Monthly Archives: January 2015

It isn’t that difficult

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Men put the complications in Christianity.  Christianity is simple. Follow Christ.  This begins with repentance and forgiveness, then continues to prayer and study followed by copying His behavior in our own lives.  Then we must learn to walk through this life relying upon the Holy Spirit to guide, change and transform us to His likeness.  What the Bible says we need to know.  Why? So that we must first begin to know God.  Then when tested, tried, subjected to corrupted teaching or called upon the give testimony, we are prepared to share the Truth of Christ.  We must avoid the naive temptation to resist the devil utilizing our own strength, authority, reason or justification for it is not us that the enemy fears.  He fears Christ and must flee the Word of God.  That is why Christ demonstrated how to resist the enemy while fasting in the desert.  He always answered attacks with the Word of God.

Honesty is also simple.  How many Christians do you know who are fulfilling the great commission and making disciples of people?  How many Christians do you know that have a thorough knowledge and practiced usage of Bible text?  How many Christians do you know who are out there putting their money, time and energy in first priority to further the Kingdom of God?  In how many Christians do you see the “fruits” of the Holy Spirit of evidence of their salvation?  Are you kinder, gentler, more righteous, long-suffering than you were when you first begun your walk with Christ?  Have you begun to resemble Christ and if not, then why not?  Have you taken time to learn the Bible, pray about your questions and put into practice what you learned?  If not how do you expect to learn a discipline you are unwilling to practice?  Do not allow folly to rule your existence.

We were “set aside” to be different than this world.  The differences are not mystical, magical, spiritually high-minded or lofty, but simple.  Simple common sense and orderly living, just as our God demonstrated and bid us follow.  Radical questioning of foolishness, hypocrisy and loving care for the unfortunate, just as our God demonstrated for us to follow.  A willingness to choose God over all other things, establishing, nurturing and growing closer in relationship with the Living God so that we are transformed in our nature and subsequent reflection upon this planet.  And finally, growth to the point of “Trust” in the promises, nature and faithfulness of God to do what He said that He would.  Then reliance upon that trust to the point of standing in hope and courage in the face of battle, especially when the circumstances seem to contradict God’s Word.

Do not allow men to complicate what God has made straight forward.  Do not allow atheists to put the burden for the existence of God upon us, for His truth is know by every man.  They know He is there.  If they “choose” not to believe then it is there own folly which shall bring them into conflict and judgment of Christ. It is not my job to prove to every foolish or rebellious man that God exists, it is my job to love that man in spite of his ridiculous behavior and to forgive his transgressions, leaving the rest to God.  It is my task to repent, forgive, learn God’s Word, pray and walk spreading the Good News of the Gospel, following Christ to the Good Will of the Father.  My faith will grow by hearing the Word of God, so I should shower myself daily in that Word remembering to follow only God’s Voice.  Christianity is simple.  All efforts to complicate it have nefarious intention.

To God be all the Glory, Honor and Praise, in the Name of Jesus Christ our Lord.

Hands too small

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The pain available for consumption in this wretched old world is too much for me.  Lord is nothing Holy, nothing sacred, sacrosanct or treasured anymore?  Must all be trampled underfoot or reduced to grime and ashes?  We see word twisters, and faith changers pushing ideas designed to trap simple folks in an indecent quest for “identity”.  The caps, boundaries, laws and guidelines have either been torn down, forgotten, ignored or corrupted so that all contemptible pleasure is permissible if done in the name of self expression or actualization.  The pinnacle of human resolve has been reduced to things of low character, golden trinkets and burnished medallions of lowly character and dismay.  Our children follow heroes who threaten, burn, kill and mutilate the innocent, counting themselves wealthy for ill gotten gain.  I will not mourn this world when you remake it, I shall not miss them, but for now I will bask in the remaining light of Your Glorious Spirit bidding make disciples of men, leading them away from the precipice.

