Monthly Archives: February 2012

Black Gems in the Deepest Darkness

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Bituminous coal.

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There is a people who live in a land of darkness.  The darkness is so dense that even the glimmer of a candle is swallowed up within inches.  They grope about doing things they consider to be “good works”.  And they gather black coal gems for each good work they perform.  They drill holes in those coals and place them on black thread.  Then they adorn their necks with the “glories” they have gathered.

They say to one another, “Look at my beautiful gems.  Aren’t they gorgeous!”  The other looks with blind eyes through that impenetrable darkness and replys, “Oh they’re lovely!  How blessed you are to own such wonderous good works!”

There is a King who reigns in splendor. His majesty fills the courts with a brilliant light.  From His glorious bounty He gives “works eternal”.  He dresses His people in prayers, deeds, and praises which they are blessed to return to Him.  He gives Light Everlasting to those who worship Him.  And the promise is sure, that they will live with Him forever in His land of Pure and Brilliant Light!

The masses in darkness laugh at such tales of hope.  But they are the ones who praise each other for things they cannot see, let alone keep.

AMEN!!!!!

Stay Ready

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Closed Doors

Closed Doors (Photo credit: drcursor)

Jesus is the One who opens or shuts doors of ministry.  He is the One who allows us to minister in certain places and in certain ways.  If the door you’re trying to enter is shut, don’t go looking for a way around it.  What we expect is rarely what God desires.  Often, the door open to us is the very place we would not normally be willing to go.

At the same time, each of us recognizes our blessing from Him.  We look at the tools He has placed in our hand and do our best to fan them into flame.  Rest.  There is a proper time and place for each of us to minister.  And when that place is reached the door will become open.  The question for all of us is this:  When the door opens will He find us banging on the door we thought He would surely open for us?  Or will He find us ready to move to the one He has opened?

Spreading the Gospel

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The “Jesus freaks” of the 70’s have gone. Other “movements” for the Lord have come and gone.  There are some who continue to proclaim the Gospel with a rather loud voice.  And I am not speaking of pastors, evangelists, or TV preachers.  There are some who simply can’t keep their lips closed.  And these are blessed to continue.  They are not enduring a fad.  They are completely consumed with the message of God.

Now the question is, is their state of affairs a direct gift from God?  Or is it a purposeful and singular dedication to what is right, good, and eternal?  In the end, does it matter?  Isn’t it true that, in the end, all that matters is that the Gospel was preached to every corner of the world?

Symbol of Christianity, white version.

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How to Make Friends?

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Image representing Facebook as depicted in Cru...

Image via CrunchBase

Some days are clarity.  Some days are a fog of stupidity.  These are three posts I made on facebook this morning.

Like getting little children to eat what’s good for them (and worse), it is impossible to convince most people that serving the Lord Jesus is the very best of life.  Try to force, if you want to, but you’ll end up simply smearing the Gospel in places where it’s not welcome.

Look to do what the Lord has placed right into your lap.  We are told to do good for the family of God and to live such good lives that even if we are accused our lives will prove otherwise.  But if our lap is covered with materialism and selfishness, how can we see what the Lord has put there?  Stand up. Empty your lap.  Then you can see what remains.

Why are so many transfixed on the body?  It is as though their body is the ultimate religion.   Don’t they realize that in just a very little while that body they love so much will be a rotten stench and food for worms?  The priorities of man are so very trivial and foolish.  It is the soul that should get all that attention.  That is the part of you that will remain forever.  Either to your horror or to your great joy.

Listening to Glenn Beck panic.  He thinks America can reverse the current direction by uniting as a people.  I doubt that he will recognize that it is God who is allowing this degeneration of America.  The only way out is to individually unite with Jesus.  This might not stop what is happening.  But it will ensure that we have a distinct hope where others won’t.

 

Are there rumors about you being spread?  Are they bad?  Personally, I have no doubt that rumors have floated about regarding me.  And likely many of them are bad.  I find it easy to shed the burden of this plight.  For if those who spread the rumors knew the truth about me, they would kill me.  What power, then, does any rumor have that the truth hasn’t already supplied?

You judge for yourself how they received.  I didn’t expect to make friends by posting them.

Have We Forgotten Something?

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A stack of Money/Picture of money (The followi...

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A man went to the town’s banker.  He had known that this man was willing to help men start businesses.  The two sat down at the desk and bantered the man’s ideas for a business.  Having been part of thousands of successful businesses, the banker listened and gave advice to the business man.  Later, in that encounter, the banker pulled out two bundles of money.  One bundle was small and the other was much larger.  He placed the smaller bundle on the desk in front of the business man.  The larger bundle was placed on the right side of the desk near the banker’s elbow.

The business man smiled with a smile that belongs to a man of hope.  When they finally stood to end the conference, they shook hands and the banker watched the business man leave.  Reaching out, the banker took the larger bundle and put it back where he had gotten it from.  5 years passed and the business man had lost his business.  Through no fault of his own, the economy and society had changed.  His business no longer found a welcome at the wallets of the people.

One day, while having lunch with a friend, the business man saw the banker sitting by himself with his meal.  The business man went over to the table and thanked the banker for having helped him experience 5 years of profitability.  “Without you I would never have purchased my house.  Though I eventually lost the business, I am happy with what you were kind enough to help me start.”  The banker just smiled at the business man.  “I’m glad to have been of assistance”, the banker said. ” But you would still be in business had you asked me about the other bundle of money I had drawn out when you came to me.”  The business man looked at the banker with a puzzled look.  “What are you talking about?”  The banker told the business man that he was ready to supply far more money if he had only been asked.

We come to God and receive answers to our prayers.  And we go out and accomplish a great deal.  How much blessing was there left on the table?

Do You Have the Courage to Live?

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Symbol: alpha omega

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In any confrontation there are men who will endure what comes toward them.  We call them courageous men.  We admire these men.  The wise soldier will admire that same trait in his enemy.  I don’t mean that he agrees with all that his enemy believes.  But the courageous soldier will give proper respect to the potential of that enemy who has no fear.  To lack respect for such a man is to commit yourself to death.  Because that enemy will kill you.

We do not encounter God without ultimate respect.  He never lies.  He is always ready to receive as well as punish.  He is absolute love, mercy, forgiveness, and hope.  But respect of the Holy One also tells us that He does not allow ANY sin to come before Him.  This is the nature of the Gospel.  We do have a High Priest in Jesus who is able to bring us before the Father with clean clothes, heart, soul, and mind.  But being able has a restriction.  The will of man will not be circumvented.  If you wish to live in sin, in sin you will be allowed to live.  If you wish to be free of sin, then free from sin the Lord is able to cause you to be.

I wrote this post to bring up a subject that is rarely heard.  We all know a list of sins that God will not receive in His people.  But there is a sin that rarely gets mentioned anymore.  Revelation tells us something wonderfully, and fearfully beautiful.  Along with all the things we know aren’t righteous, God states one more.

6 He said to me: “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will give water without cost from the spring of the water of life. 7 Those who are victorious will inherit all this, and I will be their God and they will be my children. 8 But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.”  (Rev. 21)

Cowards will not enter the Kingdom of Heaven!  I won’t bother to go much farther with this.  I simply wanted to make that point.  However, I will mention that man’s perception of God (that is to say how man without the Spirit of God perceives God) sees Him with fear.  This is much like a wall of fire that stands between God and man.  We are forced to believe in the power of Christ Jesus’ sacrifice in order to walk into that fire and find the embrace of the Most High God.  A coward will get close to the flames and turn around.  It takes a courageous heart to believe in what God has said regarding His Son.

By His Grace.