A National Wreck

A few weeks ago, I dreamed that I was driving in a really old car, along a path next to a large body of water.  Suddenly, without warning, I was snatched off the path and my car turned over several times landing upside down in the water, sinking, with me still strapped in my seat belt.  I initially panicked, but pulled myself together and realized I needed to cut the seat belt that had me attached to the sinking car, or else I would drown.  I took a deep breath as the water rose all around me, pulled out my pocket knife, and cut the seat belt loose.  I floated out of the window of the car and rose to the surface just in time to avoid drowning.

Needless to say, this dream troubled me deeply.  As I fasted and prayed for understanding, I knew immediately that God was speaking to me in the dream, and the that the dream was multi-fold.  It addressed some personal issues in my life, but also I believe the national financial crisis that our nation is facing.  We have not been paying attention to our financial situation, the transportation that keeps our economy moving, and takes us to our destination.  We have been driving along as though every thing is normal, not realizing the danger that is presently near us.  And now suddenly, we find ourselves and our nation, flipped upside and sinking into economic ruin.

The media and other outlets of information are all on the band wagon, talking about how bad things are, and how bad they will become.  But no one seems to be telling us what to do.  In this dream, the only way I was able to escape, was to cut loose the things that held me tied down.  The seat belt, meant to be a safety device, became a trap when that car was sinking.  And I believe the word of the Lord is that we must cut loose the things that cause us to feel safe, when we are actually in danger.

Particularly, in our finances, we must cut loose wasteful spending, and trying to live beyond our means.  Getting rid of debt must become top priority if we want to escape the destruction that is near.  Apostle Paul taught us that we must live using the things of this world, but not abusing them, setting our affections on things above and not on the earth.  Set your treasures above, not in stocks and bonds, or money markets.  Don't draw your sense of self worth from the things you have, for Jesus said that a man's life does not consist of the abundance of things which he has, which are things that are temporary and will pass away.

Let us cut away anything that ties us down, any ideologies or philosophies that entangle us with affairs of this life, and prepare for the return of our Lord Jesus Christ.  We must guard our finances closely, but for the purpose of seeking first God's kingdom.  If we do these things, we can escape the wrath which is to come, and our souls can be delivered in this present world, and in the life to come.

Vain Imagination!

Have you ever felt like the world is going crazy?  Sometimes people can embrace ideas that are blatantly contrary to scripture, and then demand that you approve their "Freedom," by not disagreeing with them, or even warning them that there are consequences to embracing sinful ideas.  But this is not a new phenomenon.  David summed it up best in Psalms 2 from the King James Version, when he asked the same question in different way.

Psa 2:1        Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing?
Psa 2:2       The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed, [saying],
Psa 2:3       Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us.
Psa 2:4       He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision.
Psa 2:5       Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure.
Psa 2:6       Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion.
Psa 2:7       I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou [art] my Son; this day have I begotten thee.
Psa 2:8       Ask of me, and I shall give [thee] the heathen [for] thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth [for] thy possession.
Psa 2:9       Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel.
Psa 2:10       Be wise now therefore, O ye kings: be instructed, ye judges of the earth.
Psa 2:11       Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling.
Psa 2:12       Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish [from] the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed [are] all they that put their trust in him.

Apparently, history is once again repeating itself.  People who chose to do wickedly have always tried to force their ideas, control and influence on everyone else.  And often, those who love and value freedom are arch enemies.  God is the one who created the human existence, and He is the one who created us with the ability to think for ourselves.  Satan is the one who created nothing, and tries to control everything.  And thus the epic battle for the minds and hearts of men. 

But I'm so glad that David clued us in to the fact that God doesn't get stressed out about the raging of the vain ideas.  As a matter of fact, He laughs them to scorn.  There's nothing more embarrassing than exerting all of your efforts to accomplish your goal, only to be laughed at in defeat.  And this is exactly what God does to those who attempt to spread wickedness.  He who sits in the heavens laughs and shall have them in derision.  Of course the immobilizers will try to water down the truth of God's judgment by saying a loving God would never do such a thing, and will argue that this is old testament and not new testament.  Well, I say to you, "Read the book of Revelation, and see how a just and loving God reacts to wickedness in the end times."

