Kathy L McFarland

Everyone that judges, the LORD God, the Lord Jesus Christ, Christians, Secular, worldly, and even evil, must use a measure to determine their verdict.

The measure for judgment seems to establish categories for the individual to “fit into the group of belonging.” An individual belongs to the category of measurement where judgment is favorable.

a. The LORD God uses His Law as measure for judgment

b. The Lord Jesus Christ uses His more detailed Standards based upon the initial Laws of the LORD God

c. The Christian uses Christ’s heightened Standards and teachings, all based upon the Laws of God

d. The Secular uses a measure that is often based upon partially recognizing goodness and badness within culture and religious practice standards without God.

e. The Worldly uses a measure that is often based upon popular trends, sinful changes, and perverse activities. Sexual proclivities and sinful expressions of desire are free from judgment.

f. The Evil uses a measure of successful control, manipulation, world domination, religious domination, gaining riches and ignoring the impoverished, dishonoring the LORD God, the Lord Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit, and Christians with blasphemy and mocking, with rules for worshipping idols, witchcraft, and unholy things.

Matthew 7:3–5 (KJV 1900)

3 And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? 4 Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? 5 Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye.

Recently, a very young Christian who we had just met asked us to pray for a woman acquaintance of hers. We asked what type of prayer was needed. She explained that her non-Christian, non-believing friend, had suffered tremendously in recent years with the sickness of anorexia, which was kicked in beyond her control as a result of a traumatic divorce. The sick woman’s daughter had threatened to kill both her mom and herself “to put both of them out of their misery”. The young Christian then went on to list crisis after crisis this poor woman had experienced in recent past, to convince us that this woman needed our prayers. She said that she had tried to witness to the woman, but the woman would have nothing to do with the Word of God.

As gently as we could, we told our young Christian friend that we would not be praying for this woman. Our friend was aghast, and wondered aloud to her church community how people professing to be Christians could refuse to pray for somebody in such dire straights. She cried to common acquaintances that our position to not pray made a mockery of the love of Christ and bordered on wickedness. Finally, she got up the nerve and shared her disappointment with us.

As a very young Christian, our friend cannot know the ways of the LORD God. It takes concentrated study, practice, walking and grace through the LORD God to gain the mature understandings to grow in the faith. It doesn’t happen overnight, and it doesn’t happen to all Christians.

So often, new Christians think that being a Christian requires you to submit to all worldly pain and suffering in the name of Christ. Sometimes, even older Christians believe that we should attempt to change all pain and suffering in the world. This position causes the servants of Christ to become servants of worldly wickedness.

I say a “true follower of Christ heals every person that he prays for.” A doubtful acquaintance looked at me in astonishment and says “that’s not possible! There have never been that many healings on the face of this earth!”

“I didn’t say he prayed often for healings! A true follower of Christ knows the ways of the LORD God, so knows the times to pray, and knows when to keep quiet!”

A Christian can never do the Will of the LORD God if he does not know the Way of the LORD God. Yes, the LORD God is completely capable of healing all sickness and disease that exist today. The LORD God is able to wipe out wickedness and change the fortunes of men. The LORD God can do anything He wants. However, He does NOT do anything at a whim. All Works of the LORD God are purposeful and planned, and follow specific ways.

If a mature Christian were to approach the LORD God with a request that conflicted with the LORD God’s ways, then the LORD God would think him a fool. If the LORD God has given the understanding of His ways to a person, that person is then responsible for honoring His ways in their works. The responsibility of every great child, in a very great family, is honoring the ways of the great Father, always.

I am not aware of any direct instruction of avoiding the blessing of nonbelievers of God within His Word specifically. However, a mature and growing Christian will have a different take on this subject, as compared to a young Christian, and both will think much differently on the matter when compared to a person of the world. It’s not so much a matter of written rules, as it is the total relationship a person has with the LORD GOD. If you are a person of the world, and offer blessings to nonbelievers as a way to show that you are a caring person, then it is not wrong. That person would not be invoking the LORD GOD’s response, and the words might bring comfort.

