Tag Archives: diligence

Luke Warm

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“Let us feel like we are saved.  Let us revel in some future joy.  Leave us alone, this world is too harsh and we want to live in sweet dreams.

We do not want to fast, for food is pleasurable.  We do not want to ache because of the Holiness of God.  We do not want to think ill of our brothers in flesh.  We do not want to speak down regarding the things this world loves so much. 

You do not realize the difficulty we face if we turn to God completely.  They will come and take away our place.  They will push us to a corner of obscurity.  They will hate us even as we can see they hate you.  They may even kill us and our children!  Why do you continue to badger us?”

Have it your way.  But consider, Christ did not measure his love for His Holy Father when he died for you on the cross.

By His Grace

The Living Light Switch

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Curiosity has touched me.  I tried to hide among the bushes, but he found me out none the less.  I thought I could rely on understanding.  But understanding is like a loosely built fence, which through the cracks between,  I can receive a glimpse of heaven.  And it is while I stand along that fence, in the shadow of obscurity, that curiosity comes to greet me.

I know the answer to the question, but that there should even be a question marvels me.  The question covers three topics.  By necessity, I can’t figure out how to make it short.  But the answer is supported by the legs of the three topics.  At the top of the “Table of answer”, I lay my conclusion.

Leg 1. Why is constant and enduring self-discipline necessary for the things of God?

Leg 2. Why must man be encouraged, and even sometimes forced, to pray?

Leg 3. To where do the words of the Bible disappear after we have read them?

Human beings are so amazingly capable of learning, doing and retaining.  The volume of technology is proof of this.  There are those who have mastered virtually the complete volume of Technology ( Make no mistake, the word volume is misleading.  How many books are written on various subjects by various masters of their own trade?).  And the list of those who aspire to join them in this accomplishment is very long. 

Self discipline, zeal, and retention, do not lack among men.  What I find mysterious is the lack of understanding of those three “legs” in the things of God.

I know there is a distinction between what is flesh and what is Spirit.  But even a man who contains the Holy Spirit of God finds himself being dragged back to the flesh from time to time.  Today he remembers and does.  Tomorrow he forgets and stumbles.

Obviously, dedication to God’s things is not accomplished by a momentary decision; as if one flips the switch in the room and the light comes on.  Now he can go about the room and do as he pleases, forgetting the switch.  No, it is more like the man must rise from his chair to switch it on again.  For the switch tends to move down to the off position, as if it were a being in itself. (Please don’t become paranoid, and find yourself watching the switch.  It’s just an analogy.)

The answer to this mystery, is that God has made these things so that he may test the fullness of a man’s heart.  Laziness in the things of God is not an option.  It requires a constant straining toward the things of heaven.  Relax, and you will surely suffer loss.

A man may study technology, then take a vacation without loss.  But the man of God who does this, will find himself horribly lacking.  The information of God does not arrive without direct connection to the Spirit of God.  And it cannot be reliably retained by the flesh.  And dissipates rather quickly with non-use.  But where does it go?

I have found the Lord Jesus to be incredibly humble.  He does not force himself on anyone.  Neither does he help us unless we ask.  Agreed, there are circumstances beyond our knowledge in which he must help us.  Rest assured, he does and is.  But the volume of what is Holy belongs to him.  If by derilection, we push him away, the things that are Holy go with him.  That my friend, is where the words of the Bible go.

I am warned afresh.  Yet in this I also find a great promise.  The Lord has promised us, “I will never leave you nor forsake you”.  And he has taught us, “Without me you can do nothing”.  But I am struck by the reality of his promises as they play out in our daily life.

This is not hidden knowledge.  It is not only available in the Bible, but all his people testify of these things everyday.  Perhaps what is more amazing, is that there are still Church going folk who do not know these things.  For I perceive how often the Pastor must encourage the flock to read the Bible, to pray, and to do the things of Christ.

Indeed, the mystery of godliness is great!

By His Grace

The Dispassionate Objective of Death

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I watch men live.  What am I seeing as I watch us?  I see men prosper in the way of man.

They work to gather food, shelter, prosperity of social standing, and some semblance of “worth”.  They create some form of religion for themselves, individually and corporate.  But do I see them prosper against death?  No.  I see death approach them regardless their toil.

Death has no regard for the diligent work they have done.  Death, not only has no respect for the things of man’s toil, it has no ability to recognize anything but demise.

Rust does not make any apology to metal as it reduces it back to the place from which it was taken.  And the flakes of dust rust causes, fall back to the earth without the slightest acknowledgment of metal’s history or accomplishment.  As it is with rust, so it is with death.  As it is with wickedness, so it is with the best “righteousness” of man’s intent.

Do you think you have become something because you have learned to prosper in the ways of man?  Frankly, you have no more right to consider your prosperity as “something”, any more than death recognizes any righteousness within you.

