Monthly Archives: July 2014

The Place of No Return

by

0


I write this as help to my brothers and sisters in Christ.  I write this as instruction to the wicked that they may understand.  I write this as admonition and hope.  If you will bear with it, there will be understanding.

A man wakes and guilt covers him.  Perhaps as he closed his eyes the guilt restrained his sleep until his flesh could fight no more.  He is aware of the holiness of God.  He is aware of his own utter lack.  This awareness has crushed multitudes, and they never rise again.

Many arrive to this place of understanding.  They perceive the nature of “good”.   They also perceive the nature of their own wickedness.  This perception can be a wall of steel brick 7000 miles high.  Here, millions have died for lack of faith.

What does a man do, before the perfect face of God, when he finds he is guilty of sin?  What repairs can be made? What action can be taken?

We are forced to consider the righteousness of God.  Regardless our sin, he is faithful and true.  His Son did not bleed for no reason.  Therefore if we believe that, what we must do becomes clear.

We approach God in prayer confessing our sins.  He responds by freeing our conscience.  Now we must rise and start the war again.  Not to believe, is to call God a liar.  Not to believe this to say: “Christ died for nothing”.  We cannot do that.   Such a saying is worse than our sin.

How useless is it to beat yourself for the things you have done?  There is a mountain to climb.  Wallowing in your pityful state does no good.  It brings no glory to Christ.  And it does not fulfill the Word of God.  Not to mention the devastating blow to our testimony.  We teach, by necessity, what we believe.

I understand how difficult it is to let go and just run.  But if we believe God, what choice is there?  He takes no pleasure in our sin.  But it is his pleasure to see us have faith and go. 

Again, the proof of his desire is in the death of his Son.  He encountered death for the will of God.  The will of God reaches to reunite what is broken.  And that he has accomplished through His Holy Son.

“The Faith” does not wallow in disrepair.   It stands as quickly as legs can find balance, and strives toward obedience.  Faith that comes through any other means than the Holy Blood of Christ is no strength of faith at all.  But understanding and strength come when we believe the Holy Word of God regarding the sacrifice of his Son.

Have you been wallowing in your frailty for years?  Isn’t it about time to believe?

The Limits of Can

by

0


The list of limits, which restrain the life of man, is long.  He is bound up and constrained by the Holy dictates of God’s great Wisdom.  The list of “can” is shorter, yet no less sure.  The first constrains rebellion.  The second unleashes holy righteousness with the unlimited power of God himself.

Man presses against the limits of restraint.  They invent machines to push into those limits, and succeeds.  There will be no glory from God for such pernicious strivings.  How can rebellious desire be rewarded?

But who, among men, reaches to the limit of “can”?   It is written for all to read, “With God all things are possible”.   In the way of obedience, this was said.  In the way of salvation to obedience, this was said.  Who, among men, reaches to the fullness of God’s Holy words?

There are the limits of this world.  The final limit, among men, is reached at the point of death; the release of the soul from the constraints of flesh.  All men will surely reach this limit and pass through.

Many will reach the next impenetrable limit of condemnation; they will go no farther.  No rebellious striving will produce success.  But who will reach beyond that finality to the unspeakable limits of eternity?

God is a God of order.  He has placed limits for all creatures.  In this age, he has constrained.  So it will be in the next age.  In this age he constrains rebellion.  In the next he will constrain Holy order.  Yet who, among men, reaches to the limit of “can”?

Jesus offers righteousness to man now.  Jesus is the righteousness of man forever.  Yet what shall be said of the fullness of possibility in this place of testing?  Who has reached the fullness of God’s willingness to give?  Who, among men, reaches deep to become what God is willing to give?

Gird Yourself with Strength

by

0


Is the strength of the gospel to be at peace with the world,  or is it to be at odds?

Is the strength of the gospel strength to stand and testify?  Or is it only strength to hide?

There is death to self.  There is death to temptation.  There is the death of the body.  And there is death to the acceptance of the world.

Who will testify with power, who has not testified before?  Who will embrace their fear with a death grip; restrain themselves for the sake of His holy name, and fight like a dog over a bone, mindless of injury to themselves?

The strength of the gospel is a sound mind and fearless heart.  You don’t have to ask for it.  Just take it!  He will generously guide those who step out to fight. 

This is the strength of the gospel you have received.  Do not be deceived by those who drink from the fountain of: “let’s all just get along.”

The Land of Shadows

by

0


Man, who are you; you who live in darkness and refer to heaven as if it is but a Shadow?  Because you have never perceived it, you deny it.  You accuse what is true, without thought.

You have never touched it, or so you think.  You have never seen it, or so you think.  You have never heard it, or so you think.  You do not know its dimensions or what it contains, or so you think.

You mock what is holy, without knowledge.  All the while you, who live in the land of shadow, unjustly refer to heaven as shadow.  By this you speak your own language.  By this you use false accusation against He who is Holy and true.

You contrive your own vision while ignoring what can be seen.  You invent sounds of your own to replace what can be heard.  You relegate the space of a building, that you have erected with your own hands, and call it holy.  There you have placed God.  And you will not welcome him in your streets or homes!  God is driven from your business for the sake of money and power.

You dress yourself with glory among men.  But you push God of as a popper and a beggar.  You promote what is vile, while you call what is holy vile.  How shall you be received?

