Israel
BANNED
"for the love of the Christ doth constrain us, having judged thus: that if one for all died, then the whole died,"
YLT
It's far too great a stretch to make too much of the little boy (in the movie) in that. But there is one convincing that "our own lives" are quite...over. We touch that truth in every bit of striving. Yet touch it we do...and perhaps even must as the writer of Hebrews was instructing in:
Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.
Our labors must come hard up against the labor of another. And perhaps so hard that such prevailing of that other's labor is made so plain (too plain?) to us that all thoughts of withstanding are utterly and forever crushed.
"What must we do that we can do the works of God" (as we see you doing, Jesus..?)
"what must we do to occupy the (that) place you do...Jesus?" is not far from it...no?
Oh, how the Lord answers! Not even acknowledging or giving one inch to any recommendation of what a man "can do". How frustrating to anything that looks to its own doing for placement of itself.
One may think of that little flock to which Jesus is speaking.
For the love of Christ may we consider those things of which he speaks to such as is that little flock.
In the mean time, when there were gathered together an innumerable multitude of people, insomuch that they trode one upon another, he began to say unto his disciples first of all, Beware ye of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. For there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; neither hid, that shall not be known. Therefore whatsoever ye have spoken in darkness shall be heard in the light; and that which ye have spoken in the ear in closets shall be proclaimed upon the housetops.
And I say unto you my friends, Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into ****; yea, I say unto you, Fear him. Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings, and not one of them is forgotten before God?But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows.
Also I say unto you, Whosoever shall confess me before men, him shall the Son of man also confess before the angels of God: But he that denieth me before men shall be denied before the angels of God. And whosoever shall speak a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but unto him that blasphemeth against the Holy Ghost it shall not be forgiven. And when they bring you unto the synagogues, and unto magistrates, and powers, take ye no thought how or what thing ye shall answer, or what ye shall say: For the Holy Ghost shall teach you in the same hour what ye ought to say.
And one of the company said unto him, Master, speak to my brother, that he divide the inheritance with me. And he said unto him, Man, who made me a judge or a divider over you? And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth. And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully: And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits? And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.
And he said unto his disciples, Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat; neither for the body, what ye shall put on. The life is more than meat, and the body is more than raiment. Consider the ravens: for they neither sow nor reap; which neither have storehouse nor barn; and God feedeth them: how much more are ye better than the fowls? And which of you with taking thought can add to his stature one cubit? If ye then be not able to do that thing which is least, why take ye thought for the rest? Consider the lilies how they grow: they toil not, they spin not; and yet I say unto you, that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. If then God so clothe the grass, which is to day in the field, and to morrow is cast into the oven; how much more will he clothe you, O ye of little faith? And seek not ye what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, neither be ye of doubtful mind. For all these things do the nations of the world seek after: and your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things. But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you. Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.
Only the little flock will hear what is told the little flock. For only the little flock has need of having its fears assuaged. Only the little flock feels its heart rise at Jesus' words and in such rising recognizes it has left the ground...untethered by the promises of God's particular attentions that relieve it of all care for itself...promises so very stupefying as have never been heard before.
But the heart rises to them...the heart is being raised by them. And in such rising also has some fear in ascent...for the fall shall be so very great indeed if the man must trust himself to their securing. How can I believe in what is so unbelievably...good? How can I sustain? Jesus sees the fears. Jesus knows how things appear to hearts once earthbound as "too good to be true". But their goodness cannot be denied. Their goodness...lifts. The little flock alone is caught in such tension. What does not believe merely scoffs.
But Jesus speaks as things are. Unrelentingly. Unapologetically. Shamelessly.
What has been won to these promises, even by such promises is His little flock. They are won to Him, Himself. (For He Himself knows as no other...He is Himself the security of these promises, soon to be manifest)
They know, even if what may yet find to some fear, the Master's voice, the Shepherd's call. (he Himself walks in God's promise "all of thine are mine...") And He knows right it is they fear. And He makes very clear to Whom all fear must be rendered. (T'was grace that taught my heart to fear, and grace my fears relieved)
So that in His speaking of all things too wonderful for men to accomplish for themselves He mercifully includes what must put such fears to rest. Must free the heart to flight from captivity to world's gravity.
Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.
Your Father wants to do this. Not only willing to (in any sense a man may find of a willingness which may sometimes include a duress in man's understanding) but desires...finds good pleasure...in doing so. His desire to give...so far over exceeds our desire to have, that even our desire takes right place.
As we begin to be won away from that gravity to see what "good pleasure" is...even in God (specifically in God)...even our own notions of pleasure fade, are eclipsed, put to shame (without shame) in the beholding. We begin to see the God of all joy as He is the (may I say, hysterically?) generous God of every good and perfect gift...wanting to, and giving...to "His little flock".
And we see Who the gift is.
This is the work of God that you believe upon Him whom He has sent.
