Tag Archives: hope

Risk

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To live is Christ.  To die is gain.

It is the Christian who should be willing to take chances, so to speak.  He is the one who has God in his favor.  And he is the one who is promised eternal life.

It is not good to shrink from danger, for the ones who say they believe in the promise.

Imagine a group of five people, one of which is a Christian.  If one must give his life for the other four, which one should it be?

And if we find ourselves vying for the resources of this world, who should take the less?  Isn’t that the one, to whom God has promised all that he needs.

It is the Christian who should be willing to take great risk.  If you pay attention, you will find opportunity every single day.

By His Grace

Thanks to Jesus

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Tired
Hungry
Anxious
Naked
Knucklehead

Yeshua
One
United

By His Grace

Sibling Rivalry

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Millions of people, all over the world, know the nature of Truth.  They know the God who made us all.

You know them.  They walk among you.  And they are not ashamed to testify about what they have come to know.

How do I know this?  Because I am one of them.  I know that the Living God, the Holy Father, would not leave this world without testimony about what is more important than anything in this world.  He gave His Holy Son into the hands of man to die.  And this for the sake of saving us all.  Why would He now abandon man by having no witnesses among us?

They are all at various stages of understanding.  But God works in them to testify, with reliability, according to the Gospel.  By the power of God, their testimony is reliable.  It is the ears of man which muddy up the “Word of God”.  And it is their “past man” which conflicts within them to deliver what they have come to “know” by faith.

Perhaps you have one in your family.  You know that person, so you discount what they say.  You remember the person they were before they came to understand the Gospel.  So you assume they are only spouting what they believe, as if what they now believe were only another opinion (of which there are, apparently, billions).

By rejecting what they say, because you have known them, you reject the One who has transformed their thinking.  Did you know that?

I know it’s hard, but if you would only listen to what they are saying, you too can become a child of the Living God.  I am, after all, speaking of Christianity.

Now if you find it too hard to rid yourself of the image of the man or woman you used to know, as you strive to listen to them, then go find a stranger that speaks the same things.

It’s curious, about people, that they get stuck in a rut when it comes to the Gospel preached by family or acquaintance.  But let us recognize that such difficulties exist.  Fine.  But don’t let that stop you from looking into the things of Christ.

Don’t let the natural mistrust divide you from eternal life.  Don’t let sibling rivalry, (that hideous tendency of man to discount the words of another man, simply because that person is another man just like you) rip eternal life from your fragile fingers.

Right now you have no idea how precious the Gospel is.  You don’t know what is at stake.  You don’t know the glories you are throwing away by not being willing to listen.  You are judging the content by the wrapper.  Strive to get past what you think you know.  Strive to understand what you’ve never comprehended.

And have mercy on that person.  He or she is trying, with all they have, to interpret the things of heaven to human ears.  It might take some time to get the message out clearly.  Encourage them to try again, if what they say to you makes no sense at all.  If you want mercy from God, be willing to give it to your sincere brother.

You’ll have to put on patience, something we humans seem to have extremely little of.   But if you comprehend what they’re trying to tell you, you’ll find every difficulty more valuable than all the riches in the world.

From the Beginning

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September 9, 2010, watched me write my first post on this blog.  I’m glad to see I had an iota of wisdom.  It was a good beginning.

I hadn’t learned what the word “paragraph” meant yet.  So I tried to inject returns where they might have been.   Otherwise, I didn’t change the words.  Let the man I was testify by himself.

 

There are many who will tell you various ways of ensuring your place with God for eternity.  Some will talk about doing certain things, saying certain things, thinking or praying certain things.  It’s easy to be confused.

 

If you are expecting me to give you a formula now, you’ll be mistaken.  There are millions who will give you a formula; a step by step procedure to follow to ensure acceptance by God.  So many claiming to know the “way”.  How can you really know?

 

But let me ask you something: Who do you seek to be accepted by?  Isn’t it God Himself?  Then why are you looking to humans for the way?  Before you begin, you turn away from God, in that you look to humans for the answers.  The only way to avoid all the pitfalls laid before you is to go to the source.

 

Consider something: you’re seeking eternal peace, right?  So why look here on earth for it?  There are some simple truths.   Look at the creation and think it through.  Anyone seeking God, and expecting to please Him must, believe that He exists and that He is the rewarder of those who earnestly seek Him.  So, humble yourself before Him and earnestly (with all your mind, heart, strength, and soul) seek Him.  If you do so, He will be found by you.  You’re not seeking a burger at a fast food joint, so why act like it?

