'Judging others makes us blind' Cost of Discipleship Pt 102

Chapter 18 - The Disciple and Unbelievers

Bonhoeffer- 'Judgment  is the forbidden objectification of the other person which destroys single-minded love. I am not forbidden to have my own thoughts about the other person, to realize his shortcomings, but only to the extent that it offers to me an occasion for forgiveness and unconditional love, as Jesus proves to me. If I withhold my judgment I am not indulging in  tout comprendre c'est tout pardonner and confirm both his grace and his judgment.

Judging others makes us blind, whereas love is illuminating. By judging others we blind ourselves to our own evil and to the grace which others are just as entitled to as we are. But in the love of Christ we know all about every conceivable  sin and guilt; for we know how Jesus suffered, and how all men have been forgiven at the foot of the cross.'

My thoughts-

Judgment of another person- that's when we stop loving them, isn't it? We might think it's nothing, Satan wants us to believe it is nothing. Satan wants us to shrug it off and not even concern ourselves with the fact we judge other people. So what, doesn't everyone do it? How else are we supposed to determine if someone s a fool or not? Don't we have to judge others, they're not being good, right? So we have to judge their sinning to know they're sinners, yes?   Do we even hear what we are saying, what we are thinking, the lengths we'll go to in order to justify ourselves?

There are a lot of fools in the world, a lot of stupid people, a lot of sinners...wait… that describes ALL of us! Seriously, it does. You might think you're not stupid and you're no fool, but guess what? I'm sure there are those out in the world who you've met during your life who wouldn't hesitate to call you both. People form opinions all the time about those they meet and they're not always favorable. And even if NO one has ever considered you a fool, or stupid, you are still a sinner and you always will be. You've committed actions that could be judged by others if others choose to judge.

We cannot JUDGE except we comprehend that HOW we judge we are to be judged. If we are harsh in our judgment, that same judgment will be given to us. If we are lenient we have to realize that that with God - our being allowed to be judged at all by Him is lenient. That we've been given a life with the chance to choose Salvation through Jesus Christ our Lord is the greatest of leniencies.

When we judge we are judging based on our own opinions and our opinions mean so very little in the grand scheme of things.

Bonhoeffer says this- ' I am not forbidden to have my own thoughts about the other person, to realize his shortcomings, but only to the extent that it offers to me an occasion for forgiveness and unconditional love, as Jesus proves to me'

We are not forbidden to think about others, and their SHORTCOMINGS- but we MUST think about them in that way with the goal in mind to EXTEND forgiveness, not to gossip, not to tear someone down. We have to truly LOVE them, all of them from the strangest of strangers, to the one you love and know that best. That love isn't a love that will HURT, regardless of the songs and such love is NOT SUPPOSED to hurt, only Satan has made it acceptable for us to say we love and all the while we are loving we are hurting those we love.

Whenever we notice what we believe is someone sinning, or someone caught up in a way of life contrary to God's truth and ways, we need to forgive and ask for forgiveness for them. Will it be extended to them, only God knows. God is the One who extends forgiveness, it is HIS to give. We can ask and know that if at all possible He will forgive all we ask Him to forgive.  We do NOT love as Jesus would have us love if we do NOT ask for forgiveness for others and forgive them ourselves.

Bonhoeffer wrote- 'Judging others makes us blind, whereas love is illuminating. By judging others we blind ourselves to our own evil and to the grace which others are just as entitled to as we are. But in the love of Christ we know all about every conceivable  sin and guilt; for we know how Jesus suffered, and how all men have been forgiven at the foot of the cross.'

It is true, judging makes us blind, deaf, and dumb to the point we can't see that our judging itself is our sinning and we will be judged for that sin if we don't confess and seek forgiveness, repenting of that sin.

We have to WAKE UP and realize that we must truly LOVE as our Savior would have us LOVE if we are truly HIS disciples!

By the grace of our LORD and SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST may we live our lives in HIM, loving others as HE would have us LOVE them, as HE loves US.

