Monthly Archives: April 2014

Rise up and consider

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He stands enthroned beautiful and lifted up.  Holy and true, the singular word of God.  Tested, he is approved.  He has loved righteousness and hated wickedness therefore God the Father has made him first of all.

Meek and humble, he works, diligently and without ceasing, for the sake of those who call on his name; that they may learn to love him and do the will of his Father. Trustworthy is one of his names.  Anointed with the oil of joy he rules with righteousness, wisdom, compassion, truth and justice.

He is forever standing ready to do the will of the Father.  In the twinkling of an eye his obedience is absolute.  Perfect!  And at the appointed time he will receive the command of his Father to put an end to this place.  He will not delay.

He alone has walked this place in which we live and succeeded in obeying every command of the Sovereign God.  He is, therefore, to be called Faithful.  In every way he is the perfect representation of the Most High God.

What then is to be said of how the world treats this magnificent Lord?  They give him no praise or Glory.  Instead they use his name in jokes, wicked exclamations and derision of one another.  They create their own religions for the exclusive purpose of blotting out His Majesty.  Though many adore the celebrations of his name they give him no honor, for their lives are a reflection of his enemy.

He will judge his people.  He will purify and teach.  No one will come to the Father but by him.  His people are taught to obey his every command. While the world treats him as the worst of possible men.

What has he done that you hate him so deeply?  Have you even asked that question?  Why do you use his name as an expression of disbelief?  Why do you dishonor God by dishonoring the Son?  All the while you think you are a good man.

Where is holiness?  You say you love him.  Where is the proof in your heart that you have had communion with this Son of Heavenly Royalty?  You will think that I judge you simply because I asked.  But examine yourself and give answer to He who lives forever.

Where is the deep and abiding  desire to do what is right and holy and pure and true?  Examine yourself.  For you will surely be examined.   And the examiner will examine you with absolute truth.

Do you retain the right to be a minister of your life?  Are you your own judge?  Are you satisfied with the perfection you have attained?  Will the Most High God be satisfied with your compromise?  Is your temple of holy service constructed of rotten cardboard?  Will such a structure stand the torrent of Holy Fire on that fearful and terrible day?

Cease your heckling.  Clamp shut your lips lest you are called before God.  Put your pride to death by the power of Jesus the Son of God.  Submit to his rule and learn what is true.

Consider the majesty of Christ Jesus.  This day, and what days you may have left in this place of testing, are the only moments you will be given to come to terms with God’s chosen salvation.  Before you accept the Lord Jesus you are already condemned to death.  The choice belongs to you. 

Rise up and consider.

But for Christ

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I look back over my life.  From time to time a memory triggers an avalanche.  I can only sigh.  Not one act of beauty can I find.  And if there was anything beautiful, it is tainted by the duress of position or opportunity.

It was either the result of a compulsion to do what is right because of my position in this world, or that I found an opportunity for gain.  Therefore no man is righteous.  And all of his righteous acts are as if filthy rags.

But for the mercy of Christ Jesus’ sacrifice, I would have been among those who are gathered up and tossed without care into the bottomless pit.  No scream to save you.  No pleading to soften the blow.  No anger can touch the one who has judged you rightly.  Down you go, hopeless and destroyed.

As in my days of complete destruction, now there comes upon me days of building and hope.  I had listened to my own advice; directed by avarice and desire.  Now the Lord teaches me to listen and to do.  And I see that what he builds is lasting, good, and full of purpose.

I did not know, but neither did I ask.  There was no reward for the man I used to be.  Death without mercy nor consideration was mine.  I had no defense nor was I likely present justification on my own behalf.  This is the sentence to all who reject the mercy of God in Christ Jesus.

Come and taste that the Lord is good.  All who hunger and thirst for righteousness will be filled.  Such is the promise of God to all men.  He cannot lie and he has sealed his word with the very blood of His Son.

God is

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It is odd to me, this ruse of enticements.  That we should be placed so firmly among all that is a lie.  Let a man ponder this.

All the while, God is.

Then we are given what is true, from He who is above all these things.  Now we are condemned if we do not choose.  Let a man ponder this.

All the while, God is.

