Over the last few months I have written several blogs in my journal, on my
blog website, and on scraps of paper, but I have not shared them publicly. Not
because I was afraid, but because the time was not quite right. When I post on
Facebook, I post scriptures, messages, and information that may or may not be
received well by my friends or family, but I feel it is important for our times and should be considered. I believe strongly in the Word of God as
the authority for my life, my family, and the nation and world. Many times I
have become discouraged, because I do not hear the whole counsel of the Word taught from pulpits as
God intended. It has become filtered and watered down, and the Gospel
of Jesus Christ is not being taught. God's grace and mercy is not being shared
in the appropriate light. I am not a pastor or a theologian or anything other
than a disciple of Jesus Christ, but I know His Word. When I was born, God had
His hand on my life. I can now see that more clearly each day. I have spoken in
past blogs of the relentless love of God and His pursuing me when I made wrong
decisions and took the wrong path. He never left my side, and although I may
have strayed, He was always in my heart, and we communicated. I have always
been quick to repent. Jesus has been my best friend since early childhood, but
I have not always treated Him as a Best Friend. Thank God for His wonderful
mercy and grace.
I selfishly guard my mornings with Jesus. I cannot begin the day without
first communing with Holy Spirit, seeking direction. This has been a
long-standing practice, and has become even more important now that I am
retired. Over the past two years, Holy Spirit has been shaking me up, calling
me back to service in areas where I had previously served. He has shown me
things prior to the actual events or happenings in preparation for days to
come. And now, I see that we are in those days, and the spiritual warfare is
intense. Today my confidence in pastors has been revived, and I thank my LORD
for having me tune in to one important message. Before the pandemic I felt that I needed to be in a
place where I would hear only gospel truth that aligned with the Word of God,
so I have actively pursued that path, separating for long periods of time from a local fellowship. Although I wholeheartedly believe in
attending a local church and not forsaking the assembling together, as the scripture commands, and I ache to find a
local fellowship where I can learn, grow, and serve, I am presently at a bend
in the road. This is not new, as I have felt this way pretty much all of the
30+ years I have lived in New Mexico. I always condemned myself for the way I
felt, but I can understand now more fully why and how I have been allowed to
"see." And I repent that I did not fully understand what Jesus has
been trying to tell me when He asked me to "write the story" of my
life. That too is closer to happening thanks to a new intercessory prayer friend who recently published his memoir. This morning, from the pulpit, a fast was called. A fast to
prayer and repentance. As I have quoted many times, "Judgment begins in the house of God" (1 Peter 4:17-19). Prayer and fasting is being called today by
this Pastor specifically because of current legislation now in the Senate called
the Equality Act. He went on to say that while we love all people and value all
people as human beings created in the image of God, we do not go against God's
standards. The fault begins with the church that has grown weak and divisive,
and not adhering to Biblical clarity with conviction and boldness. We have
preferred friendship with the world over friendship with God, and we need to
repent - personally and as a body. In my notes, I added a verse to the many
Pastor shared today: "Study and be eager and do your utmost to present
yourself to God approved (tested by trial), a workman who has no cause to be
ashamed, correctly analyzing and accurately dividing - rightly handling and
skillfully teaching - the Word of Truth" (2 Timothy 2:15 AMP). This verse has
helped me in all areas of my life, but it particularly aides me in deciding how
to interpret and discern political/cultural issues. Many times people will accept the word of
the people making promises or an opinion of a newscaster or another influential or
"famous" personality, rather than search for the truth. I try to
make it a practice to listen, observe, and investigate the truth. This requires
time, as sometimes researching previous legislation or seeking the written,
public declaration of a person's or party's stand on an issue, is a lengthy
process, but I feel it is a necessary one. In an "instant" society
where "instant" gratification of our personal preferences or
ideologies take precedence, even as Christians, sadly, truth remains veiled, and many are deceived.
Our nation was established on a Biblical foundation and has been called One Nation Under
God, but this is no longer the case. In addition to the concern over the Equality Act, I add my concern for the legislation addressing the voting rights
and elections reform, also in the Senate for consideration. This bill will
undermine our Constitutional rights, so I urge you to educate yourself fully on
this legislation. This legislation, as well as most of what is now being
proposed, has not been recently written, but the enemy of our souls has been
working and developing it for years, while the church slept and basked in the many freedoms of our
Constitution without realizing the slow, steady moral and spiritual decline.
