The Darkness of Perversity


25 “To the holy, you show your gracious love,
to the upright, you show yourself upright;
26 to the pure, you show yourself pure,
and to the morally corrupt, you appear to be perverse.” ( Psalm 18, ISV)

The mind and imagination of Man is kept to the limits of the place he lives.  If all he sees is death and corruption, that is all he is capable of perceiving.  Men may call another man holy, but they give that title to the one who achieves the best of Man’s imagination.

True holiness and purity must come from God.  Man is not capable of achieving that level of cleanliness on his own.  And to add to Man’s difficulty, pride stands at the door.  Because of pride, no man is able to receive this testimony from another man.  It is required that God bless the receiver with understanding.

Do not be amazed when so many reject the Gospel.  They cannot receive it unless they humble themselves before the Living God’s Christ.  If the hearer retains his pride, the Gospel will sound perverse.  But if the man has a willing heart, God will confirm the noise to be true.

Keep The Faith and be faithful; let God be who he is.  The only thing God requires of us is that we are not ashamed or fearful to bring the Message to our fellow brothers of flesh.

I met a man who could not overcome sexual immorality.  I told him that victory over such a sin will not come to him except that God gives it.

A year or two later he complained that he was still embroiled in immorality.  He said he had asked God to take it away, but it was still an active part of his life.

I tried to reason with him, that salvation is a mutual work.  God may well grant freedom.  The question is: does the man have the will to retain it?  In the end, the man admitted that Christ Jesus must be a liar.

Consider the verses above.  God’s Holy Word is true.  It is we who are liars.

By His Grace

Fear Constrains. God Releases to Boldness.


I woke to be with the Lord this morning.  In our time together, he revealed a mystery to me.  I will try to relate it as best I can.

Why are people so reluctant to grasp a fearless doing of the Gospel?  What cuts some apart to boldness, while most live out the Gospel as if in secret?

The answer is simple, they fear.

Fear of man compels most to withdraw from public displays of Holy Truth.  Desire to “profit” among men drives most into a life of subdued worship and expression of God’s Holy Will among men.

They hear what the bold disciples say.  But they also see how such bold men are treated.  They quickly weigh the prospects of shunning, and make the determination that such travail is not worth the effort.  They must make a living.  They must eat.  They must compete in this wicked world.  And a bold proclamation of the Gospel will surely diminish their chances of survival.  Men will certainly hate them and exclude them from “prosperity” among men.

But what makes the difference between those who fearlessly proclaim the Gospel, and those who believe yet hide (to whatever extent)?

Two things play within the bold.  It’s hard for me to describe which one comes first.  Perhaps they come in unison.  One provocation to boldness is the blessing of God in the way of knowledge.  God causes the bold one to understand that the way of God is absolute, true, and sustaining no matter what.   The other provocation is that the bold perceive the wickedness of man as endless chaos.  No matter what they do, man will never protect.  Man is incapable of sustaining.  Man is full, and endlessly so, with lies and empty promises.  And the riches of man, that so called  “profit”, can provide nothing eternally valuable.

It is written, “They hated me for no reason”.  The bold receive the same treatment.  Their brothers and sisters in Christ see this treatment of the bold and withdraw to secrecy.  It’s that simple.

There were only 12 Apostles.  There were only 72 that were sent out.  And of the mass of men, there are (in my personal estimation) less than 1 percent of the population that will give all to God for the sake of His Holy Son’s Honor.  And it’s quite possible that I have over estimated the number of those who are bold for Christ.

I have seen many rise up to boldness.  But I have seen very few remain bold.  Usually, when a man stands up for Christ, the world around them beats them back into submission, and quickly.  They sink back into the “profit” of man and never rise up again.   Let no one misunderstand the power of the world to destroy.  This even happens, often, to men who wear the titles of pastor, preacher, evangelist, and so on!

If you would be bold for Christ, then be bold.  But first it would be wise to learn to hate the ways of man’s “profit”.  For they will surely use it against you to drive you back into their slime.  But if you would be willing to loose all for Christ, then, by all means stand!

Who is willing to die for Christ?  Who is willing to receive the beatings that man is all too ready to dispense?  Is it you?  If not, then ask yourself, “Why do I fear”.

