I saw myself standing in a large field…the ground around me had all been turned and planted.  The soil was so rich and fresh looking.  I was leaning on a garden hoe and my face and hands were dirty and my hair disheveled.  As I looked, I saw that I had planted seeds in the entire huge field…rows and rows of seeds…planted in faith.  I heard, “Seeds of faith”.  In that instant I could see the field as it was, and I could see into the dirt…all the planted seeds.  I’d been working this field for a long time. 

I instantly felt God all over this vision. 

Life has felt challenging, and I’ve been wondering why I’m still fighting certain situations and circumstances over and over again…but right now, in this moment, talking to you, I see it’s because I’ve been planting such a LARGE field and I couldn’t be finished until every part of the field was set for a harvest. 

The planting season has been long, and it’s felt never-ending.  I know some of our closest friends have been wondering what is going on because we’re still here.  All I can say is, “I’m sorry if our season of planting in faith is taking longer than you are comfortable with, but I REFUSE to not see ALL that God has for our family.  I am so uncomfortable…sore and in some ways traumatized by all the work and fighting against disappointment, yet I will not relent.” 

If I’m honest, I do know how long this will take…and that’s part of why I’ve wrestled so much.  I’m ready to move forward, and don’t know why we’re still needing to be living in a town that has largely rejected us.  In fact, we rarely ever even go into town except to go to the track for exercise.  Why are we still needing to be here, God?  What is the purpose?  Even the extreme gas prices have forced the kids and I to remain here more than in Arkansas.  Before they skyrocketed, we were going over there quite often and were building solid relationships and doing ministry…but now, we’re not.  It’s hard and confusing sometimes, but here in this moment I feel that it is part of His plan.  I surrender to Your plan God…right here, right now…in front of all my readers. 

I keep coming across words saying that God will bring “our people” to us…those we will live life with and grow in our faith with…I keep seeing words and knowing it’s accurate that they will search us out.  I can’t wait.  I won’t lie, I’m lonely.  I’m wondering where my steadfast and long-suffering partners are…but I know they are coming. 

In the meantime, I’m walking out life as a steadfast and long-suffering partner with a few others.  I’m giving what I want.  I’m pouring out the water of my soul into their gardens while praying and believing for their harvest season, and I see that by watering them I am watering the seeds in my own field. 

Harvest.

That’s the word God gave me for the Hurst Huddle’s 2022 year.  (Sidenote:  For those of you who don’t know, we call our family the Hurst Huddle.)

I know that our harvest is happening this year!  It’s a now word for us.  What was God’s word for your 2022 year? 

We have reached the half-way point in the year, and this is a wonderful time to remind ourselves what God said He would do in our lives this year.  Remind yourself today.  If you didn’t ask God for a word over your year, it’s not too late to begin this practice.  Lean in and listen and He will give you one…I am certain.

Our harvest season is here…it’s just that right now we are in the midst of the hard work.  Right now, we are in the time when you can’t yet see the plants that will become the harvest.  Some buds have broken the ground…and they bring me great hope. 

So, I’ll simply lean into the wonder of it all. 

As I weed, and water and wait…I chose wonder.  Will you?

“If you follow My decrees and are careful to obey My commands, I will send you rain in its season, and the ground will yield its crops and the ground will yield its crops and the trees of the field their fruit.  Your threshing will continue until grape harvest and the grape harvest will continue until planting, and you will eat all the food you want and live safely in your land.  I will grant peace in the land, and you will lie down, and no one will make you afraid.  I will remove savage beasts from the land, and the sword will not pass through your country.  You will pursue your enemies, and they will fall by the sword before you.  Five of you will chase a hundred, and a hundred of you will chase ten thousand, and your enemies will fall by the sword before you.  I will look on you with favor and make you fruitful and increase your numbers, and I will keep my covenant with you.  You will still be eating last year’s harvest when you will have to move it out to make room for the new.  I will put my dwelling place among you, and I will not abhor you.  I will walk among you and be your God, and you will be my people.  I am the Lord your God, Who brought you out of Egypt so that you would no longer be slaves to the Egyptians; I broke the bars of your yoke and enabled you to walk with heads held high.” Leviticus 26:3-13

Tonight, as I sit down to write, I need some perspective…things haven’t been going very smoothly this week.  I mean, 4^th of July weekend was so great…then the week has hit with a lot of disappointment.  I have been tempted to lament.  I have started to feel sick to my stomach with a degree of worry…

But I chose to stop myself.

