The Effective Life


Pack up your television, cell phone, radio, the social circus, and all the gossip you can carry. Make the trip to prayer with all these things. I guarantee you your prayer time will be useless.  

All those things require the senses and the mind of the flesh. But prayer requires your soul alone.  


You can’t navigate a ship if you stay under deck. You’ll certainly drift if you stay in the ship’s lounge watching TV. You have to go topside to use all the navigational equipment. You have to be topside to enjoy the journey. If you wanted to watch TV you could’ve stayed home.  


The same is true with the ship of your body. You have to set your mind on the Spirit of God. The flesh cannot perceive the Spirit of God, but the soul can. You have to use your mind to make a choice.    


You can’t just ask God to come in and teach you. You have to go to the front door, open it, see the Spirit of God face-to-face, and allow him a place to sit in your mind. Then you can hear him. Then you can work with him. Then you can learn from him. It’s only then that the things of Christ get accomplished.  


Now the question comes: what preoccupies your day, the flesh or the soul. If your answer is the flesh then how can you hear the voice of God? And what preoccupies your time of prayer? That’s a much deeper question.  


Drop all your “stuff” and answer the door.  

Reality 


Side with one political group, you’ll be happy for a little while.  

Gather certain friends around you, they’ll give you comfort for a little while.  

Bank on staying young all your life, you’ll be delusional for a few years.  

Things change.  Disappointments come.  The next guy gets his chance to be happy for a little while.  

Happiness in this world is like a crazy Bluejay.  He flies from one branch to another, blessing the place he stays for a little while.  But then he gets hungry for something “other”.  The branch where he was, springs back to its original position; empty and waiting for another bird.  

But in Jesus, you’ll find the potential to be at peace forever.  The winds of change can’t destroy his faithfulness.   And those who place their full trust in him are never put to shame or brought to ruin.  

It all depends on what you want, doesn’t it.  You want all the temporary chaos?  Graced by occasional happiness, like icing on a muffin.    Or are you looking for something endlessly permanent.  

Don’t just, “try Jesus”.  Put all your trust in him and you’ll see that what I’m saying is true.  

You always have the option to fail and be miserable; you can always go back to living a useless life.    You will not always have the option to take the beautiful life he offers so freely.  

Think about it.  

Make Room.  


(No room at the Inn?)

The world is not at odds with each other because there is an absolute truth.  No, they destroy each other because they love lies.  

Truth is not offended at the attacks from lies.  Truth stands immeasurably strong and endlessly tall regardless what lies Man embraces.  No amount of murder, back biting, hate, chaos, or screaming will change Truth.  

Empty your houses of lies and Truth will have room to enter.  Before that, you don’t stand a chance of being truly peace filled.  

His Holy Name is Jesus.  Ask and expect Holy help.  


God The Father. Jesus His Righteous Son.  

Faithful, glorious, beautiful, Good, first, last, and every good word.  


Nothing, nothing matters more.  


Those who speak on his behalf are not to be admired. They have done nothing more than is right to expect from every man.  


He moves. And who sees Him do his doings? He sustains His own Holy Name. He causes the dead to praise Him. He causes the unrighteous to love Him. He causes rotted trees to rise and walk.    


He brings Life to be as He desires, and no one gives Him counsel in His Holy work. The dead cannot perceive the life around them.  


None, of this world’s rabble will love His people, whom Himself has raised up. As they hate the Lord’s commands, so they will despise His work among them.  


Let such things be. It has been so from the beginning, it is so now, it will even be so when God gathers all souls together in the valley of judgment. As a man is, so he is sealed at death. So be it.  


Popularity belongs to God alone, but see how Man usurps God’s right to judge importance and honor.   


Love belongs to God alone. See how twisted, dishonorable, and wicked is the tongue of Man to associate every wicked lust with Love.  


Righteousness belongs to God alone. See them praise the work of slaves as if they should rule nations by their charitable deeds. They did their master’s bidding with the wealth of their master. Even their very lives belong to someone else. Why praise a flea for leaving your body?


May your Holy will be done forever, O Blessed and Faithful One! Even the shadows honor You by their rebellious ways.  


By His Grace in Christ Jesus.  

Amen.  

What Kind of Legacy


We all want to leave a good legacy for our children. There is no better legacy to leave them than that our land should be filled with godly love.  

But godly love comes from God alone.  


What better work could we do than to seek God’s face with earnest boldness, willing to receive and sacrifice for his great glory? To purify ourselves by the reading of Scripture and diligent prayer. God will inhabit such people. Godly love will sprout like a healthy crop in spring. And the best legacy possible will be left to our children.  


Could there possibly be a better time?

The Startling Memories


Regrets are easily pushed aside by simply dwelling on something pleasant. But I have in mind a place where pleasant things are no more. In this place, even the memory of pleasant things has been evaporated. In the brilliance of this place, hope has become an Eternal arid desert.  

As I wake this morning, one or two of these regrets come to make a visit. The power of them is devastating.  


Accused! I am accused and have no recourse. I am accused and I am undone. Not only do I remember them, I am forced to admit my guilt.  


And I realize something more. Not only do I remember them, those to whom they were done remember them also. And the witnesses! I dare not forget the witnesses! The testimony against me is everywhere, waiting in silence. The entire world has been witness to my doings!


Then I realize something utterly astounding.


These are just two items in my soul. There are hundreds of thousands more I have forgotten. If these two can devastate my heart, how would I stand against the onslaught of things I have done?


But for the strength of the forgiveness of Christ, I am a walking dead man. Not only I. But every man who has ever lived. Our sins are a mold of guilt that covers our soul. It comes with us to the throne of God. Unseen for now, do we dare be dressed in the filthy things we have done as we stand before him to be Judged?


We need the strength of Christ. More than anything in this world, we need the strength of the forgiveness of Christ!   


Every day that goes by, in which we do not take note of this and respond, is another day that adds to the mold. All the while, the moment of our appearing before the Holy Lord God Almighty does not tarry. It stands in place, where it has always been, and will not be moved!


I don’t write this to scare anyone. The fear will come on it’s own. I write this to wake as many souls as I can. Go to Christ. Accept his mercy. While you can still voluntarily do so.  


Yes we have an option. Remain as you are and appear before God, naked and ashamed.