Happy new year 2014-01-01 11: 03
Spread the word, please - 2014-03-11 11:00
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| Spread the word, please - 2014-03-11 11:00
I will make no attempt to disguise this post. I make no claims to a title in our Lord. I am only a servant as are you. It has been given to me to write words from our Lord Jesus regarding His Father's will. Judge for yourself according to the content of this place. I am a single man among you. It is given me only to write. The spreading of what is written belongs to others. Therefore I appeal to you to spread this place abroad. I do not ask this so that I may be affluent or an important man in this world. What is written here is in the language of the people. Please spread this place as far as you can. Let all men taste what the Lord has sent. I cannot compel. The Lord Himself loves a cheerful giver. As I am in his service to do this work, please join me in spreading what He has given. I thank you, by His grace, in advance. For I rest in knowing that you desire the work of God. We will all share in an inheritance. Our diligence and willingness to serve will receive the appropriate reward. By His Grace A possible seed - 2014-03-11 14:38 On the side of a passing a semi, is the silhouette of a woman in wicked pose. My soul is disgusted at the misuse of God's creation. "You are not of my family." I muttered to the driver. He could not hear me, but there was Someone who did. "Of my clan", was the unspoken understanding. "We must be careful when we speak without knowledge." His instruction was heard and understood. Can any man point to the threshold of salvation? Can any man say, "Here it is. It begins here for all men! And if there are things in a man's life that are not in accordance with perfection then he cannot be saved! Such men are void of grace." The man who says such things shows he is misled and ignorant of the truth. God plants underground. It is not till later that we see the green sprout. But even at that appearing there is maturity to gain. Let us then be willing. Let us learn from my former lack of knowledge; my own ignorance. Let us pursue and encounter men with respect and understanding. Who knows what a man will become? By His Grace Follow Him - 2014-03-12 09:20 You are blessed among the nations, oh sweet garden Israel. And those who are grafted among you are the sweet aroma of the Holy Son of God. Your roots spread throughout the earth. The crop waves beautifully in the wind of His Holy Spirit. Indescribably lovely is the faith the Lord has placed upon you. His will is encouraged among men by your delicate prayers. Oh sweet Israel, he who wrestles with God, He knows you one by one. In His hand He holds your reward. And those who trust in their Lord will never be put to shame. Rise up with strength for the Lord is calling you, you blessed of God the Father. Brush of the wicked dust from your holy robe. Come, present yourself before Him that he may inspect your heart. Let His Holy understanding roam freely within your soul. Only then will your testimony before men be strong and solidly placed on the foundation that is Christ your Lord. Let trials and testing purge you. Endure patiently and quietly as a lamb before the shears. He has gone before you. Be of good courage, follow Him. By His Grace Utopia - 2014-03-12 20:20 There is a place among men. It was not. Then it came. Once it arrived it has stayed among us. This place hides in plain sight. But few consider to look for it. And of the few who search, even fewer find it. Now of those who have searched and found it there are fewer yet who a can live there. Yet those who thrive in that place testify of magnificent beauty, prosperity and peace. If it is such a lovely place then why do more not seek it out? Let us look to the testimony of those who live there. "I came here not knowing what I would find. I had heard there was and ultimate life to live. Having lived in poverty and hopelessness I desired this place with all my being. I now live in a beautiful, prosperous and promising place. There is poverty here. But it is not weighty. There is starvation, but my belly is always full. No filth clings to my clothing, yet you would not perceive it for the number of times I go to the river. I live in an extraordinary house. No roof. no walls, no floor, no furniture, and nothing to provide for myself. But my house is built of the finest materials. And nothing in my house needs repair. I neither suffer for the cold, or the heat, or the drenching rains, or the storms, or the drought. The plot of land that is mine was purchased for the paltry sum of all I owned. I could not estimate its value. For it was purchased on my behalf by the richest one ever to live. There is no further cost to me. As long as I live here I am promised prosperity. But if I were to cross my borders, abject poverty would be my reward. Therefore I gladly remain on my property. Lacking nothing there is no reason to leave." If this offer seems good to you, I can show you where it is. But take a moment before you read what comes next. Remember the testimony of he who lives there; "it has cost me the paltry sum of everything I owned." If you are ready to purchase then read on my friend. But if you will hold back, you will become like the many. Therefore consider yourself with sobriety. _________________ Here is the map to the place these words describe. If you think you have the strength to risk it all, then speed on your way. I will however warn you one more time. You will not arrive if you intend to hold any of your belongings. Deuteronomy chapter 28 By His Grace You Say - 2014-03-13 09:00 I know that you have said, "The people of former times have warned us to serve God. They told us that all manner of evil would assail us and our children. They warned us of what they, called hell after our hell on earth was finished. And they told us that to serve God is better while they themselves suffered in starvation and torment every day of their life. With smiles or frown you warned. But where is the fruit of your warning? We look among us and we do not see their prophecy coming true. Instead we see prosperity come to fruit; abundant prosperity and endless resource. What we lack we can create with our own hands from the very place we live. All the while we prosper, their warnings have come to nothing. Still you