Tag Archives: confidence

Time

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Slow Time in Wrist Watch on Dry Leaf

Image by epSos.de via Flickr

You have today.  And even “today” is a generalized word.  You have the “now”.  You do not own what happened.  And you do not own what is to come.  It is like time is a wind which blows against your face.  You have the movement which touches your skin, and no more.  What is behind you only carries your scent.  What lies ahead only holds a promise.  You have the moment only.

Reach back one second and grasp anything.  You can’t.  You have regrets you call your own.  But you can’t hold them in your hands.  And you can’t change their outcome.  Reach ahead and embrace what is coming.  You can’t.  You have promises you can see coming.  But you don’t own them yet.  And the best you can do is prepare to embrace what comes.  What you’ve done is done.  The past is a recorded and untouchable testimony to the life you’re leading NOW.  And the future only promises something is coming. 

But there is something you can do for your “time” situation.  You are invited to own what comes.  You don’t need to simply hope.  I testify to everyone (as do all Christians who weather life in Jesus’ promise of the Holy Spirit), that you don’t need to encounter life as a rock or a tree.  You can know that what you encounter has purpose and eternal meaning.

Right now, you search yourself for the strength to encounter the next moment.  And you know that you prepare and fight the “now” without a firm grip.  Jesus has done what you are trying to do in your own strength.  And His promise to guide you is real.  The fear of what you’ve done.  And the fear of what is coming are both too much to bear.  You can experience the freedom from fear that you’re holding too tightly. 

Simply turn your life over to the one who has made the promise of eternal life.  He has promised from Heaven and He cannot lie.  You don’t need to be tossed back and forth from what is coming and what has gone.  You can experience the freedom you’re looking for.  It’s found in Jesus, the Christ of God.

By His Grace.

Deadly Ground

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The door swung open and the man walked in.  With eyes that have seen blood and terror, he looked around quickly.  Having located those who might pose a problem, he began to speak.  “Which one of you wants to take me on?  Let’s get to it.  He waited.  Those he had assessed as a possible problem proved him right.  Three of them stood up with anger in their faces.  The four of them stood straight and still for a moment.  You could just smell the tension in the room. 

The one who had the most potential for trouble turned to his friends and said, “I say we go across the street and catch the action at Millies”.  With a laugh, the three walked past the man with eyes that never left their target.  The man turned slightly as they left and watched them go.  Then, when they were dedicated to their words, the man turned to those left.  “Good evening folks”, the man said with a great joy in his voice.  “My name is Keith.  I’m the preacher from Tombstone.  I’ve come to hold service with you tonite.  Put down your drinks and lets rearrange the chairs”.  After a moment of shock and gawking to each other they got up and moved all the chairs.  Without any farther dilly dally, the man began his prayer.

“Father in Heaven, I thank you for Your Glorious grace and mercy.  It is good what You have taught me; When you enter a place make sure to shake out those who would stand against My Word.    Now, by Your Majesty, we will begin to share the truth You have given Your servant.  In the Glorious name of Jesus we pray”.  And the people said “AMEN”!

 The message was filled with a beautiful mix of death and life.  With simple words, the preacher laid out the truth.  One of the men sitting near him watched him intently and the preacher began to worry that a snake had remained.  None-the-less, with a sharp corner of his eye keeping watch on the man sitting near, the preacher kept on.  Perhaps he was just very interested in the message and the messenger.

At the end of the message, that man came up to the preacher.  He said, “Mind if I ask ya something?”.  “Shoot”, said the preacher and it made the man smile.  “Where’s your guns?”, the man whispered.  “I didn’t see any sign of em under your top coat.  You got a special place to stash em?”  The preacher laughed.  “Guns!”, he spoke loudly.  “What guns?  I don’t carry any guns on me”.  The man squinted hard at the preacher.  “Maybe he ain’t all there”, he thought to himself.  “You don’t appear to be stupid to me, preacher.  So why call those men out when you walked in?   If they called your bluff, you’d be dead by now”.  The preacher’s face got grim and a scowl crossed his forehead.  He turned and looked the man face to face and eye to eye.  Bending closer, the preacher whispered in a coarse tone, “You don’t get it.  If they plug me through they only send me home.  Though I die in this body I will never die.”    The man squinted back at the preacher.  And he whispered back with the same corse tone, “You just ain’t all there mister”. 

The man turned and left shaking his head.  He had paid no attention to the message given.  He had no eyes to see and no ears to hear.  How about you?

By His Grace.