Category Archives: religion

Living Truth

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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.

Nothing

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In a fancy room, removed from the prying eyes of the general public, debate has taken place.  All members of the conversation emerged.  Each one went to his expected place. 

As if rising to crescendo from the stillness of breath, the leader begins to speak.  With great confidence of his unalterable position, the Pope has declared that Jesus is no better and no worse than any other version of God on the face of this planet.

I look around and I see no change to the grass.  It is still green.  I look around and I see that all the buildings are still on their foundations.  I woke from sleep and took note that my eyelids functioned just fine.  Even my cell phone obeys my command to write.

See, the Pope’s power to bring Christ down is of no effect at all.  But I do wonder what the response of Islam might be.  I wonder how Islam feels about having their God brought level in a mud puddle with the Christ.

Any man can say anything he wants to say, it does not make his words true.  Any man can fill himself with truth for the grace of God abounds.  Or any man can revert from speaking the truth and become a blatant liar, for free will abounds in this place of shadows.

The world will be a buzz.  Heaven does not even notice.

Opinion?

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Will you help a beggar in the street?  Will you look the other way when you see a drunk?  In your opinion, what is the difference between the two?

Are not both bodies in a posture of weakness?

You praise the soldier whose pride lets him run toward the enemy, mindless of death.  And you agree with the average Joe who is proud to say he does not worry about the coming judgment.  In your opinion, what is the difference between the two?

Are not both of them bent on self reliance?  Do you think death cares?

Do you fear God?  Do you think the fear of God is a matter of opinion; as if it’s okay to let another man think he has a choice.  As if God has said he is willing to give eternal life to those who refuse to love him.  Or do you realize that that man will surely die?

All day long, everyone of us are witness to people who despise the teaching of God.  When you see them, do you realize you’re looking at a dead man?  Or do you just say to yourself, “It takes all kinds to make the world go around”?

Do you shake your head in pity when you consider what people are doing in this world?  Are you doing anything to bring the judgment of God to your fellow man?  Is shaking our heads in pity putting an end to the violence in our streets?

Do you know what the Bible says about the coming judgment?  Do you use the Gospel simply as a motivator for social righteousness?  Do you honestly believe that’s all it is? 

Challenge

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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.

Resigned to Doing

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A godless banker walked into a convenience store to get himself a piece of jerky.  He stops to hold the door for a dirty sweaty young man.  Not a word of thanks is spoken.  But the banker shrugs off the thankless heart.  To him, this is the nature of the unprincipled.

Moments later, while they are both still shopping, another man enters the store.  This one is dirty and filthy.  The smell of marijuana reeks from his body.  The smell of beer isn’t far behind.

He walked up to the girl behind the counter.  From his mouth begins a long line of ridicule.  He remarks about her looks, how ugly she appears.  He speaks violently about how pathetic her children must be, what a squalor of a life she must lead, and how embarrassed he would be if she were his wife.

He was loud and rude enough to capture the attention of the two who walked in before him.  The banker busied himself with a variety of jerky, as if he was trying to decide.  But the sweaty and dirty young man walked briskly to the side of the drunk.  From that position he gave the drunk a tongue lashing that caused tears to fall.

The drunk left ashamed.  The sweaty and dirty young man paid his bill and waited beside the door.  The banker, mindless of the position of the other, bought his jerky and turn to leave.

When he looked up, he was greeted by a great broad smile and friendly eyes.  I’m sorry I didn’t thank you for holding the door sir.”  The disheveled young man said.  “I just came here to get something cool to drink.  We just finished rescuing and burying our dog.  It’s been a hard day.  I hope you can forgive me for not remembering my honor.”

The banker was stupefied.  Shame covered his heart.  He thanked the young man for holding the door and wished him good speed on recovering from his loss.  Then the banker went out to his car, away from all prying eyes, and cried like a baby.

We are our brother’s keeper.  If he is wicked let us have the determination to set him straight.  If he is attacked unjustly, let us be bold enough to step forward and offer our own bodies for protection.  If he is weak and afraid, let us give him strength by example.  And all of this Christ’s people should be doing for the glory of the Holy Name who bought them.

No!  Christianity is not a religion.  It is a doing!

Deeds Done in the Body

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The Hope of Christ causes we who believe to agree:

God has placed us among His belongings in Christ.

6 “Therefore we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord. 7 For we live by faith, not by sight. 8 We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord. 9 So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it. 10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.”  (2 Corinthians 5)

How much of this does each of us believe?  It is easily determined, how much of this we believe, by an assessment of our “doings”.

May sobriety tend to us as a caring nurse.