Safe to Assume?

Depending on what Sunday School you attended, the mantra almost echoes in your ears. If not the song, Yes Jesus Loves Me, For the Bible Tells Me So, then its the Easter Pageants when you had to memorize a scripture in front of the entire congregation. Was there ever a year that a child didn't recite the easiest verse in the whole bible, Jesus wept? We dressed up for services and see the families looking oh so nice. If we are close friends, then we learn certain particulars and pray for one another, but for the most part it is a community that continues it's routine without a hitch.

When there is a visitor, the congregation forms around that person like white blood cells attacking bacteria. The mission: to find what that person is doing in your nicely functioning ministry with all of its color matching decor and newly cleaned stained glass windows. Who is this person and what are their intentions? Of course, the interrogation is diluted with insincere smiles and disingenuous hugs (Matthew 26:49 AMP). If the person comes back after that initial weird exit, then it must be from the Lord - right? Its almost like a game. Its no wonder there are very few visitors in small ministries other then families and those that the families have grown up with all of their lives. Yet, because they all know one another, there is never the same interrogation within (James 2:4 AMP). Its the assumption that because they have all grown up together in the same church, they must be born again. Of course they are...right?

A 3 year old child sang for the Lord every Sunday and his praise couldn't be anything but real. Who was this little person trying to impress? He looked so adorable. When he grew up, he started to learn how to play the organ and was the star performer of the church when there ever was a function. When he was in his 20's, the church had a musical event and assumed that their star performer would be there to play the organ. The choir was lined up and was introduced to all of the people that came to see the event, but nothing was happening because the star performer had not shown up. He had never been late before. Twenty minutes later, here he comes through the door dressed up as if he was going to an opera. He gave no apologies. He opened the double doors that was closed for the choir's entrance, walked through and down the middle of the aisle. He settled in, making noise in so doing, and when he knew all eyes were on him, he began to play. What happened to that adorable little boy? Aren't we disciplined to do better in Christ (Hebrews 12:10 AMP)? But when did he receive Christ? At home? In the middle of his praise? Who asked? Who cared?

I often thought about this when studying Job. Its like the more you meditate on certain aspects of the Word, the more you can get out of it. For instance, it never made sense to me why Job would be making sacrifices for his children. What were they doing that would cause him to be so afraid? He is a priest! Wouldn't he know what to teach his children in order for them to behave? The entire community looked up to Job. He knew what to say to them, but he didn't know with his own children? What kind of faith did he really have?

A young married man with a young family decides to have his 4 and 5 year old son and daughter to be baptized because he remembered when his mother made him do it, he was embarrassed and he wanted to spare his children the humiliation of it all. His children grew up in the same ministry but never went to the altar to give their lives to Christ like anyone else would. Did the children do so in their private lives? Did they visit another church and gave their lives to the Lord, or did the young man believe because he had them baptized at a young age, it was good enough?

Have you ever wondered why some PK's (preachers kids) act the way that they do? I thought it was because the preacher teaches one thing and acts completely different at home. The children were then rebelling against the hypocrisy. I never thought it was as simple as an assumption. Why didn't the minister know this? Why do we think the children will gain what we worked so hard to stay disciplined in, holiness? How are they supposed to obtain it, through osmosis? It will never happen that way!

A Christian married couple separated and the man was concerned in getting his wife back. Though he heard much advise, he decided to call her to ask for them to at least try. She wasn't interested in getting back together but she did agree for them to meet at a restaurant to talk. Before getting there, the woman prayed asking for God to give her the right words and for her soon to be ex husband the heart to understand what the matter was. Once at the restaurant she allowed her husband to speak first. She didn't say anything and he wasn't asking her any questions. They finished their meals and the dishes and been removed from the table. He slurped the last of his drink and asked, "So what do you think?" She hadn't listened to one word he said. She heard it all before, but it was finally quiet and he was waiting for her answer. She took a deep breath believing that the Holy Spirit was gong to say what was needed, "Receive the Holy Spirit and I will come back." He stopped playing with the straw still in his mouth. He looked at her, stood up, put on his coat, and just before he left leaving her there, he said, "No." Shocked not because the pleading stopped along with the bargains and promises, but shocked that his answer was anything else but no. Hadn't he accepted the Holy Spirit anyway? Why was he against it? Why hadn't he mentioned it before? Is the subject moot if one lives a Christian life style?

The Word does tell us that God will save the seed of the righteous, so did we believe He would do different then what He did for us (Galatians 3:29 AMP)? Because He said it, did we assume we didn't have to make the effort to teach it to our children? Did we make sure they did the action as we would have witnessed to everyone else? What kind of parents have we been that we cared for the souls of others and didn't have as much concern for the ones at home? Job went to one extreme, yet some of us went to the other. Tighten it up! As parents, we are also teachers. We are held at a higher standard - or didn't you know that? Even as single Christians dating for the purposes of marriage, it is imperative that we ask all of the right questions and watch a person's actions. Even with all of that, we must be able to discern that still small voice so we can be informed of the things we cannot see and will never know otherwise. Our salvation is in Him - more then we ever thought.

