All we want is Jesus

All we want is Jesus how sweet the love of our beloved... This weekend has been amazing. I'll explain later.

Pride of Life.

Their are roots to major sin in our life. The lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh, and the pride of life. If we lust after what we see, it will eventually cause sin against flesh, we are bag full of lustful flesh. I activate in my flesh all the time, even this morning and yesterday I had been harboring bitterness towards my roomate. For correcting me on being messy, sounds stupid. But I sinned against G-D , I had bitterness against Jesus himself, and I greived the holy spirit. Knowing all of this, you can repent and turn from your wicked ways you can make things right. I made things right, apoligized... hey I do this often... very very often. Today I was going to fast, I was so discouraged with my behavior, I let condmendation creep in. Which a sin in itself, when we allow satan to push us around we abandon our sword.. God's word to counteract his attack. When stand firm on his word, we are cleansed by the blood of Jesus, we have a clean slate, we are a new creation. Satan knows if he can get you to believe in lies, that you will act out of self pity to these lies. You will hide from God, you will abandon God and his light that burns the impurities off of you. I think this is how Adam and Eve were so decieved, God all knowing knew they had sinned, and I'm guessing knew that mankind would fall short of his Glory.. and he made them anyways, isn't that great? After they had eaten from the fruit, they hid from God. Satan not only got them to fall into sin, he got them to run away from the almighty. God must have been so hurt to see and know his children chose the pride of life, instead of taking pride and confidence in their daddy. They sought their own gain , not his. They were in it for their Glory not his. How devestated he must've been, to see that they hid from him afterwards. Satan likes to feed us lies that go against the knowledge of God. We are seperated from God because of our sin, but brought back to his presence when we are cleansed by the precious blood of Jesus. We are then clean, and can boldly approach his throne. But you will never trust that fact, unless you keep your sword and fight off the condemnation that satan feeds you. If we truly knew who we were in Christ, if we truly know that we could be holy as he is holy, no matter what habitual sin we seem to fall into over and over again. If we put on the knowledge of God and reject the lies of Satan. We could operate in holiness giving Glory to the Lord. You have to first show him your filth, before he can wipe you clean. And how can he wipe you clean, when you hide from him? A lot is going on in my heart lately, I've dealt a lot with idolatry I can feel when I lust after earthly things that don't satisfy. Whether it be clothes, money the root of all evil, or things that I feel like I need or have to have. Like Coffee, Food, or clothes. What would it look like for me to trust that Jesus would clothed me in splendor like he does the lilies of the field? Or take care of my every need like he does the ravens of the field? For I normally trust not in God, but man and myself. I've come to realise this idolatry in my life. But my heart has turned more towards the pride of life lately.. I am so utterly prideful with my ministry, my prayers, my outreaches, my love, my life, But God confronts the church over and over again in Revelation. About them not loving their lives so much, as to shrink from death, he warns them if they do, he will not be pleased with them. He encourages them to stay strong, and not love their lives, but to be heavenly minded. To love and desire to be, and gain Christ , and not to fixate their eyes on earthly things.I know that lately their has been something stirring within me for more of this life, their is more than what I see. Their is more that my heart and soul long for. I need to see a tangible passion, revelation, reality, adventure, artistic expression, wreckless abandonement I have become drawn to these things. And seek the people and things that possess these things. I have been consumed with thoughts of a wreckless abandonment, to really give and pour my all out. To be a true hippie, but not for some bogus political conspiracy. But for the sake of knowing him, and him knowing me. Or at least thats what I think I would like to be a hippie for. See I've realised that I have a lot of pride in my life, and with pride you will naturally cling to things that you yourself can boast in. But as I covered before I'm not supposed to boast in anything but Jesus Christ. I've been clinging to other idols, and yet my heart still does not fully love Jesus. I have to have a wholehearted love for him. But I'm too busy with my own plans to grasp him, my own pride, my own ideals, and pursuit of all the attribute of God, I miss him completely. See just like it talks about in revelation he stands at the door and knocks. And I think that when we enter this time in our life, our early 20's , maybe it's more like a pre- mid life crisis. You have more authority to actually start and take off your life. The choices you make now are going to impact your whole future so you want to make the right ones. Your searching for truth, meaning, purpose, and for reality. A lot of people that have this hunger and desire for more, have been able to see past the temporary pleasures to see that their nothing but plastic worthless idols. Nothing tangible that will actually last, or that they could actually base their life off of. So we take off in our pursuit, to chose