Tag Archives: rebellion

The Limits of Can

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The list of limits, which restrain the life of man, is long.  He is bound up and constrained by the Holy dictates of God’s great Wisdom.  The list of “can” is shorter, yet no less sure.  The first constrains rebellion.  The second unleashes holy righteousness with the unlimited power of God himself.

Man presses against the limits of restraint.  They invent machines to push into those limits, and succeeds.  There will be no glory from God for such pernicious strivings.  How can rebellious desire be rewarded?

But who, among men, reaches to the limit of “can”?   It is written for all to read, “With God all things are possible”.   In the way of obedience, this was said.  In the way of salvation to obedience, this was said.  Who, among men, reaches to the fullness of God’s Holy words?

There are the limits of this world.  The final limit, among men, is reached at the point of death; the release of the soul from the constraints of flesh.  All men will surely reach this limit and pass through.

Many will reach the next impenetrable limit of condemnation; they will go no farther.  No rebellious striving will produce success.  But who will reach beyond that finality to the unspeakable limits of eternity?

God is a God of order.  He has placed limits for all creatures.  In this age, he has constrained.  So it will be in the next age.  In this age he constrains rebellion.  In the next he will constrain Holy order.  Yet who, among men, reaches to the limit of “can”?

Jesus offers righteousness to man now.  Jesus is the righteousness of man forever.  Yet what shall be said of the fullness of possibility in this place of testing?  Who has reached the fullness of God’s willingness to give?  Who, among men, reaches deep to become what God is willing to give?

The Way it is

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The gravel lays where it is placed and is forced to be ground to powder.  Once a majestic singular mountain, it is now but blowing dust in the open space.  Dust that is now forced to mingle and no longer be singular.

Raindrops fall by orders from creation.  They take their place together to create a body of water that was not before.  What was taken away is giving back.  A brief independence is forced to reunite.

Tree roots split dirt and rock to produce obedient fruit.  In its proper time the fruit appears and does not fade until ordered to fall.  With a crash the limbs shatter on the ground.  What was once tall and magnificently beautiful becomes rot for the growth others.

Three specimens to show God’s will dictated.  He alone is life, there is no life apart from him.  Yet what shall be said of man?

His body follows the dictates of God: to grow, to do, and to die.  But man is not faithful, as all creation endures.  He contrives means of rebellion.

How many ponder these things as they sit in open places?  How many allow themselves to be struck by the nature of sin?  And how many of those will fall on their face and beg for mercy?

Salvation belongs to our God and to the lamb.  What errant creature is able to save himself? 

We Love?

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The Love of God radiates out.
He does not need anything.

All creation, in heaven and earth, receives.   We who have nothing to offer back. Even what we do is expected service.

Shall we return love?  It is already diluted, for He gave freely from His generous heart.  But we return only that which is left over.

God sustains all.  Even the grave’s foundation rests on a place He built and knows.  Hell is sustained by His Holy consuming Flame.  All life belongs to Him.  What belongs to man?

Sin? Does rebellion belong to man?  Isn’t rebellion simply a physical admition that love does not belong to us?  What belongs to man?

Does God need our praise to be God?  Does He die if we are not thankful?   But we are born needy.  The first breath is of air He sustains.  The last breath releases to go to another place He sustains.  Is God ever lessened by man?

But our thankfulness makes Him more.  His Holy Kingdom expands as another returns in faith.  Love from man may be of duress, but something is made better by He who is everything.

Is My Can Willing?

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Lord, I am pleased to serve You as much as I can.  But my “can” is limited by what I am willing to do.  In that there is embarrassment.  You have understood this from the beginning.  For You know what lay within the heart of a man.  I ask for wisdom to understand Grace.

A Holy Disorder

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A scene from Disorder in the Court.

A scene from Disorder in the Court. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Get educated and you will become useful.

Ok.  I did that and found myself useless.

Get popular and you will find happiness.

I did that and had to hide, popular apparently has a negative side.

Fit in and you will find peace.

But I saw where the masses are headed, who wants to plunge off the cliff?

What have I become with all that advise?

I am one who stands against all but Jesus.

Where I find Him I intend to remain.

And this is not of myself nor of the advise of others.

This is a gift of God, through given faith, lest any man should boast.

A Holy disorder has gripped me.

A rebellion to the ways of man.

May God’s mercy attack me.

So, when heaven appears I may remain.

 

By His Grace.

 

Stupid Intelligence

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Stupid signs

Stupid signs (Photo credit: pkevinconnell)

I cannot understand us.  How do I put this?  I guess I’ll start with what we all know.

Men love selfishness.  And I guess that’s natural.  I’ve often said that we are born defensive.  After all, we can’t get outside our vulnerable skin.  So we are on the defensive from the moment we notice we have fingers.  Ok, I got that.

Now I know that this selfishness lends itself to rebellion against manipulation of any kind.  Even if we try to help another man understand his responsibility to others, it’s like pulling teeth without pain-killer.  Isn’t that what we face raising teens?

And what if a teen has not learned responsibility when it was due to learn?  He becomes an adult full of selfish and childish attitudes about life.  In this way, we see rebellious adults all over the place.  So we know about rebellion first hand.  Yea?  I think we can all nod about that.

Now we don’t really know a whole lot about pure good and perfect responsible behavior.  We all take stabs at it as best we can.  But we all know we fall short of purity in one way or another.  Again, I think we can all nod to that.

Here is what I don’t get:

Perfect isn’t a word that lends itself to interpretation.  Perfect is perfect.  That also means perfect is eternal by nature.  So why do we find men trying to water down the word “perfect”?  Why don’t we find them, instead, admitting that they are far less than perfect?

I am astounded that certain men, who know better, believe and teach something other than the whole Gospel.  Some how they have been duped into something far less than the perfect message of the Gospel.  And they seem to think that it’s ok to just kind of tear away at the concept of perfect.  I’m sorry.  I’m just amazed at us!  In the end we have to say this (as it was said by that wonderfully deficient character), “Stupid is what Stupid does.”