Xanthium species


burrTemptation sits idle along every path a man might walk.  It does not have the sense to desire you.  It simply remains, deadly and dishonorable.

It waits with senselessness to bring shame to anyone who would stop to admire it.  And when the soul begins to admire sin, dishonor flourishes.

Temptation is no better or worse if a soul drinks its poison.  It is the man, who reals about, blind, drunk, and dying.  Temptation simply sits waiting to be consumed.

Men think of temptation as if it were an enemy.  Temptation is not smart enough to be aggressive.  No.  The enemy is not temptation.  The enemy is folly that is bound up in the desire of the man.

With our desire we dishonor the One who made us.  With our desire we destroy our legacy.  With desire we make the choice to be useless and damaging.  The one who desires temptation is the one who owns his own choice.

Resigned to Doing


A godless banker walked into a convenience store to get himself a piece of jerky.  He stops to hold the door for a dirty sweaty young man.  Not a word of thanks is spoken.  But the banker shrugs off the thankless heart.  To him, this is the nature of the unprincipled.

Moments later, while they are both still shopping, another man enters the store.  This one is dirty and filthy.  The smell of marijuana reeks from his body.  The smell of beer isn’t far behind.

He walked up to the girl behind the counter.  From his mouth begins a long line of ridicule.  He remarks about her looks, how ugly she appears.  He speaks violently about how pathetic her children must be, what a squalor of a life she must lead, and how embarrassed he would be if she were his wife.

He was loud and rude enough to capture the attention of the two who walked in before him.  The banker busied himself with a variety of jerky, as if he was trying to decide.  But the sweaty and dirty young man walked briskly to the side of the drunk.  From that position he gave the drunk a tongue lashing that caused tears to fall.

The drunk left ashamed.  The sweaty and dirty young man paid his bill and waited beside the door.  The banker, mindless of the position of the other, bought his jerky and turn to leave.

When he looked up, he was greeted by a great broad smile and friendly eyes.  I’m sorry I didn’t thank you for holding the door sir.”  The disheveled young man said.  “I just came here to get something cool to drink.  We just finished rescuing and burying our dog.  It’s been a hard day.  I hope you can forgive me for not remembering my honor.”

The banker was stupefied.  Shame covered his heart.  He thanked the young man for holding the door and wished him good speed on recovering from his loss.  Then the banker went out to his car, away from all prying eyes, and cried like a baby.

We are our brother’s keeper.  If he is wicked let us have the determination to set him straight.  If he is attacked unjustly, let us be bold enough to step forward and offer our own bodies for protection.  If he is weak and afraid, let us give him strength by example.  And all of this Christ’s people should be doing for the glory of the Holy Name who bought them.

No!  Christianity is not a religion.  It is a doing!