Father, I long to spend time just being with You.  Just breathing, listening, watching and following every gesture, each word.  The gum has lost its flavor and though I have not lost my salt, I wish that the dish were finished.  Father, how long must the weak, orphaned, sick, hungry, thirsty, miserable and dying suffer their misfortune?  Will You not set them free and avenge their travesty, soon?  Forgive me for asking Father, but will I ever have that kind of patience?  The kind that You seem capable to displaying for millennia upon millennia, piled up through the ages.  What have we done that could make You wish to wait out our folly?  I pray to have a heart that sees us worthy in the end, for now I see nothing but disobedience, mockery and self concern.  Will I resemble Your Son enough to be recognized as Your child or must I continue to dissatisfy?  Frankly I am bored with my attempts at measuring up for they always fall short, even my grandest and most well thought efforts.  This thing, salvation, must be Your work for my own will forever be inadequate to this tasking.  Praise and bless Your Holy Name that it is Your design and not mine.

This world does not impress me, but You love it so and that is all that matters.  I love people in those moments when I see Your face kindled in their eyes, when their hearts reach out to the needy for the asking.  They may forget me, sometimes I wish that they would so that I might rest.  But Father, let anything that I do remind them so that they never forget You for even one moment.  My legacy is the child who needed love and encouragement and I happened to be there by Your Good graces to pick him up and send him on his way.  My victory is hearing the name of Jesus upon the lips of a young women we all thought lost forever to wickedness, deceit and foreign plunder.  My agony those lost to false teaching’s siren, leading them away from freedom and eternity.  Grant me those people who might be saved by our collective ministry, that I might someday look upon their faces in your presence, knowing I had some small part in making You smile.

I’ll meet you there

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The thing that I love the least about you are your accomplishments.  I am proud of the work you have done, but that does not gather my love, only attention.  This world has convinced us that we must measure up, and if we haven’t done everything to stay in stride with peers then the sum total of our lives will never really matter when the chips are tallied.  It is beyond me to declare that this is falsehood, for it is what you believe.  As such it is the reality which guides, controls, governs and constrains your self-image, emotions and sense of achievement.  Telling you that it is not true will only close your ears to the Wisdom of God and I do not wish to undo any good that He has done in your life by shutting down your listening channels.  I would ask you to remember the feeling of accomplishment, the charge, the upside and next time you feel it, measure exactly how long it lasts.  If they have subscribed to truth, then it should fill you up indefinitely, unlike a drug which must be continually ingested to maintain, increase or recover that “rush”.

I love you for all the things that you are not.  You are not too proud, walking in self-oblivion, blinded by your own image.  You refuse to mock God, although you have never surrendered to Him, you see the wisdom in not taking the chance of angering the creator.  You are not callous, forgetting and overlooking everyone around you in their moments of extended agony, simply to maintain your own sense of well being.  You are not cruel, believing yourself elevated over those who have been created for their own purpose.  You are not hateful, twisting your spirit into knots with enmity of your fellow humans for whatever it is that they will do, not do or become for you.  You are not a fool, and you listen to reasonable discussion, even when it is something for which you have little consideration or perspective.  You do not look away from your gifts but use them to the best of your ability, although they are primarily utilized for your own gratification, amusement and edification.  I love you most, because God cared enough to send His son to retrieve you from certain damnation, by dying upon the cross for each of your sins.  It may seem odd to you for someone to say that they love you for the things that someone else has given you, but if you think on it for a bit it will all make sense.  For God gave you life, breath, health, wealth, the capacity to think, talents, conscience and love.  So you are the sum total of everything God has done for you and that is why I love you.

How then can I love you now, when I see you in misery, incapable of sharing your heart for fear of appearing misguided?  Don’t you know that there is a solution to every problem?  Unfortunately for your reputation the answer to your current dilemma, is God.  I do not wish that you would try every other available solution as physical scientists have confined themselves to doing.  I know that you will have to try them all, I just pray that the time goes swiftly and that you come rapidly to the eventual conclusion; God has always been the only answer to the problem of your fulfillment.  It makes sense to go to the creator of any system, engine, product or artifice when seeking resolution to efficient tuning, calibration and longevity.  That is why God is the only answer, for He was there at the beginning of all things, speaking us into being, encoding our DNA with purpose, function and operational parameters.

