Urgency of Worship

The worship of God should be of supreme urgency. Since there is none like Him and He calls His children to be holy, our worship should be of the utmost urgency. Many, who call themselves a “church”, are presenting the entering into the Christian body as an act of joining a club. This should not be. Nor should the Church become a “how to” institution.

I remember when I came to the Lord. Had it not been for His Holy Word, the Bible, I would not have known what urgency was required. And let us not minimize the directing of the Holy Spirit in this formation of urgency. I had studied the Scriptures apart from the Church for a very long time. And it was God who led me to the body of Christ. Had it not been for this alienation from those who call themselves the “church”, I might have become a mere member of a religious club. I thank God, then, for allowing the formation of understanding.

If you are a pastor of God’s flock remember the severe judgment to come. Consider how you and your fellow elders might create an atmosphere of urgency regarding what is Holy. Though it is true that, “Whosoever will may come”, He also leaves the door of His flock open to tares. He will not remove what is unholy from the presence of His people till that day when the Angels reap for Him. How then will you regain favor if you have been a planter of tares yourself?

I write this to remind those who tend and feed that they serve the Living God. His eyes are fixed on His people. And it is wise to remember the urgent and Holy calling. I had my shot and forgot such things. I have since paid the price for such laziness. There is no need to become a victim of social christianity. And let us not be overly innocent of a truth: There are many who call themselves pastors who have not become part of the Body of Christ themselves. The last word in this post is as urgent as the first: Renew.

Two Christians Murdered in Florida

The following is from One News Now.  The URL is placed at the bottom of this post.

A pro-family leader wonders where the outrage is in the wake of the cold-blooded murder of two Christians who were street-witnessing in Florida.

 Tite Sufra, 24, and 23-year-old Stephen Ocean were recently shot to death by a man they had witnessed to in Boynton Beach.
 According to police, the men met 18-year-old Jeriah Woody and spoke with him for 15 minutes on the public sidewalk. The witnessing encounter was halted when Woody received a phone call and told the preachers he had to go. Police say as the pair walked away, Woody turned and followed them, pulled a gun and shot both men. He has been arrested and charged with two counts of first-degree murder.
 
Dr. Gary Cass of the Christian Anti-Defamation Commission wonders why the tragic murder has not received widespread media attention.  “Had these been other types of people — perhaps two Muslim clerics or even two rabbis — I know we would never hear the end of it,” he comments. “But because these were only two African-American, young black ministers, apparently the media has not covered this, and I think that it’s completely ashamed that they haven’t mentioned this because it’s such a chilling crime.”
 
Woody is being held without bond.

http://www.onenewsnow.com/Persecution/Default.aspx?id=891546

What is a Warrior?

What is a professional warrior? He is dedicated to a cause. That cause is who he serves. He is dedicated to making himself ready for battle. His mind is honed to receive injury and not turn away. He is already dead, yet will fight with the vigor of a she bear. There is no thought to death. He is already received the “last rites”. He fights to live. But not for his life. The death he has received is poured out on his enemies. Every time he swings his hand, blood will flow. Until, as some point, his own blood flows away.

 

What is a professional Christian warrior? He is dedicated to God’s cause. He is dedicated to making himself ready for battle. His mind is honed to receive injury and not turn away. He is dead already, yet will fight with the dedication of a lamb. There is no thought to death, yet death goes before him all his days. The sentence of death has been passed on him and he has received life through repentance and humility by the power of Christ Jesus’ sacrifice. He fights to die. He has received life and therefore pours out that life through every action he makes. Every thought has been considered before it reaches his lips. And his dedication to God’s ways causes him to restrict every habit and action that he might cause another to stumble.

 

When you meet a professional Christian warrior, you will know him. He will not proclaim his title. You will see the marks of the battles he has fought in his manner. The longer a man endures the Christian way, the more obvious those marks of his Lord. The world knows who does and who does not belong to them. Is it not curious how the Christian faith has been so watered down that we rarely meet a warrior in Christ any more?

 

When I consider the nature of a man of battle I find myself admiring the strength of dedication he exudes. His simple presence charges me with a desire to imitate his ways. Ladies and Gentlemen of Christ, let me say that it is not possible for us to know the joy of Christ when He watches a man or woman prepare themselves for service. Only He knows what such a person is capable of enduring. And He knows who they are. He is watching with great interest as we walk before Him.

 

What will we say and what will be said to us when we stand before Him on that day? For myself I know what this post is provoking in me. I want to scream out at the top of my lungs, and from the tallest place on earth so that every Christian can hear:

 

“TO THE WALLS, MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS! ARM YOURSELVES FOR BATTLE! THERE IS A WAR ON! CAN’T YOU SMELL THE STENCH OF SIN AROUND YOU? WHERE IS CHRIST IN YOU? STAND AND FIGHT NOW, AS IF THE NEXT BLOW YOU STRIKE WERE THE VERY LAST BLOW STRUCK AGAINST SIN.” S T A N D!!!!!!!!!

 

The Words of Enoch, the 7th from Adam.

