Tag Archives: the gospel

The Broken Machine

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How the accusations fly!  That anyone who scurries around in society with a big Holy book, should be considered obscene.  Whether he speaks the words that are contained in that book with a soft and loving voice, or yells and screams them as he runs, to Man he is worthless and a fool.

In fact you don’t have to say a word to be considered a fool, an obscene man, and a nuisance.  Try it someday.  Simply take your Bible with you everywhere you go. 

If you really want to prove that people hate God, take your Bible with you when you go shopping at all the major department stores.  You know precisely what the response will be.

You don’t have to speak a word about God.  You don’t have to be seen praying.  Just blatantly associate the Bible with your hands.  And watch them back off with wide eyes.

Tell me how that’s right!  Tell me how it is that you could carry any other book (ANY OTHER) and they would love you.  They would pat you on the back and laugh if you carried pornography in your hand.  But they will fear you, and deplore your very existence if you lift up the Holy One of God.  Or even if they see you associated with his Holy things!

That’s fine.  Because that’s the way things are! 

I want you to hate me, you people of the world who think you are more righteous than the One who made you.  For I can prove that you hate him, by simply carrying his Holy book into your presence.

I don’t hate you.  Though that’s how you accuse me.  And not only I, but every man who dares to stand in your presence and proclaim that God “ALONE” is good.

For such people blatantly proclaim that everything man is, is unholy.  And how deeply we scar your sense of self-righteous pride. 

Shall we apologize?  Do we need to grovel at your feet and beg you to include us?  Some do.  But you never receive them back, as if this display of a love for God never happened.  They are labeled among man to the end of this place of time.

Are you correct to think you are righteous?  You submit that you have good thoughts.  Provide proof of the end of your day, that everything you have thought has produced a perfect action or word.  My friend if it has not produced holiness, then you did not have good thoughts.  At the very best, you had sporadic reasonable intent.  What a blight in your eye, to say such a thing about you.

In business you make machines to produce a certain product.  If the product that comes out of the machine is faulty, you call the machine broken.  Man is a broken machine!

I will not take your time with more words than is appropriate.  The volume of this testimony lay in that Holy book that scares you so very much.  Its called the Bible.

It’s  the repair manual for broken humanity.  And in that Holy book there are two sections.  The first portion contains intricate descriptions of humanity’s brokenness and need for repair.  The second portion, called the “New Testament”, contains the description of the repairman.

It speaks of his training, so that you can know you can trust him.  It gives proof that he has repaired many broken machines.  And it makes a statement that is deplorable among you.  It often makes the statement that he is the singular Master of his singular trade.

The New Testament will highlight obvious failures.  And it will tell you what to do when you encounter them. 

My friends of flesh, you do not need to repair the machine you currently have.  (As if you have the tools to get the job done.) You need an entirely new one.  Why should you balk at this?  “New” and “fresh” are the buzz words of the day!   And the New Testament provides the blueprint to the epitome of “value added” activity.

By His Grace

Ungodly, Unholy Homeless

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With my wife and two children, we walked down the sidewalks of Salem Oregon, suitcases in hand.  My irresponsible behavior had driven my family to homelessness.  We were not victims of the economy.  We were victims of my hatred for righteousness.

Even then I did not turn to God for help.  I turned to the system of men that we could find shelter.  We found some shelter for our bones, but we did not find shelter from my behavior.

Regardless how the bleeding hearts want to paint the homeless as helpless and pathetic little people, there are many of them who are unholy, ungodly, and unworthy of anything good.

Just like every other man, they had opportunity, but they squandered it for the sake of selfish gain. 

I will not hide that fact, for I have known many who were just like me.  We take advantage of the bleeding hearts and consume all their energy and money.  We are a thankless brood; for while we say “Thank you”, we do not use their gifts to do what is right.  And why should we?  They are as foolish men, who walk into a band of thieves, knowingly holding out their hands full of money.  What do they think is going to happen?

You may look at the things I write and substantiate your liberal gifts to the poor.  “See how he has finally gotten out.  See what glorious thing we have accomplished!”  My friend you have done nothing but give me a few days more before I died!

It was God who gave me understanding.  It was God who opened my eyes to my own irresponsible behavior.  It was God who counseled me to be responsible in poverty.  And from there the steps up were clear.

I read God’s Holy Word and saw the condemnation that waited for me.  And as he has spoken it was true, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom”.  Man did nothing but prolong my personal agony of irresponsible and unholy doings.

There are unholy and ungodly homeless men and women, yes.  And there are unholy and ungodly responsible and rich men and women, yes. 

I have been told that pointing out the condemnation of everyone of us, will save no one.  Well how can that be true when that is precisely what turned this wayward soul?

