Happy new year 2014-01-01 11: 03
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| Sleep - 2014-02-18 06:32
There are times when the Lord's words and his company are so delectable that I cannot bear to sleep. I am not alone. There was a young man mentioned in the book of Acts. The believers had gathered in one place to listen to the Apostle Paul teach about the gospel. Sometime during the teaching the boy fell asleep. He had been perchd in a window, and when he fell asleep he fell out to the street below and died. The Lord had mercy to show the believers his great glory. He raised the boy back to life. I am of the body, for that is where I currently reside. There are tasks coming which will require a refreshed body. But my soul never sleeps. If this is the case for me while I am in the body, as it has been so for millions, what will it be for eternity? For now we perceive as if in shadows, yet we find our hunger so deep that we are tempted to avoid bodily necessity. But when we arrive before his beautiful face, the only necessity will be to love Him. Oh beautiful God, who crowns my soul, all praise is yours to be. Your words are life and breath and hope. I pray you bless my sleep. "You must go." I don't want to go. But even these words are life; for when I am rested my service to you and they is more complete. By His Grace Do you think he's happy? - 2014-02-18 10:57 His desire was to be given to another. He was not fit to retain his post. He has walked in the holiest of places and the memory remains within him. Now he treads in a land of sweat, with the promise of far worse to come. Do you think he's happy? Once, with all of heaven in his grasp he walked where he pleased. Praise adorned him for the beauty God has given him. Mystery was revealed. And love was showered. Then he was happy. But he was not satisfied with what was given. Now he is darkness in a land of darkness. His name is equal to all that is stench. He has heard his condemnation and it weighs upon his mind. Do you think he is happy? He is the father of lies. What should his children think of the name they inherit? His house is desolate; no warmth or shiny objects. Do you think he's happy? He will reach out in the severest of anger. All who submit to His wiles will suffer intensely. His own will be gathered together with him. And destruction will be his crown. Do you think he's happy? By His Grace From death to birth - 2014-02-18 12:42 The Lord is utterly unlike man. There is an "other" who is the inverse of the living God. If God is not utterly unlike man, yet has spoken that his son will be the Son of Man, what is the disparity between the living God and this "other"? It is true that the Lord's children have once known this "other". But in the way of producing the fruit of children, we know him no longer. Now we produce the fruit of children that honors the One who has purchased. We say, with proof in our souls, "I may know of him, but I no longer know him." " Flesh gives birth to flesh. But the Spirit gives birth to spirit." By His Grace hiwaychristian (2014-02-24 10:20:24) Thank you brother. I encourage this message to be sent out among the brothers. If there is an error with in it, I prefer counsel rather than pride. Yet if there is no air it is good that the brothers should own the Lord's words. hp proliant (2014-02-24 08:01:02) It’s difficult to find educated people for this subject, however, you sound like you know what you’re talking about! Thanks A bump in the land - 2014-02-18 13:52 Let us gather together to build a mound. Let us amass all our knowledge regarding God. Summon all the men who have understood, to be gathered together and place what they know, to build this mound. Let us reach to antiquity and to the coming of our Lord. Gather all that is cherished. When the mound is complete let us put on golden shining cross atop it. Then let us retreat for 30 miles, that we may appreciate the size of our understanding. Would it be impressive? Yes. But all the knowledge of man in regard to the living God is nothing more than a bump of sand in the Sahara Desert. By His Grace The Now - 2014-02-19 08:37 I have seen it in others. I have seen it in myself. God grants success in a situation and we come to believe that the means he used is sufficient for every day. So we contrive a framework to put his means on display. We say, "This is what is prescribed for every condition." Thus the I AM is placed in a tiny box in a tiny room for tiny people to worship. How easily we forget the meaning of his name. He is not I WAS, though he was there. He is not I WILL BE, though his promises are sure and dependable. He is I AM. He alone knows the remedy for every moment. It is pompous and lazy of us to ascribe to Him the remedy for a moment past. There is no faith needed for what is already known. But he has called us to be a people of faith. Let us rise up and join him in the now. By His Grace By His Grace Apparent Folly - 2014-02-19 09:24 8 "Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. 9 “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me." He thought to himself, "he is weak I will corrupt him." But he did not know the strength the Father. Nor did he know the strength of the Son. Immediately it was made plain to him. Really, is this truly the best you can offer? You offer the son of God the creation of his Father? It is obvious, it was not yours to give. But you are the father of lies. You waited for your time. You had thousands of years to prepare. And this is your best? Is this the best you will offer us? I am given great strength at your apparent folly. For the Son of Man is sufficient to please the living God. By His strength we stand and we will not falter. He has promised to uphold his own. He is everything that is true. He is the very word of the living God! Come, you who would beckon the Lord's people to the meal you now eat. Come and make your appeal. By His holy strength you will see we have no