The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it; for He founded it on the seas and established it on the waters.  Psalm 24:1-2

The earth is the Lord’s and everything in it…I thought.  So, if I belong to Him…and all the earth and its contents belong to Him, as well as Heaven and all it holds…then what is there to be worried about?

Has He ever not provided?

Has He ever forsaken me?

Has He ever left me and decided I was too much to deal with?

Has He ever meant to harm me?

The answer to these questions, and any others I can think of like them…is a resounding, “NO!”

When the enemy comes whispering defeat in our ears…or yelling it in our faces…we have a choice.  We can listen and respond, or we can shout back at him…”NO!!!  Get behind me satan!!”  Resist the enemy and he will flee…we are told…so that is exactly what I do.

Submit yourselves, then, to God.  Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.  James 4:7

I believe that to be true, even when I don’t feel it.  Sure, there are times when I resist the enemy, only to feel him breathing down my neck the next second…

But resisting is a continual action.  Resistance shows that we need to press into it…really press into our “Not today satan!” 

Imagine it this way…if someone was trying to push in the front door of your home…would you simply push them back once and hope for the best?  No, of course not…you’d stand at that door and push your whole body against it for as long as it took.

When the enemy is concerned, we can’t be lazy.  Knowing God is there to protect us doesn’t mean there aren’t times when He wants us to see the strength He’s placed within us…and allows us to resist the enemy…if that wasn’t true, then why would that scripture be in the Bible?

If you are in the midst of challenge and can feel the enemy breathing down your neck…resist…Resist…RESIST!!!!!!!

*If you are in a particularly challenging challenge…and need someone else to stand next to you and resist with you…then please don’t hesitate to leave a comment or send me a private message and I will absolutely partner with you in resistance!

I saw a room filled with many chrysalises.  I could see them hanging all over.  This was a place where many were being developed during this time.  There was so much promise in this room, and it felt so cheery…and I could feel God’s delight in the process occurring for each one of the butterflies being formed. 

He delights in growing and expanding us.  It’s His pleasure to watch us grow…just as any parent loves to watch their little one grow and learn new things.  God doesn’t desire that any of us stay the same forever.  No, it’s in His great love that He desires for us to grow.

No parent wants to keep their kids at one age forever.  It’s natural to grow up.  In fact, for me personally, I’ve looked so forward to the day when my kids are grown, and we can become more than just a parent and a child…but will transform into friends.  In Christ it’s the same…He too desires for our relationship with Him to grow and transform…the way He spoke to us in the past isn’t the way He will always speak to us.  The ways we’ve felt Him, might not always be the way we feel Him.  Our relationships with Him should grow and change over time. 

People get very frustrated when they try to keep everything the same.  Many feel like He’s left them or that they can’t feel or hear Him anymore, when really, He’s only trying to mature you.    

It’s a happy time to be alive.  I know a lot is happening around us, and we’ve discussed it many times…but I refuse to allow that to overshadow the joy of my salvation.  The joy I have in God.  The joy that is my strength.  No matter what is happening in the world, God is still individually interested in each of us.

When God was delivering the Israelites from Egypt, was He not also working in each individual person?  The answer is, “Yes”…no matter what larger things are happening, God is so sovereign that He can intimately move in us at the same time a mass exodus is occurring.

What a mighty God we serve.

