Lilies of the Field

  “I’ll follow the Lord harder when I get a little older; right now, I just want to enjoy life and have fun!”   “I don’t want to think about judgment today; I’ll think about it when I’m not so busy.” “ Manana, manana ”, as the song lyrics go. The problem is we do not know what tomorrow holds in store for us, and judgment often comes before “tomorrow” ever arrives. Judgment, just like “tomorrow” often sneaks up on us and takes us by surprise. The Lord had been patient with Judah, repeatedly calling her to Himself in repentance. There was still an open window for escape, but it was closing quickly. Once Babylon surrounded the city, there would be very little chance of escaping the wrath of this cruel enemy. Babylon, who would come in fierce boldness by day and by night, was being summoned by the Lord to attack His own. “Flee for safety, O sons of Benjamin, from the midst of Jerusalem! Now blow a trumpet in Tekoa and raise a signal over Beth-haccerem; for evil looks down from the north

  My mother was a creative person. If she did not do something well, either she did not do it at all, or she worked hard to perfect it before displaying it to family and friends. Once she mastered a skill, she usually moved on to some other area of craft. For a time, she quilted. Her quilts were admired from as far away as Germany due to her meticulously placed stitches. When I think of this idea of God’s remnant in Scripture, I always think of my mom’s stash of her most-loved fabric pieces used in her elaborate quilts. These remnants were lovingly set apart for an intended or specific use already in the mind of the creator for the next work or masterpiece. Usually, it was only the smallest scraps of material that could not be used for anything that were thrown away. God has always faithfully preserved for Himself a believing Jewish remnant. The definition of remnant in Scripture is: ‘a remainder or residual (surviving, final) portion:—that had escaped, be left, posterity, remain(-der)

  Perhaps it will be said of 2020 that it was the year of extreme identity political pandering, a pandemic, ensuing pandemonium, and a seemingly ready-made panacea. (Sounds like an antichrist agenda out of an end-times fiction novel written in the 70s lifted from the pages of the Book of Revelation!) What is at the heart of pandemonium? Panic…fear. A definition of pandemonium is this: a situation in which a crowd of people act in a wild, uncontrolled, or violent way because they are afraid, excited, or confused. We have been lied to by people we are supposed to be able to trust. That type of betrayal is hard to overcome. Trust is a hard thing to get back. While I am sure it began much earlier than I first became aware, lying has become a way of life in our world. Blatant immorality is at an all-time high. In the last three decades, we have increasingly witnessed a meticulous and methodical plan being implemented to get us to believe all truth is relative. To say ‘truth’ is relative b

  Words are important. Our words manifest what is in our hearts. Christian: How do you use your words? Are we using words to build up people or to tear them down? Words are so important that we are told in Matthew 12 we will give an account of what we say when we stand before the Lord. The most important thing we can do with our words is glorify God. Have you ever thought about the purpose of words? Words are for communication from where we get words like commune or communion . A definition of c ommunion is the sharing or exchanging of intimate thoughts and feelings, especially when the exchange is on a mental or spiritual level. In the Bible it is the same word for fellowship which has an idea of intimacy or intercourse. Why had God chosen Israel? He chose the people of Israel to represent Him on earth. They were to tell the world the truth about God so that they might understand how important it is to follow Him. Why has He chosen you? God, like any good and loving Father, expect

  People out of control. People let loose in the cities. This is the reality of a nation in crisis. One definition of the word crisis is: The turning point of a disease when an important change takes place, indicating either recovery or death. What responsibility do the leaders bear? What is the culpability of the people?   Look at Exodus 32. Moses, chosen by God to lead His people, was in a conference meeting with God on Mount Sinai. He had left Aaron in charge of the people. But, according to the people, Moses was taking too long to come down off the mountain. And all hell broke loose below. Like sheep, people need led, and there is danger when people are impatiently waiting to be led! There is danger when people do not look to God in faith when they need direction. In this instance, the sheep go to their proxy shepherd, Aaron, and demand he make for them “a god who will go before them”. They do not know what has happened to Moses—their actions convey a complete lack of faith in M