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She’s Buying the Stairway to Heaven That leads her strait way to Hell
Take up thy Cross
“I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.” Galatians 2:20
Through the blood of Jesus / to see face to face Of sin and self / to leave no trace
Grasping tight / to that scarlet thread To be washed and cleansed / and to sin be dead
From a helpless wretch / being born again We are only worthy / through the blood of the Lamb
Thus translated from the darkness of Death / unto the Light of Life We are given a Two Edged Sword / with which to fight
We have a cross to carry / unto self a brutal death By the power of His resurrection / through His life giving breath. © 1990 Raymond Bolton Pena
“But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.” Galatians 6:14
I thank God for this open door for my writings and poems to be used to the glory of Jesus Christ in Ministering the truth of His Love and Word to others. My greatest fear would be to stand before God on the Day of Judgment and to be found as that wicked and slothful servant who buried and hid his Master’s talent in the earth instead of putting it to use. Jesus Christ pronounced the judgment of such when He said: “For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath. And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” Matthew 25:29-30
I for one have a certain aversion to the thought of being cast into outer darkness where there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. And I do not believe that it is a mere coincidence that this grave warning against denying to show mercy to the least of persons follows immediately after the parable of the unprofitable servant who buried his Master’s talents. God is not interested in blessing and equipping us with talents and abilities to make something great of us personally for the purpose of our own carnal self enhancement and vain glory.
It is sad that so many Church pulpits have become a stage where unconverted sinner folks come to sing and perform as if they were in a talent show like star search. And while God has nothing to do with all the ungodly worldly styles of entertainment being brought into the Churches. He does intend for us to use (both) our natural and supernatural gifts, talents and abilities to Minister Life to the dying.
By the “supernatural” I do not mean the occult or paranormal. I’m talking about those abilities to Minister the Gospel and grace of Jesus Christ that we in ourselves could never have apart from the gifting of the Holy Ghost. Yet rather than getting caught up in the snare of worrying about offending the sensibilities of a million and one religious folks out there who just don’t get it and never will until they are truly saved. I’m just going to get back to the main point here and tell you bluntly, that if you as a Christian and recipient of such abundant grace and mercy are not doing something to reach the least of souls for Jesus Christ, then you are in for a rude awaking come judgment day. For as it is written:
“When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: For I was an hungered, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungered, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: For I was an hungered, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not. Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungered, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee? Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.” Matthew 25:31-46
We can not personally go to every prison or nursing home nor visit every homeless area in the world. But we can do our part where we are with the resources which God has entrusted us with. That is why it has always been my greatest desire to get these poems out and to cast my bread upon the waters so to speak. Because you are most certainly welcome to print any of the poems in the Poetic Contemplations Category on this Website to make your own copies for free distribution in your own evangelistic efforts. (As long as you copy them in their entirety and include the copyright notice at the end of each poem along with the notice of permission that I have also placed.) For it is written: “Cast thy bread upon the waters: for thou shalt find it after many days. Give a portion to seven, and also to eight; for thou knowest not what evil shall be upon the earth.” (Ecclesiastes 11:1-2) Jesus Christ Himself admonished us saying: “I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work.” John 9:4
Counterfeit Christians and Hireling Evangelist
The day of Pentecost began at the third hour of the day (See Acts 2:14-15). Yet now as the 11th hour ticks away, we are fast approaching Midnight; and knowing that “the night cometh when no man can work” it ought to be our prayer that we might escape any snare of carnality that would cause us to walk ineffectively in the Ministries to which God has called us.
Now before I really get into the meat of this meal, let it be understood that when I speak of the “Hireling Preacher,” for the most part I am talking about the Television Media Minister. And when I speak of the “Counterfeit Christian” I am likewise speaking of the masses which follow and financially support such Media Ministers. And yet since the rebuke I’m giving applies to many others apart from the Electric Pulpit, my sentiment is that if the shoe fits it might be wise to get a new pair! Or put more bluntly: Stop following these Hireling Media Ministers and/or find a new Church to attend. Because it is usually at this point, after setting the stage by preaching about the consequences of neglecting the harvest, that the hireling preacher will tell you that you would be doing your part in obeying God to reach the lost, by simply sending in an offering to them.
