The body says,
“AHHHHHHHHHHH!”
The peace of God in my soul says,
“Ah.”
And the winter of life turns into a week on a Caribbean island.
Tag Archives: Salvation
Freedom Fighters?
I see people fighting for freedom (so to speak).
So to speak of fighting; the fight Americans are putting up is more akin to complaining.
So to speak of freedom; the great majority of Americans have never lived under a totalitarian regime. They have no idea what it’s like to live without freedom. And they would be seriously hard pressed if you ask them to define what freedom is.
Passion is born of experience.
The same is true with the Gospel of Christ. Happy is the average person who calls himself a Christian:
.To go to Church (when he wants to)
.To be accepted in his social situation (as if saying you’re a Christian makes it so)
.To stay out of trouble and to stay out of jail
.To have some future unknown hope (leaving the entirety of heaven in the hands of those who are there; preferring ignorance over understanding)
And
.To live his life as he pleases “knowing” that the forgiveness of Christ will cover him in the end (such a man has absolutely no reason to fight for anything)
A man fights for what he knows. The one who knows how precariously he stands as a free man, fights with all he has to keep his freedom. The one who does not understand freedom, does not fight. And such a man will not understand what I have just written.
The offer of Christ is free. Accepting his offer will cost you everything you have.
What Was, Still Is.
Why do we do the things we do? Why have we learn to love what we love? What causes a man to gravitate toward one sin or another? Why is ignorance so beloved while wisdom and sobriety wander like orphaned children? It is impossible that any man should answer these things. At best they can only say, “It is the way of Man”.
Centuries ago (Pick a moment in time.) one man made a choice. He agreed with wickedness; to perform and action of death. Once the deed was done, the ripple effect into future days has not ceased. No, it is carried in the soul of those who came from his day. It is carried like a disease to the generations that follow.
As it is so with one man, centuries ago, so it is with all the men who lived in his day. The laws they made, the words they spoke, the perceptions they held so dearly, the deviceiveness they encouraged without end, the judgments they made, the dress codes they approved or disapproved, how they segregated one man from another by language, color of skin, or other cultural differences, what lies were considered innocent, what does were considered necessity, didn’t all these things shape the mind of those to come?
Certain wickedness is adored, while holiness is forgotten. Protections are made for certain wicked people, while the righteous go abandoned. And haven’t we inherited all these things?
Add to this, our own imaginations. Look around and see what we adore. Aren’t we shaping the inheritance of those who will come after us? And how will they know what they believe? How will they be able to divide between what is necessary and what is inherited from the wicked who came before them?
Such is the plight of man to suffer in his own vile filth. Yet the good news of God remains. If we will humble ourselves and call out to him for help, he will give us what we never had. The more diligent the soul, the more God will give. In Christ Jesus, he will save us from our ignorance.
Is it any wonder that so few find “The Way?
The Rift
“To all perfection I see a limit, but your commands are boundless.” (Psalm 119:96)
All of them were right. Every one of them gave his testimony; with what words they had, they described what they saw. Chaos exploded before their very eyes. Reality appeared then vanished.
A car accident, in full view of many witnesses. Differing statements were taken. And the question is asked in retrospect, how can so many variations of witness exist?
It is because there is a difference between believing and seeing. It is because there is a difference between the imagination and true perspective. When what we believe comes into view, we find we do not have the words to describe it.
For a split second a rift opened between the peace of man and the truth of God. For a split second the reality of eternity displayed itself before their very eyes: “If man continues on that destructive path, bodies will be exploded where they live”.
Yes.
The Incarnation of the Word of Life
1 “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched—this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. 2 The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. 3 We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. 4 We write this to make our joy complete.”
Exposed?
I wake this morning from a dream. I dreamt that all my sins were exposed before all men. There is no fear from the dream. Expectation, yes. Fear, no. For even if all the world were informed about the things I have done, in their total, it would not change the message the Lord has given us all.
All this exposing would do is expose the wickedness of man to accuse. There is one who bears that name eternally. They would, then, be showing who their father is.
It is Christ who saves. It is not the righteousness of any man that can save him. Yet it is the humble confession before the Living God, regarding a man’s sins, that brings the Mercy of God to the rescue in Christ Jesus.
This message will not leave my lips because others proclaim what can be easily dredged up from the filth of my days. I will give willing and continual glory to the One who has saved my soul.
Though they point to my sins, they cannot point to the beautiful hours the Lord has spent with me in prayer. Though they can accuse, they cannot defend me. It is Christ who defends me. And the Holy One of God is beyond their reach to accuse.
It is in His Righteous blood that my soul finds joy. Without question, their unholy accusations can only touch me. Even so, no accusation from any man can touch my soul, which is cradled in the Living God’s Promise.
Let all who worship the Living God in Christ Jesus say the same. Without this proclamation, there is no boldness. And I refuse to cower because a few unholy servants of the Liar rise up and speak what can be easily be found. There is sin in every Man, yet they will cast stones when the passion for self righteousness overcomes them.
What Word?
Oh! People of the world; those who despise the Rule of the Holy One. What do you have to show for all your toil?
Your people melt in the streets from the demands you place upon them. They rot in their flesh and soul, for the strength of your demands. What do you have to show for all the chaos of your toil?
Isn’t the Word that can heal among you? Isn’t the power of Salvation from God extended?
Why will you not take it? Why will you not ask? Why will you live like abandoned children?
Why will you honor the unholy gaggle that you yourselves have glorified? Why will you not humble yourselves in prayer?
Why is the Holy Scripture left untouched, day after day? Why do you not speak to one another about pure things? Why are lies vastly more abundant than God’s commands?
See how you falter and fail. See how you lack the strength to continue. Yet you continue; as if this continuing is righteously demanded of every one of you.
The leaders of the people die. They thirst and will not drink. They hunger, yet waste away like those who fast to death.
The children are not fed, for the parents have no food. Filth is the delicacy on the table at night. Precious and good food is kept far from the front door to every house.
What more can be said to a people who desire death and abhor life? Do you want a sweet word from the Living God’s Holy Son? How shall He who tells the truth speak a lie? You have what is true to say.
Amen.
Words From There 