With Or Without Support

Jesus prepared his first followers to succeed in their mission in the world without political, cultural, moral or military support.  They did.

“If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you.” Jesus

Every word Jesus spoke and every day He lived led His disciples to the conclusion that His life could be lived and His commandments obeyed even in the face of open cultural hostility.  The needed support for such a  quality of Christan life would come from within where the continuous support of the Trinity remains constant in a person of faith.  The first disciples knew that those willing to cooperate fully with Christ formed in them would have all the daily support they needed to carry Jesus’ presence forward with power in the world.

For Christians now living in western civilization which was heavily influenced by Christian thought, morality, culture and even military might are experiencing an enormous adjustment to a new reality that is quickly forming around them. External support for anything Christian is diminishing across the west.  In other parts of the world this external support has never existed or ceased to exist over time.  The time for the normal Christian life of inner rest, food, water, happiness found in Jesus abiding within is for such a time as this in the west.

“Without Me you can do nothing.”  Jesus

A generation of western believers is being spiritually born into an environment where they will need to hear Jesus’ teaching in a fresh, new way. They are our children and grandchildren.  They will need to personally hear Jesus’  voice again about the normal Christian way to live in a time and a place where they will come to expect no external support for success in their endeavor to see, hear, love and live Jesus one day at a time. 

These new believers and even older cultural Chrstians will need to experience being empowered from within by the Spirit of Christ and nurtured to full spiritual formation in Jesus by communities of believers who know how to abide in Christ alone. Old formulas based on a mix of cultural support and accumulated Bible knowledge will not weather the storm that is to come.  In these days we will be driven within to live in Jesus moment by moment to find the strength to move forward unafraid and living out Jesus through the storm one day at a time.

For those of us who have lived our faith with cultural support of all kinds, our frustration and tears of loss will need to be very brief.  Those being born again right now still need us to form communities of faith, hope and love that manifest true Christianity’s ability to adapt to want or plenty, support or no support.  With or without external support from the culture that surrounds us,  Jesus’ mission will  powerfully move on and on in abiding believers. Nothing on earth can or will stop the fruit of such an inner supported life received from Jesus one day at a time.

“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”  Paul. Apostle and Martyr

Bud McCord

Abide International

The Door

Not all thoughts and paradigms that come knocking on the door of our inner life deserve to come inside.  What some thoughts and paradigms carry within do not mix with the presence of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit that now lives in us.

According to Jesus the Trinity has taken up residence in the inner life of every believer.  This perfect presence within must be valued above all other thoughts and paradigms that might want to find a place to abide.  Whatever does not match the Divine presence must never be allowed to move in with us.

We cannot avoid the thoughts and paradigms that come knocking on the door of our inner life, but we can deny them entry and housing.  We are responsible to determine if a thought or a paradigm harmonizes with the Life that now dwells within us. Whatever does not match with who we now are in Christ cannot stay.

Yes, it is true we are in the world and all kinds of thought and paradigms can come to the door of our inner life and knock.  Even so, we do not have to let the world in.

We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.  II Cor. 10:5.

Bud McCord

Abide International

The Way-LIght

“I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.” John 8:12

A simple walk through one’s own home can turn into a painful experience when the lights go out.  What should be easy movement through our pleasant surroundings can suddenly become intense pain to numerous parts of our body that are very sensistive to pain. The human toes come to mind!

Anyone who has awakened in the dark and has tried to move through a room trying not to awaken someone we love has felt the explosion of pain of stubbing one’s toes while walking in the dark can create.  It  seems that darkness and pain make pain even more painful and impossible to ignore.

Nothing can substitute for light.  We were made to move with light’s continuous help.  Those who have no light to help them maneuver through their own familiar surrondings can certainly adapt and live, but light still remains the friend we all need to move through life with grace.

When Jesus says He is the light of the world, He sets Himself apart as the friend and ally of every single human being on the planet.  He is telling us He is essential to our successful movement on earth.  He knows we often awaken in darkness so He is cotininously with us to light the way.

No matter the depth of darkness that we may awaken to  in this world, Jesus is already awake and lighting the way.  When we try to walk without Him we will most certainly become acquainted with sudden, intence explosions of pain which will also awaken all those we love and involve them in our pain.

To walk in the light is to let others around us rest.

Bud McCord

Abide International

Confusion

For God is not the author of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints.                    I Cor. 14:33.

Confusion drains life and energy from love.  An unfocused, confused mind exhausts good intentions.  Just these two thoughts about confusion make it clear that God is not their author.

If not God, then who is the author?  Sometimes me.  Sometimes you.  Sometimes us.  Sometimes the Evil one.  Whoever it is, they must be resisted and we must submit ourselves and our confusion to God.

How much of life, love and good intentions are lost each day while we are confused?  How many people go unloved because we are confused.

Oh Jesus, deliver me from confusion and bring to me your light!.