Poster | Thread | buttermilk80 Member
Joined: 2010/5/9 Posts: 164 Ohio
| The world or eternity | | Ive lived my life on the outskirts of society. Having been taught from an early age that I do not belong in this world (and that teaching continues to this day). There is no depression within me regarding this anymore. I find it comforting. Let me expound on this just a bit.
There is, and has been, a place where the name of God has supreme love and importance. In this place it is no shame to bring Him and His ways up at a dinner. It is no shame to mention the name of His Son, Jesus. In fact, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are about all youll hear in any gathering. This place has been before the creation of the world and will be after this world is gone.
I thank the Lord that He has not allowed me to fit in. And I will make no plans to assimilate into society. As it is with all Gods people, I take specific pride in being shunned because I dont talk like the world. I reject the idea that this world is an important place, unless what you mean is that the world is important to test the souls of those who live here. New clothes, new cars, the latest fad, sports, creating a great personal empire, and the flexing of power (regardless what power means to the world), these things have absolutely no draw to me anymore. Its not as though I woke up one morning and decided to think like this. But the more I consider the reality of eternity NOW, the more I see the folly of temporary desires.
There were many years when all those things and so much more held my attention. Those years are now counted as my shame. In that place where God is singularly important resides my desire and hope. Jesus is my God, savior and friend. I count no man as pure or honest unless we consider his honesty and purity to reside in Jesus his Lord.
This world is fast becoming a place where everything is true in its own right. This too I reject. There is one truth, Gods will. All other ways, things, and attitudes belong to this world and will pass in time. To be sure, I dont hate the people of this world. I hate the lies the world adopts. And I see so very many accepting partial truth, partial Gods will. Each mans work will be shown for what it is.
This post will ruffle feathers. Its impossible to find the desire to care what people think of this post. The Godly people will know what Im speaking about. The world will read this and consider me a fool. My response to being labled a fool is: Youre absolutely right. I am a fool who trusts in the one source of wisdom. Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for that is how their fathers treated the false prophets. (Luke 6: 26)
I must admit, many speak ill of me for things Ive done. But I find those same people strangely silent when I turn my life around and speak the things of God. Some would say, From one extreme to another, why cant you just mellow out and get in the middle of life? Go ahead and stay in your middle. I have no problem with that. Its your life. But no matter how much I searched the Bible, I didnt find God saying it was a good thing to be luke warm.
So I welcome being on the outskirts. The Lord I serve was crucified because He didnt fit in. How should I expect anything more from the world? By His Great Grace, I will live in that place where He is not a shame. It is His place. And, as I read it, all who are ashamed of Him in this world, will be rejected for eternity. So let me share in His so called shame.
By His Grace
_________________ Paul Horton
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| 2010/5/12 5:30 | Profile | enid Member
Joined: 2006/5/22 Posts: 2680 Nottingham, England
| Re: The world or eternity | | Sadly, many 'christians' want the world AND eternity.
Not so. Not according to the word of God.
Some try to live as close to the world as possible without going over. But, that very lifestyle shows who they really belong to.
It's either one or the other, not both.
Very soon, the world cup, for soccer, will be on television for 8 weeks.
In the past, I have know 'christians' who have missed church in order to watch it. Especially when England are playing.
1 John 2v15, 'Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him'.
It could be that 'one sin' that decides our eternity.
One sin.
Just think, its been said, how many times did Adam and Eve sin before they were thrown out of the Garden of Eden?
One sin. |
| 2010/5/12 8:58 | Profile | Compton Member
Joined: 2005/2/24 Posts: 2732
| Re: | | "On Jordan's stormy banks I stand, And cast a wishful eye"
I think part of the problem is that the Jordan river has dried up much in our church settings. I mean to say, the division between heaven and earth has grown ambiguous in our modern maps.
The old maps showed that a pilgrim had to travel far.
Today, the kingdom of God and that of this world, are not so much different territories anymore, as they are different states of mind.
They are like different floors in the same building. In the modern map, the kingdom of God is an upper story, but it is still in the same building as the world. So, a modern American Christian isn't instructed to go on a far journey to get home, but once or twice a week they take an elevator ride 'upstairs' in their minds. After awhile they come back downstairs.
I say all this to say, that it isn't Christians aren't willing to travel far anymore, but they simply aren't instructed to so anymore.
Edit: Ultimately, the point I am trying to make is that I don't believe that modern Christians are more villainous then ancient Christians; only that they the American Church (as a generation and in general) seem to be missing some truths that were more intact in previous generations. Furthermore I think we risk being simplistic or harsh in spirit if we decide that these omissions are evidence of some evil motive, because in my experience I think many modern Christians are simply mistaken, or confused about the relationship of the church and the world, and temporal things vs. eternal things.
Mike
_________________ Mike Compton
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| 2010/5/12 10:29 | Profile |
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