Taking No Offense Due To Being An Authentic Christian

Then Jesus answering said unto them,

 Go your way and tell John what things ye 

have seen and heard; how that the blind see, 

the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, 

the deaf hear, the dead are raised, to the poor 

the gospel is preached. And blessed is he,

whosoever shall not be offended in me.

Luke 7:22-23 

     Authentic Christians are instructed not to hold onto tight what others think of them and by this than they are, we are come free to love those who attack us, attack our reputation, and even falsely demean our character.  It is good to hold a barometer to our Authentic faith and a good barometer is how we respond to the attacks against us and for those who to does badly as if they are above us.  Authentic Christians do not retaliate against those who offend us and by not retaliating the door is open for us for reconciliation with our adversary.

     It is true we are to add to our virtue knowledge.  Yet, Authentic Christian Faith is that moral achievement has the highest priority and value over intellectual achievement.  Authentic Christians pursue moral excellence rather than just to have more knowledge.  Yes, we are to study God's Word and gain knowledge of God's Word and how to apply God's Word in our life, in other words, to change it from the inside/out.  This is not true of many of the other religions of the world, those so-called mystery religions that lead their followers into some sort of deeper knowledge that becomes a source of their salvation.  We see this by many of those televised Christian programs with those television celebrity pastors and leaders who are teaching some sort of "secret key" and if a person has that they have the way to salvation.  Whereas Jesus in this?  Not there!

     An examination of many of the major world religions, such as Hinduism or Islam class distinction is held among them, such as Hinduism with their various economic classes, and Islam with the various sects that have some sort of knowledge the others do not and even put women in a certain class bowler than man who have something against those who do not have the ability to read it to write and make them have great disadvantage.  It is interesting to note that those classes never, or at least hardly ever come make progress in those systems.  Islam, Muslims, kill those who do not agree with their theology and their moral system.  All one has to do is turn on the TV or listen to the news and you will know that this is absolutely true.  Authentic Christianity does not operate in that manner and do not hold one class higher or lower than the other.  The opening Scripture tells us that Jesus did not cause the unintelligent, and those who cannot read or write, or those who are diseased or maimed or poor, the Gospel is to be preached to all no matter what station they find themselves in life.  The Gospel is intended for every one, for all of humanity.

     Authentic Christianity places emphasis on the preference of virtue over intellectual achievement and holds to a value that is higher and supersedes the practical manner in which virtue fits the goals of the great.  Authentic Christianity has this goal in mind and have the ability to excel in this goal.  We all don't have the same ability to achieve some sort of intellectual greatness but all can excel in their pursuit of virtue.  Too often young men and women in the church are pursuing knowledge, secular knowledge, over scriptural knowledge.  It is true as fallen creatures, those who have as all of us to fallen nature, we have weaknesses and often shortsighted and we have a tendency to make mistakes.  Here is the important part: the wisest and most learned of the one to recognize how futile it is when it comes to human pride and human wisdom.  How often the pseudo-intellectuals hide behind a facade, or hypocrisy.

     Authentic Christians pursue morality for all humanity is made in the image of God and that being so, God has given us the rule for man to be blessed by being moral.  Authentic Christians do not sit back and complain about the way things are and how they think they should be better and do nothing or very little and as we should remember we have been called to be doers, not sitters. Authentic Christians have the Holy Spirit in our inner presence and by his presence we are made capable of driving to attain real progress in our efforts to be Authentic Christians.  Here is a fact: we can take advantage of them means that God has provided and we can have the confidence that He will help us to succeed.

     

What Are You Striving for?

Richard L. Crumb

Two Sided Coin: Works/Faith

The Lord then answered him, and said,

 Thou hypocrite, doeth not each one of you 

on the sabbath loose his ox or his ass from

 the stall, and lead him away to watering? 

And ought not this woman, being a daughter 

of Abraham whom Satan hath bound, lo, 

these eighteen years, be loosed from 

this bond on the sabbath day? And when He 

had said these things, all His adversaries 

were ashamed: and all the people rejoiced 

for all the glorious things that were done by Him.

