Monthly Archives: December 2010

What is the Gospel?

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The Gospel means Good News.  And that’s good. But whoever got good news without it being better than the bad news?   A guy tries to sell a painting he’s made on consignment.   The owner of the shop where the painting was displayed calls up and says, “Hey, I got good news for ya”.   Now, we can be sure he’s not gonna tell the painter that everyone thinks the painting sucks.  After all, it wouldn’t be good news at all.  No, he’s likely got some really good news about the painting.   Maybe the shop burned down and insurance is gonna cover the guy’s painting.  That would be good news for the painter.  But that isn’t what the owner of the shop said.  He said, “Hey, I got good news for ya”.  This is better news than: “Hey, your painting sucks and it’s takin up space. Come get it”.

Millions of people, strike that, Billions of people think of the Gospel as a religious theme; just another set of dos and don’ts.  But how is that different from what we already hate?  The good news of the Gospel is above anyother good news we can ever get.  I’m not gonna try to lay out all the details of the Gospel in this post.  Instead, I’m gonna leave a tiny note of what it is so the reader doesn’t have to spend 10 hours trying to eat what can be too much for a sitting at any table.

Look in yourself.  See all the guilt you carry for things you’ve done wrong?  That guilt is proof that you’re a law breaker.  One who honors the law is not prone to feel guilty for something he didn’t do.  That guilt will not leave you when you die.  It will remain in you when you stand before the God of Perfect Holiness and give testimony regarding yourself.  Now, how bout that!  What a wonderful pleasure it will be to stand before the very source of perfect law and tell Him why you refused to obey Him.  Not likely.  It doesn’t take a great imagination to realize that you’re in BIG trouble.  Because your soul, that is your very essence, is not mortal.  It will not die . . . .  ever.  And the guilt you now feel will remain part of you for this same forever.  (I know I’m making light of this subject with the language I’m using.  It’s on purpose.)  In short, if you remain apart from the Lord Jesus, You’re Toast!!!!!!!!

You have, at your disposal today, a way out of this encounter.  The purpose of life is not to gain all kinds of stuffs or to become important, or to invent some obscure religion.  The purpose of life is to weed out those who hate God and those who love Him.  He is telling you, right now, that Jesus is available to forgive your sins and cause you to experience a clean heart toward God.  Through this clean heart you can begin to seek what God demands of all men.  With the guilt you presently carry, you got no choice.  You can’t come to God without that guilt removed. 

Now don’t be foolish.  Don’t think that heaven is a place where some POOFFY magic happens and you become a righteous person.  He’s openning the door to that for you NOW.  Take it or leave it, it means very little to me.  My task was to leave you this message and hope you wise up and grab His offer.

By His Grace.

When You Think You’ve Done Everything You Can.

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At the end of each task we feel accomplished.  “I’ve done it.”  But have you?  Speaking from my own experience with the Lord I am coming to a permanent realization: When we have done “it”, there is always prayer.  So, if you’ll excuse me, I think I’ll go pray now.

By His Grace.

Pet the Lion and You Will Be Saved.

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Pondering the Glory of Jesus’ birth I am put to a task.  I have seen a baby and there are very few living on this world who have not.  We all know of animals and the places where they live.  We know about Dads and Moms.  We know about breathing as Jesus breathed as a baby.  But there is something about this baby that defies understanding.

If I point to a sock and say this is a sock, and I ask someone to consider something that is like it, that person might say “A bag is like it.”  If I point to a tire and say, “This is a tire.  What is like it?”, someone might say, “A doughnut is like it.”  And so it would go with everything in this world.  But let me point to Jesus and say, “This is Jesus.  What is like Him?”  What will we compare Him to? 

He made the universe with His hands.  Hebrews tells us that “By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.”  And we have no understanding or likeness with which we can compare this statement.  We live in a world already created and we have no reference to “speaking into existence”.   To what will anyone compare the creator coming into His creation to live among those who do not know Him?  The birth of Jesus is an intense mystery to man.  And it must be taken by faith.

Faith is designed by God to test the hearts of man.  It is by faith we believe and are saved.  Yet it’s not just believing that will cause our hearts to rejoice.  Lets put a lion and a kitty side by side.  The lion is the more awesome animal.  We would be naturally drawn to his magnificent form.  Now tell someone that embracing the lion is the way to be saved.  They might nod with wide eyes at what you’ve said.  They might even believe what you’ve said.  But few would venture forth to embrace that awesome creature.  They would much rather pet the kitty.  God says, “Come to Me.  For only by entering before My Majesty can you find safety”.  The lion has spoken and few enter His Holy Fire to find safety.  Most run to the things of this world and embrace darkness and death rather than risk all for Him.

God has spoken and now you’ve read it.  These words are life in that they point to He who can save.  He is the true life.  He is a Holy Fire which will consume His enemies.  Only those who venture to believe in action will find peace on The Great and Terrible Day of The Lord.

By His Grace.

Fearsome News

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I ponder the post I left this morning, “What if”.  God is unmovable in His ways.  Yes there is grace and mercy extended to learn His ways today.  But the day is coming when that grace and mercy will be removed.  Those who remain outside His will are to be cut off.  Their fate is sealed at that point and they will not share in His inheritance.  What a fearful and ponderous reality.

Then my mind searches for what I can do today to incite the “lost” to consider His ways.  What words can I speak?  What deeds can I do?  There are a few things I know I can do and I will do them for their sake:  I can obey the laws of the land in which I live: the speed limit is one thing I can obey that I might teach obedience to simple laws.  I can watch my mouth and allow nothing vulgar to pass my lips.  I can watch my thoughts, that they will reflect His will.  And such things I know I can do and will do for their sake.

But I ask you Father, by the mercies of Your Holy Throne, please grant me acts, speech, and thoughts that will directly impact their lives in a personal way.  Please let me be Your holy envoy to those who are already dead and don’t know it.

By His Grace.

What if?

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The majority of man is living under the umbrella of the ways of this world.  There are a few who live by the rule of God.  And these few speak of things from a radically different perspective.  The majority rail against the words and ways of the few.  But let’s ask an important question:

What if these few are right?

By His Grace.

He was there

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I slept.  He was there.

I woke.  He was there.

I spoke. He was there.

I worked.  He was there.

I played.  He was there.

I ate.  He was there.

I thought.  He was there.

I sinned.  He was there.

I prayed.  He was there.

I preached.  He was there.

He is always there. 

The question remains, where am I?