The Lord is not slack concerning his promises, as some count slackness.  But suffers long toward us, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.  Of course God is merciful and will wait for a long time for people to change from doing evil.  But what happens at the end of the Grace period if there is no change from wickedness to righteousness?  Judgment!  He will vex them in His sore displeasure.

David even points out that God will go so far as to turn around and give the heathen, those who resisted His will, to His chosen one for an inheritance and the uttermost parts of the earth for His possessions.  That sounds like servitude for the wicked.  He even gives early warning that judgment is coming, like He did in the days of Noah.  But the wicked are too stubborn and hard-headed to listen.


I'm so glad that God will deal with the wicked, both in long suffering, allowing plenty of time to turn away from sin, or by swift, unavoidable judgment if they refuse to repent.  And no one need worry about false imprisonment, because God knows our hearts and He knows all the details, so He never mis-judges a case, nor does He have hung juries.

It is important to remember, that God is full of mercy and compassion.  He does not want anyone to perish.  And that is the reason He waits a long time (long suffering), before rendering judgment.  So let those who do wickedly turn from their evil ways and seek to do righteously.  For God wants all of us to be saved, to be blessed and to prosper in a good life.  But we all must remember that our works will rewarded and a day of reckoning is coming.  Each and every person will receive the wages that is due him.  The righteous will be rewarded just as the wicked will.  One to everlasting life, the other, unfortunately, to eternal torment.  God is worthy to be revered and served throughout all eternity.

Isolationists

I often wonder if Christians have developed a Cyborg mentality. We go out to try to make everyone be just like us. We often reinforce this idea through scriptures such as Jesus' instruction to make disciples of men. And anyone who does not do things the way we do, we avoid them like the plague, using such scriptures as "Shun the very appearance of evil," and if a brother will not repent of sin after two or three witnesses, then tell it to the church and let him be considered as a heathen. But I wonder if we have mixed up the messages of unrelated passages to develop an often isolationist mentality.

We are definitely instructed to share our faith by "going into the highways and hedges and compelling men to come. But come to what? Our way of thinking and doing things? That's not what Jesus said. We are supposed to compel them to come to relationship with Him. Not to become zombie replicas. Even though the scripture does teach us to walk in unity in Ephesian 4:3 and in St. John chapter 17, being at unity does not mean being identical. And it certainly does not mean that we can not be friends with those who are different.

Especially when it comes to dealing with those who are not believers. We know that the scripture trains us to refrain from being "yoked" together with unbeliever's, because evil communications corrupt good manners. But let us not compare apples with carrots. Dealing with an unbeliever is quite different than dealing with a believer. Jesus gave an example of how our relationships should work in Luke 16. He gave the example of the unjust steward, and tells us to make friends of unrighteous mammon in verse nine of Luke 16. We are to use our resources to be a benefit to others, and we should not shun connections with unrighteous people. However, we must diligently guard our hearts from being influenced by ungodly ideas.

This delicate balance is one that must be maintained by walking after the spirit. For the spirit searches all things, even the reigns or control center of our hearts. When we walk through life, the dust of the roads travelled often clings to our feet through no fault of our own. This is part of the revelation Jesus gave when he washed the disciples feet, showing that we must be humble enough to clean that dust away from one another to maintain a clean life. We must also be willing to allow others to clean that dust away from us. But Jesus did not tell them to never walk through the streets again in order to stay clean. So, through necessity, we must often have business dealings with unbelievers, in the work place, in the market place, at the doctor's office, etc. And often, we will see and hear ideas and ways of thinking that are contrary to the Word of God. These ideas can subconciously "stick" to us and begin to affect us. But we must come together to clean and be cleaned of the dust and dirt that unwittingly clings to us.

