Monthly Archives: September 2012

I Stand by the Door

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door 212

door 212 (Photo credit: Aunt Owwee)

I Stand at the Door

An Apologia for my Life By Sam Shoemaker (from the Oxford Group)

I stand by the door. I neither go to far in, nor stay to far out. The door is the most important door in the world – It is the door through which men walk when they find God. There is no use my going way inside and staying there, When so many are still outside and they, as much as I, Crave to know where the door is. And all that so many ever find Is only the wall where the door ought to be. They creep along the wall like blind men, With outstretched, groping hands, Feeling for a door, knowing there must be a door, Yet they never find it. So I stand by the door.

The most tremendous thing in the world Is for men to find that door – the door to God. The most important thing that any man can do Is to take hold of one of those blind, groping hands And put it on the latch – the latch that only clicks And opens to the man’s own touch.

Men die outside the door, as starving beggars die On cold nights in cruel cities in the dead of winter. Die for want of what is within their grasp. They live on the other side of it – live because they have not found it.

Nothing else matters compared to helping them find it, And open it, and walk in, and find Him. So I stand by the door.

Go in great saints; go all the way in – Go way down into the cavernous cellars, And way up into the spacious attics. It is a vast, roomy house, this house where God is. Go into the deepest of hidden casements, Of withdrawal, of silence, of sainthood. Some must inhabit those inner rooms And know the depths and heights of God, And call outside to the rest of us how wonderful it is. Sometimes I take a deeper look in. Sometimes venture in a little farther, But my place seems closer to the opening. So I stand by the door.

There is another reason why I stand there. Some people get part way in and become afraid Lest God and the zeal of His house devour them; For God is so very great and asks all of us. And these people feel a cosmic claustrophobia And want to get out. ‘Let me out!’ they cry. And the people way inside only terrify them more. Somebody must be by the door to tell them that they are spoiled. For the old life, they have seen too much: One taste of God and nothing but God will do any more. Somebody must be watching for the frightened Who seek to sneak out just where they came in, To tell them how much better it is inside. The people too far in do not see how near these are To leaving – preoccupied with the wonder of it all. Somebody must watch for those who have entered the door But would like to run away. So for them too, I stand by the door.

I admire the people who go way in. But I wish they would not forget how it was Before they got in. Then they would be able to help The people who have not yet even found the door. Or the people who want to run away again from God. You can go in too deeply and stay in too long And forget the people outside the door. As for me, I shall take my old accustomed place, Near enough to God to hear Him and know He is there, But not so far from men as not to hear them, And remember they are there too.

Where? Outside the door – Thousands of them. Millions of them. But – more important for me – One of them, two of them, ten of them. Whose hands I am intended to put on the latch. So I shall stand by the door and wait For those who seek it.

‘I had rather be a door-keeper So I stand by the door.

http://www.silkworth.net/aa/istandatthedoor.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NuYczvp-Kzo

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Of Heart and Mind

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English: Anatomy of the Tony Walsh, in English...

English: Anatomy of the Tony Walsh, in English, by Ties van Brussel / http://www.tiesworks.nl (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

You are God and all Your Holy ways are perfect!  I see You beyond the pages of Your Holy book.  I can point to You for the sake of man.  But the difference between the mind and heart strikes me hard.

“. . . all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”  What is love among men?  I love you!  But “The heart is deceitful above all things  and beyond cure.  Who can understand it?”  What is love among the members of my body?

You asked Your servant Peter, “Do you love me?”  He was cut to the heart to realize that love was not complete within his heart.  How am I any different?

“If You can.” The man said to You.  And Your reply was indignant, as You have a right to be at un-belief.  I do not say to You, “If You can.”  I ask You to DO IT.  If You must cut me in half so that my mind comes near my heart, then DO IT!

What is the love of man for the Beauty that is Jesus, the Son of the Most High God?  The love of man for his God appears in the form of DOING IT.  “And He came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, “So, you men could not keep watch with Me for one hour?” 

My God.  My God!  Tear this lack of love from the very heart of me!  Rend me apart and seek that place of restraint.  I beg You to open the door and let me walk through.  I do not ask You this for the sake of my salvation.  I ask You to do this because You deserve the right to receive praise and adoration from the people You have gained the right to own.

I hate my mind.  I am jealous of its bounty.  It holds what is true and keeps it from my heart.  Or is it, perhaps, this way:  I hate my heart!  For it has little interest in the fire the mind offers.  God in Heaven, have mercy on this fool that I might understand with the heart as well as the mind.

By His Grace.

Run World Run!

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Maritime Museum

Maritime Museum (Photo credit: Andwar)

Run, oh world, run!  Chase after all that perishes.  Strive to repair what is falling apart with the strength of your own hand.  The dust still parts from solid columns once standing strong.   Look at your palm as you lovingly caress them as you pass.   Grey dust glitters in the evening light.

To the mind of flesh it is a simple matter of attention.  “It was taken for granted, this beautiful place we have built.  All we need do is change who leads us in this place where we have intended to live.”

Your children will speak the same thing in two generations.  What is gained if failure creeps along like a shadow from the works of man?  What has the flesh of man accomplished?  Is this eternal behavior?  Aren’t we thankful that God does not approach purity as do we?  What is needed is not a repair; as if our tiny raft has sprung a leak.

The ages past and those to come will be tested with the same calamity.  No strength of man will save him from death.  Run, oh world run!  Run from the works of your hand to a dark secluded place where your knees become feet.

The brightness of the Living God is your hope.  That brilliant purity in Jesus is the only hope we are extended.  Let the dust appear.  Give it no heed as you seek what lasts forever.  Forsake the works of your hands.  Let all things man return to dust!

