Will You?

I was sitting here about to go into a presentation on Christ and the church-- (it is the last days and this is becoming the most important issue we, as children of God, face)-- and suddenly the Holy Spirit directed me to this particular passage:

Luke 9;57-62
And it came to pass, that, as they went in the way, a certain man said unto him, Lord, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest. And Jesus said unto him, Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head. And he said unto another, Follow me. But he said, Lord suffer me first to go and bury my father. Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God. And another also said, Lord, I will follow thee; but let me first go bid them farewell, which are at home at my house. And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God. 
*Red lettering denotes Jesus speaking*


I red lettered this time because of how important it is that we understand that Christ is speaking, and our need to grasp at what He is actually saying in response to these different men and their statements about what is "more" important. Realize, right now, that as you read this passage you have sat, in counsel, with Christ Jesus and placed something else in front of His will for you, "I will do what you say, Lord, as soon as I finish this over here." 

Okay, we see the obvious breakdown. Jesus is dealing with three different men and their overall statements of submission to Him and His will.

The first one, comes to Jesus saying, 'I will go with you no matter where you go.' Oh, I can imagine the BIG GRIN this dude had on his face, like he was expecting Christ to be like, 'Really?! Wherever I go?! You are about to go on the adventure of a lifetime!!!!' (You know I am giggling. I doubt Jesus would be sarcastic, but I would be willing to say he wasn't overjoyed about the dude's statement.) Now check out Jesus' response to this particular man. Go back and look at the text. Verse 58, it reads: And Jesus said unto him, Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.   

I love how Jesus gets to the point. He doesn't sugar coat it. This is a harsh, hard life young man. Look at the beasts that go about on this earth, or the winged creatures that fly through the air. They have a place to call "home". Now me, myself, while here with you, do not have a place of rest, recharge, or relaxation. I hope you all are picking up on this..... It is why most of those individuals who follow after the will of Christ Jesus cannot truly 'feel' at home in any building, apartment, house, loft, condo, or mansion. Yes, it is nice to have shelter from the elements but, it doesn't really 'feel' like HOME. Now, I am sure this man had the intent to go wherever Christ would go, but I am, even more sure, that Christ knew where this man wouldn't desire to be. 

See, we (yes, I am coming up your street) have this way about us, that screams, "I WILL OBEY YOU!!!!!" But, during our gleeful exhortation Christ is listening to the whisper that is drowned out by our gigantic utterance of obedience. That small, barely audible, voice that is saying, "As long as I do not have to go over there and deal with that person or situation." This is why Christ makes his response to the man in such a manner. The young man needs to get a good, mental, understanding of what he is actually signing up for. Again, like us, Christ is not going to take us through any place that we are not ready for, but if we are ready..... then we are lead to that place where we can and most certainly will have to "follow" after Christ.

I am reminded of my days after the end of my marriage. I didn't think I could deal with the situation, but each and every day I got in the face of Christ and asked what was I to do and where was I to go and who was I to speak with. I didn't step to the left or the right without having His wise counsel on it. Even in these days, I can see what it is to move as Christ says move. And, that is why we, the children of God, do not get overly content with where we are at, because it may be time to "move" on to the next stage of this walk. We will rest when we get home.

Next, Christ speaks to another man, and quite simply says, "Follow me." This man replies that he will as soon as he buries his father. This is rich, and full of teaching!!!! I am almost certain you all have sat back and began reflection on a few things you knew Christ was telling you to do and you nonchalantly brushed Him off to go get them shoes, or to call that female to 'get you some', or went over to the weed man's house to smoke that very last blunt, or..... did I hit you yet? No. Or dropped by your sister's house to get her man to "fix" your starter, or rush back over to your mama's because you need "grocery money", or (my favorite) you just don't desire to do anything Christ tells you to do because you deserve to receive everything er'body else has, and serving Jesus doesn't appear to have you whippin' like they whippin', livin' like they livin', eatin' well like they eatin' well, or screwin' the ones they be screwin'. I think I might have got one or two of you after that....

Yes, it is like that!!! Do I need to take it there?! Cause I ain't SCARED!!!!! We, yes I am included in this; I am wrapped in this flesh, have to see the will of God as being the ultimate purpose for our lives. Without that knowledge, every direction given will be up for debate. Trust you do not want to debate God. If we go back to the text, we will see Jesus tell this man that very thing. Verse 60: Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God.         

I have to speak on the way Jesus used the term 'dead'. If you see that He linked those that have passed away as 'dead' with those that bury them as 'dead' you might take offense. But, what Christ is actually saying is that if you are in the presence of LIFE and all you can concern yourself with is the activity of dealing with temporal (having a limit) issues, people, or situations then you, too, are as 'dead' as those issues are. To be in the presence of Christ Jesus brings life. To be given instruction by Christ Jesus is to be given life. Why then would a person choose to be around the 'dead', unless they are 'dead' themselves? Understand? 