And yet I do not feel that it is Biblical to tell you as a Christian, that you would be doing your part, by simply sending in a 10% cut of your hard earned cash. For in doing so the hireling is placing his personal calling above your own calling while presuming to exercise the authority to give you permission to lay down your own cross. And we need to understand that this scandal of putting people under a guilt trip of fear concerning their neglected responsibility to spread the Gospel, and then giving them a convenient way of escape by taking an offering from them; is in no way escaping the eyes of the world which scoffs at such utter hypocrisy. For they are actually bringing a reproach against the Ministry and are putting the very Gospel of Jesus Christ to an open shame by such scandalous practices.
Think about that a moment, multitudes are being manipulated into giving money, thinking that it relieves them of their own personal responsibility to do their part in being a light and testimony of Jesus Christ to others in their own communities. And though they never come right out and state it as such, this is exactly what they are implying when making their offering appeals. And they are always careful to convey the need to first and foremost support the local Church which one attends. But even in the majority of local Churches the greater percentage of attendants take this same attitude believing that as long as they give their tithe it somehow absolves them from ever having to be a witness to others because they have been conditioned to believe that it is their Pastor’s job to carry their Cross for them.
And even though it means that I am rebuking the whole system of American Christianity here and might very well offend a whole lot of potential supporters. I just can’t practice such dishonest religious politics, because I know that we shall all stand before the Judgment Seat of Jesus Christ in the end. And God forbid that I be found as the cause of you going to hell because you neglected to walk in obedience toward the lost in your own community. And all because you thought that you could pay me to do it for you somewhere else!
In no way am I suggesting that all Christians have such carnal motives of escaping their God given duties to be witnesses of the Gospel, in giving to the Ministry. Nor am I implicating every Evangelist. I’m strictly and only speaking about the mass majority of counterfeit Christians and hireling preachers out there who are in grave spiritual danger of not just selling their own souls, but of actually paying others to take it from them. For without the Cross your soul is lost. And it is written:
“For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish: To the one we are the savour of death unto death; and to the other the savour of life unto life. And who is sufficient for these things? For we are not as many, which corrupt the word of God: but as of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God speak we in Christ.” 2nd Corinthians 2:15-17
“(For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.) Philippians 3:18-19
The Despised and Unwanted Cross
Because of past experiences of dealing with so many enemies, who have twisted my words against me by falsely accusing me of stating that all Christians and Evangelist are counterfeits and hirelings. Again, I feel it needful to make the clarification that in no way am I implicating every Christian and/or Evangelist as being such. And nor am I even remotely suggesting that we ought not to support Evangelistic and Missionary Ministries. That is not what I’m saying at all.
What I am saying here, is that supporting ministries by giving our tithes and offerings, in no way exempts us from our personal responsibility and God commanded duty to be witnesses for the cause of Jesus Christ and His Gospel. It all comes down to one’s true heart motives in giving. And yet far too many hireling preachers are guilty of perpetuating this ongoing scandal. In that they are actually undermining and exploiting the very cross of Jesus Christ from both sides of the pulpit. And in many cases, far too many Ministers and far too many people in their congregation wouldn’t have it any other way.
And I fear that this damnable disposition concerning giving offerings has been so perpetuated by the Ministry at large. That there are undiscerning multitudes which have been conditioned unawares into accepting this snare of denying the Cross of Jesus Christ. And by denying His Cross, they are in effect denying Jesus Himself. Because they have been deceived by these hireling preachers who are making merchandise of their very souls by taking their money in exchange for carrying their Crosses for them. And now you understand how such false teachers are openly denying the Lord Jesus Christ and yet are still able to deceive so many in spite of the truth which they speak so evil of.
“But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of. And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not.” 2nd Peter 2:1-3
And the Apostle Peter hit the nail right on the head when writing that it is through covetousness with “feigned words” that they do so. Because their falsehoods really do come across as being so commendable to the Cross, many will never even come close to comprehending the truth. For it is a deceptive win, win situation where the hireling preacher stands tall as a heaven sent messenger to the lost. And the counterfeit Christian partakes in their hypocrisy by entering into the hireling’s contrived selfless labor of love. And that by giving of their money as a self seen sacrifice while they all pat themselves and each other on the back, believing that they are all walking in the perfect will of God and none are any the wiser.