Who should know it in this place of enticements?  How should we even know to look?  We should be satisfied with greed and death.  We are, however, anything but satisfied.  Let a man ponder this.

All the while, God is.

It is odd to a man that he should consider greater things than what he has.  He has only weeping and anger, frustration and loss.  He has only toil and trouble all his days.  How is it then that he should consider something more?  Let a man ponder this.

All the while, God is.

Man says to himself, “Why am I here?  Why are my days so filled with anxiety?  I no sooner release myself from the jaws of a lion, and the snake bites my heel.  It is senseless to live.  The only pleasure I can find is what I can take.”  So he gives himself with abandon to take all he can.  Let a man ponder this.

All the while, God is.

Let a man ponder that he desires.  Let him wonder of the source.  Why not die and be done with this place?  This world and we are hopeless and void of help.  Indeed, let him consider this quandary.

All the while, God is.

God has spoken us a place to live.  There were two trees in the garden.  Take note that the tree of life was not a consideration of temptation.  It was the tree of the knowledge of good and evil that caused the downfall.  And to this tree the woman was drawn.  Let a man ponder this.

All the while, God is.

Going out

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I struggle hard to get used to it.  When I am not among people the sting fades.  The reality is remembered but the burden is softer.

Prayers are lifted.  Intent is sharpened.  I purpose to do well next time.  When it is time to venture out, desire consumes me to leave myself behind.  But I come along for the ride anyway.

Once with them, blinders of mercy strive to cover their sin.  But their behavior is so blatantly wicked, it is impossible not to notice.

The Lord has taught me his gospel.  And I wear a hat that speaks of eternity.  It is an emblem with a silver cross on a dark blue hat.  The words simply read “Think Eternity“. They see me coming and turn away.

Then the moment comes when conversation is inevitable.  This is the moment I dread the most, for now I will open my mouth.  Just a few words pass and the difference is clear; not only clear to me but brilliantly clear to them.

At some point you see them strive for opportunity to leave.  The simple witness of a man has opened a chasm.  Before they perceive it not.  But now it looms before them, bringing terror.

I did not speak the holy words of Christ in front of them.  That opportunity did not show.  But the views of life within me made themselves apparent.  And the differences between us are stark.

Yes, I dread going out to meet with people.  Not because they are wicked, but because I am such a weak fool.

Christ Jesus within me is strength beyond measure, wisdom eternal, mercy unending.  I look for opportunities to share what is within me.  But opportunity is a fleeting animal.

They are trained to avoid confrontation with the Most High God.  They are trained to love their neighbor by being inclusive and embrace their sin.  They are taught to avoid the confrontation between truth and lies.  And they have learned their lesson very well.

Choose to do right

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A couple of decades ago I was sitting in a college classroom.  The topic of discussion must have been effects or morality.  And I remember telling my classmate that, “If a man knew the full punishment for his wicked behavior he would choose to do what is right.”

My classmate disagreed with me.  He was sure that the wickedness of man could not possibly do one good thing for the right reason.  I knew when he said that that he had not understood my statement.  But it would have been a useless argument.  For I confess I did not fully understand it myself then.

But with years behind me I have come to understand it more clearly and still agree that, “If a man knew the full punishment for his wicked behavior he would choose to do what is right.”

Isn’t that what we experience when we really give full credence to the sacrifice of Christ Jesus?  To the measure we understand we are compelled to serve Him righteously.

And I understand my classmate’s position.  Man is wicked to the core and hopelessly destined for death.  But my statement did not say the man would be righteous.  It said he would choose to do what is right.

The only resource I have to prove my statement is true is what is found within myself.  It was so with the Apostle Paul also.  We cannot look at others and divide this quandary.  For when we look at them for this reason we find ourselves judging them.

I do find that I choose to do what is right.  And my desire to choose finds the sacrifice of Christ for its engine.  So I strive all day to choose what is right.

Come nightfall however, assessment directed backward shows me I failed miserably.  Many times a holy depression encompassed my heart.  “How can I find myself so desirous to do what is good for the sake of my Lord,yet fail so horribly as if on purpose?”  Isn’t this the very question so many of us ask?