Luke 13:15-17 

      This narrative is not just another story even though one might admit that it has good moral and pragmatic use of life.  That it does!  The Holy Spirit inspired the writers of the Bible to record and to write that which He revealed as to how we are to live this life and how we are to please Him.  To say that one is an Authentic Christian, or if one is a cultural Christian, liberal Christian, nominal Christian, or any other form of some professed Christianity does not mean that any of these people could not be a hypocrite.  A hypocrite is one who practices hypocrisy and it is those persons whose actions belie stated beliefs.  Hypocrisy is a false profession of desirable or publicly approved qualities, beliefs, or feelings especially if one is a pretender in regards to having virtues, or moral principle or religious beliefs that one does not really possess. to say that one is a Protestant, or that one is of the Reformed Faith does not mean a hypocrite.  Each and every one of us can be or have been a hypocrite and our lives and when we recognize that we need to do something about it, that is, we need to change from the inside/out. Example: a Christian speaks much about the horrors such as child trafficking, or immorality becoming accepted and displayed openly even though the Bible speaks against it, or to speak against another person's religious beliefs especially those who say that they are Christian and knowing that they are not following the Bible and are doing a lot of talk but little action; they are saying one thing to show some sort of godliness and yet do nothing or little to actually be godly.

     Some people have mastered an outer appearance that enables them to pursue goals that are not scriptural and yet give and maintain a veneer of goodness.  What is missing is agape love, that is, God's principal love.  It begins with the fact that this love is not in their heart for what's in their hearts is the desire to be seen as one thing when in actuality they are another.  It is interesting to note that when a person comes against some trials are circumstances that are tough their true colors often shining bright even in the night.  You see they may have mastered the art of disguising their hostility, even their hypocrisy, but internally there is a knowledge of the truth in this knowledge is stewing on their inside.  This happens most often with those who have aligned themselves who have aligned themselves who to the society and its culture and actually have a desire for social success or notoriety, to be one who has expensive or many possessions.  You see they have learned to put on an appearance of goodness and respectability and yet they are not pursuing that which is necessary to be pursued: i.e., child trafficking, abortion, same-sex marriage, homosexuality, the display of immorality on television so that even children can view this immorality and if the parents do nothing they think that it's all right. James under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit wrote: "Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God?  Whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God" (James 3: 4). 

     Authentic Faith has no interest to be a hypocrite, to put on some sort of virtuous mask.  Authentic Christian Faith demands truth in the inner person: that is why we are to change from the inside/out.  Do you say you have faith? "Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: show me thy faith without buying works, and I will show thee my faith by my works. Thou believist that there is one God; not do as well: the Devils also believe, and tremble.  But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead" (James 2 18 -- 20)?

     An Authentic Christian does all he/she can do to avoid any action or thought that would distort or diffuse their purity before God.  This is why we place ourselves in a position, to deny ourselves and pick up our cross and follow Jesus, and not become a competitor for some sort of ascendancy over another person or denomination that can be so damaging.  Yes, if that person or denomination is speaking that which is heretical, that is, that which is well understood to be not of Scripture to be in contradiction to Scripture we are to speak up.  But if you or I think more of ourselves that we ought to then we will exert our will and energy in the wrong way we will attempt to show ourselves to be above that other person or other denomination. there are differences and their art in differences and we must know and understand the difference: for example: one denomination will not drink wine at the communion service and use grape juice, other denominations may say no it needs to be wine because that's what Jesus drank at the Last Supper and he did, why because that's what they drink water was scarce.  That's a matter of indifference.  If a person or denomination says that there is no Trinity and that Jesus was a create man then that's a matter of difference.  If other things are said to be some sort of litmus test as to whether or not a person is a Christian well the only litmus test is whether or not that person has put their faith and trust and belief in Jesus Christ.  How will I know that's true?  Well we just read it: Faith without works is dead and those works can be measured against the Scripture as to whether or not they are actually Scriptural.  That we been instructed to do so by the Bible and is not some sort of man-made doctrine.

     Authentic Christian Faith is a faith that adheres to the commands and precepts of the Bible and it is a faith that enables a person to stand against that which is unscriptural.  Authentic Christian Faith is also a personal faith whereby a person as developed and is growing a relationship with Jesus Christ, a relationship that is built upon Scripture.  Do not put on the mask of hypocrisy!  Do not be a hypocrite, one that says one thing and actually believes another or is doing the opposite or not doing anything.  We are to love our brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ who ever they are and what every church they go to and we are not to judge them in regards to their faith unless that faith is being manifested in such a way that it is unscriptural.  Otherwise, we love them and associate ourselves with them for we will live with them for eternity for they too are the bride of Christ, they are the children of God, and they are all adopted by God.  Is it not great, and is it not wonderful, that God does not see people due to their wealth, their intelligence, or eccentricity, nor even to what church do you, no God sees us through His Only Begotten Son, and by this you are justified and sanctified and you are now held in the hand of Jesus for eternity.  So let's live what we are now and not what we think we will be later poor we are now rolling and manifesting that eternal love and life God has prepared for all of his children.

As God liveth, who hath taken away my judgment;

     and the Almighty, who have vexed my soul;

all the while my breath is in me, and a spirit of God

     is in my nostrils; my lips shall not speak wickedness,

nor my tongue under deceit.