Surrendered

Surrendered.  When we hear that word we almost immediately think of someone - whether it be an organization, a country, a team, or an individual- giving up the fight.  We say that they surrendered, they gave up, the other side won. Inevitably we think of those who surrender as weaker, as losers, as those who should have shame in the face of their superior adversary.

Yet we need to surrender our self to our Savior, don't we? And that's an amazing and wonderful thing. Surrendering to Jesus in truth makes us stronger…

Let me pause there for a moment. 

Does surrendering to Jesus make US stronger?

As soon as we begin to think of ourselves again aren't we taking on something less than one who has surrendered?

When one army surrenders to another is the surrendered army stronger for it? No. In fact the goal is to weaken the other army as much as possible.

When we watch a boxing match and the white towel is thrown in the ring and the boxer surrenders, is that boxer deemed stronger for having done so? Again the goal is to weaken that boxer, his reputation is tarnished even if it is a single match he's lost.  The object of surrendering as a rule is NOT to make the surrendered party stronger.

It's the same for us really, and we NEED to understand this.

It is CHRIST in us who is all things, not us. We are not made stronger, CHRIST in us is strong and through our association with Him, He is our strength.

He's our ROCK, we do not ever become the ROCK. 

Deu 32:3  Because I will publish the name of the LORD: ascribe ye greatness unto our God.
Deu 32:4  He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he.

Psa 18:2  The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.

Mat 16:13  When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am?
Mat 16:14  And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets.
Mat 16:15  He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am?
Mat 16:16  And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.
Mat 16:17  And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.
Mat 16:18  And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter.
 And upon this ROCK I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

(THAT ROCK is NOT Peter, but JESUS CHRIST!)

Mat 21:42  Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes?

Mat 7:24  Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:
Mat 7:25  And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.

1Co 3:11  For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

Psa 18:31  For who is God save the LORD? or who is a rock save our God?

1Pe 2:5  Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.
1Pe 2:6  Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded.

Eph 2:19  Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;
Eph 2:20  And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;
Eph 2:21  In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord:
Eph 2:22  In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.

Jesus is our FOUNDATION, Jesus is the ROCK, we are but stones upon Him, Our Foundation. We are built UPON Him, without HIM we are NOTHING.

To believe that we somehow become the rock is wrong. We have to surrender to Jesus and we surrender our self will, we surrender all that we are to Him. When we surrender to Him we ARE admitting that beyond any shadow of doubt whatsoever we are WEAK, we are not on level with Him and we will NEVER be on the same level as our Savior!

Those who surrender to Christ in the hopes of being turned into something they are not in and of themselves, will be greatly disappointed or extremely deceived. We can be born again when we surrender, and we are new creatures in CHRIST, not in spite of CHRIST.  As soon as we get any idea that we have any power of our own outside of CHRIST we are no longer surrendered  beings, and we have to remain FOREVER surrendered to Him.

Unlike armies, and boxers, chess players, and the hundreds and hundreds of sports and game players, who when they surrender, more often than not, look forward to a rematch so they can become conquerors OVER another, we are only ever conquerors IN CHRIST, when we remain surrendered to Him, fully, wholly surrendered to Him not keeping anything back of ourselves, not living at all under our own power but all through HIS.

Rom 8:34  Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.
Rom 8:35  Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
Rom 8:36  As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.
Rom 8:37  Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
Rom 8:38  For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
Rom 8:39  Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

We must NEVER be separate from our God, our Creator, our Redeemer! We must forever be IN HIM, comprehending He is our all and all and without Him we are nothing! NOTHING!

If we are in the LOVE of Jesus we have won the greatest gift there is EVER going to be in life- here on earth and in heaven. There is NOTHING greater than living in CHRIST JESUS with HIM as our Conquering KING!

We would be YOURS Lord Jesus, wholly and solely YOURS and no other's, not even our own, especially not our own. We desire to live in YOU as YOURS, and YOU in US! Please LORD, help us to surrender ourselves in every way to you, not holding back at all in any thing.  Knowing as we CLING to YOU we have YOUR strength to trust in always, refusing to trust in our own strength which is nothing but an illusion.

You are EVERYTHING, ALWAYS!