are spouse, our education, where we will live, if we'll use credit, if will buy a house, a car, if we'll get a tattoo, where our travels will lead us. We young people, our generation have a spiritual hunger and yearning for the reality of Jesus, of the God almighty. And we don't even know it. Ahh we pursue the attributes of God and we forget him. We lay hold of a ministry, a person, a truth, a church, and we think thats all there is.. and we settle. But keep pressing on beloved, you haven't even grasped it yet. We want true zeal, true passion, true realities.. but we go about pursuing these things on our own will, merit, plans and ideals. See I've realised their are two types of people in this world, people that pursue Money,greed, things, kingdoms, these are the materialistic ones.. and they can grasp so much but it never lasts long. Even the richest of rich are never satisfied or fulfilled.. but they buy into the lie. And will spend their lives on a step latter to materilistic euphoria, but little do they know they are on a step latter to hades. I still jump on that latter, then I have to check myself. Then theirs another type of people the spiritual, the hippies, the knowledge seekers, the idealist, the political, these people pursue truth and reality. And they don't care to what extreme or to what extent they have to fight for something, because they already see past the materialistic they are pursuing truth. But this in itself is a vain pursuit, see others will cling to other religions, abstract philosophies, or revert to atheism a religion in itself. And they will spend their whole lives fighting, and striving for truth. But unless they seek Jesus the one their souls longs for, the one that truly satisfies. They will never fulfill this, but on the judgement seat before Christ. They will come to an end of themselves, their truth will be nothing in the sight of the almighty. They will boast in nothing, when they stand in the presence of the one who knows all. The same thing with materialistic idolaters, they're kingdom will not carry over to the heavenly relm. And their lives will be nothing in the sight of his firey eyes, that pierces the heart. I swing more towards being the people that wants an overall truth and reality that is tangible. I am captivated by people that had this same hunger in their souls that I have. Sadly some of them never knew it was Jesus and his blood that would fulfill and lead them in a true pursuit of knowledge, and realities. I look at them with sadness, because not only did they reject the world and it's materials that don't satisfy to be lonely on their pursuit of truth. They cling to their philosphies that hold no truth or weight to themselves. What a lonely, meaningless world that must be. These people are only comended after death, but in hell no truth that gave them the peace of mind will be able to relent the wrath of the lamb on Justice Day, their relative truth simply won't matter. One interesting idealist I read up on recently, who really intrigued me was named Chris Mccandless. His heart was to leave all behind, and truly live out his favorite book the "Call of the Wild". He gave up everything , he wanted truth, reality, and peace that this materialisic life couldn't give him, and it became the end of himself.He wanted so bad to lay hold of something real and true, that he lived in the wilderness leaving his parents, family and friends. Only to die of starvation in an abandoned bus in Alaska. He might've made a lot of sense of this world, but without Jesus, he knowledge, philosphies, or zeal will mean nothing in the eyes of Christ. Christ weeps for souls that hunger to give themselves fully over to a cause, yet they reject the only true cause worth fighting for. Ghandi is also someone inspirational, he might've promoted another faucet for peace and love. But without Christ his love means nothing, it's only based on vanities. For we are the clay and he is the potter, we don't know how to love unless we go to the one our soul longs for. Nothing matters, for it is all passing away. We are like grass here today gone tommorrow. Whatever good you promoted on earth will fade away, and nothing will stand but God's word and we KNOW that he always keeps his word. So that means that our hearts are going to be utterly and fully exposed on the day of his judgement. My mind can't fathom this, everything I did for vanities sake will be like hay burned in the fire, while my pure motives will be gold refined in the fire. I'm afraid looking at my heart, and it's motives I will be like a pile of hay, with only fragments of gold dust in the midst of it all. I love going to the website last days ministry, I've become quite a fan of Kieth Green,he's one of thos e people that pursuid truth. He based his whole life on searching for reality, truth, peace, and love. He abandoned the materialistic life of hollywood and set out on a spiritual journey that he filled with drugs and philosphers of the hippie era. He settled on the teachings of Jesus, he came to the conclusion that all other religions at least recognized him to be a prophet, or respected teacher. He started to study Jesus and without his knowledge fell in love with this man. People would ask him are you a christian? And he would reply "No, I just like Jesus". Eventually his obsessive likeness of Jesus, led him to tear apart his girlfriends spiritual witch craft books. He was living with his girlfriend Melody, when he bought crosses that he liked to wear on his neck, he then gave one to Melody his girlfriend. He later told Melody it would be good for them to get married, and in a church, a chapel. Finally