The TEST

Ever since Eve, then Adam, failed The TEST, mankind has had to face The TEST daily, hourly, and even minute by minute: Who will we serve?

The choices are only TWO: Self or The LORD JESUS CHRIST.

In every given situation, those two choices are the only options.

GOD: The FATHER, The SON+, and The HOLY SPIRIT ~ The ELOHIM ~ gave Adam and Eve free will.

That free will is not about choosing what to eat each day.

No, rather, all choices can be reduced to serving Self or serving The LORD JESUS CHRIST . . . and that DOES indeed EXTEND into our daily choice of food stuffs.

Our body IS the temple of HOLY SPIRIT,

Which is in us, Which we have of GOD;

we are not our own

for we are bought with a price.

Therefore, the Apostle Paul says,

" Glorify GOD in your body and in your spirit,

which ARE GOD'S"

( 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 ).

For instance, when we CHOOSE to eat sweet treats, are we satisfying GOD or Self with our choice ? When we choose fast junk foods that have no nutritious value, who receives the glory when our body breaks down ?

Food choices are simply one SMALL area of our lives, yet those daily choices carry great consequences. If we please Self we have one set of consequences, but if we please The LORD, we have an altogether different result.

Daily, hourly, and minute by minute, we choose to whom we give allegiance:  Self or The LORD.

The trouble is, WE DO NOT RECOGNIZE "SELF" in the midst of our choices.   So sadly enough, we do not recognize The LORD being there, either.

Ever since Adam and Eve, mankind has been given a TEST in each and every situation, in each and every action, in each and every conversation, and moreover,  in each and every THOUGHT.

Are we passing those TESTS ?

The choice is ALWAYS between TWO: Self or The LORD JESUS.

Then JESUS said unto them,

My+ Time is not yet come:

but your time is always ready.

John 7:6

The LORD JESUS spent His+ earthly Life practicing for His+ Time, His+ greatest TEST.  Scripture says this awe-ful,  strange, and frightening thing about our LORD JESUS:

Though HE+ were a Son+,

yet learned HE+ obedience

by the things which HE+ suffered;

Hebrews 5:8

Now let us look more closely at that word "obedience" . In the Greek it is HUPAKOAN.  The first element is from "hupo", which means UNDER and in this word, a submitting. The second element is "akouO", the same word we know as "acoustic."  It means " to hear."

Thus, obedience in this verse means to hearken unto, submissively, submitting one's will to the Superior ONE. In short, the obedient one takes the position of an inferior and submits his will to the Superior ONE.

The LORD JESUS did this to set the EXAMPLE+ in His+ flesh of how we are to live towards GOD in every situation.

HE+ hearkened submissively to His+ Heavenly FATHER'S Will and passed His+ TEST.  By passing His+ TEST , HE+ delivered us.  By passing His+ TEST, HE+ enabled us to pass ours. . . daily, hourly, minute by minute.

Yes, passing the TEST was His+ choice, but HE+ did not like the exercise of it very much, for HE+ pleaded with The FATHER in the Garden if there might be another way to accomplish THEIR goal.

Who+ in the days of His+ flesh,

when HE+ had offered up prayers and

supplications with strong crying and tears

unto HIM that was able to

save HIM+ from death,

and was heard in that HE+ feared;

Hebrews 5:7

No, we are not required to "like" our TESTS. 

We are even permitted to pray , like The LORD JESUS prayed, that those TESTS be removed. 

Our FATHER hears our prayers and our crying out to HIM, always, being well-aware of the frailty of our flesh. 

If not a sparrow falls to the earth, if every hair of our head be counted, how much MORE does our FATHER care about us as we go through our TESTS, be they small irritations or horrendous persecutions ?

Yet , for the JOY . . .

Looking unto JESUS the Author+ and Finisher+ of our faith;

Who+ for the joy that was set before HIM+

 endured the cross, despising the shame,

and is set down

at the Right Hand of the throne of GOD.

Hebrews 12:2

Ever since Adam and Eve, ever since the Rebellion of the Angelic Forces, A CHOICE has been offered to both man and angels.  The angels no longer are choosing sides; they are now SET in their choices for all Eternity.

Men, however, still have a choice.  UNTIL our eyes close in physical death, each man can choose to serve either Self or The LORD JESUS.  After death, however, like the angels, a man's choice is SET.

After death, man discovers that his entire life has been a TEST.  Long or short-lived, man's sole purpose is to make a choice. Planet earth is simply the TESTING GROUND.

There are only TWO options, in every given situation.  There are only TWO options with every word we speak, indeed, with every thought we think !  We either are serving Self or we are serving The LORD JESUS. 

There is NO middle ground.

Church membership is NOT an insurance policy. The LORD knows them that are HIS+. 

Church members, leaders, teachers, pastors, preachers, administrators, and translators --- not to mention current-day apostles and prophets --- are NOT EXEMPT from TESTS.

They too must choose.  They too must give an account at the Judgment Seat of CHRIST.  Who did they serve ?

   

Not every one that saith unto ME+,

LORD, LORD,

shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven;

but he that doeth the will of My+ FATHER

Which is in Heaven.

Many will say to ME+ in that day,

LORD, LORD,

have we not prophesied in Thy+ Name?

and in Thy+ Name have cast out devils?

and in Thy+ Name done many wonderful works?

And then will I+ profess unto them,

I+ never knew you:

depart from ME+,

ye that work iniquity.

Matthew 7: 21-23

Yes, we all must pass the TEST and that TEST is put before us daily, hourly, minute by minute.

HE+ is watching and will help us the minute we turn to HIM+ for succor during these TESTS.  HE+ already fought --- and won --- the battle of the flesh.

The satan is watching us also and will send his tormentors to us the minute we nourish Self.  In fact, they will lead us to choose more and more of Self, always benign-looking to begin with. The spirit of Self-indulgence " to soothe our weary hearts " is ready and willing to step in with its whining, self-pitying remarks.

The REAL issue is this: are WE watching ourselves ?  Are we weighing our every word by the Truth in GOD'S Word ? Do we reflect His+ Word living in us ?

Are we submitting to it

whether we like the exercise or not ?

Are we monitoring our motives, asking The LORD to show us who or what we are serving ?

The TEST is before us each and every day, every hour, even minute by minute.  Are we going to hear these words . . . ?

His Lord said unto him,

Well done, thou good and faithful servant:

thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things:

 enter thou into the joy of thy LORD.

Matthew 25:21

No TEST is comfortable; if it were, it would not be a TEST . As an old teacher posted above the clock in the schoolroom:

TIME is passing; are You ?

If we pass our daily TESTS that HE+ gives us, we will be prepared for the Final EXAMINATION . . . be it persecution or death.  We will learn to COUNT IT ALL JOY, whether we like the exercise of our faith or not.

If we do not reject HIM+ in our daily life, HE+ will NOT REJECT us during our hardest TEST. 

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