Tag Archives: holy law

Obey?

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The ignorance of man is astounding!  I say that knowing that I am a man.  And that I am ignorant of many things.  But there is a difference between not knowing something, and knowing it for the sake of abuse.

How dearly humanity loves the law of God.  But we do not love it so that we might obey it, for we know that is impossible.  Men love the law of God because it is a tool with which they can readily hate their brother.

But this is so absolutely contrary to the nature of the law of God. 

I don’t want to make this a long post.  But there is something key to understanding the law of God, that I have never heard men speak of: how all of heaven embraces the law of God without question, yet man turns it into a tool of death.  Enough apology.  Let’s get at it.

When the law of God was delivered to Moses for the people, at a certain point they begged that no further word be spoken.  Realization struck them and fear overwhelmed them.  Yes they wanted God but they knew they could not have him.  The inability of men to obey the Holy law of God was blatantly obvious.

But still God commands us to be holy, and to obey His law.  How can this be?  Does he demand too much?  Is the devil’s accusation against him valid; You demand too much and you do not give the resources to obey?

Isn’t this what men say?  Isn’t this what every single one of us finds our soul believing at one point or another?  But we know that cannot possibly be true. 

We know we will die and we know that God never will.  He obeys his great Holy Law with the most perfect ease.  And so do all the other creatures in heaven!  And the Christ of God has walked among us, fulfilling the law completely, again with the greatest of ease!  How can this possibly be?

Because the creatures of heaven, and the Christ himself, love the Father more than anything in all creation.  Never once does rebellion cross their mind.  Eternity is sustained by this love.  It is not sustained by obedience to a set of rules.  Yet this is the perspective of man!

We raise the Ten Commandments and scream at our brother!  “Do these or you will die!”  But we know they cannot.  And even the one who is screaming knows he cannot obey these laws!  And so we divide and hate one another by the very law that brings unity in heaven.  By the very law that is the foundation of eternity.

There.  That’s what I wanted to say.  But I don’t find myself feeling any better for having written it.  For I know it will not be received or understood.

We will all nod our heads in agreement.  But we will turn right back around and hate our brother.  We will read the Ten Commandments as if there might be something we missed.  But we will not find it.

Let’s add one more key to this proclamation that will devastate the heart of the one who considers it. 

What is the first and greatest commandment?  Jesus replied: “’Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” (Matthew 22: 38)

There’s the key to obedience.  Love.  But when we read the Ten Commandments we don’t hear love do we?  All we hear is fear. 

Fear gives birth to rebellion and hatred.  Fear reads the law of God and despises it.  Fear turns away from God with a great willing heart.  And fear will eventually lead to complete obliteration.

You ask perhaps, how can I love God?  There is only one way.  Look to Jesus the Christ of God.

Without him you will never love God.  Without him you will only obey according to your understanding; you’ll find your obedience is nothing more than a mental exercise.  It never finds its way to your fingers or feet.  Not to mention her filthy mouth.

I do not need to say more than this.  Because if you will not turn to Jesus, you will not believe these words anyway.  Yet if you do turn to Jesus you will find yourself in complete agreement, and I will be rightly pushed to nothing.  That is my proper place.  I am only a messenger of he who lives forever.

May God bless this testimony to the very door of eternity.  Amen.

By His Grace

Sweet Dreams are Made of These

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I was at a truck stop scanning in my papers while I listened to a song that was playing.  The song is “sweet dreams are made of these”, by the Eurythmics.

I’ve heard that song hundreds of times before.  But the power of what she was saying dawned on me like the rising Sun.

Everyone is looking for something.  That must mean we are all compelled to search.  And she’s right.

The variety of religions in the world range from obedience to what they call holy law, to the abuse of self and others.  Regardless, men search as a compulsion.  This is proof that there is something to be found.  Even the atheist searchs diligently to disavow the search.  But his activity proves there is something to be disavowed.

How happy then is the one who finds it?  How secure in his way, does his life become?  And what great peace should overshadow him 24 /7?

Christ is the answer.  He is the one that is provoking the search.  The errant things men do are caused by their misunderstanding. 

