Go In Peace

Last night was a very heartbreaking experience for me. As we began our travel time, heading toward the beach for some fresh air, sun and sand, we made a two day stop in Bullhead City, Arizona to visit a couple of siblings of mine. One who has always confessed that God wants nothing to do with him and the other who appears to have used God, in the past, as a "means to an end." In other words, this sibling appeared to be as those Pharisees & Sadducees who were referred to as "brood of vipers" in the Gospel of Matthew.

Nothing hurts the spirit within us as a person who would be willing to use God as a way to achieve something earthly (and so filthy). But as difficult as it is to admit, I have a relative who seems to have done just that. To except the love of God, merely for the sake of convincing others that you have changed, is a "mockery" of the one who went to Calvary, to save my soul. It offends me deeply and I am sure it does others as well.

So I was prompted by God to address the issues "squarely" and was obedient. Of course, the person that my sibling has chosen to "share a bed and drugs" with believes that they will go to heaven because "that is what someone told me." Later in the same conversation this person confessed that they did not even believe that God really exists. I wanted to run as far away as I could, however as I started quoting scripture to prove this person wrong, they ran from the room themselves, never to return again.

Then I was laying in bed tonight thinking about the events of last evening when God brought this scripture to mind: "And whoever does not receive you, nor heed your words, as you go out of that house or city, shake off the dust of your feet. Truly I say to you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment, than for that [house or] city." (Matthew 10: 14,15).

I take very seriously, my relationship with our God and do not wish to watch ANYONE try to use Him or His love, for unholy purposes. God can use any of us in a mighty way if we have surrendered ourselves to His will and purpose for us. And last night looked like an "exorcism" of some sort as demons fled from the mighty Word of the Lord God.

I confess I am, indeed, heartbroken and wounded because of the lack of compassion and deception brought about by my own family, however I am richer tonight than last night because God used me to take "victory" away from the devil. Tonight, I better understand the words of the half brother of Jesus, James who said in Ja:5:16 "confess your sins to one another..." God can and does bring about the "power of effective kneeling" as we give ourselves to His will.

Perhaps you have a friend or family member who confesses to be a child of the King, and lives like a cousin of the devil. Find your way to your own knees as you ask God for the wisdom to speak truth in love to them.

Go in peace,

Dave

By the way, so that there is no cofusion, I too, consider myself nothing more than a "sinner saved by the touch of the master's hand."