Category Archives: Encouragement

Compulaion

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I am an ox in an open field. The yoke upon my neck is made from things I have never seen.  

It was placed there in the night without my consent or desire.  

I am compelled by joy to pull.  


The smell of success is in the air.  

It is the harvest soon to come.  

It is the smell of grass and trees.  

It is the dirt beneath my hooves.  

So I pull with joyous vigor!


The strength of my bones is beyond words to say.  

It is more than an Ox should have.  

For there is no whip to urge me on.  

There is no carrot before my face.  

It is the sound of his voice that drives me forward.  


Lovely,

Soft,

Tender,

More sure of his way than the hardest of steel.  

“Pull”,

He whispers. 

AND PULL I WILL!

Familiar Words

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In just a short while you will not be here on this earth.  Ask any older person, they never thought they would be as old as they are.  Ask them again, they’ll tell you they regret a number of their choices.  Then press them about what’s absolutely going to come.  If they’re honest, they’ll tell you they know their soul will go back to the one who made it.  

Newsflash!  You’re going to die.  

Extra! Extra!  It will be done to you as you have believed and done in your life.  

Unspeakably astounding proclamation: God has prepared a way to make your death awesomely joyful!

Commentary:

Most people are going to regret their choices for eternity.  What about you?  Do you know what God has done for his glory in Jesus, his holy and righteous son?   I can’t urge you strongly enough, dig into it before your final day arrives.  

There’s no need for you to be filled with regret for eternity.  God, in Jesus, can make your life righteous and holy.  You do not need to appear before God covered in shame.  Believe the gospel and live!  Ignore the message, and you remain like you are forever.  

A Little Here a Little There

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Every once in a while, mama would take me to the five and dime in Salem Oregon. We would walk through, buy a few things, and then she would take me to the tiny restaurant. I always had a hot chocolate. I was too young to remember what she always ordered. I suspect it was coffee. And didn’t she loves her coffee.  
We didn’t go there on Monday. Or any other day during the week. It was always on Saturday. But I remember when that changed. And I remember it made me happy.  

One time we went there on a Sunday! I remember the year when America broke it’s pact with the sacred day. And yes it made me happy.  

It was a small change in the fabric of America. But it was a dynamic change that introduced all these things we see today.  
They didn’t love God enough to even give him a time of rest from all their greedy pleasures. And once they took the small step, seeing he did nothing, they went on to gain more for themselves.  
I grew up despising God’s ways, just like I’d been taught. And I see how ashamed I am of the life I led. But here I am writing about the reason why America is so messed up. My testimony is that God has come to me to love me despite the things I did. And by the end of this writing you will see why that’s important.  
Every time someone turns away from God a little, a little more turning away is coming. I remember the year America turned away a little and I have seen it plummet from there. They are not finished turning away a little more. I wish I had a better word for the people of my own country. But they don’t offer any further truthful choices.  
I don’t want to leave today’s writing as if on a sour note. I want to leave a specific encouragement: return to God and he will return to you. Throw off the teachings of society and return to the things that are good.  
I know the odds. But It is right to say the following. It is not too late for America if they will strive to return to God. And isn’t this a strategic time? I have it on good authority that Donald Trump will be a just president. Justice will be his focus. What an opportune envelope of time for America to reach to the God of justice.  
As a nation we may well be finished. I can’t say I trust my fellow citizens ambitions. But I didn’t write this primarily for the nation. The primary purpose of this writing is every individual who will read it.  
What is the first and greatest commandment? Isn’t it that we should love the Lord our God with all our heart and all our mind and with all our strength and with all our will? Then we will be able to love our brothers properly. 1, 2…… not 2, 1. Get the Commandments in order. Or the chance of anything changing is nihil (A Latin word meaning nothing).  
Don’t just know about him. Come to know him. As long as we are ashamed of him he will be a shamed of us. Brothers and sisters, I assure you that matters.  

The Path

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There is a path 

Upon which there,

No sin can ever walk.  

Truth alone resides there on,

Refusing 

Useless talk.    

Upon that path the Lord himself,

Traverses at his leisure.  

Displaying God the Father’s will,

With His Glory,

Seeking pleasure.  

The proud stand clear and

Yell to Him 

Too hear

Their just and honorable cause.  

He pays no mind.  

Leaving them behind,

Intent with eyes for loss. 

He does not rest.  

Seeking for the best.  

To deliver wondrous hope.

The broken, 

twisted, 

Bent,

Sorrowful few.  

He’s looking, friend,

For hearts to mend.  

He’s looking for

Me and you:

The purpose of his Holy Mind,

The penitent few to find.  

Be bold!

Behold!

Approach and know,

The Living God is kind.  

Belief Matters

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What is it to believe in Christ? Is it just being righteous in some kind of religion? Is it just a clean conscience? How am I going to speak the answer I see?

If you believe the Living God has forgiven your sins. If you believe that you will live forever in a perfect body. What kind of joy you should fill your every day? What kind of love would you be pressingly anxious to deliver every moment in this life? I guarantee you it’s not the same joy and love the world talks about. They try to motivate each other all day long, but nothing ever changes does it.  


Look at this. These are just words. And that’s how most people take them. That’s not what they’re intended to be. They are the promise of the Living God in Jesus his honorable, faithful, righteous, and beautiful Son. And it is impossible for God to lie. They are words that are sealed with the blood of Christ, as if a wax seal on the scroll.  


Yes, I talk about God constantly. It’s because of his promise. And I would do it a lot more if I wasn’t shut down every place I turn.  


People say they believe in Jesus. There are a couple of definitions about believing. One definition is believing like a demon, “Yeah, I know God exists. And that doesn’t make me all too happy”. The only thing such a creature ever sees is sorrow and trouble. He thinks all there is to life is sorrow and trouble. He thinks all there is in eternity is sorrow and trouble. He thinks God is nothing more than sorrow and trouble. It’s no surprise that people who believe like the demons struggle in their faith and religion.  


Demons have a religion too you know; avoiding the Son of God if at all possible. They practice absolutely everything but what is good. They are eternally devoted to being utterly useless. And there are billions of people who follow their example.  


The other definition has to do with believing that God cannot lie. If he promised eternal life and forgiveness of sins, it is as if it has already been done. Such a creature lives for one specific purpose: to receive the things of God’s joyfully extended promise. And in the receiving there is a phenomenally generous giving. It’s impossible to shut that kind of person down.   


That’s what a Christian is. It’s got nothing to do with religion. It’s got to do with an enormously thankful heart. It’s got to do with the developing love for the One who has given life.  


Yeah, these are just words. But they are endlessly full of potential. Who will dare to believe? And how can such a believer be afraid of what others will think? Everyone will do what he has purposed in his own heart.  

The Violence of Want

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The door to peace locked.  

For sure.  

And no Man holds the key.  


The door to loss is open wide

By the lack in you and me.  


For hopes are like a falling leaf

From a winter ravaged tree.  


A man rises now to promise peace,

Only fading from view.  

You’ll see.  


Such leaves will fall,

And grow again. 

A trillion hopes will die.  


Why give your dreams 

To someone who

Can’t satisfy you and I?


Wait for God in Christ.  

Be satisfied with “least”.  


Stop pining over what you can’t.  

Call out to He who’s Peace.  

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