Giving Thanks

Had a great day of good food and time with the family yesterday. My wife's cooking is beyond description good.

I was thinking this morning about how thankful I am to live in this nation. Despite all the economic turmoil and political upheaval, we are still blessed and can see God working on our behalf. I am concerned though that America is headed for difficult times. I believe the lure of unrestrained freedoms is too appealing for those who have cast off all moral and religious convictions. We want peace without fighting for it, we want to the world to cooperate while we withdraw to have life our own way. There are many in the world who are willing to die to spread their fear and bondage, and they will succeed if no one stands against them. I've said before how much I appreciate President Bush because he is a visionary who saw a strong future for America that few others were capable of seeing or willing to see. Today our culture wants to build a house without a foundation. They want to live under the blessing and prosperity of God's grace, but they do not want to confine their will to His will. Its the same as caring enough to tell your kids not to touch a hot stove. This "Change" movement in America has wanted for a long time to touch the hot stove and not get burnt. Now they think they have what they want, and at last they can cast off those old ways which don't apply anymore, but they can't change the fact they they will still get burnt. God has built moral and biblical principles into our society for our good and no one can change that even when they ignore them.

I am still full of hope because I know the God I serve will complete the work He has begun. My heart is sad for those who have decided not to give Him everything. Those people are holding on to a life that they cannot keep and even worse missing an opportunity to know a God who is relentlessly pursuing then to pour out His love and goodness into their lives. Do those people know what they are missing? Do they understand that they can lay down their own rights and self will to pick up an inheritance prepared for them that will never fade or diminish throughout all eternity? I pray they will soon see the truth.

Popular posts from this blog

Thoughts on Easter

Easter is always a good time for reflection and examination. The thought of what Jesus Christ has done for me is overwhelming and brings me ultimately to the foot of the cross. What more can be done in the face of such holiness and great sacrifice? All I can do is lay my life down there as well, surrender myself, my life, all I have, and all I am or ever will be. There can be no fruitfulness or fulfillment of our purpose until we lay our life down unto death. We spend so much time striving, building ministries, making better plans, and working harder. We don’t see that from Jesus. In his essay In Him and Over Him: The Holy Spirit in the Life of Jesus John O’Donnell says Jesus had to accept the failure of His human mission. He says “Jesus who came in the power of the Spirit to proclaim the Good News had to accept that because of the hardness of hearts of His people the kingdom could only come through the cross. And so Jesus goes to His death, tested to the utterness of His obedience,
Read more

More on Erasing Hell

I can defintely relate to this quote by Francis Chan from his book Erasing Hell . This is such a difficult topic and it's easier to just not think about it and move on.  I believe we are entering a season when God's people will feel an urgency to step up and speak the truth in a loving and firm way. Don't speak out of ignorance or your own thoughts. Know the Word . We are all surrounded by opportunities to learn the Word and allow it to transform our lives. There is no excuse for not knowing. Speak out of that transformation. Let the Holy Spirit speak for you. Know Christ deeply and allow Him to take control of your life fully. "What causes my heart to ache right now as I’m writing this is that my life shows little evidence that I actually believe this. Every time my thoughts wander to the future of unbelievers, I quickly brush them aside so they don’t ruin my day. But there is a reality here that I can’t ignore. Even as the conversations of people around me fill my
Read more

Obeying God's Voice

Image source The Bible makes no distinction between hearing and obeying God's voice. Hearing Him is the first step, but hearing requires us to obey. The writer of Hebrews warns us to not harden our hearts if today we hear God's voice (Heb. 3:15). There is no rest or peace in disobedience to His voice. When we harden our hearts to His voice, we reject the life that He is offering. I like to think of these times of obedience as continual alignment of my life with God's Word. As the Holy Spirit speaks we obey by yielding our will to His. Obedience brings transformation which makes us more and more like Christ. Doesn't a student who continues to yield themselves to the process of learning soon experiences changes in their thinking and behavior as a result? So a disciple (a learner) becomes more and more like the Master as they yield to His teaching. God's Word and His voice cannot be separated. God's voice, the work of the Holy Spirit, and the Biblical messag
Read more

Intervention

I saw this picture on msnbc  today which was linking to a news video concerning Pakistanis who are desperate for aid.  My heart breaks for kids like this all over the world who go hungry every day.  I've fed hungry people in India, and its overwhelming to see people desperately grabbing for a bread roll and a small banana.  I want to see the church of Jesus Christ rise up and take the authority given to us by Jesus Christ and intervene in these situations.  We are not on this earth to make it a better place, but to share the good news of Jesus.  When people know Him, we will see better living conditions where all people are loved and treated with respect and dignity.  We can end hunger and poverty and poor drinking water conditions.  My good friend and warrior in the kingdom Suresh Kumar likes to quote William Booth "Give them soup, soap, and salvation".
Read more