Three New Additions To My Desk

-
Image
Actually, it’s an ad-duck-tion. I missed the perfect opportunity to say, “and they’re in a row, too!” Silly goose. 

The Forgiveness Factor (part 5): “Don’t be ignorant of Satan’s schemes” (2 Cor. 2:11)

-
Satan can say many thing to deceive us. He could say things like:

  • “There is no God.” The difficulty with this is that the evidence of God is overwhelming. Anyone who has the faith to believe Satan’s lie, God calls a “Fool.” 
  • “There is no judgment.” The difficulty here is that anyone and everyone know that actions have consequences, not to mention the sense of “guilt” and “shame.”
Instead, Satan's says things like this: “there is no hurry. Just listen to God’s word, and take care of matters--later.” You know as well as I that “later” never comes.

Why should Satan gain by tempting us to put off what God says to do today--specifically, to forgive someone who turns from their sin, their own wrong-doing? God calls coveting a sin. A person who will go to ANY means to gain what they want, even if it means withholding forgiveness, is exactly like Satan, the devil. Why should Satan gain by deceiving the Church except to scar what Christ is building.

Realize what Paul is saying here: the Church is to enjoy fellowship, communion with one another. Christians are to be known by “LOVE.”
  • If (in the name of “love”) the church does nothing about sin in the church, Satan makes ugly what Christ makes beautiful in the Church, by building with people called OUT of the world. LOVE is not permissive!
  • If (in the name of “love”) the church does not restore one who repents to fellowship, then Satan makes ugly what Christ makes beautiful in the Church with unkindness, unforgiveness. 
While Satan takes pot shots at the flags of the Kingdom (stirring up trouble with minor issues), we level our cannon at the foundations of the gates of hell to bring the whole thing down around his head.

We don’t have to be outwitted by Satan!

Chuck Swindoll reminded me how kids throw rocks at frogs for fun, but adults tend to throw rocks at each other--and spit. It even happens in the church. Sometimes rocks are thrown with no intention of causing hurt or harm--just like kids skip rocks at the lake. But accidents do happen. “I was only kidding” doesn’t stop internal bleeding. Neither does withholding forgiveness.

Popular posts from this blog

“Men and women who saw God in the Bible: Why did they not all die?”

-
July 2004 I went to Kenya, Africa to speak in two Pastor’s Conferences on the subject of Man, Sin and Salvation. At the end of each day I left just over an hour for questions (half the time were questions touching the subject of my lectures, and the other half for “open questions”; that is, people could ask anything). For the next few weeks, I will be sharing the questions that were asked of me, and my answers—and believe me when I say these people really know how to think! Question from Kenya #1: “Men and women who saw God in the Bible: Why did they not all die?” [“ But He said, ‘You cannot see My face, for no man can see Me and live! ’” (Exodus 33:20) was the basis of the student’s question]. Answer: First, consider those who did see God—how did they respond when they saw Him? They were instantly aware of their sinfulness, and God’s holiness and righteousness (to name a few. And notice also that each responded in an attitude of worship, bowing down): Abraham built altars, wors
Read more

A Sonnet

-
“My God, where is that ancient heat towards thee, Wherewith whole shoals of martyrs once did burn, Besides their other flames? Doth poetry Wear Venus' livery? only serve her turn? Why are not sonnets made of thee? and lays Upon thine altar burnt? Cannot thy love Heighten a spirit to sound out thy praise As well as any she? Cannot thy Dove Outstrip their Cupid easily in flight? Or, since thy ways are deep, and still the fame, Will not a verse run smooth that bears thy name! Why doth that fire, which by thy power and might Each breast does feel, no braver fuel choose Than that, which one day, worms may chance refuse. Sure Lord, there is enough in thee to dry Oceans of ink; for, as the Deluge did Cover the earth, so doth thy Majesty: Each cloud distills thy praise, and doth forbid Poets to turn it to another use. Roses and lilies speak thee; and to make A pair of cheeks of them, is thy abuse Why should I women's eyes for crystal take? Such poor invention burns in their low mind Wh
Read more

A Fresh Perception

-
Image
  “In primitive times, when man awakes in a world that is newly created, poetry awakes with him. In the face of the marvellous things that dazzle and intoxicate him, his first speech is a hymn simply. He is still so close to God that all his meditations are ecstatic, all his dreams are visions. His bosom swells, he sings as he breathes. His lyre has but three strings—God, the soul, creation; but this threefold mystery envelopes everything, this threefold idea embraces everything. The earth is still almost deserted. . . . He leads that nomadic pastoral life with which all civilizations begin, and which is so well adapted to solitary contemplation, to fanciful reverie. He follows every suggestion, he goes hither and thither, at random. His thought, like his life, resembles a cloud that changes its shape and its direction according to the wind that drives it. Such is the first man, such is the first poet. He is young, he is cynical. Prayer is his sole religion, the ode is his only form of
Read more