Arise, my darling, my beautiful one, and come with me.

Jacob did it. (Gen 31:16)

God was calling Jacob to move. Earlier (over 20 years earlier), God had called Jacob into relationship and during that time God had blessed Jacob with flocks, family and character training. When God called, Jacob acted. In the same way, when God called, Abraham acted. When God called, Noah acted. When God spoke, Cornelius didn't wait -- he acted.

At the wedding feast in Cana, Mary advised the servants to do whatever Jesus told them. When they heard Jesus speak, they did it and they saw a miracle.

In contrast, we read of Cain. He heard God's voice and chose to ignore it. Lot's sons-in-law heard and laughed. Lot's wife heard the warning, but still turned to look back.

Our temptation is to water down, turn away or get distracted from God's high calling.

Who can climb Mount God? Who can scale the holy north-face?
Only the clean-handed, only the pure-hearted; Men who won't cheat, women who won't seduce. (Ps 24)

We may wonder what God is calling us to or we may have forgotten. Perhaps, like Jacob, we felt God calling us to work hard, to marry, to move, to have a pure heart or to have a deeper relationship with Him. But, our heart may have become polluted with pornography, lazy from entertainment or drawn away to worship a false god of stuff.

He is calling you to something: a new job, to marry, to be a real husband, to be a loving mother, to study, to strive with evil or to move. It might be scary or sound hard. Sooner or later the situation will get desperate. An addiction to pornography might call for dynamic action such as smashing our computer. God gets excited by wholehearted response. When we get wholehearted about following Him, He will cause surprising things to happen.

I have heard
and failed to act.
I started to act
but then got discouraged and turned back.
I have not heard
because I stopped listening,
It is not too late.
God is patiently waiting for me
to see His love in Jesus,
to trust His love,
to hear His gentle voice,
and He is eagerly waiting for me
to ACT.

My lover spoke and said to me,
"Arise, my darling,
my beautiful one, and come with me."
(Song of Songs 2:10)

Pigs, Hands and Sons

I don't deserve to be called your son. Take me on as a hired hand. (Luke 15:19)

Dry husks, sour milk and garbage -- these are the ingredients of hog slop and are also the result of the pleasures and riches of this world. This is enjoyment for swine but not for someone made in the image of God. When I went off to college, I had a good foundation in the beliefs, example and love of my parents. But, I soon found it easier to sleep on Sundays rather than going to the trouble of getting up and going to church. In fact, the only time I went to church was when I went because of going with my parents. As time went by, I continued to move in the direction of the pig pen. A pig is not too particular about his slop -- just keep it coming. But, looking at it as a human being -- slop is pretty nasty stuff.

When we forget who we are, we get soul-hungry and soon even a pig's slop starts to look good. In this world, there is plenty of slop for pigs and for those who are becoming pigs. But we, as Men and Women, are called to be sons and daughters of the Most High God. What a terrible tragedy to go from being a prince to begging or even fighting for swine slop. Yet, it's so easy for sons to forget who they are and to wander off from the Father while looking for easy pleasures. Who has not been a prodigal son blind to the meaning of being made in the image of God?

When, however, we wake up to our condition and realize that we are actually Men lusting for the slop of pigs, our first thought is to earn our way. We want God to let us work our way -- "Take me on as a hired hand." It seems like a step in the right direction. Yet, it completely misses the goal that God has in mind. God wants us as His sons and daughters who love to be in His presence, who rejoice in His mercy, who wear His robes, and who wear His seal. His sons do not earn pay for their personal accounts. Their number one goal is to increase their Father's account. It's His influence and holdings that are important -- not ours. Our Father has everything except the voluntary love of those He made in His image. He can not command or demand it. His joy is in embracing prodigal sons who have finally realized that they are not meant to be pigs at the slop trough nor hired hands, but His beloved sons.

For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are Sons of God. (Rom 8:14)

A Tremendous Return on His Investment

I have set the LORD continually before me; Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. (Psalms 16)

The shaking of the world's financial structures is causing waves of fear. We should not be surprised at the shaking and quaking of the earth. But, I felt one of those waves of fear splash by me last night as I heard questions springing up in my mind -- questions about an uncertain future. Yet, in the past, my bride and I have seen God always provide for the needs of our family of 14. And, God has promised to shake the earth and even the heavens.

Fear comes when my security or peace depends on something that can be shaken or taken. Money, health, property and relationships are all things that can be taken or destroyed. Anyone who is depending on their 401k, IRAs or job is feeling the tremors shaking the earth's financial system. Governments are desperately struggling to prop up the system. Yet, any security that appears through their efforts will only be an illusion.

"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal." Real security depends on the vitality of our relationship with God through Christ Jesus. Jesus promised, and he demonstrated the truth, that God will provide for those who have as their priority God's kingdom and way. "But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. (Matt 6)"

Everything we have and work for in this world came directly or indirectly from God. God owns the world and the heavens. Yet, most of the world is doing its "own thing" and does not particularly care about God's priorities. "For those who are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. - (Rom 14)" We can't do our "own thing" and also be genuinely led by the Spirit of God.

Maybe God is taking some of His IRA's and saving accounts and re-investing that money according to His priorities. Our natural tendency is to clutch our stuff in our arms and say, "Mine!" But, it's not really ours. If, in our spirits, we truly give God our savings accounts, health, houses, relationships and our whole life then we will have peace and security. Even if God takes those things and uses them in unexpected ways, we will praise Him. We will be led by His Spirit, see His marvelous works, and experience His provision. And, God will see a tremendous return on His investment.

"Who will not fear, O Lord, and glorify Your name?
For You alone are holy;
For all the nations will come and worship before you,
for your righteous acts have been revealed." (Revelation 15)

In or Of

The LORD said, "Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do, since Abraham will surely become a great and mighty nation, and in him all the nations of the earth will be blessed ?

Abraham and his family has had and continues to have tremendous impact on history. It's amazing how much any family can potentially affect the future. But, when a man loses sight of God and His ways, the result is sad and ugly. Such a man will set his mind on the things of the flesh and his children will often follow his example in even worst ways. Abraham's nephew, Lot, set his mind on the things of the earth. He dwelt in Sodom among those who were focused on the flesh. His focus and the influence of that environment pulled his family away from the one true God. Lot's family suffered great loss and eventually became enemies of God.

"For I have chosen him, so that he may command his children and his household after him to keep the way of the LORD by doing righteousness and justice, so that the LORD may bring upon Abraham what He has spoken about him."

Abraham lived in the land but did not fully embrace its culture or institutions. He and his family maintained a God focused identity that was separate from the beliefs, training and customs of the surrounding tribes. Abraham taught his children to follow the way of the Lord.

Wherever we live, the nations in which we and our families dwell are only too happy to teach our children to follow the way of the flesh. Sometimes the flesh gets all dressed up, becomes apparently intellectual, and looks very "civilized". The truth is that the death and destruction seen in Sodom and Gomorrah are always at the end of the road of the flesh. If one's family is not somewhat isolated from the worldly culture in which they live, it will be fully taught by that culture's message, teachers and relationships. Parents have the awesome choice. Lot's choice was the riches and friendships of Sodom and integration with culture. Abraham's choice was to follow God's call out of the world's culture and to find God's culture -- God's "way". We're "In" the world but what culture have we chosen to be "of".

"The mind set on the flesh is death but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace." -- Romans 8

A Couple of Links about the culture in the US.

• Textbooks Distorting History and Religion

• Abortion

• Today porn use is an epidemic in the church