Beyond the Veil - 2014-08-07 12:00

The eyes you now use to perceive your weakness and fear are useless in the gaining of this magnificent strength and promise.  To gain what is more you must receive.  Yet how can a man receive by taking from what he already has?

This is how many Christians live.  They strive to obey from their own resources.  But that does not come from the message they first heard.

They realized they were helpless so they turned to look for an answer.  But when the answer was provided, they turned back to their old way. 

How can they "become"?  How do they think they can now provide what they were not able to achieve before?

If peace was delivered by believing the power of God to transform, how is it we now turn to our own strength to do what is more?  By this error, born of pride and folly, many have shipwrecked their own faith.

The answer remains where it was found in the beginning.  Humble ourselves before the living God.  Ask with earnest and continuous prayer.  Read the Bible again and again; that you may learn the language of salvation.

If you will not do these things how can any man help you farther?  The sad part is you may not want what you think you want.

The chained dog, below the man's perch, barked at something imperceptible.

Standing, the man spoke to the dog, "What do you see?"

At that the dog ceased its barking and a vague tail could be perceived to wag.

With a kind word.  With a peaceful heart, wisdom shut the mouth full of teeth.

The dog settled quietly to wait for another perception of breech to his domain.

And the man sat to marvel:

"The promise to Noah has come to me.  My sin is stronger than the teeth of my adversaries."

So, we have victory over that which comes against us; even the stubbornness of our folly among the things of this world, even the strength of our faith in eternity, even the Promises of the Holy One.

If even this lowly and vile excuse of a Christian can see these things and understand, how much more so the righteous of God among us?  I was not, am not, and have little.  Any man can become far more than I, and this by the Grace of God in Christ Jesus His Holy Son.

Answer this question:  Why do you marvel at such things?  Why do they not swim about with gladness within your very own soul?





Carrying His Cross - 2014-08-10 10:48

I would live alone in a cave, deep in the woods.  That would be my choice were this world the end of my life.  For anxiety fills me when I am near my brothers of flesh. 

I am not anxious because I am afraid.  I become anxious because they are anxious.  Questions do not pester them.  And answers, not requested, elude them.  I become anxious, for the living God within me demands testimony.

So if given my choice, I would remove myself from them.  But their anxiety leaves me no choice. 

The very things that God has shown me, force me to desire to stay.  And this desire is stronger than my own. 

In this, those I meet are neither righteous nor wicked.  They have simply appeared beside me along my way.  And I will speak.

The message of God within me is a thriving holy crop.  And I will gladly offer a bounty to the hungry stranger.  I must refuse to eat alone.

I toil in the garden all day long, sweating neath the Blazing Sun of his  Righteousness.  Weeding my garden with the tools of judgement, restraint, and mercy.  Forgiveness carries the living water.  And his crop grows taller everyday.

I will not go seek the place of peace in this world; the peace as my flesh defines it.  For the Holy Lord of Life has set me in a place.  His love calls sweetly, and I will obey.

What is it to me that anxiousness should fill my heart?  It has replaced terror and confusion.  I will not return. It will not leave though I swat at it as flies. 

Embrace it I must.  Embrace it I will.  Shall I throw down my cross seek peace?  NEVER!

“What right have you to recite my laws

_______________

How can I make my soul hear His Holy words, which stand as blazing fire against my evil ways?  If I thought I could stand, I find myself guilty.  What shall be said of this fool?

How shall I escape when none have before, nor will?  I say to my soul:

"You know what is right to do.  Appeal to the Holy One for mercy; that he may teach you his way and you will walk in them.  Appeal not once, but a million times.  Wear yourself out before his Holy Face!  Strive to cause a rut with the knees of your begging, in his Holy throne room floor.

Consider the cost, as you have heard him speak.  He will suffer no loss at the demise of the wicked.  For he does not count them among his things.

But you, you soul of a foolish man!  Go and present yourself before the Most High that you may live!  This flesh must die!"

I will grant that of all men who have lived, there may be one (possibly two) that have lived their entire life with minimal sin.  It is also very highly likely that you are not one of them.  Therefore your definition of the word "good" likely lacks horribly.

But let's put that aside, without accusations farther.

The Lord Jesus is faultless.  I am not talking only about his life in a body on this earth.   But he was with the Father in the beginning of all things.  From that indescribable moment until now, and throughout eternity, Christ Jesus will be faultless and good.

