If you want to receive the blessing of God. If you want to become a real Christian. Then set your mind, and very will, to do the things you know he requires.
Where many stand confused, is that they misperceive knowing for doing. A man may know how to drive a car, but never start the engine. The transforming power of knowledge comes in the doing of it.
God will surely bless the one who does what he is told to do. There is no other path to the blessing of God in Christ.
By His Grace
Reflection from today’s Bible reading:
Yes, even the one who writes this. Even he will be brought low. The evil that is in Him will be purged; a consuming fire will burn it away, from the present and from eternity.
Pride will be crushed. There will be no foothold for it to climb the Holy Mountain of God. The narrow mindedness of unholy desire will be set on fire. And what remains will undergo refinement.
Even the one who writes this, will succumb to the Glory of the Sovereign God. For God’s judgment is against all wickedness in all men. And he will bring Man’s state of affairs to an abrupt end.
There will be no further place where the Word of God is wedged between brothers for the sake of gain. For even now many use the word of God to subject their brothers to shame. Secretly in their hearts they keep count of their victims. Trophies of battle, line the shelves of their halls. They have converted what is Holy to what is obscene. And the Most High God is witness to it all.
Divide, divide, cutaway at one another. There is a place of judgment. And even the one who writes this will be purified. God is no respecter of man.
The pride of life enters into a man’s things, like fine dust in an unkempt house. Who is he that is diligent to clean? Who is he who opens the drapes that the light of Righteousness might expose his filth? Who is he who cleans his house so that the consuming fire will have less to consume? For everyone will be bathed in the Holy Fire of God’s righteous judgment.
No religion will shield you. For not one man does the Holy laws he holds up for others to see. Woe to all men for the sake of their pride. Blessings and peace belong exclusively to those who do the will of God in Christ Jesus, His holy and Righteous Son. Yet every man will be cleansed in regard to what remains.
The motivation of the heart will be exposed. The secret desires spilled out. It will come upon the righteous. It will envelop the most wicked. And all those in between will be dealt with in truth and righteousness. Yes, even upon the one who writes this.
By His Grace
They lied to me by saying, “We can be useful in our selves”. They displayed to me what they consider useful. But as I did those things, they told me I am useless. The only thing they succeeded in doing was proving to me that men are fully liars.
What they proclaimed as the sum of life, I embraced with zeal. Where they were liars, I was more. They perceived me as one who would take the throne among them. For this reason they cast me away.
Within their way of lying, they called me a liar. The casting out became complete.
What reason was there to live; what place might I attain? Shall I be a useless man among them? How can that be, I am alive.
They have blessed me with their lying ways. By their casting out, I have received all there is to receive. How can I hold anything against them? By their nature, they have forced me to receive the King of Kings.
Holy Father, Righteous God, hold nothing against any man on my behalf. But free them all from accusation concerning me. No one has sinned against me. I am no standard of truth.
Rather bless them in their ungodly way. Let the prosperity of Lies be theirs. That they to make perceive, you alone are good.
Thank You, Holy Father, for your excellent wisdom, which you display freely among all men. Let those who desire you ask. Let those who love the lie remain. May your will be done forever in Christ Jesus your Holy and Righteous Son. Amen.
By His Grace
Holy Hands (Photo credit: richard.aguilar)
The people, those who call themselves children of the Most High God through Jesus, have cried out for blessings. They have gathered to themselves riches of this world and hidden them within their houses. They have amassed great wealth which glows putrid within their homes. They cry out for healing while they hold tightly to all that is an abomination to the Lord they beseech.
How do we consider that God will turn and bless that which He has condemned? How can we hope to please Him while we do the things He hates?
And now a judgment is considered against these people. A wicked bend is in their hearts. They will not receive the blessing they seek. But a blessing of purification will be sent. Will they notice? Will they understand? Will they throw down all they hold so dearly and fall toward God with repentance? We will be witnesses to their response. And God will watch intently to see their hearts.
Do not ask for peace within your members. Ask for righteousness. For the ones who hunger and thirst for what is Righteous will be filled. While those who hunger for reward in this world will go hungry.
“Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world. Let there be tears for what you have done. Let there be sorrow and deep grief. Let there be sadness instead of laughter, and gloom instead of joy. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honor (due season).” (James 4: 8-10)
Image by smiling_da_vinci via Flickr
As I walked along the path prescribed, I listened to the One above. He walked along the top most part of the walls which encased my way. The walls are built of every material known to man. And as I looked up them, the materials became mixed together to form harder and more awesome materials.
I remembered the day the Lord told me to climb to my left. I looked at the mountain of sand and thought, “How could my tiny legs ever surmount that mountain of sand?” I remembered how hard it is to walk in sand. But the Lord told me to climb. And, since I was desiring Him, I climbed. Having reached the top of that mountain of sand, I thought to myself, “That was the task? But it seems so simple now”.
There have been many “climbings” since then. And each one appears to be impossible at first. But when the climb is accomplished, the task appears to be much like an evening stroll down a shaded and level path. But it’s the initial view that is daunting.
These climbs appear to be more and more difficult. And the recent one was worst of all. But isn’t that what I’ve said about every one of them? The wall became like steel mixed with granite. The mix was like nothing I had ever imagined before. The surface of the wall was smooth as glass. And the height was beyond my ability to see. He said to me, “Climb this wall on your right”.
Every time I tried, I would lose grip and come back down to the place of starting. One day, after He had bid me climb again, I asked Him, “Why can’t I seem to obey what you ask? You do not lie. And there is no guile in You. So why can’t I obey?” His response was interesting and simple. “You don’t Love Me”, He said. “If you love Me you will obey My every command”. This set me back a bit. I pondered this for days. Then it came to me. I have been trying to do this so that I can accomplish His commands for myself. Now I see it! I will love Him!
I thrust out my hand toward the wall with a vengeance. My teeth set against each other hard. My eyes blazing with intent. And to my surprise, my hand penetrated the wall up to my knuckles. I had a hand hold! Up I went. Hand over hand. And my feet penetrating the glassy mix of stone and steel. Sweat became like rain. But my heart did not tire.
I have reached the top now. I know there are more climbs to endure. But the key to this one was astoundingly simple, yet impossible to detect. When I love Him, I can obey with ease!
By His Grace.
We: Live, Die, Face Judgment. Jesus or die twice.
My new buddy
Stubborn And Courageous Adventures Reflecting the Father's Heart to The People.
History Repeating Chronicles
Words From There 