Hearts of Flesh Bleed

I’d rather have pain than porosis

It’s better to hurt than be hard

If I would be formed in His image

Then like Him I will bruise and be scarred

Since He was made perfect through suffering

A perfect high priest to become

Then even in this let me know Him

Taste His grief, feel his pain, be alone

For stony hearts wince not at chastening

But scourgings make hearts of flesh bleed

And weak ones will yield to this mercy

While proud hearts stay blind to their need

Lord save me from my love of comfort

And take from me my heart of stone

I know hearts of flesh know more suffering

But they also feel love like your own

Being Like Minded

"Being like minded" and "Having the SAME mind" can be tragically different.  

Publicans and drunkards share a "like mind".  

Sadducees and Pharisees both share in two differing like-minded ideologies.  

Liberals share a like mind with other liberals and conservatives enjoy like-minded cooperation with fellow conservatives.  But, none of these groups share in the SAME mind!  

Believers are called to something beyond having a similar mind to others; we are called to be of the SAME MIND AS CHRIST!  

Here is how Paul described this SAME mind that we are to have:

"But the God of patience and encouragement give you the same thing to mind among one another -ACCORDING TO CHRIST JESUS!"  

 

We are all to have the SAME MIND as Christ Jesus - NOT just a mind LIKE our closest friends or our own denomination.  

 

Even criminals can share a like mind with their buddies. There is nothing inherently spiritual about being close to a select or preferred group, if that group does not have THE SAME MIND ACCORDING TO CHRIST towards others different than themselves.  The MIND ACCORDING TO CHRIST Jesus  was described this way in the preceding verses -

 

"We then  who are strong should bear with the scruples of the weak and NOT TO PLEASE OURSELVES.  Let each of us PLEASE HIS NEIGHBOR FOR HIS GOOD, leading to edification.  For even Christ DID NOT PLEASE HIMSELF..."  

 

May The Lord give us a true revelation on the dynamic difference between sharing a soulish like mind and having the same MIND OF THE SPIRIT "ACCORDING TO CHRIST."  

 

Sharing soulish similarities allows and fosters carnal criticisms, puffed up prejudices, and doctrinal divisiveness.  

 

The mind of Christ is to make ALL believers PERFECTLY ONE!  Only those who have the SAME MIND ACCORDING TO CHRIST JESUS will be able to experience " living in ONE accord", so that with ONE mouth we might glorify God our Father and The Lord Jesus Christ.  Therefore let us receive one another exactly like Christ Jesus received us unto the glory of God!  

 

May The Lord give us HIS SAME MIND towards one another and all men!

Abiding in His Love

Walking in the Light = Abiding in the Love. All who are not loving their brethren are walking in darkness - the darkness has blinded them.

Those who are abiding in the love of God are walking in the light and enjoying fellowship with the Father and His Son and other saints.

It is a false claim when someone asserts that they are having fellowship with God but are unable to have fellowship with other believers.

BEWARE the "Elijah" syndrome! - the mindset that "I am the only one left and now they are seeking to kill me." New Testament prophets are primarily given for the edification of the saints. A prophet may speak frankly to bring reproof when needed, but New Testament prophets are to operate "within" local ekklesias (churches).

Lone Ranger prophets who are not knit together with other believers are not a New Testament pattern. Being set apart unto the Lord is not only living separate from the world; it is also living in the unity of the Spirit with other believers.

The More Light we Receive - the More Love we Relate. The power of God is not only the ability to stand against the powers of darkness but even more the power to STAND WITH the family of faith.

In the parable of the sheep and the goats, not one person received a reward for who they were AGAINST. Every commendation Jesus gave was for what someone did "FOR" the least of these my brothers."

Living in His light = living in His love!

The Venerability of His Vulnerability

The veneration we have come to look upon our Lord with is a direct result of how vulnerable He made Himself in our behalf.   “Vulnerable” has a Latin origin that developed into the French word “vulnerare” – to wound.    It is our Lord’s wounds that make Him so wonderful; His pain is what made Him so precious.   Though being in the very form of God, He condescended to taking the form of a man, becoming not a sovereign – rather a servant, choosing vulnerability over venerability.

He offered His back to those who beat Him.  He turned His cheeks to those who tore out His beard.  He did not hide His face from mocking and spitting.  He stood silent as He was falsely condemned and cruelly mocked.   He was despised and rejected of men, a man of sorrows well acquainted with grief.  Like one from whom men hide their faces, He was despised and we esteemed Him not.   The we – were His own people – we received Him not because we esteemed Him not.   

Surely He took up our infirmities, and carried our sorrows, yet we considered Him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted.  But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and by His wounds we are healed.

He made Himself vulnerable, despicable, condemnable, contemptible so that His Father might become venerable.   His vulnerability before men is the reason for His venerability with God.  His own rejected Him, His Father respected Him. 

Next time we are tempted to grow weary or murmur about the wounds we receive at the hands of others,  let’s consider Him who endured such contradiction of sinners so that we do not grow weary and lose heart.   If we hope to share in the joy of His veneration, we must first embrace the pain of His vulnerability.  

His wounds are still visible in heaven – His vulnerability will be venerated for eternity.

Preparing for a Permanent Bond

Many attempts to put a new coat upon an existing surface fail because of lack of preparation to insure good adhesion. Nearly every can of paint or tube of adhesive material warn that failure to carefully remove dirt, water, grease or loose material will result in a poor bond. The instructions always highlight the importance of thorough “surface preparation.”

