Day 3155 of the 7 day Bible verse challenge.

John 16:2 NIV

We've this innate penchant for comfort that's achieving for us an already half-hearted consideration of a kind of concession and compromise that aren't found anywhere in Scripture nor within the lives of those discussed within.

One of my greatest realizations which still stands firm even through these 8+ years of thinking about all this all the time in order to share something every day is this mindset which has all of us almost completely convinced that we've something to lose. It's this palpable fear found upon every face we see in this place that speaks this awareness that they're afraid to have something taken from them. That this world can take something from them.

As if this world has given us anything.

Ironically, what this world has given us is that which we should be ecstatic to shake off as we walk on. It's this maniacal mix of misconceptions wherein we live for ourselves, seek endless safety, avoid any sort of physical or psychological or even financial misery, figure out everyone else's radars so that we can fly quietly below their belligerence always ready to blow at a moment's notice.

We're all so afraid anymore that we don't do anything, don't say anything, don't even think anything that we think someone else might possibly know about that they might possibly be able to be angry about. All of our lives are just this avoidance of annoyance. Don't rock the boat, don't even get in the water. No, stay safely on shore away from the waves rising all around those who dare welcome the world's wrath.

Who does that? Who willingly and willfully goes into a day unworried about anything anyone else may say, do, think, prefer, want, wish, watch, hear, believe, disbelieve, disagree with, even fight against? That's not a life we know anything about anymore. No, in our world these days it's all this socialized outpouring of fakery done in the name of a false sense of community.

And I think that that's honestly what so many are now so afraid to lose.

It's the welcome, the warmth, the 'well done' coming from someone other than the Son. It's this idea that our followers will freak if we find reason to speak a word which doesn't please or appease. An endless striving to figure out only that which will keep the public passively pacified so that we don't run the risk of being ostracized. We're pretending that we’re not playing ourselves through our placating a population of the persnickety and pompous.

Yet we don't seem to see that in order to do so demands we disagree with all they find disagreeable.

Yes, we have to hate what the world hates, problem. We have to love what the world loves, bigger problem. We have to say what the world says which is also always what they want to hear, really big problem. And to top it all off, in order to do all the above we have to turn our focus from up above and allow society an at least equal measure of consideration as that we owe to He whom sits at the right hand of God ready and able to unleash the fullness of a wrath this world can't even pretend to imagine.

Biggest problem!

Why? Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Before Him. Other than Him. It's Him. He's the God, not humanity, not our followers who we foolishly hope to find are fanatically faithful, not the weird dude at work that nobody talks to, not the cute girl in class that all the guys are afraid to talk to. No, God is God and He gets the glory.

End of story.

Except that we still think we're able to write a part of this. Because the world lives as if they're embodied with this divine authority to define reality as shown through this seeming ability to demand humanity bows in worship before these self-made thrones of selfish vanity.

We're all living as if we're gods surrounded by bigger gods all while not really worrying all that much about the one true God who is and who was and who, and this part should honestly concern us, is still to come. Why should that last little snippet stir an awakening inside our societally slumbering stupidity?

Cause He ain't coming back to die in kindness again.

No, this next time there's not going to be an opening of a door but a great sealing of fates. But tell me honestly, how much time do you spend thinking toward that as opposed to worrying about what so-and-so is doing or what your followers may think of what you feel you need to say but never do or not saying what you should simply because you know someone somewhere ain't gonna like it.

That's the tragedy here. It's not that we might lose something but that we already are every single time that we actually take time to waste time to worry about what any other human wants from us. That's not living, it's barely existing. It's a pre-planned and publicly programmed performance put on by them through a hollow being that we have to agree to become.

I contend it's time we stop agreeing to become what the world demands we be and instead maybe worry about being what He calls us to be as it's only He who holds the key that will define our eternity. He holds the power of life and death whereas this world can only kill. But here's the thing we need to understand: This world can kill bodies, can't really touch the soul though. Christ on the other hand? Not quite that limited.

No, “do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell." Here's just a little freebie for any who hopefully find a hint of encouragement to study the Scriptures themselves, if Jesus says it, probably important to put into practice. Just an idea. Matthew 10:28.

Anyway, the world, as we discussed yesterday, is going to make certain that any who follow the path Christ paved will enjoy much the same stay as they thought they forced upon Him. They didn't actually impose their will, as we're not that powerful. No, He chose what they did knowing what they'd do in response to what He came to do and did before He let the world think they did Him in.

No, He died for us, not because of them. I hope everyone can understand the difference because it's a big one. The arrogance in this world, sadly in us as well due to our being in Rome and therefore becoming Romans who obviously live as Romans, is of such depth that humans actually believe that they can either give life or destroy life. But in reality, all humans can do is accept life or reject life, take life or allow life.

God is the only one who either makes life or destroys life. Thus we find the reason to stop worrying about what anyone else may say, think or do and simply do as He's called us to and speak the truth that this world running on lies will undoubtedly despise. Because it's okay to be hated, a person can go on breathing even if a whole bunch of other people wish they'd stop.

But should we oppose the One who gave us breath, then we're really running up on that distinct line of not putting God to the test. Because we'll fail. Badly.

