Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God.
Memory of the Month: Psalm 33:4
4 For the word of the Lord is right and true;
he is faithful in all he does.
Today's reading: JEREMIAH 30-31 PHILEMON 1
The Wall
This life in Christ-this life of seeking God and His kingdom-this life of loving God with all that we are and loving our neighbor as ourselves-this life of learning to use the mind of Christ-of taking up our crosses and dying daily-this life is not a distant thing. It is not a vague thing-if you are really in the middle of it.
But as I look into the face of some 'believers' as we visit, I see a wall that has been allowed by the individual. It is delivered 'first-class' by the enemy and taken so flippantly by the believer. It comes so subtly and is hard to even detect but it is so destructive.
Some may read this and ask, "What is he rambling about now?" This is exactly the point. The wall is undetected by so many.
It is a tool of the enemy that tells us we can be more comfortable if we don't get up a little earlier to meet God. This tool let's folks feel ok with omitting daily reading of the scripture. This lie let's folks walk past the lost and not feel the Holy Spirit reaching out through them to the condemned soul. The enemy celebrates this wall with every judgement passed by the 'believer' and so allows them to hate, in their own justification, all that believe differently-you know, the ones who spew disguised hate themselves behind their political neckties and position-those who read their 'fake news bolstered by their odd editorializing.
The wall is allowed by 'good people' who pay tithes and attend church and know all the right 'Sunday school' answers. It is allowed by the folks who are disenfranchised by organized religion and so meet on the golf course instead of church and call it their 'church'. The really good man who goes out on the ranch or works in the yard and 'really enjoys' it rather than being with the love of the community of God's people.
This wall is death-death to the growth of the Christian soul-death that 'feels' good so it is embraced. This like the new newborn left on the front lawn to take care of itself. But the saddest thing is that this has become what we call our 'comfort zone'. It is still a wall of death.
This wall is allowed by our worldly desires.
James 1:15 Our desires make us sin, and when sin is finished with us, it leaves us dead.
The problem with us is, it is just a little sin, we think. We know we can confess and it will be fine. While confession in real humility before God erases sin, this behavior becomes habit until the confession seems needless. This is the death of sin numbing our souls and minds to Godly truth and reality.
There is no substitute for a humble heart living consciously before God-consciously-awakening everyday and all day to the greatness of God in our lives where the battles 'are' really His and we really 'use' the mind of Christ provided by our constant companion, The Holy Spirit.
There is no substitute for knowing that God is with us in the middle of the worst and knowing the battle is His-it all belongs to Him. Knowing the excitement-yes, excitement, in the middle of the worst for the wisdom God is bringing eventually from that battle.
We do not have to climb this wall-no-remember, this battle is God's. Confess your own wall. God will demolish it instantly.
Ephesians 2:14
For He Himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility.
(Whether this wall is between two peoples or you and God-does he not demolish all hostility?)
The Lord is my shepherd... he makes me to lie down in green pastures...He leads me beside still waters...He restores my soul.
If your 'still waters or green pastures' come from anywhere but God, they will perish. If you fuss at God for not having green pastures, That's because you're looking for them in this physical world. Green pastures and still waters from God are spiritual and will only be experienced when God has demolished your 'wall' of 'luke-warm' discipleship because you, in full humility, have met Him in confession and submission.
God is love-period-Jesus died so you could walk in His righteousness-we must crawl before we walk.
Meet God on His terms and He will make them your own...
...because He loves us...
Father in Heaven,
I have sinned against You and You alone. Have mercy on me. Show me what to do.
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