Growth in Christ (recovery from chaos)


No one sins all the time.  That’s just not physically possible.  Every man has a lucid moment from time to time, at least.  And because of the weakness of the body, sleep must come.

When you have those lucid moments, make the best of it.  Search out the message of the Gospel, and do it quickly.  Just as the chaos of sin cannot last forever, our lucid moments pass even quicker. 

Just as a man who wakes after a night of heavy drinking finds himself pondering what happened and why, such thoughts are signs of a lucid moment.  Treat them as a welcome friend.

Raise whatever faith you have to the surface of your conscience, and believe.  You may not have the answers.  But then is the time to approach the One who does.  And if growth is to become a part of our experience, the answer must be found in the Christ of the Living God, Jesus.

Every man is like a disturbance at the bottom of the sea.  At birth the seafloor rises in a certain place.  Then as the man grows and does the good things of God, his disturbance becomes a mound.

If the man will train his soul to listen to the words of God, eventually the nature of what he, is breaks the surface of the waters.  This “breaking forth”, lends itself to all manner of Life.

Dust in the air settles between the cracks of rock.  Storms whittle down the sharp edges, causing the filings to fill in the gaps.  The birds of the air come and deposit a few seeds.  In time, the man becomes more then a disturbance in the sea; by his nature he lends himself to the utility of the heavens.

The growth at the bottom begins when the lucid moments of a man are captured for “Good” intent.  I will admit that there are far more mounds that never break the surface of the sea, than are those who become useful to God.

And don’t we see this played out in creation, in the fact that there is more space of water on the earth than land exposed to the air.  More places for slime and few places of dazzling beauty.

But now in the emergence of the man above the surface of the waters, there comes many a travail.  Parts of the exposed land occasionally break off and fall back into the sea.  Part of the work is wasted.  But that should not stop the land from taking its rightful place.  And what broke off was not firmly committed to what must become.  Good riddance, c’est la vie.

If the use of your lucid moments has allowed you to rise above the nature of man, use them all the more as you aspire to become a place of Life.  Why remain a desolate island?

Do not let your failings cause you to plummet down under the waves.  The target here is to work diligently to produce more lucid moments than moments of chaos and decay.

If you will apply the forgiveness of Christ, as it is found in the Bible, you will find your self overcoming guilt, and far more quickly.  This does not erase what was lost.  But certainly provides more vertical growth.  And every square inch of attainment offers more potential for Life.

If you believed at the outset, if that belief has caused you to break into the air, why can’t that belief cause you to reach for the heavens?

Those who shrink back because of the storms of life, will not find themselves pleasing the soul of Jesus.  But those who believe that he cannot lie, will prosper according to the wisdom of God.  Lucid moments of righteousness will begin to grow in the place where before was nothing but chaos.

Think diligently on these things.  Apply this with diligence.  And you will find yourself growing in Christ exponentially.

When you find yourself having sinned before the Lord, in the ways you had learned and the habits you had developed, grab a hold of your belief which you had at first.  And do not delay!  When the next lucid moment comes to your mind and heart take hold and grow!

I could have held the following for another post.  But it fits so seamlessly here.

Many think that they should punish themselves after a moment of insane chaos, called sin.  Such self abuse may or may not be useful.  And I have come to understand that sometimes self abuse is only a continuance of the sin we have just committed.

It is necessary to let Jesus be God.  Who could possibly know better what is necessary and useful after restoration of lucid thought?  Should it be the one who is prone to moments of insanity, or the One who knows the very elements of righteous eternity?

I cannot speak about this to those who have not developed a relationship of communication with the Holy Lord.  A man cannot rely on his own heart to determine what should be done next.   It was, after all, your wicked heart that caused the sin and decay to abound.  Is it reasonable to trust your judgement now?

And what has been the outcome for others may not apply to you.  Prayer is necessary.  With a calm heart full of belief, wait and listen.  In reverant prayer, confess your situation to God.  Ask Him to show you what you must now do.  He will certainly respond.

