Daily Archives: June 28, 2011

Rudely Surprised? Or Growing Confident.

by

0


Clouds

Image by mnsc via Flickr

If you are weak in your Christian faith, you stand a really good chance of becoming a prisoner of all that is against God.  Do you think I say this without cause?  The Lord told us to “come out of her, my people, lest you share in her sins”.  Do you really think you can enjoy the baubles and trinkets the world offers and still remain strong in the Lord?  If the world won’t embrace you as its own, you’ll be left alone.  And this will be a double problem to you.  For the Lord has also warned us that if we are “luke warm” He will vomit you from His mouth.

Strengthen your standing before the Most High God while you still breathe in this place of testing.  This is the time to secure yourself before the Lord.   If you’re waiting to die to get some wings and float around on clouds, you’re in for a seriously rude surprise.  The Lord is building His people NOW.

 

by His Grace.

Acknowledge His Ownership.

by

1


KJV Bible

Be careful not to do your acts of righteousness so that you will earn praise or even anger from men.  But in all ways please the Lord who made you.  And do not refrain from speaking out in regard to the sinfulness of man.  We are put in a serious condition by these words:  ” “Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven. 33 But whoever disowns me before men, I will disown him before my Father in heaven.”  (Matt. 10:32)

What is it to acknowledge?  Accept or admit the existence or truth of.  And what is it to disown?  Refuse to acknowledge or maintain any connection with.

We either stand with the Lord in this “Place of Testing”, or we stand against Him.  Speak without shame.  For you are bought with the price of the Blood of God’s Son.  Recount your excuses on paper.  Look at them and consider rendering them to the Lord when you meet Him face to face.  And consider that while you’re telling Him why you didn’t speak up, you’ll be noticing the scars on his hands and feet and the hole in His side.

by His Grace.

Friend or Foe?

by

0


my_facebook_applications

Image by Cremo via Flickr

In facebook, all you have to do to earn a friend is click your mouse.  Supposing the “clickee” responds in kind.  But in this world, friendship is based on mutual respect and a cautious striving for trust.  I mention these two modes of friendship because there is another type of friendship that matters far more than the superficial type.

Am I a friend to the sinner?  Am I a friend to the godless?  Am I a friend to those who hate what is pure and good?  The answer has to end up as a “no”.  It’s not that I don’t want to befriend the sinner and godless.  It’s that they harbor a hatred for the God I serve.  They remain in rebellion and thus hate everything in me that belongs to God.  And the closer I get to understanding and worshiping the Lord, the further away from friendship they will move.

Jesus said, “You are my friends if you do whatsoever I command you”.  This scripture in John 15: 14 speaks volumes for all who call upon the name  of the Lord.  Friend speaks of something solid, when it comes to the Lord.  And how can I be friends with someone who hates everything I am coming to love?  We’re not talking marriage here.  In a Marriage, the woman will not like somethings the husband does.  And vice versa.  But in a friendship we are looking for similar desires.  And the more similar they are, the greater the friendship.

Love overlooks the differences.  But the sinner is mistaken to think friendship is love or that love is friendship.  I will love sinners and godless people enough to point out the center of all hope.  They will hate me for it.  But by pointing out Jesus, I am showing them love.

By His Grace.

Any Loss is Still a Loss.

by

0


The Argument Sketch

Image via Wikipedia

I was pondering the last post about those who tear down everything about Christianity.  And the following understanding came to me:

As we argue over the Lord Jesus, everyone loses.  No one wins as we are in the phase of debate and argument.  Because while the Christian is eternally solid, there is a reminder of the fate reserved for the godless and sinner.  And while the godless and sinner argue their points which support their life choices, they lose time which could have been gained in the service of the Lord.

As necessary as these arguments and debates are, they present a period of loss for both sides.  The gain comes when we are living out the Christian life at the “cutting edge” of our faith and understanding.  Anything less can be considered, to some degree, a loss.

 

By His Grace.

Loss by non-participation

by

0


Trash bin

Image via Wikipedia

As I read a string of comments by those who hate both faith and religion, I’m struck by something.   They hate what they don’t own so much that their attacks drown out any possible value in Christianity.  They attack anything they can’t hold in their hand.  Thus, they throw away everything good.  They not only lose out on eternal promises, they even lose out on the temporal benefits.

While many pick and choose what they will from Jesus, those people throw it all away.  How horrible it will be for those who hate the Lord.  When they finally see Him face to face, they will realize the damage they’ve done.  They will have ruined their hope for any peace for eternity.  And they will realize that they were instrumental in destroying the hope of others.

By His Grace.