Category Archives: parable

Useless Women

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What’s called an argument can have two meanings. One is a volatile debate between two people who are not willing to see eye to eye. No, this is a bad thing. The other can be referred to as a substantiation of something true. Yeah, that’s what I’m about to do.  

The arguments for Christ are irrefutable. They can be denied, but that’s always at our loss. They can be taken wrong; that is to say, they can be taken personally as an offense. But that’s to misunderstand the entire purpose of such an argument.  


Here’s an interesting argument for Christ.  


The young man is out to seek a wife. He’s a good looking young boy, so there’s a lot of very beautiful and talented women who want his company. What should he choose?  


If he considers himself an ugly and useless young man he’ll choose wisely. But if what he’s looking for his beauty and talent and lots of joyful unions, he’ll choose wrong.  


When a man or woman except the gospel of Christ, they are taken into the house of Christ. From that vantage point they are shown numerous marvelous things. They become part of the bride of Christ. Then they are sent out into the world to be useful to their husband. They are to help him add to his bride. 


What if they consider themselves beautiful and talented? Won’t they become just as useless to their husband as all the beautiful women who chased after the young man?

ATM’s, Modern Idols

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I know I’m not a good writer.  And if I can’t write well about simple things, how can I possibly expect to write well about the best of things.  But I’ve given this a reasonable shot (as meager as my tiny mind seems to be).   I can only hope that the reader will think it through for himself.  

Yes, that was an apology.  Have mercy on yourself.  I’m just a gate.  Walk through me and see if what I write about is true.  If it’s not, you’ve wasted no time at all.  You would’ve spent that time investigating something else that’s just as fruitless.  But what if I write about the best of possible worlds? Then if you don’t investigate, you’ve lost absolutely everything.  

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Standing in front of an ATM, asking it to have mercy, then expecting it to pump out $400 for you, is rather ridiculous. You’re going to walk away confused and broke.  

There are people who have figured it out: Read the directions. Get a job. Start an account. Deposit your money. Ask the bank for a debit card. Then ask how to use the ATM.   Relatively simple.  I’m sure the bank is eager to help you.  


Isn’t false religion and superstition just that ridiculous, when the Lord’s people are so eager to help anyone learn. Not to mention that the Bible is so easy to understand. The Gospel is preached in every corner of the world. And the Lord Jesus himself promises to guide his people into understanding and profitability.  


But don’t be like those people who read the directions on the ATM alone. If you simply stand in front of the bank, you still can’t get what you want. Success requires continual and faithful work,  a face-to-face encounter, and a live agreement.   


Most people think they will wait to the last minute. Somehow they believe all their sins will be forgiven and they will become glorious creatures. How misguided and sad. There’s a life to be led. There are gifts from God to receive. There is glory to be generated for the Lord of Mercy.  


“Without me you can do nothing.”


The Lord may very well have mercy on deathbed confessions, or awareness instilled by imminent death. But think about all the days that are lost in worthlessness forever. Selfishness may gain you what you want. But it gains the Lord nothing. If your life is not fruitful for God, you have nothing, and are nothing.  


“Many are called but few are chosen.”

Penniless for Eternity

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What is mankind like?

He is like a tiny town nestled in the valley of the mountains.  


He plants a vineyard and a crop is yielded.  


He wakes, come the day of the harvest, and excitedly runs to reap his crop.  


He gives no thanks or honor to God. His busy fingers rape the vine, making sure not to leave even a 10th on the ground.  


He and his friends praise one another for the good work they have done. They think they have accomplished the meaning of their life.  


Greatly pleased with their reward, they repeat these things over and over until they lay in the grave.  


When their soul is wakened to give account, even then they are surprised.  


Ever harvesting but never gaining. Ever diligent but the poorest of all creatures.  

The Accused

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There are a lot of misunderstandings and superstitions about the gospel. Most people would make a very poor defense attorney. They balance the truth of Jesus on hearsay and supposition. They condemn him as less than useful without giving due diligence to his laws and words.  

If you were innocent of a crime would you want these kind of people to represent you? If we wouldn’t like that kind of treatment on earth, why do we treat heaven with such contempt?


Curiously enough, it’s these lackluster defense attorneys who will be the ones who land in jail. The one who stands accused by them has been released by the judge of all. In fact, the accused has been pronounced the judge!

Do you hear what I hear?

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“When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in their heart.”

Do you hear what I hear?


“A child, a child, 

shivers in the cold 

let us bring him 

Silver and gold.”


What good is our profit 

When the cross is in sight;


When he strained so hard 

That glorious night?


Let his body be covered 

With bleeding sweat.  


Father’s will to be done!

And yet.


The pageantry of Christmas.  

Some shiny toy, a new dress.  


Does this keep warm 

The Word of God?


Does this help the message

Be cast abroad?


Or is it something deep within;

Someplace that’s hidden

From our sin.  


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Do you hear what I hear,

Whispered in the streets?


The silver and gold 

He desires so

Cannot be carried 

By feet.  

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Believe! Believe!

Deep down in your soul.  


Let the seed of Word

Have a place.  


“Come in, come in.  

Come out of the cold.  


Let me taste 

The meaning of gold.”

The Road

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The materials we use to build a road are worthless, and we consider them worthless. Except for the expense of labor and machinery, there is no value in asphalt. It’s just a mixture of tar and rock.  

But come with me in your mind. Look at the streets of heaven. God is the living God. And in his kingdom there is no worthlessness. Everything is of him. Even his streets.  I surmise that everything in heaven is living.  And that there is no such thing as worthlessness.  


What do we know about such a place as this? We travel all the roads without a single thought to the surface we are riding on. We throw trash out the window not the slightest concerned that we are making the road filthy. And every inch we travel is forgotten before we get to it.  


Let me make a leap in thought. If this is the condition of difference between our world and the kingdom of heaven, what do we know about God’s righteousness? If we can’t even conceive the nature of God’s streets, how can we hope to understand the nature of his glorious sacrifice?


Like our roads, we know about Jesus. But isn’t it true that before we experience one moment of his glory, it is forgotten in the chaos of the day?


If we try to think on these things to deeply our brain just gives up. The best we can do is give him the best place of honor in everything that we are.  


I’m not going to go into the contrast between how the world treats Jesus and how we should treat Jesus. But I sense how radically astounding the difference is.