Tag Archives: faith

The Mechanic

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Your car is not running right.  Oh, you get down the road.  But your top speed is 17 mph.  Well now.  You’ve done everything you know how to do and it still won’t do what you want or what the manufacturer says it should do.  That’s going to require some experienced mechanic.

So you make the appointment with Joe and limp the car in for a peek.  After some careful inspection with his eyes and ears, (a few wire wiggling, and a couple screwdriver taps) Joe says what you don’t want to hear.  “We’ve seen quite a few of these problems.  And we’re sure we know what the problem is.  But the fix is both time consuming and expensive.  You’re going to have to sink quite a pretty penny into this ole beast”.

Ok, so we got a problem that’s going to cost us.  But 17 mph isn’t something the “White Picket Fence Dream” was supposed to include.  You were promised far more than these kinds of troubles.  The perfect wife, the perfect kids, the perfect job, and so it goes on for millions of perfects.  The reality is far less than promised, however.  And your brain screams, “IT’S NOT FAIR!”   You expected a few bumps in your life road.  And you were told you can trust that car.  But you didn’t make plans for 17 mph!

We come to Christ with great expectations.  We read and hear stories of wonderful success.  We gather to ourselves the joy of knowing we have it made now.  Jesus is our Lord and we will not falter.  Heaven is our future home and we’re happy about that!  But the reality of our walk in this “place of testing” becomes far less than the marketed triumph we are fed.  How come?  What happened?  Why can’t I experience that greatness I hear about?

Well, like the mechanic, let’s open her up and find out.  Take off the facade of fairytale Christianity and we’ll give her a look.  The mechanic looks past the Bible, after all, you drove it in here.  He pays no attention to prayer, you seem to have had plenty of that.  diligence, love, mercy, patience, no they seem ok.  Wow this is really becoming a bit of a quandary here.  “Ok.  Well, let’s look at the faith module”.  He pulls back the cover and says, “Well, there’s the problem!  You’re not sure you’re saved here.”

Allow yourself to ask an important question: “What would it be like for you, this walk in the “Place of Testing”, if you knew with absolute assurance that heaven was your home?  What would change about your faith and all the other trappings of the Christian walk?”

Now let yourself answer this question: “Does God lie?”

By His Grace.

Are You Aware?

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This note is not to those who are not under the leadership of Jesus.  This is put to those who have recognized the rule of Christ Jesus in their lives. 

Are you aware of the war that goes on all around you?  Do you hear everything through the strainer of truth?  When your friends mention the name of Jesus as if it were a word equal to surprise, do you hear it as they meant it?  When you see a yellow light, do you listen to the flesh and speed up?  Or are you listening to the truth of God to obey authority and make plans to stop?  When there is something you know needs doing and you’ve acknowledged it in your heart, do you respond by the flesh and say to yourself, “Oh I got my priorities mixed up.  I’ll do such and such first”?  Or do you listen to what is true and go get it done?

When you feel that urge, that familiar urge toward that sin which debases you before the Most High God, do you realize that you’re being urged by both your flesh and the enemy whispering behind your head?  You strive to become holy and devoted to God, but when you’re tempted you give in.  Why?  Hasn’t Jesus set us free from the law of sin and death?  So, where is that devotion to Him?  How has He asked us to suffer beyond what the world encounters?  There are millions who run into the same problems you have, yet they seem to be able to handle the situation pretty well.  What is it about believers that we stumble so?  Where is our strength to defend and create a worthy testimony to the Lord of Life?

There is a war.  Those under the control of  the lord of flies are rarely hit as hard with “whispering temptation” as the believer.  The reason is that they pose no threat to his kingdom.  We, on the other hand, do pose a great threat if we ever get wind of being manipulated.  We are the players in this war who receive the greatest blows.  And this is as it should be. 

I became aware of his whispering one day.  I can’t remember how I knew it wasn’t me.  But I clearly recognized how out of place the thought was.  It was then and there that I started to listen carefully to my thought patterns.  I began to pay careful attention to what entered and what was produced by that entrance. 

