Michael continues: If I were the Devil I'd make the symbol of Easter an egg and the symbol of Christmas.... a bottle. If I were the Devil I would take from those who have, and give to those who wanted, until I had killed the incentive of the ambitious. And what will you bet I couldn't get whole states to promote gambling, as the way to get rich. I would caution against extremes: In hard work, In patriotism, In moral conduct. I would convince the young that marriage is old fashioned, that adulterous swinging is more fun. That what you see on TV, is the way to be. And thus I could undress you in public, and I could lure you into bed, with diseases for which there is no cure. In other words if I were the Devil I'd just keep right on doing what he's doing.” The devil says, don’t follow the Lord, instead march to your own drumbeat of your own cadence. Just be a casual Christian. Don’t over-commit but do what you want to do when you want to do it. if it feels good do it. Motivate yourself by the God-rejecting world’s priorities. The pursuit of happiness through wealth, fame, and fortune, and self-satisfaction.
Robert Unger wrote a pamphlet about coming home. He described a house with a living room, a bed room, a dining room, a kitchen and a storage attic, and a den. There is a library with easy chairs and books. The Lord said, let’s spend a few minutes each morning for a little time together. You start to get to know the Lord. One morning, you need to get to work for an early morning meeting. You don’t have time to visit the library to spend time with the Lord. As the affairs of life take a priority, you rush out of the house to make your commitments at work. Then after a few weeks you walk by the library and notice that Jesus is sitting in the easy chair. He says, I’ve missed you. Only Jesus Christ can balance grace and truth. Jesus said, I’ve notice that at work you took liberty with your business dealings. You stretched the truth and you were not dealing in good faith as you had before. When you spent time with Me you were blessed in blessing others from a heart that loves Me and loves others. What has happened to your heart?
Christianity is not a casual pursuit once a week on Sunday morning. Jesus said, “walk with me.” Regarding the daily walk with our Lord, Jesus said, apart from me you can do nothing. You can’t do life on your own. You need Me and the fellowship of Christian believers in the body of Christ, those whom the Lord has called out from the darkness of this world to walk in the light. This is why the Scripture says, walk in light as He is in the light and the blood of Jesus Christ will cleanse us from all unrighteousness, Therefore, take no thought about tomorrow, for tomorrow will take care of the things of tomorrow. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof. Walk with me because each day is a day’s journey; walk with me one step at a time and one day at a time.
Life is like a train. There is an engine, representing faith, a coal car, representing the Spirit, and a caboose which represents feelings. If you’re led by the caboose of feelings, then the train will derail. The engine of faith must pull the load. For neither uncircumcision, nor uncircumcision avails anything, but believing faith which worketh in love. After King David was confronted about His sin with Bathsheba, he wrote a psalm of repentance: “Lord, you know my every thought and have numbered the hairs of my head. search me O God and know my heart and see if there be any hurtful way of unrighteousness thing in me. Cleanse me and lead me in your way everlasting.” When we get to the end of the rope, in desperation, we will come to the realization that when He’s all we’ve got, He’s all we need. As Mother Theresa said, God works best with nothing. I must decrease that He may increase to the point that it’s all of thee and none of me.
As the psalmist said, Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful…. Why? Because his delight is in the law of the Lord and in his law doth he meditate day and night… What will this produce? He shall be like a tree that is planted by the rivers of water that brings forth his fruit in due season… his leaf also shall not wither, but what he doeth shall prosper. We live for the ones we love. When we love God above all, it’s no burden to do that which is well pleasing, acceptable unto Him. Therefore, cleanse my heart O Lord. Make me a vessel of thy peace that the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart may be acceptable in Thy sight, O Lord, my strength and my redeemer, that we may ever live to the praise of the glory of Thy grace!
Your brother in Christ, Michael
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