add to your number of stupid men; calling yourself blessed. We do not see the appearance of plagues that we, ourselves, cannot subdue. In time what we lack will come to our mind and we will create our own place of peace. We will unite our minds, our hearts and our resources and we will survive as a people without you. Where is this god you say is real? Where are the horrors you said would be ours? Since you were fruitless in your warnings here, you turn to warn us of a place you say will come up on all men. You will give us no peace in this life, and you cause us concern after death. You rip the hope from our children. You stifle our potential. And everyday is a celebration among us when one of you dies. Is it any wonder we ignore your words and count you as I hated enemy!" ______________ You have heard the message of warning. But you have ignored the message of peace. You do not believe, because God is invisible. You choose to remain in disbelief because you desire pleasure, honor to your pride, richness, chaos, power and wealth, more than you desire righteousness. You count us as an enemy while you say you are tolerant. You say, "Peace! Peace to all men!" All the while your mouth waters to see us die. You begin with a lie and you are pleased at your work. You are blind to your own folly and double minded love. You speak against us with the crafty mind of a wicked, slimy snake. You speak words of violence. There is never peace in your voice toward us. If your words are fruitless you infiltrate our ranks. In all things you wake and sleep to destroy God's people. Is this your version of peace? Then the proof of your work shows that you are liars! Judge for yourself, who do you trust a liar or a man who tells the truth and does it? Even you testify against yourself. The things of warning will appear when God is ready to send them. For now he uses your pride. He uses your pride to test those he loves. And he will use your pride to condemn you. But in your blind struggle to destroy Him you cannot even hear what I have said. If you will turn away from your wicked onslaught, learn to recognize the vibrant lie you preach, and call out to this God you now hate, He will have mercy on you. He is patient, not desiring that any should die. But in your world of lies you interpret his patience as weakness. Rest uneasy. That a shaking of fear come up on your hands. May your legs grow useless in terror, sending you to your knees The warnings that were delivered to us all will certainly appear. Those who live in lies will die in lies. Those who humble themselves and ask will receive the truth and live. I have given you stern but patient response. I am a servant of the Most High God. I have told you what is true. And your denial does nothing to His Holy Throne. You desired a lie. Therefore the Lord has sent it to you. You call technology a blessing. But it is as steel necklace around your neck. You are chained to the prosperity you love. Pleasure dresses you as wiped on the manure. There is a stench about you before the Holy Throne of God. Your appearance is as one who should be banished to some remote place. You are insane from your desire. All the while you count yourself beautiful. Father in heaven, you will have mercy on whom you have mercy. You are Sovereign and Holy. By the name of your Holy Son I ask you to grant understanding to any who read this with a humble heart. But Glory is yours and you will have revenge on your enemies. They were born in darkness. And by their lofty arrogance they shall remain in darkness. Your provision for escape is humility before your Holiness. In the place of pleasure and pride you offer humility and a pure faith. Unless you build the house the builder builds in vain. I testify that you are able and willing to release a man from blind pride. The love you shower on those who humble themselves before you is true peace. You are love. But your love will protect eternity from those who hate you. By your grace I have written. By your grace I give this work over to you. Your wisdom will know precisely where it belongs. Your people thank you, with all their might, that you are the same yesterday today and forever. Make your Holy will be done. Amen By His Grace Voluminous understanding - 2014-03-13 13:02 If I say to a man, "You are a fool." I better have a seriously good reason. For instance, perhaps the man acts and talks and thinks just like me. Then I would have a good reason to refer to him as a fool. As the saying goes, "It takes one to know one." But even then mercy ought to have a foothold. For even this fool desires mercy. So if I address such a man with the intent to do him good, the label may find an appropriate use. Let us go to the ultimate authority on fools. God has said, "A fool says in his heart there is no God." Now if I refer to an atheist as a fool, I am not insulting him. I am telling him the truth. It would be reasonable to assume I care. If he takes offense at that level of truth, what hope is there of teaching him anything greater? His offense is a result of where he stands. This is the portion of the gospel he needs to learn. It is like this for a variety of men. They have come a certain distance in their life and understanding. And according to where they are the gospel is tailored to that limit. Nothing can further be taught until they learn the present lesson. If they take offence at what teaching is necessary for them, what hope is there to teach them more? If even a great saint determines he has gone as far as he desires to go, what hope is there to entice him farther? It is necessary to leave him where he is found. Two lessons can be learned here. But since I don't know the standing of he who reads this, I will leave the two lessons unspoken. As you ponder these things you will likely get a grasp of where you stand. And isn't that the most important lesson. By His Grace The squirrel - 2014-03-13 13:29 Perhaps the Lord has given you a gift for the sake of his work. Maybe it's a very fine attention to detail. And the things you put your hand to, in that regard, end up as a beautiful work. You can be trusted for the Lord has gifted you. You may look around at those who serve in your capacity; taking note of their certain lack. Good then. Take note of how God has raised you above the others. But do not boast! You have never heard a squirrel screaming in