Category Archives: Praise

Living Truth

by

0


I see a fearsome mistake that men far too often make.  I see it for two reasons.  First I see the mistake because I saw it in other men.  Then the mistake came to life as I saw it in myself.

The mistake is that any man should think he holds the truth in his own hand.  And the mistake becomes evident when our actions and words do not reflect perfection and purity.

I know that many will not understand this.  They will think that the body of religious words have power in themselves.  But this mistake happens when people forget that the body of religious words are but a shadow of He who is immeasurably pure and brilliantly righteous.

The mistake happens when people look to their own history, or even the history of any other man, and think the truth they perceive can belong to man.

Man, in himself, can never hold the fullness of what is true.  I used the word never and meant it with all the fullness that that means.  Man’s reliance on the Living God’s Holy Son does not cease at our eternal appearance in heaven.

Truth is the Living God himself.  Truth is not a body of evidence among men, whether in word or in deed.  Truth is the Living
Person of Jesus the Christ of God. 

Failure to pray will surely lead us into things that are not completely true.  Failure to humble ourselves before the Majesty of God, will surely cause us to live abundantly in a Body of Lies.

Challenge

by

0


I present a challenge to all.  It doesn’t matter how you perceive Christ.  Come and convince me that anything other then the full acceptance of His Gospel is truth.

Invited is the scholar.  Welcome is the agnostic.  The atheists already know they have been invited openly.  Invitation is extended to the religious.   Let the drunkard try to compel me this way is better.  Come and speak to me about finance, and how money is the end of all good things.  Let the violent receive the best of House seats.  Let the timid display the grandiose crown of their fear. 

Regardless who you are, come and convince me. 

Christ Jesus is king of heaven and earth.  By His merciful grace I am his servant.  It will not be me you challenge.  It will be the living God in me.

Let us all either “Put up or shut up”.

Why am I making this challenge, and doesn’t it seem rather absurdly stupid?  Yeah, it does.

I’m making this challenge because I am sick of watching the world decay all about me.  I am sick of watching Christian cower,  all the while the Living God promises strength.

By the looks of things around me, I surmise one of us is a liar.  Either it is Man or it is God in Christ.  You know the summation of that.

At the outset, I will admit that I know nothing about Islam, Buddhism, and whatever other religion you want to throw on the table.  All I know about them is that they are false.  I will speak of the gospel in Christ. 

Required materials: Pack a lunch.

Grace

by

0


“When you ascended on high, you took many captives; you received gifts from people, even from the rebellious– that you, LORD God, might dwell there.” (Psalm 68:18)

If you want hope for every day and night of the rest of your life , look at what it says.  “. . . even from the rebellious”.

Jesus lives to save. 

The house of the righteous man is clean and prepared for a visitation of the Holy One.  While the house of the rebellious is infested with tiny crawling venomous snakes.

Faith has cleaned the house of the righteous.  That same faith, drops the rebellious to their knees. 

With Regal Splendor, the Living God’s Holy Son comes to the house of each.  And he is received, in each house, by a flow of tears. 

Everything the righteous man has belongs to this wonderous person, Jesus.  Everything the rebellious one wants, is in the hands of he who is willing to come among his filthy things.

Both of them fall on their face in awe.  Both of them marvel at the Majestic mercy of the Righteous One.  Both of them give the only thing they have left; willing praise to the One who can save their souls.

Burdened with limitations, each one knows they can reach no higher than their skin.  But see how it is God who moves to embrace.

10 As it is written:

“There is no one righteous, not even one;
11 there is no one who understands;
there is no one who seeks God.
12 All have turned away,
they have together become worthless;
there is no one who does good,
not even one.”
13 “Their throats are open graves;
their tongues practice deceit.”
“The poison of vipers is on their lips.”
14 “Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.”
15 “Their feet are swift to shed blood;
16 ruin and misery mark their ways,
17 and the way of peace they do not know.”
18 “There is no fear of God before their eyes.” (Romans 3)

This is the nature of our plight.  The righteous man knows these things and lives because he receives from the Living God – that great mercy God has promised.  The rebellious man looks up with pleading, for he knows the same things.

One has.  The other has hopes to attain.  The Apostles walked with the Lord daily.  The man of the tombs was forced to remain.  Yet all of them testified to the willing love of the Living God’s Holy Son.

Who will bring to God the only thing he has to give?  Who will believe this message and live?  Who will offer thanks for the inexpressible gift of God, Grace?

By His Grace

Manifest God

by

0


The fabric of heaven, his hands obediently made.
Every angel created by the love of God made manifest in Jesus.

Every act of building, from eternity to eternity;
The love of God made manifest in Jesus.

Every particle of the universe came to be by His Holy hands of obedience.
The love of God made manifest in Jesus.

Driven from the Glory of God, the father of lies succumbed.
The love of God made manifest in Jesus.

“Let us make man in our image.”
The love of God made manifest in Jesus.

Rebellion found its match, and infinitely more.
The love of God made manifest in Jesus.

So it has been, so it will ever be.
The love of God made manifest in Jesus.

