Do Blessings Deafen?

In prayer time this morning with our small cadre of faithful men a thought arose for me more cogently than ever before. Hence the revelatory feel I have had since our prayer time ended. Perhaps God has already spoken to you about this, but for me it has been an ‘aha’ moment. One that has compelled me to share it with you.

It is simply this. Today, in ‘Christian America’s Church’, we don’t witness a lot of James’ putting action to our faith. In fact we often seem to be more like the church at Sardis – in need of a wake up call to roust us from our slumber…our happy, warm, safe ‘Christian’ repose that makes us proud to be counted His and then to turn over in search of that particularly safe warm spot on the mattress. It’s almost like one large Christian slumber party that does not hear or see or act on behalf of the Master beyond anticipation of “well done, good and faithful servant” after one accomplishment on His behalf - a slumber party that seems not to have enough gumption even for a pillow fight on matters close to His heart.

Back up with me here. As His sons and daughters, I believe God blesses us (list not inclusive) for honoring Him through our faithfulness, our work, the stewardship we give to matters of His heart, our obedience and our love for Him and one another. Unfortunately though, after a very short while, we, but not all, seem to tire and become distracted. We are often lured into ‘vain imaginations’ that rise above His will because of the praise we receive for being exemplary Christian men and women. We don’t seem to rest well in His blessing, patient to hear from Him so that we can move out in greater and more profound ways. Rather, we become ‘euthanized’ with the honors given to us by men rather than the praise and victory we can have from Him. We close our ears to His whispers and shut our eyes to what more He calls us to do.

I’m not angry here – just trying to figure out why it is that we seem to be losing the war for babies in the womb, our youth, and our communities…living out our Christian worldview. It seems blessings do deafen and often take us out of the battle.

God does not purpose us to ‘bury’ the blessings He has given us but to multiply them, to build them into bigger blessings for those around us; to magnify those blessings, stewarding them in ways that increases His glory and accomplishes His will. Man’s honors pale in the presence of His rewards but how easily we succumb to their sweetness and the calling our pillows, sheets and blankets siren. Sleep, so soundly we sleep.

Do we do good works, because of our gratitude for what Christ did for us on the cross? If so why then do we then stop afterward to revel in what good people we are; revel in what we have just done? A stupor of revelry seems to come over us and mask what else God has for us to do. I believe that is how it is, myself included. It is so tempting. It is just too easy to rest in our past work without the passion or initiative to step up our work in His name. We seem not only to be deaf to things the Lord puts before us but blind as well – overlooking the obvious, overlooking the needed – sometimes even overlooking His direct call on our lives.

This is a plea to not let His blessings be blanketed almost smothered by man’s…to instead accept His blessings to raise our game as His voice and hands and feet in ways unfathomed by us before…to redirect glory from ourselves to Him…to build and protect our families and communities in His name as a sweet aroma for all to experience, investigate and accept. This is a plea to finish strong.

Blessings all.

I welcome any thoughts you may have on this. Thanks to Mike Alameda for his wisdom on ‘vain imaginations.’ jt

So Much For...

I have so much to tell about my recent trip to Southeast Asia and had planned on doing that with this edition of my blog, but those plans have been waylaid as a result of the statement of one of the current candidates for high office in this land. I’m sure you must have heard the statement by now, “look, I’ve got two daughters…9 years old and 6 years old. I’m going to teach them first of all about values and morals. But if they make a mistake, I don’t want them punished with a baby.”

*So much for the oft cited ‘preeminence of decision making’ between a doctor and patient.
*So much for health concerns of the mother.
*So much for [real] choice - knowing all the options.
*So much for teaching and living out values and morality…assuming the morals being taught are truly Christ's morality.
*So much for the ‘punishment’ they will likely feel for the rest of their lives for taking the life of their innocent child(ren).
*So much for all the women who have made the courageous decision for life for their child
*So much for protecting daughters.
*So much for grandchildren.
*So much for God Who opens and closes the womb.
*So much for Life.

It is unbelievable to me that someone who professes faith in Jesus Christ, who proclaims in interviews that for the past 20 years praises are sung to His name in church, could so cavalierly condemn a grandchild to death without even thinking about the blessing their children could receive by placing their children with adoptive parents who desperately are praying for children of their own.

The callousness of the statement frankly sends chills down my spine – particularly since according to recent reports, 56% of all abortions in the United States are within the Black community of American women. Apparently this person has bought into the lie perpetrated on African Americans for more than 90 years since Margaret Sanger began Planned Parenthood. This is the legacy of the woman who promoted and popularized eugenics in America.

It is also interesting to note that the national organization in England for psychiatrists, The Royal College of Psychiatrists, recently reported that women should be told abortions can cause mental health problems and that abortions shouldn’t be done unless women are counseled on the possible (emotional, social, physical and spiritual)** risks.

I have to admit, with my experiences over the last 18 years, I just plain don’t get this candidate’s statement. My prayer is that you don’t either.


**my addition