Ownership


From the bravado of a foolish man who thinks he can endure hell, to the pompous nature of the self righteous, who thinks he is something when he is not.  The folly of man’s pride reaches deep.

We did not invent sin.  Sin was in heaven long before we were even created.  And so was righteousness in all its purity.  Righteousness and rebellion go back a long way my friend.  You are nothing new.

Cain was only the first to murder among men.  He was not the first to murder.  So where does that place any other man whose hands are filthy?  And Abel was the first righteous man among men.  He was not the first one who was righteous.  So how can the self-righteous think so highly of themselves with any means to quantify?

By every account man is nothing.  He does not have a patent on wickedness.  And he can have no claim to righteousness.  By every account man is nothing unless it is given to him from above.  Or unless he is inspired, by those who came before, to the rebellion against the Living God.

Where then does pride among men stand?  My friend, you are simply not that important.  At best you can only be used by those who came before, whether for bad or good.

By His Grace

The Hard Baked Clod of Dirt


Oh, Man!  Look and see what you have done.  See how you quibble over a clod of dirt; dried into a hard, tiny, rock.  You see it in the hands of another.  You desire what the other has.  So you threaten.  You plot.  You contrive reason to steal.  And with various means, you attack with purpose filled vengeance.  You take what is not yours.

First you offer compensation to the other, that you might have what does not belong to either of you.  For all things belong to God.  Then, if he refuses, greed burns within you.  The clod fills your dreams in the night.  The clod preoccupies all your thoughts during the day.  And the man who holds it secure in his house becomes your enemy.

How is this right?  What right do you have to envy another man over a clod of dirt?  What folly is this that men do?  Yet you call it reasonable!   You call it legitimate business.

Go!  Finish what is in your heart to accomplish!  Kill the man so that you can have your desire.  Take from him what does not belong to either of you!  Go ahead!

Then, then you will both find yourselves in another place.  Your hands empty of dirt, but over flowing with greed, and every wicked thing.  Shame covering your face, you will see the One to whom the Living God has given all things.  You will both stand before the One who owns it all!  Your life having been filled with greed for what you have no RIGHT to own.

What then?  You have lived your entire life full of purpose to gain.  Now you have nothing.

Why won’t you hear these words?  Why do you pay money for that which is not food?  Why do you hate and murder your brother for what neither of you owns?  Why won’t you look into these things before you are forced to appear before the owner of all heaven and earth?  Why would you finish your pathetic days in shame?

The Gospel answers you.  The Gospel waits to be read.  There is understanding, so very near the tips of your fingers.  Why won’t you pick it up and learn?

Depravity Without End


All men are the same.  Though life is found in billions of variations, at their base, all men are the same.

I could point to our need to be loved.  But there are men who do that in a seducing manner already.  They use our need to be loved, as a tool to get what they want.  From soap, to sex and to acceptance, there are men who manipulate that necessity.

I could point to our physical frailty.  But there are men who exploit every facet of the human body.  From ailments to physical beauty, men exploit others for the sake of gain. 

I could point to our mutual end; that inevitable place of death.  But even there: inheritances are fought over.  The plot of land is sold at a high price.  The casket is ornate and costly.

But I will speak of our depravity.  How worthless men are for doing what is purely good.  And how completely unable we are to change our situation.

Let us lay aside our former sins, and we would still find ourselves unable to do what is pure and good.  We are hopelessly depraved.  The judgment of God waits to receive us.  Yet who among us has considered the severity of our plight?

Men are careful to look for the singular things they do, which will draw judgment upon them.  With meticulous mind they strive to avoid the obvious.  Murder, adultery, hatred, discord, jealousy, lies, and the like, are the focus of their eyes, as they peruse their situation. 

They look for the obvious, while they miss the subtle.  But any sin, no matter how small, can throw us into condemnation on the day of judgement.

With diligence, men strive to avoid these obvious pitfalls.  But the size of such sins masks the horror beneath.

“I have not murdered.  Therefore I am better than my brother who has.”  “I have remained faithful to my wife (or husband).  Therefore I am a righteous man (or woman).”  “I am patient and compassionate to those of lesser value.  Therefore I am merciful even as God is merciful.”

With endless proclamation, men justify their life.  It is as if they rehearse what they will say to the living God on that day.  And they prepare by comparing!  Oh how men love to compare!

Billions of dollars are earned for the sake of man’s valued comparisons.  One is left to eat from the trash bin, because he was found unable to compete.  He was compared by society, to what is held in high esteem, and thrown to the wolves for his lack.

