Subtle Perspectives

I was listening to a so-called "Christian song" the other day, parsing the lyrics in my mind as I was doing some task. I think it was morning dishes if I remember correctly...

I got jolted by a subtle perspective that I found to be in discord (pun intended). The premise was that if God agrees with you, then you are invincible... ??? What?

Now before you have a cow reading the rest of this, please be gracious to me, and be patient. I will explain further where I am going with this, as it's a big deal these days, and not too many talk about it, or worse, talk in a way that supports the opposite.

Now to start off, I am well aware of, and believe the scripture that states "If God is for us, who can be against us?". I totally accept it, and I totally believe it. I would also accept and believe that "with God, all things are possible."

My problem is not in the truth spoken but in the delivery that some use.

I've said many times and fully believe that we do not work here in life, but rather allow God to do HIS work through us. If we did the work, it would be spoiled, tainted, and valueless, since all Glory belongs to God alone.

Contemplating this further as I was being fed the many thoughts and things to write down here, I thought about the Wheat and the Tare parable, how, in the beginning both look similar and are almost indistinguishable. Yet the proof is in the end result.

In how the Wheat bends and bows to the will of the wind (Holy Spirit if you will), how it becomes white in the field (Children of Light if you will) at harvest time.

Contrasted to Tares, which are stiff and toxic (Prideful if you will), and grow darker (Children of Darkness if you will) toward the end of their cycle. They are gathered and burnt like chaff on the wind.

This subtle difference appears in other scripture as well; and is characterized by the tense and perspective of the individual.

Yes, the dreaded statement of Christ to those He says, "Depart from Me, for I never knew you". The ones who, in their lives used Jesus's name like a talisman or a Jeannie lamp, justifying and elevating themselves in status by dropping His name as a certification of their work. Like some kind of transactional relationship, quid pro quo. Probably uttering insipid words like "See...Jesus agrees with me" as they manipulate others to their own personal will and glory, all the while never having a real relationship with Him. They never knew Him, nor did He know them as His own.

The perspective is the same as the Tare. Standing on it's own, self-sustaining, among other kinds of plants like the Wheat, which is humble in nature, and relies on the Sower to develop and bring it to maturity.

There was a point in Joshua's life when standing in the presence of Christ unknowingly (pre-Carnate / Christophany), he (Joshua) asks if He (Christ), is with him or with the enemy. Christ simply said "No" and proclaimed His title as Commander of the Hosts. Joshua's rude awakening to the realization of Christ before him, ended in Joshua dropping to his knees and worshipping Christ who was and is the Commander of the Hosts of Heaven.

Here was an error on Joshua's part that can be easily forgiven because of ignorance (not stupidity). It wasn't a blatant pride on Joshua's part to treat Christ as just some other person he might have to battle. Joshua responded correctly once he knew the glaring truth (and this is why it's not stupidity).

But there's a lesson here for all of us too, and that is, to not get so comfortable with your faith, that you treat Christ as an equal... 😄 There should always be an awe and reverence in our hearts for our God who has adopted us as children of His family.

So then, the perspective is this:

Are you with God? and not, Is God with you? Though He is surely with us all when we chose Him. 😊

It may seem like a small thing, but like anything else, error grows from the smallest seed.

Either perspective are marked by one or another characteristic, either Humility and Compassion, or otherwise by the scent of Pride and Hardness.

You often find that the ones who use Jesus's name for their own ends to be cold, calculated, and harsh in their dealings with others. Always works oriented and unreasonable expectations run high, respect demanded and often not returned in kind. An air of "Prove yourself to me and my expectations", always acting like they are better than you regardless...

I ask what happened to Jesus, and why are you here now? 😊

Do not be bullied by these types. Walk away if you must. Give no quarter to their brand of evil, nor tolerate it in your presence. Christ has given you every right to do so.

Romans 8:1

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus

So now, if you are in Christ, and there is now no condemnation for you, why would you accept any from anyone else?

Grace and Peace to all in Christ our Lord, God in the flesh!

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Don't be a grape. 🚫 🍇

🦊 Jack [ The Foxman on the Wall ]

Dispatching Serpents

It is required of all of us to defend ourselves from the evil of the world. This in turn requires us to stay the course in our faith, and keep focus on the One, Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior, since without Him, we can do nothing.

We are defenseless and naked against the evil on our own, as we are born into it's bondage. His example; His word we have written down, and His command; simple and not burdensome, to love as He has loved us.

