You’re taking a nice pleasant walk in the park.  Off to your right lay a pond with geese swimming.  The water is as smooth as a mirror.

The sky above you is that bright blue with tiny puffy clouds floating by.  And the grass and trees are vivid colors!

Something catches your eye to the right.  The water is stirring as if by itself.  The leaves on the trees shake .  The grass begins to shimmer with movement.  The bright blue sky has a haze to it that is not from clouds.  And the tiny puffy clouds are shaking apart.

About the time you think you’re ready to lose it, your body begins to shake in rhythm with all creation.  It is then that you hear it!

Now you wonder why you did not hear it before.  An unmistakable and exceedingly clear voice begins to speak.  “Your presence here is no longer tolerable”.

At the end of those words, and without further warning, something lays hold of you and flings you up into the sky.  With the darkness of the universe pressing close around you, it finally sinks in!  You are an outcast from life!

So it will be, 1000 fold stronger, for those who are not allowed to enter God’s peace.

God alone is truth.  No man can claim a single thread of truth has his own.  If any man doubts this please be patient while I expose the following.

Perhaps one day comes upon me when in the midst of speaking, three perfect truthful sentences errantly escape my lips.  With the same odds it would take for a worm to balance for an hour on the point of a pin, I have spoken something phenomenal.

And we will allow, for the sake of the story, that 1000 people heard me speak those words.  Perhaps, by their testimony, I begin to receive fame and glory.  And I live the rest of my days in splendor and luxury.

But as is with all men, the day comes when I die.  My soul is brought before the Most High God.  He asks if I am the one who errantly spoke beautiful truth.  Bowing down to my face at the sound of his voice I whisper, “yes”.

At that the Lord recounts the splendor and luxury in which I lived as fruit of my mistake.  Uncondemning  and full of truth the Lord shows me my life.  His words roll toward me as a constant thunder of beauty.  And my heart soars,  just to hear him speak.

Then the Lord begins an endless stream of truth.  Thousands upon thousands of words placed end to end.  Not a single syllable finds fault.  And to add glory to glory, as the lord speaks living creatures appear from the truth of His words!

In the end I am shocked to silence.  What truth like this have I ever seen?  What words like these have I ever spoken?

Truth belongs to God!

There is a stench in this place of testing.  A putrid vapor rises up.  With breath that smells like fecal matter, men spout words that make them smile.

“Love one another, be patient, be kind.  Give your fair share and obey the law.  For these things are good in the eyes of all good men.

Give us your confidence and learn from our wisdom.  We love you with the love of men!

If you become sick we will take care of you.  See how weak and small you are.  Look about you.  See how we have expanded our medical facilities.  By this proof we encourage you to trust us all the more”.

Not one syllable in all they say has anything to do with truth.  They wake from their sleep contriving ways to subject the masses.  And those who fall for their pathetic lies relinquish all their rights to freedom!

This is only the beginning.  But with this they gain control.  By the time they are finished not a godly soul will remain. 

Yet these things must happen a purified army must be fashioned.  All loyal to he who leads them.  They will war against the Lord.

Is it fitting that the King of Kings should have his final battle cut short?   The greatest of possible foes will level their eyes on a battlefield of Gods choosing.  Peace will ensue forever from one single mighty thrust.

May the will of the living God be done forever amen.

It is a fearful thing that the Lord has done.  He has created a garden of souls.  Continuously his holy workers bring him his bounty.  While the waste is thrown away.

It is a beautiful thing the Lord has done.  That he should cultivate good fruit.  Splicing here and pruning there, producing what is good.

It is a beautiful thing the Lord has done.  From this garden, well fertilized, come companions for his holy son.

Wear my skin.  Do what I’ve done.  Know what I know.  Come from where I’ve been.  Then you would not despise me so much.  Then you would understand.  Then you would love me.

Face the truth.  That can’t happen.  Ya gotta love em sight unseen.  Deal wit it.

To be someone.  Everyone wants that.

To matter.  The desire of every heart.

To hope.  Something we do regardless the circumstances.

To regret.  An undeniable human trait.

All of this can be found.

All of this can find belonging.

With eyes peeled wide open breathless lips make the word, “where”.

In faith, my friend.

Not blind trust.

All of this is ours in Jesus.