DON'T LOOK NOW, BUT THE WORLD IS WATCHING YOU....SO IS GOD !
11/5/2020
If you are like me, sometimes the world we live in can seem like it has gone off the deep end. It is full of strife and chaos, and fear. Disagreement over politics, lifestyle, beliefs and Truth itself. America is in the midst of an election aftermath that in all my years I have never seen, or imagined that I would. We have turned the process of counting votes into a game of who can manipulate a simple process into an unending case of rule changes, process changes, and arguments. Long ago as a country and people, we would contemplate our choice, vote our conscience, see the result, be happy or disappointed, then move forward together and find commonality and grace for each other and our different views. Today, we feel hatred, and anger, and a need so ingrained to push back against each other that there is no commonality or balance. We all see it, and we all feel it. What are we going to do about it ? That is the BIG QUESTION. I believe that the answer is found in Christ. It lies in Jesus, and who He was as a man on earth, and our Lord and King in Heaven and Earth. Jesus created our world and us, and He had what I define as “The Perfect Balance of Truth and Grace, projected in Love and Righteousness.” I believe that LOVE EXISTS AND FINDS IT’S TRUE POWER WHEN IT IS BORN OF GOD’S TRUTH AND RIGHTEOUSNESS. And I am talking GOD’S TRUTH AND CHARACTER, not some convoluted half truth that uses God’s character to invent a new meaning or broader understanding of something. Truth is Truth. Counting a vote is counting a vote. Until it Isn’t ! God’s version of Truth is solid, unchanging, and enlightening. CHRISTIANS SHOULD BE CLEAR IN WHAT IT IS, AND REFLECT IT IN ALL THEY ARE !
BUT YOU O LORD, ARE A GOD MERCIFUL AND GRACIOUS, SLOW TO ANGER AND ABUNDANT IN LOVINGKINDNESS AND TRUTH. Psalm 57:10
ALL THE PATHS OF THE LORD ARE LOVINGKINDNESS AND TRUTH TO THOSE WHO KEEP HIS COVENANT AND HIS TESTIMONIES. Psalm 25:10
STAND FIRM THEREFORE, HAVING GIRDED YOUR LOINS WITH TRUTH, AND HAVING PUT ON THE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS. Ephesians 6:14
If you want to understand God’s Truth it is easy to find. HIS TRUTH IS HIS WORD ! Open up the Bible and start reading. Ask for enlightenment. See how God created you. See how God wanted relationship with you. Understand your failings and sinful nature. See how God interacted with us through time. Understand His COMMANDMENTS and His COVENANTS with us. View it from a TRUTHFUL CONTEXT, not from some made up convoluted lie that twists it around and makes it something it isn’t. Those who reject God love to use half truths and try to connect Jesus to them in some way to fool us or make us feel ashamed or ignorant. Untruth of Jesus’s words, teachings, and actions only find root in those that are unprepared and not maturing in God’s Word. Sitting in a church pew once a week or twice a year is not going to cut it. GOD WANTS YOU ALL IN, ALL THE TIME. HE WANTS YOUR LIFE, YOUR OBEDIENCE, YOUR REPENTANCE, AND YOUR WORSHIP !
THAT WHICH WAS FROM THE BEGINNING, WHICH WE HAVE HEARD, WHICH WE HAVE SEEN WITH OUR EYES, WHICH WE HAVE LOOKED UPON AND TOUCHED WITH OUR HANDS, CONCERNING THE WORD OF LIFE-THE LIFE WAS MADE MANIFEST, AND WE HAVE SEEN IT, AND TESTIFY TO IT, AND PROCLAIM TO YOU THE ETERNAL LIFE, WHICH WAS WITH THE FATHER AND WAS MADE MANIFEST TO US-THAT WHICH WE HAVE SEEN AND HEARD WE PROCLAIM ALSO TO YOU, SO THAT YOU TOO MAY HAVE FELLOWSHIP WITH US; AND INDEED OUR FELLOWSHIP IS WITH THE FATHER AND WITH HIS SON JESUS CHRIST. AND WE ARE WRITING THESE THINGS SO THAT OUR JOY BE COMPLETE . THIS IS THE MESSAGE THAT WE HAVE HEARD FROM HIM AND PROCLAIM TO YOU, THAT GOD IS LIGHT, AND IN HIM IS NO DARKNESS AT ALL. 1 John 1: 1-10
AND I WILL GIVE YOU A NEW HEART, AND A NEW SPIRIT I WILL PUT WITHIN YOU. AND I WILL REMOVE THE HEART OF STONE FROM YOUR FLESH AND GIVE YOU A HEART OF FLESH. Ezekiel 36:26
FOR THIS IS IS THE COVENANT THAT I WILL MAKE WITH THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL AFTER THOSE DAYS, SAYS THE LORD; I WILL PUT MY LAWS INTO THEIR MINDS AND WRITE THEM ON THEIR HEARTS. I WILL BE THEIR GOD, AND THEY WILL BE MY PEOPLE Hebrews 8:10
The truth is that for far too long, I lived in a state of Pseudo Christianity. I believed in Jesus and my Salvation, but I never advanced in equipping myself in and of Him. My fleshly desires and my ignorance let me do and believe things that were NOT HIS DESIRES OR TRUTHS. It was really convenient for me though. It let me use Grace Without Truth, lack of Repentance and Obedience to be the King of My Life. THE WORLD LOVES IT WHEN YOU RELY ON SELF AND REVEL IN BEING YOUR OWN KING ! It allows the world to paint us as hypocrites and faithless chumps. It gives them the power to tell us how to think and act, because we have no foundation and no perception of wisdom, commitment or Truthfulness. WE DON’T PRACTICE WHAT WE PREACH ! We dishonor ourselves and our God…..and I said, NO MORE ! LORD, BRING ME TO REPENTANCE, OBEDIENCE, FAITH, and RIGHTEOUSNESS. Am I coming on strong ? Good !!! God loves you, and He wants you to be in Him and His ways. HIS TRUTH ! From Gender, to Abortion, to Marriage, to Actions and Words. To Values and Beliefs, Right and Wrong, Treatment of Others….everything should reflect doing your best to please God. Can we do it ? Will we try ? If we don’t,….we will pay the consequences….Get in His Word and Live out your commitment to Christ. Imagine what He suffered and went through for YOUR LIFE to be saved.
EVEN THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH, WHOM THE WORLD CANNOT RECEIVE, BECAUSE IT NEITHER SEES HIM NOR KNOWS HIM. YOU KNOW HIM, FOR HE DWELLS WITH YOU AND WILL BE IN YOU. John 14:17
I HAVE BEEN CRUCIFIED WITH CHRIST. IT IS NO LONGER I WHO LIVE, BUT CHRIST WHO LIVES IN ME. AND THE LIFE I NOW LIVE IN THE FLESH I LIVE BY FAITH IN THE SON OF GOD, WHO LOVED ME AND GAVE HIMSELF FOR ME. Galatians 2:20
The World Is Watching. What will be the direction of things. all things, everywhere. Tyranny ? Lies ? Evil ? Or Truth, Freedom, and Good. God is watching. Will you pursue Him and His Kingdom, or be lost in yourself ? THE CHOICE IS YOURS. MAKE IT COUNT ! Be His/JAA
I HAVE SAID THESE THINGS TO YOU , THAT IN ME YOU MAY HAVE PEACE. IN THE WORLD YOU WILL HAVE TRIBULATION. BUT TAKE HEART; I HAVE OVERCOME THE WORLD. John 16:33