In the United States 4,000 Churches close their doors each year.  Another 2,765,000 people depart the Church for secularism, while over 1,400 pastors and priests leave the ministry monthly.  MAYBE THIS IS OUR MOMENT OF TRUTH.  Do we "cling" to Salvation in the security of a Particular Religion?  Do we live in a FALSE DICHOTOMY of believing that OBEYING THE DENOMINATIONAL CHURCH is the same as OBEYING GOD?  Acts 5:4, "...You have not lied to men but to GOD..."  Do some Church Buildings close because they are polluting TRUTH "...in unfruitful works of darkness which are now exposed..." (Ephesians 5:11)?  Are people leaving the "CHURCH" because it offers nothing different than the Secular Lies of the world? CHURCHES  DO NOT CLOSE FOR LACK OF ATTENDANCE, OR LACK OF RECEIVING ENOUGH MONEY; THEY CLOSE FOR NOT TEACHING ALL OF GOD'S TRUTH.  WE ARE THE CHURCH.

Even "heathens" recognize a FALSE TESTIMONY.  And those "SEEKING" GOD are even "MORE REPELLED" when these testimonies do not GLORIFY GOD.  TESTIMONIES are DIVINE TRUTH witch GLORIFY GOD.  The HUMBLENESS in a TESTIMONY about GOD, reveals a person that is so in awe of the "SACREDNESS" AND "WONDER" of GOD'S LOVE, that they deem themselves "UNWORTHY" to even say HIS NAME.  1 Corinthians10:31, "...whatever you do, do all to the GLORY OF GOD...".  Do the "I's; ME's, MY's and MINE's" in our TESTIMONIES sound as though "WE" should share in GOD'S GLORY? The only response to a TESTIMONY about GOD, should be PRAISE GOD!  Are people REPELLED from CHRISTIANITY because our TESTIMONIES GLORIFY US, INSTEAD OF GOD? 

We are at GOD'S BEST when we are OBEDIENT  TO HIM.  In this all encompassing serenity we do not desire what we do not have, we do not covet to obtain and no one can "push our buttons".  It is when our confidence in GOD is so comforting and sure that our RIGHTEOUSNESS is greater than being RIGHT.  We are no longer a "Slave" to those we have lied to or deceived, we are living in THE GLIMPSE OF TRANSPARENCY where "I LOVE YOU SO" is more important than "I TOLD YOU SO".  James 4:1, "...what causes wars among you...is it not the war within yourself...and you ask wrongly to spend it on your passions..."  This is the only time we truly love others because we truly love ourselves.  "LOVE OTHERS AS YOU DO YOURSELF".  IF THERE IS NO FEAR, THERE ARE NO WARS. 

GOD Opens doors and Closes doors; How many times have we heard those WORDS?  Then we decide if there is "no resistance", THE DOOR MUST BE OPEN.  But when the DOOR IS CLOSED to something we really want or desire; we are not so OBEDIENT; we use every ounce of strength to get it open.  Psalm 119:18, "Open my eyes, that I may see wondrous thins...".  What if the Scriptures were easily understood and Salvation with Eternal Life were so simple that we could comprehend them fully?  JESUS tells us we can, "According to your Faith be it to you..." (Matthew 9:29).  We continue to CHOOSE THE DOOR WE WANT, NOT THE DOOR GOD GIVES US. because of the DARKNESS OF OUR HEARTS where there can be no Faith or Belief.  THROUGH FAITH WE SEE THE DEEPNESS AND GRANDEUR OF GOD.  To experience the wondrous and perfect things of GOD we must GO THROUGH THE DOOR GOD REVEALS TO US WITHOUT DARKNESS IN OUR HEARTS;  SOME DOORS ARE "OPEN", SOME HAVE TO BE "BASHED" IN TO ENTER. Today, MAY WE DISCERN THE SPIRITUAL THINGS OF GOD; OPEN DOOR OR CLOSED DOOR. 

