The Real One

An acid smell of putrid coal lingers in the air and inflames her throat and nostrils, stinging her eyes. Handkerchief over her mouth and nose, she walks through the thick blanketing haze, discarding her 3rd cigarette for the morning on the cement, leaving the smolder unseen by those uncaring individuals. The great smog of London in 1952 seeped into the lungs and extinguished the lives of over 12,000 people.
Grateful for her last step, Sharon finally reaches her one bedroom apartment, but even as she opens the door the smog seems to invade her room in an haze, dark and sinister cloud. A report like gun fire sounds as a train passes near by and spills the alcohol she is pouring into a glass.She feels like a bird in a oil spill unable to save herself from her destructive life style.
She sees the small Bible  on her desk given to her by a friend. She slowly opens it expecting words of correction to leap off the page and slam her against the wall. Instead Jesus stands in front of her and with precious moments eyes, looking deep within her soul. He bypasses the smell of alcohol breath and speaks to her inner being. No Judgment.
She covers her emotional and physical abuse scares. He gently takes her hands and moves it away from the pain. She allows His light to shine in the agony of her distress. She hugs the Bible attempting to become one with it.

Peak a Boo

When my 1 year old daughter, Aliah or 2 year old granddaughter, Raina wants to become invisible they put their hands over their faces. We can usually get them out of their moods by saying, "Where did Aliah go? or Where did Raina go?" It becomes a game.

When Jonah ran from God and tried to become invisible it was no game. God went after him. I suspect Jonah had good intentions.

The people God wanted Jonah to speak to was not good people. In today's world he could have been told to go to ISIS. Nineveh caused Israel a lot of problems.

I think that if Jonah had an all out attack of rebellion God wouldn't have worked in his life. In the end the Heavenly Will was accomplished through a strange situation.

Turned Back

They were sent in to check out the land. Ten came back with bad reports; two came back with good reports. Majority won out. That land was their goal for many years, now their curse. What did the people expect about the promise? Whatever went through their heads was a falsehood and created a erronious visual effect. "Turn back," commanded God. Millions would travel back in time and come forward in disgrace. They would never see the promised destination.
They would travel back to the place where it all began, in their disappointment. Their first victory was when the Egyptian army was destroyed. At the Red Sea Moses's sister, Miriam sang a song of praise. She was the Israelite's first Worship Leader.We don't see another worship service at the Sea.
Why the Red Sea? God didn't say why, he just said go. They would all die in the wilderness without seeing the promise land. Their children would experience what was promised to them.They would all die in the Wilderness.
They were encamped for several weeks, looking at the expected land. What went through their minds as they waited for, "The Report?" Excitement of actually entering the Promise land must of kept the spirits high. Then the day came. The report came. Disappointment exploded in every corner of the camp.
"Go back!" What? The grumbling must of been horrible. Their gait at a crawl as they turned their backs on the land they drooled over. Unlike when they were traveling towards the promise.
Two men, Caleb and Joshua, brought back positive reports. They would suffer along with the people and return to the start of the journey. They would be forced to go back forty years. They would have time to dream: to enter the land one day. "Give me that mountain," went through Caleb's heart until he made it a reality forty years down the road.
 As I think of this story I'm reminded to look forward in faith. I've suffered backwards walking with the Lord in my past. He took me around a mountain until, by faith, I saw what was real - His promise. Complaining and grumbling took me backwards; faith took me forward. I'm making a declaration to reject the negative reports of the promise and to proclaim the good of the Lord.

Rapture

"The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord. And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved" (Acts 2:20-21).
We woke up this morning to another red moon. A blood red moon, the second in a series of four that will occur over a two year period (2014 & 2015), will be visible in the United States.
I'm reminded that Jesus is coming soon. It could be today. I enjoyed the movie, "Left Behind." It raptured in me Bible Prophecy.