What Would You Give Up.... For Jesus to Come Back?

10/29/2020

What if everyone we know, one by one, all had to intentionally commit political suicide, career suicide, popularity suicide, etc --- until nothing was left for any of us in this present age... for Jesus to come back?

After reading that, I told him that I want to see him face to face in his glory, and that I already miss him way more than I would miss any of the things I had to lose. I’m sure I’m much weaker than I even realize, but I know I am longing to see him soon. So, yeah, bring it on.

No problem. We’re dead already. Dead to the world and the world to us. We’re all in. That’s the Deal. Maranatha!

Amen. nothing is too great a cost, nothing compares to our King’s victorious return!

And I don’t mean to seem naive/disconnected from the Cost. I know that career suicides mean financial suicides. Meaning we’ll have to literally ask “give us today our daily bread... my children need food.” And that can cause me to choke up if I think about it.

So, in that sense I am not “disconnected” from the Cost. But in another sense I AM completely DISCONNECTED from the Cost. Because I have to “pull the plug” on those choked up feelings and declare “No, I’m dead to world and the world to me. This short earth life is nothing--NOTHING. It’s a speck of dust in the hand (at best). Maranatha! You are all I want, Jesus!” —

My instant flesh reaction was to push back against that idea. I like comfort and safety and security. But after a quick 30 sec calibration of heart and mind.....YES, absolutely. Whatever He wants, whatever it takes, I’m all in! 100%

There might be temporary concern over providing food/“essentials” for our households and other such stuff, but it is all worth it and even that is a non-issue since Jesus is our King and we trust Him and rest in Him!

And where’s the fun in having it all (like we do and will) if we don’t also get the chance to lose it all for Him. “Considering it pure joy” and “sharing in His sufferings.” “But to the degree that you share in the sufferings of Christ, rejoice, so that also at the revelation of his glory you may rejoice and be glad.” 1 Peter 4:13 (LEB)

Easy for me to say, “Count me in” but I don’t even really know what that would look like for me personally as I don’t really have a sphere to lose outside of y’all. If it means having no work and learning how to scrape by on minimum wage and drastically downsizing, I’m glad to do that. If at my minimum wage job, they made fun of me for being a Jesus freak, I’d love the Opportunity to represent Him that way. If all recreation, entertainment, and comfortable/peaceful life went away... that all means nothing compared to seeing Him face to Face.

I was feeling a bit like that too—I don’t really have anything to lose (outside of temporary animal comforts) except each of you. And it feels easy to say “Of course! Everything!” But then I wonder if the rubber really meets the road during my days when I have to CHOOSE whether or not to grab a second cookie. Or lay in bed 5, 10, 20 min longer etc. I promise to you all to choose NOW to commit SELF and FLESH suicide whenever I see the opportunity, for His return!

I was also thinking along the lines of what our lives would look like to the nations as moms and wives being FULLY Supportive and Grateful and Poised in the midst of whatever that were to look like as we plant those kinds of seeds in our hearts NOW. A Light in the darkness.

Seems like an honest assessment of where this job, house, security, etc. came from in this first place is clarifying:

Did I really create this career and well paying job, or has it all been a gift from the King?

Have we found favor in our employer’s eyes by our own merits and charisma, or has that only come from God’s favor on us?

Can I trust him to continue to feed the birds of the air and us? Of course. Contentment with much or little. Security or not.

I was thinking along the same lines. “In Him we live and move and have our being.” If that has been true all along, nothing else should have mattered enough ANYWAY to be a stumbling block in the way of what He wants.

Always assumed “dead to the world” would have to “happen” in a very real way eventually. I’ve always planned on that. In the same way that Jesus could have played it safe, but instead walked straight into doom, it would seem we’ll get that chance, too, to join Him there, by individual choice. It’s going to require death to self now and the world being dead to us now, to be able to do that without stammering or wavering.

It has been hitting me recently that the Boy Scout version of “be prepared” with survival skills and stockpiles was never going to impress or please Jesus or help in any Real way when this happens. The Real world is Real in me and us and is Enough when there is nothing left for is here.

Like was said above, I don’t have much to lose compared to some... but was thinking of the word “security” and considering how even our security here is still on a fallen planet.