interest! We have food to eat that you know nothing of. Instead we beckon you. Come and taste that the Lord is good. He is mercy and food for life! By His Grace By His Grace God Does See - 2014-02-20 04:58 We teach the child to tell the truth. Later we will punish him for speaking too loudly about the only One who is true. How very curious. We send the child to church to learn to do what is right, while we sit at home nursing a hangover. How very curious. Do we think the Holy One doesn't see because we do not hear Him yell out our three names? "Paul Stanley Horton! If you don't stop that I'm going to. . .!" But isn't that what the child learns well? Because God is hated, ignored, silenced, and made fun of, it becomes useless to go to church. Behold! An adult comes of age! God DOES see. By His Grace False Religion - 2014-02-20 05:37 False religion does not necessarily omit the name of Jesus. Nor does it necessarily toss away the Holy Bible. Rather than meet the Holy Lord in this life, most men will gladly receive a likeness of His fruit in His people. They call them holy doings. They call His words holy words. But they often only speak and act as if they are trained animals. All the while the Lord's promise stands true and sure. If we will diligently seek His ways, abandon our shame, and seek his beautiful face, he will see from heaven and turn and make us human. In this promised humanity is godliness. But in the false religion of mimicking, there is only lie; a mocking of what the Lord is willing to provide. That is why it is written, "They will have a form of religion but deny the power of it." Such practices ignore what the Lord said himself, "39 You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me, 40 yet you refuse to come to me to have life." They have not escaped the coming wrath. They have only invented their own salvation. The Lord is not blind. "The Way" is not obscured because they do not search for it. Be wise and hear these things. He who is of God honors Him and does what is of God. He who is of man dishonors God and does what pleases man. Flesh gives birth to flesh. But the Spirit gives birth to spirit. Holy Father in heaven, I will honor You with what You have given me. These words I have written before Your Holy Face are true. No man has unless he has received. Your compassion is endlessly great. I testify to Your willingness to share what is good. Be honored by Your words. Accompany them with great strength and promise. You are the Living God in Jesus your Holy Son. By Your grace alone, in this you are glorified. By His Grace Humble Proclaimers - 2014-02-20 07:32 9“As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. 10 As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, 11 so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it." (Isaiah 55) Let us be careful not to despise His word, even if our ears should hear it from the mouth of a man in earthly humble position. For the Gospel has been, ". . .once for all entrusted to God’s holy people." Thus the hearts of men are tested. Where is the humble heart? Where are those who crave understanding? Where is he who is willing to become a fool for the sake of his God? A miraculous WILL has appeared among the people in this place of testing. God has spoken His Holy demand that the very same people who have received His Word will now proclaim it to others. Therefore do not allow despising to fill your heart, but hear, believe and be saved. By His Grace. By His Grace Begin at the Place of Beginning? - 2014-02-22 09:34 This morning, while I prepared for the day's demands, I listened to what they had to say on the morning "news". I considered what they said regarding the glory of man to accomplish. I listened to what they called "good". Then I began to consider how to reach those who adore the language I heard. Desire raised up within me to reach them with what is true. It was then that I heard what the Lord had to say concerning this. "There is no room in them to appeal. There is no place or door through which to enter. They have closed out the truth of God with vigor." As long as the body is the focus, there is no room for introduction of the Spirit of God. It is when the lack of strength appears that man realizes the falsehoods of this world. Desire remains in me, and within the Lord who bought me, to share what is true. I am His servant. His desire is to share what is Good. But what place will appear for the Glorious One to grasp? All day long, what is man reigns supreme. All day long lies take the place of the One who made us all. Where will a beginning begin? By His Grace. Toward the Pasture - 2014-02-23 08:11 If I tend animals, I fence them in. If I want to herd them, I must go to where they are. If I travel by foot there might appear a fence I must cross. To cross the fence is not enough. I must continue on to my destination. Where is the threshold of salvation? For the thief on the cross, it was his confession. For Stephen, it was a life lived in the fullness of the Spirit. Let us not reflect on the threshold. Let us not rest, either atop nor just the other side of the fence. Far too many consider minimum sufficient. Few pursue the fullness of their calling. Let each man consider his own journey in the Lord. How far have you traveled from the moment of your own salvation? How far are you willing to travel still? When we reach the end, we will have reached the end. Will you truly be satisfied at the distance you were willing to travel for His sake? I present this so that we all might consider the cost. We do not consider the cost once and then endure. It is a continual and daily considering that provokes a fruitful tree for the Lord. Is He worthy of such "upward movement"? Judge for yourself, this journey you've been taking. Look to the end and consider His testimony of the work you allowed Him to accomplish within you. How much more can be done by Him if you are simply willing to travel a little further?