If you are a young Christian, and just beginning to walk the walk of Jesus Christ, and trying hard to love in accordance with the standards that he has set, and are moved by him to express those first steps of love, then the offering of your heart felt blessing to a lost soul might not be wrong. Sometimes the beginning joyful walk with Christ leads many unable to distinguish the different types and responses to love that a mature Christian develops, and responding with a sincere blessing to a nonbeliever might be a result. In fact, Jesus instructs all of his followers:

Matthew 5:43-48

“43 ¶ Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. 44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; 45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. 46 For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? 47 And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more [than others]? do not even the publicans so? 48 Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.” (Mt 5:43-48 AV)

Bless your enemies are his instructions, and we must follow Christ’s instructions exactly. But what about the haters of God? What about the blasphemers and the idolaters and the deniers that have no thought or action toward the LORD God except for disdain and hatred? Does Jesus want Christians asking for His blessings to be bestowed upon the heathen and the worldly wicked.

If you are a mature Christian, with a solid foundation of Jesus Christ, and a dedicated relationship with the LORD God, then you are confident and reassured throughout His Word that he hears your prayers, and responds with His Will to your requests. You know that your word matters to God, and you are assured that your message will be delivered to His ears.

If a faithful and strong Christian were to bless a nonbeliever, he would be wrong, in most cases. By requesting the blessing of God to come upon a person, that Christian is asking God for that specific thing. Spiritually speaking, there are very few cases, if any, that He would be pleased that you were blessing someone that hated Him.

Praying for the nonbelievers to receive sight and hearing so they might turn to Him is one thing, but to ask for his blessings to be directed to the unbeliever seems insulative and blatantly using God’s name and nature to benefit only yourself with the world watching on. To presume that blessings should go to any non-believer or hater of God immediately places a Christian in a precarious place. If our Father were to listen and respond to the misguided Christian’s request for a blessing to the ungodly, then He would certainly suspect that Christian of not loving or walking in truth toward Him.

Nobody that loves somebody deeply wants to betray. We know the LORD God’s way of rewarding obedience and punishing disobedience. Those not belonging to Him, those not fearing and worshipping Him, are not going to be receiving the best parts of Him, and for a Christian to presume otherwise is wrong.

So it’s a fine, fine, fine grey line, and a very narrow path we sometimes have to walk. If we are being attacked by our enemies, then we are to pray for them, and offer blessings instead of curses. However, strong Christian workers must avoid placing themselves in situations where the haters of God can trick them for a blessing from practiced speech, expected responses or patterns of Christian behavior.

What we say as Christians matters to our God and our Savior. The words that come from our mouths are noted and acted upon according to Their Will. If the wicked sneeze, there is nothing in the Bible that tells us to say “God bless you”, and to offer that blessing makes you a fool. We are not expected to pray for blessings on the heathen, nor ask reward for the haters of God. On the other hand, if the wicked curse you, the Bible is clear that you are to bless them, and not to do so makes you disobedient to Christ.

It’s all about love in the end. Love your enemies when they attack you and fight the way of Christ, but for God’s sake, don’t forget to love Him also! To love the LORD God with all your heart and all your soul and all your might requires you to reject the wicked worldly who hate Him and His Way! If you are in the presence of the wicked worldly and they sneeze, hand them a tissue and keep your mouth shut.

A Pharisee is a sanctimonious, hypocritical, self-righteous heretic who practices and advocates strict observance of external forms and ceremonies of religion or conduct without regard to the spirit. He makes a hypocritical show of religious devotion, piety, and righteousness. He is confident of his own righteousness, and is smugly moralistic and intolerant of the opinion and behavior of others. He pretends to have moral, religious beliefs and principles which he does not possess.

In simple terms, a Pharisee falsely thinks he is a god himself as he pretends to do God’s bidding, enforces God’s laws, knows God’s mind, and has the imagined authority of God in his hands His power is gained by lording over the humble, fearful, sinners who dare not even consider walking toward God because of their dirty transgressions and lowly state.

The Pharisees know how to direct spectacular, awe-inspiring productions of worship that focus on traditions and ceremony that they only are good enough to attend. They follow the laws of God that benefit and showcase their pretend righteousness, and demand strict adherence of their ways before they can even be approached by those of lower ways than them.

In Jesus Christ’s day, the Pharisees tried to trick Him up constantly as they tried to get Him to stop his message of God’s expectations of His followers to adhere to the “spirit of the law.” It was in the best interests of the Pharisees that people follow after the “letter of the law,” because it was impossible to keep. As long as people failed at keeping the “letter of the law,” the Pharisees remained in control and powerful.

