Tag Archives: Bible

Help Please. Looking For that Last Lost One.

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Human shadow

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I think there’s only one person in the world who is ashamed of the Lord Jesus.  I haven’t found him or her yet.  I know what I’m looking for though.  It’s that person who will never mouth the name of Jesus in any serious terms.  He or she will laugh at you if you speak about the Bible.  If you approach the group of people he or she hangs around in and mention Jesus, that person will turn beet red and start to fidget.  And I’m looking for that person whose library is full of all kinds of “self-help” books.  But you’d never find a dust line of a Bible.  The person I’m looking for is obviously self righteous.  So it shouldn’t be too hard to spot them.

If you find this person give me a call at 333-333-3333.  Thanks for your time.  Hope we locate that person.   It would be a shame to watch them quiver at the sound of the Father’s voice as He pronounces the sentence of death.  Surely we can all pitch in to help turn this soul from such a death.

by His Grace.

Truth or Dare: Liberals, Moderates, and Conservatives

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Crosswalk button ne.

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In the world of politics the title of this post is true.  Those are three categories we could all identify in some fashion.  This is also true in the world of social norms.  Some people will cross the road regardless where the cross walk is.  And they don’t pay much attention to traffic (as long as they think they won’t get hit).  Others will only cross the road if they think it’s something others do rather often.  They check both ways for safety sake.  They consider where they are and try to remember if they’ve seen a dead person on the road where they’re thinking of walking across.  Then there are those who will always use the cross walk, waiting patiently for the lights to change.

Christianity is no different.  There are those who will water down the Bible so that they feel good about themselves regardless what the Scripture says.  They say to themselves (and to God), “My intentions are good.  God will understand my limitations and greet me with joy come the day of judgment”.

There are those who watch the political and social landscape of the Church and adapt themselves to whatever wind of change or norm they perceive about them.  They neither study the Scripture for themselves, nor allow their ears to hear truth.  They’re far more interested in “fitting in”.

Then we find those who have understood their personal responsibility.  They understand that they will be held accountable for every written Word of God.  And they study with diligence.  They encounter a truth and, regardless the social or political makeup of the Church, will strive to adapt their mind and actions to accommodate the demands of God. 

Liberal, moderate, conservative, which are you? 

By His Grace.

Questions vs. Clarity.

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Bronnbach Abbey. Choir stalls by Daniel Aschau...

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There are questions which plague man as he reads the Holy Word of God in the Bible.  There are questions such as this:  “God made the two trees in the garden of Eden.  There was the tree of Life and the tree of knowledge of good and evil.  Why?  And how come Adam and Eve didn’t go over to the tree of life and eat from it?  Why was temptation introduced to them to eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil?”

As I pondered these things, it came to me that I have no right to even ask such questions.  It is enough for me to understand the Gospel of God in Jesus His Son.  If God thought, in His eternal wisdom that such questions should have an answer He would have produced those answers in His Bible.  We often ask things too high for us to understand.  And isn’t it our curiosity that we should ponder these things. And wouldn’t the answers stroke our human pride?  Yet, isn’t it our folly that we should waste time thinking of these things when we should be producing obedience through blind faith?   

Who are we that we should think we deserve to know all things?  If we were to come to understand what HAS been given to us, it would be enough.  We question the things of God as if to bring us up to His level.  And we accuse the Lord when we don’t get or have answers as if to bring Him down to our level.  This should not be.  Consume yourself with the things provided and be pleased to know the Lord.  This is enough.  To worship the Lord by the power of His Spirit is enough for any man.  Leave the questions to those who hate Him.  If He wishes to speak to you regarding the things unknown what will stop His will?  And if He desires to continue to hide such things from man, who are we to complain against Him?

He is God.  And He does as He pleases.  His wisdom reaches from before creation to eternity beyond.  Worship the Lord God of all with reverence and awe.  He is a consuming fire of purity, truth, power, and wisdom.  And all who stand against Him will know the folly of their lives.  Yet all who stand with Him, by the power of Jesus’ sacrifice, will receive the gifts He has promised.  Be wise and allow God to be God.  Be wise and allow yourself to see who you are with eyes of clarity.

The book of Genesis is said to have been written by Moses.  These are the words God decided to render to His people.  Who are we to question what God has done by His wisdom?  This is what God provided to us as He marked out the boundaries of His people’s knowledge.  It was enough for them.  It must be enough for us.  And I will point out something of great importance.  Those who received the rule of God through Moses also died in the desert for lack of understanding and obedience.  If you wish to join them, have at it.  If you desire life then accept the limits the Lord has placed on His people.  Isn’t there enough knowledge to eat from what has been provided?  What has not been provided is a source of contention and speculation among His people.  This should not be.  And who among us can know all the  knowledge He has written down for us?  Be humble before the Lord of Eternity and accept what He has given.  That should be enough to consume all the days of your life.