Ponder what I’ve brought to the table here and consider His demand for Holiness on our part.  “Be Holy, even as your Father in Heaven is Holy”.  What cha gonna do bud?  grovel like a little child all your life?  You gonna let him bully you around?  Or are you gonna take charge with the power of the Holy Spirit God gave you?

By His Grace.

RISE UP AND LIVE IN HIS HOLY NAME!

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God!  To God we send our service.  The world serves themselves so that they might eat from their bountiful table of waste.  Yet the servants of the Lord Most High will eat of what He gives.  We struggle through this place as a people foreign and forgotten.  But we are not aliens to the floor of God’s Holy Throne room.  And we are remembered by He who cannot lie. 

How should His people walk in this great blackness?  Should our feet not find each step with a sure boldness?  We stand by the strength of the One who stands forever.  He enables as He sees fit.  And we are not left as orphans. 

Beware, all you who stand against the Holy Will of God.  You stand amiss.  He is about to close the door on all that is wicked.  For He has promised that His Spirit will not contend with the wickedness of man forever.  Be wise and consider your ways.  It is God who will judge.  You do not stand beneath the judgment of men, even the men of Christ.  You will be judged by your own standards, and that against the perfection of the Holy One of Israel.

Strength!  Be strong, you people who call upon the name of Jesus, the Christ of God!  We are entering into His rest.  Watch!  Watch with eyes of an eagle.  For He calls us to Holy service for His Glory.  Speak to one another with Holy words.  Speak to your heart of the peace He gives.  Remember your calling to become His people.  We do not serve any but He who never ends.  Rise up and LIVE!

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.

Things Held Secret.

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Stories, movies, rumors, whispers, guessing, and foolishness, all surround God’s will.  Man seeks to know Him and there are surprisingly few who learn to know Him.  Yet His ways and will are plain to all men. 

A whole lot of speculation has gathered together in this age.  People making statements about some “secret” they’ve learned.  They write books and make lots of money by peddling their “secret”.  Yet the attributes of God remain open for all who would earnestly seek Him. 

I stepped out to start my day with prayer.  I looked at the bright stars then caught myself.  The fascination with the things created began to capture my attention as I prayed.  But it’s not in those things we see that we find God.  So much for the naturalists approach to Holiness.  I turned my attention to that place in me where I am allowed to cross infinity to meet Him at His Holy Throne. 

Here, we struggle with the blindness God has ordained for man.  And once we begin to see with the eyes of faith we are encompassed by the real secret.  God is not a secret.  And He does not hide Himself from us.  It is we who remain secretive and hidden.  I struggle, as do all who know Him and try to tell His story.  But it’s not a struggle of knowing Him.  It’s a struggle of how to tell His story to a blind people. 

Jesus often said, ““What is the kingdom of God like? What shall I compare it to?”  Even Jesus, who created all heaven and earth was a bit stumped in telling us about what is real.  He was not stumped because He is limited in His abilities.  He found it difficult to tell man what was true because man is so horribly locked in sinful thoughts and realities. 

We are lost in a sea of speculation and confusion regarding the majesty of God.  And this sea causes us all manner of pain.  So I write and write and write trying to capture the unseen nature of He who loves.  The battle between waking up my brothers and rendering a true picture of God’s nature is a sincere war.  Those who Know Him through Jesus are really put to the great task of telling others.  What you read in this blog represents my utmost desire to communicate with a people locked in sin.  I speak as I can.  But it would be best if the reader would seek and find Him. 

So three things result from this post: 

1. I know God the Father and what has been revealed to man through Jesus, the Christ of God.

2. This knowledge is beautifully beyond our ability to voice to others because of  the sinfulness of man.

3. Knowing God and His Holy will and attributes is an intensely personal task.

I cannot give you what I know.  You must receive it from Him.  Then we can speak together of the beauties we find.

By His Grace.