One Thing You Lack

Here's a thing that we don't disagree with. This is the kind of message that Jesus preached. In fact, the lion's share of it is from the Jesus Film... The guy who follows up on it is solid, too...

Living without health insurance? Unthinkable? Irresponsible? Only to the mind steeped in western affluent fear culture. I'm not criticizing you. I'm criticizing the poison stew we wade through. We're in the Slough of Despond found in the Pilgrim's Progress.
Jesus said to be wary about this world's concerns, fears and pleasures choking out the Kingdom of God in our lives...

We should agonize.
We SHOULD agonize.
Yes.
there's something to agonize over down here. It's that Narrow Gate:
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Matt 7:13
"Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it."
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Luke 13
He said to them, 24"Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to. 25Once the owner of the house gets up and closes the door, you will stand outside knocking and pleading, 'Sir, open the door for us.'
"But he will answer, 'I don't know you or where you come from.'

I heard Chuck Swindoll teach on this years ago. I mean YEARS like 8 or ten... and he said that the greek word used here for "Make every effort" is [AGONIZU], pronounced agoNEEtsu. It is the root of our word "Agonize", and "Agony". I'm no webster, but I get it. It's a strong concept!

Does the Gospel cause you agony? When a preacher really preaches are you averse? Does it bring up all kinds of questions and doubts? Because listening to the linked audion on this entry will surely stir one thing or another in you... The Gospel calls us to a radical abandonment of our selves, our families, our lives, our nationalities... The Gospel calls us to the renunciation of the world, its pleasures, promotions and possibilities... The Gospel calls us to a life in the Spirit that scandalizes the ways of the world...
We are a waste of potential to some, as we follow the Way (who is a person)(Jesus).
We are misfits in church as we proclaim the Truth (who is a person)(Jesus), unless we belong to a powerfully repentant, grieving, confessional, prophetically driven church that has renounced affluence, influence and americana...
We die like lambs as we walk out the Life (who is a person)(Jesus).

If the church has a response to the evils of this world's kingdoms, it is to send the missionaries of the Gospel to die preaching, like the two witnesses of Revelation. Where is that call? Where are the ones who want to die young? This is the call of the Gospel--to live dead to this world and to die alive to Christ.

Click the title and be blessed...