Galatians 3:3
Are ye so foolish? Having began in the spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?
Hymn 161. C.M. Reading,[b]
Christian virtures; or, Difficulty of going to Heaven.
Isaac Watts
Strait is the way, the door is strait,
That leads to joys on high;
'Tis but a few that find the gate,
While crowds mistake and die.
Beloved self must be denied,
The mind and will renewed;
Passion suppressed and patience tried,
And vain desires subdued.
(Flesh is a dangerous foe to grace,
Where it prevails and rules;
Flesh must be humbled, pride abased,
Lest they destroy our souls.)
The love of gold be banished hence,
The vile idolatry;
And every member, every sense,
In sweet subjection lie.
The tongue, that most unruly power,
Requires a strong restraint;
We must be watchful every hour,
And pray, but never faint.
Lord! can a feeble, helpless worm,
Fulfull a task so hard?
Thy grace must all my work perform,
And give the free reward.
Last evening was spent in the kayak upon Alligator Lake, sitting for the longest time in this dark lagoon, watching for this beautiful blue necked turkey to return. I used the turkey call several times, but no response. The turkey first appeared when I was busily photographing cypress knees next to the shore. Perhaps the flash attracted her attention. Sensing something in the hammock, I looked up, and there she was, then just as quickly, she was gone.
I had this dream last night, that we were at the final judgement. It was like a gator game, with thousands streaming down the walkways, into these huge convention halls. The line I was in kept breaking down into smaller, then smaller lines, until I was directed into this little tent off to the side and given a ticket. I came back outside, thinking, what now? Thinking perhaps I had entered the wrong line, I again got back into the long line and entered this grand arena, where thousands were happily cheering and waving, as on the jumbotron, they were listening to a speech by Glenn Beck and others. A man from the audience came up to me and we compared tickets.
I looked on his ticket, then mine, and said to him, perhaps you have been deceived. Where on your ticket is it written, Salvation by grace alone? I hurriedly left the large arena, returned to the small tent out of the way from the lights and the crowds, got it punched and entered in.
