Category: Salvation

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ILLUSION OF PERFECTION

Perfection is like a dog chasing his tail. He may never catch it and if he did it would hurt. Perfection is that thing we sometimes pursue but never reach.

After almost seven decades on this ball of dirt, many things in my life can be described as in the words of an old Scottish man, “Well, that’a do!” I have come to realize some skills I have tried to perfect ended up with the grade of “B” or a “C”. I’ll just need to live with “that’a do.”

Some things look perfect at a distance. We could name celebrities who looked as if they had it all, but then we were shocked when their lives dissolved into ruin.

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Parched Piece of Ground

I hear people talking about leaving a legacy and I understand their sentiment, but often it has a scent of narcissism. After all, legacy is an earthly reminder of a person’s achievements while the crowns in Heaven are thrown down at the throne of God. My simple mind tells me to just be faithful in the Kingdom of God and leave the accounting to God’s record.

In 2 Samuel 24 and 1 Chronicles 21, the Bible tells a sin in King David’s life. He sinned by numbering Israel out of a bad motive. Instead of trusting God, he trusted the strong arm of flesh. He wanted to feel secure in the number of warriors he had at his disposal. Joab, the leader of the army, was sent throughout the land to take a census of his fighting men.

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Wars and Rumors of Wars

One source said there are currently thirty-two conflicts around the world. We are most familiar with the smoke of war rising from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and Hamas invading Israel this week (October 2023) from Gaza. The war in Israel seems to be ramping up as Israel readies to destroy Hamas. We see wars and hear rumors of wars.

President Woodrow Wilson spoke about the Great War (WW1) as, “This is the war to end all wars.” If he could come back today, I am sure he would want some hot sauce to use on the words he would eat. By the way, he borrowed and slightly changed the phrase originally coined by H. G. Wells, a British author, who said, “The war that will end war.” Either version is a cruel joke.

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Meaning of Life

Now I have jumped into the deep end of the pool! Philosophers, theologians, scientists, and freshmen plebes have tolled over the meaning of life for millenniums. The phrase, “meaning of life” asks the question: “Why are we here?”

There is a simple, short answer that satisfies most of us, but begs for more of the curious, introspective types. The short but grand answer is simply, God created us and desires to have a relationship with us fulfilling His purpose. But let us go a little further.

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Wake Up!

If you think long and hard about sleep, the whole concept is a little weird. Your conscious self goes somewhat dormant and oblivious to your surroundings for almost a third of the day. Yeah, just admit it, it is weird, but we have done it all our lives.

Most of us during periods of our lives went through a time when we were just sleep-walking through life. We were doing the same thing day in and day out in a semi-slumber mode. Then something dramatic happens and we are awakened to a new reality.

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Shadow of Darkness

In the history of the world, there have been seasons or eras of great darkness. One example in the last century was the Great Depression which was sandwiched between the two Great World Wars. These three events cast a dark shadow over the world for about thirty-one continuous years. The world has been under a shadow of darkness since the fall of man in the book of Genesis.

Amid this darkness, there have been periods of relative peace and prosperity. Jesus spoke about this darkness and His light, “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world” (John 16:33 NKJV).

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Shadow of the Cross, Light of Christ

“For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ” (2 Cor. 4:6 NKJV).

The day of Christ’s crucifixion was a dark day when the sinless Lamb of God was stripped, beaten, crucified, and killed. It was the fulfillment of God’s plan for the Sinless Son to die for the sinners of the world. “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him (2 Cor. 5:21 NKJV).

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Do We Look For Another?

When John the Baptist was in prison, he sent two of his disciples to Jesus to ask a question, “Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?” (Matt. 11:3 NKJV). It seems a strange question coming from the prophet who saw the Spirit descending like a dove on Jesus and hearing the voice of the Father declaring from Heaven, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (Matt. 3:17 NKJV).

One would think John would not have had any second thoughts. Of course, I can sit in the comforts of my home and speculate, but I’m not in a cold, damp, stinking dungeon. Maybe he thought, If the Messiah has come, then why has my situation turned into a miserable mess?

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Redemption Parable

I remember as a child singing the hymn written by James Rowe and titled “Redeemed” with the refrain bouncing off the walls of our country church and settling into my spirit, 

I’m redeemed by love divine!
Glory, glory! Christ is mine, Christ is mine! 
All to Him I now resign, resign
I have been redeemed, redeemed!

Redemption Parable
One day vicious raiders from the north country raided our village. They broke into all our houses, stealing all the precious items our families had worked hard to provide. The men were ruthless and merciless.

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