I do not love your folly, I do not love your sin, I do not love your rebellious or stubborn nature, but those are characteristics or actions they are not you, unless you allow them to define your existence.  I do not wish to change you, but I do wish that this life does its work and gives you the impetus and experiences necessary to bringing you into inevitable questioning and discussion regarding your God given purpose.  That is where our roads converge, that moment when the words I have offered will somehow make sense and lead you forward into an active search for Almighty God.  I look forward to that day and cherish it before it has even come, for I love you enough to wait upon God.  In Jesus Holy Name I pray.

The hardest

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Which is more difficult to exhibit, the capacity to love and forgive your enemies or the ability to wait upon God, no matter how long it takes?  Often my grief and unforgiveness has lasted decades while waiting upon God may take a lifetime.  Both require transformation, both are beyond our ability and can only be endured/completed through the Holy Spirit.  Which then is your greatest burden?  Are there those in memory who you refuse to let go?  Or have you asked God for delivery, grace, blessing and find it beyond reason to continue on in patience, leaving the outcome to God’s determination.  We have entered an era in God’s blossoming plan within which the slights, mockery and injuries against Christians and the innocent have become commonplace.  The chaos, lawlessness and denial of truth rule each day and continue to increase in frequency and severity.  Do you feel the stress increasing, is it nearing your capacitance limits?

I submit that both of these victories are inherently tied together.  We cannot forgive and love without the patience to wait upon God’s filling and supernatural peace.  For some things to humans, are unforgivable; the abuse of a child, extortion of the elderly, murder for greed’s sake and withholding readily available/bountiful food stores or medicine from the sick and starving.  These require something beyond us, but praise be to God that we are indwelt by the POWER of the HOLY SPIRIT.  When I am exhausted, tapped out, drained and beaten is when I can truly give God the reins of my life, to be used as vessel for His Glory.  It is at my end that I shall truly know, respect and surrender to God’s Sovereign authority and omniscience.  Through Him I can love the unlovable, forgive those, who like, me never deserved grace and wait upon His Divine intervention through prayer, fasting and growing faith.  These things will always be outside my capacity in this lifetime, but I continue to learn through God’s ministering power, overcoming these obstacles when I cannot.

This world cries, hold on, never surrender, don’t give up, you can do it.  It seems insanity to them when a Christian proclaims the opposite.  I know that these things are beyond my capacity, but they are thoroughly within the power of God.  The quicker I get to the end of myself in realization that these things lay beyond my ability the earlier the Lord may intervene, with caveat, in His Timing.  I never saved a soul, but I led them to the one who could.  I never created a miracle, changed time, saved a life or cured a disease, but I know the great physician so intimately that He shows up when I need Him most.  I cannot forgive those who deserve damnation, punishment and judgment, but I can warn them of the consequences of their actions while asking God to forgive for me.  I have no authority except that derived by prayer.  I will exercise my authority as an Ambassador and joint heir through Christ, asking God for patience in unleashing His judgement and wrath upon humanity.  I will forgive now and wait upon God to make it real within my heart.

Balancing act

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Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God!  Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him.  Beloved, now we are children of God: and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when His is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.  And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.  Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness.  And you know that He is manifested to take away our sins, and in Him there is no sin.  Whoever abides in Him does not sin.  Whoever sins has neither seen Him nor known Him.  Little children, let no one deceive you.  He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous.  He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning.  For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil  1 John 3:2-8

It is hard to say to someone who does not have a relationship with God, “My Dad owns the cattle on a thousand hills”.  How am I  to express the joy which surpasses all understanding without sounding like a nutcase, or worse yet some sort of disconnected braggadocio?  This is where most of my friends just try and blend, covering their light with a hat or poncho, hoping desperately that no one discovers they are Christian.  I guess the logic is that I have things covered and relations with the world are tolerable, so I will just keep things friendly, waiting for that golden opportunity to share my testimony, when the light, weather, timing and wind are just right.  Need I poke holes in this perspective?

