Regret is But a Vapor


Among men, there are things that are referred to as truth.  In this place of testing, this place where wickedness is king, such a statement has a moment of viability.  For men will do what they do.  They will accept what they consider profitable.  And they will praise one another for obedience to the expectations of men.

But there is a place where such things called truth will leave all their hands empty.  They will be void of praise for the One who has allowed them freedom to do as their pleasure has demanded.  When Glory no longer allows the pleasure of men, they will have no praise for God.

They give gifts to one another for the sake of worthless profit.  But their hands will be full of regret, at the time of appearing before Him.

How can I help you, my brothers of flesh?  How can I inspire you to gather profit?  How can this tiny man urge you to fill up your gifts for Him?  How can these words displace the pleasure of man within the souls of my fellow man?

Please consider, with the greatest sobriety, how that moment will be.  Every man will see the Holy Angels bowing at the Glory of Christ Jesus.  Every man will witness those whose hands are filled with the Holy Works of God.  Every man will hear the praise, that holy praise, which is rightfully due to the One who has redeemed their souls.  And shame will fill those with empty hands.

Eternity, that great door of Life, will open for those who accept the Lord’s offer of humility.  Void of pride, they will enter His Holy Kingdom.  While the great assembly of eternal dead are ushered to their place of horror, the righteous will abound in joy.

Who are the righteous?  Are they those whose own works of pleasure has filled their holy hands?  No.  This is a fable of man.  The pride of man has promoted this lie.  The righteous are those who have sought the Living God.  It is God who has endowed them with righteous and eternal ways.  They have received!  They have not provided for themselves.

Such people will have what cannot be taken away.  For what belongs to God will remain forever.  But the pleasure, pride, accomplishments of the flesh, and desire for what brings temporary peace, will utterly be void of praise for the Living God.

Regret is a vapor.  Do not let your hands be filled with vapor when you appear before Him.  He offers you profit this very moment.  Be full.  Become profitable for He who is Life Eternal.  Let Him dress you according to His Holy Will.  Why would we remain naked all our days here?

Listen to Your Soul


A message from your soul to your will:

He stands in eternity.

The judgment?

He is already there.

It is you, who walks

In flesh and disrepair.

The faith you have,

He does not need.

For he hears the Spirit’s calling,

With high fidelity.

He’ll stand one day,

And face the truth;

What you’ve done in the body

Will go with you.

Listen to him!

Help him along!

Become his strength

To sing the new song!

As sure as your dependence is,

On what you used to be,

So your soul looks to you now,

To provide what you both need.

By His Grace

The Common Cold


The appropriate stench of man,

The nose cannot detect.

But let a man smell the stench of another,

And his neck will go erect.

The stench he should be smelling,

Should be his very own.

But breezes blowing perfectly,

He leaps to his righteous throne:

“How dare you air your filthiness

To all the rest of us?

Go bathe yourself in righteousness,

Prevent your putrid gust!”

It’s coldness of the heart, you see,

That causes the nose to stuff up.

Ah, if man would only warm himself

With a serving from Christ’s own cup.

By His Grace

The Summation of Service in Christ


Among men, mercy is first; over shadowed by the Righteousness of God.

 

 

How should a summation contain more words?

Not a Single One


They assemble at dawn.  Each one taking his place along the benches provided.  The thickness of the wall dictates how many will assemble.  There is then, a fixed limit.

What do they do?  They pour out wisdom mixed with mercy.  If they preach, it is a quiet whisper.  Let the passing crowd listen as they will.

Let a man stop and ask.  Let him ask for advice or judgment in a matter.  This one has a right to expect truth from these aging men poised to serve.

 

Mercy clothed them as they made their way.  Their own failings accompanied mercy’s making.

The Righteousness of God is ever-present.  Let mercy attend their dispensing of truth.

Which one of them can perform the entire Law of God?  The answer is “not a single one”.

Are those who pass by any more able than those who sit in the city gate?  The answer is “not a single one”.

 

Then let mercy attend those who pass, just as it attends those who sit waiting to serve.

Let justice be dispensed with understanding.  Let wisdom be filtered through a man’s own willingness.

 

The dance of men moves with Grace, to the sound of God’s mercy.

Listen, you wise of God.  Listen to the sound of Love.

Dance with your partner, who strives alongside you in fear.

Learn to restrain your own feet, lest you step on the toes of your brother.

 

Such is the wisdom dispensed in the Gate of the Gospel; “the Good news of Peace from God”.

“Enter in to the store house of Righteousness.  Enter in among the Holy Army of God.

But let it be known that all who enter in will stand.  For the Master is able to make them stand.

Be merciful, my lovely servants; those who dispense the wisdom of God.  Be merciful to those who pass you by.

For they too will, some day, take their place in your well-worn benches.”

Be a Willing Disappointment


The letter to the Hebrews, in the New Testament, tells us that we are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses.  Because of the context, we often associate that great crowd with humanity.

Though it is true that no man lives in complete isolation from his brother, it is also true that the great cloud of witnesses comprises far more than the men who live on this planet.

There will be testimony in eternity for what we have done.  The Angels witness our actions.  The Trinity is personally witness to every single detail.  And let us not forget the enemy.  Even the demons notice.

Doing what is right is often a severe irritation to humanity.  But those we irritate here, are considerably few, in comparison to those who will witness the totality of our life.

Let us therefore consider the majority.  If we need a provocation to do what is right, let us live a life of innocent irritation.  When they cuss and yell and scream and squirm, let us not understand the reason why.  Let us set our focus on the majority of witnesses.

And if you need further provocation to do what is right, let us mention the one who has irritated us. 

As we love doing what is right, we are not tempted to do what is wrong.  And if we cannot be tempted or averted from our love, we may be sure we are irritating the one who has irritated us.  Fine, let us be a willing disappointment!

By His Grace