[This email has been changed in places.] From: Jesus_is_Lord To: List Member Subject: Are you violent? Date: Wednesday, April 12, 2000 7:04 PM Jesus_is_Lord ... Dear Christian Friend: ********************************************************************** ***THE QUESTION*** Are you violent? Am I violent? Matthew 11:12 And from the days of John the Baptist until now THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN SUFFERETH VIOLENCE, AND THE VIOLENT TAKE IT BY FORCE. Of course Jesus is not talking about physical violence. We're commanded to even love our enemies. What then? **TWO KINGDOMS** In order for us to enter the kingdom of heaven we must do something very unnatural. We must REND OURSELVES FROM THE KINGDOM OF THE DEVIL which is the kingdom of this world. In reality, although there are many nations, there are only two kingdoms--the kingdom of God and the kingdom of the devil. In Matthew 13:38 Jesus explains the parable of the wheat and the tares--the wheat are the children of the kingdom of God and the tares are the children of the wicked one. There are no hybrids. In other words, a person either belongs to the kingdom of God or the kingdom of the devil --nobody straddles these two diametrically opposed kingdoms. These two kingdoms are so antithetical to each other that God says that if you are even a friend of the world you are the ENEMY OF GOD-- James 4:4 Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the FRIENDSHIP OF THE WORLD IS ENMITY WITH GOD? WHOSOEVER THEREFORE WILL BE A FRIEND OF THE WORLD IS THE ENEMY OF GOD. Are you violent? Are you violently casting off all that this world has to offer? Are you violently "pro-Christ" and anti-everything-that-would-interfere-with-your-relationship-with-him? A whole lot of professed Christians are sitting around smoking cigarettes and drinking booze with the children of the wicked one. They watch hell-I-vision and hellywood movies. They hold the same opinions, think the same thoughts and do the same things (or wish they could do them but are afraid of getting caught). Oh-oh. The citizens of these two antithetical kingdoms act according to the laws of each. The devil's citizens/children are disobedient, crooked, perverse, lawless, lascivious, out of control, and focused on self glorification. Jesus' children are obedient, lawful, keeping under their bodies, focused on glorifying Christ. Hebrews 5:9 says that Jesus is become the author of eternal salvation unto all them that OBEY him. That is a defining characteristic of God's children. They obey Christ and live under his authority. **FRUITS OF THE TWO KINGDOMS** When I lived under the devil's authority, I brought forth the devil's fruits. Now that I am saved I bring forth the Lord's fruits. Paul reviews this in Romans chapter 6. Here is a short excerpt-- Romans 6:16 Know ye not, that TO WHOM YE YIELD YOURSELVES SERVANTS TO OBEY, HIS SERVANTS YE ARE TO WHOM YE OBEY; WHETHER OF SIN UNTO DEATH, or of obedience unto righteousness? 6:17 But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have OBEYED from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. 6:18 Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness. 6:19 I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even SO NOW YIELD YOUR MEMBERS SERVANTS OF RIGHTEOUSNESS UNTO HOLINESS. 6:20 For when ye were the servants of sin, YE WERE FREE FROM RIGHTEOUSNESS. 6:21 What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death. 6:22 But NOW BEING MADE FREE FROM SIN, and become servants to God, YE HAVE YOUR FRUIT UNTO HOLINESS, AND THE END EVERLASTING LIFE. 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. **WHICH KINGDOM DO YOU BELONG TO?** Sometimes people write me unsure of their salvation. [Sometimes the people just are not made perfect in love, but oftentimes they are unsure because they are disobedient.] The Bible always speaks in terms of black and white. A person is either-- obedient or disobedient, holy or profane, clean or unclean, lawful or lawless, righteous or unrighteous, just or unjust, good or evil, etc. Jesus said a good tree cannot bring forth corrupt fruit--either make the tree good and his fruit good or the tree corrupt and his fruit corrupt. The tree is KNOWN BY HIS FRUIT (ref. Matthew 12:33). We are to inspect people's fruit. My fruit shows what kind of tree I am-- 2 Corinthians 13:5 EXAMINE YOURSELVES, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that JESUS CHRIST IS IN YOU, EXCEPT YE BE REPROBATES? [Saved people that need deliverance from a habit or hurt, etc. may wish to see the Deliverance Series at Jesus-is-Lord.com/deliverance.htm.] **WHICH KINGDOM DOES HELL-I-VISION BELONG TO?