Friday, December 31, 2021

A FINAL WORD FOR 2021 FROM EARLY CHRISTIAN LIFE

Perhaps the only way that JESUS could be COMFORTED in His humiliation and rejection was to be crucified for those who hurt Him? For the greatest comfort amidst His sufferings was our salvation.

Unlike with myself, and with what is common among men, the more pain His loving heart endured, the more that love compelled Him to give. Even His last words was love breathed upon His mother, disciples, the thief crucified next to Him and even upon His enemies who stood by mocking while He hung there naked.

Think of it: It would have hurt Him to use His bloodied nail pierced feet to push Himself up from the block fastened to the cross, that He simply might be able to take more air into His lungs and breathe out words of life; but it would have hurt Him more to seek personal comfort in His pitiful condition and be silent. 

HIS LOVE WAS STRONGER THAN PAIN.

Even then, He sought to comfort others, rather than seeking to be comforted; to understand, rather than to be understood.

His selfless love endured all things. 

He gave until He had nothing more to give. 

Perhaps the only way for JESUS to bear the pain of those who hurt Him was to bear the cross and to die upon it for them. When love is in pain, it gives and when love is perfected, it can suffer cheerfully.

The pain of what others rejected was greater than His rejection. 

His way of getting His message into hearts was not to hammer others but to be hammered for them. 

This is the Royal Road, the True King's Highway. 

This is the only way to glory: To take the lowest place by loving others more than yourself. 

Upon hearing this, some, moved by this truth, might exert themselves to always take the lowest seat. They may strive all that they can to do this at every opportunity. "The Way to Glory is to take the lowest seat" they muse within. "Therefore, I must make every effort, in every moment, in every chance I get", they conclude. Though innocent, this conclusion lacks wisdom. For such souls will eventually burn out and miserably condemn themselves for falling short of long consistent victories in this Royal Road. If they work really hard, over time they may be able to maintain their efforts more and more, yet their efforts will often be tainted with internal silent secret frustrations, arrogance, high mindedness, despising others, loneliness or an inordinate amount of sadness or depression. 

However, true humility, true glory, true love, is able to take the lowest seat for the joy that is set before it. It has a secret rest in all of its labors because the end is not self, but love. Love only finds rest in willing vessels.

Therefore, ALL earnest souls ought to give up everything to commune with JESUS. For to sit in the lowest seat is to sit with Him!

If following Him made common men notorious fishers of men, then surely communing with Him as we follow will enable us to selflessly give ourselves like Him and to take the lowest seat.

There is such a thing as selfishly taking the lowest seat. It is written, "And though I give all that I possess to feed the poor and give my body to be burned and have not love, it profits nothing" (1 Corinthians 13:3).

We must chase after JESUS, not the lowest seat, and if not the lowest seat, how much less ought we to chase after vain worldly activities! 

He is the foundation and source for every virtue. 

In brief, the only way to glory is to have the Divine nature of the "I AM meek and lowly" One formed within you through His fellowship.

Taking the lowest seat ought to be fruit from our relationship with Him, not a restless result from anxious effort produced by recognition of truth.

The love of Christ must compel us.

One may recognize truth and selfishly assert himself in the Way and this is perhaps the greatest form of deception: To have truth without light, a light that is darkness, a life without love. 

"How can this be" you ask? The Church of

Ephesus can tell you. They "could not bear them which were evil" and were full of "reproof" (Revelation 2), but they were unaware of the evil inside of them.

We can be a part of the Church and JESUS still have something against us.

When we pray, "JESUS, fill us with Your glory", if we know what His glory really is, we will understand that we are asking Him to fill us with His humility. Humility is His Divine nature. His humility is selfless love. 

His glory is His humility. His glory is His triumph over rejection, temptations, false accusations, and personal offenses.

His glory is victory over every natural, carnal, sinful, immoral, selfish and arrogant impulse. His glory is His humility. 

Though others failed Him, His love never failed. His love was independent of circumstances. 

The Spirit of the love of JESUS within us is quenched whenever we prefer ourselves over others, regardless of who they are or what they have done.

The apostle Paul was so filled by the Holy Spirit with the love of God and so yielded to it, that he thoughtfully testified to the the church of Galatia, "I am crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live; yet not I but CHRIST LIVES 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 WHO GAVE HIMSELF FOR ME" (Galatians 2:20). 

Love is not about getting, but giving. You can give without loving but you can never love without giving. The love of JESUS never fails. 

Do you fail? Are you weary with your failure? Are you burdened by your lack of love? Do you desire a more consistent selfless love? Do these things fill your mind with fear? Do you feel hopeless after reading this? 

Hear the word of the Lord, "Come unto me, all of you that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and you shall find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light" (Matthew 11:28-30).

What is the first thought on your mind when you awake? What is stirring your heart throughout the day? What keeps you awake at night or makes you to peacefully fall asleep? 

Is it JESUS? We were created for Him. Without Him we are miserable and selfish creatures. If we find ourselves happy without Him, as some who do not believe, it is only because we have learned to be satisfied with vanity. He truly is our life and upon Him our life depends. 

Grace and peace to you all.

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“Reason dictates that persons who are truly noble and who love wisdom will honor and love only what is true. They will refuse to follow traditional viewpoints if those viewpoints are worthless...Instead, a person who genuinely loves truth must choose to do and speak what is true, even if he is threatened with death...I have not come to flatter you by this written petition, nor to impress you by my words. I have come to simply beg that you do not pass judgment until you have made an accurate and thorough investigation. Your investigation must be free of prejudice, hearsay, and any desire to please the superstitious crowds. As for us, we are convinced that you can inflict no lasting evil on us. We can only do it to ourselves by proving to be wicked people. You can kill us—but you cannot harm us.” From Justin Martyr's first apology 150 A.D. Martyred A.D. 160