Tag Archives: Worship

Our Personal Altar

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I wrote this in 2012.  By his Grace, my wanderings have brought me back to the spectacular.   May The souls of my brothers find cool water here.

Picture borrowed from http://www.westhighlandbaptistchurch.com/
Jesus, my God and King.  I stop here to lay a white stone on the top of my altar of life.  As a child I started this altar with little balls of mud I rolled in my hands as I encountered the truth of Your Holy ways.  Each little ball  represented a firm truth that was only perceived, not yet learned to live out in my ways.  But each one gave you Glory for Your perfect teachings.

Next came the smooth little pebbles I found on the edge of the River of Life which you took me to go see from time to time.  You let me drink from the edge as was wise according to Your endless wisdom.  Then you drove me back to where You found me to have advanced.  In this You watched to see what I would do with what You had given.

Then You drove me to the edges of that vast desert of life among men.  Walking out a half day’s journey, I received what you offered to prove my heart.  Dryness, loneliness, stark reality appeared before me as a living image of the relationships between man and man, and God and man.  Jagged rocks began to be placed on this altar of Glory to You.

You gave me strength I did have.  You gave the strength of Sampson from time to time.  And I placed immense boulders on the altar as You brought me to them in “The Way”.  You did not let me go around them.  Rather You bid me pick them up and stack them for Your Glory.  Amazement and worship filled me as each bolder of trouble was removed and placed on this Holy testimony to Your eternal love.

And now I reach in my pocket and pull out a smooth white stone.  With loving fingers I place it atop the great and growing pile of worship to You.  Through prayer I let it go to see where it will rest.  Little noises come to my ears as it finds its way to rest amid this pile of testimony.  And I watch it disappear into the pile.  As it became Yours, it now is hidden from sight.  Only You know where it now lay.  And all the more is Your Glory.  For You will testify that it has been laid within the altar which can never be torn down.

Glory is Yours!  For You see what we cannot.  Even the understanding You give us finds its place in our heart.  We perceive where You placed it.  Yet, even as we perceive it the understanding disappears into the man You are causing us to become.  Only You know where it lay.  And on the day You cause us to appear before You, You will expose each response to what You have done.  All Glory is Yours.  And this will be so forever.

These words are Yours.  They come from a servant You have blessed with life.  I testify to man.  But You see the testimony that even Your servant cannot perceive.  Thus all Glory is Yours Forever; and that to the Glory of Your Father who Lives in unapproachable light!  You, Jesus, Son of the Most High God, are worthy of every possible good word.  May all who call on Your Holy Name do so with a trembling soul.  For You are given Immense Beauty from the God of all things.  You are worthy!  And Your worth is stamped with the approval of the Father of Life.  Amen!

Bubble Butt

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I had a conversation with a man about Bible prophecy.  He is immeasurably more well versed in prophecy that I can hope to accomplish.  The conversation was stimulating, and I walked away full of reverence and desire for God.

On the way back past the man, the Lord prompted me to speak of purity.  I talked to him about how God is so desirous to see holiness come to fruit in every one of his people.  The response was interesting.

I thought I would hear agreement.  His knowledge of Bible prophecy was impeccable.  Instead, I heard subtle references to justification, and excuses. 

I’m not judging the man, I’m looking at all of us.  We might do well in the realm of knowledge, but our application suffers famine.

One thing I felt urged to say stands out in my mind clearly.  You may not think this is a very dignified statement, but it is true none the less:

If a man will do the things of Christ, won’t the Lord tie huge helium balloon to our butt, that we may raise to a place conspicuous usefulness?  And isn’t this the reason why so many Christians live their lives in useless obscurity?

Walls

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Every wall divides, that is its singular purpose.  On one side of the wall are those things that are not desired.  On the other side of the wall is the desire of the one who erected the wall.

Your house has walls.  Your heart walls.  The City of God has walls.  Think deeply on this and understanding will bud on the limb of your tree.

But there is another wall that men rarely speak of.  It is created to keep Man distant from the Holiness of the Sovereign God.  My soul sees this clearly, but the limits of Man’s communication perplex my words.  And how should this be astounding?  Even the Lord Jesus questioned as to how he might deliver these truths to Man.  “What is the kingdom of God like?  And to what should I compare it?”

Every man knows the wall I am speaking of.  It is the blackness apparent on a cloudless night.  It is the blackness of our understanding.  Is the blackness of our ability to speak to one another in regard to the great things of the Holy One.  It is the blackness of the will, to obey the Living God’s Holy Son.

This wall is for protection on both sides, for the Living God is not evil as many attribute to his Holy name.  It protects our evil hearts from the condemnation of the Living God.  And to protects the Sovereign purity that is Life from the Living God.

If any man would pass from one side of the wall to the other, the doorway must be shown to him.  This doorway is the Holy Son of the Living God.  You will find the complete description of it written in the Bible.

Now who has understanding?  Who desires eternal life?  Who will bend his will, that God may raise him up?  Who will lower his walls that God may enter?

My God will watch over these words.  Wherever they go, what eyes may read them, the Living God will watch the response.

By His Grace

Predominant Religion

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Where a man invest his money is where you find his religion.  Where he invests his time, there is his religion.  A man will worship those two things, and they will direct the course of his life.

What is a primary religion of the United States?  It may not be what you think.  Take a look at these rough stats.

5680 hospitals in the US.

Nearly 27,000 outpatient clinics.

Over 4 billion drug prescriptions are written every year.

Over 3 trillion dollars is spent every year on health care.

319 million population of the US.

It is estimated 320,000 attend church regularly.

That leaves three hundred eighteen million six hundred eighty thousand outside the church.

When the Son of Man returns, will he find “The Faith” on this earth?

By His Grace

Honoring HIM, Thus Entering IN.

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The Lord Jesus spoke His Holy Father’s name by doing His eternal will.

As the Word of God has done, so will do His faithful few.

Let us pray.

Let us learn.

Let us praise Him.

Let us sing to His Holy Honor.

Let us remember, as if we reattached an arm.

But above all things, let us speak His Holy name by the “doing” of it.

The Lord says,

“These people come near to me with their mouth

and honor me with their lips,

but their hearts are far from me.

Their worship of me

is based on merely human rules they have been taught.” (Isaiah 29: 13)

It is not profitable that we should speak His Holy name by the use of our lips only.

21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ 23 Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’”  (Matthew 7)

Why should those who read the words of this servant, not see his face on that Holy Day?  Why should we not congregate around the Holy One with joy?  Is it right that anyone who hears the words He gives me, not be with me in eternal joy?

He does not ask too much.  He provides everything we need to enter into His Holy joy forever.  If we do not have, it is because we will not retain.  But if we will become diligent, we will enter in with an inexpressible joy.  Fear nothing!  He is willingly with you.

THE DAWN

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A shaft of salmon colored light,

Makes the difference between the day and night.

Bracketed on the left by the end of a certain cloud.

The Shining slice of Crescent moon

Moves gently between the layers.

The path of faithful traverse,

Is drawn in the mind of a man.

And with the dawn,

Dawns understanding.

The faithful promise of the Faithful One,

Provides another day.

And I am witness to this explosion of opportunity.

What was, is registered in the mind of the Holy One.

What is yet to be of this day, is given into his hands.

The hour of prayer has come and gone.

But the life I live is yet to dawn.

You bring faithfulness and continuance,

O’ holy Lamb of God.

Come and have your way with me.

Teach me great humility.

For you alone are God.

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By His Grace