Part Of The Christian Story

SAT., DEC. 1, 1990, 6:54 AM
FARM, STUDY

The Christian story is long and varied. It begins in the Old Testament, even as this is not very apparent to you. It commences, in reality, with the “Christmas” stories in Matthew and Luke, though John’s interpretation that Jesus is The Word, who existed from “the beginning” is also truth. The Scriptural story tells of My life and ministry as Jesus, including, in John, My promise of Myself, the Holy Spirit. Then there as the crucifixion, the death, the burial, and then the resurrection. Another short time on earth, the ascension, Pentecost, the anointing of Paul, and the development of the early church. The Scriptural story closes with some Revelations about the future, which have more merit than you realize.

The Christian story continues through the years since that first century after Christ, a fascinating and not entirely beautiful tale. You saw portrayed, rather vividly last evening a part of that story. It was a time in which the apparent conflict between Me and the devil came to center stage. This is one of the legitimate themes of this ongoing story, even as it is not one I emphasize in your life. In fact, I virtually negate it, opting for the theme that it is not truly a conflict, for I, the Triune God, am simply in final control of all that is, in the earth and “beyond.” What happens in what I cause or allow… for My purposes.

What then of Salem, the witches, the trials, and the executions? It is part of My story, just as there are parts of your story that are less than heroic but have contributed to your development. When there is concentration on Me there is “Christ in you, the hope of glory” and “see Christ in the faces of all whom you meet.” When there is attention to satan it is as natural to see his influence and imprint upon happenings… and even the sense that he is “winning.”

In that story young girls and women were caught up in a frenzy of naked dancing and explained it as caused by witches in the community. Unexplained deaths also were charged to his influence of evil, and thus Christian turned against Christian, each affirming her or his allegiance to God. The court was called on to decide, and those judged to be the offending witches were hanged or crushed to death, the rolling on of justice.

The accused had a difficult choice – to tell the truth, their Christian duty, avowing that they were not witches but good Christians… or to lie humbly, saying they were witches, but now wanted to be restored to the Christian fold. If one stuck to the truth the sentence was death. If you lie to save your life do you then suffer more eternal punishment? It was not obviously beautiful, but it was, finally, another instance of dying
to uphold the right, here in the earth.

Objectively, these were unfortunate, unnecessary deaths. And yet, in My tradition, death is a time of judgment for the life lived in the earth… an honest probing of the question, “What did you do with your life?” Did you give it up for the high principle of honesty? Or did you prolong it by lying and perpetuating this notion of devilish influence, postponing the judgment? Death is a natural part of life. It may be more important for one’s spiritual development to die “prematurely” while upholding the right than to live lengthily but with the stain of shame upon that continuation.

There is, however, another alternative. That is to knowingly and honestly accept the injustice that shall take your life, lie or otherwise dishonor yourself and Me to maintain life, but then dedicate your remaining life to service for Me. In effect this is like dying and continuing spiritual life in some other form… but remaining in the earth with a clearer mission. You shall never be able to understand the complex issue of whether so much honest virtue and good works balances off an act of dishonor. That judgment is Mine, but this that I describe is a viable option.