Tag Archives: believe

Two Important Items

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I don’t know that Christianity has ever witnessed a greater coldness, within its ranks, than today’s “so called church”.  I can’t say with absolute certainty, for I am not privy to the entirety of history.  But from what I see and read, I find it hard to imagine a more rebellious time.

From the beginning, Christianity has been unpopular.  But as the unpopularity and attacks against the Church increased, so did the number of those who believed.  But now?  Now I see, witness, and hear many lives that bear almost no resemblance to Christ’s intent for His people.  The world is far colder to the Gospel than ever before.  And this desire to replace the Gospel’s intent with ANYTHING ELSE, is not diminishing, it is exploding; replaced by a willing ignorance en mass!

I’ve asked before, as have hundreds others, “What time is it?”

If you’re going to miss your flight, a good friend will certainly remind you of the time.  And his reminders will increase in urgency of delivery.

Those who go to bed late, will wake up less refreshed than they ought to have been.

If you know the family eats at 6 pm, it’s foolish to purposely stay out till 9 pm.

Waiting to accomplish, till you know it’s long past time to prepare and do, is selfish idiocy.  Love does not act like that.  But The Bible promises that just such things will happen to Spiritual (Eternal) things.  I would gladly even extend that to morality itself.

Many, (I don’t think that word does justice to the actuality of the number or percentage) will determine to withdraw from The Faith.  The term the Apostle Paul uses is “a great falling away”.

“Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a great falling away first. . .”. (2 Thessalonians 2:3)  That’s not just a few, that’s a great majority.  Jesus alluded to this by saying, “Nevertheless when the Son of man comes, shall he find faith on the earth?” (Luke 18: 8)

The Lord uses the simple word “faith”.  I have come to call it “The Faith”.  But the use of the word “faith” implies an even greater horror than does the use of a more poignant title.

One other aspect to this vein of thought, is that the “falling away” indicates that one must first have had something to fall away from.  This doesn’t necessarily exclude the world, but it more speaks of Christianity.  The sad part of this is, that those who are falling away won’t even be able to identify this stage of creation, as they will perceive the nature of things from the perspective of self-righteousness.  To them, all things are as they should be!  Wow!  What a horrifying seal to those who allow the world to draw them off from Christ.

And look what Peter said about this:

3 Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, 4 and saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.  5 For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water: 6 thereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished: 7 but the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved to fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.

8 But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. 9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is long-suffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. (2 Peter 3)

With what tool shall anyone awaken the sleep that has come to cover the souls of today?  How will the Holy Spirit contend with the flesh driven rebellion that covers the earth like a putrid mold?  With all their perceptions anointed with the things of this world, humanity now enters into that blindness which will cause them to dance in the streets, send gifts to one another, and celebrate with great abandon, the death of God’s two prophets.

How greatly we warn.  But who even cares that such words still exist?

I’m done writing this post, but for one question:

What about you, what about me?

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.

Stunningly Cheap Luxury

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I am struck afresh, by the message of the Gospel.  Who is Man, in the fabric of eternity, that God would give us eternal life?  Something so perfectly vast, yet for a simple price; simply believe.

Yet, look at the cost of that price.  The great majority refuses to believe.  It is evidently too high a price to ask.

Again, I come to the conclusion that if God does not reveal faith to us, we cannot have it. 

What does it take to procure faith from God?  Read or hear the Gospel and respond with humility.

What an absolutely surprising cost.  How absolutely surprising to see how few can afford it.

By His Grace

The Promise of Hope

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The promise of God, to those who love him and worship his Holy Son, is eternal life.  Think about it; Eternal Life!

His promise brings to us something that is thoroughly beyond our understanding.  Yet those who believe this, become transformed by the power behind that very thought.

Do you believe?  Have you taken the time to let it sink in?  Do you wake every morning and go to sleep every night, considering the beauty of his promise?

While God’s people consider this with all their might, the world worships zombies, movies about dinosaurs, sex, sports, money, all the trinkets of life, relationships among men, status, and the works of their own hands.  All of these doings done with death looming in their future, and trouble along their way.

Such a vast chasm of living between those who believe and those who refuse! 

As I ponder this I am shocked to realize that the percentage of those who believe compared to those who do not is less than one percent.  And even of that one percent, I find doubt.  Among this number there are many who cannot find the will to continue in that belief.