I’m growing a lot in this season…even this week I’ve seen some deep places in my heart that He is reaching into to bring healing and correction.  Instead of avoiding this discomfort, I joyfully said, “Come on in and change me, God.”  After releasing it all to Him, I am now awaiting His next move…He knows how to change me, I just need to be willing.

I waited patiently for the Lord; He turned to me and heard my cry.  He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; He set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand.  He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God.  Many will see and fear and put their trust in the Lord.  Blessed is the man who makes the Lord his trust, who does not look to the proud, to those who turn aside to false gods.  Many, O Lord my God, are the wonders You have done.  The things You planned for us no one can recount to You; were I to speak and tell of them, they would be too many to declare.  Psalm 40:1-5

I am angry today.  How’s that for honest?

I am angry at a lot of things that I don’t really have control over.  I am angry at so many unjust things.  Angry with the enemy of my soul.  Angry with delay.  Angry with defeat.  Angry with the thief.

America should be a safe and free place, yet our government is actively sabotaging us.  Our family is still fighting to regain financial footing after having our industry sabotaged by government…only to now see injustice perpetrated by our own government at the gas pump…it feels like insult added to injury. 

Sometimes I feel trapped.  When I feel trapped, I begin to feel like a lioness that is ready to attack.  Ready to attack anyone who comes to attempt to take away any more of our life, livelihood, or freedom. 

Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger.  Ephesians 4:26

The Bible shows us that anger happens, it’s what we do with it that matters most.  We can’t sin in it.  So, what do we do?  What do you do on days that you simply feel fed up and mad?

Well, first we can just be honest with God.  He already knows how we feel.  He sees it all.  Jesus got angry while on the earth, it’s not like He doesn’t get it.  He only tells us not to sin in our anger. 

Far too often, we try to mask our anger and hide it away as some sort of false righteousness.  What is the point of this?  We are all human, and none of us will ever be perfect.  We serve the Lord best when we come before Him with honesty. 

Tell God when you’re angry.   Say it out loud.  Give it to Him and then ask Him for His peace.  It’s like a transfer.  We give Him our anger and ask for His peace. 

Anger is always a band-aid for other emotions…and I am fully aware that much of my anger over current events is rooted in fear.  Fear of the future.  Fear of tomorrow…

But God made it clear that we are not to worry about tomorrow…

Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.  Each day has enough trouble of its own.  Matthew 6:34

When I lose sight of today, and what He’s called me to do, then I get fearful and angry.  When my eyes lose focus on God, then negative emotions are always lurking right around the corner. 

One way I see that I’m growing is this…when I feel anger and discouragement, the road back to peace in His presence is much faster than it used to be… I am able to steer back into trust and confidence much more quickly than ever before.  I have also noticed that I’m becoming quicker to see the enemy’s activity in my life, therefore, I’m able to say, “No!”  and reset my heart and mind with the truth. 

We may struggle with this today, but this doesn’t always have to be our struggle…we can grow and be changed.  That’s what I’m working toward…how about you?!

O Lord, do not forsake me; be not far from me, O my God.  Come quickly to help me, O Lord my Savior.  Psalm 38:21-22

The rocks at the edge of our family’s boundary have been in a season of expanding.  Do you remember when I described my pushing one over into an expanded position? 

Jubilant:  Feeling or expressing great happiness and triumph.

I watched something interesting occurring in people over the last few years…

I saw that when good people had victory and godliness was restored in parts of the nation, so many people…even believers, criticized those of us who rejoiced.  Why is this?

The enemy hates our rejoicing.  He hates us celebrating victory in the Lord…why?

Because the enemy expressly hates any glory given to God.

Let that sink in…

When we cooperate with those voices telling us to silence our shouts of victory, we are agreeing with the enemy and holding back glory from God. 

