Day 351 Valued

 

12/17/2025

"...because you did not know the time of your visitation."

Luke 19:44

"Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision!

For the day of the LORD is near in the

valley of decision."

Joel 3:14

 

Recently I received a notice from Google that my email account was at 70% capacity, that means I was running out of storage space. I had been saving articles from the Christian new sources along with other information, filing it "for later," as I initially had every reason to believe that I'd have time to read it at a later time. Well, with the increase in the amount of emails I receive in a day massively piling up, the filing away for later has been taking up too much space. Now, I am going back and systematically deleting the majority of those I saved for another day. There will never come another day, and if I do need to know something, I can check the archives on the ministry sites. Gone are the days of filing away endless stacks of information that I probably won't need, as time changes everything. I have become quite the clutter bug! 

My life has been a bit topsy-turvy lately with so many things happening and the world colliding in the attempt to bring restoration and lasting change. It's a very sad thing to watch the change in people's lives, especially when it relates to those who used to follow Christ. I am experiencing once more the effects of a people who do not concern themselves with the needs of their fellow man. Being in the fix I am now without a car, relying on the kindness of others, opened my eyes to many things. Answering questions regarding the true meaning of Christmas with the Harvest online community, and examining my own thoughts about what Christmas should look like also gave me pause in considering the condition of our churches today. I have become quite disheartened when I watch what is actually happening versus the response of the church at large. We are very far from the church written about in the book of Acts, our "go and do likewise" admonition from the Lord. In chapter six of the book of Acts, the church is growing, increasing daily, but problems arise between the Hebrew Jews and the Greek-speaking Jewish regarding the daily food distribution to the widows. The apostles chose seven men of faith who could handle this need and other service ministries while they devoted themselves to studying and teaching the word. In some of our larger churches today, duties are delegated to deacons or other leaders within the church to handle these matters so that the pastor can devote himself to feeding the flock spiritually. Sadly, this sharing of duties is no longer working well in the churches, or at least I'm not seeing it, or experiencing the support. In fact I feel pretty forgotten. No one even followed up with me after my initial call for prayer. Why is that? Is that asking too much? Or am I asking the church to be the church Jesus wanted us to be where when one member suffers, so does the rest.  

"For the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ....And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; or if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it." (1 Corinthians 12:12, 26).

Maybe I'm an old fuddy-duddy who is unfashionable in our busy society today. The point I am attempting to make doesn't really have anything to do with my small needs, rather, it happens to relate to the state of the churches in total today and how they are turning a blind eye to the things Jesus felt strongly about and fought to see changed. His Kingdom was not a military one, but His Kingdom was of heaven come down to earth to seek and save those who are lost kingdom where loving God and loving our neighbor was the message. It was about walking alongside of those who needed it. The lesser ones. The ones you help knowing they have nothing to give in return other than their "thank you." Since this is the Christmas season, I imagine in everyone's busyness, no one has time to help, because they are preoccupied with getting everything ready for their festivities, while those in need simply wait and watch, peeking in the windows while we gorge ourselves, hoping someone will place the leftovers in the outside trash bin.

In the grander scheme of things that's what has been happening in Israel, the promised land God gave to His people. The rise in antisemitism has grown so much, and evil fills the streets. Yesterday I mentioned the Bondi Beach incident and others, where churches remain silent. Thankfully, God sent a rescuer, a Muslim gentleman, who loves Israel, the Jewish people, Christians and all mankind, because he desires to live in peace. Ahmed Al Ahmed was born in Syria, but he is unique in his love for all people, especially today. His remarkable courage demonstrates this love. In the process of saving lives, he suffered wounds in his arm, and he has been hospitalized and has undergone surgery. When asked if he'd do it again, he was quick to respond by saying, "yes." So far church leaders have not risen up to say enough is enough. They hide safely behind their pulpits perhaps mentioning it briefly, and then it's pushed to the side, just as the 10/7/2023 massacre faded out of sight. Unless it affects someone in the local body, it eventually is forgotten. I can't forget. I won't look away. I would like to know how a nation that says it is a Christian nation allows people in office who spout hatred daily provoking violence, who finance and organize these hate demonstrations, and those who are not loyal to this country and who definitely do not stand with Israel. If we truly are a Christian nation, why is everyone overlooking what God says about His people throughout the Bible? 

I have been invited to Israel several times, by different ministries, but it is not so much that I cannot afford the trip, as it is with the response God gave me when I asked Him, "Should I go?" I heard His response, and it is "No." He reminded me of why I am here in Virginia, and He also reminded me that I was born in the nation of America. As His watchman on the wall, this is my area of service. Perhaps that's why I have been grounded for now, at the busiest time of the year?! It definitely isn't because I love to shop and buy stuff just to give stuff to people. No, that's not how I'm made. Long ago God taught me the value of knowing the difference between what I need and what I desire. I've had my days of comforting myself in a mound of stuffed animals and what basically amounts to a lot of clutter. Thankfully, emergency services has been gifted with many plush toys to give to children in crisis and to shelters for the same need. I still have some special stuffy friends, memories to hold tightly to when I am troubled and need a hug. 

On the Wednesday night Fire Power with Mario Murillo and Todd Coconato, Mario was speaking about the call to move out of our comfort zones and be part of the solution, as the fields are ripe with harvest with Generation Z kids who want truth, transparency, guidance in the word, line by line, book by book, just like I love it. The only way to teach. He spoke of honesty in social media and the testimonies of "great men" versus the testimonies of Russell Brand, Brandon Lake, and Jelly Roll. I am inclined to agree with him. Their Fire Power spot on Wednesday on YouTube are well worth the wait, plus they only tell the truth based on God's word, not the whim or opinion of man! The watered down word is not needed or wanted by these kids, and we older followers of Christ don't want to hear it either. I don't care if a church has a spiritual gifts and prophesy group. As Billy Graham said, "Stick to the Book!"