Should we test His patience by seeking this world’s acceptance, we'll fail in a way that no amount of community nor comfort can possibly make up for. And yet those two combine to define the most widespread worries scattered throughout the scatter-brained who live as if this world can take something from them that the world can't give to them.

Yes, the world can give acceptance. They can like us. They can love us. They can pat us on the back for being the boys and girls they want us to be, which is actually even becoming a bit more involved and complicated of late as the idea as to what make someone a boy or a girl is somehow now somewhat convoluted. They can cheer us on or indeed withhold the cheers and inspire instead the flowing of tears.

Indeed, this world can bring pain, but again we must remember that it's but superficial. It's skin-deep. Scrapes and scars and maybe even some bars barricading us from playing all the reindeer games. Speaking of, notice how they hated Rudolph because his nose glowed? Seems this freaky world has something against light. Which kind of seems to remind me of another story we talk about. Like every single day.

Cause that's what we do here!

Our reflecting of the light of the Son will offend those who think the only light that matters is the light from the sun which shines to make daytime happy for those who like that and that dims at night to delight those who enjoy that. In other words, we can't help but offend someone as we're unfortunately not here to please them. And by unfortunate I mean for them, not us, it's their problem as they're the ones who choose to have a problem with us doing what we're here to do.

And that's what I want everyone to take away from this today. We can't force the world to like us, to accept us, to appreciate us. In fact, we can all but guarantee that no matter what we do, someone somewhere will not like it, will not like us as a result, and will therefore have apparently just enough reason to hate us, if needed, to the point that they think they need rid of us.

Just like they wanted rid of Jesus.

See, those Pharisees who thought they had God all figured out by simply pretending to be Him, well they still exist today. Granted, they don't have the fancy outfits or meet up in certain buildings in certain places. But the mindset still exists. It's still quite popular in fact. It's found in this incessant assumption that humanity is of an ability we ain't never had. We can't understand God, can't know God, can only know of God and pray that He kindly understands us and the reasons we've failed Him thus far.

All that matters in all of this is our humility or our lack thereof. Because without humility we too will deny everything that tries to deny all that we like. Without humility we too will hate all that hates all that we enjoy. Without humility we will always only live to please ourselves, which in this place goes hand in hand with pleasing others, usually with the clear requirement and stipulation of deception. Just easier that way.

But with humility we can find that we don't care what happens to us here in this place that isn't our home. With humility we can strive to serve the One who perfected humility and gave us the undeserved chance to change from our old ways into the new way following the Way which is the only way to find life for all eternity. With humility we can grow to become a people also willing to lay down our lives for the good of those we love.

Which, and oddly enough, is everyone. Even those who hate us, we still love them enough to lay down our lives for their good. Now sure, their opinion of what's good may jump at the chance to "help us" lay down our lives. Yes, this world is very much racing toward the days described here where folks will be more than happy to lay down our lives for us thinking that it's for their good.

But in the end, that joke's on them because in Christ, we've already let go. Our lives aren't ours anymore. These bodies? Just a bit of dust waiting to let us go home. Our time? Running out anyway. Fear? What's the point? Worry? Sure, but only about what matters. Shame? Not in this new game we're playing to the death. To the death we’ve already agreed to and undergone. Out with the old, worldly worries included.

Friends, this world has everything entirely misconstrued and misunderstood. Down here death is the end and so to take someone's life is the end of them. But it's the beginning to us. To inflict pain hurts those stuck worrying about worldliness. But to us, it's a chance to share in a little bit of what He went through at the hands of those who are soon to be through with us too.

They can and will kick us out of their clubs, their groups, their gatherings. They'll withhold our welcome and reject our welcoming them to come and see that He is good. They'll promise punishment and probably uphold those promises. They'll indeed descend into such depraved darkness that they'll find a way to convince themselves that by killing all who speak God’s truth is a good thing as it ends the interference with their truth they feel they've the authority to author for themselves.

We will lose our sense of community as many of the communities we've been welcomed within will turn us away. We will lose our acceptance as the Gospel we speak becomes more unacceptable to more and more. We will lose friends and family and fellowship with those who only find favor with those who are just like them and live to be liked by them. And yes, we may well lose our lives at the hands of those who don't want His Word messing with theirs.

But we were going to lose them anyway, may as well be done for something that means something as precious as the blood that was spilled for us. Because this world can take away a lot of things, but they can't take that. They can't take Jesus. And He won't let them take us from Him either.

"And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all those he has given me, but raise them up at the last day." Again, if Jesus said it, well that's all that needs said.

If we fall, and we will as the world will insist upon it, let it be into the arms of the One who came to raise us up at the last day when He returns to prove that it's just our last day here. Don't fall into this foolish fear of man, because sadly, their last day here will be the last day they enjoy.

Don't let them drag you into that outcome through these lies that try to convince us that they can change His plans. They can’t, a hard reality they’ll find out shortly enough. So, let us not run away in fear of what the world may do. No, let’s walk away unafraid because we don’t care what they do.

Because they simply can’t do anything that can in any way undo what He’s already done.

#LeaveNoSoulUntold