Tag Archives: Apostle Paul

Want Friends? Don’t Share the Gospel.

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Paul, 1410s (Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow)

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Speaking the Gospel will not be well received by most.  But we are compelled to speak what is true regardless the response.  Though we couch our words in mercy, we should not couch them in the honey of this world’s folly.  Millions have died because of God’s message through His Holy Son.  Should we not join them?  Do not allow yourself to become a pleaser of men.  They will hound you to coat your message with softness.  They will say to you, “It is too harsh for us.  You speak a word that is not welcome in this age.”  What age was the message of God welcome?  Find one.  Point it out.  Among men, without a love or reverence toward God, God was never acceptable.  He is still shunned this day.

The Apostle Paul spoke of this truth.  And we know he lived during the time of the Lord Jesus’ sacrifice.  If it was true then, it’s true now.  Speaking the truth of God’s message will never gain you friends in this world.  But you may save others by allowing yourself to become hated.  The truth is the truth.  And the soul of man knows when it hears what is true.

” 6I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel; 7which is really not another; only there are some who are disturbing you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. 8But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed! 9As we have said before, so I say again now, if any man is preaching to you a gospel contrary to what you received, he is to be accursed!

10For am I now seeking the favor of men, or of God? Or am I striving to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a bond-servant of Christ.”  (Galatians 1)

To Remain or to Depart?

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Georg Gsell. "The Apostle Paul."

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The Apostle Paul said that he was torn between wanting to be with the Lord and recognizing that to be with the people was more important.  And his conclusion was that he would remain with the people for the sake of their benefit in the Lord.  I understand that quandary.  And I see his reasoning in this matter.  To be with the Lord is a sure thing for those who are called by the Lord as His people.  We only have a limited time to infect others with the message of God.

Yet I also see why he desired to be with the Lord.  This place is not our home.  And the desire to go home is intense.  And there is another aspect of this which bears mention.  The Lord said what was true when He said that a prophet is not accepted in his home town.  It is the nature of men to exclude the title of holy from any who’s history is presented to their memory.  That is to say, if a few people know my history, they will never accept the words I now speak on behalf of the Lord of Life.  To them, I am simply a fool who thinks too highly of himself.  And this will be the case as long as I am in this place of testing.

But when I am not here for their fingers to point at, what is left behind has the potential to become something far more than it could have when they knew me.  Now I appear as a fool.  Then I will become part of those who have passed through.  And in the end, what I leave behind becomes greater in their eyes.  What a curious but true phenomenon. 

So I desire to leave this place.  Not because I am sick of the “crap”.  Because I know that these words will gather more power when I am not here for them to accuse.  While I am still here, pride will reign more than service, both within me and within those who read these words.  When I am with Him, there will be no more opportunity for pride, neither in me nor those who read these words.

So I desire to leave this place.  In the Apostle’s condition, his remaining was well founded.  For he had lived a life worthy of living from the beginning.  From my condition, I have not.  So, for the benefit of those who might read these things, I desire to leave this place.

By His Grace.

Stay or Leave, He is Glorified.

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Photo taken by Graham Kingsley

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My eyes have seen another morning. 

Precious will it be.

To speak of things eternal,

To lift up One called “He”.

I crave a day when eyes will open.

And never more will shut.

To speak a praise eternal,

To lift up One called “He”.

 “23But I am hard-pressed from both directions, having the desire to depart and be with Christ, for that is very much better; 24yet to remain on in the flesh is more necessary for your sake. 25Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all for your progress and joy in the faith, 26so that your proud confidence in me may abound in Christ Jesus through my coming to you again. ”  (Phillipians)

By His Grace.

The Gentle Breeze of God

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Path Through Culbone Wood

Image by me'nthedogs via Flickr

The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.” (John 3:8)

I sit this morning and ponder my bruised mind.  Why do I do these things?  I want to do what is right.  But I am forced along by what I don’t understand.  The Apostle Paul spoke about sin living in him that causes him to do what he does not want to do.  We are caught in a horrible fixture.  We learn to listen to what the Lord speaks, both through His word and in our soul.  But we often find we have wandered off the path a bit.  In a frantic scramble, we trace our way back.  Then, out of breath from the struggle, we sit to ponder why we wandered.

We are not yet perfected in our worship of Jesus.  But as fast as we can, when we find our way gone wrong, we recover and make amends as we are able.  It is the Spirit of God who enlightens the horror of sin in a man.  He alone can show you what needs fixing.  And by the Grace of God, you are bid to take part in this dance of salvation.  “Let’s work hard on this today”.  Though you didn’t realize why you did those things, God will show you.

Listen to Him and live.  Stop your ears and you remain in death.

By His Grace.

Related articles

Practise

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You have heard that nothing corrupt will ever enter eternity with the Lord.  I know I’ve mentioned it a time or two.  And you’ve noticed how corrupt you are, I hope.  Now there’s a problem here, ya think?  It’s a problem we all struggle with.  You’ll be cruising along just fine one day and, all of a sudden, you realize you’re pondering or doing something you KNOW the Lord will not allow entrance into Heaven.  It’s one thing to ask for forgiveness from the Lord and believe you have received it.  But what will you do next time?  Is there a place a man can live where he commits these wicked things less and less?  I can testify that there is such a place.  And though I don’t know how Jesus will deal with you personally over these issues, I know of a clue to learning how to obey Him more often.

When you were a child you learned how to do many wicked things.  You learned early how to lie.  It was, at first, a way of keeping out of trouble.  But remember, there was also a time when you had no clue how to lie.  So you learned how to be wicked so you could do what you wanted and get away with it.  From that moment on lies became a tool in your tool box.  And you’ll notice that through out every day lies still come to mind.  You might not play them out.  But they’re still hangin around. 

The key to transforming your mind from wickedness to purity is called learning.  Think of the things you used to do as a child.  How many things have you forgotten how to do?  Like crawling through the grass.  Adults don’t do that much.  But children love it.  How did you come to forget how to enjoy that?  The answer is, you stopped doing it.  You learned to lie the same way.  You stopped living in innocence.  It’s our practise that leads to who we become.  If I practise playing guitar, I get better at it.  If I stop playing guitar for a year or two I hardly even think of it anymore.  It’s not that I can’t remember if I pick it up again.  But I will have to learn all over again how to get pretty good at it.  Practise.

Be innocent of what is evil and wise about what is good.  But how do we become innocent of what is evil if we have lived evil lives?  How do you forget what is evil if that is all you’ve been all your life?  The Lord’s reply is amazingly simple.  “Practise doing what is good and you will forget what is evil.  Just as when you begin to practice what is evil you forget what is good.” (As I heard Him whisper to me one day)

Peter put it this way:  As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance.  But just as He who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: ‘Be holy because I am Holy.’” (1 Peter 1: 14)

But the Apostle Paul pens the words like this:  “. . . but I want you to be wise about what is good, and innocent about what is evil.”  (Romans 16:19)

Learn from the Lord by listening to the Word of God in the Bible.  Learn from the Lord by listening to His leading in your conscience.   Learn to listen to His voice of guidance from the Holy Spirit within you (if, indeed, you are a Christian).  For if you are not a disciple of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, it will do you no good to practice what is good; for you are still bound by the father of lies.  Only in Jesus can we hope to find help in our attempts to become holy and practice what is good.  Before Jesus within us, we can only play like children at accomplishing the holiness God the Father demands.  The power to please God comes from an intimate relationship with Jesus.  And we have heard that those who practise evil will never enter God’s peace.  Practise!

By His Grace.