                                      Job 27:2-4

This is Authentic Christianity

Richard L. Crumb

How To Be An Authentic Christian

Beloved, now are we the sons of 

 God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: 

but we know that when He shall appear, 

we shall be like Him; for we shall see 

Him as He is. 

And every man that hath this hope in him

 purifieth himself, even as He is pure.

1John 3:2-3

    A literal translation of the Greek add to a greater understanding of how these verses apply: "Beloved (plural and vocative) now children of God we, and not ye wait manifested what we shall be; but we know that if (subjunctive, if you do, and if you do not, results will occur for either choice), for we shall see (future) Him as He is. 

and everyone that has this hope in Him, purifies himself, even as He is pure." Why take this Greek tour? To help you understand, you are "sons" but more clearly, you are "Children" of God, and as "children of God" you have a responsibility to "purify" yourself, not because you have yourself to be the model for purity, no, you have Jesus Christ as your example as how to be pure in this life. Authentic Christians are those who attempt in every way for purity, but not seeking purity outside of that which has been revealed to us in the Scriptures. The attempt for a purity begins with our relationship with Jesus Christ.  The relationship we have with Jesus Christ determines our attitude and our heart and by this determines the pragmatic use of the purity in our lives. the command by Jesus that we are to love our neighbor as ourselves and our self is to love God with our whole heart and mind and our soul seems to be lost at times and seen by the inability to get along with others in other denominations and even in our own congregations.

    Why is it that people cannot get along together?  It does not matter whether you're a person, a community, a nation, some ethnic group.  The reason people do not get along together is because of pride and a sense of self-importance.  There seems to be a division between the haves and the haves-not.  This division is so distorted and demands that others be treated in the way that they view themselves, an example in our present time is that of Islam.  The Islamic political/governmental religion demands that all people adhere to their theology and ideology. Let me get this closer to home: Presbyterians against Baptist, Baptist against Methodist, Nazarenes against the Church of God, all thinking that they have the better hand they do if they would only look at the better.  What is the better?  Simple: The Gospel, the fact that Jesus Christ is both God/Man and that Jesus Christ died on the cross to pay for sin and applies that payment to all who put their faith in Him.  Now, there are certain doctrinal and remember this is teachings, that are different between the different groups: per instance: The Baptist do not want wine served at the communion and think it's wrong, the Presbyterians say it's okay to have wine at Communion and there is a battle between these theological and ideological doctrines.  What it really does show a deep sense of pride, not pride in the right way but pride in the wrong way.  What's the battle anyway?  Whenever we have Communion we use a liquid that is available at that time and one that which we would like to drink to represent the blood of Jesus Christ and if you say wine does it better than grape juice are red, and if one uses cracker and the other uses a piece of bread broken lets get real both are bread and represent the broken body of Jesus Christ: so what is the battle only because one thinks what they have is better than the other and more scriptural than the other one that I really has nothing to do with this particular sacrament.  Authentic Christians do not get all twisted out of shape over these matters of in difference.  The dynamics between these groups produce a terrible competition in the rough edges of these debates rub against others and create friction and this friction is bound to disturb the interpersonal harmony and peace.  I'll are

     When Christ is at work in our lives then our lives are filed down and the rough edges or renewed. you see when we rub against each other in such a manner as in disagreement we do not act like steel sharpening steel we are not acting together like a well oiled-machine.  When authentic Christians act in this manner it makes us wonder whether now or asked to seeing cultural Christianity instead of true and Authentic Christian Faith.  When pride and greed and self importance or exercise those authentic Christian virtues leads a person to pursue personal and professional success.

     We are told that if we are children of God we are to purify our lives. Authentic children of God, those who have Authentic Christian Faith will be doers of the word, and that means to purify oneself and you cannot purify anything if that thing is not worked.  You can look at a piece of gold in the rock but until it is crushed and washed there is no beauty in it has very little value but once it is crushed and the chaff removed leaving the gold you will find a shiny.you will object.  Do you want to be that shiny golden object?  If so, it become an Authentic Christian who has Authentic Christian Faith.  Are we not told to deny ourselves?  YES!  Well, will you do it?  Only you hold the answer.

Acquaint now thyself with Him,

     and be at peace: thereby good

shall come unto thee.  Receive,

     I pray thee, the law from His mouth,

and lay up His words in thine heart.

     If thou return to the Almighty,

thou shalt be built up, now shalt be

    put away iniquity far from

Thy tabernacles.

                        Job 22: 21 -- 23

build your relationship with Jesus Christ

Richard L. Crumb

 

Building On Rock Or Sand?

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: 

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. 

