Finding Yourself In The Gospel

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Daciple

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Over the past few weeks, maybe a month, God has been putting a thought on my heart over and over, so much so I can not shake it whatsoever, and it started from a place in time where I truly wondered what is it that the World needs more of? I can't tell you why that popped in my head, but it was there, replaying over and over, what is it that the World really needs to have more of?

I began to think on that, dwell on that and there were a few things that came to mind. One of them is maybe the people in the World need more money. Isn't that what we are conditioned to think or believe, if I just had more money then the problems I am facing could be alleviated. I mean even I have thought that same thing, man I am so broke right now, if I just had more money then my life would be so much better, so much easier.

Then I look to Hollywood, a sect of people who have all the money in the World and I look at their lives, and when I examine them truly, it's very obvious that their lives are just as if not more screwed up than mine. Sure they may have a bigger house, better car, trips, but their lives all reflect a shallow existence, an existence that cries out for help. An existence that proves that they struggle as much if not more with the things those of us who are not millionaires deal with on a daily basis.

So money really isn't what the World needs more of, it doesn't actually help to address the problems we all face, problems like loneliness, unworthiness, sadness and depression. Problems like anger and bitterness, lust, addictions and violent reactions. Money may cover up these problems temporarily but inevitably they will rear their head once again, and we have to figure out how to confront them.

As I continued to think about this, suddenly it was as if God grabbed a bullhorn and just shouted to my heart, what the World needs more of is the Gospel. And for days that thought has been stirring on my heart, what does the World need more of, the Gospel!!! The Gospel is mentioned 98 times in the Word of God. Taking out the times it is repeated in the same verse, there are 93 verses that speak of the Gospel. That is a lot of verses that have the Gospel specifically named in them. If something is mentioned that many times in the New Testament, then I think we ought to pay attention to it!!!

Some may wonder, well what is the Gospel, and the quickest answer to that is that the Gospel is the Life, Death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is the absolute embodiment of what the Gospel is. The Gospel solely revolves around Jesus Christ, who He was, what He did, how He lived, why He died, and when He Resurrected!!!

A bit more in detail of the Gospel is that Sin entered the World, and this Sin which we all take part in at some point, has caused us to be Separated from God. If we were to die in this state of Separation of God, then we will forever remain in this state which is called Hell. However God loved us so much that He became Man in the Form of the Son of God, Jesus Christ and lived perfectly so that He could lay down His Life as a Sacrifice, taking up our Sins upon Himself and the Wrath we all are due for our Sins on the Cross.

After He died on the Cross, because of His Blood He made Atonement for us, reconciling us back to God and 3 days later He Resurrected, showing that the Sacrifice was Perfect and Accepted by God, and proving that He had conquered Sin, Death and Hell. He then Ascended to the Right Hand of the Father in Power and Glory and is now making intercession for us day and night.

That is the basics of the Gospel, however does that really answer the question what does the World need more of? What does it mean that the World needs more of the Gospel? As I asked God what does that look like, what does that mean, He laid this upon my heart, What the World needs is to find themselves in the Gospel!!!

That changed everything, it went from this abstract thought, this far away idea, to becoming a very personal answer. What does it look like when YOU find YOURSELF in the Gospel, and that is what I want to expand upon today. I want you to ask yourself that question, where do I find myself in the Gospel. I want the Gospel to be PERSONAL to you individually, I want you to identify yourself in the Life, Death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ.

As I go forward, these are just some of the things revealed to me about finding ourselves in the Gospel. Some of them may describe you perfectly, some of them may kind of hit home, or you may not see yourself in them at all. Regardless I know for a fact that if you come to God with an honest heart and you pray a sincere prayer asking Him, Lord how can I find myself in the Gospel, He will without a doubt show you exactly where you are in the Gospel.

Every person, regardless of Race, Culture or Creed, regardless of upbringing, regardless of Class, Wealth, Prestige or lack thereof, no matter what you have gone through or endured, absolutely every person in the World can be and is found in the Gospel of Jesus Christ!!!