** Someone recently wrote telling me that I am missing something because I don't watch hellivision. I responded "Get thee hence, Satan!" Watching hellivision shows does not glorify Christ. It disrespects Him. His Spirit lives in me and I'm going to listen to someone who would have me to grieve him while I ingest spiritual arsenic? That reader [has] to be crazy. I can't stand their shows. Even the commercials look corrupt to me. I have not detested hellivision all of my Christian life. I believe my turning point came a few years ago when I was in the kitchen doing something. I had an overriding urge to turn on the hellivision but then the Spirit put in my mind "Do not turn it on." So I said within myself, "I [am not turning] it on at all today!" I went on to a beautiful time of praise and worship right there in the kitchen. After that day, I believe my mind was convinced that NOTHING in this world will have power over me--food, hellivision, relationships, etc. As Paul said in I Corinthians 6:12, "...I will not be brought under the power of any." Most professing Christians would not even consider giving up hellivision for one week. That demonstrates the power that that sorcery has over them. Though they cannot fathom it, there is a whole world outside of hell-i-vision. Now, I can actually hear the Master's voice more distinctly. The other day I was listening to a gospel song that talked about "destiny" and it got my mind to thinking about why hellivision and hellywood movies are so intriguing. You get to sit and watch somebody's destiny unfold in a matter of just a few hours while you sit there like a bump on a log doing nothing about the course set before you. It is easy to sit in front of a hellivision watching hellywood movies for a whole weekend--and you are only worse for the wear. Are you violent enough to rend yourself from hellivision, hellywood and secular music? Have you truly caught a glimpse of the resurrected Christ? Are you violently unwilling to let anything exalt itself against the knowledge of Christ? **IT'S HIGH TIME TO EXERCISE** Friends, we've got some working out/exercising to do--no time for ingesting the devil's spiritual arsenic. 1 Timothy 4:7-8 But REFUSE PROFANE and old wives' FABLES, and EXERCISE THYSELF RATHER UNTO GODLINESS. For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come. Hebrews 5:14 But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who BY REASON OF USE HAVE THEIR SENSES EXERCISED TO DISCERN BOTH GOOD AND EVIL. Hebrews 12:11 Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are EXERCISED THEREBY. Philippians 2:12 ...WORK OUT YOUR OWN SALVATION WITH FEAR AND TREMBLING. "What will I do if I give up hellivision?" [see Jesus-is-Lord.com/whats.htm for a list of ideas] **PRESSING INTO THE KINGDOM** The violent REND themselves from the world in order to follow profitable, godly pursuits. Once you get there, you will wonder how you took any enjoyment in the world. Violent people PRESS into the kingdom- Luke 16:16 The law and the prophets were until John: SINCE THAT TIME THE KINGDOM OF GOD IS PREACHED, AND EVERY MAN PRESSETH INTO IT. Philippians 3:14 I PRESS toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus We must PRESS at the expense of all else, including our own selves. The blood of Jesus is so powerful that it will overcome any obstacle we will encounter--even our own flesh. When the road get rough--PRESS! Be THOU exalted, Lord! When things get tough--PRESS! Be THOU exalted, Lord! When we get hurt--PRESS! Be THOU exalted, Lord! When trouble comes like a flood--PRESS! Be THOU exalted, Lord! When I cry-- PRESS! Be THOU exalted, Lord! When I'm sick-- PRESS! Be THOU exalted, Lord! When nobody else seeks Jesus-- PRESS! Be THOU exalted, Lord! When my flesh says, "You don't feel like reading the word right now"-- PRESS! Be THOU exalted, Lord! Until I become what he wants me to be-- Until I become what he wants me to be-- Until I become what he wants me to be-- Until I become what he wants me to be-- Until I become what he wants me to be-- --I PRESS! The battle is for the MINDS of men. When our minds are made up, nothing will stop us, not even our own flesh. We will FORCIBLY, UNNATURALLY, VIOLENTLY press into the kingdom. THE VIOLENT TAKE IT BY FORCE. We will CAST DOWN everything that exalteth itself against this presssing. I am unnaturally choicy about what I look at, listen to, do, associate with, think about. You see, I wasn't choicy for 25 years. I gave my honour unto others and my years to the cruel. What a wretched creature I was! [Those] days [are] over! I am crucified with Christ. I lose my life for His sake. He laid his life down for me and I lay mine down for him. I count not myself to have apprehended but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I PRESS toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. And though my outward man perish, the inward man is renewed day by day. **THE PURPOSE OF LIFE** Our sole purpose in this