And every one that heareth these sayings

 of Mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened 

unto a foolish man, which built his house upon 

the sand: and the rain descended, and the floods 

came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; 

and it fell: and great was the fall of it.

Matthew 7:24-27 

     Character is that which is founded upon extrinsic influences and develops our personality, and how we exercise our lives.  The influences from the outside come from our Haring audibly and by seeing which produces within our minds pictures and sound, albeit that sound is not audible. Jesus tells us two things: 1.  Hearing. 

2. Doing.  First, if we hear anything then we have a responsibility to act upon that which we hear by some action: doing. If you have heard the word of God and you have a responsibility to do the Word of God.  Very simple, is it not?  Yes!  Is it hard?  Yes!  Can it be done?  No!  Yes!  By the power of the Holy Spirit acting upon our souls and by our hearing the word of God and having the Holy Spirit teach us and then leads us and this is manifested in our doing.  How does the Holy Spirit teach us?  Very simple: Read the Word of God! the Holy Spirit will pull out a bar mine, so to speak, that which we have put in our mind.  The Holy Spirit will not give to us some new form of Revelation that you have yet to have learned by your reading of the Word of God.  How can you pull something from nothing?  You, the Holy Spirit, God Himself will not pull out of your nothing something.  is God some sort of magician going about doing magical things so that by Him you will do something.  This seems to be what those who are involved in such things as these antics by Pentecostalism who believe that somehow they get some new revelation from God and not founded upon his word.  This is cultural Christianity at its worst.  Jesus has told us that if you hear his word and do it you are like a wise man and you have the power of God to defend with you the trials and tribulations that will come your way: not my come your way as anyone who's lived for any time on this earth will tell you, you will face trial and tribulations.  If you hear the word of God and do not do them you are like a foolish man and all you have facing you is a horrible life that leads to destruction, now, and definitely when you come before the judgment seat of God.

     Whose words are you doing and hearing? That is a very important question.  Is it the words of Mary Baker Eddy, or the words of Ellen G. White, or John Calvin, or Martin Luther, or Bill Johnson, or Joel Olsteen, or the pastor in your church?  Or, is it the Bible that you read and hear in your mind what God has revealed to all people who read His word so that they can do that which is given by God for your benefit. It is true that man can teach truth, but when their truth is not founded upon the truth of Scripture and is more of some sort of anecdotal, or just mostly analogies that fit a particular doctrine or belief then you are hearing that which will influence you and lead you to be as that foolish man who built his house upon the sand.  The Greek word for doctrine is pretty simple it means teaching so we don't want to Christianize his word doctrine to mean anything other than that it is teaching. Well, how can I protect myself? Simple, read the Word of God for your self!  Take notes when you are hearing a sermon and then compare what was said by going back home and studying the Scriptures that was used to ensure that the doctrine, or teaching, is actually the truth of God.  You don't have to run off to some restaurant to have lunch, while that might be nice at times, you must take time to do this because you are to do and it is good to lean, not just the hearing that makes you a wise person and you are wise if you're doing is in harmony with Scripture.

     Our actions in thinking that the Bible emphasizes is our spiritual living and our reverence and love of God and then our love of God leading us to kindness in the news and love towards our fellow human beings.  It charges against unwarranted priorities regarding the possessions of this life or the events of his life for we compare them, through Scripture, to eternal things and then have a healthy practice of self-denial and humility.  It's about our relationship with God between our attitude in our heart toward God and how these impact our attitudes and behavior towards God and other people.  If you look closely at the dimensions of your character and how they are working together and ensure that they promote and reinforce each other and you cannot help but come to the conclusion that they do exist and can operate in perfect harmony, in fact they will either for the good or bad.  The foundations of our behaviors flow from our virtue, and that virtue has knowledge attitude, and it is a virtue of self-denial and a moderation in a power enjoyment in this life and towards our material possessions.

    Are you just hearing and not doing?  Or, are you hearing and doing good? If doing good then by the hearing of the true word of God you will be doing that which pleases God and if you are pleasing God, you will be a wise person building your house on the Rock.

Pray that you are hearing and doing

Richard L. Crumb

 

The Superiority Of Authentic Christian Faith

Let us hold fast the profession of our faith

 without wavering; (for He is faithful that promised;) 

and let us consider one another to provoke unto 

love and to good works; not forsaking the 

assembling of ourselves together, as the manner

 of some is, but exhorting one another; 

and so much the more, as ye see 

the day approaching..

