A Kiss of Humility

I don’t know what my emotions really are these days.  I hear conflicting reports from people.  I see a group of people I thought I identified with clearly now on a side of things I don’t agree with.  I see myself agreeing with people I generally don’t agree with.  I think that I see things clearly while I perceive others as thinking I am overreacting.  I just don’t know what my own emotions are right now.  So, today, as I felt the urge to write something I asked the Lord once again to show me something to write about.  I then opened my Bible, headed towards the back, thinking, maybe there is something in Revelation for us today.  I fell a little short of Revelation, landing in I Peter 5:14, “Greet one another with the kiss of love.”  NIV.  Very funny Lord, right now, really?  With social distancing?  My eyes then went to the preceding verses, which eventually took me back to the beginning of chapter 5.

The first part of the chapter speaks to the Elders and how they should shepherd their flock but beginning with verse 5 I found where I needed to start reading and I found the source for this blog. 

 

  1 Peter 5:5-11

  New International Version

⁵ In the same way, you who are younger, submit yourselves to your elders. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because,

“God opposes the proud
    but shows favor to the humble.”^[a]

⁶ Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. ⁷ Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

⁸ Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. ⁹ Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.

¹⁰ And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. ¹¹ To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen.

(https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=I+Peter+5%3A+5-11&version=NIV)

The Kiss of Humility

These verses packed a punch to me.  They were the words I needed to hear in a time of such uncertainty and many questions.  These are words we all need to take into consideration before our mouths open and our opinions are made known.  I have bolded the words that hit me the hardest.  Words that I need to remember as I live this life.

The first word that struck me, was “humble”.  As I looked the word up in the dictionary I found some synonyms for the word humble: unpretentious, meek, submissive, polite, unassuming are a few.  Then there were the antonyms, just the opposite of the word humble: proud, noble, exalted, rude, insolent to name a few.  Do any of those describe me and my actions as of late?  I can identify with some on both sides.  I may not intend to be rude, but at times, when I speak my mind, it may come off as rude and inconsiderate of someone else’s feelings.  Which is definitely not being humble.  If I think that I am in the only one that matters, I am not being humble but if I take other people into consideration despite my own inconvenience, that would humble!  When I think it is my way or the highway, whether I am a leader or a participant, I am not being humble.  Peter encourages us to be humble towards one another, speaking to those who are Christ followers.  You would think that should be easy for believers but when this was written and still today, there are different opinions even amongst believers.  The next thing that caught my eye was, “enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion”, yes, that’s correct, the enemy is not those of differing opinions, I have differing opinions with some of my friends but we still love each other, we still value our friendship but if the enemy gets a hold of either of us, things could change rapidly.  As a child, we had an evangelist come to our church during the time that Flip Wilson coined the popular phrase, “The devil made me do it!”  That evangelist made it very clear to me that the devil doesn’t make us do anything.  He may prowl around, stir us up a bit but it is our sin nature and our choices that make us do it.   Do you think if we were humbler towards one another, we might actually begin listening to one another?  Are we too proud to admit that we might be wrong or that at the very least, someone might be right?  The enemy is not each other, the enemy is satan who wants to divide and conquer.  Are we going to let him by the choices we make or are we going to stand firm in our faith and humble ourselves to the Lord and to each other?

What a wonderful God we have!  Even when we mess up, say stupid things, act crazy ways, become the antonym rather than the synonym of humble, we have “the God of all grace” loving us and forgiving us.  Isn’t that amazing grace?  Like the old hymn says, “Grace that is greater than all my sin”.  When schools were closed and we as teachers had to start teaching online and depending on parents to make sure their children were online with us, a word that was thrown out to us was “grace”.  We would hear this over and over again.  Give the families and their children grace for this is a difficult time for all of us.  We, in turn, hoped that they would give us as educators grace as well.  The definition of grace, according to dictionary.com, 1.  favor or goodwill.  2.  a manifestation of favor, especially by a superior:  Sometimes we go through things that are just plain hard, we need to remember that whether it is extending grace or receiving grace, that grace comes from the Lord.  Harsh, mean, angry words are not grace but loving, kind, forgiving words are grace that our Lord bestows upon us when we humble ourselves to Him and think of others more highly than ourselves. 