I am going to tell you right now; I will have no part of that.  I REFUSE to allow the popular voice to hold back my praise.  I have fought for years to break the stronghold of the fear of man off of my life, and I will never give in to the voice requiring my silence.  In the same way that God told me that I was not to wear a mask during covid, because I’m His mouthpiece, I stand now rejoicing in my King and His swift victory over life!!

LIFE!!!!!!!

When we can’t celebrate saving lives…well, I will celebrate that, no matter who opposes it.

Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe.  Proverbs 29:25

There is surely a future hope for you, and your hope will not be cut off.  Proverbs 23:18

And let’s not forget that the JOY of the Lord is our strength!!!!

Shout for joy!! Tell of His mighty deeds!! Embrace victory without being ashamed. 

It’s time for the church to wake up to the power of celebration again!

Shout with joy to God, all the earth!  Sing the glory of His name; make His praise glorious!  Say to God, “How awesome are Your deeds!  So great is Your power that Your enemies cringe before You.  All the earth bows down to You; they sing praise to You, they sing praise to Your name.”  Come and see what God has done, how awesome His works in man’s behalf!  He turned the sea into dry land, they passed through the waters on foot- come, let us rejoice in Him.  He rules forever by His power, His eyes watch the nations- let not the rebellious rise up against Him.  Psalm 66:1-7

One last thought…do you think the Israelites should have not celebrated the Red Sea moment because their enemies were drowned?  I bet not.  We all agree that moment was full of God’s power…why can’t we agree that this one is too?

I saw an eagle as I sat down to write…

This eagle had been removed from its nest and a lot of trash and really, a mess had been put in its place within the nest…but as I looked, I saw the eagle rise from its uprooted position and come back to the nest…Come back with authority…plucking out every scrap of trash from its nest and sitting with definite authority. 

“The eagle has landed.”, I hear the Lord saying…”The eagle has landed.”  “I am Restoration.”

All is about to be restored.  Every bit and tittle that the enemy has stolen or destroyed, will be restored. 

Man, I can’t tell you how much I receive this word.  No, I can’t say that I know all that it means…because I don’t.  We should each pray about that.

By the way, I don’t know if I’ve ever discussed this on here before, but when a prophetic word is given, there are two separate responsibilities…one.  The giver of the word better be tuned in to God and only speak what God is saying and that’s it.  They should come at it from a position of love.  Two:  The hearer of the word is responsible for taking the word to God and searching it out.  Asking if it is true and for any further detail.

Some words are for today, some are foundational for the future, and some are warnings…

Today’s word comes as a word of restoration…a word of jubilance.  A celebration.  This is the scripture He led me to…

Restoration of Israel’s Remnant                                                                                                                         “Then I will purify the lips of the peoples, that all of them may call on the name of the Lord and serve Him shoulder to shoulder.  From beyond the rivers of Cush My worshipers, My scattered people, will bring me offerings.  On that day you, Jerusalem, will not be put to shame for all the wrongs you have done to Me, because I will remove from you your arrogant boasters.  Never again will you be haughty on My holy hill.  But I will leave within you the meek and humble.  The remnant of Israel will trust in the name of the Lord.  They will do no wrong; they will tell no lies.  A deceitful tongue will not be found in their mouths.  They will eat and lie down, and no one will make them afraid.”  Sing, Daughter Zion; shout aloud, Israel!  Be glad and rejoice (jubilant) with all your heart, Daughter Jerusalem, “Do not fear, Zion; do not let your hands hang limp.  The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior Who saves.  He will take great delight in you; in His love He will no longer rebuke you but will rejoice over you with singing.  I will remove from you all who mourn over the loss of your appointed festivals, which is a burden and reproach for you.  At that time, I will deal with all who oppressed you.  I will rescue the lame; I will gather the exiles.  I will give them praise and honor in every land where they have suffered shame.  At that time, I will gather you; at that time, I will bring you home.  I will give you honor and praise among the peoples of the earth when I restore your fortunes before your very eyes,” says the Lord.   Zephaniah 3:9-20

How should we receive this??  With jubilance!

