Social Facade

How I wish the entirety of America would respond to the following question:

Why do you celebrate Christmas if you have no intention of serving the living Holy and Righteous Son?

Dogs or Brothers

The dog is an amazing creature.  No better friend on earth can be had than a faithful and obedient canine.   They are a great source of joy and comfort to their owner.  A well trained dog will do anything to please its master.

But a dog is a dog.  It will eat it’s own vomit.  Often the dog will even eat its own feces. 

It cannot be trusted to make business deals. 

It has no concept of a clean the floor or carpet.  You will never see a dog naturally wipe its feet before it comes in the house.

Its welfare must be constantly maintained.  And it requires a rather watchful eye over its habits. 

Once it has developed a taste for blood, the dog is either to be destroyed or heavily restrained for the rest of its life. 

Stray dogs are no companion for the children.  They are unpredictable and dangerous.

Most dogs have a hard time understanding friend or foe in regard to those who come to visit its master.

The dog will understand certain commands.  But it does not fully understand the language of man.  It might pick up on our habits, but it doesn’t understand the reason for them.

A dog will be loyal to its own detriment.  It can love with a fully open heart.  It’s always glad to see its master.  And the only time it makes any judgment regarding its master, is in the matter of food.

Think of all the things that dogs are by their very nature.  Then consider Man.

Look at all the things that men do.  Unless we are specifically trained by God, we have no stability or faithfulness within us.  Take all the things I have said about dogs and apply them to Man.

Some dogs must be killed because they are a threat.  Some dogs are fit only to be restrained outside.  Some dogs are companions on the couch.  But they are still dogs.

Christ has come to transform us from potential pets to brothers. 

A brother understands the language of his father and siblings.  He is able to differentiate between the things of carnal behavior and those of responsibilities in the family.

It’s good to consider the following.  Have we allowed ourselves to become good and restrained pets?  Or have we sought the full transformation into the family of God as brothers of Christ?

Are we busily over coming sin by the power of Christ presence?  Or are we seeking release from the triggers that give temptation its strength?  Isn’t the latter like being placed on a leash?

I did not write this to shake the faith of anyone.  But consider what it would be if, instead of trying to be rid of temptation, we were to embrace the power of Christ to overcome it.  There’s a distinct difference between the brothers of the household and the pets.

There’s a great deal more to say about this.  What I’ve written is a good start.

The Peace of Fear

In every religion of man there is an element of what can be called peace.  Even among the seculars there is a place where men call themselves peaceful.  But the peace they proudly wave about is more passivity for the sake of gain.

Today I read a small story in the news about how many Islamists are saying their religion teaches peace. 

I am not a scholar.  I am not an authority on Islam.  And I am no one.  But to hear them say such things appears to me to be ridiculous.

The fear of beheading can cause a man to live a relatively peaceful and subservient life.  The fear of a law that takes off one’s hand or arm or leg, this can cause a man to live a relatively peaceful life among his brothers.

But from what I know about the laws of Islam it is not a peaceful religion at all.  It is a body of laws regulated by fear.  There can be no peace among people who fear the eyes of one another. 

Don’t the secular people do the same things?  Don’t they fear one another’s eyes to the point that they desire to live in peace?  Their god is the dollar bill and fame.  But the construct of their worship is based on fear.

I would have believe the words of the Islamist who spoke those things if he had used the word passive.  “Our religion teaches passivity.”  Yes I would have believed that.

In this world of utter chaos and greed, there can be no peace.  The peace that Jesus teaches comes from a war within the man.

I may have written this without knowledge.  It may be a jumbled mess of words.  But I’m sick and tired of hearing people use God to support their inactivity toward what is true peace.

Just for the sake of clarity I’m going to leave this as it is.  It’s just one man speaking his own mind in a din of futile conversation.

Hidden? No.

They hide behind their eyes;
Concealing their perceptions.

They hide behind their ears;
Morphing what they heard.

They hide behind their arms;
A fake embrace of welcome.

They hide behind their handshake;
Never intending to fulfill their agreement.

They hide behind their lips;
Speaking golden liquid words.

In this they hide from God’s people.  Yet truth reveals enough.

But they cannot hide from God.

If they hide from his people, what will they do when they are face to face with he who has seen all?

Cutting the Difference

Christmas is coming.  Many will now turn to a false religion.  From their daily life of caring nothing for the things of God, they will now act as though the gospel belongs to them.  They will quote a portion of Scripture that says, “Peace on earth and goodwill to men”.

Smiles on peoples faces, music of God will fill the air, and winter will force a certain diminishing of wickedness.  Ungodly behavior is but a seed planted in late fall.  A treasure of the wicked waiting to sprout in spring.

Christmas is a time of year when the word of Jesus gets passed around rather fluidly.  But what about the other 11 months of the year?

Consider these tidbits  from the Bible.

1 Peter 4:
17 For it is time for judgment to begin with God’s household; and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not obey the gospel of God? 18 And,

“If it is hard for the righteous to be saved,
what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?”

Proverbs:
30 The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life,
and the one who is wise saves lives.
31 If the righteous receive their due on earth,
how much more the ungodly and the sinner!

Luke 2:
13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

14 “Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

2 Timothy:
19 Nevertheless, God’s solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription: “The Lord knows those who are his,” and, “Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness.”

____________________
Seek the Lord’s favor while it is still called today.

Merry Christmas?

Is it ridiculous to say “Merry Christmas” to the rebellious souls of this world?  Someone would answer, “Why would you not put a smile on someone else’s face”?

Isn’t saying Merry Christmas to one who does not have eternal life in Christ, like trying to make a condemned prisoner smile by telling him the world will soon be rid of a murderer?  Do you really expect him to share in your joy?  Are you right to try to give him a hope that does not belong to him?

What does Merry Christmas mean?  Isn’t it that we take joy in the work of Christ within us?  Isn’t it that eternal life IS, because God cannot lie and has sealed his promise with the blood of His Holy and Righteous Son?  And doesn’t the promise from the Holy Spirit give us a quiet joy that is inexpressible to the ears of Man?  Isn’t this what Merry Christmas means?

For those who believe and receive His guidance toward righteousness and purity, indeed Christmas can be merry.  But for those who simply want a smile, a gift, and a good work, Christmas cannot be eternally merry.  It is impossible for such creatures to grasp the meaning of “Merry Christmas”.

I’m not saying we should be cruel.  But I am saying we should think about what tradition tells us to do.  Falsehood can come in a beautiful evening gown, dancing elegantly in a sparkling ballroom.  Do we really desire truth?

How unpopular this message must be for so many.