Lastly, we are suffering like no other times in our lives.  This pandemic is not partial to any part of the world, we all own it, we all suffer through it.  As Christians if we do not learn to suffer together through a pandemic, how will we ever learn to suffer through persecution of our faith in Christ.  The word clearly states that we will suffer, even as Christians, we are not immune from the sinful world we exist in, at least not yet!  If we are living and breathing, suffering will happen.  We have a promise though, it will happen for a little while and then we will be restored and be made strong. 

In these days of uncertainty and sometimes gloom, we need to remember that very first verse that stood out at me, “greet one another with a kiss of love”, right now, that is a kiss of humility, grace, and understanding.  By seeking Him we know Him, by finding Him, we share His grace and forgiveness to one another with humble hearts and a steadfast love.

Seeking Him with all my heart,

Sheila

Focus on Christ

In my last blog, I wrote regarding the Gospel and how Christ is the center of that Gospel.  I urged the Church to wake up and see how we need to be the hands and feet of Christ.  I truly believe that Christians think they are being the hands and feet, yet, the approach they use may be just the opposite of that of Christ.  Today, I want to bring to you something that has recently been presented to me and that I feel is relevant for the Church during these days of uncertainty.  (Side-note, every day is uncertain to an extent but here lately it has been numerous things that pop-up making it seem even more uncertain.) 

 

Many people in the church are beginning to divide because of politics.  This is a tactic from satan himself.  He and the world want to divide the Christians and destroy the institution of the Church.  A house divided does not stand unless God is in the center.  Christ tells us this in Matthew 19:26 “But Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.

 

It was recently brought to my attention that politics has become the new religion of America and Christians are being caught up in this new religion and don’t even realize it.  Warren Williams and Jim Mullins have a video podcast for their church Tempe-Redemption Church, in Tempe, AZ in which they revealed to us four quadrants of this political religion trap.    I would like to preface this next portion as my notes from this podcast.  I would encourage you to listen to it for yourself as you may glean information that I did not glean from it.  I hope for Jim and Warren’s sake that I have correctly identified what they were saying.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OsgwBH8MvQw

Jim asked the questions, “Which one of these is right?  Which one of these is good?”  My answer, “None of them yet all of them”.

I say none of them because they are not centered in Christ yet all of them if you put Christ in the Center and that is exactly what Jim did.

What I took from the podcast is that all of our conversations in regard to each of these, needs to be centered in Christ.  So today, I hope to take that concept a step further and see where Christ fits into each of these conversations. 

 

Progress

 

Was Christ for progress or against progress?  From the following scriptures what would be your answer?

 

Matthew 5:17 (NIV)

¹⁷ “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.

 

In writing to Timothy, in I Timothy 4, Paul urges Timothy to set an example to other Christians through his speech, conduct, love, faith, and purity. I Timothy 4:12.   The reason for this was for the name of progress or furtherance of the Gospel message. “ ¹⁵ Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress.” He goes on to charge him to, “¹⁶ Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers.”    I Timothy 4:16

 

We need to watch what we are saying and how we are saying it.  We need to ask ourselves the question:  Does it further the Gospel or tear apart those for who we care deeply?   Paul says in I Timothy 4:1 that in the end times, some will depart from the faith.  He charges Timothy to keep watch of his behaviors, his words, his actions in order to progress not regress and not just for him but for other believers as well.