The glory of God can be seen in the things that were made without your hands.  All creation testifies to life and faithfulness but you close your eyes.  “These cannot be truth they are not built by man.”  So you say.  And by this saying you retain your own condemnation.

The Word of God is present among the people but you refuse to listen.  You prefer the sounds of shadow.  And you sin against the Lord by calling the shadow good.  You refuse to listen to the words of life.  Therefore you remain a shadow.

The dimensions of your world end at the sight of your eyes.  What is within your world is not holy and good.  You know this but prefer to ignore.  Therefore you are blind.

Holy is a blazing, eternal life.  When it appears the shadows are dispelled.  Your eyes cannot stand the intensity of what is true.  Your ears cannot interpret the sounds of heaven.  And though you live your life of shadows within the holy God, you cannot perceive his dimension or nature.

Who are you?  Who are you to love what is shadow and ignore what is pure light?  You hinder yourself.

The door approaches.  Even as you live this day, it has come that much closer.  Soon it will engulf you.  And you will permanently leave this place of shadows.

Allow yourself to wake up.  Now is the day of salvation.  The sights, sounds, dimensions, and nature of eternity will confront you.  If you remain in shadows you will not perceive correctly on that day.   Though you will stand in the presence of heaven you will be locked eternally with blindness deafness and no ability to perceive.

Salvation is near.  You live in eternity.  For God lives forever, and this place of shadows is in his presence.

By his great wisdom he has created this place of blindness.  Frustrated by he who accused, it has become a land full of shadow and sin.  By this place he will know the heart of all men.  By this place he has proved his faithfulness.  By this place his Holy Son sits enthroned forever.

Will you mock him?  Will you continue to contrive your own heaven?  Will you remain apart from him?  Will you invent your own God?

Or will you stop?  Will you humbly ask for eyes that see?  Will you humble yourself and ask for ears that hear?  Will you throw away your pride and receive the knowledge his wisdom is willing to give?

A cloak is placed over what is holy, in this realm of shadows.  It is not to be perceived nor movable by man, without the mercy of God.  But to those who will humble themselves, and ask with consistent and earnest heart, the Lord reveals what is true.

The land of shadows today says, “We are better than those who came before”.  Prove to me then how you are dissimilar to all men!   You elevate yourself!

If you point to your toys I will call you a liar.  Your toys are not you!  This is a lie you embrace willingly, which is spawned from those who live in the land of shadows.

If you show me what is called the modern God, I will call you a liar!  For Jesus Christ is the exact representation of the Heavenly Father, and he is the same yesterday, today and forever.  Your modern God is nothing more than some rock you have carved.  With great pride and a lifted chin, you look down on what is true. This idol is a spawn of those who live in the land of shadows.

Testify!  Prove to me that you know the living God, and I will remove these words from before your face.  I have eternal confidence these words will never move.

You punish a man who in endangers others and himself.  You restrain him for his safety and that of others.  You chastise the rebellious among you liberally. Yet you balk at these words.

You consider these words harsh.  They are but the tip of a feather against the skin.  These words a testimony from a man.  On the day you are engulfed the approaching door, you will hear these words from the Holy One himself.  Do you think you will balk then?

Good Feet

by

0


If he is blessed whose feet brings Good news, what do we call the feet of those whose feet do not?

From where does Good news come?  From where does “the other” originate?

Pliablility, Willing Capitulation

by

0


I’m sitting at warehouse waiting to the time I can leave.  The engine is turned off and the windows are open.  The doors to the warehouse are also open.

I can hear a radio playing as they work.  The sweet sounds of an emotional song drift through the air.  And a thought surprises me at its appearance.

I don’t listen to the radio except when I come near someone else.  I do not let music effect my emotion.  And when I do, it is not the music to grabs my attention.  The lyrics hold far more value to me.  The music is the gift wrap for the message.  What’s inside is rarely godly.

That’s just the way it is with me whether good or bad.  But the striking thought is, that is not the way it is with America (perhaps the entire world).

It is as though man needs music like he needs water, sleep, shelter, clothing and food.  Lacking or void of the promise of God, they search desperately to be filled with anything of perceived value.   Even most Christians find it difficult to be inspired without the sound of Christian music.  To me it is like audible pornography.  Once a man learns to love it, he cannot seem to find the strength to cease.

I am not boasting of my situation.  I am who God has caused me to become.  But I recognize that the striking diffirence would not be seen if I too allowed myself to inspired by music.  Again, God has done this in me.

I am also struck by the awareness that men cannot turn away from music.  And I cannot understand why silence is such an abomination.  But that’s the way it is, isn’t it.

What does that mean?  It means that because of man’s compulsive behavior with music he is vulnerable through that door.  Whatever the song says, he thinks.  Tell me that’s not exploited. 

Would silence lend itself to conscious prayer or introspection?  Is that what’s going on?  Has anyone else even thought this through, that they may have answers?

If you would be free then be free!  Put away all the things that manipulate your mind.  If today’s music is not of men, what is it?  And if it is of men, can it be of God?

Where is strength?  Is it found in the testimony of others, whether good or bad.  Do we really have such little strength that we require the manipulation of others?   Are we really afraid to think for ourselves?  Are we terrified of the unveiling judgment of God?

To find out, just shut off the music for a month.  Then you will know what YOU are made of, and not what everyone else tells you you must be.

Perhaps I read this wrong.  Perhaps the music was sent by God.  What do you think?