In The Name Of Love

                Marting Luther King Jr. once said, “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that.  Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”  It is that thought that echoes in my mind as I think about the ever famous chapter 13 in the Apostle Paul’s letter to the church, the letter of 1 Corinthians- the chapter commonly referred to as “The Love Chapter”; arguably one of the most famous passages in Scriptures.  As Adolf Harnack once said, it is “the greatest, strongest, deepest thing Paul ever wrote”.  So please, for a moment, entertain my thoughts as I discuss this most critical piece of literature.

In our life, in our culture, in the history there can be no doubt of a certain struggle that has plagued humanity since the dawn of time.  It is the never-ending war with hate.  There are many different theories as to why this is, even amongst the greatest minds of theology.  And while we can argue over whether it is total depravity, some outside influence of an evil force, or the environment in which we are raised- there is no arguing the fact that hate has had a predominant hand in all of the human tragedies caused by the hand of another.  Hate has been more deadly than all plagues known to man; and yet, rather than fight for a cure, we dive more deeply into it. 

My friends, this ought not to be.  When we all see that sin that causes so much death enveloping us like a poisonous fog, the answer is not to continue breathing in the toxin; rather, we should flee it to the only cure known to man, the only solution to bring us from this chasm- Love. 

But instead of love, we find ourselves pitted against each other over petty things.  We instead turn to exalting things about ourselves that, without love, are completely irrelevant.  We think ourselves holy in the exercise of our spirituality, talents and gifts; yet in the absence of love, and therefore, in the absence of God Himself- who looks away from our self-glorifying works.  We believe ourselves to be something wonderful; yet when lacking love, we are just an empty shell.

It is for this very reason that we find Paul addressing the Corinthian Church on matters of love.  They had fallen into the trap of the Pharisee, seeing the great and marvelous actions at their own hand; listening to their own muttered prayers and supposed speaking in tongues of angels; holding themselves upon a pedestal above others.  When one felt he was “blessed” with a gift, he would look down upon another whom he felt was less blessed, not as righteous as he.  They would boast in their gifts while ignoring the glaring issue that all they did was vacant of love for God and love for others.

This was the background for chapter 13.  In 12, Paul first addressed the use of gifts and the reality that what you do outwardly is not a sign of how great you are within; in fact, he writes, that each person with their unique gift was imperative to the work of Christ and to the church as a whole.  He concludes by saying, “But earnestly desire the greater gifts- And I show you a still more excellent way.”  (12:31)

And what is that most excellent way?  Paul makes it abundantly clear: Love.  He begins 13 with three very direct statements concerning works and gifts: “If I speak with tongues of men and angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or clanging cymbal.  If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.  And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I surrender my body to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing.”

This is the first and most basic understanding of love.  Righteousness is not being able to do wonderful things.  Look at some of the things that Paul points out- “If I can speak with tongues of men and angels”- does it really matter if I have the most eloquent of speech?  Does it matter if I can hold the attention of thousands, if I can speak with the proverbial golden tongue if love is devoid of my speech? No; for without love, I am in the end only muttering useless sounds that are unintelligible to the soul.  He goes on to state that having all knowledge, having understanding of mysteries, gifts of prophecy or great faith- are useless knowledge and useless faith without love.  In fact he very directly says having these gifts without love reduces him to nothing!  And he wraps up this section by saying that though he make great sacrifice in his life, if not done in love, it profits him absolutely nothing.  So then, the question must be asked- if these things practiced on their own merit are useless, what then is love?  If love is the key, what is it?  And of greater importance, what impact can love- when understood in it’s true concept- have on this world of hate in which we live?

We are most fortunate that Paul must have anticipated this question to be asked for centuries to come.  He takes the remaining time in chapter 13 to help us have complete understanding of this most sacred word.  He breaks it down as such: 7 examples of what love is, and 8 examples of what love is not.  While this explanation is helpful to us, it also served a secondary purpose.  As John Calvin stated, “I have also no doubt that he designed indirectly to reprove the Corinthians, by setting before them a contrast, in which they might recognize, by way of contraries, their own vices.”

So let us first take a look at the 8 things Paul identifies as the opposite of love:  1. Not jealous 2. Does not brag 3. Is not arrogant 4. Does not act unbecomingly 5. Does not seek its own 6. Is not provoked 7. Does not take account of wrong 8. Does not rejoice in unrighteousness.  Some of these should be pretty self explanatory; however, let us take a brief moment to look a little deeper.