BY YOU!
BY YOUR LOVE!
YOUR AMAZING, AMAZING LOVE!

Fabricated Love or True Love-God (Cost of Discipleship Pt 100)

Chapter 18 - The Disciple and Unbelievers

Bonhoeffer- 'Any misguided love for the sinner is ominously close to the love of sin.

But the love of Christ for the sinner in itself is the condemnation of sin, is his expression of extreme hatred of sin.

The disciples of Christ are to love unconditionally.  Thus they may effect what their own divided and judiciously and conditionally offered love never could achieve, namely the radical condemnation of sin.'

My thoughts-

Think about this a moment, don't just read the words and let them skip over you as if you're skipping stones across a small brook to the other side- touching the water, but never really sinking in.

Truly if our love for anyone else is a love that is not of Christ, it is close to the love of sin. Any love that doesn't stem from Christ, is a perverted love. If any of our love come from any other source whatsoever it's sin, right? 

God is love.

1 John 4:8, 1 John 4:16

If God is love- our love must be God's love if it's a REAL love and not something mankind has manufactured with the help of Satan taking love and making it into something evil at it's very core- selfishness, prideful.

The very closest, I believe, a person can feel, a love that is a tendril of God's true love, is the love of a parent for a child, and a child for a parent.  I say tendril because so much of all love even love of parents for children and children for parents is selfish and prideful, sinful. 

I'm sure there are people reading this (well, sure as I can imagine- if people are reading this) that there are some who think I'm crazy for saying this, because they can't imagine a love a mother has for a child being anything but genuine and natural, something we call normal.  We are shocked and dismayed when we read of mothers abusing their children, mothers abandoning their children, mothers hating their children, because we somehow believe there HAS to be a natural mother's love that would only protect and care for their child. Love by our God's definition is NOT the love of a mother for a child- it is GOD HIMSELF.  And like it or not, if any love a mother has for their child is NOT coming from their love of God, then there is a very good chance that mother's love is something manufactured and even if it appears to be genuine in all respects- it can't be at its heart. What it can be is a magnificent counterfeit- so magnificent that none can tell the difference, but it cannot be real.

We as a people have truly fooled ourselves into believing love is all sorts of things, and this belief has colored God's love into something too often abhorred rather than desired.

When God tells us to love Him and to love Others He is telling us to treat them as He has commanded us to treat them, as HE treats them, unselfishly, caring for them more than self even unto death because we care so much.

Can you imagine choosing to die for someone who hates you, dying for someone who has despised you and has constantly chosen to do things that hurt you?  Can you imagine doing that because you love the one who hates you, not caring that they hate you and hurt you, but wanting to sacrifice yourself for them with the HOPE they'll accept that sacrifice and understand your love?

We can truly scarcely begin to comprehend what LOVE is, because our twisted idea of love is what we cling to.  And we mostly cling to love as something that selfishly benefits us in some way. Is it any wonder it's so easy for people to divorce when their love is a purely fabricated love and not real at all, not stemming from God who is Love!

The Bible tells us this…

Mat_24:12  And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.

That love is waxing cold because is stems from SIN and not from God at all!

God's love is a love choosing to die for one who is completely at odds with you.  We can't imagine that can we? And before you say that you can, tell me, would you give all your worldly goods to one who hated you? If that person came to you and told you to give them all your money, would you?  We're talking money, not your life, but money. If they told you to give them their car, would you? If you can't even give them all your worldly possessions how can you say you'd be willing to die for them?

If we are not willing to give up all for each other, we are not in possession of Christ's love. If we value our money and possessions more than we value another's life, even that life of one we'd consider most unworthy, then how can we love with God's love? How? That is HIS love! Sacrifice, and yet we do SO LITTLE sacrificing!

Remember this--

Mar 12:41  And Jesus sat over against the treasury, and beheld how the people cast money into the treasury: and many that were rich cast in much.
Mar 12:42  And there came a certain poor widow, and she threw in two mites, which make a farthing.
Mar 12:43  And he called unto him his disciples, and saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That this poor widow hath cast more in, than all they which have cast into the treasury:
Mar 12:44  For all they did cast in of their abundance; but she of her want did cast in all that she had, even all her living.