life must be to exalt, magnify and glorify the name of Jesus. I find myself wanting to see people saved so that they can help me praise Jesus. I can't praise his name loud enough. I want everything that hath breath to praise the Lord [because] I can't express my [adoration] enough. Jesus didn't have to redeem me. He did not have to leave his glory for my raggedy, disobedient, and rebellious carcass. He did not have to lift me up into heavenly places. He did not have to give me the honor of being a son of God. He did not have to die for my sins. He paid the price and HE BOUGHT ME. HE OWNS ME. I love it. I don't own my own self any more--hallelujah! I did a [HORRIBLE] job. Jesus has cleansed me from polluted, defiled garments and made me into one of his jewels (see Malachi 3:17). Though the following passage describes Israel, I apply it to my own self. He took me from filthy and pitiful to beautiful--a beauty which is PERFECT THROUGH CHRIST'S COMELINESS--it has nothing to do with me. Unlike a rebellious Israel, however, I will not play the harlot-- Ezekiel 16:4 And as for thy nativity, in the day thou wast born thy navel was not cut, neither wast thou washed in water to supple thee; thou wast not salted at all, nor swaddled at all. 16:5 None eye pitied thee, to do any of these unto thee, to have compassion upon thee; but thou wast cast out in the open field, to the lothing of thy person, in the day that thou wast born. 16:6 AND WHEN I PASSED BY THEE, AND SAW THEE POLLUTED IN THINE OWN BLOOD, I SAID UNTO THEE WHEN THOU WAST IN THY BLOOD, LIVE; YEA, I SAID UNTO THEE WHEN THOU WAST IN THY BLOOD, LIVE. 16:7 I have caused thee to multiply as the bud of the field, and thou hast increased and waxen great, and thou art come to excellent ornaments: thy breasts are fashioned, and thine hair is grown, whereas thou wast naked and bare. 16:8 Now when I passed by thee, and looked upon thee, behold, thy time was the time of love; and I spread my skirt over thee, and covered thy nakedness: yea, I sware unto thee, and entered into a covenant with thee, saith the Lord GOD, and thou becamest mine. 16:9 Then washed I thee with water; yea, I throughly washed away thy blood from thee, and I anointed thee with oil. 16:10 I clothed thee also with broidered work, and shod thee with badgers' skin, and I girded thee about with fine linen, and I covered thee with silk. 16:11 I decked thee also with ornaments, and I put bracelets upon thy hands, and a chain on thy neck. 16:12 And I put a jewel on thy forehead, and earrings in thine ears, and a beautiful crown upon thine head. 16:13 Thus wast thou decked with gold and silver; and thy raiment was of fine linen, and silk, and broidered work; thou didst eat fine flour, and honey, and oil: and thou wast exceeding beautiful, and thou didst prosper into a kingdom. 16:14 And thy renown went forth among the heathen for thy beauty: for it was perfect through my comeliness, which I had put upon thee, saith the Lord GOD. Jesus took me from shame and disgrace and made me his own bride. It is my life purpose to glorify Jesus' name and adorn his doctrine. He saw something in me that I did not see in myself. He called me forth by name. He gave me a measure of faith so that I would respond to his grace in 1991. He will keep me by his own power and determinate counsel. I will open up myself to the King of glory and he shall come in. Even so, come in King Jesus! You are welcomed here! Psalms 24:9 Lift up your heads, O ye gates; even lift them up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in. 24:10 Who is this King of glory? The LORD of hosts, he is the King of glory. Selah. Are you violent? Is Jesus your King at the exclusion of all others? Does He cover you with his garment? Do you bear fruit unto him? It does not take long to see who your king is. Jesus won't have his wife [whoring] around with the devil. Get violent. I [am not as] violent as I want to be--I seek to be more violent and Jesus is making that happen day by day. LORD, BE THOU MY GLORY TO THE EXCLUSION OF ALL ELSE! **STRAINING AT GNATS** There are many professed Christians out here doing everything but glorifying Christ--Christ knows their works and their true motives (Matthew 7:21-23)... **You've got people on this "hallelujah diet" supposedly in the name of Jesus--they're turning orange from drinking so much carrot juice. The kingdom of heaven is not in meat and drink. **You've got people saying that if you are not a member of their church, you are not saved. The Church of Christ says this (they [have] other major problems besides this). The kingdom of God does not come with OBSERVATION; behold, the kingdom of God is WITHIN you (Luke 17:20-21). Forget about seeking a visible organization that represents heaven. We had a man tell us that we are like "saved