While the world will not even recognize that there is such a thing as sin, Christians come to know it as a Being.  To the Christian, who struggles so desperately to do what is right, sin is a living breathing animal within us.

What is the answer to this?  It is that the law of God is righteous.  It is that we are the ones rightfully condemned to death.  It is that the hope of the gospel is all the brighter because of this understanding.  And the glory of Christ is unsurpassed.

Only he has conquered sin.  He is the mercy of God in which we can fully trust.  We can trust no man nor even ourselves.  But we can put complete trust in the one who has overcome.

Choose to do what is right.  By all means make your choice and obsession.  But recognize that you fight against a living organism of rebellion. 

This brings up an interesting topic that I am not worthy to address.  We are commanded to be holy, as he who calls us is holy.  Yet we find ourselves living in far less. 

What shall be done, what shall be said?  I smell the answer.  I perceive there is a conclusion to this difficulty.  But I have not yet laid hold of it.  If I address this now it will not be complete any more than my statement 20 years ago. 

For now I rest, as should be for all, in the fact that Jesus is the Son of God.  I rest in his ability to save me.  I rest in His promise that there is a place where this living and breathing wickedness will be stripped away never to rise again.  All the while I will force myself to choose to do what is right.

The following is from Romans chapter 7.  I thought it would be good to include the transcript of the Apostle’s understanding.  May the Lord grant us mercy that we can understand this personally.

14 “We know that the law is spiritual, but I am not spiritual since sin rules me as if I were its slave. 15 I do not understand the things I do. I do not do what I want to do, and I do the things I hate. 16 And if I do not want to do the hated things I do, that means I agree that the law is good. 17 But I am not really the one who is doing these hated things; it is sin living in me that does them.”

Play day, everyday

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I don’t want to see a show of hands.  I’m not interested in a 2000 page spreadsheet.  I don’t want to talk to a statistician.  And I don’t particularly have a craving to see someone respond to this post.  But I wonder how many people realize they’re being played.

From the time you were born until the time you die, somebody or something is playing you.  You got needs, and your basic necessities are often played against you.  You got wants, and there is a variety of enemies arrayed against your desire.

Now it’s pretty easy to go through and make a real thick book describing all of those things.  But you already know about how the world plays you.  You’re even aware of how you play yourself.  At least you should be.

But not many people are aware of a certain group that plays people 24 /7.  They’re a forgotten clan.  Virtually the only time they were even mentioned is in some Hollywood horror movie.  So when I call them what we know them to be I’m going to get laughed at.  I don’t particularly care.  I’m not gonna let ignorance play me.

I’m not here to spook people.  I’m trying to draw attention to a fact.  You can’t see them, hear, taste, smell or touch em.  But I can tell you demons are a big part of the corruption in this world.

I don’t care what they look like.  And I’m not here to call em out so we can have a squabble.  I’m just bringing up an age old truth.

If you don’t believe in them, then you don’t believe in the gospel of Christ Jesus.  So this whole article won’t do you any good anyway.

They were pretty healthy when Jesus was here with us.  So let me ask you a simple question.  If they’re not still here where’d they go?    You think they went to some distant planet for a vacation for a few thousand years?   You are more Looney than me if you believe that.

They whisper to you, and you think you just had a thought.  They watch for opportunity to destroy you.  They don’t spit vomit.  And they don’t make your eyes bug out.  They simply enhance your own wicked desire a thousand fold.  Whatever chance you had to be a righteous person is thrown right out the window.

If you don’t have Jesus as your Lord, a rock-solid prayer life, and habits that reflect holiness, you’ll have no way to defend against them.  They’ll tear you down like a tornado and there won’t be any rising.

If this is the first time you’ve heard any of this you’re probably……..  Dunno.  I have no idea what your response might be.  But I can assure you with absolute certainty, you’ve been played by demons.  And if you scoff at this you’re likely being played right now.

If you believe what I’m saying, this is likely to get you angry.  If you don’t believe, what’s that to me?  You won’t be able to tell the difference between a normal day or a played day anyway. 

But if realizing this makes you a little hot headed, don’t waste your time on a rant.  Simply turn your attention to the Lord Jesus Christ.  He’s been watching the whole scene all along.  He’s more than able to set you free from being played by demons.