The first, that love lacks jealousy, speaks to the reality that you cannot look at what another has and covet it.  How can you love that person if you cannot take your mind off what they own?  If you feel that what God has gifted them belongs more rightfully to you, then you are exalting yourself above them.  In a more intimate relationship, jealousy can look different- behaving as a territorial primate, demanding to control their every move.  This also does not show forth love, for in a figurative sense, you have caged them and attempt to control their freedom.  This is not something love would do.

In the same respect, love does not brag and is not arrogant, nor does it seek its own.  These three go together, as they both- once again- involve exalting self.  As long as you are your main focus in the relationship, love will be absent.  For how can you attend to the need of another if you are constantly looking out for your own?  How can you love a person whom you constantly belittle or degrade, either through word or action?

Love does not act unbecomingly, Calvin again refers to this as acting ostentatious- which means a vulgar display intended to impress or attract notice.  Once again, this is an action solely on yourself.  Perhaps once again, Paul may have been thinking about relationships in the Body of Christ, as the Corinthians were struggling with spiritually vulgar actions meant to draw attention to themselves…  But I digress.

Finally, love does not take account of wrong, is not easily provoked and does not rejoice in unrighteousness…  I think the main overall thought is, that once again, love puts our feelings aside for the greater good of the relationship.  Rather than focus on the negative, love lets go for the sake of peace.  My feelings are sacrificed for the sake of love, expecting nothing in return.

Paul counters with a good description of what love is.  After very vividly painting that love of self is the opposite of love for others, he shows us clearly the lesson we must learn if we are to survive, not only as a culture, but as the Body of Christ.  Love is patient, love is kind- when we deal with others, our compassion must shine through! Love rejoices in truth- for even though truth may hurt, lies and deception are much more destructive.  Love bears and endures all things- right or wrong, good or bad, love will carry the burden through to the end- as our wedding vows say, til death do us part.  Love believes all things, love hopes all things…  Paul is essentially writing that no matter how dark, love never gives up.  It presses forth, holding fast to hope above all.

Paul then ends the section by stating that love never fails.  This is why Paul said it is a much more excellent way.  Because every other gift given, whether tongues or healing or prophecy- these things are not eternal.  These things will fade.  These things will come to an end.  Material possessions and gifts will blow away like the wind.  But love- love is eternal. Love can never fail.  Love never ceases.  Love never ends.

The gifts that the Corinthians seem so enamored with, are likened unto things needed for our spiritual immaturity.  They are the gifts of spiritual children.  We see the mysteries of God through a dim glass, but when they have fallen away, and only love is left behind- when we enter eternity with no need of tongues and prophecies- then we will see clearly.  Then we will have reached our full spiritual maturity.  It is what we should strive for.  It is what should be our motivation.  It should be the one action (for love is not a feeling, but a verb) that we stress more than any other when dealing with our brothers and sisters in Christ- and with the lost. 

Love is, the more excellent way.

America Again

I HAVE TO BE HONEST...

Gov. Rick Perry was my first choice for the republican nominee for president in 2012.  That guy, in my humble opinion, is a rock star governor not afraid to live his faith.  But... sadly he was defeated rather quickly and quite handily.  SO... My second choice was Michelle Bauchman.  I love that woman; she is not afraid to say what needs to be said when it should be said...  Sadly, she was also defeated rather quikly.  Well, you know what they say- the third time's a charm, so I went with Sen. Rick Santorum...  only to be disappointed at his lack of finishing big.  well, I guess he did come in second...

One thing is for certain, my very last choice was Mitt Romney.  A guy who came across as a moderate establishment candidate.  A guy who was carrying an awful big chain around his neck with bling attached to it that plainly read "Romneycare" in the gold glittery letters.  A guy who was the poster child for the evil "one percent" that the left was going nutso about.  Yeah... that guy.  I hate to say, but I was more excited to bob for dead fish in a barrel than to vote for Romney.

I was firm in my convictions, refusing to acknowledge him as a viable candidate.  When it became clear that he would be our nominee I entered a state of political depression, preparing my mind for another Obama victory.  Visions of the end of America floated through my head.  I was beginning to accept the premise of doom.