Why do You Despise? - 2014-02-23 19:20 Men and women who love what is wicked; you who see no difference between what is the Righteousness of God among men and the wicked things you adore. Why do you refuse to look into the things of righteousness? Not one of us is "Righteous". There is One who is Righteous alone. There is none Good but God. Yet you despise your fellow-men who desire to imitate what is good. You despise those who appeal to God day and night. They are not like you, so you despise them. You love them well enough when they offer you peace. Why won't you love them when they explain the full message of God? I do not speak for myself. Nor will those who have found the river of Righteousness that flows from the Lord. We do not condemn you, for we were once like you. We too condemned those who love the words of God. But we found no reason for our folly. Thus we succumbed to the will of God that we might learn. Since I do not condemn you, let me ask the question again. Why do despise those who seek and speak of the Righteousness of God? What have we done to you but to point out what God has already spoken regarding the wicked things in this world? Is this what offends you; that we should willingly give the warning we are conscripted by love to proclaim? We mean you no harm. Nor does the Righteous God mean you any harm. He has not come among us to take away our pleasure. He has come to give us the greatest possible pleasure: Righteousness, Peace, Fearlessness, Hope, and Eternal Life. If you could be sure to have those would you drop your despising? Ask and we will share. Come taste and see that the Lord is Good. The offer is to all who will be bold enough to look past the trinkets of this world. The offer is to all who will humble themselves before the Living God and receive. His name is Jesus, for the Living God has ordained Him as High Priest to all who accept His offer of peace. By His Grace.
The advent of gods - 2014-02-24 08:12 What is more important? To understand all mysteries among men? To be able to see the trajectory of man's accomplishments? To see what is hidden behind the deceit of power? Or to know the God who has created and allowed all these things? Without question, to know the God who made us is supreme. To understand His Holy judgment is best. Men will twist and misuse the life they are given. But to know the life that God holds his hand for all man is better. This was brought to mind this morning as I considered the nature of things around me. Men are excited about free internet for every person in the world. But their excitement raised an alarm within my soul. Where men are excited about the things of men suspicion comes like a dark cloud. Immediately I understood. What men propose is man's version of prayer. There are men who would be gods. What they have lacked is a means to complete control. With the advent of Internet in every household these men achieve their desire for control. They, as men who are of supreme power, will speak to the masses. And there will be expectation of obedience and praise. Only they who are fools will speak against it. Man will not relinquish the works of his hands. This is what God has fore told. It is the greatest of sins to desire to replace the living God. But is this not their intent? I will not be a fool in their eyes because I reject their desire. I will be a fool in their eyes because I support the living God. This is as it should be for all men. And it is this place that, by His grace, I will inhabit with his wisdom. Come join me. By His Grace. By His Grace Misunderstood - 2014-02-24 09:19 Narrow path the Lord has us to walk is as narrow as to be almost single file. It is hard enough for a brother to understand a brother along The Way. How then, with any common sense, can we expect the world to understand us, when they the vigorously ignore the path itself? By His Grace The insanity of spring - 2014-02-24 16:57 Spring is nearly here. The time of year that brings out the crazy in all of us. Many of us don't have much crazy left, but we give it our best shot. This post is for the young drivers who have not lived long enough to let life whip the insanity of spring out of their soul. A fully loaded semi truck can weigh nearly 80,000 pounds. Your car weighs about 2,000 pounds. If you want to meet the Lord Jesus, go ahead and play games with trucks. If you'd rather stick around here and learn how to serve him let this word of wisdom penetrate. Let Spring drive you crazy. Have fun within the bounds of what is right. But do not let the insanity of spring make your loved ones cry. By His Grace Impetuous child - 2014-02-25 02:06 He has had what is his. And this is the only promise of substance to him. He watches as others come to use what belongs to him. And in the using, his house becomes more desolate. Toys are taken. What he thought was his is ransacked. I have written the question, "Do you think he's happy?". I tell you, he is not. By rule of law he plays against the Lord's people. For the sake of righteousness he is allowed to stomp his feet. Be wary of your response. If we use what belongs to him to destroy his house we cannot expect to do so without retribution. We have two