after Jesus had wooed his desperate eager heart over to his loving arms, Jesus fed him the word of God. And Keith radically became saved and changed, knowing the truth of God's word. He fell more in love with Jesus knowing that he would be with him one day. I think a lot of christians today, don't simply admire, like, and study Jesus. If a eager , humble sinner can recognize and pursue Jesus, why can't us Christians? Or what about A.J Jacobs this self proclaimed Agnostic set out to live life biblically for a year. He wanted something to pour out his life into, he wanted truth. He was fascinated with Religion. He did his best at obeying even the laws of Leviticus, Deuteronomy, and Judges. He wanted TRUTH, he wanted Realities, he surrendered his will but he never surrenedered his heart. He liked Gods law, and had peace and security from reading it. But he never fell in love with the author of it. For he would not let himself believe in this loving Father. He like the practicality of God, Religion, and pursuit of Truth. I think a lot of us "Christians" are like A.J Jacobs. We like how religion works, we like the hand of God, the good feelings the security, and the title but we never fell in love with Jesus.If we don't LIKE Jesus how are we going to want to spend eternity with him? He would rather spit you out of his mouth, and send you away until your serious about following him, then he would you half heartedly follow him. We deny ourselves daily, because don't trust in ourselves and our knowledge and philosophies.And we don't trust in the materials and social step ladder of this world.We deny ourselves daily because he is the only pursuit worth fighting for. He is the only one that will feed your soul, for God has set eternity in the hearts of man. No other religion has a beloved Jesus that brought you into the presence of God, being cleansed and made new through his own precious blood. Without Jesus being my goal, answer, source, and truth. I am seeking vanities, I'm seeking my own name, fame, and glory. I can boast in a lot of outward things, but what outward accomplishes can I boast in before the eyes and throne of my father? I wan to travel the world, run a marathon, preach on hippie hill and in the inner cities, I want to backpack Israel, pursue Veganism, fast for 40 days, Go sky diving, travel to Calcutta, India, own a coffee shop, live with hippies, and offer myself all and fully. But if I pour out my life just for the sake of the pride of this life.. it still means nothing without Jesus. It still means nothing in his presence, all that matter is if I had whole hearted, wreckless abandonment to him and him alone. For his Glory not my own. I am nothing but grass.. here today gone tommorrow. I have come to the conclusion over and over again, that I have to love him more. I have to be true in my love. He sees when I go to the temple for selfish ambition, and vain conceit. He sees when my ministry, or my words, flesh in them and are selfish and boastful. I had vision one day at Deliverance Bible Church, see I had been praying that I would stop filling my life, words, and actions with myself. Like I said were a bagful of flesh. We were dirt bags and he swooped down from heaven and formed us and breathed breadth into our nostrils. The Living God did this! I wanted a reality of just how fleshly I had become. I saw a vision of me talking and when I opened my mouth to speak, I saw clearly bits of flesh and dust flying out my mouth, in a sudden puff like you see in special affects on movies. It was disgusting.. bits of flesh and dust bursting out my mouth, it was gross. Thats what it looks like when activate in our flesh. I was talking to some Muslims the other day that didn't quite grasp how Jesus could be God and Man at the same time, man I don't fully grasp it either, thats how heavenly amazing it is. And how my fleshly mind can't comprehent the awesomeness of it all. But anyways, They didn't get that. See Jesus had flesh all over him, he was in his flesh all the time 24'7. But he never allowed his flesh to overtake his spirit and become fleshly. He knew who he was, he knew his calling, he knew he was the father's son. He knew he was equally yoked with God, being with God since the beginning of time. He was obedient to the holy spirit that dwelled within him. The reason we don't act like Jesus does, is because first and foremost we like our flesh too much. We enjoy activating out of it, and taking things in through it. We need to pray that Jesus would stamp eternity on our eyeballs, Johnathan Edwards did this daily. He prayed and prayed this prayer, and he then preached one of the Greastest Sermons in American History called "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God". He preached it, and people shook, fell down, and clung to the pews. This was in the 1700's! Leanord Ravenhill was right when he said we don't truly want revival enough. Thats our problem, we like our flesh too much, and were comfortable with going without revival. We are content in our lives, and boast much in it. We hold the pride of life, beloved I am wicked to my core. I just told you how much I activate in my flesh all the time! But I am convinced that if I hold fast to God's word, and speak it over my life, I can strive, and strain, and fix my eyes on the prize ahead. To eventually lay hold of being holy as he is holy. But I have to fix my desires, I can't desire my own kingdom I have to fix them on his. I can't desire my own will, I have to set my will on his. I have to DENY,DENY,DENY. Only then can I grasp the reality , and maybe taste a little more of the reality of this man named Jesus.

