Monthly Archives: May 2015

From Trauma to Glory

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Birth is no easy experience.  Neither is death to be desired.  Yet once birth has happened, death is inevitable.  In between the two is an innumerable number of choices to be made.  But for what purpose?

Pain calls our name.  Toil and heartache know where we sleep.  Adding to the difficulty of life, the expenses of pleasure call from every corner. 

There is nothing profitable about pleasure.  Everytime we take a break from toil and heartache, we lose something valuable; money, reputation, preparation, and resources.  Yet we justify it by saying, “I just need a little rest.  Then I’ll be stronger”. 

But no sooner do we get back to our toil and heartache and the entire pleasure becomes a forgotten matter.  All we have left is memories, pictures, souvenirs, and wasted time.  Yes, even the pursuit of pleasure is toil in itself.

You might be thinking I’m just a stick in the mud.  But you know that what I’m saying is true.  From front to back, and everywhere in between, life is full of difficulty. 

People do everything they can to remove the rough edges of life.  But even as they rub them smooth, the smoothing quickly breaks loose and sharp edges reappear.

This world has a singular design for humanity.  It is designed to teach God’s people to endure through faith.  The wicked heart will strive to find pleasure here.  But God’s righteous elect will keep their eyes firmly fixed on his Holy promise.

The wicked will have their tumultuous pleasure.  But the people of God will find pleasure in pleasing the Living God’s Christ. 

Christianity recognizes that this place was sufficient to test the Holy Son of God.   And here is where I mention that he is a very example God’s elect must follow.

Did the Lord shrink back from righteousness?  Not once.  Did he seek to use his body for pleasure?  Again, not once.  He did nothing but what his Heavenly Father told him to do. 

Did he take a vacation?  Did he chase after money?  Did he lie or cheat or steal?  He did not seal up his mouth, for fear of Man.  He did not cease to pray.  And if he had any knowledge in this world, it was the entirety of what is called the Old Testament.

There is our example. 

Consider the outcome of his life.  He is now firmly fixed as first in all creation.  Now allow yourself to ponder the outcome of mimicking his life.

Who is man, that God should send His Holy Son as a sacrifice for our sins?  What is it the righteous elect are to inherit?  How can any pleasure in this world compare to what God has in store for those who love him?

Psalm 82:6.  While you’re at it, consider the outcome of satan’s choice.  Ponder the meaning of the differences between Christ Jesus and the one condemned to destruction.

By His Grace

The Darkness of Perversity

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25 “To the holy, you show your gracious love,
to the upright, you show yourself upright;
26 to the pure, you show yourself pure,
and to the morally corrupt, you appear to be perverse.” ( Psalm 18, ISV)

The mind and imagination of Man is kept to the limits of the place he lives.  If all he sees is death and corruption, that is all he is capable of perceiving.  Men may call another man holy, but they give that title to the one who achieves the best of Man’s imagination.

True holiness and purity must come from God.  Man is not capable of achieving that level of cleanliness on his own.  And to add to Man’s difficulty, pride stands at the door.  Because of pride, no man is able to receive this testimony from another man.  It is required that God bless the receiver with understanding.

Do not be amazed when so many reject the Gospel.  They cannot receive it unless they humble themselves before the Living God’s Christ.  If the hearer retains his pride, the Gospel will sound perverse.  But if the man has a willing heart, God will confirm the noise to be true.

Keep The Faith and be faithful; let God be who he is.  The only thing God requires of us is that we are not ashamed or fearful to bring the Message to our fellow brothers of flesh.

I met a man who could not overcome sexual immorality.  I told him that victory over such a sin will not come to him except that God gives it.

A year or two later he complained that he was still embroiled in immorality.  He said he had asked God to take it away, but it was still an active part of his life.

I tried to reason with him, that salvation is a mutual work.  God may well grant freedom.  The question is: does the man have the will to retain it?  In the end, the man admitted that Christ Jesus must be a liar.

Consider the verses above.  God’s Holy Word is true.  It is we who are liars.

By His Grace

Your God Given Rights

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You have a right to reject the Gospel of Christ Jesus. 

You have a right to refuse his open hand of love and friendship. 

You have a right to believe there is no God. 

You have a right to refuse to obey the Lord Jesus. 

You have a right to believe you can save your self.

You have a right to withhold the Gospel from Man. 

You have a right to refuse to read the Bible. 

You have a right to refuse to pray.

God has given man free will.  But considering the outcome of exercising those rights, I have no idea why you choose to do that.

By His Grace

Regret is a Monster Yet Unseen

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We arrive before Jesus, happy, elated, driven to praise!  Then at the judgment, many point to Christians and say, “They never told us”.

