.
I had my gun loaded, so I headed out for the bank. I'd spent the last two days getting my ammunition ready. Today was the day. I was sick and tired, frustrated, and angry.
I walked into the bank with my shoulders back and my neck as erect as I could manage. I wrinkled my forehead, pursed my lips, and gnashed my teeth. Now I am 6'2" and 250lbs. To most people, I probably presented myself as a pretty menacing figure. As I walked through the foyer, I could have sworn I heard some chuckling.
I looked around with my squinting eyes and noticed that the few people, who were there, did not even look my way. No one had a smile or was laughing. I stopped dead in my tracks when seven words subdued me. It wasn't a guard standing in front of me brandishing a nine millimeter or was it another man who was 6'4" and 265lbs with 15% body fat that stood in my way. It was the seven words that stopped me.
"Recompense to no man evil for evil."
The words caused every muscle in my upper body to go placid. I determined that it was the Lord who couldn't hold back the chuckle. I must have been a sight to Him as I walked into the bank looking like the Terminator. I had to laugh at myself.
Those seven words came from Romans 12:17 of the Holy Bible. The world has a similar thought, "A spoon full of sugar helps the medicine go down." Psalms 15:1 offers another avenue to take, "A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger." A soft answer indeed, can take the wind out of someone’s sails. It is up to us as believers to set the tone for civil communication.
The Lord blessed me with a calm spirit so I could resolve the issue that I had with the bank. It was a three-month ordeal that was very stressful for me. I had let the enemy control my attitude. I am not proud of that fact, but if it helps somebody, then I’m okay. The issue is resolved though and they have seen the error of their ways. (Yes, they were at fault.)
I will try harder in the future to keep my gun of communication and my ammunition of words under close scrutiny. (What do you think I meant? LOL) As long as the Lord keeps chuckling with (or at) me, I’ll be okay. Does anybody else suffer with my affliction?
.
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
WHAT ABOUT MY CHILDREN?
.
I have been thinking a lot about where man is today. It’s one thing to be in church and hear prophecies about the end of the age and raising hands to God praising Him because He is in control, while I learned about things to come. It was quite another to live through those prophecies. The words spoken from the pulpit wasn’t just words anymore, this time, they were real. It attacked my faith and made me feel uncomfortable.
This country has been my home for all of my 66 years and in my lifetime, I have seen many changes, changes that have hurt us but made us stronger as a nation and a people with a lot of determination and resilience. I have lived through the Second World War, the Korean War, the removal of prayer in school, the assassination of a President, Vietnam, the Gulf war, 9-11, and numerous other events. Now socialism was knocking on the door through corrupt leadership. I wasn’t just hearing about Matthew 24, I was living through it.
I felt torn and began to somewhat question my faith [James 1:3]. Was God really in control? Satan was aligning his forces for a final assault on the Kingdom of God and He appeared to be winning [Psalms 37:12-17].
Should I fight what’s happening in the world today? If I did, would I be fighting against the sovereign will of God. I just knew that I loved the Lord but I also love and have pride in my country and the heritage the Founders gave me. I wondered, is this what the Bible meant when it said that pride cometh before the fall [Proverbs 16:18]. I only knew that there was no doubt that the world today was in a mess and that man was totally depraved.
I said, “Lord, what about my children? What’s to become of them? Look what the world is doing to them with all the indoctrination, stealing their future, and stealing their freedom.” Have you ever said something and as soon as you said it, realized the folly of it? I heard in my spirit, “Look what they did to My Son.”
Am I alone in my thoughts?
.
I have been thinking a lot about where man is today. It’s one thing to be in church and hear prophecies about the end of the age and raising hands to God praising Him because He is in control, while I learned about things to come. It was quite another to live through those prophecies. The words spoken from the pulpit wasn’t just words anymore, this time, they were real. It attacked my faith and made me feel uncomfortable.
This country has been my home for all of my 66 years and in my lifetime, I have seen many changes, changes that have hurt us but made us stronger as a nation and a people with a lot of determination and resilience. I have lived through the Second World War, the Korean War, the removal of prayer in school, the assassination of a President, Vietnam, the Gulf war, 9-11, and numerous other events. Now socialism was knocking on the door through corrupt leadership. I wasn’t just hearing about Matthew 24, I was living through it.
I felt torn and began to somewhat question my faith [James 1:3]. Was God really in control? Satan was aligning his forces for a final assault on the Kingdom of God and He appeared to be winning [Psalms 37:12-17].
Should I fight what’s happening in the world today? If I did, would I be fighting against the sovereign will of God. I just knew that I loved the Lord but I also love and have pride in my country and the heritage the Founders gave me. I wondered, is this what the Bible meant when it said that pride cometh before the fall [Proverbs 16:18]. I only knew that there was no doubt that the world today was in a mess and that man was totally depraved.
I said, “Lord, what about my children? What’s to become of them? Look what the world is doing to them with all the indoctrination, stealing their future, and stealing their freedom.” Have you ever said something and as soon as you said it, realized the folly of it? I heard in my spirit, “Look what they did to My Son.”
Am I alone in my thoughts?
.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)