Tag Archives: death

Self Righteous Trap

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Two scriptures:

 Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jewish leaders. But now my kingdom is from another place.”   “You are a king, then!” said Pilate.    Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. In fact, the reason I was born and came into the world is to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.”   “What is truth?” retorted Pilate. With this he went out again to the Jews gathered there and said, “I find no basis for a charge against him.

And the other scripture:

“. . . Let God be true, and every human being a liar. As it is written: “So that you may be proved right when you speak and prevail when you judge.”

How can men know truth when it is God Himself who has set the limit of man’s understanding?  His purpose in this is that man might consider his limitations and seek the One who has no limit.  So many I’ve seen speak of how they are working toward eternity trying to do good.  And how many have I confronted with the fact that It’s Jesus who will be glorified, not man?  Yet what is their reply?  “Well, what you say is good.  But I’ll take my chances.  Thanks.” 

What is it with human pride?  How curious that even when presented with hell people won’t let go of their own “righteousness”.  It’s kind of like the trap set for monkeys.  A cage or container is set up with an inticing bait inside.  The slats or hole will allow a monkey to reach the hand in and grab the stick.  But they can’t bring a closed fist back out.  They will scream and dance around when approached for harvest.  But they won’t let go.  Death is the next experience these monkeys deal with.  How it will be on that day when we are presented with God’s plan of salvation, Jesus’ sacrifice.  Billions will stand there and expect to be received because they were such good people.  But billions will be horribly saddened when they are shown their selfish intentions.

Accept Jesus’ sacrifice and stop relying on your own ability to please God. 

By His Grace.

Scarlet is the Color of Extreme Sin.

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I posted a passage from Isaiah this morning regarding the nature of God’s expectations for men.  In the passage, God speaks of our sins.  He says, “Though your sins are as scarlet . . . “.  So why is God referring to extreme sins as a deep shade of red?

We think of good and bad in shades of light.  Horrible is marked by utter darkness; absolutely no light.  And Purity is marked by light; a great brilliance.  So why is God referring to extreme sin as a deep shade of red?

I thought, “Perhaps I don’t even know what scarlet is”.  So I did a google search for the color.  Then I went to image search to find the color depicted.  Ya know what popped up?  Porn.  “Oh!”  “Now I remember the ‘scarlet letter’ given to prostitutes and the sexually immoral.”  “Oh!”  “Now I remember how God often refers to His people as prostitutes; those who sell what is good for what is evil.  Oh.

In God’s eyes we are not shades of black and white.  We are labeled, either as those who chase after the things of the flesh, or those who chase after the things of God.  Which are you?  Which am I? 

By His Grace.

Who Are We?

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“Come now, let us settle the matter,”
   says the LORD.

This statement comes from the first chapter of Isaiah.  God is speaking of how His people have fallen.  And He speaks to the people of Sodom and Gomorrah (that would be all people).  What are we that God would say to us, “Come now, let us settle the matter”?  Such a statement is not made to a chair.  We don’t speak like that to anything that cannot respond through free will.  We speak like that to each other, don’t we?  We have a demand that’s not being met by someone who is able to meet the demand but refuses to do so.  Who are we that God should have such expectations? 

We have heard that we are so limited, small, vulnerable, and victimized.  But that statement is not addressed as though we have no choice but to remain as we are.  It speaks of ability not limitation.  What will be the judgment of such a people who refuse to learn of what is holy and good?  If God sees us as able, then His judgment of us will be wrapped around that concept.  “You were able to obey me because I gave you all you needed to learn this obedience”.  Perhaps that is going to be one of the phrases heard by the rebellious.

Consider, people, consider Him!  It will not be long before you stand in His Glorious and Holy presence to receive the just reward of your life.  I tell you a truth: It will be awesome to behold Him.  And it will not go well for the vast majority of mankind.  The rest of that chapter speaks of His expectations and His ability to restore those who desire to rid themselves of rebellion. 

This post is filled, to overflowing, with promise and warning.  I could have just pointed to the scripture and expected you to go read it.  But understanding the times, I know there are very few who read the Bible anymore.  Perhaps you think I speak with too much authority on this matter.  My words are light and carry the weight of a man.  But the words of God are filled with extreme authority.  Regardless what you think, you will die a hideous death of guilt at the hands of the Almighty God if you don’t heed what is posted here. 

