Got Good?


Can you be good for a day?  Have you even tried?

Let me define what I mean by good.  I’m not talking about the good of God.  I’m talking about the extreme and exemplary behavior of a good man.

Perhaps you can live close to the target for 24 hours.  Or until something comes to test your value, whichever comes first.

You can likely pull off a 24 hour stint of good behavior, as long as everything goes your way.  But what about a week?  Perhaps you’re rather disciplined.  Can you do an entire month?

Let the time keep stretching out.  At some point you will fall flat on your face.  At some point, you will prove to yourself that you are full of fault.

If you can’t make it past 2 hours, what makes you think you can live for eternity and be pleasing to God?

Better read up on the Gospel my friend.  Everything that is not perfect will be destroyed.

By His Grace

Preferring the Child


Any master of a trade will tell you, it is better to train up an ignorant young man as your apprentice, then to expect obedience from a man who thinks he has already accomplished your trade.

Why has God chosen the weak, the outcast, the wicked, and the sinful to become a part of his Holy Kingdom?  Because they will not put themselves first.  They will never spit in the face of his teaching.  And they will love him with a blazing heart of faith.

It isn’t any more complicated than that.  If you want to serve the Sovereign God in Christ, you have to become like a child.

By His Grace

The Remedy


Oh how the list grows long, when people let the world get them down.

The remedies range from busy to murder, from sleep to whatever is found.

I have tried them all, short of blood on my hands.

From drugs, to the movies, and nothing commands

My joy.

Do you dare hear my words, will you let them be true?

Or must trial and error come visit you too?

To enjoin my heart to remember, His word, Holy firm as spoken.

To consider his promise established, and never, no never, be broken.

Then to speak with my mouth, a request to the Lord.

Revealing my heart as he sees:

“Come help me my God lest the darkness surround me.

Come grant me your promise of peace.

There is quite nothing here that can equally blessed me,

As when you’re sweet presence, kills fear .”

You don’t need the drugs, nor trifles, nor murder, when gloominess calls your name.

He responds to the earnest, the humble, contrite, who call for relief from the games.

His name is Christ Jesus, compassion his fame.

Those who call out in earnest, restrain.

By His Grace

The Demands of Man Exposed


The message of Man to God:  “We will dictate to you our desire and you will succumb.  We will play in our filthy way until we have had enough, and sleep.  And you will receive us because you are love!

Your people walk among us and demand too much.  They accuse us of wanton behavior.  We are sick of their meddling words!   We only do what is natural, and you unjustly accuse us.

We have attained freedom from your so called holy ways.  Now we revel in the filthy streets as pleases us to do.  We will not come in and be properly dressed!  Send your people out that they may revel with us in this filthy place.

You have commanded us, and we have had enough.  And now as you can see, we put our feet firmly in the filth and command you!  Now be the love you say you are, and send them out to play with us!”

So you have said in all your unholy and ungodly way.  You do the things that are filthy.  And with your unholy mouth you command the Sovereign God.

It will not go well with you when the Lord rises.  He will surely rise and all you rebellious youth will be destroyed from his Holy House.  He will rise up and expose your filthy ways. 

As you are defiant now, so you will be on that day of His Rising.  The Holy One has spoken, “There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth”.

Who are the wise among you?  Who will perceive that these words are true?  Who will approach the porch of the Holy house of God and beg entrance and cleanliness?  For he has also spoken, that those who do so with earnest heart, will be cleansed and well fed.  Forgiveness demands repentance.

See how it remains before you; the choice between life and death.  Respond now and live.  Remain in your rebellious filth and you will surely die.

By His Grace

The Resilient Church


The persecution of the Christian Church does not work.  It’s been proven through the generations, that the more you beat Christians, the more Christians there are.  There’s a very logical reason for this.

It’s like a man who was brought before the judge for social disobedience.  When he refused to mend his ways, he was sentenced to 30 lashes.  When the lashing was completed he was sent with his bloody back to sit in a jail cell until he healed.

Two months went by.  He was called again before the magistrate.  “Did you love the lashes?”   The prisoner was asked.  The reply was matter of fact, there was no defiance in the man’s tone.  “No sir, I did not love the lashes.”

“That’s a good reply.”  Said the magistrate.  “Are you willing then to return to society and never repeat your wicked behavior?” 

“Sir, with all due respect, I did nothing wrong.  I was speaking the words of the Living God in public.  Many took offense at the words and the disturbance came up.  I was arrested as a social dissident.  But I did nothing wrong.”

“Then you will receive 30 more lashes and spend time in jail to heal.  Perhaps then you will change your mind.”   The judge’s sentence was firm.

“Your honor, I must confess.  I did not love the first lashing.  I will not love the second.  And I will refuse to capitulate with a society that is so corrupt, and hold so highly such unjust laws.”

My friends you cannot stamp out Christianity by violence.  But you have obviously learned your lesson.  You could not make us join your corrupt society.  So you have sent your corrupt society in among the family of God.

These have feigned allegiance to the Christ, long enough for the family of God to love them.  Then with heartbreaking stories they appealed for inclusion.  Willingly denying the call for holiness.

Now the family of God in Christ is bewildered.  They have loved you are corrupt people.  They do not desire to send them back outside.

You are succeeding in corrupting the church where beatings offered no profit.  But I will tell you this.  Christ Jesus is busily planting his crop outside your corrupted churches.

You thought you had finally succeeded in what beatings could not accomplish.  The church had become located in a prominent and conspicuous place.  But the Lord has anticipated and responded to your wicked behavior.

Christianity is on the rise!  You failed once by violence.  You will certainly fail by corruption.  No matter what you do, you will never stamp out the Church of Christ Jesus!

By His Grace

Proper Conversation


I am forced to

Think again

The value of

Earth’s discourse.

Which is greater,

The three dimension,

Or heaven which spreads,

In all direction?

Although it’s fun to

Play the game,

Where logic’s

Lite and breezy.

Better to bear the

Hard light torch,

That sets men’s

Bellies queasy.

So back again to

The work at hand.

No time to

Waste round here.

To speak of

Jesus Christ the King,

Bringing heaven so

Very near.

By His Grace