You see, I understand that the America I grew up with, the America that I had known and loved since I was a small child, is in critical condition.  She is laying in the ICU room for nations, on life support.  The prognosis is dim.  Hope is not lost- but those with any logic know it might as well be.  Her light is fading from her eyes, and her torch is but an ember.  She has been beaten down by an administration that promised hope and change, and instead gave us no hope and a beating with chains.  That once great Lady Liberty, crippled at the hands of her leader.  Her people made to believe that American exceptionalism was a demonic plague.  Her people assured that to believe in America as the last great hope, that city on a hill for all other nations to look to, was nothing more than a corrupt dream worthy of being abandoned on the trash heap of unfairness.  No, we were told, it is time to look beyond what was and accept a new reality- that America needs to be brought to her knees, brought to a place where all the other nations can see eye to eye with her.  Eye to eye, that is, as she looks up- at them.

That America, that once was great, that was the beacon of hope to all the world, had had it's beacon of hope extinguished by a leader who promised hope.  Oh, how I look back to my youth, back to the America I grew up in, longing for her to pull through, to stand back up lifting high the notion that ALL men are created equal, that ALL men have the right to life and liberty, that ALL men can be free to pursue their dreams and reach as far as they are able, that ALL men through hard work, blood, sweat and tears can one day reach their dreams- and more importantly, that they can impact their neighborhood, their city, their state, their country, their world- that we are more than just a number, a nameless peasant...

I WANT that America back.

I WANT a better future for my children and grandchildren.

But I don't see that.  I don't see anything but Lady Liberty taking her last dying breath under this administration.

That is where I was.  That is what I saw.  I had no faith in the possibility of a victory for conservatism. 

But then...  I watched something unfold.  It was called hope.  Not a glittery hope, not honey-like words spoken from the lips of a seducer in chief.  No, there was something else here.  It was hope spoken from a man once held in sway by the liberal left.  It was hope spoken from a woman reflecting on being that little girl refused hamburgers at the local gathering because of her skin color, later elevated to Secretary of State.  It was hope spoken from a man whose family immigrated from communist Cuba, whose father and mother poured sweat- not for their dreams, but for the dreams of their son.  It was hope spoken from a man who assured us that it is ok- no, not just ok but the right thing to do to believe in America again!

The reminder that WE are the employers, and that this president has been no more effective than an empty chair flooded through my mind- and I pray yours.  The reminder that THIS president, who PROMISED to slow the rise of the waters and to heal the lands SADLY FORGOT the millions of Americans without work, without food, losing homes, losing dreams, losing the very hope that they were promised.  Most importantly, we were reminded that IT IS NEVER too late to HOPE for TRUE HOPE.  It is never too late for Lady Liberty to rise up again.  It is NEVER TOO LATE for OUR America to stand up and once again be that beacon of hope, that symbol of liberty that shines forth from sea to shining sea!

YES!  America can be restored!  There IS hope!  Where there is truth, there is hope! Where there is faith, there can be victory!  Where there are people who are willing to stand and fight for her, there is liberty! 

My friends, NOW is our time.  They had their time, those who would see America weak and defeated.  But NOW is OUR time to rise!  NOW is our time to say, that we are TIRED of more people out of work, we are TIRED of more people hurting, we are TIRED of more debt, we are TIRED of the right to life being trampled, we are TIRED of the right to liberty being stolen, and we are TIRED of a government that has gone TOO FAR!

Four years ago, God gace us the exact leader we asked for.  But now it is time that we recognize our wrongs.  Now is the time we get down on our knees, and go to Almighty God, admitting that we were wrong.  Now is the time that we seek His help once again, then rise to our feet, and claim the idea of America, the idea of freedom, the idea of liberty that burns in our minds, our hearts, our souls again!!!  LET US go forth from this day forward and fire those responsible for trashing our Constitution, fire those who have attempted to enslave us to their socialist views, and TAKE AMERICA BACK FROM THEIR HANDS AND BACK IN THE HANDS OF THEIR EMPLOYERS- WE! THE! PEOPLE!!!!

What do you say?  Are you willing to stand?  Are you willing to be a voice of reason in this time of insanity?  Because my friends, the time is now, you are the voice that will restore hope, and your voice was never more needed than NOW!!!

My Destiny, Part Three: Rebirth

...until out of the corner of my eye I see- a light.  Just a tiny hole poking through the darkness at first.  But within mere moments I not only see, but am enveloped completely by it, overwhelmed by it.  There is not even the smallest trace of darkness anymore.  It has vanished so quickly that for a moment I wonder if it was even here.  And then it is but a fading memory...

