Difficulty Being Understood

Recently I made a personal decision to ease off on the amount of time being spent on Facebook. Crazy huh?

It’s an amazing conduit for staying in touch with loved ones, family and friends, and with each passing day the social vibe snakes across cyberspace ever changing and intruding the divide we know called reality and millions of pixels that come to life when we turn the harddrive on. What has begun to concern me is nothing new, and for the most part without venturing across the line where truth and conspiracy are separated. My decision to ease off on Facebook primarily encompasses the ever dwindling size of the globe through technology, and the undertones surrounding the very obvious moves toward the end times – the subliminal encroaching on our freedoms and liberty and oblivious information gathering happening right in front of us all. This is a whole can of worms for another entry…but for those of you in the ‘know’ will attest to the reality and strategy of control and ushering in of the system previous generations spoke of…we are living in those days!

I knew going into this realm of journaling snippets from my life, that I would sometimes be faced with a burning sense of urgency to share from deep within my heart what I believe and perceive as urgency to listen, to pay attention, to discern and to act upon – to make myself vulnerable and in humility share with confidence in the hope that if it were possible; even one single soul would respond.

Have you ever met someone who in conversation will say “the Lord SPOKE to me, I heard Him clear as day…”? I have never heard the Lord audibly – not sure if I would survive the experience, and it would concern me why of the 7 billion people on the planet He would single me out to speak to! So, for me, I can say with assurance that I hear the Lord’s voice, not audibly, but through His word, through brothers and sisters, through situations and circumstance that turn my attention to seek Him – A short while ago, I was reading through scripture and in that moment I believe the Lord spoke to me.

*The only caveat I place solely on myself is that if I share something that is biblically unsound, slanted from the truth, or questionable, I humbly submit to the Lord and open my life to correction.

Amos 8v11-12 “The days are coming,” declares the Sovereign Lord, “when I will send a famine through the land – not a famine of food or thirst for water, but a famine of hearing the words of the Lord. Men will stagger from sea to sea and wander from north to east, searching for the word of the Lord but they will not find it.”

It is not possible for any one of us to reach the entire world, to sound the alarm, to bring a warning, but at the same time, we all have some degree of influence within our own circles of trust. If we take head and listen to what the Lord declares today, and take His word to heart, and as in the protocol of a ‘may-day’ situation in flight 33000 feet above the ground, place that mask over our face and begin breathing air, start reaching out and help them with a sense of urgency. Who are ‘them’? Fill in the blanks…them could be your best friend, coworker, parent, sibling, boss or the fellow standing behind you in line for a cup of coffee.

That oxygen mask is His forgiveness. We can only achieve right standing with Christ when we humble ourselves, unzip our lives, and fall on “THE” Rock we know to be Jesus Christ, before as we are warned in scripture that rock crushes us. (Matt. 21v44 He who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces, but he on whom it falls will be crushed.)

The days Amos spoke of in the Old Testament, those days are here friends. We must earnestly turn to the Author of life, time is short, look at the state of the world today – sin, corruption, wickedness and the selfishness of man is beyond our understanding. Every possible calamity known to man for the past few years have been sweeping across continents, sickness, disease, wars and rumors of wars, dissent, greed and every other evil continues to flourish. The world is groaning…time is short, that famine Amos speaks of is sweeping the world, and it’s sweep has begun in the church. We ought to fall on our knees and cry out to Him for mercy on those who rule and reign in man made structures and divert the truth in exchange for the riches of this world masked under the pretense of falsely proclaiming a hope that doesn’t deliver to the seeker. We can no longer hold fast the promise that once saved always saved (I will take flack for this statement no doubt) but we must take heed to Rev. 2v21-22 “I have given her time to repent of her immorality, but she is unwilling. So I will cast her on a bed of suffering, and I will make those who commit adultery with her suffer intensely, unless they repent of her ways.”

Who do we suppose this warning is directed to? Verse 20 reveals – “Nevertheless, I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess. By her teaching she misleads my servants into sexual immorality and the eating of food sacrificed to idols.” The very ones that purport to be led by the Spirit, to be proclaiming the ‘truth’, yet when confronted escape behind armor bearers who are equally misled. It’s this very famine that in the midst of sin and wickedness will continue to sweep across the globe starting within the confines of the church.

It’s for this very reason I don’t take this word lightly, and yet with cautious fear must begin to sound the alarm, to put the word out there, and to reach out to those in my circle of influence, if even one soul, to turn while there is time, while His grace and mercy abounds, before His presence lifts and the curtain begins to close…we all have a destiny, this is just a journey, the time to choose which path you will travel on must begin today, time is of the essence – that famine is upon us and we must humble ourselves in His presence, make right, and make good so that our destiny is secure in Christ, not wavering, but steadfast in the knowledge of what is happening around us, knowing that the end is near, and because of the confession of our faith, we know we are firmly planted in His kingdom, and that He holds each of us in the palm of His hand – it’s a beautiful place, secure and protected, free and comforted…

Remember this day, the word of Lord proclaims a day that is coming, and with it a famine, not of food or thirst for water, but a famine of His word, come with me, join me, let us go into the house of the Lord together, choose today the path that will lead you to eternal life in His presence.

My open invitation to you – yes YOU – I want you to share in eternal life with all the saints, this is a beautiful free gift, bought and paid for, heed this call, and come home. He says He will not strive with mankind forever…

If you have been challenged I invite you to write me, allow me to partner with you, let’s find Jesus together, He is knocking at the door of your heart…don’t be found in that place where the famine sweeps across your soul and you find yourself in that moment of reality where change is no longer possible.

Please…head the word of the Lord today!

