Tag Archives: humble

Dignity

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No one digs a grave for the broken rotting tree. 

Exposing its inward parts, it lays exposed for all to see.

Though it gave shelter and shade, and a break from the troubling winds, dignity in its trouble escapes its mortal grasp.

Gone unnoticed all its hundred years, it goes unnoticed by the caring hands of its benefactors.

How long has this been true for man?  Like a cow shot among the herd, the rest go about eating and drinking as if their fellow had never been.

Are we but animals?  Are we not designed to live in God’s image?

Then where is mercy?  Where is godly compassion?  Where is patience among the days expectations?  Where is dignity if we gather it only for ourselves?

Is this indeed, what Christ showed us?

Shall we honor a man only to cover him in dirt?  Or at best, shall we attribute sayings to the things he did among us?  Or will he carry testimony that a few cared deeply?  Deeply enough to give what no one can take.

Dignity is a living cause.  Many take it upon themselves to receive such from others.  But you cannot snatch dignity from the air.  If it is contrived it is apparent and useless.  Dignity must be given, and that by humble hands.

The Living Light Switch

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Curiosity has touched me.  I tried to hide among the bushes, but he found me out none the less.  I thought I could rely on understanding.  But understanding is like a loosely built fence, which through the cracks between,  I can receive a glimpse of heaven.  And it is while I stand along that fence, in the shadow of obscurity, that curiosity comes to greet me.

I know the answer to the question, but that there should even be a question marvels me.  The question covers three topics.  By necessity, I can’t figure out how to make it short.  But the answer is supported by the legs of the three topics.  At the top of the “Table of answer”, I lay my conclusion.

Leg 1. Why is constant and enduring self-discipline necessary for the things of God?

Leg 2. Why must man be encouraged, and even sometimes forced, to pray?

Leg 3. To where do the words of the Bible disappear after we have read them?

Human beings are so amazingly capable of learning, doing and retaining.  The volume of technology is proof of this.  There are those who have mastered virtually the complete volume of Technology ( Make no mistake, the word volume is misleading.  How many books are written on various subjects by various masters of their own trade?).  And the list of those who aspire to join them in this accomplishment is very long. 

Self discipline, zeal, and retention, do not lack among men.  What I find mysterious is the lack of understanding of those three “legs” in the things of God.

I know there is a distinction between what is flesh and what is Spirit.  But even a man who contains the Holy Spirit of God finds himself being dragged back to the flesh from time to time.  Today he remembers and does.  Tomorrow he forgets and stumbles.

Obviously, dedication to God’s things is not accomplished by a momentary decision; as if one flips the switch in the room and the light comes on.  Now he can go about the room and do as he pleases, forgetting the switch.  No, it is more like the man must rise from his chair to switch it on again.  For the switch tends to move down to the off position, as if it were a being in itself. (Please don’t become paranoid, and find yourself watching the switch.  It’s just an analogy.)

The answer to this mystery, is that God has made these things so that he may test the fullness of a man’s heart.  Laziness in the things of God is not an option.  It requires a constant straining toward the things of heaven.  Relax, and you will surely suffer loss.

A man may study technology, then take a vacation without loss.  But the man of God who does this, will find himself horribly lacking.  The information of God does not arrive without direct connection to the Spirit of God.  And it cannot be reliably retained by the flesh.  And dissipates rather quickly with non-use.  But where does it go?

I have found the Lord Jesus to be incredibly humble.  He does not force himself on anyone.  Neither does he help us unless we ask.  Agreed, there are circumstances beyond our knowledge in which he must help us.  Rest assured, he does and is.  But the volume of what is Holy belongs to him.  If by derilection, we push him away, the things that are Holy go with him.  That my friend, is where the words of the Bible go.

I am warned afresh.  Yet in this I also find a great promise.  The Lord has promised us, “I will never leave you nor forsake you”.  And he has taught us, “Without me you can do nothing”.  But I am struck by the reality of his promises as they play out in our daily life.

This is not hidden knowledge.  It is not only available in the Bible, but all his people testify of these things everyday.  Perhaps what is more amazing, is that there are still Church going folk who do not know these things.  For I perceive how often the Pastor must encourage the flock to read the Bible, to pray, and to do the things of Christ.

Indeed, the mystery of godliness is great!

By His Grace

Worth It All

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Those who know me, know that in my past I have been an agent for destruction.  Everywhere I went, I destroyed lives.  Selfishness was all I knew.  I had no respect for anyone else’s life, or prosperity.  Only God knows how much of that man is dead.

But a new man has risen from the carcass.  This one is thoroughly ashamed of such behavior.  He strives to let people be more than himself.  But again, only God knows how much.