A breeze passes over me, and suddenly I feel lifted with new strength.  It is not my own, no mistaking that.  My body still feels as though it is made of sand, inconsistant with no ability to hold structure on it's own.  Yet this strength holds me together, lifting me to my feet.  New found freedom washes over me.  Love infuses me.  Life takes hold of me.  Life... 

It is then that I notice something laying at my feet.  I look down and find a shell where only minutes ago I lay broken.  It looks like me...  Or, what was me.  The twisted form of myself that had become gnarled from disease.  Is it any wonder I could even move, I ask myself?  Or were my previous movements just an illusion from the mind of a paralyzed man?  What exactly is happening to me?

It is then that I see a lamb, as though it had been slain, yet living in all might and power.  It is the very God I had cried out to, the very God whom seemed so very far away, standing not above me, but beside me, holding me up.  It is then I realize that this new strength is His.  He has taken the darkness from me.  I do not have to ask, for the answer is already there- it was He who paid the price for my life.  He had ransomed me with His very blood.  Then in His power, He took my old self, that broken blackened creature of the night that I was, and changed it. 

I am a new creation.

This is my destiny.

I have done many wrongs, hurt God and others, in a life that was a suicide mission.  But no more.  Now God has set me on a new path; a path of peace though we are in a war, a path of love though we are surrounded by hate, a path of hope despite being surrounded by hopelessness.  This is the great adventure.   I do not know what lies ahead of my feet.  I am so blinded by the Light that it is all I can see- but it is that the Light, the Light of Christ, that I shall follow- no matter where it leads. 

I am redeemed. 

I am restored.

I am reborn.

The Lord Jesus Christ has came to my aid.  The Son of God has taken my place in judgement where I should have stood.  He saw my frailty, my weakness, my disease.  When all others cringed from me, when all others ran from me, when there was no hope in any other name under Heaven- he ran to me, and purchased the rights to my soul with His very blood.  He resurrected my dead soul just as He was resurrected from the grave.  He is the Light that I will follow until the end of eternity- and beyond.

This has been my story, from beginning to end.  Sometimes I forget myself, and I look back for that shell of a creature I once was.  But I never can see it.  Oh yes, sometimes my eyes do start to adjust to the darkness again.  But they never fully adjust, and I stumble and fall to my knees where the Lamb lifts me up and surrounds me with His love and His light again. 

Yes, this has been my story.  But my question to you is, is it not your story too?  For my brothers and sisters in Christ, do you remember the time when He came to your rescue?  Or have you forgotten the joy His love brings?  Stop looking back at your past.  Turn yourself back around, focus only on Him.  Your past is dead and gone, a distant memory cast into the sea of forgetfulness, cast as far from you as the east is from the west.  It is forgotten by God...  Why don't you forget it too?

As for those of you who may read this, who are still in that miry pit...  There is only one way out my friend.  There is only one way to freedom.  You can remain in that pit, broken, twisted, dying...  But there is another destiny that awaits.  A destiny not of regret, not of hopelessness, not of hate.  It is a destiny of peace, love, hope, redemption... 

Your adventure awaits...

Well?  What are you waiting for?

My Destiny, Part Two: 1000 Apologies

...And it is in this darkness that I somehow muster the strength for a feeble cry... it barely escapes my lips, the smallest of voices in my mind and ears...  and yet it echoes in the darkness, as if off of unseen walls in the black, growing louder, louder still until it becomes deafening... help!  I cry, as I realize I can no longer move on my own.  My spiritual state has struck me down, a sword to the heart, and left me for dead.  But somehow I still manage breath.  I choke out the whispered apologies... 

I have so many to make.  I have wasted so much time, precious time given by God...  I have committed spiritual treason against myself, my family, my friends...  Despite my own efforts, despite my own thoughts of myself I have become the hypocrite, the pharisee, the whitewashed tomb full of dead men's bones...  So many apologies...  Where to begin?

Where do you begin when you have 1000 apologies to make, apologies that are just words, that can never change the past, that can never mend the damage done, that can never erase the scars...  Scars given to others, and to myself.  If words can never hurt- then they can never heal.  They are just empty expressions, void of meaning.  Yet these empty expressions are all I have left in me.  It is all my strength to put down my pride and admit I was wrong.  It takes every muscle in my body to form the words, I repent.  I commission these words with prayer, hoping that He will give meaning to the only thing I have left to give.