I believe there are certain aspects of Life that we all share in, certain things in which we all can relate to, and one of these things is physical sickness. I have been blessed so far in that I haven't had to go through or endure any major medical problems, but that doesn't mean sickness hasn't touched my life in redefining ways. Back in 2014 my Mother was diagnosed with Small Cell Lung Cancer, and I watched as that horrible disease took her bit by bit until she was a shell of her former self. I watched her fight the best fight, I watched her struggle and endure, I watched her put everything into overcoming that monster that was raging within her body.

Today as I write this I am watching my Father start a battle with Cancer as well, it's not as pervasive as my Mother's Cancer but I just went with him to surgery and watched as he had to have radiation treatment in his eye. I have never seen my Father like this before, he is a tough man, one who has been in control of everything, the one who has been there at all times for me and my Mother, to bail us out, to stand by us, to help us no matter what. And now he is in a position where he is in need, where he is having to look to others to help him out, he is facing something of which he has no real control over.

Can I ask, is that you today? Are you struggling right now in the midst of a battle with a Physical Disease? Are you watching someone you know, love and care about try and fight and endure a Major Sickness? Is this something that hits right on the head of the nail? Something that hits close to home? If it is I want to show you something, something you may have never noticed. Something you may have never heard. I want to show you yourself in the Gospel.

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Daciple

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Mark 5:24 And Jesus went with him; and much people followed him, and thronged him.
25 And a certain woman, which had an issue of blood twelve years,
26 And had suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse,
27 When she had heard of Jesus, came in the press behind, and touched his garment.
28 For she said, If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole.
29 And straightway the fountain of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of that plague.
30 And Jesus, immediately knowing in himself that virtue had gone out of him, turned him about in the press, and said, Who touched my clothes?
31 And his disciples said unto him, Thou seest the multitude thronging thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me?
32 And he looked round about to see her that had done this thing.
33 But the woman fearing and trembling, knowing what was done in her, came and fell down before him, and told him all the truth.
34 And he said unto her, Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy plague.

What is it that we see in this woman's life? In the events that take place here? So here we see a woman who has an issue of blood, it doesn't describe the exact issue she has but we can see it was a serious issue, a serious Physical Ailment. We also see that it was something that utterly consumed her life for an extremely long time, 12 years in fact. I can't imagine enduring and fighting something that overtook my life for 12 entire years, and it was all to no avail whatsoever

Look at the toll this aliment took on this poor woman's life. She had given up 12 years of her life to this issue, and she clearly was frantic and had been looking everywhere for the help she needed. She went to doctor after doctor, day after day, week after week, month after month searching for something, anything that could help her get over this terrible disease. The Scriptures say she literally went broke, she spent her whole living on finding a cure for what she was dealing with.

She had come to the end of her rope, she had come to the end of the road, she had looked everywhere, high and low, in the valleys and mountains, behind every closed door. She has spent all her time, and every last penny looking and here we find her at the very end of all she had.

Let me ask is that you today? Have you been dealing with something, but can't find any help no matter where you turn? Is it consuming you and even when you pour all your time, and investments into it, nothing avails, it only gets worse and worse? I can relate, I have been there, I have watched love ones be there, but what did this woman do?

She heard of Jesus, that's the start of everything!!! Someone, somewhere declared to her something about this man named Jesus!!! I don't know how she came to hear of Him, I don't even know when she came to hear of Him, but it is clear that not only had she heard about Him, but she heard of what He could do for her!!!

That is what I am here today for, to declare to you this man named Jesus, to tell you all about what He has done for me, what He has done for others and what He can and will do for you today, if only you come to Him just as this woman did!!!

We see this woman come to the end of herself and have finally been in a position to give up on the World. If we really want to get to Jesus we too need to get to that place, a place where we give up on ourselves, give up on the World, where all we have left is only this man named Jesus. Not only had she finally came to the end of herself and her hope in the things of this world, she also had a purposeful determination.

She had already determined two things, one is that she WAS going to get to Jesus, the second was that she WAS going to be healed. How can we know she had this purposeful determination? Look at verse 24, it says much people followed him, and thronged him. There was a great crowd around Jesus and in my mind's eye I see a sickly older woman, can you see her, starting on the outside of this enormous crowd all surrounding Jesus. And when she heard of Jesus, she set it in her heart that no matter how big the crowd, no matter how strong the others may be, no matter how many times I may trip and fall, I AM going to get to Jesus.

