Category Archives: Encouragement

Life Happens

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If the Lord is willing, I will get in my car and drive to the place I intend to go.  You might say, “He is there”, before I even leave.  If I begin to prepare a good meal for the family, you might say, “They have eaten and are full and satisfied.”

We all know there are things that need to happen in between the desire and completion.  But if all things go well, we can expect to be able to refer to our tasks as if they have already happened.  In a perfect world this would be the case, wouldn’t it?

Well, there is a perfect world, my friends.  And the One who dwells there is faultless.  Bad things never happen to His plans.  When He says something will happen, it absolutely will.  When we consider His promises we can refer to them as if they have already come true.

The promises of man are not like this.  They are but hopes.  They are assurances of intent.  And the one who lives as if his desires can be so reliable as to consider them complete before they have begun will suffer.  He is like the one spoken of in Isaiah 44, “Such a person feeds on ashes; a deluded heart misleads him; he cannot save himself. . .”

Place no trust in man’s promises.  Understand that he intends to do good.  But his intent has no strength of surety.  Place all your trust in the Living God’s words.  His words are life.  When He speaks, life happens.

Warnings vs The Power of God

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Christians are warned, all day long, to abstain from a variety of worldly delights.   “Don’t watch questionable movies.  Don’t listen to ungodly music.  Don’t read the books printed by godless souls.  Don’t dress to entice or to display your wealth.  Don’t purchase necessities that are ornamented to promote your position in life.  Watch your tongue, lest you speak filthy words.  Love everyone with a godly love.”  On and on it goes.  Warnings are spouted day and night.  And even I have warned against many such things.

But do the warnings work?  Or do they do more harm than good?

Take a look at the members of your church.  Consider those you know who profess themselves to be Christian.  I’m not asking you to judge them.  I’m asking you to assess the viability of warnings.  Do you see holy living appear in most professing Christians?

There is a distinct difference between obeying the words of another, and becoming obedient yourself.  If you are doing simply because someone told you to do, you are falling short of the possible height to which God can raise you.

Those who warn you are doing so from two possible sources.  Either they have heard or read that such warnings are useful.  Or they have come to understand the Christian life personally.

To read about the life of a saint is a good thing.  But to use the writings to create your own Christianity is not a good thing.  “Unless the Lord builds the house, the builder builds in vain.”  Don’t only emulate what is good.  Come to know the Living God through Christ Jesus yourself.  Then you will begin to see His Holy hand create the things of Christ within you.

When He is your God (and you cease from allowing the understanding of others be the power of God within you) you will see a transformed life that requires no work from you.  For now, you work hard to remember how to act and do righteousness.  But when the power of the Spirit dresses your soul, your heart becomes transformed to emulate the Living God.

Warnings no longer apply to you.  Now you see possibilities.  Your mind is freed from concentration on the words and lives of others.  Now you become one of those whose life can be an example of all that is holy among men.

“But I love sin!”

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A man may say to me, “God cannot save me.  I am too vulgar.  I am too grounded in the things that are wicked.  I adore the pleasure of the body.  And though I would like to be saved, I cannot imagine why God would want me.  I cannot imagine that he would even want to try.”

My friend, by what you say I see two things.  The first is that you know God is Holy, and that he expects holiness from his people.  And the second is that you do not understand the gospel of Jesus Christ.

You understand well enough that you are sinful and hopeless as you live the way you do.  Good.  Then begin where you are.  That awareness is the very first step a man must take.

In regard to the holiness of God we will say these things.  Holiness does not only have to do with righteousness; as if we speak only of judgement.  The holiness of God has first to do with love. 

The love of God is not defiled by opinion.  Nor is it subject to a change in attitude. He is the very definition of all that is pure and lovely. 

If you admire those who are able to love the unlovable, this ability finds its unceasing fulfillment in the love of God.  He loves without ceasing.

Along with this love comes judgement righteousness patience and mercy.  The love of God is what sustains all life for eternity.  If there is the slightest lack in the love of God eternity will cease.  So we are able to trust without fear.  God is love and he is eternal.

In regard to the gospel we will say these things.  What you lack is what you desire.  What you desire has come to us long before you were born.

Jesus is the perfect representation of the love of God.  God’s love compels him to be merciful.  Just as surely as his love compels him to protect eternity from wickedness.