My reality lies in the fact that I cannot escape my destiny in my own strength.  My reality is that I cannot rescue myself.  As my life plays out before me, my reality is that it was not I that ever did anything good... nor was it I that had the strength to whisper my apologies, my repentance.

Repentance...  Is it real?  Do I have any capability to turn from this disease infected self that I am?  Do I have any capability to not just apologize but to make a lifestyle change so radical that it is though I am a new creation?  Will my apologies, barren and empty yet from the depths of my soul, will they mean anything?

All I can do is ponder these questions.  They echo through my skull, driving me mad with hopelessness, until out of the corner of my eye I see...

...to be continued...

Rising From The Ashes of A Dark Night

As a woman lies in the hospital in critical condition, begging for her 6 year old little girl that was killed, I must be honest- I had been looking forward to this weekend for well over a year.  Even as the man learns his son is one of the dead, bringing forth that age old saying that a parent should never have to bury their own child, I must confess that I was filled with excitement leading up to this past weekend.  And as a father lay dead on a theater floor, his 2 sons alive but heartbroken, I had been thrilled at the idea of taking my own son to The Dark Knight Rises- what I believed would be the best movie of this year..

I don't know about the best movie...  I haven't the heart to go see it yet.  But I guess you could say it is the most tragic movie of the year.  What human with a heart is not moved to tears at the horror that unfolded early Friday morning at the movies in Aurora Colorado?   One man- one evil man- shooting and injuring up to 71 people, killing 12 of them.  12 people dead, from 6 to almost 60.  A man dressed, ironically, like the main villain of this last Batman movie. 

Those who left the theater among the living must be thinking, why am I still alive...  While those that were killed have families asking, why were they killed.  And those of us who were outsiders to this story are left asking- why did it happen in the first place?

As I ponder this thought, I am reminded of a scene from the previous Batman movie: The Dark Knight.  If you will, recall with me, when Bruce Wayne and his loyal butler Alfred were discussing the possible motives of the madman known as the joker.  Wayne was having difficulty wrapping his mind around the joker's actions, which appeared to be for anything but money, power or fame...  In wisdom, Alfred commented that sometimes the wicked do what they do for no other reason other than, they are just evil.  I think it would be fair to say, that the writers unknowingly gave us insight into this man's actions Friday morning...  Perhaps his motivation, his driving force was nothing more than- he is evil.  The truth is the easiest explanation- we are all born sinners; but some embrace the darkness much more than others...

I will not take the step, as some have, to use this time of great sadness to push a political point or theory.  There are discussions to be had, to ask what could have been done differently, to ask what can we as citizens do to try and avert such crime from happening again.  We must investigate further, pursuing truth in this case, willing to explore the possibility he was not working alone, and we must turn over the rock and see if there is more danger lurking.  Those discussions are fair and should be held.  But what must not be done, on either side of the political aisle, is to use this as a weapon or tool to push an agenda.  This man has already unleashed enough firepower on us; let us not take up his torment and fire it upon ourselves or our neighbor.  No; the time of playing off the pain of victims is something we must elevate ourselves above- lest we become as much a monster as the man responsible.  It is sick and wrong to take advantage of such loss of life...

What must be done instead, is to look at the frailty of life.  To accept the truth that we are not immortal.  To understand that we have such a short time on this planet.  Whether it be 1 or 100 years we are given, the reality is we just don't know when we take that last breath.  The words of one victim should ring ever true in our hearts and minds- "I was shown how fragile life was... I saw the terror on bystanders' faces. I saw the victims of a senseless crime. I saw lives change. I was reminded that we don't know when or where our time on Earth will end. When or where we will breathe our last breath," said  Jessica Ghawi, after surviving a mass shooting at a Toronto shopping mall- before she was killed, this time in the Colorado shootings. 

We must take advantage of the time given us.  We must make the most of our lives.  We must not waste it.  There is one message, one recurring theme portrayed in the character of Batman; that tragedy can turn into triumph.  We can overcome the evil that drives men like Mr. Holmes. We can learn that if we can endure the pain and accept God's healing hand upon our heart, we can become better, stronger, wiser.  If we will hold on to it, we can rest assured that when it seems we are in the darkest night of our lives, hope is not lost; for we can turn to the One who is Hope incarnate.

