TITLE: Leaving... By Joanne Durrett 06/27/07 |
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It's been awhile since I've really written my heart. But lately I've been having an overriding thought - leaving...
I've written before on this journal about the coming of the Lord; about it being the theme of Christianity, the earnest expectation, the hope, the goal, the end...and about it being the most secondary topic preached in pulpits. And sometimes I fear that it is exactly as the Bible says, that mainstream Christianity has subconsciously been saying, "The Lord delayeth His coming..."
But I'm not about to rant. It's personal. It's for me.
The Bridegroom cometh, go ye out to meet Him!
Lately I've got leaving on my mind. I'm excited. I do believe that the coming of the Lord is a reality to this generation, and I do not believe that I will leave this earth by way of the grave. I'd very much like to plan for the next fifty years, and I will, but live only for today. He's coming!
I want those words to be the underlining of everything I do. He's coming!
I'm foolish enough to believe it.
My friend Legena was here this weekend, and we talked about lots of things. We talked about the Lord, and about being true. And we talked about the way the world has become frightfully lukewarm, how people have taken the very Bible we consider to be the infallible thoughts of the Living God, and have made it a matter of opinion.
And how each man has carved unto himself his own god; a patchwork of Biblical phrases and human thoughts and has worshipped at the altar of a self-made idol.
And how a Holy God has been shoved aside for a egalitarian God who loves sin as much as sinner and weighs deeds in a fairytale balance so that the adulterer and fornicator and false accuser and evildoer will be able to slip through the pearly gates because they've been generally 'good' and a loving God couldn't possibly have a hell that He would think to send a fragile human being to.
Hey, we can't all be Jesus Christ. Nobody's perfect. In fact, there is no such thing as perfection. There is process and progress and process and...
Be ye therefore perfect... is as much a commandment as Thou shall not kill
There must be an end to all the wonderful process and progress. And that end must be perfection - the literal moving, breathing life of Christ in an individual. Not by works, but by one Spirit...
One Spirit. One.
so many thoughts, so many ideas, so many sermons...and in the end, two in a bed, one taken, one left.
It's like a magnet...He comes for Himself...His Holy Spirit in an individual, His Perfect Holy Spirit.
Not the 'Holy Spirit' that's in you on Sunday morning but ooops, cussed out the neighbour on Monday and ooooops, slept with somebody's wife on Tuesday and ooooops, got drunk on Wednesday but God knows how stressful my life is and hey on Thursday I go to Bible study but oooops, it's Friday night who knows what can happen.
When did 'oooop's become a broken and contrite heart? Since when Bible study became an alternative for repentance and Godly living?
Like I said, this is personal. This is Joanne writing to Joanne. This is Joanne reminding Joanne that God hates lukewarmness, that He would that we were cold or hot. This is Joanne reminding Joanne that God is still a Holy God and that there is no shadow of turning in Him. This is Joanne reminding Joanne that as Israel needed the token of blood to escape the death angel and leave Egypt alive, she needs the token of blood - life - the life of Christ made possible by the indwelling Holy Spirit - to escape the oncoming judgement and leave this world. Nothing less. This is Joanne reminding Joanne that the very essence of Christianity is Have you received the Holy Ghost since you have believed? Have you been baptised into the body? Not only by water, but by one Spirit we are baptised...No? Then seek me at a time when I can be found, call upon me in a day when I am near...
This is a new day for me.
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