Hebrews 10:23-25 

     Authentic Christian Faith has as its origin the Divine, therefore, it has a position of superiority over other Christian faiths that have as their foundation the culture of this world.  Cultural Christianity offers excitement, euphoric experiential Christianity that causes a person to feel as though they're doing that which is godly. cultural Christianity bases their faith upon works, that is, by doing things that make them feel self-assured that they are pleasing God and that God by that pleasing will give them eternal life.  Authentic Christian Faith having as its origins of divine does not rely on such antics as seen in some denominations whereby people act out in ways that are almost insane, those things that are not to a true Christianity.  We see such things is even within the Roman Catholic Church where people often in those countries where the cathedral has a stone path leading to them and people crawling on their knees until they bleed just to prove that they are worshiping God and are going to get something from God. the only thing a troop Christian must do to please God is to repent of their sins and accept Jesus Christ as their personal savior and then grow in sanctification according to the commands laid out for us as revealed to us by God.

     it is true, that if a Christian, those with Authentic Christian Faith has seen that are amazing from God when he has done things to express His love.  If we take the time to look closely at what God has done and is doing the cannot but see the marvelous intricacies of Authentic Christian Faith. What are the intricacies of the Bible?  It's pretty simple, it is the central teachings of the Bible and the influence it that teaching hands upon the practical lives and that they exist in harmony and our faith never fails, that is if we take a close look, to apprehend this fact.  How, then, does this harmony work out?  It begins at the foundation of this fact: human beings are fallen in their nature.  Secondly, this harmony is that with this fallen human nature there is still God reconciling us to a personal relationship with him and this through the work of Jesus Christ on the cross.  This harmony is reformation of, and restores our inner person by their very presence and action of the Holy Spirit.  Oh!  There are those who just will not see this fact: God is Triune, one God in three persons and it is those three persons working in your life that creates this harmony with your fallen nature.

     Authentic Christians emphasize the Bible and have as their goal of spirit delivery a reverence and love of God.  Was not the words of Jesus clear and plain?  Are not authentic Christians to love God with their whole mine heart and soul and body?  Yes!  And then when we have come to love God in this way we can now love others in the same way as we love God.  This is the reason why we go to church.  Yes we go to hear the word of God expounded, but more than this, we are to care for one another and this even though more so as we see the day when Jesus Christ will return approaching.  No, I do not know the very day, the very number of the day, the month, nor the year, that Jesus Christ is coming, but I do know this, He is coming on the last day and every day that goes by that day draws us nearer and nearer and is approaching so that Scripture applies to all of us in the present.  Authentic Christians are humble people, especially regarding the possessions and the events of his life as they come parrot with the eternal things that God has promised, and a healthy practice of self-denial and humility.

     Let us then, knowing all of this, to hold fast to the profession of Authentic Christian Faith. Life is wonderful and all that we have for we are conceived as a human being, born as a human being, live as a human being, and die as a human being and until the human being life is over we have the ability to enjoy what God has created, to have a life that is pleasing, even in the midst of trials and tribulations we can still smell the roses of course we had to choose to smell the roses.  Will you?  Will you live as an Authentic Christian?  If you do you will find peace that you cannot measure, peace that only comes from God.  We do not have to pretend to be an Authentic Christian, we are if we allow our lives to be led simply by the Word of God and the Holy Spirit that will lead us into his word as we read it and apply it without this world having an influence in our worship to God.

     Is it not wonderful to be in Authentic Christian, to have Authentic Christian Faith?  You know the answer!

And the LORD said unto Noah,

    Come thou and all they house into the ark; 

for thee have I seen righteous before 

    Me in this generation.

                      Genesis 7:1

God saves the righteous

Richard L. Crumb

     

Separating Ourselves Unto God

...but this man, because He continueth

 ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood. 

Wherefore He is able also to save them 

to the uttermost that come unto God by Him, 

seeing He ever liveth to make intercession 

for them. For such an high priest became us,

 who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate 

from sinners, and made higher than the heavens...

(Hebrews 7:24-26). 

     True servants of God are ever reminded that Jesus Christ suffered and endured a shame upon the cross and that due to Him being God, the only begotten Son of God, despite its that change (Hebrews 12: 2).  Authentic Christians who are true servants of God take on the same attitude as that of Jesus Christ, and attitude whereby intercession is made for others and to despise the shame of being called a Christian.  Authentic Christians are not people who just believe in a religion, no, they take seriously as to what it means to be a Christian.  Authentic Christians do not allow the culture and sin in this world to strangle hold their ability to manifest Jesus Christ.  In fact, authentic Christians gain a divine point of view on life and take a different shade of importance as to life and evaluate earthly success in order that they may achieve and pursue success that comes from above. Life will hand to us difficulties, that is a fact of life whether you are a Christian or a non-Christian.  Authentic Christians are not ruffled and are not irritate for they know that this is one a simple and cultural world that is an contradiction and opposition to Jesus Christ is and they look at the bigger picture.  Authentic Christians keep your eyes on the cross and even this small or large problems of life even the luxuries and comfortably enjoy our seen through those eyes looking at the cross of Jesus Christ.

