The desire for “being loved” is a strong engine. We see people do amazingly stupid things just for the notion of being loved. And God set the bar higher than our innate desire for love. In many ways God has said, “I set this consuming fire before you. Enter it and you will receive pure love”.
For all the stupid things we do to get a notion of love. Few are willing to die for it.
By His Grace.
I can’t remember who the preacher was. He was speaking of Jesus’ request that the Father take this cup from him. He said what I believe was right:
It was not the pain of having his beard pulled out that caused such agony.
It was not the beatings across his sinless face.
it was not the spit dribbling down his face.
It was not the humiliation of being mocked for being the Son of God.
It was not the bone and glass shards which ripped the skin off his back.
It was not the trek to Golgotha.
It was not the nails tearing through his hands and feet.
It was that moment we heard him cry, “My God! My God! Why have You forsaken me!”
He knows. I say it again, He knows about the feeling of being removed from His Loving Father. And all He did to deserve that was to Love His Father’s will unto death.
By His Grace.
By sin I’ve kept strong hold
Of the message yet untold.
He fills my breath with wonderous things.
I’ve stifled what is Good.
And closed the Holy Hood.
And yet His message burns within.
I’ll take Your Gift of Life!
And cease my endless strife.
My hands go limp around the strap,
Behold!
By His Grace.
It is the bold who serve the Lord. Though He will empower the timid, they do not remain timid. Once we encounter the Lord of Life, there is a boldness which creeps into our soul. The more we know Him, the more power we receive. He did not give us a Spirit of timidness, but of BOLDNESS.
By His Grace.
How amazing is the Lord Most High. We consider our world as though it has always been. For we only know of this place. But I ponder that this place has a place of origin. It began somewhere. This causes me to ponder why. God didn’t need to make us, or did He?
Eternity was rolling on. Then at one point, God said, “Let us make man in our image”. Why? I’ve come to call this world a “Place of Testing” for this reason. I’m not a smart man. And I can’t remember everything I read or write. But I rely on a general body of knowledge for the following. Perhaps a scholar can add the pointed scriptures to support what I’m about to write. I’ve written about this before. But it just blows me away to consider the Greatness of God in this topic.
There was perfection from eternity. God had created what was Good. Since there’s no lie in God, no lie was in creation, until. . . There was an Angel who thought he knew better than God what was good. Rather than have to explain to an innocent creation what a lie was, he created a world of choice. A people were given the choice to follow what is Good or chose to disobey.
God is just. Along with creating this place of testing, He also chose One to redeem those who would certainly fall to disobedience. The only thing which marks us as able to be redeemed is that we are blind to the Glory of God. But God is also going to put an end to the liar and all his ways. And this is what we speak today. Repent and seek the Redeemer.
There is a whole lot more to this story. But with this as the basis, I find a great responsibility to seek Him. He began this place. He will end it. Those who spend their life serving Him by the power of Jesus’ sacrifice will receive a certain reward for their loyalty. Those who follow after the lie which started all this will receive a certain reward also.
I’m sure I’ll write more about this later. But my meager mind runs out of words quickly.
By His Grace.
Why do you walk so softly? And why is your joy not shown? Have they won? Did they stifle your mouth? You fear their ridicule and keep your joy to yourself. Have you asked why?
They protect their sin with a great energy. Look at how they stand against the One who made them. When they keep your mouth shut they perceive a great victory. Yet we know of a day when victory will belong to the one stifled.
Hold your chin up. Straighten your back. Speak of your joy with boldness and accept what comes. How can we think He endured such things so that we can shuffle around like beaten folk? Consider that Day. Let yourself stand before Him and give account of your beatings. How have we suffered for His Holy Name? And what does He ask of us? Perhaps He asks too much. All the more shame to us.
By His Grace.
We: Live, Die, Face Judgment. Jesus or die twice.
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