My dear friends, as the weekend now turns into the week, as we move forward in our lives, I ask this one simple request.  Do not go unchanged, unmoved by the tragedy of this past weekend.  I know that most who read this will not have been personnally affected by this- but I pray you will be mentally and spiritually affected.  I pray that you will move forward, never taking life or your loved ones for granted.  Hold your loved ones closer than you ever have before.  Make each moment of your life count.  Do not waste it but use it for the purpose that God has given to you.  Most importantly, remember- when the darkness closes in and is suffocating to your soul- remember that hope is not lost, if you would just reach out for it.  Seek hope always, my friends.  It can only be truly found at the foot of the cross, at the empty tomb, in the mercy of Christ the Messiah- but if we hold to that hope, then we WILL overcome the night- and we shall rise from the ashes, rise from the tragedies, rise from whatever comes our way to destroy us.  We will rise!

The Salt of the Earth

I hate it.  I absolutely despise it.  Blech.  It tastes nasty, it is grainy, it dries out my mouth...  Nope, salt is not for me.  I don't add salt to anything I eat; I avoid it at all cost.  But there is something about it that, despite my feelings, is necessary.  The very nature of our body was created to be in need of a certain amount of the nasty stuff.  On top of that it has for thousands of years been a flavor enhancer, but more importantly, a preservative.  Not one that I would have personally picked, but- I digress.

Preservative...  salt...  It reminds me of something Jesus once said: "Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men."  Matthew 5:13

 Have you ever wondered what that means?  What was Jesus referring to when He said that we are the salt of the earth?  And why would He choose salt? Blech...  But then, realize that when He spoke every Word had meaning, and a much deeper one than what we see on the surface.  We are the salt of the earth...  But if the salt has lost his savour...

Going back to my original thought, the idea that salt not only gives flavor but is a preservative...  What is a preservative? It is something that we add to a food item in order to make the said food last longer.  Food without it will spoil faster.  So we add the stuff in an effort to make it last as long as humanly possible.  Add that concept into the idea that we are the salt- or preservative- of the world.  What do you think that means?  How does salt get used?  It has to actually be applied, right?  And when it is applied it is done liberally, and with hope- hope that it will have some lasting effect, that it will make a difference. 

As Christians, we must ask ourselves this question- are we fulfilling our role?  Are we allowing ourselves to be used in hope to preserve the earth as best we can until He returns?  Now before you think I have gone on some enviro-friendly trip, let me assure you that is not what I am talking about.  Let me explain:  We all know this earth is a rotten place to live.  Everything seems to be falling apart right before our eyes; and each generation things get worse and worse.  We also know from Scripture that it won't be too long before the final prophecies are fulfilled- the end times are, indeed, just around the corner...  But what are we to do in the meantime?  Are we to just sit on our couches at home?  Are we to go on with our lives, steadily plodding towards the finish line without a care in the world?  Is that what a preservative does?  God forbid it!  We are the salt of the earth!  We are to go out in hope that God will use our talents, that He will use us to preserve the earth as best we can until His return!  That means preaching the Word, the good news of the Gospel which is our flavor; it means standing for what is right; it means hoping for a move of God that will shake foundations and bring people to their knees in repentance!!! To do anything less is to be fulfilling the exact opposite of our role! 

But we must also understand something else.  A single grain of salt will not do much to preserve or flavor.  When we separate ourselves apart, when we build walls that divide us, we are not very effective.  Listen carefully to this: YOU ARE NOT THE ONLY GRAIN OF SALT!!!  We have bought into this idea that we must have these walls built up around us, around our churches, around our denominations.  We have bought into a philosophy that says that we cannot work with someone who goes to the church down the road.  We have walled around our ground, staked our claim, raised our flag and sounded the alarm- against each other!    And while we sit in our bunkers, hiding our face from other believers who don't look, talk, walk or sound like us, the world rots around us, a lack of preservative whithering it away...

Now understand, the salt must remain pure- false teachers and false prophets will arise in attempt to deceive.  But I am not talking about that here.  I am talking about brothers and sisters in the faith, members of the same Body of Christ who would rather cut each other from the Body than work in effort to make a true difference in this land.  But what would happen if we took down these walls?  What if instead of refusing to work together, we instead stood side by side, building each other up, praying for each other, supporting each other?  What would happen?  If differences became a matter of simple discussion instead of angry debate?  If our attacks focused on the enemy instead of each other?

Here is the reality of the situation- we are in a desperate hour.  The lost, the broken, the hopeless surround us.  The harvest, my friends, is ready- but the workers are few, and too busy building walls of division to make a difference.  Will we see in time?  Will we decide in time that some things are not worth fighting over?  Will we wake up, tear down the walls we have built, move forward together with the Gospel, and be the salt of the earth? Or have we all together lost our savor?

