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4/18/2006 Ezekiel 33:32-3332)"Indeed, to them you are nothing more than one who sings love songs with a beautiful voice and plays an instrument well, for they hear your words but do not put them into practice. 33)When all this comes true-and it surely will-then they will know that a prophet has been among them" I have been reading the gospel of John lately, and have also made a habit of reading Proverbs each day, from which I have found amazing wisdom relevant to so many aspects of my life- past, present, and future- and on occasion I will also read a Psalm. This morning I found myself urged to read more after my normal amount, and as I started to flip towards John God said "no, not that one", so I flipped back towards Proverbs and Psalms and again He said "nah, something else." I've got bookmarks in both II Kings and Ezekiel, as I was reading these two books for a time, but have since gone in another direction. As I was gently urged to open Ezekiel this morning I just as gently rebuffed the notion, even argued as to what I could possibly get from Ezekiel, especially when I was barely awake in the first place. Well, I gave in read Ch. 33, and there, at the end, it sat- words that described in exacting detail the way I feel, the struggle in which I am involved, and the situation that, just last night, my wife and I discussed. God instilled in us great wisdom, not only to think for ourselves but to think as He does by ourselves. So often listening to God is not about hearing a thunderous voice commanding us to do great things. More often than not it's simply a gentle nudge or a thought placed opportunely into our minds. This was one such occasion. You see, this verse so accurately describes that which rests in my heart and mind, yet the idea borders on that which will likely be perceived as vanity or ego run amok. Oh what glorious relief accompanies confirmation from God-not of God or about God, but FROM GOD, directly-that your thoughts and feelings have not betrayed you, but that you are, in fact, listening!! We second-guess ourselves often, and in fact what we are doing is second-guessing God. He speaks to us more often and in more ways than we give him credit for. What he has to say doesn't always make sense, doesn't always seem right or safe, but given the chance His Words amount to great things. Take the time to listen, He's probably speaking to you right now!! _________________ If you find my thoughts convicting perhaps there is a reason... 4/14/2006 Questioning the questionersJohn 15:24 If I had not done among them what no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin. But now they have seen these miracles, and yet they have hated both me and my Father.
Seems to me this about spells it out as far as all the mystery surrounding the different theories of what "really" took place in Biblical times. The DaVinci Code is nothing new at this point, yet the discussion continues as to whether or not Jesus actually lived a double life and if the church has been hiding it all along.
Now we've got the Gospel of Judas, telling tales of divine will in the form of betrayal, greed, and lust for power. Add to it the constant search for the truth about the miracles of the Bible, such as the parting of the Red Sea and Jesus walking on water, and we find ourselves being asked to question every Biblical doctrine we know based on man's own wisdom somehow deemed greater than that of God?
It seems to me the reality of theses situations is much simpler. After all, consider the source of contention behind these many questions. Generally speaking, these questions are brought by people of influence and worldly power. More often than not they are Hollywood types, actors, directors, but also politicians, scientists, and business people. They all share a common thread to their life's fabric, however. If it were not for the words and actions of Christ the guilt their lifestyle has brought them would not exist. Now, as we all know, most people who attempt to influence others do not take kindly to having their ethics or morals questioned, yet this is the case. After all, Jesus spoke to us all, stating that without prejudice we are all sinners, and that to live for our own flesh would lead us to death.
It makes perfect sense, then, for those who do just that to constantly seek a way around this foreboding judgment, to look for the loophole that will release them from their contractual obligation to live righteously and selflessly. Those who fight against Christ know exactly what they are doing, whether they realize it or not. They are seeking exoneration, seeking a way to free themselves without having to accept truth. An fruitless battle, to be sure. 4/13/2006 Stability, what's that?So, in just two days we will have been in our new house exactly one month. Already, there is talk of moving. Not that we don't love the house, we do. Not that we are unhappy in Peru, we aren't. Suddenly we find ourselves in the midst of a politically unstable situation as the country looks to elect a new president, and they have narrowed their choices down to two leftist fellows, either of which will likely bring dissent and disaster to the country.
The front-runner looks to nationalize property (taking property from the wealthy and giving it to the poor), which will likely start with foreigners who own land. He also believes in other forms of redistributing wealth, as well as being a friend/ally of my favorite Latino, Hugo Chavez. He is against the U.S. policy and actions of eradicating the coca trade (Peru is the No. 2 producer of cocaine, behind Columbia) because of the many families who support themselves off the farming income of coca. Of course, what that really means is that he wants to kick the U.S. out of the country so they are no longer in the jungles destroying cocaine labs, which in turn means he's likely getting paid by the producers, or at least he will be, but that's just speculation. Oh, and he is a former General who led a failed coup against the last president, who was eventually removed from office for gross incidents of corruption.
The other fellow is a former President of Peru who was removed from office after giving terrorism free reign, refusing to pay the national debt, causing the country to suffer food shortages, and allowing inflation to rise by 7,000%!! Of course, he says he's matured, that he's learned from his mistakes, and appearantly the people believe him. This is the second Presidential race in which he's been the runner-up.
Either way Peru will likely become a less-than-friendly place for Americans to live, though just how fast any changes take affect is hard to say. Hugo Chavez has been in power for 8 years and he only recently began making national headlines on a regular basis. Still, with the existing presence of Chavez and Bolivian President Evo Morales, a coca farmer himself, the election of a leftist President in Peru could effect change much more rapidly if he were to side with his neighbors and adopt their anti-American sentiments.
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