I was pondering the holy beauty of God.  I said to Him, “You are incredible. . .”.  Then I caught myself.  The word incredible has to do with validity.  Can something be believed?  Is it a lie or a falsehood?  Incredible has to do with big foot, gigantic fish, feats of super human strength, aliens and the like.

The Lord is not incredible.  It is our language that lacks understanding.  I may, by mistake, use that word again regarding Him.  But, by His Grace, I will remember to correct my thoughts.  He is not incredible.  He is marvelous, mysterious, Holy, perfect, and a love that I cannot yet comprehend.

Dear, beautiful friends, I want you to live.  How I crave to see boldness appear from you.  I have been among you and walked as you walk.  I know you remember this when you look at me.  And now I speak with a bold openness and you are perplexed at how to respond.  While I am still among you, I see that you do not understand what has happened.  “Has his love for us diminished?”  No, it has increased.

Love has come; the Love of God has appeared in a vibrant manner.  I have communed with the Living God, by Jesus, and have been transformed.  This communion is not a passing fad within me.  It remains, and is the very reason for this post.  It is also the very reason you do not understand.

What is of this world no longer holds the same interest in me.  I live to embrace heaven.  “But what of the things we love, admire and need?  Have you no concern for our daily chores?  Where are you?  Why don’t you speak like we do anymore?  We are concerned for your safety, for none of us speak like you do.  We respect the privacy and right to believe as each does regarding God.  But you seem to disrespect such things.  How can we make you return to the man you were?”

You don’t understand.  I cannot return to the love of the things of this world.  What I love and admire cannot be touched or held in this place of testing.  Yes I have concern for the things necessary in this world; those things like working for our earthly provisions.  But while I work I am focused on the provisions the Lord offers.  He provides the strength to accomplish what is earthly necessity.  I know you draw a line between them.  But I can no longer do that.

I am safe.  By the very speech I use I prove that I am safe.  I know it is not your language.  But it is not an evil language.  It is the language of a man who understands the will of God.  You speak of what concerns man.  I speak of what concerns God.  How can my situation possibly be unsafe?  Even you express that safety comes from the Living God.  If I am with Him how can I be in danger?

I know you want to keep the things of God private and respect differing definitions of God.  But there is one God, not many.  Therefore I cannot respect lies.  I know that grates against your perceptions.  How can that be helped?  He calls all His people to such bold proclamations.  And we will receive ridicule and misunderstanding because of it.  So did He.

You cannot make me return.  I have seen what the world offers.  I have lived as you do and found it false.  The question should not be, how can we make you return to the man you were.  The question, my dear beautiful friends, is how can I convince you that life within Him is immeasurably better?  How can I tell you that this boldness is what is proper?  How can I relate what cannot be seen without faith?  Yet I will witness before you, by His Grace.  Perhaps He will succeed in convincing you too.  Then we will hold hands and joyfully encounter the wrath of man.  Then we will ascend the holy hill of God together.

I will not turn back at your pleadings.  I will not turn back simply because you do not understand my “leaving”.  While I remain among you in body, my mind, heart, and soul has left you.  Come with me.  Catch up and dance the dance of death with me; death to the things of this world, death to self, alive before the Living God.

By His Grace.

There is no praise necessary for doing what is good.  It is reward enough to know what is good and to do it. 

But God, in his generosity to share what is good, is also ready to reward.  “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.” (Mat. 25:34)

By His Grace

“This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed.” (Luke 2: 34, 35)

God has sent His Son. And His purpose is done. He has sent out His purpose among all creation. And he has glorified forever He who was sent. God has sealed his covenant with man in the blood of His perfect One.

It is set in unmovable stone; this will of God to reap for Himself. He will divide man according to their willingness to receive. God himself has done this. It is not for us to decide there is another way. But every heart of man will be tested according to what God has done in Jesus.

Do not allow yourself to be deceived. Every man will reap according to what he has done. Those who sow their seed according to the flesh will reap the destruction that is according to the flesh. But those who sow their seed according to the will of God will reap eternal life.

Shake the tree, Oh sovereign God. Let what may fall plummet. Yet, may what is ripe and tasty to Your purpose be harvested into your joy. Your Son is forever first among all. May your Holy will be done forever.

By His Grace

I don’t mind be in trouble because of the Lord.  Actually I look forward to that.  But I sure don’t like it when I’ve been stupid on my own.  That seems to happen just about every day.  Somehow I don’t think I’m alone.

I’m more than willing to make apology.  And I’ll be the first one to raise my hand when someone asks, “Who did this?”  But it would be so much better if it never happened at all.  The Lord’s words ring true, “Each day has enough trouble of its own.”

By His Grace