A time of testing

The LORD your God is testing you to find out if you really love him with all your heart and with all your soul. Deuteronomy 13:3 GW

Change, that product of our own human desires or God's driven purpose for us, happens in life. It is too often turbulent and often seems like a 'crap shoot' in the scheme of things. Sometimes it is unwished for, sometimes forced, and never without a host of other things that need to change with it.

They say that faith without works is dead and works without faith is nothing. I would add to that, faith without testing will blow like chaff in the wind. And this is where the church is most deficient in its teachings.

In the military, the whole point of bootcamp (at least in my day) was to break the individual down to basics and then rebulid them into an efficent and effective sailor/solider for the rigors of military life. That life where split second decisions can give you the option of living or dying. Everything is changed; from the language used to describe basic objects (bathroom is called the Head, for example), a different way of thinking, and a multitasking ability to handle two or three life or death situations all at once.

In the Christian faith, there are few it seems who are willing to go through this testing, or who fail to dig in full heartily to the changing process. They are too often afraid that they will lose the 'fun' in life, rather than realize that they will learn new ways to have that 'fun'. It is the core that changes, the core that we have sinful and self-serving from birth. When the core becomes salvation proofed, then the outward appearances change. Then we begin to testify without saying a word.

With the windstorms of change that are happening in my life, I am forced more and more to my knees. Not in request mode, where I list the worries and the needs before the White Throne of God, but rather in prayerful consideration of this powerful, holy, and righteous God who has called me His son. What can He do for me doesn't come across my mind as much as how will this testing glorify Him?

I would love to have a peaceful day, rejoined with the dreams of a future gone and a hope lost, but that doesn't seem to be what will happen in this time of trials. So I can be embittered to God, as I have been in the past, or harken to hear His voice proclaiming that He has a plan 'not to harm, but to bless" me.

Change is too often good, but is always hard when undergoing the change. To give oneself willing to another that seems bend to destroy you is a very foolish thing to do. But, when you realize that the One changing you has nothing but the future in mind, you can dig into the process with full hearted expectation.

But it is always someone else who causes change in our life.

Who will you entrust with overseeing such times in your life?

My view.....

I posted an article a year ago, which was a repost of an article I wrote for the Republic (I think) magazine, entitled "We have forgotten the face of our Father," which I have copied below:

"You have forgotten the face of your father." is a warning that the main character, Gunslinger Roland of Gilead, gives in the Stephen King series "The Dark Tower."

America is ill. America is in danger of dishonoring her mighty past and bright future. America, the beautiful, is struggling with a cosmetic allergy from the adornment of makeup that she has placed upon her body. The skin deep cosmetics of intolerable tolerance, political incorrectness, misdirection, minority rule over the majority, misspoken truth, and outright liberal lies have caused a cancerous growth to overshadow her natural beauty. Are there medical personnel in the country that can affect treatment and rescue the beautiful health of America? Is there a DOCTOR in the house? Or is it Stage 4 cancer, without hope?

America has forgotten the face of her earthly fathers; those brave and religious figures that stood against the tyranny of the mother country and dared to dream of a republic. We need to "Read up on what happened before you were born; dig into the past, understand your roots. Ask your parents what it was like before you were born; ask the old-ones, they'll tell you a thing or two." Deuteronomy 32:7 (MSG). She has forgotten, too, the face of her Heavenly Father.

But therein lies my reason I stand upon the shore of this country, with my fist raised in American pride. Because I and others have not forgotten the face of My Father. Because we have sought out the old, the reliable paths as the LORD spoke to His people, the Israelites in Jeremiah 6:16 (NET) to do, "Ask where the old, reliable paths are. Ask where the path is that leads to blessing and follow it. Then you will find rest for your souls."

Throughout Israel's history, the people have corporately and nationalistically turned their backs upon the Father of their ancestor Abraham, the God of the faithful. They turned to the Pharisitical religion of works and assumed that as their God. And the God of Love, the God of Abraham, sometimes with wrath and sometimes with grace, instructed and called back His wayward children.

I have faith that this country can once again rise as a beacon in the darkness of despair and shine with the powerful light of the Holy Spirit. Because there is historical proof that the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob had the power and grace to deliver another nation time and time again if its people looked to Him.

But the ultimate grace that gives me hope that America will once again find her way and seek the God of her ancestors, are the words of Katharine Lee Bates, "O beautiful for pilgrims feet, whose stem impassioned stress a thoroughfare for freedom beat across the wilderness. America! America! God shed His grace on thee till paths be wrought through wilds of thought by pilgrim foot and knee."


It seems that I've drawn the ire of an anonymous poster who found it almost a year later. It amazes me how people will selectively read articles.

"This is not, and has never been, a Christian nation. It was founded on several principles, among which is freedom of religion. Would you really impose your beliefs upon others who disagree. If so, be prepared for a backlash, and not a pretty one, at that. You seem to believe in freedom for only yourself and people like you. If that is true, then you can kindly go off and found your own country, because that view is antithetical to the principals that this nation was founded upon."

The contest was entitled "Why I have hope for America" and was looking for the reason why, if indeed you did, have hope for America's future. I believe that we have gotten so far away from the scope and depth of the 'original experiment' that we are attacking the core of what drove our founding fathers, their faith, and their reasoning behind leaving England for the promise of being able to practice their faith freely.
The notion of "religious freedom" has become distorted, just like the Christian principle of 'tolerance'. I can believe what I believe, and you can disagree. That's tolerance. I tolerate your views as you tolerate mine. Unfortunately, we find that only the Christian faith is being attacked, that traditions and values so often found in the history of America are being removed because they have christian foundations. Shock and horror that we have a society that is in opposition to itself.
But, we seem to feel free to allow our Congress to 'commend' a faith that has extremists who killed thousands of Americans as they worked or tried to rescue those who were hurt in the initial attacks. We feel that 'religious freedom' includes the sounding of a religious bell in a community even if there is several people who don't want to hear it; a)because it bothers them sounding four or five times a day, or b)because they don't believe in that faith. Yet, SEPARATION of CHURCH and STATE (that very distorted comment made by T. Jefferson), seems to only apply to Christians.
Mr (or Mrs) Anonymous didn't read the article, I guess, but assumed that I wish to impose a Christian agenda on my fellow countrymen and women. Funny, I thought that I was engaging in my freedom of speech rights and was stating a view that I believe. I didn't force them to read, accept, and attend my church or get kicked out of America.
History will stand in judgment. And on that day that I believe is coming where we all stand, not before a god but THE God, then that will be the day when my beliefs and my faith are imposed upon everyone. The Bible says it and I believe that it will happen. But, it won't be me imposing my beliefs on anyone, it will be God.
I guess, as I speak out on my beliefs, call out to my countrymen and women to look to the facts, logic, and historical proofs of Jesus Christ, more hate will spew out.

Oh well, it could be worse. I could be killed for being an infidel, as it seems the author would imply. Or I could be the target of more hate mail by anonymous writers who speak in anger.

Who's imposing their beliefs on whom?

"As for me and my house, we will follow the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob who's only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, died upon a cross for the sins of all mankind."

If you don't agree, that is your right as an American.

Free Will wasn't an American invention.