Tag Archives: Religion & Spirituality

In Death there is No Vibration of Life.

by

0


I sit in the shade.  My arm is receiving the sun light.  I notice that my watch is leaving a reflection of the sun on a surface in shade.  Noticing how, regardless how still I try to make my arm, the reflection vibrates with movement.  And I am reminded that there is a place where that arm will never move again on its own.  There is a place where nothing of this body will move on its own.  Thus I am reminded that death is given to man as an obligation.  I will yet see the face of He who redeems and He who is able to provide life to those who trust and obey.

PS:  Please forgive the use of so many references to myself.  I couldn’t figure out how to tell the story without me in it.

By His Grace.

Any Beating is better Than Death.

by

0


After sleep comes the bowed head.  No tears threaten to well up.  The sorrow is felt in the soul.  Yet the heart hears a different tone.  The Lord of Perfect Beauty is calling.  And He calls to one who has sinned before Him.  I knew better.  Was it stubbornness?  Was it simple weakness?  Was it a lust for things past?  What do any of those questions matter now?  I sit here afraid yet not afraid.  It is the eyes of He who sees which gaze at me and softly scan my heart.  I have transgressed His demands of me.  And I am not misguided in my assessment of the situation.  There will be punishment to endure for the acts done.

After reflection and thanks for the simple things He whispers something odd.  “Yes, there will be punishment to endure.  But you will gladly accept My judgment when you see the alternative.” 

   47 “The servant who knows the master’s will and does not get ready or does not do what the master wants will be beaten with many blows. 48 But the one who does not know and does things deserving punishment will be beaten with few blows. From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked. (Luke 12)

Jesus sits enthroned in Heaven.  The oil of joy is poured upon Him by the Father in Heaven.  He rules all eternity and is willing to share His joy.  For those of us who are being humbled by a collision with Holy and foolish sinful tendencies:  Consider yourself for a moment.  If you had a million dollars and were standing in a great place of poverty, would you help those around you?  Of course you would.  And would you judge those around you while you gave them food and clothing?  Of course you wouldn’t.  If that is how you who are full of sin would handle riches, how much more will the Lord of Glory share all good things with those who call out to Him for help?

Let your back be bent and your head be bowed for a time.  It is good to ponder the seriousness of your offences before the Most High God.  Allow yourself to really listen to Jesus’ calling, however.  Listen to what He is saying.  He knows your plight.  But He also knows where He is now enthroned.  He calls to all men to humble themselves before Him that in due time He might lift them up.  Only submit to the Lord of Love and consider yourself dead before the foot stool of the consuming fire that is God.

By His Grace.

It is Finished.

by

0


In the way of the Christian life we are required to war against all manner of enemies.  But what exactly are our enemies and by what means shall we conduct this war?  We do not war with implements of bodily damage as does a soldier on a battle field of this world.  How often I have wished that I could just face my enemies and do a physical battle once and for all.  But this is not the lot of a Christian. 

From the point of view of the physical, we swat the unseen around us.  We thrash and churn the air against what is not apparent.  We have dreams of our sins and wake upset.  We speak a lie without thinking and regret that sound had come from our lips.  We find ourselves thinking of something we know is wicked and loathe our brains.  We see the ungodliness of those around us and ponder the difference between ourselves and those who hold themselves accountable to no one.  Then we are doused with regret that we should compare ourselves to anyone.  We notice, in retrospect, that we have omitted an action which should have been accomplished.  And we hate ourselves for being so blind to what is right and good.  And we note that all these things and more are the nature of our war.

In citing the “more”, we consider the onslaught of temptations toward ungodly evil.  All day long and even into the night, we are tempted as is any other man.  Greed, hatred, slander, idolatry, doubt, and godless thoughts assault the Christian every moment of every day.  Sometimes they are brought about by advertisements we witness around us.  The media (TV, magazines, billboards, bumper stickers, window dressings in a store, the actions of others, and even the memories of our sinful and godless days) press us with temptations toward unfaithfulness toward our God, Jesus.  In citing the “more” there is not enough paper or time to mention every aspect of temptations.

And what are we tempted to do?  We are tempted to do two things:

We are tempted to sin; to ignore the holy life God is calling us to live and pursue selfish gain which we cannot keep.  We are tempted to satisfy the lust of our bodies by chasing after a certain fulfillment of desire we experience in the now.  Anything which is not eternal or offends our conscience before the Most High God is sin.  And we are tempted to consider the Lord of Life a liar.  In this we are most viciously tempted.  When Jesus said on the cross, “It is finished”, He did not intend that anything was left to do.  We are tempted to allow ourselves to give in to regret for sins we commit.  And in this particular temptation we are set to task in a ferocious manner.