Can we even imagine such sacrifice? Truly, can we?

Bonhoeffer-'Any misguided love for the sinner is ominously close to the love of sin.'

MISGUIDED love for the sinner-  OMINOUSLY close to the LOVE of SIN.

Bonhoeffer- 'But the love of Christ for the sinner in itself is the condemnation of sin, is his expression of extreme hatred of sin.

The disciples of Christ are to love unconditionally.  Thus they may effect what their own divided and judiciously and conditionally offered love never could achieve, namely the radical condemnation of sin.'

TRUTH!

Christ's love is all that Christ is and Christ HATES sin!  Sin is to be destroyed! Sin warrants death it's so evil and despised. Sin is to be done away with forever! Christ's very life is a testament to the evil of sin. He became Human and DIED to save us from the evil of sin. 

It can be nothing but the truth- that Christ's love is the condemnation of all sin.

We are to LOVE unconditionally as we are loved by CHRIST, accepting HIS condemnation and hatred of sin as ours.  We accept that HE and HE alone has the right to judge because He is the ONLY ONE who has ever and will ever conquered SIN. It's through HIS righteousness we can live, that we are given His power by the Holy Spirit. We are to LOVE unconditionally and let HIM be the JUDGE while we forever remain the disciples of the JUDGE.

Loving unconditionally. 

Loving without conditions.

Loving - hearts breaking when others refuse the love of Christ, no condemnation, no hatred, no judging of them, loving them.

By His GRACE!
By His MERCY!
In His LOVE!
In His RIGHTEOUSNESS!

All in Christ Jesus our Lord and Savior now and forever!

Christians cannot judge anyone unworthy - Cost of Discipleship Pt 99

Chapter 18 - The Disciple and Unbelievers

Bonhoeffer- 'No, the disciple can meet the non-disciple only as a man to whom Jesus comes. Here alone Christ's fight for the soul of the unbeliever, his call, his love, his grace and his judgment comes into its own. Discipleship does not afford us a point of vantage from which to attack others; we come to them with an unconditional offer of fellowship, with the single-mindedness of the love of Jesus.'

My thoughts-

Jesus died so that He could save all of mankind. Mankind as individuals must choose to believe in that, the greatest of Sacrifices ever made, and they must believe it was made for them, because IT WAS. Every single person we encounter - Jesus died to save. We have NO right to judge any one unworthy, not after our Savior died for them!

Most assuredly our following Jesus does NOT give us any right whatsoever to attack another in any way at all! Satan loves when we attack and accuse others, that only proves just how far from Christ we ourselves are. We TRULY must go to ALL others with UNCONDITIONAL love, comprehending that Christ would have us do NO LESS than that. It is LOVE, not our own sense of self righteousness, not our own preconceived ideas of what a righteous life looks like, but love that reveal Christ.  We do not reveal Christ in living a pious life seemingly untainted by the world. We can't point to the seemingly sinless person who appears as if their life is so close to God's that they do no wrong. And we can't point to the seemingly most sinful person we know, living a life of total debauchery.  We cannot POINT at all! Because we KNOW so very little of others and we certainly do NOT know the hearts of others. The most pious could in fact be the worst, and the worst could be the best, we CAN'T know! 

What we have to concern ourselves with is our own walk with Christ, with our own heart's surrender to the Savior, and revealing only HIS LOVE to others all in the TRUTH.


Mat 7:1  Judge not, that ye be not judged.
Mat 7:2  For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.
Mat 7:3  And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?
Mat 7:4  Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye?
Mat 7:5  Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye.
Mat 7:6  Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you.
Mat 7:7  Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:
Mat 7:8  For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.
Mat 7:9  Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone?
Mat 7:10  Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent?
Mat 7:11  If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?
Mat 7:12  Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.