So never choose to be unfriendly to an unbeliever, but never choose to place yourself in a position that causes the ungodly ideas of unbelievers to have undue influence over your mind. Often, the only way to win an unbeliever to Christ is by befriending them. Just make sure that in your relationships, they are being led to Christ and that you are not be led astray from Christ.

When a Man Finds a Wife

Much has been said on the subject of singleness, the gift of singleness and the process of who seeks out whom in the marital relationship. The particular biblical references that come to mind are the proverbs of Solomon stating that "When a man finds a wife, he finds a good thing and obtains favor with the Lord." Another one is Apostle Paul declaring that he preferred single people to stay single, even as he was, so they could devote their attention to the things of God. Even the passage of the fairy tale like ending of Boaz and Ruth are favorites among the topic of marriage and singleness.

But all too often, teachers and preachers beat down singles, and particularly women, with these passages. This is usually in attempts to keep them from becoming mate-seeking missiles targeting the next eligible person who walks through the door, saved or unsaved, civilized or uncivilized, independent or still living at home with momma...just so long as they are breathing!

But if you look a little deeper, I believe there is another revelation in these passages, particulary Ruth and Boaz and Solomon's proverbs. For if you really study the story of Ruth, Boaz was not trying to find a wife. Ruth was trying to find a husband under the guidance of Naomi, knowing the law of the kinsmen redeemer. Ruth went out to the fields and I believe by divine providence, ended up in the fields of Boaz. But she was instructed on how to approach him after it was evident that she had found favor in his eyes. Basically, She put herself in a position to draw him. However, she never attempted to manipulate him, or trap him by unGodly means, though she did take advantage of the circumstances.

But, I suppose you could say that Boaz did find Ruth...
He "found" her to be busy, working with her hands, and not a busy body. For she went out to the fields to work(Ruth 2:3).
He "found" her to be polite, asking permission for what she needed rather than demanding what she wanted (Ruth 2:7a)
He "found" her to be hard working, instead of hardly working, gleaning
in the fields all day long, when others were pehaps just asking for
handouts or just hanging out (Ruth 2:7b).

He "found" her to be humble, for when he gave her instructions, she fell to her face, bowing herself to the ground out of respect for his guidance (Ruth 2:9, 10a)
He "found" her to be grateful, instead of being a spoiled brat. For she responded to him saying, "Why have I found grace in your eyes, seeing I am a stranger?" (Ruth 2:10b)

He "found" her to be taking care of her mother-in-law, even after her husband had died (Ruth 2:11).

He found her to be a submissive care-giver, for she followed the instructions given to her by Naomi, the authority figure in her life, whom she also was working to provide for. Thus he
"found" her to be submissive to leadership, above her own family and friends. (Ruth 2:11b)

He found her be evidently trusting in the Lord (Ruth 2:12)

He found her to be humble and comfortable among working class people. For she did not demand a seat of prominence at the dinner table, but sat next to the reapers, even though she was given a direct invitation to dinner by Boaz himself (Ruth 2:14).

He found her to be content with sufficiency, and not a glutton. For he reached her a peice of parched [corn], and she did eat, and was sufficed, and left. (Ruth 2:14b)

He found her to be industrious and not lazy. For after she left the dinner table, she went back to the field to glean (Ruth 2:15)

He found her as someone who finishes what she starts. For after she had gleaned until the evening, she then beat out what she had gleaned. (Ruth 2:18)

He found her to be a giver, for she took what she had gleaned to Naomi as well as some of the food she had reserved after eating what she needed. (Ruth 2:18)

He found her to be faithful. For she followed his instructions, not being found in another man's field, and staying with his maidens even until the end of both the barley and wheat harvests. (Ruth 2:23)

But even after all of this, Boaz did not ask her hand in marriage. Naomi being wise showed Ruth how to put herself in position to be redeemed by the kinsman redeemer. So it is evident, that just because a man may be impressed with you, that he may not pop the question. (Ruth 3:4)
Ruth was known throughout the city to be virtous woman, who did not chase after men, yet she put herself in a position which at first glance appeared, on the surface, to be ungodly. After uncovering his feet, she lay at the feet of Boaz, through the night.