the yard, "I know nuts!" And you never will. Of course he knows nuts. He is gifted by God to be a squirrel. In this squirrels are more faithful than most men. By His Grace Holy and Righteous - 2014-03-14 11:26 If it isn't holy its unholy. Have you ever put that into perspective? What man, other than Jesus, can say he has always been holy? If it isn't perfectly right you can't say it's righteous. What man, other than Jesus, has ever been perfectly right all his life? There are billions of variations to wrong. But there's only one absolute right. As we define what is true we understand how untrue we are. With that in mind why do people think they will fare well in the judgment? I would think that's crazy. But I remember many people saying, " I'll take my chances with the judgment. I don't need Jesus." As you wish!By His Grace Love vs Hate - 2014-03-14 16:42 When life is a mystery and no one knows the answers, writing and talking about life is fun. But let someone come along and say they know the answers, and watch the people scatter. They may ask you to explain, but it won't be long before they shut you down. As long as life is held as a mystery you can do anything you please. But when we begin to speak of a God who demands holiness of all people the mystery tends to vanish. Hatred for Jesus is not always a hatred for Jesus. It could be better summed up, from our perspective, as a love for freedom to do as we choose. They don't hate Jesus until they hear him say, "Stop sinning." That's when their love of pleasure turns to a hatred for God. Not to mention a breeze at their back to walk away from you. By His Grace Lovely Limits - 2014-03-15 01:21 My eyes will not see any farther than the sovereign God has allowed. My ears will not hear beyond what the sovereign God has allowed. If I am touched there must be contact for the sovereign God has made it so. My nose will not smell unless the scent is near for the sovereign God has made me this way. I do not know violence if it is not within my sight. I cannot hear filthy words unless the sound is near. I do not feel the impact of hatred unless I am touched. The smell of human blood and fear evades my nose unless it is near. All of this is so because the sovereign God has made us this way. Lovely limits, perfect limits, merciful and righteous limits. For what human heart can endure the terrors of this place in full? God protects us all from the unholy horror of our way. He alone is removed and strong enough to bear the onslaught of sin. He sees and hears with perfect eyes and ears; nothing man does escapes him. He feels the ripple of rebellion. And the smell of fear and blood reaches his Holy Throne. As we sleep the din does not cease. As the sun rises the volume increases. Yet the patient love of God endures. When he finally vents his wrath a stillness will appear. All wicked appearances, all unholy words, all violence from our hands, all the putrid stench of our ungodly ways will cease.
There is vastly more ungodly men then those he has raised up for himself. When a car or a house passes by me, I can reasonably assume it is full of ungodly people. I can reasonably assume it contains wickedness. Yet God is merciful to us all. For I do not see all wickedness nor could I bear the onslaught. I do not hear every blasphemous and violent word, nor could I bear the onslaught. All wicked hands cannot touch me, for I could not bear the onslaught. And the full stench of violent acts cannot be smelled by the nose he has allowed me to wear, for I could not bear the onslaught. Lovely limits are placed upon us. Our fragile state was known even as he created this place. Therefore he is my God! Willingness fills me with admiration and worship. He was righteous before the vast universe was made. He is Holy and perfect patient love while this place of testing and testimony moves through time. Therefore test me my God. Purge from me the things that offend. Build your holy house of promise around my soul. Lead me through this day with great patience and strength. Teach me not to offend. Seal my flesh lest I add to the din. Let a peaceful life come upon me for your sake and for your Holy name. You are Jesus, the Holy Son of the Most High God! Glory for all that is good rests on you, and rightly so. May the Holy Father be pleased by the work that you do upon me. By your grace I have spoken. By your grace I have understood. And by your grace I will accomplish. May the Holy will of your Father be done forever. Amen. By His Grace Trouble - 2014-03-16 07:08 God has created us all so that trouble among us cannot be removed without Him. One man thinks a thought. Now he is hard pressed to convey that thought to others. His thinking was in experience, Scriptural truth, "pictures", and the limits of man's understanding. Now he must use what is in his control to convey what he has understood. He begins with the words he knows to speak his thought to another. But the one who is listening is using all he knows to hear. Even while God is among the two, the willingness to receive finds a limit. What shall come of the conversation? Often, when subjects of difficulty are discussed, we need a time of reflection before we answer. We need humility (considering ourselves as if less than the other) to intervene. We need compassion to destroy division. We need to take the time to learn what God is saying. "I hear what you said. I assume you mean only what is best for all. Please allow me time to consider what you said before I respond." For the sake of the Holy Son of God, be patient with one another! If, in your speaking, the other does not understand, ignore frustration. WAIT! Pray as you receive. A few short words are all that are necessary; "Father, please help me understand." Then listen without pride or expectation. Perhaps the other is saying nothing. Perhaps the other is saying all. Regardless, your brother is trying to speak what is true. Listen with the heart of a loving servant. Speak with the heart of a loving servant. If he is saying nothing, what is that to you? He spoke to you because he needs to love and be loved. If he is saying all, what is that then to the both of you? Perhaps Christ has determined to give you both direction. Regardless, there will be trouble among us for the sake of our limitations. Recognize that. Accept that. Have mercy and refrain from beginning trouble.