There is a passage that, if you believe it, will shake your soul to the ground.  The more you believe it, the more you will desire the better things of God. 

If you want to make change in others.  If you want to see change in yourself.  Believe the following words.

“. . . and repays to their face those who hate him, by destroying them. He will not be slack with one who hates him. He will repay him to his face” (Deuteronomy 7:10)

Can you imagine the Holy One getting right down into your face, and accusing you rightly of the things you have done?  If a man does this to us, we may fight back.  But when God does this, you will be utterly helpless.  You will know that your destruction is imminent.  And fear like you have never felt, will consume you.

Allow yourself to believe this and you will start to desire Life.  There will be no bleeding hearts to come and save you.  There will be no hand out that you might pick up to offer God.

You are like wayward bums, who settled on the land of the king.  You did as you pleased and trashed his beautiful meadow.  You called the land by your own name.  And there you made a unrighteous home for yourself.

The righteous King will appear with his vast army.  He will see what you have done without asking.  He will see that you disrespect his authority.  He will not consider your personal excuses.  He will order his men to thrust you through.

He will tear down all that you have built, toss it into a pile, and with great discompassion, he will set it on fire to clear his land.

No one will come to your aid.  No one will remember your name.  Your plight belongs to you.  And at the last effort of your silent scream, you will be obliterated for eternity.

These words are written in a place that is conspicuous.  I do not fear you, and I would be glad to say these things to your face.  But would you listen to me there?  Or would you turn your face like you do when you see me at a distance?

These things are true.  Do with them as seems best to you.

By His Grace

Love Doesn’t Hyde (pun intended)

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The gospel of Christ Jesus is far more than to simply say, “God is love”.  The proverbial “Kum-by-ya” stuff isn’t the whole story. The gospel of Christ Jesus requires us to prove it.

In case I’m misunderstood, which is highly likely, let me take a minute to explain please.

How many people do you know have said, “God is love”, but there’s no apparent change in their life?   And whatever change there might be lacks the rich and bold testimony of words.

If you examine their testimony, you would believe that the gospel asks nothing more of us than to admit that God is love.  But we know that isn’t true.

The cynic will point out their failure to believe.  He would accuse such people of being traitors to the cross.  Many times the cynic is not wrong.

But there’s another reason why people don’t “do” the gospel.  For the other reason, I gotta set it up.

No matter which way I turn I’m going to offend somebody.  After all this is a problem here, so there is then a fault.   So if this other reason offends somebody, that’s just going to have to be too bad.

We say the gospel of Jesus Christ changes lives.  But apparently there’s not enough proof available.  I mean, we’ve got 20 million Christians in America (a number I just pulled out of my hat), and only about 5 million, are head over heels in love with Christ Jesus (another hat number).  So the examples of proof that the gospel changes lives are relatively few.  Not to mention that the changes we do see are somewhat minor.  Many changed Christian lives could be generated by laying on a psychiatrist’s couch. And isn’t that often literally the case?

Now this gets kind of sticky from here on out. 

But there are a lot of marginal Christians.  I don’t mean to say they’re not Christians.  And I don’t mean to say that they are new Christians.  They are Christians who just can’t seem to find the fire to do the whole gospel.

They know what the gospel says.  But apparently they just don’t care.  They only see the gospel as a self changing idealistic notion.  They may live a lot better than they did before they knew the gospel.  But sadly that seems to be enough for them.

What about all the other people that are looking for someone to say, “Hey this works”?  I’m not talking about pastors and preachers and teachers, in that they should say this!  But that the average Joe ought to jump in and provide the proof.

Look, let’s nail this down.  A hero is a hero because he does the stuff the average guy can’t do.  The entire world has a whole basket full of heroes.  That’s proof to me that they want somebody who can do the stuff the average Joe can’t do.

So come on average Joe Christian, why don’t you stop using the gospel for your own selfish interests, and start doing it so that you can be a hero for those who are looking for the truth.

Where is the love of God if we don’t dig in and prove that the gospel works?  How do we love our brother if we hide the efficacy of God’s love?

You know the gospel.  You know the heavy duty demands it has on anyone who calls on the name of Christ.  If you don’t obey God for yourself, do you think you might find the energy to do it for someone else?

You can pass this article around if you’d like to.  Or you could rewrite the concepts in your own words.  It really doesn’t matter.

But the way I see it, if we go on the hunt for a few who will turn into heroes, and find them, Christ wins!  The hungry win.  The world is put to shame.  And the church gets stronger.

How do we know there isn’t some selfish little guy out there, who after reading this becomes the next Spurgeon, Dwight l. moody, CS Lewis, Billy Graham, or (pick your Christian hero)?

By His Grace

Proper Conversation

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I am forced to

Think again

The value of

Earth’s discourse.

