The Bones of a Practical Religion

[lastpost]

God wants us to seek Him in his word but also be active in our world, not get lost in endless navel gazing

I see a few threads in your first post.

I agree that a practical religion is what people need. Countless volumes could be written of all that Christ said and did:

"...there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written"... (John 21:5).

However, is all of this easily applied in a practical manner by the busy man or woman in the street? I gathered from an old, old soul a lot wiser than I, a compact form, if you will, of practical religion which I find helpful, some might not do so but may I attempt to share it?

Of course, Christ's experiences on the Cross are far greater than we can understand. He made His way to the Cross with patience, and although the body was weak, He had a triumphant Spirit. His only support was the nails, and He cried:

"My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?" (Mark 15:34).

Is it not sometimes thought by some that both man and God have forsaken him? Yet the Saviour, in full measure, suffered spiritual loneliness and isolation from both God and man. None can say that God does not understand the loneliness of the soul, the physical torments of the body, nor the sense of utter desertion.

"Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do!" (Luke 23:34).

Dying on the Cross, He still fought for the humanity He loved so dearly, for He knew that those scoffing should wear the marks of their wicked thoughts and deeds until through sorrow, suffering, repentance, remorse and acceptance of His wondrous Love demonstrated through His Sacrifice and the spilling of His Blood on the Cross. And is He not asking us to call to the stronger self within to forgive and forget when we are struck either physically or mentally?

"Today thou shalt be with Me in Paradise" (Luke 23:43).

A promise of eternal life! Some believe in sleeping or non-consciousness and then eternal life, some believe in instant resurrection and eternal life - but the point is that our Lord promises everlasting life - it is certain even for such a one dying on a cross who knew nothing of the Love of the Father and yet he believed on Christ and his soul received consolation.

"Into Thy hands I commend My spirit" (Luke 23:46).

The Saviour prepared and offered Himself as He thought of God's Realm. Yet, His human love and Divine Love were as one and He thought of the mother so tortured and blinded by grief as she poured out her being on Him, and He applied practical help even then by ensuring an arm for her to lean on in her old age:

"Son, behold thy mother; mother behold thy son" (John 19:26-27).

But there was worse to come. Out of Love for humanity He had brought the Light that would scatter the darkness and overcome material authority, but He was repudiated by those He loved; and if he did not look around physically, He did so mentally and saw all those who were false to Him. He was starved and parched for their love:

"I thirst" (John 19:28).

He thirsted for the Love of His own. So it is that Christ thirsts for humanity to turn to Him when He can supply the waters of everlasting life. Has there not been the mother or father, husband or wife, who has had the object of their love turn on them with hate? Do they not want the Light to enter the souls of those they love so that their chains are cast from them?

Many have had powerful tests and some have thought the path was too steep for them, but Christ has reassured us in a few short words that all is well, and in the degree that our strength and understanding grows, we can wear the yoke and don the cloak as He provides the Life through the Vine to the branches. And when we have finally run the course we can say as He:

"It is finished" (John 19:30).

As those few words of His are thought of in a practical way, it is not necessary to feel that weeping is required, but rather to see how they relate in a vital manner to current life and experiences, and to go on recharged and renewed with strength and vitality, lifting our neighbour up in our eyes, and seeing the material world for what it is, and finding that the only thing remaining of any worth is love.

Rest in the peace of service.

[Ross]

Key little statement there;  " It is finished."

Highlights that the work of Christ is completed.
He did know He was to be sacrificed, and that this would be necessary so that there would be only one point of access to our Father- Him.
He had also hardened the heart of Israel so that they would put Him to the cross, otherwise He would have had to rescue them without being resurrected first.
Christ is first in all things as a practical example of His love for His Father and His value of that love exceeding the things of this age. We too are to seek heavenly things rather than be engulfed in the surroundings of this age.
To seek those things we are prompted and lead by our Father.

[lastpost]

I think that there is not one who has not endured the anguish of their heartfelt love being repulsed by another.

Outward enemies aside, even the life of Jesus Christ from the earliest years, the loneliness, ignored by children His own age who wanted to play earthly games whereas He was deep in thought on spiritual matters, and the isolation from the members of His own little setting, from those far from His plane of Spirit, all this was as anguish - already the man of sorrows indeed...

"Despised is He, and shunned by men, a man of pains and knowing illness. And, as One concealing His face from us, despised is He, and we judge Him of no account" [Isaiah 53:3]

The Cross was one of the many, many painful repulsions by man upon their GOD, and to come to full understanding of its deeper meaning, of the Father's sensitiveness being attacked by the enemies of Love, again and again, much time needs to elapse and wisdom gained, even in aeonian life.

Man has rejected, repulsed, hurt the Father Heart over the ages, and man would continue to do so, passing over His sensitiveness through assumption that the Creator is too great to feel pain, to know suffering inflicted, like the Cross, inflicted by the coldness and hardness of His children.

And so the Cross - only in this graphical way could man see the Personal side of His GOD - as GOD in CHRIST JESUS, only in this way could man understand, even in a small way, that man is capable of causing suffering to the Great Heart. One reason for coming as the Son of Man was to impress upon man something of the pain of love ignored, love thrown back, love repulsed...

And every atom of matter of this earth is filled with the blessing of His Blood issuing forth from His Body on that lonely hill - it breathes through rock, stone, concrete - it is real, and one day man shall know it in fuller measure.

Peace ✞