Tag Archives: Holy Spirit

I Hope He’s With God Now.

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Groom, Texas

Image via Wikipedia

This thought has been posted before.  I can’t remember where or how long ago.  But it’s a thought which bears repeating a thousand times anyway.

It is not appropriate for us to leave doubt in the minds of people as to our salvation.  When someone dies, we often will hear, “I hope he’s in heaven now”.  I am constantly struck by the importance of our witness in this regard.  Wouldn’t it be better for everyone who knew you to be able to say, “I know he’s with the Lord now.  Because everything about that man dripped Jesus.”

What shall be our witness?  Consider what the Lord said in regard to this: “Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to.” (Luke 13:24)  Salvation is not simply asking God to save you through Jesus.  If that were so we would see Christians and churches filled to over flowing with horrible examples of the transforming power of Christ.  Oh.  Wait, isn’t this the current state of affairs in America?  Sorry to have offended the majority.

Strive to leave a legacy of God’s work in you.  Of all the things you can leave behind, holy living should be our utmost concern.

By His Grace.

The Mocking Bird.

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via Flickr”]Hokey Pokey Mocking Bird

“Do not rebuke a mocker or he will hate you; rebuke a wise man and he will love you.”  So it is promised by The Lord of Truth and Life.  So it is, and forever will be, true.  Does that mean we should never speak the truth to those who mock the Lord’s ways?  No.  It simply states that you will be hated for speaking what is true.

To rebuke those who hate God and deny His Lordship is much like speaking to a brick wall saying, “You are in my way.  Move aside.”  The bricks will give you the same regard as those who hate God’s ways.  I encourage Christians to stand and speak against foolishness spoken by those who are blind.  It is possible that the Lord will open their eyes some day.  And when that happens, they will remember your words and be ashamed.

Jesus is the redeemer of hearts and souls.  For now they stand before Him as a snake in it’s hole; neither lovable nor promising.  But I once stood as such also.  And now I do see and understand the Honor of God.  He is Holy.  They, for now, are unholy and godless.  Continue to hold out the words of life without shame or fear.  This is how the Lord walked among us.  And isn’t it our privilege to walk in the same world God was crucified in?

Cowards and the trembling are not useful in the redemption of souls.  It is those who will stand without shame who will allow the Lord to venture into the hearts of the ungodly.  They will remember your words come that day of God’s appearing.  So stand without fear.  Speak with the power given the people of God.  And do not fear their hatred.  They already hate you because you are His.  Is it that you fear the appearance of their hatred and mocking?  They have no fear or shame before the Most High God now.  But the day will come when they will hate their own lips.

Speak and act as those who are not a part of this world’s hatred of God.  “Fearlessness is a definite sign of your victory.”  (http://www.sermoncentral.com/sermons/walking-in-a-fearless-life-style-jeff-budzinski-sermon-on-bible-influence-103382.asp)  So be filled with the courage of your hope.  And do not allow shame to cover the work of the Holy Spirit within you.  Stand and speak with full assurance that the words of truth hold the power you have professed.  The world will mock you.  The world will hate you.  Why is that something to be afraid of?  Isn’t that what was promised by the Lord Jesus?  “All men will hate you because of me, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved. (Mark 13:13)

By His Grace.

Liar: God or Man?

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The old story of rags to riches is rarely lived out.  So it is with the Christian life.  What holds us back is doubt.  We sit alone and useless because we doubt that God’s promise of eternal life is a sure thing.  Bottom line, this means God lied about being willing and able to bring us to completion in Christ Jesus.  This is why doubt is such a horrible sin.  We are, in effect and reality, calling God a liar.

So it is written, so it is true, and will remain.  Let God be true and every man a liar.

 

By His Grace.

