Monthly Archives: December 2014

What kind of miracle?

Posted on by
Reply

Faith.  A belief that does not require proof, having accepted something as truth without demanding existing evidence.  How did I know that my earthly Father loved me?  I cannot prove it but I seldom questioned that fact.  I just knew.  It is the same way with God, though He has given much less reason to doubt His love than my earthly Dad.  I trust, hope, believe in and “know” that God will show up in my life.  Sure the first few times I trusted took all the faith that I could muster, but now I have “empirical evidence” based upon the thousands of times which God has shown up in my life.  My faith is based on His trustworthiness not my own capacity to accept facts.  I have faith in His Faithfulness, His Word, His Grace, His reliability and Consistency.  My faith is increased each time that His Word washes over me as it is fortified, perfected and encouraged by Truth.

Mustard Seed.  One to two millimeters in diameter, yet capable of producing one of the largest plantings in the garden, a tree in fact.  This demonstrates the potency of even a smidgen of faith, that from the smallest spore a vast sustainable set of branches will eventually ensue.  God had faith enough in me to offer His Life upon a cross with the hope/knowledge that I would someday accept that gift in humility and be filled by life eternal.  I may not know that much about God, but I know Him, and what I do know of Him surrounds great “love”.  A love that would never leave me alone to flounder, incapable, incapacitated, threatened by enemies who hate me for His sake.  I have “faith” in that love to catch me when I jump, fall, stumble or reach for the everlasting in hope and trust.  That seed that He chose to place in the soil of my spirit has grown, watered and fed by His Word and kept safe by the demonstration of His faithfulness.  I wonder what can be done with a pumpkin seed of faith?

Trust.  I don’t always know what God is up to in our lives, but I do know that it feels good to know that we are in relationship.  I know that I am not always going to understand or appreciate the “goodness” of His disciplining Hand in my life,  but I always eventually see that it was meant for the best.  I have zero comprehension why He chose to offer me salvation , but I am overjoyed that He chose to do so.  I trust that His Word is Truth and that His plan is the perfection of mankind, saving us from the self-evoked chaos to which we are otherwise committed.  I simply accept His righteousness on “faith” and wait for the knowledge, justification and belief to show up at a later date.  Trust in God is not chance but opportunity to sustain hope in something more dependable than the universe itself.

I love You Lord.  Can I explain Love, certainly not, but I know that I love You.  How is it that I am fortunate enough to accept factors with faith that I cannot explain or prove, accept and give Love, something I cannot explain or understand and share Hope with those around me with nothing but words/life actions to demonstrate its probability?  He has made me another creature, a man who believes in things that he cannot explain, evidence or demonstrate.  A man who walks a path that he cannot see yet maintains, with absolute surety that it leads to eternity.  A man who weeps at the plight of humanity when by all means he should be disaffected, simply because God loves them so much.  A man who believed in little else but self gratification now accepts the Truth that is God without question.  What kind of miracle is that?

http://youtu.be/DSB_At4H8kA

Decided?

Posted on by
Reply

And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.  Joshua 24:15 KJV

Am I sold out for Christ or is there still question about what I believe and which side I serve?  What are the names of the other gods to whom I pay homage?  Is there a chance that the Lord God will look the other way as I pursue this worship of idols and false divinity?  Am I committed to the people, the principles and the passions of God’s Kingdom or am I serving any interests that would steal from those potential investments?  I do not enjoy seeing these truths about myself, but remaining ill-informed, ignorant or in denial about my actions with regard to service to God is potentially eternally foolish.  This is a fool’s game to play with God, we should not trifle with the Lord.

Is my mind made?  If so, then do my actions, my words, my life indicate alignment with service to God through Jesus?  Am I creating disciples, studying the Word to show myself approved, caring in generosity for those who need help?  Am I voluntarily opening all the cupboards, closets and compartments of my life to the changing Hand of the Holy Spirit, or am I resisting sanctification?  Do I feel badly each time that I even think about sinning and does that “guilt” cause me to make decisions that align with God’s Will for my life?  Does everyone that I know, “Whom it is that I serve”?  Is there any question in the eyes of those who review my life that I am a Christian?  If so, am I standing here in fear and trembling or am I simply determining to remain nonchalant about my salvation?  What have I made more important in my life that my relationship and declaration of my eternal identity in Christ Jesus?

If the battle comes, there are many that will be left behind having not asked and answered these questions for themselves.  This is a personal decision and cannot be made by my parents, my wife, my friends, my ancestors or public opinion.  I will not get to heaven because everyone agrees that I have been “good enough” to be found worthy.  On my own behalf I deserve death for the sins in my transgressions against Almighty God.  So, let us dispatch finally the idea that any of us may earn, find or somehow produce enough good karma or works to be allowed passed the pearly gates of Heaven.  I will only be found righteous as God sees Christ’s Righteousness covering me.  I will only enter Heaven when God the Father sees in me evidence of indwelling of the Holy Spirit having baptized me and sealed me for eternity.  For me there will be no judgment day as I have already been found innocent in the eyes of God by Christ’s payment for my guilt upon that cross, two thousand, some odd years ago.  I have been redeemed, set free, reconnected with Almighty God through Christ.  Do I behave that way or am I still living within the corrupted flesh of the man I once was?  That question should frighten each of us and be a source of peace for them who can truly say that they are “alive in Christ”.

<script height=”337px” width=”600px” src=”http://player.ooyala.com/iframe.js#pbid=29c9fd42b6564348812f1c7d4ff9252d&ec=53bjUycjqTaMmIlYQSobBpyoZXxlY2sf”></script>  If you doubt the Bible then you should truly question your belief.  Can you afford the wrong “opinion” on this important factor?