What a mighty God we serve! 

I receive this word, Lord.  Thank You for encouraging my heart today.  I will keep my hands to the plow as You move on our behalf.  Show us Your glory.  Let all that occurs make it beyond evident that all glory belongs to You and You, alone.  In Jesus’ name, amen.

“Every word of God is flawless; He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him.  Do not add to His words, or He will rebuke you and prove You a liar.”  Proverbs 30:5-6

How do we know we are on the righteous path?

The path of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, shining ever brighter till the full light of day.  But the way of the wicked is like deep darkness; they do not know what makes them stumble.  Proverbs 4:18-19

I love this beautiful description of our right path…I can just see the first gleams of dawn.  I can also imagine the darkness of the wicked way…it is with great sadness that I watch people stumble.

I can honestly say that I have felt the darkness of the wrong path, and it makes it that much more evident to my heart what is light.  When you’ve walked in the world like I have…though, I wish I hadn’t…at least it makes me more grateful for all the light in my world now.  And God can use it to increase my discernment.  I have walked in extremes…I’ve seen the extremes of worldly darkness and I have also seen the darkness that consumes through the religious spirit.  Both of those bring shame and unmistakable shadow.  A darkness comes when the word is omitted…and a similar darkness comes when the word is perverted for man’s desires. 

In the next few verses, we learn about how intently we should listen to God’s words… 

My son, pay attention to what I say; listen closely to my words.  Do not let them out of your sight, keep them within your heart; for they are life to those who find them and health to a man’s whole body.  Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.  Put away perversity from your mouth, keep corrupt talk far from your lips.  Let your eyes look straight ahead, fix your gaze directly before you.  Make level paths for your feet and take only ways that are firm.  Do not swerve to the right or the left; keep your foot from evil.  Proverbs 4:20-27

Perverse speech is huge in our world today…but God says, “No”.  I know this won’t be popular and I also know that I’m not infallible in this practice, but we truly should avoid all the perverse talk that has pervaded our culture. 

Life can be confusing.  The church is full of fallible people, from the pastor to the door greeter and everyone in between…The only way to remain on God’s path is to fix our eyes on Him.  He must remain our steady focus.  And we must realize that we are the ones responsible for our own walk with God…not our pastor or anyone else. 

When we focus only on being followers of Jesus, not followers of men…then we will know for certain, the way.  Yes, church is good, and accountability is too, but nothing can substitute a real relationship with Jesus. 

I will go before you and will level the mountains; I will break down gates of bronze and cut through bars of iron.  I will give you the treasures of darkness, riches stored in secret places, so that you may know that I am the Lord, the God of Israel, who summons you by name.  Isaiah 45:2-3

As we watch so many things unfolding around us…wars and rumors of wars, vax or no vax, CRT, Roe vs Wade backlash, trans this and that…it’s overwhelming…but God keeps directing me to keep it simple.  He keeps reminding me to always look to the root of each “cause” and “complaint”…where did it originate from, who started it (what kind of person were they), and why did it begin…

In my pursuit of keeping life simple, it includes thoughts.  Always boiling down rhetoric and shouts to the original argument, if there even is a real argument to be found.

When we look at many of the above listed things, and if we looked at even more scandals occurring, I think many would be shocked to see/know the nefarious origins of the leaders of each movement.

