The Cost of Discipleship!

Luke 14:26-35 | 16:13-15 If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple. And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me, he cannot be My disciple. For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he may have enough to finish it; lest perhaps, after he has laid the foundation and is not able to finish, all those seeing begin to mock him, saying, This man began to build and was not able to finish. Or what king, going to make war against another king, does not first sit down and consult whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? Or else, while the other is still a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks conditions of peace. So then, everyone of you who does not forsake all his possessions, he cannot be My disciple. Salt is good, but if the salt has become tasteless, with what shall it be seasoned? It is not fit for the land, nor for manure, but men throw it out. He who has ears to hear, let him hear. | No servant can serve two masters. For either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will hold to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon. And the Pharisees also, who were covetous, heard all these things, and they derided Him. And He said to them: You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God.

This is a statement right from the mouth of Jesus Christ, which is so brazenly obvious, that it would take a passion for mammon and wealth-mongering to NOT see/hear it. Again, for those with (Spiritual) ears to hear and eyes to see! The Godless-religious are only involved in religion to improve their lot in this life, but the cost of Discipleship BEGINS with an utter abandonment of ALL material things; to be diametrically opposed to mammon. There are only 2 choices here; God, or mammon. Notice; it is not God or Satan; good or evil; Jesus or Mohammad! You are either anti-mammon, or not, it is just that simple and plain! But you see, the Pharisees of Jesus' time, and of ours, have the exact same heart-condition. They lust after the world; mammon gives them power and class; a footing in this world; it helps them navigate this life and be impressive to other humans, Christian or not. It provides them with a resource that keeps them out of the dirt! They get to mimic the Godless Capitalists with their suits and ties; with their expensive cars and homes. They justify all of this, with Scripture; Anathema! But this is what religion provides the Mammonites of our time/culture: justification with faith! Scripture is an exposition of greed and materialism, and the hearts of the Godless-religious are cold and self-centered, non-communal, bigger-barn-building and hoarding. And so, as the cultures of men became ever more urbanized and unnatural, so the need for mammon increased exponentially! The Laodicean Age began roughly about the time of the Industrial Revolution. What is most highly esteemed among men in our time/culture? Capitalism, mammon, wealth, materialism, power, recognition and praise: By their fruits you shall know them! And the hunger for wealth and recognition are seen among those who lacked it in their youth. Adults (without Christ-in-them) try to compensate for what they lacked in former times. But Jesus calls us (the sheep in His fold; the wheat in His barn) to separate ourselves from this world, knowing that the world, for most part, (was, and) would be corrupt and unfit for the Holy and Regenerated. But we first must demonstrate to God, our complete disinterest in this world; after all, it was Jesus who said:

Mark 4:13-24 Do you not know this parable? And how then will you know all parables? The sower sows the Word. And these are those by the wayside, where the Word is sown. And when they hear, Satan comes immediately and takes away the Word that was sown in their hearts. And these are those likewise being sown on stony places; who, when they hear the Word, immediately receive it with gladness. But they have no root in themselves, but are temporary. Afterward when affliction or persecution arises for the Word's sake, they are immediately offended. And these are those being sown among thorns; such as hear the Word, and the cares of this world, and the deceit of riches, and the lust about other things entering in, choke the Word, and it becomes unfruitful. And these are those sown on good ground, who hear the Word and welcome it, and bear fruit, one thirty, one sixty, and one a hundredfold. And He said to them, Does a lamp come to be put under a grain-measure, or under a bed? and not to be set on a lampstand? For there is nothing hidden which shall not be revealed; nor became covered, but that it might come to the light. If any man has ears to hear, let him hear. And He said to them, Take heed what you hear. With that measure which you measure, it shall be measured to you. And to you who hear, more shall be given.

Mark 8:34-37 | 10:19-27 And calling near the crowd with His disciples, He said to them, Whoever will come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me. For whoever will save his life shall lose it; but whoever shall lose his life for My sake and the gospel's, he shall save it. For what shall it profit a man if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? | You know the commandments: Do not commit adultery, do not kill, do not steal, do not bear false witness, do not defraud, honor your father and your mother. And he answered and said to Him, Teacher, all these I have observed from my youth. Then Jesus, beholding him, Loved him and said to him, One thing you lack. Go, sell whatever you have and give it to the poor, and you shall have treasure in Heaven. And come, take up the cross and follow Me. And he was sad at that saying and went away grieved, for he had great possessions. And Jesus looked around and said to His disciples, How hardly those having riches will enter into the kingdom of God! And the disciples were astonished at His words. But Jesus answering again said to them, Children, how hard it is for those who trust in riches to enter into the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich one to enter into the kingdom of God. And they were astonished beyond measure, saying to themselves, And who can be saved? And Jesus looking on them said, With men it is impossible, but not with God; for with God all things are possible. | Truly, truly, I say to you, Unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it abides alone; but if it dies, it brings forth much fruit. He who loves his life shall lose it. And he who hates his life in this world shall keep it to life eternal. If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there also My servant shall be. If anyone serves Me, the Father will honor him. John 12:24-26

The cost of Discipleship can be measured in two ways; there is the obvious, martyrdom; the cost is our life, and that is indeed, grievous. Many throughout time had to pay, either with their very existence straightway, or those who suffered physically and financially for many years, and died before their natural life ended. For me, I do not know the future, but I doubt that I will ever be at a place where I would have to die as the cost of following our Lord Jesus Christ (but who knows). If it comes to that, then I'm ready to go, but I'm in a fairly comfortable place and time, and so, unless something occurs that's very different than the sum of my life thus far, as a modern American, I will be more fortunate than other's who paid the ultimate cost. Therefore, this discussion is not about physical martyrdom, but it is a form of it, if you consider the losses one must accept, in the calling. Those losses vary, depending on where a person lives, what time in history they lived, and the genetic family one is born into. I am fortunate and so this is not to whine or complain. It is not to point any fingers. It is an exposition on the cost of Discipleship from another perspective, and many others before me have written far better treatises on the subject (see links at page bottom). But my heart had to say what compels me, as one of my favorite ministries, is writing! In fact, if you look at writing itself, I have spent thousands of hours writing, and that time could have been spent doing other things that would have benefited me personally; financially, but I have this drive inside of me to continue to put into words, all that God brings into my Soul. This passion has cost me more than you could imagine!