If I don’t tell them will they know?  Perhaps it is the great big, “I walk with Jesus” on the front of my hat that gives me away?  Can the average unbeliever, who knows just enough about Christians to think them all hypocrites, absolutely see that I am a believer without me ever discussing my walk? Is it essential, to the world, that we be known as Christians?  Do people avoid you because they are so afraid of having a discussion about faith, then they probably know you’re a Christian?  Do they dislike you without ever having the opportunity to know the first thing about your life or personality, then they probably know that you’re Christian?  Do they try and provoke you into making intolerant statements about homosexuality, sin outside of marriage, abortion or mock Jesus to see if they can make you lose your cool?  Then they most likely know that you are Christian.  Do they come to you when tragedy strikes or their lives are out of control, seeking a little encouragement and direction?  Do I represent righteousness in all things, at all times?

There needs to be clear evidence of our faith, especially if our discipleship plan requires that an unbeliever come to us for the good news.  Let’s face it, even with that clear recognition of our Christian Faith, it is highly unlikely the lost will come to us for testimony.  Most of the time they will go out of their way to avoid that type of conversation, unless we give them reason otherwise.  That is why it is such a balance this life we have been commanded to live.  We must risk the repercussions of discipleship, especially with those with whom we have consistent and regular contact.  The Lord said that friendship with the world is enmity with God, so we cannot simply hope to keep things copacetic.  We are ambassadors for Christ and just as any envoy worth their salt we must prepare for and capitalize upon every opportunity to effectively share the Gospel.  We don’t know when the opportunities will either run out or pass us by.  Perhaps the one time that you demanded purity of yourself, will have the greatest impact on the world around you.

I hope that your lives bare fruit, resembling the characteristics of the Holy Spirit.  I pray that unbelievers seek you out in those moments where their soil is prepared for the seed of God’s Word.  I hope that they consider you “the Christian in the room” when it comes to questions of Righteousness and opportunities to defend the Faith.  But remember Jesus is God, and He still went out on the road looking for contact with unbelievers.  He never stayed at the synagogue, or at home, or simply cohabited with friends because that is not where unbelievers reside.  We must stay vigilant in our quest to fulfill the great commission.  It requires that we remain prepared and at the ready for opportunities to lead others to Christ.  It is a balancing act this relationship with the World.  I pray that you have considered and prayed about the right balance between walking in faith and simply residing in the grace of your own salvation.

the things I can

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Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.  For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.  Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.  Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.  And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints—- Epehsians 6:11-18

What is courage but the ability to stand on our feet and do what must be done, when to do so potentially causes us loss, harm or significant discomfort?  Surrender is not paralysis, but voluntary dedication and conformity to the things of God.  Granted, this life is often disheartening, especially to those of us who do not posses the means to buy, manipulate or simply excuse ourselves out of unpleasant circumstances.  What then is within my authority, but the idea of choice given me by God’s free will gift of mercy and grace.  I am free to do what I can to make a difference in my own life and that of those around me, simply by doing what can be done, when it may be done.  For I could equally choose defeat, fear, discouragement and inefficacy.  But my hope is not in my own performance, but a dependence, a full measure of reliance upon the indisputable nature of Almighty God to come along side me and do what I cannot to the Glory of His Good Will.  If I have enough faith and courage to do what is within my own strength, then perhaps God will bring me through unscathed.  At least I will know that I did what could be done instead of giving up.

I may not have amassed power or authority in a wealth of influence, but neither am I powerless.  My armor is that of the righteousness, faith, truth, peace, salvation and Spirit of Almighty God.  My defenses are as impenetrable as the Lord allows.  No weapon formed against me may prosper.  For when the enemy looks upon me he sees Christ.  So, if I do receive any suffering, loss or damage brought by those who would wish me harm, it is for my edification to the purposes of God’s Great Glory.  It is within my strength to determine that which is within my own ability and surplus to perform then take said action in timely manner, leaving the rest to God.  Never should we fall pray to the charade or paralysis of fear, residing determinately within the protection of love, power and of a sound mind.