ज़अल फॉर थी हौस शाल कांसुमे मी!

Zeal! What a baptism of this same zeal the weak and wilting Church of this day needs. Zeal in this context is love ablaze. Zeal without reason becomes fanaticism. Jesus was not a fanatic. Yes, His love was blind to all the possible dangers of His mission. This love ignores personal safety, disregards the odds against it, drops "sacrifice" from its vocabulary, requires no crutches, ignores all danger, is intolerant of sin, but not fanatical.His was no sudden burst of anger; He had contemplated it all His life, but now the hour had come and men fled before His whip and holy anger.Leonard Ravenhill, 2/22/२००७
I absolutely Love this message.!!!

by Leonard Ravenhill
Enoch had prophesied, saying, "Behold, the Lord came with many thousands of His holy ones।" If Jesus had entered history like that, or had come on a dark night over Jerusalem in a blazing chariot of fire (like Elijah went up to heaven), then the clamoring crowds would have accepted and adored Him. But as the poet once said, "They were looking for a king, to bring salvation nigh, He came a little infant thing, that made a woman cry."

Cleansing the TempleThe local folk knew Jesus well, He was the best carpenter in the nation. But now He had stepped out of bounds, He accepted the nomination of that wild preacher John the Baptist as the Lamb of God. He had agreed to let the people mount Him on an ass and enter the city amid cries of "Hosanna." Now He had stirred the city by routing the moneychangers and cattle dealers from the temple. For almost thirty years He had watched men desecrate the place. He was outraged at their insolence and greed. He was disgusted that they had carpeted the temple courts with animal excrement, and polluted the place with the stench of urine.Each of the Gospels tells of the whipping Christ. But Luke makes a very valuable difference as he records the events in the life of Jesus. He says that before Jesus had entered the temple, while He was still entering Jerusalem, He had stopped to weep over the great city. So we have the weeping Christ before we had the whipping Christ. Since He was about His Father's business at twelve years of age, Jesus had trod the temple courts and had always been grieved and outraged that they were defiled not just with animal dung, but with red-eyed extortioners, cheating moneychangers, and cattle dealers. For thirty years He had been growing in grace and in the knowledge of His Father - now He knew His mission! And His explanation for this one-man attack on the sacrilege and defilement of the house of God is summed up in these words: "Zeal for Thy house will consume me."Zeal! What a baptism of this same zeal the weak and wilting Church of this day needs. Zeal in this context is love ablaze. Zeal without reason becomes fanaticism. Jesus was not a fanatic. Yes, His love was blind to all the possible dangers of His mission. This love ignores personal safety, disregards the odds against it, drops "sacrifice" from its vocabulary, requires no crutches, ignores all danger, is intolerant of sin, but not fanatical.His was no sudden burst of anger; He had contemplated it all His life, but now the hour had come and men fled before His whip and holy anger.
Spiritual Ecology"Pollution! Pollution!" cry the ecologists about our food, air, waters, and our auto emissions. But where, O where are the preachers crying out against the pollution in the churches? The heart of Jesus was broken over a nation that had the elect prophets of the Lord as its advisors. But who had heeded these prophets? They had not dined at kings' tables; they, like their Master, were despised and rejected of men. Some were men with scorching tongues, but they were also men with weeping eyes. Ah! but tell me if you can, where are the weeping preachers today?The cattle dealers in the temple were more interested in selling sacrifices than in offering them. And so today there are Christians at this very hour fighting feverishly for some political cause, and yet they are never heated over the wretched filth in their own church.Will we crusade against uncleanness in the "Church"? If not, better tell the sleepy saints again to eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we shall be raptured. But Jesus will not rapture a ruptured Church!