Jesus Christ changed that at his baptism into the ministry of the LORD God. In his third miracle, the Pharisees and Jesus Christ locked into the first of many battles, as the issue of the laws of Sabbath was argued. A new day had dawned, and new way of God delivered by His Son, Jesus Christ, to the world. No longer was it about the “law” but about the deeper things that He Willed His people to know and walk. No longer could power be gained by enforces of the law, as the faithful gained His ultimate power through walking in faith with His Son Jesus Christ leading them toward Him! Praise Be to God!

Now here is the part that is important for you to understand in these Last Days:

The Pharisee hypocrites are still trying to enforce their traditions and laws today, and they are trying to prevent many people from approaching God. As long as they can do this, they maintain their self-righteous glory, and the power to control others in the name of
their false religion.

This is some of the ways a Pharisee practices his sanctimonious hypocrisy today:

Pharisees loudly and falsely proclaim the absolute and eternal damnation of God upon the sexually deviants, with a focus on the dirty sins of homosexuals and the exclusion of attention to the dirty sins of the heterosexuals.

They uphold the crimes of monetary gain by white collared affluent as they build great shrines with their name and fame, and judge the poor harshly when they steal a loaf of bread to feed their family.

They attend the false worship of themselves every Sunday in the pomp and circumstance of tradition and honor that they deserve as the impoverished are allowed to admire them from the distance.

Many sinners are kept from the congregation of Pharisees for being unworthy as all pretend righteous are called by them to do service for their glory. That false doctrine of direct exclusion of sinners that is proclaimed by their golden leaders that sit upon their altars, is confusing and sometimes prevents sinners from approaching the cross of Jesus Christ, as sinners are convinced of their unworthiness to come to God.

Here is the Word of God and the knowledge of the Faithful, which the pretend Pharisees can never comprehend:

Mark 2:17

“When Jesus heard [it], he saith unto them, They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” (Mark 2:17)

JESUS CHRIST COMES TO THE WORLD FOR THE SINNER, NOT FOR THE SELF MADE HOLY!

All murderers, adulterers, thieves, abusers, lustful, sexually deviant, morally corrupt, dirty sinners, Jesus Christ can be your Lord and Savior. He will never be the Lord of those that consider themselves His equal in glory and righteousness!

This is important!

Don’t wait until you become holy to come to Jesus Christ!

That requirement for holiness is something that the Pharisees invented to have control and power over the sinner. Bring your sins, your dirtiness, your shame and your pathetic nature as you accept Jesus Christ as your Savior. Through his crucifixion on the cross and resurrection from death, Jesus has brought death to sin. Your acceptance of Him as your Savior releases that power and hold of sins that prevent you from having a relationship with God.

Jesus does not expect you to come to him holy, and cannot be your King or your Savior if you think that you are. Don’t let the Pharisees of this world trick you out of becoming one of the Faithful and True worshipers of the LORD God and followers of Jesus Christ through their false teachings!

Trust the Word of God and the sacrifice that Jesus Christ made on your behalf. Your sins of nature will lose their power over you the minute you bring them to the cross of Jesus. Once you are part of the Kingdom of God, He will give you many skills, teachings and
techniques to overcome your sinful nature and develop your righteous spirit in the Way that He Wills.

It takes time and it takes faith, and most importantly, it takes Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit and the LORD God to bring holiness to your spirit. Don’t let the pitiful Pharisee hypocrites trick you out of being freed forever from the holds of sin! For God’s sake and yours, push past their pretend holiness and their traditional barriers, and run forward toward the true holiness of God Himself!

The LORD God does not bound you to serve Him, unless He has given you a sense of justice to fulfill that obligation. In that case, you would be wise to complete His Will. If not:

You are free. You get to choose. Your choice will ultimately be made according to who you are made to be, and where you choose to belong in the big scheme of things. Even through your freedom, however, you are limited to the places, times, experiences and beliefs that the LORD God allows you to have.

If you are one of the common men, then your responsibilities toward serving the all powerful LORD God are usually limited to the common rules of nature that govern the natures of beasts, and of men, for the more highly evolved.

If you are one of the people of spirit created in the image of the LORD God, your responsibilities toward serving Him might well include greater and deeper commitment than them which just serve their nature.

