This is the Judgement


Truth, faithfulness, the righteous expectations of God, prayer, holiness, glorification of God’s Holy Son, willing obedience to heavenly things, and a daily renewal of all these things.  This can be expected for those who willingly submit to the leadership of Christ Jesus.

But pleasure of this world’s desires, chasing after everything that is not God, short and useless prayers (such as God bless america), powerless religious observances, and oh so many other things, this is the nature of a man without Jesus.

19 “This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil. 20 For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. 21 But he who practices the truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God.”  (The Gospel of John chapter 3)

How incredibly sad that this should be our epitaph; that at the moment of our death, our pursuit of anything but God is all we bring to the Holy Throne of the Sovereign God.  All the while he offers freely so very much to any who will purposefully place him in his proper position.

By his own nature man is lazy.  Oh he’ll provide for all the things he wants.  But is he willing to let God cause him to provide all the things that God wants?

Those who diligently seek the truth of God in Christ Jesus will be granted God’s desires.  There is no need to qualify that statement.  But those who only desire the things of this world, such people will not find the things that God is willing to offer so freely.

By His Grace

Faithful Perceptions


So many things to touch and see.

So many things lay out of reach.

The fingers of men will grasp and twist.

But they can never touch what’s His.

Why do you fear, O little flock?

Do you fear the hands of men?

Where are your treasures laid up in stock?

On earth or bound in heaven?

By His Grace

Not From Man


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

Regardless the Acceptance


There is no one like God, in Christ Jesus His Holy Son.

There is nothing like His embrace of Holy Forgiveness.

There is nothing on earth worth our time, if we don’t have His Love;

His Holy Love that transcends every barrier.

 

I know you balk at this, all you of this world.

I know the flesh hates such words of proper praise and placement.

I know the eternal nature of the Living God has no place within the things of man.

I know you cannot accept these words, or the ones who speak them.

 

And what a shame, that you should remain outside His Holy Love.

And what horrible future there is for such a heart.

And what potential there is if you would just lay down your pride.

And how long is eternity, that you should remain estranged from the Living God’s Son.

No Room for Humanity


I recently met up with an old friend.  We did a lot of talking about the days gone by.  Soon we turned to the present time, catching up on what each one does.

Over the weeks and months, my love for God came out strong.  I tried to talk with him about the things of his interests.  But those things no longer interest me.

As is sure to happen, a distance begin to develop.  It is an uncomfortable awareness that we are no longer the friends we were.  He is of the world, I am of God.

With hopes that we would not have disagreement, I tried to coax him toward understanding.  I tried to lace everything I said with something to do with eternity.  As if a man might try to tame the lion.

But a lion is what it is.  And history can tell us of many people who were ripped to shreds.  The trainer cannot be the lion.  And the lion cannot change from being a lion.  Sooner or later one of them will have to step up and take the lead.

So it is with our dealings with the unsaved.  Their minds are firmly set on the things of this world.  A love for God is a foreign and obscene idea.

The argument finally came.  His feelings were hurt by some small thing I said.  He commanded that I repair my ways or distance myself.  Ok, fine.

“I will stand where I do.  You go back to what you love.”  This is the sum of what I was forced to tell him.  It is not God in me that closed the door.

But in parting, as it is with the end of all arguments, a remark is always made to punctuate the truth.  This particular relationship has ended on the same note.  He will go his way into the chaos of all the world.  And I will remain attached to my feet; those items of my soul which are firmly secured in the salvation of God.

He is upset because he thinks it’s unfair that God should trivialize the human condition.  He does not want to be holy.  He wants to be accepted just like he is.  In this, my friend is not much different than the majority of Christians (At least those I have met.  At least what I have read from what Christianity today has become).

But his parting volley of words missed me by a mile.  I’m sure he intended to cut me to the heart.  It was his last ditch effort to change my mind.  He said to me,  that he didn’t want anything to do with a religion that has no room for Humanity.

What does he mean by that?  I doubt that he would truly know.  But I know what that means.  That means what God has been saying all along.  There is no room in eternity for sin.

Many people think the frailty of humanity is to receive welcome out of pity.  What a completely uneducated perspective that is.  God’s promise to the frailty of man remains.  Everything that is sin will be utterly destroyed.

In His mercy he will teach us how to become holy.  But so many millions think it is unfair.  They hate the things of God but they love the pity that comes their way.

There is far more to Christianity than the forgiveness of sins!  Christianity is about becoming a godly man.  It is not a certificate of license handed out by God so you can continue in your unholy way.  If you think that’s unfair then you are likely not a Christian, no matter what you’ve gone around calling yourself!

There is so much to say concerning this.  I feel the anger in me rise to the top.  Not because of my friend, but because so many have misused the love of God.  I think it is wise for me to just shut up right now.

By His Grace

ONE


It is happening all over the world.  In broad view of every man, God is saving souls.

From the meager child who believes that the Bible is true, to the great man of God who displays the works of God by his faith.  The testimony of God blazes clearly.

Who will open his heart to humility that he may understand?  Who will take a long hard look at his own heart and ways and mind?  Who is willing to risk all he has for all there is to gain?

There is but one God, the living God.  There is but one Holy Son, Jesus the Christ.  And there is but one power of truth given to men, the Holy Spirit.

The world will call these things opinion, for they have so many variations of religion.  But the power of eternal life is proven in Christ Jesus, the Holy Son of God.  If you humble yourself in prayer and earnestly seek the face of God, you will know that these words are true.

By His Grace