There will come a day not much unlike this one.  A day where no one will expect its coming yet time will arrive unannounced.  That moment when all savings are nil, all plans defunct, all opportunity passed.  On what thoughts shall I spend that final second but Christ?  As Lot’s wife, herself nameless, will many look back longingly upon spiritual Sodom, finding only allegiance in permanency?  Spent for eternity in mid flight toward the light.  It was pleasant this day just as I am certain will that one be as well.  But that pleasure will be in short measure when compared to Glory’s call.  Will there be fuel in your lamp for I cannot give you mine.  I pray that we remain ready.

Where is my heart, in truth?  Does it lay with riches and glory brought through waiting patiently upon the benevolence of God through Christ?  Or have I forgotten what should have been written upon each atrium?  God’s laws inscribed internally, guiding the blood throughout my venal architecture, perfectly aligned to righteousness.  Will those things tangible and temporary attract me in greater weight than things of substance everlasting?  I pray not, but I must even now repent for the envies, longings and irrelevant pursuance of my flesh.  I know better but does my faith overwhelm my worldly reason?  Or on that day, much like this one will I scream in agony of realization that I’ve missed the boat?  Will many join me in anguish, recognizing a fate that was entirely avoidable?

I pray your forgiveness for my lack of trying.  I made no attempt to reach you in humility and love, foregoing the misgivings I held tightly against you.  My shame will blossom on that day, a bouquet arranged in grand wretchedness.  How could I stand bye, not reaching out, for fear, for pomp or ego?  I was wrong, we both know it and on that day I will truly regret having never said so.  For on that day, even what wasn’t completed will have been made void.  I now have skin in the game, a chance to serve His plan and lessen their plight.  Yesterday’s deadline will become today’s loss.  Shall we leave in grand crescendo, making the most of each moment, fully knowing that there will come a day unexpected.  Let this not have been my last Lord.  Let me make tomorrow one to remember.  Praise you Father in all Your Everlasting Glory, Amen.

Taking the pulse of America.  What do you find when you press your fingers against the wrist or mandibular junction?  Is it steady, strong, consistent?  Do you recoil fearing corpus necrosis?  What is occurring just below the surface?  Is it healthy, perhaps slumbering waiting to emerge into a new day of possibility and reason?  Or as I, do you measure an inconsistent rhythm, a disjuncture, an arrhythmia of circulation, thought and heart?  Are we proactively treating the patient, perhaps carry a defibrillator with the intent of avoiding stoppage?  Who is championing the voice of reason and counseling the patient to change his ways or risk passing?  Where is that overwhelming hero willing to usher us back to health through direction and self-sacrifice?

I hear discord.  No one voice rises above the fray, that moment where everyone pauses to reflect on spoken truth.  Are we destined to repeat historic failure?  Unfortunately it seems there is not the consensus to avoid such a journey.  Wisdom and truth only produce realistic reflection upon the mirror of our behavior.  What happens when a family outspends their budget for a duration?  The inevitable.  What happens when a child runs the edge of a slippery roof?  The expected.  What happens when maniacs toy around with reason, hoping to invent a new philosophy by following the same old practices?  Disaster.  What happens when those who called themselves Christian depart from the Path of God?  Judgment.

The heartbeat is faint.  The pulse irregular.  The future uncertain but assured.  Counsel them to reason, to repent, to adjust course avoiding destiny upon the shoals.  What shall we have faith in when trusting ourselves has proven repeated folly?  Place your Faith on God where the investment always profits.  My God, my Savior, my King, Jesus.  Lead them back to you, to righteousness and hope.  On this I pray.

Folly cannot persist.  Illusion takes constant energy to maintain, just as anything which is falsely created.  Father, open my eyes to the assistance I have been giving the enemy in the perpetration of fraud upon myself and others.  What myths have I supported, what corrupted steps have I continued to follow in my own path and what bad advice or recommendations have I given causing others to pursue illusion?  Accountability is not just for those of whom I am critical.  Accountability begins with me.  How is my walk?  What behaviors am I modeling?  What role am I portraying for those in my influence sphere to copy or worse yet, avoid?

