For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.
Philippians 1:21
Who cares what this life will bring? Why do we involve ourselves with what will come in this life?
For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
1 John 2:16
For surely, whether I live, I live for the Lord, and whether I die, I die for the Lord.
Brethren, even if anyone is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; each one looking to yourself, so that you too will not be tempted.
Galatians 6:1
What a far distance from this Scriptures so many people live today! Not that this isn’t done, but that there are so few that can do it, or seem to, at the very least! It happens for sure, but we could be further along.
Consider this. If someone who is caught in a trespass, the one who is spiritual should restore the other in gentleness. That is, the person who is not caught in sin should restore the person who is. While it is obvious that a person here is caught in a trespass, let us not miss the obvious that there is someone in this picture who isn’t!
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
Matthew 5:8
All of my desire is in this one thing, to see His Face (Psalm 27:4). If we truly have this hope in ourselves, we will purify ourselves (1 John 3:3).
The New Testament is replete with examples that underscore the fact that the God of the Old Testament hasn’t changed His desire for purity and holiness as a lifestyle for those who are of His house.
Hebrews 12:14 says without holiness no one will see Him. 2 Corinthians 7:1 indicates that we should do it out of reverence. It was because of His reverence that Jesus was heard of His Father when He prayed (Hebrews 5:7). Ephesians 5:6 indicates strongly, lest we give way to being deceived with empty words, that God’s wrath is coming upon the disobedient. Even Jesus Himself, in Matthew 5:48, commanded us to be perfect, even as the Father is perfect.
See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ.
Colossians 2:8
Our English word Philosophy comes nearly directly from the Greek, “philosophia”. It is a compound word made up of two Greek words, “Philo”, which is the affectionate love for something, and Sophia, meaning wisdom. Quite plainly, “philosophy” means “love of wisdom”. It is a love of thought, rational thinking and the laying out of things, and ordered structural analysis.
While this might sound very noble and the very thing a Christian would want, and in some capacity, it may be, Paul warns directly of being taken captive by it.
So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, with a continual lust for more.
Ephesians 4:17-19
In the depths of poverty, in the realms of despair, no matter what it seems, He is there.
By faith alone we stand, against the storms and the dregs, no matter what the devil unleashes, because of Christ alone, I live.
There is a saying that goes like this. Faith is faith when God has you out on a limb, sawing off that limb, and the tree falls. And the limb, severed, remains aloft, with you on it. A Faith walk is not described as walking across a gap where you see no bridge, it is walking off a cliff when you don’t see the other side.
Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it.
Luke 17:33 KJV
He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.
Matthew 10:39 KJV
Perhaps one of the most enigmatic phrases to the carnal observer would be this one, largely because it is so simple. He has hidden things from the wise and prudent, and revealed them to babes. Instinctive to nearly every human being who has not been otherwise affected is the basic drive for self-survival, self-preservation. It is at a core part of their being. In a human realm, such as in gangs and the mafia, only a greater fear than death itself is capable of overcoming such an innate, core part of our human nature. We fear death, and losing our self, and yet, this is at the core of not only the Gospel, yet of love itself. To love is to lose yourself, and yet retain it.
This verse is perplexing only in a natural sense, however, to mind of man, and not to God. Many have of course tried to fulfill this in their flesh, only to fail again and again, and some have set up whole camps for doctrines of thought around the whole idea that we should simply not try and just “let God”. While this may sound wonderfully and spiritual, the plain fact remains that we were given instruction for a reason, if we could just know how to apply it!
Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.
Matthew 7:7
This is part of the good news Jesus came to bring. If we ask for it, He will bring it. If we look for it, we will find it. If we keep knocking at the door, eventually, it will open for us. This is Kingdom 101 quite often, and, whether it is accepted as such or dismissed from there, it can often get little investigation later. However, as with many of Jesus’ sayings, they apply to multiple levels.
For instance, take the phrase “Seek and you will find.” This, of course, applies to the Kingdom of Heaven, to God the Father, and to Jesus. This of course applies to answers and deliverances and other such burdens we offer towards heaven. But, let’s look at this another way for a moment.
Jesus ministered on the Earth in the power of the Spirit. The gifts were evident yet not on display. The Spirit was present, and the gifts were promised, but the primary focus of the teaching was directed towards the Father’s will.
[B]ut he who is doing the truth doth come to the light, that his works may be manifested, that in God they are having been wrought.
John 3:21 YLT
The Kingdom and the earth cannot be compared. They are so drastically different from each other, that Jesus says the only way to really live “there” is to not live “here”. This obviously does not have to be fully understood to be lived, but for those who look to understand and see what Jesus was saying, in order to live by it, it becomes evident.
He who begins to build a tower must first calculate the cost, lest he run out half way through (Luke 14:28). Jesus said that unless you hate your former life (Luke 14:26), every part, including family ties and who you used to be, you cannot be His disciple. Luke 14:33 goes a long ways and says that unless you give up everything you have, you cannot be His disciple.
But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.
Matthew 7:14
When it comes to revival, and revival meetings, in one sense, revival is easy… Once the flow starts, the miracles happen, the atmospheres change, the going is good… On another side, we sometimes don’t see a great degree of change in the people that are attending revivals in the short term.
I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.
John 10:10 (portion)
The only pure life is the life yielded to the Spirit.
If we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.
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