A Quick Update

The Lord has been dealing with me personally. To change the world, we must change as individuals. Making things better in this world and the next begins within us. Remember when Jesus said:

Luke 17:20And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation:

21Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.

The kingdom of heaven is where?????? Within you. These past days and weeks and months, the Lord has been showing me what that means. What a ride it has been. I thank the Lord for his infinite mercy in dealing with us. Each day that goes by, I look back at the "me" of yesterday and think "wow Lord, thank you for being so patient and merciful with such a massive screwup..."

Since my self esteem/self concept rests "in Christ," I can deal with healthy doses of "kick in the butt" medicine, provided that its packaged the right way and delivered gradually :-)

The Lord knows what he is doing. Keep asking, keep searching, keep knocking, and doors will be opened for you, just as the Lord is opening doors for me. What's happening out in the world is of little consequence today. Did you read that? ...little consequence. How can I say that? What did we just read in Luke 17? Where is the kingdom of heaven? Within you. Where is our focus? In the world? NO, our focus is in Christ, and on Christ. If we take care of the kingdom of heaven, the world (and those who belong to the world) will take care of itself.

The change we need in the world starts in us.

Matt 6:33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

The Lord didn't spend much time focusing on the politics of his day, or what the romans were doing, or how mankind was overrun by the devil and look at how terrible it all is. The Lord focused on his kingdom and what he was doing. He came to "pro-act" on this world, not "re-act" to it. The world will be shaped by the light shed upon it and the darkness has nothing that it can say or do about it. When light comes in, darkness leaves...IMMEDIATELY. It has no choice.

These are the things that have been in my mind and on my heart recently. Our God is good. He hears the prayer of those who belong to him, and his word is true. You can bet your life on these things....I am. Grace and peace.