Then cometh Jesus with them unto
a place called Gethsemane, and saith unto
the disciples, Sit ye here, while I go and
pray yonder. And He took with Him Peter and
the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be
sorrowful and very heavy. The saith He unto
them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even
unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with Me.
Matthew 26:36-38
As we near Resurrection Day (I do not call this Easter even though this has been the term used for centuries as I believe that all that Easter has become has diminished this day we celebrate) I am aware of what it means to be an Authentic Christian even more than before.
A rule that seems to be more than some exception is that Christianity has become more cultural than Authentic. The culture of this world has attacked Christianity over all the years that Christians have grown into a large population of people bringing into the Church many of pagan ideas and practices. One of the things that has diminished in Christendom is the advancement of the kingdom of God and His glory. Replaced is the pursuits self piety, or a pious notion that brings some sort of self-satisfaction rather than to be what God has called us to be: witnesses! The hearts of many have become consumed with lesser issues or things that seem to be a witness but when examined it is found to lack the Gospel. This even diminishes, or even denigrates Jesus Christ. We place ourselves as the highest priority even though our words say something different. We end up given to God our leftovers and pursue and even indulge in personal pleasures.
The day that Jesus Christ died on the stake, or cross, whichever was the instrument used, the Greek means stake, but that is not a matter of much importance, it is that we cannot fathom the agony of Gethsemane and until we do we will not have absolute Authentic Christian Faith. We may not fathom the agony of Gethsemane, but we cannot misunderstand it. It is this misunderstanding that allows for liberal Christianity, cultural Christianity. Think on this: IT IS THE AGONY OF GOD AND MAN IN ONE, FACE TO FACE WITH SIN! We may not be able to experience personally Gethsemane as Gethsemane and Calvary stand for something unique: they are the gateway into Life.
If a person is seeking a special revelation from God, to have visions, to be involved in experiential Christianity they are not allowing themselves to be attached to this wonderful offer by God. Jesus did not cry out due to His impending death on the cross as He stated that He came to die, that was His mission: "And one of them, named "Caiaphas, being the high priest that same year, said unto them, Ye know nothing at all, nor consider that it is expedient that one man should die for the people and that the whole nation, perish not. and this spake he not of himself: but being high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus should die for that nation; and not for that nation only, but that also He should gather together for one the children of God that were scattered abroad" (John 11:49-52: cf. Isaiah 49:7-8, 1John 2:2). How can a person put themselves under obligation to Authentic Christianity, that is to the Son of God unless they come to the place where Gethsemane, and Calvary have a priority in their lives? They cannot! Our obligation is not to have as first priority the good of society, a philanthropic life, all that it may be that is good, or even the welfare of our families if Jesus does not have the most prominent and priority of our lives. Self-interest does not allow for this to occur and we then would spend, and is being done, to how we amuse ourselves a way to overcome boredom, a way to spend our times to satisfy ourselves.
Jesus came to die on purpose and any fear that may have been in Jesus was as a Man would He get through as Son of God. We must not forget that Jesus was fully man, even though He was God and Man. Satan came to Jesus in the desert and Satan would come again in this hour but only to be finally defeated, overthrown and this was Satan's final onslaught against Jesus Christ. This event is not an event for self-pleasure, it is a time to meditate upon this fact: the cost to God was enormous, it cost His all, just to pay this debt we cannot pay so that death would be overthrown, destroyed. This cost was to give to all who would believe upon Jesus Christ to have life eternal, salvation: Jesus Christ triumphed and now we can come into His presence as He sits at the right hand of God making intercession for all who believe, for all Authentic Christians, for Authentic Christian Faith.
To live our lives and miss that great purpose that we were designed to live, to accomplish, even the purpose for each of God's children, to be an Authentic believer in Jesus Christ, this would be a tragedy above all tragedies. It is inconceivable that this would be missed and to remain in ignorance, and to teach another gospel that is not the Gospel (1Corinthians 11:4). To pursue ambitions and avarice that know no boundaries. Do not allow life to go one in a kind of shapless idleness and allow also that life has as its goal recreation, entertainment, (as many Churches have become entertainment centers. To live for things that do not truly satisfy, to ignore the very thing(s) that bring fulfillment. Oh! Our sins are so obvious, we too often allow cultural living to become the life of Christianity and to be oblivious to the consequences.
Will you change? Will you change inside/out? Will you consider your faith? I hope and pray that you do!
Now it came to pass, when they
had heard the law, that they
separated from Israel all the
mixed multitude.
Nehemiah 13:3
Make Jesus the highest of all priorities
Richard L. Crumb
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