This particular part of being under the will of God is what has me so melancholy, at times, about my younger Brothers out there in this world. Too many are infatuated with death, and all the items, tools, plans, events, and people that do nothing but bring death. And not just the physical expression of death, but that death that is separation. To be separated from God is death. To have to know that all your actions will cut you off from so many different avenues in this world is death. To believe that the negative treatment and degradation of a woman is what promotes manhood is death. I do my best, on a daily basis, to alert them to this "around the corner" type of death that they are buying into. It is difficult, but not impossible. Why? Because I do my best to stay close to the mouth of Christ Jesus; to hear Him; to perform what I hear; to bring LIFE. It is within you too; to bring LIFE. Just search out LIFE; to bring someone else to it's Truth. Only the 'dead' bury their 'dead'.

Lastly, we see yet another man approach Jesus with a grand statement of submission. This man comes with the very same thought as the last man, but these individuals he must clear from his agenda are those who are left behind: at his house; their home. No, that is what the man says. let's go back to the text. Verse 61 and 62: And another also said, Lord, I will follow thee; but let me first go bid them farewell, which are at home at my house. And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.        

To this man Jesus is saying, basically, that his concern for what is behind him will not allow for him to conduct, correctly, the business of the kingdom. I like that the man asks permission to go back, and what Christ replies, through the part 'and looking back', shows the man that it is in direct opposition of the business of the kingdom. What I am trying to say is that when we, the children of God, say that we are about kingdom business, then what we MUST be about is the business of the kingdom. Yes, I have family and if I were to set out on a mission for Christ Jesus, I would do my best to contact them. But, if I had to get moving and there were to be a conflict between contacting them and moving forward..... I pray they would understand me not getting in touch with them. Again, we have to either walk this walk or sit down. It ain't complicated.

Okay, for those who will read this and bring up the issue of our everyday details, or this flesh and it's particular plans that it would employ. I suggest that these issues, among others, can be dealt with if and when we, the children of God, hold in our moment by moment thinking that we are children of God; to run to Him with those issues; to receive answer or instruction, or to receive counsel on how to strike back at those issues. 

This final man has the past on his mind and the desire to clear it up, but what Christ is telling him, through the part 'having put his hand to the plow', is that you have set yourself to move in ONE direction; forward. How then can you concern yourself with what is "left back there"? Do you get it? That is why Jesus uses the term, 'fit'. Christ saying that no man is fit, tells us that if we concentrate on or 'flip-flop' with our past, and past issues that we "just have to deal with", then we cannot be proper for the business of the kingdom. There will always be something that will cause us to hesitate, pause, hiccup, stutter, or just plain stop.


This presentation is for those of us, and others, that truly have JOY in performing kingdom business. Because we know that it advances the kingdom and the Word of God. This issue of will I or won't I, from a daily perspective, doesn't have that much pull on us. I mean look at me, and even take a look at yourself, sitting down at this moment to concern ourselves with how to be more pleasing to God; through the means of connecting on the topic of willingness. Celebrate your willingness to even be concerned about that!!!!! You know most people are going about their own business, at this moment; not really concerned about the kingdom or it's business. Pray for them: we were there once. 

As I close this presentation, I ask that you, who are reading this, do your very best from this moment forward to understand the Importance of performing the will of God; to be about the kingdom, and it's business. Pray for me, as I am praying for all of you,

Holla,
Yer Brova Catalyst     

Basically

Go with me to the Old Testament. To the book of 1 Chronicles, chapter 4, and verse 9. 
1 Chronicles 4;9-10

And Jabez was more honorable than his brethren: and his mother called his name Jabez, saying, Because I bare him with sorrow. And Jabez called on the God of Isreal, saying, Oh that thou wouldest bless me indeed, and enlarge my coast, and that thine hand might be with me, and that thou wouldest keep me from evil, that it may not grieve me! And God granted him that which he requested.

Now go over to the New Testament. To the Gospel according to Matthew, chapter 26, and verse 42.
Matthew 26;42

He went away again the second time, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done.



It is time to get back to basics! Time to stop approaching Christ Jesus with that list of demands, and start sitting with Him to understand that what is to be done WILL be done. Yeap, I said it. It needed to be said............  Don't worry, my forehead hurts too.

When it is said, "Let's go back to the basics." Alot of things will enter into our minds. But, the most important thing to remember is that when the basics (of any endeavour) are sought out, you will be guaranteed to find the simple truth of that which you sought to master. Like I have presented to you all before, let's jump right into this. 