I am telling you if we want help today, we too need to have that purposeful determination to get to Jesus. I don't know what specific things that crowd represents to you, but what I can tell you is that you have to purpose in your heart that you will be fighting through these obstacles no matter what and you will make it to Jesus. The second thing and the most important thing in her purposeful determination is that she had already proposed in her heart that if she can just TOUCH Him she WOULD be healed.

It wasn't if I get His attention I might be healed, if I could just touch Him then maybe He might help a little bit. If I can get Him to notice me, I can ask Him to please help and then maybe there could be a possibility that He might slow it down. I mean look at that purpose and that determination, she didn't even look to ASK Him to heal her, she straight up purposed that if she gets to just TOUCH Him she WILL be healed.

We need to come to Jesus in that same manner today, with that same purposeful determination, that when we get to Him, if we can just touch Him then He WILL heal us positively. Just imagine yourself on the outside of that Crowd, and I want you to think of whatever it is that you know has been keeping you from Jesus, from getting the help you need and I want you to see yourself moving through that crowd. See yourself going under arms, sliding around people, stepping over feet, getting closer and closer until you are right there by Jesus, can you see Him?

Now I want you to purpose it in your heart that when you reach out and touch Him, that you will get the healing you need, to cast away all the doubts you have and believe that if you touch Jesus He will heal you. Now see your hand reach out to Him, and touch Him, imagine the feel of His robe and the virtue coursing from Him into you.

If you can imagine this in your mind's eye, I want to tell you that there you are finding yourself in the Gospel today!!!


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Daciple

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There are some of us who may not be dealing with Physical Ailments today, instead our Ailments are Spiritual and Emotional, things not as easily seen. I have personally been affected by these Ailments, in many ways throughout my life. And I don't know how these things may have affected you if you have dealt with them, but I know that many times they make me feel as if I am completely Spiritually, Mentally and Emotionally Crippled. It's like there is no way I can get over this Depression, I can't even get out of bed, how can I think to get to any help. This Anxiety and Worry is so bad about everything, I can't even sort my thoughts out as they run a million miles a minute throughout my head, how can I possibly stop for a moment to figure out how to get the help I really need?

I've lived this, and I have seen it lived out in those I love, and it is like we can see that there is help, we can even see others get help, but it's like we can't even get to the help we so desperately need. Does this sound like you today? Is this something that is hitting the nail on the head, starting to hit home? If it is I want to show you something, something you may have never noticed. Something you may have never heard. I want to show you yourself in the Gospel.

John 5:1 After this there was a feast of the Jews; and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.
2 Now there is at Jerusalem by the sheep market a pool, which is called in the Hebrew tongue Bethesda, having five porches.
3 In these lay a great multitude of impotent folk, of blind, halt, withered, waiting for the moving of the water.
4 For an angel went down at a certain season into the pool, and troubled the water: whosoever then first after the troubling of the water stepped in was made whole of whatsoever disease he had.
5 And a certain man was there, which had an infirmity thirty and eight years.
6 When Jesus saw him lie, and knew that he had been now a long time in that case, he saith unto him, Wilt thou be made whole?
7 The impotent man answered him, Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool: but while I am coming, another steppeth down before me.
8 Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk.
9 And immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed, and walked: and on the same day was the sabbath.

What is it we see in this man’s life? We see a man that had been suffering for 38 years in his condition, and what's worse is that this man could SEE the help he needed, it was just in front of him. He sat there day after day, month after month, year after year with help right next to him but never could get into the place of help. We see that he was alone, there was never another person there for him, he was isolated and cut off from others. On top of that not only could he see where the help was, and knew where to go, he saw OTHERS getting help all the time.

Can you see that poor man, sitting outside this pool, watching the Angels stir up the pool, getting excited that help was right there and then watch as someone else who didn't seem to be as bad off as himself walk right up and get help? Think if that was you, what kind of emotions would that bring up in you? Sadness and Depression maybe? Anger and Frustration? Fear of never being helped? Jealousy and Envy? As I am listing these things off, as you imagine being that man and the emotions he felt, I want you to think, are you actually the one trapped in these emotions, these Spiritual and Mental Ailments?

