As Lorelei Gilmore would say, “Well, you shouldn’t.”

One of our regulars is a ‘Christian’ Man who, when he walked in this morning, stated he’s blessed and highly favored.

“That’s good.  Me too.”
“Any day I wake up is a good day.”
“Well, I’m looking forward to after.”
“I would like to say that but none of us know for sure.”
“I know.”
“You do?”
“I do.  I know where I’m going.”
“You don’t have any doubts?”
“Nope.  I’m secured.  I know exactly where I’m going.”
“Well that’s good.  That’s a great place to be… to know.”

How is he blessed and highly favored …?  What is he proclaiming when he says he’s a Christian?

“WOE UNTO YOU, SCRIBES AND PHARISEES, HYPOCRITES! FOR YE ARE LIKE UNTO WHITED SEPULCHRES, WHICH INDEED APPEAR BEAUTIFUL OUTWARD, BUT ARE WITHIN FULL OF DEAD MEN’S BONES, AND OF ALL UNCLEANNESS.  EVEN SO YE ALSO OUTWARDLY APPEAR RIGHTEOUS UNTO MEN, BUT WITHIN YE ARE FULL OF HYPOCRISY AND INIQUITY.” – MATTHEW 23:27-28

He speaks the correct phrases and wears the symbols.  He has church shirts and boasts of how good God is.

But, what is God good for?  Is he only blessed and highly favored during the time he is in this life?  Where is his eternal assurance?

My God pulled me out of despair and forgave me of all my sins.  I am a child of the Most High.  He made me His daughter.  He told me my value and where it comes from.  My salvation has nothing to do with me.  My only boasting comes from the fact that I am a child of the Most High and get to spend eternity with Him and am not afraid to shout out what He did for me.  By grace am I saved through faith and not by my own works that I should boast.  It is a gift given from God.  (Ephesians 2:8-9). My salvation and promise of eternal life could only come from the shedding of His innocent son’s blood who was mocked, beaten, torn to pieces, and hung on a cross with nails driven in His hands.  He is power of life and conquered the grave defeating death being risen from the dead 3 days later.  The devil thought he won.  For three agonizing days all Jesus followers thought their life was a waste and then that glorious day the rock rolled away.  The long awaited promise was fulfilled.

That was the plan from before the foundation of the world.  It had nothing to do with you or me except our choice to partake in His promise and be obedient and follow Him.  Still, there is no room for boasting because it is only through the power of His Holy Spirit are we given that faith and knowledge.  It’s only through His power we can overcome the schemes of the devil.  It’s a daily decision to choose life or death.  In every thing we do we are choosing or denying Him like in the song “Oh be careful little eyes what you see.  Be careful little ears what you hear.  There’s a father up above who is looking down in love.”

We love Him because He first loved us and we are only saved by the shedding of innocent blood.  That’s where our assurance comes from.

“ANOTHER PARABLE PUT HE FORTH UNTO THEM, SAYING, THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN IS LIKENED UNTO A MAN WHICH SOWED GOOD SEED IN HIS FIELD:  BUT WHILE MEN SLEPT, HIS ENEMY CAME AND SOWED TARES AMONG THE WHEAT, AND WENT HIS WAY.

BUT WHEN THE BLADE WAS SPRUNG UP, AND BROUGHT FORTH FRUIT, THEN APPEARED THE TARES ALSO.  SO THE SERVANTS OF THE HOUSEHOLDER CAME AND SAID UNTO HIM, SIR, DIDST NOT THOU SOW GOOD SEED IN THY FIELD? FROM WHENCE THEN HATH IT TARES?  HE SAID UNTO THEM, AN ENEMY HATH DONE THIS. THE SERVANTS SAID UNTO HIM, WILT THOU THEN THAT WE GO AND GATHER THEM UP?

BUT HE SAID, NAY; LEST WHILE YE GATHER UP THE TARES, YE ROOT UP ALSO THE WHEAT WITH THEM.  LET BOTH GROW TOGETHER UNTIL THE HARVEST: AND IN THE TIME OF HARVEST I WILL SAY TO THE REAPERS, GATHER YE TOGETHER FIRST THE TARES, AND BIND THEM IN BUNDLES TO BURN THEM: BUT GATHER THE WHEAT INTO MY BARN.” – MATTHEW 13:24-30

The conversation with this gentleman shook me up and I couldn’t let it go.  I waited all day and was looking forward to the next to speak with him again.  Yesterday, when he came in I wasted no time, “Mr. ‘So and So’, I gotta ask you something.”  We talked for a long time, but I never got a definitive answer.  For me it’s black or white and all I really heard was gobbly goo from him.  I kept quoting scriptures and the response was always, “That’s true.” but then would go into what appeared a foreign land.  He mentioned getting knowledge so I said, “The beginning of wisdom is fear of the Lord.”  He did say, ‘There are few chosen and you’re one of them.”  I asked him ‘What if you shared your doubts with an unbeliever?’ and he responded that it would make them question their own selves.

