Tonight I was thinking how "SONSHINE" has become such blessing and more so than ever I would have imagined when we started. I believe it so, because we have come to see that it is not the "form" of this work but the "function", and that function be, that Christ is lifted up. How easy it is to get the form in front of the function and there in lies the demise of that which was once good. How often have we seen this in the many moves of God that we have been blessed to be part of. May we here at SONSHINE always realize that this little blog is His and belongs to no man. And may we recognize the day this form has served it purpose and it is time to move on as we follow Him. With that, should the Lord tarry, I believe this little work will live on in legacy for our children and even theirs. I felt I needed to say that, after suffering so much heartbreak with so many things good gone bad in my walk with Christ. I know you have suffered this also and along with me hope for better.With that said I would hope that others would share their vision of Christ as Andrea has done recently in this blog. There certainly are no big "I"s here and it seems God has a way of editing that which is acceptable to Him on SONSHINE. We continue to trust in this.
Jesus said unto him, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself." Mat 22:37-39
It seems a week doesn't go by that I don't share with a nominal Christian that salvation is more than an acknowledgement of Jesus Christ as their Saviour. When these lax souls speak of "being saved" they are most often only looking back at the time their spirits were quickened and knit together with the Spirit of Christ. With much study and years of contemplation I believe I am almost ready to say, most of these that have stopped at the first act of salvation, the regeneration of the spirit have actually lost it all and with the help of the apostate church have traded the one true merciful and loving God for a counterfeit and foul facsimile. I have been there myself and thus I believe my analysis carries the weight of experience.
Did I know God when I pictured him as a terroristic despot that would horrifically torture for ever and ever the majority of his offspring. No, I don't believe I knew God although I was the picture of a disciple working hard for God with successful appearing ministries of every sort. Instead of knowing Him I believe my life was lived in a dark blasphemous death realm filled with subtle self righteous works that I thought pleasing to my Deity. What was dark I had been deceived to call light and the deep hidden sins of my soul gave testament to this. With the greatest of sincerity, I share this and although I have left a little wiggle room I believe I write truth here. Lord knows I have wrestled and prayed much concerning the question, "do orthodox nominal Christians know the one true God?"
After much prayer and reflection, I truly don't know how one can worship a God, that so resembles a foul and destructive pagan entity, unless they be completely deceived by the prince of this world. And I definitely don't know how one can love his or her neighbor, when in their heart and mind they have assigned the majority of them to eternal torment in a place called Hell. It seems both commandments given by Jesus, as recorded in Matthew,have been trashed completely with the holding of such a perverted belief. I prayerfully pronounce such with a, "I've been there, done that" testimony and background.
Jesus called his disciples, "Follow me." And they forsook all, and followed him. (Lk 5:11)
And with the deception I have tasted and written about above I look at so many about me in my community that name Christ and I must ask, "where is the 'following' and where is the 'forsaking.'" Most everyone I know that is bound by the orthodox church seem just as those in the world, as they spend their life's energy gathering that which is of this material realm and both corruptible and vaporous. Then on Sunday morning they worship, and is it not surprising they would worship a false Deity they have built in their own image......... a comfortable Deity and even more than comfortable, one that condemns their neighbor to hell thus making themselves feel more than special. This is more than absurd, but that is the way of the heart of the decieved and carnal Christian that can go through a whole lifetime naming Christ without ever truly knowing Him. For a certainty, "the heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?" Jer 17:9
In completing the thoughts above I might share a great hope I have today in the face of the economic calamity that envelops the world. I believe with the possibility of a deep "economic depression" God is beckoning the lukewarm and apostate Christian to come back to Christ. Should you be such, I can only pray you would simplify your life and eliminate all that distracts you. Count it as "dung." Get on with life's mission, which is to be reduced to Christ. He is our Eternal Reward as contrasted with the empty, corruptible and vaporous gains of this temporal world that passes away as a breath. Selah.
Well such is it when you sit down to write and can only hope Christ would speak through you. I had no plans to begin this message on the "Day of Atonement" like that, but the Spirit is like the wind that blows wherever it pleases(Jn 3:8) So with a deeper message for those whose lives are surrendered to Him allow me to begin with a scripture that I can hardly read or think of without my eyes watering, for I know well the cost. And for those that are kinsmen in the Spirit, I know that of which you have paid, as your lives have been poured out that you might carry His Life to a pained and groaning world.
"Precious, costly, valuable and rare in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints." Ps 116:15
and with reference to the "follow me" script from
Luke recited earlier allow me add these two for emphasis:
"And these are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth." Rev 14:4
"Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world." 1Jn 4:17
As we look at the "Day of Atonement" which was the Jew's yearly day of judgement I hope to show how the sin offerings of the "bullock and the Lord's goat" give wondrous type to the death of His saint's as they follow Christ wherever He goes. We may even show how the "scapegoat" might be seen as the "harlot and counterfeit church." Before any would object to such I will say that with the types of Old Testament sacrifices and offering there are a number of ways to picture them. On the deepest level I see Christ fulfilling all the entities found making up this most holy day in the Mosaic covenant. Jesus is the High Priest, the bullock, both goats, the strong man, the scarlet ribbon, the sacrifices and even the altar they are laid upon. On and on we could go so great and magnificent is this Saviour and Lord of Ours. Let us ever delight ourselves in seeing Jesus as more rather than less! Also should someone think I might be a few days late addressing this subject, knowing the the 8th and 9th is commemorative Day of Atonement, I reply that every day in the Spirit is Atonement Day!
Before going on and rather than make this post too long allow me to quit here tonight. I believe in preparation for the rest of this message the earnest student of the Word might benefit and be blessed to read this chapter from a wonderful book I often refer to in my personal studies. This chapter is taken from "The Temple" (its "ministry and services" as they were at the time of Christ) by Alfred Edersheim -(1825-1889). What an amazing picture this author paints of this "most holy day for the ancient Jews." I am sure should you pray before reading this, you will be able to even see, hear and smell the sights, sounds and odors of Jerusalem on this Day of Atonement, two millennia ago. Here is the link:
http://www.piney.com/Edersheim16.html
(to be continued)
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