MOVE! Your In The Way!!!

In trying to make sense of what it is we are looking for in the long scheme of things, I believe I was led to write this blog. As you have read, there are times we haven't been satisfied with the waiting and as a result start to ponder silly matters such as the meaning of life and your purpose, when if you were really honest with yourself, you already know what it is. So in reading the many entries, hopefully this blog aids in giving specific insight to those minute details we might have missed in our particular journeys (Psalm 1119:105 AMP).

In those journeys, where many of us have learned to take the scenic route to enjoy every tid-bit of what life has to offer, we have been distracted by giving assistance to others when we believe it is why we saw them there in the state that they were in. We thank God that we could be of assistance, receive their heartfelt thanks, and then we continue on with what we were doing before the distraction got in the way. Would there ever be a time when God would tell us not to be of assistance to someone? Do we make more of a nuisance when God is trying to get the other person to do something that they refuse to do? Have we stood in a gap when the gap was made by the other person in attempts to do their own will?

You see, meditating in the Word sometimes there are more questions that allow us to get deeper into seeing who God really is. It is written that He is a good Father, yet, do we know what that means? After all, His ways are higher then ours (Isaiah 55:8-9 AMP). We strive to be more like Him and there is no better way then to study what He does and ask loads of questions. For instance, Jonah refused to do as God told him to do and decided to run away to a place he thought would be better for him. As they were sailing on the boat, the other passengers could tell something was wrong and immediately asked Jonah what has he done? The boat was being tossed and it was as if a storm was brewing. Because it couldn't be controlled, Jonah knew and jumped off of the boat for the safety of the other passengers and the crew (Jonah 1).

Another part of the scriptures where pondering over why a man would do such a thing is Job. How does a priest receive an education to be a priest and then is dumbfounded as to why his family becomes a part of his punishment? He is after all, a priest! If it wasn't taught to Job that a priest (pastor, preacher, prophet, apostle, minister, evangelist) has more then one title and one of them is a teacher, then he could not have been listening. For it is written that a teacher is held at a higher standard (James 3:1 AMP). So if a priest receives a harsh punishment - there is a good reason for it. God is good.

The last example used here is Abraham. There he is with his wife and family coming upon a kingdom by which he says because his wife is so beautiful, men will want her and try to get rid of Abraham so they can marry her (Genesis 20:2 AMP). With him believing his own lies, he convinces his wife to go along with it. In so doing, upon entering the kingdom of Abimelech, they believe Abraham's lie. It doesn't take long before the king notices that his wealth is drying up including the wombs of his wives and concubines. He blesses Abraham with things and sends him on his way once he finds out the truth and his kingdom's wealth is returned (Genesis 20:9-18 AMP).

How does this have anything to do with our lives? Look over those scriptures and see for yourselves. Jonah debated with God as to why he shouldn't have to go to Tarshish. Why would anyone think that they know more then God? Of course, the arrogance is deserving of a punishment. What if the crew, having compassion for Jonah, refused to allow him to jump ship? Would they all perish? It is written, My people perish for lack of knowledge (Hosea 4:6 AMP).

Job knew where his children were and what they were doing. Why would he determine in his mind that they were doing anything other than enjoying the company of their wives and family? Because his children stayed on their father's land, they were subject to anything that the father, who is a priest, had done. They enjoyed the fruit of his title. Because we do not see the hearts of men (this includes our parents), it makes more of a reason for us to move into places of our own, once we are able to be independent, doesn't it?

Abraham learned life lessons along the way. He needed to move from his kinfolk to be delivered from their bad habits. Recall, Lot and his daughters are related to Abraham. Lot's wife liked the lifestyle of Sodom and Gomorrah. It is why she was turned into a pillar of salt. Still, he lied and brought the consequences of lies with him. When the kingdom started to dry up, do you think Abraham noticed it and realized as to why Sarah had not given birth in all of those years?

We live the life that is given to us. In so doing, the previous generation is supposed to be teaching the new generation what to do and not to do so our lives would be better (Titus 2:3 AMP). Because of that action, we win and Jesus returns. Only, we don't always do as we are supposed to do. Perfect examples are like the ones given. For whatever the reason we try to keep our own agenda not asking any questions especially not to the One that created all and is all. There is no good reason behind that, only stupidity. My point being, there has to be a sensitivity of the Holy Spirit for us to have the success we would all like to have. I believe some punishment received is fall out because of someone else's nonsense and we are in the way of what they deserve. If Job's children knew what their father was doing while they were in their own homes but on his land, would they have stayed? If the crew knew that Jonah defied God would they still welcome him on their boat? If King Abimelech knew that Abraham lied before coming into his palace, would he have welcomed him with open arms?

Could any of these things (and there are others) be your reason for having the troubles that you are going through? What lies have you believed? Who do you know that has disregarded God's instruction? Who is following their own agenda believing they have a better plan then God? If you know who these people are that are around you, you have also found the toxic element in your world. Clean it up. If they belong to God, bless them and send them on their way. This is not wrong because you are the righteousness of God through Christ Jesus and He has called you to peace. Selah.