It is impossible that any creature should ever match the Majesty of Christ.  So if you think of yourself as a good man, I suggest you study the Scriptures for a better definition.





Heaven or now - 2014-08-11 12:55

A man may I ask, "What awaits us in heaven?" 

Let it be that the Lord's people are far more concerned about what awaits us now.  Let our desire not be for the promise that cannot be spoken.  But let us desire Desire for the things that please the Most High God in Christ Jesus His Holy Son.

I see it as I pass by.  But I wonder, do they really care?  There is a slight chance of sincerity.  But there is a greater chance of a marketing ploy being played.

Many liars are selling the world for any price.  What they desire is power, money and fame.  So they will lie about the integrity of those who have integrity.  They will dishonor those who are honorable.  They will say there is no truth, it is all relevant.  While they disallow the true and only God his rightful place.

Everything is for sale.  Everything has a price.  Nothing is revered or kept sacred.

So it is with all the world.  But it should not be that way with the people of Jesus the Christ. 

Are there for sale signs on the gifts that God has given you?  Is your fidelity, righteousness, loyalty, patience, kindness, love and honor available to the highest bidder?

It would be good to go to the store house of your heart and inspect each gift of God.  If you find papers of assessment leading to sale, rip them off and burn them.  Remember how the inheritance of one was sold for a small bowl of soup.





From Dark Perversity to Blazing Light - 2014-08-12 09:53

It may seem odd to many people, for they see what I write.  But I am not a righteous man.  I have never been a righteous man.  Nor is it possible for me to say I am now a righteous man.  And I will wake in the morning a wicked fool.

You may think this is some kind of trick.  "Perhaps he's about to make some play on words."  But I am telling you what is true.

Take away the Spirit of Christ within me, and I immediately fall to the man I always have been, and far worse.  Do you doubt me?  Then I propose to you that you do not know the gospel of Christ Jesus.

Do you really think a man must be righteous in order to speak of the gospel with boldness?  Must a man be righteous, in himself, in order to speak against the wicked?  I tell you no on both counts.

The Spirit of Christ within me speaks these things.  I simply relay what I hear.  "Perspective" comes from him and I speak what I see.  And if I do what is right it is not because I desire to do all good things.  The Spirit of Christ tells me what I must do, and I do it.

I have come to lean on the Lord Jesus for everything.  And this is not to my credit.  He has taught me to listen to him in everything I do.  Even my desire to love him is not from me.  It is a gift from him for he has taught me to trust him.

"This is what is meant by, Unless the Lord builds the house the builder build in vain."

You may think this is some silly attempt at humility.  If that's what you think, you are deadly wrong.

Please let me ask you a question.  How can a man act in a heavenly way, when all he has ever known his wickedness and death?  that os to say: with what understanding can he lay aside all that he has been taught?  My mind retains the horrors of my own wicked sins.  But the love of God quiets me, as if a crying child.

It is as though a man wears a certain kind of glasses.  What he has known, discolors everything he sees.  Even as we read the Living Holy Scriptures, we are prone to interpret them according to our own knowledge.  And even while someone, with understanding, tells us what the Scriptures mean, we hear with our own wicked ears. 

What was born and thrived in wickedness cannot give birth to what is holy.  A wicked heart can only give birth to death.  It takes what is Holy to come and give birth to what is holy.  And a perverse parent cannot teach a child to be a righteous man. 

What is black cannot make itself white.  Pure whiteness has no darkness in it.  Things that are "not" will not find ability to become.  But God can raise the living dead to eternal life!

We need someone to listen to our very thoughts, and help us correct them as they appear.  This is what the Holy Spirit of Christ does in the believer.  And as a man sees how radically different truth is from his own perception, he begins to love the truth. 

This is how he desires to dress all men.  And I testify that he does this, if a man will only ask in humility. 

Men fear to come to him because they know they are wicked and they know he is true.  But they hate him for no reason.  He shows us what we are, and humility is born.

I have spoken what is true here.  It is eternally impossible for a man to be a Christian on his own.  This is why so many live such horribly pathetic Christian lives.  They have a "form of religion but deny the power of it". 

To "deny" means more than to say that something is not true.  To deny the power of God, is to stubbornly raise your hand and stand in your place saying,  "No I will not obey!  I refuse to believe!  I refuse to receive what you offer".

We are born in death.  But by his promised willingness, he transforms us into life.  Go to him consistently, and you will see that what I say is true. 