There’s still a War—it’s Dangerous and I want to have the heart to give up my relative security or comfort for going after the enemy headlong and getting to see HIM face to face and get his Bride, rather than drag out how long this world and it’s prince have to be around.

Hebrews 11 is already full of people who have committed career and financial and social suicide, and they did it knowing full well that they would never see what we hope for. If they could do it, we can too. By faith.

These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised, since God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 11:39-12:2

A few minutes ago I told my 3-year-old to come to me but she was trying to drag her monkey stuffed animal along the way. I asked her “Is it really that big of a deal to leave behind your monkey to obey and come to me to make mommy smile and Jesus smile??” Then I saw the immediate application from what we’ve been talking about this morning. :) Whatever I need to leave behind is so worth it for Jesus’ smile, for Him to get what He wants!

“For my part, I am going to boast about nothing but the Cross of our Master, Jesus Christ. Because of that Cross, I have been crucified in relation to the world, set free from the stifling atmosphere of pleasing others and fitting into the little patterns that they dictate. Can’t you see the central issue in all this? It is not what you and I do—submit to circumcision, reject circumcision. It is what God is doing, and he is creating something totally new, a free life! All who walk by this standard are the true Israel of God—his chosen people. Peace and mercy on them!” Gal 6:14 (MSG)

I want to walk in the reality of this. And the part highlighted is where I want to Exist.

I was reading some of this to the boys and imagining all our children praying “Jesus, we don’t want our toys, we’ll throw them all away, our beds, our food... we want You to come back.” Couldn’t help but think how much that would melt God’s heart and call Him to open the skies. :) I so want to cultivate and give birth to THAT heart of passion in this new generation.

This world has never given us anything of Real Value anyway! Every good thing we have is From Jesus. So yes, he is Worth it All!

From a text message by O. Chambers that goes along too.

“Lord, I will follow Thee; but...” (Luke 9:61)
“Supposing God tells you to do something which is an enormous test to your common sense, what are you going to do? Hang back? If you get into the habit of doing a thing in the physical domain, you will do it every time until you break the habit determinedly; and the same is true spiritually. Again and again you will get up to what Jesus Christ wants and every time you will turn back when it comes to the point, until you abandon resolutely. “Yes, but—supposing I do obey God in this matter, what about...?” “Yes, I will obey God if He will let me use my common sense, but don’t ask me to take a step in the dark.” Jesus Christ demands of the man who trusts Him the same reckless sporting spirit that the natural man exhibits. If a man is going to do anything worth while, there are times when he has to risk everything on his leap, and in the spiritual domain Jesus Christ demands that you risk everything you hold by common sense and leap into what He says, and immediately you do, you find that what He says fits on as solidly as common sense. At the bar of common sense Jesus Christ’s statements may seem mad; but bring them to the bar of faith, and you begin to find with awestruck spirit that they are the words of God. Trust entirely in God, and when He brings you to the venture, see that you take it. We act like pagans in a crisis, only one out of a crowd is daring enough to bank his faith in the character of God.”

1 Peter 4 would seem to imply that as much as I am NOT sharing (desiring and moving towards, instead of away from) the sufferings of Jesus (His pain, heartache, suffering at the hands of those He only loves and died for)....I will weep and regret at the coming of Jesus. Like the man on “Schindler’s list” looking at what he kept for himself, weeping for all that could have been and the lives saved and Jesus’ heart thrilled if I had given everything and lived at the cost of the flesh. Let it NOT be so! I will live today at the cost of my flesh for the pleasure of Jesus and the building up those He loves and I love.

‘Now have come the salvation and the power
and the kingdom of our God,
and the authority of his Messiah.
For the accuser of our brothers and sisters,
who accuses them before our God day and night,
has been hurled down.
11 They triumphed over him
by the blood of the Lamb
and by the word of their testimony;
they did not love their lives so much
as to shrink from death.
12 Therefore rejoice, you heavens
and you who dwell in them!
But woe to the earth and the sea,
because the devil has gone down to you!
He is filled with fury,
because he knows that his time is short.’ Rev 12:10-12 (NIVUK)

“For the Kingdom of God is not just talk, it is power.” 1 Cor 4:20

“To whom shall we go??? YOU, Jesus, have the words of Life!” John 6:68

•  Exponential Evil, Exponential Bride