NEVER ALONE

If we truly follow the Lord we must go into

the wilderness of separation,

and leave the life of this carnal world.

to a place where the Lord calls His sanctified ones.

"What exactly brought you to this part of the country" the man enquired as he whirled his victim around the busy dance floor."

Caught unawares Millie just smiled and said "ah well that's a rather long story so should we just leave it that I felt drawn to the area.  It's such a beautiful part of the country and a lovely place to finally check out.

"Hardly" said the man laughing "you are far too young to be thinking like that, you've years in front of you"   Observing the other pensioners doing a rather tidy tango she considered he could be forgiven for that one, it wasn't the first time she had had to correct someone's observations regarding her age and appearance but she usually politely suggested they went to a certain well known opticians to have their eye sight checked.   Friends knew she would always fling a humorous quote in their direction, often self mocking. 

The genteel tea dance was over and a small group of seniors climbed into the waiting taxi, for some it was the highlight of their week and drained of any energy they would happily settle down for their favourite soap then head off for an early night.

Later that evening Millie caught sight of her blurred reflection in the bathroom mirror.   She remembered the brief conversation with the dance school teacher hardly the place to unload and witness her real reason.    She was hunting for a lost experience.   A past church alive with spirit filled christians who would happily die rather than deny their Saviour.   Young and old who believed the Word of God and followed their Shepherd King but sadly it was the same old, same old compromise and when a minister suggested he would ease her in at a quiet service and that she would have to be careful she didn't offend someone suggesting she mustn't be judgemental, that was it.    The same old excuse.   Didn't her Lord offend the leaders in the Sanhedrin and didn't they scheme to kill him.   Where was this pastor coming from, or was it just a question of the old "get them in and let Jesus clean them up brigade"  contaminating the rest of the flock, while happily number crunching and appeasing the tithe.   She had had enough of the "hirelings" well aware the cancer of diluting and diminishing the bible was increasing and that most congregations were more in line with ancient pagan worship appeasing self interest and self worship.
    

Later that week as she stood on the sea shore watching the receding tide it was hard to imagine how anyone would want to destroy such an earthly paradise, so far removed from "sin city".  She imagined perhaps this was where John Bunyan would have headed once he escaped the clutches of his twelve year prison sentence for speaking the Word of God.   Now her country was Sodom and Gomorrah, her denominations filthy and an abomination before a Holy God, and the reality hit home exactly what would God do this time.   She shuddered in the hot sun remembering the utter desolation of the land bordering the dead sea in Israel.  

A beautiful little girl marched past.   She could have only been three years old but she was on a mission, a huge sand castle was being built by her father and she was bringing shells and stones to decorate its ramparts.   Children who smiled at strangers were few and far between these days and when Millie witnessed the friendly smiling little angel she worried about the dark shadows that might be lurking just around the corner.   Now evil powers were planning to snatch their innocence in the name of political correctness and Millie knew that those who would stand against the policies would join the martyrs of old.  Perhaps their fate would not be as blatantly obvious as those slaughtered in the middle east, in some cases imprisonment, solitary confinement for protesting against the status quo.   It was all getting very dangerous but for a few hours as the waves danced on the golden sand and the sun shone in a clear blue sky it was just a gentle interlude and glimpse of a better world to come.

'Thankfully the future is veiled from us and all we can do is trust in the Lord, take His hand and journey on considered Millie as she reached for her little dog.   "Come on Babe" she said "lets walk up the hill and just sit and watch the coastline under the shade of the ancient woodland.   Perhaps all she could do was fill her present place with His praise knowing when He was ready He would show her His purpose.    

"Can't understand how you can be so happy when there's so much gloom and doom at the moment" said her neighbour pushing past her to reach the cash machine first.   

"I have Jesus" Millie replied "tired and worn as I may be with furrowed brow and wasted features I have His peace and one day soon I will rejoice with my brothers and sisters in His Kingdom to come.
Her heart sang remembering His promise and His words.

John 14 - 23
If anyone loves Me, He will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him. 

It was noted a rather strange woman had moved into No. 17.    The grapevine jangled furiously "She says she's "born again" whatever that means.   Don't believe all that rubbish.'' said one irate neighbour to her friend.  I'm off to the supermarket apparently there's are going to be a water shortage with all this hot weather and the bottled stuff is fast disappearing off the shelves.   

Millie imagined the woman sitting in her flat surrounded by bottles of water and enough food stocks for a couple of months - and then what.!!!!!!!   Even at this late hour they deny God and His son and when it all starts they will be terrified.

The first few months in her new home had flown by.   Millie was busy finding her way around the town and surrounding countryside.   The concierge smiled as she left the building by the main entrance.  "Good morning Millie and how are you today" he enquired.

'Absolutely fine thanks Mick"

"45 killed in Japan - floods - earthquakes in Israel yesterday and with all the dead bodies lying around in Yemen no doubt pestilence is heading our way on the wind." he snorted his disapproval as he glanced at the pile of newspapers lying on a table in the foyer.  

"Need to get yourself a bible Mick" said Millie, "the prophets warned this would happen" and she smiled and walked out into another hot sunny day.

"And this is why you are here" said the Lord "fill this place with My love and compassion for the blind and the deaf.   When I need you in another place I will show you the way.

As Millie prayed that night she thanked the Lord for the brief interlude in a place safe from the approaching storm clouds.   "Lord, I know there is a global remnant of Your children and whatever lies ahead I will follow You.   I can never be alone when I have Your Holy Spirit to guide and protect me"  Thankyou Yeshua for every blessing.   I know we deserve your discipline, this once great country is being slowly absorbed by another culture who worship another God and all the denominations can do is push inter-faith.  Corruption and lies are commonplace.   Speak the Truth and receive condemnation by a morally degenerate society.

There is only one God.   He will allow the persecution of His children and will not spare the rod until the day He decides to deal with the enemy.

John 10 - 26 - 28

26 - But you do not believe, because you are not of My sheep, as I said to you.

27 - My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.

28 - And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish ; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My Father's hand.

Baruch ata Adonai

SHALOM