Present your ragged and useless soul to the living God in Christ Jesus His Holy Son, even in his Holy name.  In a short time you will begin to see what a vicious murderer of righteousness you are.

He has promised, and cannot lie, he will raise up all who come to him.  But do not be deceived by the liars of this world.  To be transformed from death to life is no pleasant task.

There are great tears to shed.  There is horror to endure as you see who you really are.  There is great fear to fall upon you.  And all this will come to you, far before the peace of God gives you strength.  But endure this Holy beating, and you will find he is compassionate and full of generous love.

Many have tried and failed.  They testify that the way of God is full of misery.  But they testify from the volume of their own wicked heart.  They did not come to love the living God in Christ Jesus. 

They remained in their own depravity and would not allow God to open their eyes.  They came before God that he might praise them for being good men. 

To their shock, they began to see what a lie they have been.  So they quickly turned away from him and screamed to all men, while pointing at God,  "He is wicked and his promises are not true!"  Thus they have proudly announced that God is dead.

So they testify to all men, the first and greatest lie:  "God demands too much of us and is not willing to lend a hand.  He demands holiness and gives us no tools with which to grasp.  His promises are not but a trick; an evil and unholy trick."

They will receive the proper reward for their insolent and wicked perceptions.  And to add to the plight of these perverse men, is that they have taught others their perversity.  God will surely call them to a Blazing Fire of Holy accountability.

But if you desire life, understand what I have written.  If along the way you desire to return to death, you will know it and die.  But you are dead already; condemned before God for the wickedness that you are.  What then, can you possibly stand to lose? 

If you don't go buy food, from those who sell it, you will not eat.  And man is not a garden of holiness in himself!

With that in mind is it wise to put off preparation?

You already have many who do that.  They deliver to you the whisperings of a bride to her new husband.  The sweet and intimate words are given to you that belong in the inner room of love.

There are those who deliver you, words that should not belong on their lips, to be displayed in public.  They are made for the privacy of love.  How should such things be delivered to His enemy?

I will not deliver you the words of love, such words as are for the God who has purchased me with his Holy and perfect blood.  My love for him, that he has caused to be, belongs to him and I will not throw them on the battlefield.

Instead I will deliver to you what is helpful against your sin.  Words of despising what is unholy, these I will deliver to you.  For this you will despise me, for I will despise your wicked longing.  I will despise the heart of man.

Such writings are as of those which the world hides in a dark corner; the pictures and words of lust.  People giggle with delight as the things of the marriage bed are exposed to all; a thing that, by his command, should never be.

But you are outside the house.  What you will see and read from me are the things that deter your entry; those things which test your heart.  For such words will agree with the command of God toward those who hate him.

First pass by the guard.  Be willingly stripped of all that is abhorrent to my husband.  Be stripped of what is enemy; the weapons of slaughter you used to hang him on a cross.

Then allow yourself to be brought to the courtyard where you will learn the things that please him.  There you will be taught with relentless, vicious truth.  There you will learn to abhor what was yours.  And if you are willing they will be beaten from you.  Then your soul will wear the stripes that count you as one of his.

I will not write for you the things of lovely intent.  Such writings are a lie to those who are of the enemy of God.  They speak of his lovely promise unveiled.  They speak of an eternity that does not belong to the enemy of God.

Come and hate me with jealousy.  Come and ignore me for I will not give you your desire.  Desire with jealousy; for such has been the conversion of many.

Present yourself to him that he may cleanse you, and then we are brothers and sisters alike.  Then you yourself will hear the words that now you desire to know from me, a servant of the Most High, in Christ Jesus, blessed by his Holy promise and Holy will . 

He is faithful and trustworthy and strong.  He is the full promise of the Most High God.  Beautiful is he and glorious!   And sweet is he is Holy embrace!

But you O' enemy of God, you desire to hear his beautiful words as if they are but pornography.

They do not starve for lack of food.

With their hands and feet self restrained,

They will not come to the table.

Though God has provided a rich banquet of learning,

These mortally wounded dead, prefer to be food themselves.

So be it; what can be done?

Every man will do what every man will do.

As you spit on what is righteous today, so you will spit at his Glorious Face as he stands to judge you for your evil ways.  Gnash your teeth and plot, but you will be destroyed in your way.

Those who humble themselves and ask, will receive the grace and mercy of God; even the sacrifice of Christ Jesus the Holy One.  They will learn his ways and come to love him even now.