But the tragic reality of this hypocrisy, is the sobering realization that what this scandal all amounts to; Is the fact that the Cross of Jesus Christ is so despised by the Church at large, that so called “Christians” are actually paying others to take it off their hands because they can‘t even give it away without paying some hireling evangelist to take it from them! Just think about that a moment. The very virtue of the Cross of Jesus Christ upon which He died and which He gives us unworthy creatures the noble honor of carrying, is so despised by the visible Church at large, that it can’t even be given away to their hireling preachers without having to pay them to take it off their hands!
And again, for clarification, we are talking about the visible carnal Church at large and not the invisible spiritual Church. And the difference is as great as night and day. For the hireling will always make their offering appeals by citing your responsibility to support them as being your “ONLY” calling from God to carry out the great commission.
Whereas the true Evangelist will always convey a passionate concern for you yourself to catch ablaze from their own fiery zeal by urging you to be a light and witness for Jesus Christ to those around you. Because he is more concerned with helping you to discover your own calling, than he is with exalting his own above yours or in getting an offering from you. And when that true Evangelist makes an appeal for an offering, it is always motivated by his love for lost souls and the urgent need to reach them with the Gospel of Jesus Christ before it’s too late. And such Evangelist as these are indeed worthy of their hire and should by all means be supported by the love gifts and offerings of God’s people.
Yet those hirelings, who are exploiting the counterfeit Christian’s rejection of the true implications of the Cross in order to get the pay off, (In the name of carrying the Cross for those who are so readily happy to dispense with it,) are going to receive the greater damnation. Meaning that both the self motivated giver and the taker shall reap hell for their denial of the Cross of Jesus Christ and His Gospel. For Jesus never promised that you could pay another to carry your cross for you. Rather, it is written:
“And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel's, the same shall save it. For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.” Mark 8:34-38
There are differing schools of thought about what it actually means to carry your cross. Some erroneously contend that it means accepting a life in bondage to an unwanted sin. Yet such a doctrinal disposition is a total contradiction to the very Preaching of the Cross. Others believe that carrying your cross means that you must stand faithful through sufferings and affliction. And while that is a very Scriptural premise, I believe that Jesus perfectly defined exactly what He meant by us carrying our cross in the above passage. In that taking up your cross simply means to unashamedly deny yourself. Even to the extreme point of losing your own carnal life to all that is vain, idolatrous, lustful and sinful in this present world for the sake of the Gospel because of your devoted love for Jesus Christ and His Word! In other words, we must die to whatever hinders the cause of Jesus Christ in our lives. As it is written: “And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.” Galatians 5:24
The Spiraling Staircase to Hell
I have no doubt that I just turned a lot of people off. Because do you really think that all those greedy men out there behind electric pulpits in the Religious Media who are misusing the Ministry to abuse the charity of God’s people, are getting so wealthy because people are just mindlessly sending in their money without the expectation of a pay off? And this is what confuses so many in the secular world, because they see so many otherwise rational, intelligent and even professional Christians. Even many with College Degrees, who lead very successful businesses and personal lives. And yet they seem to be so blinded to the obvious fraud and dishonesty of these Television Broadcasting Networks. As if they have been implanted with a micro processing stupid chip in the brain. Yet what the secularist fails to realize (as well as far too many Christians) is that it’s a two way street. It’s all about life being a trade off of “give and take.” The hireling “gives” a false peace and comfort to their supporters who they not only “take” an offering from in return; But, their supporters also gladly “give” their money in order to blindly “take” a Cross-less stairway to heaven which never requires them to personally confess Christ by reaching out to the suffering, dying and needy. Because they were told and have been conditioned to believe that in giving an offering, they are actually fulfilling the great commission. Yet all that glitters is not really gold and contrary to Led Zeppelin’s satanic doctrine, the harlot bride is not really buying the stairway to heaven at all; rather, she is actually purchasing a spiraling staircase to hell.
Thus, I fear that many in the Baptist and the more traditional fundamentalist Pentecostal Churches are no better than the money mad Charismatics when it comes to making false promises as a reward for giving tithes and offerings. We can’t point the finger at the Charismatic money grubbers until we first deal with our own hypocrisy. Jesus said: “For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?” What profit is it to build a Ministry upon the blood of others who are in danger of going to hell believing a lie you taught which undermined the Cross of Jesus Christ in their lives? And since the majority of the so called “Ministry” is practicing such dishonest and damnable religious politics, we have come to accept the notion that giving offerings equals living obediently and nothing could be farther from the truth!