God will sustain the willing heart.  He will feed the wicked, why won’t he feed you?  And if they come and take all you have, what have you lost?  These sayings are readily available among  Christ’s people.  But the key to making the decision to be bold lay in a fearless belief.  Are the promises of God TRUE?

True Profit


 

I do not respect the customs of Men.  I have no regard to the differing “customs” of certain groups.  One eats just these things.  Another eats other things.  Certain clothing is appropriate for differing circumstances, relegated to the demands of pomp, pleasure, and expectations of society.  What do I care?  Eat what you will.  Dress as you desire.  What is that to me?

But the things of the soul.  Now these things matter!  Differing languages, differing customs, differing surroundings, differing expectations of society, what are these things?  When it comes to the soul, none of these things have any bearing at all.  For we are all created for the singular purpose of being profitable to the Most High God.

Profit, profit, profit!  That’s all the body desires.  We wake to “do”, that we might gain profit.  To one man profit is pleasure.  To another, profit is to gain, that he might add to his mountain of treasure.  But profit to God is that His Holy and Righteous Son be glorified.

Some call profit for God in various and differing terms, each according to the religion he has been taught.  But God has elevated His Holy Son to the place of First Above All.  And wouldn’t it matter that God has done this for His Righteous Son?  What does it matter if man considers another religion above Christianity?  It is God, alone, who dictates what is Righteous.

But let it be said, Jesus is the King of kings.  He is the Lord of lords.  He is the Mighty One over all!  It is to Jesus that every knee will bow and give Glory to God the Holy Father.

You say, “This is your opinion.  You were raised up under the constraints of Christian teaching.  But we were raised under the constraints of Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism, Judaism, Baha’i, Confucianism, Jainism, Shinto, atheism, humanism, [or a million other worthless tripe of human reasoning].  To you, Christianity is singular.  Realize that our faith is singular to us”.

But God has chosen His Christ.  God has secured salvation by His own Holy Hand.  And this is the message that has no dependence on the customs of man.  For it comes from Heaven.  It is delivered to God’s chosen ones to speak.  And it is secured in their souls by the Holy Spirit’s presence.

Do you want profit of Man?  Or do you want Profit of God?  Seek the Holy Father’s advice regarding this.  Strip your mind of the customs you were taught.  Strip your expectations from your soul.  Seek His Holy Face in Truth.  As we humble ourselves before the Living God, so the Living God responds.  Likewise, as we stand proud in our own understandings, the Living God is shrewd in his response.

Profit comes from humility.  True profit.  The profit of eternity that is dressed in the Glorious Living God’s Holy Son, Jesus the Christ.

Now you take offence at these things.  For I have spoken that Jesus is the singular means to God the Father.  But Christians should take no such stance as you.  We do not take offence at the accusations against Christianity.  We do not defend the Christ.  It is the Christ who defends us.  We have no means to sustain our teachings.  It is God who sustains the teachings of Christ.  We are witnesses, not defenders.  We testify that the Living God has secured our salvation.  We do not defend the Faith He has given us.

Perceive the difference.  Listen to what I am saying.  There is no salvation for anyone outside the Holy Son of the Living God.

To the Proud


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No man can farm more than the ground he is given.  No man can perceive past what the wisdom of God has allowed.  Every man then, is subject the ownership of someone else.  But oh how lies and pride desire something else.

“I will be a free man!  I will choose my own destiny.  I will gather to myself by my own hand.  I will live a free man!”

Will you now?  If you will be free, what restrains you from being God?  Immediately go and be the Living God.  Abandon your imagination or go and be God.

Lies are all we own, if we think we are free men.  If we think we own the power to choose our own destiny, then we are blind fools.

Even if a man calls a piece of fertile ground his own.  Even if he knows how to plant and to grow, that he may sustain his body, the ground belongs to God.  The Sun, the water, the seasons, and the wheat, all belong to God.  How can you possibly be a free man, able to choose your own destiny?

“I think, therefore I am”.  Descartes is said to have fallen on the most valuable of truth.  But look how he qualifies “I am”.  In order to “be”, he must be able to think.  Is he then a free man?  Was he not also subject to death?