Another counts himself beautiful and well endowed.  He competes with great skill.  Comparatively speaking his body is beautiful.  And comparatively speaking, his mind works well, to gain what he desires.  He is the one who is honored among men.  For he is compared to the man who eats from the trash bin.  And the beautiful one is exalted to the highest places.

For our pride, we will be judged, by he who is perfectly humble.  For the sake of our greedy desire to gain, we will be judged by he who has given everything he has.  For the sake of our love of division, we will be judged by he who is the same yesterday today and forever.

If you have thought that you can stand before God on the Judgment Day, it would be good for you to rethink your position.  The Holy One has spoken that no man will stand on his own.  God has proclaimed that every man is a liar.  And the smallest infraction against his Holy Law, is deserving of only death.

Men conveniently overlook their own faults.  With desperation, they search themselves for what might be considered good.  Though what good they find is small and rare, they hold to these things with a deadly grasp.  But God sees the entire man.

At whatever place you think highly of yourself, you are severely mistaken.  You have compared yourself to others.  This is the source of your confidence.  But men fail to compare themselves to the Living God or his Holy Son Christ Jesus.

If you are still willing to listen I will tell you a truth of hope.  All need not be lost!  A way has been made for every man to stand strong on the Day of Judgment.

Your complete lack of what is good has been seen by the Holy Lord.  His Holy and Faithful Son’s sacrifice can cover you with confidence on that day.  But do not think you will wait for his covering when you appear before the Most High God.

There is holy work to do within you even now.  To appear with confidence before the Most High God requires a certain garb.  A man must be dressed in righteousness, holiness, a distinct lack of willingness to compare, and a vibrant willingness to forgive the sins of others.

As I pointed out before we are not capable of such attire.  Man, if left by himself, can only become dressed in everything that is wicked.  The very place we live demands it. 

Accept the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus.  Put down your own perceived righteous behavior.  Learn from the Lord what he expects from all men.  Humble yourself before the Living God.  Pray, and seek His face.  Present yourself to him as you are.

If you wait until the day of judgement you will be sorely hateful of yourself.  You will not be welcomed with open arms.  You will be cast away without the slightest regret.  On that day, no amount of tears or violent anger will change his mind.

There is a transformation that needs to take place here.  We must learn to submit to his leadership.  We must become worthy. 

Without him we can do nothing.  But with him we can overcome the selfish desires of man.  By the work of God within us, we can become like the Lord Jesus.  But this requires a humble submission from us.

There are millions who think they have a free pass to eternal life.  By speaking of few words, they count Jesus as their Savior and Lord.  But there is no change in their heart, mind or desire.  These, very many people, will be horribly surprised.  For man is condemned before he appears before God!

The only ones worthy of eternal life are those who do the will of the Sovereign God in Christ Jesus. 

If you do not fully understand what I have said here, do not bother to ask me to explain.  The Bible is freely available in almost every place of the world.  And prayer is only a knee bend away. 

If you are looking for a man to tell you what to do, you are looking in vain.  Only Jesus the Christ is able to save your soul.  We can point you to him, but we have no strength to save you. 

And if you look to men to help you are, by comparison, ignoring the command of God. 

You will stand all alone and naked on that day.  The teaching of no man can clothe you sufficiently.  To put it in the way of the Bible, you need to be washed and clothed in the Holy Blood of Jesus.

By His Grace

Peaceless Peace


prayer..

prayer.. (Photo credit: aronki)

The morning before dawn greeted me with a nightmare.  My belly complained to me with heart burn.  And the prospect of prayer before dawn beckoned to me.  For these reasons I left the restless place of sleep and came to seek the Lord’s face.

Knives were used against me in a dream.  It was ordered from a man that I should die.  And that man’s people hunted me down.  To my shame I tried to hide, but I was found.  I asked why.  But none of them answered with respect.  Violence covered them with dedicated violence.  And they cut at me.  In the end hatred consumed them and the final thrust of a knife was more than I was willing or able to dream.  So I woke.  The heartburn caused me no peace in my body.  And now my soul was troubled at the dream.  So I rose and came to seek the Lord’s face.

But in prayer there was no peace to be found.  No understanding came to me.  I confessed what sins I could grasp.  And my mind searched quickly through the day before to see if the Lord would shine a light on any of them as the reason for this “empty” place of prayer.  Nothing was found to separate me from His presence.  And I considered the meaning of this violent morning of peaceless turmoil.

