Tag Archives: hope

The Intent of Preaching

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If I stand on the street corner and proclaim that all men should go to Christ, I cannot possibly expect any to remain with me. 

No one arrives at a street sign and makes his bed beneath it.  The street sign is only a directional source of information.  Neither does the street sign expect anyone to remain with him.  No, everyone who comes to the street sign is in route to someplace else.

It is only proper then that everyone who comes to me, simply gets the true and eternal directions to salvation. 

The one who looks for a job, does not stay seated in the employment office.  In that chair he will never earn a wage.  Rather, he goes where he is directed.  And it may well be, he will never see that chair again.

Christ Jesus is all in all.  It is to him we point.  By all means then, go to him!

By His Grace

Sayings Worthy of Acceptance

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Sayings that are worthy of retention, contemplation, and sharing:

1.  Receiving the Gospel from a man makes the receiver twice blessed.  For you have kissed your sweet brother with an eternal joy, and you have the assurance of sharing that joy together for eternity.

2.  Christ Jesus is first in absolutely everything.  He is not some passing fanciful and ecstatic joy during a worship session.  He is first and comfort even in the most extreme and horrific circumstances.

3.  Rejection of the Gospel does nothing to eternity.  You were dead before you heard it, and you remain dead as you reject it.  The dead are no loss to the Living God.  Pride makes you think you’re something.  Frankly, you’re just not that important.

4.  A Gospel of extortion is no gospel at all.  God does not desire a people who are under duress to serve Him.  The Gospel is free of manipulation.  It does not demand acceptance.  It is a declarative call for free will.  As we love Jesus we will obey.

5.  God is not isolated from anything.  Only the perception of man can isolate one thing from another.  The concept of “Object Permanence” is taught in pediatrics.  Hide a baby’s fingers and watch his face turn to anxiety. 

God owns eternity, for eternity is of God.  Equally, God owns this wicked place of testing.  For every sin is a distortion of eternity.  Just because the hand of God is unseen, doesn’t mean it’s gone

6.  Every man knows he lives a lie.  Ignoring the truth of Christ Jesus does nothing to fix a lie.  Receiving the fullness of the Gospel of Christ, this is the fix. 

7.  Nostalgia brings no permanent joy.  Soon enough, you will be nostalgia for others.

8.  Everything in this world points to Christ Jesus.  For nothing is created here that was not created by him.  And our misuse of his creation does not nullify his signature.

9.  Fear is no excuse for remaining ungodly.  For Christ did not fear to do the will of His Holy Father in heaven.  Fear has to do with unbelief.  As if the one who fears, calls the Holy Son a liar.  What kind of reception should the fearful receive on that Great Day of Judgement?

10.  There is a difference between weakness of flesh and rebellion of soul.  God is able to distinguish between the two.  The one he will comfort and encourage toward boldness.  The other he will dismiss without regret.  The wisdom of God among men gives discernment.

11.  Death brings an eternal seal to every man; what we had become in life, to that we are sealed forever.  It is of the father of lies to speak anything differently.

12.  Let the acceptable threshold of Christianity remain elevated.  The expectation is godliness.  How then shall we set the bar at 0?  Not one man but Christ can reach 100%.  Yet surely there is a number in between, which we can grasp with an iron grip.

There are hundreds more worthwhile sayings.  But these are enough to keep us busy for the remainder of our life.

By His Grace

Necessary Pain

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In the Gospel of Christ Jesus, I bring you life. 

It is painful by reason of necessity.

For you have not moved your limbs since a little while after you had been born.

Now the Gospel tells you to move your limbs.

It tells you to believe and do.

But in the wickedness of desire you have let your soul become lazy.

Spiritual atrophy belongs to you.

Now the message I bring you is of difficult work.

You must let yourself believe.

Endure the pain or die.

By His Grace

In the Blink of an Eye

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By His Grace

Fear

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Of all the things that man can perceive, there is but one truth.  The Holy Christ of God has given himself for the salvation of every man, woman and child who  ever lived.

As we believe this we are set free of every wicked thing.  We are set free of fear; the greatest enemy of man.  Who can fear anything if he knows he has eternal life? 

Because of fear, men turn to all manner of wicked and abhorrent behavior.  They invent their own religions.  But every religion of man is full from top to bottom with fear.

By fear, men subject one another for the sake of wicked gain.  But it is impossible to subject the one who believes. 

“Christ has died for my sins.  Nothing you can do to me can take that away.  Though my body shake with anxiety for the coming pain,  my soul is that perfect rest.  For when you are finished applying what torture you may envision, I will go and be with he who has died for my sins.  How should I fear?  What can man do to me?  When in comparison, Christ has given me eternal life.”

A Christian believes this and is saved.  Anything less than this is not the fullness of Christ within us.  Anything less than this is worthless religion.

By His Grace

Truth Flew In

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Standing on the balcony, I stood in silence.  Listening to the natural noises, as opposed to the noises of man.

From the trees flew a Blue Jay.  His intent was the railing of the balcony; his perch to search for food on the ground below.

I didn’t move as I watched his intent.  His target was 15 feet from my body.  But having stood still, he didn’t perceive me.

He came within inches of setting his feet on his intent.  But just as he neared landing, he perceived a man standing there.

With a tiny squeak, he turned as though he had bounced off the railing, and bolted back to the trees.  Safety is his primary concern, eating is his second.

“Look at him with understanding.”  So my soul whispers to my heart.  See how quick he is to turn from his desire at the slightest provocation against his safety.

Does man do these things?  Doesn’t man head into his desire without consideration for safety?  Look how we run headlong into destruction without the slightest perception of danger.

Where we go matters.  What we choose to do matters.  Who we desire to become matters.  Freely God gives wisdom.  Who, among men, is willing to take his warnings and freedom?

22 He went on his way through towns and villages, teaching and journeying toward Jerusalem. 23 And someone said to him, “Lord, will those who are saved be few?” And he said to them, 24 “Strive to enter through the narrow door. For many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able. 25 When once the master of the house has risen and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and to knock at the door, saying, ‘Lord, open to us,’ then he will answer you, ‘I do not know where you come from.’ 26 Then you will begin to say, ‘We ate and drank in your presence, and you taught in our streets.’ 27But he will say, ‘I tell you, I do not know where you come from. Depart from me, all you workers of evil!’ 28 In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God but you yourselves cast out. 29 And people will come from east and west, and from north and south, and recline at table in the kingdom of God. 30 And behold, some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last.”  (Luke 13)