To have a blameless walk, I first have to repent of the walk I have been previously following.  Nothing happens until the truth is embraced.  Having confidence in my walk only comes when I have repeatedly reviewed my path with the Father, asked Him to remove that which is unpleasing to Him and exercised my free will to choose the correct step at the next juncture.  This is a process, but it does have gradients, measures, reflections and achievements along the way.  Not achievement based upon, I did this work or that work, but goals that are mentally measurable when sin is avoided and the Holy Spirit’s prompting and education have been followed.  Am I only capable of doing the right thing through the Holy Spirit’s discipline?  That is something on which to meditate.

Am I capable of doing good?  Probably not.  I know this that those things I do which are categorized as good can always be traced back to my relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ.  It is clear to me that the good I did in my previous life always had the strings of self aggrandizement attached.  The only real good things I do now are through Christ living through me.  Sure I might fool myself or allow myself to fall pray to the illusion that I had some part in the whole transformation but in summary the glory has always been His.

I chose God because He first chose me.  I was saved because He offered me Grace.  I was transformed because He came to live inside me.  I reach others with love because He loved me enough to send me to them.  I will do great things which He has predestined me to do before the beginning of the world, through His strength, His counsel and His gifts.  I am truly a vessel.  My job is to keep myself clean after having been cleansed.  It isn’t easy, in fact it is impossible for natural man, o but thanks be to the Grace of God, I am not a natural man.  Praise you Father.  The name of Jesus upon my lips and my heart.  Amen.

What does preparation look like to you?  Just as in preparing the ground to receive seed for planting we must take logical steps if we want to see growth and eventual harvest.    We will see that from a human participation perspective the art is in the preparation.  We do not make the seed, nor the dirt.  We do not produce rain and we certainly don’t make anything grow.  Our job is to prepare the ground and at the right timing plant the seed, fertilize, water and tend it until God produces a crop, at which time it is our responsibility for harvesting that bounty.  This is a cyclical process that begins with the intention to produce a crop.  Everything begins with a free will choice.

As Christian’s we do not need to be concerned about all the questions that a farmer must answer in order to be successful; is it the right soil?, do I have the right machinery?, what time do I plant?, do I have good seed?.  A farmer does not make the sun, the water, the seed, the fertilizer, the wind, the dirt nor does he make anything grow.  His job is as a maintenance engineer, determining into which ground to sow the seed, at what time, when to water, when to fertilize, when to weed, spray and harvest.  As a Christian farmer my job is so much easier; I just spread the seed on the ground and walk away knowing that God will do the rest.  He will water, feed, fertilize, grow and bring the crop to harvest.

It is a MYTH that each disciple must be highly knowledgeable of Biblical History and steep themselves in the ontological arguments for God.  It is an EXCUSE that each disciple must be gifted with evangelism in order to fulfill the great commission.  Just as any person may plant an apple seed in the ground without being a farmer, we as Christian “ALL” have the ability and responsibility to spread the seed of God’s Word.  We simply have to make the “free will” decision to tell people about Christ, His Grace and How to avoid eternal judgment through confession, repentance and faith.  The Holy Spirit will even provide the words for us to say if we leave it to Him as the Bible says.  Since we do not have to prepare as a farmer to plant the crops what is our responsibility?  The responsibility of each Christian is to prepare our hearts to receive the Holy Spirit’s Word.  To tend our own ground making sure that our walks are blameless so that we may keep our vessels clean to be the vehicles for carrying the “Water of Life” to a thirsty world.  And finally our responsibility is to prepare to do the work and when the timing presents itself to share the Good News that we ACT.  I implore you to prepare your heart, maintain your land and when called upon by the Holy Spirit to spread the seed of the Good News of Christ that you sow that seed in love and in truth.

