Going to church, or being part of the family, the body of Christ is not about me.  It is first and always about God, gathering in worship to delight in His character, His mercy and be thankful for it.  God wants me in church, so I go.  I am full of joy when I honor, worship and fellowship with God.  Church is where these things happen, so I go with joy in my heart.  Church is where God places people whom we may love.  These are people whom God loves.  They are in church for various reasons, but God wishes that we love each other as a foundation of all that we believe, so I have great joy in going to church and loving these loveable people.  There are sinners in church, seeking God so that they might be cleansed, set free and sanctified in their redemption to the Lord God through Christ.  I am a sinner who has experienced the joy associated with being set free from sin, cleansed by the Blood of Christ, sealed and filled with the Holy Spirit of God so that I might not be alone in this life.  So, I go to church in hope that the Lord may use me in some unique, subtle of substantive way to help one of the sinners, whom God loves find their way to relationship with Him.  There are enemies of God who unfortunately serve God by trying to lead us into impurity, sin, loneliness and despair.  Church is where I am spiritually encouraged by my Brothers and Sisters such that the enemy’s efficacy at leading us astray is significantly lessened in our quickening.  So, I go to church for edification and to encourage those believers who may find themselves in the midst of an expected or surprise enemy influence or assault.  Church is a place where I might unabashedly display the spiritual gifts God has bestowed upon me and to delight/reflect upon the wonderment He created in others.  So, I go to sing at the top of my lungs to God, that He might one day hear a single well toned note and know fully how much I love Him.  I go because it is part of who I am.  Is it part of who you are or wish to be?  Go and find God.

After that whole generation had been gathered to their ancestors, another generation grew up who knew neither the LORD nor what he had done for Israel.  Judges 2:10

This world is blinded by their transgressions and since they have turned away from the truth that every man knows they have been turned over to their decadent minds.  No one will say what even the simplest of children will utter, “Why don’t we turn our faces back to God?”  Is anarchy necessary?  Is it imperative that we suffer an attack before we will remain vigilant upon the city walls?  How many unbelievers must flood this country, that was created and consecrated to God, before we see God’s discipline for our unbelief?  How many people must be killed by their brother’s hand before we will see that what we are doing just isn’t working?  When will reality supersede theory?  Ask children about God or even more specifically Jesus and you will receive a litany of explanations that have nothing to do with the Truth.  When will we see that we have followed the path of post Joshua Israel and forgotten to teach our children the most important facts about our history, God, Jesus, blessings and faith?

Father.  I am simple.  Spent or rather squandered so much precious time chasing Harlequin and apple pie.  Doldrums, asking, no threatening to the suck bountiful wind beneath my sails, leaving me faltered and directionless.  Secrets whispered in those moments when I have no where to go, no breath left to sigh aloud.  You asked me, “How can you feel blue when you are praising me?”  So, I tried and as always you are entirely correct.  If I concentrate on praising You, whether anger, sin or sadness, none may break the joy of honoring Your Name.  I see now, that I choose to be angry or sad when I could instead focus my energy on bringing glory to Your Righteous Name.  Oh how easy this task becomes when you have some of the insider information.  Thank you for the mind of Christ, I shall remember to don this helmet each day.

Why should we fear them?  When we do not have this spirit and that is what they seek, how can we service their requirement?  Martyred for a god who requires the lives of the innocent as payment for entry to the hereafter is not the type of spirit I would follow.  Sacrifice, who can love someone who cheers the pain, loss and extinguishing of beauty and innocence?  These things are the greatest in life to be defended, even at the loss of a noble dream.  The loss of a child for political or ideological purpose is the worst type of transgression against Almighty God.  No one should think themselves worthy of taking such a grievous step for the furtherance of a goal, idea or religion.  Killing, shedding the blood of the innocent, even when shouting that it is being done for righteousness sake will never be sanctioned by our Holy God.  If I must kill those who disagree with me in order to enter heaven than such a place is not where I belong.  Praise be to God that I am allowed into eternity not through any works of my own.  The sacrifice made by Jesus Christ upon the Cross of Calvary, where He shed His perfect and innocent blood taking on the punishment for the sins of mankind is all that will ever give me access to heaven.

I will not fret, I will not bemoan my lowly station, I will sing allowed with joy at my smidgen of knowledge about God.  I will praise a Righteous Father, who knowing fully every sin that I will ever commit before they are done, has forgiven me for my belief in His Sovereign Plan.  I will squash the negative influences of my own pitiful thought with Praise and speaking the Mighty Name of Jesus Christ the King, waiting, wanting and patiently hoping for His imminent return.  I love the light, I will not even for a moment be shrouded by darkness for my God fights for me, that gives me courage.

