Wednesday, December 14, 2005

The Story

Jesus Christ
...was the firstborn,
sacrificed so that men might find hope and salvation.


.

Once upon a time there was a man named Jesus. He walked the earth.

He showed tolerance unto others because he lived as a man and experienced all the temptations and sufferings that men went through in life. He knew how hard life could be on us all sometimes - and gave respect to the struggles each man must overcome in his own personal walk through life. He didn't judge others according to their weaknesses or misunderstandings.

He went out boldly in His life - giving hope unto others - dedicating His life to teaching men things that they often did not understand, nor even in their present state wish to know. No obstacle was great enough to discourage Him.

He was kind to those who were often unkind to Him, and He taught them with gentleness. He was patient and suffered long in His ministering to those in whom he found loneliness, hurt, sickness and sorrow - always in the hope that eventually they would finally see and hear the truth of His message.

He was meek and lowly of heart - never lifting Himself up pridefully, but always delivering His message - although sometimes firm and harshly to those that resisted.

He had great temperance - always saying or doing the right thing at the right time - even though it often did not fulfill His personal desires, nor bring Him immediate reward.

He walked in peace, never lifting a hand in violence towards another - and this spirit of peace was at His command - even allowing Him to still the forces of nature in the bringing of calm and tranquility to men's lives.

The joy of His life was apparent to all those that followed Him - an abundance of joy in the little things of life, such as laughing and playing with little children, which gave Him strength to carry on - and attracted others to Him - wondering and desiring this for themselves, curious as to how this man found so much happiness, when He had no riches nor earthly possessions.

He was faithful to the Spirit He called His Father, GOD. He spoke and did all the things that he heard and was commanded - though at times these things were hard.

He was sent to teach men love. His Father, the Father of all men, sent Him into the world to show His other children how to live. He was the firstborn child of God, and God gave Him command over His complete inheritance. Without limitation God gave His son Tolerance, Boldness, Kindness, Gentleness, Patience, Meekness, Temperance, Peace, Joy, Faithfulness and Love. This was the fullness of God's nature, and it was Good.

This man lived His life giving these aspects of His life unto others. He was followed by many. They worshipped Him. But this man walked on a path that others could not follow Him on at the time. He was shown His end - and prophesied three times that He must die. He was fully aware of what must be. He was a man. He felt the blows to His face, and the lashes to His back. As they tied him to a wooden cross and took metal spikes and drove them through His hands and feet - He felt the same pain you would feel. When they paraded Him beaten through the streets, through a jeering, mocking crowd - he felt the same shame and humiliation that all men feel, when those they loved - turn against them. When He asked for water and they daubed His lips with vinegar - he felt the hopelessness of men's cruelty.

He looked up to the heaven's - and He asked His father to forgive you.

And then he died.

God honored His promise to this man, and raised him up from the dead. He gave him his reward and gave him authority to rule over all things in heaven and earth.

It is written that God gave this man His Spirit without measure. His Spirit is His nature, and it is His name. Let His nature be yours.

Call on Jesus - and He will send you the Spirit of God. He will heal your hurts. He is the Lord our Righteousness - the fulfilled nature of God.

I love Him so very much, for when I was down and out - He lifted me up and brought me in.

If any of you have ever felt the hopelessness, depression and despair that you might imagine I did - then call on Jesus Christ. You have nothing to lose. I've been there. All I had left to lose was my life - and it was as a curse to me. I cannot explain it to you. Every man finds the Lord alone - in the proper time, and in his own journey. Do not consider the teachings of religion, nor the teachings of men - for they will not help you. Call on the Lord with a humble and broken heart. Simply talk. Pour out your heart. Whisper it in tears - or scream and sob it in anger. But as you get it out - you must come to a decision in your heart that you will change your life into a life of love - of kindness and caring, trust and honor. Even if you don't believe, say you want to. Call on the Lord. Ask the spirit of Jesus Christ to come into your life. Invite him in, and He will fill you with a comforting light, and wash you as a gentle cleansing rain.

You will receive a new sense of purpose and hope. I can't explain it. It's just as if all the fears and shames and failures of your life up to this point were simply washed away - and ceased to exist. Some call it "Being Born Again." It's for all of us that wish we could have another chance - a way to start over fresh. And it works.

The Christian church will teach you that your sins are completely dead in that instant. This is true. Many will also tell you that you are guaranteed an eternal life in heaven, that all your problems are over, and that you will never have the urge to sin again. But that's not true. You don't have to look far to find a host of hypocrites and sinners, many standing behind the pulpits of the Christian church, who simply sold the promise out (or never actually received it) - and returned to their old lives - as dogs to their vomit.

It's just a free gift of mercy - a starting over - a new beginning. Jesus Christ was the Lamb of God. He was a sacrifice, and He died willingly out of His love for you - to give you this new beginning, and to restore your hope. He was the most wonderful and loving man that ever lived, and He was the firstborn son of God.

The gift is free, and it is yours to receive - or to refuse. But having received it - you will have to follow in his footsteps. There will be suffering - but it will be so much more bearable than before. There will be temptations, but they will be so much easier to turn from. And in the midst of it all you will find new friendships you didn't believe were possible, trust from others you once thought you didn't deserve, and a new peace in your life.

As I said earlier - I can't explain it. It's a one-on-one thing, between an individual and God.

There is an eternal life - and there is an eternal hell - and there is more than one kind of death. For years I walked around living and breathing, but I was dead inside - cold and without joy.

Jesus walked willingly to the pain, suffering and humiliation of the cross with a promise from His Father (our Father) God. Don't be fooled. He knew what was coming. They beat him unmercifully. He was nailed to a tree, with great spikes through his hands and feet, and hung up to die. He did this because He believed He had a promise, and because He was willing to do it for you - because of His love.

God honored that promise, and Jesus rose from the dead. His death and resurrection is symbolic of the same promise you have. First, you can rise fresh in THIS VERY LIFE. The additional promise of an eternal life isn't bad either, but for me it was enough just to get a fresh start in this one, and I am telling you it works.

You have already suffered in your own ways. Start over and choose a life worthy of living forever. You will get out of it what you put into it. But the New Beginning, complete with Hope, Joy, Love and Peace and more - you can get for free. Call on the Lord. Ask the spirit of God to come into your life. Invite him in. What do you have to lose by trying?

"Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon."

Do you know someone who could use hope? A fresh start?
Sometimes simply gently planting a seed is enough.
Send them a link to http://www.themountainsvoice.net/0004.htm

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