Saturday, August 30, 2014

All I Need is Thee


In the midst of the turmoil of this world, the fellowship of Men of God prepares our hearts for such a time as this.  Our Band of Brothers, as men of God, reminds us not who we are but whose we are. The theme of Christian Men’s groups are training God's men in a culture that is turning against the virtuous principles established by God in his Word. We need not lament that men and the hearts and cultures of men turn against the Truth of the Word. This is the same situation as in 2 Chronicles chapter 20, when the sons of Moab and Amon stood against Jehoshaphat , king of Judah, and the armies of the Living God.  “Choose ye this day whom ye shall serve, as for me and my house, we will serve The Lord.”

God is preparing his people.  He forewarns them about the coming storm.  As in the days of Noah, God prepared the hearts of his Remnant with a way of escape, a way of salvation.  This boat, this train is bound for glory. There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man, but God is able who will not suffer ye to be tempted above that which ye are able, but will with the temptation make a way to escape that ye may be able to bear it. 1 Corinthians 10:13

In the midst of the darkness of troubled times, when the church is persecuted and has gone underground, the message will be to prepare men of God to become prisoners of God (a good thing). God works best with nothing.  If we think we are blessed by the abundance of material blessings, for many of us there will be a rude awakening.  "Cataclysmic failures" in the world's eyes are often God's greatest victories.  These are "come to Jesus moments."  When there is nothing else to live for:  my house, my job, my family, my stuff...  God will confront you and me as he did when he challenged Abraham to offer his son as a sacrifice.  In this cataclysmic day of reckoning the question is...  "loveth thou me more than these?" The  apostle Paul received his greatest revelation while in chains.  Bunyan wrote the great work Pilgrim's Progress inside the walls of a prison cell.  All I need is thee.  Make me a captive Lord, and then I shall be free.  Force me to render up my sword and I shall conqueror be.  I sink in life's alarms, if  by my strength I stand, Imprison me within thine arms, and free shall be my stand.

Abraham Lincoln said before the civil war, "America is wanting for a definition of Freedom.  Jesus said, "ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free."  He also said "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life, no man cometh to the Father except by me.  The Word of God is the complete opposite of message of the world.  The ultimate freedom is in the ultimate captivity.  Did we in our own strength confide, our battle would be loosing.  As he died to make men holy we must live to make men free.  We must prepare our hearts to be willing to die for the things worth living for to live for the things worth dying for.  I have decided to follow Jesus... no turning back, no turning back. Jesus said, "he who loses his life for my sake shall find it and he who finds his life for my sake shall lose it."  I was crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live, yet not I but Christ liveth in me and the life that I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the son of God who loved me and gave himself for me.


Your brother in Christ, Michael

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