Honorable Mention - 2014-03-16 08:32 There are two blogs I follow which are worthy of honorable mention. One is http://togodbetheglorybettysverseoftheday.wordpress.com/ And the other is http://www.soulsupply.com/ The instruction we receive regarding the sources of our help is that we should share all good things with those from whom we have received instruction. It is impossible that these two reverent Christians should accept praise. But they have labored vigorously to glorify our Lord. I give them mention here that their work might prosper before the Holy Lord of Life. We labor together in an undefined field. We cast seed into the Holy Wind. Where it goes belongs to the One who has given the seed. They spread a table from which good nourishment might be found. Go and eat. They provide the delicacies of eternal life. Strength to Heal - 2014-03-16 09:52 Break a lazy man's leg and he may waste away to nothing. He will favor his injury until he begins to die from lack of exercise. Break a diligent man's leg and he will begin to walk on it long before it heals. It doesn't matter to him that he may limp for the rest of his life. He will not sit for a "slight injury". Reprove a fool and he will waste away for lack of knowledge. Reprove a diligent and wise godly man and he will leap up to render corrected service to his Lord. To live in the body - 2014-03-17 10:36 To see all things from flesh requires a life of severe limitations. You are at the mercy of everyone else's desire. You live in fear of your own feet and hands. If you swallow you may choke. You must conform to survive. It is a life lead in utter hopelessness. And you find only strength enough to survive. Your belly dictates your day. Sleep interrupts your productivity. Pleasure is your god; a god of complete unpredictability. One day you want this. Another day you want that. And most days you find yourself craving things that contradict one another. At the same time you are enticed to things you cannot have. With life so full of demands, and your body so inept to provide, you are helplessly tossed in every direction without the slightest recourse. Full and irreparable destruction awaits you if illness attends your days. If someone says to you, "We must!", you are forced to obey or pay dreadful consequences. Nothing in life is for you. Everything and everyone is against you. You must consume to survive. While billions are forced to do the same. Your only resource is lies. "I deserve and need this! Stand away from my desire! I am more important than you!" With all of this against you, you submit. But submission is not what your god demands. "Conquer for me. Supply my desire. I am your god you will do my bidding or you will die." What hope is there then? You cannot please yourself and you cannot please your god. He does not supply. Yet he demands all. You can barely supply for yourself on certain days of your life. Why would you continue to serve in such a life? All the while you struggle in a futile embrace with poverty and death, there is a hope you have ignored. Some have even considered their god to be the living God. How should they conclude otherwise? It is all they know and they do not look for more.
Ask of us and we will tell you what it is like to live outside the body. With all that presses upon you why would you let pride stop you from asking? Why would you let ignorance stand in the way? We stand among you and testify that there is a life of freedom from oppression. And if you are not able to swallow your pride, then read for yourself.
By His Grace Unquenchable desire - 2014-03-17 11:39 There is a desire in me that I did not put there. I did not gather the fuel. I did not strike the spark. I had no means to fan it into flame. But an unquenchable and immense flame rages in my soul. The roar of it threatens to explode my body. The desire to share the Gospel will not cease. One day I said I will bottle it up. Fear that I was misled, misled me. "I will give it no street on which to leave. I will lock closed my lips. And I will restrain it with all my might." But it burst through my bonds as if a hurtling ball of iron through tissue paper. I am helpless to contain it. So I said I will give it all room, all help, all speed and all attention. But I find it is not enough. Where are those who hear? Where are the changed lives to dance through this world before my very eyes? However, even while I ask, understanding blazes forth with a great and unmistakable roar. The unquenchable desire of God to save souls is not concerned with the appearance of one or two. He desires that all should be saved. He will not subside the blazing inferno within until I leave this place. Then let me rest in discomfort. Let my soul be disquieted with desire. Cause my will to explode, O Lord! By all means may the Holy will of God be done! By His Grace Death - 2014-03-17 12:37 He always gets his way. If he ever announces his approach he does not invite debate. He is charged to render helplessness. And there is not a fiber of compassion within him. Often he sends out his emissaries to prepare the way before him. Sickness and Chaos do his bidding. Their love for their Lord is unswaying. Singing their own special songs, they move through this world with dedicated heart. Despite their cleverness, no one ever stands against them. The sins of man have ushered in the power of death. It is the will of the Sovereign God that all which is unholy will cease. And death has come as an obedient servant. Let all men be aware. There is a place in eternity where death will be given great power. For now, his power is limited to a few everyday. But at the end of his existence he will slay countless hordes. With one fell swoop of his power he will destroy all the wicked. Not a one will go unattended. As Sampson was given the strength to kill more Philistines in his death then all in his life, so death will bring down the house of God's enemies. Did you not perceive these things? Have you really thought you would live a life of peace forever? Did you honestly believe you could do as you please and escape the power of the second death? There is no escape from death but by the power of the One who made him. The name of this One is Jesus. By His Grace Patience - 2014-03-17 14:59 If one of the fruits of God within us is