At first thought, this seems to suggest something inappropriate. But many researchers suggest that this was a custom of showing reverance, similar to Moses putting of his shoes at the encounter of God's presence with the burning bush. This is a type of reverence which is not shown in common relationships, and makes Boaz nervous at first, for he did not immediately recognize Ruth, and since he had been drinking, probably did not remember what he had been doing. But when he saw it was her, he praised God, for he knew she was positioning herself for him to see what the will of God was, by expressing uncommon respect for him. He even expressed that her reputation through out the city was one of virtue.

Even after this, she did not ask his hand in marriage. She helped him see, that he needed to do the right thing, by humbling herself even more and laying at his feet.

So I say to my sisters who are single, but do not have the gift of singleness, don't sit idly by, waiting for your husband to find you. Get in position to be found. Become the woman God has created you to be and there will be great demand for your value from a man of valour. A diamond is not made without being tempered by heat and pressure. But when it is finished, it is sought after by all who understand its value. Be aggressive in seeking the will of God, and doing good. And don't be shy to show your spiritual strengths, for it was Ruth's good reputation as a virtuous woman that sealed the deal with Boaz. For he found her to be honorable in all her ways. What do single men find when they find you?

The Common Thread of Evil

Throughout history, there has always been, at work in the human existence, a common thread of evil. From the very beginning of creation, even to this day, that same evil serpent, better known as the devil, has been roaming around seeking whom he may devour. The new testament writers warned us not to be tricked into thinking that any thing else is the case.
Jesus Himself stated that the Devil sinned from the beginning, and that He (Jesus) saw Satan fall from Heaven like lightening. But what is amazing to me is that the common "Christian" mindset is to be surprised and taken aback by the wickedness that we are surrounded with. Despite being warned in 2 Timothy 3:13 that evil men and seducers would wax (grow) worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived, we seem to have developed a naive perspective concerning sinners and those who do evil.

Why have we come to expect everyone to do what is right? Even those that do not name the name of Christ are often looked at from an awestruck wonder when they engage in evil. I believe that one of these difficulties is the sheltered life that so many Christians live and often time, expect. Particularly in the United States, a country whose laws and constitutions, checks and balances were built by God fearing men with a keen awareness of the evil prevalent in world. We've come to expect and often demand that everyone does what is biblically right, regardless of the status of the Lordship of Jesus Christ in the hearts of the people.

This mind set has led many well-meaning Christians to seek to legislate sin, which is a complete misunderstanding and abuse of our system of governance. Especially when people have lost the moral compass required to understand what is good and evil, right and wrong. The way our nation was designed to run is only successful when men fear God, and choose to do what is right. We are a nation governed by people. If those governing officials become corrupt, then the governance system will become corrupt as well. Galatians 5:9 says "A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump, meaning that a little leaven (sin) spreads through the whole batch of dough (community).

I am so glad, that God, in His awesome power, can not be mocked. Galatians 6:7 tells us to be not deceived, God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. If you try to depend on legislation to do what only a God-fearing conscience can do, you reap destruction. For to think that anything else can control the heart, other than submission to the Lordship of Jesus Christ, being cleansed of sin, and converted from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of God is to place confidence in something other than God's chosen method of salvation. Those who depend on the arm of flesh will fail, even when they are trying to do what is right.

The only way we can save our nation, is by seeing the people of the nation saved. The only way to see people saved is to preach and declare the Gospel of Jesus Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation. Just as Jesus is the true vine, and the only way to get to God, Salvation is the only way to see a soul converted from wickedness to righteousness. And Salvation from sin is the only power which can destroy the works of darkness, that common thread of evil. The Anointing destroys the yoke of darkness.

Let the gospel be preached and our nation will be turned from darkness to the kingdom of God.