Tag Archives: Sin

Sharing the Gospel

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Talking with the Lord tonite He gave me something to ponder: “Every man is dry ground.  He is neither plowed, planted, nor rained upon”.   It took me quite a while to unravel that one.  

In sharing the Good News of Jesus with others we often make a classic blunder.  We assume they know what we’re talking about.  After all, Jesus is and has been the focus of so many debates and conversations over the centuries.  “How could they not know”?  But what the Lord has said is true.  If we believe they do know what we know about Jesus, and they still disobey Him we fall into judging one another.  It is important that a man or woman of God refrain from prejudging.  Especially when trying to share the Gospel. 

The Lord always gives something ponderous to ponder, doesn’t He.

By His Grace.

Hear the Lord of Glory

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Oh that the world around us
Those who will die the death
Might know the Lord of mercy
And recognize His voice.

Then they would not murmur
Against things they cannot see
And would joyfilled see His hand at work
And Glorify His name.

Why would you die? The Lord is asking
His hand stretched out in love
I set the world to spin for you
I call you from Above.

The work is Great to save their souls
It cannot be done with man
For though they die and fade away
It’s He alone who can.

I hear You Lord in a fallen leaf
I see your love in rain
I’m here to bid them turn from sin
And Glorify Your Name.

Abrupt and Ceaseless Silence.

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How hidious is the sin of this world.  How full to over flowing is the corruption it produces.  Speak to a worldly man of the beauty of a woman and his mind will become aflame with desires of all kinds.  Speak to a man who is tasting the glory of God regarding the same thing and his mind will immediately be filled with disgust and hatred for such speech. 

There is a moment coming when God will move from His Glorious Throne.  At that moment all the noise of rebellion will be stopped!  The next noise that sounds will be the sound of eternity.  In this place there is One sound; Jesus.  No more corruption.  No more vile speech.  No more filthy desires.  No more hatred.  No more greed.  In a moment all the noise of this world will cease!  And all who revel in this orgy of sin will become fuel for the fire. 

Wake up!  Look around you!  What is not God is about to DIE!  How long will you sleep in your rebellion? 

By His Grace.

The Joyful Shame

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He sat to eat his bread, a daily ration given by merciful masters.  He sat to eat his fill, one of three daily gorgings.  Each remembering His God as he pondered the joy of his tongue.  One thought of service to his God as he ate what would surely not fill his body.  The other thought of his service to his God as he ate what would surely be too much.

God sees us all.  He knows our state of affairs.  Such things as above do exist.  We would be fools to ignore that truth.  But what shall be said of such things?  I will offer this thought as food for the soul.  We who serve the Living God await His teaching.  Each serves as he knows best.  And if that service is not enough for the expectations of some, then great is the loss to both.

 The Lord taught me this saying as I learned about grief and suffering:

“When you are done doing what you do, you will have done your best.  If you could have done better, it would have been done”.

To our joy, we realize we are accepted by Him where we are.  And this prompts us to consider how we might serve Him better.  To our shame, we realize that we are but fools who have been led into error by the very world in which we found birth.

Should the one who hungers judge he who eats?  Saying, “He is sinning because he eats too much”.  Should the one who has judge he who has not?  Saying, “If he wasn’t so lazy he could gather what he needs”.  Though it is good to share, he who receives and he who gives is the same in God’s eyes.  May God bless our minds and hearts that we will refrain from judgment of each other.  For it is said, “Who are you to judge another’s servant?  To his own master he will stand.  For the Lord is able to make him stand”.

By His Grace.

The Pain We’ll Never Know

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Build a house on your property.  Build it to your own dreams.  All the windows just the right size and pointing to just the view you had in mind.  You used the certain cedar you wanted, and the house smells Wonderful!  When you walk from one end to the other, there is nothing about this house that doesn’t meet your joy.  All your dreams and hopes are finally come to fruit.  It’s a beautiful place and you’re perfectly happy with what you’ve accomplished.

Now it’s time to invite your loved ones to come see it.  When they arrive they too are astounded at the beauty of the place.  There is a great joy because you finally get what you’ve dreamed about for so very long.  After a joyous celebration in the back yard, and many trips from your friends into and around the house to marvel at what your hands made, the guests filter home.  You are left alone in silence with your wonderful peaceful accomplishment.  And, finally, you’re happy.  To bed you go.  Your first night’s sleep in your dream house.  Oh it’s not possible to explain the joy you feel.

You wake up the next morning and stare at the intricate hand work of your bedroom.  “Beautiful”, you sigh.  After getting dressed and enjoying that exquisite view out your bedroom window, you skip down the stairs to make a pot of coffee.  “What’s that smell?”  It’s not cedar.  There’s an odor you can’t identify.  At first it’s so unexpected to your senses you think it’s a sweet smell.  But a second whiff and you realize it’s such a foul smell that your brain couldn’t identify it.  “Wow, that’s nasty”, you think to yourself.  But you just can’t find the source.  Something’s wrong with your dream house and you can’t find it.

Weeks have passed and your dreams have become shattered by that smell.  Now a green fungus has begone growing on the walls.  At first you thought it was just a dust.  You’ve worked at it for a while now and made no progress.  You took it on the chin at first.  Thinking to yourself, “I put a lot of sweat, blood, and sleepless nights into building this place.  I’m not gonna let a little smell and a speck of mold destroy my dreams.”  But no matter what you do you can’t get the place clean.

One day, months later, you come home and put your hand on the door knob.  It doesn’t turn.  You can’t even get into your house without breaking something.  You’re locked out of your dream.  Hours you’ve spent trying to figure out what’s wrong.  But you find no solution to the problem.  You can’t even sit on your porch swing to ponder what to do, because that mold is all over everything now.  Your legs lose their strength to walk down the steps into the yard.  Your hands drop in a great experience of depression.  And you stand under a tree, staring in disbelief at your shattered dream.  The work of your hands, the pride of your whole life, is destroyed.  How deeply sad you’re becoming as you realize it’s over.

There’s not much choice now.  And your mind begins to realize the full extent of the problem.  “There’s nothing left to do but burn it down”.  Tears begin to flow.  And soon you find yourself sobbing without shame.  Sadness has broken your heart.  “It’s over.”

How does God feel when He looks at us?  We are the work of His perfect hand.  He made this place for His joy.  And now we’ve become so very corrupt and foul.  He tries to enter our lives and we refuse Him His joy.  It is the heart of God that has been wounded.  It is perfection and eternity that is locked out of our lives.  And we did it.  It was not His desire that these things should be. 

By His Grace