Discipleship will come with a cost, no matter how you look at it. There are those who come from "Christian" backgrounds, who have members of their own genetic family, who participate in religion, and have a belief-system that includes the word "Jesus Christ". But they are content to keep Jesus in the church-building; to keep the faith a culturally acceptable presentation to the masses. In fact, the businesses of religion provide for many, their "show of faith"; that fruit that proves they are Christian. As Matthew Seven demonstrates, there will be multitudes of "Lord-Lorders" who never knew Jesus Christ from the utter depths of their Soul; indeed, they never surrendered unto the foot of the cross, they merely added the religion-package to their carnal worldly lifestyles, and then locked in that package, become jaded, self-righteous and graceless. They pay no cost for Discipleship, for it is much easier to just pay tithes! But religion is not what being a Disciple of Christ is all about; all the ministrations were about Spiritual and then personal maturation, and the certainty of our purpose in this life; it was about being delivered from the darkness and instability of the physical world, and to transcend it all, by the Indwelling Holy Spirit, who radically changes us, Soul, mind and body. We become Love; we become One; we become the unified Body of Christ, and once that IS, the ministrations have no purpose; no meaning. Organized religion should only be a launching pad; it should only be serving a temporal purpose, and then it closes its doors. But it does not promote this cause; they just open up their business doors and take in the offerings, tithes and the other services they sell, and then they close the business doors and return home to live as the world does.

Romans 16:17-18 And I exhort you, brothers, to watch those making divisions and offenses contrary to the doctrine which you have learned, and avoid them. For they who are such do not serve our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches they deceive the hearts of the simple.
Ephesians 4:11-16 And truly He gave some to be apostles, and some to be prophets, and some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ. And this, until we all come into the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a full-grown man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; so that we no longer may be infants, tossed to and fro and carried about by every wind of doctrine, in the dishonesty of men, in cunning craftiness, to the wiles of deceit. But that you, speaking the truth in Love, may in all things grow up to Him who is the Head, even Christ; from whom the whole body, fitted together and compacted by that which every joint supplies, according to the effectual working in the measure of each part, producing the growth of the body to the edifying of itself in Love.

The cost of Discipleship is indeed, high. Once we are called, we become overwhelmed by that calling; once overwhelmed, everything in this life seems like a weight holding us down. For many, even family seemed an obstacle. For some of the Apostles, they did indeed leave their families to follow Jesus. Now keep in mind; they did not abandon their family entirely (God does not call us to be irresponsible); however, they did have to make a choice between spending their lives with family as a village (a community), as opposed to just seeing them now and then as they traveled about spreading the Gospel. That commission is far different today, than it was then. Today we have mass-media and mass-communications; then, it was word of mouth only, and on foot, no less! And so, it took a huge commitment to follow, and this was the message of Jesus to those who felt the calling, but who was still chained to the corporeal. Today, we need not squander depleting planetary resources to pass each other in the air or on the ground, to say the same thing; to share the Gospel. Many church-businesses squander natural resources to secure missionary badges, because such badges make good tools for taking monetary resources from their drones/followers. As with any recruitment entity, the need to create things that help to justify asking for ever-more monetary gain, demonstrates the core of all taker-style ministries. Taker ministries are typically tax-exempt mammon businesses that exist to take monies from others, and these include church-businesses who offer services such as sing-a-long's, monologues, education and prayer / donation-businesses who offer food, clothing and disaster services / and construction entities who offer reduced-cost housing and fix-ups. But they all seek the same thing; unearned incomes from others, and all involved have to create business-entities in order to take in those donations. They expect others to donate or volunteer their time for the very "ministry" that they are deriving a paycheck from (ludicrous)! Of course, once the Indwelling HS radically transforms the human Soul, the idea of taking handouts (under most any non-emergency circumstance) is horrifying. But to the non-transformed Religionists (the Godless-religious), they have the same basic mentality as the Godless world that they mimic and are lead by, and because of!

Coerced Righteousness Is Not Holiness

When we see women wrapped up head to toe, we are not always witnessing righteousness. Modestly is a show of holiness, but not all modesty is motivated by the desire to live holy. A person must want to live a holy life, and it cannot be imposed upon the unwilling. If a person only acts holy because it is expected on them, by others, they are hypocrites. If a person follows dress codes or other outward signs of holiness, just to fit in or be compliant with social, religious or cultural directives, then they are not showing the true person within. Now, most people who dress modestly, are modest (which are one sign of holiness): Most people, who try to live apart from the world and the worldly, are honest in their directives. But not all! In Catholicism and Protestantism, most are putting on a show on the weekends, but their lifestyles range from pure debauchery to simple consumerism, but ultimately, God will judge the heart; the character. When we are young, and infected by the world, the normal pathway to living is to lose ones virginity before one gets too old. Most females living in a Godless culture and surrounded by the Godless (and the Godless-religious), find themselves having sex in their teens. Once revealing clothing and face-paint was publicly acceptable, teen pregnancy skyrocketed. Strange coincidence? Not! We are sexual beings, and this is a good thing. But God taught directives that we are all to follow, and we can still see these directives among those who comply with modest dress and non-worldliness (the Amish, some Mennonites). When teens are kept from the world in community, they are far less likely to become worldly. We bring up a child, and band him/her with our own lifestyles of holiness, and they have a foundation to build upon. But as with the Amish, once a child becomes an adult, they are given the option to run with the world; they are given the freedom that they already have anyway (volition); given to them by God (this period is called Rumspringa). Most do not want to go into the world, while a few do. Still others are like the prodigal son. Giving them the option; the freedom to go into the world reveals the character of that young adult, for good or for bad. Living a holy life in an unholy world is not easy, for anyone, but it is a choice, Amish or not.