Christ stands between the believer and unbeliever - Cost of Discipleship pt 98

Chapter 18 - The Disciple and Unbelievers

Mat 7:1  Judge not, that ye be not judged.
Mat 7:2  For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.
Mat 7:3  And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?
Mat 7:4  Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye?
Mat 7:5  Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye.
Mat 7:6  Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you.
Mat 7:7  Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:
Mat 7:8  For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.
Mat 7:9  Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone?
Mat 7:10  Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent?
Mat 7:11  If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?
Mat 7:12  Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.

Bonhoeffer- 'The disciples are not to judge. If they do so, they will themselves be judged by God. The sword wherewith they judge their brethren will fall upon their own heads. Instead of cutting themselves off from their brother as the just from the unjust, they find themselves cut off from Jesus.

Why should this be so? The source of the disciple's life lies exclusively in his fellowship with Jesus Christ. He possesses his righteousness only within that association, never outside it. That is why his righteousness can never become an objective  criterion to be applied at will. He is a disciple not because he possesses such a new standard, but only because of Jesus Christ, the Mediator and very Son of God. That is to say, his righteousness is hidden from himself in fellowship with Jesus. He cannot, as he could once, be a detached observer of himself and judge himself, for he can only see Jesus, and be seen by him, judged by him, and reprieved by him. It is not an approved standard of righteous living that separates a follower of Christ from the unbeliever, but it is Christ who stands between them. Christian always see other men as brethren to whom Christ comes; they meet them only by going to them with Jesus. Disciple and non-disciple can never encounter each other as free men, directly exchanging their views and judging one another by objective criteria. No, the disciple can meet the nondisciple only as a man to whom Jesus comes. Here alone Christ's fight for the soul of the unbeliever, his call, his love, his grace and his judgment comes into its own. Discipleship does not afford us a point of vantage from which to attack others; we come to them with an unconditional offer of fellowship, with the single-mindedness of the love of Jesus.'

My thoughts-

This is beautifully put. PLEASE READ IT AGAIN!

Bonhoeffer-

The disciples are not to judge.
If they do so, they will themselves be judged by God.
The sword wherewith they judge their brethren will fall upon their own heads.
Instead of cutting themselves off from their brother as the just from the unjust, they find themselves cut off from Jesus.

Why should this be so?
The source of the disciple's life lies exclusively in his fellowship with Jesus Christ.
He possesses his righteousness only within that association, never outside it.
That is why his righteousness can never become an objective  criterion to be applied at will.
He is a disciple not because he possesses such a new standard, but only because of Jesus Christ, the Mediator and very Son of God.

That is to say, his righteousness is hidden from himself in fellowship with Jesus.

He cannot, as he could once, be a detached observer of himself and judge himself, for he can only see Jesus, and be seen by him, judged by him, and reprieved by him.

It is not an approved standard of righteous living that separates a follower of Christ from the unbeliever, but it is Christ who stands between them.

Christian always see other men as brethren to whom Christ comes; they meet them only by going to them with Jesus.

Disciple and non-disciple can never encounter each other as free men, directly exchanging their views and judging one another by objective criteria.
No, the disciple can meet the non-disciple only as a man to whom Jesus comes.

Here alone Christ's fight for the soul of the unbeliever, his call, his love, his grace and his judgment comes into its own.

Discipleship does not afford us a point of vantage from which to attack others; we come to them with an unconditional offer of fellowship, with the single-mindedness of the love of Jesus.'

My thoughts-

I particularly want to touch on this one point-

'It is not an approved standard of righteous living that separates a follower of Christ from the unbeliever, but it is Christ who stands between them.'

We get so caught up in how we appear to others.  We have in our minds what a Christian's life should look like- basically anyway- if not in detail. But the truth of the matter is- we haven't a CLUE what someone's relationship with Christ is.  Their struggles that we interpret as being sinful, even grossly and blatantly sinful, might be their personal fight in a relationship that is deeper, and stronger than any we have. We CAN'T know! To judge others based on OUR perceptions of right and wrong, is so incredibly wrong! Only Christ can know them in the eternal way that matters most.

Also, personally, we strive to follow Christ as He has asked us to follow Him and yet we too have to realize that it is our RELATIONSHIP with CHRIST that matters most.

