Tag Archives: greed

The Ant Head

by

0


image

They gathered in a building.  The final place of the final test.  They came together to prove the value of Man.

The question was leadership and righteousness.  Who is worthy and why.

From the body of the elders they pick the wisest one.  They said to him, “Choose for us a prize that we may begin the contest”.  The old man, bent over and half blind, said to them, “Bring me the head of an ant”.

The youngest of the elders was the first to move.  He ran outside and grabbed the first ant he could find.  With urgent dispatch he returned with the head of an ant.

The elder told him to put it plate and set the plate the middle of the table. 

The elder sat at the head of the table.  “Now debate among yourselves who is worthy to eat this head.”

They all stood speechless for the space of a minute.  Then the first to move was the youngest.  As his fingers reached for the prize, one of the elders slapped his hand with disdain.  “What gives you the right to think you are worthy?”  The reaching and the slapping became a spark to a pool of flammable liquid. 

It started with a response.  But it soon developed into an all out brawl.  This went on for quite a while until a breeze came to the top of the table.  Not even one elder noticed the ant head drift off the plate, down to the floor, and disappear in a crack.

________________________

I have looked at Man.  I have tried to discover why righteousness eludes us.  I thought I had the answer.  But in the telling of it, it took too long.

In my life I have testified well over fourteen thousand times, trying to nail down the reason why we are full of disarray.

I have come to the conclusion of the elder who ordered the ant head.  There is no righteousness among men.  There is no peace to be found anywhere on this earth.  Man simply does not have eternal life in him.

And I have understood from all that is Christianity, Salvation belongs to our God and to the Lamb.  Except that the Living God had done his “Strange Work”, not one man would rise from the grave.

I used to stand at the edge of the city and wait to hear wisdom.  I stood along the path where men walk and waited to hear someone utter something wise and beautiful.  But I realized I will starve to death before I find a wise man walk by me.

Unless the wisdom of God comes down from heaven, man has no option but death.  And hasn’t this been done?  Christ Jesus crucified on our behalf.  Yes, the wisdom of God has come down.

In Man there is no life.  But God has sent mercy.  Let every man do as he will; seek righteousness with all your heart.  You will not find it here!

Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.

by

0


Wake.  You who say “Shhhhh”, wake.

Look.  You who close your sleepy eyes.

Listen. You who fill your ears with tripe.

Your legs are broken.

Yet you think you can run.

You have religion.

But you have no Strength.

Wake.  The Living God moves among you.

But your stupor of greed restrains your senses.

You do not shed blood.

Yet you murder the souls of thousands.

Look.  See how the children reflect the doings of the inner room of the parents.

Listen.  The children hate with abandon, for they are not taught to revere the Lord of Hosts.

You give birth to babies, breaking their legs before they can learn to walk.

Yet you expect them to run!

You gladly receive a happy word from fools.

But you despise the Holy Word from the Living God’s Holy Son.

You are dead, even as you think you live.

Seek the Lord while He can be found.

Look about you.

See how the door has shut in your face.

Look at the horror that is your precious hope.

Look in the streets!

Can’t you see what’s happening to your precious hope?

Seek the Lord or remain dead, even while you think you live.

Stand Your Ground?

by

0


image

What’s wrong with this picture?

From their own imagination, they gather to themselves great crowns of righteousness!  Not only do they boast in their own inheritance, but they refuse to honor the One who is Clean.

But go ahead, lap it up America; like a hungry dog at a bowl of milk.  The wrath of God waits patiently.

By His Grace

Salvation Belongs to the Willing

by

0


Under the cover of darkness, they move with darkness.

Where the knowledge of punishment is diminished,

Man moves about with insolent abandon.

Sin is rapidly becoming a forgotten concept.

In a nation where every infraction against God is condoned,

The people do as they please.

But for the most heinous acts,

(odious, wicked, evil, atrocious, monstrous, abominable, detestable, contemptible, reprehensible, despicable, egregious, horrific, terrible, awful, abhorrent, loathsome, hideous, unspeakable, execrable)

The laws of Man embrace the will of rebellion.