If that's you, if God is showing you through His Word and these writings, this preaching, that you are in the same position Mentally, Spiritually and Emotionally as this man was, then I want to draw your attention to how this man got the help He needed!! The first thing is that this man was honest, he was honest about his position before Jesus. Can I say that some of us today need to live out what that man did?

There are people who absolutely refuse to be honest with themselves and with God about their needs, about their position before Him. They are full of Pride and Self glory, they believe they are fine and dandy where they are. They put on this front like nothing is ever the matter with them. There are Christians that are just too “Christian” to even admit their need for help, they are just perfect and fine, they say as they lie to themselves and everyone around them.

However you KNOW that's not True, you know the feelings you have swirling around your mind and heart right now, so BE HONEST before God, tell Him exactly where you are, exactly how you feel, and cast all your cares on Him!!!

So first that man was honest, second is that man listened to Jesus. Jesus first asked Him a question, will you be made whole? I can tell you that that man didn't understand who he was speaking to, because if he did he could have just said yes and it would have been done for him. But at least he listened to Jesus, when Jesus spoke, he acknowledged Him. I want to ask you, are you listening for Jesus today? Do you even acknowledge Him when He speaks? Sometimes we get so distracted, we get so off focus of what really matters and so focused on our own Ailments that we can't even be in a place to hear Jesus speak to us.

Not only did this man hear what Jesus said, he then listened and had Faith in what Jesus commanded him to do. Jesus tells him Rise up, take your bed and walk, I want to tell you that Jesus is speaking to you today, are you ready to hear Him? Are you ready to listen and then do what He is telling you to do?

I mean the first thing Jesus told this man was RISE UP.

Don't you think that's a good place to start for us who are suffering from these Mental, Emotional and Spiritual Ailments that have us bogged down and trapped, feeling helpless and crippled? Rise up!!! Sounds simple, but it can seem hard, but the real key here is BELIEVING that it is Jesus telling you to do this. If this man didn't believe that Jesus could actually get him to Rise up, he would have died crippled. However this man believed and then took a step on Faith, he ROSE UP because he believed that Jesus was telling him to do so and that whatever Jesus would tell him to do Jesus would equip him with the ability to do it.

The same applies for us, I know Jesus is calling us to Rise Up today, and I know that if we believe this and step out on Faith that He is calling us, that He will also equip us with the ability to actually Rise Up!!! And that is something that applies to every call Jesus puts on our lives, Jesus isn't going to call us into something He wouldn't equip us to follow thru in.

So I want you to imagine in your minds eye Jesus standing before you as you sit there in your crippled state of whatever Spiritual Mental and Emotional Aliment you have been battling with for years upon years. And I want you to see yourself being Honest with Jesus about exactly where you are, how you feel, and casting all of your cares on Him.

Then I want you to imagine Jesus looking down on you, smiling and then saying to you in a caring and stern voice of confidence, Rise Up and Walk. See yourself standing up, rising above these problems and walking right over and away from them with Jesus leading you by the hand.

If you can imagine this in your mind's eye, I want to tell you that there you are finding yourself in the Gospel today!!!

There are two other things I want to show you in Scripture, one of them applies to every single person that has ever existed and the other doesn't but they both have their starting point in the same exact place.

Matt 27:38 Then were there two thieves crucified with him, one on the right hand, and another on the left.
39 And they that passed by reviled him, wagging their heads,
40 And saying, Thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days, save thyself. If thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross.
41 Likewise also the chief priests mocking him, with the scribes and elders, said,
42 He saved others; himself he cannot save. If he be the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him.
43 He trusted in God; let him deliver him now, if he will have him: for he said, I am the Son of God.
44 The thieves also, which were crucified with him, cast the same in his teeth.

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Daciple

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What is it we see in these Scriptures? We see Jesus being led away to be Crucified, and I just want you to imagine that scene in your minds eye, really see the events unfolding. Can you see Jesus being Judged and then handed over for execution? The heat of the day beating down on Him as the sweat rolls down His face? Can you see the dust and the dirt on Him as they begin to lead Him away? Can you see them begin to beat and scourge Him, the blood drenching His garments with each terrible blow?