Catholics" (oxymoron) because we weren't baptized in a Baptist church (I Corinthians 1:12). That is ludicrous. ...nobody (including Baptists) [has a] lock on the truth. As long as a church has doctrine based on the Bible they are good to go. For the curious, we were baptized in a Bible church. **You've got people (especially antinomians and dispensational-type Baptists) saying that Christ does not require his disciples to obey Him. They call obedience a "work". [That is wicked.] Hebrews 5:9, And being made perfect, HE BECAME THE AUTHOR OF ETERNAL SALVATION UNTO ALL THEM THAT OBEY HIM. ** Then you've got the types that want to argue about the meaning of the word "the" in the Bible. This insanity goes on and on and on...and on and on and on. How silly, unbiblical, and often heretical these things are! People are straining at gnats and SWALLOWING camels. They overlook the most basic principal of discipleship--glorifying Christ and adorning his doctrine BY OBEDIENCE TO HIS WORD. People have asked me how to "feel" Christ--EVERYTHING SPRINGS FROM OBEDIENCE TO THE WORD. I tell them read your King James Bible and OBEY it. ONLY THEN will you come to KNOW Him. There is no other way. There is a whole other spiritual realm that many Bible believers don't know about because they are too busy "serving Christ" by nitpicking over the meaning of "the" and the heretical doctrines that they have decided to believe. They don't "hear" Jesus. Then you've got those that want to hear but they don't care about doctrine. There is only one formula. Read the word and obey it. **CHRIST IN YOU--THE HOPE OF GLORY** When a man repents and Christ comes in, He gives that man POWER to live [holily] and [righteously]. The grace of God teaches that man to DENY ungodliness and worldly lusts and to live soberly, righteously and godly in this present world (see Titus 2). For most people, their "Christianity" is almost meaningless, really. They've divorced it from Christ. They say "the sinner's prayer", go to church on Sunday and then do what they want the rest of the week. They don't hear the Saviour's voice. They don't want to go to hell but they are not pressing into the kingdom. This sad state of affairs can be turned around. A gentleman wrote stating that he was a Christian and he quoted me John 3:16. He was criticizing something on the website and I told him that there was more than one verse in the Bible. Him knowing that one verse that was not enough. He wrote back about six months later asking for witnessing materials. He said he'd never witnessed before but something had happened to him after he considered the comments of my email to him. Those of us that know the truth can help turn the captivity of somebody who thinks that his relationship with Christ is based on a couple of words and no commitment to the King of glory. **A PARADIGM SHIFT?** It seems like a gap in preaching has occurred. I mean, it has taken me a long time to realize my chief purpose in this life--to glorify Christ and adorn his doctrine. Only by the grace of God do I know it now. It seems like life's purpose would be one of the first things a new Christian would learn, but it isn't. ...The New England Primer was a popular textbook for colonial children. In it, it has the Westminster Catechism (done by "Puritans")--these are the first three questions and answers-- Quest. WHAT is the chief end of man ? Ans. Man's chief end is to glorify God and enjoy him forever. Q. 2. What rule hath God given to direct us how we may glorify and enjoy him ? A. The word of God which is contained in the scriptures of the old and new testament is the only rule to direct us how we may glorify God and enjoy him. Q. 3. What do the scriptures principally teach ? A. The scriptures principally teach what man is to believe concerning God, and what duty God requireth of man. Practically every first grader in colonial times knew more than I did as an adult! [There is a gap that needs to be filled with a Biblical Scholarship (www.BiblicalScholarship.net)-- by this I do NOT mean "Puritan" or "Calvinist" or "Presbyterian". I am not recommending the New England Primer as I found it of limited use. Those interested in seeing it may be able to review it online.] **CONCLUSION** Matthew 11:12 And from the days of John the Baptist until now THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN SUFFERETH VIOLENCE, AND THE VIOLENT TAKE IT BY FORCE. for Jesus' sake, Tracy -- http://www.Jesus-is-Lord.com ...I do send thee unto them; and thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD. And thou, son of man, be not afraid of them, neither be afraid of their words, though briers and thorns be with thee, and thou dost dwell among scorpions: be not afraid of their words, nor be dismayed at their looks, though they be a rebellious house. Ezekiel 2:4, 6