We are living in what is being called "The return of the gods," and the "age of witchcraft," as people turn to demons to worship and their doctrines, "The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons." (1 Timothy 4:1). These demons and false gods demand devotion and promises blessings, but none of them ever suffered for you, none of them ever died for you. The Lord Jesus is unique in that he lowered himself from his station in Heaven to become as we are, "You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross. Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." (Philippians 2:1-11)
The other gods cannot fathom our station, of being weak and frail, of suffering in trevail. They sit enthroned sneering and contributing to our sufferings because they are not gods, they are evil and shall be cosigned to the hell fire, "Then He will say to those on His left, ‘Leave Me, you cursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels (demons)." (Matthew 25:41) Christ Jesus is the Only God I can love, for he is only God that loved me first, "When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners. Now, most people would not be willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good. But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. And since we have been made right in God’s sight by the blood of Christ, he will certainly save us from God’s condemnation. For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of his Son. So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God." (Romans 5:6-11). Jesus unlike the other so called gods, I can relate to us, He understand our tribulations, our trials, and pain, He has suffered it all. When I look upon The Lord I do not see a god of gold who smiling as I suffer, rather I see the wounds in his hands and side, "Then Jesus said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and look at My hands. Reach out your hand and put it into My side. Stop doubting and believe." (John 20:27). Our Savior and Creator is marked as we are, with scars and wounds, He does not have pristine flesh, rather torn parts as we do! And that makes me not just trust him, it makes me love Him, because he is not a God above us demanding we stand firm and holy as he drinks a cup of wine and laughs at our struggle, no He has forbid Himself from drinking the fruit of the vine, "Mark my words—I will not drink wine again until the day I drink it new with you in my Father’s Kingdom" (Matthew 26:29) and its interceding for us, pleading and praying for us as we struggle, "ho is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us." (Romans 8:34).
This time of year is the opportunity to fall in love again with Jesus The Son of Man and Son of God, that True God who became a Man and has suffered. He understands us because He has lived limited (Philippians 2:1-11), and Had to even pray to His Father in Heaven as we do! (Matthew 26:39) God knows what it feels like to be frail, feeble, fearful (see him in Gethsemane, John Chapter Eighteen), and to struggle as we do in our bodies. God made us in His image (Genesis 1:27), and then took on our broken Image becoming a Man, so that we can be reconciled to Him. Think about it! Jesus The Lord God who created the Stars (John 1:3, Colossians 1:16) became confined to being a Babe! He suffered hunger and desire for close friendships! He was tempted in every way, though He did not sin (Hebrews 4:15). Our God is not some Agonistic Distant Deity who puts us through harrowing hoops, He is a God who came to us, and became as we are in a human body, and has been mistreated, tormented, betrayed, spat on, and even killed. Our God is relatable, we can say, "Ah Jesus I share wounds with, Jesus and I both have been betrayed and had user friendly people (see John 6:41-66), Jesus feared death as I do in the Garden of Gethsemane! Yes Jesus! Jesus is the only God We can relate to. The others demand we morph, detach from people or go on spiritual pilgrimages to prove ourselves, but no Jesus does not ask us to morph, He morphed into our likeness and He transforms us into New Creation by his blood, not making us go on penitential paths.
Only Jesus is relatable, has suffered, been hated, mistreated, and even killed. In fact, He was hurt more by the church than we are today, they tried to throw him off a cliff after He read Isaiah and said "This is fulfilled in your midst." (Luke 4:21). So if you are experiencing church hurt, Jesus experienced it to the maximum! Yes He can relate and intercede with you! He understands! Not like the false gods, who sit in their Olympus or Elysium or Nirvana or Vahalla judging and even sabotaging mankind because they really are demons and fallen angels and their heavens are false heavens! No the true God is The Holy Trinity of Father, Jesus The Son, and The Holy Spirit who is One God in Three Persons! Our God can understand our trials and struggles, and pain, because He has experienced it in the flesh! We can rejoice that the God we put our trust in is not alien to our hardships and tribulations, rather He took them upon Himself and suffered. Let yourself mediate on that.. we Have a God who knows suffering, who has The wounds of it in his body, and so when you look to Him you do not see marble of perfection, rather A Risen Lord with the holes in his hands and in His Side, and feet. Amen.
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