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Progress is a funny thing. At first, it can seem like you’re moving on, finally making that leap. Then you realize that instead of moving forward, you’ve slid backward, further and further, until finally you’re using archaic means, instead of the brand new machine that is easier to use, plus faster. (And it’s only yours for 3 payments of $39.95!)

Recently I’ve found that I’ve been caught between two worlds. One is a world that projects laughter, good times, and friends, yet after that layer sucks you into a world of darkness, where you become splintered, butchered, and devoured. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not using nice terms here. Conflicted. Unsure.

As Mr. Spock and/or Tuvok would say, “It is illogical.”

What about the other world? The world of truth, where nobody hides behind a false image. Behind something they are not. A deception. A farce, thrown up to avoid putting their true identity into play. This world, however, seeks to put its true image up as the first thing you see, which is truth and light and holiness. After further thought, which sounds more appealing? The bottomless chasm of no return? Or the place where you don’t want to go back to where you came from, because this new place is so perfect and holy.

In football, referees will sometimes review plays and go “under the hood.” Why? So that they can ascertain the truth about what happened on the previous play. Did he fumble the ball or not? Was his body touching the ground? Did he have 2 feet in bounds?

“After further review, Jesus Christ DID die on the cross. His heart stopped beating, his brain stopped functioning. And after further review, He did rise on the third day.” Amazing.

Being on the fence is not fun. For one thing, it hurts your butt after a while. Secondly, sooner or later you are going to have to make a choice. Why not make the choice now? Life or death? Darkness or light? Good or evil? Righteousness or lawlessness? Which one? Am I making the right choice? Am I choosing correctly? Is my faith enough that I can believe in something I can’t see? Hebrews 11:1 says, “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” We can’t see the wind. But we know it is there.

Who Has Seen the Wind?

by Christina Rossetti

Who has seen the wind?

Neither I nor you:

But when the leaves hang trembling,

The wind is passing through.

Who has seen the wind?

Neither you nor I:

But when the trees bow down their heads,

The wind is passing by.

Spot on. And even if you can’t see God, you can feel Him. There is a lightness in the air, almost as if the air weighs less than it did a second ago, all because He is there. When evil is present, you can feel the oppression, the burden, the being weighed down. And it is painful. To you and to others around you who must feel you.

Hurt yourself, and you slowly hurt others.

So. After all that, where do you end? How do you wrap it up?

You must make a choice. A clear choice. Where do you stand?

I stand on the truth that is presented in the Bible, and the promises God has given through His word, and through Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who, in the ultimate self-sacrifice and self-humiliation, died on the cross, so that we might be saved  from our wretched, total, depraved, and almost inescapable sinful nature.

Not a pretty sight, is it? But you saw the ‘almost’, right? Guess Who made that an almost?

I know where I’m standing. And when Satan comes to call, to butcher me, in whatever way shape or form, be it through any event in my daily life, I know what I say. Andrew Schwab of Project 86 puts it clearly in their song, The Butcher.

Because there is no weapon
There is no blade
You wonder why I’m not afraid?
There is no weapon
There is no blade
You’ll never kill Him that lives inside of me.

This man came to me he was looking for action
Pulling a blade to my neck
He said, “Call me the butcher cause that’s my trade
And you know that I’ve come to collect.” I said “Hit me now
And we’ll see where it leads
Cut me out if you think I will bleed
Strike me down If you think you’re a man
Cause I know that you don’t understand”

Because there is no weapon
There is no blade
You wonder why I’m not afraid?
There is no weapon
There is no blade
You’ll never kill Him that lives inside of me.

He looked into my eyes, all he saw was conviction
Dropping the blade to the earth
I said, “How could you think that I’d ever retreat?
You know that I’m already dead.”

I said “Hit me now
and we’ll see where it leads
Cut me out if you think I will bleed
Strike me down If you think you’re a man
Cause I know that you don’t understand”

Because there is no weapon
There is no blade
You wonder why I’m not afraid?
There is no weapon
There is no blade
I’ve erased all of my fear of the grave

There is no weapon
There is no blade
You wonder why I’m not afraid?
There is no weapon
There is no blade
You’ll never kill Him that lives inside of me.

Because there is no weapon
There is no blade
You wonder why I’m not afraid?
There is no weapon
There is no blade
I’ve erased all of my fear of the grave

There is no weapon
There is no blade
You wonder why I’m not afraid?
There is no weapon
There is no blade
You’ll never kill Him that lives inside of me.

I couldn’t think of a title for this post, which is why I left it at that. I know why though. It is because God is so awe inspiringly big, so huge, so all-encompassing, so mind boggling powerful and eternal, that any name I choose to give Him is insufficient. It would be earthly. He is Holy, Holy, Holy.

I know where I stand.