There are worse things than persecution, irrelevance, doubt and oblivion away from God.  Thankfully all these come about through choice.  The enemy learned several thousand years ago that when the church is persecuted it grows, flourishes and spreads.  So, for the last several thousand years the church has become mainstream, acceptable and worldly, relegating it to near powerlessness and irrelevance.  Unfortunately, with the formation of the United States of America, courage was reborn within the ranks of Christianity.  Men yearned to speak the truth of the Gospel, returning to the Holy Spirit inspired correctness and purity of the path before God.  Unfortunately this freedom, which must always be maintained in vigilance, has for the most part been taken for granted, once again allowing the enemy to infiltrate the church and siphon its inherent potency.

Persecution comes again, this time in the form of public correctness and even more nefarious black shrouded men indwelt by the fallen, hungering to rid the planet of Christians and Jews.  This makes the saved rejoice, for it is in the testing of our faith that we are perfected.  Through persecution, we see the signal of Christ’s imminent return, as the enemy may no longer infiltrate the Holy of Holies but now is cast out by those who will demonstrate truth in belief.  The church grows in time of persecution and the fact that the enemy is again pent upon its destruction assures its continuance.  For it is time that we may share in the sufferings of our Savior, uttering His name, His powerful Name at each swipe, lash or mockery.  The Truth will soon be revealed for all to see.  No longer will men deny the existence of God, rather they will know the Truths of Love, Free Will and Choice.

We have never been forsaken.  For certain we have had to traverse the desert of our own testing and many times failed, but for them who remained vigilant, thanks be to God have been delivered to an eternity beyond the grips of any twisted spirit.  The Jews have outlived the diaspora, their discipline for forgetting the Covenant made between God and their prophets.  They have returned to the land He promised them, in advance of His return for their redemption.  Lean not on your own understanding the Bible states but in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your path.  Well if you are acknowledging Him now then there is no need fear the coming persecution for it is testimony to His Sovereign, Divine and Correct Word of Truth and the Will of His coming Kingdom.  None of us wishes to suffer or be persecuted, but even this is reward for to do so is kinship to Christ.  Be strong, stand in the face of certain catastrophe and know that the Lord is our God.  Praise Him for His Awesome Grace, in the Name of Jesus.

When the pressure becomes too great, men bend or break.  My greatest tears come from seeing the innocent tortured, but next to that it is watching as men refuse to heed God’s call and discipline in their lives.  What is a Sovereign Lord to do if He has chosen us for salvation and we avoid, ignore, walk away from or simply close our ears to His invitations?  Some would agree that He should simply just give up on those who refuse to answer.  Is that How you view God’s love, shallow, quick to dissolve, relenting?  Or do you see God’s Love as relentless, caring, patient, long-suffering and omniscient?  He knows who will eventually come to Him, He knows the exact moment and the pressure necessary to assist each heart in surrendering to salvations’s call.  Pride resists salvation, guidance, forgiveness and conformity to Christ.  Therefore pride is the enemy of each of us in our quest for relationship with the Lord.

“Take my hand”, is always the cry of someone trying to pull the dangling person to safety as they hang from the ledge.  We must first have the will to live, the desire to survive otherwise we would simply drop or hang there until our energy expires.  By nature it is the act of submission to the offer of assistance necessary to escape the predicament.  We must first comprehend our circumstance and accept that we cannot save ourselves before we may effectively reach out for the offered hand of salvation.  Pride must give way to reason and free will choice.  God will not force salvation upon anyone, but He may have to allow you to make such bad decisions that you end up hanging from the ledge in order to provoke that precious moment of decision and surrender.  We are all sinners hanging from that ledge where death is the wage for our willful acts.  Some will choose to accept His hand of salvation and others will eventually fall, but make no mistake either is by choice.

I look around and see so many people refusing the hand of Christ, dangling from the ledge they cry out for help, yet refuse Him who stands ready to save.  If you can hear me as your energy diminishes, I beg you to put aside your pride and self-reliance.  We cannot get to heaven on our own performance.  It is a gift of God that brings us back into relationship with a Holy, Mighty and Caring Father.  There is one way to salvation, and that through Christ.  This world will have no mercy upon any of us, it will say to each of us, “save yourself, fool”.  I do not wish to die for the sake of proving that I could not learn.  My pride is secondary to my reason and conscience.  I choose Christ because He is the only route to God, now and in eternity.  Take my hand Lord, pull me from this firey ledge.  I don’t want to fall and I cannot save myself.  Free me from my bondage, no matter who created it, it is You who holds the key.  Praise God in the name of Jesus Christ the King.

