Monthly Archives: March 2014

Be Not Ashamed

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From his rightful and lofty place above all creatures, the Lord rules with joy.  He is the definition of Good.  Therefore it is His right to define what is good.  He gives life generously to all who set their heart toward Him. 

His righteousness is life.  All His laws are righteous.  Therefore his laws are joy.  He gives the right of righteousness to all who receive the life in His Son Jesus.  And as many as will listen to the Son, will find their lives transformed.

Wicked men attribute their own nature to the living God and His Son.  They think that because they are corrupt, even God must be corrupt.  Because of their depravity they cannot imagine something pure and fully Good.  Still the Holy Lord holds off the end day.  His compassion and His patience are evident among us.

For now, the wicked are encased in a dark, pathetic and unholy accusation.  For it is impossible for them to give glory to a creature such as themselves.  If this is how they perceive while they are here, they are not likely to be able to change their mind when they appear before Him.

If any man will only believe that God lives and is Good, he will open the door for the Lord to come in.  The Great Physician cannot heal a wound if a man will not let Him near.  No matter how great the Lord’s desire, such a man remains in death.

All these things that are written here are true.  Therefore I am not ashamed to testify.  I do not testify as a man who has become righteous by his own strength.  What righteousness now covers me has appeared from the Lord Himself.

Moment by moment He has taught me how to live so that I could please the Holy Father’s righteous demands.  More than just forgiveness, the Lord teaches us how to live so that forgiveness need not be constantly considered.  The freedom of righteousness now takes the place of wickedness.

He is wise, compassionate and patient with His people.  He allows His people time to learn.  And he teaches us how to love His Father’s ways.  What we once perceived as an angry and corrupt God now appears as Good! 

Little by little we begin to live righteously.  Little by little joy overtakes despair.  Strength overcomes weakness.  What is holy destroys what is unholy.  Thread by thread we become dressed, prepared for a great wedding feast.  And the dread of judgment is replaced by a great joyful hope!

Come join us!

By His Grace

Personal wellness

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I just heard an advertisement on an AM radio station.  They are suggesting we should tune in to the next episode of a teaching.  The episode is sponsored by a Presbyterian Church.

The gist of the teaching has to do with selection of a physical therapist to enhance your muscular structure.  They refer to it as a training in personal wellness.

I have not listened to the program, nor will I.  The focus of the government these days is on personal wellness.  I make it a point not to listen to them.  The focus of the godless these days is on personal wellness.  I make it a point to preach the gospel to them.

Even if the program couches this teaching in Christian thinking they are only duplicating the work of the godless.  What business is it of God’s people to duplicate the teachings of the godless? 
The Presbyterian Church wastes its money, effort and time.  While they should put all their resources into teaching the gospel, evidently they prefer to teach personal wellness of the body.

Precious little time, energy and money is in our hands to dispense.   With so many souls dying everyday and headed to destruction, what right do we have to ignore the gospel?

I know their arguments, they are not shrouded.   “I am my brother’s keeper” is the first.  This is a child of the social gospel which is so prevalent today.  In this gospel, the power of God is minimized.  While the love of man for his brother is maximized.  This teaching turns the gospel inside out.

The twin of this child is the idea that we will lure people to us by tickling their ears with what they want to hear.  The idea is, when we have their attention we can secretly slip in Christian ideas.  And why do they want to keep the gospel secret?

I give them credit for being crafty.  But I give the devil the same credit.  By cloaking some aspect of the gospel of Christ Jesus, they confess their Shame of his glory.  And they strive to avoid the confrontation the gospel will surely bring.  They have introduced their plan.  May it fail miserably.

May the Lord confront them so that they do not share in the sins of this world.  For their efforts do not bring the fullness of God’s glory in Jesus Christ to a world dark and perishing.  They have mixed in poison to the healthy food of God.  May God have mercy on them and confront them in this folly.

By His Grace

Unfounded complaint

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From insurrection against what is holy, to criticizing your own choice.  Folly begins to play out.

The economy tanks.  Civil unrest is encouraged.  Taxation threateningly looms as poverty builds.  Unholy wickedness is celebrated long before holiness is even spoken.  There are rumbles of War.  Conspicuous spending is rampant among the leaders as well as the people.  The focus is on the Earth and the body with no thought given to the soul.  And many have the audacity to complain!

You wanted this man to be king over you!  You willingly and happily rejected the Son of God as your king.  What does God care that you receive the fruit of your own desire? 

He has provided One that could lead you in a peaceful and responsible holy life.  But you will still have none of it.  Instead you turn all your energy to complaints.  You ridicule the one you said you wanted to rule over you.  God has given you your desire and he supports your choice, to the surprise of many.  No harm will come to this man until he has succeeded in that for which he was sent.

Even now you do not turn to the Holy Lord that you may live holy lives.  You call on God to intervene.  But you do not call on him to transform you into a people who receive the kingship of Jesus.  Honestly, what do we rationally expect?

You will have your desire now.  But you will not receive the pleasure you expected.  Now you will receive the reward of your rebellious insurrection. 