In the world, the worldly operate just as the Godless operate; they do not recognize this exactly because they are sold out to mammon, only, in the name of religion. And so, one only need to have Holy ears and then listen to the Godless-religious, in the world, to hear them speak the lies of the enemy. Look at the mind, for one of hundreds of said examples: How insulting it is to imply that the Holy Spirit cannot heal a person within, what a Psychologist can heal from without (secular or religious). All I have in response to this blasphemy is Anathema! But you see, this is further evidence that we are in the end-times; the Laodicean Age. The church-corporate operates almost completely in the dark. They have been in a state of compromise for so many generations, that they simply mimic those of their past, who were also in the dark, fulfilling so many statements (indeed, prophesies) from Scripture, that it is hard to not see it. But the blinders God places are secure, indeed! Without the Indwelling Holy Spirit, the patient, the pastor and the professional, are in darkness. It is the blind leading the blind, and the fruit of that reality is as plain to see as ripened fruit on a tree. But the blind cannot see the fruit. They only know what's there if I tell them what is there; and then, only if I'm telling them the truth. This is why the Godless-religious can (and is) so easily misleading the followship. To believe that the Indwelling Holy Spirit does not change people radically comes only from those who are not radically changed themselves! God heals; indeed, the evidence of the Indwelling Holy Spirit IS Spiritual, mental/emotional healing and wholeness! Conversely; if a person has not yet surrendered unconditionally unto the supreme Lordship of Yahshua Messiah (Jesus Christ); that person has not yet died, and therefore has not yet been re-born (born-again), and so they are the pretenders. Verily, all who touch, or are touched by God, are healed (those with severe physiological brain damage are exempt). The rest are playing a very dangerous game: They are Pharisaic:

Matthew 23:9-33 (cev) Don't call anyone on earth your father. All of you have the same Father in heaven. None of you should be called the leader. The Messiah is your only leader. Whoever is the greatest should be the servant of the others. If you put yourself above others, you will be put down. But if you humble yourself, you will be honored. You Pharisees and teachers of the Law of Moses are in for trouble! You're nothing but show-offs. You lock people out of the kingdom of heaven. You won't go in yourselves, and you keep others from going in. You Pharisees and teachers of the Law of Moses are in for trouble! You're nothing but show-offs. You travel over land and sea to win one follower. And when you have done so, you make that person twice as fit for hell as you are. You are in for trouble! You are supposed to lead others, but you are blind. You teach that it doesn't matter if a person swears by the temple. But you say that it does matter if someone swears by the gold in the temple. You blind fools! Which is greater, the gold or the temple that makes the gold sacred? You also teach that it doesn't matter if a person swears by the altar. But you say that it does matter if someone swears by the gift on the altar. Are you blind? Which is more important, the gift or the altar that makes the gift sacred? Anyone who swears by the altar also swears by everything on it. And anyone who swears by the temple also swears by God, who lives there. To swear by heaven is the same as swearing by God's throne and by the one who sits on that throne. You Pharisees and teachers are show-offs, and you're in for trouble! You give God a tenth of the spices from your garden, such as mint, dill, and cumin. Yet you neglect the more important matters of the Law, such as justice, mercy, and faithfulness. These are the important things you should have done, though you should not have left the others undone either. You blind leaders! You strain out a small fly but swallow a camel. You Pharisees and teachers are show-offs, and you're in for trouble! You wash the outside of your cups and dishes, while inside there is nothing but greed and selfishness. You blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of a cup, and then the outside will also be clean. You Pharisees and teachers are in for trouble! You're nothing but show-offs. You're like tombs that have been whitewashed. On the outside they are beautiful, but inside they are full of bones and filth. That's what you are like. Outside you look good, but inside you are evil and only pretend to be good. You Pharisees and teachers are nothing but show-offs, and you're in for trouble! You build monuments for the prophets and decorate the tombs of good people. And you claim that you would not have taken part with your ancestors in killing the prophets. But you prove that you really are the relatives of the ones who killed the prophets. So keep on doing everything they did. You are nothing but snakes and the children of snakes! How can you escape going to hell?

Matthew 4:23-24 (cev) Jesus went all over Galilee, teaching in the Jewish meeting places and preaching the good news about God's kingdom. He also healed every kind of disease and sickness. News about him spread all over Syria, and people with every kind of sickness or disease were brought to him. Some of them had a lot of demons in them, others were thought to be crazy, and still others could not walk. But Jesus healed them all.

Hebrews 12:8-17 (cev) God corrects all of His children, and if He doesn't correct you, then you don't really belong to Him. Our earthly fathers correct us, and we still respect them. Isn't it even better to be given true life by letting our Spiritual Father correct us? Our human fathers correct us for a short time, and they do it as they think best. But God corrects us for our own good, because He wants us to be holy, as He is. It is never fun to be corrected. In fact, at the time it is always painful. But if we learn to obey by being corrected, we will do right and live at peace. Now stand up straight! Stop your knees from shaking and walk a straight path. Then lame people will be healed, instead of getting worse. Try to live at peace with everyone! Live a clean life. If you don't, you will never see the Lord. Make sure that no one misses out on God's wonderful kindness. Don't let anyone become bitter and cause trouble for the rest of you. Watch out for immoral and unGodly people like Esau, who sold his future blessing for only one meal. You know how he later wanted it back. But there was nothing he could do to change things, even though he begged his father and cried.