If you are of the world, then the standards of your life are measured by the justice interpreted by man, until the great Day of Judgment, when all men are judged by Jesus Christ. Unfortunately for those of you of nature, His measurement will focus on the living works accomplished that brought glory to His Father. Many of both nature and spirit will face Christ on Judgment Day and sadly learn their good works of nature count nothing toward their defense.

Those who reject the gift of faith, servitude, or worship of the LORD God, are usually free from specific and directed punishment from Him in their life on earth, until the great Judgment Day, when they are raised from their grave to face Christ. There are circumstances where the LORD God will direct His attention to common men’s life to effect His Will. In these cases, His movement might be interpreted as punishment by natural man, but viewed as establishment of His Will by spiritual man. For the most part, life is as it is for the man of nature, and follows the rules of nature that were determined by Him from the start.

Those chosen, called and faithful men who were created in His Image, and accept Him as their LORD God, as He accepts them as His people, are held to much higher standards. Punishment does exist for action and inaction that goes against His Will, just as any father will punish a child to cause him to grow and move in the direction of righteousness.

When it gets down to it, when the LORD God gives a person the opportunity to move closer to Him, he would be wise to take that walk; but, there is no court, law or punishment that will force that decision. The LORD God will not force a man to serve Him, if that is not his free will to do so.

Many Christians are some of the laziest group of spiritual believers I have ever observed. Jewish children and adults study their Torah daily, and practice their prayers and traditions religiously. Muslim servants of God pray at least four times a day as ordered by their prophet, and memorize by heart their designated holy book, the Koran. Christians, on the other hand, most often rely on their thoughts and feelings to establish their faith walk, and depend heavily on the Holy Spirit inside them to give them the answers when they are needed.

Our Christian faith is the only faith that I know of that allows new converts and mere children of faith to speak doctrine and establish practices unquestioned. Because a new Christian feels such an empowerment when receiving the Holy Spirit, and because Christian leaders forgot a long time ago how to lead, many of the faithful Christians are being led by the nose by a Christian child that has little knowledge of the Word of God.

Many Christians refuse to open the Word of God and study it diligently, and will defend that neglect by citing their worth in His Kingdom as evidenced by the Holy Spirit that dwells in them. Simply speaking, they feel holy, so why do more than is necessary? Christians are Christians because they declare Jesus Christ their Lord and Savior. Jesus Christ IS the WORD OF GOD. Jesus Christ began as a result of the LORD God speaking HIS WORD. Every Word contained within the Holy Bible is the LORD God’s WORD, thus, the WORD OF GOD is Jesus Christ. When you study and read the WORD OF GOD, you are communing with Jesus Christ. When you understand deeply the messages in the WORD OF GOD, you are understanding deeply the things of your Jesus Christ.

A Christian that fails to constantly turn to the Word of God, and rely instead on the powerful feelings of the Holy Spirit alone, is like a child leaving his fathers wisdom and teachings yet still demanding that the father provide the feel good and protective things in life. The Holy Spirit is critical to the study of God’s Word, and the Word cannot be known completely without the Spirit revealing the things God wants you to know. However, you have to open God’s Word, and study God’s Word, if you expect to receive growth in the spiritual realm. It is as simple as that.

Now secular fools, and stuffy shirt pharisees will often pronounce the love of God’s Word as the “worship of the Bible” to the exclusion of God. They do this in an attempt to make the Word of God obsolete, and to gain control over the faithful of Jesus Christ.

The true fact is that the Word of God empowers and makes a Christian perfect. The more the Christian knows the Word of God, the more perfect a Christian he is.

Psalm 119 was written by David (according to most believers). It is one of the longest psalms, and one of the most beautiful. David soul is exclaiming with every breath the magnificence and glory of the Word of God. To read this psalm with purpose and meditation causes believers to be highly elevated because of the love expressed repeatedly by David to His God. The reader of Psalm 119 almost feels like he is intruding on the revealing of David’s soul to God. That is how impassioned and giving David is when he declares his beliefs in His Word. Yet, many stuffy shirts today accuse David of the same thing that many Christians on the Internet are being accused of today:

“Worshiping the WORD OF GOD to the exclusion of God Himself!”

Then to add to the confusion and mistrust of the young, the secular points out the different Bibles and the different translations and pronounces them all false because of this.