No wonder there is no true revival in the land! What greater advantage can the enemy gain in nullifying the anointing and effectiveness of the Gospel than to contaminate so many Churches and Ministries with the lie of speaking guile in denial of the true implications of the Cross? Did not Jesus warn us: “He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much. If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches? And if ye have not been faithful in that which is another man's, who shall give you that which is your own? No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.” Luke 16:10-13
Do we not deny the Father and the Son when we deny God the Father’s Sovereignty and the power of the truth of Jesus Christ? Did not the beloved John write: “I have not written unto you because ye know not the truth, but because ye know it, and that no lie is of the truth. Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son. Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father: (but) he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also. Let that therefore abide in you, which ye have heard from the beginning. If that which ye have heard from the beginning shall remain in you, ye also shall continue in the Son, and in the Father. And this is the promise that he hath promised us, even eternal life. These things have I written unto you concerning them that seduce you. But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him. And now, little children, abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming. If ye know that he is righteous, ye know that every one that doeth righteousness is born of him.” 1st John 2:21-29
I realize that in making this case against the act of denying Jesus and His Gospel here in this context, I might very well be accused of splitting hairs a little too closely and then resplitting the splits. Yet I do not believe that I am without warrant in doing so because a little leaven still leavens the whole lump and a lie is still a lie. Even if we are not aware that we are in compromise with that lie. And yet does not that make the guile even more dangerous? Because as it grows bigger and bigger, you also grow blinder and blinder. Until we have these hirelings out there who are purposely exploiting poor widows and needy orphans in foreign lands to raise money here in the States which shall never reach those for whom it was intended to relieve.
Friend, if I’ve rebuked you that doesn’t mean that I’m your enemy. We have lost the fear of God in the American Ministry and great Judgment is at the door. And as such this is no time to be caught up in that hireling system of counterfeit Christianity. And you don’t even have to leave that system if you doubt my words. Because I promise you that if you go to preaching true repentance and righteousness by putting a difference between the holy and the profane. And you begin to destroy their alters of Mammon by simply teaching true Biblical faith, trust and dependence and take a stand against these Money Mad Media Mind Manipulators. I promise you that they will reject you and throw you out themselves. And that way you won’t have to leave wondering if I’m right or if you did the right thing.
A Cross to Bear
Peering out through eyes of clay My acuteness grows with each passing day
I’m looking out from deep within As an unexplainable numbness grows Is it self or sin?
I’m becoming so aware of the unreality of all As I pray to stand stronger not to fall
Deep calleth unto deep yet I must break through For the Holy Spirit is guiding me deeper into truth
Day by day I have a cross to bear It’s my daily bread in life to share
That I might touch that place beyond this darkened sphere Denying myself to find Christ there
It’s the way of life into the light For Christ bridged the gulf and won my right
To overcome the realm of darkness and evil sin And the lust of flesh which wars within
For the way of death into the night Is a hardened heart to lose my sight
I must learn to walk on the sea by faith To trust in Christ and not to sink by fate
I'm pressing onward to apprehend Resurrection power over Satan, self and sin
For living unto myself I shall die And saving self shall be my demise
Yet dying unto self is true Life to find The race to win as a star to shine
Fighting the fight I must carry on In weakness I find that Christ Jesus is strong
In a robe of white no more of clay To be found worthy to stand I pray
The 5th Seal is opened and our blood shall soon spill Between the opening of the 6th and 7th seals
He who sits on His throne in clouds with sickle in hand Sits KING of the flood with Crown on His head
Thus in this strange dark land to dwell no more When I worship my KING from those crystal shores
Jesus is the Way the Truth and the Life Even so come quickly we pray this night. © 1992 Raymond Bolton Pena Though the Articles and Poetic Contemplations on this Website are copyrighted, you are most welcome to make printed copies for free distribution only according to these conditions: You must copy them in their entirety, including the copyright notice at the end of each poem along with this notice of permission. Thank You. RemnantLifeMinistries.Net <<<<{{{{((((((((R.L.M.)))))))}}}}>>>> |