Strong Coffee

"When we pray the heart of God and man align." Because of our humanity we are not shielded nor able to escape the issues of pain, hardship, and suffering that awaits every mortal being. The beauty of our relationship with God, and I would even say the purpose, is how His grace and power works through the frailties of our life; displaying His manifold power in the deepest and darkest valley's of our human experience. People who live outside of this alignment constitutes the majority of mankind. It is among the masses in which we derive a vocabulary of words with seemingly universal application. For example; the word bad, in the sense of badness, is the opposite of good. Bad is bad. If I say to you that I am good you would not think bad. Good is good; bad is bad. However, the carnal words; used by man; often universal in use; are irrelevant and pale to a spiritual lexicon and perspective. Only in alignment with God; through the lens of faith; do we regard our life

I  hope no reader will suppose that 'mere' Christianity is here put for- ward as an alternative to the creeds of the existing communions. . . . . It is more like a hall out of which doors open into several rooms. If I can bring anyone into that hall I shall have done what I attempted. But it is in the rooms, not in the hall, that there are fires and chairs and meals. The hall is a place to wait in, a place from which to try the various doors, not a place to live in. For that purpose the worst of the rooms (whichever that may be) is, I think, preferable. It is true that some people may find they have to wait in the hall for a considerable time, while others feel certain almost at once which door they must knock at. I do not know why there is this difference, but I am sure God keeps no one waiting unless He sees that it is good for him to wait. When you do get into your room you will find that the long wait has done you some kind of good which you would not have had otherwise. Bu

Some writers use the word charity to describe not only Christian love between human beings, but also God's love for man and man's love for God. About the second of these two, people are often worried. They are told they ought to love God. They cannot find any such feeling in themselves. What are they to do? The answer is the same as before. Act as if you did. Do not sit trying to manufacture feelings. Ask your- self, 'If I were sure that I loved God, what would I do?' When you have found the answer, go and do it. On the whole, God's love for us is a much safer subject to think about than our love for Him. Nobody can always have devout feelings: and even if we could, feelings are not what God principally cares about. Christian Love, either towards God or towards man, is an affair of the will. If we are trying to do His will we are obeying the commandment, 'Thou shalt love the Lord thy God.' He will give us feelings of love if He pleases. We cannot creat

As I entered the room there was a deafening silence. For a hospital... this was out of the norm. At any other time there are nurses shuffling in and out, IV's chirping, TV's blaring, custodians rattling carts. Here, there was a erie quietness that made me stop and wonder what was missing. James was lying in his bed. His sheets were pulled over his head . Only his fingers... holding the corners were visible. The linens outlined his body like a cadaver. I called his name       "James"   He lowered the sheet to his chin "Why do you have the sheet over your head?" I asked.     "The light is bothering my eyes" The room was dark. Only a faint light strained through drawn blinds. His eyes were moist.   "Im chaplain Thomas here at the VA. I came by to see how you are doing". "Not too good....               I have a tumor on my brain. They're going to operate               tomorrow and try to relieve this pre

  Awareness of God...fellowship with Him...communion with Him is not an issue of hard or easy. Dwelling beneath the shadow of His wings is simply the surrendering of your consciousness and stillness to the Almighty God.  Tuning your frequency to capture His voice as He shouts and thunders His majesty in all creation.  Capture the aura as the train of His robe fills your temple (Isa 6:1).  He is with you; near you; in you.   Abide with me; fast falls the eventide; The darkness deepens; Lord, with me abide; When other helpers fail and comforts flee, Help of the helpless, oh, abide with me. Swift to its close ebbs out life’s little day; I need Thy presence every passing hour; What but Thy grace can foil the tempter’s pow’r? Who, like Thyself, my guide and stay can be? Through cloud and sunshine, Lord, abide with me

ⓙⓐⓜⓔⓢ ➃:➃ ...Do you not know that  friendship  with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. Worldly ease is a great foe to faith; it loosens the joints of holy valour, and snaps the sinews of sacred courage. - Charles Spurgeon Friendship with the world is when we choose to make an unholy alliance with carnal things over and above our relationship with God. To be entangled with the trappings of this life at the expense of our fellowship with God is an unfruitful and dangerous place to reside. All followers of Christ are vunerable to this trap simply because we are in this world...but not of it. ⓐⓜⓞⓢ ➅:➀ woe  to you who are at  ease  in  Zion...  The only benefit that I can see from the accumulation of worldy goods, wealth, and treasure is to have more to give for the cause of Christ. Otherwise...padding our life with earthly comforts can lead to pride and rebellion. Striving for DEPENDENCE is

AMONG THE MULTITUDE Among the men and women the multitude, I perceive one picking me out by secret and divine signs, Acknowledging none else, not parent, wife, husband, brother, child, any nearer than I am, Some are baffled, but that one is not--that one knows me. Ah lover and perfect equal,    I meant that you should discover me so by faint indirections,        And I when I meet you mean to discover you by the like in you.                                            -Walt Whitman A seeking sinner...A seeking Savior. The twain will surely meet He entered the back of the chapel seeking counsel. He was uncertain of the reason he stopped by here...now...today. He was driven by hunger. Hunger for something deeply satisfying and driven by a hatred of his offenses. He fain would have filled his stomach with the husk that the swine did eat. But he arose and said I will return to my father... A simple request. Can I help you? First...the hunger.

Words failing...fawning about...grasping at syllables. Pointing to his head... his heart. Hoping in some magical way I understood his internal war. A heavy heart buckles under the torrent of tears. At last an audible sentence that clarifies his struggle. "I've seen things. It keeps me awake." Sleep was a stranger to him. Rest was replaced with a dread of ghostly images. Fear had looted his soul. The weight of exhaustion was heavy on his eyes. "It was an IED. It killed the lieutenant outright. My buddy behind me lost his eye. I got shrapnel in my shoulder and stomach. It should have been me that died." Regret...sorrow...loathing...the sum of his fears. Emotions were wild and unpredictable. The uncertainty of each moment was evident in his composure. Compassion mixed with sympathy gave me the urge to embrace him, to grasp him like a mighty oak if only for a moment...to give him a sense of anchor. We sat for long periods of silence. In short word

Strong Coffee: ...Nor Shifted Sphere Confuse Thy Brain : Words failing...fawning about...grasping at syllables. Pointing to his head... his heart. Hoping in some magical way I understood his ...

To deny the existence of hell upsets the entire balance of Scripture. For there to be no hell there would have to be no freewill. If there is no freewill then there would be no transgression. If there is no transgression there is no law. If there is no law then there is no sin. If there is no sin there is no punishment. If there is no punishment then there is no death. If there is no death, there is no need of salvation. If there is no need of salvation; there is no Jesus. If there is no Jesus there is no righteousness. If there is no righteousness then there is no God. If there is no God ... There is no heaven. If there is no heaven it is still the abyss

My precious wife shared with me a quote that she had heard. "When we pray the heart of God and man align." Because of our humanity we are not shielded nor able to escape the issues of pain, hardship, and suffering that awaits every mortal being. The beauty of our relationship with God, and I would even say the purpose, is how His grace and power works through the frailties of our life; displaying His manifold power in the deepest and darkest valley's of our human experience. People who live outside of this alignment constitutes the majority of mankind. It is among the masses in which we derive a vocabulary of words with seemingly universal application. For example; the word bad, in the sense of badness, is the opposite of good. Bad is bad. If I say to you that I am good you would not think bad. Good is good; bad is bad. However, the carnal words; used by man; cosmopolitan in use; are irrelevant and pale to a spiritual lexicon and perspective. Only in alignment wi