God has sent His Son to be the sacrifice for all who desire life.  Those who run to him will be transformed.  God’s love has so desired you that He has given his son over to death for your sake.  How precious then are you?

For now, you perceive the love of God as law and judgment.  But if you are willing, he is willing to show you differently.  This is why it is written, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness for they will be filled.”  That it’s all God requires from you.

He has heard your confession of sin.  He knows that you love wickedness more than life.  And his love has already provided you what you need.

Approach him with these truths that you have told me.  Do not be so ashamed of your ailment that you refuse to go to the doctor. 

He has it in his hand to be able to heal you and cause you to become a righteous man.  He is willing and able to teach you how to live so that your life is pleasing to God the Father.

The wise will understand what has been written here.  Reach deep within yourself and find strength.  Do not look for strength to be a righteous man.  Simply look for the strength to fall to your knees in prayer. 

For now you stand with pride.  That is the strength that will lead to death.  But a humble acknowledgment of these things will lead you to life.

He is waiting for you.  He is not waiting to judge you.  He is waiting to help you. 

I will add this.  You see that I write these things.  You consider that I am a godly man.  But you do not know who I was.  If any man was evil I was his equal, quite likely even more so.  What I have described here is the very path I have taken.  And over the years this is what I have come to be.

Not one ounce of my strength was spent to arrive in this place.  The only model I have fun is to retain a desire for righteousness.  Everything good that I have has been given by Jesus the Son of God. 

If you will only trust him you will rise far above the place where I stand.  This is the firm and trustworthy promise of the Most High God in His Son Jesus his Christ.

By His Grace

To never leave

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Many Christians struggle desperately against sin.  One day, perhaps one week, they are fine.  They cling to righteous behavior and find their prayer life normal.  Then a small miss step occurs and the tumble begins.

With their consciences blackened, they bow before the Lord in prayer only once or twice a week.  And when on their knees before the Most High God they can only mutter a few words and then must run.  Perhaps some canned prayer is all they can lay their hearts to.

But the problem is not the first missed step.  It’s all the steps that lead to it.  Jesus tells us, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness for they shall be filled.” 

The opposite of that is also true.  “Cursed to continue in sin are those who do not desire righteousness with a burning heart.”  You won’t find that in the scripture.  But you will certainly find that on the lives of those who constantly tumble.

What would your life look like if you never left the Lord again?  What confidence and joy would you have if your prayer life spiraled up to heaven itself?  How would your understanding and witness be transformed? 

All this trouble can be so easily avoided. And all you have to do is fan your desire for God into flame. The Lord Jesus is watching and waiting. A continual crying out for mercy and righteousness will certainly bring a powerful response.

By His Grace

Holy respect

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God is no respecter of man.  This is understood to mean he does not respect a man’s position in this world .  But God does not respect the wisdom for works of man either.

Even if a man were to gain respect of all men for his great wisdom and crafty ability, he is not right to expect a warm celebration when he appears at the judgment of God.

God respects only what is true and faultless.  God alone is true and faultless.  Therefore we can conclude that God respects only himself, and rightly so for he is life.

To whatever measure a man contains the righteous truth of God, he can be sure he has the respect of the Sovereign Lord.  Whatever is not of God within a man will be burnt away and utterly destroyed when he appears before the Most High.  What remains cannot be shaken.  For what remains is God.

The Apostle Peter warned us, “If it is hard for the righteous to be saved what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?” 

We have only one life to prepare to meet the Holy Lord.  Therefore we are encouraged by these words to strive all the harder.  Put away from ourselves the filth of this world.  Allow the Lord Jesus to dress you in what is his Father.  Only then can you rightly expect a warm welcome.

By His Grace

A Memory of Gentle Beauty

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Hummingbird Nest 2

Hummingbird Nest 2 (Photo credit: Robin Miller Photography – westcoastrobin)

Humming Bird 03

For a short while we managed an apartment complex.  One day we were cleaning out an apartment and I happened to be in a bedroom.  I noticed something in the corner of the window.   As I approached it became clear it was a humming-bird.  It had flown in and hid behind the curtain while we were cleaning.  I reached out my hands and, very gently, picked it up.  I took 2 seconds of the little bird’s life to hold it in the palm of my hand.  Then I released it through the open window.

What a marvelous world the Lord has made.  How beautiful it is when it is not corrupted by the things of man.  How very delicate and precious is this creation of His.  And it makes me wonder how it will be in that place He is building even right now.