MY way or the HIGH way?

Soon, the way the world is heading, Christians will have a stark choice: go along with the nonsense of the thrilling world-healing plan (that is man-made and excludes the return of Jesus Christ) or stay true to the bible plan of salvation – faith that leads to a heavenly destination.

No Middle Way

The word of God says this:

Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever. [1 John 2:15-17]

There IS no midway. There IS no third choice. Staying neutral is a vote for the world, and ultimately the new world ruler – the devil! 

Make no mistake, there IS no biblical prophecy that promises an overthrow of evil at this time in history; a world-wide return to righteousness and peace and godliness, and the healing of this world system, before the physical return of Christ! If you are trusting in one, then you are deceived – it’s that simple.

Two Paths

At some point – perhaps sooner than we would like – everyone will have to decide in real terms which path to take. This is true already now, of course, but many Christians in rich Westernised nations manage to love the world AND the Lord without paying the price.

In the end that will not be possible – so which is it to be? Jesus put it this way:

He said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.” And he told them this parable: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded an abundant harvest.  He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’  “Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store my surplus grain. And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.” ’ “But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’ “This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God.” [Luke 12:15-21]

Two Boxes

I imagine two boxes in front of me.

One box simply contains the ROCK of my salvation, Jesus the Saviour and the Inheritance he promises me.

The other box is my own life’s choices, and the things that seem so important to me in this world.

Two boxes – either MY way (hanging onto the things I treasure and can’t imagine living without} or the HIGH way – (counting it all as nothing, for the excellence of knowing the Lord.)

Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ [New Living Translation Phil 3:8]

If circumstances in life force this choice (as well it might for believing Christians at the time of the End) which will I choose?

When it comes to the crunch, and I am challenged to salvage what is precious to me, or to stay true to the Lord in the endtimes, what will tempt me in MY box?

Two Real Life Examples

As soon as it came to mind to write on this theme, two things happened in my own life.

The first related to a chest of photos, possessions and documents from my parents and relatives, dating back to 1910 or even further back if you include my mother’s parents. The second is a news report that I read yesterday.

Example Number One

I decided to check over, preserve and catalogue all the items in the chest passed on by my mother before she died in 1990. I wanted to make sure that everything was accessible and in order, in case anything happened to me, and the chest was passed on to my nephew.

Nothing wrong with that. BUT…

It was taking weeks. I kept getting the urge to do more and more, do it more thoroughly. I was getting obsessed. As I did the laborious and time-consuming work I began to realise two things: these possessions did not really have the value I placed on them, and secondly, there’s no one left in my family who cares either way.

What I am saying is, I was “putting them into my box of life” – literally, as it was all in a chest – and hanging onto them, instead of being able to say “just let it go.”

Example Number Two

In the second case, I read the sad tale of a man who bought so many possessions that eventually his entire house, garage, shed and land was so full that he had to move into a bedsit for his last year. He died at the age of 44 – a young age to die – leaving behind a treasure store worth millions.

Many Items Still In the Box

A £4 million treasure trove of more than 60,000 items amassed by Britain’s biggest ever hoarder has been discovered crammed into a terraced house, a rental flat, two garages and 24 wheelie bins. Most of the enormous collection, that was stacked floor to ceiling in every room of the three-bedroom property in Nottingham, consisted of unopened parcels that had been delivered from 2002 at the home of a bachelor, who died suddenly earlier this year at the age of 44. The hoard was so vast that the late owner was forced to move into a bed and breakfast for the last year of his life because he ran out of room for himself.

This poor man had no wife or children. He obsessively bought items online, thinking to fund his retirement, but in the end he did not benefit from any of it. All he did was fill his house to the rafters with things he never used – and in many cases he never even opened the boxes. He just stacked them higher and higher.

This was HIS way. Not the HIGH way.

He thought to surround himself with possessions, to comfort himself that he had plenty to live on. Indeed, his stash was worth millions, as it turned out, BUT he never benefitted from it. He left this world with nothing, as do we all. As Job said, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return.” (Job 1:21)

The Future Seems Rosy for Some

Although the bible clearly warns of a great falling-away and great wickedness just before the return of the Lord, many (including Christians) want to overlook this fact.

Perhaps they are already too invested in the contents of their ‘MY’ boxes?

They believe that their destiny is restoration, revival, peace in Israel, and the overthrow of the evil World Order. They would presumably rejoice in any great leader who would accomplish this. 

So, cometh the hour, cometh the man! A charismatic man demonstrating his power with great miracles.  However, unlike Jesus, he will do these great miracles to exalt himself.

The Remnant

The few who oppose him will be the most despised people in all of creation.  Thus, there’ll be a great persecution against the remnant of Jews and the few left in the church who reject this.

Just as the religious people called for the death of Jesus, believing they were upholding the Law, so they will believe that killing the opponents of their chosen “messiah” today is the work of God.

The few who remain will be as Jesus was at the end:

• Maligned
• Lied about
• Deserted
• Abandoned
• Mocked
• Lonely
• Pressured, tempted
• Persecuted
• Hated by religious people

But also, as Jesus was taken up to be with His Father in glory, so will those who stand firm to the end.

Your Life Choices

What is in YOUR box that means SO much to you that it persuades you to keep it, and thus continue your life on earth safe and secure, rather than face the awful prospect of being hated, rejected and maybe even executed?

Are there things you put into the balance against the simple fact of believing in God and trusting yourself to him – things like your contentment in life, your peace and security, your career, your friends and family, your savings, your good standing in society, your hopes for a better future. 

We might believe that God sincerely wants us to be blessed, so we kick against this choice. Why not have it all? What’s so unbiblical about that? So many preachers out there will tell you it’s God’s desire for you to prosper and be happy!

Why not have Christianity and these worldly blessings also? Didn’t God promise to provide, to help and to bless us?

But the devil then adds, there is no need to sacrifice anything; this is all about happiness and joy, health, and peace, and a wonderful new future for everyone. As long as you will follow me!

You see the choice we will have? Which will YOU choose?

So I end as I begin, “Choose you this day whom you will serve!” But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.