Tag Archives: Christianity

All things Christ

Got it? Really?

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Open hand. Original description: 2000. Español...

Open hand. Original description: 2000. Español: Esta es mi mano a los 20 años. El anillo era de mi madre, estaba hecho de hueso y un día, al poco de hacer el dibujo, se me rompió en dos. 😦 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Men are mistaken in their apprehension of God.  Even those who worship Him cannot fully understand His Holy ways.  Right about the time we think we understand, another test or teaching appears from the hand of He who Lives Forever.

When we find ourselves empty in our prayers, there is a reason.  If we have sinned, that silence may seem like an angry God.  But I do not see it that way.  He is stern with us, demanding that we adhere to His commands.  But not that pouty little boy way that men foist on those who spurn their advise.  His face is beautiful!  Even if it is looking away from us for a moment.

The Love of God is not like the love of man.  He is actively searching our wicked hearts so that He can lead us into all things best.  I have said it before, and say it again.  I would rather the rebuke from the Living God than all the fame, love, wealth, and pomp this world can muster.  The first builds me into something eternally valuable.  The second only serves to hold me hostage until a remedy can be found to enslave me once again.

 

hmmmmmmm.

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I was standing on the back porch, again.  And a thought came to mind.  For the life of me I really couldn’t answer a question.  Why is it that the language in print is so dramatically different than conversation?  Especially when it comes to the things of God, we are avoided and laughed at behind our back.  Even in a Church setting we are expected to speak with one another in a very different tone than what we read in Scripture or hear in the sermon.  Oh, it’s ok to speak God things like “bless you”, or speak some great thanks to God in the presence of others while we are in some kind of Bible study.  But close the book and we all seem to go different ways with our minds and tongues.

I admit I used to be very irritated when the sermon was over, the prayer was prayed, and the last blessing was given from the Pastor.  Because immediately after that people left the building.  If there was conversation it would be rather trivial.  And I wondered how such a beautiful God could be loved while a man was speaking from a certain place, yet ignored in conversation immediately after.

Why didn’t we gather together to pray in little spontaneous groups?  Why didn’t someone come and take me by the shoulder of my shirt and smile while he led me to a corner to pray?  Why was talk about fishing, cooking, football, and cars, so much more important at that moment?

Lots of questions.  Anyone got some good answers?

Detail

Detail (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Gangrene in the Church

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Dry Gangrene with dead toes and visible bone o...

Dry Gangrene with dead toes and visible bone of 85 year old female (left leg). (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The Gospel of God in Jesus tells us plainly, “Repent or die.”  We stand condemned already, that is to say before we believe the condemnation of God is upon us.  John points this out clearly in chapter three of his Gospel.  But the “repent” part has been shaken off the tree of the Church today by men who have said that God loves us all.  They have used a truth to dispel the urgency of repentance.  The reasons why they have done this are many and quite obvious.  But they have done so in error.  They think they clean the conscience of men by removing the stumbling block of sin from men.  “Let’s get them past the condemning God stuff”, they say.

I am filled with rage that such things have been done.  And the damage it has wrought is apparent in the lack of holiness among God’s people.  I too fell for this lie.  And even now I struggle, from time to time, to maintain a strong standing before the Lord for the lies hidden within my heart because of this foolish gospel.  All day long men speak lies in the name of the Lord.  And as long as we listen to them we too become corrupt with their sweet sins of corruption.

I fear the rot of lies has come to the point where the foot needs to be cut off lest it infect the entire body.  The stench of sin wreeks from the injured foot.  And the signs of sickness are unavoidable to the eye. The “Church” is hobbled by a hideous sickness.  What is called the Church today is often simply a polished up secular teaching of psychology.  And the “good” they perceive done by this set of lies has murdered thousands.  They have turned the holy gathering of saints into a happy little club of man.  And I, for one, will have nothing to do with them!

A Righteous Murder

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Blazing Fire

Blazing Fire (Photo credit: Poe Tatum)

I registered a complaint to the One who could accomplish.  “I am yoked with a fool who will not obey!  Help me in my plight for he detains me from coming to You!”

