Tag Archives: Grace

You’re a Christian, huh?

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Happy Tears - old man [12]

Happy Tears – old man [12] (Photo credit: Zuhair Ahmad)

How can it be described?  How can words express the surprise, peace, acceptance, and tears that appear when the Lord Jesus comes to touch and whisper love to us?

 

One moment you’re living your life.  The next moment you’re on your knees sobbing like a little child.  His touch is that powerfully packed with love.  But how can it be described?

 

You think you’re a Christian.  I won’t take that away from you.  In fact, you might be the very brother or sister I will live next to for eternity.   But can we talk about what can be expected by those who say they love the Lord of Life?

 

Have you shed tears like that?  Have you ever been in a setting and found yourself filling with appreciation about the things of God?  What did you do?  Did you shut them down lest anyone see a drop of emotion manifest itself on the outside of your body?  Or did you let it consume you, knowing that what is unseen and unheard will be visible to all and yelled from the roof tops?  But those are things of the flesh.  Those are things we can accomplish.

 

I’m pointing to that specific and immeasurably different experience we strive to express when we have been touched by the Lovely One.  I will restrain my fingers here.  For I was about to dive into psalm about Him.  What good would that do if you haven’t experienced His nearness yet?

 

Instead, I will testify that there is a touch of God in this world!  He is not distant!  “In Him we live and move and have our being.”  Our souls are dark and willingly hide from Him.  But open yourself to the Lord of Life.  Hope, dream, expect and pray that He will touch you.  He is willing.  He is simply waiting for the proper moment.  It will be a moment when you least expect it.  And He will whisper His love and understanding to you.  Tears WILL flow.

 

By His Grace.

While You Slept (a prayer for help)

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While you slept I could not.  But my waking was not as it is in the city that never sleeps.  For there they plot to maintain their wealth.  There they plot to cheat, murder, rape, and gain what does not satisfy.  Their waking is to flesh.  Not so with mine.

My heart has heard the warning of demise.  The words come from Holy lips.  But the sound is softer than the landing of a feather.  It is a whisper.  Yet the gravity of their sum is like the sounding of a cannon.  So I do not sleep.

Perhaps to pray, a sufficient response and expected.  But does prayer require bent knee?   How, then, could we obey what is spoken to us, “pray without ceasing” ?   No.  Prayer is here with you now as you read this.  Our hearts are bent together in unified terror for the losses most certainly to come.  As reeds in a wind storm, let our hearts bend toward The Holy Throne.

This I will offer.  “Amen” if you agree.  Then, if the burden finds root in your soul also, leave your own words to Him here that we might mutually agree.

“O’ Holy Father in heaven,  Yours is might of might.  It is said of Your Holy Son that He is the same yesterday, today and forever.  So it is.  For this He is worthy.  For He is the exact representation of You, His Father.  What we see in Him is that of You.

You teach us to love as You love Your Son.  So be it!  This is good and right.   You teach us to care for the weak.  We watch You raise up help for all men in need.  You show us how to be kind to our enemies, for we witness how you provide food, clothing, shelter and strength to those who abhor Your Holy ways.  We witness these things and stand in awe Your Majestic heart.

Father, our nation is willingly killing itself.  Your people are to blame.  We shut up Your perfect words behind closed doors on Sunday morning.  We said little or nothing as the nation around us began to decay.   Now, You have allowed liars to lead us the rest of the way to destruction.  We did not keep Your word.  We counted Your mercy as if You would shelter our sin.  May that NEVER be!

Now, I present these words of truth to You and all who will read them.  We ask that we be shown if there is anything that can be done to save this place from what is beginning to take shape.

“Horror approaches.  Godless days among the godless!”

Yes.

You rightfully ask, “Do you love Me more than these”.  Yet when asked if fire should be called down on the wicked, we were told we do not know the God we serve.

Holy Father, You are mercy!   Kick Your people awake as was done to Peter.  Open the steel bars over our sleep encrusted eyes.  Show us our sin and folly.  We have neglected what is our duty before You.

