If the fish aren’t biting there’s no sense blaming the fish.  They’re just not hungry.

If people don’t respond well to the gospel there’s no sense in blaming them.  They’re just not hungry.

But take away their favored diet and they’ll get to chompin.

By His Grace

You set the Sun in its place.

You carved the moon from outer space.

You placed the trees upon dry land.

Gave birth to fishes with your hands.

The stars appear just where they are.

And glimmering dew like jewels from afar.

You dressed this place from Earth to sky.

And all of this so you could die.

Wonderous God, in awe am I.

By His Grace

It was his time.  They had come to take him home.  He invited them in for supper and to spend the night.  Before the meal he stood to pray.  His communion with the Lord was so exquisite that those who came to take him home wept.

He appeared before the doorway to his home.  A pile of dry timber greeted him.  Fear was present.  Would his key unlock the door?  Trembling fingers are useless.  But he heard encouraging words.  “Play the man Polycarp.”

Yes.  Sometimes there is fear.  But it subsides with the years.  Do not let them see that weakness in your knees.  But stand ye tall and wait for him.  He does not tarry long.  Testify with patient soul.  Be steadfast in your faith!  They watch to see their wicked work appear upon your face.

Amen.

By His Grace

To mention something desperately important.  They sang in prison because they were where God intended them to be.  He was there with them.  He was crucified upside down.  His love for God drove him there.  And the Lord was with him.  They lived their lives in obscurity, shame, wracked with pain, utterly vacated by friends, all the while a feeling of uselessness surrounded them.  But there he was, with them.

I testify to his love.  He will never leave us nor forsake us.  And that no matter where we are, we are where he wants us.  He proved to Philip that hair has more uses then to cover our ears.  Therefore we are content to remain.  If he wants us somewhere else, we are not willing to resist.

By His Grace

By His Grace

It is a deadly game, this involvement in the gospel of the Lord.  Our feet become set on a narrow path to a narrow gate.  He has set the rules in the blood of His Son.  No man is allowed to save another.  It is commanded that every man will make his own choice.

We watch them die.  We watch them flounder in their sins.  Our heart aches for them.  Still the rules apply.  We press hard against the edge.  We reach our fingers as far as we can while we remain on the path.  We will honor our God.

As I pondered these things I heard the Lord.  His gentle whisper spoke volumes.  Two words.  With his beautiful compassion he simply said, “I know”.

By His Grace

This post is to all the millions who do not know the fullness of the gospel of Christ.

I will not speak to you about the gospel itself in this post.  But I will say to you that we are expected to understand what the gospel means.  Whether we get that understanding from the Bible, creation itself, or from the testimony of those who know, it does not matter.  We are created to reach up to our Creator and worship Him in spirit and in truth.  He demands this from all people.  And he is willing to explain personally who he is and what he requires.

The reason for this post is that there are many who have gone out to preach a gospel that is no gospel at all.  They will tell you everything is fine, you need to do nothing but say you believe in Jesus.  If that is the sum of it then what is the reason for all the trouble Christians encounters?

A Christian is despised from every corner of humanity.  We are shunned and given a deaf ear.  We speak the fullness of the gospel and are called wicked men.  I am telling you what is true.  If this is true then what should we make of this easy path these men preach?

I encourage you with all my heart and soul to look into these things.  What I have said to you is the center of all that is life.

By His Grace

By His Grace