Monthly Archives: November 2014

What now?

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How long have we been collectively napping, as a nation, as a faith, as individuals?  Plodding along on that widely cut, well-lit boulevard, chattel headed to the drowning promises of abandon.  Analyzing our apparent capacity to ignore the Holy Spirit’s prompting and prophesied, seasonal signals and wonders, we are left assuming that only crisis will wake us from slumber.  Will the next great indicator be ignored as well?  What will happen for Christians, who now seem willing to overlook; pestilence, war, self-idolatry, demon worship and eroding foundations?  How will Christians handle the rebuilding of the Jewish Temple, soon to rise?  Will the enemy provide adequate excuse for this major Biblical occurrence, most certainly he will?

Will it take Israel’s decimation of its enemies, the desolation of Damascus and Southern Iran?  When will it become clear to Christians that the Bible is true, that it has always been and remains the inerrant word of Almighty God?  The Muslims believe,. why don’t we?  Just recently they assassinated the head of the Temple Rebuilding Group in Israel, for they understand that if the Temple is rebuilt this is an unavoidable sign of the Glorious Appearing.  Where does this leave Christians?  Do we continue on our march to self interest, refusing, denying and continually ignoring the Lord’s prompting to do the work while there is still remaining light?  What will light the fire in our spirits, what circumstance would be of sufficient impact to prompt us that, “now is the time at which we can no longer ignore our duty to God”?  Will it take nuclear conflict, global pandemic, one world government, one world currency, a horrific demonic figure adorned as a saint?  These things are most certainly not far off.  Or perhaps will it take a rapture of the faithful, leaving those who thought they believed at the mercy of the sudden realization that Jesus had been speaking to them when he said, “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.  Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’  Matthew 7:21-23.

I cry out to You, Oh Lord, my Holy God for those who are not yet convinced of Your Coming.  Father, I was once in their position and You opened my eyes and my heart to the Truth of Your Word.  Father, please wake them from slumber, call them to be washed in Your Word, so that they may enter the labor for harvest while light remains.  Forgive me for my laziness in telling everyone about those things which certainly and shortly come to pass.  I love You and I love them.  Please awake their hearts.  In Jesus’ Name.

Thinking, doing, reviewing

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Why did Jesus tell us to target the thought?  Is there a sin or noble action that is free from the thought that sponsored it?  If I am lustful, it is not the stimuli that sponsors the sinful action, it is the imagination of my mind which precedes any acknowledged or hidden sin.  Equally, doing good for the Kingdom must first be contemplated before action ensues.  This is a natural process of humanity, to think, then do and then review our actions and behaviors.  If this process is inhibited at any point it instructs the resultant impacts.  For example; if I capture an evil thought that originates from my flesh before it may be encouraged by powers and principalities of the air, uttering the name of Jesus, then I will prohibit the propensity/probability of some sinful action.  I will in fact has saved myself, not only from the material sin but also eliminate the guilt which invariably follows.  I have been set free from the power of sin and death, I no longer need to follow through with the action that follows the thought.  That is truly free.

This natural process must also be projected upon our actions for the Kingdom.  If we leave ourselves engaged in our own corrupted thinking, deviance or self worship, then we will never act on the prompting of the Holy Spirit when directed to accomplish the Lord’s Will.  We must practice employing the bellows of our own internal fire, by heading the prompting of Spirit and following through with “action”.  Just as in the sinful review this willful surrender to the promptings of the Holy Spirit will increase our remembered response to God’s direction.  We will remember what it felt like to respond to God’s command, leading and advice, effectively preparing and training ourselves to respond in kind at the next opportunity.  Whatever is fed will grow.  If we feed healthy review of actions taken at behest of Spirit filled thinking, the growth will be unavoidable and recognizable as Truth.  That simple reason is why we should be washing ourselves in the Word of God, for this showering grows faith which leads to right thinking, action and reflection.  God’s word will never return void, it will always produce growth, life, learning and maturation.  If you want to grow in God’s Will, then shower daily in the washing of God’s Holy Word.

We that believe are free.  What we do with that freedom still falls under the parameters of “choice”.  Will we embrace the surrender to Jesus by willingly complying with Spirit’s leading, guidance and reproof or will we accept redemption with a return to the compromised thinking of our previous lives?  It all comes down to thinking, action and review.  Whatever we commit to practice we will eventually master.  Will I master following God’s Plan or encourage the poisonous actions of God’s enemies.  There are only two positions in this journey, aligned with God or against God, which best describes your life?

Shaped

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Who am I?  A spirit comprised of the building blocks from God’s created universe, resembling Him and to some extent every molecule around me?  Is that me, the pure, man as I was originally intended?  Or am I a compilation of all my experiences, the smells, tastes, repeated breaths and memories of this affected globe?  If I were able to remain clean, untainted, shouldn’t I be able to select my memories?  Don’t the things that I remember become a part of the whole, just as the bruise from a stone left beneath my foot for too long may cause a slight hitch in my giddyup?  Am I free from the stimuli, pain and shock, or am I simply a conglomerate of the good things that happen along this roughshod road?  If this were true then the new age thinkers would be somewhat correct, I would be able to cleanse myself of the filth of this world, eschewing bad energy for that which is fine and wholesome.  But that is not what I am, my memories have become part of the whole, although sometimes I wish they could be extracted.  I am encouraged or diminished by what my eyes sees, what my body feels and what my mind thinks or the stimuli which impact me in my wanderings.

I must be careful therefore, what falls before my eyes or the diet upon which I feed them.  Yes, in Christ, sanctification follows redemption, I most certainly will be freed of these impurities by the Potter’s Hand, but not now.  Honestly, I don’t know that I would want Him to remove everything I have suffered, learned or experienced.  This world has effected me as the brutal trainer it remains.  It is easier to love people having known my own weakness, having been subject to bullying, brutality, hunger, fear and sadness.  My bruises give me a special kinship or understanding for those who have suffered equally.  Perhaps this is meant to lead me to greater understanding of Christ, as I learn to rejoice in the sharing of His suffering.  For isn’t it proof of faith to be seen by everyone else as a servant of the King to the point of being included in those who share the contempt of humanity.  They cannot hurt Him anymore but we are often recipients of their hate, fear and mockery in transference.  Do I want to escape this opportunity or share in His live being lived through me?

It may be God’s intention for me to be transformed into the spirit being I was originally intended, but what then was the purpose of my time spent in this crucible?  Shall I become something more than when I entered, shaped by my experiences, my eyes and my memories or be stripped of every unwanted facet, revealing the pure intention?  That seems logical.  That somehow I will have been prepared for the next phase in my existence, the hereafter.  If these things that I think, hear and see, truly become part of me, then I certainly want to manage my memories, selectively preparing my mind for eternity.  If it will all be stripped away from me revealing the untainted, immutable center, then my life stimuli matters nil.  Since God tells us in Philippians 4:8, ‘Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.‘, then we must assume that what we see, think and hear does have a greater, lasting impact on our soul.  I may not be adept enough to escape the bumps and bruises, or am I certain that I would wish to, but there certainly are some experiences, stimuli and visuals that may be easily avoided by choice.

Lord give me the strength to forgo those things which do not edify my spirit.  Teach me and direct me toward those things of good rapport that may strengthen my soul in preparation.  Thank you so much for the experiences that are meant to educate me, hone me and shape me for Your intention.  Praise You Lord in Jesus Holy Name.