If you want to be something, appeal to the Holy One, Jesus The Christ of the Living God.  Only in Him will you find any lasting profit.  For He alone has hold of the two keys; the key of Life, and the key of Death.  Only in Jesus will you find direction to do and desire eternally good things.  Without Him, you can’t even read the Bible with any effective impact toward righteousness.

He has spoken a singular truth among us: “Without me you can do nothing”.  The longer I live, and the longer I witness the “doings” of man, the more vibrant the truth of that saying becomes.

Seek Him and learn what fullness of that saying you can.  Only then will you begin to do more than simply provide sustenance until death comes to claim what is rightfully his.  The fullness of what I am saying cannot be understood without His presence.

In the Draft From Eternity

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A truck passed me doing nearly 70 miles an hour.  I watched a little bird swoop down behind his trailer, and fly in the draft of air behind the trailer.  I didn’t know they could fly so fast.  I didn’t know they could be so bold.  I didn’t know they were wise enough to choose their toys.  But now I do.

I can be more than a man.  I can be bold.  I can be wise enough to choose my Master.  For I will follow behind him in his blazing train; caught up in His Majesty, which he leaves along “The Way”.

The truck went by with good speed.  So Christ Jesus walked by John the Baptist in the same way.  Then we see John play in the Holiness of Christ like the bird in the draft of the trailer.

“This is the one I meant when I said, ‘A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.'”

Let us too be wise.

By His Grace

Marginal Christianity 101

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Have you settled for social Christianity?  Do you go to church like a good little boy, because it’s what we’re supposed to do? 

It is socially acceptable to have a painting of Jesus on a wall in your house.  It’s even okay to have a worn out looking Bible on the coffee table.  And if somebody has an emergency it’s okay to pray some kind of helpless prayer.

All the while such people use the Holy Lord’s name in vain.  They keep what they know about the Gospel to themselves.  You may occasionally find them in a Christian book store.  But you’re not likely to find them living a holy life.

Is this what you’ve become?  Is that what Christianity means to you?

I’m not going to browbeat you.  And I didn’t write this to make you feel bad.  But I want to help you examine that kind of Christianity.

Why would anyone be satisfied with some small settlement for eternity, when he could have been a son of God?  Why would anyone do something at the marginal levels, when they have the promise of the Holy One to help them aspire to greatness in the kingdom of God?

You do realize, don’t you, that we’re talking about eternity here.  At 100 billion billion years, you would still be considered a child.  That’s a long time to live with a regret.  For your sake, I’m speaking like a man, in that there might be what can be called marginal Christianity.

Personally I don’t believe there is such a thing as marginal Christianity.  Because I don’t recall a place in the Bible where God says that’s okay.

Instead, I find list after list of description belonging to those who do not receive eternal life.  So that begs this question, why would any sane person want to play games with eternity?

I know what the problems are my friend.  If you start talking about God you lose friends, and fast.  You’ll be forced to give up a lot of pleasures.  You will likely have difficulty with your spouse.  If you have teenagers, they are likely to think you have gone insane.  You may lose your job.  Even your many friends at church may turn their face when they see you coming, just like you do to God’s people now.

But if you want marginal Christianity, have at it.  What am I going to do, tie you to a chair and beat you with a rubber hose?  It’s entirely your choice, isn’t it?

But have you considered what’s at stake?  You may lose everything on this earth.  But you gain an unspeakable joy forever.  You may be driven to the place where you do not have one single friend.  But for eternity you will have a family who will never desert you or accuse you of any wrong.

You will suffer anguish over the things you have done.  That’s what repentance provokes.  That means you lose a lot of sleep.  But isn’t that why you have seared your conscience with a hot iron?   You have cauterized your shameful history, lest it bleed out into your mind.  For you can’t put up with any guilty thoughts.

You don’t look back at the bad things you’ve done, because you can’t take the shame of it.  But if you don’t join with Jesus, God will show you these things himself.  And when he does that, there will be no opportunity for you to make repairs.  And at that point there is no more offer of forgiveness.

But you’re welcome to keep your marginal Christianity.  You will not do harm to eternity if you are not there.  No one in the kingdom of heaven will talk bad about you.  My friend, they won’t even remember your name.

The people who are disobedient to the Gospel, do not have eternal life.  But you can keep your marginal Christianity, while so many strive with all they have to enter in.  Just where did you expect to fit in?

By His Grace

Scissors and Worms

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The righteous man walks carefully down the wet slippery alley, holding his scissors points down.  The moisture has brought out the worms.  And hardly a step can be taken without sliding.

The righteous man does not run with his scissors.  Nor does he eat the worms.  For he remembers the words of his parents, and strives diligently to obey.

Yet behind him is a clamor. And not a worm is left in sight.  With their eyes stabbed bloody, bellies full of wiggly things, and the cry of complaining anxiety, the wicked urge him to run and eat.

Blessed is the man who loves to obey God.  He will see with clarity.  And he will eat of the finer things in the land.

But cursed for eternity are those who love rebellion.  They close their own eyes forever.  And they feed themselves on those which will feed on them.

Choose you this day whom you will serve!

By His Grace