But the blazing Light of God shines regardless.

 

He mounts His Holy Day.

With steady readiness, the Living God prepares His Judgment.

Eternity has set a time for Man to appear;

That Man will give account of his actions and desires,

This is more sure than the wickedness he loves so dearly.

If you are willing, then seek the Living God’s Holy Son.

There is life within His Holy Wisdom.

But if darkness is your desire,

Then, by all means, employ your ungodly strength.

 

Under the cover of darkness, they move with darkened intent.

Greed, desire, hatred for what is Good;

This is the will of man.

And God has allowed this time for Man to flex his useless muscles.

Rise and wake, or sleep and die.

The condemnation of all Man’s desires Lives in waiting.

 

Come.

Gather together in that place reserved for the enemies of God.

Come, fully prepared to receive.

For each man who sins willingly will receive the bounty due his work.

Yet every man who humbles himself before the Living God’s Holy Son

Will receive forgiveness and strength;

No righteous acts will be ascribed to the will of Man,

But the Righteousness of Christ will be ascribed to the ones who honor the Holy Son.

See

Hear

Perceive

Listen

Think

Pray

Fear

And all these things…………………… WILLINGLY

Relinquish With Joy

by

0


The world looks on compassion as a weakness.  They consider that a weakened man cannot sustain his hold on the things he has.  So their hideous greed approaches, emboldened.

Let them take the things their eyes see.  For they do not perceive the Christ of God.  But let your precious belongings be those of Christ.  For these things you will keep though you die.

They cannot steal what they cannot perceive.  They will not take those things which are distasteful and worthless to them.

But let the man add to his treasures, those things of Christ Jesus.  Amass the things that are unspeakably beautiful.  Pile up the things that are eternal.  Become a connoisseur of what is Holy. 

No one will touch your riches.  And you will find yourself void of fear to protect.  Sleep will be peaceful.  And you may even encourage the thief to take more.  For the things of this world can only detract from the riches you are amasing.

If the wisdom of our Holy Lord is determined to take from us all that can be held, how does the man of God say no? 

“No” comes from the lips of the one who is not yet complete.  The weakness in him causes him anguish to consider relinquishing what is filthy.  How can it possibly be right that a Christian should do such a thing?

By His Grace

The Hard Baked Clod of Dirt

by

0


Oh, Man!  Look and see what you have done.  See how you quibble over a clod of dirt; dried into a hard, tiny, rock.  You see it in the hands of another.  You desire what the other has.  So you threaten.  You plot.  You contrive reason to steal.  And with various means, you attack with purpose filled vengeance.  You take what is not yours.

First you offer compensation to the other, that you might have what does not belong to either of you.  For all things belong to God.  Then, if he refuses, greed burns within you.  The clod fills your dreams in the night.  The clod preoccupies all your thoughts during the day.  And the man who holds it secure in his house becomes your enemy.

How is this right?  What right do you have to envy another man over a clod of dirt?  What folly is this that men do?  Yet you call it reasonable!   You call it legitimate business.

Go!  Finish what is in your heart to accomplish!  Kill the man so that you can have your desire.  Take from him what does not belong to either of you!  Go ahead!

Then, then you will both find yourselves in another place.  Your hands empty of dirt, but over flowing with greed, and every wicked thing.  Shame covering your face, you will see the One to whom the Living God has given all things.  You will both stand before the One who owns it all!  Your life having been filled with greed for what you have no RIGHT to own.

What then?  You have lived your entire life full of purpose to gain.  Now you have nothing.

Why won’t you hear these words?  Why do you pay money for that which is not food?  Why do you hate and murder your brother for what neither of you owns?  Why won’t you look into these things before you are forced to appear before the owner of all heaven and earth?  Why would you finish your pathetic days in shame?

The Gospel answers you.  The Gospel waits to be read.  There is understanding, so very near the tips of your fingers.  Why won’t you pick it up and learn?