     let us take a journey back in time, in the time of Jesus Christ and see His life.  Jesus Christ possessed little and yet He never complained and he faced all sorts of horrible circumstances, difficulties, and all the while knowing that one day he would have to be nailed to a cross as a common criminal.  This did not detour Jesus from doing that which He came to earth to do: to die upon the cross. nothing was going to deter and to determine His life.  If we keep our eyes on Jesus than those moments of difficulty and of joy, those normal ups and downs of daily life, those difficulties are all filtered through our vision of Jesus Christ on the cross.  Think about this: Jesus Christ suffered on the cross, for our benefit and that must outweigh everything we must deal with.  Some will say that this is all part of God's plan and purposes for our life.  Yes, God does not live in time and sees everything in a moment and now is that we will face difficulties and that we will also face the joys and he does not reach down and manipulate us just to please Himself.  No, we have the ability to choose right from wrong, good from bad, to be happy or sad, and because God allows or as has become a theological word, ordained, does not make him the cause or but as a providential God he is able to manipulate all situations to meet his final purpose and that is to have children for Himself. Authentic Christians have confidence that while we do not understand everything that happens to us, nor do we understand everything that has been written in the Bible until God in his providence reveals it to us as we study and pray we know that God will work out all things to accomplish His purpose.  It is Jesus Christ who was the one who has gone before us and sits at the right hand of God making intercession for all those who put their faith in Christ and have repented of their sins in M. and by God's grace you will find peace in the midst of all your difficulties.
    Fix your gaze upon Jesus Christ for he is the one who will complete all things in this for the greater good and for a greater goal of the joy that the father has offered.  Authentic Christians do not need to manipulate through some sort of euphoric experience to find joy and peace as that is a very short-term moment.  Authentic Christians look beyond everything and fixed their gaze upon Jesus, for his concerns, for our progress in our relationship with Him during remember Jesus Christ is making eternal intercession for you.  And if this does not give you reason to keep your eyes fixed upon Jesus Christ I am not sure what reason you can find in its place.  We live by faith.  It is not a simple momentary faith, no, it is faith in action, not faith in words.  Anyone who has gone through dark times in their life often look back at these darkest moments and see that the light of Jesus Christ shines.
     A problem that exists is that these moments are all too rare and often are actual responses to the difficulties in life, those in this fallen world often bring his emotions of grief and confusion that will rise to the surface at times.  So often our response is that we feel like a failure, so much a failure as to fear even revealing Jesus Christ and his reality in our lives.  If this happens lingering your pity house, do not lingering your self-pity.  Get up, put your pants on, get back into action and get on getting on with God's business.  Don't be entangled in immorality, watch your heart.  Attempt to be an imitator of Jesus Christ in your behavior and his keep that goal and that goal was always to do the will of the father.  Yours should be the same!  Yes we must guard as we been instructed against the tax of the enemy.  But we are not going to live as authentic Christians like those who are sitting around are shouting or screaming or preaching upon some sort of secret key that Jesus Christ is coming.  Yes we are to keep watch for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and that simply means us to live like Jesus Christ and do those works that he has set before you to do to bring others the Gospel.  Live like you love Jesus!  Don't just!;do it! Do it with more gusto than the people of this cultural world, those cultural Christians who are pursuing fame and fortune in our common prosperity in and some sort of euphoric excitement rather than simply living that quiet and humble life that we have been instructed to live.  Go your through your day living the life of Christ. the main difference between an authentic faith in cultural Christianity is simply a result of faulty thinking about the court proofs of the Gospel.  If a person understood at all, the stress that are viewed by cultural Christians as important are in actuality unimportant of Authentic Christian faith. authentic Christians have is the center of their life with proofs of the Bible that is the center toward which all life is in motion.  The words of God are the son of the solar system, and they are the origin of all that is excellent and lovely and the source of light and life.
Here in the words of William Cowper:

You are the source and center of all minds,

Their only point of rest, ETERNAL WORD!

From you departing, they are lost, and rove

 At random without honor, hope, or peace.

From you comes all that soothes the life of a man, 

His high endeavor, and his glad success,

his That strength to suffer, and his will to serve.  

But O Great Giver of all good,

You are of all your gifts, yourself the crown!  

 give it that what you can, without you we are poor;

And  with you rich, take what you will away.

(Revised from William Cowper, The Task, bk. 5, lines 898-909).

