Tag Archives: Guilt

Stiff Upper Lip.

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Stand down, you ole man, for you mess with our heads.  We were happy till you came along.

In no way will I step one step to the left!  I will sing of my Lord’s Glory and Fame!

Let the world sink to hell and embrace their own way.  Yet I, to His Throne, will ascend.

Eternity’s there and that without a care, I’ll part with you though bitter end.

Have all your sin and revel in shame.  It’s far better to be beaten to death.

Then to face the Lord God with a stiff upper lip.  While He takes our very last breath.

By His Grace.

Your Throne Built of Dung.

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Why do you bring this “Jesus” to me?  Why can’t you leave me alone?  I was doing just fine with these lies I hold tight.   And your words only tear at my bones.

I bring you great peace but the cost will be great.  You will stand before Him one day.  I bring you His word from the lips of a man, so that you won’t have to stand on your own. 

He’s promised a day when all men will bow low.  And no lie can stop it from coming.  He urges us all to turn away from those lies.  And embrace our failing here.

Yet you shed great tears because you find in me no solace.  I pick at your peace without mercy.  You wiggle and squirm on your throne built of dung.  But the truth still rings in your ears.

Look how you slept, how you fitfully slept.  The message I bear is not tame.  You’ll feel so much better if you will humble yourself.  And accept His most Glorious Name.

By His Grace.

Trouble’s Boy

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From whom do the words of warning come, when all appears so rosy?

From he who sits with lovely friends, in houses warm and cozy?

Such words don’t come from those who sleep.

Nor do they come from joy.

As lightning strikes and burns the grass,

warnings come from trouble’s boy.

By His Grace. 

Watchman, What is Left of the Night?

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“Watchman, what is left of the night”?  The watchman replies, “Morning is coming, but also the night. If you would ask, then ask; and come back yet again.” (Isaiah 21: 11, 12)

We wait as men condemned.  We search the sky for the appearance of He who never lies.  The world has condemned all who would be godly in Christ Jesus.  Yet we know we live as free men.  We do not want death to come upon anyone.  Yet the Lord of Glory has proclaimed, with absolute justice, that death will come upon all who remain in wickedness.  It is not ours to condemn anyone.  But it is our glorious duty to proclaim that message along side the message of hope.  For what is hope without the horror of death?

May we not forget His promise against all that is corrupt.  We hear the “good news” being spread all about us.  But it seems that many forget why we call it “good news”.  God is just and perfect.  He demands all people everywhere to turn from wickedness and seek holiness.  He has given His Son that all who desire might find Him and receive the power to become God’s people.  Yet the world invents their own brand of religion to cover over their wickedness. 

Here is only one warning among many.  There is darkness about them.  They cannot see what is coming and will not inquire.  Yet the darkness only hides the approach of   The Day of Judgment.  Darkness which envelopes man does not cancel or delay God’s Day of Truth.  Read this with wisdom and consider that it remains before all men as a truth which will not be taken out of the way.  

Mock, if you desire.  You do only yourself eternal damage.  Laugh and ignore, if that is what “floats your boat”.  It’s not my concern, but you will be concerned.  God is true and will keep His Holy word to accomplish an end to the wickedness of all men.  And what God promises comes true.  We can consider what God has promised as though it already is. 

   “‘The end! The end has come
   upon the four corners of the land!     The end is now upon you,
   and I will unleash my anger against you.
I will judge you according to your conduct
   and repay you for all your detestable practices.
   I will not look on you with pity;
   I will not spare you.
I will surely repay you for your conduct
   and for the detestable practices among you.

   “‘Then you will know that I am the LORD.’”

(Ezekiel 7)

Though you did not ask me, I told you.  Though you did not seek, you were warned.  And was the warning necessary?  God has said that no one will own an excuse before Him, for all His Glory is displayed about men every day and every night.  There are days which will come and you will doubt His promise of “The end”.  Yet that day is coming.  Day will come, yet so will the night.  And then the sky will be rolled back as a scroll and you will see Him who you do not desire.  It will not go well for anyone who is not sheltered by the power of Christ Jesus toward holiness.  Prepare today and do not put this off. 

By His Grace.

And God Swore an Oath, That They Should Never Enter His Rest.

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I woke this morning and saw something in myself that concerns me.  It is a vague something, yet it’s markedly dangerous.  It’s hard to put my finger on what the cause might be.  But I recognize it’s danger from what I read of the people who God swore would never enter His rest.  It is a spirit of discontent. 

This spirit of discontent is the very bend which condemned those who were written of in Hebrews:

 7 So, as the Holy Spirit says:

   “Today, if you hear his voice,
 8 do not harden your hearts
as you did in the rebellion,
   during the time of testing in the wilderness,
9 where your ancestors tested and tried me,
   though for forty years they saw what I did.
10 That is why I was angry with that generation;
   I said, ‘Their hearts are always going astray,
   and they have not known my ways.’
11 So I declared on oath in my anger,
   ‘They shall never enter my rest.’ ”

I have heard His voice.  I am seeing what He is doing.  And yet this “hardness of heart” is bubbling within me.  The Lord is making me aware of it’s potential.  And I rest assured that He is able to help me crush it before it grows to a problem. 