Can you see the Soldiers as they strip Him down and put a Scarlet Robe on Him, mocking Him, laughing at Him as they pretend to worship Him? Can you see them press the crown of thorns onto His head, the blood streaming down His face as He looks into the eyes of the men that curse and belittle Him?

Can you see Jesus start the Journey to the place of His Death, being made to carry that huge heavy portion of His Cross? Can you see Him stumbling, tripping, falling as He begins to die, trying to carry that weight on His Shoulders?

Can you see them arrive at the place of Skull, at Calvary as the men strap Jesus to the Cross, as the Nail Him to Cross? Can you see the Nails being driven into His hands one by one? Can you see them raise Him up as He hangs there struggling to breath?

Can you see that crowd forming around Jesus as He is there dying on the Cross? Can you hear the shouts, the taunts, the laughter, the mocking, the deriding? Can you feel the hate being poured out against Him, the anger of the people in the Crowd as they yell and scream at Him?

Can you see the 2 thieves that hang on each side of Him? Can you see their Blood, can you see their tears?

I want you to look at that crowd, I want you to see them, what are they wearing? What sandals do they have on? What color eyes, and hair? I want you to really concentrate on the crowd that surrounds Jesus, that mocks Him and taunts Him and screams at Him, what do you see there?

As you are looking at this crowd I want you to zero in on one face, I want you to see that face full of hate, spittle on their lips as they yell and mock Jesus. As you concentrate on this face I want you to see the details slowly start coming into focus, like a fog being lifted, and just as you wipe it away after a hot shower, I want you to see your face reflecting back at you.

Why do I want you to see yourself in that Crowd? Because the fact of the matter is, each and every one of us not only would have been, but were in that crowd on that day. We were there pouring our hate onto Christ, pouring our derision onto Him, mocking Him, throwing things at Him, laughing as the Nails were driven into each hand. Spitting on Him as He hung there absorbing all the things we were projecting onto Him.

“Unless you see yourself standing there with the shrieking crowd, full of hostility and hatred for the holy and innocent Lamb of God, you don’t really understand the nature and depth of your sin or the necessity of the cross.” ― C.J. Mahaney

“Before we can begin to see the cross as something done for us, we have to see it as something done by us.” ― John R.W. Stott

The Truth lies within these quotes, we must needs to see ourselves in that Crowd who mocked Jesus Christ, we must confess our position, our complicitness in the act of putting Christ on the Cross. The culmination of Jesus Christs life is found upon that Cross, the culmination of the finding oneself in the Gospel resides right there in the crowd that stood by and watched the Sinless and Perfect Son of God take upon Himself all the Sins of the World, all the Wrath of the Father upon that Cross. If you see yourself there then you are finding yourself in the Gospel!!!

Now the fact is, some people will remain right there as onlookers, as participants in the Crucifixion of Jesus Christ. They stand there just as guilty as the literal men who drove the nails into His hands, that drove the spear into His side, that beat Him and scourged Him. But I want to show you one last thing, and my hope out of all of this is that if you haven't already that you will come to see yourself here in the Gospel.

Luke 23:39 And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us.
40 But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation?
41 And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss.
42 And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.
43 And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with me in paradise.

There were 2 men that hung on the sides of Jesus, one at the right and one at the left. Can you see them more clearly now? Can you see them beaten, sweating, bloody? Can you see their tear stained faces mixed with dirt and blood? Can you see the two of them there, as they watch Christ die with them? I am telling you today that one of them represents you in the Crowd and one represents you Saved by the Blood being shed by that man that hangs next to you on the Cross.

Which one are you going to identify with today? My prayer, my hope is that you identify with the one who is Saved, and if you want to do that I am going to show you how by the illustration of one of the thieves. Now it is of no coincidence that the men beside Jesus were of the same background, and it is of no coincidence that both of them were thieves.

