Tag Archives: Grace

Where do I Stand?

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c. 1632

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Many look at the Lord Jesus and say, “That’s nice.”  Most hear of Him and His expectations for His people and turn their heads another direction.  Some hear of the Lord of Glory in Jesus and reach into their pockets to give alms to those who appear to serve Him.  And some study their entire life to learn of His secrets.

But a few will lay down pride and gain in this world to receive the Glory of His promise.  Some have given all they own to be a part of His Testimony.  Some are looking at Jesus and pondering what all this “giving of self” means.  And they are about to cast in all they own to join the Glorious war of God.

Where do I stand?  What have I left that can be thrown down for His sake?  What do I hold dear in this world?  How close am I to being counted as one who threw it all away for His Glorious Name?

To those who are perishing, we are a dreadful smell of death and doom.   But to those who are being saved, we are a life-giving perfume.   And who is adequate for such a task as this?  (2 Corinthians 2:16 [the Living Bible])

By His Grace.

Faithful in Poverty. Warriors of Righteousness.

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A beggar with leprosy in Bodhgaya.

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I reign in Majesty!

Will you receive me in rags?

I offer you Eternal Life!

Will you accept death all alone from My hand?

I Am the purpose and Creator of Life.

Will you serve me though no one notices?

Mine is the Eternal Spring of Joy!

Will you shed the tears I give to My servants?

Who will join Me in the task of My Father?

Who will stand in the assembly of the wicked,

to proclaim the words of Righteousness?

Who will lose all for the sake of my Name? 

Who will forsake all and appear before them, lame?

Yes!  I offer Life!  Come, prepare for the feast at My Table.

 

 

By His Grace.

What is the answer?

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Clock

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When you went to bed last night, was the day over?  Had the day become history?  And had all the worries of the morning become written down in your experience of reality?  Yes.  These things are true.

It is also true that when we die our life in this bag of flesh will become “over”.  Our testing will have become history.  All our worries will become written down in our experience of reality.  Yet.  All these things are true.

Speak to yourself.  Ask yourself this question out loud:  “Is it too much to ask to obey the Lord for the short years He has given you to live?”  And listen closely to the answer you give yourself.  Your flesh will balk about that.  “I don’t want to obey!  What?  Are you stupid or something?”  What will your soul speak to you as an answer? 

 

By His Grace.

The Deal of Eternity.

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White Flower

Image by doug88888 via Flickr

The Lord.  The Lord Most High is calling.  “Make your paths straight before My sight.  I have offered you My Son, that you might clothe yourselves in His Righteousness.”

“He who overcomes will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot out his name from the book of life, but will acknowledge his name before my Father and his angels.” (Rev. 3:5)

We walk according to the ways of man.  But God offers us His way.  Seek His offer and submit to His leading.  There is no other way to Life.  All who ignore His offer will not see Life.  But to the extent you receive His offer, you will not be put to shame. 

By His Grace.

The Carpet of Potential.

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White

Image by Tolka Rover via Flickr

Before me lay the day.  It is rolled out in front of me as a clean white carpet.  I have never stepped one foot on this new “place of possibilities”.  And as I look about me I perceive the carpet to extend in every direction for the distance of a day. 

Where shall I set my first step?  How shall I know which direction to begin?  And haven’t I been here before?  I remember the days like this from years and years past.  How they settle against me now.  They are like an army of days of darkness.  I walked about on their carpets as a blind man.  And now they have amassed against me as an army.  They hold in their hands weapons of regret.  They hold my potential hostage, and wait like lions in the bushes to grasp this day’s hope.

I know what I will do.  I will call upon the Lord of Life.  He has in His hand the days of eternity.  He knows the way of each day.  And has seen the end of things from ancient days before.  I will beg His Glory to guide my first step.  I will set my face in the direction of His Holy whisper.  And I will allow the wind of His Pure Flame to direct my strength upon that foot. 

From the beginning, His Son was slain.  He set the foundations of the world with the intent of sacrificing His Son for a people blind, naked, hopeless, and purposeless.  This is the God who now directs the steps I make on this pure carpet about me.  I will walk in the strength of my God.  And I will not be ashamed. 

Rail against me, you days of regret! 

Speak of my failings, go ahead! 

I walk these days without your help. 

For I rest on the Lord of Glory!

By His Grace.

At the Advent of God’s Wrath.

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Burning Castle Before a City

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While I drive the truck around, delivering my loads, I’m constantly made aware of the overwhelming push to own more stuff.   Billboards shout in our faces of how we need this….. want that….. should do this and that….  support this cause….. give money to that…..   And on it goes. 

I get near a television and hear the same things.  Videos shout a constant stream of violence, greed, sexual immorality, pride of man, and the screaming void of godliness.  Man has gained the precarious place of being the number one promoter of every evil thing.  And most folks don’t even notice anymore. 

I live in America.  So I speak as one who lives here.  I’m aware that the internet allows others of other countries to view this post.  And though I can’t speak for their experience, I’d wager it’s the same for them. 

Our awareness of God’s Holiness is almost lost now.  Even Christians are being what is termed “dumbed down”.  Grand religion buildings are taking the place of personal truth in worship of God.  And the people swallow it like honey. 

But God is the same God He was when Enoch was taken from the earth.  He is the same God who condemned the wicked in the flood.  He is the same God who tested Abraham.  He is the same God who sent His Holy Son into this world to become the sacrifice for all mankind.  He is Holy.  And the entire world is busy chasing after evil, wickedness, blasphemy, and rebellion against Him.  There will certainly be a very high price to pay for man as he builds his world without consideration of God’s consistent demand to be holy.

I was struck by a passage last week.  It comes from Revelation:

Rev 18:21 Then a mighty angel picked up a boulder the size of a large millstone and threw it into the sea, and said:

“With such violence the great city of Babylon will be thrown down, never to be found again. 22 The music of harpists and musicians, flute players and trumpeters, will never be heard in you again. No workman of any trade will ever be found in you again. The sound of a millstone will never be heard in you again. 23 The light of a lamp will never shine in you again. The voice of bridegroom and bride will never be heard in you again. Your merchants were the world’s great men. By your magic spell all the nations were led astray. 24 In her was found the blood of prophets and of the saints, and of all who have been killed on the earth.”

Along with this passage there was a celebration in heaven at the overthrow of babylon the great.  God is not kidding around folks.  What is wicked is fuel for the flames of hell.  And to whatever extent we contain wickedness, we are in danger of destruction.  I present this post to urge every man, woman and child to turn away from the onslaught of wickedness.  Turn to God and begin to realize your plight.  We are all liars and fools without Him.  If you don’t agree with that statement, you’re under the spell of babylon’s wickedness.  If we don’t repent of all this day’s evil, we will not be part of the celebration before God.  We will be the reason for the celebration.

By His Grace.