Therefore let us move beyond the elementary teachings about Christ and be taken forward to maturity
‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭6‬:‭1‬ NIV‬‬

We are a pathetic bunch.

With salvation in pocket, many of us stagnate without the same zealous pursuit of Christian growth and maturity that was demonstrated to us by God when He first sought our souls.

Land that drinks in the rain often falling on it and that produces a crop useful to those for whom it is farmed receives the blessing of God.
‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭6‬:‭7‬ ‭NIV‬‬

We are known by our fruit.
The ripening and ready-for-harvest kind.

We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised.
‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭6‬:‭12‬ ‭NIV‬‬

The saved soul is never satisfied.

Possession of a taste of heaven should be driving us toward greater knowledge, gifts, and heroic actions for the kingdom to which we now belong.

Doing just the bare minimum is an unacceptable lifestyle for a mature “child” of God who fights against growing up and into that which we’ve been called.

If this hurts a little, it probably should. 

Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.

‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭4‬:‭13‬ ‭NIV‬‬

How we conduct ourselves reveals whose we are.

Nothing is hidden,

everything is uncovered.

From day one in the garden, hiding our sins has been a staple of being human.

Our desire to be liked and loved, to be discovered as something we are not, despite the things we have done, is the very thing that keeps us in chains.

Deceit was the trade of the serpent that should have taught us otherwise, but we placed it in our toolkit and have wielded the original sin ever since.

But deception bites back every time at the hard headed and hard hearted who won’t acknowledge they need a Savior who reveals and heals.

Despite deception’s lie, the most attractive people are liked and loved by all not for what they aren’t but for whose they are, crust and all, because they accurately represent themselves.

They’ve no interest in pleasing others when they can please God from whom nothing is hidden, everything is uncovered, and all is forgiven and forgotten, forever.

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.

‭‭2 Timothy‬ ‭4‬:‭7‬ ‭NIV‬‬

I have a dream from which I wake with every certainty that the race has ended and I’ve won.

The track didn’t lead me in directions I’d expected nor traverse exotic and beautiful stops along the way.

It didn’t begin how I’d hoped nor included all I’d wanted, but when it was over, I recognized the destination and it was better than I’d ever imagined.

Not knowing the route, which had always been a source of fear and anxiety, turned out to be the most sensible of all the unknown paths I could have taken.

There was no checkered flag to notify those who’d always hoped for me, there was no crowd.

No floral wreaths or expensive champagne, as there was no winner’s circle in which to stand.

All my work was over.

I’d woken up and yet it had been no dream at all.

While all along I’d been asleep, I was finally awakened for the very first and the very last time in my life.

I give you this charge: Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction.

For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.”

‭‭2 Timothy‬ ‭4‬:‭1‬-‭3‬ ‭NIV‬‬

From politics to toilet tissue, ads sell anything and everything they think you want to know about their product with little regard for the truth.

“You want the truth?

You can’t handle the truth.”

Preach, correct, rebuke, and encourage may be what believers desperately need, but given the option, they all too often take it, and in a heartbeat.

Long haul Christians clearly understand the price that comes with their faith, subjugate their own desires, and opt for the road less traveled.

They have trained themselves to recognize truth from lies, good from evil, and right from wrong.

Particularly in these later days, these are the least popular leaders bearing the least popular message for the most important human era.

The road is narrow.

Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it”.

Matthew 17:13-14 NIV

Your choices today are more weighty than ever for yourself and your family.

Who will you allow in your inner circle to teach and advise? Choose wisely.

I am Jesus Christ

and I approve this message.

Everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evildoers and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.

‭‭2 Timothy‬ ‭3‬:‭12‬-‭13‬ ‭NIV‬‬

The chasm continues to widen.

If it seems the more you practice good, evil on the other side is enjoying a grander heyday, you’re right.

Our enemies are determined to thwart our plans at every turn and to convince us to come to the dark side where victory seems all but certain.

Living the godly life is messy, full of unanticipated reactions and decisions how to stay on track.

Consider the temptation of Jesus when Satan made numerous promises to recruit Him for his team. Jesus responded with truths from the word of God forcing Satan to retreat for a future opportunity.

When you’re persecuted yet know the nature of the battle you’re fighting and know and use the armaments at your disposal, your victory will be more in the process than in the outcome.

The thief comes only to steal, kill, and destroy, but our weapons are superior to any intimidating Death Star.

Know and use the Word of God and stand on His promises and despite what seems to be the outcome, your victory is the promise embedded in the process.

Use the Force, the Word of God.

There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God.

‭‭2 Timothy‬ ‭3‬:‭1‬-‭4‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Whew! That’s an impressive list, especially if you’re into current events.

But Paul can be dramatic.

Lately anything that can point to these being the last days often does so, and with remarkable accuracy.

All his listed traits are alive, thriving, and highly contagious these days.

None are external events but internal ones, observable in those around us and oftentimes also within us. A list like that allows no escape for any of us.

But an escape was provided by Jesus’ death and resurrection and your choice to accept His forgiveness as an unmerited gift.

As a young boy prone to misbehavior, I fully expected no presents for me under the Christmas tree, but there they were, unearned, undeserved, yet provided to me despite what I’d done.

It always blew me away that dad, mom and Santa all loved me so much that they’d still spent time and money on a terrible kid like me.

I learned early on that the love doesn’t go away because of what I’ve done.

It stays because of whose I am.

If a widow has children or grandchildren, they should learn first of all to put their religion into practice by caring for their own family and so repaying their parents and grandparents, for this is pleasing to God.”

‭‭1 Timothy‬ ‭5‬:‭4‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Abandonment of the elderly is widespread in our nation yet nearly unheard of in so many others.

The fact there even exists scriptural instruction on the topic confirms the practice is nothing new.

Years of helping seniors to thrive and survive has often left this warm heart cold and bitter.

Families deliver mom, dad or grandma like a package on the doorstep of assisted living then race home never to be seen nor heard from again.

If you’ve followed me any length of time you’ve read my stories where I was their only ‘family’ present for Thanksgivings, birthdays, and funerals.

I’ve tracked down distant family members more times than I care to enumerate the unanswered emails and disconnected phone numbers of kin.

I’m proud to work with a team who cares and goes the extra mile for a cohort so close to my heart yet so far from those who should.

If you’re a follower of Christ and have yet neglected to fulfill this clear command, Lord have mercy on you at the hour of His return.

Likewise, if you have learned the value of our elders and sacrifice some things in your own present life to demonstrate it, riches and rewards await you.

Sorry for the rant, but I hope when you’re old, feeble, or infirmed, you get back what you have given when the trumpet sounds.

I’ll just leave this right here.

The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron.

‭‭1 Timothy‬ ‭4‬:‭1‬-‭2‬ ‭NIV‬‬

On second thought…

Lacking discernment and good conscience, people will follow anyone or anything without giving a second thought to it.

Media, bad actor politicians, and other influencer$ to name but a few.

Thinking for yourself hasn’t only fallen out of popularity, worse, it’s fallen out of convenience and into habit.

The inconvenient truth however is that God knows we’re lazy and enjoy having our ears tickled even if it means like sheep, some will be shepherded to slaughter by those who would feast on our fattened ignorance.

Wake up sheeple! The spirit of this world conspires against us and that ain’t no theory, it’s a fact.

We are in those ‘later times’ where abandonment of faith in the one Lamb of God, the only good shepherd, is the new religion proselytized by those who are deceitful and hypocritical with seared consciences.

Before you make a fateful decision, give a second thought first to who was the author and still desires the invitation to be the finisher of your faith.

We are His handiwork and His sheep hear His voice.