Living in the Last Hour

If one should wonder who this God is that demands complete allegiance, this God in whom I place all my faith, let me say that the Lord does and will reveal Himself to those that seek Him with a whole heart, and that’s the key, not all the dos and don’ts that are thrown in our face. All these rules do nothing but create a religious version of the heart that God seeks. God looks at the heart of a man because from it comes all sorts of evil. He alone can judge the heart of any man. I confess that I wrestled with my faith for years, but the Lord was gracious to me, because He is the faithful one. God is good! We fail Him daily, yet He still loves us. This God is the One that desires a relationship with His people and will transform lives. What an awesome God I serve!

As a Christian woman I have to know in what I believe. Sometimes, I can’t believe the plethora of writings on how to live a happy and successful Christian life. As Christians we are comfortable asking God to bless us, to protect us, to provide for us, yet rare is the request to search us. Yes. We definitely want all the goodness of God, but when He sends trials and tribulations we get mad at God. We fall. I have learned that we never fall where He cannot reach us.

But he said to her, “You speak as one of the foolish women speaks. Shall we indeed accept good from God, and shall we not accept adversity?” In all this Job did not sin with his lips.

Job 2:10

Lord, search me, and know me, show me who and what I am. It is not easy to trust in something, or someone I can’t see or touch, but that’s who You are. Still, everything around me speaks to Your glory.

The God I serve is a gracious and merciful God, but he is also a jealous God. He will not share His glory with anyone. He wishes all to come to the saving knowledge of the truth.

Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time, for which I was appointed a preacher and an apostle, I am speaking the truth in Christ and not lying, a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.

1 Timothy 2:1-7

John 3:16, says that those who do not believe in Christ are already condemned, so to judge another for not believing in God is rather pointless. The Scripture says to not cast your pearls before swine, but that means the swine has to be identified.

For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

John 3:17-18

Sin separates from God, but the sin is unbelief. Man’s righteousness is as filthy rags and love covers a multitude of sins. I am quite certain that self-righteousness is not a virtue of the living God.

As a believer, a clash of cultures is inevitable. There is no way to live for Christ without some compromise. I have yet to meet a person that hasn’t compromised. Rich Mullins is the only 20th century man I have heard of who has ever attempted to live without compromise. There is no Christian in America that has not compromised his or her life, not that is was sinful to do so, but because it was the best for him or her. We live in a culture where compromise is part of the game. We are expected and encouraged to indulge our desires, or rather “dreams.” We live in a culture where credit rating bears more credence than virtue, or moral values. We see this indulgence most prominent in our lust for material things (Granted we need a roof over our head, we need utilities, we need a mode of transportation, clothes and shoes to wear, etc., but…) We see it in our desire for the visually appealing. We see it in our prideful stance. We see it in our need for accolades. We see it in our need for sensory stimulation. The deafening sound of silence we can’t stand. Some people have to have white noise in the background just to sleep. The lust the eyes, lust of the flesh and the pride of life are clearly evident in this country.

Our Culture

We live in a culture that places greater importance on developing the outside of the person rather than the character of a person. We live in a culture where the notion of moral values or virtues is too restrictive on individual freedom, archaic for today’s postmodern society, where absurdity leads the battle cry. But the Christian mind sees this as a problem stemming from the secular world when Scripture says it comes from the very heart of man and the heart of every man is evil.

We live in a culture that leaves little to the imagination. We live in a culture where trying on partners is just as important as trying on a pair of jeans before purchasing. Pity the individual that does not try on a mate before investing. Pity the man/woman that cannot quench his/her physical urges. We live in a culture where the words of some random stranger/celebrity far removed seeks to influence the mind of others.

We live in a culture that thrives on personal empowerment. Our culture defends/applauds personal freedom; yet seeks safety behind iron bars, and 24-hour security.

Everyone wants to live a long and prosperous life, but God does not guarantee such a thing. He gave us guidelines by which to ensure a long life, but He did not promise tomorrow. Some people enjoy a long life until one day it is no more. Some people find pleasure in a lifestyle that shortens their time on earth. Others get a thrill in testing various laws of nature that shorten their time here on earth. Still others come to visit for a few hours then leave us only a memory.

God gives life and God takes life that’s a scriptural truth. Jesus Christ came to earth to redeem us from the consequences of sin and give us eternal life.

We live in a culture that encourages a belief in the power of something, preferably in the self, if not in someone worthy of deference. We live in a culture where to believe in the goodness of others is getting ever so difficult. We live in a culture where we can believe in the god of our choice, or in no god.

The laws and mores that govern our society often do not support some of our indulgences, so we are confronted with compromise. When we compromise morals and values we wind up in this gray area.

All things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful; all things are lawful for me, but not all things edify. Let no one seek his own, but each one the other’s well-being.

1 Corinthians 10:23-24

Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it.

Matthew 7:13

In the Book of Esther, God is never mentioned, yet He moved mountains for His people. I may not be able to see the wind, but I can see its impact. Understanding Christianity has become a life long journey. Different voices have different interpretations. But the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of God is the one that gives understanding. So, if I must believe in something, I choose to believe in the Father of heaven and earth, the great IAM, the Alpha and Omega, the First and the Last, who is, was, and is to come. To believe in anything else, is to believe in nothing at all. “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” —Romans 6:23

be blessed.