So the Lord has warned us, so it has come upon us.  May His Holy will be done forever.  Amen

By His Grace

Instant revelation

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The sum of what we become in Christianity is built on many many teachings from the Lord.  He can teach us in a heartbeat what it would take volumes of words to explain.  We write to one another to try to describe what we have experienced.  But the teaching and the sum of what we become, comes from a life lived in subjection to the sovereign God of life.

Read if you will.  Perhaps there is some great benefit to be had by the experiences of others.  But no man can teach you in 10 years what the Lord can teach you in a millisecond.

By His Grace

Avert your eyes

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A man wakes one morning to go and give thanks to God for his quickness of mind.  With all he is capable of, the man realizes that everything he has comes from God.  But even in this realization he is caught.  How do you know you have quickness of mind?

Everything among men is comparison.  I don’t know of one man who can speak without it.  To assess one’s mind and find we have a quick mind, is to compare ourselves with those of lesser quickness.  The man even assesses what he has had to make that judgement.  Perhaps it would be better to simply thank God for the moment of clarity he has allowed you to have.

Our words reflect our attitude.  Out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks.  And I am right to consider this entire article foolish if I think I understand it.  I am attempting to pull in some of the folly that causes so much chaos around us.

When we assess ourselves to have something that others do not, we judge God’s giving.  He has given the living and the dead.  He has given us poisonous plants as well as health giving plants.  He has given places to men that they may live there.  One who lives in the tropic will not do well in the Arctic.  But the place he lives is no less of value.  And men are not to be judged by where they live; whether by mind or by geography.

Where then do we have any right to compare ourselves to others?  Where will bullying find itself before the sovereign God?  Where will the judgment of our brother fall?  How will misguided assessments help us before the Lord and our brother?

Consider the trinkets of man which separate us according to our perceived betterment.  The rich man has, so he thinks himself better.  The poor man enhances his ingenuity, so he thinks himself better.  We say one is mentally retarded.  By that assessment we think we are better.  God has given separation by his wisdom.  Do not consider yourself able to counsel the Most High God.

I will confess that even writing this article I am using comparison between men.  Assessing the situation may not be sinful.  And refraining  from judgement maybe a very fine line.  But the line broadens considerably at some point.  When we recognize the difference let us back away.

Give thanks for what you have.  Practice only that.  If you consider someone else has a need, strive to make sure it is an actual need.  To do otherwise is to place judgement on your brother.

I know this article is difficult.  It seems I have put puzzle pieces together in the wrong place.  But the wisdom of God is greater than man.  And to his understanding we struggle to rise.  Ask the sovereign God by Jesus his Son and he will give you wisdom in these things.

Turn your eyes as you walk by a house at night.  Do not look in their window.  What business is it of yours what another man has or does?  If you must talk with them, go and give them honor by knocking on the door.

In the same way, do not judge another by what you have.  Accept him like he is.  Accept yourself like you are.  Revere God in all your thoughts.  By this you will do well.

I have written this as best I am able.  The Lord has said much better with fewer words.  But this is my house in the night of this world.  I have displayed this in my window.  I know that others look as they walk by.  Knock on my door and ask me and I will try to explain.

What I have written is true.  Perhaps some who read this can do a much better job than I.  But I have done what I am able.  And I thank God for His mercy.

May the God who gives all, also give understanding in these things.

By His Grace

Stark differences

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Non believers may live their entire life as an enemy of God.  All the while fear dresses them like some dark shimmering  light.  The end of such a man brings him directly before the Most High God for judgment.  Fully unaware and fully unprepared.

If they had fear in this life while they were at such a great distance from God, how much more fear will they have before him at the judgment?  And that with no place left to hide or ignore.  The steady gaze of perfectly righteous eyes is no longer turned aside.

There are many who have placed some measure of faith in Christ Jesus, but have never matured as God would have them.  As the writer of Hebrews pointed out they are still sucking on milk.  They have never considered the solid food of Christian maturity to be worth the effort.  How do they plan to stand any stronger than the previous group?

This post is therefore for both groups.  I write with all hope to stir up a desire for freedom in Christ.  I write this with the hopes that their fear may become dispelled. 

If maturing christians have a fear similar to the first two groups it will be found in continuing in the work of Christ.  By this I mean they are painfully aware of the sinful nature’s presence.  They are painfully aware that they too are capable of falling.  But their fear is mixed with a belief that Christ is willing and able to cause them to stand on the day of judgement.  So the fear in maturing Christians is more a love for the gain of God, and a great respect for he who is able to make us stand.

The difference being that the first two groups fear punishment.  While the maturing Christian finds his heart yearning  for God’s honorable reputation among men.  The first two are centered on themselves.  The third is centered on God.

Doesn’t this fit the gospel perfectly; death to self, life for Christ.  The honorable man will seek the better of the greater.  He will give honor where honor is due. 

If you do not find yourself to be an honorable man, don’t despair.  Simply get on your knees and confess to the Lord that you need his help to become honorable.

It must also be said that, there is not one aspect of maturity in Christ that a man can manufacture himself.  Everything the Christian becomes is given to him by God. 

This last statement has got to fly like broken glass in the face of established religious practices.  The Lord can heal those kinds of lacerations too.

By His Grace