And God is not striving or sweating in the work of His giving. He is delighted in Himself.
YLT
It's far too great a stretch to make too much of the little boy (in the movie) in that. But there is one convincing that "our own lives" are quite...over. We touch that truth in every bit of striving. Yet touch it we do...and perhaps even must as the writer of Hebrews was instructing in:
Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.
Our labors must come hard up against the labor of another. And perhaps so hard that such prevailing of that other's labor is made so plain (too plain?) to us that all thoughts of withstanding are utterly and forever crushed.
"What must we do that we can do the works of God" (as we see you doing, Jesus..?)
"what must we do to occupy the (that) place you do...Jesus?" is not far from it...no?
Oh, how the Lord answers! Not even acknowledging or giving one inch to any recommendation of what a man "can do". How frustrating to anything that looks to its own doing for placement of itself.
One may think of that little flock to which Jesus is speaking.
For the love of Christ may we consider those things of which he speaks to such as is that little flock.
In the mean time, when there were gathered together an innumerable multitude of people, insomuch that they trode one upon another, he began to say unto his disciples first of all, Beware ye of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. For there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; neither hid, that shall not be known. Therefore whatsoever ye have spoken in darkness shall be heard in the light; and that which ye have spoken in the ear in closets shall be proclaimed upon the housetops.
And I say unto you my friends, Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into ****; yea, I say unto you, Fear him. Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings, and not one of them is forgotten before God?But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows.
Also I say unto you, Whosoever shall confess me before men, him shall the Son of man also confess before the angels of God: But he that denieth me before men shall be denied before the angels of God. And whosoever shall speak a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but unto him that blasphemeth against the Holy Ghost it shall not be forgiven. And when they bring you unto the synagogues, and unto magistrates, and powers, take ye no thought how or what thing ye shall answer, or what ye shall say: For the Holy Ghost shall teach you in the same hour what ye ought to say.
And one of the company said unto him, Master, speak to my brother, that he divide the inheritance with me. And he said unto him, Man, who made me a judge or a divider over you? And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth. And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully: And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits? And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.
And he said unto his disciples, Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat; neither for the body, what ye shall put on. The life is more than meat, and the body is more than raiment. Consider the ravens: for they neither sow nor reap; which neither have storehouse nor barn; and God feedeth them: how much more are ye better than the fowls? And which of you with taking thought can add to his stature one cubit? If ye then be not able to do that thing which is least, why take ye thought for the rest? Consider the lilies how they grow: they toil not, they spin not; and yet I say unto you, that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. If then God so clothe the grass, which is to day in the field, and to morrow is cast into the oven; how much more will he clothe you, O ye of little faith? And seek not ye what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, neither be ye of doubtful mind. For all these things do the nations of the world seek after: and your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things. But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you. Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.
Only the little flock will hear what is told the little flock. For only the little flock has need of having its fears assuaged. Only the little flock feels its heart rise at Jesus' words and in such rising recognizes it has left the ground...untethered by the promises of God's particular attentions that relieve it of all care for itself...promises so very stupefying as have never been heard before.
But the heart rises to them...the heart is being raised by them. And in such rising also has some fear in ascent...for the fall shall be so very great indeed if the man must trust himself to their securing. How can I believe in what is so unbelievably...good? How can I sustain? Jesus sees the fears. Jesus knows how things appear to hearts once earthbound as "too good to be true". But their goodness cannot be denied. Their goodness...lifts. The little flock alone is caught in such tension. What does not believe merely scoffs.
But Jesus speaks as things are. Unrelentingly. Unapologetically. Shamelessly.
What has been won to these promises, even by such promises is His little flock. They are won to Him, Himself. (For He Himself knows as no other...He is Himself the security of these promises, soon to be manifest)
They know, even if what may yet find to some fear, the Master's voice, the Shepherd's call. (he Himself walks in God's promise "all of thine are mine...") And He knows right it is they fear. And He makes very clear to Whom all fear must be rendered. (T'was grace that taught my heart to fear, and grace my fears relieved)
So that in His speaking of all things too wonderful for men to accomplish for themselves He mercifully includes what must put such fears to rest. Must free the heart to flight from captivity to world's gravity.
Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.
Your Father wants to do this. Not only willing to (in any sense a man may find of a willingness which may sometimes include a duress in man's understanding) but desires...finds good pleasure...in doing so. His desire to give...so far over exceeds our desire to have, that even our desire takes right place.
As we begin to be won away from that gravity to see what "good pleasure" is...even in God (specifically in God)...even our own notions of pleasure fade, are eclipsed, put to shame (without shame) in the beholding. We begin to see the God of all joy as He is the (may I say, hysterically?) generous God of every good and perfect gift...wanting to, and giving...to "His little flock".
And we see Who the gift is.
This is the work of God that you believe upon Him whom He has sent.
And God is not striving or sweating in the work of His giving. He is delighted in Himself.