BULL PUCKY! Christian brothers and sisters, please don’t fall for this attempt to make the Word of God obsolete! You owe them no explanation, but most certainly, you do not owe them an ear! The secular and the pious fools want you to be weak and ineffective. Their worst fears is that you will break free of their control and become perfect in God’s Word. Do not let this argument dissuade you from study of the Word of God. You owe it to the Savior that you have chosen to follow to learn as much of Him as you are graced to receive!

2 Timothy 3:16-17

“16 All scripture [is] given by inspiration of God, and [is] profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 17 That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.” (2 Timothy 3:16-17 AV)

As all of you dedicated Bible students know, at some point in the LORD God’s Timing and Will, the old earth and old Heaven will come to an end, and a new Earth established under the rule of Jesus Christ. Oh, what a glorious life that will be when every law and judgment is righteous, and our neighbors are loving Him as much as we do!

It will be an exciting time, when all of the people who are judged worthy to continue life, began to occupy the new Earth. Sometimes, when the burdens of this life seem especially heavy, I think about that new life, when faithful people from all time periods on this earth will gather together and began forming that new and different life in the presence of the One we love.

How cool will that be? Imagine what it will be like when different century people come together and share perspectives from their place of life and growth.

When the strong, 19th century frontier men and women, share their steadfast courage and adventurous nature with the 20th century manager of machines and goals;

When the 17th century founders of theological thought mix with the 20th century feel good practitioners of religious abandonment;

When the Apostles who walked with Christ live next to those who barely survived the tumultuous times of the End Days;

When all the different time periods of God’s people gather together to worship and praise His Grace, and to establish cities and towns, and to make ways of life and patterns of developing according to the Truths they understand.

I wonder if there will be different cities for the 14th century explorers and artists, and others for the 20th century advanced race.

Will some gatherings of people have a slower life pacing, than others? Common sense suggests that groups will gather among like kinds, and known by the traits that differ from other groups. That’s human nature, isn’t it?

What will our 20th century End Times people be known for?

Will they marvel at our intelligence, and our mechanical skills, our abilities to multi-task, to drive at speeds unknown by most of the human race until now?

Will the people of old seek us out to learn new things, or will they kindly walk past us in search of slower and more predictable people?

Will they find our learned actions vulgar in spite of our righteousness?

Will they try to emulate us, or try to teach us their ways of life?

What habits have we formed as a result of living today, that will one day identify us to others?

Will our men be thought effeminate, and our women aggressive and unbecomingly bold?

Will our animated actions picked up from our televisions and the jerks and poses of our hip hop culture, translate to be tagged a people with exaggerated and untrustworthy affects?

Will we slow down to the pace of most other century people, or will they strive to speed up and learn the things of technology and knowledge?

Will they share their skills of plowing with us, as we share our language of computers with them?

Will they stick with riding the horse, as we zip around in the newest developments, or will we all choose to walk where we have to go?

Will our contact with the people of God from all times, stir us to greater heights of worship and praise?

Will our lives have more even more meaning when the rich tapestry of His Creation gathers together in His Presence and shares the things each knows?

I don’t know.

But I do know one thing. The day when the New Earth is established and the New Jerusalem with Jesus Christ on His Throne governs with righteousness for all to see, will be one of the most glorious and hoped for events I have ever thought about in anticipation. As I am meeting my brothers and sisters in Christ from all times and places, I am certain that we all will play an important role in each of our lives, as we began our new life walking in the Way and Will of the LORD God. I can’t wait!

Revelation 21:1-8

“And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God [is] with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, [and be] their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful. And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.” (Revelation 21:1-8 AV)

One of the biggest confusions that a new believer has in their new walk with Jesus Christ, is the difficulty in understanding “Works” for God. “Faith” and “Works” seem interchangeable in their mind, and usually results in one of four misunderstandings that can slow down their growth toward Him if not understood.

1. Confusing faith with Works –

You are saved by what you “believe”. This belief is called Faith.

You will be rewarded for what you “do” for God. This is called “Works”.

Faith = What you believe.

Works = What you do.

You must have Faith to be saved. Once you have been saved, your desire for works grows deeper and deeper. God knows this desire, (a form of love from a true believer), and will use that believer for His works when He chooses.

2. Thinking worship of God is Works –

Prayer, praise, and singing are wonderful ways we communicate with God, and God refreshes our soul and guides us to do His Will. Worship is great. Worship is for God. When we worship, we are giving to God. The LORD God is such a loving Father, that when we give to Him, we receive His love back with full intensity. We bask in that warmth, and desire it continuously. However, worship is NOT works.

