2 strangers came into my life this week. One, a former professional boxer, ex street preacher the other also a former street preacher. Glenda of the Frothy Cup informed them who I am and what my mission is.
I first met Bobby a week or so ago when he saw a strange looking man with an even stranger looking hat sitting at a table in the Frothy Cup. But what caught his notice was my oversized Bible sitting opened at my table.
So, here comes this guy over to my table and says, " What are you studying there in your Bible?" I replied what does carrying your cross daily mean?
He said, "Wow! That's what I've been studying too! So, what does it mean for you?"
I says, " Well...the cross was an instrument of death, of capital punishment used in Christ's day for killing political radicals and rebels. And, Christ was a radical Jew back in the first century. He advocated loving the unlovable like the Roman occupiers, the bastard people of Samaria, tax farmers and collectors, prostitutes etc. Plus, talking about establishing a new Kingdom with a new King set off the Romans.
2 groups of ruling elites wanted Christ dead: Jewish religious parties and their Roman overlords. So, they conspired together to kill Christ and tried him in a kangaroo court and found him guilty and executed him along with 2 brigands.
Christ demands we carry our own cross daily...so, since it's impossible to kill me daily he must have meant the cross to be a metaphor for killing something other than our body.
To me, it means I'm to kill the false being within, my ego, my kingdom, my wants, my vain ambitions, me, me and me. And, I must do this daily since the ego crops up as soon as I wake up in the morning.
This is a lifetime project. It's called conversion or sanctification. I call it salvation. Being saved from myself.
I don't believe in "easy believeism." I don't ascribe to the idea that "accepting" Christ results in being "born again" or in salvation. How does merely assenting intellectually to a dogma "save" you? I think "salvation" starts with assent but assent has to be consummated with evidence of good works as the book of James makes clear.
Nowhere, in the Bible will you find that "accepting" Christ is tantamount to salvation.
Remember in Luke the people asked John the Baptizer what they must do to be saved. He told them,
" Whoever has 2 coats must share with anyone who has none; and whoever has food must do likewise."
John goes on to tell tax collectors they must not defraud people and to soldiers they must not extort people and to be content with their wages.
In Acts after Peter's sermon after he accused them of crucifying Christ, the people asked him well then what should we do? His reply was that they should repent and be baptized.
You don't see any talk of " accepting." Of course, at some point someone interested in salvation must "accept" the gift of Christ's blood. No doubt there. But, that person must not stop there. He must "repent" or totally turn his life around by dying to self to become alive in Christ.
When Zacchaeus informed the Lord he would give half his estate to the poor and also would pay those he defrauded 4 times the amount he stole the Lord exclaimed " Today, salvation has come to this house!
You see, it wasn't that Zacchaeus "accepted" Christ or his Lordship. He repented which to him was to share his wealth with the poor and to those he defrauded. It was this good work that became evidence of his faith. Giving away his estate didn't save him; rather it was his faith evidenced by his good works that saved him. He became "born again" in that moment. He denied himself, his desires, his little Kingdom.
If your life is absent of such works so maybe is your faith. That's the key.
For me this is lifetime process of dying daily to myself to hiding in Christ. To become dead in Christ.
As Jesus once said a seed of corn must go into the soil and die before becoming a plant. That small seed can only morph into a 10 foot tall plant by first being planted and then dying underground. If it does not get planted and die it does not become a plant. Likewise, we must die first to become alive in Christ. Christ said as much when he said if you wish to save yourself you must give up your life. If you cling to life you will lose your life. If you lose your life in him you will gain your life.
A beautiful paradox isn't it?
This does not happen overnight or once. Of course, salvation involves a moment in time or an instant where the Holy Spirit comes in and resides within your soul/heart to seal you. At that moment salvation comes. But, its also a lifetime process as the Apostle Paul said when be mentioned "working out your soul salvation."
To be frank...I'm not as concerned with the afterlife as I used to be.
I'm now more concerned with this life...in the here and now. This is my one and only chance to kill my false self to give the only thing I can give back to the Creator...my life...such as it is...with all my defects...all my wounding and brokenness... but also with all my talent, capacity for love.
I do this not to earn salvation or to impress God but rather because I want to. My desire is to God's will. My old desires are behind me. My will must be so in tune with God's that they are one in the same.
I will let you know when I have achieved all of this. Hahaha! I can tell you that I neglect carrying my cross daily. Some days I do a pretty good job of it and other days I don't even try.
Like I said, this is a lifetime journey and endeavor. For every two steps forward I go back one step. I am weak and I still want my kingdom to prevail. As Paul said once, " Oh! What wretched man I am!" I know what he means.
Getting back to my meeting with the 2 strangers. Bobby and Pete says they're with me. What does that mean?
Turns out both men used to be street preachers but now have involved themselves with working in the secular world. Pete works in some capacity for the government and Bobby works as a contractor. He is also writing a book about his years in the boxing profession.
But now, they are talking about throwing off everything and going on the road with me town to town when I leave Idaho Springs in the spring to head to the Pacific.
For some time now I wanted someone to accompany me on my mission. Maybe now it will happen. Christ sent out the 70 disciples 2 by 2. I think that's the best way to go town to town. It's better to have someone to help if you get in trouble. It just makes a lot of sense.
Anyway, just as Pete gets up to leave with Bobby, Pete hands me a $100! I can always can use money. What a meeting.
We agreed to meet again.
Life continues to toss balls at me from out in left field. It's exciting and scary... just the way I like it.
I ended up at supper Wednesday night with the Blackwells and Jerry. It was Becky's infamous meatloaf, mashed taters, salad and apple cider on the menu.
Then it was off to Wednesday evening service at First Baptist Church with Pastor Dawit who taught out of the Book of Revelation. Afterwards, Pastor Dawit and I discussed life, the church and things. He then drove me back to the Boarding House on Riverside. He will be flying out this week to attend his doctoral classes at Duke University. But, he will be back in the pulpit in 2 weeks.
I have nothing special set up for New Years Eve or Day. Just writing.
Good day to you all and have a blessed New Years!
Pics are of the money Pete donated and the other pic is of Pete on the left and Bobby on the right.
BR Schoenbein
December 30, 2015- Wednesday
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