If the Lord of all creation is not complete in His sacrifice on the cross, then we war in vain.  But this is the central point in all our warring.  We live as if to testify that Jesus is complete and that His word is absolute, final, true, and Holy.  We war to prove the Lord correct.   We do not war to be saved from certain condemnation before the Father God.  We war to prove the effectiveness of Jesus’ sacrifice on our behalf.  It has been mentioned by many that we do not live as Christians to become saved.  This task is done for us.  No man can please God on his own merit.  Instead, we war to bring glory to Jesus by believing what He has said and done for all men.  And we war in this Holy battle to be considered by Jesus for a promised reward and place in His heavenly kingdom. 

Now, this brings the very point of the pin into view.  If we fight the battle with the glory of Jesus in mind, we are more than conquerors, as Paul has said.  For in the sacrifice of Jesus, we have already won.  And all that is left is to secure our standing before Him.  This will release the child of God to live.  This way of fighting will release the man of God to live a victorious life.  A life filled with hope and free of shame.  When we become aware of sin and temptation in our lives, we submit ourselves to God through prayer through confession and requests and believe as we have heard Him testify, “It is finished”. 

Hope is the result of His work.  We have no hope without Him.  Yet we have the right to hope.  For He who cannot lie has promised!  We war with the very essence of our beings as a people without hope.  And we war against what we cannot see by believing He who we cannot see.  This will be foolishness to anyone who does not believe.  There are no bruises, no blood, no cuts, or broken bones.   There is nothing to prove that a war is even necessary.  Yet we who believe are constantly aware of the war against us. And the closer we get to Him the more the battle rages.  Curiously, however, the closer we get to Him, and the more the battle rages, the less fear we experience.

In all things Jesus will be glorified, and that to the glory of the Father in Heaven.  For He has performed our righteous for us!  He has spoken in a body the perfect will of God for all who would dare believe.  As He has said, “It is finished”.  Believe and live!

By His Grace.

Comfort

by

0


I awoke during a storm.  And wrote the previous post.  As I pondered the situation developing and sensed the urgency, the Lord revealed the following to me.   I post this for my own memory.  But it is useful to all who call upon the name of the Lord Jesus.

“You have spoken [in buttermilk80.wordpress.com].  Whether they listen or not is up to them.  Your name is written in My presence.  You do not work for salvation, rather you work for your place.  Consider what you have from Me.  And hone what is within you.”

May God be a shelter and warrior for all who trust in His Holy Name.

By His Grace.

Tornado

by

0


My heart is concerned.  The warnings have been coming that something bad is developing for America.  I fear the storm is here.

A tornado doesn’t “just appear” from nowhere.  There is a lead up to it’s presence.  The wind, clouds, rain, and pressure increases.  Then you hear the tornado approach.  So it is with the troubles of this generation.

The forecasters have been speaking loudly of a trouble coming, such as has never been.  And most people pay no heed.  But as surely as when the tornado appears and there is no remedy, so it is with the appearing of trouble.  No man will withstand what is coming.  And even those who embrace the Lord’s protection and Holy guidance will quake with the sight of it. 

Open my heart, O’ Lord of Life.  Open my eyes and ears to perceive what is coming upon man.  Let me live aware of Your judgments.  And prepare me for what is surely coming.  I see the clouds gather in dark formation.  I hear the thunder of lies roll through mankind.  I see the trust given to flimsy materialism, and false religion.  And few take warning.  Hide me in Your powerful hand and be my shield. 

By His Grace.

I’m sorry Lord.

by

0


I’m sorry Lord, for the place we have created by the works of our own hands.  We have said, “We don’t need You now.  We have technology”.  We set our feet against the pull of Your Love.  We resist to the point of our own death to jerk loose from Your mercy.  The world has chased lies in lew of truth.  And we are proud that we have become independent of God.

Lies are the rule of the day.  Men create laws so abundant that even the most lawful of men can be caught as a law breaker.  America has become filthy with lies and pride.  You pulled your hand back from protection, and we ran head long after a president who would promise the fulfillment of our desire to break free from You.  And now look.   Lies are all that spew forth from the mouth of the leader of this, once great, county.  Where truth was the foundation of this place, now we pronounce a liar as the greatest among us. 

I am sorry Lord, for the horrible filth we have desired to become.  You remain pure and lifted up above the sins of these people.  And all your judgments will be pure. 

Please have mercy on those who desire to be ruled by Your ways.  Protect and guide those who desire to live. 

By Your Grace.