"The Briar Patch"

"He hath prepared for him the instruments of death; He ordaineth His arrows against the persecutors." (Psalms 7:13) Maybe the best way to consider the choice before us, is to view what is awaiting us if we turn not. After all, the law was put in place to lead us to Christ; in other words, we are instructed by the law to the things that we lack the ability to accomplish; and seeing that they are really nothing by which we can adhere to, they actually become that by which we judge ourselves! Case in point: "Thou shalt have no other gods before me" is the first of God's commandments given to Moses in Exodus 20:3, and seeing that it was the first one, I thought it should be the easiest one to examine. Let's go to the example within the Scriptures, instead of me trying to make one up, and let's look at someone we are familiar with, "The Rich Young Ruler". There are three accounts of this encounter with Jesus, Matthew 19:16-30, Mark 10:17-31, and Luke 18:18-30; and because I hold to the belief that this young man was Mark, I will therefore look at his version. First of all, Mark's version is the only one which says, "there came one running, and kneeled down to Him"; the others are less specific, and at the very best, say, "and behold, one came and said unto Him". The first thing to note about this encounter, is that the young man addresses Jesus, as "Good Master", and Jesus answers back, "Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is God." The other interesting thing about this encounter, is that Jesus does not mention this commandment about "no other gods" when questioning him about the commandments. To which the young man answer's, "Master, all these things have I observed from my youth". Another little thing to notice, is that Mark's version of what happened, is the only one that says, "Then Jesus beholding him loved him", before telling him that there was one thing that he lacked. And what was that one thing that he lacked? Well, it surely was not a desire to inherit eternal life, was it? He had lacked to place God before all other gods, and had made riches his God; at least for a short while. But in the mean time, he had to ponder something which Jesus said; something else that is not mentioned in the other versions; something which was specific to the one performing the task! The difference between Mark's version and the others, is that Mark's version includes these words: "take up thy cross"! This is the point made of a sacrifice for God, it is something that causes us to deny ourselves, those pleasures of this world, and to give our all for Him. Pleasures of this world; now that is a very touchy subject! God had made everything for man to enjoy, and to take pleasure in; after all, God Himself took pleasure in all that He created. However, when the pleasures come before our God, then we have an issue; and yet, there are many who have placed the trust of money and material things before the loving provisions that God would have for us. Let me see if I can make this a little clearer, and quote what Jesus said, in Mark's version: "Children, how hard is it for them that trust in riches to enter into the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God". The point being, that trusting in riches will cause a man to take his trust and his desire off of God, and to place it instead upon the things of this world. The people that heard Jesus were astonished, wondering, "Who then can be saved?"; and the part that so many love to focus upon, is when Jesus says, "With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible". Whew; you had me worried for a second there; because I thought it was going to be impossible! Interesting enough, Jesus was not done with this yet, as Peter begins to brag a little, and say, "Lo, we have left all, and have followed Thee". To which Jesus answered with this: "Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my sake, and the gospel's. But he shall receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal life. But many that are first shall be last: and the last first." I know that many will not understand what I am about to say, but to summarize what Jesus just said, I will simply say this: IT IS WELL WITH MY SOUL...