The Seed Blog: That's My Jesus

We are living in a world 5hat screams racism at every turn, and yet many of the same people are calling for the annihilation of the entire Jewish race. We are living in a world that screams "follow the science" when we discuss vaccine mandates and evolution over creation, and yet many of the same people will socially and even legally persecute you for teaching simple, scientific human biology. We are living in a world that is beginning to openly hate Jesus Christ, laughing and smirking at [...]

We are living in a world 5hat screams racism at every turn, and yet many of the same people are calling for the annihilation of the entire Jewish race. We are living in a world that screams "follow the science" when we discuss vaccine mandates and evolution over creation, and yet many of the same people will socially and even legally persecute you for teaching simple, scientific human biology. We are living in a world that is beginning to openly hate Jesus Christ, laughing and smirking at His outdated ways, claiming to have wiser, more modern lives while their narcissism, hate, entitlement, and depravity bring suffering, division, depression and mental health issues galore. And mass confusion about who they are, why they are here and why anything matters in life. We are living in a world where holding true Christian values is increasingly labeled as bigoted, hateful, and even dangerous until many are afraid to even speak their beliefs openly. We are living in a world on the brink of complete moral disintegration globally, swiftly moving towards unprecedented governmental control. We are watching our world be literally torn apart at the seams while many of us on a local level leave our heads stuck in the sand and continue chasing the American Dream and our Christian blessings. In these unparalleled times within the life of our generation, and based upon the Words and Ministry of Jesus Christ Himself, I feel justified in saying I have grown weary of catering to soft, scared Christians; weary of trying to please and protect delicate believers so they can live secure and comfortable lives in their faith while the world goes to hell around them. Nowhere do the Scriptures call us to such a life, but quite honestly just the opposite. There has been no moment in our lifetimes which has called for more courage, action, and awakening than right now.
What would happen if hundreds of Americans were taken hostage by another nation, and we had the best defensive army in the world but had no offensive capabilities? What about a boxer that could defend himself powerfully, but didn't know how to throw an effective punch? Listen to these Words of Jesus as He is questioned by Pilate just before His scourging and crucifixion: John 18:33-36: that doesn't sound like defensive tactics to me. Jesus didn't Say, "My people would hunker down and protect themselves from harm until I was Crucified!" He Said, "If they were My people, they would fight you to take Me out of harms way!" Listen to these well-known but very seldom understood words which Jesus Spoke to Peter: Matthew 16:18: The word for "Hell" here is Hades. We know that Jesus took back the keys of Hades when He sacrificed Himself on the Cross (Colossians 2:15; Galatians 4:8) and He stormed the Gates of Hades taking back those souls purchased by His Blood. Pay special attention to who Jesus is speaking of in this verse—Jesus is talking about the Church: "The gates of hell shall not prevail against the Church!” "Gates" are not an "offensive weapon," they are meant to keep someone from coming through. The only way that the Gates of Hell will not prevail against the church is if the Church is on the offense against it—attacking, overwhelming, bursting through, entering in, taking back those already destined to be there. That cannot happen in a "defensive war” where we sit quietly, hold onto what we have left, protect "our four and no more," and watch the world devour itself in hell on earth. We are called to bust through those very gates of hell; go where they are through the gates of their prisons and rescue these people in their helplessness—offensively, aggressively—with the keys that Jesus died to retrieve.
Let me ask you a question, with all of the seriousness I can bring: Are you simply a believer in Christ? Or are you a follower, a disciple, a warrior for the King? Jesus repeatedly told the believing crowd following Him: "Be ready to forsake all, or stop following Me now." Luke 14:25-27, 31, 33-35. The Battle is fully raging. God's children are being overwhelmed, and regardless of when Jesus comes back for His Bride, His Kingdom is in dire straits. It is our job, our sole purpose, our mission to bust into the gates of hell in where they are captive and save them through His Power. It is now or never again. He calls us to die to self or live to self but choose now. Paul knew His generation was fighting a Battle for Jesus' Kingdom, like no other time before or after for many years. And what he and his fellow disciples did in his generation would be history making world-changing: 1 Corinthians 7:29-31. We—just like those in Paul's day—are in the very depths of darkness and death spiritually; like never before, all around us, everywhere. Our time to fight this onslaught has grown very short, yet most of us are still chasing an easy life, success, and pleasure as though everything were still the same as just ten years ago. You can give up your precious self-centered life to fight for His Kingdom now or that life will be taken from you by the enemy. It is time to rise up and enlist in God's Kingdom or He doesn't need you.
