Crucify Him, Crucify Him!!

15 Now it was the governor’s custom each year during the Passover celebration to release one prisoner to the crowd—anyone they wanted. 16 This year there was a notorious prisoner, a man named Barabbas. 17 As the crowds gathered before Pilate’s house that morning, he asked them, “Which one do you want me to release to you—Barabbas, or Jesus who is called the Messiah?” 18 (He knew very well that the religious leaders had arrested Jesus out of envy.)19 Just then, as Pilate was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent him this message: “Leave that innocent man alone. I suffered through a terrible nightmare about him last night.”

20 Meanwhile, the leading priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas to be released and for Jesus to be put to death. 21 So the governor asked again, “Which of these two do you want me to release to you?”  The crowd shouted back, “Barabbas!”

22 Pilate responded, “Then what should I do with Jesus who is called the Messiah?” They shouted back, “Crucify him!” 23 “Why?” Pilate demanded. “What crime has he committed?” But the mob roared even louder, “Crucify him!”

24 Pilate saw that he wasn’t getting anywhere and that a riot was developing. So he sent for a bowl of water and washed his hands before the crowd, saying, “I am innocent of this man’s blood. The responsibility is yours!”

25 And all the people yelled back, “We will take responsibility for his death—we and our children!”

26 So Pilate released Barabbas to them. He ordered Jesus flogged with a lead-tipped whip, then turned him over to the Roman soldiers to be crucified. Matthew 27: 15-26 NLT

My lasting writing was about recognizing evil; While that piece was being edited, this following phrase was brought out in a discussion.  “Truth is hate for those that hate truth.”  I immediately latched on to it and asked my friend who authored the phrase, if I could use it.  Now, oddly enough, a couple of days later Galatians 5:16-26 was being taught and this line of thought opened up.  As in the parable of the soils, the Word of God was planted in the proper soil and was able to germinate.

I opened this blog with Pilate contemplating Jesus’ fate.  A man not after God’s own heart.  A man who lived by the world’s standards and compromised even his beliefs to keep the peace.   In fact, he acknowledged Jesus’ innocence.  Many times compromises are made in order to keep the peace in spite of Truth & Justice.   This is the key to this entire teaching, what do we do, when people react to the Truth around us?  In this case, the religious leaders had an agenda. They made  a vow in front of God and Pilate to attain it.  They took responsibility for Jesus’ death and their future generations.  What did Jesus say to espouse so much venom?  In the end, they took the blame so Pilate could wash his hands of it. For them; truth was hate for they hated truth.

A great theory in physics is that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.  However, in the world of compromise, for every action there is less than an equal reaction.  Yet in the great abyss between our ears, we are led to believe that concession wins the day and gray is the best color in world.  The crowds yell at us, insisting we are wrong when actually we are right.  Once we believe that “little lie”, evil can bully everyone into submission.

A small leak is always the beginning of a dike’s collapse.   At first is it’s harmless, like entry level recreation league children’s sports where they don’t keep score with everyone receiving a trophy, no matter if they played or only merely showed up for one game.  Every child is celebrated for running around during the game whether they are successfully passionate or not.  Why try at all if the outcome is the same; Everybody wins !!!  It appears to be a win, win situation.  Now older, reality kicks in and losses really do count.

Without learning the basics of life in winning and losing, self-indulgence takes center stage.  And people who have not been raised, to understand that losing is part of life, tend to fight back to get what they want.

I heard a sermon recently, my friend recommended after reading the What is Evil article. The sermon was based on a theme that gets battered about all the time “MY Life My Rules” (I wish I would have thought that phrase for my last piece).   I will use this term to capture the essence of, ones that love the world and resist the truth.  When this is applied, people who never learned the art of losing, believe life is UNFAIR.  Many have been fed a line of reasoning that says we all tried……….  and we all deserve.  Trying IS important, valuable and should be celebrated, but acknowledged as equal to winning?  Does anyone dare guess why, because in order to “get along with” the world, we have to accept everything as it is, allowing for everything to be allowable.  Obstacles in life are treated as injustices,  derived by someone somewhere (the ultimate strawman) who is cooking up schemes to keep from you what should be rightfully yours.  People are not equal but certainly not less than, outcomes/consequences are NOT equal and some are significantly less than (i.e. your bonus relative to your co-worker’s).