promises in our hand. One is of peace and eternal life. The other is of trouble in this world. Do not, then, be surprised at these things as they appear. There are tauntings, but of what value? He will have what the Holy One has determined to allow. And we must play by holy rules. Holy Father in heaven. Let my life be a message of what is good. You alone are true and strength and promise. May your will be done forever, through your Son and through his bride. Amen. By His Grace By His Grace At the crossroads - 2014-02-25 03:52 There was a man who was given a message of hope and strength. He was told to go to a crossroad. There he would speak the message without ceasing. Between his hours of necessary sleep he faithfully spoke the message. Throughout his days of Proclamation hundreds of thousands of people passed by. At the end of each proclamation, he was told to tell the people to carry this message to those they knew. In all the land there were only six who obeyed. Within two weeks of his death, the message dwindled away. Therefore another was called to take his place. As it was for the first so it was for the succeeding hundreds. As was the response at first so it was for the succeeding. The Lords truth is like a river never ending. It does not depend on the receiving. His compassion and patience are endless in this day of proclamation and trial. But this place will not last forever. His patience does have an end. It will appear at the moment of your death. And it will appear all at once for all men. How vital then to share what we have heard. And what should we suspect will come of those who willingly remain mute? With faithful boldness his servants have stood at the crossroads of humanity and spoken what they were commanded to speak. They have not asked for reward from those who heard. But who has heard? Who has understood? Who has obeyed? Who was sent out? By His Grace Bulwark - 2014-02-25 05:47 1. A mighty fortress is our God, a bulwark never failing; our helper he amid the flood of mortal ills prevaling. For still our ancient foe doth seek to work us woe; his craft and power are great, and armed with cruel hate, on earth is not his equal. 2. Did we in our own strength confide, our striving would be losing, were not the right man on our side, the man of God's own choosing. Dost ask who that may be? Christ Jesus, it is he; Lord Sabaoth, his name, from age to age the same, and he must win the battle. 3. And though this world, with devils filled, should threaten to undo us, we will not fear, for God hath willed his truth to triumph through us. The Prince of Darkness grim, we tremble not for him; his rage we can endure, for lo, his doom is sure; one little word shall fell him. 4. That word above all earthly powers, no thanks to them, abideth; the Spirit and the gifts are ours, thru him who with us sideth. Let goods and kindred go, this mortal life also; the body they may kill; God's truth abideth still; his kingdom is forever. By His Grace To the stump - 2014-02-25 21:01 Many catch the fire. They find the nearest stump, with a :-) and Grim eyes, they leap atop the stump and proclaim what they have heard. For a little while there is interest. But when they find themselves preaching to the squirrels, they quietly slink down from the stump. With head hung low, they wait until nightfall to make their way home. Having learned their lesson well, in their heart they whisper, "I don't think I'll do that again." The morning comes and as the Sun rises, they find a curious forgiveness among their friends. "We understand buddy. There's a lot of folk who make that mistake. But we can see you love us more than that. Long as it don't happen again, we'll gladly forget." But he won't. He put his hand on the plow and looked back. It will haunt his mind for the rest of his days. And as his time grows short, it will become more than a vague hunting. It will turn to a palpable fear. Where would we be if the Lord Jesus had done the same thing? What if Moses had decided to slink off the stump? What if Billy Graham thought, "The love of friends is better." And with all this in mind, can you see why we dare not turn back? By His Grace Writers needed to preach to non-believers | Stepping Toes (2014-11-01 14:16:12) […] To the stump […] Little Bible - 2014-02-26 00:08 O' little Bible do not worry. The Holy Lord has seen your plight. You sit undisturbed, your pages unturned, they just pass you by day and night. You've been made to bring glory to a people in darkness. And how your words yearn to go home. But other than dusting for the sake of appearance, they pretty much leave you alone. But God has raised, with his glorious hand, many hearts from the rocks in the cold. He gave them a mouth and instilled them with strength, to utter your words; oh so bold! By His Grace The Truth - 2014-02-26 10:22 To sit and scratch on the wall of a cave. To mutter good words and listen to the echo. Who will read? God. Who will listen? God. Who will promote? God. Who will reward? God. If we write for the sake of publication we enter in to a realm of pride. Here they pay with money or flattery, or worse upon worse with neglect. The one who writes for the sake of publication puts