
When I was given the titles “Block Lives Matter” and “Blog Lives Matter” I said,
“But Lord that could be offensive?”
“Precisely” came the reply, ….”and blessed is he who does not take offense at me.‘ (Luke.7:23)
The blessedness comes when like Jesus we have finally died to ‘self’ and are unoffendable! As one of my friends put it, “You can’t offend me ’cause I’m dead'”
Death to ‘self’ of course also means that your words and actions are carefully weighed to make sure it is Christ rather than your ‘flesh’ that is the cause, if we are found to give offense. So I always ask one or two people to check the blog before posting what I believe God is showing me, and to give me honest feedback about whether or not there is offensive ‘flesh’ hanging out : – )
Jesus said he had come to cause offense that would result in even families being divided (Luke 12:53), and that as his followers if we were true to him, speaking what our Father says and doing what our Father does, we should expect the same. (Jn.15:18)
The root of all fear is the fear of DEATH. There seem to be two fears that have gripped the world currently, the fear of physical death from a ‘virus’ and the fear of social death from being “Cancelled” by those who have taken offence at us.
These death fears can take over and direct our lives when we loose the life giving ‘FEAR OF THE LORD”.
Proverbs 19:23 is one of my favorites! “The fear of the LORD leads to LIFE; then one rests content, untouched by trouble.”
Ps. 25;14 says”The secrets of the Lord…. are for those who fear him” and Proverbs 9:10, “The fear of the Lord…. is the beginning of wisdom.”
The fear of, or reverence for the Lord, who is perfect in love, wisdom and power, is the key to getting true understanding and then getting true wisdom to know how we should live.
Hence the titles Block Lives Matter and Blog Lives Matter is to make the point that it is for me, to simply take the next step to ‘walk in’ those ‘good works prepared.’ (Eph.2:10) by loving the people God places before me in my life, on the Block and on the Blog! Put another way, rather than trying ‘to fix the world’ I just need to ‘Do the next right thing’
Growing in understanding and wisdom is a journey I have been on that I believe I have been given to share with you step by step in the blogs over the past 4+ years, as we awaken together!
As I said back then, this is a ‘family blog‘ that let’s Hilary and I stay in touch with a group of a few hundred friends from a dozen countries. I try to be sensitive to the diversity of the group. I can hear some of you say when I post, “Well of course I knew that!” while others say, “What! Really!?” I am so thankful for your feedback as true friends, whether it be encouraging or challenging, and try to always respond personally.
I am able to track who opens the blog, and as I each week read your names, gratitude, love and joy rise up in my heart, as I picture and pray for you.
Last week we had a good friend come for dinner who reads the blog. She happens to be a Native American sister and like Josie, a very gifted artist (see above) She wanted to thank me for confirming in one of the blogs her instinct that ‘conspiracy’ was not a bunch of wacky theories but was in fact a biblical truth and real life reality.
At the same time she wanted to talk with me about one of the links I posted that she had some difficulty with. I should say that in posting links I am usually trying to make one point and it does not mean I am necessarily promoting everything that person says or believes.
We had a very good conversation around the table, at the end of which we knew we didn’t see eye to eye about everything, realizing we both still only ‘see in part’. We did however conclude, that we were in full agreement about the things, and the One, that really matters the most, and that we were together, in ‘the minority’, for God always chooses to work, not through the majority, but through a ‘remnant of grace.’ (Rm.11:5)
When we prayed at the end of the evening she gave thanks for the meal of meat and fruit and for the ‘meat’ of ‘mature’ conversation (Heb.5:14) characterized by the ‘fruits of the Holy Spirit.’ (Gal.5:22,23) we had all enjoyed together.
That evening ‘speaking the truth in love.” (Eph.4:15) we experienced the kingdom of God on earth as it is in heaven, in stark contrast to that other kingdom, ‘the world’ with it’s contentiousness and bad fruit.
It reminded me of the prayer of the original people of this land, “All my relatives” and of the similar prayer of the newbies, the Pilgrim Fathers, “Thy kingdom come thy will be done on this part of earth and then from this part of earth to the uttermost parts of the earth as it is in heaven.”
This is the common destiny God has for every citizen of this ‘island’ (and every land) as we discover one another ‘in Christ‘ and reveal his glory, of true unity in the Spirit.
The American form of government as a Republic, largely shaped by the bible, is now in the process of being replaced by a Technocracy, where we are ruled by an elite of unelected, unaccountable, technocrats, who have no fear of the Lord.
Here is an excellent article that gives an up to date description of how the ominous spirit of Babylon has been at work in our society for many decades. It contains an illuminating interview between two men of integrity, Joseph Mercola of mercola.com and Patrick Wood of www.technocracy.news
https://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2020/08/13/coronavirus-vaccination-campaign.aspx
I found it contained helpful insights as to how we can respond in prayerful and practical ways to what is going on.
Thankfully we know that this Technocracy is destined to fail, and yield to the true Theocracy with the coming of the one true and good King, and his unshakable Kingdom of ‘righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit’ ‘on earth as it is in heaven’
…..for “Now is the Time”