I do not deserve what you have given me already, yet you continue to shower with love, hope, peace, grace and abundance.  Thank you Lord that this is independent of my historical success, current action or future intention.  There is no way that a man such as I should be so incredibly blessed, yet the fact is that I cannot even count my own miracles.  Thank you again Father for teaching me to wait upon Your Will and not reach for the reigns in impulse.

Soon this world will be so far removed from God’s Plan that most will find it impossible to see their way back to the promise land.  Having chosen to either wonder in the desert endlessly or to settle into metaphorical Egypt, they will cease to hear God’s Word even if they have been listening.  The dim will fall over community, the illusion having been effectively perpetrated most will buy the deception.  This is beginning of Wisdom, for all will have to cry out to God in the name of Jesus in order to even be freed from the mock reality.  What a heart-breaking shame, that Eternal Grace is freely offered now for the price of faith, confession, repentance and belief, yet most will wait until God’s Patience has expired before crying out to Him for Mercy.  For those to whom this is too late I weep.  Please forgive me for not reaching you with the Good News of Christ in time.  For this I will beg God’s forgiveness.

To those who heard and refused to listen or scorn and mocked the Grace of God, I beg God for Mercy upon your eternal soul, but I will not long suffer regret for this is a choice that you have consciously made.  For all men know the Truth that is God, all have been offered Grace and faith in the same measure.  Unfortunately few have accepted because the alternatives were too attractive to the wickedness within each man’s heart.  Praise God that He will still save many during tribulation for to imagine that all would eternally perish during that period would shatter my spirit.  O how I rejoice at the depth of Your Loving Grace and look forward to return of Your chosen to Your Bosom Lord.  I pray for the release of Israel from deception and that they are not broken by the realization of their misinterpretation and false pursuits.  May You Bless that nation with All Your Riches and Glory through Christ Jesus the Lord.  Amen

Do we really want to know what He has planned for this world, a particular nation, your family or for you?  If you knew what was coming would you act any differently than you do now?  What steps would you take?  Let’s say that you knew what day you were going to die and happened to be next year or worse yet next Tuesday?  I suspect that any of us armed with this knowledge would find a new sense of urgency and try to set things in order before our deadline.  Why is their no sense of urgency when our time limit has no visible expiration date?  For all we know it could be tonight, but we act as our time to take care of business or complete the Good Works for which He designed us is limitless.  What an oddity.  Could we make a resolution as Christians to always Act as if we only have until next Tuesday and in so doing find that sense of urgency to step out for the Kingdom?  Do we have that sort of self-control, boy that sure would be a thing of the Spirit, wouldn’t it?

You see I already know what is going to happen for me because the Bible tells me about my future.  I will live for a while and try to do as much as I can to spread the Word of the Living God and the Good News of Christ.  I will probably go through some persecution because this world and especially my own beloved nation of people seem committed to demonstrating hate for Jesus.  I pray that we collectively realize our iniquities, repent and arduously seeks God’s Mercy, but if we don’t my future is still assured.  I may die before I see the second coming but in that event I will immediately stand in front of my Maker to be with Him for eternity.  Or maybe I will be  “snatched” to be with Him in the air in the rapture of the believing Church.  Oh how Grand.  But I will not see the Lord’s Wrath for it is not designated for the redeemed to do so.  Armed with this security I can go boldly into this world for Kingdom Business or boldly to my Father in prayer, knowing that on whichever path He will never leave me nor forsake me.  I know my future and His name is Jesus.  To those perishing this is foolishness but to you my Sisters and Brothers this is Life Everlasting.  Prepare as if this is your last week and your time will be sweeter and of greater perceived value and perspective.  Praise Jesus Christ the King of Kings.

Is my concern for you unfounded?  Am I wrong in my observation, as I see you hell-bent on fulfilling your desires, no matter the repercussion?  Have you been avoiding me because I offended your sensibilities or because I reminded you to stay on the path, serving God in truth?  I have struggled with what to do for you and the Lord would have me let you go with prayer that this world will turn you back to Him.  I do ask for you to forgive me if I have wronged you.  I have searched my heart and find only positive prayers for your growth, health and guidance by the Lord of Hosts.

