Letter from God

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Dear Aaron,

I remember how devoted you were when you were young in your relationship with me. Every promise you made was pure and you followed through in simplicity. You followed after, seeking me through whatever wilderness, whatever barren situation. You, Aaron, were holy to the Lord.

What did I do against you that you distanced yourself from me and walked after empty things and became spiritually empty? You quit asking, ‘Where is the Lord who saved me from my life of spiritual bondage, who led me through barren experiences, through snares and pitfalls, through spiritual drought and darkness, and through places where it seemed no one had ever been before?’ I brought you into a land of spiritual blessing but you came into it and became complacent and thereby scorned your spiritual inheritance. You quit asking, ‘Where is the Lord?’

I will continue wrestling with your will. Can you change gods where there are no other gods? You have, however, changed your glory for that which does not profit. Be appalled at this, and shudder. You have committed two evils. First, you have forsaken me the source of living water. Secondly, you have chosen other sources of inspiration and they simply have no inspiration for you, nor ever will!

Remember when I saved you from empty religion? But you said by your actions, ‘I will not serve God.’ Every chance you get you return to a religious way of thinking. Even though you jump through pious hoops, you cannot hide your desire from me. How can you say, ‘I’m not being religious?’ Look at your history and attitudes.

As a thief is ashamed when he is discovered, so should you be. You who would rather choose format over faith to give inspiration. You who would rather choose rules over grace in relationship with others. In that manner you have turned your back on me yet in a time of real struggle you will cry out to me to save you. Where are your gods of religion that you’ve created for yourself? Let them save you from your troubles.

Why do you wrestle with me? You’ve transgressed against me. I have vainly sent situations in your life to call you back to me, but you claim innocence.

Aaron, I want you to know this, I reject those things in which you trust (religion, empty rules), and neither will you prosper in them.

For My Glory,
Your Father,
YHVH
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Religion, Inc.

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religion - a specific fundamental set of beliefs and practices generally agreed upon by a number of persons or sects:

I hate religion. Period. I hate everything about it. I hate the way it controls a person. I hate the way it defines a person. I hate the way it imposes extra-Biblical standards on a person (I especially despise that one). I hate the way its followers despise people who don't conform to their standard. I hate the way it casts suspicion and doubt on everyone. I simply hate all that religion entails. Or at least I say I do. Yet...

...I find myself being so religious.

How can I hate religion and yet attempt to use it, simultaneously? Why is it so hard to be a disciple of Jesus the Christ without attaching all the 'stuff'? I look at my wife and children; I think to future prodigy; I look at my 'weak' brothers and sisters; etc, and in every situation I turn to religion to answer the doubts, fears and questions I have. Why? Either I hate religion or I love it. No man can serve two masters. I know that. I cannot turn to religion to answer these issues and 'give them to Jesus'. Either I 'give them to Jesus' or I get religious about them. One or the other. Period.

But I don't know how to 'give them to Jesus' so I 'get religious'. I make rules. I create guidelines. I impose standards. I generate extra-Biblical structure to keep this, or that, from happening. I draw lines. I build boxes. I attempt to get everyone in my sphere of influence to conform.

I LOVE religion!!

edit: I've had pointed out to me in private conversation regarding this issue that religion is not an inherently bad thing. I agree with that; I have to because James talks about 'pure religion'. However, in this context when I use the term religion I'm talking about the Colossians 2:20-23 stuff. You know, the 'touch not, taste not, handle not!' stuff. That stuff which 'are of no value against fleshly indulgence.'
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You Too?

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Is anyone else tired of being locked in this physical world?
I'm so ready to be out of this physical body with all its limitations, desires, inconsistencies and sin!
Is it time to go home yet?
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Revival

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I wish I had time to write an entire thesis about revival. Shucks, I wish I had time to write an entire thesis; ok, I wish I had time to write, period. Anyhow..........I wish I had time to articualte all the thoughts bouncing around in my head about revival and all that it is and isn't, but I'll just have to toss out a few Scriptures which have come to me lately with very little commentary and let you fill in the blanks.

Let me start with Lamentations 2:18-19... Let your tears run down like a river day and night; give yourself no relief, let you eyes have no rest. Arise, cry aloud in the night at the beginning of the night watches; pour out your heart like water before the presence of the Lord; lift up your hands to Him...
As I was reading the other morning these verses jumped off the page at me. Lately I have been feeling spiritually stagnant. My prayers have been that the Lord would revive me; that he would restore the joy of salvation to me; that he would draw me into deeper more meaningful relationship with him; etc. Then I read across these verses and it hit me like a truck...my Father has done everything necessary for my salvation. He has done everything necessary for me to be in relationship with Him, now He's waiting for me to respond. He's waiting for me to be diligent; to be genuine; to desire Him completely. He's done it all and now He's waiting for my response. He wants to answer. He wants to be sought and found. He wants me to desire His relationship more than anything else.

Proverbs 2:3-5 says If you cry for discernment, [and] lift your voice for understanding; if you seek her as silver and search for her as for hidden treasures; then you will discern the fear of the Lord and discover knowledge of God.
God wants to be found. He wants to be in relationship with us. He wants to revive our spirit. He wants us to experience things we've never dreamed of. But He knows that if we don't desire that beyond anything else we'll take it too lightly. Therefore He requires us to long, to seek, to pursue Him.