The Worst Thing In the WorldThere are some frightful tragedies in the world at this moment. When wise men swept aside the Bible, they told us that we would move into a new freedom for men. These wise men have proved that they are otherwise. Other smart men put their brains together to make a bomb so that we can turn a living city crisp in seconds. Then think of the implication of Afghanistan and Iran, the daily bleeding of millions in Kampuchea, and the masses waiting to leave Cuba. These are horrible things to contemplate, and yet I think there is one thing infinitely worse. It is a sick Church in a dying world.Never has the great U.S. ever been more broken than today. Broken marriages, leaving millions of broken homes. Thousands and thousands of teenagers whose minds are broken with drugs. The people's confidence and trust in the government is broken. The economy is broken - the once-mighty dollar is broken. All is broken except the hearts of the believers.We need broken hearts to face this colossal mess. Weeping is not only in order in the pulpit it is commanded! "Let the priests weep between the porch and the a/tar . . . let them howl." (Joel 2:17, 1:13) Jeremiah wept over the sin of Israel. David wept. Paul wept. John wept. Shall we remain dry-eyed in the most crucial chapter in world history and in our own?
Counterfeit ZealThe present lethargy in the Church is almost unpardonable. The Jehovah's Witnesses have zeal. The Mormons claim they are gaining more people from the evangelicals than we are gaining from them. The cultists zealously persist in getting a hearing in the streets.Saul of Tarsus had fanatical zeal. He threw men and women in prison and broke up their families, persecuting them from city to city. Miraculously God cleansed him, baptized him with fire, and made him a model zealot for His Kingdom.It is not enough in these days of such vast worldliness in the Church to say that we are fundamental or uncompromising in "doctrine." We must be ablaze with Holy Spirit-born anger. ("Be angry, and yet do not sin." Eph. 4:26) We must feel the hurt of God over the devil's domination of this age. We must apologize to the Almighty that we have turned to our own way, and have been more loyal to a manmade theology than to the exceedingly sober words of our Master. Like Paul, we must be able to say in His holy presence, This one thing I do..." I bear a broken heart over the coldness in the Church (including my own!). True, the zealous man of God lives for one thing only: to please God. He is impervious to the opinions of others about his zeal. He cares not what it costs him to burn out for God. In sickness or in health, in poverty or in wealth, whether he is esteemed or despised, flattered or flattened, considered a fool or a philosopher, through evil report or good report, kisses or curses, he is set to do the will of God!This man sees the Church today fouled with showmanship, bingo and bake sales, dances, tinsel and trivia, "holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power. (II Tim. 3:5) He sees the ministers condoning divorce in high places. Maybe his minister is divorced and remarried himself.Jesus today sees His Church unclean with disobedience by a watered-down gospel. We do not obey His commandments to "love one another," or rejoice to act out Matthew 23:11 "But the greatest among you shall be your servant." If there comes a man into the assembly with a gold ring, we do give him honor (James 2:2). If he has great wealth but little spirituality, he is still welcomed as a member of the board. We do not insist that our young preacher boys tarry (until they get a seminary diploma? No!) until they are endued with power from on high!
The Pharisee's PrayerThe Pharisee who prayed in the temple said, "God, I thank Thee that I am not like other people; swindlers, unjust, adulterers." There are many so-called Spirit-filled men today, who cannot even pray that prayer! Unjust they are for sure, they pay low wages and tell their workers that they are "doing this sacrifice for Jesus." Adulterers-there are famous preachers in this awful category. They, of course, have an explanation for their infidelity, yet many are accepted at conferences as keynote speakers. Extortioners - the radio preachers almost have this as a monopoly. A $25 Bible (God's Holy Word) is offered for a $100 gift! Other books are offered at five times their cost. "You are judging!" someone will say. Correct, I am told to judge (John 7:24). Jesus says, "Judge with righteous judgment." Also I, along with other true preachers of the Gospel, am a watchman and so have to warn others. Also, "judgment must begin at the house of the Lord." This bait to get money is an abomination. Preachers whine for money over the radio and television. "For this ministry" they say, and yet much of it is to sustain their extravagant lifestyle, costly airplanes, and fixing up luxury Bible conference grounds. And now they have joined the Pharisees who "rob widows' houses. After emptying your pockets while you live, they ask for your house and estate after you die. What next?