I don’t believe that.  I’ve had experiences with unbelievers and it wouldn’t make them question themselves, but rather why would they want to worship a god who doesn’t answer anything?  What good is a Christian if they know just as much as the atheist about the afterlife?  I shared about those experiences in these posts:
When Love looks a lot like hate. Christians are the worst offenders… Part 1
When Love looks a lot like hate. Christians are the worst offenders… part 2

We cannot assume people are Christians.  We are to test everything by the Spirit and Word of God and help draw them back by pointing them to what the Word of God says. Let he who has ears to hear let them hear.  Current society and churches are teaching what tickles their ears and what they want to hear instead of God’s truth.  They are sending people straight to hell and are perishing for lack of knowledge.

Ezekiel 13-14, 33-34; Romans 1; John 10; Acts 17:22-32; Romans 8; Matthew 12

What’s ironic is this past week I struggled with anxiety.  I was reading the Beatitudes to try to get over my ‘D Attitude’.

I don’t want to give credit to the enemy, but I kept looking more and more at the things I didn’t have.  It started with this post ‘If you got what you prayed for…‘ and just kept growing.  I listened to a sermon by Charles Stanley and he said, “You can have all kinds blessings, but the devil is going to point out the one thing you don’t have”.  I was looking at circumstances instead of God and drowning myself.  I kept telling myself it was a lie and that I didn’t lack anything, yet I just kept getting more irritated.  I was so confused because I have been so content and have what I prayed for in this season.  Thankfully, I have learned to go to the secret place.  I had to lock myself in my room and read God’s Word OUTLOUD.  It’s one thing to read with your eyes, but to speak it and then hear it is another story.  By vocalizing the Word you are confessing what God said and drowning out your own voice and listening to the Voice of Truth.  I wrote down all of my thoughts and questions in my journal and instantly felt better.  (This makes me think of how people say you need to pull yourself out.  I don’t think so… my God always pulls me out.  I dig myself deeper in the hole, but Jesus says… ‘There she goes again… be right back.”)

We should not be afraid to tell God what we are feeling for He already knows our thoughts and is waiting for us to ask.  Who else would we go to for counseling when  nobody is qualified to help or answer our questions except our Heavenly Father because He knows the number of hairs on our head.  Where would we be able to get peace and love because He promises those things to His children.  He tells us to ask and we shall receive and to knock and it shall be given unto us.  Seek FIRST the kingdom of heaven.  You know, the same evening I wrote in my journal and prayed “What is wrong with me?!?” God answered.  I believe he showed me in a dream where the source of some anxiety and unhealed areas came from.  It was a very short dream, but it was enough to know and say ‘ok’.  It’s going to be a process, but He never leaves or forsakes us.  I want to be fixed so I can move forward and He’s there all along saying, “I’m glad you asked.  Let’s walk through this together.”

That’s the God I serve.

The very next morning I happened to read Matthew 13 and shortly after is when this guy came along and had the eternity conversation …the exact day I was going to just shout out to everyone who my God is.  He is so good to me and always answers.  All He asks is obedience and a willing heart.

Today, my BFF came to visit and it’s always refreshing to be in the presence of ‘my brother’. ❤  How will you find them? What if they’re looking for you?

“HE ANSWERED AND SAID UNTO THEM, HE THAT SOWETH THE GOOD SEED IS THE SON OF MAN; THE FIELD IS THE WORLD; THE GOOD SEED ARE THE CHILDREN OF THE KINGDOM; BUT THE TARES ARE THE CHILDREN OF THE WICKED ONE; THE ENEMY THAT SOWED THEM IS THE DEVIL; THE HARVEST IS THE END OF THE WORLD; AND THE REAPERS ARE THE ANGELS.  AS THEREFORE THE TARES ARE GATHERED AND BURNED IN THE FIRE; SO SHALL IT BE IN THE END OF THIS WORLD.

THE SON OF MAN SHALL SEND FORTH HIS ANGELS, AND THEY SHALL GATHER OUT OF HIS KINGDOM ALL THINGS THAT OFFEND, AND THEM WHICH DO INIQUITY; AND SHALL CAST THEM INTO A FURNACE OF FIRE: THERE SHALL BE WAILING AND GNASHING OF TEETH.

THEN SHALL THE RIGHTEOUS SHINE FORTH AS THE SUN IN THE KINGDOM OF THEIR FATHER. WHO HATH EARS TO HEAR, LET HIM HEAR.” – MATTHEW 13:37-43