The Most Important Thing

Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.” 

And if you call on him as Father who judges impartially according to each one’s deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile, knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot. 

He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you who through him are believers in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God. Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart, since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God; for

“All flesh is like grass

and all its glory like the flower of grass.

The grass withers,

and the flower falls,

but the word of the Lord remains forever.”

And this word is the good news that was preached to you.

1 Peter 1:13-25

Go Tell That Long Tongued Liar

 

His life ended with forgiveness. To everyone who turned him in he gave a nod and a whisper. 

"I don't blame you," he said. 

She stared at him like they'd just met. For too long she'd believed him. 

"We have to kill them before they kill us," and he ordered in the tanks. 

She had no idea what she was doing. Killing, they were actually talking about killing. 

"When did I lose you?" He wanted to know. 

She had to think about it. One day he was the man in white, the next he was suspect. Then he was guilty. 

"It didn't make sense," was all she could say. "They were weaker than us, but we chased after them like they were stronger."

Well you may throw your rock and hide your hand

Workin' in the dark against your fellow man

But as sure as God made black and white

What's done in the dark will be brought to the light

You can run on for a long time

Run on for a long time

Run on for a long time

Sooner or later God'll cut you down

Sooner or later God'll cut you down

Go tell that long tongued liar

Go and tell that midnight rider

Tell the rambler, the gambler, the back biter

Tell 'em that God's gonna cut you down

That morning he didn't expect to be pleading for his life by noon. He stirred his coffee, disregarded was she'd said, and made his plans. He didn't plan to be on that stage, but when every camera and light was on him something brought him down. He confessed. 

The words wouldn't stop. He was on his knees with his head down, face to face with what he had done. Conviction is a gift. It's not like the guilt he had managed to ignore. Guilt won't change you. Conviction lifts you up and puts you where you were supposed to be. 

They called for his head then. Of course they did. No one calls for their own head. No one blames themselves. 

The hope of forgiveness was all he had, so he gave it to his friends and he gave to his enemies. What happened to him after that? If you have ever been forgiven you know.

If you've served, God bless you. If you are serving, God keep you.

What Matters

 

She worked harder. A voice assured her it would make her strong. She didn't want to be strong. She wanted that giant rock out of her way and then she wanted to go home and be loved. That's what mattered to her, being needed and wanted. She was broken by the screaming world around her. All their lies stood in the path of the boulder she was pushing up a hill. Evil sings a song. The lyrics say you should waste your time doing whatever doesn't matter.

Ahead of her on the bridge, a man crouched over the rail, about to jump. He was seconds from it, his pain reaching up to pluck him from safety. God heard her screaming. Take him off the bridge. Take him home. Let him see You. Why? I need some light. I need hope, too. The man stepped from the ledge and headed home, shocked that he wasn't invisible. Someone saw me on the bridge. Have you ever been seen like that?

There is Someone who made all life and you along with it. Can you hear Him? A still, quiet whisper. This is what matters.