Works based love is constricting and limiting the efficacy of the church.  Do you get angry enough at people for their performance that you refuse to engage with them.  So it is the things that they do or don’t do that dictate the quality of your love for them.  Isn’t that basing your love for them on works?  Sounds like the way that the world loves, not the love of God.  Jesus hung out with the prostitutes and tax collectors.  Do you think it was because He appreciated their behavior or did so because they had earned His love, understanding and attention?  I can never earn my way to God it is a gift of Christ’s Love for us.  To emulate Him I must be willing and conscious of the same giving.

Maybe if I am loving others based upon their performance, then I love myself in that way and carry that insidious, performance based love into my relationship with Christ.  I believe that this is why people leave their spouses, because of this or that complaint about how they didn’t conform to normal or specific definitions of how they should be treating us.  The number one reason given for divorce or separation is irreconcilable differences.  I don’t know about you but sure adds up to a whole lot of expectations, unforgiveness and works based loving to me?

Drunkards drink, robbers rob, cheaters cheat, humans are human and Christians who haven’t surrendered to the conforming guidance of the Holy Spirit continue to exhibit those traits consistent with their incipient flesh.  Many of those people we meet, especially those who are new to the relationship with Christ continue to let us down, treat us poorly and generally fall short of common courtesies.  In fact many of the homeless people I have the privilege and honor of caring for really smell badly and have poor ideals of hygiene.  It is the love of God that was first extended to me that allows me to see past those traits and worldly personal practices that tend to keep us at arms length with unbelievers.  I must learn to separate my love for a person from their performance, otherwise I am trapped in a works based attention for performance love system.  Praise God that He looks at me in love and not at my performance, for it is rare that I do not come up short of what His Word expects of me.

We must be something different than this world for our feet are planted in Kingdom’s eternal ground.  Separating a love for people from the things that they do or do not do is essential to our efficacy as believers.  I am not in any way condoning victimization or allowing support of poor behavior, but it must be separated from the bell and the biscuit.  Love is freely given never earned.  Certainly trust and approval may be items given sparingly based upon empirical behavioral performance, but they must be extricated from the Grace of God inherent to Love.

http://www.wnd.com/2015/05/fake-christians/?cat_orig=faith

Rejoice because the Lord of Hosts watches over us.

http://www.wnd.com/2015/05/cuba-lifts-ban-on-bible-250000-delivered/?cat_orig=faith

Who shall stand against the Almighty Father of Heaven and Earth.  Creation may be led astray but it is still creation, subject to the Will of God.  Yes, we have been given the leeway to choose for ourselves what road we will travel, but that does not mean any of the choices either lay outside of His domain or that they will free any of us from the laws governing His creation.  To my knowledge none have escaped, none have returned but one, Christ Jesus, none have suddenly become enlightened or evolved, leaving us and God’s foundations behind.

Even the enemy struggles, right now to avoid facing the reality of God’s eventual and eternal judgment.  For those Christians who avoid the inevitability of self determination or struggle against the metaphysical arguments of predetermined fate, we all know that what God has planned for each of us is the pinnacle our possible achievement in this lifetime.  We determine how much of that grace we receive by our willingness to walk with the Spirit of God, choosing to forgo sensory fulfillment of the flesh in order to live for Christ.  The tears I will shed on that great day I look into His eyes and see what I could have achieved had I fully surrendered and obeyed will be judgment enough for me.

Soon He comes again, to gather His flock, judge the nations and set up His reign.  Even now the enemy wants us to believe we have lost, stealing our hope, our joy or strength.  But our faith is secure in God, sheltered by His mighty wings, perfectly protected from the ills of any and all who would hurt the faithful.  Rejoice for we are sheltered by God, resting in  the shade of His Mighty Wings, resting in peace that this world may not comprehend.  Come Quick Lord Jesus for we need You  and You alone may cure the ills that infect the heart of this world.  Praise Your Mighty Name.