 

Paul, in chains in Rome, furthers the Gospel to those to whom he is chained (Philippians 1: 12 -14).   He writes an encouraging letter to other believers and urges them to continue in their faith.  His eyes were not on what was happening to him but rather they were focused on how he could further the Gospel.  His progress wasn’t to get out of the situation but to spread the word of God.  That my friend, is a focus centered on Christ and not on our circumstances.  Paul was convinced that he was where he was for a purpose and that purpose was to progress the Gospel of Jesus Christ not only for him but through the church, Philippians 4:25, Paul tells the church at Philippi, ⁵ Convinced of this, I know that I will remain, and I will continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith, 

 

Today, as Church doors closed due to the pandemic I was amazed at the opportunity they had to further the Gospel through online services.  I’m sure most pastors, who are generally “people persons” did not prefer to preach the Gospel to a camera but would have rather had people in the room, yet, they had the potential to reach so many more through this method of spreading the Gospel.  It gave the Holy Spirit the opportunity to work in the lives of those in which the preacher could not physically reach.  As the protests and riots continue in our country, due to injustices to others, we need to ask ourselves, “Am I focused on the injustice or am I focused on the One who will right all wrongs?”  Do my words and actions progress the Gospel or are they progressing a cause?  

 

Responsibility

 

I identify most to the responsibility portion of this diagram in the worldly sense of things.  I have been taught to work hard, do my very best, and that my actions are what make me or break me.  Because of that, I have doubted myself more than put my trust in the Lord.  If I work hard and fail, I tend to think it is all my doing, that I should have done better.   I should rather look at the situation as an opportunity that God is granting me to do His will rather than my own will.  I am responsible for my sins and I am also responsible for by repentance of those sins but God is the One who can forgive those sins.  When I put responsibility into the Biblical meaning, it changes the way I think and the way I feel about any given situation. 

 

Paul, again was a great example of this.  He was responsible to preach the Gospel and he did what he was asked to do.  His response can be found in Romans 8:12 -13 ¹² Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation—but it is not to the flesh, to live according to it. ¹³ For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live.

 

Our responsibility, our obligation should be to the One True God, not to man, not to government, but the One with the ultimate authority, the authority of Christ.  How do we do this?  How did Paul do this?  How did the Early Church do this?

 

As Christians, we should live by example and be an example to others.  In I Thessalonians Paul is writing to the church at Thessalonica and he speaks of how they became imitators of Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy and of the Lord.  I Thessalonians 1:7 (NIV) “⁷ And so you became a model to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia.”  Our responsibility as Christians is not to ourselves, to our family, to other people that deal with the acts of the flesh, our responsibility is to the Lord and through Him, to live a life that portrays His example, His love, His grace, His forgiveness, His mercy.  Galatians 5:22-23 says it best,  “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.” 

 

I Thessalonians 5:11gives us of our responsibility to one another as Christians, “Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.”

 

Bottom line, we are responsible to make our actions reflective of Christ, not for our own gain but for the gain of the kingdom.  Nothing more or nothing less.  We do this by being imitators of those whom came before us whose sole purpose was to build the kingdom of God.  Am I meeting the expectations of Christ or am I trying to fit into the expectations of this world?

 

The question comes down to this, are we working hard for ourselves and others or are we working for the Lord’s harvest?  Luke 10: 2 says, “He told them, ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.’”  Who are we working for, where does our responsibility rest?

 

Identity

 

Who do you identify with?  Is it your family heritage?  I finally gave in and did one of those DNA test to find out where my lineage came from.  I was hoping the results or at least dreaming the results would show that our family came from some royalty from some far away land.  I found, however, just the opposite.  A large portion of my identity revealed that my family came from Ireland and most likely were shipped to America because Ireland did not want the likes of us.  We were either criminals or low life’s that needed a new life away from Ireland.  We were placed here as indentured servants, banished to a land far from home.  Somehow the Lord was gracious to us.  Someone came to know the Lord, through a follower of Jesus Christ.  Someone witnessed to someone in my family giving them the Good News of Salvation, making it possible for me too, to find forgiveness through Christ Jesus more than a century later.  Now, I don’t need a DNA test to know that I am from royal blood.  The King of Kings and Lord of Lords, I call Father.  It took someone to see their own responsibility to Christ, someone willing to share the Gospel, for that to be possible for me.  My identity is not in my human ancestry tree, it is based on Christ and Christ alone. 

