Tag Archives: faith

Any Beating is better Than Death.

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After sleep comes the bowed head.  No tears threaten to well up.  The sorrow is felt in the soul.  Yet the heart hears a different tone.  The Lord of Perfect Beauty is calling.  And He calls to one who has sinned before Him.  I knew better.  Was it stubbornness?  Was it simple weakness?  Was it a lust for things past?  What do any of those questions matter now?  I sit here afraid yet not afraid.  It is the eyes of He who sees which gaze at me and softly scan my heart.  I have transgressed His demands of me.  And I am not misguided in my assessment of the situation.  There will be punishment to endure for the acts done.

After reflection and thanks for the simple things He whispers something odd.  “Yes, there will be punishment to endure.  But you will gladly accept My judgment when you see the alternative.” 

   47 “The servant who knows the master’s will and does not get ready or does not do what the master wants will be beaten with many blows. 48 But the one who does not know and does things deserving punishment will be beaten with few blows. From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked. (Luke 12)

Jesus sits enthroned in Heaven.  The oil of joy is poured upon Him by the Father in Heaven.  He rules all eternity and is willing to share His joy.  For those of us who are being humbled by a collision with Holy and foolish sinful tendencies:  Consider yourself for a moment.  If you had a million dollars and were standing in a great place of poverty, would you help those around you?  Of course you would.  And would you judge those around you while you gave them food and clothing?  Of course you wouldn’t.  If that is how you who are full of sin would handle riches, how much more will the Lord of Glory share all good things with those who call out to Him for help?

Let your back be bent and your head be bowed for a time.  It is good to ponder the seriousness of your offences before the Most High God.  Allow yourself to really listen to Jesus’ calling, however.  Listen to what He is saying.  He knows your plight.  But He also knows where He is now enthroned.  He calls to all men to humble themselves before Him that in due time He might lift them up.  Only submit to the Lord of Love and consider yourself dead before the foot stool of the consuming fire that is God.

By His Grace.

Hell is Big Enough to Receive the Humanist

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There is a difference between doing good  acts of righteousness and doing the Father’s Good and Holy Will.  There is a way that seems right to a man, but the end thereof is death.  A man might go about doing what he thinks is good all the days of his life and still miss the promise of eternal life in Jesus.

Want proof?  Consider the following:

We see men and women all over the planet busily convincing others that doing good for their neighbor is the proper way to lead a meaningful and “godly” life.  Yet how do they know what good to do?  Are they, perhaps, stepping on the “toes” of God’s will?  When I was a willingly sinful man, I had no right to claim help from anyone.  Yet these people helped me.  What did they do to bring me to God’s will for my life?  Didn’t they enable me to remain in my situation?  I don’t say that I didn’t appreciate their good deeds.   But were their good intentions simply promoting a life I was willing to live?  Since I knew I could get help from men when I needed it, I continued in my willing sin.

Another aspect of this error of doing good to all for the sake of doing good is the reality of limits.  A man with a loaf of bread must feed his family first.  If there is something left over then he is allowed to feed the needy.  This limit of resources extends to everything man has at his disposal.  Sometimes we see men giving from their basic necessities for the sake of doing good for others.  But eventually the resources run out.  So by limits placed on man he can only give of what is available.  After that we see promises and hopes dashed.  This is not so when it comes to the will of the Father in Heaven.  To God there is no limit to His resources.  And if a man chases after God’s will in Jesus the Christ, he will find enough to satisfy the needs of God’s will.   And only God can truly change a life.  Man’s efforts are only a bandaid over the sinful nature within the man.  God, through Jesus, comes in and removes the necessity to live a sinful life.  That man’s ways become godly by virtue of the unlimited resources of God.  Not the limited resources of man.

In short, we see man trying to do good yet failing because of the limits God has placed on him.  These limits are in place that we might recognize our need to rely on God alone.  But man, without the Spirit of God,  does not see the need to rely on God as long as there are still resources left.  Politicians are in demand for every resource the people under them can generate.  They are seriously damaging their own household that they might provide for their own greedy minds and hearts.  Yet they don’t take into account the dwindling resources under their control.  God will judge with eternal wisdom.  And every man will give account of his willingness to serve the God who made him.

Do not be fooled by the “Good Doers of this age.  Serve God first then all things good will be provided.  You will find your resources expand where others watch them recede.   Become God powered doers.  And this is done by accepting Jesus’ perfect desire for your life.  This is the reason we are given life in the first place.  In this Place of Testing, we are put to a choice; serve God or serve man.

By His Grace.

Tornado

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My heart is concerned.  The warnings have been coming that something bad is developing for America.  I fear the storm is here.

A tornado doesn’t “just appear” from nowhere.  There is a lead up to it’s presence.  The wind, clouds, rain, and pressure increases.  Then you hear the tornado approach.  So it is with the troubles of this generation.

The forecasters have been speaking loudly of a trouble coming, such as has never been.  And most people pay no heed.  But as surely as when the tornado appears and there is no remedy, so it is with the appearing of trouble.  No man will withstand what is coming.  And even those who embrace the Lord’s protection and Holy guidance will quake with the sight of it. 

Open my heart, O’ Lord of Life.  Open my eyes and ears to perceive what is coming upon man.  Let me live aware of Your judgments.  And prepare me for what is surely coming.  I see the clouds gather in dark formation.  I hear the thunder of lies roll through mankind.  I see the trust given to flimsy materialism, and false religion.  And few take warning.  Hide me in Your powerful hand and be my shield. 

By His Grace.

