The Highest Cost: The Greatest Blessing

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

A Mark Of Cultural Christians: Behavior

I charge thee therefore before God, 

and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge 

the quick and the dead at His appearing 

and His kingdom; preach the word; be instant 

in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, 

exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. 

For the time will come when they will 

not endure sound doctrine; gut after their 

own lusts shall they heap to themselves 

teachers, having itching ears from the truth, 

and shall be turned unto fables. But watch 

thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the 

work or an evangelist, make full proof 

of thy ministry.

2Timothy 4:1-5 

     God in His providence gave this warning, not only to Timothy, but for all Christians as the Bible and all that was written was and is for all men. This admonition to Timothy by Paul applies to all Authentic Christians. First, you have been called into the ministry, not just pastors, or teachers, you, this ministry is for all who are Christian. Second, you have been admonished to "make full proof of thy ministry" and to examine all things so that you can hold on to the truth (1Thessalonians 5:21). Without that; how, how, can you know if you are following false teachers or truthful teachers? You cannot! It is not just enough to say that you have faith, you must also show your faith by your works (James 2:17-18). What is a distinguishing mark of cultural Christians? It is their behavior. 

     Many people today say that they have faith, even faith in Jesus Christ at yet when their behavior is examined we find that faith is a subject held at arm's length. False thinking about Authentic Christian Faith exists and the nature of Authentic Faith is not correctly understood. Remember, faith is that which pervades our lives so much that our lives are changed from the inside/out and everything is effected. Faith is a matter of the heart and it in the heart where reality resides and becomes our supreme influence. Authentic Christian Faith attempts to root out anything that is contrary to Scripture, to the truth and attempts to bring our hearts to be desire for God and have our affections under control: "Delight thyself also in the LORD; and He shall give thee the desires of thine heart" (Psalm 37:4).  

     The foundation is Jesus Christ and our coming to Him in faith and it is by this faith we have true reality. It is this faith that controls our thoughts and action so that they are consistent with the truth and the presence of the Holy Spirit permeates and penetrates every ounce of fiber of our beings. 

     Cultural Christians differ, differ in their thinking and actions and this they do by creating a set of standards, doctrines that changes a person conception of the truth into a framework that causes them to accept these standards, these doctrines and causes a behavior not seen or warranted in Scripture. 

     This is cultural Christianity as the very word "cultural" admits, the culture of this world allowing these who call themselves Christian and by those teaching false doctrine have fallen under: pluralism, that which everyone can have their own beliefs as truth, to be free to live their lives as they so desire, as they wish. Cultural Christians desire to remain master of their lives, all the while speaking that they are "Christian." Jesus Christ is not permitted to possess more and more of a person, and in time the tendency is to become more cultural and less Authentic. This is regression spiritually instead of growing spiritually. Yes, those caught up in such a life do not see themselves as doing that which is contrary to Scripture: but they are if their actions and beliefs are viewed under the microscope of Scripture and not just listen to false teachers. This is what Paul was warning Timothy about. A major fight in Christianity is with those inside of Christianity that are teaching falsely. In time those cultural Christians can only be said to be nominal Christians: name only! The genesis of being under false teaching is a diminishing of Authentic Christian Faith. 

Why art thou cast down, O my soul?

     and why art thou disquieted within

me? Hope in God: for I shall yet praise

    Him, who is the health of my countenance,

and my God.

                    Psalm 42:11

Build your faith upon the truth: Scripture

Richard L. Crumb

     

Determination: The Mark Of Authentic Christians

...that ye may be the children of your Father 

which is in heaven: for He maketh His Son to 

rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth 

rain on the just and on the unjust.

Mathew 4:45

But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, 

if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you.

Romans 8:9

For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, 

they are the sons of God. For ye have not received 

the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have 

received the Spirit of adoption, whereby 

we cry, Abba, Father

Romans 8:14-15

What know ye not that your body is the temple

 of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have

 of God in your body, and in your spirit, 

which are God's.

1Corinthians 6:19-20

     Psychiatry in their attempt to aid people is to say that they are to get to know themselves. It is true that we should know something about ourselves: i.e., our ethnicity, our background, what has been an influence in our lives, we need to know who we are if we will have any chance of living a fulfilled life. Christians must know also as to who their are, but more, they need to know whose they are, who is it that is influencing their lives. It is this influence, this external and internal influence that develops character and that character then is exercised by that influence. We must be clear: WE ARE NOT OUR OWN: WE HAVE BEEN BOUGHT BY A PRICE. Our character will live with us forever albeit there will be changes in our exercise of our faith, even in heaven. Yes we will get a new body, immutable, incorruptible, but we will be us, not another person. We will live forever in the eternal presence of God. That is then when sin will have its destruction and we will not be influenced any longer by sin, Satan. Until then we live in this life, this world and there are challenges that we face. It is true that we have the Spirit of God indwelling in us but our old fallen nature has yet to be changed into the nature of Christ. It is in the process of changing now in this life as we conform to the will of God and follow Jesus Christ, follow the commands and precepts of God. A real problem we face now is that our old fallen nature lives in us and we have the Spirit of God in us and they cannot live in harmony. How do we face this challenge? It is by knowing that we are adopted sons and daughters of God and that we live for Him, for the Son of God who paid that awful price to save people and that the Holy Spirit lives now in us. We can have a determination to pursue conformity to the character of Jesus Christ. This is the distinguishing mark of Authentic Christians versus cultural Christians, we have resolved to pursue conformity, to grow in the image of Jesus Christ. 

     It sounds to be drudgery to always have to fight that good fight to conform into the image of Jesus Christ. Can we not just believe and then go to heaven? NO! If you are an Authentic Christian you will fight the good fight and when you do you will find that this pursuit is filled with joy. Jesus said that He would be with His bride now, and into eternity (Matthew 28:20). When you are obedient to God and allow your faith to become Authentic Christian Faith you will understand that the glory of God gives to you a sense of trust, hope and an appreciation with all awe that He is Good, and you life will become filled with joy and gratitude. 

     It is true that people have in various degrees some sense of this joy and yet have not allowed themselves to be influenced to the utmost in their personality, life, circumstances, spiritual maturity, and others factors that are determining factors in developing character. It is true that faith in degrees will be characterized by some measure of all these factors. What is the common factor? It is the determination to devote themselves to the service and glory of God. A person must understand just how inadequate they are to achieve this goal to conform to God's commands, and to allow themselves to grow into the image of Jesus Christ. This is done by the empowerment of God through His grace and by the power of the Holy Spirit that lives in all Authentic Christians. All Authentic Christians are to be servants and children of God, to submit tho Him with the attitudes and actions that belong to such a relationship. 

     We are commanded: "Jesus said into him, Thu shall love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. this is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thu shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hand all the law and the prophets" (Matthew 22:37-40). Do you want to love others? Then love God with all your heart, soul, and mind and then when this love is in you and your character changed, you will exercise God's love towards others, you will be conforming into the image of Jesus Christ. This requires determination, effort, but all will bring joy. 

LORD, who shall abide in Thy tabernacle?

     Who shall dwell in Thy holy hill?

He that walketh uprightly, and worketh

    righteousness, and speaketh the truth

in his heart.

                       Psalm 15:1-2

Draw from God strength

Richard L. Crumb