 

I did a search for “identity” in the Bible and the only topical reference I could find was Genesis 45.   Looking at Joseph, a man that could have been bitter because of his family’s actions, we see that His identity did not fall upon his family but rather his relationship with God.  He saw the bigger picture, he saw the reason for his distress.  Genesis 45:4 – 7 (NIV) “ ⁴ Then Joseph said to his brothers, “Come close to me.” When they had done so, he said, “I am your brother Joseph, the one you sold into Egypt! ⁵ And now, do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you. ⁶ For two years now there has been famine in the land, and for the next five years there will be no plowing and reaping. ⁷ But God sent me ahead of you to preserve for you a remnant on earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance.^”   I never thought of it before, but God allowed my ancestors to be taken from their homeland in order to find life in Him.  This gave me the chance to find my identity in Christ and to share it with others.  That’s a big, WOW, for me to comprehend.   What am I doing to share that identity with others? 

 

James points out to us in James4:14, the importance of identifying with Christ and not the world, James 4:14 (NIV) “ ⁴ You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.”

 

My life verse is found in Paul’s writing in Galatians 2:20  “²⁰ I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”  Are we allowing our identity to reflect that sacrificial life of Christ or are we letting the world and individuals determine our identity. 

 

Are we, in the church, standing up for the individual’s identity in this world or are we working to help them see their identity in Christ?  Where should our focus be, in this world or everlasting life with Christ?

 

Security

Where does your sense of security rest?  Does it rest in the powers of the government, powers of the police system, powers of the military, money, your friends, strangers or does it rest in the power of the One True God? 

 

Often times we can find ourselves questioning government, media, the health system, insurance or anything or anyone that we are asked to trust.  Skepticism can rule our life if we are not careful.  Discernment is a gift to be blessed with and one that can be valuable if used properly.  Psalms 119:125 says, “I am your servant; give me discernment that I may understand your statutes.”  We are not called to be servants of this world but to serve the Lord in this world.  If we are going to do that and rest in our security in Christ we need not trust the ways of the world but rather understand the statutes of the Lord and follow Him and His ways.  Where does our trust rest?  Is it in the system or with the Lord?  Does that mean we can’t ever trust the system or does that mean we need to trust the Lord to provide the leaders according to His statutes/His rules?

 

Philippians 4:6 “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”

 

Psalm 48:14  (NIV)    ¹⁴ For this God is our God for ever and ever; he will be our guide even to the end.

 

Romans 8:38 – 39 explains our security through Christ, ³⁸ For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, ³⁹ neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

 

Conclusion

I will close this by saying that I believe we all have ways of viewing the world but if our focus is on the world rather than furthering the Gospel, we need new glasses.  If we view all things through Christ, we realize our mission on this earth, and we focus on Him, we will indeed be looking through rose colored glasses that reflect the love of Christ.  If we speak of things of Christ, not on the things of the world, lives will be changed.  When we speak on worldly things, all that it brings is conflict and division.  Let us build up the Kingdom of God rather than tearing it down.  The last is a diagram of how I see it when we focus on Christ.

Seeking Him with all my heart,

Sheila 

What is Central to the Gospel?

I made an acronym for GOSPEL, then, I got to thinking that others had surely done the same so I looked it up and sure enough they have.  This was mine God, Opens, Salvation, Providing, Everlasting, Life.   Others have said God, Our, Sins, Payment, Everyone, Life; God, Offers, Sinful, People, Eternal, Life; God’s, Only, Son, Provides, Eternal, Life; that is to name a few.  What is the central theme in all of these?  God is in the forefront of every last one of these acronyms, without Him there is no Gospel to talk about. 

