Everybody needs a Daddy

The stars were still shining above me when I stirred awake at 4 A.M. this morning. The temperature had dropped into the 50's.  It was warm under my comforter and electric blanket. Hunkering down,  I reached for my cell phone beside my bed, punched in the audio to the Book of Hebrews and settled into the nurturing embrace of my Heavenly Father. Before putting my feet on the cold deck floor I lay there thinking. By now the sun was up and so were the birds. I thought about Cassius Clay's televised memorial service that I watched last week.  His wife carefully chose those she knew would laud him. ...and they did. ...on and on and on.  Just like Cassius' (Muhammad Ali's) boastful claims, all agreed that he was "the greatest". ...and he was a great fighter. ...no doubt about it.  Cassius was a Muslim. Muslims don't believe that Allah is a god of love. They are told that murdering "infidels" (That's us!) pleases Allah.The Truth that  "God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but will have everlasting life" is suppressed by fear.  His Truth, however is "marching on!" Muslims around the world are coming to Him. Jesus is showing up in their dreams;  the Light of the Gospel is being broadcast into heretofore dark places; missionaries are reporting that many Muslims are coming to Christ in their assigned countries. I am in touch this very morning with a couple who are in the thick of the battle for Muslim souls in Indonesia where one quarter of the world's Muslims live. The cutthroat evil one is going after Christians in America. He hates it that we support these sacrificing missionaries around the world.  It is no surprise that He is using a pagan belief to wake up Christians. Satan means the Orlando slaughter for evil; God means it for good. Only a Christian who knows biblical history (such as Joseph's) can understand that. The Church, as we have known it faces persecution. Muslims around the world drop to their knees five times a day, facing toward Mecca in prayer to a god they can never please.  We are called to "pray without ceasing" to our God Who is pleased with us already because we have received His Son as the sacrifice for our sin. "It is finished!" He sees us as "right in His eyes" because of the righteousness of Christ, imputed to us.

The media is a powerful influence in blinding the undiscerning regarding suppressed Truth that has led to a downright lie. "Professing to be wise, they became fools...therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, that their bodies might be dishonored among them. They exchanged the Truth of God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rathet than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions, for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural, and in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and turned in their desire towards one another: men with men committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error. and just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper".  Romans 1:22-28.  There's more. I suggest that you read it. Homosexuality is now not only tolerated, but is celebrated. The family, as we have known it, with a providing/protective male dad and therefore,  a secure, nurturing female mother is no longer the "norm"....and we are required to embrace a "new normal".

Still not ready to crawl out from under the warmth of my covers I got to thinking about the Roman emperors who insisted upon being worshiped as the only true god.  It was the true Christians who believed that Jesus was/is God-in-the-flesh that were sacrificed to the lions, torn from limb to limb between racing horses and burned alive. ...and worse. The homosexual rulers didn't mind a bit if Jesus was called a "prophet". ...but "IMMANUEL"?  GOD WITH US?  Unthinkable! Inexcusable Should not that historical fact bring us to our knees as we watch the unfolding of satan's ploys to discredit true Christians? There really is "nothing new under the sun",  is there?

My earthly father was not equipped to tell me about Jesus. He could not give me what he did not have.  I was taught by his example, however to work.  Dad was a hard-working farmer. He ran a government agent off our land  (calling him an "educated jackass")  who told him not to plant wheat in order to qualify for monies from the government called "subsidies". My Irish dad's ranting words: "I'll give this country fifty years before it goes under!" are embedded in my soul. He missed the timing a couple of decades but he had the principle right. My earthly father came to know his Heavenly Father when he was seventy-five years old. 

We in the Body of Christ are given the God-honoring assignment of serving Him because He first served us...not out of fear, but out of love. "Perfect love casts out fear." Oh, dear Father, may Your love through us help others to push out the lies  that are packed into the confused minds of people all around us. 

O.K. Enough. Shall we "set our minds on things above where Christ dwells at the right hand of God the Father?" Let's do,  "For it is by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves. It is the gift of God lest anyone should boast."

                                           FREELY, FREELY

God forgave my sin in Jesus' Name; I've been born again in Jesus' Name.
And in Jesus' Name I come to you to share His love as He told me to.

All power is given in Jesus' Name; in earth and heaven in Jesus' Name.
And in Jesus' Name I come to you to share His power as He told me to.

He said, "FREELY, FREELY, YOU HAVE RECEIVED.
FREELY, FREELY GIVE.
GO IN MY NAME AND BECAUSE YOU BELIEVE,
OTHERS WILL KNOW THAT I LIVE!"

Love, Jo