Don’t think to yourself that refusing to read the Bible will excuse you from judgment.  “I didn’t know what you said in that book.  So I’m not to be held responsible for what you said there”.  Don’t allow the foolishness of your sinful mind to lure you into death.  You do know what He wants.  And you will be held accountable for all His Holiness on that day.

By His Grace.

The Grave Yard.

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http://outdoors.webshots.com/photo/1224152286014370529KYvnNK

The sun shone on the snow. 

Glistening crystals of ice sparkled brilliant on a water flat lake of cemetery. 

The stones dressed the landscape beyond the trees. 

But the place of attraction lay between the highway and the trees. 

“How pleasant”, I thought.  “The place of rest remains”. 

Then I thought of the bodies of dead rotting in the graves beyond the trees.  “From dust you are and to dust you shall return”.  Though the bodies decay, where are the souls?  Hundreds of bodies means hundreds of souls.  Where are they?  What are they doing? And what will be their lot?

The souls of those people are resting in a certain place which the Lord hasn’t described to man.  They are waiting for eternity to roll out before them.  The vast majority of them wait to hear the judgment of the Father of all life.  He will account of His Glory and eternal attributes.  Then, perhaps this is the way it will go, He will recount their personal history.  “What did you do with My Son?”, may be one of the questions posed to them by the Living and Holy God of eternity.

A few whose bodies lay in this place will sleep till the sound they hear is that of “Well done, good and faithful servant”.  Their entry into eternity will be that of great joy.  Compare the two.  Consider your personal future.  You too will lay beneath pristine snow on a sunny day.  But, more importantly, consider which you desire to hear when eternity opens it’s arms to receive all humanity. 

By His Grace.

Excluded from Eternal Life.

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Revelation 22:14, 15

“Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city. Outside are the dogs, those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.”

I was talking with a friend this morning about why I’m so different than most everyone else.  I don’t get along with those who chose to chat about idle things.  I don’t revel in the media of movies and secular music.  I rarely even listen to Christian contemporary music any more.  So the question came up regarding my distance from the main stream of people.

Consider what that verse says at the last: ” . . . and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.”  How many lies can you count in one hour of watching TV?  If you listen to the radio, how many songs and commercials can you count which spout lies or find their basis in anything other than The Holy God of all creation?  Drive down the road and look at billboards.  What do you see?  Can you identify the lies they are using to sell you what they have?

If you don’t think you fall into any of the other categories mentioned in that verse, you likely fall quite well into the round hole of loving lies.  Americans fall for nearly anything these days.   I’m not pointing fingers at anyone here.  I’m just making the point that lies have so built America that it now takes the Holy Spirit of God in a Christian to point them out.

I have no control over what anyone else thinks or loves in this world.  But I do warn, as the Lord has, that anyone who lives like this will not inherit eternal life.   Hey!  Hear me!  You will remain in your guilt if you do not obey Jesus.  What do I mean by obey?   After all, isn’t salvation free?  ok.  here . . .

1. Believe in the promise of God to forgive sins through trust in Jesus, His Son.

2. Obey the command of Jesus to become holy,  even as your heavenly Father is Holy. 

3. The forgiveness and power of Christ Jesus sets us free from the servitude of sin.  We need not carry on as do the un-believers any longer.  And He will hold His people to that.  Pray, and Do, the will of God in Christ Jesus.   If you don’t,  you won’t see the other side of  life after the judgment.  You will be cast away to bear your guilt for eternity.

By His Grace.

If. But Alas.

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If all the words I ever posted in this blog were like: “Jesus loves you”, “Heaven is a wonderful place”, “Aren’t roses pretty”, People are beautiful loving souls”, The earth is alive and you’re treating her badly”, “Cowboys used guns”, “sin is just a matter of opinion”, Everything will go on like this forever”, and the like, lots of people would read my blog.

But I don’t post rediculous words or half truths.  And the traffic and comments on this blog testify to a singular truth: 

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.

 For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.

 He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil.

For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed.

 But he who practices the truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God.”

(John 3:16-21)

By His Grace.