Monday, October 31, 2016

God Speaks

“The king and the prince will stand helpless, weeping in despair, and the people’s hands will tremble with fear. I will bring on them the evil they have done to others, and they will receive the punishment they so richly deserve. Then they will know that I am the LORD.””
‭‭Ezekiel‬ ‭7:27‬ ‭NLT‬‬
http://bible.com/116/ezk.7.27.nlt

God is speaking to us. I know some of you think it's weird to admit God has been communicating with you. I truly believe God IS speaking and he wants me to speak.

We are focusing on the wrong thing. We are all very vocal about how disgusted we are with the candidates we have in our upcoming election. I don't think I've ever heard anyone bragging about their candidate in this election. But, here is a news fact: These Candidates are a microcosm of exactly what our country's people are all about.  They not only represent what our political parties stand for, they represent exactly who we are as a people. We can be appalled by Donald Trump's "Locker room talk" but isn't that exactly how we talk as a nation. Aren't we all obsessed with sex. Don't they say sex sells! We can deny it, but we are obsessed with sex.  Are we surprised by the lies and "above the law" mentality of our candidates. Aren't we doing the same thing. We cheat on our taxes, live lives of dishonesty and completely focus on ourselves. Divorce, cheating on spouses, pornography, and destruction of family are normal for non Christians and Christians alike. So why are we surprised with the lawlessness and win at all costs of Hillary and Donald.
           It's not just Hillary wanting late term abortions, some 71 % of Americans agree.  That's just appalling. We say we value life so much that we are willing to take away some of our second ammendment freedoms, while we are completely unwilling to protect the unbornThe two candidates we have are EXACTLY who we are. They are the fruits of our sin and our rejection of God. They are dividing us. Satan is thrilled.

I agree the election is probabily the most important of our time. BUT more important than this election is the sinfulness of our nation and our planet. We need revival in this world. We need revival in this nation, our state and in our communities. If we truly want to change the political landscape let's bring more people to Jesus. If we want to serve our homeless, our poor, our abused, and our orphans instead of depending on our inept government to do it, we need to turn to Jesus. Let's change the hearts of people so the evil in this world will not flourish, but be stopped in its tracks.

We can complain or we can drive the solutions. If we change people, we can change the course of our country. Our politicians are not going to solve our problems. They are the problem. We are the problem and they ARE us!

Thursday, October 20, 2016

Plotting, Scheming, Against us!

“With one mind they plot together; they form an alliance against you—”
‭‭Psalm‬ ‭83:5‬ ‭NIV‬‬. http://bible.com/111/psa.83.5.niv

The news is so full of plotting, scheming, and nefarious activities. Voter fraud, plotting violence, lies, and closed door deals, all sound so glamorous. They sound so much like a sick movie plot, but they are real. The sadness is they are destroying this country from the inside. Satan is the chief organizer. The election is less than three weeks away. The heart and soul of our country is at stake.  Have you ever noticed, Jesus was the center of a revolution and he never had to plot, scheme, or surround himself with scandal. He just loved on the unloveable and served the poor. What a wonderful politician he would make. I wonder how many of us would vote for him. He is real, today, in 2016.

Jesus is not running for election. The two people running claim to be his followers. Like all of us they are flawed, sinful people. They each have done things that don't represent the heart of our Lord. Yet, we need them. We need a leader. Choosing that leader is going to be difficult. We need to pray about thi choice. Our hearts need to be open to Gods direction. The spirit will move and a president will be elected. I pray one thing for our country. I pray the people of this great country will turn back to the Lord. I pray our leaders, wether they are a follower or  not, will be used for the purposes of God and our country will be used to fulfill his plan. 

Dear Lord, I love you and know you are in charge. Your perfect will, your perfect plan, will move forward regardless who is in the white house. Because I have no control over any of this, I turn it over to you. I trust you. I love you. I honor you and I worship you. Amen!

Wednesday, October 19, 2016

Sometimes I just can't Shut-Up!

“I said to myself, “I will watch what I do and not sin in what I say. I will hold my tongue when the ungodly are around me.” But as I stood there in silence— not even speaking of good things— the turmoil within me grew worse. The more I thought about it, the hotter I got, igniting a fire of words: “ LORD, remind me how brief my time on earth will be. Remind me that my days are numbered— how fleeting my life is. You have made my life no longer than the width of my hand. My entire lifetime is just a moment to you; at best, each of us is but a breath.” Interlude”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭39:1-5‬ ‭NLT‬‬
http://bible.com/116/psa.39.1-5.nlt

This is so appropriate for me today and, really, most days. I am getting way to old to worry about what people think of me. While a younger Steve would be more reserved and have more concern about the consequences of my words, this older me shares what is on his heart. Couple that with my growing passions, you should be forewarned. My passion for students and doing what's best for them is not always taken with a positive or constructive attitude.  When I share my thoughts about my family, I don't mix words. Time is short, I don't have time to be politically correct!  When I share about Christ, I am getting more bold and outspoken. Sin is sin. If it's says it in the Bible it's true. There is no gray area when it comes to the gospel message. Christ Died for our sins. He wants us to confess and pledge our lives to him. So, sometimes I just can't shut up. 