In my nature, I always want to assume the best of people.  I truly struggle to see a person as doing a lot of evil…but the more I seek out the simple method, the more I see there is true evil amiss…and it’s been around since the beginning of time….read this…I know it’s lengthy, but really think about what is happening…

About that time, serious trouble developed in Ephesus concerning the Way.  It began with Demetrius, a silversmith who had a large business manufacturing silver shrines of the Greek goddess Artemis.  He kept many craftsmen busy.  He called them together, along with others employed in similar trades, and addressed them as follows:  “Gentlemen, you know that our wealth comes from this business.  But as you have seen and heard, this man Paul has persuaded many people that handmade gods aren’t really gods at all.  And He’s done this not only here in Ephesus but throughout the entire province!  Of course, I’m not just talking about the loss of public respect for our business.  I’m also concerned that the temple of the great goddess Artemis will lose its influence and that Artemis- this magnificent goddess worshiped throughout the province of Asia and all around the world- will be robbed of her great prestige!”  At this their anger boiled, and they began shouting, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”  Soon the whole city was filled with confusion.  Everyone rushed to the amphitheater, dragging along Gaius and Aristarchus, who were Paul’s traveling companions from Macedonia.  Paul wanted to go in, too, but the believers wouldn’t let him.  Some of the officials of the province, friends of Paul, also sent a message to him, begging him not to risk his life by entering the amphitheater.  Inside, the people were all shouting, some one thing and some another.  Everything was in confusion.  In fact, most of them didn’t even know why they were there.  The Jews in the crowd pushed Alexander forward and told him to explain the situation.  He motioned for silence and tried to speak.  but when the crowd realized he was a Jew, they started shouting again and kept it up for about two hours: “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!  Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”  At last the mayor was able to quiet them down enough to speak.  “Citizens of Ephesus,” he said, “Everyone knows that Ephesus is the official guardian of the temple of the great Artemis, whose image fell down to us from heaven.  Since this is an undeniable fact, you should stay calm and not do anything rash.  You have brought these men here, but they have stolen nothing from the temple and have not spoken against our goddess.  If Demetrius and the craftsman have a case against them, the courts are in session and the officials can hear the case at once.  Let them make formal charges.  And if there are complaints about other matters, they can be settled in a legal assembly.  I am afraid we are in danger of being charged with rioting by the Roman government, since there is no cause for all this commotion.  And if Rome demands an explanation, we won’t know what to say.”  Then he dismissed them, and they dispersed.  Acts 19:23-41

This story from scripture is shockingly like the mob rule we’ve seen lately…particularly after Roe fell…the weeping and gnashing of teeth has been fierce and so similar to the mob described in scripture.  I can tell many who shout and complain, actually have no idea what they are talking about. 

When things seem crazy on the earth, I often look in scripture to remind myself that there is nothing new under the sun.  It’s all happened before.  So why not read what God says about it, pray, listen and then decide how to proceed…

When looking at many of the events occurring today…we can very clearly see this…

Remember what God told us?  Money is not the root of all evil, but the LOVE of money sure is…and unfortunately, it’s often just that simple today.  Find the money. 

For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil.  Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.  1 Timothy 6:10

When we see the Lord move and defeat the enemy, should we ever remain silent?  Should we keep quiet when God moves in a mighty way, because it might offend those who were caught on the wrong side of things?  Are we to tone down our praise so that it’s not offensive??

Absolutely not!!!

Praise the Lord!  Let all that I am praise the Lord.  I will praise the Lord as long as I live.  I will sing praises to my God with my dying breath.  Don’t put your confidence in powerful people; there is no help for you there.  When they breathe their last, they return to the earth, and all their plans die with them.  But joyful are those who have the God of Israel as their helper, whose hope is in the Lord their God.  He made heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them.  He keeps every promise forever.  He gives justice to the oppressed and food to the hungry.  The Lord frees the prisoners.  The Lord opens the eyes of the blind.  The Lord lifts up those who are weighed down.  The Lord loves the godly.  The Lord protects the foreigners among us.  He cares for the orphans and widows, but He frustrates the plans of the wicked.  The Lord will reign forever.  He will be your God, O Jerusalem, throughout the generations.  Praise the Lord!  Psalm 146:1-10

When we see God do anything, we should praise Him.  We should never withhold any glory that is due His name. 

I love reading the part that says, “Don’t put your confidence in powerful people; there is no help for you there.”  It’s a sober reminder that we should never put our confidence in people…only God. 