a godly patience, I find it curious how millions of people pursue patience and miss the mark horribly. Frustration is all they get for their hard work toward peace. Good money is spent on poor trainers. The inept teach the inept. Religions are built around the concept of patience. And while the cost of impatience is high, most people figure it's just a part of life. "Get use to it", they say with a great sigh. But it doesn't have to be that way. The Lord asks us, "Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and you will delight in the richest of fare." How deeply the world suffers for lack of willingness to go to God. But that's the way it's going to be, isn't it? I can write until I am dead. I can teach until I cannot speak. I can display the fruit of my God until he takes me home. But unless an individual takes the initiative to go and seek the face of God, the woeful lack of godliness will cover everything they do. And they will find themselves willing partners in a destruction of all those around them. Perhaps you were not aware that there is a remedy for impatience. Well now you're no longer ignorant. By His Grace Total surprise - 2014-03-17 19:17 I stepped outside to get a breath of fresh spring air. Such a pleasure after such a long winter. Flowers blooming, trees coming to bud and that old familiar freshness came to me. Filled with gladness, I took in what I could. I heard a faint rumble of thunder. I don't remember hearing anyone say there was a storm coming. So I went around to the back yard full of expectation. Who is not entranced by the spectacular? What greeted my eyes was fully unexpected. It looked like one gigantic single cloud. Black as pitch it hung close to the ground. And as I looked up its height the blackness did not fade. It appeared as a tower of obsidian. At the top were white wispy fingers stretching my direction. It looked as if the column of blackness was swimming in the sky. The cloud was a long way off. I felt no compulsion to hide. It was a magnificent sight! All I wanted to do was watch it change. What happened next can only be remembered. I can't say I saw it coming. But it traveled such a long distance that, in my memory, I could have drawn the very place in the cloud from which it came. Angled toward me through the sky as if bouncing off invisible walls. Though I perceived its direction, there was no possible way to think it was coming to me. A split second later I found myself over 50 feet away from where I had been standing. Laying crumpled on my side, it took a few minutes to remember I had legs. Abrasions decorated my body in strategic spots. With my balance regained and my mind refocused, I began to remember what had happened. I looked to where I had been; trying to make sense of a lost 3 minutes. The cloud still made an eerie backdrop for a useless light pole. It had been my close companion as I marveled at the cloud. The metal pole was shattered. It looked like some Picasso drawing of steel fire. I guess that was a little more voltage than the engineer had foreseen. With my senses regained, I found myself tearing at curiosity. "Into the house. Go into the house." I had to keep telling myself out loud. Once inside the house I went to the desk to write. This was not something I wanted to forget. But as I wrote, a thought kept dancing like a candle in my mind. Something about the West. Something about lightning. Then, as if I heard a voice, I understood the crystal clear meaning.
By His Grace Holy respect - 2014-03-18 12:51 God is no respecter of man. This is understood to mean he does not respect a man's position in this world . But God does not respect the wisdom for works of man either. Even if a man were to gain respect of all men for his great wisdom and crafty ability, he is not right to expect a warm celebration when he appears at the judgment of God. God respects only what is true and faultless. God alone is true and faultless. Therefore we can conclude that God respects only himself, and rightly so for he is life. To whatever measure a man contains the righteous truth of God, he can be sure he has the respect of the Sovereign Lord. Whatever is not of God within a man will be burnt away and utterly destroyed when he appears before the Most High. What remains cannot be shaken. For what remains is God. The Apostle Peter warned us, "If it is hard for the righteous to be saved what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?" We have only one life to prepare to meet the Holy Lord. Therefore we are encouraged by these words to strive all the harder. Put away from ourselves the filth of this world. Allow the Lord Jesus to dress you in what is his Father. Only then can you rightly expect a warm welcome. By His Grace The rocks - 2014-03-18 20:12 I sit by a mountain stream. Listen to its voice. Clear as glass, shimmering like liquid diamonds, the water is entrancing. Where it is from I cannot tell. Where it goes is a mystery. But the water will not leave its banks; by sovereign command it flows deeply entrenched. The rocks within are not like the rocks on dry land. The land exposes their nakedness. But the rocks in the stream are coated with a silver cloak. What is exposed is useful to man. What lies beneath is useful to the creatures who inhabit that place. Behold how the Lord has left us a story. His people are set apart. They are willing captives to the water of truth. Once they are in "The Way", they are immediately set upon by a singular musical sound. The voice of God encompasses them. A soothing and promised embrace is theirs forever. If the land will not hold them and gives them up to the stream, the water of life will smooth their rough edges. The water will not toss to them back to where they came. And they will become dressed in silvery tranquil robe. By His Grace Prepare - 2014-03-18 22:27 Prepare old world. Gather together your weapons. Purify your ranks; let only the haters of God survive. Sharpen your wits; gather together the wisest among you. You will face your enemy on the ground he has chosen. The very ground you use to prepare for battle will be ripped from under your feet. You will find yourselves as naked souls; prepare to stand before the Most High God. Lord Jesus, the one you have despised so greatly, will stand before you in all his majestic