He has come upon us as one of us, even to abide in those who live today. They have hated and persecuted those who spoke in the name of God.  They hated, reviled, persecuted and killed the Son of God.  They punished and imprisoned and eventually killed the Lords disciples.  Millions have died at the hands of God haters.

Today is no different.  Do not allow yourself to be fooled.  Today is a day for them to mock and revile.  They call names and punish by isolation.  They fill their mouths with lies as if preparing to spit.  See how they anticipate your destruction.  The overflow of your hatred appears as drool.

The hatred of man for the things of God is coiled like a serpent preparing to strike.  They have despised Him who is lovely from the beginning.  Do not allow them too lull you into sleep.

When the time is right they will strike.  They must try to destroy.  For their father leads them toward death.  He has hated and mocked truth. For this he has been dressed in death.   Do not be surprised that his children wear the same clothing.

I said no one cares.  I see that no one is interested in sharing these words with me.  Life demands too much. 

But then I could not shut up.  I saw that it didn’t matter who cared or not.  I answered to myself, ” who are you to judge whether your service is a value?  Did the Lord grant you final authority on all that you do?”

So I sat for a moment.  And my soul remembered the following passage.

But if I say, “I will not mention his word or speak anymore in his name,” his word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones. I am weary of holding it in; indeed, I cannot.  Jeremiah. 20: 9

A dear friend of mine once told me, “It’s best to take a compliment as if you are dead”.  I believed him.  But it has taken years to be able to understand the mechanics of why that’s right. 

I have learned that compliments float by if you pay them no mind.  But if you hold them and examine their intent, you will be injured. 

You see, they have tiny anchors on tiny chains.  While you are holding them the captain lowers all anchors.  As you examine, your pride becomes exposed.  And the tiny anchors latch to the very roots of pride. 

They’re a real pain to unstick since pride hides in our blind spot.  Usually one must swallow a few “horse pill” size doses of humiliation.   This will reduce the size of your pride and the tiny anchors will loose their grip.

Since flattery abounds, and the threat often comes from nowhere, it’s best to keep taking humiliation as a daily dosage.

To those who live in the flesh the Lord is a tyrant, a master, a judge and an executioner.  No wonder such men don’t want to speak of Him.

But the Spirit of God speaks of One that is everything opposite of those.  So that those who hear the Spirit of God perceive Him as love, kindness, patient, wise and enduring.

Doesn’t it make sense then that when we see Him face to face his name will be to us as we are.  All the more important to consider these things here.  For when we die we are sealed as we were.

To the flesh God is everything abhorrent.  To the Spirit God is everything lovely. 

This world will pass away quickly.  So we are rightly urged to release our grasp.  Do not fear the falling.  God is more than able and willing to catch gently anyone who releases this world that he may love God.

By His Grace

They will accuse and they will mock.

This they’ll do it without thought.

His church the object of their hate.

But for their judgment we will wait.

It’s not our job to right the wrong.

Yes, we who once were of that throng.

Tis more our job to hold up high,

That blessed hope his blood did buy.

Let he who scatters do his job.

Let he who gathers restrain the mob.

We are but to do him well.

And to this world the gospel tell.

I don’t want to influence or change the world so that it can have everything it wants. 

I want to be useful in changing and influencing the world so that it wants what it currently abhors.