truthfully – The Arrow Preacher

We are but Servants of the King

When on the cross the ignorant cruelty of man was obvious on Skull Mountain. Many scoffed at the messiah hanging on that cross. Jesus, bloody, flesh torn, blood soaked eyes, and yet we see not a man afraid to die, not a man angry, but a loving, forgiving savior. Luke 23:39-43“39 One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him,[a] saying, “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!” 40 But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? 41 And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.” 42 And he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” 43 And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.” Jesus showed love and compassion. The nature of God is love for his children. God is a jealous God and wants our love, but what parent doesn’t. If you were a parent or are a parent could you ever choose which child had to die? God sacrificed a part of himself to save us. We were the ones who screwed up, but despite the reason, God loved us to take on the punishment, the cost of separating from paradise.

Jesus gave his last breath as a man giving up his life, his soul freely given to the Lord above. Jesus forgave us absolving us the punishment of eternal damnation. Though we don’t actually live our live free of repercussions of our sinful actions, we are forgiven if we seek repentance.

Jesus speaks of the fulfillment of prophesy, Luke 24:45-49“Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, 46 and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, 47 and that repentance for[a] the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. 48 You are witnesses of these things. 49 And behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.” Why do we struggle so much in our lives to give up our earthly desires? We have been given so much, yet we don’t act or behave in a grateful manner. Christ lived his life as a servant. He taught us to live a life of love, of grace, of mercy, but always to be humble. We should always ask ourselves, if what we do brings glory to God.

Even in the darkest of our days we can always find a way to use that in our walk with Christ. We must humble ourselves to the Lord. In all things our God is with us. One day the frost fades and the first bud of new life blossoms. The gray skies split as God announces its time to live again. Hope springs anew and God bestows blessings upon me. Of course God knows the plan and we are to small to understand. My God, my God you are big and I am not and I raise my hands to you. My God thank you for my gift and I have you to praise. You’re perfect timing my Lord, and forgive me for my doubts, forgive me for my weakness. Thank you my God, for without you I am nothing.

When we submit ourselves to the Lord and we pray we must understand not all prayers are answered. We must keep the faith and remain humble. Psalm 37:5-7“Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act. 6 He will bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday. 7 Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way, over the man who carries out evil devices!” Rejoice in the prosperity of others, while some will obtain it by God, others by the Devil, the righteous will be blessed, while the wicked will one day find punishment. Trust that true prosperity comes from our Heavenly Father. Trust he will never push us down the wrong road. Hebrews 12:1-2“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.”

1 Samuel 2:3“Talk no more so very proudly, let not arrogance come from your mouth, for the Lord is a God of knowledge, and by him actions are weighed.” We must not be to proud of our actions for if not for God we would have nothing. Proverbs 21:4“Haughty eyes and a proud heart, the lampof the wicked, are sin.” Do not be distracted from who we are in the Lord. We are nothing without God because this life means nothing except to offer the opportunity of eternal paradise. Because we are promised eternity we must remain loving followers of Christ. Do not fear tomorrow. Be glad for it and humble yourself in our service to the Lord. Never allow the Devil to harden your heart or break your spirits. We may be servants but we to are royalty, we are royal heirs to Heaven. We are allowed in the kingdom and we will forever rejoice, singing praises to our King.

The Mask

Do you act and behave differently in public then you do in your own home? How about with friends or even different friends, do you treat people differently based on the group you’re with? The sad fact is even if it doesn’t happen as an adult, it does happen at some point in our lives.

As we go through life our life do we hide away our true thoughts and feelings? What about with the people we have sworn to love and cherish?

No matter the mask we wear the lord sees through us. The ill intent of your heart cannot remain hidden from. God. 1 Samuel 16:7 “7 But the Lord said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.”

In our own space do we harbor evil thoughts for someone or a group of people? God sees what we do and think. We may hide away our feelings forever, but the worst is when you pretend to treat others well claim one thing, and lie to them, showing your true nature. For some people the truth is hard to handle. Proverbs 26:24-28 “Whoever hates disguises himself with his lips and harbors deceit in his heart; when he speaks graciously, believe him not, for there are seven abominations in his heart; though his hatred be covered with deception, his wickedness will be exposed in the assembly. Whoever digs a pit will fall into it, and a stone will come back on him who starts it rolling. A lying tongue hates its victims, and a flattering mouth works ruin.”

We must not bear false witness and it is this author’s opinion that means lying about who we are to others and ourselves. We cannot claim to love and harbor ill will towards others. We cannot wear the mask forever. One day our true nature will come shining through whether it’s good or bad. Luke 12:1-3 12 “In the mean time, when there were gathered together an innumerable multitude of people, insomuch that they trode one upon another, he began to say unto his disciples first of all, Beware ye of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. 2 For there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; neither hid, that shall not be known. 3 Therefore whatsoever ye have spoken in darkness shall be heard in the light; and that which ye have spoken in the ear in closets shall be proclaimed upon the housetops.”

Finding out one day someone was not who they claimed to be is perhaps the hardest upset someone can ever go through. Believing so faithfully, so truthfully, so blindly that the truth was so devastating. The day the mask was pulled away and the face that was no longer recognizable is beyond words. The upset not only tore the house down but shook and cracked the foundation of everything I believed in. (That’s a hard lesson for another time.) The truth that was reveled to me that day would have a resonating effect through my whole life. Never again will I let a mask break me. Placing faith in all the wrong places. I have taken off my mask, have you taken off yours?

God sees all and knows all. How we treat others, and how we reveal our true selves will be judged in the end times. We cannot hide away behind our different masks forever. Treating others with respect and love all the time. Be not a hypocrite, and be not a wolf spreading lies and deceits, but live honestly, live life with love, and compassion. Let the world see you for who you really are because God sees you for who you really are. Take off your mask and be the Man God wants you to be. Do not be the ill intent, the liar, the deceiver, and the cruel. Matthew 22:37 “37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.”

You cannot hide the evil within forever. The true nature of your heart will shine through eventually. The person you try to hide from the world, the truth will have its day. Change your heart by allowing Christ into it. Who you are in deepest caverns of your soul should also be what the world sees. Be remembered as someone of absolute beauty outside and inside. Take off the mask.