Where is your heart focused?  This is such a difficult topic that the world has developed a host of medical/psychological diagnoses to explain away or excuse our fractured capacity to focus.  Everyone screams accountability!, yet very few can truly relate to the idea of having a goal or ideal that is worth life commitment.  Accountability is nearly impossible when people are expending their energies across a wide array.  The needle and the laser are so efficient because they target all their energy at a specific point, disrupting, overcoming and penetrating the cellular structure, surface tension and forces binding together an object.  We have been distracted by so much data, so many shiny objects and so much disinformation, without the commensurate protections associated with a solid Word-knowledge based discernment mechanism, that we have little hope of not being led astray or losing focus.

For example, if you as a father are balancing your energies between trying to get ahead at work while maintaining a healthy relationship with your kids then you are in a precarious position.  Our women are rushing around trying to be the “ultimate” Mom, yet always feeling as if they are one misstep away from total disaster.  Perhaps their intuitions are truer than we estimate?  This “life balance” concept is not Christian.  This is a worldly ideal perpetuated by new age thinking that has permeated the churches.  This life balance concept places God as one of the choices, segments or voices in our lives that require a dispensation of our energy, a measure of our focus, a dose of our time and treasure.  This is obviously the clever machinations of God’s enemies, convincingly directing people’s attention toward a concept that places the reliance upon money, personal efficacy or education other than where it should naturally focus, entire dependence upon God.

God may never be reduced to simply one of equally divided focal points.  He is our focus and the rest falls accordingly into harmonic balance because of that focus.  I cringe to watch the women in our churches fall further into despair or feelings of inadequacy as they fail to compete with others who “have it all together”.  They get depressed as they desperately want to emulate the women who can keep a perfect house, have well-balanced kids, perfect devotion to God, service in the community and peaceful/supportive husbands.  This is not God’s intention.  He wants us to come to Him first and He will provide that harmony to which each of us feels called.  The enemy will always twist what God has made perfect, contorting the normal into something painful, unachievable or torture-some.  Yes we want peace, yes we want harmony and life balance, but these things cannot be achieved through our own “Works” based mentality.  Surrender to God and He will make straight your path.  To more appropriately use His Word, ” But seek Ye first the Kingdom of God and His Righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you.”

If I want accountability then I must focus on one point in my life, am I fully surrendered and focused upon seeking God?  If the answer to this question provides any other apparent focus in front of our elevated above “laser” focus upon God’s Kingdom, then I have allowed distraction to enter my thinking.  Above all else I must remain “accountable” to God.  I must not depend on my own understanding of things but in all my ways acknowledge Him and He will direct my path.  Have you ever met someone in the church that wanted to leave their spouse, due to any number of reasons, who said that God doesn’t want them to be unhappy so they seek scripture to support their intention?  This is evidence of a unfocused Christian.  For God hates divorce, God warns us to be cautious of making vows and that He will hold us to them.  If I am focused on my own happiness to the point where I look to God to justify my own pursuits that are inconsistent with His divine direction, then I have replaced God’s rightful position of worship in my life with my own self-service.  I have been that person who chose to serve himself above God and it never, I repeat “never” turns out well in the long run.  For self gratification is a temporary or sensory fulfillment measure of fleshly desire and by its nature lacks “focus” upon the eternal mind of Christ the King.

May He be praised for His unwavering concentration and focus upon our sanctification and well being.  Praise Jesus the King.

They sit around and argue about who is wrong when nobody understands what’s right.  The truth has become some mobile device, redefined by circumstance, personality or need.  What of the foundation upon which we have constructed our framework, have we abandoned that solid rock for loose soil and miry clay?  Wasting time, money, energy and potential driving home points while the bolts of the framework have loosened and soon to fall apart.  This person, that person claims to be the expert while their families make fools of themselves with this sin or that unjust pursuit.  Please don’t tell me anything that disagrees with God, because we’ve seen it all acted out before over many thousand years.  When will we depart from this frivolous pursuit of unproven theory and return to the certain and secure blessings of Godly Worship.

See leadership isn’t speaking or ideas or some dance.  It’s not fancy or prestigious and it seldom serves romantic ideals.  Doing the right thing requires no slogan, no fan club, no exploratory committee, it just requires courage and the will to stand up against all influences to get something done.  Everyone wants authenticity, yet they attack those with the faith that it requires to remain authentic.  Authenticity is believing in something to the point where you will suffer the critics in serving that ideal.  Saying what you will do and then doing it or not saying those things which you cannot or will not commit to completing are evidence of authenticity.  We may not agree with our current direction, especially from our leadership, but they truly believe in what they are trying to do, so by nature they are authentic.  That is why the youth vote for them, because people desperately want leadership, so they follow those few who are absolutely determined to serve those ideals to which they are committed.  We as Christians have departed from a commitment to the Absolute Truth of God’s Word and therefore have been malleable, unsure of our direction, course or speed.  This breads a contempt for Christians as we are labeled, rightfully, “hypocrites”.   We must remember that Jesus demonstrated repeated contempt for hypocrites.  Why then would we ever believe that people would want to join us in that venture?

