Ashes to Beauty

Consider the world:

The world loves teenagers engrossed in sexual activity and innuendos, as long as the teenagers look good and are not their children.

The world loves occult symbolism and sees abominations like the melding of human life with that of beasts (vampires, werewolves...) as "cool" and "powerful."

Many churches have used methods of luring teenagers (as well as adults) with satisfaction of the flesh as a means to draw them in.

People are going to hell, and we're getting angry about our cellular phone reception. We're yelling at our children and parents about a homework assignments or reports that will be forgotten in under 4 months.

We will spend 3-4 hours watching a football game on television or in person, but to spend 30 minutes a day in the Bible (reading it) consistently is heroic. That is, we'll spend all day with men, and nearly none of the day with God. Prayer hasn't even been mentioned.

We look less like followers of God and primarily look like the lovers of the world. If a basketball player is recognized as such because he spends a lot of time playing and practicing the game and its fundamentals along with preparing for basketball play by working his body into submission to be strong for such play, then how might the Christian life look? I am not saying, what should one hope to achieve. An individual who does not do the aforementioned is not considered a basketball player. Indicators mark the individual. Fruit is born which identifies the tree. Perhaps the Christian is known by his love? What does love look like? If you don't know, then you can be somewhat assured that you are in desperate need of the Lord to save you, because the Scriptures exclaim that "he who does not love (practice love), does not know God. By this the love of God has been manifested in us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as the propitiation for our sins." Repent, that is confess your sins before the Lord, having hated Him with your life by attempting to live without His provision and as if you were not constantly sustained in your life because of His awesome power and grace toward you. He is so wonderful that He has provided for you a way to be freed from sin which binds you to death. You look around and watch men pass away like breaths. Do you wonder where they go - what's "next?" Call upon the Lord immediately. Do not delay to seek Him with an acknowledgment of His way as being right and good, and O so gracious to all of us. For each of us has gone astray, to his own way (a way that we considered right in our own eyes), but God has not left us without hope. Though we deserved none, for our sins are many, God provided one able to bear the full brunt of His wrath against all sins for all time. He was the One. Only He could withstand His own fury, and He laid upon His Son, Jesus Christ, all iniquity, though Jesus was without any sin. Jesus received the wrath and fury which we rightly deserved, and by His receiving that punishment which was ours, He reconciles those who believe and trust in Him (acknowledge His goodness and grace toward all men in such faithfulness - that He has always done good to us according to His own benevolence and not our merit). Having reconciled us to the Father, Jesus justifies the Father's long-suffering with sinners. God is not unjust to pardon them because His Son has taken away the wrath they deserved. In Christ, we have no condemnation. And, in doing this, He did not act unjustly toward Christ because He did not let Him see decay, but raised Him to life and set Christ above all things (preeminent). We can be assured that the work God started in justifying us before the Father will be completed in raising us with Him on that Day.


Having repented, believe that such is the truth, the Scriptures attest to it. The state of the world demonstrates its truth to degree. Life passes away quickly. The heavens above and the earth show forth the truth of God's generosity in providing all good things, sun and rain on all creation. Read the Bible daily if you're literate (assumed as you read this blog), and pray constantly for the grace which comes from God on the throne, the love of God treating us according to His good Name, and not having treated us according to our worth or merit. When we see that God's loving-kindness toward us is greater than the heavens are high above the earth, we must realize not only that God is magnificent and lavish in His love, but we must also realize how pitiful we are. We have no justification for pride as God's love, so great, is necessary for our salvation and sustenance. We have not breathed life into our lungs or provided prey for our own catching. God has given it all. Take joy in this, for just as He has been faithful in providing what was undeserved, He will surely be faithful in providing what Christ does deserve, and that which we are to receive in Christ. His righteousness is ours, just as our sins were removed to Him. O how amazing that He would receive our punishment and we would receive His reward. Let your lips not cease to praise our God so wonderful.

Be baptized. Attest to this truth and demonstrate before other believers and the world your proclamation in this outward testament to God's grace toward you. His life was given so that you might live in Him; therefore, live in Him, giving your undeserved life to Him with great joy - as only in Him is your life secure. Love others, including no less those undeserving or ungrateful because in the same way God was merciful toward you. Men and women and children are perishing to everlasting torment forever. And, as you delight in your God Who deserves the praise you give Him from all men, make known His goodness among them. O the sadness of the position they are in, just as dire as it was for you and I before the Lord plucked us from impending doom, rescuing us. O that He might do the same for others. He is so good He ought to be proclaimed as Lord by every tongue (and will on one day). Take joy in this truth. Do you not feel anything in your spirit in regard to the state of those who do not know this? Let us pray that God might create in us greater passion for His glory and take it to the neighbors and nations so that they might too have a chance to delight in God rather than be damned forever.