The reason why many do not like Scriptural translations except the current King James Version, is because they have spent years learning how to make it say what they want it to say, in order to live the lifestyle they want (and typically that's Capitalistic/Materialistic/Mammonites). To employ an appropriate metaphor: They strain out a gnat and swallow a camel! New translations make certain passages say something other than what they've been applying to their understanding of it (hence, the rejection). But the CEV is a great translation, and more so into modern thinking, than just to modern language. The KJV is more easily distorted because the language is different, as is the culture, the times and the motives of the teachers and its followship. King James was a Godless man; he exploited the power that religion had over the masses; that was his motive for inaugurating the translation into the dialect of the simpleton masses (his tax-base). Now, my Bible computer program centers on the King James version, and I use it religiously. But the extremism of this one translation being superior to all others, is just that; extremism, which is a manifestation of Godlessness. These are the end-times, and Satan is using a billion self-professing Christians (wolves in sheep's clothing) to participate in end-time prophesies. The bulk of those who profess to be Christian, are in fact, the core of the prophetic Matthew Seven Christian: They will not know that they're not Saved, until they are standing before Jesus Christ on that Day! It has to be; it has to happen; it is happening! In no other way does the truth of Scripture reveal itself, than in the pretenders of end-time prophesy (the Godless-religious).

Evangelicals and the Marketing of the Religion-Businesses!

The business of marketing became a necessity once humans stopped looking to God and His creation, for their corporeal needs. Once mammon became the selection, the degradation of the Religionists became worse and worse over time. Jesus said that we must choose between God and mammon, not good and evil; not God and Satan! The evidence of that choice is manifest! Church attendance and involvement has become the replacement to a radical lifestyle change that's the result of the transformation of the Soul. The un-transformed Religionist may be able to recognize the Biblical ideals of transformational-ism, and teach said ideals, and can witness the change in others, but only the Indwelling can transform the Soul. To be born-again means that the living must first die, and then be resuscitated by the Indwelling Holy Spirit! This epoch is replaced by emotions and personalities, and witnessed in the evangelical branches of the Christ-titles entities. For example, child evangelism, which is not Biblical, is still considered to be a ministry among most of the religionists; this evidence proves that they are more interested in building a customer-base than they are a transformed existence. As businesses first, all the churches are competing for that customer-base; since we live deep into the Laodicean Age, the number of non-atheists is declining, it is becoming (ever-more) a war for pew fulfillment. This is why Protestant churches are mirrors of their respective cultures, rather than what they were in the Apostolic Age. The word "church" was/is translated from the word "ecclesia", which means a gathering, an assemblage or a collective; we see this demonstrated by Jesus many times, when He gathered His disciples (or others) together to instruct them (or feed them). It was important that the fellowships remained mobile; not only for the sake of spreading the word itself, but also to serve beyond ones own region. Instead, Jesus used the word "gather"; He only used the word "church" a few times at the end of His earthly ministry, and only in the context of a fellowship:

Matthew 16:17-19 | 18:12-20 Jesus answered and said to him, You are blessed, Simon, son of Jonah, for flesh and blood did not reveal it to you, but My Father in Heaven. And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give the keys of the kingdom of Heaven to you. And whatever you may bind on earth shall occur, having been bound in Heaven, and whatever you may loose on earth shall occur, having been loosed in Heaven. | What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them strays, does he not leave the ninety and nine and go into the mountains and seek the straying one? And if it happens that he finds it, truly I say to you, he rejoices more over it than over the ninety and nine which did not stray. Even so it is not the will of your Father in Heaven that one of these little ones should perish. But if your brother shall trespass against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother. But if he will not hear you, take one or two more with you, so that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it to the church. But if he neglects to hear the church, let him be to you as a heathen and a tax-collector. Truly I say to you, whatever you shall bind on earth shall occur, having been bound in Heaven; and whatever you shall loose on earth shall occur, having been loosed in Heaven. Again I say to you that if two of you shall agree on earth as regarding anything that they shall ask, it shall be done for them by My Father in Heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in My name, there I am in their midst.

Matthew 19:3-12 And the Pharisees came to Him, tempting Him and saying to Him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause? And He answered and said to them: Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning "made them male and female", and said, For this cause a man shall leave father and mother and shall cling to his wife, and the two of them shall be one flesh? Therefore they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate. They said to Him, Why did Moses then command to give a bill of divorce and to put her away? He said to them: Because of your hard-heartedness Moses allowed you to put away your wives; but from the beginning it was not so. And I say to you, Whoever shall put away his wife, except for fornication, and shall marry another, commits adultery; and whoever marries her who is put away commits adultery. His disciples said to Him, If this is the case of the man with his wife, it is not good to marry. But He said to them: Not all receive this word, except those to whom it is given. For there are some eunuchs who were born so from their mother's womb; and there are eunuchs who were made eunuchs by men; and there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of Heaven's sake. He who is able to receive it, let him receive it.

Volitional Eunuch: Singlehood & Marriage to God!