Practise

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You have heard that nothing corrupt will ever enter eternity with the Lord.  I know I’ve mentioned it a time or two.  And you’ve noticed how corrupt you are, I hope.  Now there’s a problem here, ya think?  It’s a problem we all struggle with.  You’ll be cruising along just fine one day and, all of a sudden, you realize you’re pondering or doing something you KNOW the Lord will not allow entrance into Heaven.  It’s one thing to ask for forgiveness from the Lord and believe you have received it.  But what will you do next time?  Is there a place a man can live where he commits these wicked things less and less?  I can testify that there is such a place.  And though I don’t know how Jesus will deal with you personally over these issues, I know of a clue to learning how to obey Him more often.

When you were a child you learned how to do many wicked things.  You learned early how to lie.  It was, at first, a way of keeping out of trouble.  But remember, there was also a time when you had no clue how to lie.  So you learned how to be wicked so you could do what you wanted and get away with it.  From that moment on lies became a tool in your tool box.  And you’ll notice that through out every day lies still come to mind.  You might not play them out.  But they’re still hangin around. 

The key to transforming your mind from wickedness to purity is called learning.  Think of the things you used to do as a child.  How many things have you forgotten how to do?  Like crawling through the grass.  Adults don’t do that much.  But children love it.  How did you come to forget how to enjoy that?  The answer is, you stopped doing it.  You learned to lie the same way.  You stopped living in innocence.  It’s our practise that leads to who we become.  If I practise playing guitar, I get better at it.  If I stop playing guitar for a year or two I hardly even think of it anymore.  It’s not that I can’t remember if I pick it up again.  But I will have to learn all over again how to get pretty good at it.  Practise.

Be innocent of what is evil and wise about what is good.  But how do we become innocent of what is evil if we have lived evil lives?  How do you forget what is evil if that is all you’ve been all your life?  The Lord’s reply is amazingly simple.  “Practise doing what is good and you will forget what is evil.  Just as when you begin to practice what is evil you forget what is good.” (As I heard Him whisper to me one day)

Peter put it this way:  As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance.  But just as He who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: ‘Be holy because I am Holy.’” (1 Peter 1: 14)

But the Apostle Paul pens the words like this:  “. . . but I want you to be wise about what is good, and innocent about what is evil.”  (Romans 16:19)

Learn from the Lord by listening to the Word of God in the Bible.  Learn from the Lord by listening to His leading in your conscience.   Learn to listen to His voice of guidance from the Holy Spirit within you (if, indeed, you are a Christian).  For if you are not a disciple of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, it will do you no good to practice what is good; for you are still bound by the father of lies.  Only in Jesus can we hope to find help in our attempts to become holy and practice what is good.  Before Jesus within us, we can only play like children at accomplishing the holiness God the Father demands.  The power to please God comes from an intimate relationship with Jesus.  And we have heard that those who practise evil will never enter God’s peace.  Practise!

By His Grace.

Christ Alone

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It has often been said, “Christ Alone”.  And in the meaning of the usual, this indicates that no other belief or work will accomplish the Father’s will in our salvation.  But there is another understanding for “Christ Alone”. 

Leaders and those who comment on the current state of affairs in this world are so very perplexed at what they are doing and witnessing.   Something is happening but they are pressed beyond their understanding to grasp the speed and vicious nature of these happenings.  The answers they are looking for are in the hand of Jesus.  They think and think, ponder and ponder, to find the truth of these things.  But they are missing the very key to their understanding.  Jesus is in control!  Christ Alone is King. 

By His Grace.

In Death there is No Vibration of Life.

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I sit in the shade.  My arm is receiving the sun light.  I notice that my watch is leaving a reflection of the sun on a surface in shade.  Noticing how, regardless how still I try to make my arm, the reflection vibrates with movement.  And I am reminded that there is a place where that arm will never move again on its own.  There is a place where nothing of this body will move on its own.  Thus I am reminded that death is given to man as an obligation.  I will yet see the face of He who redeems and He who is able to provide life to those who trust and obey.

PS:  Please forgive the use of so many references to myself.  I couldn’t figure out how to tell the story without me in it.

By His Grace.