First the Kingdom - Cost of Discipleship pt 97

Bonhoeffer- 'Anxiety is characteristic of the Gentiles, for they rely on their own strength and work instead of relying on God. They do not know that the Father knows that we have need of all these things, and so they try to do for themselves what they do not expect from God. But the disciples know that the rule is "Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you." 

Anxiety for food and clothing is clearly not the same thing as anxiety for the kingdom of God, however much we should like to persuade ourselves that when we are working for our families and concerning ourselves with bread and houses we are thereby building the kingdom, as though the kingdom could be realized only through our worldly cares.

The kingdom of God and his righteousness are sharply distinguished from the gifts of the world which come our way.

That kingdom is none other than the righteousness of Matt. 5 and 6, the righteousness of the cross and of following Christ beneath that cross.

Fellowship with Jesus and obedience to his commandment come first, and all else follows.

Worldly cares are not a part of our discipleship, but distinct and subordinate concerns.  Before we start taking thought for our life, our food and clothing, our work and families, we must seek the righteousness of Christ. This is no more than an ultimate summing up of all that has been said before.

Again we have here either a crushing burden, which holds out no hope for the poor and wretched, or else it is the quintessence of the gospel, which brings the promise of freedom and perfect joy.

Jesus does not tell us what we ought to do but cannot; he tells us what God has given us and promises still to give. If Christ has been given us, if we are called to his discipleship we are given all things, literally all things. He will see to it that they are added unto us. If we follow Jesus and look only to his righteousness, we are in his hands and under the protection of him and his Father. And if we are in communion with the Father, nought can harm us. We shall always be assured that he can feed his children and will not suffer them to hunger. God will help us in the hour of need, and he knows our needs.

After he has been following Christ for a long time, the disciple of Jesus will be asked "Lacked ye anything?" and he will answer "Nothing, Lord." How could he when he knows that despite hunger and nakedness, persecution and danger, the Lord is always at his side?'

My thoughts-

'DESPITE hunger, nakedness, persecution and danger…   the LORD is always at his side.'

We confuse our temporal needs with our eternal needs. 

Which would you rather have met? Your temporal needs or eternal needs?

When you face difficulty shouldn't that be one of the first things we ask ourselves? Is this a temporal need I'm lacking, or is it an eternal need?

More often than not we'd have to admit the need, no matter how dire, is a temporal need. When we are in pain- physical, emotional, mental agony- we long for relief from that pain. Satan would have us focus on our pain and accuse our Heavenly Father of not caring about us enough to rid of us the pain. Satan would have us believe we have somehow failed in our discipleship if God is not providing for our needs, because Satan has us believing our needs are all important, our ease, our pain free existence is all that matters. If Satan has convinced us that our needs, our VERY temporal needs, are what matters then we will be very tempted to leave the love of our Creator, our Redeemer, when those temporal needs are not met.

We'll say God's word tells us that He feeds the birds, and how much more He'll feed me, so why am I starving? He's allowing me to starve because He's cruel, He doesn't love me- not really, He's not real. Those are the things that we will be tempted to believe all because we've focused on our temporal existence.

You'll get any number of people preaching about prosperity and God and how you can have it all with God. I'm not going to say you shouldn't prosper at all, but seriously when our Savior lived a life focused on the eternal and not the temporal, and He tells us plainly NOT to lay up treasures here on earth, why do we believe those people? Why do we allow ourselves to get caught up in earthly treasures, in temporal treasures?

The LORD is ALWAYS at our side- NO matter the circumstances we find ourselves in. We need to BEND to HIS will whatever it is. We don't have to comprehend, but we have to trust that our Savior will see us through to His kingdom.

Can we do this?

Is God THIS important to us?
Is ETERNAL LIFE THIS REAL to us?

Christ's righteousness truly is the greatest need we could ever have, and God will give this to us, He will NOT leave us wanting, He could not. Our Heavenly Father will give us ALL we need to be HIS. It's up to us to CHOOSE Him over ALL else, even ourselves.

Luk 12:23  The life is more than meat, and the body is more than raiment.

