This Christian Journey is not for cowards. I have found myself often on that roller coaster of highs and lows, good times and bad with the constant being our God who exists from everlasting to everlasting Ps 90:2. This Christian Journey is hard work and should be a constant cycle of PRAYER (James 5:16), OBEDIENCE (Deuteronomy 13:4), LOVE (1 Corinthians 13:4-7), and then REPEAT ... until that day our journey ends in Heaven. Note: My theology above is gleaned from a favorite T-Shirt of mine. I continue to make mistakes on this journey and am a good old-fashioned sinner. I don't do it right but by His Grace, I am forgiven and led further down this beautiful Christian Journey. This brings me to today where I have great angst over the state of this world and the church of which I am a part. The moral compass of America today is far from God, and the church as a whole in my opinion is much more concerned about offending our secular/pagan society than they are about offending God. So without going into details this week has brought me to the point of screaming. Well screaming inside my head. God, please save us! Then just this last Thursday after praying and reading my Bible I was back to reading (audiobooks) a novel by Ted Dekker called the Rise of the Mystics. In this book, the main character Rochelle learns to see the world not through our physical eyes, but through spiritual or spirit-led eyes. Doing this allowed Rochelle to see everything differently and through eyes of love instead of her physical eyes seeing how bad everything and everyone was. The fear she had was now replaced with a new perspective that her life or death was not the end. Rochelle was led to listen to the promptings of her spiritual eyes, and trust in God for the answers. Like the movie the Matrix times a billion. It is like the story in Daniel where Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were to be thrown into the fiery furnace Daniel 3:16-18 16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied to him, “King Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. 17 If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us[c] from Your Majesty’s hand. 18 But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.” spoiler alert: God did deliver them. THIS is God's Spirit working mightily in man. God delivered Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego BUT even if He did not they would obey God and not compromise with Godless Laws even if it cost them their lives in a FIERY FURNACE. So this finally runs full circle to me. I choose today in this world where wrong is the new right to obey God not man no matter the consequences. I pray for the church to open its spiritual eyes and be obedient, unapologetic, and strong when the world persecutes us. Remember John 15:19 If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. Ok, that's it. I pray for all of us to 1. daily seek the Lord in prayer, 2. be in His word, and 3. ask for His Holy Spirit to fill each of us so that we see this world through His Eyes, not our physical ones. Let's change our perspective from lost hope to total HOPE IN HIM.
May God bless each of you and lead you with His Spirit, AMEN! 10/10/2022 09:05:20 am
It's not nice to change yourself. People used to say that to me before I'd done anything. But, yes, I changed myself. And it wasn't long before people started saying that they liked me better like this than like the way I was before. This is how my life has been since I made the choice to change in a way that's bringing a bit more happiness into my life.
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9/18/2022
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