There is much unrest in our world today, you know what God and the Gospel say about that?  Jesus gives us the answer in John 10:10, when he says,

¹⁰ The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+10%3A10&version=NIV

Let’s then, take a look at Jesus?  What did He do on this earth to bring life and have it to the full?  We need to pick up our Bibles open it and read it, we will see Him healing the lepers, giving sight to the blind, teaching His disciples how to trust Him by revealing Himself to them, letting the little children come to Him, calming the fears of mothers and fathers by healing their children.  Matthew 21 and Mark 11 record Jesus teaching them while driving out the ones taking advantage of the Temple of God.  (Please note, not because they were taking advantage of the people, although I am sure He did not appreciate that, but because they were defiling the place built for God).  Yet, when He was arrested, it is recorded that He went willingly, rebuking the one that tried to protect him by cutting off the ear of one of the officers.  What did Jesus do?  He put the ear back on and healed him (Luke 22).  Jesus showed compassion even when compassion was not being shown to Him.  He did not lead a rebellion where they needed to come with clubs and swords but instead taught in the temple daily (Matthew 26:55).  Jesus could have called on God to come and destroy them but no, that would not have fulfilled His purpose (Mathew 26: 53-54).  That leads us to the Gospel message. 

The Gospel message:

Acknowledge Sin, not others sin but your own sin:

²³ for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

Romans 3:23 New International Version (NIV)

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans+3%3A23&version=NIV

 

 

Discover God’s Love:

⁸ But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Romans 5:8 New International Version (NIV)

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans+5%3A8&version=NIV

The cost of sin:

²³ For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in^[a] Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 6:23

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans+6%3A23&version=NIV

Confess and Believe:

⁹ If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

Romans 10:9 New International Version (NIV)

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans+10%3A9&version=NIV

Watch Out for the thief:

¹⁰ The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

John 10:10 New International Version (NIV)

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+10%3A10&version=NIV

Eternally His:

³⁵ Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? ³⁶ As it is written:

“For your sake we face death all day long;
    we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”^[a]

³⁷ No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. ³⁸ For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,^[b] neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, ³⁹ neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 8:35-39 New International Version (NIV)

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans+8%3A+35-39&version=NIV

New Life/Changed Life:

²⁰ I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

Galatians 2:20 New International Version (NIV)

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Galatians+2%3A20&version=NIV

Just like a garden we will grow when we are fed and watered, check these off each day to grow in Christ:

o   Go to God in prayer (I Peter 4:7)

o   Read His Word daily (Psalm 119:6)

o   Obey Him (Psalm 119:17 -18)

o   Worship with other Believers (Hebrews 10:25)

o   Witness to others (Matthew 28:19-20)

If we truly want to help others out in this world, the center of the Gospel is found through God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit.  We should be putting our actions into works that will draw others to Christ.  We should be the hands and feet of Christ, carrying on His good works to those around us.  Jesus didn’t protest, He taught.  Are we teaching or protesting?  Are we becoming a part of the world or are we showing others the love of Christ?  Are we getting right with God or are we looking at what others need to do to get right with God?

I know of a church that was active in helping refugees learn the English language and while doing so they were able to reach the unreached. Their program had to close because there were not enough workers.  Are you willing to work or do you want to blame?  I have also heard it said that it is easier to give money than it is to give of our time.  That one stings a bit, but, what would you rather do, work to help or give money to help?  Are you willing to go into the mission field or would you rather just pray for the missionaries?  Are you willing to teach our children the ways of the Lord or would you rather gather with friends and enjoy adult time? 

The Word tells us in Romans 12 how to live a Christ-like life.  Are we doing it?  Is our life a sacrifice, are we humble, do we put love into action?  Something to think about as this world gets crazier and crazier may the Light of the Lord shine through you, may you be salt in a tasteless world.

If you have not heard the Gospel message before I pray the Lord will lead you to know Him. 

 

If you do know Him, I pray the Lord will guide you in making decisions that please Him above all else in this world.  For you see, we are not of this world just as Christ was not of this world,

³⁶ Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jewish leaders. But now my kingdom is from another place.”

John 18:36 New International Version (NIV)

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+18%3A36&version=NIV

nor should we be defined by this world.

² Do not conform 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.

Romans 12:2 New International Version (NIV)

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans+12%3A2&version=NIV

 

Wake up, oh Church, and know that God has this, don’t let satan divide and destroy, put your trust in Christ and let His light shine.

Seeking Him with all my heart,

Sheila  

 

Are You Ready?