His Word, the basis of our defense against temptation, and the promise of forgiveness when we fail that test. His Word, that power of the Two Edged Sword of the Spirit and a most formidable weapon, is a part of us now.

His command, we are able to achieve through His Power and Divine Love given to us through the gift of the Holy Spirit as comforter, teacher, and seal of Promise of Redemption for all eternity, a gift of life forever more with Him.

The Word and the Command are intertwined like a rope of two cords, like two witnesses bearing truth, temperance, compassion, and patience.

He is a God of Love and Patience, bestowing this nature onto His creation through the rebirth and union of the Holy Spirit, by an act of Grace and Mercy that is priceless beyond measure, and unwarranted by any merit. Something we did not deserve, but received at Salvation, and were spared what we did deserve for eternity. These are the fundamental aspects of His Grace and His Mercy shown us.

Our mission, to show this truth by witness and testimony, so that any who are willing within our reach may know this truth and be saved.

The antithesis of this of course is the Idolatry of the World, and specifically that of Idolatry of Self. There's a common name for this Idolatry of Self, and that is Narcissism.

Anything that opposes Jesus as God in the Flesh is of an antichrist spirit, and you can identify this antichrist spirit as also a Narcissist spirit. It is defined by self will, self worship, self regard, self judgment, the list goes on. Paul described 19 points of the end times Narcissism that has gone viral in the world.

2 Timothy 3:1-5

But understand this: In the last days terrible times will come.

For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, without love of good, traitorous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power.

Turn away from such as these!

And Paul finishes this context with an admonition to Turn Away from such people. It has distressingly become nearly the whole population of earth.

It is here where the honest and empathetic, self-evaluating Christian often gets hung up on a guilt that they don't own, in their witness and testimony to everyone in their circle of influence.

Our call is to preach the Gospel, but the choice is theirs to make, regardless of how sad the outcome. They own the consequences as well.

We often feel like we have failed and can't save anyone. I will tell you that we never could save anyone to begin with, including ourselves. Our task was to bring them to the knowledge of and to the feet of Jesus. We however, did not fail our task when we witnessed and gave our testimony. We finished our calling. The choice was theirs all along, as are the consequences.

The problem now in these Perilous Times, which is woefully obvious that they are here now, is reaching anyone left who hasn't heard or made a choice about Jesus Christ the one and only messiah, the only name in or under heaven that can save a man (or woman).

I am aware of, and consider in sadness of a recent tragedy, in which a woman passed without salvation. Defiant and rebellious to the end. She was every bit the definition of Narcissism. Her passing wasn't the tragedy, but her passing without Christ as her savior was a considerable loss.

I know this state of loss to be true, as she was very verbal in her blasphemous rants and rebellion against Jesus and the Father. She worshiped her own opinion, and demanded respect from everyone, but would give none to others. Always enraged and bitter, blaming everyone else, she would spit out her tirades and insults often. She had no compassion, and her love was nothing more than manipulation and transactional relationship. A means to an end.

This tragedy repeats itself daily, and in horrible numbers globally. The world is inundated with this Narcissism. A true cancer, and a cancer of the spirit.

It will only get worse. Especially when the restraint is lifted, and ultimately, the ultimate Narcissist will arrive on the world scene and put every other Narcissist to shame and under submission.

I turned 61 a few days ago. I have seen a lot, and done a lot in my short life. So many I have known as friend, or co-worker, or family, are gone now, and yet I remain. I sit in quiet contemplation a lot anymore. I watch as people I don't know, argue endlessly about things that don't matter. Trapped in their own passions and worldly traps, burning the candles of their lives away at high speed.

I'm mentally tired, my body broken and breaking a little more each day. I want to go home. I want that Spiritual life eternal. Should I pass before the Rapture, I am okay with that now. I am settled.

Some would dismiss this as Depression, but no, that doesn't fly. I'm banking on a promise, that does fly!

Yet... I'm still here, which means I have something I still have yet to do.

And to this end I patiently endure as we were all commanded to do. Holding fast to His Word and His Name, and denying neither, even at the ultimate cost of that or those, who can kill the body, but not our spirit.

As Paul said, "To live is Christ, and to die is gain!"

Grace and Peace to all Christ's beloved!

Maranatha!

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Don't be a grape. 🚫 🍇

🦊 Jack [ The Foxman on the Wall ]