1. The words of the blessing of Enoch, wherewith he blessed the elect

2. And he took up his parable and said–Enoch a righteous man, whose eyes were opened by God, saw the vision of the Holy One in the heavens,

3. Concerning the elect I said, and took up my parable concerning them:

The Holy Great One will come forth from His dwelling,

4. And the eternal God will tread upon the earth, (even) on Mount Sinai,

5. And all shall be smitten with fear And the Watchers shall quake, And great fear and trembling shall seize them unto the ends of the earth.

6. And the high mountains shall be shaken, And the high hills shall be made low, And shall melt like wax before the flame p. 32

7. And the earth shall be

8. But with the righteous He will make peace.

And will protect the elect, And mercy shall be upon them.

And they shall all belong to God, And they shall be prospered, And they shall

⌈⌈and⌉⌉ righteous, who will be living in the day of tribulation, when all the wicked ⌈⌈and godless⌉⌉ are to be removed. ⌈which⌉ the angels showed me, and from them I heard everything, and from them I understood as I saw, but not for this generation, but for a remote one which is for to come. ⌈And appear from His camp⌉ And appear in the strength of His might from the heaven of heavens. ⌈wholly⌉ rent in sunder, And all that is upon the earth shall perish, And there shall be a judgement upon all (men). ⌈all⌉ be blessed. ⌈

9. And behold! He cometh with ten thousands of

And He will help them all⌉, And light shall appear unto them, ⌈And He will make peace with them⌉. ⌈His⌉ holy ones To execute judgement upon all, And to destroy ⌈all⌉ the ungodly: And to convict all flesh Of all the works ⌈of their ungodliness⌉ which they have ungodly committed, And of all the hard things which ungodly sinners ⌈have spoken⌉ against Him.

Do you REALLY want to see?

With sight comes added responsibility.  With sight comes an awareness of the hidden sins people might keep from one who is blind.  With sight comes added awareness of the Glory of God’s creation.  And with sight comes an added awareness of how small and wicked our heart has become.  Do you really want the Lord to open your eyes of faith and spiritual understanding? 

The same can be said of our ears, tongues, hands and feet.  With God’s enabling we become more effective.  But most important of all this “enabling”, might be our heart.  We are told that it is out of the overflow of our hearts that our mouth speaks.  And if we think of the things our tongues have given life to, we are sobered.  And it is with the heart that all things detestable are made manifest.  Where our heart is, there our treasure will be also.    The Lord also told us that the wicked will honor Him with their lips while their hearts are far from Him.  Showing themselves to be wrapped in the lie of ritual.  And void of the knowledge of the Living God.

Are you ready to see?  Is there preparation you can experience that might cause you to be more able?  God is merciful and just.  Simply asking Him to let you see might not grant you sight.  Perhaps it would be best to ask for a renewed heart.  Clean the inside of the dish and the outside will become clean also.  To serve the God of all creation is no light matter which can be attained by mere words or weak ritual. 

By His Grace.

The Archer

A great archer appears on the range.  His servants had been busy making arrows, honing the shafts, grooming the feathers, and sharpening the tips for their master.  His bow is huge and his strength is amazing.  His feet are placed.  His legs like iron.  His hand fits to the bow.  The first arrow is placed on the string.  With little effort, the archer pulls and fires.  With the sound of a screaming Eagle, the arrow soars down range.  And finds the absolute center of the target over a mile away. 

He reaches to his servant’s hand to accept the next arrow.  As he places it against the string and bow he notices it is not perfectly straight.  With a slight frown he pulls and releases.  As he knew it would, the arrow shatters into splinters and lay on the ground before him.  All day long he plys his trade with unwavering determination.  Each arrow is tested and either proved or destroyed. 

We are the Lord’s.  His servants minister to our need at His command.  We walk that we might become worthy of He who calls us.  What will be the outcome when our time comes to serve?  We “walk”.  Do we “Walk” well?  Is He able to hit the mark with our service?  Or might we become splinters to be gathered and burned.

To each is given.  To each is required.  To God be all Glory, Honor, Praise, and worship.  In the Name of Jesus, the Christ of God, may all who call upon the name of the Lord turn from evil and seek Holiness before His face.

By His Grace.

A perception, from mind to words

I had a perception yesterday, after devotions.  I don’t know if it’s from the Lord.  But let each one decide.

I saw a high hill with the Lord standing among many people.  They were praising Him and giving thanks for His leadership and love.  In the valley below was a wide meadow.  The lighting in that place seemed like dusk.  On the other side of the valley were hundreds of thousands of creatures.  Their sound was like hissing or perhaps whispers.  They each held impliments of war.  Swords, maces, knives and such.  Their hands were brandishing long claws.  And their faces were contorted with determination and hatred. 

On the Lord’s word, hundreds of His people ran down the hill, through the valley, and into the creatures on the other side.  Those who ran were few compared to those who stayed.  I perceived that many who stayed went about thanking the Lord for His leadership.  And in my estimation, the Lord paid no attention to those who remained. Considering the enemy on the other side of the valley, there was no way those who ran to fight were about to survive.  And it was of those who captured the Lord’s attention. 

I don’t know exactly what all that meant.  And I’m not sure it meant much more than is posted here.  The perception was astounding and clear.  May God grant meaning or clarification as He deems necessary. 