Now time is accelerating, and the Biblical prophetic return of Jesus is closer at hand, and only
revival and transformation of the church can save this nation. Repentance
precedes revival, and to repent means to turn and go in a different direction.
On September 26, 2020 in Washington DC, The Return was called, as the remnant
met together for a day of prayer and repentance. This move continues and is now
global, as many countries around the world join us in committing to fasting,
prayer, and repentance for our nation as well as many for their own.
Jesus has come that we may have life abundantly. Jesus is the way, the
truth, and the life. This morning, as we praised and worshiped, we sang
"To God be the Glory," an old-time favorite that reminds us of the
price Jesus paid: "To God be the glory, to God be the glory, to God be the
glory, for the things He has done. With His blood He has saved us, with His
power He has raised us, to God be the glory, for the things He has done."
We worshiped, "I'm a child of God, yes, I am! In my Father's house,
there's a place for me. I am a child of God, yes, I am! I am a child of God. I
am chosen, not forsaken. I am who You say I am. You are for me, not against me.
I am who You say I am." These are powerful words of life, truth,
acceptance, yet many times the songs or hymns we sing while we are corporately
engaged, fail to touch our hearts to the core and follow us from the church
house to the world. We are called to be His light, salt, a city set on a hill
that cannot be hidden. Brothers and sisters, we have fallen short.
In Matthew 10:26-39, Jesus is speaking to His disciples, those who follow Him.
I have this passage of scripture not only marked, but circled and the page
folded for easy reference in my Bible, as it impacts my life and testimony. It
says: "So do not be afraid of them. There is nothing concealed that will
not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known. What I tell you in the
dark, speak in the daylight; what is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the
housetops. Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the
soul. Rather, be afraid of the one who can destroy both soul and body in hell.
Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the
ground apart from the will of your Father. And even the very hairs of your head
are all numbered. So don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows. Whoever
acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in
heaven. But whoever disowns me before men, I will disown him before my Father
in heaven. Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth.
I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to
turn 'a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a
daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law - a man's enemies will be the members
of his own household.' Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me
is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not
worthy of me; and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not
worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life
for my sake will find it."
Jesus makes it very clear to his disciples that we are either for Him or
against Him. It requires confessing Him in public, not just in private or in
the sanctuary of the church house. It means publicly identifying ourselves with
Him as not only Savior but LORD. Lordship means we have a day-by-day,
moment-by-moment relationship with Him in all walks of our life. And the visual identification of this
relationship must be crystal clear. Pastor used an analogy of a person joining
the Army or any branch of the military. That one is identified by the uniform
he/she is wearing. Once the civilian enters the military, puts on the uniform,
that person is owned by the military and has to do what they are told;
otherwise, they are considered AWOL. It is the same with accepting Jesus Christ
as Savior and making Him LORD. We have to be identified with Him, walk in His
ways, be "clothed" in Him, and obey His Word. We have to be
"like" Jesus in our character/conduct/attitude/actions, as we live in
this world. This is a process of transformation, and we all make mistakes in
the journey. Only Jesus is perfect, but it is a transformation as spoken of in
Romans 12:1-2: "Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's
mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God -
which is your spiritual worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of
this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be
able to test and approve what God's will is - his good, pleasing and perfect
will." The book of Romans is often called the Gospel of Grace, as Paul
understood fully the grace and mercy of God, as a man who fell short of that glory but was redeemed and transformed.
So, how do we know if we have truly made Jesus LORD of our lives?
Anyone can "say" He is, but Jesus explains further in Luke 6:46-49 the test:
"Why do you call me, 'Lord, Lord," and do not do what I say? I will
show you what he is like who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into
practice. He is like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the
foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could
not shake it, because it was well built. But the one who hears my words and
does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground
without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed
and its destruction was complete."
Brothers and sisters in Christ, now is the time to fast, pray, repent and turn back to Jesus Christ. Our very lives depend on it, and the life of our Nation depends on it. Jesus warns that there will be a price to discipleship, but the rewards of fully committing our lives to His LORDSHIP is well worth it.
