Tag Archives: Lord

A Shred of Faith

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English: Folio 9 from the codex; beginning of ...

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There are times, in every Christian’s life, when faith is so very small.  Those moments come and go.  And the reasons for them vary when we look at it from our perspective.  But in times like those, I take heart remembering when simply speaking the word “God” was nearly impossibly difficult.  And it is good to remember what the Lord said, “A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out, till he leads justice to victory.”  (Matthew 12:20)

Take heart!  The Lord knows your name!  And in His promise, He can neither lie nor forsake.  Two other scriptures enter here:

“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”  (Deuteronomy 31:6)

And:

“The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.”  (Psalm 51:17)

We are told to tear our hearts, not our garments.  If your heart is broken or shrunken before the Most High God, consider that this is a proper situation for a Living Faith.

 

By His Grace.

Service Remembered.

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I thank You Lord, for Herman Wilson.  He is now with You.  But you guided me to his feet when You opened my eyes.  I thank you for what You did within him.  And I thank you for the memories I have of him.  Of all the men I have ever met, he is the one who remains beautiful within me.  I also thank You for his wife Mervine.  What a lovely creature You had made in her.  And I am so very blessed to retain a memory of their service to You.

Lord, You know that Herman gave me this painting many years ago.  But You alone know its value in my heart.  Not even I can know it’s true value.  But when I consider the love Herman and Mervine showed me and my family during those years, I am brought back to a place of sobriety in my walk with You.  So I present this post as a testimony to their service to You.  And I post this picture here to set up a place of memory.  May You receive Glory from their service to all who You brought across their path.

For those of you who love this picture:  http://www.warnersallman.com/about/the-artist/

Will the Real Christians Please Stand Up? We’re a Bit Confused Here.

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A large crowd gathers [at Madison Square Garde...

Image by Kheel Center, Cornell University via Flickr

I have met and know a few people who love the Bible.  These people adore Jesus.  And they’re willing to obey God.  By all appearances, these folks are “good” people.  And if you met them, you’d think God must be pleased with the way they have come to handle the life God has given them.  They are acceptable humans; both by men and by the Church.  And no fault is easily found in them.

However…………………..

These same folks will accept what they think they can handle from the Bible.  That’s why they love it.  They will adore Jesus, as long as He remains simply a loving God, or a baby in a manger.  They are willing to obey God, as long as He doesn’t ask them to become something or someone they don’t want to become.  And though they appear godly, there is a test you can perform on these folks that will surely show their true colors.

Speak to them about the reality of the Bible’s message and watch how they react.  These folks will be nice to your face.   But it might be the last time they will willingly talk to you.  Speak to them about the Glorified Christ, who has made all that is and is the final authority regarding the righteous worship of His Father.  Watch how their eyes dance as they try to find a way to say “good bye.”  And as you watch them go, you’ll see them quickly rid their minds of what you  just said.  Again, they meld into the socially acceptable activity among men.

It is so very interesting how people are willing to believe the Bible, yet so quick to avoid anyone who talks about the Bible.  Most people simply adore leaving the Lord within the pages of the Book.  They gladly receive instruction from the written Word, but will balk severely when that Word becomes flesh among their fellow humans.  They will listen to a sermon while in a group of people.  But when it’s over you’ll find them talking about anything but the sermon’s content.

The Lord is not fooled.  And only He will assess their value to Him.  It is good to point these things out.  Far too many are doing what we are seriously warned against:  If we turn away from those who warn us on earth, how will we hope to receive Him who warns us from heaven?

 

By His Grace.

Genesis 11: 1-9

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History (Australian television channel)

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I have some time this morning to sit and relax a bit.  What, I wonder, should I do with this time?  I could watch TV.  Perhaps there’s a channel of learning.  Yea!  History channel…… That would be interesting.  Then I reflect on who makes the History Channel.  Well, perhaps I could find something better to do with my time.

This outcome of reflection has brought something to the surface in me.  I spent years, more like decades, learning about the world around me.  And I find something very curious, I’m not interested anymore in the things of this world.  A special lack of interest flares up at learning from those who do not openly announce the Son of God in their work.  I’m sick of allowing myself to become interested as a program unveils it’s information, only to find them preaching that I came from a monkey.

Perhaps I could watch that show, “How it’s made”.  But that becomes rather common place in a very short while.  Not that I don’t enjoy looking and learning about innovation.  Man’s ability to turn rock into some shiny and useful tool has always captivated me.  But what part of me is captivated.  That’s the question.  And I know the answer.  I could watch “Myth Busters”.  But everything of man is, in the end, a myth.  So what can they tell me that I don’t already know.

I think I’d rather sit in silence a while and consider the Lord and His ways with man and myself.  At least in this I accomplish something eternal.  Any other contemplation only leads to corruption of the eternal.

I was thinking of how the Tower of Babel went unfinished.  God looked down on the work of man and decided that He would rather they remain as they were until Jesus had appeared among us.  And I consider that since the Lord appeared in flesh, man has became rather adept at turning his world into a more sensual place.  Now that thought would be incomplete if I didn’t allow myself to consider the current explosion of sensuality.  By sensuality I mean the fulfilment of every possible lust man owns; from building houses which have become far more than a shelter from the elements to every possible convience.

It was not God’s desire that man should fend for himself like this.  If he had obeyed the Lord from the beginning, I’m convinced that the elements of this world would have become far more man friendly.  God desires to care for His creation.  But it is man’s continual rebellious ways that have resulted in a quite complex war with the world around him.

In the end of this thought comes something worth thinking about.  If it was God’s desire to provide for man from the beginning, why would His desire be any different now?  Even though I am part of this carnival of the works of man’s hands, I can still make a choice to trust the Lord to provide for me.  And why does He provide like this for a people who will certainly die in a couple years?  What benefit is there in this providing?

FAITH!

By His Grace.

Tower of Babel by Lucas van Valckenborch in 1594

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Encounter Before Dawn.

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Sun Flare Dawn

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In the wee hours of the passing night

The Lord awakes me to seek His light.

What is sleep that I should desire

My strength supported, my faith inspired.

The silence of the morning is sweet encounter.

Darkness dispelled by His Light, the guilt drowner.

Love poured out while no one sees.

Able to serve by His tender release.

Here comes the sun.

Yet the Son has already risen.

Describing the Unseen

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I have heard people use the story of the blind men and the elephant as a way to describe our differing views of the nature of God.  I have known that there is something wrong with that approach.  And just this morning I have come to an understanding of why that story fails.

Man is the reason that story falls short.  In describing the elephant, the blind men are speaking of that which they are able to sense.  But God is not like man.  There is nothing about Him that we can speak with

Blind men and an elephant

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certainty, except to say that He Is.  All true faith comes from Him alone.  And we are not to speak of Him in terms of man.  Our problem is that all our understandings come from the world experience.  And in this we are severely limited.

So, yes, we speak of Him as we are given to know.  But in this “knowing” we are to recognize our limitations.  Let us be very careful not to bring God down to our level.  Not one of us knows the Holiness that is God, yet.  If we speak of Him, let us speak the words of God.  Let us speak those words which are given to us by His Holy Spirit.  Who knows the mind of God but the Spirit of God?  And who can speak the Holy words of the Spirit but those who have the Spirit?

There is so much more to say regarding this.  But it is God who speaks the rest of this truth to all men.  So I will leave the “rest” to the Lord.

 

By His Grace.