going to steel tonight."  Too much of Christendom operates this way.  "God will also visit destruction," on a people which "mocks," attempts to manipulate religious principles to its own purposes.  Again, I give you America of the last 55 years. 

Do not allow the Enemy to, "sap your strength from you," or see, "your palaces...be plundered."  Abiding in Jesus, trusting and obeying Jesus will keep you and me from such.

Father, in Jesus' Name,  I pray for America and the nations represented by those who read this that You will destroy any, "altars of Bethel."  Amen.

When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"

Hebrews 12:2

"Heir[s] Of The World...."

"For the promise that he would be the heir of the world was not to Abraham or to his seed through the law, but through the righteousness of faith." (Romans 4:13)

Now there is a statement for you, "....heir of the world."  That is who we are in Jesus Christ.

Abraham was "saved" in just the same manner as you and I.  The only "difference" is that he looked to Jesus and His Cross before His First Appearing; you and I look to Jesus and His Cross after His First Appearing.  It has never changed, and will never change.  This is why I write so much about Jesus.  This is why our meetings and songs should be full of the Name of Jesus.  If Jesus' Name is absent, so is His saving power.  It is no wonder so many in Christendom believe that our God and their god are the "same god."  Notice, both talk about "God."  Only when we bring Jesus into the "picture," do we have a very clear statement about the reality of the Godhead.

The above is also the reason many "evangelicals" voted for Trump over Santorum.  They think God is their errand boy, theirs to make into whatever they think they need.  They don't know the Bible; they don't know Church History, nor the Church Councils.  They are classic, "Go to the church of your choice," people.  One can believe anything they wish about God, and it makes no difference in one's life style.  God is their dashboard icon.  The Church has battled such forces from the beginning.  The Gospel of John, the Colossian Epistle, the Book of Hebrews are just among some of the Biblical writings which take on the, "Well, we all worship the same god," mentality.

No one, now or ever, knew, knows, or ever will know the Living Triune God, nor be accepted by Him apart from Jesus.  I think I may have written this before: No Jesus; no God.  Know Jesus; know God.  Romans 4 tells us that from the beginning it is Father's purpose that all come to Him only in Jesus, all are "saved" only in Jesus, all are His Children only in Jesus.

Father, in Jesus' Name, "May Jesus Christ Be Praised."  Amen. 
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I know we made our plans for the Berlin Mission a little early this year, and some may grow weary of our asking prayers for the Mission.  The dates are: October 5-27

When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"

Hebrews 12:2