What shall we say regarding this?  There are a number of items of importance which this subject brings to the forefront.  I’ll line them out and allow them to be displayed.  Often if we shine God’s light on such problems they have a tendency to evaporate before they cause damage.

  1. It is a “hardness of heart” and a symptom of rebellion.  It’s as though we set our feet in the sand and act like a little child who won’t go or do what dad says he must do.
  2. It was what caused Cain to murder Able.  Cain decided that he knew better what was correct.  And the result of this rebellion was murder.  What did God respond to Cain?  ” If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.”
  3. The potential of this spirit of rebellion is that we are cast away from God for eternity.  Potential is the key word.  Nip it in the bud before it begins to grow.  For this sin is the very essence of death to God’s people.  Through it we begin to allow our hearts to go astray and through it we forget (thus never knowing) His ways.
  4. Once more, and with power, we proclaim that God is able to rectify this spirit of rebellion within those who are being called out.  But we cannot even know it is within us without His leading.  The hideous nature of this sin is that it is so very like our natural state that we hardly recognize it’s growth untill it’s too late.

What shall we do to repair this “glitch” in our walk with God?  Since it was God who showed it to me, it will also be God who will remove it.  Yet He has spoken that our salvation is a mutual work.  He speaks to us regarding our sins and it is up to us to agree.  Yet it is not with our own strength that we will war against these sins. 

I can’t describe what we are able to do about our sinful nature.  It is beyond me to know how to remove such a natural tendency as rebellion against the rule of God in my life.  But I can clearly show what should be done in this matter:  I will turn to Jesus.  It is He who will be glorified in my life.  It is He who will announce to me that there is something needing our attention.  It is He who will cause me to consider the problem.  It is He who will advise the proper understanding regarding sin.  It is He who will send me through the paces necessary to remove the problem.  And it is He who, in the end, will remove it.

It is not our strength or will that receives the certification of God’s Holiness.  It is the very interaction of Jesus, the King of Kings, who brings us to His Father.  It will be Jesus who receives all Glory come that day.  If I build my house on anything else it will not stand.  What do we mean when we say “To God be the Glory, forever”?

I’m going to post this as is.  I am aware it’s not complete.  But it is essential enough to post quickly.  I am struggling at the top of my game to obey.  Yet I know I am not alone in this matter.  There are thousands who reach these points in their walk with Jesus and falter, never to rise again.  I can say, without doubt, that the answer is Jesus.  And I encourage questions, additions, and corrections to this post.  I could have saved it as a draft and worked on it later.  But I know I wouldn’t get back to it in a timely fashion.  I submit this, then, for the building up of the body of Christ.

By His Grace.

Choose! Today is the Day of Testing.

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Unspeakable is the desire that all people would turn to their creator, the Father of Jesus; the Living God.  I look about and see such great wickedness in this world.  I am told of the Day of the Lord, which is surely coming.  My heart aches to lead others to He who is eternal and does not lie.  Yet, as Isaiah said, “Who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?” 

Which one of you will join me as the word of “calling” goes out?  Who will stand with the God of Glory and speak that word of warning?  There is no end of increase to the sins of men.  And every day dawns with more and more, wicked and wicked, lifting man instead of his God.  Every day the call goes out to all men to repent and seek righteousness through the forgiveness offered by Christ Jesus.  But so very few even open their ears, let alone turn from wickedness.

Holy God, these words are presented for Your Holy Glory.  You alone know the heart of the one who presents them here.  Yet it is Your heart these words uphold.  It is Your way presented.  Glory, all Glory belongs to the Most High God!  Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God Almighty! 

Prepare, world.  Set your feet strong in your way, for the day is soon coming when the very ground on which you set your feet will be shaken and removed.  Set your mind and heart on the things of sin and wickedness.  Pervert the ways of God’s Holy name.  For this is your day.  But remember with sobriety, God’s day is soon coming also.  He sets His Holy feet on the ground of eternity.  And where His feet stand will never be shaken. 

He has spoken and has set a day for all to come before Him.  He has moved among us and His Christ has been revealed.  It is God who will be forever praised because He has done for man what man could not do for himself.  His hand has offered redemption, yet who has ears to hear?  His Holy throne is established and will not fail.  Yet man will falter and fail.  Why would you die?  He has done all He is willing to do by His wisdom.  Turn to your God and live.  Turn to the Holy name of Jesus and find life. 

Oh, World, you speak of “religion” as though it were an answer in many forms.  Yet God himself has set Jesus as His doorway into eternity.  You who speak the name of Jesus and mingle with idols, beware!   It is not idols and false Gods which will save you on that day.  Horrible!  Horrible!  What great horrors await those who reject the Living God!  Joy!  Joy!  What unspeakable joy awaits all who humble themselves under God’s Holy hand and receive His word of life through Jesus.

By His Grace.