The prayer of Jonah, have you ever read it?  Here it is:

¹ From inside the fish Jonah prayed to the Lord his God. ² He said:

“In my distress I called to the Lord,
    and he answered me.
From deep in the realm of the dead I called for help,
    and you listened to my cry.
³ You hurled me into the depths,    into the very heart of the seas,
    and the currents swirled about me;
all your waves and breakers
    swept over me.⁴ I said, ‘I have been banished
    from your sight;yet I will look again
    toward your holy temple.’⁵ The engulfing waters threatened me,
    the deep surrounded me;
    seaweed was wrapped around my head.⁶ To the roots of the mountains I sank down;
    the earth beneath barred me in forever.
But you, Lord my God,
    brought my life up from the pit.

⁷ “When my life was ebbing away,
    I remembered you, Lord,
and my prayer rose to you,
    to your holy temple.

⁸ “Those who cling to worthless idols
    turn away from God’s love for them.
⁹ But I, with shouts of grateful praise,    will sacrifice to you.
What I have vowed I will make good.
    I will say, ‘Salvation comes from the Lord.’”

¹⁰ And the Lord commanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry land.

(https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Jonah+2%3A+1+-+10&version=NIV)

As I prayed before writing this blog, I asked the Lord to help me show others that He is real.  His love for us is unfathomable, His existence unexplainable.  He tells Moses in Exodus 3:14

¹⁴ God said to Moses, “I am who I am. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I am has sent me to you.’” (https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Exodus+3%3A14&version=NIV).  You can’t explain it any simpler than that, He is who He is.  You cannot sit and reason out who God is, He goes far beyond our mindset.  As wonderfully as He made our brains, it is not the brain that recognizes Him as Lord of our lives, it is our heart, not our beating heart, but that which is deep down inside of us, our inner soul, the very essence of our existence. Mark Lowry explains it like this, enjoy:  https://video.search.yahoo.com/yhs/search?fr=yhs-itm-001&hsimp=yhs-001&hspart=itm&p=mark+lowry+on+bowels#id=1&vid=7283851da1f4fbf145f6388c12e91156&action=view

Just as Noah prayed in the belly of a fish, so we should pray today, we are all in the belly of a fish today.  I know that people older than me have seen World despair.  This World has gone through two World Wars.  Yet even in those times, those of us living in the continental United States did not experience the destruction that other countries experienced.  We had our nuclear drills yet we were somehow protected.  Today, the entire world is feeling and experiencing the same kind of pain.  I hear God calling, to the entire world,  in a still small voice, “Wake up, know that I Am who I Am.”  Someday He is going to call His people home.  We don’t know when but we know that with each passing day it is one day closer than the day before.  If you are a Christian that will be a joyous day but if you are not, it will be a day of reckoning and doom.  It may come on the day of His return or it may come the day that He has appointed as your last day on this earth but the day will come one way or another.  Are you ready to meet your Maker?  Are you ready to hear what He has to say to you?  My friend, I hope and I pray that you are.  I put my trust fully in the Lord Jesus Christ.  I know that He is who He says He is.  Can I explain to you how I know, no, you have to experience it for yourself.  If you have never prayed to asked the Lord to be Lord of your life, do so today.  Let Him know that you are a sinner, that you know that Jesus died and rose again to give you new life, and that you want a life with Him.  At the end of your sincere prayer, you will know the truth and the truth will set you free.  Jesus said these words, ³¹ To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. ³² Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

³³ They answered him, “We are Abraham’s descendants and have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free?”

³⁴ Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. ³⁵ Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. ³⁶ So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. ³⁷ I know that you are Abraham’s descendants. Yet you are looking for a way to kill me, because you have no room for my word. ³⁸ I am telling you what I have seen in the Father’s presence, and you are doing what you have heard from your father.  (https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+8%3A+31+-+38&version=NIV)

One last video for you today, this song came to me yesterday and I just couldn’t get it out of my mind.  It is so fitting for today, the troubles we are facing, the uncertainty of each passing day but we know that someday our turmoil will be over.  Please friend, be ready https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3l_LfGjXShg#action=share