What is to become of the sinner who knows better;
The one, who though warned, continued to sin.
Lost among men from a self-made guilt.
Lost before God for the self-same prison.
Lost in himself for the folly of thought.
Lost in this world because of what his hand has wrought.
Lost for eternity in a shroud of despair.
And all of this becomes simply because he didn’t care.
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In response to a lament of the current state of affairs in the world, I responded, “Nothing is ever won by a defensive posture. Winning requires an aggressive offense. The more Christians speak up, the less room for the anti-Christian values to prosper.”
Perhaps you think you can’t talk about Jesus in public. And perhaps you’re right. Perhaps you know so little that you can’t really add much to the debate between wickedness and godliness. But consider this: Every day millions of words are being written and spoken against Jesus and His perfect values among His people. And every time another word is uttered against Him, space is taken from Christians to speak of what is true.
With this in mind, I think it’s clear that if we don’t speak “something”, we are losing ground. In the end, we will become the hunted. Though this might be the case regardless how we go on the offensive, we still live in a free society. You didn’t inherit this place of freedom of speech from those who kept silent in the face of opposition. Your grand children will not inherit a free society if you keep silent. What you hold dear is being undermined by those who would be quite happy to see you simply disappear (regardless the method).
Either speak now, or keep silent when your rights are taken away. Do you really think evil will allow you to worship Jesus when they finally take over all the power structures of this world? Surely you’re not that blind to their agendas.
You don’t have to be a “Know-it-All” when it comes to Christianity. All you need to start doing is mentioning the name of Jesus, virtually everywhere you speak. The first few times are difficult to muster the strength to utter. But soon, you’ll find speaking of Jesus comes naturally and easily. If you can’t speak of Christianity, out of whatever keeps you back now, at least link to it on your facebook page or blog. And if you don’t use either of those, simply refer to Christian authors often (such as C. S. Lewis, The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe. Or perhaps John Bunyan’s “Pilgrims Progress.)
Speak up folks. The time for offense is nearing an end. Personally, I know it’s an opinion, I think we have less than 5 years left to make a dent in the way this world is headed. My life is full of things that others can attack. I have not led a godly life very much. Yet, I will still speak of Jesus, for the sake of His Holy Name and His people.
By His Grace.
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Image by Kheel Center, Cornell University via Flickr
However…………………..
These same folks will accept what they think they can handle from the Bible. That’s why they love it. They will adore Jesus, as long as He remains simply a loving God, or a baby in a manger. They are willing to obey God, as long as He doesn’t ask them to become something or someone they don’t want to become. And though they appear godly, there is a test you can perform on these folks that will surely show their true colors.
Speak to them about the reality of the Bible’s message and watch how they react. These folks will be nice to your face. But it might be the last time they will willingly talk to you. Speak to them about the Glorified Christ, who has made all that is and is the final authority regarding the righteous worship of His Father. Watch how their eyes dance as they try to find a way to say “good bye.” And as you watch them go, you’ll see them quickly rid their minds of what you just said. Again, they meld into the socially acceptable activity among men.
It is so very interesting how people are willing to believe the Bible, yet so quick to avoid anyone who talks about the Bible. Most people simply adore leaving the Lord within the pages of the Book. They gladly receive instruction from the written Word, but will balk severely when that Word becomes flesh among their fellow humans. They will listen to a sermon while in a group of people. But when it’s over you’ll find them talking about anything but the sermon’s content.
The Lord is not fooled. And only He will assess their value to Him. It is good to point these things out. Far too many are doing what we are seriously warned against: If we turn away from those who warn us on earth, how will we hope to receive Him who warns us from heaven?
By His Grace.
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The tree sat silent, the sound from a backyard argument pierced it’s bark. The waves of sound vibrated the fibers of the bark so slightly that no scientific instrument could measure it. And those fibers remain as the tree grows. There will come a day when that tree falls from age. Yet those fibers will have been altered forever. Though they rot and become food for the forest behind the lot where that house had stood, 300 years from now God will know what was done.
The men will have forgotten. The words will not be found echoing between two mountains forever. The air will absorb their noise quickly. But God remembers. Their hearts overflowed with anger. But those hearts are now silent. The bark was moved. But now that bark is dust. The bugs on and in that piece of bark also experienced something from the noise of their argument, as well as the grass. All will die and rot, yet God remembers.
Consider what is around you and consider how everything we do is witnessed. Yet there is a witness beyond this world. It is wise to consider what we allow our hearts to hold, lest it overflow from our tongues.
34You offspring of vipers! How can you speak good things when you are evil (wicked)? For out of the fullness (the overflow, the superabundance) of the heart the mouth speaks.
By His Grace.
I have heard people use the story of the blind men and the elephant as a way to describe our differing views of the nature of God. I have known that there is something wrong with that approach. And just this morning I have come to an understanding of why that story fails.
Man is the reason that story falls short. In describing the elephant, the blind men are speaking of that which they are able to sense. But God is not like man. There is nothing about Him that we can speak with
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certainty, except to say that He Is. All true faith comes from Him alone. And we are not to speak of Him in terms of man. Our problem is that all our understandings come from the world experience. And in this we are severely limited.
So, yes, we speak of Him as we are given to know. But in this “knowing” we are to recognize our limitations. Let us be very careful not to bring God down to our level. Not one of us knows the Holiness that is God, yet. If we speak of Him, let us speak the words of God. Let us speak those words which are given to us by His Holy Spirit. Who knows the mind of God but the Spirit of God? And who can speak the Holy words of the Spirit but those who have the Spirit?
There is so much more to say regarding this. But it is God who speaks the rest of this truth to all men. So I will leave the “rest” to the Lord.
By His Grace.
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David, the second King of Israel, was a man of amazing understanding regarding the character of God. David tumbled into sin as do we all. He saw a woman, when he should have been with his men in the battlefield. He called for her, and allowed his lust to carry through with temptation. Upon her announcement of pregnancy, David had the woman’s husband killed. I don’t state these things as an accusation toward David. I state them to build an understanding of the severity of David’s sin.
The point is not what David did. The point is what David did before God. God told David the child would die and that bloodshed would not leave his family. What did David do in response? He appealed to God that God should change His mind regarding the punishment. But when David saw that no change of mind would come, he rose, washed his face and went to have dinner.
We are told that there is no fear of punishment at the hands of God in those who love Him. And I see no fear in David’s response. David trusted the wisdom of the Most High God. So it is in my own experience with God. Yes, I have sinned before the face of the Lord. But should that be the end of me? Perhaps it should be the end of me. But that’s not what God promises. He says that we are sin, even our righteous acts are as filthy rags. Groveling like a worm under the heat of the sun is not what God desires from His people. God desires that we admit our state of affairs before Him, believe His promises, and rise up to serve. What else can we do? What else shall we think? Can we conjure up some kind of sacrifice that will undo our sins? No.
So swallow your pride, drop to your knees and confess to Him. Accept His promise, and rise up forgiven. Billions would call that hypocrisy. God calls that The Faith.
by His Grace.
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