Throughout the Bible and in most every Society thieves have been one of the most hated types of people. I mean thievery is listed as one of the 10 Commandments. What is it to be a thief, think about it, it is to survive by taking from others the fruit of their hard work. When someone steals $20 from someone, in reality what he has stolen is a person's time and value. Someone somewhere had to put in their time and effort to be given that $20. When someone steals that $20 they just took from that man their time and effort, and the fact is while they may find another way to get themselves a $20 bill back, they are never going to recover that time and effort.

When we look at the grander scale of things we can see an Analogy here on that hillside, where 2 men who are thieves hang alongside Jesus. These men represent every person in existence and the fact is every one of us have stolen the very precious life of Jesus Christ. We have taken from Him His Life by our Sins. Jesus Christ never deserved to die, never, but we stole His Life by our Sins that He had to give His Life to Atone for. So it is of no wonder that thieves stood by Christ as He paid the penalty for our Sins!!!

It's of no coincidence that they both had the same background because as I said they both represent Humanity, however there is a distinction between them, one of them remained Lost, and one of them was Saved, so my question is, as you look upon these thieves that hang beside Jesus, which one of them is you?

If you want to be the one Saved then you MUST follow that man's example and the first thing he did was realized who he was. He realized that the Wrath being poured out on Him was justly due, if you ever want to be Saved then you MUST come to a point where you truly believe and know that you are a Sinner on whom the Judgement of God is justly due!!!

Once this man admitted his position before God, he then recognized who Jesus was. If you want to be Saved then you too MUST recognize who Jesus is.

The man recognized that Jesus was Sinless and there is only one who is Sinless and that is God Himself. This man recognized that Jesus was Perfect and unblamable, if you wish to be Saved you must come to a place where you recognize and believe that Jesus is God who took on Flesh and was Perfect and Sinless.

After the man admitted his position before God and recognized that Jesus was God and Sinless he stepped out in Faith and believed that Jesus was taking his punishment, and called on Jesus to bring him into the Kingdom. If you wish to be saved today then you MUST also believe in Faith that Jesus came to take up your Sins on the Cross, to take up your Punishment on the Cross and you must call out to Him believing in Faith that He will Save and Deliver you from Death and Hell and bring you into His Kingdom!!!

I pray today that you started out seeing yourself in that Crowd that was yelling out Crucify Christ, but I hope that you end the day as the thief on the Cross, believing on Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior and asking Him will you please remember me when you come into your Kingdom!!!

We all have issues we are dealing with, we all have battles and struggles, but I know that when we take the time to find ourselves in the Gospel, then we will begin to overcome these issues, battles and struggles and we will come out Victorious, giving God the Praise He is due!!!

I hope today each of you find yourselves in the Gospel!!!

I love you all, have a great day and blessed day in the Lord! If you need prayer or anything else please feel free to reach out to me and I will help you the best I can and if I can't help I know one man that can, this man named Jesus!

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Luke 23:43 And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with me in paradise.

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Taken

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In a nutshell yes...
Jesus preached to send His Word out into all the World.

And yes, in His Words one can find what Does and Does not Apply to them...the Consequences of each ...and How To choose what the want to apply to them and the Consequences thereof.

Remember...choosing Christ Jesus, means the World at Large will hate you.
Jesus warned...if you are willing to drink from His same cup...it is filled with the world's indication Against you.
(Yet for sure His Blessings overjoyed the indignation and hate the world will have against you).

Choose to agree with the World, and the World will love you...and you will end up forfeiting your eternal togetherness With God.
Thanks for sharing,

Glory to God,
Taken
 

DNB

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@Daciple that was a long post to simply state, that we must try to relate to the stories in the Bible.
'What the world needs is the Gospel', you're preaching to Christians, aren't you?
Your OP seems to have a 'prosperity gospel' tone to it, in that, come to Christ in order to get healed of your ailments.
People need to hear God's Word first, in order to get saved, and then to abandon the world and the flesh. No one is looking for happiness, contentment or longevity from the world. We're looking for confidence in our salvation, and the ability to save others.
Although you did bring up some great points in general, I don't think that your conclusion was balanced enough, or prioritized correctly.

One contention was the notion of us being complicit in Christ's death. I'm not entirely convinced that some of us may have scoffed at Jesus, had we lived in his time? For many in those days believed who had seen him, but blessed are those who have not seen him and believed, that's us (John 20:29)