A Little Here a Little There


Every once in a while, mama would take me to the five and dime in Salem Oregon. We would walk through, buy a few things, and then she would take me to the tiny restaurant. I always had a hot chocolate. I was too young to remember what she always ordered. I suspect it was coffee. And didn’t she loves her coffee.  
We didn’t go there on Monday. Or any other day during the week. It was always on Saturday. But I remember when that changed. And I remember it made me happy.  

One time we went there on a Sunday! I remember the year when America broke it’s pact with the sacred day. And yes it made me happy.  

It was a small change in the fabric of America. But it was a dynamic change that introduced all these things we see today.  
They didn’t love God enough to even give him a time of rest from all their greedy pleasures. And once they took the small step, seeing he did nothing, they went on to gain more for themselves.  
I grew up despising God’s ways, just like I’d been taught. And I see how ashamed I am of the life I led. But here I am writing about the reason why America is so messed up. My testimony is that God has come to me to love me despite the things I did. And by the end of this writing you will see why that’s important.  
Every time someone turns away from God a little, a little more turning away is coming. I remember the year America turned away a little and I have seen it plummet from there. They are not finished turning away a little more. I wish I had a better word for the people of my own country. But they don’t offer any further truthful choices.  
I don’t want to leave today’s writing as if on a sour note. I want to leave a specific encouragement: return to God and he will return to you. Throw off the teachings of society and return to the things that are good.  
I know the odds. But It is right to say the following. It is not too late for America if they will strive to return to God. And isn’t this a strategic time? I have it on good authority that Donald Trump will be a just president. Justice will be his focus. What an opportune envelope of time for America to reach to the God of justice.  
As a nation we may well be finished. I can’t say I trust my fellow citizens ambitions. But I didn’t write this primarily for the nation. The primary purpose of this writing is every individual who will read it.  
What is the first and greatest commandment? Isn’t it that we should love the Lord our God with all our heart and all our mind and with all our strength and with all our will? Then we will be able to love our brothers properly. 1, 2…… not 2, 1. Get the Commandments in order. Or the chance of anything changing is nihil (A Latin word meaning nothing).  
Don’t just know about him. Come to know him. As long as we are ashamed of him he will be a shamed of us. Brothers and sisters, I assure you that matters.  

This Day


What is this day?  What name shall we give it?  Shall we call it Tuesday?  Shall we make a gold plaque and hang it on the wall ascribing numbers to the day; a month a day and a year?

Shall we call it our birthday?  Shall we use it to count down to celebration?  Is it a day to prosper in the things of our desire?  Shall we name the day according to the desire of someone else?  Shall we observe the day as a socially acceptable holiday?  (Understanding that the word “holiday” was originally set to mean holy day.)

This day has no number.  This day has no name that man can pronounce.  This day is void of specific celebration.  This day does not exist separate from all other times. 

Man has said these things are false.  Man has divided time into day and night by compulsion of the nature of things around him.  But before the Holy Lord God Almighty everyday comes without break between.

Name the day as you will, each according to his weakness of understanding.  But let us also strive to give glory to the Most High.  For the Holy One IS.

As we walk in the Spirit, the things that denote this place fade.  We begin to see more clearly, that the labels and understanding of man are insufficient to describe eternity.  Eternity must be lived.

Strive to see.  Strive to desire.  The flesh and this world captivate.  But the Lord has come to set us free. 

God alone can grant what is God’s.  No man has on his own.  May God grant understanding, in the beautiful strength of Jesus his Christ and our Lord.  Amen.