Anomaly


An anomaly is when your dog talks to you in words you can understand.

An anomaly is when you have a day that goes perfectly well.

An anomaly is a building constructed within specified time and under budget.

An anomaly is a spring day when every driver in the United States does the speed limit, and obeys every traffic law.

An anomaly is when the Sun takes a vacation.

The gospel of Christ Jesus is not an anomaly.  It has been set before the foundation of the world.  We, my friends, are the anomaly.

It is very curious that man should desire to straighten out the Gospel.  It is very telling, as to what is in man’s heart, when he calls the Gospel anything but true. 

It is not an anomaly when someone rejects the Gospel.  Among men, it is an anomaly when the Gospel is received and performed.

By His Grace

To the Youth


The righteous retain the right to speak.  But the wicked have forfeited their place among the people.

Blessed and at peace are the ones who obey the Living God; those who are trained from birth to do what is good and pure.  But woe to the wicked man who wakes to his wickedness; the one whose eyes have become open to all the wicked things he has done.  For that one will come to understand, yet he will not be accepted in the ears of the people.

Truth demands a voice.  And he who has truth will find himself compelled to speak.  But woe to such a man as he who has forfeited his right among the people.  A burning fire will consume his heart.  But he will have no place to stand and vent.  Though he knows the answers and can teach them well, no one will hear his words.

Listen to this, you young!  Before you let the folly of youth consume you, hear these words.  Remain dressed in what is good, so that the old man you will become may have a place to stand and speak.

Will you listen to this man?  He was once young just like you.  But in his embrace of wicked folly, he has lost his place among the people.  As truth has come upon him, his heart is changed, but too late.

You do not need to follow his example.  Seek the Lord Jesus and continue in his way all your days.  Then you will retain the right to speak among the people when wisdom has filled you.

Will you be warned?  Will the old man or the old woman you will become, be pleased with what you have done?  For you will certainly learn what is true and wise.  Desire will come up on you to speak.  But if you do not hear these words you will have no place of prominence.  And the wickedness you love so much will become a bitter taste in your mouth.

You will find yourself of value.  But you will be like a beautiful diamond, left in the desert, with no place to be displayed.

By His Grace

Worth It All


Those who know me, know that in my past I have been an agent for destruction.  Everywhere I went, I destroyed lives.  Selfishness was all I knew.  I had no respect for anyone else’s life, or prosperity.  Only God knows how much of that man is dead.

But a new man has risen from the carcass.  This one is thoroughly ashamed of such behavior.  He strives to let people be more than himself.  But again, only God knows how much.

I did the things I did out of habit.  One might say out of compulsion.  And I don’t know how many of those habits or how much selfish compulsion to be destructive still lives in my mind.  All I know is that I strive everyday, all day, to be a different man.

Prayer has become often and earnest.  With a great abandon, I have thought the truth of God through and through.  To the point that what you see written in this blog is likely less than 1/8 the volume.  And with all my might I strive to do the things I learn.

I’m not trying to praise myself.  And it would be ridiculous to look for pity.  For justice remembers that I had no pity on others.

I write this for the sake of those who are like I was.  I write this that you may know there is a way out.  And the exit door has a name, Jesus the Christ of God.  But I also wrote this as a testimony to what you can expect.

You can expect to remember what you’ve done.  You can expect the Lord Jesus to forgive your sins.  You can expect God to teach you how to put selfishness away.  You can expect him to teach you the real meaning of love.  You can even expect to become quite trustworthy.

But you cannot expect those who knew the man you were, to trust you.  Just as you will not forget the man you were, they remember all the more. 

But doesn’t that painful experience give you a magnificent opportunity to be humble, forgiving, patient and understanding?  And aren’t those four attributes foundations for love?

You can expect that becoming the new man will be a horribly painful experience.  But I have determined, it is about time I tasted my own medicine.  And the Lord Jesus reassures me that the pain will be worth it all.

By His Grace

Luck


Luck is for the faithless.

Among the blessed of Christ there is no such thing.

Luck is for the godless.

Among the godly, Christ is all.

Keep your hope that good things might happen,

All you who hold yourselves as gods.

For Christ is sovereign,

All in all,

For those to whom he has been revealed.

Contrary to popular opinion, there is no such thing as luck.

By His Grace

Risk


To live is Christ.  To die is gain.

It is the Christian who should be willing to take chances, so to speak.  He is the one who has God in his favor.  And he is the one who is promised eternal life.

It is not good to shrink from danger, for the ones who say they believe in the promise.

Imagine a group of five people, one of which is a Christian.  If one must give his life for the other four, which one should it be?

And if we find ourselves vying for the resources of this world, who should take the less?  Isn’t that the one, to whom God has promised all that he needs.

It is the Christian who should be willing to take great risk.  If you pay attention, you will find opportunity every single day.

By His Grace

The Fullness of Christ


It is said in every place, “The Holy Father has given all things into the hands of His Holy Son.”

We read it.  We strive to believe and understand it.  We strive, with all we have to “do” the testimony of it.  But “it” remains beyond our grasp to fully understand that simple statement.

This morning, while I went to that habitual place of reverence to the Lord, He brought to my soul a remarkable understanding.

Now, I’m going to try to relate this using human understandings.  There is no way to relate what is of heaven, in the language of man.  I say this to avoid any possible attacks from some who rightfully strive to defend what is holy and of Christ, their Love.

As to the Glory of Christ Jesus:  If all of heaven were to be utterly destroyed (as if such a thing could happen).  If all of creation were to suddenly perish (yet isn’t that part of the Gospel of Christ?).  Christ Jesus would remain untouched.

The Holy Father has dressed His Holy Son Jesus, in such a manner as to be Sovereign.  What I’m trying to say is that Jesus does not depend on anything in creation, whether of heaven or earth, to secure His standing.  Everything else, absolutely everything else, in heaven and earth relies on Him for “continuing”.  Nothing, and no one else holds any possible equal to the Majesty of Jesus.

He, Jesus, and the Father are ONE.  As God the Father is Sovereign, so it is with the Holy Son.  Grasp this, and your understanding of the Holy One of God changes drastically.   Have it spoken to your soul from the Father Himself, and your entire day just got injected with unshakable strength!

As the understanding covered me this morning, I stood in wonder.  For it came to me dressed in everything I know.  It was not given as if a statement.  I guess man might say it was a revelation from God.  For I struggle so to relate what I perceived.

May God bless you, my beautiful family in Christ, this day.  May He open the volume of Heaven to your holy heart.  May all that His Holy Wisdom desires come upon all His people.  May Christ Jesus dawn in our hearts, that we might hold the strength of testimony due His Holy Name.

May the will of God be done among us all.  For the Glory of His Majestic, Holy, Loving, Patient, Merciful, Just, Righteous, Pure, and Blessed Holy Son!  (In that Jesus has been blessed to be Sovereign, as has always been the Holy Father, it is impossible to exhaust or articulate His Holy Name).

Amen!