Perception


My past has brought me to a place where I should not have arrived.  Yet what shall be said?

From birth, the desire of God was not the sin I embraced so tightly.  He had plans for this soul which did not include the wickedness that covered me.  Yet today, I find myself where I stand.

Now I seek to know Him with diligence; that I might receive His Holy wisdom, that I might understand His Holy will to the doing of it.  Before His Holy Throne, He knows these things to be true.  Yet my doing is clouded with two things.

First it is clouded with the teachings of man I have embraced in the past.  Though I seek to be released from them, they obscure purity of understanding.  Thus my doings are diminished to some degree.  So be it.  What can be done with the mind a man brings to the Gospel?

Secondly is the testimony this past brings to the people who have known me while my sinful ways appeared before them.  It is not enough for me to say, “A prophet is not without honor, except in his home town and among his own people”.  This puts the blame on others.  I will not allow that before His Holy Throne.

Should we resist His teachings: “. . . do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”?  And what shall we do with the following scripture: 23 “Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, 24 leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift.” (Matthew 5)

I search these things this morning.  I search to own His Wisdom for these things.  I find certain truths waiting for me, as I appear before Him.

I was not obedient before He taught me His ways.  I balked at those who taught the truth.  How then am I different now, than those who oppose my testimony?  Yet, how can I settle for their balking?  (The specific problems that provoke this introspection are not worthy of public display.  Suffice it to apply to the things which accompany your own testimony)

What is the answer?  How can it be anything other than continuance of the things that provoke the Holy Chasm between men?  The Gospel divides by its very essence.  There is the Holy, and there is the way of man.  They collide at the very presentation of God’s Holy covenant in the Blood of His Holy Son.  It will not be dispelled.  Jesus remains a rock of offence.  And all who embrace His Lovely ways, will become some measure of that offence.  To myself I must yell, “DEAL WITH IT!”

I have resolved, by the demands of our Lovely God’s commands, to obey.  Not because I have agreed with His Holy ways in the past, but because He provokes me to adore Him.  I will continue to display love.  I will continue to serve.  I will put on patience.  I will learn!

If they do not perceive, what is that to me?  If I make it my dedication to notice their refusal, I will fall into a certain judgment of their rejection.  That will bring this difficulty directly before the Holy God’s Holy Throne.  He will be forced to judge between us.  How can I count that as “good”?

Without trying to be self-righteous, let me expose a portion of my prayer in regard to these things.  “Lord, Holy God of all good things, do not judge between my brother and I.  Let the fault rest heavily on my shoulders.  Do not hold anything against any man in regard to me, but free them all from accusation.  No one can sin against me.

But let me embrace your Holy wisdom.  Cause me to understand what must be done.  Show me how to make things right.  Be strong with me, I beg you for mercy in Your Holy and Righteous Son, teach me your perfect way.

Let them be a fire against me.  But do not count that fire as sin.  Release them.  But ignite me.”

Can we rightly respond any other way?  We are the ones who receive eternity, at the hands of His Holy Promise of Mercy.  How should we ask for retribution for some perceived “wrong” done to us?  (Even if that “wrong” is a rejection of the Gospel we have come to adore.)

And how should I shake off the dust that comes from the lives of those I am put in place to love?  How shall I leave them?  How shall I put up a wall against them, and between us set a chasm?  The answer rings like a mighty bell on a hillside, NEVER!”

May the Holy Lord of Life grant wisdom to the doing of these things.  May His eternal freedom clothe all His people.  May we, indeed, become that brilliant light He has given His perfect Blood to secure.  May we strive to be godly and holy in all our dealings of this sort.

Glory for all Good things belongs to He alone who is Good.  We are but a shadow of His Righteousness, even as we “accomplish” His Rightful Demands.

Amen.

Pure


In the early days of Christianity the word pure did not have the same definition as it does today. Today we might think about pure sugar, pure water, pure chemicals and the like.  These things are edible or usable because they are pure. But we say “pure” from our own perspective.  We who are impure call something better by a word that does not apply to us.

We all die and we will all appear before the Pure God.  Most people are aware of this truth.  But few give the concept the priority it demands.  To clarify what I’m trying to say let me play with a concept for a minute.

Let’s say I had a disintegrator gun and it was set to simply remove impure attributes. You consent (by signing 437 consent forms) and I begin to remove from you the things that are impure.

First the ray works on your clothing for it was made with impure thread.  Then the dirt on your skin is its object, for the dirt is impure.  When it reaches the end of the dirt it find your skin but your skin is not pure, it is removed.  Next your bones and organs until finally all that is left is your soul.  But will the ray stop there?  Sadly no.  Now it goes after lies of every sort.

When the ray is finished we take note of you that you are a micro- scopic speck of existence. That’s all of you that was true.

While I’m finishing up this article someone says “wait”! The scientists who were wielding the gun come running to me.  “Sir I’m sorry we have to admit to an error. The speck of life form we detected is not the person we begin with. Apparently the speck is simply the essence of life.  We have determined that the speck belongs to God.  Sir there is nothing left of the person we begin with”.

My bad,………………

More and More!


A Stream

I have written many things in this place.  And many have read them, according to the grace of God to me as His servant.  There are those who respond with admiration for the words He has given me.  And I am encouraged by my brothers and sisters who encourage me.  All Glory belongs to the Father through Jesus.  And His people praise what is good among us as He blesses us according to His eternal wisdom.

And now He is giving me a word which we have known yet not embraced fully.  It is a word of maturity which goes out to the unbeliever, the babe in Christ, and those who are running the race with a steady and vigorous pace.  I encourage all who read this to consider the importance of the day.  Night is nearing its end and the DAY is nearly upon us.

If you have accepted what faith He has laid within you, He is encouraging all of us to run all the harder.  There is Glory to be gained for our Heavenly Father.  There is a Bride which will be married to His Holy Son.  It is not fitting that Jesus’ bride arrive tainted by the things of this world.  With the strongest of intent I say this:  Clean your house (that tent of flesh in which we all abide, according to the will of God) of all things unholy.  Present yourself more and more before the Living God to receive that which He is willing and waiting to give.

Know that no sin will ever arrive in the presence of the Most High God.  And do not consider the teachings of liars which tell us to simply love one another, as if that were enough.  There is a purity to be gained from He who is Eternally Pure.  Gain that with all good speed.  Mend your pace as you have already been doing, yet do it all the more.  Closer is the moment of capture by the Holy One of God.  Closer now than ever before.  The entire creation will endure a reaping.  And that reaping is sure.

The Apostle Paul wrote to the Church at Thessalonia just this message.  Though his adoration for their dedication to God was a joy to him, we see him urging them to do all the things of Christ among them “more and more”.  If that was so 2000 years ago, how much more is it upon us to do the same?

What man among us would prefer to drink from a muddy stream?  What groom desires to marry a woman who mixes her body to other men?  What purity does the God of all heaven and creation deserve from the work of His Holy hand?  As you have already obeyed, do so more and more.  “To the Walls” my brothers and sisters.  Watch as guards of your own will.  Self control, prayer, knowledge of what is pure, and a violent desire to purify yourselves is what is called for here.  As we have done so, let us do so more and more.

By His Grace.