The Truth is; we need to grow through wins and losses. We need to experience the pain of loss, discomfort with our decisions and endure the consequences.  This is how character is built; this is what the physical life, God gave us, is all about.  As a Follower and not just a Fan, by pressing into Jesus during the struggles, we gain a deeper relationship with Him.  This is how our faith is strengthened.  When the Truth points out the contradictions of My Life My Rules, the words Crucify Him will ring out to silence it.

How many times have you heard that “it can’t be true”.  I spent a large part of last year speaking about false doctrine and cockeyed-theology.  The more in tune those ministries are in harmony with the world the less likely you will hear crucify them.  They cater to the My Life, My Rules doctrine, keeping it simple and easy to swallow; shallow understanding ear makes for good company.  These ministries are left to continue because there is no meat on the bone to challenge the world with God’s truth about His love, while ignoring the parts of the Truth that brings God face to face with everyone, we pacify the crowds.  Think about that, when you are accepted by the world, we failed God!!!!  (i.e…. The rich man wanted his relationship with Jesus to be on His terms.)  Oh, he has so much promise and passion to follow Jesus.  All Jesus said, in so many words, to the rich man was, if that is true; sell it all and follow me.  That was a truth that the rich man could not face, his love was not as deep as he professed.  How many do you know, that would willingly keep his tithe instead of saving his soul.  Then, place that man in a position of authority and access, due to his worldly riches.  Lead a church from a committee, but not have the true will to follow God in all things.  We all know the answer, the truth is that it happens more often than not.

In my last writing I briefly discussed David and Goliath, but there is a bit more I need to say about this as the revelation unfolds.  Goliath/Satan was testing Saul’s Army/us our faith.  They started each day ready to fight with passion and vigor only to run away at the first sight of Goliath’s daily challenge.  That is how I see the majority of the churches today.  There is plenty of passion and vigor but the moment a challenge is placed at the heart of our faith, we wither.  Out of sight out of mind.  All someone has to do is yell crucify them and we run for safety.  Just like in the Congress, one threat of a filibuster or veto and they say, oh well we tried;  We just can’t overcome the votes.

Look at all the civil unrest in our communities.  Certain groups are calling for killing other groups.  Policemen are targeted for being policemen only. The world is turning upside down and lies are being told.  The Truth is the last thing the world wants to hear.  The world is trying to gather up all it has onto itself and kill all that will thwart that goal.  Jesus came and brought something no one had seen or heard before and when it challenged the My Synagogue My Rules, we know what happened.

16 So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves. (My Life My Rules)17 The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions. 18 But when you are directed by the Spirit, you are not under obligation to the law of Moses.  Galatians 5:16-18 NLT

We all know this is true, but I was amazed at verse 18, “you are not under the obligation to the law of Moses”.  This fascinated me.  While I heard a wonderful spirit filled teaching on walking in the Spirit and the breath of God, all of a sudden I realized that if I walked in the Spirit and ultimately surrendered everything I had to God, I would not endure the wrath of the physical law.  I might be subject to it, but not hurt by it.

19 When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division,21 envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God. Galatians 19:21 NLT

Let’s take this one step deeper, when I am not pressing into God (not trying to live a holy life), not walking in union with the Spirit of God, mentally I fall under the effects of the physical law even though the items listed above may not be manifesting in my life.  Jesus said that lusting was comparable to the act of adultery.  The battle was in the mind and heart; no physical law was broken.  What happens to me, is that when my faith is challenged; I get paranoid, I think I have done something wrong.  My “salvation through works” mentality kicks in;, lust creeps in;, my wife seems to point out my faults more aggressively and I certainly see hers very clearly.  I look for physical comfort while tearing everything down around me mentally.  I fear for my life in some measure.  Sadly enough, in moments of weakness, I hate the Truth.  I am not blasphemous, but I fear life’s outcomes, doubt God’s plan for me and become afraid of being punished for doing wrong.  All of this happening between my ears, separating me from God and Spirit.  My mind is in charge and I want to save my own skin. I want to resist the Truth when in pain. Many prophets went through this as well.

Through my fear, I subject myself to the physical law, when that happens, I cannot firmly stand with God, for I fear the wrath of man more than of God.  Do not confuse this with good citizenship. There are many people who obey God’s laws, but that is not what I am discussing. We are speaking about the condition of our inner being and our relationship with God.