and blazing splendor. Prepare to weep. Prepare to gnash your teeth in violent anger. You have desired independence for your pleasure. You have not desired him to be your king. Prepare to meet your God. By His Grace Appropriate desire - 2014-03-19 13:50 You want to live. You want to be at peace. No one wants to die. We desire life aggressively. Because we know we will die, we seek to live as much as possible. Even though life is rarely pleasant, for each day has sufficient trouble, we prefer our trouble over death. This is not unreasonable. As the sky is above the earth, so the desire to live drives us. But what shall we do while we live? Shall we chase after pleasure? You can do that if it so pleases you. But no gained pleasure has any effect on death. Pleasure is our will. We want it so that we can be at peace while we wait for death. But I am not aware of a single pleasure among men that will give us sufficient peace to offset the pain of death. Mention one and we will discover together the end of its pleasantness. Man is completely incapable of providing lasting pleasure. With that said, there is a pleasure which will last. It is not the pleasure our body seeks. For the body lusts after things that give it joy; no matter how temporary or small. To find fulfillment is to find a pleasure that will last for eternity; therefore overriding the sting of death. Now I introduce to you the Living God. He is eternal because what pleases him last forever. Jesus, His Son, has sacrificed Himself so that we may take part in what pleases His Father. What the Father desires is called his will. And as much as we take part in the will of God we find pleasure that will not cave to death. The body will die but the will of God lives forever. Admittedly the body will argue against the will of God. For the body will always surmise that it knows better what is good. Eating is better than fasting. Being first is better than being last. Power and pride is better than humility and service. Riches are immensely better than poverty. You can see the war that is sure to ensue. Jesus teaches the exact opposite of what our body desires. But our body will enter death and cease. Our soul will continue on. The pleasure of the body comes to end. But the pleasure of God lives forever. "From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven is forcefully advancing and forceful men lay hold it." If you want lasting pleasure and peace you must learn to submit yourself to the will of God. No matter what that means. You may say you are not prepared. Perhaps you are not willing to give up the pleasure of the body. Then by all means die in your pleasure. The choice is upon every man. I have laid out, as clearly as possible, the difference between life and death. I know personally how difficult it is to lay down the desires of the body. But the peace God gives within my soul is worth every effort, every possible loss, and every possible pleasure. Believe and submit and you will live. Continue to trust the body to guide you and you will die. The choice is obviously yours. By His Grace Our right to suffer - 2014-03-20 08:15 Is it right that we should think to appear before the Lord unscathed? He was hung as a butcher might hang beef. In his plight they only laughed and taunted him. On the way to his glory he was rejected and despised. Few listened to his words. Few understood. Few were willing to believe even though God gave him superior gifts as a sign to all men; the fullness of God's Holy Spirit was upon him . We are to be his bride. Is it right that the bride of the Holy One of God should be less tested? Jesus is the Holy One sent to be among us . He is forever the strong husband of a beautiful bride. Let her be prepared in this place of testing. Desire him. Desire the will of the Holy Father. And you will be purified. The father has selected you for a great place in eternity. If the greatest among all has been tested as was Jesus, do we think we should escape a similar persecution? Bring to mind the testimony of two great Witnesses: 12 "In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. . ." And, "Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you."Submit then joyfully. God is true. Allow him to bring glory to His Son. And do not shrink back. "But my righteous one will live by faith. And I take no pleasure in the one who shrinks back." By His Grace Sickening tendencies - 2014-03-20 09:37 From the perspective of Christ within me I look out on the world in which I live. The name of our God is rarely heard in praise. No, they use him to curse. Among the mass of men Jesus is used in every way but Holy. They call on him in times of trouble, but when they get their way he becomes forgotten. They eat to their pleasure without thought of its source or thanks. They advertise, without ceasing, the glory of man. The news never carries any message from God's Word. He is not news. His word does not sell well. So they relegate all that is God to fully unimportant. The very One who made us and sustains us all has become fully unimportant. And they think this is acceptable. If they bow down to worship, it is in a place where such activity is socially acceptable. Therefore their worship verges on useless. Among them no one asks, "Why do we bother to do this if we are not sincere." All the while, the tender Lord pricks their conscience in this regard. If man understands anything about God he keeps it to himself for fear of rejection. What possible reception can they expect when they appear before the Most High God? They will surely receive what is do them in full! Let us, who are bought by his blood, refine our will to serve the Holy Lord Jesus Christ. Let us be the inverse of the world. May God become everything important. May our bowing before him be an extension of our life before him. May our worship and life be a holy fire. May we speak and act of him without cost to those who hear and see. There is a sickening in me to witness these things in the world. I am only man, and so I cannot see as God sees. If this is unpalatable to me what is it to God? For I understand the gospel in as far as he has taught. But the Lord Jesus IS the gospel! How does the rebellion of this world appear before his holy throne even now?By His Grace The death of souls - 2014-03-20 21:53 