Daily Archives: September 28, 2011

The Lion Will Devour.

by

0


Lion

Image by fatedsnowfox via Flickr

Take a lesson from the Lion and its prey.

The Lion stalks close, having spotted it’s dinner from afar.  Silently and with the wind in his favor he closes in to dine.  The prey sips lovingly at the water and listens with all its might.  But there is no sound of warning. 

The Lion charges.  And two leaps are taken before the prey notices death approach.  Too late!  Now it is too late. 

The Lion devours without mercy.  There is a hunger which compels his jaws.  And his belly will cease its frantic message.

 

So it will be for those caught unaware.  As they sip from the river of greed and selfishness they will be put upon.  Though they listen with all they have, there will be no hope of escape.  The Lion of Judah will satisfy the judgment of God against all the ungodly.  Why then, would you put off what could happily avoid your certain death?

By His Grace.

My LOVE! How Sweet You Are!

by

0


The Analysis of Beauty Plate 1, 37.15 x 49.05 cm.

Image via Wikipedia

I present you words here.  That is all I can do.  And what shall I say which will describe the beauty of my Lovely God?

He is as a very light breeze which caresses my face.  Almost imperceptible to my senses, yet powerful enough to touch me, pass by, and caress a tree a hundred yards away.  And to my amazement, this same breeze which He allowed me to perceive has come from somewhere.  And it did not appear to me void of having touched others.  His beauty is a gentle breeze to those whom He loves.  Yet it is a hurricane to His enemies. 

His blazing light of Righteousness and judgment are welcome guests in this tent of flesh He has endowed with understanding.  And to say “guests” is less than appropriate.  For He is the owner of what He has made.  And even now I see that it is I who am become the guest in my own flesh.  It is I who sits down to the mean prepared by He who has come to live in my house.  This servitude is most amazing.  For He feeds the wicked in the temple of His building. 

Words.  Unholy words from he who is redeemed.  These are my lot.  Yet, don’t these words ring in your mind?  Can you read what I write?  When a man of God was brought to the Throne of He who Lives forever, that man spoke what is true;  “Woe is me!  For I am a man of unclean lips.  And I dwell among a people of unclean lips!”  This was said by a servant of the Most High God.  What shall be the words of those who remain in darkness?

Words.  How beautiful they can be if they strive to portray the beauty of my Love.  Yet how absolutely unable to paint the picture He shows to His people.  Who shall be proud of their words?  Who can stand in the Great Assembly and proclaim with their lips of man the Glory of God?  And who has ears to hear the beauty spoken?

By His Grace.

To Remain or to Depart?

by

0


Georg Gsell. "The Apostle Paul."

Image via Wikipedia

The Apostle Paul said that he was torn between wanting to be with the Lord and recognizing that to be with the people was more important.  And his conclusion was that he would remain with the people for the sake of their benefit in the Lord.  I understand that quandary.  And I see his reasoning in this matter.  To be with the Lord is a sure thing for those who are called by the Lord as His people.  We only have a limited time to infect others with the message of God.

Yet I also see why he desired to be with the Lord.  This place is not our home.  And the desire to go home is intense.  And there is another aspect of this which bears mention.  The Lord said what was true when He said that a prophet is not accepted in his home town.  It is the nature of men to exclude the title of holy from any who’s history is presented to their memory.  That is to say, if a few people know my history, they will never accept the words I now speak on behalf of the Lord of Life.  To them, I am simply a fool who thinks too highly of himself.  And this will be the case as long as I am in this place of testing.

But when I am not here for their fingers to point at, what is left behind has the potential to become something far more than it could have when they knew me.  Now I appear as a fool.  Then I will become part of those who have passed through.  And in the end, what I leave behind becomes greater in their eyes.  What a curious but true phenomenon. 

So I desire to leave this place.  Not because I am sick of the “crap”.  Because I know that these words will gather more power when I am not here for them to accuse.  While I am still here, pride will reign more than service, both within me and within those who read these words.  When I am with Him, there will be no more opportunity for pride, neither in me nor those who read these words.

So I desire to leave this place.  In the Apostle’s condition, his remaining was well founded.  For he had lived a life worthy of living from the beginning.  From my condition, I have not.  So, for the benefit of those who might read these things, I desire to leave this place.

By His Grace.

Dress Yourself, For Your Shame is Exposed.

by

0


Mediaeval (early 14th century) stone carving o...

Image via Wikipedia

In our prayers we learn that certain phrases are good to speak.   And often these phrases become understood as we continue to use them.  Though we don’t understand their significance at first, they come clear to us as we make them part of our pattern of prayer.  I’m not speaking of using words or phrases over and over so that our prayer will be heard.  I’m speaking of such things as this:  “Father, dress me that I may serve You and those who witness my life.  For one can not serve naked.”

I’ve often brought that to the Lord with a limited understanding.  I know that He is dressed in Glory and Righteousness.  And I know that those who had been beheaded for the sake of the Gospel, those in the book of Revelation who reside under the throne of God and wait for a moment of God’s wise choosing, were given white robes to wear and told to wait a little longer.  Even these souls were given appropriate clothes to wear.

Then it struck me.  When Adam and Eve were driven out of the garden of Eden, the Lord killed animals and prepared clothing for them to wear.  Thus it has been so from the fall of man.  That our nakedness, that is to say our sin must have a covering.  And wasn’t this also so when those two recognized that they were naked?  Do we now see the necessity of the fig leaves which they used to cover themselves?

It is appropriate, even absolutely necessary, that man must be covered to hide his shame.  And what covering should there be that we should wear as we serve the Living God?  Only the righteousness of Jesus will cover us before the eyes of He to whom we must give account. 

He who desires to serve the Lord without the covering of Jesus will only end up serving himself.  He remains naked and his shame is exposed before the Most High God.  And he should not think that he will receive the blessing of God.  Dress yourself with an understanding of your sinful tendencies.  Even the most battle hardened saint will require the covering of God when he goes to prayer.  How should we who struggle to understand the basics be any different?

By His Grace.