Our Troubled Life, Part 2

So this troubled life is our earthly inheritance because of the the way we allow the
flesh to rule over us unstead of being dependent on the Father and seeking to follow
His way for us.

Once our eyes are open to the brokenness of this world - and really receive that brokenness
as being OUR brokenness, not the other person's reality; not having thoughts of 'I'm going to be
different' 'things in this life will work for me if I just ____';

Once we understand the truth that there is NO hope in making this life into our own personal
paradise ("if I get enough money, get the right guy/girl, get an education, live in this place....");

Once we have come to see that regardless of all our 'long range' plans, manipulations, posturing,
trying to setup everything 'just so';

Once we believe the scriptures that say (paraphrases):

"no man consigned to war entangles himself with the affairs of civilian life";
"set your affections of things above, not on things on the earth";
 'friendship with the world is enmity with God'
"there is no good thing in my flesh"
etc...

THEN, can the Father begin putting us through our paces and start teaching us His ways for now we
can more readily receive the things of Him. We will have nothing to turn back to now that the
reality of the brokenness of this life (our life) has become so apparent. We will WANT to press in because
we see there is no other option. Who would  we go to, what other path would we take? The only truth is to press into the things of the Father, even though, as we begin to see, that way will actually begin to produce a new variety of pain for us.

Our Troubled Life part 1

The importance of dying to self can not be overstated.

When we watch the news and see the constant stream of death and mayhem that man perpetuates on man;

when we witness friends and family crushed by the sins of OTHERS and, of course, their own sins;

when even creation itself has been turned into something that works against mankind and takes part in
his destruction;

what more do we need to convince us that there is no good thing in the flesh?

But yet;

we continue to justify ourselves;

we point fingers at everyone else;

we feel victimized and unfairly treated;

and continue to blindly (or even knowingly) 'make provision' for our flesh.

The Lord tells us that the corruption that is in the world is through lust (2 Peter 1:4)

Lust is a by-product of the flesh.

The flesh must be crucified.

Yahshua's death is our death if we receive it and allows us to die to our old, flesh man.

If we receive what Jesus did, then we must mortify our members here on earth and present ourselves unto the Lord for His use;  service unto Him, worship unto Him.

We no longer will be attempting to build OUR own thing here in this temporary realm but will be invested in
the spiritual kingdom which now is not, but soon will be, manifested for all to see. And those who have lived in the reality of the 'invisible' kingdom, will in no wise be made ashamed when their hope is finally realized under the manifest presence of this world's true king, Jesus Christ of Nazareth, Yahshua HaMashiach

We must ever be mindful that much of the misery that's being produced around us is because of US! The rest coming from the Evil One warring against the Father's creation.

When we reason that whatever we (i.e., our flesh) desires is what will make us happy and is the wisest choice (Eve) we are cooperating with Satan in bringing destruction to ourselves and to others. We somehow fool ourselves to think that we won't be like the 'other' poor sap that just didn't play his
cards right or was 'unlucky'.

 We disregard or are oblivious to or believe we will be an
exception to, the iron clad reality of WHAT WE SOW WE WILL REAP. God is NOT going
to be mocked. There are NO loopholes in this life that will prevent us from eating the fruit of our
doings.

We can say it was a mistake, we didn't know better, someone tricked us, we
thought this was the best way, it was the only way that made 'sense', everyone else does
 it this way, or whatever we want to say.

The reality is that we ALL are constantly eating from the tree we shouldn't be eating from
and are reaping the results in our bodies, our relationships and our circumstances.
Our ONLY hope is in Christ.