Accommodation is how the Catholics and many Protestants make it possible for humans to live Godless, unholy lives and lifestyles, and still be a member of a church, because indeed, that is all there is (membership). The community is the world, and they are in and of the world, and so, it is easier to surface from the world a few hours on weekends, to put on the face of holiness, than it is to be holy perpetually! And so, to cover up fornicating and adulterous lifestyles, many will get married, as if this certification ceremony is sex-sin-soap. The ceremony is really just a culturally popularized production product; the church-businesses make much mammon off of this pop-culture process. Indeed, most of the Protestant Pastors, Reverends or Ministers are married, and are not married to the one they lost their virginity too! This fact should have spoke volumes to me, but, I was listening to them and not the Indwelling Holy Spirit. In other words, you cannot help being single if your spouse dies or simply abandons you, and so, it is a beautiful thing if you find another. But those in the world live worldly lives, and then, once the hormones and endorphins subside, they decide to get married and settle down. Singleness was one of the costs of Discipleship. Jesus remained single, and called others to be so, or to remain so (Matthew 19). Unlike the Protestant assessments on this subject, most of the Disciples and Apostles were single. They need for people to accept them in their sexual weakness, as if it is a Biblical imperative. Indeed, I got married because I was being coaxed by the church leadership, once I impregnated a church member. She was 5 years older than I, and I had only been a Christian for a short time and had attended that church for about 9 months when she and I hooked up. She initiated the meeting, and because she was gorgeous and older than I, and more importantly, because she was in the ministry there and had attended there for several years already, I thought I was safe with her. I was not! If I knew then, what I know now, I never would have considered her in that way. And so, the leadership of a church should be modeled, not after the flesh; not after a lack of self-control, but rather as the Apostle Paul who reiterated this directive of singleness as well:

1st Corinthians 7: (cev) Now I will answer the questions that you asked in your letter. You asked, "Is it best for people not to marry?" Well, having your own husband or wife should keep you from doing something immoral. Husbands and wives should be fair with each other about having sex. A wife belongs to her husband instead of to herself, and a husband belongs to his wife instead of to himself. So don't refuse sex to each other, unless you agree not to have sex for a little while, in order to spend time in prayer. Then Satan won't be able to tempt you because of your lack of self-control. In my opinion that is what should be done, though I don't know of anything the Lord said about this matter. I wish that all of you were like me, but God has given different gifts to each of us. Here is my advice for people who have never been married and for widows. You should stay single, just as I am. But if you don't have enough self-control, then go ahead and get married. After all, it is better to marry than to burn with desire. I instruct married couples to stay together, and this is exactly what the Lord himself taught. A wife who leaves her husband should either stay single or go back to her husband. And a husband should not leave his wife. I don't know of anything else the Lord said about marriage. All I can do is to give you my own advice. If your wife isn't a follower of the Lord, but is willing to stay with you, don't divorce her. If your husband isn't a follower, but is willing to stay with you, don't divorce him. Your husband or wife who isn't a follower is made holy by having you as a mate. This also makes your children holy and keeps them from being unclean in God's sight. If your husband or wife isn't a follower of the Lord and decides to divorce you, then you should agree to it. You are no longer bound to that person. After all, God chose you and wants you to live at peace. And besides, how do you know if you will be able to save your husband or wife who isn't a follower? In every church I tell the people to stay as they were when the Lord Jesus chose them and God called them to be His own. Now I say the same thing to you. If you are already circumcised, don't try to change it. If you are not circumcised, don't get circumcised. Being circumcised or uncircumcised isn't really what matters. The important thing is to obey God's commands. So don't try to change what you were when God chose you. Are you a slave? Don't let that bother you. But if you can win your freedom, you should. When the Lord chooses slaves, they become His free people. And when He chooses free people, they become slaves of Christ. God paid a great price for you. So don't become slaves of anyone else. Stay what you were when God chose you. I don't know of anything that the Lord said about people who have never been married. But I will tell you what I think. And you can trust me, because the Lord has treated me with kindness. We are now going through hard times, and I think it is best for you to stay as you are. If you are married, stay married. If you are not married, don't try to get married. It isn't wrong to marry, even if you have never been married before. But those who marry will have a lot of trouble, and I want to protect you from that. My friends, what I mean is that the Lord will soon come, and it won't matter if you are married or not. It will be all the same if you are crying or laughing, or if you are buying or are completely broke. It won't make any difference how much good you are getting from this world or how much you like it. This world as we know it is now passing away. I want all of you to be free from worry. An unmarried man worries about how to please the Lord. But a married man has more worries. He must worry about the things of this world, because he wants to please his wife. So he is pulled in two directions. Unmarried women and women who have never been married worry only about pleasing the Lord, and they keep their bodies and minds pure. But a married woman worries about the things of this world, because she wants to please her husband. What I am saying is for your own good--it isn't to limit your freedom. I want to help you to live right and to love the Lord above all else. But suppose you are engaged to someone old enough to be married, and you want her so much that all you can think about is getting married. Then go ahead and marry. There is nothing wrong with that. But it is better to have self-control and to make up your mind not to marry. It is perfectly all right to marry, but it is better not to get married at all. A wife should stay married to her husband until he dies. Then she is free to marry again, but only to a man who is a follower of the Lord. However, I think I am obeying God's Spirit when I say she would be happier to stay single.

Now, one could expound this statement to say that anyone who cannot control themselves should just get married and let that be their ministry; they should not try to be in Gods ministries beyond their homes (such as a Pastor). Now, we live in the Laodicean Age; the church-businesses are all whitewashed tombs full of dead bones. They operate within a culture more depraved and dark than Sodom City was, and, humans no longer have to labor to gain food and other needs. And so we have entire cultures filled with incredibly lazy, idle, Godless humans trying to fake a religious life; in this case, Christianity, and yet, they are surrounded on all sides by utter Godlessness: Sex-satiation! The consequences are a matter of statistical record! It is no wonder that modern Protestantism thinks that one is better off married than single, and yet, with divorce rates that are higher than any other religion-sect on Earth. It's no wonder that the Catholic Church is being sued in America for pedophilia, and has record numbers of single mothers. God does not expect His Disciples to go into Sodom City, and then build a church-building and sell weekend services there: But that's just what many are doing! God has called us out of Sodom; God has already set a judgment upon it. This does not mean that it will be utterly destroyed in our lifetime, but it will be destroyed, that's for sure! And so, when we are called, we are also called out. I do not mean that we leave the country; Satan is everywhere; evil people with evil intents are everywhere: I know this personally; I tried to go to another country, hoping to escape the grasp of Westernization, but its everywhere!