Behold, I will gather them out of all countries,

     whither I have driven them in mine anger,

and in My fury, and in great wrath; and I will

    bring them again unto this place, and I will

cause them to dwell safely: And they shall be 

   My people, and I will be their God.

                           Jeremiah 32:37-38

Put your gaze upon Jesus

Richard L. Crumb         

     

What Is The Work Of An Authentic Christian?

If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those

 things which are above, where Christ sitteth 

on the right hand of God.  Set your affection

 on things above, not on things on the earth.

 For ye are dead, and your life is hid with 

Christ in God.  When Christ, who is our life,

 shall appear, then shall ye also appear 

with Him in glory.

Colossians 3: 1 -- 4

     Cultural Christians by the various means of worship, those antiques such as gibberish speaking, or speaking about the raising of the dead that are at best are antecdotal, yet have no proof or evidence are trying to be right with God. cultural Christians such as those from the Supernatural School of Bethel Church here in Redding who go around praying for anyone who allow themselves to be prayed over as a means to somehow be right with God are simply rebelling against the Atonement.  This can also be true of Authentic Christians.  There is nothing anyone can do to purify their heart and soul.  As they person who is attempting to become right with God and you has a belief that God will answer their prayer if they only walked rightly have forgotten that the only prayer for sure that God will answer is your prayer of repentance.  Yes God will and can answer prayers but not because you are right with God.  You cannot make your life perfect and you cannot make yourself so good to be right with God, this is impossible for you or a fallen creature.  You can only be right with God if you accept the Atonement of our Savior the Lord Jesus Christ and receive it as an absolute free gift.  The question is are you humble enough to accept it?  If so, you have to resign yourself from every kind of claim and cease from every effort. Authentic Christians are those who believe themselves entirely alone in the hands of God and then began to pour out their priestly life and priestly work and that work is intercession.  Yes there are things that we do better good such as feeding the homeless, working with those who are mentally ill, instituting sign language Bible classes, all are good but not as good as the work God has given His children and that work is intercession. anyone can do this work of intercession you do not need a degree from a seminary or some theological school, you don't need to have anything other than to believe in God and to pray for others to be saved by accepting the free gift of faith offered to them by God.  Do you really believe in the atonement?  Here is a fact: Jesus is not beginning to save you or me, He has are ready saved us, nothing is done, and it is an insult to ask Him to do it.  All you have to do is accept this work of Atonement on the cross is and that is the means for your salvation.

     Start praying, start getting insight from God's Word, pray for your friends, enter into the Ministry of intercession.  Remember this God blessed Job when he prayed for his friends (Job 42: 10).  You don't pray to get blessings to get Brad blessings because he prayed not for yourself but for others.  The real business of your life as a saved an Authentic Christian , as a saved soul, is intercessory prayer.  Yes, we find ourselves in all sorts of circumstances, even consequences, and we must understand that God in his providence engineers all your circumstances, all your consequences to fit his overall purpose of having a people for His name. pray now, pray immediately, pray that His Atonement may be realized and other lies as it has been in your life.  Pray for your friends now; pray for those with home you come into contact now.

     You do not have to do what others are attempting to do to be godly before God and to be right before God so that you might receive some blessing from God. As Authentic Christians you are a royal priesthood (1 Peter 2: 9). Authentic Christians have the right of the Atonement.  The question is: are you prepared to leave yourselves resolutely a long and then to launch out in service for God doing the work which is priestly work and that work begins with prayer and in so with prayer.  All of the work you do must begin and end with prayer, not for yourself, and intercessor re-prayer or other.  Remember you cannot become so right with God and if you are seeking for that then you are generating self centered, a morbid type of Christianity.  That is not the life of a child of God.  You must get yourself in a right relationship with God and at times it is simply a case of hanging on by your fingernails, by the Murray's skin of your teeth, and until we can say what a wonderful victory that you have got and know that you got that victory due to the Atonement than you are only doing it for yourself.  There is no miracle of redemption.  Resulting in picketing of the marital of redemption.  You must launch out in reckless abandon and belief that the redemption is complete, and then bothering yourself whether or not you are saying, or whether or not you are a godly enough, you're not, only when God sees it through Jesus Christ.  When you do this you begin to do with Jesus Christ said, pray for your friends.  Remember keep praying on the realization that you are all made perfect in Christ Jesus, do not let this be your plea, "O Lord, I've done my best, please hear me."

    How long is it going to take to allow God to free you from a morbid habit of thinking about yourself?  Have you yet come to a place where you are sick of yourself?  Have we come to the place where there is no surprise of what God says about you.  How can you touch the very depths of your meanness?  You cannot!  There is only one place where a person can become right, and that is in Jesus Christ.  When we have come to this Authenticity and when you have poured out your all for the work of the ministry of intercession that you have come to the place where the image of Jesus Christ is being manifested in your life.