Be careful not to let anxiety overwhelm you.  Anxiety is a form of self abuse.  And the best of lucid moments teach us to be at peace and trust the Living God in Christ.

If you want biblical proof of these things.  Read the story again of what David did following his sin with Bathsheba.  Take special note of how he received the judgment of God against him for his child of sin.  How is it possible that we should be any different?

By His Grace

Stings and Bites


I sit here this morning, marveling at the nature of the things of God.

His Holy Law is like a spiny reptile; those who desire to tame it will be stung by some unseen outcropping.

His Holy Gospel is like a wily snake; those who desire to manipulate one part will be bitten by the Truth, or stung by their pride.

All day long, the Lord makes straight those who desire to turn His Holy Way.  In one sense, he draws them into the Way.  In another, he seals their fate along the broad path.

He who desires to be presentable to the Most High God, by means of obedience to the whole Holy law, will also find himself dismayed at the Judgment.

And those who turn to God with humble heart will be like a tiny child rescued from the hands of a murderous thug.

Beware the Wisdom of the Most High God to save.  It is written, “Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and you perish in the way, for his wrath is quickly kindled. Blessed are all who take refuge in him.” (Psalm 2: 12)

Be Faithful


No one here can say,

What waits for us after passing “away”.

But come the very day,

We see his face we’ll know!

80 billion years will pass.

What then shall we be?

Tiny creatures rescued at last?

I don’t think that’s very likely.

We don’t work for reward.

That’s true.

But I know we won’t be bored.

How bout you?

Our God creates what pleases him.

And in us there will be no sin!

Perhaps we’ll be creating too!

Does this give you help to follow through?

By His Grace

The East Fence


Snuggle up to the threshold of heaven.

There make your bed and wait.

Abandon the herd and wait by the East fence.

Lightning will splash on green grass and the lake.

But caring eternal fingers will pluck up those who wait.

Eat sparsely where the grass is dry.

The luscious fields that draw are a ruse.

The beckoning bellows of joy are a lie.

Listen for the voice of your herdsman’s truth.

To the East fence, and stay nearby.

By His Grace

Adored Distractions


How incredibly wealthy man is, in the things of distraction.  And how incredibly impoverished he has become, in the knowledge of the One who is made him.

For decades I was angry at man, because he was so exclusive.  They spoke of tolerance and inclusion, but no matter where I turned, there was no such thing to be found among men.  So I perceived that they lived in a great and impenetrable lie.

But now a love for God has dawned within my soul, and with proof.  He is full of inclusion by His mercy, which is tolerant for my ignorance.  I find he is fully trustworthy.  I find he is unmistakably true.

And now I find a new source of anger.  It causes me boundless frustration, that the great lie of man so willingly disregards what is true.

I was incensed that they would not receive me.  Until I realized they would not even receive the Holy One.

Among men what do I have left to lose?  They have not taken from me, they have rejected me all together. (In this I do not speak of the body of Christ.) And now, why should this be surprising?  For they even reject the One who made them, for the sake of their dear and deep love for distraction.

Bring them a new distraction and they will love you.  Offer them eternal life and they despise you.  Yes they want to live forever.  But I find they are not willing to part with their sins.  Not even willing!

Am I wrong for allowing this to frustrate me?  Am I amiss for despising the ways of man?  Who crucified Jesus?

By His Grace

The RIGHT to Brood


I just had a realization that is fully worthy of contemplation.

Every Christian blogger desires that his or her things be read.  And oh how we take note of our ministry.  And it is right that we should care so deeply about our charge to write.  For there are plenty enough worthless writings of man in the very same place.  But we hold up the Living God’s Holy Son!

I came to understand that it is just as right to brood over this blog, as it is for a Pastor to brood over that which is his.  But then the stupendous struck me.

I have a right from God’s Holy Son to brood over the work He has delivered to me.  But I brood over what has been given.  How much more is it right for Jesus to brood over the work that is HE?  He is the source.  How deeply does He desire that His things be read and understood, ingested into the soul and accomplished?

If I care about the ministry that He had delivered to me.  How much more does He care about His Living Ministry among the people of this place of testing?