I did the things I did out of habit.  One might say out of compulsion.  And I don’t know how many of those habits or how much selfish compulsion to be destructive still lives in my mind.  All I know is that I strive everyday, all day, to be a different man.

Prayer has become often and earnest.  With a great abandon, I have thought the truth of God through and through.  To the point that what you see written in this blog is likely less than 1/8 the volume.  And with all my might I strive to do the things I learn.

I’m not trying to praise myself.  And it would be ridiculous to look for pity.  For justice remembers that I had no pity on others.

I write this for the sake of those who are like I was.  I write this that you may know there is a way out.  And the exit door has a name, Jesus the Christ of God.  But I also wrote this as a testimony to what you can expect.

You can expect to remember what you’ve done.  You can expect the Lord Jesus to forgive your sins.  You can expect God to teach you how to put selfishness away.  You can expect him to teach you the real meaning of love.  You can even expect to become quite trustworthy.

But you cannot expect those who knew the man you were, to trust you.  Just as you will not forget the man you were, they remember all the more. 

But doesn’t that painful experience give you a magnificent opportunity to be humble, forgiving, patient and understanding?  And aren’t those four attributes foundations for love?

You can expect that becoming the new man will be a horribly painful experience.  But I have determined, it is about time I tasted my own medicine.  And the Lord Jesus reassures me that the pain will be worth it all.

By His Grace

True Pleasure

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If sadness does not accompany us on our waking.  If what is first in our desire, is to be full of joy and laugh.  If we find we can look back at our past with great pride.  If there is no fear within us for the things we love to do.  I submit to every man (Christian or not) , that such a life may not have the Living God within it at all. 

(By using the phrase “may not have”, I mean the odds are 99:1.  For those of you who know nothing about gambling or other games of chance, such odds are not even worth playing.  What sane person loves to play a game he knows he can never win?)

What is pleasurable in the flesh, stands at odds with the desire of the Living God.  There is a joy in the Holy Spirit.  But it is not like the joy of man.  Man is full of joy at what he has.  The Christian is full of joy in The Promise.

There is a history in every Christian that is worthy of peaceful contemplation.  But the world would not recognize it as peaceful.  The world would perceive such a life as a desperate insanity.  For the Christian finds that not one single thought of his own was worthy of thinking.  The Christian’s only moments of sanity, are those places where he obeyed. (And this in direct conflict with the desires of his body)

The Christian may carry a great pride, but it is not for the things he is, nor the things he does or has done.  The Christian’s pride is exclusively in the Lord who has purchased him.  Thus the vibrant testimony, which the world hates, thrives within the man of God.  The man of God will find it impossible to keep his mouth shut.

There is a trembling in fear the man of God owns.  But it is not a fear that restrains.  It is rather a fear that provokes.  It is the very engine of godliness.

The man of God will find that he loves to do the things the world hates.  He will also find that he is full of hatred for the things the world loves.  The people of the world are like a high maintenance woman; they must be entertained 24/7.  But the man of God is full of joy to do the simple things.

To those who stand outside Christianity, I testify that Christianity is not just another religion.  Christianity is always a becoming.  And to those who consider themselves Christians, yet find entertainment their highest priority, I suggest strongly that you reexamine your faith.

While the man of God lives on this earth, he is never at rest.  And the closer we get to the Living God in Christ Jesus, the more dynamic the separation appears.  The closer we get to Him, the less we are in turmoil.  But the journey is easily compared to a bloody and protracted war.  What man can endure such a life on his own?

You can have your life of joy, and peace, and pride.  I would much rather live the life of humiliation before the Living God.  I would rather own no righteousness, than to be full of self praise.

For when I find my own ways abhorrent, then I know I agree with eternal ways of the Holy and Loving God.  And this, my friends, is peace eternal.  This, my friends, is Christianity.

My brothers and sisters in Christ: Check the boxes.  Where has your faith agreed with these things?  Do you find yourself afraid to testify?  Are you fully absorbed in the things the world loves? 

How could you possibly be at peace in godly testimony?  Such a fear testifies that you agree with the world; “Jesus is an embarrassment to you”.

You may think this is a very harsh statement.  But remember that Jesus was not ashamed of his Heavenly Father.  Even to the extreme humiliation of beating and death, he knew he was at war with the things of this world.

Every hero in the Christian faith has lived his life in a desperate war.  If you find yourself living a life of peaceful joy, as you pursue and mingle with those things of the world, how could you possibly be a disciple of Christ?

Any man can call himself anything he pleases.  But there is a line of demarcation.  God himself has drawn the line, in the bloody body of His Holy Son.  And there are far more who straddle that line than those who cross it.

I wrote this to describe the radical difference between Christianity and any other way of life.  But as I came to completion, I began to realize that Christianity has been so watered down that it is almost unrecognizable.