Go back and look at Jabez. Here is a guy that is out in the world, we do not know at what point of his life, realizing that it is time to depend on God. I mean look at this dude's history. Born to a mother who obviously had some type of sorrow in her life, and it was so deep that she made the choice to mark that sorrow by naming her new son, 'my sorrow'. Jabez, in the Hebrew (Ya' bets: yah-bates') means to grieve; sorrowful. Then on top of that, he is the only one in his family that is counted as being "more honorable", which is like saying he is the only one putting in the extra effort or he is the only one that went the extra mile, when no one else did. C'mon now, admit it! We all know someone like that in our families, if it ain't ourselves. Okay, back to Jabez. 

Let's look at this prayer he prayed to God. Now, I am going to come right on out and say it. He didn't ask for anything! Nothing..... Not one sheep, camel, goat, piece of clothe,..... nothing! Remember that very last prayer you prayed? I know mine was like a Christmas List and I probably envisioned Christ as jolly ol' Saint Nick. Being honest..... Alright, alright, forgive me. Moving on with this dude's prayer. Jabez makes the best move in his life with this prayer. I know that it is tempting to break it down and get all up inside of it with the best of investigative theology, but what is the realistic outcome. It is BASIC! 

Do not allow for what is contemporary, sleek, and shiny to throw you off the path with this prayer. It's simplistic nature holds the key to what is, by far, the best thing that could have happen to Jabez and quite possibly you, who are sitting with me at this very moment taking this in. Go back and read it again. This dude did something that most of us (YES, ME INCLUDED) will not do. Go back and read it again. It is so basic that most of us (YES, ME INCLUDED) miss it all together. Go back and read it again.


Here is the companion text. Matthew 26;42. 

Jesus is in the midst of prayer and, along with dealing with the 'sleepy' disciples, he has to deal with the will of God for his life. Seriously, his life is what he is dealing with. Kinda puts all of those "prayer requests" in total focus, doesn't it.......

*BREAK IN PRESENTATION*-- I am in AWE at this moment! What the Holy Spirit is releasing to me, HALLELUJAH! I just want to go on ahead and sit right next to all of you, as you read this, and hopefully are following with your Bibles for yourselves. I know, AT THIS MOMENT, you are smiling from ear to ear at what God is doing in your lives, and what He is about to do. WOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!! Hallelujah!!!! Thank you Christ for your Obedience!!!!!!-- *BACK TO THE PRESENTATION* 

There was not a moment within the time that Jesus was in his mission that he did not know he was going to have to go to that cross. Grasp that in your mind right now! Understand it. Meditate on it. Allow it to permeate your senses. So here he is, at Gethsemane, on his knees, before his Father; our Father, God and all he prays for is God's will in the time that is to come....... Not relief. Not a substitute, stuntman, sacrificial lamb, an extra day......... Not even one more hour of time to continue in prayer with God! Doesn't it go against everything in you to get that simple? To get that BASIC. 

See, as the presentation was revealed to me, I had all these grand additions I would bring to it; to have you, wh are gracious enough to go along with it, sitting on the edge of your seat, reading your Bible and shoutin' in jubilant praise of the new position you would find yourself in at this very moment. But, before I could get the laptop that I am typing on (Thank you Kaleena for the use of your laptop) the Holy Spirit showed me myself. Showed me that if I were to know; like Christ knew; all of what is to become of me as I 'walk' out this mission, I more than likely wouldn't pray that prayer. Then I was shown what I would have prayed if I were Jabez. How I wouldn't be so polite. So knowing that I am not God. Do you all get what I am saying?

We have to be basic with the prayers we give to Christ Jesus, because we are not God; to know what He knows, nor to sit in His place to say how we shall receive what we pray for. The truth of our relationship is based on the fact that we KNOW who, and what we are in conjunction with Christ. He is perfect, without blemish. We are flesh; born in sin, shaped in iniquity. Our prayers are our ability to connect to God, through Christ Jesus, to receive what it is He desires of us. Yes, we leave our petitions at Christ's feet, but we are to not leave them in the manner which a boss would shove the daily reports into the arms of his secretary. But, we sometimes do just that. So, it is necessary that we get back to the basics. I mean if we are to truly get to that place where we know Christ is taking us, then we would need to be able to clear ourselves of all thoughts that say, "Tell Christ.......". It's just that BASIC. 


Holla,
Yer Brova Catalyst             

Coming Back....... Never Went Nowhere

Been taking a lil' bit of time to set myself for thia new year. I am going to make sure to get back to all y'all and this year we all are going to set ourselves to receive nothing but God's best, in all areas of our lives. So get ready to start out with a mindset of GREATNESS!!!!!!!! I will see y'all real soon.

Thank you all for your support and continued encouragement. It is appreciated and humbling.

Holla,
Yer Brova Catalyst