By His Grace.

Curse the Children

What are we leaving our children?  Who am I to speak such a question.  Yet how can it be that such a question should not be asked?  They, and we, are God’s creation.  Is it right that the children should not know their true Father?  Why does the world keep the truth from their children?  Because truth has become whatever man decides.  They have turned from Him and made lies their truth.  Watch and consider where you walk.  The end of your journey is as near as your death.  When you have reached the end, did you do all you could to search for Him?  And will not the children follow your ways? 

What, then, are we leaving our children?

By His Grace.

The Carnival

The Barkers cry out and call us to see
The impliments of joy.
The children’s eyes are wet with fun
And race to see the toy.
“10 cents”, he says it all it cost
Their fingers race to give.
Presented are nails and splinters of wood
The price of those who live.

A foul perfume

To live for Christ is to die.  You have heard it said and have seen it done:  God is last.  This is the way of God’s enemies.  And what a foul smell rises up to the nostrils of the Holy One because of this.  The world is rejoicing at sin’s victories in our society.  And to them, their victory is a wonderful perfume. 

Choose which you will be.  Receive Christ and live.  Become transformed from what is foul to that which is beautiful.  But be sure, the world will count such a transformation as foul.

An Eternal Encounter.

The dark woods entangled the path.  Each step was further from the first.  And turning back was no longer an option.  Where he had come from and where he was headed were equally distant.  Alone, he sought his way through the trees and bogs.  Howling, screeching, panting and hissing noises surrounded his every living moment.  But the path must be trod.

The place where he was headed was reported to be free from the messy and sticky gobs which encrusted his body now.  There, he would bathe and never again taste the fowl food of this present place.  How unhealthy was this food.  A man could eat his fill and be hungry again in an hour.  Were it not for his hope he would have laid down in the mess and craved death. 

Through the darkness and narrowness of the path he was constrained to walk.  Even the stars seemed to run from his eyes.  And the glow of the sun rarely touched his filthy skin.  But walk he must.  Sleep brought memories of things gone by.  And when he woke the whispers of those who walked near could be heard. 

One day he heard a noise familiar.  A fellow soul treading the same ground.  But the woods being so deep and thick, to venture over would be too much.  He listened with interest.  But caution held his tongue.  The voice made the noises of the reality he was experiencing also.  But he had met such before.  “How will I know if this one means me harm?”  Yet compasion held his interest in the voice.  Soon the need to fellowship overcame his reluctance.  “If I don’t speak, I’ll never know.” 

He heard the other say, “I have had trouble beyond my ability to cope”, the voice said.  “They have torn away from me everything I held dear.”  Yet I cannot turn back”.  These are the same thoughts the man has had.  So he called to the other.  “I am of the same ilk.  Do you travel with guidance?  Or do you travel under your own power?”   The other answered a beautiful sound, “I travel by the strength of the One who calls men that they might be saved from this place.” 

In the course of time he found out that the other had been tossed away by every possible place of hope in this world.  Even those in charge of such a filthy path seem to have avoided him.  It seems he spoke of his journey and of the things to come.  The sound of those words caused the people to turn away.  Was it pitty that provoked the love the man felt in his heart for this “other”?  Oddly, no.  It was a kinship. 

What will we say to the Soverign Lord of Glory when we have shuned others because they have a message from Him which rings of trouble to come?  I do not say this to shame anyone.  But can that truth be ignored and we not receive condemnation?   The world will stand condemed for two things.  One that they have not sought the Glory of the One who made them.  And two that they have turned away from the ones who did.  Should those who call themselves under the banner of Jesus act in this way?  I know it is a risk to touch the unlovely.  But isn’t that by design? 

This story isn’t about me.  It’s a provocation to risk.  Isn’t this the very place where we found Jesus walking?  And should our record before the Holy God be that we craved what is acceptable?  I do not judge in this regard.  I too have turned from what is fearsome to embrace what is “trustworthy”.  Once I walked into a country town and saw a man coming toward me who looked pittiful.  From beard to raged clothes he announced to my eyes, “I am different than you.”  As I switched sides of the road and passed by him, he spoke words I will not forget.  “Don’t be afraid of what you don’t understand.”  I felt the knife in my soul that day.  And this was long before I knew Jesus. 

Who has said as much to you?  Are you still within their reach to approach?  Do as you will.  I will do, with God’s Great Grace, what I can.  I can’t pass by anymore.

By His Grace

ONE MILLION DOLARS

A man got a letter.  The envelope was merely a piece of paper sack taped up.  The address was scrawled in crayon.  And there was no indication of importance.  He put it aside while he opened the “important” envelopes.  After going through all the letters he had, he threw the junk away.  You guessed it…….. there was a million dollar check in that ole piece of paper sack.  He found out about it later and you can imagine how he felt. 

Be careful how you treat the message of God when you think the one containing it is worthless and base.  It is possible the words spent on your behalf are worth more than you can imagine.   “Humble yourself before the Lord.  And do not rely on your own understanding.  In all your ways acknowledge Him.  And in due time, He will lift you up.”

By His Grace.