Lord, You are tender.  Your touch is life and precious.  Please touch us.  Your name is Jesus.  You are the God who saves.  We ask, humbly and with understanding, please wake us.

By Your Grace.  Amen.

Comparison of interest

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I remember how it was before the Lord opened my mind.  I cared very little about what I did as long as others didn’t punish me for it.

There seem to be a particular delight in speaking of things that were righteous, joking about them to make them unholy.  The more vile the more delight, and I rarely lacked friends to enjoy it with.

It seemed that joy came from the base things not the basic things.  Wouldn’t one expect that of an evil man.

But the Lord appeared and gave that man a different tongue.  Where the tongue had enjoyed what is sweet to the flesh, such things now became bitter.  And if by chance I could stomach the taste, the Lord changed my heart along with it.

There is a food for the soul which the body knows nothing about.  Many men have fasted for weeks; while their heart feasted on a great banquet.

Where before nothing was forbidden, now only certain things are acceptable.  But it is no loss.  The fact is, what is now less is far more satisfying than all that was.  And shame has made way for peace.

All of this has come to be because Jesus first loved me.

By His Grace.

A reflection of Fog at Twilight

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“In Him we live and move and have our being”.

“Now we see as through a glass darkly”.

I speak but I am limit.  I understand but only through destruction.  I use words but they are limited by my vocabulary.  And if I happen to say the right things would I perceive it? Could you hear it?

Before “this” was, there was more.  When this place is gone, eternity will lack nothing for its demise.  What was before is living and cannot die. What will be is the same as what was.

” Jesus Christ is the same yesterday today and forever”.  “Those who put their hope in Him will never be ashamed”.

We who place our hope in him were not, now we are and we will never die.  Perhaps you think this is too much to say.  God does not lie and God has promised this.

By His Grace.

Reasons Provoke Specific Actions

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Motivation,  that’s what matters.  A man dives into a shelter for a reason.  The reason comes from his perception.

The Lion hunts where prey are less likely to be watching.  He is motivated to do this for ease of kill.

A people with nothing to fear are either utterly delusional,  or are willing participants in their death.  It is the wise who seek shelter against dangers.

Jesus offers that singular shelter.  Consider it, my friends.  Ask and He will show you what all this means.  Fail to respond, and you will shake limbs with the Lion.

By His Grace.

Familiarity Breeds Contempt

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“Why, I remember you when you were just a boy.  You couldn’t even tie your shoes.  And you’re gonna give me a ticket for speeding?  You ought to learn some respect for your elders son”!

I don’t know where, but I’m sure that has been said thousands of times to thousands of men.  And why not?  Men do it to God all the time.  Why not do it to men?

A man is given authority to accomplish the will of leaders in society, and evil hearts have utter contempt for him.  Others, on the other hand, respect the uniform, position and instilled authority.  It is rare to find that respect among those who knew the man before he was given such power.

“Only in his hometown, among his own relatives and in his own house is a prophet without honor”, said Jesus.

“Jesus”, people say.  “Isn’t that the name of the one the Christians worship”?  Or the people say among themselves, “Jesus, isn’t that the babe in the manger in the Christmas story”?

Familiarity breeds contempt.  But only among those who are only willing to accept others according to their own perception.

If you limit Jesus to His earthly persona, you will hate Him.  But if you give thought to His rightful claim as the Son of God, you open the door to eternal life.  Quite the vast difference in outcome, isn’t it.

“He could not do any miracles there, except lay His hands on a few sick people and heal them.  And He was amazed at their lack of faith”.  Doesn’t that sound like familiar territory?  Isn’t that the America most have come to know, trust and love?  So, “America” has become their replacement for God.  We could then conclude the nationalism is god to most Americans.

Yep, familiarity does breed contempt.  What will be the likely outcome?  Answer that yourself.

Just as an aside: I was raised in America. I have run around in its streets. I have been part of celebrations. And I have been taught her standards. You could say that I am familiar with America. But, after learning about the Lord Jesus, I have developed a certain contempt for America. Perhaps it shows………..

By His Grace.