"I am sending you prophets and wise men and scribes; some of them you will kill and crucify, and some of them you will scourge in your synagogues, and persecute from city to city," - Jesus

"No prophets, scribes or wise men will be sent; just people that fit-in, grant you warm-fuzzies, and that you honor in your worship halls, following them from town to town." - not Jesus

Do we have a clear winner? You decide.

A Prayer to My God and My Savior, Inspired by the Spirit.
For All Those Who Love the Lord with Their Whole Hearts, Nothing Held Back.
My Redeemer Lives!

My God, my God, You are the Holy One. My Christ and my Jesus, by Your blood am I washed from sin’s raiment, which had clothed me in death. By Your sacrifice have You led me from the dark. A new light has sprung up where there was none before. By Your words and Your teaching, I have begun to unleaven my life, for You have already unleavened my body and my spirit from sin. Even that, which contains the leaven of sin, itself, do I continually cast out. I will obey Your word, oh Lord. Though I stumble, I will strive to obey. I feel Your hand upon me, oh Lord. I offer myself to You, my God and my Lord. Take my will, and make it Yours. You offered Yourself up to suffering and death because of what I have done. I deserve my punishment, yet You bore my sin, even all the sins of those I love. I can not approach Your love, but by any and all means, I shall strive to show You my love and my gratitude. My heart I leave open to You. Mold it, and create me anew in Your image. You are the love of my life, of which I knew not. That place, which was barren inside me, the world could never fill, leaving me broken and void...hard. You fill me with awe, a love I never thought possible...my heart softened. And Your voice, Your words...oh, the beautiful sound of Your voice. You stir my soul, a great burning in my spirit, the love of which I have never known. Why, oh Lord, do You bless me? I have sinned greatly and broken Your commandments, and desecrated Your name and the temple You gave me, yet You never forsook me. What have I done to deserve such mercy, such unfathomable joy in Your presence? You are my God and my Lord Jesus. The sound of Your name, even mentioned in a whisper, brings tears to my cheeks. The pronouncement of Your judgment terrifies my soul, yet I welcome it and feel safe. Help me, oh Lord, help me...I am powerless before Your majesty. You are so utterly beautiful, even when You were covered in blood for my atonement. I can not stand, I fall to my knees...I am so utterly unworthy of Your graces, yet by Your grace have You saved me. I am a broken vessel of great dishonor, yet You have gathered me up. My God, my God, You are the Holy One. None compare...no one, nothing! My beloved Father, I shall wait for You...I shall fight for You. I will run into death’s fury...I am only a man, but I know You are with me. I put You to death...You bore my sin in Your body. You were broken and bruised for my transgression, and by Your stripes am I healed, yet I did not ask You. Before I was born, You knew me and died for me, though I had forgotten You. Oh my Lord Jesus, how many tears must I cry? How many times can I say “I love You”?...I shall never cease; with my dying breath, I will proclaim it. If it is Your will I not die, I shall sing of my beloved Lord forever, and even forever and ever. I shall trumpet it to every living creature. Give the command, and show me the way. Fill my soul with Your Spirit, oh my God...take control of my mouth. Speak, oh my God...shout, oh my Lord. Save the afflicted! Make me Your vessel unto honor...glorify Your name! Lift me up from my wickedness; set Your Truth within me, oh my God. I beseech You, oh Lord, destroy me with Your love and words, overcome me with Your presence...I am Your servant. Stomp out temptation in me; cultivate Your Word in me. Let the dew of Heaven cover my shame and wash away all I have done. Set me upright, for I can not raise my head, lest I look upon Your glory and die. My strength is gone from me...in my weakness is Your strength made perfect. Lord, Your grace is sufficient for me. Light the path for my feet, for I am walking into darkness, and I feel the adversary on every side. He bruises me continually. “Help me, oh Lord!” I shout to You, my God. I am but a child...I am lost, and consumed with fear and sadness, when I do not hear Your voice. I am swallowed up in sorrow when I am not in Your presence, for I have heard the Master and felt Your hands upon me. Woe to me, oh Lord, my Savior, I have beheld Your image. Surely my eyes shall go blind, for I have seen the glory of the Lord. I am a man so very unclean, yet You embraced me. The earth has become pale, a wasteland, for I have seen the Lord. Shut my eyes that I never see again. Let me never forget...Your image is burned upon my very soul. Let my ears grow quiet because I have heard the voice of the Lord and Your angels, by ears that have been filled with uncleanness. Yet even now, I hear You comforting me, saying, “What the Lord has cleansed is worthy - call it not unworthy. Rejoice, oh son of men, you have been redeemed from the earth as a special offering. Rejoice, and sound the trumpet, the redemption of the redeemed draws nigh, says the Lord of Hosts, the Redeemer.”

I have not the words to thank You for what You have accomplished on the cross...I am forever indebted to You. You are my Passover who has brought me from death into life.

Oh my God, oh my God, in the name of Jesus, I say amen...forever amen.

My Redeemer lives!

Nearly everyone I know is focused on convincing me to repudiate something that I know is true and authentic revelation of the Lord Jesus Christ and exalts Him as the Only God and Creator of all things that are made.
I do not want to repudiate anything that says Jesus is the supreme Lord most high.
I do not want to repudiate anything that exalts Him and the Gospel of Grace, repentance unto Life and the finished work of the Lord to take away all sin.
I want to release all cares about what it costs me.
I want to be unconcerned with what is said about me.
I want not to care who is turned against me even though it hurts.
I certainly don't care who wrote that which exalts the Lord Jesus ... or how dark (or otherwise) their background is. That doesn't even factor into the equation. I don't care to even discuss it nor focus on that. I don't want to judge any man worthy or otherwise. I do not want to cheer nor applaud any man, nor do I want to curse or jeer any man.

Let me repeat: I don't want to repudiate anything that says that Jesus is the Lord.
If the worst person on earth wrote Jesus is the supreme Lord most high, I would still not want to repudiate it.

Come what may, but still I do not want to forsake the Lord.
I do not want to repudiate anything that I know exalts Jesus as the supreme Lord most high!

Find something that diminishes Jesus or calls Him accursed, and I don't want to ever knowingly extol it ... I want to repudiate that which I know diminished the Lord Jesus and I don't imagine that you will be able to stop me nor convince me otherwise.

I mean no harm to anybody in this. My wants may offend and anger those I love, but I don't want that either .. .it is only that I want never to deny the Lord at a much higher level and greater desire than I want not to offend those that are offended by this. Please don't take it personal when I say that Jesus comes before you. I want to put you before me, but Jesus before you.
If you pray for me ... please, pray for exactly that: that I put you before me, but Jesus before you.

Still ripening into what I want to be,
Trent