You ever notice how it takes one man or woman to stand up and start working and rapidly others join in.  Sure some decide they don’t want to participate, others stand there and criticize, but if you stand your ground and continue doing the work then eventually all the naysayers find a seat back on their shadowed couch.  One woman committed to authentic prayer, humbling herself in relationship with God, will set the armies to marching and change the world.  We as Christians, “who call ourselves by His name”, will continue to lose ground until we return to the absolute commitment it requires to serve God.  If you don’t believe it then don’t wear the tee-shirt.  If you aren’t willing to stand upon the solid rock of Jesus Christ, then accept that you will be blown about by the winds of whim and the rolling waves of popular discourse.  The evil are committed to ruling all that they see and coveting all that they may possess.  If we do not stand then we have already fallen.

Praise You Father for Your Mercy, Grace and Glory.  I cannot comprehend Your depth, but I can see that it is right and wise to follow You and write Your Word upon my heart.  In Jesus Name.

Roused for battle, reluctant to dawn my shoes leading to peace I unfortunately speak from a place over the top of moderation.  Enough of the whimsical discipleship, gone is the will to participate in pander.  Why have you given me this heart my Father?  They tell me to be diplomatic and that there are too many factors which constrain the ability to act in reason responsiveness.  I find it difficult if not ridiculous to comply, especially when political correctness is the strategy by which we arrived at our current dislocation.  They want to water down truth and claim this will lead to better understanding.  They want us to go two by two but please don’t say anything outside of the provided manuscript.  They say hide your coverings so as to sneak into Jordan and then you will be able demonstrate Shekinah Glory.  When did we become deceivers, adept politicians and measured speakers?

The Holy Spirit my guide I wade into water that would certainly consume me, if not for His indwelling.  Oh Father my words, my argument, my testimony and my ability are inadequate to start the Holy Fire of Revival necessary to saving so many.  Forgive me for being in this place of despair knowing my inadequacy.  You will see this through Father and if not through my courage to stand in the face of onslaught, then perhaps someone to whom I have whispered of Your Glory.  Thank you so much for the opportunity to speak reason into shadow and love unto the forgotten.  I get it that you love them and I will do what may be done to warn them of the pitfalls on the way to Glory.  But I already seen that this will cost the loss of self for victory.  Give me that strength Lord to forget my self and step aside, acquiescing to righteousness.  For Your Will is all that matters and Your Kingdom the only establishment for which I fight.  I do not know righteousness except through you.  I do not know truth outside of what You have provided and I do not know strength except that which You have given me.

My plan is the fools pursuit, surrender the only avenue for success.  Give me the grace necessary to quiet all the voices that would supersede Your direction.  If they be internal, then I bid you control them.  If they be of shadow I ask You to silence them.  Lord, things do not by nature, concept, wish or projection appear to be becoming easier.  In fact, as you stretch us these tasks are getting significantly even exponentially more difficult.  Praise Your judgment believing that I am capable of withstanding this pressure, because, Father I must admit I do not see the capacity within my resolve or reserve.  I want to be harmonious, tolerant, likeable, expressing love at each opportunity,  but either I am doing it incorrectly or their responses are getting more harsh.  Your return must be rapidly approaching if I use this measure as evidence of timing.  For men’s hearts rapidly are icing over, each of them forgetting normal courtesy, even the ability to listen, in their quests to achieve every personal objective or sensory gratification.  We are even seeing men step on or over children with no apparent reflection upon this abnormal behavior in the interest of capturing the flag of their desirous conquest.  How long will You tolerate their mockery,  their abuse of women and children, how long must the innocent be martyred for the sake and hunger of evil men’s lust?

Father, give us strength.  Give me courage to stand facing the winds of smoke, fire, war or pestilence which certainly must soon come as compensation for our tyranny.  Cleanse my heart of all unrighteousness so that I might remain vigilant on the path of your intended Will.  Let me forgive sooner, be patient longer, listen longer, holding my thoughts and tongue from hurtful or evil speech.  Guide me in all that I do and forgive me for any bad intent or act.  Turn to good what I have done incorrectly.  Forgive me.  In Jesus Name.