Category Archives: warnings

Signs of Time

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A single metal folding chair propped up against the outside of a garage door.  A pile of shoes in a Nazi camp.  Church buildings converted to homes or businesses.  The restless and troubled drunk who used to be a pastor.

These are the signs of things that were, yet are no more.  They speak of activity that was. 

But can we really relegate these things to the past?  For the living God in Christ is witness to everything in our lives.

Let every man be wise and consider.  What is done in the body, lives in the mind of God.  “For in Him we live and move and have our being.”

It is man who considers past tense.  It is man who finds it convenient to forget.  To God, all things are.

By His Grace

The Hopeful One Endures

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“Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.” (John 3:36)

If the Lord’s eternal word says that a man shall die for his sins and rebellious soul, that man shall surely die.  Likewise, if a man turns his will to obey the Living God’s commands, that man will find himself living.  And this life is eternal life.  For what cannot be shaken remains forever.

What produces the man who enters into an eternal living here, in this place of testing?  Isn’t it the fear of the Living God?  Isn’t it that the man believes what the Word of God has proclaimed regarding life and death?

But shall the man who finds himself living the eternal life here remain in fear?  Doesn’t it depend on his willingness to be diligent in the things he learns?  Doesn’t a man’s love follow the things he desires?  If he desires the kiss of God, then he will desire to love Him.

The scripture above is fear to those who perceive with a weakened will.  But it is a proclamation of love to those who willingly train themselves to obey what they learn.  For they have come to live inside trust.  They have come to desire a love for God’s Holy Son.

The trust God’s people have comes from a living faith that cannot be shaken.  Even if they are “injured” by a Holy Blast of Condemnation from the Living God, they survive into a holy hope.  For such people perceive that purity is the desire of their God, Christ Jesus.  How can they be shaken then, by the threats of this world, or even their own faults?  For they have come to adhere to the following hope:

“My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord,
nor be weary when reproved by him. 

For the Lord disciplines the one he loves,
and chastises every son whom he receives.” (Hebrews 12: 5, 6)
Their fear is transformed, over time, to a love for He who rebukes toward the health of their soul.  By this, the wrath of God is endured before the Judgment Day, that they might become like His Holy Son.

What condemnation can be given to he who has willingly obeyed the Lord’s commands to purify himself?  And won’t the Son of God direct his commands toward what the man can accomplish?  Like His Holy Father, the Son does not EVER ask too much.

Filthy Putrid Tares!

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Are you a “Tare”?  It’s highly unlikely that you’d be reading this if that were so.  Tares don’t go looking to better themselves in Christ.  And they don’t go snooping around in holy oriented writings.

They might be able to mingle among the wheat.  But they do that for identity purposes.  It’s not that they admire the wheat.  They’re not “wannabe” Christians.  They’re socialites that like being identified with the “glamorous” lifestyle of dedicated Christianity.  How pathetically lacking in insight.

There’s nothing glamorous about Christianity.  Dying to self, serving with no thanks, being hated for the way we think, and being outcast (often) from even those who seek to serve the Lord.  There is nothing glamorous about such a life.  How pathetic then are those who desire to be identified with such, yet make no attempt to “become” on their own.

No, if you’re a tare, you’re not likely to sit at home and read such an article as this.  So that begs the question: “Why did you write this then?”

Because I wanted to write something about the problem of the wheat and tares among us.  Because there are so many articles already written by a myriad of authors.  Because the problem still persists, and little can be done about it.  Because the wheat often suffer at the infiltration of filthy hearts.  Because I despise such a soul’s disregard for what is holy.  Because I wanted to poke fun at their obvious lack of respect for the Living God.  And because I hate what such people have done to the beautiful assembly of dedicated hearts.  Wherever they appear, there is a putrid stench of “self” floating through out the body of Christ!  And this comes to us courtesy of Christ’s enemy.

 

Let them come read.  Let them come and be ashamed.  Let them come and consider that they have no part in the promises of Christ to His people.  Let them come and realize that they will be gathered before us!  Let them come and understand that the Consuming Fire awaits their “first plucking”.  Let them repent of their selfish ways!  Let them realize that God desires none to perish, but for all to come to the full knowledge of salvation.  Let them REPENT and LIVE!

 

Secret Christians

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You heckle from the sidelines.

What shame belongs to you!

The one who is blameless, and purified,

Has willingly died for you.

And you!  You keep it secret,

That faith you say you have.

While he endured the scourging;

That bloody nail pierced bath!

What shame belongs to you who hide,

And hope it goes away.

You live with joy because you think

He’ll save you on that day.

You laugh and dine without a care.

You dress yourself in the finest fare!

All the while your fearful stare,

Identifies who you are.

By His Grace

Philippians 2: 15

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[. . .] “blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.”

What does the Apostle Paul mean by this, in his letter to the Philippians?  Is it possible to read into this, “It’s okay to toy with sin, after all there’s grace”?

You gotta be a blithering idiot to read that in there.  I mean no particular offense to blithering idiots.

But I have met some people in the past who say there is no such thing as sin.  and these folks consider themselves Christians. Really?

And I know there are hundreds and thousands of people who think all they have to do is roll back their lust a little bit.  Don’t sin as often, or don’t enjoy it as much as you used to.  Really?

Heaven is not a fast burger joint.  No one will say to you there, “Have it your way”.  What will be expected in heaven is expected now.

Look, just get busy chipping away at your sins.  If you have to be caught doing something get caught trying!   Either way, you will be caught!

Don’t think you’re going to get rid of them for a day, week, month or a year.  Get rid of them for eternity.

If you find something you can’t whoop, take it to God in earnest prayer.  If it doesn’t go away, keep taking it to God in prayer!  Judge for yourself: which is better, to die in your sins, or to die in earnest prayer?

This ain’t no dress rehearsal!

By His Grace

Mental Fog

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When something really bad happens to us, there’s always a few moments of disbelief.  It’s like our brain goes into fog mode. 

Depending on the severity of the problem, that fog mode can last a couple of seconds, or up to a couple of weeks.  Some people never return to normality.

There are millions of people depending on Jesus to save them.  But they do nothing in return.  I guess they figure they’ll just walk through unscathed.

It’s impossible for me to come away with that kind of response to the gospel in the Bible.  There so many warnings to the faithless, the fearful, and the thankless.  One warning that stands out, really tall, is: “Cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the unbelievers”.

How can you read that and have no response?  How can you read that and have no fear; the kind of fear that motivates?

I don’t claim to know what happens after death.  But I wonder if that mental fog will fall on those who don’t get what they think they’re going to receive.

Will there be a moment of incoherent oblivion, as the angels come and snatch him up?  Coherent thought returns just as he falls down into the pit.

If you won’t serve the Lord out of love, at least let fear motivate you.  We are told that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.  It would be wise to begin somewhere.

You won’t serve Him in fear long.  He told us, and I testify it’s true, My Father will honor the one who honors me”.

By His Grace