Now we know the Father will respond, “You never asked”.  But what happens to our elation, when we realize we could have made the difference for so many?

The Lord continually teaches me to minimize regret.  How can I help my brothers to do the same?

Why do we fear?  Why are we shy with the truth of God?  Is it possible, I think no one notices?

By His Grace

Luke Warm

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“Let us feel like we are saved.  Let us revel in some future joy.  Leave us alone, this world is too harsh and we want to live in sweet dreams.

We do not want to fast, for food is pleasurable.  We do not want to ache because of the Holiness of God.  We do not want to think ill of our brothers in flesh.  We do not want to speak down regarding the things this world loves so much. 

You do not realize the difficulty we face if we turn to God completely.  They will come and take away our place.  They will push us to a corner of obscurity.  They will hate us even as we can see they hate you.  They may even kill us and our children!  Why do you continue to badger us?”

Have it your way.  But consider, Christ did not measure his love for His Holy Father when he died for you on the cross.

By His Grace

“Away With God!”

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(I wrote the following piece, but found no pleasure in publishing it.  How I would much rather speak joyous things.  But the day does not warrant it.  So be it!)

They say “World Peace” is the objective.  But while they speak such a lofty phrase, there is no love for the Peace of God.  The only reason they want world peace is so that they can pursue their own pleasure.  “Level the field, and we can run uninhibited!”

We are told to manage our bodies.  Foolishly, people think the government cares.  The only reason they want you to manage your body, is so that you will not be a drain on the economy.  Otherwise they don’t care if you live or die.

We are commanded by law to respect every man’s mind.  The vernacular calls it “politically correct”.  But there is no politically correct stance of inclusion for the Christian.  There never has been.  For the Living God has never been acceptable among men.  Man believes the lie of satan: “You ask too much of us and do not give us what we need to accomplish your will!”

With a weak struggling soul, I will chase after the things of Christ.  I know I am not alone.  But you couldn’t prove that if you watched my life.  There is no brotherly embrace.  They have scattered us to the wind.  They have infiltrated our ranks with a bevy of politically correct minds.  And they are about to make the proclamation that they are free of Christ!

I have no time to embrace that folly.  My days are markedly short.  I have no time left to pine for Love; that sweet embrace of a brother in Christ, as we ascend the mountain of God.

I would betray the Holy Christ if I turned to join the world in their great celebration of the power of Man.  “United we stand, yes we can, world peace, economic stability, subjection of rebellion, control of all resources, and the horrible thought which they cap with the word Tolerance.”

The wicked scurry about like ants on a cube of sugar.  They perceive sweetness of freedom to be within their grasp.  There’s a smile on their face now.  The men of power are pleased.  “We are so very near achieving our goal, I can almost taste it.”

God has spoken, but no one hears.  The tumult of abhorrent chants drowns out the truth.  Captured by video and audio entertainment, the masses have become oblivious.  No longer is God spoken of in the streets.  The Holy Word of greeting has been replaced by “Hi”.  If one believes in God he keeps it a deep dark secret.  It has become a blight and shame to obey the living God’s Christ.

Religious cults abound.  The Gospel has been so watered down, the followers rarely know the fullness it used to be.  And they are not interested to learn.  For there is pleasure in dispensing the Gospel with fleshly tools.  “We will have what pleases us!”

“More beautiful music about Christianity! 

More peaceful words of love. 

More lofty poetry!

More smiling brothers and sisters. 

Away with condemnation from above!”

Have what you desire.  Who am I that you should listen to me?  I am a useless truck driver.  Like the night janitor, I am an obscure human being. When I do my work, I am only in the way.  For the sake of earning a wage, I am forced to deliver useless trinkets to a useless people.  I take heart in this however, for in this I am treated like God’s Christ; tossed away without a care.

But you will continue in your unholy way, all you people who love the things of Man.  God has promised that you will not abandon the work of your hands.  And true to his promise, I see no hope of repentance in the fabric called humanity.

But if you have read this far, how much does it take to cause you to finish this reading? 

You have heard that God loves all men.  Is that true? See what God has said in Psalm 139.

19 “O that You would slay the wicked, O God;
            Depart from me, therefore, men of bloodshed.

      20 For they speak against You wickedly,
            And Your enemies take Your name in vain.

      21 Do I not hate those who hate You, O LORD?
            And do I not loathe those who rise up against You?

      22 I hate them with the utmost hatred;
            They have become my enemies.”

May your will be done Holy Father!  Who can let his shadow darken your Holy Throne, that he may give you counsel of men?

By His Grace