The immortality of the soul is a matter which is of so great consequence to us and which touches us so profoundly that we must have lost all feeling to be indifferent about it.
~ Blaise Pascal
It is since Christians have largely ceased to think of the other world that they have become so ineffective in this.
~ C.S. Lewis
Dear Jesus,
Why bother? Aren't we to the point where people are going to think and believe whatever they want about you and believers can stop trying to convince anyone otherwise? How about re-branding the message: "To each his own and a ticket to hell if that is your bent!?" or perhaps: "Truth? What is it good for, who needs it, and who cares!" Better yet: "Pass the pipe, the porn, and the parachute: How to get your drink on and dance with devils. Whatever..."
The alarms have blared for so long, how could we not be indifferent? Yada, yada, Jesus. Yada, yada, end of the world. Yada, yada, new world order. Yada, yada, don't do this. Yada, yada sinner repent.
Quite frankly, I've lost interest in sharing the gospel at large. I hate the obvious rejection of Christ by the enlightened ignorant and I feel my own indifference rising toward the determined lost. They already know their fate and they don't give a fig so why should I? Oh well Lord. We tried.
Tried to tell them in your Word. Sent your messengers to warn of the chip they'll be receiving in exchange for eternal life. They really don't care Lord. You warned of false prophets acting like sheep in wolves clothing along with world leaders whose ultimate plan is to enslave and control the sleepy masses. Baaaahhh. Shut up they cry. We're trying to enjoy ourselves here!
And then I remember....I am one of them. And you did not, have not, and will not give up on me. Ever. Despite every indication given implying that I am indifferent to your love and you should just give up on me....you insist on loving me anyway. I've given you no reason to love me and yet it appears you're undaunted by my apathy. How can this be? Are you sure my behavior has absolutely nothing to do with who you are? Are you saying the love you offer trumps even my indifference?
Why don't you just let go of the ones who don't want to be loved? I would. I have. I do. Thank you for not putting me in charge. My love would have grown cold and atrophied centuries ago. Maybe I'll stop judging them with my eyes and start seeing them with your broken heart.
Oh God! Wait! I don't want to see! Don't let us perish in ignorance! Break the pride of our self sufficiency! May we quickly recognize our desperate need for Christ and His Love! Yes! With urgency! We must continue to tell, warn, plead, and make the case! It is true! "Silence in the face of evil is itself evil! God will not hold us guiltless. Not to speak is to speak. Not to act is to act." (Dietrich Bonhoeffer, circa 1939)
Help me to love others more than my weary indifference I pray. In Jesus name. Amen.
Wednesday, September 30, 2015
Monday, September 14, 2015
People of the Book
I was here. And my time to speak is now. It's uncomfortable to warn because the immediate response generated is fear and this plays to the adversary. It explains the vanilla we live in today. We just want to be happy and left alone. I do. But my bones are on fire with a calling. It was simple from the beginning: "Tell them I love them." Jesus loves you.
Why the urgency I ask? Why me I dare...."because I first loved you." This I know and testify to the Love that He is, was, and evermore shall be.
The contrast to His love is so dark friends. The deception so vast. The plan so ancient that we could not have known until the time it be revealed. And now it is. And He knocks on the door of our hearts today with gentle insistence. See! I am coming soon!
Find a quiet place to be alone and pray. Invite Him into your life. Dust off the Bible online and seek the Author of your salvation.
Why the urgency I ask? Why me I dare...."because I first loved you." This I know and testify to the Love that He is, was, and evermore shall be.
The contrast to His love is so dark friends. The deception so vast. The plan so ancient that we could not have known until the time it be revealed. And now it is. And He knocks on the door of our hearts today with gentle insistence. See! I am coming soon!
Find a quiet place to be alone and pray. Invite Him into your life. Dust off the Bible online and seek the Author of your salvation.
Return
Saying the word Repentance is usually a way to kill a conversation. It sort of rhymes with recoil. I have wrestled with repentance because it immediately implies I have to give up something that I don't want to give up. I've kept a litany of sins to choose from but it turns out my most egregious error is my unbelief.
My unbelief questions that God's grace is sufficient for me. My unbelief questions that a known sinner can accept the free gift of God's grace through faith in Jesus Christ alone. Surely I have to Do something. Surely I've done too much...
Today He urges me once more to turn from my unbelief in His Sovereignty (a.k.a. repent.) To turn from myself, waving my list of sins in His bloodied face, claiming my unworthiness greater than the promise of God's Salvation. Indeed I am learning to repent daily toward Him with faith and trust that He is mighty and able to save. For it is by Grace you are saved and not of yourselves, lest any man should boast.
Lest any Laurie should get so egocentric and holier than thou so as to absorb the glory that belongs to Christ alone. Lest any Paul, David, or Rahab appear sinless. Lest any Pope, President, or Denomination deceive you--no one is good but God.
Jesus. Alone. Paid.
Jesus. Alone. Saves.
My unbelief questions that God's grace is sufficient for me. My unbelief questions that a known sinner can accept the free gift of God's grace through faith in Jesus Christ alone. Surely I have to Do something. Surely I've done too much...
Today He urges me once more to turn from my unbelief in His Sovereignty (a.k.a. repent.) To turn from myself, waving my list of sins in His bloodied face, claiming my unworthiness greater than the promise of God's Salvation. Indeed I am learning to repent daily toward Him with faith and trust that He is mighty and able to save. For it is by Grace you are saved and not of yourselves, lest any man should boast.
