1/31/2025
" He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep
to gain what he cannot lose."
Jim Elliot
My doctor advised me to get more sleep. When he asked me when I went to bed I told him that it varies, depending on what I'm doing, from 10 pm - 3 am. I have a very hard time in the early mornings, but I never miss my prayer call, so I guess I'm okay. Approaching mid-day is when I fall asleep in my chair. That seems to be a a concern for some, but as long as I'm not driving, I figure a little nap won't hurt anything. I am trying to be in bed by midnight. Tonight I failed again, and since I still have some things I need to do, this may be a late one. Tomorrow comes quickly, and my time gets away from me. My room still looks like a wreck, the kitchen table still has a 1000 piece puzzle taking up room, that my son and I have been working on since Christmas. He stopped threatening to put it back in the box, and he's become as determined as I am to finish it, no matter how long it takes. We are both at our wit's end though. So, what is so special about this monster puzzle, you ask!! It's R2D2 and 3CPO, but they are shrouded by a background of varying degrees of blue, so you can sense our frustration! But, we've decided to push on, because I don't want to give up, and I admit to a bit of pride when I figure it out. I know that my son feels the same way.
Each day I look at all that needs to get done, and it so tires me out that I have to look the other way, which is sort of difficult when this room is so small. Eventually, it will all get done. At least by the end of my day I have a clean gmail inbox, until the next time. I need to take some time to unsubscribe, because I will never get all these ministry newsletters read, no matter how good the content. I've also decided that I cannot sign up for one more Bible study just so I can say that I am active in the online church community. Another good thing, but I can't do everything. I was unable to go to the Feast of Tabernacles in Israel, so I signed up for online participation. The Feast was early October, and I just finished the daily meetings. And on it goes.
I love watching Tolkien's Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit, because I think it offers much practical advice. The above quotation, "All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us" was spoken by the wizard Gandalf to Frodo, the bearer of the ring. Frodo was charged with taking the ring of power back to the fires of Mordor to be destroyed in order to end the evil shroud over Middle Earth. It's a heroic tale, and one I enjoy visiting for the underlying messages. In Psalm 90:12 we are told, "Lord, teach us to number our days." There is a time and season for everything, as we also learn in scripture (Ecclesiastes 3), and as followers of Christ we have a path we follow in carrying out the Great Commission as Jesus commanded. He is the one who illuminates our path unless we decide to go another way, but for me, His path is the only one, even when fraught with twists and turns and hardships.
There are many distractions trying to take our attention away from what is most important. In order to determine what is most important, one has to spend time with the Lord, sitting in His presence, listening. There are many voices vying for our attention, others to distract, under currents, rips and tides. The way is treacherous, and the church is strangely silent. There are many things I do not understand when it comes to silence in the pulpit. It doesn't take much to understand what breaks the heart of our Father. We are told not to remain silent, but when we speak up or sign a petition, both relatively simple displays of unity, we are charged with evil things. I don't advocate violence, but I do feel that peaceful protest is acceptable. I hope that those who stir up problems are removed, because there has already been so many lies and cover ups that only time will straighten it all out. In the meantime, more things are happening, and I wonder the source. Although I know the one behind the moral and social depravity, the human helpers I can only suspect. Some days I post several bits of information on my social media platform, as I feel that people need to wake up and understand what's at stake. Sadly, I feel that no one really pays much attention to what I have to say, or what our Lord is saying, as that is what I write about. And it blows right over the heads of those who really need to take note. I am grateful for the church I attend, because at least I see spiritual growth and a hunger to see his flock walking with God.
So here's my musings:
How can the church remain
silent when babies are savagely murdered in the womb, left to die on tables without care if they survive the torture, body parts sold
for profit, fetal tissue used in animal research with researchers hiring women to carry the baby for four
months or so, then removing the fetus from the for the express
purpose of live research? Once finished, the child is terminated.
How can the church say they love Jesus, Lord of Life, then do abominable things in the name of science?
How can the church watch while children are led to believe they should be another sex so they can perform transgender surgeries that destroy not just the physical health but the mental well-being of the child?
How can the church stand idly by when pedophiles are released from prisons, because their perverse appetites are considered acceptable?
How can people be slaughtered every day in poor areas of the world and no one cares. Why do churches only send missionaries to areas that are safer.
How can people love animals and care more about their welfare than about the lives of human beings?
Why didn't pastors express gratitude from the pulpits for God's gift of incredible mercy over America giving us time to repent before His imminent return?
How should the church respond to the ills of this day?
To pose the age old question: "What would Jesus Do?"
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