THE TESTING

YOU SHALL KNOW THE TRUTH

AND THE TRUTH WILL MAKE YOU FREE.

John - 8-32

When earthly parents fail you.

When earthly love vanishes suddenly into the mists of time. 

When children abandon those who gave so much to a faceless state machine.

HIS ARMS ARE THERE.

HIS SPIRIT COMFORTS AND UPHOLDS YOU.

YOUR FUTURE SECURE WITH HIM.

When you stare poverty in the face in a world that chases materialism at any cost its there you find the greatest pearl and you are rich beyond your wildest dream.   HIS pure unconditional love.  You face the facts, stock take and realise the past carnage was of your own making choosing to drift in the wilderness, feeding your own desires, your compass wildly girating going nowhere, round and round in circles.   But that was your choice, your journey, some blame everyone else for their failure.

It is said as you approach the winter of your years you become aware of your mortality.    Wasps that usually lay splattered on the window cill are now carefully herded into a glass and tipped out of the window, at any moment your life could be snuffed out.   The bumble bee you gently combed from your daughter's hair as she screamed in fright now flies safely back to base a lesser threat, only stinging as a last resort.   The snail you carefully lift to safe pasture remembering the many times you accidentally crushed, crunched and obliterated the little creature steadily carrying its house in your frantic rush to where ever.  The baby snails, shells so soft that they can get crushed in your desire to help them.

Spiders, bugs and flies the undertakers and bringer of disease.  All part of the amazing kaleidoscope of life on this earth.   Wisdom brings a clear vision of the path many walk and their destination.  Their much celebrated believer's baptism now a thing of the past their actions revealing a callous disregard for any truth outside their opinion.  They have simply lost the plot and become entangled in their own righteousness. 

Yeshua knew this would happen. 

Matthew 4 - 14

Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.

We have a holy God and only the Holy will enter in, the rest awaiting the final Judgement.

Those who refuse to accept responsibility for their own actions blaming everyone but themselves need to seriously stock take.   God is not going to listen to their narcissistic rhetoric, He sees every action from the thief with his hand in the till, to the predators manipulating their victims, and the appalling abuse of His Word, every action of every person, from cradle to grave.   

Some years ago I had an encounter with a young woman in a small village church.   The pastor encouraged "no one is beyond the reach of a merciful and forgiving God"  The young woman turned to look at me and I felt an urgency to repeat the message "Jesus loves you"   She replied sadly "but you don't know what I've done"   I replied "No, but it can't be as bad as what I did.   I denied the existence of God for five cold empty years on the run from my mother's wrath and headed straight for the wastelands.   I didn't blame my parents, they raised me a strict Catholic, no, it was simply a matter of making my own decision marrying an atheist against their wishes and the resultant fallout the consequences.

Later I would learn that the young woman was the daughter of notorious serial killers and she had witnessed their evil deeds.   She had to move from her home town and take up a new identity to protect her from revenge attacks.   She was just a kid at the time.   I often wonder what I would have said if I had known the truth at that point.   Even today I still say rejecting God is about as serious as it gets.   God hates liars - and lying by omission is just as serious as the actual spoken lie.   As a young teenager my uncle commented "the trouble with you Lisa is that you are too truthful" and being truthful can lead to opposition and the necessary correction.   Spare the rod - spoil the child syndrome far better to fess up.

Our actions reflect where we stand in our faith walk, sadly it makes little difference to the 'old man' in many.   They take what they want and cover it with a religious umbrella hiding their dark side.   Their witness is damming to those who may have been otherwise inspired to give their lives to Christ.

Jesus can drag you free from the slime, bog and quick sand of this world.   His light penetrates the darkness and the clean up begins.  Often rescued souls are the most passionate witness of God's touch on their lives.   They accept responsibility for their own actions, pick up their cross and move on.    

It is a lonely walk.   Friends and family back off and you will find yourself being accused of anything from plain religious to an extremist or just plain bonkers.   But it will be worth it all to hear His welcoming words:

Matthew 25 - 34
Then the King will say to those on His right hand 'Come you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: 

Life for the christian should never be about image, or special place, but an almighty struggle to keep on the narrow path.   It is all about self examination realising that every justification of wrong doing and sin will lead you to the devil's scoreboard.    God gave us Free Will, most chose to justify their actions and sadly live with the consequences.   For those who have not received the precious gift of faith - conscience is a powerful guide.

Christians are all prone to fall off the narrow path at times and scramble back.  Dropping their cross is a popular euphemism in the modern church.   I know when the testing began I fell at the first hurdle, but I also knew my Father in heaven knew my past and my future.   God never abandons His children, nevertheless He gave us Free Will and WE chose.   I seriously doubt he will listen to those who blame their insecurities and mistakes on others.

At the end of the day, like the thief on the cross, we can only acknowledge we deserve His punishment.   We are not worthy of His love failing even the simplest command to "love our neighbour as ourselves"

Like the thief on the cross who acknowledged his guilt and the innocence of Jesus we can only pray "remember me Lord when you come into your Kingdom"  or perhaps.   "Forgive my human weakness -  Lord can I please come in.

Recommendation:

Jesus Safe Tender Extreme by Adrian Plass - Zondervan books.   This man is honest not only with his own doubts and fears but colours his writing with humour having a pot shot at the religious establishment that leaves the hypocrites offended but encourages so many crippled and abandoned sheep who saw through the lies and deceit.   May our Shepherd King return soon.

SHALOM