He should receive all our praise and all our confidence.  Our everything…should be placed on God.  When we keep our focus on Him, then we can rest. 

I will never let the rocks cry out around me…you will always find me praising God. 

The resistance to celebration and praising God is demonic, pure and simple.  It’s part of the spiritual battle that we face daily.  May all of our eyes be opened to that truth…and then may we act accordingly.  If God has done something great and you feel a hesitance in praising Him…pray.  Ask God to reveal the reason for your hesitation. 

All throughout scripture we see His people praise Him after a battle, when He performs miracles, when He sets them free…shouldn’t we do the same?

I don’t care how politically correct our world gets…God hasn’t changed.  His worthiness hasn’t changed.  He is.  It doesn’t matter if people believe in Him or not, one day EVERY knee will bow, and EVERY tongue confess the Jesus is Lord.  That’s a fact.  That’s the truth.  That will not change. 

During the week, last week, so many questioned praising God, even criticized it…but every time I saw someone doing that, as I read what they said, or listened…I could hear God saying, “That’s a lie…and that’s a lie…”  I refuse to cooperate with a lie. 

The battle lines are becoming more and more clear…

“Whoever is not with Me is against Me, and whoever does not gather with Me scatters.”    Matthew 12:30

As we saw the capitulation of almost 50 years of prayers for the end of Roe, it was shocking how immediate the lies began.  One after another spewing, sometimes deliberate, falsehoods.  Many just regurgitating lies that they choose to believe…I say choose because with minimal thought, insight, and understanding anyone could determine them to be untrue.  As I saw some posting ridiculous memes and things, I heard God speak to me, “They just want to believe this.”  In other words, it didn’t matter if it was obviously untrue, they just wanted to be offended.  I also saw some who I’ve loved and respected for years begin to take a position that I found appalling.  Life is life…truth is truth, but so many were either completely denying this or were so concerned with offending someone that they laid down reason and held to a lie.  Then this verse came to me…

Fools have no interest in understanding; they only want to air their own opinions.  Proverbs 18:2

It is true that many have no interest in understanding and only want to speak.  The art of listening and thinking are not too popular.  Everyone is expected to surrender to the wave of woke…it’s unreal.  How disappointing it can be to see loved ones succumb to this.  How confusing it is. 

When the truth is so glaringly obvious to me, it’s hard to see why others are blind to it.  But the fear of man is a strong adversary to the truth.  The fear of man has often caused good people to do nothing or even participate in bad behavior from their broken state.  The fear of man is intoxicating.  It is a snare.  It can take reasoning and lay it aside in an effort to avoid rejection.  It can bring death to the spirit…and create fools.

The way of fools seems right to them, but the wise listen to advice.  Fools show their annoyance at once, but the prudent overlook an insult.  Proverbs 12:15-16

This is a time of separate wheat from the chaff.  This is a time of unbelieving believers, or believers who glorify men above Jesus…being separated from those who follow Jesus at all cost.  This is a natural process, and it’s been happening since the beginning of time apparently…

Then Paul went to the synagogue and preached boldly for the next three months, arguing persuasively about the Kingdom of God.  But some became stubborn, rejecting his message and publicly speaking against the Way.  So, Paul left the synagogue and took the believers with him.  Then he held daily discussions at the lecture hall of Tyrannus.  Acts 19:8-9

It’s time for us to realize that sometimes separation is necessary.  But it’s also a time to see that sometimes, all the believers have left the building…and if that’s the case, who is left in the church?  It’s a sobering realization.  It’s interesting to see that some churches could quite possibly be full of unbelievers, or unbelieving believers…those with “fire insurance” yet no real relationship with Jesus.

Today is a great day to take an honest look at your own heart.  Why are you where you are?  Is it where you are supposed to be?  If so, then rejoice!! If not, then I pray you find the courage to make a change.  The hour is late and there is much at stake.