himself before a firing squad. They will either kill you with pride, wound you with money, or tear you to pieces with neglect. But the one who writes on the wall of his cave, for the glory of the One who gives him life, writes with a pure heart. He does not seek the rewards of this world; money, pride and neglect. He writes for the sake of the day when he appears before the majestic Lord of life. All that can be gained will be a crown tossed at the feet of the Holy One. The cave scratcher learns these things. And he finds himself free to tell the truth. Three places along the way - 2014-02-26 14:04 Way too many people play far too close to the fence. There is open pasture to inherit and the Holy mountain to climb. There are those who like the idea of being thought of as a Christian. But they refuse to make any commitment at all. These love to wear the label while they live freely in the world. They stay by the fence but they will not cross it. There are those who have made a commitment to a body of professed believers. But they refuse to go any farther toward the sovereign God. They have crossed the fence but they will not part company with it. Their folly will be evident by their lack of fruit. The Lord teaches his people to head out into the pasture. There is plenty of nourishing food and light. It is a place of health. Here a man may wrestle with what is true and what is false. If one travels far enough, he will perceive the rocky crags. Here a man is stripped of himself. For no burden of self can climb the mountain of God. ". . .if even an animal touches it it must be stoned to death or shot with arrows." Of this place there is little written. For those who ascend rarely descend. Not to mention that the language spoken on the mountain is not a familiar language to man. By His Grace Numbers 12 1 through 15 - 2014-02-26 18:52 Fear the Lord. It is not wise to take him lightly. And it is not wise to think of ourselves more highly then we ought. Kiss the Son last He be angry. His compassion is great. But it is supported by Holiness. "To whom much is given much will be expected." ______________ 1 Miriam and Aaron began to talk against Moses because of his Cushite wife, for he had married a Cushite. 2 “Has the Lord spoken only through Moses?” they asked. “Hasn’t he also spoken through us?” And the Lord heard this. 3 (Now Moses was a very humble man, more humble than anyone else on the face of the earth.) 4 At once the Lord said to Moses, Aaron and Miriam, “Come out to the tent of meeting, all three of you.” So the three of them went out. 5 Then the Lord came down in a pillar of cloud; he stood at the entrance to the tent and summoned Aaron and Miriam. When the two of them stepped forward, 6 he said, “Listen to my words: “When there is a prophet among you, I, the Lord, reveal myself to them in visions, I speak to them in dreams. 7 But this is not true of my servant Moses; he is faithful in all my house. 8 With him I speak face to face, clearly and not in riddles; he sees the form of the Lord. Why then were you not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?” 9 The anger of the Lord burned against them, and he left them. 10 When the cloud lifted from above the tent, Miriam’s skin was leprous[a]—it became as white as snow. Aaron turned toward her and saw that she had a defiling skin disease, 11 and he said to Moses, “Please, my lord, I ask you not to hold against us the sin we have so foolishly committed. 12 Do not let her be like a stillborn infant coming from its mother’s womb with its flesh half eaten away.” 13 So Moses cried out to the Lord, “Please, God, heal her!” 14 The Lord replied to Moses, “If her father had spit in her face, would she not have been in disgrace for seven days? Confine her outside the camp for seven days; after that she can be brought back.” 15 So Miriam was confined outside the camp for seven days, and the people did not move on till she was brought back. (Numbers 12) By His Grace The Question - 2014-02-27 10:27 The odds of it happening are a million to one. But there is a possibility that someone should ask me, "What's it like to be a Christian?" I ponder what to reply. I could site the difficulties within society, but to what avail? The differences are well known. And it's very likely the questioner would know many aspects related to society. I could site the hope we have in the Lord's promises. But these too are fairly well known. The punishment and rewards are spoken of daily. Both are even used in the world's joking. What answer could that be? But one aspect of Christianity that is not clearly related, even within the "body" of Christ, is that of our "schooling" from the Lord. He is the Master. We are His pupils. What happens in the classroom of everyday experience is not often related with much clarity. So to this I will attempt an answer.Christianity is all about God. Our learning is coming to grips with two very different problems. The first problem is language. It's not the actual words that give us difficulty. It is that God's Kingdom is so utterly unlike anything we've ever known. To top that off, He expects His people to grasp His meaning as fast as possible. If He is to teach, we must learn