 

God is the God who searches through out the earth seeking those who humble themselves before Him.  Admit that you are full of lies, hatred, envy, strife, idolatry, and more.  Look inward and consider your ways.  Listen to your mind and you will see it is full of these things.  If anyone says they are without sin, they lie.  So, humble yourself before the Lord of Heaven and Earth.

 

When the time is right, from God’s perspective, He will lift you up.

 

Jesus is His Son.  There is Salvation for eternity in His sacrifice.  But you will find that God desires truth from His people.  You will be required to lay down all sin in your life.  Through the cleansing of Jesus, you will find the power to do this.  But make no mistake, the way to eternal life is a VERY narrow path.  There are billions of ways to hell, but ONE way to eternal life.

 

Walk to God in Faith, Believe Him, accept and admit that your failings are fatal and eternal. Then. . . prepare to meet your maker.

 

Pray and act as though you want His approval.  Be ready to lay down your present life if you find Him.  Consider what he said about that: “IF ANYONE COMES TO ME AND DOES NOT HATE HIS FATHER AND MOTHER, WIFE AND CHILDREN, BROTHERS AND SISTERS, YES AND HIS OWN LIFE ALSO, HE CANNOT BE MY DISCIPLE.  AND WHOEVER DOES NOT BEAR HIS CROSS AND COME AFTER ME CANNOT BE MY DISCIPLE” (Luke 14: 26, 27).

 

If you want a quick, sure fire way to find God’s favor, go looking.  You’ll find thousands of them.  They might make you feel good.  But they might lead you astray too.  Want God?  Seek God.    “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it.  Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it” (Matthew 7:13, 14).

Missing Acquaintance

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Where did you go, my tiresome burdensome friend?  Have you gone to pester some other hapless heart? 

Did you not notice me packing in the night?  I could not find you as I put my things where they belong.

I do not long for your accompaniment.  Nor do I desire your council.  But I had more room on my shelves than expected.  By accounting,  I found you missing.

What a pleasant surprise

Is this foretold sunrise. 

The place where you have died,

My old friend, “Fear of Demise”.

By His Grace

Zeal

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I will speak as one of you, for isn’t that the case?  I have spoken harsh words in a zeal for the will of the living God.  Accusations have come from my lips.  Challenges have been sent out.  Yet you have not heard the full of what I have to say.  I have restrained my words for the sake of your faith.

You do not know it, but no one has responded either good or bad.  But how should that be of any concern to you?  What is of concern to you, is what I have done.  Isn’t the question put forth, “Who is this who speaks such vehement words against his brothers”?

I am simply a fool who is coming to adore the living God in Christ Jesus.  My eyes are beginning to see clearly that he alone is worthy of praise. 

I was like you, listening to those words.  We sang all the praise songs.  We prayed good words before our version of the living God.  We even hugged one another now and then.  Yet all that worship left me empty.

Sermons were preached, but my ears would not receive the words.  My life drifted into religion, just like those who live the life I have condemned.  I found myself no more than an empty cup, abandoned on the corner of the sidewalk; alone and worthless for the will of my God.

But God has been merciful to this man.  He has struck me with isolation.  He has filled my heart with a desire to learn about his Holy Way.  He has been patient and merciful to show me my failings.  And through his lovely fire, condemnation has come strong.

He accepted no excuse from me.  His truth hovered over me.  I could not sleep, I could not wake, I could not eat or enjoy, without that the knowledge that condemnation was sure.  Curiously enough, all my waking days, I provoked his appearance all the more.  Echoing in my heart is the concept of refining gold by fire.  May it never leave me!

This is the man I am.  I am a Christian, because he has made me into one.  And he is far short of finished.

I speak to you as if I am a new Christian.  You know the zeal of those who suddenly understand.  But I am beside myself to explain why this understanding of zeal diminishes!  I cannot explain why my brothers pat such children on the head, and nod with understanding.  “You will soon settle down.  So we will put up with your words for now.”

They should not be settled down!  They should be joining a band of elders who are the same as they!  The wisdom of a child is greater then the wisdom of a domesticated elder!  This child is not joining a band of warriors!  He is encouraged to take his place among those who live at peace!  All the while the world dies around us!  And the will of God suffers for our lack of zeal!

I have simply determined to believe Him.  I am no great prophet.  I do not part the waters.  I do not heal the sick or raise the dead.  I have simply determined to believe the words of my Lord.

Will you ignore me, or join me?  Truly, will you come and pat me on the head?  Will you secretly read my words and roll your eyes?

With that said, this article is finished.  For my heart perceives the answer.

By His Grace