The ones who love God have three things happen to them.
They are despised on this Earth while they love the one who made them. Somehow such open love is considered illicit.
But when they leave this place they go to be with the one they have loved so dearly. They are ushered into Eternal Joy with open arms. For they have proved they love him more than these.
And the third thing that happens to them is most fascinating. Their name, their words, their actions, are all rolled onto a pedestal called Legend.
Man is curious. He will despise and kill his enemy, then he will raise his enemy to Legendary status. With the same words he uses to lie, he now tells fanciful stories about this one who is no longer among them. By this, the work of God’s people is multiplied many-fold.
In these three things, the love of God is greatly glorified. See how the wisdom of God works to glorify love, life, righteousness, Justice, compassion, grace, and mercy. And all these things are in the being of his holy and righteous son Jesus!
So be it.
Category Archives: Praise
Marriage
Did you know that the current divorce rate in America is 50%?
I was thinking this morning about how I want my life to matter. In the end, I came to the conclusion that I want to bring gifts to the Lord’s wedding. It didn’t take a heartbeat for my mind to compare gifts at a wedding today with gifts at the wedding of the Lord.
People marry for their lifetime, at best. The Lord’s wedding to his people will be a “once in eternity” event. Never has it happened before, and never will it happen again. It would be good to let that sink in.
With divorce at 50%, what is the value of any gift we might bring to a wedding? There’s a 50-50 chance they will only be useful in the division of things. Our token of love might well become a token of division.
But then it dawned on me, the importance of the Lord’s wedding to his people. When the Lord marries us, it will be forever without the slightest chance of disillusionment. What then is the value of the things I bring him on that Holy day?
How do I bring him gifts? What can my hands invent that I can bring him in my soul? The Flesh, and all I can do, will be nothing on that day . Nothing. What then are these gifts I’m talking about? Simply put, the gifts we bring the Lord are born of obedience to him today. We bring honor to his wedding because we have let him do the work in us that brings his Father Glory.
We know what he wants. We know who he is. And we know who he wants us to be. I’m really not sure I need to say anymore.
“Get a Room!”
You cannot take your love of God to the bank and ask for money. You can’t tell them how you love God and expect them to hand you over $10,000. That would be considered an insane attempt. You’ll likely meet the men in blue in just a few minutes.
But I have seen that I cannot take my love for God anywhere and expect people to love me. No, curiously enough, I am forced to keep my love for God suppressed when I’m face-to-face with another man. To open my soul before another and openly praise the Living God’s Holy Son is often considered obscene. Almost like they say, “Get a room”.
But I know of a place where the praise for the Living God will shake the foundations of Heaven. Who knows how long that celebration will last. Joy and love, like man has never seen, will fill the hearts of those who love the Lord Jesus. They will sing and dance, yell and laugh. They will hug each other with abandon. And no one will ever be ashamed of His Holy name again.
This is a war zone. A war of belief. The question between the enemies is this: “Who is God, Man or Jesus”. Choose your answer carefully.
The Good Die Young
Some say there is no God. Others doubt that God cares. Some think there is a God and that he cares, but they are left to fend for themselves in this place until they reach heaven.
Then can you explain why there is any good in this world at all? What is it about the world that gives you the impression that good can triumph here? A bad man succeeds, while a good man is shot down in the street. And isn’t there a saying among us that the good die young?
The proof that there is a God remains in his faithfulness to deliver survival to a people who despised him so vehemently, and glorify violence and death.
You think you’re in control of your life? Think about this:
A man in India, one single man, will do a single task today. What others have done before him, throughout the world, will dictate what he does today. Another man in Saudi Arabia will do something today. He’s single action will reach you or your children sooner or later. Are you really in control of your life?
People will do what they do. They will say, or not say, what they want. A handful will give glory to the Majesty of God among us. But most will live their entire life giving no glory to God at all. They may respect him and fear him but they refuse to speak of His Holy name in public.
Yes God cares, in spite of the fact that we don’t. God is beautiful in Jesus the Christ. Man is a mucus mold on eternity. Still God holds out his hand to us.
18 “Come now, let us settle the matter,”
says the Lord.
“Though your sins are like scarlet,
they shall be as white as snow;
though they are red as crimson,
they shall be like wool.