…so ends 2011

There is no doubt in my mind that this has been an interesting year. I haven’t journaled for a while, this thing called life stepped into the path and no alternatives existed for me to sit down and ponder.

Now, with a week away from work, I sit looking out the window across the way, and see a gorgeous blue sky, green rolling hill with avocado groves, and people in the middle of it all going to and fro. Everyone has a destination. It’s like a moth to the flame, drawn by compulsion to do something all the time, to keep busy, to get stuff and continuously make every lame attempt to stay ahead of every new fad out there. Then on the flip side living in Southern California presents with the constant need for people to stay in the best physical shape possible, cycling, running – and then in a moment, it can all change.

It surely has much to do with what our values are, what we perceive as important, and how we define who we become tomorrow, spurred on by peer pressure and the need to constantly conform to ever changing goal posts. I have asked myself the same questions; how much will my life be impacted and changed if I don’t have the latest designer wear and gear? What if I don’t lease the latest vehicle that can park itself? What if I don’t work around the clock to save for a ‘rainy day’ or one of life’s altering events? I am not saying any of this is wrong, actually there is wisdom in setting aside for an emergency, but I notice that so much of this madness defines who we are as individuals, and we lose sight and track of what might be the original plan and purpose for our presence.

As I close out 2011 and look forward to what lies ahead in 2012, I am amazed at God’s kindness and faithfulness. He has been exceptionally good to me. My hope and prayer for you is that you can say the same, and that despite the hard knocks life has dealt – 2012 will be a year of blessing, opportunity and stability.

Knowing that many have had a year of difficulty, sadness and hardship, let these words bring you comfort moving forward into a new and amazing year…

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11 

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I obviously haven’t posted for a while. The great thing about blogging slash writing a journal is that it is a free will offering and not an action performed under duress. There is a lot that has happened over the past few months, but needless to say, it’s time for me to post a little update…

The biggest highlight of my entire life happened on July 17 at 10:31pm…my first grand baby made her entrance into the world and took her first breath of life. I held this little bundle of life for the first time exactly nine minutes after her birth, and had the humble honor of praying for her. Little Marleigh Jane was born healthy and alert and recently turned a whole two months old. I know it’s early days yet, but when I get home from work, she is the first little life I look for at home, and putting all the cares and worries of life aside, instantly spend time with her, and we connect…this is a beautiful thing. The shrieks of delight, the smiles, and baby chatter melt my heart and time stands still. I held her in my arms and told her the story of Noah and the Ark – her first bible story, I was going to make it short and sweet, but over an hour later the animals were still on board deciding whether to get off or stay in the safety of the deck and hull of the Ark. Not sure who was more engrossed and intrigued by the story; Marleigh or me! If you follow me on Facebook there are some photos there and Marleigh’s first conversation…am loath to share that across this platform for obvious reason. It’s been an otherwise interesting couple of months. Learning to be a grand father, adapting to the change and responsibility has come naturally, and it’s fun too! This little girl is blessed and her life is going to be absolutely amazing under the umbrella and care of Christ!

Yes, interesting indeed. As many of you know, I have been working for the past year in an amazing business. I shared this story in the company newsletter a while back, and wanted to share it with you too. When I started my Apprenticeship in printing as a pressman at the age of sixteen in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, I stumbled across a christian magazine and on the inner back page was a photo of employees standing infront of a massive printing press. In my heart I asked the Lord if that could be me one day, and never again gave much thought to it. Low and behold 25 years later, I am plugged in to a christian business that prints, markets and distributes everything from invite cards to mailers, to bulletins, to banners, teaching material and campaigns. Many of you will know some of the movies we have been involved in; Fireproof, To Save a Life, Soul Surfer, Grace Card, Courageous, Facing the Giants etc. It’s a marvelous freedom being able to work in a true team oriented company that has a vision, purpose and goal to promote Jesus Christ and to spread the gospel, and especially in this day and age to have THAT freedom to share with coworkers, to pray with each other and to be a support without facing judgment – it’s unique.

I have learned that if you ask the Lord to humble you, be careful what you ask for. But here is the thing; He is still gentle and won’t purposefully bring harm across your path. I find that every day literally, I am being humbled. Does that mean I am arrogant? Maybe, maybe not. But in my heart I know there are areas and zones that I have tried to protect and withhold from the Lord and in the process damaged and hurt myself and those in my circle of influence. So…that is where “humble me Lord” comes into play for me, and that across every aspect of my life. Physically, mentally, spiritually the process of being humbled will reach every nook and cranny – only if you let Him. It sort of makes sense why Israel after leaving Egypt circled the mountain and didn’t see the promised land. They were fed by God in the morning, with angel’s food – manna fell from the skies, they complained and asked for meat and the Lord honored their request and gave them quals, by day they had the cloud protecting them from the heat and a pillar of fire by night…still they doubted and denied the deity and provision of the Lord, and fashioned an idol and called it god and began serving it.

Where I am going with this? I think many of us are sometimes like this too. God does these amazing things for us across the duration of lives. Sure there are major obstacles, but yet still He delivers us, and yet STILL we want to go it alone and fix it, only to discover our methods don’t really work. And that is where I found myself in this place of being humbled across my life. Looking at Israel and using their experience as a template for my life has given definition to my past, present and future. The key must lie in my ability to be humbled, to be led by grace, and to have some kind of flavor of hope to offer by way of being authentic in who I am and who I am not.

Sometimes it’s a good thing to stop for a moment, and reflect…puts little bits of life back into perspective…

*Here is a little plug for the company I work for. If you live in the continental USA, are in leadership and follow this blog or know of someone in ministry and leadership needing any of the above mentioned printed material and/or campaign material or want to engage a speaker for your church event etc…swing by our company website here: OUTREACH INC.