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POSSESS YOUR POSSESSIONS XII

CONSIDER CHRIST

DO NOT DITHER

Rev. Dr. Robert E. Donaldson

PREFACE

Following on from Possess Your Possessions Volume 11, in this volume XII, the emphasis moves to the more personal. Thus Ch. 9 of the last volume was concentrated on resolution of problems and relish to be found in Christ, King of Truth and Saviour in eternity; and now there is another application of the material presented there, in the direction of NOT DITHERING. That is found in Ch. 1 in this work. This leads to a different application so that a news item just to hand, may be seen in this setting. In this case, it is not so much individual dither as national that is in view, and the outcome is as tragic as the doom of a great war, when the soldiers lose heart and the homeland neglects its famous fires, to keep them burning. Some want no-god, and some wish no-atheism, and some parade their power and delete deity where they may, and some are subverted by this audacity, while others speak, and make testimony for the truth as is necessary in all conscience and reason. The nation wonders what to do with the Almighty God as in the Pre-amble to the Constitution, but while many dither, or are deluded, or merely militant, wanting to sever from the Saviour outstandingly, and make havoc with religion, others do not find wisdom in such empty surrealism.

It is not only a matter of the past, but of the present, and especially of the huge contrast between two eras, one gradually becoming somewhat more faint in its attitude to God, but still clearly discernible in terms of ITS past; and the present, aggressively nonchalant, impressively evacuative of commitment, bordering on ruin, with loud words and dithering deeds as if waiting for the storm, and occasionally shouting defiance, but more often, conniving in corruption.

There is only one answer: it is to return not to a multicultural madness,

	as if ashamed of the wonders wrought by faith in the Lord in this land, in the Lord's Christ Jesus,
	as if inviting friends home and then trying to find how they live in order to change home in a fit of depreciatory madness,

but to a gracious wisdom which finds what has made the nation so attractive, its laws, its justice and equity emphasis, its care and its concern, its love of freedom and of personal responsibility. It is this which Christianity has nurtured, on the very basis of its non-dictatorial approach to mankind: since indeed the Bible ridicules force in the region of faith. You cannot make second-hand things without the first newness, or fruits, to continue without roots; nor can you successfully imitate good features when the foundations are gone.

While the nation continually is caressing ANYTHINGNESS, it is really wheeler-dealing its ways into a more and more direct confrontationalism with Christ, with anything in the field of education or life which presupposes even liberty! and it is moving in what may soon become irrevocably as the end of the Age approaches, toward a negative agnosticism/atheism, IN PRACTICE. That is, whatever the private religion may be, the move is to make everything public an outcome of disfaith, that junking of anything concerning the Bible and creation and Jesus Christ, so that an avid materialism rules in unhappy disharmony with noble aspirations as empty as a drum, and as noisy.

What then ? By all means consider a continuation of a thankless irrationality, as we have shown; but at least become aware that so much improvisation of evil, diminution of past national acknowledgements (the Preamble to the Constitution is in specific view for one more 'accommodation' without God, instead providing assumptions about the importance of recognising not the foundation of the land, but people who lived there earlier than we did, as if this was a self-produced universe, the main point).

First things first however is not a tribal tribute, but a gratitude to deity, such as the Preamble was careful to attest! If this is removed, then the nation is throwing away that engagement ring, and showing its gratitude in degradation by shrugging the shoulders and following the dire directives of unreason, toying with things, ignoring their necessary foundations.

It is not naturalistic emphasis that is needed, nor unproductive and destructive obeisance to the gods of this or that religion or former religion, or quasi-religion, or surreptitious, irrational religion, but a non-molesting readiness to avoid the transfer of faith from God to gods, some impersonal and pretentious. Indeed, naturalistic powers that have the capacities of gods, ideas that are used instead of divine power and shatter the people, these things attract like the smoking habit, a misty or smoky substitute for making the most of life and not ignoring its necessary basis.

Nationally this people is running down the walls of a precipice, where near the top there is a slight margin before the drop. It throws away money on absurdities, ill-thought out, it hastens in fits and starts with theories that ignore basic necessities, like wisdom, it excuses itself in terms of international agnosticisms, and seeks to conform to delirious dicta from the UN or elsewhere, so long as a free world results, where you are at liberty to do whatever you are told, and never to do whatever you are forbidden (cf. Mystery of Iniquity, It Bubbles ... He Calls Ch. 11).

Individually, people need to awaken to their fall, as generation after generation is now molested mentally, as readily seduced in spirit as the atmosphere polluted with particles. But why ? It is because of intensive folly, impacted with figments of fiction taught amid increasing abhorrence of reasoned and scientifically sober method: a thing that soars like a rocket when it comes to God and His creation of the minds that do this, and assume their own validity, while removing all grounds for such an assumption.