I asked to be dressed by His Grace so that I could serve both He and man.  And I received what is true.  All good things come from God.  We are utterly empty of any means to provide what God alone holds in His Holy hand.  All things good remain in His hand.  What shall we give to purchase God’s blessings?  He will give what He will give.  And if He retains a certain peace, which we have come to expect, what shall we do to gain that which belongs to the Living God?  Who are we to demand?  It is God’s Holy Right to do as He pleases.  And with this peace has come.

It is not the peace I was looking for.  I came to seek those things He has given in the past.  But I found a place different; a peace has come which is fragile and somewhat unsure.  I had sought something deeper and more filling.  But two things came to me that I have known.  It is by faith alone that we will be saved.  Each day has its own trouble.  And I have remembered freshly that it is God who retains the right to teach as He sees fit.

May His will be done forever.  He is the Holy God of Israel.  We serve as we are given.  And all that is given comes dressed with His perfect wisdom and understanding.  Even in an unsettled emptiness I will serve Him and I will not complain.  Who am I to order the Lord to feed my perception and expectation of His perfect ways?

By His Grace.

The Threshold of the Second Coming


greed [aka cost/benefit]

Image by the|G|™ via Flickr

How fast the world is deteriorating into evil.  The darkness covering the land today makes the 60’s look more pure.  While there was nothing holy about the rise of immorality of the 60’s, the embrace the world is giving to wickedness today has increased by folds.  And all indications are that this increase will explode.  Are you ready for absolute chaos?  It is coming.

 

Throughout the ages, since the resurrection of Jesus, men have proclaimed the return of the Lord of Glory.  I’ve often pondered, as have others, just what the signs will be when the Holy God of Israel has had enough.  Because, when the Lord God sends His Son, this world will endure all manner of horror.  Many thought their age was the one in which the Lord would surely return.  But wickedness had not run its course.  This observation has given birth to an understanding within me.

If the world has become increasingly wicked and the Lord has not yet returned, just how wicked must the world become before the Lord comes?  Personally, I believe anyone would not be far wrong to expect His return very soon.  But how much more violence, godlessness, and unholiness needs to come to maturity before God responds with His Holy Promise to do away with man’s rebellion?  If it’s this bad now, how much more horror must man manufacture?

God has given man over to the desires of his heart.  The central desire of man is to rid himself of the God who made him.  How long will man rebel?  How much destruction will he be willing to reap from the works of his own hand?  The answer is “A LOT”!  Murders, greed, anger, rapes, thefts, lies, corruption of every sort on every level, even within families, all these things are going to increase until there is no one left on the face of the entire earth who is willing to allow God to be the King of their life.  At this time, the Lord of Glory will appear with Great suddenness; when they least expect it.

May the Lord have mercy on those who read this post.  May He open their eyes to see.  Billions and billions of blind are, even now, awaiting their fate at the hands of the Living God.  Yet hell still has room.  Why would you seal your eternity as they have?  Why not humble yourself before the Most High God, through Jesus, and accept the testimony of His people?

By His Grace.

Murderers of Ourselves. Murderers of God’s Will.


The skull and crossbones, a common symbol for ...

Image via Wikipedia

The man stood before the judge.  His lawyer stood by his side.  They were about to hear the judgment against the man.  Here is what was said:

“We have a law in this society of humanity.  Though the law comes in different languages and the judges wear a myriad of clothing, the law is recognized throughout the entire world is primary in its importance.  We all say that no one should commit willing and premeditated murder.  And if you do so and are brought to this point, a judgment will be placed on you at the discretion of the presiding  judge.

You, sir, have been found guilty by a body of your peers, of premeditated murder.  And now you will receive the sentence I will pronounce.  But before I utter the sentence let me tell you what you have done.  The thing you have done is the very thing the entire world says you should not do.  Therefore we all sit here in this seat I have been given to judge you with.  Why do we all say this thing you’ve done is worthy of a harsh punishment?  Because we all value our own lives.  You have not valued the life of those you’ve murdered.  And you did not even value your own life.  For you knew the punishment for your crime would be that your own life is taken from you.

None of us wanted to pass this punishment to you.  Therefore your crime holds one more victim; you.  I am not only going to sentence you to death for the murder of those people.  I am also going to add your own life to the sentence.  Know that the punishment you receive will be equitable for all.  For even you will be punished for your own death.”

This is the judgment of God.  We are not only guilty for our own sins.  We are also guilty of the murder of that which God has created.  He did not desire that you should die eternally.  He sent every possible warning to you to cease your evil and turn to Him that you might live.  But you have robbed God of what He has created for His own purposes.  If you remain outside Jesus you will certainly die the second death.  And your judgment will be on your own head.

By His Grace.