Do we over commit causing us to become anxious?  Then do we start "thinking" up excuses for not keeping our commitments?  Finally, do we pray and ask GOD to help?  But are our prayers hasty and superficial monologues "drifting" somewhere "upward" or "within"?  Philippians 4:6-7, "...but in everything by prayer...let your requests be known to GOD.  And the Peace of GOD...will guard your hearts and minds...".  It is kind of like WE PRAY to UNDO what never would have happened HAD WE PRAYED BEFORE.  

After being Saved, then eventually leaving this earthly life, and then living with JESUS in Eternity,  do we all become the SAME "angelic", "preconceived" personality?  Does GOD give us different "personalities" in HEAVEN?  Isn't that like asking if there will be only be one kind of Flower in Heaven;  or will GOD choose the biggest, most beautiful Bird and let the Sparrows "fade" away?  Aren't we "created for GOD'S pleasure..." (Revelation 4:11)?  GOD created us individually; the inner person, the SPIRIT of man, the Soul of man and the Physical being.  GOD does not change the composition of a Rose, tearing  off some petals and adding others; HE lets HIS presence ENHANCE its beauty.  Just as the Sunrise, Sun Light and Sunset add dimensions to beauty of the Rose; our different Personalities are like FIELDS OF FLOWERS.  And this gives HIM great pleasure.  "We Praise YOU for we are fearfully and wonderfully made..." Psalm  139:14.

JESUS had many followers and yet many did not know who HE was.  Matthew 16:15-17, "...But who do you say I am...Blessed are you..."  We do not know JESUS by our "earthly knowledge" or "hopeful Faith";  "For flesh and blood does not reveal this"; But we know JESUS by the SPIRIT.  "BLESSED" is being PRIVILEGED AND FAVORED  to have the THINGS "OF" GOD  REVEALED; the THINGS "ABOUT" GOD REVEALED; and GOD HIMSELF REVEALED to us.  AMEN!

We have called different companies "toll free" lines for information, only to receive a prepared "script" being read by the person at the other end.  This did nothing to help us with our concern.  Then once in a "very great while" we get someone who really listens, talks with us, and addresses our CONCERN as well as others coming up during the course of our conversation.  Are we "SCRIPT CHRISTIANS" where we just start talking (not listening) and reading "PREDESIGNATED" scripts to people?  Are we afraid to let them ask "the hard questions" because we might not know the answer?  Isaiah 6:8, "And I heard the voice of the LORD saying, who shall I send...Then I said, Here am I!  Send me!...."  Wouldn't it be so powerful, so encouraging to walk into a Bible Study and hear, "Let us see what MESSAGE GOD has for us tonight; ASK ANY QUESTION AND THAT WILL BE THE MESSAGE HE WANTS US TO HEAR TONIGHT".  WE ARE GIVEN THE KEYS TO HEAVEN; AND WE ARE NO LONGER "SCRIPT CHRISTIANS".

Awaking before dawn to the serenity of a different place.   We breathe the freshness as though the pollution, noise and voices have been removed or silenced over night.   Our thoughts are not "the business of the day" because it is made known to us; that our labor is in vain without DIVINE INTERVENTION AND BLESSING.  Mark 1:3-5, "...rising very early...and there HE prayed."  Psalm119:148, "My eyes awake...that I may meditate on YOUR Promise."  A time of HOLINESS, REVERENCE and  ONENESS, BEFORE THE POLLUTION, NOISE AND VOICES BEGIN.  Awaking before dawn we meditate on, and receive GOD'S provision without anxiety and exertion (Proverbs 10:22). 

 

Why isn't the NAME of GOD written with every letter capitalized in the Bible?  And, when the pronoun referencing GOD, is written why is not the HE or THEE all capitalized.  Do we just pass by the NAME of GOD as though it is just any other word, without stopping or pausing with HOLY REVERENCE?  Before the scribes would write GOD'S NAME (JEHOVAH or YAHWEH) they would clean their pens and wash their whole body before writing.  Reference to GOD  and satan (my spell check just told me to capitalize satan) in the Bible both have the first letter capitalized (With this exception; Exodus 4:14, "...I AM WHO I AM...".   Do we choose to be "GRAMMATICALLY CORRECT", OR GIVE DIVINE REVERENCE?  GOD IS GOD!