The Ark

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In the building of a task there is a beginning and an end.  No one who builds according to a specific plan keeps building after the plan is accomplished.  A house has a place where it can be called “finished”.  You walk to the park, and there is a time and place where you can say you arrived.

Noah was told to build an Ark for the coming flood.  And it wouldn’t take a scholar to recognize that the building of an Ark did not go on for the entirety of Noah’s life.  There was a final peg pounded into the gopher wood.  There was a final animal which entered the doorway.  There was a final word spoken among them as the Ark lifted from its mounting.  And there were final things done as they left the Ark.  In short, the building of the Ark was a one time task the Lord told Noah to do. 

This blog has reached that point.  The Lord has made it plain to me that I have arrived at the place where His work is completed here.  Through me, He has created what is now refered to as a “bag of seeds”.  It will remain available for His work.  This place is a tool in the tool box of the Lord.  He will direct people here as He sees fit.  I may add to it from time to time.  But the consuming fire to build is over. 

The building of this place of testimony has been an absolutely consuming fire within me.  And I know it was of His doing.  Even as I read back through some of the posts, I’m amazed at the depth of ideas and words.  These words were not mine.  They were given to me that I might leave a place where the Father is Glorified through Jesus, my Lord.  All glory belongs to God!

As you read through these things it is important that you know these are not the words of a man alone.  I know that I interpreted what I saw sometimes.  But the vast majority of the writings are eternal.  And it important to note that these things are not to be considered Scripture.  There is, already, Scripture.  I have no desire to replace them.  It is through the Bible that you too will find inspiration to testify.  But itis  the Living God who continually provokes glorious testimony from His people.

I encourage everyone to write and speak the glory of God within them.  What are we if we don’t contribute to the salvation of men?  And what are we if we do not fight with all we have for the Glory of God? 

With this post I conclude what was begun in me.  I will now live my life as if I had never typed one letter of this blog.  Not that I abandon the Lord and His will.  But this task is finished. 

Father, I ask Your Holy hand to guard this place.  To keep Your work separate from me.  And to Glorify Yourself in Your work.  This has been a magnificent blessing that You have given this poor man to accomplish!  And I am honored to have served you in the building of this “bag of seeds”.  May the peace You had before the creation of the world return to You and Your people.  In the Glorious name of Jesus, I present you this place as it rightfully belongs to You.    Amen.

By His Grace.

Vain Superstitions

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We are not called to frolic in the guestimations of the world regarding the Holiness of God.  We are called to join with Him in implementing His will among men.  While men make guesses regarding end times, the “Way”, the nature of Jesus’ salvation and glorification, God remains steady and sure.  He does not shift or change according to the limited understanding of man’s wicked contrivings regarding Holy.  God is.  And it is enough for us to live by the faith He gives each one of us.

Cease your constant wandering and rest.  It is God who works His will in His people.  Do not be swayed by all kinds of foolish words with which man builds his kingdoms.  They speculate about what is true.  It is God’s domain to KNOW what is true.  The one who follows Jesus will lay aside all this foolishness and pick up what is absolute.  God is willing to share wisdom to anyone who will ask.  And He will share this vast resource without judgment of any man’s history or bend toward wickedness.  Only, let us not give in to believing all the short sighted superstitions the world begs us to endure.  Hold firmly to Jesus and the truth He reveals.

Let those who will chase after vain knowledge; knowledge that is puffed up by the mind and wicked heart of man.  It is not the lot of Christians to cave to the foolish of the world around them who do not know the Lord of Glory.

By His Grace.

Allowing Time for Change.

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We all have someone in our life who we would love to see grow in maturity, or experience the freedom found in Christ Jesus, or take responsibility for their own actions, or even forgive an offence.    This desire to see positive growth in that loved one is a good thing.  No doubt, in that desire is found everything “good”.  There are even places in each one of us which might draw that same desire for ourselves.  “Oh, I so wish I could just…………….”. 

Will you permit me to ask a really hard question?   What serious change, or radical change, has ever come upon anyone over night?  Oh, there might be realizations that change our direction.  But the really concrete change (so as to never go back) happens slowly.  First we realize we have a problem.  Then we try on different fixes like a child tries on daddy’s shoes.  And finally we find what we know will solve the problem.  But it’s at the last point where we realize how absolutely huge and difficult change is going to be.

Even coming to Jesus with a problem we find the same three increments: realize, try variations, come to grip with the real fix.  Our lives are slow, yet hopefully sure, steps toward what we know is “good”.  I post this because I see a whole lot of people kind of stuck in a mire of doubt and inability.  I absolutely know that Jesus is the answer to any problem you might have going on.  But there’s an element of natural progress that must be embraced.

When we see someone we want to change toward what is “good”, what are we expecting?  If we expect them to just “Get with the program”, we’re bound to be disappointed.  Look at yourself.  What are you expecting?  Since even we can’t change over night, why do we expect it from others?  And what might the first signs of change look like?  The person we are focusing on, whether someone else or ourselves, is already dysfunctional in some manner.  Do we expect the first signs of wellness to appear void of this dysfunctional behavior?

This is what forgiveness is all about.  Openning the door to the sickness. so that when we see change we are willing to embrace it.   And this is why it is said that Jesus offers the fix to our problem.  His forgiveness and teaching are sure, real, and effective.  Let yourself receive forgiveness from Him.  Let yourself receive forgiveness from yourself.  Offer that same forgiveness to others.  This is the beginning of healing for everyone, even YOU.  Put on patience and love as if you were going to a stately dinner.  Wear patience for yourself.  Love without regard to who needs it.  This is the key to healing from wounds too deep to touch.

By His Grace.