I’ve always been a very self sufficient, independent
woman--The “pull myself up from the bootstraps” kind of girl. My parents were from fairly humble beginnings
and couldn’t offer me much in the way of financial assistance. I bought my own first car at seventeen,
waitressed my way through college and graduated pretty much debt free. Somehow, despite working full time along with
a packed college schedule, I managed to graduate with honors. As an adult, I built up a successful career
and owned my own business. Well…you get
the picture.
While these experiences were very helpful in life,
especially as I made my way through the “real world”, they were actually
somewhat of a handicap in the spiritual world.
God’s spiritual world is upside down.
Everything that is valued in the world becomes a potential stumbling
stone in God’s Kingdom and vice versa. How so?...you may ask.
Self-sufficiency is an opposing quality to the need for
grace. When you are overly
self-sufficient, you don’t need grace from
or give grace to anyone. In fact, you sneer down on people that can’t
seem to pull it together. Extreme
self-sufficiency can also result in haughty pride, a toxic combination for
maintaining the correct spiritual condition before God. This was the very first sin: Lucifer claiming that he had what it took to
be God.
I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself
like the Most High."
~Isaiah 14:14
In the world, we desire to be a “somebody”. In God’s upside down world—we had better be
aspiring to be a “nobody”. Look at what
God tells us in his Word through the Apostle Paul:
But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my
power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more
gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me.
~2 Corinthians 12:9
In God’s world, we are woefully inadequate. The sooner we realize this, the better. Our righteousness is as “filthy rags” says
the scripture. Let me give you a better
mental image here so this stays EMBEDDED in your brain for the rest of your
life:
The Hebrew word used in the Bible for “filthy rags” is beged
and connotes something foul and repugnant like bloody menstrual rags.
The Bible uses amazingly descriptive terms to explain its message. In other words, the scripture tells us: make no mistake…our attempts at
self-righteousness are truly disgusting.
They are suitable for nothing except the garbage.
and all our justices as the rag of a menstruous woman
~Isaiah 64:6 (Douay-Rheims version)
Statistics show that like no other time in history, American
college students think they are “all that plus a stick of gum”. This, while the actual quantifiable
statistics, indicate that they are declining in almost every measurable
category. So clearly “self esteem” is soaring
in America
while true character traits and accomplishments are on the wane. Very strange.
The Obama administration’s 2008 mantra was “Yes, We
Can”. On the surface, it sounds so
encouraging doesn’t it? Unfortunately,
“Yes, We Can” in America
really is similar to petulant children stamping their feet when a parent says they
can’t do something.
I picture a couple of five year olds kicking and screaming on
the floor:
YES WE CAN redefine marriage
YES WE CAN continue slaughtering babies with abortion
YES WE CAN spend more money than we have
YES WE CAN take stuff from others that have more than us
YES WE CAN throw God out of the public square
YES WE CAN do all of these things and expect us to sail
along in prosperity and peace.
Sadly, America
has been blessed for so long, that her “self esteem” is doing just fine. Unfortunately, her recent accomplishments are
waning dramatically. We are a nation
in steep decline morally, financially and globally.
For the LORD disciplines those He loves
~Proverbs 3:12
Along with the Boston
bombings and the Ricin mailings, we are just beginning to get the first swats
on the bottom to jolt us out of our tantrums.
God’s Word says it is going to ramp up exponentially as we continue undeterred
along our spoiled path. We desperately
need to turn around. We desperately need
national repentance.
In metaphorical America , Junior and Honey are
having a tantrum on the floor. It’s time
to scoop them up, and remove them from the candy store. Punishment will be swift and sure.
Let’s pray they don’t get grounded for
life.
I tell you the truth, unless you turn from your sins and become
like little children, you will never get into the Kingdom of Heaven .
~Matthew 18:3
If there must be
trouble let it be in my day, that my child may have peace.
~Thomas Paine
Please join our rapidly growing National Repentance
movement:
Our next
prayer/fasting day is April 30th, 2013. This is Providentially the 224th
anniversary of George Washington’s inaugural address and 150 years since
Abraham Lincoln called for a prayer/fasting day during the Civil War. We have joined “spiritual forces” with the
National Day of Prayer Movement on May 2nd, 2013. Many of us will be observing a 72 hour time
of penitence, prayer and fasting. Please
join us as the Lord leads you.
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