I am of the United States of America.  This country, founded on principles in which I truly believe, has gone astray.  We collectively, are unwilling to humble ourselves and turn away from our individual driving desires in order to seek God’s face so that He may heal our land.  So, we will reap what we have sown.  It is no different for a nation than for a man with regard to reward for our folly.  However, there are voices beckoning us away from the precipice.  Will we heed, the Bible seems to indicate that we will not?  What does this mean for those who see that the handful of potential outcomes for the U.S. are all within the palm of God.  We have become individually powerless, except in prayer, beseeching the Lord to forgive us for separation and forgetfulness.  Our leadership cannot solve our dilemma because they are using insufficient tools, failed philosophies and reliance upon self, all things which deny God as our only answer.  Test your own hearts on this.  Do you act each day as if God is the only answer, or are you certain that if you work harder, smarter or faster somehow these problems will all go away.  We are about to meet our Maker.  Don’t you want to meet Him on His terms so that He welcomes you with open arms.

I am finding that I am having to let go of my frustration over the problems facing this country.  There is little that I can do as a citizen to effect change.  However, I am not powerless, far from it.  My prayer is heard by God and He knows what must be set straight.  I will let go of my grasp upon the outcome and trust in the Lord’s Plan for His creation.  For He alone is Righteous and True.  His outcome will be the best that can be achieved.  In Christ’s Name I pray.  Amen.

So, as the Holy Spirit says:

“Today if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion, during the time of testing in the desert, where your fathers tested and tried me and for forty years saw what I did.  This is why I was angry with that generation and they have not known my ways.  So I declared on oath in my anger, ‘They shall never enter my rest.’ ”

See to it, brothers, that none of you has a sinful unbelieving, heart that turns away from the living God.  But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.  We have come to share in Christ if we hold firmly till the end the confidence we had at first.  As has just been said:  “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion.”

Who were they who heard and rebelled?  Were they not all those Moses led out of Egypt?  And with whom was he angry for forty years?  Was it not with those who sinned< whose bodies fell in the desert?  And to whom did God swear that they would never enter his rest if not to those who disobeyed?  So we see that they were not able to enter, because of their unbelief.  Hebrews 3 7-19

Lord let me be gentle in my delivery yet forceful in my message.  Unbelief, what is it?  Am I guilty of it and do passages like these although targeted to the Jews have anything whatsoever to do with Christian’s who fall into sin and unbelief?  Revered Holy Spirit let me take note of the direction from your statements.

God’s anger is targeted toward those whose hearts go astray in time of trial.  It appears to be generational and comes along with a lack of knowledge of God’s ways which leads to a hardening of hearts and subsequent rebellion.  The Holy Spirit beseeches those who “hear His voice” to not harden their hearts.  And unfortunately for these wayward believers there is always a harsh price to pay that precludes them from entering rest.

I cannot emphatically say that we who have been saved by grace will suffer the same loss that these unbelieving Jews would have to face.  However I cannot say that there will not be some type of loss for Christians that fall in to unbelief.  Could that price be the loss of inclusion in the Rapture?  I would ask you to reflect upon Hebrews 6 where it is stated that it is impossible for an believer be recovered after falling away.  Pretty clear isn’t it.  All I know is that these warnings were included in the New Testament for a reason, because those who harden their hearts, fall away and forget the knowledge of God’s ways are in a precarious position at best and a potentially eternal situation at worst.

This I do know.  We in the United States are seeing first hand the effects of turning our hearts from God’s Word and His Ways.  We live among a generation of youth who do not know God, itself a punishment for the lack of real fulfillment and peace.  However the lasting effects are far worse, the loss of God’s Blessing, His anger and the exclusion from entry into rest.  These are drastic times where so many are in danger of eternal separation from Almighty God, a time calling for us to accept the challenges which face us as the ambassadors to an unbelieving nation.  I know it seems impossible, but that is a great thing, “For I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”  Does that statement sound familiar.  Rejoice for it is times just as this that God raises up the few to demonstrate His capacity to overcome the impossible.  I suspect that this nation will shortly be facing a tremendous calamity from which it will be collectively determined there is no escape.  At which time the Lord of Glory will show His face to those who will surrender to His mercy and grace to save the elect.  Do you see it differently?  Perhaps the Holy Spirit is telling you something that I’ve missed.  Let me know.

