Hard hearts….

How do our hearts become so hardened and calloused? How can we allow the grace and truth of the Lord to break through the hardness?  Are we even able to allow the Spirit to soften our hard heart? 

There is so much evil around us today we seem to have become more and more calloused...we need refreshing, we need our heart's renewed...we need Your voice Lord to break through all the chatter and distraction that is this world - and then we need to listen and follow You!

Saints of the living Lord rise up and stand firm in this spiritual battle that rages around us…do not be deceived...arise up and put on our weapons of warfare. ..prepare for battle....raise up holy hands to worship and beseech the glory of the Lord to reign down upon us....

And may our hearts be softened with the anointing of His Holy Spirit. 

Where we stand

In our new 'era of change' our world has not become a better place. It is as if I am able to only stand idly by and watch as evil moves steadily against the souls of man. An evil that is supported by those who have been blinded by its allure and overcome by its promise of power and control. And man shall gain the world yet lose his soul.

We are called to stand against the wiles of the enemy - to call them out and use the weapons of warfare that Christ has armed us with in the power of His Spirit. But the battle persists, it has become more fierce and weariness has begun to take its toll. One can begin to understand why Elijah ran and hid in a cave!

And yet the battle is the Lord's…and His victory is assured. Lord provide me with the faith, the strength and the perseverance to stand in Your victory.

Isaiah 5:20 Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!

Do we focus more on the do's or the don'ts!

Focusing more on the don'ts (or the thou shall not) leaves less time to be the witness that we are called to be…so, instead of following the path that can lead to the practice of religious dogma let us instead take the path that leads us to a vibrant relationship with Christ - doing what He desires that we do, what we have been called to do, what we have been empowered to do!

It starts with the greatest commandments - love the Lord your God with all that you are and love your neighbor as yourself - notice they are both 'do's'…not 'don'ts'!

As to the Lord: let us rejoice that He is the Great I Am, praising Him, giving Him thanks and honor and glory, resting in Him, seeking after Him, trusting in Him, walking with Him…behold your redeemer has come, your deliverer lives!

As to the people around us (our neighbors): let us be fully grace and truth dispensers in all facets of our lives, loving your neighbor as Christ loves you, sharing your faith, hope and love - the whole message of this life!

And do not be dismayed if you come up against trials and persecutions for His Word tells us - "If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, because of this the world hates you." (John 15:18-19)

Little children, do let the love of Christ richly dwell within you. 

Unless the Lord....

Without a strong foundation a house will not stand especially during times of stress….and we are a house (our country) that is resting on a foundation that has been cracked and is crumbling apart…in essence, we no longer have a firm foundation on which our country can stand. And our watchmen (our leaders) no longer seek after the Lord nor do they fully trust in Him…thus their watch is fraught with futility.

Unless the Lord builds the house (and He is our foundation) we labor in vain…Unless the Lord guards the city the watchmen watch in vain…

Psalm 127:1 Unless the LORD builds the house, They labor in vain who build it; Unless the LORD guards the city, The watchman keeps awake in vain. 

The war is waging on….

We are in a battle whether we know it or not - whether we want to admit it or not! And the battle is becoming far more fierce. This war is not of flesh and blood but of principalities in the spiritual realm. We must awaken to the wiles that the enemy is working in this world and battle according to the Word of Truth with the Sword of the Spirit. The darkness continues to force its way, creating fear and confusion for those who seek the Light of Truth. We must stand firm in faith, empowered by His truth and filled with His grace. 

which Jesus do you follow?

How did we do today?

How did we honor and bless the Lord today?

How did His grace and truth flow through us to a lost and dying world today?
Did we fully surrender to the leading of the Holy Spirit today?                                                    

Did we pick up our cross and follow Him?

…choose for yourselves today whom you will serve…but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.

(Joshua 24)