If you consider my last few words to be an attack, you are reading with the glasses of pride, proudly poised on your upturned nose.  The man of God takes instruction where he finds it.  He may not yet be humble, but he knows that is the desired place to live.

I am finished writing this post.  I realize it is not only an instruction, it is also a declaration of war.  So be it.

By His Grace

The Well Worn Door

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The more prominently they are exposed, the more likely their fall.  And the noise of their fall turns heads for miles. 

Necks snap in the direction of the noise.  Eyes widened with joy.  Legs that were poised to spring, explode into action.

Not for the weakness of righteousness,  but because the weakness of man.  So is the imminent crash of greedy desire.

Better to live in a cave in the deepest of woods.  Better to live in the shadow of obscurity.

Better to thrash about with wild animals than to contend among the pride of man.

But who can convince the young and gifted, when so many rise to fame?

The desire to be somebody outweighs common sense and wisdom.  Their attention is fixed on their own name.

And when the one is thrown down from his position, because of some common sin, those who desire his place are the first to attack his throat.

“Devour” waits for the hungry.  He lurks in the grass of the hunting field.

Unseen and crafty, powerful and deftly agile, with eyes that see weakness before it develops.

Mercy lives in obscurity.

As the blessing of God is given to the prayer uttered in a secret place, the mercy of God finds its best deployment among the humble.

“Devour” does not desire the gaunt.  There is no fat in their skin.  The meat on their bones is sparse and tough.  Diligence has spared them great anguish.

Humiliation and humility are brother and sister of the same God.  But one is a servant while the other is of the family.

One goes out to take, the other lives to embrace.

Each man makes his choice of friend at the door of opportunity. 

There is no lock on either door.  Enter as you will.

Those who desire wisdom desire the family of God.  Those who desire precarious folly desire His servant.

So it has been written since the day of Adam.  So it has been established from eternity.  So it will not be removed until the last day of this place of testing.

How can a man tell the difference between the door of humiliation and the door of humility? 

On the one, the knob is dented and loose.  On the one, the wood at the edge is severely worn. 

So many have passed through here that the door shows exceedingly great wear.  Care for the things of others is dismissed among those rush to humiliation.

But the door of humility is pristine.  It is polished to a shine and greatly cared for.

Those who have entered in have used careful fingers.  You would not think it is used at all.

At the door of humiliation is glee and celebration.  The great noise of joy can be heard on the other side.

The door of humility is entered into by those who are unnoticed.  And once inside there is no noise to be heard.

Through the one door is a flat open space.  Through the other, are a myriad of staircase.

It would be better to resign from your place, and walk among the humble, than to climb the stairs of profitability and fame.

But what good are these words to those whose hands are greedy?  It is an easier task to tear loose the prey of a lion, then to rip greed from the hands of the proud.

By His Grace

Humility Wins, Hands Down

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The humble man in Christ Jesus may suffer a great deal of loss.

But the proud man, who fends for himself, suffers no loss at all.

The true Christian will be compensated beyond his wildest imagination.

But the godless man will die with the things which now protect him.

Define loss and gain, as you perceive them.  Consider what is written above.  Then redefine loss and gain.

When you have read this far you have lost that much more time.  How much more time will you squander, o’ godless man of self?  The door to your life has closed a fraction more as you read these words, which you are likely to dismiss.

Dear Christian brothers and sisters:

Entice loss to come up on you, even as our spiritual siblings before, enticed the wild beasts.  Let the glory of our Lord Christ Jesus excel!  He will certainly not withhold his hand from reward.

We suffer but a little while.  Then the glory of the Living God explodes upon our soul, and it will never recede.  How insignificant this time will become; as we have willingly suffered for his Great and Majestic Glory.
         ____________

While you, godless men
and women,  continue in your willing blindness.  The Holy Lord stands ready to give you eyes to see, a mind to understand, and a heart that is willing to obey.  But you will have none of it.

Each man decides for himself.  Will he humble himself and pray, and seek the Lord’s Holy Face, and read his Holy words, and strive with all his mind, strength and soul to learn?  Or will he count all these blessed words as if they are less than trash?

15 “And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” (Joshua 24)

Shake the trees with your great in majestic strength, O’ Living God in Christ!  Send your righteousness upon all men.  Inspect them, Father in Heaven,
even as they live dead among the dead.  Rise up and judge your enemy.  Bring a close to this great place of testing. 

Let the righteous remain
righteous.  Let the wicked remain wicked.  Let all who seek Your mercy find it in vast abundance.  But let all who hate you now be put to utter shame on that great day when you stand to judge the world.

In Christ Jesus, the Holy Son of God, amen.

By His Grace