Do we believe this?

Luk 12:31  But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you.
Luk 12:32  Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.

First the kingdom of God.

The kingdom of God- this should be our desire above all. Our Savior is the kingdom of God. It is through Him and His righteousness we find the kingdom and no where else.

In our world, people will hold very fancy parties and only those who receive an exclusive invitation can attend. If You don't KNOW that person hosting the party, you simply CANNOT ever expect to get an invitation, it's that simple. We comprehend that perfectly. We cannot gain the kingdom of God without Jesus Christ, without knowing Him and being known by Him, it's impossible.  Unlike worldly people of wealth and circumstance, who will more than likely never invite you to any of their exclusive parties, in fact they almost certainly do NOT want to know you-  Our Savior WANTS to know us! Our Savior extends His invitation to ALL.

Rev_3:20  Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.

Truth!

He provides - Cost of Discipleship Pt 96

Chapter 17 - The Simplicity of the Carefree Life



Bonhoeffer- '"Likewise it is man's bounden duty to work and do things, and yet withal to know that it is Another who nurtureth him: it is not his own work, but the bounteous blessing of God. It is true that the bird doth neither sow nor reap, yet would she die of hunger if she flew not in search of food. But that she findeth the same is not her work, but the goodness of God. For who put the food there, that she might find it? For where God hath put nought, none findeth, even though the whole world were to work itself to death in search thereof" (Luther)



But if the Creator thus sustains the birds and lilies, should he not much more as a Father nourish his own children, who daily pray to him? Should he not be able to grant them the necessities of life, when all earthly goods belong to him, and when he can distribute them according to his pleasure? '



My thoughts-



Do we believe the Bible?



This is a question that many answer quickly, saying, "Yes."



But then you look upon their lives and see them living in such a way that if they truly believe the Bible then you have to question whether or not they truly love God.



Do we love God?



We've grown so used to our idea of love it's easy for us to answer yes, we do. It's easy because we believe love is something that you abuse and treat any way you desire and it will still be love.  The concept of love and obedience has been altered. We don't like the 'obey' part of wedding vows because it makes us feel subservient to another. We pick and choose our obedience, don't we? We like to obey when it suits us.



Did love exist before sin existed?



Yes.



And because love existed before sin existed, love is everlasting while sin is not. Sin has tried to destroy love, perverting it so that it's become something elusive and undesirable. I'm not talking about the love we imagine love to be, but God's love, the true love. God is love. That love we imagine is here, there and everywhere, people claim to have and to give and to take it all the time- loving in one moment, and unloving the next as if that love were truly real- but it's only an illusion of love we manufacture.



God's love, is a belief so strong it doubts nothing at all.

God's love, is giving of ALL things good.



Think about God in Eden with the first couple before sin ever entered mankind. He created a world for them. He filled the world with wonderful, exquisite things beyond our imagination. He gave us everything we could ever desire and Adam and Eve were loved.  When a tempter entered the picture the weakness of mankind was exposed. Yet the love of mankind's Creator knew the possible weakness existed when He gave mankind the power to choose.  Creating mankind with a plan in mind should they choose to sin, God still would NOT force mankind to accept His plan. The plan included obedience. So many say it exclusively means accepting what Christ has done and nothing else, and guess what, they're right. That acceptance includes obedience. When we accept what Christ has done for us, we are accepting all that He's done and He obeyed God completely. He offers us the ability through the Holy Spirit to choose to obey. We ALL have that same freedom of choice that was given to us upon creation.  We all can choose to obey or disobey. 



So when we say we believe the Bible, that we love God, are we choosing to following in the example of our Savior and obey, are we loving, truly loving?



And if we love God, we believe, and if we believe we obey.



He wants us to trust Him, that He will provide. Do we trust Him?



Our anxiousness over the cares of this life - truly should not be focused on our temporal needs. If we believe in love, if we believe in God, we know He will take care of us.



We know God will provide, and we step out in FAITH knowing He will.



All through HIS LOVE, HIS AMAZING UNENDING LOVE!



May we LOVE.