Friends, we see the desperation and uncertainty endemic to this fallen world.  Just as in steering to avoid accident, we must not focus upon the object of our potential collision but rather upon the avenue of free passage.  Our vision should be locked upon Christ as the path, the door, the way through this tragic, finite and short term passage on our homeward journey.

The emotions of life are real.  Perception is key to determining our perspective.  If we believe that life, and its incumbent obstacles render us helpless or that they are insurmountable, that is certainly what we shall believe.  For belief is the seed which blossoms in faith.  If we are to arrive at a greater measure of faith then we must first make conscious determination of what it is, exactly that we believe.  Either we accept the lies and controlling influences of worldly despair or rely upon the Word of God in hope and guaranteed victory.

As with every thing in this life there really are only two positions.  Many would minister in the support of greyness, hoping to bend the principles of light and absolute truth.  Purity does exist, no matter how many argue for pollution or conceptualization and approval in a man made god of human idolatry.  We must not fall in folly to the relativist concepts of a world that wishes to rationalize, excuse and explain away wickedness.  For there is only one truth and I in my limited authority choose to believe in the immutable things of God.  Lord give me discernment and wisdom to see the steps which may be undertaken in my own capacity, let me take them then give me the patience to wait there in faith for your arrival.  In Jesus Name.

No longer a whisper

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http://www.timesofisrael.com/iran-vows-to-attack-israel-from-west-bank/  Have you taken the time to study the books of Isaiah, Ezekiel, Jeremiah and Daniel?  All prophecy leads to faith in God, as He foretold everything which must certainly and shortly come to pass.  These circumstances mimic Biblical Prophecy regarding the national players in the Middle East, even those who will remain on the sidelines, (Us).  God remains on the throne and it is written that “all things serve the Lord God”, including the enemies of Israel.  Have faith and please pray for peace.

Am I praying for peace in Jerusalem, for God’s continued protection of Israel?  You know that He is going to protect them whether or not we intercede through prayer, right?  You get it right that Israel has always been at the foundation of God’s plan for humanity, because He made a “covenant” promise to them?  For those who would negate, ignore, minimize or fail to comprehend His devotion to them, I ask, what then is our salvation based upon but a “covenant” promise?

The enemy has mustered the soldier hearts set against the things of God.  Even now, Israel is physically, spiritual and logistically surrounded by those who would see their ruin.  New secret arms and support deals are being agreed to whittle away at Israel’s defenses, subjecting their people to increasing fears and their government to greater responsibility for aggressive action.  Who of us for a moment may look upon scripture, seeing the things to come and fail to equate our current circumstances with unfolding prophecy?  To look away now is deny the power of God’s Living Word, His prophetic warnings and that small quiet voice in the back of your head, telling you the “time” is near.  What will you be found doing when that “time” arrives?  I pray that we all be found, doing the work for harvest by spreading the Good News of the Gospel and interceding through prayer for Israel and the rest of humanity.

Won’t you join me in dedicating this day to service to Almighty God?  Is there a chance you can make a difference right now in the lives of those who may not have heard or understood the Good News of Christ?  Won’t you make a difference today and tell one person, whether family, friend, acquaintance or stranger, about His sacrifice for our salvation?  Come close to Him and He will come close to you.  Remind someone how much He loves them before the opportunity to do so expires.  Pray for peace in Jerusalem, for that will be the day after Christ steps foot on the Mount of Olives.  The Lord be praised this and every day of eternity to come.  In Jesus Name.