the foreign language of perfection and Holiness. The other problem is that of rebellion. From our birth to our death, we are locked in a body that literally hates the Lord. I know that you won't understand that unless you've encountered the Holy Lord of Life in an intensely personal way. But I'm trying hard to relate what is true. He will teach one aspect of His nature and expectations. We receive the truth He imparts with our version of humility. Once understanding comes the flesh rises up to defend its turf. Now we are set to a battle. Do we cave to the incessant pleadings of the filthy nature we have lived in? Or do we war against those urges and apply what we have come to understand. There is Grace among all this learning. But there is also a place where we reach our end of willingness. There are two means the Lord will apply to get us through our unwillingness. Depending on our desire to obey, the Lord may use soft coaching or a seriously hard encounter to rectify our plight. Every Christian who is earnest in his commitment to God will testify to their own experiences with both means. And it must be said that, that even in His "wrath" the compassion of the Lord is intense. The Christian is reminded, often and clearly that God is Love. He is taught to trust regardless "what is". And this brings up the last aspect I can think of that may be useful. When we have learned what the Lord has taught, expectation is placed on us to retain that learning and apply it continually. It's not like school or college, or even a work environment. From those you can go home and live as you please. You can even choose to change your direction or job. But Christianity is a Holy experience that will culminate in eternity. What He teaches here remains upon us even after death. We are learning to "become". We are not learning the rules of His society. When we side step our learning, we quickly learn of His stern nature. Our eyes widen and our hearts skip a beat. He comes to correct. For we have willingly forgotten what He knows full well we understand. These are vastly unpleasant times. But every earnest Christian will encounter them. Is it all worth it? A categorical YES is in order. We are the wicked ones. He is the PURE One. What a privilege it is that He should be patient yet stern with us! What an honor to learn His Holy language. Even a "beating" from the Lord is to be preferred to what we were. And the further we go from what we were, the more we come to respect, love and desire His presence. I have not talked about the experience of coming before His Holy Throne. But that would be a matter between earnest Christians. For even to mention the Holy things of God among non-believers would not provoke understanding within them. And we should not think to bring what is Holy into disrepair. It's not that I don't desire to share. It is that He is so beautiful we desire to shield His beauty from ridicule. If you enter into His Holy Service, He may show you what I'm talking about here. It is always at His wise discretion to share such things.
Keep Your Heads Low - 2014-02-28 07:24 "Keep your heads low!" The commander commands from His place of Advantage. Above the battle He commands. What enemy enters His Holy Throne Room? He has redeemed a people for Himself from among the throng. He has set them in place to receive the onslaught. He will draw out the enemy's intent. He will know the hearts of all. "Keep your heads low!" Came the command from eternity. Do not let pride become the rule by which you measure your salvation. What you have received has been given. No man owns anything good. But raise your head in pride and it will risk the neck that holds it up. "Keep your heads low!" The harvest is afoot! The sickle is swung at the will of He who is sent to harvest. Let pride lift your head and you may well fall victim to the unyielding will of God. In prayer we bow. In service to the Holy One, our eyes are cast down before His Glory. It is He who works among the throng. A man is lifted according to the swing of death. He rises at the will of God to perform The Enticing Beauty of God among men. "Keep your heads low!"
The Torch - 2014-02-28 07:40 The runner runs as command has been issued. In his hand he carries a torch. Vibrant fire atop the brilliant base; a blazing, living fire. Within the flame are every color, dancing in Holy rhythm according to the holy command of He who has sent. "Do not be entranced by what you carry. Do not stop your stride to admire what was sent. Run without ceasing. Run without pause. You are sent among the darkness to deliver what the Holy Lord has commanded be displayed before dark souls in a dark place. He who stops to admire what is sent is like he who ceases planting to admire his planting. How shall his work continue while pause attends his feet?" We are given a Holy charge from He who is Holy. May those who run, by His Grace, run with agile stride. May His command be encouragement to our desire to serve. What we carry did not come from us. We did not invent the Gospel. We did not help Him shed His Holy blood. He is King, and rightly so. Eternity and its work among creation belongs to Him. May understanding attend our hearts.