With a proud mouth he spoke what he considered a wonderous truth.  Where is he now?  Where is his farm?  Where is his able body and “sharp” mind?  Produce him before me and I will give him aplause.

How many men balance their worth on his “brilliant” saying?  How many men live their entire life encased in a lie? “I am able to choose my own destiny.  I think, therefore I am!  I will spit on the things of God!  I will willingly despise the word holy.”

Will you now?  Then produce from your great intellect, eternal life.  Prove to us how great you are.  Fashion your own planet on which you can live.  Spin a star to grow your plants.  Increase your self before us that we may perceive your great strength.  And do not promise me that men will accomplish this!  Do it now, if truly you are able!

You only imagine yourself as capable.  You dress yourself in lies from the time you wake up until the time you sleep.  The only thing you have is pride.  And pride is easily shaken by a single word, “Death”.

May God be merciful to you, that you may remember my words.  “You are not accountable to me.  But you will certainly be held accountable to the one who has made you.”

May those words chase you down, while you wake or while you sleep.  May your fortress of Lies be utterly  destroyed.   May sweat be your shower of cleansing day and night.  May anxiety accompany your sense of great worth.  May your filthy imagination become to you as a brood of Asps; that every time you reach out your hand to glorify yourself, your pride might bite you with fatal fangs.  May understanding become your best and dearest friend.  May humility become your daily bread.  May God force you to perceive yourself as restricted under his Holy hand.  And may he have mercy, that before you die, you will glorify and honor His Holy and Righteous Son.

And may the day come quickly, when I can refer to you as my brother in Christ Jesus.

By His Grace

Fear


Of all the things that man can perceive, there is but one truth.  The Holy Christ of God has given himself for the salvation of every man, woman and child who  ever lived.

As we believe this we are set free of every wicked thing.  We are set free of fear; the greatest enemy of man.  Who can fear anything if he knows he has eternal life? 

Because of fear, men turn to all manner of wicked and abhorrent behavior.  They invent their own religions.  But every religion of man is full from top to bottom with fear.

By fear, men subject one another for the sake of wicked gain.  But it is impossible to subject the one who believes. 

“Christ has died for my sins.  Nothing you can do to me can take that away.  Though my body shake with anxiety for the coming pain,  my soul is that perfect rest.  For when you are finished applying what torture you may envision, I will go and be with he who has died for my sins.  How should I fear?  What can man do to me?  When in comparison, Christ has given me eternal life.”

A Christian believes this and is saved.  Anything less than this is not the fullness of Christ within us.  Anything less than this is worthless religion.

By His Grace

The Dispassionate Objective of Death


I watch men live.  What am I seeing as I watch us?  I see men prosper in the way of man.

They work to gather food, shelter, prosperity of social standing, and some semblance of “worth”.  They create some form of religion for themselves, individually and corporate.  But do I see them prosper against death?  No.  I see death approach them regardless their toil.

Death has no regard for the diligent work they have done.  Death, not only has no respect for the things of man’s toil, it has no ability to recognize anything but demise.

Rust does not make any apology to metal as it reduces it back to the place from which it was taken.  And the flakes of dust rust causes, fall back to the earth without the slightest acknowledgment of metal’s history or accomplishment.  As it is with rust, so it is with death.  As it is with wickedness, so it is with the best “righteousness” of man’s intent.

Do you think you have become something because you have learned to prosper in the ways of man?  Frankly, you have no more right to consider your prosperity as “something”, any more than death recognizes any righteousness within you.

If you want to be something, appeal to the Holy One, Jesus The Christ of the Living God.  Only in Him will you find any lasting profit.  For He alone has hold of the two keys; the key of Life, and the key of Death.  Only in Jesus will you find direction to do and desire eternally good things.  Without Him, you can’t even read the Bible with any effective impact toward righteousness.

He has spoken a singular truth among us: “Without me you can do nothing”.  The longer I live, and the longer I witness the “doings” of man, the more vibrant the truth of that saying becomes.

Seek Him and learn what fullness of that saying you can.  Only then will you begin to do more than simply provide sustenance until death comes to claim what is rightfully his.  The fullness of what I am saying cannot be understood without His presence.