They will receive mercy on that great and horrible day; those who let His Holy Wisdom cover them.  But those who remain in death, even as they live, will die the death of condemnation.

There are no clearer ways to place before you the door of salvation.  Despise as you will, the Lord will stand and judge with horrifying swiftness.  You will not stand before him to debate your case.  You will stand to receive his judgment!

Even today, he takes charge of that which is his.  His holy eyes cause a difference between righteousness and wickedness.  He leads away those who are his.  But those who despise him remain in death.

Let wisdom fill your eyes!  Perceive His glory as it is displayed in all creation.  Look, and wisdom will give you understanding.

God does not demand too much.  He grants to those who seek; that they may find.

"For whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them."  And they will stand empty of gifts to the Holy One of God.

Those who hate his holy way now, will surely hate his holy way before his glorious face.  Be warned, be wise and live, lest you despise yourself when you stand before him!

There is no fear that shall overtake us, if we will but lay down our pride and accept your glorious gift of life.  The Holy Father himself has declared this to be true. 

Therefore we surrender as we find ourselves able.  We have called our fear humility, and we are in error.   Open our eyes that we may see and believe.

We beg you for strength, simply to believe.  We are weak in our way, please accept our apology.  But grant us wisdom to understand!

For you cannot lie and you have sealed your promise in the Holy Blood of your Holy and faithful Son.  Though our weakness is blatant, we beg you for mercy.  For we have not understood as we should.

Cause growth to our faith!  Let us rise up and believe.  Let us defend your Holy Name, in this place of testing; this by our firm trust and patient doing. 

You have displayed your intent in the greatest of possible love.  Therefore give us the gift of faith.  Do not allow your people to rest in the faith of man.  Rather transform us into The Holy Faith of your Holy Way.

Then you will have what is rightfully yours; a people separated from the wickedness of this rebellion against your Holy Law.

All day long and even into the night, temptation assails, and in our weakness we are tossed about.  Send understanding O' Sovereign One! 

You lack by our weakness toward fear.  We are bent toward fear as the trees along the ocean are bent by the constant wind.  Holy One, this should not be!

Come among us and give us strength to serve, that your bounty may be evident before your Holy Throne!  Come and  cause to be, what is rightfully yours.

By the Holy Name of your Holy Christ, the perfect and faithful One, grant that we should rise and believe.

I am not a smart man in the way the world counts intelligence.  I am not a rich man that you should come to me to borrow.  And I am no philosopher that you should give me the robe and regal cap to wear.

But I was born in America.  In America I suffered greatly under the hands of vicious bullies all my days of youth.  And so my perception is keen to watch for such things.

I see that the pride of life secretly  gives birth to violence.  A man perceives he is greater than the weaker.  So he plots to destroy, that the plunder may increase.  Yes America, I know you.

You have many who restrain their desire, but the desire remains even as weeds in their garden.  You gloss over your wickedness and say, "I am only human."  And so you disguise the terror you wield.

You say, We must do something about the iniquity among our people."  And what is the something you do?  You create new laws of man.  All the while the violence increases.  You would say, "We can do nothing it seems to be out of hand!"   Yet you turn to more enforcement.

Bloodied children fill your streets.  The week cry out with no one to rescue them.  But you have conspired to make better laws.  And this is the answer you will continue to give.

Yes I have lived in America and I have seen these things.  Your pride is in what you will do.  But your own doing only makes matters worse.

Why don't you humble yourself before God?  Why don't you leaders, who make these ridiculous laws, fall on your knees on the floor of Congress and pray?  Remain there until the Holy One comes to give you wisdom.

Why will you not cease to rely on your own laws?  It is because you have made laws that bully you into agreeing with the liar.  You have forfeited your own freedom.

They say "We will do as we please.  No one stands against us and we will take what we can lay our hands on.  We will make more laws, and force America to become a place of plunder."

You do not remember that God sees everything.  He is quiet, and so you think you have his blessing.  You think you can move with impunity and gain whatever you desire.  All the while your streets become more and more violent.

I fear you are past the place of waking.  I fear a coma of ignorance has covered you in the darkness.  For the love of money and power you have forsaken your own children.  And their cries testify against you.

God will not stay silent forever.  He will rise up and you will be utterly destroyed.

If the path you were on led to prosperity, there would be peace in your streets.  But how can peace come, when you yourself instigate war within your own house? 

