BEAR DOWN
by
Dr. Gale A. Ragan-Reid (June 16, 2015)
“And Cain said unto the LORD, my punishment is greater than I can bear” (Genesis 4:13, King James Version [Cain could not bear the punishment])...And the land was not able to bear them, that they might dwell together; for their substance was great, so that they could not dwell together” (Genesis 13:6, KJV [Abram and Lot separate])...I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars:” (Revelation 2:2, KJV [Message to churches in Asia])...”Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready” (Revelation 19:7, KJV [Marriage of the Lamb]).
Greetings In The Holy Name Of Jesus,
My sisters and brothers, I find myself bearing down when I did not feel I was able to bear down. Earnestly, as many say in the deep south and you feel they mean 'honestly' but actually they said exactly what they meant which was 'earnestly', great distress of heart came upon me when I had to bear down---deal with poor conditions, the least of folks, poverty, filthiness, nastiness, all manner of sin: murder, theft, adultery, liars and just evil. Moreover, the dregs of society are not the ones that the most esteemed in Christ Jesus want to associate with much less pray for their salvation and relief from living at the bottom of the socioeconomic status and the bottom of the totem pole of their beloved friends in Christ Jesus. In The Revelation of St. John The Divine (19:16-21), Apostle John said, “Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God; ...” for the imagery of eating the flesh of the kings, the flesh of the captains, the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses, and the flesh of all them that sit on those horses, both free men, bond men and great men who stand against Christ Jesus on his horse, is enough to make a sensitive soul regurgitate in the horror of it all but that is exactly what Apostle John in what is known as the Revelation of Christ Jesus witnessed in reflection of his experience with Roman persecution. In many ways, his revelation of GOD'S GREAT SUPPER dealt with the Last Supper of Christ Jesus, revealing to all who will stand against Christ Jesus in battle where Satan ultimately will be bound, are those kings of the earth and their armies, who we would not want to believe would gather together with the beast to make war against Christ Jesus...But Christ took the beast and the false prophet and cast them alive to a lake of fire burning with brimstone.”
Today, most importantly, we battle the false prophet with the same Word of God. Many times when you seek advice, help to battle against spiritual indifference and to elicit courage under persecution---you want your consultation and spiritual feeding to bear up success, if nothing else, then you find yourselves able to bear the circumstances and situations that bind you---just let me have money then I can bear it all; just let me have a power position with at least a six-digit salary at my job then I can bear it all; just let me have a virtuous woman standing by my side then I can bear it all; just let me have wonderful excellent children then I can bear it all; just let me have the big house with enough space for all that God blessed me with; if I must suffer any misfortune. I can not bear down. Most importantly, I know your dissatisfaction with your apostle, your shepherd, your spiritual leader, your pastor---hopefully, your man of God in Christ Jesus leads many to want to seek revenge on anyone in your presence to ease your pain because you can not bear down when called to live in dire situations---everyday an emergency fighting for the food you eat; fighting for a place to sleep because you are living on the streets; fighting for respect from your family---not able to clearly see your future, your hope and you hate those who can not make the suffering end like Christ Jesus did when he walked the earth. The people complained to Christ Jesus when his disciples could not heal as he did but the people of today feel powerless to speak in the spirit to God, to the spirit of Christ Jesus because he left them in
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the flesh.
Moreover, the “Ye of so little faith” that Christ Jesus corrected his disciples with seems to escape the believers that they are the disciples struggling---some in the struggle of their life---over their faith.
Are you a Nicodemus thinking man struggling with faith? St. John (3:3-18, KJV [Of regeneration and faith] the beloved disciple said,
“...Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a master of Israel and
knowest not these things? Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that
we do not know, and testify that we have seen; and ye receive not our
witness. If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall
ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things? And no man hath ascended
up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man
which is in heaven.
And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must
the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in him should not
perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his
only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but
have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn
the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth
on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already,
because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”
In closing, I say to you my dear fellows in Christ Jesus, “Hold on!” Jesus came down from heaven to bear down. We, like the fathers of old in Hebrews who did not see him still must believe to receive as they did all those years before Jesus came down to earth. Yes, the fathers of old received from their faith---from their belief in the promise, Christ Jesus, so, too, must we, who did not live 2,000 years or more ago when Jesus walked the earth believe and bear down as he did on earth. Yes, Christ Jesus is back in heaven bearing up---for he sits at the right hand of God who sits on the throne. WATCH the marriage of the Lamb!
For Christ Jesus shall come again as St. John The Divine witnessed in Revelation. Be ready when he comes. Lord have mercy. Christ have mercy. Amen.
