Tag Archives: Religion

Cutting the Difference

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Christmas is coming.  Many will now turn to a false religion.  From their daily life of caring nothing for the things of God, they will now act as though the gospel belongs to them.  They will quote a portion of Scripture that says, “Peace on earth and goodwill to men”.

Smiles on peoples faces, music of God will fill the air, and winter will force a certain diminishing of wickedness.  Ungodly behavior is but a seed planted in late fall.  A treasure of the wicked waiting to sprout in spring.

Christmas is a time of year when the word of Jesus gets passed around rather fluidly.  But what about the other 11 months of the year?

Consider these tidbits  from the Bible.

1 Peter 4:
17 For it is time for judgment to begin with God’s household; and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not obey the gospel of God? 18 And,

“If it is hard for the righteous to be saved,
what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?”

Proverbs:
30 The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life,
and the one who is wise saves lives.
31 If the righteous receive their due on earth,
how much more the ungodly and the sinner!

Luke 2:
13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

14 “Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

2 Timothy:
19 Nevertheless, God’s solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription: “The Lord knows those who are his,” and, “Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness.”

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Seek the Lord’s favor while it is still called today.

Errant Blind Souls

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If I could train my foolish brain to recognize people as errant blind souls wandering in a suit of flesh, I believe forgiveness would flow like a river.  Though there is forgiveness as I live in Christ, it is often by compulsion.  It’s rarely the first thought.

I think about the reason for this inability to perceive correctly and consistently.  I think it has something to do with the deluge of trinkets and baubles which mask the true Man. 

Perhaps it was slightly easier in early Christianity, where there were less objects of affection to be had.  I can’t possibly know, and I don’t think anyone will ever be able to say for sure.  Only God truly knows.

Pride certainly holds a relevant kingship when it comes to masking the true soul of a man.  And doesn’t pride come in such a variety of shapes, sizes, colors and intensity?  But Pride’s robe is made up of all the things a man may amass to declare his kingship over his own soul.  To get to the heart of a man you have to slice through the garbage.  Undoubtedly, recognizing people as blind errant souls gets far more difficult as the abundance of wealth gathers to hide them.

And I think it’s appropriate here to mention that the abundance of things that hide a soul need not necessarily be costly items.  There is the wealth of social alienation.  This alienation relies chiefly on violence as its display.  From ignoring to  physical violence, such a man says, without speaking, “Get past this if you can”.

Regardless all these things, it is to the Christian’s benefit to perceive his fellow Man as an errant blind soul (just like himself).  Certainly something worth thinking on.

From my own perspective, here is a small list of shills people use.

Politics
Religion
Social position
Tradition
Jokes
Rude behavior
Foul language
A pleasant countenance
Apathy
Social intelligence
Clothing
Makeup
Race
Creed
Exclusive clubs
Deviant behavior
Drugs and alcohol
All manner of things that can be bought

All these things mask the true Man.  Who is capable of perceiving past these things on a consistent basis?

15 You judge by human standards; I pass judgment on no one. 16 But if I do judge, my decisions are true, because I am not alone. I stand with the Father, who sent me.” (John 8)

My memory is renewed to consider that God in Christ alone is able to reach any soul.

The Religion of Speculation

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The recent downswing in the stock market shows the fragile environment that Man relies so heavily upon.  Speculative investments and mass production have become the religion of the day.  And in this religion there is no god but Man.

This god that Man has created will rebell against those who have created it.  It is an unsustainable desire for wealth and prosperity.  It is created by dead desire, therefore it has no life in itself.

This is to speak of the way things are from the perspective of Man.  But what has been said here has not taken into account the active involvement of the Living God.  For while the things of man deteriorate and act against the ones who set it up, the earth itself will begin to undermine the desires for security.

Where crops were stable, feeding the creators of false religion, they will begin to fail.  Where infrastructure was dependable, it will be shattered in various places.  But still man will lie, saying that things will get better.