If it is at all possible, you are urged to wake!  If you have gone too far, prepare to be destroyed. 

What you have taught your children will rise up and destroy you.  The riches with which you have spoiled them, will rot before your very eyes.  There will be nothing left to plunder.  All you will be left with, is an empty banquet table, from which you can eat nothing.





Historically Dead - 2014-08-15 12:19

How angry you were when your sons died in Vietnam.  What a great rebellion was set on fire as your sons and daughters rebelled against your strength.  And as your sons have died in subsequent conflict you cried great tears of grief.

Your precious desire was taken from you and no one asked permission.  They were stolen in the night and trained for war.  Many you have never seen again.  And many have returned to you less than they were when they left.

How does it feel to lose your greatest desire?  Is America greater for its loss? 

How many bodies of desire does history hide; for no one is left to read it?  The parents of decades gone by, now laying their grave, their sorrow quieted.  You do not mourn for them for you have forgotten.  You do not learn from history, you rewrite it.

You have stolen the Lord's desire.  With great joy, you have made for yourself your own gods.  And you worship them with great abandon. 

"To profit!  To profit!  Let us aspire to ease!  Let us put the horror of history behind us!  We will gather to ourselves great riches, and this for free!"

All the while the Gospel of Christ Jesus, the Holy One of the Most High God, languishes as it goes forgotten in your streets and houses.  You have stolen the desire of God to save your souls.

By your sparkling rebellion you have turned your face away from he who shed his very blood that you may know his love and live.  You have counted him as worthless as the sons who died before you were born. 

As you paint the crosses of the historically dead, so that is the extent of your worship.  Off to spend and gain for your own selfish pride, you have no time for what is holy and good.

What possible benefit might you expect to receive from the one who made you and gave his life for you?  Do you think he will remain patient and silent?  Do you think you will not be noticed as you gorge yourself with things you have stolen from his excellent mercy?

Does it bring shade before it dissipates and is gone?

Not but for a select few.

Later, it reappears with unity at heart.

It joins with its brothers at some other place.

They themselves become shade for many.

Now shade turns to rain and rain to torrent.

The tiny shade for some is dismissed.

But the gathering will be heard above the din.

It will stop man in his wayward tracks.

By compulsion, he will take heed.

What he dismissed, will announce its intent with violence.

A soft word becomes unavoidable.

Gather together and preach what is true with the strongest of intent!

Band together and glorify God in their presence.

Speak of sin and the beauty of his Holy Son!

Perform the will of God among all men.

Announce His Holy salvation in the places of men with great boldness!

Let our God be HEARD!

Proclaim and save souls!

They have been placed in waiting, as will we, and the Lord will do what is right.  He will assign to each of them, and to us, a rightful place according to the desire of each.  For the desire to serve Him is lived, and is testimony, both for us and against us.

God has chosen his King of kings.  He has placed him in the Most Holy Place.  And to the rest of men His grace and mercy abounds.

Glory to God in the highest, for His Holy wisdom, to impart a separation; each according to his place.  And the Holy One will do what is right according to Eternity.

It is for this reason that I write these things.  That I may stir my heart, and that of my brothers and sisters to renew  understanding.

I have perceived that God has strengthened his people with great mercy and patience.  Consistently, he has allowed His wayward people to encounter a time of replenishment.  A time when his Holy commands are taught.  As the people heard again, and understood, they were cut to the heart.  Though he has destroyed many for their disobedience, the remnant are always allowed a time of learning.

As often as a man will submit himself to hear, his heart will be cut, and confession with repentance will follow.  Then God will grant him a time of peace. 

But it is this very place where care is tossed away; where the desire of men takes root and again we go astray.  Is this really necessary?  This time of peace, he grants, is to test the heart.

From the beginning of the gospel until today, this has been played out countless times.  The embrace of wickedness has come among us, even as rain waters the grass in spring.  The holy Church has embraced the ways of the world, and fallen far from His Holy and righteous expectations even today.

Men speak of revival.  But by using the very word they prove that we have strayed.  So it has been.  So it will continue to be.  But my heart is cut because of its necessity.  The word still lives among us, and apparently cannot be removed.

But there is another word that stems the tide of this unholy tendency of God's people.  Those few, who have found the strength in their body and soul to dedicate their entire days to the holy Lord of life, these are those who have understood the word:

"Fear".