Works for the LORD God is allowing him to use your mind, body and soul for His Will, and accomplishing what His Needs are in the manner He Chooses.

3. Thinking their works must match the spiritual works of everybody else –

True workers of the LORD God accomplish tasks not duplicated by anybody else. Let me try to explain.

Our LORD God is a great and awesome God. If He chooses a person to do His Works, He does not randomly pick them and put them into a situation over their heads. Quite the contrary, when the LORD God has chosen a person to do His Works, He gives them the knowledge, understanding and desire necessary to accomplish His Will.

This is done in very many ways, but usually in a very controlled and methodical way. Sometimes situations require quick responses in God’s world, but most often, a person that does God’s Work has been trained to do that very thing that He Wills. I can say with certainty, that I have never witnessed a person doing the Works of God that has copied the activities or actions of others. It’s an individual choice that God makes, and it’s an individual effort that He uses to groom His Chosen workers.

4. Not having a foundation built before they try to do the works of God –

The LORD God gave us His Word so we would know. If we do not have knowledge, He is not going to use us as His workers. His best workers are those who have the most knowledge of Him.

There is only one way to get knowledge of God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit, and that is through the study of His Word at His leading. It is impossible to have any deep understanding of His Word, unless the foundation of Jesus Christ is formed. Once this foundation is established, deep teaching can began to take place, and a Christian can gain a new and deeper understanding of the things of God, and be prepared for the Works the LORD God Wills to be accomplished.

It is usually apparent to mature Christians when God has a new and challenging work to be completed by them. It is at this point of realization, that it becomes important to separate the things of natural life with the things of God in the spiritual life.

This conflict between the spiritual life and natural life exists continuously, but stops the works of God cold if we are unable to separate the two. If our soul, our body and mind is given to the LORD God, and we walk with Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit is within us, then the mundane tasks of everyday life seem to be useless, as well they should.

The Bible uses a word called “vanity” which means nothingness. Dishes, laundry, yard work, cleaning, all of the everyday and mundane tasks of social approval in the natural life are usually “vanity”. Often Christians will feel the tug of their focus toward God, and the expectations of the world pulling at them from the opposite direction.

If God is moving you to do a Work for Him, forget everything and do it. What an honor to be chosen by Him to do His Will and complete a spiritual work that will glorify Him in Heaven!

I don’t look religious, and neither does my family, my friends, nor my students. We don’t smile all the time, and we aren’t lovey dovey at every public appearance, nor are our common looks harsh and judgmental. We don’t wear fancy clothes, and most of us would have a hard time tying a tie straight, or walking gracefully in a pair of high heels.

We don’t wear robes of holiness, and we don’t wear clothes of show. We’re comfortable and appropriate and normal. We laugh often, sometimes inappropriately, and prefer joy over tears. We shed those sometimes, but try to get past the pains as quickly as we can.

Some of us struggle with weight, others of us could care less. Many of our group are physically fit and maintain a healthy and active lifestyle, and some prefer to let nature take it’s course, as they live the life they choose.

The older ones sometimes have difficulty getting past the morning pains and frozen joints, the middle ones struggle with the heavy burdens they must carry every day, and the younger ones try to keep up with the candles they’re burning at both ends.

There is never enough time. All of us are constantly adjusting our schedules to try to fit everything in. Invariably, someone who has a need is overlooked, so as a family, we have learned to shout out loud when we’re hurting, or lonely, or needing. Not one of us has the time to attend power lunches, or volunteer for a lot of charitable activities, or build a house for the homeless. It’s not that we wouldn’t want to, there’s just never enough time.

The women in my life are pretty, the men pretty homely, and the kids pretty good. We have a good life, filled with great love for each other, and a heathy dose of natural life problems to keep us needing each other and struggling always higher to become the best we can be.

Our natures are of normal folks, and we’re all good people.

BUT…

We’re not living our lives normally like many of the good people of the world live theirs. We’re embroiled in serious life-changing decisions at every turn as people come honestly to us to learn the things of Christ, or secretly to destroy our spirit and our gatherings. And the danger comes not from the wicked satan worshippers, nor the unchurched athiests, nor the seasoned perverts. The danger is always in our midst, or just on the outskirts, waiting for a weakness or a hesitation in our walk with Christ, to give entrance and control to those who desire our failure.

