Can God Murder?


Many consider God at fault because they were hurt by the death of a loved one.   “It’s God’s fault he’s dead”.  “I hate Him”.  “I’m angry at God for taking . . . . . .”   And so on.  I don’t want to make fun of the tragedy of losing a loved one.  But there needs to be said that God is good.

How do we balance the loss of our love with a Good God?  Consider what our life is.  He gave us life in this place of testing.  And when He decides to finish our test where do we go?   We go into eternity.  We perceive life here as the end of things.  “I’m alive and I don’t want to die”.  Ok.  But your very life here was a gift from God the Father of Life.  And when He is ready, He brings you into His presence. 

By His Grace.

The Banquet is Served.


Come on in.  Welcome!  I’ve been waiting for you.  I mean YOU!  The one who’s reading this right now.  Welcome!

Sit here.  You look tired.  How is your life of late?  Are you alright?

Allow me to serve please.  It is my great honor.

Here before you are the delicacies of heaven.  Some things will taste a bit strange at first.  But after you get the hang of the taste, you’ll never want the old stuff again. 

Here’s a bowl of forgiveness.  I know, you’ve rarely had much of this.  But don’t worry, it’s a marvelous dish.  What’s that?  Is it made of artificial ingredients?  OH NO!  Never!  This was prepared by the Master Chef.  Everything He used to make it came directly from the Father’s garden.  That’s the pattern of all His food here.

Would you like some guidance?  Ha ha ha.  No, I’ve got no useful advice.  I mean would you like a dish of His guidance.  It’s pure and fresh.  You’ll find it refreshing.

And may I offer you a glass of water?  It’s from the Spring of God.  You’ve never tasted anything like this.  It will well up with in you.  Just a sip and you’ll be more useful than you’ve ever imagined.

I’ll leave you for a moment to enjoy your bounty.  I only ask that you remember it was “He who cannot lie” who has provided everything here.  You are blessed by His Grace as you eat.  Enjoy.  I’ll be back in a little while to see if you need anything more.

By His Grace.

Consider:


What would you do, and how would you act, if the Lord made it plain to you that you were the last Christian left on earth?  If nothing would change, then fine.  But if you search yourself with serious sobriety and find anything lacking, why not focus and fix it?

We do as He allows.  And no one, NO ONE, does anything truly good without His power and will.  Likewise, no one can do anything to you but that God allows it to be done!  STAND!

By His Grace.

The Offense


It is reported that I have offended someone.

 

Hatred drips from muted lips.

Ah, how you hate me so.

I’ve done much wrong and caused you pain.

It’s right that I should go.

Its I to blame for what is wrong.

Though I did what I could do.

In Jesus’ name I bow and leave.

For I’ve offended you.

Lord, heal this breach

By love’s strong hand.

And set the captive free.

And if this world is better off,

I ask that you take me.

 May God judge between you and I. I wrote this poem with a true desire to make things right between us. At this rate, it’s likely I won’t see your face again. Though it doesn’t have to end this way.  The next move is up to you.

 

By His Grace.

Legacy


We are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses as we walk in “The Way” of God.  Often we will feel as though we are the only one who is suffering.  But we know that’s not true.  It seems like it sometimes.  The call to service before the Most High God has not changed.  And in every age that has come and gone, holy men encouraged each other to stand strong in the face of attack by the world we live in:

“. . .There were others who were tortured, refusing to be released so that they might gain an even better resurrection. 36 Some faced jeers and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. 37 They were put to death by stoning;  they were sawed in two; they were killed by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated— 38 the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, living in caves and in holes in the ground.” (Hebrews 11)

We face all kinds of trials as we serve the Lord of Glory.  And this is as it should be.  It is the working out of our faith that produces the fruit God is looking for.   Encourage one another to leap into the war.  We war against sin in our own lives.  We war against becoming cowards.  We war in our prayer time as we struggle with the call of “things undone”.  We war against the love of money, fame, being alone, and more than I’d care to mention. 

Though we encounter all kinds of trials which appear to stand against us, we must remember that we don’t serve God alone.  Many have gone before us to lead the way through.  And even now, there are millions actively leading the way through.  I will not bow to the pressures to forsake the trials I am asked to endure.  By the Grace of God in Christ Jesus I will stand.  He will bring me into a place of testimony for His name’s sake, and for the sake of the faith of my brothers and sisters. 

How is this too much to ask?  Shall we abandon our eternal family as they encounter their own trials and remain steady?  His Spirit calls for His children to stand strong.  So, raised eyebrows here, stand strong!   My brothers and sisters, leave a legacy of faith!  Let it be spoken of you, that you endured for Him.  Encourage those yet not born.  Leave a legacy of faithfulness and contentment in the face of your trials.

By His Grace.

You Can’t Get There From Here.


If we walk across a field, we do so by taking one step at a time.  Once we have taken one step, it’s impossible to take it back.  Even if we put our foot back in the same print we came from, we’re not there where we were.  Time has moved on.  We’ve taken a few breaths.  Our eyes have seen things differently.  And we’ve heard that bird chirp while our foot was in it’s new spot.  We have become that new step.  And going back is only going to make us become the one who went back one step. 

This is true of our walk with the Lord also.  When He has shown us a better way, we become one who has been shown.  Doesn’t this sound simple?  And isn’t it like us to think we can go back a little while “serving” the Lord?  But we can never go back.

Many have looked into the Gospel enough to learn that it is going to be a very hard road to follow.  They decided they would just go back as though they had never known about the Truth of God.  But in their going back, they never go back.  They live a lie.  They saw something new.  They tasted the Lord’s way.  They are no longer blind to the Truth.  This is why we are warned so often about falling away.  There is a harsh penalty to pay for those who taste the goodness of God and still chose to live in sin. 

I present this for careful consideration.  If you still read this, you’re still here.  You might have tasted a few things about God.  But you haven’t yet seen His Face.  This is what makes us different from satan.  He was with the Lord of Life, and stood in His very presence.  Yet he chose to rebel.  What was his condemnation is in our favor.  Turn to Him that you might learn to walk in His ways.  Humble yourself before the Lord and seek His forgiveness. 

By His Grace.