Reconstruction

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Doesn’t it amaze, this Word?  Reading it is comfort, rest and calm.  Learning to use it, wisdom, peace, protection and love.  I see the anger of unGodly men and I forgive. Lacking the knowledge of its passages they are left, unprotected to the pressures, urges and simple wanderings of flailing babes.  If they could rectify one understanding, that of God’s intention in our redemption, they too would cherish its words, phrases and parables.  Put plainly, it is described perfectly, without obfuscation, in Ephesians 1 so that we might be put right with God in our consciousness.  Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself according to the good pleasure of His will.  Ephesians 1:2-4

Who among us would not wish to be loved so much that we are shown a blameless and holy place before the Creator of the universe, adopted, simply because He chose it?  And with said gift the knowledge that it was not of our choosing, but His, and that being before the creation of the world.  Would this understanding breed contempt or the justified worship and adoration?  Finding our places, true purpose and worth in the plan of God, gives us honor, family, reason and destination all at once and perpetually.  Being saved by Christ is not a badge for boasting, but a humble place of knowing enough of God to remain in awe of His character.  Then that knowledge growing to security as we begin to grasp the deeper meanings associated with being given “every” spiritual blessing in Christ.  None could have conjured this as fiction, a God, so loving, kind and mighty, but also so Holy and Pure that He could have preconceived a process of our salvation before the need ever arose.  The most wonderful thing of all is that He touched the lives of specific, chosen, men to put His Living Word on paper for our edification, education and emancipation.

And He came and preached peace to you who were afar off and to those who were near.  For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father.  Now, therefore, you are no longer stranger and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in Spirit.  Ephesians 2:17-22

Does this speak to your place among the saints?  Do you see yourself a stone, placed on the foundation lain by believers of old?  Becoming, part of the whole kingdom of God, leaning on Christ the cornerstone of God’s construction.  No national foreigners, estranged by acres, language or physiognomy, but individuals with a unique purpose in the entirety of universal scripting.  Filled with the Spirit of God Almighty, Him Living in us and us through Him.  Protected, directed and corrected by the Spirit of the Lord dwelling in each of us as individual temples to His Glory.  Each of us a constant reminder to a world that desperately needs redemption, that there is hope to be found in a repentant return to God.  All of this found in the words of our predecessors, spoken in public so that His Glory might be remembered for all men know the truth that is God.

If all would read, understand and make a conscious, rational choice about God following its review, then none could truly feel that they have been judged by God, but rather by their own reflective choices.  For this Word tells us the fair measure of truth necessary to establishing reason and discernment in life.  None would be left at the vacuous mercy of fallen angels, becoming protected, prepared and prospered by the promised power of Almighty God.  They would be armored in their travels through this world, this testing place, properly adorned for the battles, scratches and weepings incumbent to a place that chaos calls home.  Oh that all would know they have been set aside for God’s intention, being shaped for a place in His eternal kingdom.

Strut

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Needing the Lord Jesus in the midst of crisis is expectedly understandable.  Reaching out for our creator when things are beyond our control or coping capacity makes sense.  But what is this internal mechanism to cry out for the Divine when things are overwhelming, that appears encoded in our Spirit, or the scientists, DNA?  Do you call upon the Lord in times of trial, or have you begun to praise Him, worship Him and petition Him when things are in ordinary state?  What is that prompting mechanism which supersedes all other requirements, calling you to your knees in humble prayer before the Lord’s Throne?  I hear nonbelievers cry out to God, or evoke His name, in moments of passion and pain.  Even they know He is there, although they deny Him in all other moments, because it is frankly easy to ignore the Lord when things are quiet, calm and copacetic.  I submit that it is equally easy for Christians to walk away, distant or irrespective of the Lord unless we have made a voluntary commitment to write His Word upon our hearts.  Ignoring the voice of the Holy Spirit once may not quench His voice, but do it continually and you will eventually find yourself holding the steering wheel of your life when it is God alone you wish to be the driver.

What then may be done in my effort to relate to God through Jesus each moment of this life?  How about asking Him for this relationship through prayer?  That I believe would be an excellent start to a lasting relationship.  Look the Lord does not neglect us, if there is distance, it is always us who fostered that separation.  The Lord, our Loving Father, only backs away from us when it is necessary to our growth or discipline.  He wants nothing more than to walk with each day sharing direction, wisdom, hope and love.  Why then would I shun these enormous gifts?  That my friends is the question of the day.  For what inside a man could prompt him to step away from the wonder, sustenance and peace afforded by a continuous relationship with our Creator?  I can think of no good thing.