Alright here we go! Squirrel up your tongue; get it nice and limber. Pat the soft skin under your chin until it's nice and loose. Roll your neck side to side until you hear vertebrae snap. Now you're ready. With your best bad guy accent say the following: " I'm going to make you believe what I want you to believe. I'm going to make you believe it so well you'll think it was your thought." Now you have to give that typical bad guy laugh. "Mmmmwaaaahhhhhh!"That's over the top isn't it? I mean, that kind of bad guy monologue is only in the movies right? Not really. It happens to you several times a day. Reach over and turn off the music and I'll tell you what I mean. Go into the grocery store and what do you hear? Go into the shoe store. What do you hear? As you drove there or from there what did you listen to? If you work on a factory floor the chances are you hear it all day long. And you go home singing the last song you heard. When was the last day you didn't listen to a single song? "So what?" You ask me. "That's nothing like the bad guy monologue!" Are you sure? What's in the lyrics you're listening to? Most people will tell you they don't know, they just like the song. It makes them happy to listen to it. Really now. With something so attractive and so unknown, how much room is left for abuse or manipulation? Considered the basic lines of lyrics today. You cheated on me but it's okay I cheated on you. I know you're married but I want to go to bed with you. Divorce sucks. Divorce is great, as long as you don't have to pay for it. Your body is sexy, and so is mine, I hate you. And on they go with violent or wicked behavior being profiled inside music you love so much. All the while, most people couldn't tell you what a song is trying to say. But your brain has heard it quite clearly. And your life is a reflection of what you're told to believe. Godlessness, hatred, envy, lies, divorce, murder, drug abuse and drunkenness, and every other kind of wicked behavior is praised in the lyrics of today's music. Even little children are running around singing immoral songs. And few people even think about it. I'm not going to bother to talk about what happens in the evening when you get home and turn on the television. Let's just say you wake in the morning to sin. You go to bed at night having been immersed in sin. How are you supposed to break free? Listen to the lyrics. Think about what they're telling you to believe. Don't take my word for it, prove it yourself. As you watch television think about what they're trying to make you believe is true. Think for yourself for a change! If you really want to prove you're being manipulated, go on a music and television fast. It occurs to me that you might not know what a fast is. It simply means ,do without. You will feel horribly uncomfortable. But why? You're not sick. No one is beating you. What you're feeling is the lack of someone telling you what to believe. By His Grace God's will - 2014-03-21 09:01 Everyone of God's people want to know His will for them. Classes are taught. Spiritual gifts are explored. Examples from God's people in the Bible are exploded before our minds. The teachings of the Apostles are illustrated with all diligence. And personal testimony is given that we might excel. We search and search. Still we are all but lost. I have found, personally, the help of men to be useless in discovering God's will for me. Though no aspect of known sound doctrine is useless in itself, there is an end to its usefulness if we do not connect ourselves to the sovereign God. Though all the things I mentioned are extremely useful and should never be put out of the way, they are like studying the scriptures and believing that by our study we are saved. But salvation comes from God. Jesus has taught me over and over again to "Consider what is." By this, I look at all possible views of my situation . By His grace I consider all possible repairs. Then when I go to prayer I strive hard to listen to my thoughts. If something appears in my thoughts that is noteworthy, while in prayer, I ask about it. He has been faithful to clearly point to the answer.Yet I will mention here that there are times when all possibilities have not arrived. It is quite possible that we need to go. Simply move in faith and God sometimes brings completion to our request. In all things I have been taught to carefully consider what is.All things are by faith from first to last. But we should not hold too tightly to the instruction of men. The best of intentions can sometimes lead us horribly astray. The truth resides in the living God through Christ Jesus. I testify that he is willing and able to lead us clearly. We go to him with everything. We expect every possible scenario. We receive what is. And in that, it is our rightful place to be thankful. Holy Father, I ask you to bless these words with understanding. Millions have tried to help in this regard. I suspect that few have succeeded. I cannot hope to succeed unless you intervene. By your grace and mercy then, may your people find direction. By His Grace Seeking praise - 2014-03-21 10:42 If you do the work of God and look for praise you are on very dangerous ground. The work of God will not receive praise from men in general. We know this, either because we were told, or because we have experienced the rejection of men for the sake of God. But it is also not wise to serve the living God and look to him for praise. I say this knowing there will be a difference of opinion. God himself knows the heart of every man, he will give to each according to his great wisdom. Therefore I am not stating a categorical. There is a day of praise we look for rightfully. "Well done my good and faithful servant." It is appropriate to look for that moment. But we take note, that day is not embraced in flesh. While we are in flesh we are weakened by the sinful nature's pride. And it is usually this weakness that causes us to desire praise from God. Rather than seeking His praise, for now, we are only to consider our service rendered as expected. Do not seek praise, instead seek the next task. If God sees fit to give us praise, that is his choice. May it also be mentioned, this applies to men. If you find yourself serving for the sake of the praise of men, then you stand on a really