To Hope Or not To Hope; That Is The Question

I am sure that you know by now that I was as surprised as you that Obamacare was not overturned last week.  I think that we all were expecting to see the Supreme Court rule differently than it did.  How could 9 people, sworn to uphold the Constitution, charged with ensuring that Congress never strayed from her, the people’s supposed last defense against overreaching government, look socialism in all it’s wickedness dead in the face and turn aside to allow it to devour the American people?  Without a doubt it will impact America more than any other decision that we have seen perhaps since Roe V. Wade.  And to think that the one justice that we all believed would be on our side, that would surely rule with wisdom and cast this monstrosity aside, the one sure man we could count on-  cast his lot with the liberal justices, leaving his name and reputation to be compared to the likes of Judas Iscariot in the mind of many conservatives.

Upon initially hearing of this I was at first distraught, angry, and heartbroken all at the same time.  My emotions were raging, a swirl of thoughts going through my brain like a hurricane.  How could this be, I thought?  Anyone with a mild understanding of the Constitution could see that this law stood for everything the founders of our Country did not!  When the patriots began the Revolutionary War, it was to overthrow the yoke of tyranny placed around their necks by Britain.  The government that had become a slavemaster, mandating what could and could not be bought, taxing without relief, ruling with an iron fist- THAT government had to go.  So they fought, they spent their gold until there was none left to spend, they sacrificed, they shed their blood, and many even died for the belief that government is of the people, by the people, and for the people.  They gave their all to overcome.  And now we find ourselves 236 years later, our Supreme Court upholding law that represents the very nature of the beast that they had slain…  Despite the will of the people.

After all our prayers…  After all our rallies…  After all our letters and phone calls, all our pleading, all our raised voices in anger, all for naught.

 Upon first glance, it is easy to feel defeated.  It is easy to hang our heads and go home.  It is easy to surrender.  It is easy to lose all hope.  The demon of socialism, it seems, has finally wrestled liberty from our grip; we have lost too much ground; there is no coming back from this abyss that our foot has slipped into.  The Government has the power now, and there is no returning back from this grave.

Yes, it is easy to give in to those feelings.  It is easy to talk about no hope; to talk about no chance. But the reality is that we have NOT yet sacrificed for this cause of righteousness.  Rather, we have been seeking after our own gain.  We have been seeking our own treasure.  We have given lip service to the ideals we profess, but we have not yet issued one drop of blood- or even sweat- for that which we claim to hold so dear.  And while we have been busy seeking after the American dream, the enemy has enclosed around us a socialized nightmare!  Because of this, we are left in shatters, with so many of us talking about giving in to the nightmare- for there is no light left…

 But brothers and sisters, I implore you to listen!  Listen to what the enemy will NOT tell you; that despite them, despite what they have done, despite what they will no doubt continue to attempt, there is ONE GLARING FACT that CANNOT be ignored:  LIBERTY WILL NOT DIE UNTIL THOSE WHO BELIEVE IN HER GIVE UP!!!

We can be downcast, but I ask what will that gain us?  We can be downtrodden, but what will that gain us?  We can buy the lie that all hope is lost, BUT WHAT WILL THAT GAIN US?  I say, NO!  NOW is NOT the time to hang our heads in defeat!  Now is NOT the time to accept loss!!  Now is NOT the time to surrender hope, but rather to cling to it!  We must clench our fist tightly, grit our teeth, and renew our resolve!  If we fold now, then we are no better than the tyrannists that wish to rule over us!  They may have won this battle, but we must remember that they will NOT win this war!

But there is only one way.  There is only one path to victory.  There is only one hope.  We MUST put our personal desires aside.  We must put our pride down.  We must put our differences aside and unite together in this fight.  And we must repent.  Repent for being more concerned with personal achievement than defending liberty.  Repent for allowing ourselves to be comfortable with the socialist demons that have crept in amongst us.  Repent for turning our backs on the ideals that founded this Country.  Repent for the murders of the innocent, the greed, the debauchery, the self-worship that have offended the very God who inspired our forefathers to form this great nation known as the United States!

We have a decision to make, my friends.  Now is the time that we must decide whether or not we will lay down and give up in defeat, or if we will stand on our convictions, stand for what is right, stand our ground and never give up hope.  What will you choose?  As for me and my house, we will choose the Lord… And we will choose hope!