A Pleasant Life

Probably the most common human view is that it's God's role to make people's lives pleasant. Even many Christians see God that way. When things aren't pleasant, we wonder just how God has messed up this time. Doesn't He love us anymore? Did He ever really love us? Why are we serving God if He doesn't respond in kind? Why are we going to church more or less regularly and sometimes even tithing and usually forgiving others if we feel like it and maybe even sacrificing something because it's the Christian thing to do? Why go through all of that if God doesn't make my life pleasant?

A Round of Mercy and Rescue, on the House, for the House

I've been thinking a lot lately about the Big Time need the folks on this planet, this nation (oh, this nation!), my family!, ME!, are in fresh need, huge need, overwhelming need of God's mercy and rescue. He has to supply these things, in abundance, or they just aren't going to happen. We cannot fix ourselves. Society can't fix us. Government can't fix us. False religion can't fix us.

That's why I've adapted a line from old TV Westerns about the bartender who yells "Drinks are on the House!", meaning free drinks for everyone in the place. It's usually done to conclude a fight scene or celebrate something big.

Midnight Madness Sale

This is about a strong sense I've had the last few days that, frankly, I don't recall ever having before. Here's what I'm feeling. I'll try to use as few words as possible.

All over the world, the Lord is sweeping people into the Kingdom in huge numbers and at a very rapid rate. He is very much enjoying Himself.

That's pretty much it, except that I also keep getting the sense of a Midnight Madness Sale, the kind that a large store would have the night before Christmas Eve. The kind where people are lined up waiting to get in, then pushing their way in, finally rushing through the store and down the aisles, grabbing things right and left and filling their baskets as fast as they can. A deep sense of haste and excitement and hurry hurry hurry fills the whole place.

The Three Salvations

(I expand on these thoughts in the Post titled "Sanctification, the Middle Stage of Salvation". That Post will make more sense if you read this Post first.)

I'd like to say that Faith and Trust are two sides of the same coin, but there's really far more to it than that. When done right, both Faith and Trust lead to a full dependency upon God's provision and redemption. What He does for us is so overwhelming and immeasurable that I'm likely to understate it no matter how I try not to.

For now, though, I'm leaning towards saying that Faith and Trust are two facets of a many-faceted diamond. In my metaphor, the diamond represents a person's fully reconciled and restored relationship with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. That person is now free from God's wrath and ultimate judgement upon all that is unholy, unclean, and incompatible with His essence. A good Bible word that sums up that fully reconciled and restored relationship is "Salvation": Saved from myself, saved from His wrath, saved for His heart's delight.

Sanctification, the Middle Stage of Salvation

(This Post will make more sense if you read its companion Post, "The Three Salvations", first.)

I must say that one of the most important things I've learned over the years is that I'm not very good, not at all good, at fixing myself. At best, I can do a little around the edges, adjust around some weakness, put on a happy face, maybe make a new and improved habit or two, but I can't really fix the underlying parts of my essence that still need fixing. These are the deep parts of me that should pass away but don't. They keep hanging around, contaminating how I feel and think and act.

No matter how well we cover and disguise it, what's inside of us will come out some way some how, yes it will. No matter how difficult it is for these things to be fixed, I'm not excused from trying to fix them. I have to try -- woe is me if I don't try! -- but I also recognize that I'm really dependent upon the Holy Spirit to clean the inside of the cup. To be sure, there are days that I can make the outside of the cup look pretty good, but the inside? Let's be transparent and honest.

The One Thing I Must Have

We all have wish lists of things that we'd like. Take a moment now and think about what's on your wish list.

Maybe your wish list includes things like "I want my loved ones to be healthy, to be happy, to love the Lord and walk with Him all of their lives." The list may also include good health, more money, a better job, less debt, and freedom from some sin or pattern of failure. It could go down to things like a new roof for your house, a new car, new appliances and furniture. There are many other altruistic things that may be on your list, such as the desire to be fruitful in His service.

Like many folks, I've experienced great loss. I don't consider any of it exceptional, but it's been nonetheless very hard.

Humble, Contrite, & Broken vs. a Heart of Stone

God is not looking for ways to keep you or anyone else out of heaven. Quite the contrary: He's looking for ways to get you in.

The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. (2 Peter 3:9)