22 But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!  Galatians 19:21 NLT

If you think back on your life and the history of the world, when these fruits displayed without a deceitful heart, there is no resistance to it from the world.  It is a secret language that we all understand and resonates within us.  I will let that settle………..

Now these next words that we hear leaders use, I would say are under the law; Love wins, tolerance, inclusive, fair, choice, rights, restraint  all based on emotions not fact. This is behavior they expect we should exhibit without Godly reference.  (AND IF YOU DON’T, OFF WITH THEIR HEADS).  In this case, these are used as a means to calm the natives or place doubt in your heart, so you will move from the Truth.  These words help to further causes and move man’s agenda or Satan’s.  All they need is a moment of doubt. These words are offered as substitutes for the Truth about God.  God’s words bring forth Life; man’s words lead to death.  What I find interesting, fear of the truth is used as a tool to manipulate a godless society.

The key to everything is walking with God in the Spirit.  Not talking about God or trying to convince people they need Jesus, but allowing God’s Spirit to flow into them from God through us. The rest will fall into place, under the direction of Holy Spirit.

God deals with each of us in our secret place. When we see God as external to us in a galaxy far, far away, obey the law, practice good citizenship and be a good servant, our existence or objective is to get out alive with as few bruises as possible.  However, when we walk in the Spirit, the relationship with the Father produces the fruit outlined in verses 22 and 23.  It can be describe like the difference between feeding the poor and compassion for the poor.  One is an act of service the other is a condition of the heart.  God’s eternal law supersedes the physical law in all aspects at such a higher level there is no resistance except from those who hate truth.  We are no longer a servant to God, but in partnership with Him.  The ultimate intimacy transpires.

We do not have to obey the rules because God is the all powerful master who must be obeyed.  We no longer need to be a good Christian so we won’t go to Hell.  When we are intimate with God, this line of thought does not play any part in our decisions.  When we, were or are, dating someone, we need to always ask if we can do this or that. There is a boundary that we just can’t cross in the early stages of that relationship.  Is isn’t until we take our vows with our spouse that the veil of separation is lifted.  We still need to be respectful with our spouse and we don’t have license to do as we please, but that relationship is now being built at a different level.  AND IT CONTINUES TO GROW.  This is the power of that verse, it is a deepening of a bond between God and us.  Overtime I intuitively know what I can and cannot do within my marriage. It isn’t following the rules inside the marriage, it is the partnership that I do not want to put at risk. I depend on it to carry me through.  My happiness in my marriage was based on a mutual two-sided agreement.  I have to count on her and she on me.  When I place the marriage above My Life, My Rules, our marriage can express itself in our community of friends.  The community knows us as a couple and only an evil motive would try to break.  If I were to allow someone inside that inner sanctum that my wife and I share, I would no longer be able to operate in that strength.  My wife would know something is wrong.  My demeanor would ooze guilt; There would be a chink in the armor.

When my wife and I were married we created a new truth. We each have a responsibility to boldly defend that truth that says we are husband and wife in all areas of our lives.  I no longer can behave like I did in the past prior to our vows, we are a new creation.  I need to walk that truth out, no matter where my feet are.  If we are both strong, we profess our love to deter those that would question it.  When we are in love, everyone around us knows it and there is usually nothing anyone one can say to break that bond.  This is the heart of the issue.

14 For sin is not to have any power over you, since you are not under the law but under grace. Romans 6:14 NABRE

Now what are we fighting?  What is preventing us from enjoying and sharing this type of relationship with God; The truth-hater’s.   Can I be so bold to say, they believe their job is to obliterate the thought and presence of God from the world.   We are surrounded by Modern-day Saul’s (Paul), Pharaoh’s and Nebuchadnezzar’s.  It is our limited imagination that allows men like this to try and keep the Spirit of God contained.  But let’s change shoes for a moment, when their imagination is challenged or evidence is provided contrary to their beliefs, many do not want to lose what (they believe) has served them well.  When the Spirit of God abounds in us, and haters of the Truth are present, they will immediately try to put that Spirit of God in box so it can be controlled. When this happens we should be prepared to hear the words Crucify Him or My Rules My Life.

