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River
Registered user
Username: River

Post Number: 694
Registered: 9-2006


Posted on Tuesday, April 24, 2007 - 8:11 am:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

In the “Band of Brothers” movie one of the scenes was where a private was tormented with fear during some of the terrible battles portrayed, another soldier told him that the reason he could not function in battle was that he still had hope, hope of living to see his family and all that he held dear.

The man proceeded to tell him that he counted himself “already dead”.
During times of such stress I can personally vouch for the fact that one dares not think too much of home, family, wives or sweethearts, it has too much of a paralyzing effect and you cannot think or function, you have to let it go and do the job at hand.

For the last couple of days I have been thinking of how this might apply to the Christian.
We say “let go and let God” but are we really serious about this? I have to say I am struggling with this.
I think to a large extent a very many Christians have glibly said they have turned their lives over to Jesus but have not. They are saying it but have not done it.

In fact I have to say that I think very few have let go of this world and counted themselves “already dead”. Paul did to the point to where he was betwixt and between whether it would be better to die physically and be with Jesus.

I think we say things with good intention but they are just not true. Maybe we even desire them to be but still we hold on, holding out hope for this life or something in it. Jesus said we are in the world but not “of it”, I dare say that many that profess Christ are in the world and “of it” both.

I remember the time when we were at Defcon two or three I can’t remember exactly where we were on the Defcon scale but it was near enough to Defcon one for me to have to cast aside any hold my new bride and my family had on me and function as a soldier pure and simple.

When it comes down to the wire I am beginning to come to the conclusion with this thing that as Christians, if we have truly let go then we will function as people who have no future or past in this world.

As it might pertain to formers I think that many have “discovered Grace” (or) “The cross of Christ” but how many have been willing to let go of every aspect of Adventism, self, and so forth to seize fully the cross and begin to climb that old rocky hill to dead-ness to all for the sake of Christ and to lay hold on Christ?
I am sure that there has been many a missionary who thought they were giving up everything for the cross of Christ only to get to the mission fields and find out they brought old “self” along and hadn’t died to anything much.

We go to church and sing “Give it all, give it all to Jesus” and Jesus probably standing there just shaking his head and saying “Father forgive them for they know not what they sing”.

I can just hear Paul saying “Them worldly folks ain’t given up didly.”

Is it really a matter of “overcoming sin, the world and its glitter?” or is it really a matter of “giving up sin, the world and its glitter”, there was a song sang that is one of my favorites called “All the Gold in California”, and some of the words were “all that glitters is not gold”. Now there is a thought.

Jesus said that he had overcome the world so about all that leaves us to do is give it up would you suppose?

Some in these times wonder why we don’t have “signs following” as in the New Testament times but I just wonder how many we have of “dead-men following” such as Paul?

No doubt some of us are saying “Oh yes Lord, here I am a takin up my cross, I’m a die’en to tha world!” and I can just hear the Angles break out in laughter, Gabriel slapping his thighs and losing his breath all bent over laughing.
I think a step in the right direction might be honesty with ourselves and God and to think soberly of what it means to be “dead to the world” and alive only to Christ.
I tell you this, I struggle with the fact that I put on my Armour and then try to add a chrome hood ornament and custom tail lights.

I try to lose the pounds and end up over weight, weighed down with baggage of all sorts I keep bringing along and by the time I get done my Armour is unrecognizable as the Armour of God.
What I end up with is “loaded to the gills”.
This all reminds me of the Johnny Cash song about him building himself a Caddy “one peace at a time and didn’t cost him a dime”.

I am afraid many of us Christians are building our Armour one piece at a time so that we don’t have to spend a dime of our worldly cash on it.

I am afraid this world has such a paralyzing effect on us that we do not function very well as “Soldiers of the Cross”.
I don’t like to end this without some good news so here that is too “Jesus Loves you!” and “Our hope is in him”.

River
Colleentinker
Registered user
Username: Colleentinker

Post Number: 5730
Registered: 12-2003


Posted on Tuesday, April 24, 2007 - 4:13 pm:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

River, thank you for making me ponder. You've said some profound things here, such as this sentence: "Jesus said that he had overcome the world so about all that leaves us to do is give it up would you suppose?"

It's interesting that you brought up this topic because I've been thinking similar thoughts lately. I haven't thought about it so clearly, though, in terms of giving up the world and seeing myself as having no past and no real future here. That is really provocative.

What I have pondered lately is that ultimately I stand alone before God in Christ. I am given the job of interceding for people including my family. I am to love my sons and my husband for God as well as loving them for who they are. But ultimately, I have to see myself spiritually attached to Jesus alone. If I derive my meaning from any earthly human, I am not offering myself as a living sacrifice to the Lord Jesus.

Don't get me wrong—I believe that when we are in Christ our emotional attachments are deeper and stronger than when we are not; our love is more intense and more nourishing—but ultimatley I have to let go of my attachments that define me. Jesus alone must define me.

I remember when I first married Richard I realized that in a way, in my heart, he had sort-of "replaced" Jesus. I didn't exactly know what to do about that—I was still wandering in a lot of misconceptions from my Adventism—but I was distrubed by the fact that I felt less needy of Jesus since I had Richard.

Today my attachment to Richard is much deper, more satisfying, and more vulnerable than it was then. I really know him and he knows me in profound ways. At the same time, I realize that who I am is defined in Jesus, and I have to be willing to allow Jesus to do what He wills in Richard's life, my sons' lives, my work—in fact, everything I value. I have to be willing to let go of my desire to manage or control or even keep for myself the things and people I love and and give Jesus the final word about them.

Please don't misunderstand—I'm not disattaching emotionally or trying to suppress my emotions or desires. I'm just convicted that I have to see those I love and the things I love as belonging to God, not to me, and that I must trust Him to care for them and for me in the ways that will bring Him glory.

My life must be about the glory of the Lord Jesus, not about my own comfort or provision. He holds me, as He holds my loved ones, and He IS my all-in-all. (At least, that is what I WANT Him to be, and what I believe He is asking me to let Him be to me!)

Colleen

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