If you would have what everyone is looking for, search diligently into the things of Christ Jesus.  You are compelled to search. Why not search what is true?

If a man can’t find the truth he’ll create his own series of lies.  But I testify that the Living God is alive among his people in Christ Jesus.

By His Grace

DESIRE

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What a man perceives to be good, he does.  Those things he holds precious, he yearns for and grasps to take.  He sleeps and dreams of the good he perceives.  He eats that strength might attend his limbs, in the gaining of his desire.

So it is with the things of this world.  Mention your desire to yourself.  Assess what captures your desire.  Examine yourself to determine what you hold dearest.

Let us not be like the mocking bird.  Let us not mouth great things that are absent from our desire.  But let truth attend your assessment.

Where is God’s desire among your doings?  Where is the desire to be holy and full of Holy promise?  Is it more than the mass of lesser desires of this world?

Perhaps your desire for the things of this world is divided into small desires.  Perhaps it is not that you desire the gold of men.  Perhaps you desire what can be the subtle lie of man; the smaller and less obvious forms of passing lie.  Yet the sum of them amounts to a vast portion of your desire.

Assess with truth.  Present yourself before God and ask for understanding of all your ways.  He will show you.  Will you perceive His showing?  What will come next at your willingness to perceive what is shown?

The Lord Jesus has shown us what to do that we may overcome the things of this world.  He has shown us from where Holy Strength comes.  The strength of God appears upon us as we desire Him.  Ask for desire.  When desire comes, take note.  Ask for more.  You will not love His Holy Laws without the holy desire of God living in you.

Yet if we receive, that which He has desired and yearned to give, we will come to love His Holy Laws with earnest and intense strength.  As we desire we will not desire to cease prayer or obedience.  Desire is KEY.

Enoch knew it.  Abraham lived it.  Noah sweated desire.  Millions now own it.  Billions now rest in His Holy presence because they embraced the desire for what is Holy.

Desire, Holy and full Desire, attended the Lord’s every moment.  It was strong enough to lift Him, full of willingness, to the bloody and horrible enduring of death on a cross.  What a small thing the Lord demands of us:  “Desire Me!”  Especially considering He is able and willing to grant the earnest soul desire.

161  Rulers persecute me without cause,

but my heart trembles at your word.

162  I rejoice in your promise

like one who finds great spoil.

163  I hate and detest falsehood

but I love your law.

164  Seven times a day I praise you

for your righteous laws.

165  Great peace have those who love your law,

and nothing can make them stumble.

166  I wait for your salvation, Lord,

and I follow your commands.

167  I obey your statutes,

for I love them greatly.

168  I obey your precepts and your statutes,

for all my ways are known to you.

(Psalm 119)

False Sdvertising

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Sin will say to you, “Come and take from me I am delightful and endless variety.  See how my wares fit your desire. 

You may say to me, ‘But God has said no.’  I will provoke your faith.  Is God not full of grace and mercy, compassionate understanding and patience?  With God, you may have both he and I.”

Sin says yes to all.  But God says yes, only to himself.  God is law eternally.  My friends, you cannot have both.

Above it all

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Twelve disciples, a little fishing boat, a raging sea, and a Lord who is above it all.

No one has ever witnessed such a thing before.  Not only did the Lord walk on top of the sea, he walked on top of a raging sea!  It happily resided in his heart to show his disciples something from heaven.

The disciples of Christ, a boat of grace, a ragng sea of wicked men, and the Lord is above it all.  Who could guess?  Even angels longed to look into these things.

The people of God, tiny piece of wood in the shape of a cross, a raging torrent of holy law, and the Lord Jesus who is above it all! 

How could this be?  He was crucified by those who kept the treasury of law.  Dressed in blood among a murderer and a thief.  The righteousness of God murdered as a law breaker.  For this reason Jesus is above it all.

22 Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. 23 After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. Later that night, he was there alone, 24 and the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it.

25 Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. 26 When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear.

27 But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”

28 “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.”

29 “Come,” he said.

Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. 30 But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”

31 Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”  (Matthew chapter 14)