Lest any Laurie should get so egocentric and holier than thou so as to absorb the glory that belongs to Christ alone. Lest any Paul, David, or Rahab appear sinless. Lest any Pope, President, or Denomination deceive you--no one is good but God.
Jesus. Alone. Paid.
Jesus. Alone. Saves.
Saturday, September 12, 2015
Who is my neighbor? Who is my enemy?
My enemy is not a skin color.
My enemy is not a gender.
My enemy is not a sexual preference.
My enemy is not a nationality.
My enemy is not a denomination.
My enemy is not an addiction.
My enemy is not poverty.
My enemy is not disease.
My enemy is not global warming.
My enemy is not a politician.
My enemy is not you.
You are my neighbor.
My enemy is not a gender.
My enemy is not a sexual preference.
My enemy is not a nationality.
My enemy is not a denomination.
My enemy is not an addiction.
My enemy is not poverty.
My enemy is not disease.
My enemy is not global warming.
My enemy is not a politician.
My enemy is not you.
You are my neighbor.
Tuesday, September 8, 2015
What if it's true?
Our days of ignorance are coming to a close as the revelation of Christ's return draws closer. In His desire that all should come to a saving knowledge of him, Christ has enlisted, mandated, and anointed all believers to work the end time harvest. I no longer have the luxury of feeling disqualified to testify due to my own inadequacies. He didn't say, "as soon as you get yourself clean and shiny you are qualified to tell others about me." No. It's not all about me. It's about 8 billion souls currently and 2000 years of history besides. It's about whosoever will come and have a personal relationship with their Creator God. Seekers will find Him. My only advice is do whatever He tells you to do.
I also don't have the luxury of saying, well...by now everyone knows about Jesus and has decided for themselves what they believe regarding Him, so it's really every man for himself. As though this were a benign decision on par with what to have for dinner. The truth is most have heard but few understand the gravitas of what is at stake. Our lack of understanding is further perpetrated by rampant deception designed to confuse and destroy our souls. We wish we could say, "But I'm not playing!," and the matrix laughs. That's just the sort of ignorance our enemy banks on. What better way to deceive your prey than to make him think you don't exist and thus all is well.
So what's really going on? First you have to ask yourself, "Do I want to know the truth?" or "Do I want to hear what I want to hear?" Truth is difficult to take once we cross into the "but I don't like that part" of the story. Sorry, but our consent wasn't part of the divine criteria. Spiritual warfare is supernatural and the battle plans were drawn well before you or I landed here.
In order to make sense out of anything, first we must humbly recognize we are not in control of anything. The United States of America was an experiment with an agenda rooted in paganism and the end time platform for ushering in the new world order . The plan is in motion and soon the antichrist will be revealed along with the false prophet. For the unitiated, it goes something like this:
The Holy Trinity consists of God the Father, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The counterfeit trinity is Satan, Antichrist, and the False Prophet. According to the last book of the Bible, the book of Revelation, written by John, an original beloved disciple of Jesus, in roughly 96 AD, while he was in exile on the island of Patmos after the Romans imprisoned him for testifying to the miracles, life, personal identity, crucifixion, resurrection, and saving grace of his friend Jesus Christ.
The Battle between Good and Evil is real; but the balance of power has never shifted. The End was known from the Beginning as any good Author knows. This story has been written and you and I are characters on the page, pawns on the board, spiders in the web. When you get that kind of clarity about your own insignificance and eternal worth in unison---you catch but a glimpse of what is at stake. You pay attention.
I also don't have the luxury of saying, well...by now everyone knows about Jesus and has decided for themselves what they believe regarding Him, so it's really every man for himself. As though this were a benign decision on par with what to have for dinner. The truth is most have heard but few understand the gravitas of what is at stake. Our lack of understanding is further perpetrated by rampant deception designed to confuse and destroy our souls. We wish we could say, "But I'm not playing!," and the matrix laughs. That's just the sort of ignorance our enemy banks on. What better way to deceive your prey than to make him think you don't exist and thus all is well.
So what's really going on? First you have to ask yourself, "Do I want to know the truth?" or "Do I want to hear what I want to hear?" Truth is difficult to take once we cross into the "but I don't like that part" of the story. Sorry, but our consent wasn't part of the divine criteria. Spiritual warfare is supernatural and the battle plans were drawn well before you or I landed here.
In order to make sense out of anything, first we must humbly recognize we are not in control of anything. The United States of America was an experiment with an agenda rooted in paganism and the end time platform for ushering in the new world order . The plan is in motion and soon the antichrist will be revealed along with the false prophet. For the unitiated, it goes something like this:
The Holy Trinity consists of God the Father, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The counterfeit trinity is Satan, Antichrist, and the False Prophet. According to the last book of the Bible, the book of Revelation, written by John, an original beloved disciple of Jesus, in roughly 96 AD, while he was in exile on the island of Patmos after the Romans imprisoned him for testifying to the miracles, life, personal identity, crucifixion, resurrection, and saving grace of his friend Jesus Christ.
The Battle between Good and Evil is real; but the balance of power has never shifted. The End was known from the Beginning as any good Author knows. This story has been written and you and I are characters on the page, pawns on the board, spiders in the web. When you get that kind of clarity about your own insignificance and eternal worth in unison---you catch but a glimpse of what is at stake. You pay attention.
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