ALMOST HOME

 

     To look at the above picture, one might think  we have a long way to go to get wherever we are headed for.    Just as not judging a book by its cover, pictures can be deceiving!   Around the next curve, our  house comes in view.   We don't really live at the end of the planet, it just feels that way at times.  Kinda like we are closer to Father God than it seems most of the time.   If we belong to Him, He is always with us and our forever "home" is just a heartbeat away,   a blessed fact that gets lost in all the worldly distractions.       My prayer is that we always know Him and no matter how much or little time we have until we are finally "home" we eagerly anticipate  beholding His glory. 



 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Hurt

John 11:35 "Jesus wept."

Last night I thought I heard a male voice saying, “Carole, I hurt.”   At first, I thought about my brother, Marty, who is grieving deeply for his youngest son, Geoffrey.  Geoffrey died about three months ago after an intense battle against cancer.  He was only 32 years old, a musician, a father of a delightful “little orphan Annie” lookalike daughter, Taylor.  Geoffrey won awards for his piano playing abilities, he sang and was very talented. Best of all, he was a follower of Jesus.  Without a doubt he is walking the streets of gold, singing with the angels.  Marty’s pain runs deep and my heart goes out to my beloved brother!

 Then I began to wonder who else it could be.  Not one of my sons, David or William.  They would say, “Mom”, not “Carole”.

 Finally, I began to wonder if it was not the Lord’s voice I heard.  Father God hurts, I believe, when He sees the evil upon the earth and knows the time is short before He pours out His wrath.  Jesus wept at Lazarus’s grave.  Just as He wept for the callous unbelief of the people then, is He weeping for the rebellion, evil and unbelief now?   How could it be otherwise?  It is not His will that any be lost but sadly,  multitudes are and shall be when the end comes.  It hurts Him to see His children turn their back upon His mercy, grace and love only to embrace evil.  He weeps for our blindness, for our loving the darkness rather than His Holy light and  because we believe the lies of the evil one!  He weeps for every child that is abused, molested, taught to reject Jesus and even hate Him.  He weeps for our greed. He weeps for every aborted baby sacrificed on the alter of hell.

He weeps for the wanton cruelty of mankind.  Cruelty that fight  horrible wars, using “weapons” that inflict every imaginable horror upon whole populations.  He weeps for those who hate! 

 He weeps for all people everywhere that blame Him for the woes of life, ignoring His outstretched hand.  He weeps that the sacrifice of His Son on the rough cross is counted as ridiculous for those without understanding.

He weeps for the calling good evil and evil good!  He weeps for the celebration of perversion and violence in the land---for those worshipping false-demon gods.

Does He hurt especially for His bride, the church?  We, who are meant to be holy and without spot or wrinkle, dare to pollute ourselves by dabbling in wickedness.  We fear and tremble, but not for the Lord, but for everything that threatens our comfortable lifestyle.  We gloss over sin, excusing it instead of condemning it.  We justify instead of admitting guilt.  We are greedy,  unclean and blind.  We seek prosperity and shun persecution.  We twist the Word of God to suit our own ideas.  Instead of obedience, we are recklessly picking and choosing---treating God’s word like a celestial salad bar.  All you can eat and toss out what you don’t like!   We are so afraid of “offending” someone that we are either silent or water down the gospel of Jesus Christ. The harvest is ripe but the reapers are sleeping under the tree of “political correctness.”  We are even embarrassed by those stalwart souls who take a stand and speak out for Jesus!  Instead of separating ourselves from the world, we work hard to blend in least we be labeled fanatic fundamentalists.  Oh, the precious heart of Father God is hurting for His people!  Cleanse Thy church, Lord.  Whatever it takes!  Open our eyes, cleanse our hearts, and make us to be all that You want us to be.  

I am so sorry, Lord!  Help me to not add to Your hurting!   I believe---help my unbelief!  Thank You for saving me—for setting me free!  Help me to embrace my freedom in Christ, looking upon Your face and not on past sins or fretting about the gross darkness that is covering the earth.  Father, Your hurt is more than I will ever comprehend, as is Your  great love.  My puny hurts are nothing!  I have felt the pain of rejection.  Mine has resulted from individual’s cruelty but Your’s, Father, is the rejection of the majority.   Only a remnant shall be saved.  How it must hurt to see the rest slide into Hell when You have prepared Heaven to hold them all!  Will there be vast empty spaces in Heaven where Your presence abides and  longs for the missing ones?  Oh, Father, I am so sorry.  Help me to lead others to You—to be a good and faithful witness that they may desire Jesus above all things.  Save all of my children and those You gave me to call my children.  There are many, but You know every one of them and what it will take that they be saved.  Thank You for saving them all!   I love You, Lord! 

Jesus Christ in me, the hope of Glory!   Here am I, Father, Your handmaid.  Be it done unto me according to Thy Will.  Thy Will be done on earth as it is in heaven---come, Lord Jesus!