“FROM JOHN THE BAPTIST UNTIL NOW, THE KINGDOM OF GOD SUFFERS VIOLENCE AND THE VIOLENT TAKE IT BY FORCE.”
And we ask, what in the “heck” does that mean? 🙂 We live in an age where we assume we KNOW, but we really don’t. I thought I knew what God was talking about when he told me “Do you not know I am your exceeding great reward,” He actually said that to my spirit. It has taken me years to ponder those words and each time I do, I come up with a deeper meaning. That’s how God is. Layers and layers of thoughts we can have, but in one instance, God makes something known to us. He says you have not because you ask not and then you ask because you ask amiss.
The scripture goes on…….”
“FOR ALL THE PROPHETS PROPHISIED UNTIL JOHN, AND IF YOU ARE WILLING TO ACCEPT IT, HE IS THE ELIJAH WHO IS TO COME. HE WHO HAS EARS TO HEAR, LET HIM HEAR. TO WHAT CAN I LIKEN THIS GENERATION? TO WHAT CAN I COMPARE THIS GENERATION? THEY ARE LIKE CHILDREN SITTING IN THE MARKETPLACES AND CALLING OUT TO OTHERS. WE PLAYED A FLUTE FOR YOU AND YOU DID NOT DANCE, WE PLAYED A DIRGE FOR YOU AND YOU DID NOT MOURN. FOR JOHN CAME NEITHER EATING AND DRINKING AND THEY SAY HE HAS A DEMON.
. 10 The axe lies ready at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire. I baptize you with water for repentance, but after me will come. One more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.…
John the Baptist baptized with water……Jesus came to baptize us with fire…..the fire of God. As we study the word of God “rightly dividing the word of God,” we can see this thread of death to the flesh all through the scriptures. The old man must die so that the new man can be resurrected.
Jesus died in the flesh, so that the new man could be raised to walk in newness of life. He gave us an example that we should follow. He said, “I only do that which I see my Father do.” The cross is significant of the death of the old man, the resurrection is a picture of how we should walk in “newness of life.: It is NOT the “resurrection in the last days.
Jesus also said, Unless you eat my flesh and drink my blood you have no part of me.” Many, the word speaks of those, walked away, thinking of the fleshly man instead of the spiritual one. “This is a hard saying, as they talked among themselves. Eating the flesh just simply means that we must partake of his death and his resurrection…..drinking of the cup He drank of. Even the disciples said, Lord we can drink of this cup. He said yes, you will drink of the cup I drink of but to sit at my right hand, that has been reserved to only who the Father appoints. Which was HIM of course.
The body of Christ, excuse me, I mean the teaching in the body of Christ has gone awry. So much so that we are no longer recognizable to those in other countries where persecution is rampant.
In Sudan thousands were murdered in their little villages because they called themselves after the Holy One. In Mozambique, Heidi Baker shares her stories of their faithful pastors, being sawed into, burned at the stake….all their buildings either taken over or burned to the ground. They had no place to meet except the “dirt,” she describes. As they had only a small building after the smoke cleared, so when they finally had a little “kitchen,” she was so proud of their small porch off the main house that had a wood burning stove so she could cook out there. Then later, homeless people showed up on their doorstep. Instead of keeping her “kitchen,” she and Roland then made it into bunks and places for others to stay. She the resolved to returning to her previous habit of cooking outside in the heat. We are called to “Forsake all for the sake of the call” Steven Curtis Chapman wrote.
Who have we become in this American “Christian” world that we think we can escape the judgment of God when we embrace a prosperity message and teach an erroneous gospel? He said, “We are to live simply in this ungodly age.
I have sold most everything I own several times and it seems that invariably, something always comes up that I think I “need.” Jesus said, “I will supply all your need according to my riches in Glory in Christ Jesus.” What is my need? My need is to know the one whom He sent. “Let him who glories, glory in one thing, that he knows me and the One whom He has sent. So, I pray about letting go again, of the distractions of my flesh, so I can be a simple one who only serves Christ in the Spirit of humility and relying upon HIm for all my provisions. It is difficult to always stop yourself in the midst of “wanting” to ask yourself, ” Is this something that I need or is it just fulfilling an emotional high, right now?” If we truly want to see the Kingdom of God come on the earth as it is in heaven, (as Christ taught us to pray), we must forsake the fleshly man and embrace the spiritual one….who is clothed in holiness and truth.
Before the turn of the century there was no mention of the rapture, nor being whisked away before the great and terrible day of the Lord. He does say, “those days may be shortened, to be careful that even the very elect may be deceived. Yikes!
There are so-called brethren who are among us, who are not of us. They deceive the flock and do not walk in the spirit, making provision for the flesh. They are among us to cause the little ones to stumble. Who are these impostors? Jude speaks plainly they corrupt our “love feasts.” God forgive us, your body who has lavished your gifts upon our flesh and allowed the world of entertainment to distract.
We have only to read the parable of the sower in all 4 accounts of the gospels as well as (where one will be taken and the other left) “Where the eagles (of vultures are, there the body will be gathered). The word is very clear on what it means, if one hasn’t bought into another gospel. But because we have been “taught” from the pulpit from well-meaning pastors that there is a whisking away coming, our gospel has become a sloppy grace gospel. We walk in our flesh, expecting to be “saved.” I can’t see that anywhere in the bible.
If you do “this”, God says in the old testament,”then I will do that.” All through the old testament he provides a sacrifice for their sins, but in the beginning, he started with Abraham. “Walk before me and be blameless.” We are taught that the blood and sacrifice, His atonement (at-one-ment) make us whole and blameless before God, which it does. But he that walks in the flesh and is double minded, James says, “Let him not think He will receive ANYTHING from the Lord.” That’s really plain, is it not? Our “once-saved-always-saved” doctrine excuses our flesh and we tell ourselves well he just means earthly prayers. NOT! ANYTHING? The opposite of Anything is what? NOTHING! So how do we become single minded?
Paul taught we must put off the old man, THEN we can put on the NEW MAN, redeemed in righteousness and holiness.
I was reading in Hosea this week and the command from God to Hosea was: “Go take a wife of harlotry.” What? A wife of harlotry? Doesn’t that go against everything God calls us to do in the New? Be not unequally yoked?” For what light can have communion with light and darkness? Yet Hosea’s whole life was to be an offering, a picture of the bride of Christ and what God has ended up with when he considered the whoredom of the Children of Israel.
Let us cast off the bond woman for she shall not be heir of the free woman. This is a picture of Hagar and Sarah who …..Hagar was a slave and Sarah was free. So Hagar was sent away. We look at this and think God was harsh. No it was a lesson for those that would live afterwards. With grace in operation, even though Abraham took Hagar as a wife and laid with her,….without God’s sanction, He told her to go back and submit to her mistress. God is forever full of compassion and ever reaching toward us in loving kindness. “It is the kindness of God that leads us to repentance. (Romans 2:4)