dangerous ground! Flattery abounds. Flattery destroys. By His Grace Whack a mole! - 2014-03-21 21:06 A dear brother from soulsupply.com, has brought to the surface a very useful topic that is often overlooked. He rightly points out that a Christian may be diligent in all things of Christ yet fall short because of pride. Though he may not lose a place in eternity for his shortcomings, he will likely lose some measure of reward. Not desiring that any of my brothers should lose. And since it is our duty to sharpen one another, for the sake of our service to our Lord Jesus. I thought it might be useful to post a little more information in regard to what brother Taylor has exposed. I will start by confessing that there are two games I really don't mind losing. One is called "Whack a Mole". It is impossible for a man to win at that game. But there's a good deal of joy to be had in losing.If you've never played the game, you stand in front of a bench with holes in it. In your hand is a soft mallet. Little mole heads pop up one at a time in one or another hole. It would be amusing enough just to watch it played. One by one little mole heads pop up. And it is your delightful duty to smash them back down with the hammer. As you get better it gets faster. At some point you get the joy of hearing the mole say, "Now I'm really angry!" I don't get much fun at wack'n the mole heads. If that were all there is to the game I wouldn't play it. That's too much work for too little gain. But to hear the defenseless little mole get angry, is a belly full of laughs. The imagination sets fire to wonder what he will do while he's angry. The other game I enjoy losing is the fight with besetting sin. I know that sounds really odd for a Christian to say. But we must remember that to lose in this world is to gain Christ. So I would rather lose then lose. I had a besetting sin that would not leave me alone. Just like the little mole, I would no sooner pop my head up and the hammer would come and smash me back down. Yes, there was even a place where I am got really angry. I tried everything. I tried prayer. I tried filling my days with Scripture. I confessed until I was hoarse. I tried restraint. I tried counseling from a respected fellow Christian. I tried everything I could possibly think of, but to no avail. The harder I tried the quicker the sin would knock me down. Having no recourse, I struggled as far as I could then relied purely on Grace. It was not the solution I was trying to find. But I had exhausted all other possibilities. Realizing utter failure, brings an ocean of tears and shame. Then, just when I was contemplating giving up entirely, the Lord came near me. I thought sure I would die the eternal death. It was about the time for me to pop my head up again. I had walked some distance successfully. He gently put his hand on my shoulder and said, "It's my turn. Just step back and watch." I heard the player say, Now I'm really angry!" the Lord raised his beautiful head up for me. I heard the familiar whistle of the Hammer head as it closed in on its target. But then I heard two sounds I have never heard before. There was a mighty noise as hardened steel met the immovable. Then the smaller sounds of tingling metal pieces as they scattered on the floor. The player had met his match. The Lord turned to me, completely unscathed by the impact. "You'll be fine now son." I closed my eyes while he kissed my forehead. When I open them again he was gone. I cautiously poked my head up to see what had happened. I was startled at first to see the player standing with an angry face. But then I took note that he was restrained at arms length. The steel of his hammer covered the floor. I heard him threaten. With spit coming from his mouth he cursed at me. But his restraint would no longer let him attack. I was free! No more fear. No more shame. No more tears associated with failure! In the place of groveling came a worship of praise and thanks. I present this story for the sake of my brothers and sisters who suffer so intensely. I encourage you to suffer with diligence! Add to your attempts, standing on your head for three weeks, eat a big whopper from the inside out, count backwards from 10 million, or hold your breath for one hour. Whatever you do keep striving till you are sure you have exhausted all possibilities. The Lord will appear before you are allowed to give up all hope! He will not let you die. I will add the following to uphold my brother's message. In his message he warns against pride. Failure to heed his timely and well worded message has consequences. When the Lord appears to take your place against a hidden or besetting sin, you may well suffer loss. Though at that point you likely won't care. If a sheep cannot behave itself in open pasture, surely the Lord will move it to a confined space. His love for his dear one will not change. But the place in which the dear one serves, will. You will find your besetting sin restrained. But you may also find restraints placed upon you. Consider this as you struggle. Perhaps the love of freedom will give you strength. Or perhaps the thought of losing reward will stir you to more action. Regardless, Christ Jesus is Lord and Master! And he is fully willing and able to save. I have written this story in first person. I am not ashamed that I have been released. And it gives me great pleasure to glorify our Lord. He will always be our head. May God bless this post to those who need it most. You will find the fullness of our brother's text at this link, http://www.soulsupply.com/blog/n/faith-falling-140318?t=3382 By His Grace Directory: 2014 2014 -> For want of a nail 2014 -> The Global Warming that Wasn’t 2014 -> Assembly, No. 3901 state of new jersey 216th legislature 2014 -> Stop Militarizing Law Enforcement Act of 2014 2014 -> Ihbb asian Championships 2014 middle school bowl Round 4 First Quarter 2014 -> Unit: Automotive and Auto Body 2014 -> Ihbb european Championships 2014 Bowl Round 4 First Quarter 2014 -> International History Bee and Bowl 2013-14 Asian Division Question Set Bowl Round Six 2014 -> United states patent and trademark office 2014 -> Walnut creek, ca branch executive committee meeting minutes Download 2.54 Mb. Share with your friends:
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