Lest anyone thinks I'm preaching a works salvation/relationship message, let me be clear that God has done everything necessary to bring us into relationship with Him. Now He's just sitting, as a Father does, with His arms out waiting for us to respond to Him. Revival awaits. Renewal awaits.

He's promised He will allow us to find Him. Jeremiah 29:13-14a says You will seek me and find me when you search for me with all your heart. I will be found by you, declares the Lord. He'll not hide from us if we are seeking Him. The question is, will I seek? Personal revival like I've never experienced awaits. Am I willing to apply the amount of personal effort it takes to walk in the relationship which Christ has purchased for me?

Or will I continue being spiritually lazy?
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Cry of My Heart

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It is the cry of my heart to follow you.
It is the cry of my heart to be close to you.
It is the cry of my heart to follow all of the days of my life.

Teach me Your holy ways, oh Lord
So I can walk in Your truth.
Teach me Your holy ways, oh Lord
And make me wholly devoted to You.

Open my eyes so I can see
The wonderful things that You do.
Open my heart up more and more
And make it wholly devoted to You.

It is the cry of my heart to follow you.
It is the cry of my heart to be close to you.
It is the cry of my heart to follow all of the days of my life.
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AJ Needs Prayer

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Anthony Johnson, a 54 yr old black male, thinks he's the resurrected Son of God. He says you can feel scar tissue in both his wrists and he claims to have scars on top of both feet. He also says he doesn't have footprints but rather, his feet have written scripture on them. Supposedly if you were to take a footprint in plaster of paris and enlarge it you could read the text from his footprint. If he were to urinate on a sheet of paper, instead of saturating the paper it would simply look like written text. God, himself, has told Anthony that he is Jesus. He says he has accurately predicted the recent tornado's and many other natural disasters. He regularly communicates with God, but more noteworthy is the fact that God regularly communicates back; not through urges and hunches, not through written Scriptures, but through a clear voice heard only by Anthony. While walking, if God has a specific mission he wants accomplished he will simply turn the right or left leg (whichever way leads to toward the specific need) and Anthony will know to turn that way.

When I pointed him to Matthew 24:5 Many will come in My name, saying, 'I am the Christ', and will mislead many, he said, 'that's why I haven't told anyone until now, because I don't want to mislead anyone.'

The catchpoint is this, though, Anthony will readily admit to being a sinner. When asked how he could confess his depravity while claiming divinity he was without response.

Please pray, with me, for Anthony Johnson (an inmate at New Castle Correctional Facility).

Also, pray for Terry Ashcraft.
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Selfish

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I was talking to a close friend of mine last night and after the conversation, as I was reflecting on it, I realized I was extremely selfish. As the conversation began he was telling me about what had been happening in his life/work/study/family and I slipped into the 'uh-huh, uh-huh, yeah, uh-huh' mode as I impatiently waited for him to quit droning so I could tell him about me, my work, my study, my family. Me! My life is much more exciting than his, just ask me. I really couldn't believe how selfish I was. I honestly didn't think I was, but now I guess it's obvious!
Sorry Sam!
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Words & Thoughts

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Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.
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Is It Genuine?

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I just came upon this article about a revival in Lakeland, Fla. What do you think? Is it a genuine outpouring of the Holy Spirit? Is it sensationalism? Is it nothing more than smoke and mirrors?
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Sin vs Grace

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I was totally overwhelmed this morning by the exceeding sinfulness of myself. Somehow I couldn't seem to get past it. I was totally connected with what Paul told Timothy in 1 Timothy 1:15 ...Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost of all. I simply couldn't shake the sense of personal depravity. I am a sinner. Above all other sinners. Or, as Oswald Chambers once said, I know that no criminal is worse in action that I have already been in thought. I am simply undone, I know that in me dwells no good thing.

And then I opened and read 1 Timothy 1:15 in context. Notice this...

I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has strengthened me, because He considered me faithful, putting me into the ministry even though I was formerly a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent agressor. (read that last phrase again, even though...) Yet i was shown mercy because I acted ignorantly in unbelief; and the grace of our Lord was more than abundant, with the faith and love which are found in Christ Jesus. It is a true statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost of all. Yet for this reason I found mercy, so that in me as the foremost, Jesus Christ might demonstrate His perfect patience as an example for those who would believe in Him for eternal life.

Then I realized that everything I was seeing and feeling about myself was absolutely true. It wasn't necessarily an unhealthy sense of self-worth, but possibly, probably a sense of genuine self-awareness. However, the grace of our Lord was (is) more than abundant and it extends mercy to me in my depravity so that He can show His patience, His love, His glory to anyone else who might believe. Then I remembered this hymn from yesteryear...

Marvelous grace of our loving Lord,
Grace that exceeds our sin and our guilt!
Yonder on Calvary’s mount outpoured,
There where the blood of the Lamb was spilled.

Grace, grace, God’s grace,
Grace that will pardon and cleanse within;
Grace, grace, God’s grace,
Grace that is greater than all our sin.
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I Couldn't Have Said Better

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Oh for a heart to love my God,
A heart from sin set free,
A heart that always feels the blood
So freely shed for me!

A heart resing'd, submissive, meek,
My dear Redeemer's throne;
Where only Christ is heard to speak,
Where Jesus reigns alone.

A lowly and believing heart,
Abhorring self and sin;
A constant heart, which nought can part
From Christ, who dwells within.

A child-like heart, that cries for food,
And pines for Divine love;
An upright heart, by grace renew'd;
A copy, Lord, of thine.

-Charles Wesley
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