In Christ we found salvation, together we find the missing parts of the complete body.  Without you my sisters and brothers I am incomplete.  Love God with all your heart.  In Jesus’ Holy Name I pray for you this day that He has given us.  May He grant you entry in to His Peace.  Amen.

Come with me, it’s not far.  Just a place up on the hill where we can chat beyond the noise of the city.  While we walk tell me about your heart.  Does your pulse race each day trying to keep up with the requirements of this world?  Or do you find that you have all the time you need, peaceful time to sit, read, and discuss with friends and family the things that are important?  How is your mentor?  Is she or he pleased with the steps you have taken to mature and present yourself an asset to your family, community, church or nation?  Do you have quality time with God, so that He can answer those questions that fill all our minds and upset all of our hearts?

You see the story of Jesus is not about control, ownership, strictness or remorse.  It is about the God who made us.  It is an opportunity to know from where we’ve come and to where we are headed.  A story of love so grand that Our Father knowing that we were in trouble beyond our own fixing provided us the means to find our way back into relationship with Him.  This tale is one that raises all the possibilities of imagination while providing all the real solutions for each day, each trial, every trespass and betrayal that we face.  It is about a LOVE so grand that even a man a wretched as I had become was not beyond forgiveness, grace, mercy and change.  Change that wiped clean the slate of my iniquities as if I had never been scarred, dirtied, sullied or septic.  A Love that waited there for me to reach that breaking point where I had enough of my own foolishness and pride.  A God named to us Jesus who came to us to remind us that He had been listening, watching, praying and waiting for us to reach out in belief.  Giving us the free will to fall or to ask forgiveness and be “re”-created in His image, for His purpose and truth.  Jesus a door left open to the rich and poor alike.  A Mercy Seat upon which Sits the King of Kings ready to forgive and accept us into our true citizenship in the Kingdom of Grace and Glory.

This world has been fun, but its laws of nature are caught in the process of evolutionary entropy.  Those who wager all that they have on the ability of man to overcome the global problems to which we find ourselves wed will grasp to that philosophy until the moment Christ comes to set things right.  Evolution will not provide the enlightenment, the scientific resolution, the golden dream or the prayer directed to trees, stars, mars or eight headed idol.  There is Peace found in Jesus.  There is strength in the Hands of the Holy Lord, not the kind of strength that preaches domination, but the strength to forgive, to let go of past catastrophe.  It is against human nature to surrender and that is where a relationship with the Lord begins, where man’s ability to overcome fails.  But there is comfort, joy and peace in surrender to the Lord for He is Love.  He made each of us and knows the answers to our most difficult dilemma.  Those who are caught up in this world view this surrender as weakness, but those who have tasted of the well of the Living Water know how sweet and satisfying this relationship becomes.  Cast your cares upon Jesus, drop your burden at the foot of the Cross, forgive yourself and others who have wronged you.  Depend upon the ROCK for He will not be moved and His Word shall never dissolve, though this world be destroyed or remade a thousand times.  Let’s just sit here for a while and have a silent conversation with Him.

You Lord, are beyond my understanding, but I will still seek to know all that there is know about you.  Forgive me the things I have done to displease You and let me extend that same grace to all that I meet.  Never leave me Lord, especially in those moments when I have been deceived into believing that I can handle it on my own, for we both know the disaster that thinking produces.  Guide me to all that is Good in this life as I am being prepared to serve Your Glory in the next.  Let me extend real Love to those in need and forgiveness to those, like me, who do not deserve it but drastically need it none-the-less.  Let us make the best use of this quiet time with You and allow us to carry that Peace back to those we encounter this day and the next.  Thank you Father.  Amen