The One who could accomplish heard my words and drove me into a wilderness of brilliant fire.  The flames reached to the stars.  Without fear I walked, driven by the Love of He who lives forever.  And as I went, the fool dragged along behind.

I reached a place far from prying eyes.  Joy filled my heart as I felt new release.  Then the fool spoke with whining complaint, “Go back!  This place is not comfort!”

My joy was interrupted by his whining, raspy, irritating voice.  And with violent anger I turned to look at him.  Hatred blazed from my eyes, yet he stood so proud and confident of his words.  I looked down at my hands.  They had become as the fire around us.  And with great delight I put my hands of holy fire around his sinful neck.  “I will leave you where I find you!”  And with that said, the sinful nature died.

A vision of conquest is granted to my heart.  I will not be shackled to this fool of fools forever.  There is a place of release!

He said to them, 24 “Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to. 25 Once the owner of the house gets up and closes the door, you will stand outside knocking and pleading, ‘Sir, open the door for us.’ “But he will answer, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from.’ 26 “Then you will say, ‘We ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets.’ 27 “But he will reply, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from. Away from me, all you evildoers!’ 28 “There will be weeping there, and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but you yourselves thrown out. 29 People will come from east and west and north and south, and will take their places at the feast in the kingdom of God. 30 Indeed there are those who are last who will be first, and first who will be last.”  (Luke 13)

Under the Eternal Oak

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Remrkable oak at Saeul, lieudit Hëlzent, Luxem...

Remrkable oak at Saeul, lieudit Hëlzent, Luxembourg. This oak is around 280 years old. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Still I sit, head bowed in utter dismay.

Breaths come because they have to come.

In my lap are things sincere; righteous acts done in earnest.

Someone has opened my eyes and true light enters them.

Now they stare in disbelief at what I thought was good.

“I did these things?”  I whisper with dry lips.

“All of this, which lay in my lap, is a putrid mass!”

God has spoken, and my heart heard the message.

But understanding only came when I sat here to pray.

Offering was made and my eyes were opened.

The things brought for His pleasure are but a steaming pile of dung.

He alone is Righteous!

He alone is Pure!

He will grant me what is good.

Then, at some place distant, I will sit again under that eternal Oak.

And I will praise Him with Pure things.

For He will dress my ways with Glory along this way to the Eternal Oak.

By His Grace!  Again, by His Grace!  All good things are solely by His Grace.

Responsible

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Father Ford in the fire truck

Father Ford in the fire truck (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

A dead body cannot be responsible.  Neither can a fool be responsible.  It is even hard for a righteous man to be responsible.  Why?  In answer, let me take responsible apart:  Response Able.

God has given gifts to men for the sake of His Holy name.  He has given forgiveness for sins.   What is our response?   Do we dress ourselves with ability to respond?  Or do we take His Glorious gift for granted.  He has spoken in the gathering of wickedness.  He has danced a Holy dance in a body for all to see.  He endured this place of testing without sin.  And God has granted Him, (Jesus) Glory, Joy, Eternal Life as the Ruler of all.

I look at the ability of Jesus to respond to His Father as He walked in this utter black world of decayed souls.  And I am amazed that He performed perfectly!  He did not cave to the words and actions of man.  He desired only to be available to the will of His Father.  And He shunned all proposals to capitulate with the enemies of His Father.  He made Himself able to respond to the will of God.  He is perfectly Responsible to God, the Father of all Life and Righteousness.

With that in mind, I ask again, are we individually able to respond to the Grace given us?  Are we responsible Christians?  I write this with a severe anger at the sinful nature within me.  I remember what was spoken, and will not be taken out of the way, “Hate what is evil and cling to what is good.”  This is what is asked of us.  And it is not an unjust request.  For He gives us the power to over come.  What will be our response?  Are we able to be willing to work?

We retain men who have learned to put out fires.  If they are not responsible, what is the possibility that they can carry out the charge that has been laid upon them?  God has retained us through the sacrifice of His Holy Son.  Are we responsible?