Just sittin' here itching my feet before bed thinking about stuff. Watched a cop drama where they tried to talk a guy down and eventually he forced them to kill him. I wonder, if instead of all the promises that things will get better and I'll be here for you after this, what if we talked real truth? The second your life ends you will meet God. The Big Guy. The creator of all. Are you ready for that? Cuz that's where this is going. I wonder stuff like that.
I have written before about my wife's schooling. How she is so busy that family time is rare. The things I feel so strongly are God's most important things for His people we have had to minimize to make this happen. Time and again I have questioned how this can be God's plan. I've come to a sort of stalemate on that question because time keeps passing and we're still doing this. This is what I see now. Whether this is God's most desired place or not for us, we are here, and what will I do while in this place? Will I spend my time questioning God or will I spend my time serving God? Serving God in this place is serving people. I suppose it is in all places of life. So I am deciding to serve others. God gave me a word recently. Feed my sheep. It rings in my ears every day now. Feed my sheep. I am doing my best. Well maybe not my best but I am moving. I am trying.
God is revealing the depths of a personal struggle. He is showing me how deep this really is and I am beginning to see how desperately healing needs to come. How this area needs His touch before certain doors of ministry can be opened.
God is showing me that there are few absolutes in this world. When I was 28 my instructor told us that every car fuel system had to have a return line to fuel tank. It could work no other way. I went to work that night and the Dodge Neon I worked on had no fuel return. Had I been younger and less experienced at life this could have crushed me. What he spoke was gospel, had to be gospel, because what I got from the four instructors was my foundation for the future. We do this every day to believers. I guess to non believers too. We tell them God can only do it a certain way. When He does it different they become disillusioned and unsure of their belief. There is talk of Muslims coming to know God through dreams. Many are saying this cannot be. God does not work this way. Yet here they are. Muslim Christians. God had never blinded a man mid journey and changed his life until Saul/Paul. Is it only possible if it is written in the Bible? Stand on grace, stand on law, stand on free will or predestination. Baptist, Catholic, Pentacostal, First Free Whatever. Well I wont go in a church building. How can you be saved without going to church? This is just the tip of the iceberg. You know what I'm talking about. There are few absolutes given by God. Everyone would be better if we stuck to those. Lived or died by those. There is one true God, He is love. He is omnipotent, omnipresent, and omniscient. Jesus is the only way to God. These are foundational truths.
While there is much talk of the church being good or bad these days. The signs of a healthy church, there is much less talk about the danger of culture defining our religion. As Christians we should be the most upright, honest, trustworthy people on the planet yet much of our moral compass is defined by culture. Here's a couple. A missionary was teaching in a third world country (I know, old school term) and was giving a test to young students. About first grade I think. A young boy was concerned about taking the test and he told the boy if there was any he didn't know to just guess. The boy, shocked, said I can't do that. Why not? What if I were to get some right was the reply. Then I would get credit for something I didn't know. I would get a higher score than I earned. That would not be right. I have done tests this way all my life so it took me a bit to wrap my head around what this boy had said. He's right. It is cheating. Another one. A woman bought a cookie recipe from a store thinking it was 2.50 but actually paid 250.00. Found out when her card statement came. She called store and tried to get money back with no luck. Now she is passing recipe out on internet. I found out when my Christian friend posted story with recipe on Facebook. The only way a person should have this recipe is by paying $250 for it. Culturally this is perfectly acceptable but it still is wrong. We "Christians" should have a higher standard. Jesus while hanging on the cross with his life draining away forgave those who had killed Him. Certainly this applies to more of my life than just if someone crucified me. Turn the other cheek. Do not repay evil for evil. Do not take what does not belong to you. How can we separate our lifestyle as royalty to the King from our lifestyle as subjects of our earthly kingdom? The kingdom above should certainly supercede this one below.
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