TRUE LIFE

What does it mean to truly be alive? As I sit here today I am reminded of my fragility as a human being and, upon deeper reflection, am reassured all the more that, though this life is important, it is not all that there is. Beneath the surface of this momentary existence is something perpetual, everlasting, eternal, working inside of me, restoring and renewing and regenerating a call for TRUE LIFE, inextinguishable by human means.

Jesus Christ, Lord and Savior, thank you this day for being the light that shines in the darkness; that draws me from the depths of any despair this world may bring; and renews me as only an eternal spring can – hopeful and vibrant, fearless; yet, fearing and knowledgeable of God the Almighty and respectful to the TRUE LIFE, eternal, which he has granted me through Jesus Christ.

Your uniqueness is a Divine Act!

The Relativists’ claim

This does not mean anything, categorically, nevertheless, there is the claim, mostly presented by many Relativists, co-opted from the Bible, that no one should judge anyone else, for in the same manner they judge others, likewise, they will be judged. They have joined this with another powerful rule which is not so much a rule when accurately analyzed; but, rather, an opinion that has gone awry, simply because it has not been subjected to critical analysis – that is, the more things become different; the more things become the same.

When used in combination, these two claims present a challenge against every rugged individualist that, if they should think themselves so haughty as to suggest that they can pioneer some new effort, or idea about anything, it is considered by these Relativists to be overly pious for them to think so; and, furthermore, bigoted, selfish, and the height of egomania to do so – as if it were criminal, in the same sense Hitler was criminal to have fashioned Nazism around his ego.

The problem with this claim by many Relativists leads to many problems which can be cleared up with one picture – a sunset.

A sunset, or a sunrise, is something that, once seen, witnessed, gloried in and, digested for what it is, is something that gives witness to a unique event – yes, I did say unique, as in, there will never be another sunset like it, no matter where you look in the world and no matter how many times you repeat the process. Each sunset or sunrise is unique, for many special reasons, but simply for just one – the feelings, emotions, history, etc. that a person brings into that event is unique. What the person is going through in their own very precise point in the universe, at any moment in time, is particularly unique to them at that precise moment, never to be duplicated again by any other set of uniquely collaborated series of events.

The United States Declaration of Independence is also a call to protect individuals’ rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness – and, the right to express oneself freely and independently.

No, we are all not going towards the BORG, i.e. some universal assimilation whereby we lose such individual liberties and freedoms!

Our uniqueness is a Divine Act, whereby God continues to develop an eternally rich and diverse universe, neverending and, always interesting just because of those very diversities. Let freedom ring but at least give thanks to God from which all richness in such flows.

The Peace of the Salvation Piece

If one could devise a system of government and rules whereby all men could live peaceably in such a utopia, there would be no need for the Salvation of Jesus Christ; for Christ came for sinners.
Is this ever going to happen?

No.

All anyone has to do is simply ask – how hard is it to push away from that last jelly donut; or, how difficult is it to fight the urge to watch the next blockbuster movie, even if it goes against some of ones very own ideas of what is right or wrong? Have you ever watched a movie, just in order to know what the controversy behind the movie was? As a matter of fact, this is most likely one of the very tactics by which some savvy movie makers decide just how it is they can generate the most interest in their project, i.e. can people be enticed to see the movie just because of the very nature of its controversy?

Maybe this musing comes about naturally at this moment because, for once, and at last, France has decided to stand up to the Islamists in the world, in Mali in North Africa. This needs to be applauded as loudly and widely and on the rooftops across the world as a great sign of hope – that, if France can stand up against Islamists, then maybe there is, yet, hope in this world – that America and the UK and others, that have been doing their part, won’t have to go it alone!
And maybe, just maybe, the popularity of one blockbuster movie, Les Miserables, had something to do with France’s stance in Mali.

We’re always going to need the Salvation of Jesus Christ for all of us have sinned, are going to sin; or by some means, are going to miss what God has planned for us – and it is for this fact, that we are not perfect and cannot overcome our imperfection to sin, that Jesus came:
“Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” – Luke 23:34

God Bless France’s efforts in Mali and if you haven’t seen Les Miserables, what are you waiting for???

The link for the free YouTube of the Musical is on my Authors Tab – under View Complete Profile.

“Upon this rock…” Matthew 16: 13-18

“13 When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am? 14 And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets. 15 He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? 16 And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. 17 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. 18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”

I stumbled upon the rock pictured while hiking and was taken by its look. I wondered, “There are those that would say this rock is the result of 13 billion or so years of natural evolution. They are entitled to their opinion and I respect them wholeheartedly for their faith in the matter. I choose, rather, to believe that nothing so amazing as this rock could have been made other than by the hands of a divine maker – and not one who just set a clock to ticking and left, as some divine watchmaker.

No, the Lord Jesus Christ who, as the chief cornerstone of the church was laid bare then risen by God was in no way absent from his Creation, ever. Even dying for our sins, God the Father in the Trinity oversaw Jesus’ resurrection and, upon Jesus’ ascension to Heaven, sent the Holy Spirit.