Fearless Movement - 2014-02-28 09:32 13 A sluggard says, “There’s a lion in the road, a fierce lion roaming the streets!” 14 As a door turns on its hinges, so a sluggard turns on his bed. __________________ The spider bites and no flesh is there. The Lord has already caused you to move. Gather wood without fear, for it is the Lord who gives strength. The snake dashes forward to injure its prey. But the Lord has already given you stride. Before he strikes, you foot is already in motion. It is the Lord who gives His servant strength. "There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear, because fear expects punishment. The person who is afraid has not been made perfect in love." (1 John 4:18)2014 - 03 God Will Redeem - 2014-03-01 07:42 Awake! He has sent a word for you. Listen as you sit on the edge of your bed. Pause and get your bearings. It is He who will guide your mind and heart. Even your feet and hands will find direction as they swing from fore to aft. He has loosed the mooring ropes. He has set you adrift in the harbor of humanity. He will teach you to lift sail. He Himself has vowed to be your compass. Windless days, violent storms, favorable winds or contrary, they shall not cause you fear. He will show you what it means to have faith. He will take you through the impossible. He will allow violence and calm to come against you as pleases Him. Wisdom attends His Holy love for you. You will dance before Him as does a blanket on a clothes line. The Breeze of God will drive you forward. Fear will leave you. You will come to know that He is God! By His Grace. "I Know Love" - 2014-03-02 06:43 Men and women say, "I have understood. There is no truth but what I have understood. And if I have not understood the entirety of truth, how can I be blamed?" Have you approached God? Have you asked for understanding? Or did you simply accept your own wisdom as the sum of possibilities? You live in a land of lies. Yet God has provided truth among men. There will be absolutely no excuse given to anyone. "I understand love as I have understood it and this is sufficient. I have dressed myself in what is acceptable among men. I will find mercy for the coming day of God. I will be acceptable, for I have gained what can be gained among men." God is Holy. He has not created us to be unholy. He is complete and righteousness never ending. We are called to join Him in this eternal Righteousness. But you do not even ask. How will you be acceptable before His Holy fire of purity? "Love is but an emotion and desire of the body. My soul, as you might call it, craves to be fulfilled. That craving is sufficient. I will feed it until it is healthy and vibrant. My craving is the measure of what is good for me." You crave what is of the body. But God is eternal Spirit. You crave what is filthy. But God is pure and Holy. You do not fight against the bodily lusts. You feed them. You do not even question your understanding. How will willful ignorance be acceptable before God, who is so willing to share what is true and unshakable? There is a place of calling. All men are called, compelled, to appear before God. It will surely come that you will enter into His Holy presence. If you will not do it here, you will surely do it on that day of judgment. There will be no lying lips to hide behind. There will be no clothing, arranging of hair, makeup, expensive trinkets, money, fame, position, or blindness to hide behind. His Holy fire of purity will bathe all in truth. What is shakable will be shaken. Nothing impure will endure His blazing test. Regardless whether you believe these words or not, you will surely appear before Him. Jesus has been sent among us to provide the help we need to leave these foolish lusts and become acceptable before His Father. But you have not even inquired into this ready help. How will you be acceptable? You accept the validity of the lies of man before you will consider these words valid. How shall you be acceptable? By His Grace. The Tree Decides? - 2014-03-03 07:15 I did not put in a special request before I was born. Life appears before us and we endure what we are born into. The Lord has established the nature of things in this place of testing. We are the ones who do not understand. He has set things in motion long before our life began. Wisdom from God reveals these things. The flesh will think it is the beginning of all life. But the Spirit of God teaches otherwise. One tree is cut down in its prime. It was destined for lumber. A mansion was to be built by the owner of the land. The tree has no more rights to question than do we. Another tree is allowed to grow until it is nearly dead from age or blight. It is cut down to provide heat within that mansion. Who are we to question our life? Both trees belong to the One who has owned the land, planted the trees and harvested them for His purpose. Let us be wise and consider these things with sobriety. One kind of tree for fruit. One for shade. One for lumber. One for heat. How shall the trees change the mind of the One who planted them? He has done so for His own purposes.
