Not all who come are precious guests. There are both bad fish and good caught in the Kingdom’s net and the bad must necessarily be thrown away. There are those who enter in to feast with the saints who do not have on a wedding garment. These too must be thrown out.
The precious guest, not known by appearance, is the one whom the Lord has brought into our midst to become one with us in Him. That guest may not be treated as a guest in worldly terms of hospitality and politeness. He may indeed be reproved and rebuked, told the truth, unpleasant to him as it may seem but by the grace of God, he will believe, respond and discover he is indeed a precious guest, beloved among the brethren.
You have come not only because
You have chosen to do so
But you have been brought here
To rest and to be comforted,
To hear a word in due season,
A good word,
Whether it soothes or hurts,
Whether it heals or cuts,
But the truth will make you free
Nevertheless.
You have here a shelter from the storm,
A haven of sweet rest,
If you receive it as such.
Bring in your peace with you
If you wish it to be returned,
And forsake everything unclean.
Take off your shoes
And rest awhile.
May you be blessed and nourished,
Strengthened and healed,
Prepared to continue your journey
In an alien world,
In an hostile environment
Because you are His.
We hope you’ll be washed of this world’s dust,
Bathed in the Word of God;
We hope you’ll take on
A fresh change of clothes
And armour for trials ahead.
Sit awhile,
Fellowship with us,
And know our home is yours,
If you are His,
Because this home is His
And what is His is yours.
Lethbridge, Oct. 1, 1984
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English - Chinese Often and for long periods of time does God hide Himself from His called one, even as He did with all the saints and prophets of old and to the present. We desire so much to walk by sight, as in this world, but must learn to walk by faith, by the little given knowledge of the unknown, the Unknown, that we may know Him. And though He hides Himself to try us, He is always there...there is nowhere one can go from His presence. Yet one can choose to do so, and the one choosing so is not called. Emptiness is not a bad sign in itself as one might suppose. I am ill with sorrow and grief, Vexation and loneliness; My soul is filled with groanings and longings; I look in all directions; I reach out; My hand returns empty; Tears fill my soul; I cry and cry and cry; There is no one to comfort, to console, to ease my pain. Day after day, year after year, Decade after decade, I wait, I long, I cry, I heave and sigh. There is none to understand. I wait for morning; I wait for evening; I am desolate. I eat, I sleep, I cry... Is it sin I say I don't have That causes me to be this way - Desperate, sad, lonely, unfulfilled, Useless, despised, unwanted? This is not the abundant life; Though I have my carnal needs met And freedom to come and go, Yet I have nowhere to come and nowhere to go. All is quiet, uneventful, drab and grey. Do I complain Or do I merely state the way things are For those appointed to such by Divine order, N...
Poems on The Path of Truth
It is bad enough to watch a dog vomit though by vomiting it may well expel that which ails it. Then it is a pleasant experience to behold a healthy creature. But bad is bad when one witnesses the return of a dog to its vomit only to lick it up again. I do not know of many more disgusting spectacles to witness in all of existence. Up from the pits of Hell Come the vilest of the vile; These are the has-beens of yester-year, Full of venom and guile. These have known the truth of God; They have known His love and power, His mercy to loveless men; His goodness has made them sour. Why do angels fall? Why do just men call On gods who have nothing to give? Why do fools choose death In order that they may live? Now here is a marvelous thing That would make any devil sing: It is easier to find The seeing man crying to be blind Than it is the blind to see. Lethbridge, Alta., June 1985