19 If you are willing and obedient,
you will eat the good things of the land;
20 but if you resist and rebel,
you will be devoured by the sword.” (Isaiah chapter 1)
The Legend Waits
You’ve seen it in the movies, how someone is running away from a crumbling building. For the sake of theatrics, they always manage to miss the last piece by inches.
Isn’t life like that? What we build always seems to fall apart. But by some fortunate circumstances, we are always inches ahead of the last falling peace. The noise, the dust, the sparks that fly, they are always behind us, or just brushing our shoulders.
But just as curiously, there is collateral damage. Many are caught in the wake of catastrophe from our mistakes and mishaps. And we, ourselves, are victims from the work of countless hordes of fools. Death is the place where we emerge from the smoke and dust.
I wrote a poem called “Sorrow”. The poem is the offspring of this realization. With all sincerity, I desire that death should come. Let it come and put an end to this catastrophic event called “My life”.
I don’t desire death because I’m lazy. I desire death because of Jesus. (The very same reason I’m still living.) I desire death that there may finally be peace in the place where all I could bring was horror. I desire death that his work may find completion.
How precious then are these words he has led, inspired or incited me to write. Though they cause upheaval, it is for the better of every soul. And as I have written before, as long as I live here these words remain concealed.
They are concealed because of the pride of Man. As long as he can attribute an errant human to these words, he will not find them nor seek them out. But take away the man and the legacy sprouts wings. “He was ten feet tall. He was the epitome of muscle and brain. His heart was forever in the right place. He was a saint among us!”
How wrong they will be. But how useful is their error. May God be glorified in Jesus His, Holy and Righteous Son for the sake of what He has done in this fool.
Loyalty Supreme!
For reasons only known in heaven, God began a creation. He spun with Invisible thread, creating something from absolutely nothing.
A Blackness was born in The Kingdom of Light. He speckled the Blackness with fiery balls. Appearing from nothing were little places of special interest. They were darkened little globes that we’re not like the fires at all.
Imagine, if you can, the wonder of the angels as they did the bidding of their Father. And their wonder kept expanding. The work went on for a very long time.
Every item in the darkness was placed precisely where The Father said to put it. Joy and wonderment filled all Heaven as the creation took shape before their very eyes. It was an intricate dance of tiny objects, all floating in the blackness. A precise ballet of love. Every item spun precisely around another.
Then, amazement upon amazement, God spoke a word unheard before. “Let us create Man in our image”. Adam, he was called. The meaning of the word is “First Blood”.
In his hands, The Holy Word of God began the work of The Father. A handful of dust took shape. An unspeakable perfect work of art lay on the ground. “Let the Breath of Life enter.” The man’s breath began. His eyes opened. And from a perspective only capable in this creature of dust, he saw his surroundings for the first time.
Love and joy filled the servants of God as they were Witnesses to this amazing Work. Unquestioning, innocent obedience bore the fruit the Living God intended. And now they would watch that same obedience flow through the blood of this creation.
Blood! The first of its kind. Never before was there a creature with such exquisite limitation. How unspeakably beautiful was the work of The Father. What great tender care was given to their new brother.
But press forward in time with me. Witness the history of decay. See the frustrated Beauty become ragged edged and hideously vile. Read the history of man in the Bible and weep.
Look at the horror which we have become. Not only have we murdered the love of God, we joyfully toss him in the cesspool of unbelief. And the people despise anyone who speaks His Holy Name.
Dare to tell me that God has no right to destroy his enemies of this filthy place!
But this is not the end of the story, for amazement fills the servants of God still. As by that same innocent obedience, they reach into the Blackness of sin and create a people of light.
For now, the tiny lights glow in the Darkness. But the day will surely come when the darkness will be swallowed up by the place from which it was created. That which is abhorrent to man will rule with Christ for eternity.
Something from nothing became blackness. But something from Blackness will become dazzling, bright and brilliant Lights of Life.
Join in the building celebration; the Symphony of redemption is a beautiful song, being played by those who love Him. And the Beautiful song is played against the backdrop of hisses, boos jeers, wailings, screams, and violent intent. Make all the noise you want, you hideous creatures of hatred. Your silence is moving toward you now.
I will love the God who made me! I will adore the one who fashioned me from nothing! Stand with me or not, what difference can it possibly make?
By His Grace.
Words From There 