In Acts, Stephen was remembered for attending the needs of widows, preaching the Gospel and proclaim the Truth.  What did Stephen hear and see when his heart spoke the Truth?  Stephen, being accused for living under the Grace of God and the fruits that are so produced, had just spent time explaining to the synagogue leaders that they had ignored all the prophets throughout all the generations, who spoke of the coming of the Lord.

51 “You stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears! You always resist the Holy Spirit; as your fathers did, so do you. 52 Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who foretold the coming of the Just One, of whom you now have become the betrayers and murderers, 53 who have received the law by the direction of angels and have not kept it.”

54 When they heard these things they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed at him with their teeth. 55 But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God,56 and said, “Look! I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!”

57 Then they cried out with a loud voice, stopped their ears, and ran at him with one accord; 58 and they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their clothes at the feet of a young man named Saul.59 And they stoned Stephen as he was calling on God and saying, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” 60 Then he knelt down and cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not charge them with this sin.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep.  Acts 7:51-60 NKJV

You see, living in the Spirit of God comes with a price that is only realized through a relationship with the Father. A moment that only two can share when they are face to face. Stephen did not cower, but displayed the calm demeanor of Christ’s servant.  This spirit-filled man was murdered by an irate mob, that felt vindicated in their  violence, looking for approval for to Saul, the soon to be messenger of Jesus Christ to the Gentile.

24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. 25 Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives. 26 Let us not become conceited, or provoke one another, or be jealous of one another. Galatians 5:24-26 (NLT)

The price of living in the Spirit, most probably will not be glorious, on this Earth.  Peter and John were beaten, told not to preach in Jesus name.  Paul was persecuted.  James was beheaded for his loyalty to Jesus.

AND YET their focus remained on Jesus and the relationship they shared, knowing He was the Living God and carrying out their Father’s destiny. They lived above the law, under God’s grace and brought people to Jesus at every stop.  Nothing was going to “hurt” them.

If you want to make nice and show someone how Christian you are, in hopes to win a convert, your plan is flawed and you are operating under the law. If you are operating in the spirit, and the fruits of the spirit flourish through you as His presence emanates in you, bask in His glory and people will be drawn to His love.  You will no longer have to work, to make sure you have all your bases covered.  You will be able to speak truth, confront evil where it is and know in your heart, without reservation, that God’s will for you is GOOD, no matter what that may look like on the earth.

Stay strong and don’t relent.  For the power of the Spirit comes forth when we stand in it.  Face those that hate God, with the fruits God has given you; speak your Heart.  Some days we sow seeds,  some days we water and wait for the fruits,  some days we weed but it is all part of the harvest.

It is easy to glorify God from the mountain top, what will you say when you are in the Devil’s Valley and rocks are being through down upon you? Will you turn to God like Stephen and see the portals of Heaven open or yell,  Please Stop. If we have to think about it the answer is spoken.

The greatest miracles have happened when the chips were at their lowest.  The life of a Christian born of God, who has the Heart of the Father, does not try to determine which words to say and which ones to hold.  The Spirit gives you the words. When I speak from the Spirit of God, I walk away amazed at what came out of my mouth. When I do not walk in the Spirit I try to find the right words.  I will leave you with Ezekiel 3:17-21 NASB

17 “Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; therefore hear a word from My mouth, and give them warning from Me:18 When I say to the wicked, ‘You shall surely die,’ and you give him no warning, nor speak to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life, that same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at your hand. 19 Yet, if you warn the wicked, and he does not turn from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but you have delivered your soul.

20 “Again, when a righteous man turns from his righteousness and commits iniquity, and I lay a stumbling block before him, he shall die; because you did not give him warning, he shall die in his sin, and his righteousness which he has done shall not be remembered; but his blood I will require at your hand.21 Nevertheless if you warn the righteous man that the righteous should not sin, and he does not sin, he shall surely live because he took warning; also you will have delivered your soul.”

This is God talking.  He clearly states we have a job to do outside of our close knit circle in spite of the company we might be keeping. 

Speak your heart for ALL to hear and experience the Kingdom of God, instead of accepting the kingdom of man.  If the passage above makes you squirm you need to ask God why and what about it frightens you.  Jesus, the Apostles and the early members of the church walked this verse out in their lives without reservation, with a loving ands compassionate heart.  The Truth burned within them.

Don’t merely appreciate the truth the Bible reveals, ask God to sear your heart with it.

I love you all and there is nothing you can do about it.