While however the nations drown, as predicted, into that sea of prejudicial horror, it is more and more closely beginning to merge with the state of affairs which you see in Revelation 13, where both a political-industrial-financial beast or tyrant syndrome rules, AND a religious one. This latter one is a concoction and a command that has the people worship the first beast, the all-commanding State. It is predicted to be, in effect, as if the worst of the recent follies of Russia, China and incendiary militant, religious warriors seeking blood, were conjoined into one inglorious spiritual idiocy (as in Hosea 9:7), a mind-defying dominance, a multi-race assault, a taint to civilisation, and a suicide squad for spirituality.

Do not then dither in the face of these empty innovations, but become decisive; do not wallow in this unwisdom, but seek the Lord who made the powers of thought, and gave them validity that man might KNOW the truth and follow it where it is self-attested, and not founder in endless self-contradictions (cf. Deity and Design ... 8). It is necessary where reason rules and evidence is hallowed, to return to the Bible and the Christ whom God sent to give personal interview, intervention, invitation and answer to man, not in a flash moment of capitulation to new forces as in this land and in many another now, but in fulfilment with precision of the menu for man. It was this which gave detail over millenia so that when the Son of God arrived, it would be simple to see what it was, who He was, what was authentic and what a mere mischief.

Mischievous children need instruction; but mischievous adults invite calamity. When such things strike a nation, how often the last thing it thinks of is PROVOCATION to God, who having provided wonders of wisdom and rapid advance in the land, is now thanklessly given come-uppance, from downward impulses, and given the finger with fashionable fiascos, parading as internationally acceptable! By which nations is such valued direction given and how great is their attestation in their own lives and ways ? and what is so wonderful about the nations that one can learn from them how to be a nation, or a person amid the surging morass of broken morals, homes, principles, aspiration and routine folly!

Christ unchanged and undictatorial, remains; and dithering about Him, perhaps with cardiac callous from mis-education and anti-morals now increasingly ruling, is not recommended. Taste and see that the Lord is good: and you don't do this with the mouth closed.

Some might ask, How can you say to the world, possess your possessions, when most of it is NOT Christian, so that Christ or the Bible is NOT a possession, but in your own emphatic notation, a dispossession ?

In answer to such a thought, three things might be said.

First of all, one is by NO Means speaking to Christians only, just as one is by no means omitting them. From time to time, both those who are and those who are not are reminded of their station, spiritual status and opportunities.

Secondly, while in essence the point is true, for this world by no means possesses Christ as Saviour or is disposed to possess Him as Lord, yet it DOES possess the GOSPEL which is a decided and decisive gift, open to all, sufficient for all, with entreaty indeed to all, adapted to all, by which any may become adopted by God as one of His children, through Christ.

Thirdly, it is well to realise the difference meanings of 'possess' . You can OWN something and so possess it; have a key to something and so indirectly have the way to possess it, whether or not you use it, and so become possessed of what is ready to fulfil all your needs. Again, you can OWE someone something, and possess the means to pay, whether or not you actually do so. Through the Gospel, ALL THE WORLD has, with God's direct entreaty, the means to meet that payment, and so possess a blank debt from the credit card action of the incarnate Christ.

II Corinthians 5 puts it like this:

"God was, in Christ, reconciling the world to Himself,
not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.

"Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us:
we implore you on Christ's behalf,
be reconciled to God, for He made Him who knew no sin
to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him."

Thus the Saviour, and there is only one, God (Isaiah 43:10-11) has become a sin-sacrifice offered in integrity and longing to the whole world (cf. Luke 19:42ff., Colossians 1:19ff.), and whatever says otherwise, has another sort of a Gospel, a mimicking, intended or not.

Treasures not in gold, works not on roads, but which have already constructed the way home to God, are all available. It is challenging, testing, involves direct darts from the devil at times (Ephesians 6:12, Job 1, II Corinthians 2:11). If you want placidity and insipidity, then here is not the way; but if you want peace that passes all understanding, because like blood in the veins, it fits and is fitting and becomes constitutionally available, then this is apt for what you desire. Life is not for langour but for vitality of purpose, program, thrust and impact, as when an electric toy is made to work, and not to sit idle, not possessing the power of its possessions, because it is switched off. The power is there, the path is there, the opportunity is there, the call is there, the love of God is there; and without this Gospel, there is no other possible way in. This is the WILL of God, the THOUGHT of God, the WAY of God, the TRUTH of God and to the LIFE of God this is the appointment. THIS is by divine appointment; other ideas of entry are surface flotsam and jetsam on the waves of life. Presume if you must, but that 'must' is like must on the surface of liquid, a mere contamination.

CONTENTS

Chapter One Education, Falsification and Folly: the Degeneration of a Nation ...

Chapter Two

"FOR THE LORD, FOR A GENERATION" -

There is one generation that is predicted: are you part of it ?

Psalm 22:27-31

Chapter 3

HELPS AND HINDRANCES ON THE HIGHWAY OF HOLINESS

Numbers 14-20

Part I

Chapter 4

HELPS AND HINDRANCES ON THE HIGHWAY OF HOLINESS