A Profitable Life


The beautiful stories in the Bible, where God displayed protection for his people, are not just stories. He is willing to save his people of faith from anything in the world can deliver against them.  

Years ago, there was a video of a man on an island carrying a cross toward flowing lava. He was hoping that a symbol of God’s majesty in Christ would stop the destruction of his town. The man was set on fire from the heat.  


Do you expect God to rescue you from everything? He will. But the word “everything” includes a whole lot more than this world can hold. There are the things of heaven, compared to which nothing in this world can hold a candle.  


Death, turmoil, confusion, and violence are the nature of this place. You’re bound to get some of all of it. Trust him anyway. He has a place in his kingdom for all who put their trust in the Son of the Living God. It is written, “they will never be put to shame”.


Try hard to remember, God’s desire is not to give you a pleasant life here. That would make a mockery of his kingdom. His desire is to prove his love to you so that you can have a rightful place in glory. See what the writer of Hebrews says in chapter 11.  


32 “And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson and Jephthah, about David and Samuel and the prophets, 33 who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, 34 quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies. 35 Women received back their dead, raised to life again. There were others who were tortured, refusing to be released so that they might gain an even better resurrection. 36 Some faced jeers and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. 37 They were put to death by stoning;e they were sawed in two; they were killed by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated— 38 the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, living in caves and in holes in the ground.”

Broken, Not Destroyed


I don’t know what value this is. Maybe it’s only valuable to me; to let my heart speak the words.  

What is Christ to me? He is a painful love. Yet, it’s not that he is painful but that I am from destruction.  


I see his love. I feel his love. I strive, with everything I have, to do his love. Yet the culture of the place where I am from often interferes with peace.  


The pain is not because of his love. Pain does not come from there. It comes from the store house of memories; wrapped around every thought like a leaching vine on a dying tree.  


I remember I did this to someone. I remember I failed to recognize someone else’s pain. Missed moments. Murderous moments. Distracted by selfishness. Wasted times, Times spent trying to survive, encased in a body full of greed.  


Sigh. So it is. But I would rather live this horror, with his love as my target, than to spend another moment living that useless life I have come to regret so deeply.  


Let this be an apology where no words can repair. Let this stand as a testimony to true Christianity.  


The Spirit of God calls, provokes, leads, and encourages toward what is holy. The unholy part of me must succumb. And I am gratefully thankful to my God that his promise is to destroy the destroyer. He is the rock upon which we are broken. Yet woe to those upon whom it falls, for they shall be utterly ground to powder.  


Be glorified Holy Father, for the work of Your own hands in the souls You have chosen to love.  

Lovely! Lovely! Lovely!


I have never found a Music more lovely than a sad song. It’s not the lyrics they use, it’s the melody that accompanies it. When the soul cries through Music it is exquisitely melodic.  

What melody accompanied the crucifixion of Christ? The fullness of God’s will in all eternity. Death trying to consume heaven.  


Man’s ears are not made to hear it. Even the soul cannot taste it’s fullness. It is the song of God’s victory over unspeakable sorrow.

Safety Is


Written on the ocean on March 2, 2017. But ever so eternally poignant.

The waves beat against the hull of the ship.  

With a silent and determined anger;

With gluttony for autonomy,


They desire “unimpeded”.  


See how the steel says, “No”.  

See how they are forced to go,


Dissipated.  


How the strength of their ruin is utterly devastated.  


How, with present Will

pressed against them, 

they turn to white frothing.

At the majesty they encounter;  

They turn to –

Mere nothing.  


Like they do as the wind whips them up, 

in small measure 

The sea is dotted with purity.  

Yet:

With impassable Will

All is turned back.  


“You will not pass.  

I cannot relent.  

I move through your midst,

My strength never spent.”


Be still!

Cease your work!

Bow to Me!

My people will pass


Speaks The Maker He.  


Move Holy Spirit.  

Move through my soul.  

Be the ship that carries 

The desire of Your own will. 

As it has been from old.  


Be in me the strength of your love.  

Keep me on the

“Inward side.”

The Old “New Age”


The man of the tombs was set free. The people marveled when they found him dressed and in his right mind. But do not mistake their marvel for a willingness to love. No, he spent the rest of his days in this world abandoned and despised.   

When he was full of demons they tried to bind him but he broke the chains and was set free from their bonds again. But now they find him weak. Now their despising is a raging fire. Now he can receive their pent-up vengeance. Don’t bother to think they had mercy on the man.  

As they realized that he had become like them, their widened eyes became squinted in anger.  Amazement quickly turned to thoughts of murder.  

He was not loved when he was unlovable. They could find no strength to love him when he became sane.  


But where is he now?


Despite all the world’s favorable words and intentions, they do not know what love and mercy is.  

What If It’s True?


I was speaking with a man who is beginning to “see” the Gospel.  The subject of how grand the visible universe is came up.  I said to him, “Who are we if all that is was made, was made specifically for humanity?”  He balked at this for a moment, for he remembered the teachings about life forms on other planets (that teaching from the pit of hell).  But then he said, “We would be a very special group of people”.   Joy filled my heart to hear him admit the truth.

I don’t know if he grasped the fullness of that summation.  But what if there are no other creatures in all the universe like us?  What if the entire universe was created for us alone?

But let me state what is absolute and true, there are no other creatures on any other planet in the entire universe like us.  We are the sole purpose of God’s Glorious and Holy Will in all this vast universe.  (Note the lack of apology)

What does that mean?  And how do I KNOW this is true?

It means that we are intended to become a holy people, dressed in purity, righteousness, mercy, justice and eternal understanding.  That is the intent of God for every man, woman and child.  Regardless what background you may have, you are intended to serve the Living God with faithfulness.

How do I know this is true?  Because the Gospel of Christ Jesus is TRUE.  God has sent his one and only Son, He who has been with the Father of Life from the “Beginning”.  Jesus taught us this truth in every thing he did and said.  He was murdered for our sake, and by our own hands.  But God has raised Him from the dead and seated Him eternally in Glorious Majesty.  And this was done in THIS PLACE!

According to what I have written, let everyone consider what this means.  May everyone believe the Gospel of Christ.  May everyone become the majesty of God’s intention among Man’s place in eternity.  May all men stand in awe at the revelation of Truth that God has shed His blood to attain.

Amen.