Stealing the GloryThis is a day of the personality cult. Men on TV gospel shows are presented as having given up so much for the Lord. All they gave up with their retirement from stardom was hell and eternal punishment. Let it be shouted from the housetops that no man does God a favor. Elegant living, etc. for the rich evangelists proves nothing except that they have not left all to follow Him. The Spirit-filled need no status symbols.The flattering introduction for gospel preachers is another great piece of blockage to revival. John 5:41 and 44 need soul-searching consideration. My heart is burdened and burning. God's house is polluted. The sinners scoff and say of the rich preachers, "Their creed is greed and their god is gold." We need a baptism of holy zeal to get us back to holy indignation that the money grabbers are back in the temple, and that God's heart is hurting.The Church began in the Spirit, now She is operating in the flesh. There is no pillar of fire over the sanctuary. There are no preachers who can hold the hell-bound spell-bound. I am not sure that it can be proved that Nero fiddled while Rome burned. It can be proved that the Church is fiddling while the world is burning! The one reason that we do not have revival today is that we are content to live without it.O for a generation of believers who can honestly say ,"Zeal for Thy house will consume Me."


लोर्ड इ वांट ठाट किन्दा ऑफ़ ज़अल!

Counting All Things Loss for the Sake Of Christ. Since I've started my internship, this verse has been our "core vision". I never thought about this verse as much in my life, it's something that has birthed within me. I knew that coming to this internship, I would let go of a relationship. I knew that I would lose control of my life and plans and surrender to the father's. I don't promote a doctrine, church, or internship. All I really want to talk about is him, I'm trying to lay hold of him in any tangible way I can. I'm not really good at grasping the concept of our loving father, or laying hold of him. All I have is a weak perception of this loving father, that I've really sook as a child. I'm humbled to think that whatever revelation, vision, or encounter I've ever received has been nothing but a foggy visual of this one we call Yahweh, the unseen triune God. So this verse has been churning in my spirit, and it's something I have to see, know, experience. What would it look like to really full force, go after this God with everything in me until I FINALLY lay hold of this concept- Counting all Things as Loss? What does that look like? And what would that look like in my own personal life? " I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead".Phil 3:10. I've basically come to the end of myself, I've realised anything that I've ever done in my own flesh, has been useless, selfish, and for my own vanity. I hate pride but it creeps up in every area of my life. Even in this blog. For man boasts in the Pride of Life, the Lust of the Flesh, and the Lust of the eyes. Thats why Paul says he puts no confidence in the flesh. I like this quote "The reason why many are still troubled, still seeking, still making little forward progress is because they haven't yet come to the end of themselves. We're still trying to give orders, and interfering with God's work within us"-A.W Tozier.

I know I want to do a lot of tangible outward things to prove that I count all things as loss. But this still isn't the case, we could give up everything but if we don't have love it's pointless. I want to come to the end of myself, for Flesh Lusts against the Spirit. But the holy spirit has to empty me, anytime I try to in vain get to this point of cheap grace. Grace in it's fullness loses its authenticity, it loses the purpose in which it was meant for therefore it's abused. And if Grace is abused as something that we in ourselves can obtain, than pride comes in. And we become utterly self righteous. I once met a group of hippies that lived in colonies around America, they seemed to have so much love in their hearts. They welcomed us onto their bus and fed us tea and cookies. They sang songs together in harmony, and did all things in the name of Yeshua. I liked them a lot. Almost so much to the point, of thinking hey I wouldn't mind this hippie life, at least for awhile.. maybe I could visit them someday and stay with them for a long time. But as I sat down to talk to them, they kept trying to convince me to live and join their community, and colony. Like it was the only way, and the only way you could become a TRUE Disciple of Yeshua is if you gave up everything and joined them. They wanted you to sell all your possesions in full committment to their colony and tribe. This might seem to be a self less thought, or a vain attempt to build their own kingdom. I've realised in the most loving communities, churches, or occults that I've come encountered with seem to be full of love and community living. But out of protection of their community living, they take more pride in their group, than they do in the cross and Jesus. I don't care how much of their "love" they say they have, if they don't have love which is ultimately nothing but Jesus then they really have nothing at all. The Hippie I talked to was convinced that you weren't a disciple, or true believer unless you did things their way. I asked him but the Lord has revealed to me I'm supposed to go to this internship for a year, and learn more about