Father, thank you for ending the war with humanity.  Thank you for your loving desire to walk with us through this entire life, guiding, instructing, shaping, conforming us to Your likeness, Will and Plan for each of us within the tapestry of life.  Lord take from me my wandering heart so that I never step away from Your Goodness, Mercy and Grace.  Forgive me the times I have taken back the reins of my own life thinking or imagining that somehow I know better.  Thank You for always taking me back and allowing me to find my way back through repentance, forgiveness and prayer.  Protect those who do not possess the wisdom to understand their own folly.  In Jesus Name I pray.

Faith working through love

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What is it that I really want?  Maybe riches, in gold, land, material goods a conglomerate of immeasurable wealth?  I doubt that any of us would say that we have never contemplated being truly wealthy.  I like to think that I would be a philanthropist, changing the world, utilizing my great wealth to further the kingdom, keeping myself pure, remaining consistent with the Word.  But it just doesn’t match up with the reality I have seen in my own heart.  Typically for me, the wealthier I become the less concern and focus I pay to the things of Christ.  For me the foothold of the enemy in my life is complacency, comfort and a luring away from the things of God.  For this reason wealth may be poison to my walk with God.

Perhaps, I would like to be in love so much that I would go to war, travel the seas, sell my kingdom, just to spend all my moments with the one that I love.  She would fulfill me in a such a way that I could dismiss my ambition, my envy, my longing for purpose.  There are few of us who have never imagined this type of consuming romance, losing ourselves in the eyes of our beloved for eternity.  But, I know myself, and I always wake up at some point realizing that this other person, however astoundingly beautiful is after all just another human.  I come awake to the fact that it wasn’t as life altering as I originally expected and frankly leaves us with the realization that a love relationship with another human often entails a lot of work, growth and personal sacrifice.

If not love or wealth, what then would fulfill my life, power perhaps?  Conquering, leveraging, strategizing and overcoming every land, group, individual and corporate/political entity standing between me and total control.  Maybe standing at the top of the world overlooking all the territory over which I extend my authority would give me peace.  But, I know the tyrant within me, the consuming maw of controlling master, the never ending quest for more power.  This beast would never allow me to be at peace.  And evil has no partners only servants.

What now, not money, nor romance, nor power, will nothing fulfill my agonizing quest for purpose and understanding?  Could it be magic that I seek, maybe a control of matter, manipulation, cleverness and science?  Would that endow me with the completeness heretofore unattainable?  No, for I would conjure evil, even when I intended greatness, for this is the true alignment of my heart in wizardry.  I would be bent on obtaining all power, all knowledge all craft turned to the fulfillment of my own desires.  No this too would be spent on nothingness, pain and suffering for those around me.  Arch angels were incapable of self control in their self-worship via God given power, how then could I hope to maintain reason?

You see my service to God is not only a faithful walk of love but also withstands reason’s interrogating finger.  I know myself and I want to know God, more and more each day.  This is my purpose to love God and do His work for there is no other fulfillment in this life or the next.  I have seen love, power, money and magic and none possess the qualities of a life well lived for God through Christ.  Do I want miracles, yes, when God in His wisdom shows me the glorious imagination of a child or the caring heart of a saint, I am amazed.  Do I want power, yes, I want the power to choose to obey, having the faith in something greater than myself, standing in the face of overwhelming adversity, believing God for His Divine Promise.  Do I want love, yes,  the love of my wife, equally human and wonderful, struggling to remain pure in the world seeking to consume our goodness.  Do I want magic, oh yes, the magic of God’s wisdom finding a home in the mind of a man who deserves neither wisdom nor the love of God.  I choose God because it makes sense to do so.  For in so doing I am fulfilled as with no other device known to humanity.

http://freebeacon.com/national-security/fmr-israeli-general-iran-hezbollah-planning-joint-invasion-of-israel/  Hiding, turning a blind eye or cowering will never make evil simply, “Go away”, some conflicts must be confronted before the threat becomes reality.