Back when I first decided to follow Christ, I went right into the Protestant churches: Man, was that a nightmare! It took me many years to recover from the beating I got from Satan, trying to crush the seeds! I almost did not make it, and there were casualties along the way (as there always is)! Had I known then, what I know today, I would have never gotten involved with any of them. I only have myself to blame. But once I was separated from all of that, and had time to recover, God was able to do in me what He wanted to do from the beginning. I had to get bloody, but once the trauma ended, the scars are still there, but I'm a better person for it. Once we find ourselves in the midst of the calling, we go through a radical transformation, and soon our family and friends think we are fanatics; they think we are taking this God thing too far. The village Jesus was born/raised in said this about the returning Jesus:

Mark 6:1-11 (cev) Jesus left and returned to His hometown with His disciples. The next Sabbath He taught in the Jewish meeting place. Many of the people who heard Him were amazed and asked, "How can He do all this? Where did He get such wisdom and the power to work these miracles? Isn't He the carpenter, the son of Mary? Aren't James, Joseph, Judas, and Simon His brothers? Don't His sisters still live here in our town?" The people were very unhappy because of what He was doing. But Jesus said, "Prophets are honored by everyone, except the people of their hometown and their relatives and their own family." Jesus could not work any miracles there, except to heal a few sick people by placing His hands on them. He was surprised that the people did not have any faith. Jesus taught in all the neighboring villages. Then he called together His twelve apostles and sent them out two by two with power over evil spirits. He told them, "You may take along a walking stick. But don't carry food or a traveling bag or any money. It's all right to wear sandals, but don't take along a change of clothes. When you are welcomed into a home, stay there until you leave that town. If any place won't welcome you or listen to your message, leave and shake the dust from your feet as a warning to them." 10:20-31 The man answered, "Teacher, I have obeyed all these commandments since I was a young man." Jesus looked closely at the man. He liked him and said, "There's one thing you still need to do. Go sell everything you own. Give the money to the poor, and you will have riches in Heaven. Then come with Me." When the man heard Jesus say this, he went away gloomy and sad because he was very rich. Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, "It's hard for rich people to get into God's kingdom!" The disciples were shocked to hear this. So Jesus told them again, "It's terribly hard to get into God's kingdom! In fact, it's easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to get into God's kingdom." Jesus' disciples were even more amazed. They asked each other, "How can anyone ever be saved?" Jesus looked at them and said, "There are some things that people cannot do, but God can do anything." Peter replied, "Remember, we left everything to be your followers!" Jesus told him: You can be sure that anyone who gives up home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or land for me and for the good news will be rewarded. In this world they will be given a hundred times as many houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and pieces of land, though they will also be mistreated. And in the world to come, they will have eternal life. But many who are now first will be last, and many who are now last will be first.

Heaven is Not a Hotel!

Heaven is not a hotel or a castle we secure a room in, with just a self-belief and a two-hour weekend devotion! Once we commit; once we sell all and surrender all to follow Him, the Indwelling Holy Spirit enters our Soul, and begins the radical transformation (we become born again); that change is not minor, it's often so different that those who knew us before, no longer know who we are, anymore! Now, this is a good thing; it is a great thing, but for those still stuck where they are, where we once were, they will not recognize you, aside from your physical appearance. Everything about us changes; our personality changes, as well as our attitude and our purpose (the Spiritless only notice personality's anyway; the most superficial side of the human)! Our village people only know who we were before this transformation; who we were in our youth; who we were before the change, and so they think we are just trying to fool them, or, that we have become the lunatic fringe!

I purchased and read "The Cost of Discipleship" back when I first decided to follow Christ, but it did not make the same impact on me, as it did over a decade later, when I read it again. But I am certain that the seeds it planted back then was indeed, worth the dirt they inhabited. And like the other things that we surrender in order to live holy and purposed lives, once we surrender them, we realize that we were not giving up (losing), but we were gaining...gaining freedom from those things. The world, and its worldliness, seems good on the surface, but as we see in the entire world today, this run-away consumerism and the keep-up mentality that's spreading like cancer across the entire globe, shows that maybe God/Scripture was right all along! When we give up the world and follow Christ, everything changes, and what is lost in the bargain is not worthy to be compared to what is gained! Jesus was trying to keep us out of the world, and what the world represented was measured in mammon, because it was the money that allowed humans to live beyond Gods nature-centric provisions to begin with. It was gold and other metals that were made precious in the minds of men, by the guile of men. The humans who were not content with food, clothing and shelter, created another world altogether, and though we all are subject to it (both then and now), what Jesus was trying to teach us was that we do not have to become unified with them; we do not have to participate any more with these worldly, than is absolutely necessary. On the one hand, if they come bearing arms, and demand that you give them something, Jesus says to give it to them. Why fight or argue with people who are utterly conquered with power and conquest. And yet, we do not join with them or make donations to their cause either. We are in the world, and we must strive to live at peace with all, but with that said, we do all we can to avoid becoming like them. We do not yoke with them; build friendships or relationships with them; do business with them! Likewise we do not snub our noses at them or treat them as if they're low-life's either. Modern American Amish are an excellent model of this process.