Which is greater,

The three dimension,

Or heaven which spreads,

In all direction?

Although it’s fun to

Play the game,

Where logic’s

Lite and breezy.

Better to bear the

Hard light torch,

That sets men’s

Bellies queasy.

So back again to

The work at hand.

No time to

Waste round here.

To speak of

Jesus Christ the King,

Bringing heaven so

Very near.

By His Grace

The Gospel Lay in Plain Sight

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Please allow me to speak for you, you who have known the man I was.  I perceive what you have seen in me.  I understand your confusion.  And, to some point, I am forced by righteousness to agree with your assessment of me.

I have been an ungodly, unholy, unrighteous, wicked, mean, and vicious man.  You are not wrong.  But do you know what the Gospel has to say?

I agree with you to the place I was.  But at the advent of His Holy Mercy upon me, you ceased to know me.  You retain the perception you had.  But you did not relent with wisdom to perceive the changes He has come to make in me.  How can I hold this against you?  You perceive in ignorance.  Your eyes are covered with “what was”.

The Gospel proclaims that God will transform any soul that calls out to Him in the power of His Holy Son.  I know there have been liars who have not displayed this power.  They have proclaimed that they are changed, yet no change was ever visible in their behavior.  And by these liars, you count my testimony as false.

But I know what I know regarding what the Holy Lord has done in me.  I know my testimony to you is worthless.  For your heart rightly perceives that the testimony of a man, regarding himself, is not possibly true.  On the testimony of two or three others, on this alone is a man’s behavior justified in the presence of any assembly.

God testifies for me, for my conscience is clear before His Holy Throne.  The Holy Son testifies for me, for it is He who has brought these holy things to appearance.  And the power of the Holy Spirit teaches me to inhabit the Holy things of the Living God.  And there are many witnesses to holy behavior that you will never meet.

All three of these reliable witnesses testify to what they have made come to pass in this man.  And the group of men who have witnessed a different man than you have ever known, testify to what they have seen.

But you cannot believe, for the sake of the lies, and the man I was.  Two things must be spoken here.

I will not hold your opinions against you, for your opinions are built on a faulty excuse for a man.  You are blinded to “what is”, by the power of “what was”.  God will not judge between us, nor on my behalf (as if to defend me).  Let your accusations be stricken from the accounting on the Holy Day of Judgment.

The Gospel lays in plain sight.  You, like me, are invited to believe.  I release you from any accusations.  But you are not released to remain in ignorance.  For I have testified these things before you:  The transformation of a man is True!  And that God, who cannot lie, has offered the sacrifice of His Holy Son, that all who will, might taste the power of God to heal their wicked heart.

These have been accomplished among you.  I have not arrived at this day (this “place”) unscathed by unholy behavior.  But, my dear friends, neither have you.  You will be held accountable, on that Holy Day, just as I will.  But I will be clothed by the Holy Blood of Christ Jesus, the Holy and Righteous Son of the Living God.  What will be your case, is determined, not by my prior behavior, but on what you do with the Living Testimony that speaks far more powerfully than any man can testify.

The Gospel speaks directly to the soul of every man!  No excuse will suffice.  I have released you.  Will you continue to use me as a shield between you and your own responsibility, or will you mount up on “Belief” to receive the power of God to become transformed?  Now the choice lay squarely in your own hands.

Not From Man

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Let it be known that the Gospel of Jesus Christ belongs to God.  In his Holy wisdom God has disseminated the Gospel unto men, for all men are of the same language of flesh.  But the entirety of the Gospel belongs to God.

The world looks about them and complains,  “How can there be purity and the Gospel?   Everything man touches comes to nothing”.

There can be purity and the Gospel, and surely is, because it did not originate among men.  The entirety of the Gospel is from God and belongs to God.  It cannot be touched or destroyed by any man.  And the Gospel is sustained among men by the power of the Holy Son of God.

If the Lord has given the Gospel to one man, and that man destroys it, the Gospel itself is not touched.  God will seek another man and give the Gospel to him.  By the strength of the Holy Living God,  the Gospel will not cease from among men until the last day.

This proclamation is true and faultless.  How it is received is not up to me.  What is in my care is to uphold what has come to me from God.  And even this the Gospel says, is not of my own it is a gift of God, lest any man should boast.

The world is correct.   Everything it touches becomes destroyed.  But the message of God moves through men untouched and unchanged.  If a man waters it down and destroys it, then the judgment comes upon him alone.  But if he keeps the Gospel that is given to him, then he becomes a pleasure to the Most High God and is given more.

This should be taken as a warning to all who are in Christ.  But it is also a vast encouragement.  Christ Jesus will lose none of those the Holy Father has placed in his hands.  But let us live with great caution in our soul, for the charge we have been given is Holy.

By His Grace