The trees grow according to their kind. They do not consider their life. They endure without fret or concern. They are provided for a purpose. What will come of any one tree? It does not think. It is man who considers these things. What animal considers the purpose of its life? It is man alone who ponders these things. Either he will let wisdom speak to his heart and mind, or he will provide his own answers. What then is man? 4 "What is man that You are mindful of him, And the son of man that You visit him? 5 For You have made him a little lower than the angels, And You have crowned him with glory and honor. 6 You have made him to have dominion over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet, 7 All sheep and oxen— Even the beasts of the field, 8 The birds of the air, And the fish of the sea That pass through the paths of the seas." (Psalms 8) This is the mystery which confronts every one of us. When we sleep or rise, we perform a great mystery. Thus, God alone is Good. By His Grace. The Shaking - 2014-03-03 08:52 Mistakes are made by even the best intentioned, yes. Sin abounds in this corrupt place of testing, yes. But even these serve the Lord's purpose. Relax. Rest and know that the Lord is God. For in the "Shaking", hearts are tested. "Who will love Me? Who will not?" By His Grace Deficiencies - 2014-03-03 10:48 In the production of building materials, regardless of their use or chemical characteristics, a refinement process is required. If the producer is slack in his application of refinement the product will fail. The negligence of the producer will be painfully obvious, and quite often at the most inopportune moment. We are the producers of our own character. The blame and shame of our own failure belongs to us. What is hidden will be made known, despite our ingenuity to sell a defective product. The diligence to pursue holiness is a mutual work between God's willingness to give and our willingness to receive. "Do not be deceived. A man reaps what he sows." By His Grace Betrayal unto death - 2014-03-03 18:45 Hundreds of millions, if not billions, have not heard the word of Christ. And many who have heard have not understood by virtue of a disingenuous delivery. Still hundreds and thousands of Christians keep her mouth closed and their lives ruffled up by sin. We are told today is a work day. What is our work? To do the will of our Father in heaven. There are many who would question what that work is. Since there is no such thing as a stupid question, I'm more than willing to answer with sincerity. The will of God is that all men should believe on the name of His one and only Holy Son. The name is far more than a few simple letters pronounced Jesus. He is the direct power of God to draw all men unto a life of holiness. The other part of our work is the one that many will shirk without question. We are to testify freely and boldly, before all men, the very gospel of Christ Jesus. Without any portion of holiness there is no reason to testify; what then would we have more than men? But isn't this the reason why so many do not enter the work? Perhaps they may say, "The work is arduous, dangerous and isolating. Let us leave such things to those who are gifted to endure." But by saying such things they betray the Lord they say they love. Has he not promised us His Holy Spirit? And by this promise he has not given us a spirit of timidity. Rather the Spirit of God is boldness, a fearless strength and holiness. Many teach a doctrine that is favorable to family and friends. They teach a Christianity which is acceptable before all men. By this they remove the stumbling block. By this they remove the natural enmity between God and sin. Accept such teachings if it pleases your heart to do so. Simply be honest enough to understand, that as you accept what is pleasurable to you, millions die without knowledge. By saying these harsh things I am not judging anyone. The truth in this matter stands glaringly in the face of all who would teach otherwise. As by now the army of Christ on this earth ought to be a formidable force. It has become, for the most part, pathetic window dressing. By His Grace By His Grace BELIEVE! - 2014-03-04 09:00 Work hard to make sure that your confidence in the Lord is real. The reality and substance of our confidence is not a product of our imagination. And it does not need miraculous intervention to exist. It is a rock solid trust in our God who cannot lie. "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:9) I am struck by the word "commanded". I was taught that we are to have faith in the Lord. By having faith people meant to hope strongly. But by using the word "commanded", God has solidified how we should stand before Him. Our hope is not as if a wish. It is a very duty we perform before the Most High God. To lack faith is to consider the words of God as less than perfect. We are at peace because our God cannot lie. And every word that comes from the mouth of God is true and life. What does that mean except that we believe unto life? And we do not believe as the world may believe in fairy tales. Our hope and faith has substance! By His Grace. By His Grace The test of flesh - 2014-03-04 11:15 It is God's pleasure to deliver his words to men. For in this he tests the heart of every man. What is holy and good is holy and good regardless who carries it. Yet even in the Lord Jesus we see a dynamic take place. For the sake of his body his words were rejected. Though he raised the dead and healed various illnesses few believed. Listen to our own testimony. "Who are you that we should hear your words?" The majority of believers have appeared after the body was put aside. While in this place of testing a man's body is a detriment to his testimony. It is not reasonable that we should witness a great harvest. If they will not listen to your words do not be discouraged. If it was so for the Holy Lord Christ how shall it be different for his servants? By this God's pleasure is evident. He who believes does so due to his humble heart. By our testimony in flesh pride is put aside. 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