All he asks is that we believe he cannot lie. 

When we stand before him, will today provide regret?  Or will we bend our will to believe?

By His Grace

Sitting to be Sent

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There was a day when men would seek out those who “knew”.  At their feet they would listen intently.  Even if they could not believe, they believed in that “something More”.

Is that day like today?  Everyone is forced to say no.

The worldly mind praises the accomplishments of Man.  The religious man praises the accomplishments of god-ward thoughts and traditions.  The sinner praises his bold rebellion.  But who seeks the fullness of God within His Holy Christ?

Many have come.  Many have returned to the world.  Who remains?  Who seeks to become the intent of God?  Who sits at the feet of those who know?  Who remains in belief and listens intently?

What have we learned, in regard to this world?  Yet what have we desired to learn of the things of Heaven?

God knows those who are His.  His eye is intently set on their souls.  God is not like limited man.  God sees with penetrating understanding; what man can conceal from man cannot be concealed from God.  You may fool me for a while, but the Spirit of God quickly points to the truth we can expect from those who belong to Him.

7 “Don’t be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God.  You will always harvest what you plant.  8 Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature.  But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit.” (Galatians 6, the living translation)  There will be a noticeable DIFFERENCE.

Isn’t the door of understanding from the Living God’s Christ wide open?  Who is willing to enter?  Who will bend their will toward all that is Holy?  Those who do so will be sent.

Isn’t the world in dire need of truth?   Who will “go”, that they may be sent?

Fear Constrains. God Releases to Boldness.

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I woke to be with the Lord this morning.  In our time together, he revealed a mystery to me.  I will try to relate it as best I can.

Why are people so reluctant to grasp a fearless doing of the Gospel?  What cuts some apart to boldness, while most live out the Gospel as if in secret?

The answer is simple, they fear.

Fear of man compels most to withdraw from public displays of Holy Truth.  Desire to “profit” among men drives most into a life of subdued worship and expression of God’s Holy Will among men.

They hear what the bold disciples say.  But they also see how such bold men are treated.  They quickly weigh the prospects of shunning, and make the determination that such travail is not worth the effort.  They must make a living.  They must eat.  They must compete in this wicked world.  And a bold proclamation of the Gospel will surely diminish their chances of survival.  Men will certainly hate them and exclude them from “prosperity” among men.

But what makes the difference between those who fearlessly proclaim the Gospel, and those who believe yet hide (to whatever extent)?

Two things play within the bold.  It’s hard for me to describe which one comes first.  Perhaps they come in unison.  One provocation to boldness is the blessing of God in the way of knowledge.  God causes the bold one to understand that the way of God is absolute, true, and sustaining no matter what.   The other provocation is that the bold perceive the wickedness of man as endless chaos.  No matter what they do, man will never protect.  Man is incapable of sustaining.  Man is full, and endlessly so, with lies and empty promises.  And the riches of man, that so called  “profit”, can provide nothing eternally valuable.

It is written, “They hated me for no reason”.  The bold receive the same treatment.  Their brothers and sisters in Christ see this treatment of the bold and withdraw to secrecy.  It’s that simple.

There were only 12 Apostles.  There were only 72 that were sent out.  And of the mass of men, there are (in my personal estimation) less than 1 percent of the population that will give all to God for the sake of His Holy Son’s Honor.  And it’s quite possible that I have over estimated the number of those who are bold for Christ.

I have seen many rise up to boldness.  But I have seen very few remain bold.  Usually, when a man stands up for Christ, the world around them beats them back into submission, and quickly.  They sink back into the “profit” of man and never rise up again.   Let no one misunderstand the power of the world to destroy.  This even happens, often, to men who wear the titles of pastor, preacher, evangelist, and so on!

If you would be bold for Christ, then be bold.  But first it would be wise to learn to hate the ways of man’s “profit”.  For they will surely use it against you to drive you back into their slime.  But if you would be willing to loose all for Christ, then, by all means stand!

Who is willing to die for Christ?  Who is willing to receive the beatings that man is all too ready to dispense?  Is it you?  If not, then ask yourself, “Why do I fear”.

God will sustain the willing heart.  He will feed the wicked, why won’t he feed you?  And if they come and take all you have, what have you lost?  These sayings are readily available among  Christ’s people.  But the key to making the decision to be bold lay in a fearless belief.  Are the promises of God TRUE?