In our sin we desire to have what is not available for us to eat.  Like a little child who wants what is sweet and will refuse to devour what is placed before him.  Man complains that what is given to him is not what he wants.  Ah the foolishness of the pride of man!  He wants peaches while he is commanded to eat green beans.  Learn to obey what is before you.  Then, perhaps, you will be given something sweet.  Only respect the Lord and give Him praise for what He has wisely considered essential for man.

You ask, “Why has this problem or source of irritation been given to me?  Why has it been allowed to fester into some hideous monster?”  Why would you waste your time considering such things when He has provided enough to you that you might inherit eternal life?  Be content with what you have!  It is enough.

 

By His Grace.

Provoked to Throw Away Garbage.

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Trash rendered

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I saw a young man’s blog post speaking of how he turned away from Christianity because he didn’t experience anything from the God of Christianity.  He was expecting something “other” as he searched out the Bible.  I will respond here with something that all God’s people come to realize.

When I pray, it’s like speaking to the wind.  I say words and wait for a reply.  Yet that reply often never comes in the form of a sound.  It rarely comes in the immediate understanding of my mind.  And sometimes I walk away from prayer feeling nothing at all. 

But God is not silent as we refer to silence.  And would we foolish men comprehend the thoughts of God if He gave them to us?  No.  But there is a way in which prayer never goes unanswered. 

A man walked up to a brick wall which was covered with gold.  As was the tradition of the people, he knelt down and spoke to what was said to be on the other side of the wall.  He asked to understand things so that he might do what is right.  He got up, searched his mind and heart, and walked away shrugging his shoulders.  He felt no change at all. 

Later on, he walked by a place on the sidewalk where there was a piece of paper which had not been thrown away.  Right next to the paper was a trash can.  Contrary to his normal tendency to just pass it by, he stooped, picked up the paper and threw it into the trash can.  Without noticing that he had just done what was right, he walked on sad that his prayer hadn’t been answered.

 By His Grace.

New Lives for Old!

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By speaking openly for the Lord I realize I have taken the place of a saint who is now with the Lord.  And this causes me to wonder who will take my place when I pass through The River?

They say he ran a carnival, he used to come to town
‘Til one September afternoon he shut it down
They tell me something happened, some say he lost his mind
Now most September afternoons this is what you’ll find
An old man on the corner where he used to sell his show
Now he shouts what sounds like foolishness
As the people come and go

CHORUS:
New lives for old
Warm hearts for cold
Have I got a deal for you today
C’mon, step right this way
And get your new lives for old

He puts it in the paper, he goes from door to door
The people say he’s such a fool to come back for more
Old friends are mostly puzzled, they don’t know what to say
Cause ever since that afternoon he’s just been that way
It’s like the old man died and someone came to take his place
Now he just stands out there bellowin’
A smile upon his wrinkled face

Repeat CHORUS

Remembering the story as I once passed through that town
I thought I ought to stop and see if he’s still around
There was someone on that corner where I heard he’d always stand
And he chuckled when I asked where I could find the man
He said “Thank God that crazy fool finally died last spring”
And I said “I’ll take up where he left off then
‘Cause I’m pushing the same thing”

Some concepts are worthy of repeating:

“New Lives for Old” by Wayne Watson.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NtrU4Ln-r9A

Mush to Man

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A chimpanzee brain at the Science Museum London

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It’s been said that children are little adults with their heads full of mush.  But I remember when my head was nothing but mush.  I thought I had a brain.  But I didn’t.   It was just a container of giggly mush.  And I ran around in this world thinking so very highly of myself.  What a fool!  And certainly someone to laugh at if I hadn’t been so angry and antagonistic all the time.  I guess that’s why most of us laugh at men like I used to be behind their backs. 

Life has a way of slapping us around a bit.  In general, the process causes that mush to cook, stew, and bake.  The hopeful end of man is that he will eventually get a real brain out of the process.  And left to his own devices, man will likely gain something positive out of his experiences of life.  Yet I know a way to quick bake a brain.

It seems our head is microwaveable.  I mean, we can endure specific beams of truth that will cause us to mature a whole lot faster.  This is the work of God through the Holy Spirit within us.  He points out the truth in our experiences and causes our conscience to come to boil.  Wanna grow up a lot faster than most?  Allow Jesus to take charge of your life.  Listen to what you hear in regard to what is true.  Do what you know you must.  And just sit in front of His Holy Fire and bake a while.

by His Grace.