Det Gamle Evangelium
Det Gamle Evangelium
"Professionals built Titanic, amateurs built the Ark" :-).
: A
place for short pieces of different kinds
The
dream of Johan Arndt
Christ has many adherents,
but few followers
(Johan Arndt 1555 - 1621. German priest and generalsuperintendant (Bishop))
It was a heavy and difficult time for Arndt, in Braunschweig. Not only because of the persecutions against his person. The city Braunschweig were also the object, for a horrible siege, from the duke. Under this siege, Arndt was so ill-treated by a brutal soldier, while he was out visiting a patient, that he was so ill himself, he had to stay in bed. At a point the fever was so high, that his faithful wife, feared the worst to happen. Under this sickbed he had a strange dream, that is repeated here, like it was written down by dr. A. Wildenhahn.
"I dreamt," Arndt began his story, "that I was on a long journey, in a country, that still was totally uncultivated. I was carrying a big pilgrim staff, and a pilgrim costume, and I was walking fast and untiring, upwards the steepest mountains. At the end I came into a wide open mountainlevel, that was surrounded by mighty trees, here and there. I now felt tired, and sat down in the soft gras, which magnificent flowers, exceeded all the beauty, my eyes had seen up to then. Suddenly, I saw a high cross in front of me, an on it, the dying Son of God. His eyes were closed, but from his side, it still ran down, some drops of blood. When I, in painful devotion, wieved this sight, there were a noise, on both sides. A great crowd showed up, and formed a ring around the cross, and in the middle of them, a seat for a judge, rised, and a man with a peculiar look, stepped upon it.
"Speak!" he shouted to the crowd," who is he, that is hanging on the cross?"
And now, the different voices was heard, all at once. But the man on the seat waved his hand, ordered silence, and commanded that each of them, should speak for themselves.
"He is the carpenters fleshly son," one now said.
"He is Maria's natural child" said another.
"He deceives himself, and claims to be the Son of God," a third one said.
"Yes, he is just like all the rest of us," said a fourth one.
"He is filled with jewish prejudices," a fifth one said.
"He debases the humans under their dignity," said
the sixth.
Now many young women, half way dressed like men, stepped forward.They raised
their hands, and said the one after the other:
"He reduces the women's natural freedom."
He is turning the marriage, into a restrainted association."
"He is excluding the women from the people's council."
"He is turning the mankind into christian servants."
"Will His word," the man on the seat asked, "exist for all eternity?"
"Never," the crowd shouted. "Mankind will bear these chains for a long time, we think, but the free love, will set us free from the pressure, of the faith!"
Now a silence appeared, and all looked up at the cross.
Then the Lord smiled mildly, but in deep agony. Then He bowed His head and died.
When the crowd saw that, a mighty fear ran through them, and before they could really conceive what was happening, they all was chased away, as by a stormwind, and nobody could be seen anywhere around. The dying Saviours smile, had driven away, the enemies of the cross.
But the seat remained, and an angel stepped up on it, and spread his wings. They grew, like the wings of a newborn butterfly, and soon spread so wide out, that they covered the whole earth, and reached all up to the sky. They only let it be place left, for the cross. And over the cross, there were shining a golden light, which gloss can't be found on earth. And the angel raised up his right hand, and said:
"Look at the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the
world He will come to judge the living and the dead."
Afterwards, I heard a heavenly song, like thousands and thousands of voices.
They sang John's words: " The kingdom of the world has become the
kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ,
and He will be King forever."
And, when it now was heard a mighty amen through the endless heavens, so the earth was shaking, I sank down on my knees, and sang with them, in the heavenly hosts, great hallelujah!
Then I woke up.
He is the one who
opens up
Rev.3,7-8.
"If the Lord doesn't build a house, it is no use working
so hard building it."
Psalm 127,1.
It is really hard to understand and come to terms with, yes, this is, maybe, some of the hardest for us.; - that when we so eager and hearty goes in for the "case," - and so we experience, that the Lord does not assist us at all.
But, it is not talk about a "case." It is not talk about something that we can build, or do, but a divine encroachment from heaven; that Jesus must be believed, and by that, let into our hearts. Like He has opened up for us.
He has this strange thing in His hands, that's called "the key of David." It is the rule over death, which is the result of sin. Rom.6,23. Your eternal welfare is not depending on your deeds, really, - neither bad nor good - but on His.
If He doesn't get access, you will never reach the goal. It want help, whether you are going in for the "case" as hearty that you are able to, or if you are so religious that you possibly can be.
Jesus came for the small and helpless, yes, He came to look for and save the lost. Luke 19,10. The lost! Is it you?
Jesus, says unto us here, that it is a door opened for some particular persons: "…you have only a little strenght." Maybe you will have to say: "Dear God, that is exactly me!" "See, I have opened before you a door nobody can shut." But it often feels so shut! Maybe it is like that, just now? But, nobody can!
So I will, without fear and hesitation, wait for the Lord! For He has opened, and nobody can shut it.
But we must not believe, though, that He has opened for all our inventions, or for all the ways that we enter upon. When you take a look at the christian work today, one should not think it was talk about following Him in His good works, but that He should follow us. We make the plans and we are the ones who's going, and now, Jesus, you can just come with us, and bless these things.
It is written in John 6,15, a story about some who wanted to make Jesus a king, by force. Then He went back again to the hill by Himself.
Because it then would have been a king the way the world wants it. A totally different from He whom God sent to the world (who already is a king). You can also read further out in the same chapter, how it goes with these people, when Jesus reveales Himself as the king He truly is.
It is something totally different, when Jesus becomes your king, than when you tries to make Him your king.(It will never succeed. It will only bee a picture, in your own imagination. And many has a Jesus like that). Because then you will meet Him as He really is. And that is a surprise for us, because then you'll meet the Lamb. He who dies for you! He is the allmighty God.
The whole world is talking about God, and has their thoughts about Him. That you can see, on all the many religions among the heathens. "- He" says John, "gave us understanding to know Him who is real." 1 Johm 5,20. It is the Lamb. Jesus.
He is the one who has paid for my sins. He is the one who has opened up for me, and nobody can shut. Because, who can do His atonement to nothing? God is the one who has accepted it, as payment for the sins of the whole world. It has such an enormous value.
Who can shut?
E.K.