It is our beloved family members, who have left our fold for the freedoms of the world. It is our friends who have walked side by side with us, but have been unable to accept the cost of faith. It is the good “Heathens” that never had use for our God, but tolerated us anyway because of family blood

Each of us, and all of us have lost so many loved ones to the world. Every day brings new pains and forces us to make changes in our lives as people we have held dear to our hearts make the choice to walk away from it all and have the normal life of the worldly.

Jesus Christ warned us this would happen:

“Suppose ye that I am come to give peace on earth? I tell you, Nay; but rather division: For from henceforth there shall be five in one house divided, three against two, and two against three. The father shall be divided against the son, and the son against the father; the mother against the daughter, and the daughter against the mother; the mother in law against her daughter in law, and the daughter in law against her mother in law.” (Lu 12:51-53 AV)

But I must tell you; people do not realize the pain of division, until it has happened over and over and over to you. Jesus Christ was specific in his warning, because he knew the specific pain it would cause. There is no pain quite like the pain of seeing your loved ones walk away from you because of your Walk with Jesus Christ.

There is nothing a Christian can do. Changing the spirit’s focus on Christ and His Way to fit the ideas of the world is not acceptable nor desirable. And changing your nature is not going to work either; you are what you are because of Christ.

So my congregation of family, friends and students, suffer great personal losses often, in spite of our normal nature. It is because we have the spirit of Saints, focused on our King Jesus Christ, and walking the narrow walk of His Will and Way, that the sad separation from loved ones happens.

There is nothing that can be done to stop it.

It is the price we pay as we choose to love One over all others.

When I was about sixteen, a powerful moving of the Holy Spirit rushed through my church and my youth group. The Spirit came to us through a group of church brethren from a city located 300 miles away. They were called “Lay Witness Missionaries”, and the group of men, women and children went to little churches all over Kansas when they were invited, and brought the Holy Ghost with them. They arrived on a Friday to a typically dry and predictable Methodist church, and left Sunday afternoon from a new Spirit charged, pulsating and alive, loving and living congregation of participants that were forever changed by their visit.

I don’t know what the lessons were for the adults that caused them to change so dramatically over that one weekend. But I do know what changed us kids to become firm followers of Jesus Christ.

It was the Jesus chair.

We had shared our homes with our youthful counterparts. Our Friday and Saturday was filled with singing and reading the Bible and talking and learning. They kept telling us that something really special was going to happen on Saturday, so when the time had arrived for us to gather in the room, we were a little prepared for something great to happen.

They ushered our whole youth group into the room. Chairs were lining the room for us to sit. The lights were dimmed. In the middle of the room was an empty chair, with candles illuminating a picture of Jesus Christ before it. It was very solemn, a little scary and a whole lot suspense-filled as we settled into our chairs.

We saw our lay leaders begin to pray, so we politely lowered our Methodist eyes. It seemed like they were praying for a really long time, when suddenly we felt the Holy Spirit surge through our presence. It was the first time for me, and my classmates to feel the wonderful warmth and love of His presence.

As we were moved by Him, we came to the Jesus chair. When we sat in the chair, it was as if the world of pains were suddenly lifted off of our bodies and the common and practiced existence of life lived in the small town being changed into the supernatural. For the first time, I understood that I had a right to talk to Jesus; it didn’t matter if I was unlovable to others. He wanted me to come to Him and He loved me!

I was one of the last ones to go to the chair. It took me a long time to realize that I had as much right to speak to Him, as did the more popular and pretty and the richer kids than me. When I found the courage to stand and walk toward him, I found myself being propelled forward with the surge of Holy Ghost, and my classmates surrounding me, helping me to reach that place where I could speak to Jesus, and hear Him lead.

I cried. The warmth of his love comforted me, and His Presence filled me, and I finally felt worthy to receive the Things of God that He Willed me to have. I sat down in the chair, broken and dirty, and I stood up from the chair beginning to feel healed, loved, and clean. As I stood, my classmates surrounded me and began touching me and holding me and hugging me and laughing, and praising God, and singing.

It was the first time I had ever been hugged in love.

What a powerful moment that was! What a Spirit Filled movement that became. It changed me forever, and began my path of life, led by the Spirit and walking forward with confidence to my Savior who loved even me!