Dear Lord, I am your servant and I praise you for this life you have provided. I pray your hand will be active in my life. Guide my tongue to be used for your purposes. Help me to share the urgency of bringing people to know you. Sin is sin.  May I never whitewash those things that separate people from the love of God. May I never twist the message of the Gospel to be politically correct. May I never sacrifice my values to win the popularity vote. I am proud of who I am and I praise a God for the person he has made. I love you Lord. Amen!

Tuesday, October 18, 2016

God is near!

“I called on your name, Lord, from the depths of the pit. You heard my plea: “Do not close your ears to my cry for relief.” You came near when I called you, and you said, “Do not fear.””
‭‭Lamentations‬ ‭3:55-57‬ ‭NIV‬‬. http://bible.com/111/lam.3.55-57.niv

It is so easy to panic and overrun with despair. Our world is spiraling to the end times. In the past, I have laughed at others who have shared the same thoughts. I truly sense the end. I do not know how long the end will take. I do not fear it. In fact, I rejoice in the idea I will be seated with the God. Even though we are stuck in the depths of the pit , God is with us. He will deliver us. I pray for my brothers and sisters in Christ who are being tortured and murdered. They are suffering directly for Christ. If we continue to call on the name of the Lord, we will be blessed. We will be protected. We will live in paradise. God is near! Praise God he is near!

Monday, October 17, 2016

Sadness

“It was because of the Lord’s anger that all this happened to Jerusalem and Judah, and in the end he thrust them from his presence. Now Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon.”
Jeremiah 52:3 NIV. http://bible.com/111/jer.52.3.niv

For the past month I have been studying the book of Jeremiah. I have to tell you, it's been a little depressing. I can't help but see all the parallels to my own country. I am so saddened by the complete rejection of God. I just read a facebook post of 28 popular celebrities that are devout atheists. I was saddened to hear Amy Grant's theology. It doesn't much look like my own. Yes, I am saddened our country is turning away from God. We are rebelling just like Jerusalem. We have turned our backs on the creator of all things. I fear the punishment of the Lord for our blatant, unrepented sin. 

It's times like these we need to remain steadfast in the Lord. It's times like this we need to cling even tighter to our loving savior, lean on him, and trust in him. I praise God because he has promised to never forsake those that follow him. We need to focus on that Love while the world collapses all around us. 


Friday, October 14, 2016

A nation divided

“This is what the LORD says: “Look! The enemy swoops down like an eagle, spreading his wings over Moab. Its cities will fall, and its strongholds will be seized. Even the mightiest warriors will be in anguish like a woman in labor. Moab will no longer be a nation, for it has boasted against the LORD.”
‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭48:40-42‬ ‭NLT‬‬
http://bible.com/116/jer.48.40-42.nlt

I fear for our nation. Isn't it said "A nation divided can not stand!" Yes, I believe it was Abraham Lincoln, as he talked about the civil war, that rightly stated we can not survive apart. We are more divided now than ever before. I , maybe naively, thought Trump could unite us. I thought that his allegiance to no single ideology could bridge the divide. He isn't a strong republican and neither is he a democrat. He has taken stands that have been supportive of both parties. Somehow his personality has lit a firestorm and we are embroiled in minutia. His threat to the status quo was too much. An all out war has been declared by both sides to tear down the other. The American public are collateral damage. We accepted a president who had an affair and illicit sex  while in the whitehouse, now it is the death nail for a candidate to have the same failures.  We have had gangster rappers invited to share their craft and are completely appalled by private talk no different than those "hallowed" lyrics. I am disgusted by both sides. Our morality is gone. I agree we need a Godly man or woman in the leadership role in our country. We don't need a sexual maniac running our county. We also don't need a pathological Liar with complete hate for the opposition appointing Supreme Court justices. Unfortunately no Godly man or woman  is on the ballot. They are not only both vehement sinners, they also both think they are not. They neither one could care about God. How can I say that? Just look at their actions. God fearing people don't do what they are doing.   God help us!

 I have complete disdain for the beliefs of 50% of our citizenry and that same 50% believes I'm deplorable, dumb, and irredeemable. 50% believe it's a sin for me to say all lives matter. 50% believe the unborn child is equal to an appendix. 50% believe God has no place in our daily lives. 50% hate that I define marriage between a man and woman. 50% hate me - a white, Christian, male and think I have been given undeserved success for my hard work, 50% believe the government knows best. Yes we are split, we are divided. Just like in THE CIVIL WAR, families are torn apart. Even some of my own "kin" say as much. Yes, we are in a civil war. Really, it's not very civil but it does look a lot like war. Shots have already been fired, casualties are pouring in. The battle lines have been drawn. Trenches are being dug. The fight will change us forever. The fight wouldn't even be necessary if we had not rejected the Lord. Now we face war because we have ignored God for so many years. We have turned from him and tried it alone. Doomed. Doomed. Doomed. We are all doomed. UNLESS..........

Sadness would overwhelm me except for one warm thought. This is not my country. I am just a tourist. My home is with Jesus and regardless how bad this civil war gets, I know where I will spend eternity and it's not in the USA. My joy can not be stolen. I can only hope and pray, Jesus returns soon. Come Lord Jesus. Until then our nation is divided and will fall. We are headed into the abyss.