Grace for Fools

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English: Hay meadow near Dolanog Freshly mowed...

English: Hay meadow near Dolanog Freshly mowed hay meadow seen in early evening light, seen from the B4382. Dolwar Hall farm SJ0714 can be seen in the middle distance. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

In the country side I walked; timid through the night, but stronger in the dawn.

No fear at horror’s sounds; screeching through the air, or growling in the grass.

Bolder steps turned to confident strides; a willingness to leap within these tired bones.

Then a city appeared over the crest of a hill.

 

Through its gates I walked; upright back and confidence from the respite from war.

No one checked for weapons; that invisible proof of salvation hidden in my heart.

How should they suspect or investigate; no one here carries the mark I bear.

Past all stores and temptations I moved.

 

Then, from nowhere, a stabbing; my back was turned and I did not perceive attack.

My weakness exposed; vulnerable was I and did not prepare, distracted by the wares.

Sinking deep the wound was great; a sin appeared and the blood of man soaked my cloak.

I staggered through the alley.

 

Knowing nothing but the Gospel; my knees pounded the dust with sudden thrust.

A crying out to the One Who Is; a healing balm, nursing hands.

Even while the blood still flowed; legs found strength, beginning to run.

The exit gate in view came quickly.

 

Fools will step with careless stride;  the way of simple man open to attack.

Less is the weakness than the power of hope; that marvelous Grace He wields so well.

The night’s embrace outside the gate; humiliation abounds while healing starts.

I stagger through the field once again.

 

By His Grace!

Opportunity

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Vision from Book of Revelation

Vision from Book of Revelation (Photo credit: cliff1066™)

The current movement of the world toward a one world government, the rise of Islam, the promotion of “good works” driven by secular man and government, the demise of freedom, and the imminent threat of violence against Christians and Jews, can be a frightening concept to watch appear.  But there is a word from the Lord that must be spoken now.

All these things hasten the believer in Christ Jesus into a realm of strength never before seen on the face of the earth.  If you will hold your hope in Christ Jesus you will see your strength increase dramatically.  Do not fear what they fear.  Hold your head high as you see the day approach.

This will be a day of extremes.  One side will see the extreme hatred unleashed against the Lord and all His people.  The other side will see the Holy Spirit as never before give “The Faith” to all the Lord’s people.  This is not the horror for the Lord’s people that it will be for those who are not.  This is a day, coming quickly, when men’s hearts will become hardened in their way.  But it will also be a day when the hearts of God’s people in Jesus will become free to worship in fullness.

This day we are entering will be a singular opportunity to shine like the sun as we hold out the words of life.  Men will torment us.  But they will not break the Spirit’s power within us.  Instead it will fan our Spiritual gifts into a raging fire of steadfast hope.  Many will witness God’s people suffer with joy.  And they will wonder at a people’s religion and faith that can withstand such an onslaught and grow.

Hold the Lord high within your heart!  We are offered a time to gather for Him a marvelous abundance of glory!

May the Lord be blessed by His word among all His people.  And may we render what is His with a glorious joy, which is unknown among the faithless, sinful, godless, and wicked.

Amen

Regret

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Regrets

Regrets (Photo credit: chris.chabot)

There is hope for all who believe Jesus is the Christ of God.   This hope we own varies from one man to another.  Though the Lord would have us all own proper and full hope in our faith, it goes without saying that each of us is limited in our hope by the faith we employ.

There was a man who found himself a hindrance to everyone he touched.  No matter how he tried, he found himself full of trouble for everyone.  And the longer he lived the worse it seemed to become.

Now, there came a day when he had done damage to one soul too many.  The desire to become helpful was replaced by a simple desire to die.  “What good am I accomplishing?”  He said to himself.  “My faith is my life.  But my hope is becoming nothing.  If I cannot do good for my fellow man, what makes me think I will be received in eternity?”  With this in mind the man contrived a solution.  He thought to himself: “Sin is death.  I am not worthy of life.  So I will turn to sin so that I will kill myself.  Worthless is what worthless does.”

While in some respects this is a rather noble idea, but it did not bear the fruit he had hoped.  One day, while the sin was a distance from his mind, the Lord spoke to him.  “You will be completely forgotten.”  The meaning of this was not lost in the man’s mind.  For every word of the Lord brings with it an image of meaning.

At the gathering of God’s people on the day of judgment, this man would be gathered with the rejected.  And those rejected will be completely forgotten.  The man had thought that the Lord would recognize his sacrifice of himself.  He had in mind that the Lord would balance the scales the man could not.  The man understood the message and stopped the path he was on.  He turned toward the Lord again with a renewed effort.

On another day, after the man had turned from the sin of destruction to accept his place according to his ability, the Lord spoke again.  “You sacrifice for the sake of death.  I have sacrificed for the sake of life.  It is enough that you hope in Me.”

Many, so very many, are doing the same thing today.  They hold regret for the things they have done.  They drink themselves to death.  They do drugs until they perish from over dose.  They waste away their lives through self-debasement of every form, hoping that their self-hatred will be noticed by the Lord.  How are any of them any different from the man in this story?

Any sacrifice we make that has to do with the destruction of our lives is a sacrifice toward death.  But the Lord has already sacrificed what is Good.  He has sacrificed toward life.  Let us gather our strength, whatever is left, and turn to look at what He has done.  What have we accomplished if we are, in the end, gathered with the rejected?  We will end up rejected from man and rejected from God.  How pathetic is the end of such men?

He sees what we are and what we are able to do.  Rest in His perfect understanding and strive to trust.  There is no other release from the regret we all hold.  And let us ponder this saying:  “Regret is not in the family of repentance.  It is of a different family.  Repentance belongs to the children of the Lord.  Regret belongs to the children of this world.