him. And in a way I've pretty much giving up a lot things that I've idolised above him. The hippies were contradicting themselves, even though they've given up a lot of material posessions, they still idolized their way, their ministry, their kingdom above Jesus. Their heart wasn't for the father to have his way in the lifes of people. What they conveyed was that they wanted their way in the lives of people. It was vanity to think that they can impose the way they pursuid Jesus on other people. The church keeps being devided on account of everyone claiming that their way, their doctrine, ministry, or philosophies are right instead of just proclaiming the cross and Jesus. Nothing else matters but the cross, and in my vain mind I could give up all things but if I don't have the true love of Jesus it's all vanities. Jesus is the only one who could give us that love, we must pray that he'll send the holy spirit to manifest a love in our hearts that is only to please him and not man. It is only set out to please him, instead of our own ideals, or our own way of pursuing him.The thing is we our wicked in ourselves, and pride is the most deceiving sin because we can't see it when it's there. See I could really fool myself and everyone around me, on the outside it could really look like I've given up everything as loss. But in my heart I might've given up everything but pride. I might've sold everything, and made it look like I am holy, but what if God who searches the heart shined some light on the fact that I have truly not come to the end of myself. See the minute we start to boast in our ways, and our walks, and our way of doing things. We have lost the visual of the cross, no matter what it looks like to man we cannot fool God." May I never boast except in the cross of lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world"-Galations 6:14. So thats it, we have to not boast in anything but the cross. No matter how much you think your way is the best, it's not. Because if I was to do everything outwardly that you do, but still not having the holy spirit then I have nothing at all. The holy spirit is the only one that works within us to make everything we say,do, or obtain obedient to the cross. The holy spirit makes everything genuine, everyhting real, and authentic. The holy spirit wipes us with the blood of Jesus, so God sees no fault in us. But how can we recieve that blood, and that atonement. When we go around boasting , and taking pride in the outward things that do not line up with our hearts. I can go through the right motions, because every human person has realised one truth about God. That his word is right, the act of not lying, stealing, or committing adultery makes you a good person. Even athiests agree with that statement, even if you don't believe in God. You still have a sense and moral truth of right and wrong. Sin causes Pain, and no one can deny its affects. So I can go on being a good person just with the basic truth that I'll live a good life. But if I don't have the love of Jesus in my heart, and everything I do is just because I know it works, not because I have a broken heart for doing the will of my father. Then it means nothing at all. Our righteous works mean nothing, unless we have the holy spirit giving witness to the father that it is him and him alone thats working within us. Our righteous works are nothing but filthy rags. " All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away-Isaiah 64:6. Everything I do that isn't a denial of self, and in the name of Jesus means nothing . I think this is what Jesus was talking about when he addressed the church in Laodicea. "You say I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.'But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich;and white clothes to wear, so you can cover up your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see.Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent."Rev.3:17-19.
See every time we are confident in our flesh, our good works, our ministry, and our flesh, we put less confidence in the cross. Grace loses it's affect and we become self righteous. We must come to the end of ourselves daily. We must realise that nothing we can do, say, obtain, or be is good at all in the eyes of our father, unless we deny ourselves and give all credit to Jesus the one who paid our debt on the cross. Counting all things as loss, isn't so much an outward thing we can take credit for. It's simply a heart issue. My pastor Cleetus once that Jesus wants to change our desires more than he wants to change our behaviors. He wants our desires to be captivated by him, and then he knows our behavior will naturally follow. We will naturally demand our flesh to be obedient to the desires, and heart cry of our souls. This starts when we take every thought captive and make it obedient to Jesus Christ. When we say Lord not by my strenth, or might but by your power alone am I even thought of as righteous or blameless in your sight. We must realise that their is no good in us, apart from Jesus Christ. Even if man looks at us and says we are good, in the eyes of God who pierces and tests the heart will reveal the true motives of why we lived good lifes. So be earnest beloved, Repent, and draw nearer to the father let his word which is like a double edged sword deviding marrow and bone. Cut your heart deeply and move you to boast in nothing but the cross, and to truly count all things as loss.