Kopp Disclosure
(John 3:19-21)
@#$%
Scratching the Surface
of
Survival
(A
Brief and Incomplete Guide for When You Wanna Quit)
He asked, “Does it ever end?”
He was referring to the disappointments,
defeats, disillusionments, tests, trials, temptations, and tribulations of
living in an increasingly mean, maddening, and miserable world, country, and…[Gulp!]…even
church.
I answered, “No.”
Groote aka Kempis wrote a lot about
that way back in the late 14th century (Imitation of
Christ): “So long as we live in the world, we cannot be without tribulation
and temptation.”
Sadly, “There is no order so holy, nor place
so secret, where there be not temptations or adversities.”
Getting back to my friend’s interrogative and
my declarative, “When one temptation or tribulation goeth away, another cometh;
and we shall ever have something to suffer.”
Pointing to the only way to overcome all of
the meanness, madness, and misery to which no one is immune, he counseled, “The
beginning of all evil temptations is inconstancy of mind, and small confidence
in God.”
Simply, Jesus saves…if we let Him.
Having survived it so far, here’s what
I’ve learned about, uh, surviving it:
- Intimacy
with Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is the solid rock foundation that
overcomes it. Jesus
punctuated His most famous sermon with that good news (see Matthew 5-7;
especially 7:24ff.); echoing the Psalmist: “God inhabits the praises of
His people.” In other words, if we
hang out with Him, we won’t get hung up by/on it;
- I
paid close attention to the course on original sin; and learned to expect
next to
nothing from most
people because most people aren’t really into Him as evidenced
by their
selfishness, control needs, greed, inability to serve unless leading,
irascibility, irregularity, and irreconcilability that leave little room for
Christlike traits like selflessness, unconditional favor, mercy,
reconcilable intentions, redemptive passions, forgiveness, and other, again,
Christlike traits;
- While
expecting next to nothing from most people who don’t even try to overcome
the original sin in
their DNA, I expect everything from Father, Son, and Holy Spirit as promised
throughout Holy Scripture and summarized by Psalm 62; and
- I know my speck-inspecting is
limited by my log-wearing. I must
always be ready
and
even eager to confess my sins against Him and His, repent from my sins against
Him and His, ask forgiveness from Him and His, and pray and try to be/do
better
as I receive forgiveness from Him and His.
Simply, Jesus saves…if we let Him.
Survival depends upon God alone.
Yeah, there are some folks who allow Him to
use them in saving missions.
They get it/Him.
Praise the Lord!
They are the few who can say with the
apostle, “It is no longer I who live but it is Jesus who lives in and through
me.”
In short, I have survived it because
of my increasing intimacy with Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, expecting nothing
from most people, expecting everything from Him, and recognizing my own sins
against Him and His that encourages my increasing intimacy with Him to survive
the world, country, and…[Gulp!]…even church.
Simply, Jesus saves…if we let Him.
@#$%
Blessings and Love!
1 comment:
Amen...thanks for the message
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