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Eyewitnesses of His Majesty

“For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. For when he received honor and glory from God the Father, and the voice was borne to him by the Majestic Glory, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased,” we ourselves heard this very voice borne from heaven, for we were with him on the holy mountain.”
‭‭2 Peter‬ ‭1:16-18‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Men whose eyes have seen the King. By T. Austin Sparks part 1: http://audio.austin-sparks.net/TAS0155.mp3

Many of the disciples saw Jesus Christ in a way that caused them to leave all and follow him. They saw his majesty; they saw his glory. They saw him as he really IS, and it changed them forever. Furthermore, their view of him changed the world forever. The fact that they saw Jesus Christ as he really is, the fact that they saw his glory.

In light of this we should never make the foundation of our ministry upon anything else besides Jesus Christ.

Our Ministry Foundation

Not to take anything away from great ministers of the past but for example, Martin Luther, made his ministry founded on the idea that the bible alone “sola scriptura” and not the Roman clergy should be our foundation. And no doubt that was a message God used him to help his generation with so I don’t mean to criticize but for subsequent ministers to make that their ministerial foundation is an overemphasis on something that is deeply lacking and inferior to Jesus Christ.

Calvin and Wesley made it on different sides of the issue of predestination. They began to divisively define many Christians around them on that one narrow issue. Creating opponents out of those who should be brothers dwelling together in unity. Sometimes judging and squabbling very unfairly with one another. Other preachers have founded their ministry upon evangelism. I have watched many, many modern ministers and pastors founding their ministries upon things like faith for miracles, or hope, or love. Good things that should be discussed but when overemphasized and made to be the central foundation of their entire ministry its out of balance. Some make the particulay denomination that they inherited their unique distinction, taking up the offenses and overemphasis of the past as their own personal battles. Making their pet issues more critical than Jesus Christ Himself.

There is this mistaken idea that we need to differentiate ourselves from the crowd to get noticed. But when we do this, when we found our ministry on things other. Sooner or later the founding of our ministry gets exposed at least partially, for the work of flesh that it is or was.

If in fact a ministry is not on a spiritual glimpse of Jesus Christ, if our eyes have not seen the King, then our ministry will inevitably be a work of the flesh to varying degrees.

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How to Seek God – Psalm 101

A Psalm of David.

1 I will sing of steadfast love and justice; to you, O LORD, I will make music. 2 I will ponder the way that is blameless. Oh when will you come to me? I will walk with integrity of heart within my house; 3 I will not set before my eyes anything that is worthless. I hate the work of those who fall away; it shall not cling to me.4 A perverse heart shall be far from me; I will know nothing of evil. 5 Whoever slanders his neighbor secretly I will destroy. Whoever has a haughty look and an arrogant heart I will not endure. 6 I will look with favor on the faithful in the land, that they may dwell with me; he who walks in the way that is blameless shall minister to me. 7 No one who practices deceit shall dwell in my house; no one who utters lies shall continue before my eyes. 8 Morning by morning I will destroy all the wicked in the land, cutting off all the evildoers from the city of the LORD.

Psalm 101 ESV

I love this Psalm, it is truly beautiful. In verse 2 there is a phrase that shows the very foundation of the Psalmist’s mentality. “oh when will you come to me?” This phrase shows how the writer was looking for the Lord, it shows how Jesus Christ was looking for and seeking his father. The attitude of him who seeks first the kingdom of God and his righteousness.

Seeking God is as much a pursuit of God as a pursuit of His ways, and his life principles. It is not a merely academic or intellectual understanding of God without a personal transformation. The Jesus seeker is being changed and she takes on the ways of God whom she is seeking.

Psalm 101 gives us the Jesus-attitude regarding sin and remaining Holy. God does not wink at sin in disregard. He takes sin seriously. He has also delegated the dealing of sin to his followers and has provided for us in the event that we sin. One way that he has provided for us is through the principle of confession.

It seems to me that repentance and confession of sin one to one another is a lost practice among most Protestant Christians.

14 Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. 16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. … 19 My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, 20 let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.

James 5

Teachings that overlook much scripture teach (without openly saying it) “I am under grace so confession is unnecessary” “it is legalistic to confess sins one to another”. I knew of a pastor who confessed his sin in private, exposing his sin to a brother doing exactly as taught in scripture to another pastor who humiliated him and publically shamed him. It was an awkward display of cruelty and taking advantage of a brother. What a violation of friendship and scriptural precedent. When a brother confesses a sin in private it is not to be used against him in humiliation. It is to be forgiven in confidence, Christians are to bear one another’s burdens not announce them with a microphone.

Many Catholics that I know seem to look at confession as a practice owned by the clergy. This is not so! Confessing to other Christians and hearing the confessions of others is for every Christian. Confession binds us together, it is an equally humbling practice, a back and forth mutual practice, one to another.

Before confession, there must be a no-nonsense, no cover up, keeping it real, hatred of evil. A personal distancing oneself from evil, a siding with Jesus Christ and with his purity, over and against Satan and our sinful natures.

An attitude of Psalm 101 is called for, for the Jesus follower daily. The attitude of John the Baptist and Jesus Christ themselves. “I will not set before my eyes anything that is worthless. I hate the work of those who fall away; it shall not cling to me.” – ‭‭Psalm‬ ‭101:3‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Sin, filth, and evil will cling to the lacksidasical Christian, it will find its home right in our laps if we allow it. No matter who we are or who we think we are, this is as true for “super Christians” like a Pope or a Mega Pastor, as it is for the homeless unknown Christian.

If we can get the love and awe for Jesus Christ in our lives first. If we can love, respect and submit to Jesus in that way. Then the hatred for evil, as expressed in Psalm 101 will be a natural result.

If you want to be ambitious with the things of God go to him first every day.

That is the Christian’s way to Jesus Christ, constantly. Not the way of churchy busyness. Not the way of preaching or listening to endless sermons. The way is in pursuing Jesus Christ as first, in and as the center of our lives.

If we can do that …and if we He allows it …he will send us a brother or sister to confess our sins to, and to share our burdens with.

Check out this Similar Article: Stay in the Bubble of Jesus Christ

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purifying ourselves
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The Ability to Seek

“But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” – Jesus Christ

I tend to exhort and try to teach everyone who will listen, to seek Jesus constantly. But I think it takes more than that, more than a determination and decision of the mind. There must be an inner spiritual heavenly drive to seek God or we simply won’t.

“God looks down from heaven on the children of man to see if there are any who understand, who seek after God. They have all fallen away; together they have become corrupt; there is none who does good, not even one.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭53:2-3‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Seeking God first is not an act of devoutly religious persons. Real seeking comes from Jesus himself. He enables us to seek and endure seeking. He gives us the ability to care and understand why and how to seek him. Jesus sought the father like no human ever did.

And if you can let him live in you you can seek God like Jesus did. Seek Jesus with the ability of Jesus.

Duty and strict human discipline falls far short, it is limited to effort, will power, and even intellect.

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