A Bridge of Fools

 

They gladly marched to their doom.

 Never did their hearts make room

  for the God who loved them so,

instead the path to Hell they chose.

Our lives are a bridge to Heaven or Hell  -

 We live them wrong or we live them well,

 but if it's rebellion we decide to choose  -

 then our lives become a bridge of fools.....

The following was written in 2018  -

The Lord's been trying to teach me for eight months now  - He must be my priority  - His presence must be my passion  - if I can't or won't seek Him daily now  - when there's no ministry at all happening  - I won't do it later when ministry starts up again  - and that is deadly  - it is death to any ministry  - to minister without Him, without His daily presence.  We can end up seeking to minister,  with the joys and pitfalls that come along with ministry,  the highs and lows- but we don't seek Him. The Israelites followed Him in the wilderness  - they followed His presence  -  but after they got to their "promised land" it was much harder for them to follow Him. We may seek Him with all our hearts  - beseeching Him to launch us into our calling  - but when He grants us tge desire of our heart we must continue to seek  Him just as diligently. We must be the leper that returned to Him! We must seek His face in thankfulness and humility  - daily. Weekly church "services" must never become the only time we seek Him, and meet with Him  -  whether we're the ones ministering or being ministered to. We should never seek Him publicly while avoiding Him privately.  This can easily become hypocrisy.  This is the basis of religion   - a public show of faith that does not reflect an inward reality. And the more successful we become  in our public ministry  - the more tempting it is to neglect our private ministry to The Lord.  Jesus Himself, who had the most successful public ministry ever, was careful to draw aside to the mountains or wilderness to be alone to spend private time with His Father. So should we. If we become the flavor of the month  - the latest in demand minister,  who everyone wants to hear from personally  - we must guard our hearts against not only pride, but against listening to people while not also listening intently to the Holy Spirit's still, small voice within. We do not lead the Holy Spirit  - no, He leads us  - unless we're too busy ministering to follow Him.  Could you, at the height of your popularity as a minister  - take off alone to the mountains to be alone with the Lord? Could you see a crowd gather to hear you preach and minister, and walk away? Jesus did. He cared nothing for the praise and adoration of men  - His primary purpose was pleasing His Father.  So must ours be.

Amen.  Written from Cyprus 

 There is nothing good inherent in me. Nothing at all. I am not merely a "sinner" - someone who is basically good but commits sins once in awhile,  no, I am wicked and deceitful through and through.  ALL my righteousness is as filthy rags. In other words: I'm completely filthy.

The only way for there to be good in me is for me to invite Christ in - by His Holy Spirit.  Then, I must decrease so He can increase. When someone is,  quote "Born Again", they have taken the first (very important) step in their walk with God  - they've invited Him to dwell inside them  - but, they are still full of themselves.  Christ in them, the hope of glory, at that point, is like a tiny seed, not fully formed. This seed must grow.  -  it must be watered, given plenty of light  - the more of "self" that's removed, that dies, the more Christ can fill us till eventually He overflows out of us. The "old man" (who we were before we met Christ), does not die all at once, quickly. This is why Jesus chose crucifixion for the manner of His sacrificial death for us all  -  for it is a slow, agonizing, painful death  - exactly the same type of death our "self will", our "old man", the one that is wicked and deceitful, who loves to sin, goes through. In fact, Paul declared "I die daily" - so too must we experience the pain of death daily, for we never really escape it completely this side of Heaven. 

 Why can't I believe in what God can do as easily as I believe in what man can do? I take my diabetes medication every day  - twice a day -  really trusting and believing  it can keep my blood sugar level down  - I believe without even thinking about it- it's automatic  - I just accept it and trust in man's ability to heal  - but I cannot or do not believe God will heal me  - how absurd is that? Isn't God infinitely better than man? Are not His ways and His abilities,  far above man's? I should,  as an act of faith, throw away my glasses. I'm extremely near-sighted. I can see less than six inches in front of my face. If I got rid of my glasses,  i couldn't drive or work, cook, lots of other things, unless, of course, God heals me. 

So very many Christians i know  - when they get sick - their first response is: see a doctor. See a man (or woman). Trust in them for healing.  Often, God isn't even considered.  If He is, it's as an afterthought  -  an insurance policy in case the doctor can't do the job. But always  - try the doctor or the hospital, first. Flesh always turns to flesh, for wisdom, for healing,  forvall our Spirit-God can provide  - if we fully submit our flesh to Him. If our spirit ruled over our flesh and not the other way around   - we would exalt God (who is a Spirit) over our flesh. Healing is my bread! It is a partvof the Covenant God made with me! My eye sight should have been healed years ago   - if not for my supreme lack of faith. Will the Son of Man find faith in MY earth when He returns?

 People who think they're better than everyone else,

 are people who don't know themselves very well:

For the person you should try to be better than daily is yourself. 

Yes,

Only compare yourself with yourself   -

 do this and you'll do well.

Try to make your tomorrow you

 a version of you that's new and improved. 

Your value and your worth

should not be found by comparing yourself 

 with others on this earth  -

for your true value, you see,

comes only from the blood shed at Calvary.