Rough Not Utopia

Rough Not Utopia 

by David Brenneman 

“Do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I came to turn a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; and a person’s enemies will be the members of his household. The one who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and the one who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And the one who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. The one who has found his life will lose it, and the one who has lost his life on My account will find it. The one who receives you receives Me, and the one who receives Me receives Him who sent Me. The one who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet’s reward; and the one who receives a righteous person in the name of a righteous person shall receive a righteous person’s reward. And whoever gives one of these little ones just a cup of cold water to drink in the name of a disciple, truly I say to you, he shall by no means lose his reward.”

 Matthew 10:34-42 NASB 

We often buy into the marketing schemes of our world...of how life 'should' be.  We get sold on buying this vacation package or that one-tank trip to here or there.  We often get sold on buying something when walking into a big-box store because someone with a sales pitch manages to throw in a line and we get snagged.  Was reading something even about supposed professional sports that by definition includes even college and university level sports.  They are billed as 'entertainment' businesses therefore they have the right to fix the outcomes of games.  Interesting twist on what's been obviously seen by millions per year from a couch yet nobody would put a finger on.

Much like in politics.  Was reading that the reason for the amendment to the United States Constitution limiting the terms of US Presidents was so that no person would have power for too long a time.  Yet those who did this refuse to limit themselves for the same reasons.

Utopia is NOT coming to the world.  It is being sold as coming, in some cases it's been sold as having arrived in some places, such as visiting Disney for a week.  Billions spent every year on entertainment, and it's only touching the surface.

People are trying to escape reality in droves.

They are trying drugs to get away from the reality of life.  Some with hallucinogenic drugs, some with those that are only to knock them out so that they aren't aware of reality. 

Some with liquor or beer.  Trying to find their escape.  

Some with movies and television or even streaming these days.

Some with fantasy games or video games.

Some with books some with...well you see where it's going.  

People trying to get away from even what the world wants to laughingly call 'truth'.

Some of those are trying to get away from God's truth.   In reality...you're seeing the truth of Satan played out.  Life is rough.  It's promised to be.  Not in just the physical sense but in the sense of all spiritual matters.  Satan's not caring one iota about whether or not you end up in Hell.  He absolutly does not want to give God what God wants...which is His creation...you...salvation through Jesus Christ so that those people find their way to Heaven.

Satan goes in and out of Heaven every single day.  Did you know that?  He sees all the angels. He sees the worship of God every single day.  He wants that for himself.  He cares not who gets destroyed along the way.

Was seeing one of those video snip-its as I call them of Batman supposedly talking to one of the Joker's stooges.  He was showing just how far the person had been duped. 

In Hell, when people who go there wake up there...they learn very quickly just how far they've been duped by Satan.  They wake up there and there's no place to go.  They learn what truth really is...not what they tried to define it as...not what the world defined it as...they learn what God's Truth really is.

In this life we read in Matthew 10 things aren't going to go as 'planned' by us.  Jesus plainly said that if they, that is the world, hated Him, they would hate us too because we testify against it.  

We testify to the real truth that the world doesn't want to know about...but must make a decision about.  Think on that.  

Every single person must decide either by omission or by actively deciding on the truth of God.

By omission...by thinking that by 'not' deciding that they are safe.  Not what the Bible says.

We either choose what's offered through Jesus Christ for salvation or we choose the world's way.  When Jesus separates people at the Judgement...there's only 2 groups.  Note that He does NOT ask anyone a single question on who's side they are on.  He does NOT ask a single question as to if they believed in Him or not.  As the Scriptures say, so he proves in that moment, that He searches the hearts of man and woman.  

Life is GOING to be rough for those who come to Christ.  We're GOING to have a rough go of it at times.  Sure there will be times when life seems good.  But not all of us will experience that.  We come to Christ and He saves us...casts our sins as far as the east is from the west...that's but the beginning.  He begins a work in us to transform us from what we were in our darkness to what we will be...which is like Him in His Light.  Things will have to go.  

People are GOING to be disappointed, will be enraged, against those who come to Christ because of the shame of their own deeds of darkness.  They will be against those who come to Christ because the Light of Christ will bring conviction.  Will show them that their ideas of utopia just are not what life's about.

Some like to study history through computer simulations.  Very elaborate simulations where they intentionally (and the entertainment world has done this extensively) alter history to see what would have happened if this person had done this or not done that.  Thinking they know how it would unfold by these simulations.  

God already knows.  I've had conversations with God about some of my own inventions and ideas.  He's been pretty clear, at least to me, that while my inventions and ideas would likely work...they do not fit into His plan for humanity.  

There's two plans at work in your life.  Two God ordained plans.  Only 1 is alterable.  The first is a plan that leads someone towards salvation in Christ.  That plan is altered after one does come to Christ and they begin to be His workmanship, becoming the man or woman of God that He intended them to be.  The other plan is the Universal plan that is about all human history.   That includes God permanently dealing with sin.  That means we're not going on to some 23rd or 24th century utopia as depicted in movies or television.  But the interesting thing is...an Earthly utopia is coming.

When the 2nd plan is completed and the events of the book of Revelation play out as ordained by God...there will be a thousand years of peace on this world unlike any every experienced by mankind.  No need for doctors, lawyers, judges, policeman, likely fireman, paramedics, political figures, and many many others.  There will be no manufaturing plants to make things for war.  There will be no need for explosives or firearms.  None.  The rule of Jesus Christ on this world will bring a peace that passes all understanding in today's world...and yet in the end of that 1,000 years, mankind will still rebel against Christ Jesus...proving that sin is utterly sinful and it's end is death, eternal separation from God.  

You and I will indeed find troubles in this world if we are in Christ Jesus.  Satan is too busy elsewhere to be concerned with little ole us, but his minions are everywhere. Remember that a third of the host of Heaven fell with him.  Probably more than enough for the nearly 8 billion on this world.  We are told of the truth of life...but are promised many things.  We're not going to be alone.  We who trust in Him will find a peace that passes all understanding.  We'll see others coming to Christ and share in their joy in that.  We'll see the hand of God doing things that are impossible by the world's standards but certainly not by His.

Physical limitations mean nothing to the plan and purpose's of God.  Not even your health stands in the way of God's Will being done.  We're not to be stupid about taking care of ourselve for sure, but we aren't strong enough to thwart the plan of God.  Our rebellion by holding onto sin or by running from God's calling in our lives can shorten our lives..but we cannot thwart God's plan or purpose for us.  If we aren't going to do what needs done, Jesus will rise up someone else to do what was our job to do.  

I'm indeed going through some rough waters in life.  I am so thankful for the Godly men whom God has put in my life right now to remind me of much of this.  Who remind me of who I am in Christ.   I know that Jesus is coming soon.  I know that the world is indeed falling farther and farther away from truth.  I am blown away by the depths of the escapisms that mankind is embracing to avoid the truth of God.  I am blown away by even how people caling themselves Christians behave at times. 

My Friend, none of this is to scare or push anyone away from Christ.  

It's written to tell you that our world has a beginning and an end.

It's written to tell you that there IS hope and it's only found in a right relationship with Jesus.

It's written to tell you where that hope is found. To open the eyes of the blind.

Darkness is by definition a blindness.  Jesus is the light of the world. 

It's not a weakness that we admit we can't do life on our own. 

It's not anything other than being who we were meant to be in Christ.  

Jesus loves me this I know...for the Bible tells me so...little ones to Him belong...they are weak but He is strong.  Yes Jesus loves me!  Yes, Jesus loves me. Yes, Jesus loves me! The Bible tells me so.