It is interesting how we will be so careful to read and follow directions for natural bonding applications while failing to recognize the greater importance of spiritual adhesion. Spirit will not bond with Flesh! We can not put on Christ without removing Adam!

Paul gives very specific instructions regarding the importance of new life “surface preparation.” Hear the instructions he gave to those early believers: “If indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.”

Many of us have failed to realize that the new man in Christ will never bond with the old man in Adam; failure to remove the old man’s flesh will always result in poor adhesion with Christ’s own life giving Spirit; the two will never bond together. The Spirit of Christ Jesus will only bond with our spirit, our inner man; we must remove the outer man’s corrupt flesh so that His Spirit can properly bond with our spirit. “He who is joined with the Lord is one spirit with Him.” We can never receive the life of the Spirit while making provision for and walking in the flesh. The flesh, with the law of sin in its members, must be put to death and put off in preparation for putting on the Lord Jesus Christ.

Flesh and Spirit will not mix any more than oil and water; attempting to put the new spiritual nature of Christ on top of the old carnal nature in Adam will result in failure of adhesion that will give way at the first sign of trouble. We might look spiritual for awhile; but, just like the house built on sand – the coming flood will soon reveal that the newly built house formed no actual bond with the immoveable rock. The wise man “dug deep” removing the material that would prevent his foundation from bonding with the solid rock. It took him much longer to build, but his house was left standing long after the fool’s house became river debris.

Perhaps we are skeptical that such a simple analogy could be so relevant spiritually, but let’s at least ask ourselves why every provision for life and godliness in Christ Jesus seem so inconsistently present in our lives when we are tested. Why have the many attempts we have made to “Put on the Lord Jesus Christ” still resulted in failure during temptation? I believe if we are honest, we will admit that we have attempted to put Christ on before we have finished putting Adam off. May the Lord grant us a fresh godly sorrow over the areas where we have attempted to cover over Adam rather than remove him.

Seeing God, A Promise to the Pure

We have heard -
"The pure in heart shall see God." The word Matthew uses for "pure" here is "katharoi", a word translated "cleanse" in most passages. So it is the "cleansed" heart that shall "see" God.

This gives all of us great hope to be able to "SEE" our Father - if we will allow our heart to be cleansed! But how shall a young man "cleanse" his way? OH YES! "By taking heed to Thy word!" Isn't this what happens when the Holy Spirit convicts us of sin as we are walking in the light? The Spirit brings the word of cleansing to our attention and if we receive His word, and "confess" our sin, which literally means "to say the same", then He is faithful and just to both "forgive our sin" and “CLEANSE US FROM ALL UNRIGHTEOUSNESS.”

This is how we keep a "CLEANSED" heart. In the First Covenant, no one who was ceremonially unclean was even allowed to approach the temple area. If a man had become unclean, and refused to receive the "water of cleansing", he was to be "cut off" from his people (ie put to death). Refusal to confess our sins and be "cleansed" of all unrighteousness" will also prevent us from being able to approach our Father and will result in the same judgment, actually even worse - the second death! Only eternal torment is worse than physical death without mercy!

Do we want to "SEE" God? Then - "let us purify (cleanse)
our self from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of the Lord.” Cleansing our self is how we perfect holiness -without which no man shall see the Lord.

Those who want to "SEE" God will be diligent to "cleanse" themselves, every time the Holy Spirit points out a sin to them. This is how we keep a "cleansed" heart and are then able to approach the throne of grace in full confidence to receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

God wants to be seen by all, but He will not let the "unclean" approach Him. If we want to "SEE" our Father, we must be continually cleansing our hearts in order to perfect the holiness that without which neither we nor any other man will ever "SEE" the Lord.

The Hidden Purpose

Peace was not His purpose

His instrument was pain

A regimented suffering

designed to increase strain

I tried to comprehend it

in vain to understand

the more I sought the truth to grasp

it slipped right through my hand

Loneliness and sorrow

became familiar friend

His answer to my fainting cry,

"Endure unto the end"

What was His aim I muttered

with hope and vision dim

I thought that my surrender

would make me more like Him

Then suddenly I saw it

a figure bruised and marred

beyond all recognition

His body ugly scarred

through tear filled eyes now gazing

the dawning light did see

His still voice broke the silence

"You asked to be like Me"

Take up the Towel and the Bowl

Take up the Towel and the Bowl

In a time of tremendous temptation

to take up the bow and the sword

Let's remember our Lord's preparation

before the travail of His soul

And let our full love manifest now

and take up the towel and the bowl

Let's wash all the feet of our brethren

and bless them in grace and in peace

without wood a fire cannot linger

without tale bearing strife too will cease

If we see with the eyes that are carnal

the enemies look much like men

 and our anger will place us in danger

and drive us with passion to sin

O Lord set a guard on my mouth now,

and keep a watch over my tongue

grant me discernment with each thought

and I'll mortify them while they've young

Give me the mind of Christ Jesus

to yield to Your ways and be still

And lay down my life for my brothers

in prayer that this fulfill Your will

I thank You for using men's passions

to work out Your purpose on earth

And I thank You for travailing labor

that brings us to spiritual birth

I have one request for today Lord,

just one pressing hope for this hour

That more of Your likeness I'll bear now

and know more of Your living power