We have never been alone and as I walked by the rock pictured; nor was I. It caused me to reflect on just how glorious the Lord and all his creation is.

Longsuffering

In 2 Peter 3:9 we find this concerning the Lord: “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”

Through the Law of the Old Testament we see the law convicting us of how sinful we are apart from the Lord. The Law serves to describe how impossible it is to be free from sin, if we only have the law. The law condemns us of sin. If we are truthful to ourselves we see this; if not, we are deluded, ignorantly bliss. We’ve all been there, are going there, or are determined not to go there – but our determination must be married with and determined along the line of grace.

Jesus gives us freedom from sin. He was tempted as we are but was perfect. Only in immersion with him, daily, momentarily, as we breathe each breath and commit ourselves to every task whereby we walk in this world, remembering him, can we truly experience the freedom in Christ. We are immortally destined for goodness in him, to be in his light, with God’s presence and companionship all the days of our lives; apart from which we are lost. The moment they accept and start walking in the light of the Lord, freed FROM sin and death, Christians experience the peace of Christ; but must walk in faith, in order to come into the wholeness of God – this may only take a lifetime 🙂 – but it will be a life well spent.

Christ said on the cross – “It is finished.”

It is not that God is silent when bad things happen here or when justice appears not to be meted out on our terms for the terrors of this world. Nor did he create the terrors of this world that are the result from separation from Him.

He is longsuffering, patient and waiting for any of us that would turn to him – his door, through Christ, is always open. We have but one thing to do – to enter in and abide in Him and as he draws us unto him, by being open and available and calling to us through his Holy Spirit, he will abide in us. This is where David of the Old Testament became convicted and rested, “Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee,” – Psalm 119:11.

It took David a long time to get there and he paid for his transgressions for it was his son, Solomon, who would build the temple and not him. Like Moses who was kept from entering into the promised land because of his anger; David was refrained in his sins. We all have fallen and are fallen, sinful; yet, we have grace and the Lord is merciful and, waiting, LONGSUFFERING.

Though it may appear cloudy God is there – waiting, brilliant and pure. Our path is narrow; but it leads to infinite care, comfort and fulfillment in God – and God is our Creator, full with infinite beauty and all things that, beyond this world of sin, and free from sin, are glorious. We need but anchor to this and lay our treasure up in Heaven. Though we are here for a blink of an eye, we need but remind ourselves of this daily.

When my children were very young I climbed a mountain and they saw me go up. One was scared and the other had no fear at all. One was a danger to himself for lack of fear and the other would not see the glory of the mountaintop view because of his fear.

Likewise, we are so when contemplating the glory to come. It will make this world seem but a blink. We must temper our anchoring with the fact that; though in the world, we are not of the world. If we want to see the glory of God, bathe in it and bring it back to this world we have to remember that this world is, yet, dangerous.
But to what degree? It can do but one thing, kill me and make the mortal immortal.
Otherwise, I must not refrain from revealing the source of my light, my Lord, Jesus Christ – longsuffering, that I might not perish; nor you, if you so choose to climb the mountain, tempered by fear of God and his grace; not by this world and its temporary hold on you.

I’m not asking you to jump off the cliff, like our US economy is doing. I’m just asking you to take a look into the book that shows all God’s heavenly glory; and yes, this world’s sin, which is simply this – everything apart from Him.

Nevertheless, there is this indesputable fact, the Lord will be known throughout the world and thus, the choice:

Isaiah 11:9 – “They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.”

God simply wants us to be free from the terror of this world by abiding in Him. He is longsuffering in this cause, gave his only begotten Son for this cause; and, because he knows we are subject to sin, is waiting patiently for us to turn to him – but he is not absent. He is more glorious and powerful than the sun behind the clouds for he is the maker thereof and we are blind not to believe and think so.

It is we and not him who suffer from our not relating to him, though his suffering for us not seeing this so is long. So he waits. He has done all he can do, other than to wait for us to say, “Father, I’ve come home. Now, please forgive me and lead me for I have tried my way and have done so to the ends of this world, and it is passing; forgive me for being so clouded in my thinking…”

New Year’s Proclamation

As this year closes I am reminded of the very long war, now in its 11th year since 9/11; but so much longer in actual terms, that is, since Mohammed claimed a Jesus Christ who, in the Quran, is not the Savior but only a prophet. The Jesus Christ this blog was started in remembrance of resurrects, overcomes sin and death and is in no way just a prophet. God forbid. I will hold true to this proclamation in the years to come and remember how much my Lord gave, so that I might be free – truly free, as none can take away, ever.

This world is passing…But Jesus’ love for you never will.

Merry Christmas

Winter strips the leaves away; but hope brings its reward…

“It’s cold out there…” says the weatherman in one of my favorite movies, Groundhog Day. Yes, the leaves have fallen and we’re settling in for winter. But spring will come, most assuredly, and with that, we’ll have leaves once again on our trees. The Holy Spirit of the Lord our God can thaw the most frozen of hearts, if only we let him. He’s there waiting, it just takes us reacting to his invitation. Peace.

A Constant for Chaotic Times