To What End?


Why do you protect your family?  Why do you work so hard to earn a living?  Why do you go to church?  Why do you read the Bible?  Why do you study devotions?  Why do you pray?  Why do you speak the name of Christ?

Are all these things only for show?  Or are they so that you can become as devoted to the Living God’s Christ as are the Holy Angels?

When you have done these things for years, have they produced a holy man?  Or have you found yourself only becoming a socially acceptable Christian? 

What is the fullness that God desires in all his people?  What does that look like?  Can you point to someone and say, “That is it”?  Can anyone point to you and say the same thing?

It is like men to pursue a dream, only to find a place where they are comfortable.  What about death to all the things in this world?  Does that sound comfortable to you?  What about a beating by the hands of men because you have spoken the Gospel in their presence?  How many friends have abandoned you because you love God?  What about a burning willingness to obey God’s command, regardless the outcome?  Does that apply to you?

I ask this many questions, because you are the only one who can answer them for yourself.  I do not command anyone to do anything.  But I have an obligation to ask my brothers these things.  And they distinctly apply to me also.  And why would anyone not ask his brother at these things?

Who will shake the world for Christ?  Will it be you?  Who will cower in a corner, amassing all kinds of peace and luxury.  Will that be you?

By His Grace

Obey?


The ignorance of man is astounding!  I say that knowing that I am a man.  And that I am ignorant of many things.  But there is a difference between not knowing something, and knowing it for the sake of abuse.

How dearly humanity loves the law of God.  But we do not love it so that we might obey it, for we know that is impossible.  Men love the law of God because it is a tool with which they can readily hate their brother.

But this is so absolutely contrary to the nature of the law of God. 

I don’t want to make this a long post.  But there is something key to understanding the law of God, that I have never heard men speak of: how all of heaven embraces the law of God without question, yet man turns it into a tool of death.  Enough apology.  Let’s get at it.

When the law of God was delivered to Moses for the people, at a certain point they begged that no further word be spoken.  Realization struck them and fear overwhelmed them.  Yes they wanted God but they knew they could not have him.  The inability of men to obey the Holy law of God was blatantly obvious.

But still God commands us to be holy, and to obey His law.  How can this be?  Does he demand too much?  Is the devil’s accusation against him valid; You demand too much and you do not give the resources to obey?

Isn’t this what men say?  Isn’t this what every single one of us finds our soul believing at one point or another?  But we know that cannot possibly be true. 

We know we will die and we know that God never will.  He obeys his great Holy Law with the most perfect ease.  And so do all the other creatures in heaven!  And the Christ of God has walked among us, fulfilling the law completely, again with the greatest of ease!  How can this possibly be?

Because the creatures of heaven, and the Christ himself, love the Father more than anything in all creation.  Never once does rebellion cross their mind.  Eternity is sustained by this love.  It is not sustained by obedience to a set of rules.  Yet this is the perspective of man!

We raise the Ten Commandments and scream at our brother!  “Do these or you will die!”  But we know they cannot.  And even the one who is screaming knows he cannot obey these laws!  And so we divide and hate one another by the very law that brings unity in heaven.  By the very law that is the foundation of eternity.

There.  That’s what I wanted to say.  But I don’t find myself feeling any better for having written it.  For I know it will not be received or understood.

We will all nod our heads in agreement.  But we will turn right back around and hate our brother.  We will read the Ten Commandments as if there might be something we missed.  But we will not find it.

Let’s add one more key to this proclamation that will devastate the heart of the one who considers it. 

What is the first and greatest commandment?  Jesus replied: “’Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” (Matthew 22: 38)

There’s the key to obedience.  Love.  But when we read the Ten Commandments we don’t hear love do we?  All we hear is fear. 

Fear gives birth to rebellion and hatred.  Fear reads the law of God and despises it.  Fear turns away from God with a great willing heart.  And fear will eventually lead to complete obliteration.

You ask perhaps, how can I love God?  There is only one way.  Look to Jesus the Christ of God.

Without him you will never love God.  Without him you will only obey according to your understanding; you’ll find your obedience is nothing more than a mental exercise.  It never finds its way to your fingers or feet.  Not to mention her filthy mouth.

I do not need to say more than this.  Because if you will not turn to Jesus, you will not believe these words anyway.  Yet if you do turn to Jesus you will find yourself in complete agreement, and I will be rightly pushed to nothing.  That is my proper place.  I am only a messenger of he who lives forever.

May God bless this testimony to the very door of eternity.  Amen.

By His Grace

“BECOMING”


Galatians chapter 5 speaks and incredibly powerful word.  A man would do well to memorize the entire chapter.  A man would do well to seek the Holy wisdom of God in relation to that chapter.  And any man will do well if he “does it”!

To say that Christians are not under the law of Moses is a foolish statement, for the very Christ who leads them is the fulfillment of the law!  No man by himself is able to fulfill the law of God.  But by obedience to the Living Word, the Christ, a fulfillment will appear.  And he is able and willing to teach!

This is the power of God.  This is what is referred to when it is said that they will have a form of religion but deny the power of it.  It is what is called “becoming” (Or perhaps it is better said, that this what I have come to call “becoming”).  And this “becoming” is becoming a forgotten teaching.

Yes there is an eternal “becoming” that waits for us at our appearance before his Holy Throne.  But there is a holiness to be grasped here.  And it is a state of life that few have either understood, sought, or attained.

I testify before all men, that transformation to a Christian is possible in Christ.  It is more than what we say we are.  It is a “becoming”. 

By His Grace

The Living Dead


Make no mistake in thinking that evil is its own master.  Evil thrives in the creation that belongs to God.  Having overcome all wickedness, Christ Jesus is the Master over evil.  Even the father of lies is subject to his rule.

The Apostle Paul said that in God we live and move and have our being.  There is nothing that finds its life apart from God.

So proud they are to rebel.  What joy it gives them to spurn the things of the Living God’s Christ.  How utterly foolish to think they have accomplished anything.  For even rebellion belongs to God.  And he will do with it as pleases him when the time is right.

Why should this not give us peace, we who belong to Christ by the power of His Holy Spirit?  Why should this not give us strength, to know that nothing comes upon us outside his Holy rule?  And should this not cause us to forgive with the greatest of willingness, knowing that we are in His Holy presence now and forever.

Even the living dead belong to him.  And God will do with them as pleases him, when the time is right.  How much more do those who live in Christ belong to God?  Should such as we not desire to please him in the now?

Let us wake and remember these things!

By His Grace

Heaven Bent


Oh precious gems,

These doubts of men:

The gates twix

Death and healing.

How gladly we

Protect the locks.

His purpose

Deftly stealing.

Would you believe?

Then grab the keys.

Throwback the gates!

The Holy One waits!

Render him your life.

And don’t just say,

As everyday;

As if a dream you dreamt.

But do the deed;

Become the man!

Whose soul is:

Heaven bent

By His Grace

Wobble Foot


Walking along

And reading his Bible,

The Christian bobbled

Off the path.

The rebuke was very

Soft and warm,

Not at all

A word of Wrath.

A gentle kiss

Upon his cheek.

Drawing him back

To the narrow path

Was the One whom

Good men seek.
————-
Just a bobble,

And that’s so true,

By a well intentioned soul.

But let us strain

To watch our feet,

Lest we miss

The greater goal.

By His Grace