Convenience

Posted on by
Reply

The unifying theme of all religion is the method with which man deals with sin.  Some pass it on to their ancestors, or claim that our sins and plight are the responsibility of reincarnated man.  Many pay homage or ransom to this good cause or that social issue to rid themselves of the guilt associated with what we all know to be inappropriate life choices.  Some boldly proclaim that sin is their mantra and age themselves rapidly, trying to gain that one last high from ill gotten gain, twisted morality of sensory affectation.  Then others deny themselves even basic sustenance hoping to purify their bodies of sinful activity yet cannot free themselves of the awful thoughts that confront us all in our wakeful moments.  Others try to ignore it, hoping to create agnosticism, and in so doing deny sins existence by claiming there is no God to hold them accountable for sin.  Some proclaim themselves kings so that they may fulfill all their sinful desires at the expense of their subjects, justifying horrific acts in the name of their supposed, frail and temporary divinity. Others wish that aliens, who trace their lineage back to a created universe are the farmers of humanity, pondering that aliens must have rid themselves of sin’s encumbering grasp.  Only Christianity deals with the issue of sin, head on, seeing its resolution through God activated by man’s choice of cleansing and redemption.  We are all related in that we once were slaves to the wretched chains of sin and its partner in escrow, death.

What shall I do with sin, shall I ignore it as the psychologists claim is possible?  Maybe it is merely an invention of my own mind and the customary guilt an illusion I need not feel but for a better manifestation?  Perhaps I can thresh it from my wicked bones, seeking solace in pain and reminder of my own wickedness and impurity, turning from anything joyful as it must also be filled with sin?  Maybe I can put it off on the lower cast, denying them food while I play with mega-toys, trying desperately to concentrate all my worldly attention on self gratification.  Perchance I can repeat mantras, chants, jingles and prayers, dispelling the effect of my week spent in wickedness by putting coins in a bucket and whispering in the dark for several hours?  Maybe if I investigate acceleration, black holes, vacuums and forces I can tame my own mind to forget the things I have done to my family and friends in the name of science?  What shall I do with my self piety each time it is shattered by a thought I shan’t tell anyone for fear my perfect reputation will forever be soiled?  The truth that binds us all is that we are sinners.  We may not have created this label but we have all participated in its customary practices.

What greater may tie us together freeing us from the bondage of collective and personal sin?  Why, Jesus Christ of course.  God, incarnate, who came and lived our painful, sinful, foolish lives, without committing even one sin, then took the punishment which was deserved by all.  He loved us enough to give His life to please His Father, and provide humanity, the opportunity to be cleansed of sin and find our rightful place at the footsteps of God.  What shall be done with my sin?  It has already been removed from me and taken as far as the East is from the West.  Why, because I listened to God and accepted His eternal pardon through confession, repentance, belief and obedience to a King who deserves all I can give and more.  I am sorry that we all have suffered or continue to suffer from sin, especially when the cure is evident to all mankind.  I do not boast and hide under a false, white robe of purity, for I still walk this world and therefore I will continue to sin no matter how hard I try in my worldly skill, strength and struggle.  Hallelujah that Jehovah has set me free and now His Spirit works within me to sanctify me for that great day when I will kneel at His feet in adoration.  As awful the story of sin it is dwarfed by the Grace in the Will and Love of Almighty God.

Seething

Posted on by
Reply

Rage.  Rage at the machine, the Government, My Sister, the neighbors, the roads, the sky, the sun and moon.  Overwhelming, inexhaustible, screaming revealed passion, broiling over from this vessel, agonizing over everything in entropy.  Father, this sin is our fault, thank you for waiting us out to accept the only available cure.

Lord God, I am at loss as to what to do with this turmoil in my heart and head.  Thank you for your peace that surpasses this global evil having apparently supplanted justice.  If it weren’t for Your teaching Father we would have no frame of reference for Truth.  I guess we would just accept this polluted era as norm.  Thanks be to God that You have provided an alternative to the obvious outcome that confronts humanity.  In fact it is so corrupted that those who would be emperor cannot even admit our approaching demise and keep buying trinkets as if this ship will be righted, rearranging the deck chairs for the party following calamity.

Father, I have Christian Brothers who cannot stop looking upon the naked images of women on the internet, hoping somehow that this will solve the relationship problems with their wives.  There are Pastor’s who have convinced themselves that everything will be fine if the flock just gives X + Y dollars, X being the tremendous amount dedicated to fixed Church Costs and Y what will be used for presently inadequate discipleship programs.  My Family hates me because I refuse to tell them what they wish to hear about our moral decay and unwillingness to surrender to Christ Jesus, as they return to the their bottle, girlfriend or video game.  I have friends who practice the same old experiment, knowing confidently that this time it will somehow deliver a positive outcome.  I continue to rage, although I have gotten better at internalizing it, the same old brawling spirit shows its contorted visage when I fail to get my way.  Death craves the living, pestilence seeks escape from captivity and war rears its endless, consuming maw, threatening the sum of history.  What am I to do with this roiling gut full of acid when the nightmares are real?

Father, how long will Your Name go mocked by the lips of the wicked and disobedient?  How long will the souls of martyrs remain by Your side crying out for revenge?  How long will these propped up, false kings be allowed to represent Your Authority?  What must we do to call the willing to penitence?  How shall we honor You when we are dedicating to our own glory twenty four by seven?  What is to shake us from this stupor as we stand paralyzed on the walls watching enemy advances?  Father, take me if she would but be spared this agony of daily despair.  Show her joy, let her know love exists, so that hope may follow.  I am powerless, yet I serve a God who holds the foundations of the world in his palm.  Hear my prayer Father, hear my prayer, won’t You please.  In Jesus’ Name.