Those who end their days in holy measure, have feared the difference between the Most High God and the ways of man.  They have perceived the willingness of the flesh to drag us into hell.  And they consistently appealed to the Sovereign God for the desire to serve Him.

Let it be understood that when we find ourselves in wayward stance, it is because we have not desired to hear and understand that we may do.  We have allowed ourselves to listen to the wicked tongues of men who do not fear God.  We have embraced the flesh, as if it is our friend, and given it a place to live among the things that he has given us which are holy.

How has our soul prospered by such abhorent behavior?  Is this the kind of man we desire to present before the Most High God on the day he calls us to account?  Are we pleased with our service to the Holy One?  Or have we relied, far too heavily, on his generous grace and mercy?  How is it that we try His patience like this?

His righteous commands are forgotten in less time than it takes to sit.  Though we have understood, and with earnest prayer have confessed our sins, and spoken of repentance, we find ourselves walking again in unholy manner.  Do not use to me, the unholy phrase, "We are only human."

Perceiving these things, I could not be silent.  I appealed to the Lord for words that I may strike these things down.  In my zeal, I desired words that would provoke my brothers and sisters, yes and even I, to obey with consistent behavior.

His answer was wise and kind.  "If the people are given command, they will disobey, and their guilt will mount up.  The weak will be shattered, and there will be no place for them to hide."  (paraphrased by understanding.)

The Lord is wise and true.  He has set the Holy One in his proper and Majestic place.  The mercy and teaching of the living God is dispensed, by His grace through Christ Jesus.  No man has foundation to command another.

But I look on the assembly of testimony; the testimony of those who have gone before us, and even of us who remain today.  I find us lacking so pathetically.  He is so worthy, but we are so horribly unwilling.

Who, among us now will desire to do the will of the Holy One?  Who will desire a greater standing before the Most High for eternity?  Who will stand tall for his brothers and sisters and show them, "This is 'The Way' walk in it."?

Who will give counsel to all men, wicked or righteous, by the conduct of their life before the Most High God; that those who see may find strength and live?

When I look for an example where can my face turn?  It is as if the entirety of the church has said, "My relationship with Jesus is private, and you have no right to inspect it".

My dear brother, you are inspected.  Everything you have become is witnessed by every man who sees you.  How can you say your relationship with Christ Jesus is a private matter?

Others will say, "I will live by grace.  God will cover my sins and accept me because of Christ Jesus His Holy Son".  How could I possibly contend with that statement?  But where is the holy service that is due toward his Holy Name?  Where is the obligation to be our brother's keeper?

Put aside your own salvation and concerns about your place in eternity.  Do we not have a responsibility to teach what is holy by the doing of it?   Shall we arrive before him alone?  Do any who read this truly desire to be put to shame on that day?  Would we not rather appear, holding hands of those we haved loved, even to the death of our own desires?

Unholiness is the child of excuse.  And excuse is born from a lazy attitude.  These things are true I do not accuse.

But what is "good" comes, by birth, from consistent practice of what is good.  While what is less, is born of the flesh and the evil desires that war within us.

When will the fear of God inhabit all God's people?  When will they, with great zeal, go into the things that are theirs and destroy the things that do not belong to God?  What can be said to provoke a holy testimony in all my brothers and sisters?

I have spoken with great restraint.  I have not spoken to strong men.  For then my words would not have been formed in question.  They would have recalled the great and holy commandments of old.

To the weakest among us, I make this appeal.  To those with weak legs and severe lack of understanding, I present this plea.   I have appealed with the mercy of God.

Holy Father I beg you by your great wisdom, righteousness, and mercy, to watch over this writing as men read it.  Let none be dashed to pieces as they understand.  Rather counsel them with your great compassion, and lead them to the better place.

In Christ, your Holy One, I place my faith.  I confess I have no righteousness of my own.  My lack is displayed before you everyday and even when I sleep.  But in Christ Jesus you have placed me.  By your great tender mercy, you have given me this place to serve.  You have even taught me how to believe that your every word is true and living, and that to the doing of it.

Without your Holy Son, we can do nothing.  But with his strength and counsel we can come to the place where we please you greatly.  Therefore please, attend with mercy those who read.

By asking you this I do not presuppose that I am something.  Rather it is you who are all in all.  May your Holy will be done.  May your people rise up and bless you with great bounty, even as you have blessed them with your great mercy.

This letter is an appeal, from one man to another.  It has no authority but the love we are all compelled to return to our mutual Lord.

The Faithful, wait.