There is no god but the Living God in Christ Jesus.  There is no sustaining strength except that which God provides.  There is no hope but that which lay in Truth.  There is no peace but a life led under the direct guidance of the Lord Jesus.  There is no sustaining power but the blessing of God on those who are righteously bent toward his will.

Consider these things with strong sobriety.

Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.

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Wake.  You who say “Shhhhh”, wake.

Look.  You who close your sleepy eyes.

Listen. You who fill your ears with tripe.

Your legs are broken.

Yet you think you can run.

You have religion.

But you have no Strength.

Wake.  The Living God moves among you.

But your stupor of greed restrains your senses.

You do not shed blood.

Yet you murder the souls of thousands.

Look.  See how the children reflect the doings of the inner room of the parents.

Listen.  The children hate with abandon, for they are not taught to revere the Lord of Hosts.

You give birth to babies, breaking their legs before they can learn to walk.

Yet you expect them to run!

You gladly receive a happy word from fools.

But you despise the Holy Word from the Living God’s Holy Son.

You are dead, even as you think you live.

Seek the Lord while He can be found.

Look about you.

See how the door has shut in your face.

Look at the horror that is your precious hope.

Look in the streets!

Can’t you see what’s happening to your precious hope?

Seek the Lord or remain dead, even while you think you live.

Challenge

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I present a challenge to all.  It doesn’t matter how you perceive Christ.  Come and convince me that anything other then the full acceptance of His Gospel is truth.

Invited is the scholar.  Welcome is the agnostic.  The atheists already know they have been invited openly.  Invitation is extended to the religious.   Let the drunkard try to compel me this way is better.  Come and speak to me about finance, and how money is the end of all good things.  Let the violent receive the best of House seats.  Let the timid display the grandiose crown of their fear. 

Regardless who you are, come and convince me. 

Christ Jesus is king of heaven and earth.  By His merciful grace I am his servant.  It will not be me you challenge.  It will be the living God in me.

Let us all either “Put up or shut up”.

Why am I making this challenge, and doesn’t it seem rather absurdly stupid?  Yeah, it does.

I’m making this challenge because I am sick of watching the world decay all about me.  I am sick of watching Christian cower,  all the while the Living God promises strength.

By the looks of things around me, I surmise one of us is a liar.  Either it is Man or it is God in Christ.  You know the summation of that.

At the outset, I will admit that I know nothing about Islam, Buddhism, and whatever other religion you want to throw on the table.  All I know about them is that they are false.  I will speak of the gospel in Christ. 

Required materials: Pack a lunch.

Sitting to be Sent

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There was a day when men would seek out those who “knew”.  At their feet they would listen intently.  Even if they could not believe, they believed in that “something More”.

Is that day like today?  Everyone is forced to say no.

The worldly mind praises the accomplishments of Man.  The religious man praises the accomplishments of god-ward thoughts and traditions.  The sinner praises his bold rebellion.  But who seeks the fullness of God within His Holy Christ?

Many have come.  Many have returned to the world.  Who remains?  Who seeks to become the intent of God?  Who sits at the feet of those who know?  Who remains in belief and listens intently?

What have we learned, in regard to this world?  Yet what have we desired to learn of the things of Heaven?

God knows those who are His.  His eye is intently set on their souls.  God is not like limited man.  God sees with penetrating understanding; what man can conceal from man cannot be concealed from God.  You may fool me for a while, but the Spirit of God quickly points to the truth we can expect from those who belong to Him.

7 “Don’t be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God.  You will always harvest what you plant.  8 Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature.  But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit.” (Galatians 6, the living translation)  There will be a noticeable DIFFERENCE.

Isn’t the door of understanding from the Living God’s Christ wide open?  Who is willing to enter?  Who will bend their will toward all that is Holy?  Those who do so will be sent.

Isn’t the world in dire need of truth?   Who will “go”, that they may be sent?