And yet to come, the salvation of We!
The love of God made manifest in Jesus!

By His Grace

Two Callings

by

0


Unholy wickedness runs through the streets day and night.  With an ungodly smile he spouts the words of fleshly pleasures. 

Traipsing about with his darkened hoard, he entices the weak to the grave.  Oh, the vast number of those who follow him! 

“Come and be proud!  United we will stand forever.  Bring all your desires to me and I will fulfill them.”

The appetite of hell is not satiated.  It has never heard of fasting.  And it does not care that its food has been basted by manure.   Drool runs down his beard for the souls of ungodly men.

Come and be consumed; all you people who love the call of the unholy one.  Come and feed the mouth of hell.  Past the last soul of Man, the belly of Hell will still have room.

He who is ungodly promises you freedom.  And as surely as you take it, it is taken from you.  His intent is true, you will surely be fuel for the flames.

Misery loves company.  Who is more miserable than the one from whom Glory has been stripped.  He will have great company in his horror on that Day.  So the Living God has promised, so his promise is busily coming true.

Let the wise hear these words.  Let fear strike their soul with understanding.  The Christ of God is compassion, but there is no compassion in the death of the wicked.

It is not the desire of God that any man should join this “one of misery”.  But billions are already there.  And there are billions more yet to join them.

The good news of God goes out, who hears it’s call?  He has raised up his Holy strength in the person of Jesus his Christ. 

Unholy desire has murdered the Son of God.  But the grave could not contain him.  The Living God has raised his Christ to be first among all creation!  And by the Holy Oath of the Living God, the Christ will never cease to be first!  No one who comes to him will be turned away.

Salvation belongs to God and to his Holy Lamb.  Yet who will bend their knees with earnest heart?  Who will enter into pleading with a continuous desire for Life?

Listen to the call of Wisdom; that beautiful call of compassion which speaks the perfect Holy Word. 

Who will choose to live and not die?  Let him fall to his knees in prayer.  Let him cover his ears in an inner room.  Let him not strive to listen to the unholy call of pleasure.  Let the ears of his soul listen intently for the beautiful sound of Holy Life.

Let he who desires to live, open his heart to the Living God’s call. 

28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11)

Let the thirsty come and drink.  Let the hungry come and be well fed.  Let those who are naked come and be clothed with eternal robes of white.  Let the sorrowful be filled with joy.  Let Holy Love conquer fear and hatred.  Let the wicked come and be made righteous.

Those who desire what are not the things of God, let their unholy belly be full.  Let them be fattened and healthy for the appetite of hell. 

But the humble soul will escape.  He will understand and turned his face to the Living God’s Christ.  Those who belong to Christ will never die.  Though their flesh is stripped from their soul, they will enter his Holy Kingdom with great and unceasing joy.

May the will of the Living God be done forever.  He is faultless and true in all his Holy judgments and mercies. 

By His Grace

Thankful Children

by

0


10,000,000 people are told the Gospel, only a thousand believe and receive eternal life.  Perhaps thousands more understood it.  But only a handful have believed with all their heart.

The message of God goes out freely and like a flood.  Many souls are washed by the message, but so few love their new cleanliness.  In the Gospel we read that there were ten who were cleansed of leprosy.  But only one returned to give thanks.

It is so simple a child can do it, and frankly folks, that’s exactly what it takes.  The mind of an adult only wants more; he has been spoiled by pride and greed.  But the heart of a child is elated at the smallest token of love.

Let me ask the Christians, “Where is the proof of your thanks?”  I am not insinuating that you are thankless.  I’m simply asking where the proof of your thankfulness lays.

Perception, that’s what it is.  That’s what steals the bold testimony of Christians to the world.  “God promises me eternal life, but if I tell this to others they will hate me.”   Is the promise of God so ineffective?  Is the promise of eternal life really such a trivial matter?

With all the strength my mind can muster, I cannot understand why Christians are ashamed to share the Gospel.  I surmise that the answer must be found in the perception of God’s promise.  “Thank you Lord for giving me eternal life.  Please excuse me now while I go join the world in its celebration of futility.”

I sat here this morning for nearly an hour, frustrated that I could not reach more people with the message of God.  That’s all that consumes me!  It’s no pat on my back, the blessing of God is that great!

And I am only speaking of the reality of eternal life.  I have not yet begun to speak of the beautiful things he has rescued me from.  And I’ve made no mention at all so far, about the billions who never heard the testimony from a Christian.

Nine of the lepers simply disappeared into society.  But one came back with a full expression of shameless thankfulness.  Did the nine ever speak again of their former shame, and how God had released them?  Who knows, there is no written record of their testimony.  But I think the story might have ended differently, if all ten had returned with shameless thanks.

But of the one who returned, we can surmise, he could not shut his mouth.  Where is the Christian who cannot conceal the Gospel of Christ?  Where is the one who is not ashamed of the love that God has given him?  It’s easy enough to find 10000 who have decided to keep it to themselves.  All the while, the world spirals out of control.

By His Grace