We (of the Indwelling) live our lives around the natural world; Gods world, and not mans world. As the internal abiding Spirit transforms us, we maturate, and we also become more and more uncomfortable out of Gods creation-scape. We hunger to be in the natural world, where Jesus and many of the disciples spent most of their time. This means that we sleep when it is dark and work when it is light. We flow with the rhythms of Gods Creation; we become one with Gods creation, and thus, learn about God. When we do this, we do not need much generated light, because we sleep when it is dark! Depending on where we live, will try to go with the flow, and thus, we need little in the way of the artificial. But the worldly do not flow with Gods creation, for they have recreated the world in their own imaginations, and so they are up all night, and thus, require others to work the fields for food, and to hunt and fish for meat. They are partying and sleeping in the daytime, and so they expect others to provide for them, the things they should be building and growing for themselves. This is where mammon becomes the root of all evil, because it allows people to live beyond their means; mammon empowers people to be more than who they truly are!

Matthew 8:19-22 | 10:16-42 And a certain scribe came and said to Him, Master, I will follow You wherever You go. And Jesus said to him, The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head. And another of His disciples said to him, Lord, allow me first to go and bury my father. But Jesus said to him, Follow Me, and let the dead bury their dead. | Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be as wise as serpents and as harmless as doves. But beware of men, for they will deliver you up to the sanhedrins, and they will scourge you in their synagogues. And you shall be brought before governors and kings for My sake, for a testimony against them and the nations. But when they deliver you up, take no thought how or what you shall speak; for it shall be given you in that same hour what you shall speak. For it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you. And brother will deliver up brother to death, and the father his child. And the children shall rise up against their parents and cause them to be put to death. And you will be hated of all men for My name's sake, but the one who endures to the end shall be kept safe. But when they persecute you in this city, flee into another; for truly I say to you, In no way shall you have finished the cities of Israel until the Son of Man comes. A disciple is not above his master, nor the servant above his lord. It is enough for the disciple that he is like his master, and the servant like his lord. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more those of his household? Therefore do not fear them, for there is nothing covered that shall not be revealed, and nothing hidden which shall not be known. What I tell you in darkness, speak in the light; and what you hear, proclaim on the housetops. And do not fear those who kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul. But rather fear Him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for an assarion? And one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father. But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Therefore do not fear, you are of more value than many sparrows. Then everyone who shall confess Me before men, I will confess him before My Father who is in Heaven. But whoever shall deny Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father in Heaven. Do not think that I have come to bring peace on earth. I did not come to send peace, but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. And a man's foes shall be those of his own household. He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who does not take up his cross and follow Me is not worthy of Me. He who finds his life shall lose it. And he who loses his life for My sake shall find it. He who receives you receives Me, and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me. He who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet's reward. And he who receives a just one in the name of a just one will receive a just one's reward. And whoever shall give to one of these little ones a cup of cold water to drink, only in the name of a disciple, truly I say to you, He shall in no way lose his reward.

My Home is Among the Homeless (Jesus Christ)

Jesus Christ laid out the prime directive for following Him; for being His Disciple: Walk Away! The Amish resistance to the culture of the world is not an effort to establish some counter-culture, to gain a following, or even to keep a following. It is the result of being followers - followers of the Christ and His teachings. In other words, conforming to the Amish lifestyle should not be done to draw attention to that lifestyle but to glorify God. But Jesus called us away from the world; all of it. The idea is that, if you are living the Roman lifestyle, you will be subject (then) to the Romans. Jesus and His disciples forsook all possessions, and in so doing, were free from the controls of the Imperialists who were dominating their lands. Instead, they trusted in Gods daily (indeed, hourly) provisions. They did not live this life, for this life; those of the Indwelling are hear and now, just like we will be forever: There is no distinction between now and eternity. The interest in the material things of corporeality are utterly meaningless to those of us living in Gods eternal presence; Now! The Kingdom of God is within you... or not. Those who are obsessed with earthly material things, exposes their true inner person for all with Spiritual eyes to see. But the blind are blind!

And so, we of the Indwelling, simply do not care about material things, for we know that God will provided for us, when we have the need, and not before. And so, the idea is to live simply upon the earth, both as an act of obedience; of true faith in Gods day-to-day provisions, and also, to show the viewing world how it is done; to be the light in the darkness. We have to know that the bulk of humanity, are lost, and this is Gods plan, not mine (I am not responsible for this reality). I am a mere pawn in a huge and complex creation experiment. My duty and my desire, is to live Christ while here, and hope that Gods will for my existence here, is fulfilled. It is not my calling or duty to twist anyone's arm or coerce others to surrender unconditionally unto the supreme Lordship of Jesus Christ. God has commanded me to follow Him; period. When that takes me, is really of no consequence to me. I am not in this life, for this life, and so, this life is the domain of the evil one; my enemy. I therefore, die to here and now! The evil one can only control me with the material world and all that is in it. If I live far above it all, then the evil one can only take my temporal life, and it means nothing to me in the eternal tapestry of Life! Once we understan the bigness of Life-Universal, this blink of time has no meaning to/for us. What we miss out on, here and now, is hardly comparable: For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the coming glory to be revealed in us. For I think that God has set forth us last, the apostles, as it were appointed to death; for we have become a spectacle to the world and to angels and to men! We are fools for Christ's sake, but you are wise in Christ. We are weak, but you are strong. Indeed, the cost of discipleship turns out, not to be as costly as we might have once thought.

John 8:23-24 | 9:39 | 12:25-36 And He said to them: You are from beneath; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world. Therefore I said to you that you shall die in your sins, for if you do not believe that I AM, you shall die in your sins. | I have come into this world for judgment, that they who do not see might see, and that they who see might be made blind. | He who loves his life shall lose it. And he who hates his life in this world shall keep it to life eternal. If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there also My servant shall be. If anyone serves Me, the Father will honor him. And My soul is troubled, and what shall I say? Father, save Me from this hour? But for this cause I came to this hour. Father, glorify Your name! Then there came a voice from the heaven saying, I have both glorified it and will glorify it again. Then the crowd who stood by and heard said that it thundered. Others said, An angel spoke to Him. Jesus answered and said, This voice did not come because of Me, but for your sakes. Now is the judgment of this world. Now shall the prince of this world be cast out. And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw all to Myself. But He said this, signifying what kind of death He was about to die. The crowd answered Him, We have heard out of the Law that Christ lives forever. How do you say, The Son of Man must be lifted up? Who is this Son of Man? Then Jesus said to them, Yet a little while the Light is with you. Walk while you have the Light, lest darkness come upon you. For he who walks in darkness does not know where he goes. While you have the Light, believe in the Light so that you may become sons of Light. Jesus spoke these things and departed and was hidden from them.

