This week, Michael writes that Jesus gave his message now titled “the Sermon on the Mount” to prepare the multitude about his purpose ... to redeem them from the sin nature of the flesh that they inherited from mankind’s fall in the Garden of Eden. All men and women have sinned and come short of the glory of God. Jesus Christ defeated death at the Cross, which was the payment for sin through his atoning death and victory over death in His resurrection.
In Luke 14, Jesus said there are three things that you cannot do. First he said, you need to love God above all, because you cannot love your others until you love God first. Second, you cannot live for your worldly possessions in this material world. Third, neither can you live for the praise of the lost and dying world. Jesus said, if you are preparing to build a tower, you must first count the cost. What is it worth to you? Do you have the resources of time, materials, manpower and wisdom to build a quality and stable tower? Without proper preparation and planning, you will be laughed to scorn when you cannot finish what you started or you build the tower and it falls down because you failed to plan.
Is there a crisis in anywhere the world today? Maybe, I should ask: Is there anywhere in the world that does not have a crisis today? When the crisis comes and courage is required, Almighty God expects his people to have such confidence in Him that they will be the reliable and dependable ones. There is safety in the midst of the crisis, when we trust in the Lord with all our heart and lean not unto our own understanding. Nothing is impossible with Creator God. As the Apostle Paul said, Thy strength is made perfect in my weakness … thy grace is sufficient for me. When a disciple is dedicated and convinced of the majesty, glory, and value of the cause to which they have dedicated their life, then they will fear no evii or danger and “be willing to march into hell for a heavenly cause.” For yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil for thou art with me. God is with us, Christ is by our side and the Holy Spirit is in us.
If we have nothing to stand for, then we will fall for anything. If there is nothing worth dying for, then there is nothing worth living for. The born-again Believer believes in God, sees and understands the wickedness of sin against their holy, just and loving Maker, repented of their filthy and grievous sins, turned from the sin nature unto God’s holy word, will and way, hears, believes and willfully receives the free gift of redeeming salvation their the atoning sacrificial death of Jesus Christ in their place, receives the transformation of their heart and the regeneration of their spirit by the Holy Spirit, and takes residence within them to guide their life spiritually and existentially, exchanges eternal damnation to eternal life with the risen Christ in Heaven, receives adoption into the family of God as a loved child, and receives citizenship in the kingdom of God. We die to sin and now live for Christ, our savior and Lord.
Let’s continue Michael’s message on the heavenly cause in the next post.
In Christ, Brian
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