Do you know how to keep these trying times from causing you anxiety and grief? Know that it will cost you and embrace the battle; own it as your Calling rather than fear, hide and resist.
Jesus gave up all of His comforts and advantages to walk among people that He shouldn't even associate with. He stood toe to toe, rather than ignoring or dodging with all of the false religious bigots, and power mongers who used His Name to advance themselves. He stood unashamed and unafraid before government officials and kings who held authority to free or condemn Him. He spoke truth and love to everyone He met, no matter the cost because He cared for them enough to rescue them from their prisons rather than be liked or popular. He often went to bed last late into the night, and He arose the earliest of all. He pushed on when He was tired and hungry. He prayed when it was least convenient and there was no time. He served others when He was exhausted, hungry and emotionally crushed in His own heart. He knew God's Word inside and out and He lived it at any cost. He continued serving even without anyone's praise, without any support of others, and without reward. He never expected nor received anything for His goodness shown to others. He could have had anything He wanted materially, but He sometimes ate raw heads of grain from the fields and slept in another's house to complete His Mission because He couldn't spend His time chasing these things. He could have had popularity and following of tens of thousands but He chose rather to have rejection and the true love and friendship of a handful of sincere, loyal friends rather than popularity and power at the expense of His own soul and truth. He didn't need encouragement or approval from anyone to motivate Him in continuing in God's Ways. He was motivated by real, genuine love for those He tried to touch and heal. He was ridiculed, shut down, pushed out, attacked and belittled in public. He was physically beaten so viciously with fists, rods and whips with hooks and rocks attached to them that He became an unrecognizable heap. His face was spit upon; His hair was pulled out; He was screamed at, discredited, cursed, lied about, and canceled, but He never wavered, turned back in fear nor crumbled in self-pity. He felt racism at its fullest, saw condescension and social judgment at its worst and showed nothing but love in return. He pushed on in action and servitude, with real, genuine, sacrificial love because He had a mission to bring hope, worth and salvation to the very people who did this to Him—knowing Satan was behind it all. He went out of His way, all of the time to meet with, eat with, and show acceptance to the lowest people in His society. He died hanging next to criminal scum of society, and even in His last, agonizing, most torturous moments, showed worth and love to that scum; worried for that scum's soul because we are all that mattered to Him—even more than His own life. That's my Jesus. That's how He lived and died. Does your life matter more than His? He denied His life, His comfort, His time, His safety; endured a life of pushing forward in stress and discomfort to serve the people no one else wanted to love; openly speaking against the things opposing God and speaking honest truth into every life He encountered, with no encouragement from anyone else but His Father at every personal cost imaginable—all in love.
This kind of Man—this kind of King, this kind of God—is not looking for blessing-seeking, soft-spoken, slow-moving, uncaring, self-righteous, entitled, proud followers. He is looking for warriors who will follow after Him; warriors who care about His love, His Kingdom, His people, His truth—more than they care about their comfort, belongings, popularity, lifestyle or freedom; more than they care about their own life. Will you be one of those warriors or not? Jesus asked His followers to leave everything—asked them to forsake all—and live for Him now. Not when you finish school; not when you have raised your family; not when you have established your career or goals; not when you have retired and slowed down; not when you feel better or it is an easier time in life; not when you have lived the life you want first—but now—forsaking all! and living for Him with everything. If we cannot stand for God's Kingdom sacrificially right now, why should we get a nice new building to do nothing of value with? Why do we have such difficulty getting people to teach, serve, to speak up about Christ, to defend His ways, to invite lost people to hear His Word, even attend His Church themselves regularly—when Satan's minions are gladly, purposefully taking every classroom they can get in his honor, rioting, standing in open opposition, risking everything, taking control of every position of society they can grab in a desire to push his agenda and destroy the very souls of men, Many standing ready to go to prison and face death for their dark, deadly beliefs.
Stop questioning whether you will be able to stand for Christ when things get worse and start worrying about whether you are sacrificially standing for Him right now, knowing what is at stake; knowing what Jesus has called you to. What are you doing for the king right now? What is it costing you to live for Him right now? If you are not reaching, speaking, serving, defending—that is the ultimate form of hypocrisy and you need to Biblically question what you really believe. Why do we think we will be riding with His Army to fight for Him when He returns to earth if we won't stand up and fight for Him? Mark 8:34-38. Ask yourself in this adulterous generation: are you living primarily to save and build your own life first? Or are you losing your life for the sake of Jesus and His Truth?