John 14:23-30 | 15:11-19 Jesus answered and said to him, If a man loves Me, he will keep My Word. And My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our abode with him. He who does not love Me does not keep My Words, and the Word which you hear is not Mine, but the Father's who sent Me. I have spoken these things to you, being present with you. But the Comforter, the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send in My name, He shall teach you all things and bring all things to your remembrance, whatever I have said to you. Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. You have heard how I said to you, I go away and I am coming to you again. If you loved Me, you would rejoice because I said, I go to the Father, for My Father is greater than I. And now I have told you before it happens, so that when it happens you might believe. I shall no longer speak many things with you, for the ruler of this world comes, and he has nothing in Me. | I have spoken these things to you so that My joy might remain in you and your joy might be full. This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. No one has greater love than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. You are My friends if you do whatever I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master does. But I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you. You have not chosen Me, but I have chosen you and ordained you that you should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain; that whatever you shall ask of the Father in My name, He may give it to you. These things I command you, that you love one another. If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. But because you are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.

John 16:7-13 | 18:36-37 But I tell you the truth, it is expedient for you that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Comforter will not come to you. But if I depart, I will send Him to you. And when that One comes, He will convict the world concerning sin, and concerning righteousness, and concerning judgment. Concerning sin, because they do not believe on Me; concerning righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more; concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged. I have yet many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. However, when He, the Spirit of Truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth. For He shall not speak of Himself, but whatever He hears, He shall speak. And He will announce to you things to come. | My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, then My servants would fight so that I might not be delivered to the Jews. But now My kingdom is not from here. Pilate then said to Him, Are you a king then? Jesus answered, You say it that I am a king. To this end I was born, and for this cause I came into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.

Matthew 5:13-16 | 6:19-34 You are the salt of the earth, but if the salt loses its savor, with what shall it be salted? It is no longer good for anything, but to be thrown out and to be trodden underfoot by men. You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do men light a lamp and put it under the grain-measure, but on a lampstand. And it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in Heaven. | Do not lay up treasures on earth for yourselves, where moth and rust corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal. But lay up treasures in Heaven for yourselves, where neither moth nor rust corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. The light of the body is the eye. Therefore if your eye is sound, your whole body shall be full of light. But if your eye is evil, your whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness! No one can serve two masters. For either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will hold to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon. Therefore I say to you, Do not be anxious for your life, what you shall eat, or what you shall drink; nor for your body, what you shall put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Behold the birds of the air; for they sow not, nor do they reap, nor gather into barns. Yet your heavenly Father feeds them; are you not much better than they are? Which of you by being anxious can add one cubit to his stature? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow. They do not toil, nor do they spin, but I say to you that even Solomon in his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Therefore if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much rather clothe you, little-faiths? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, With what shall we be clothed? For the nations seek after all these things. For your heavenly Father knows that you have need of all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow; for tomorrow shall be anxious for its own things. Sufficient to the day is the evil of it.

Romans 12:2 Be not conformed to this world, but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind that ye may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
1st Corinthians 3:19 For the wisdom of the world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness.
2nd Corinthians 6:14-18 Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you. And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty. [Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it. (Proverbs 22:6)]

Philippians 3:1-15 Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you is indeed not grievous to me, but for you it is safe. Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the concision party. For we are the circumcision who worship God in the spirit and rejoice in Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the flesh; though I might also have confidence in the flesh. If any other thinks that he has reason to trust in the flesh, I more. I was circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews. As regards the Law, I was a Pharisee; concerning zeal, persecuting the church; regarding the righteousness in the Law, blameless. But whatever things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. But no, rather, I also count all things to be loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them to be dung, so that I may win Christ and be found in Him; not having my own righteousness, which is of the Law, but through the faith of Christ, the righteousness of God by faith, that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being made conformable to His death; if by any means I might attain to the resurrection of the dead. Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect, but I am pressing on, if I may lay hold of that for which I also was taken hold of by Christ Jesus. My brothers, I do not count myself to have taken possession, but one thing I do, forgetting the things behind and reaching forward to the things before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Let us therefore, as many as are perfect, be of this mind. And if in anything you are otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this to you.

Hebrews 9:6-15 Now when these things were ordained in this way, the priests always went into the first tabernacle, accomplishing the service of God. But once in the year into the second the high priest goes alone, not without blood, which he offered for himself and for the errors of the people) the Holy Spirit signifying by this that the way into the Holiest of all was not yet made manifest while the first tabernacle was still standing. For it was a figure for the time then present, in which were offered both gifts and sacrifices that could not make him who did the service perfect as regards the conscience, which stood only in meats and drinks, and different kinds of washings and fleshly ordinances, imposed on them until the time of reformation. But when Christ had become a high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building nor by the blood of goats and calves, but by His own blood He entered once for all into the Holies, having obtained eternal redemption for us. For if the blood of bulls and of goats and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling the unclean sanctifies to the purifying of the flesh, how much more shall the blood of Christ (who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God) purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? And for this cause He is the Mediator of the new covenant, so that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first covenant, those who are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance.

The Lordship Pathology!         Human's Resourced!

Copyrighted Excerpts from Author Paul Andrew Anderson!
Top!                     Home!