Now hast dealt well with Thy servant,

     O LORD, according unto Thy word.

Teach me good judgment and knowledge :

    for I have believed Thy commandments.

Before I was afflicted I went astray:

    but now have I kept Thy word.

Thou art good, and doest good;

     teach me Thy statutes.

                      Psalms 119: 65 -- 68

looking unto Jesus our intercessor

Richard L. Crumb

     

How To Run This Race Of Christianity

Wherefore seeing we also are compassed

about with so great a cloud of witnesses, 

let us lay aside every weight, and the sin 

which doth so easily beset us, and let us run 

with patience the race that is set before us, 

looking unto Jesus the author and finisher 

of our faith; who for the joy that was 

set before Him endured the cross, despising

 the shame, and is set down at the right hand 

of the throne of God.

Hebrews 12:1-4 

      A great fear among people is loneliness and social media is providing a way to combat loneliness.  Christians need not fear loneliness for we has such a great crowd of witnesses who are our spiritual family now and in eternity.God uses means to accomplish his purpose and one of those meanings is the church.  The church is more than a place to come and hear sermons or to attend Sunday school.  But church, that is, the congregants are to participate in carrying for one another and by this love of God is placed into the heart.

     Authentic Christians are those that maintain their focus on Jesus Christ and what He has asked of us towards one another and towards the world.  If we maintain our focus on Jesus Christ then we will see how logical it is to make an unconditional surrender to the service of God.  The children of God are not their own and have been purchased by God and now belong to Him. This focus on Jesus Christ makes sense to Authentic Christians so that with their passion they glorify God in all that is done and all that we are and we do not hold back in our growth until we fully come to understand.  It is all about our attitude that determines our response to sin.  Authentic Christians do not compromise to send port if they do so they are not without an immense shame.  How can this be done?  Only if our hearts are dead to sin.

     Authentic Christians fixed her gaze upon Jesus Christ and see how horrified he is and you should be to send and be able to see the perfect holiness of God.  Yes, God punishes sinful people, now, and on the last day.  It is on thinkable, and it is a vanity to believe that God will not treat unrepentant sin with harshness.  Authentic Christian able to see what a cost God to provide forgiveness. Gehenna, not hell, is where those who are ungrateful and do not respond to the one who existed from all eternity and develop a relationship with God who was willing to humble Himself and die upon a cross that which was a death of dishonor to the Romans.this Jesus was willing to do to provide for you and I am way to escape Gehenna.

     Authentic Christians do not become Authentic Christians without growth in the love of God. authentic Christians turn to God and have the love of God demonstrated towards them and to be given to others, in other words a reciprocal affection.  Authentic Christians keep the gaze steadily upon the cross of Christ and allow their minds and hearts to become dead to sin without any response to sin that keeps us from responding with hope and trust to enjoy an overflowing gratitude.  Authentic Christians maintain an attitude of attempting to please God in all things and they know that when Jesus Christ returns for His church they will be lovingly accepted. authentic Christians desire to maintain that relationship with God and when that relationship is broken somehow they will become truly repentant.  Authentic Christians do not desire to offend our God and Savior, rather they maintain an attitude to keep a relationship of love towards our God and Savior.  This is the logical outcome of authentic Christianity.  Authentic Christians hold firm and understanding of the great truths of our faith.

     It is at the foot of the cross that our motivation is received and is the foundation as to how we treat our brothers and sisters, even those who do not claim Christianity.  Jesus said: "As I have loved you, so you must love one another" (John 13:34). We are not alone on this earth and share with all humanity a common experience of life and also been desperately in need of a love of God and the forgiveness of our sins. It is true that man cannot save himself, cannot be good enough so that God would have to save you, no, yet you can receive the gift of faith and be received with open arms all the merit of the work of Jesus did upon the cross.  Authentic Christians with this knowledge in mind should be moved to view our fellow brothers and sisters as objects of compassion and care. The world in general The world around us have an uncaring spirit even with all their philanthropy, with all the good things they need to, is motivated by self interest.  This is not true of Authentic Christians for as we grow in the love of God we are motivated to help those in need, both in the church, and in the world.  We are not to be just inclusive, no, we are to be judicial but not hateful and as Jesus endured the cross for us who are sinners and who has made a new life possible it is by this that our hearts are softened towards others.  We treat others as Jesus treated us.  Is this desire that drives us to take action that will express His love.

 Let us shear the conclusion of the whole matter:

     Fear God, and keep His commandments:

 for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall

    bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.

                               Ecclesiastes 12:13-14

Remember what Jesus has done for you

Richard L. Crumb