Time Between The Times

Don't forget....
Vineyard Recovery Fellowship will be meeting this Saturday night / 7 p.m. at Gadsden Vineyard Church. Downtown Gadsden on Broad between 4th and 5th streets.

What's in store?
Well, we are going to open with Galatians 1:4
"Who (Jesus) gave Himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, to whom be glory ever and ever, Amen."

We are living in a time between the times. Paul refers to it as the "present" evil age. We are living in a time between Jesus' first appearance here on earth, and his 2nd coming which will take place at some point. No doubt about it, it truly is the present evil age. Common sense seems to have been cast aside, along with moral restraint and it is an "anything" goes society.

Tolerance is the catch phrase and there are tons of tolerance for everyone, except when your view differs, then you are labeled as being intolerant. How can you label me intolerant when you are espousing tolerance? Rejecting me because your sense of right and wrong has been uncovered. The real thought behind tolerance is that anything goes. No one  has the right to stand up and say..."Dude, the king has no clothes on!" Do that, and you're being intolerant. I guess that is one of the reasons I love Jesus. He spent his time simply stating the truth, backing up what he'd taught with displays of power to validate his ability and authority. Jesus always left the decisions of who He was to the crowd. Isn't that how real truth is and should be. You declare it and then leave it in the hands and heads of those you have spoken to? I think so. Some how we've gotten the idea that it isn't just enough to share the truth, we've got to hammer it home until the crowd collectively yells, "UNCLE!" I'm such a pharisee. Don't mean to be. Good intentions, but my flesh gets all up in my theology sometimes, and I come across like a huge religious goober for Jesus. I'm a work in progress, so know that if I am teaching or putting something here on this blog, it probably is because I've been uncovered in my own heart and God is setting me straight.

Part of the whole "salt and light" thing God called us to be is that we would influence our towns and communities. I will be the first to admit that I make more than my fair share of mistakes in this whole salt and light concept. Sometimes God wants me to be a beacon/spotlight, but I let my flesh get in the way and I turn out to be nothing more than a birthday candle. Not quiet the bright shinning example I'm called to be. But you know what? God gives a lot of grace when you mess up, if you're trying to be who Jesus has called you to be. News Flash! The whole confession/ repentence/ forgiveness thing is not just for those poor souls who are first coming to Jesus. I think the big 3 (confession, repentence, forgiveness) should be a part of your tool belt when you leave home every day.  Here again, somewhere down the line, some religious types got it in their collective noggins that we should all look like we don't mess up. What will those outside the church think if we run around confessing and repenting of stuff? Well, they might think, "Wow! I want to be a part of those folks...they might have some answers for my screwed up life." To me, it's all part of that whole I-Want-To-Live-Transparent-And-Open lifestyle that God desires of me.
Try it....
You might like it!

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Important: We have a young man, currently going through the program at Rapha, who is very much in need of prayer. He is a long way from home, and got word yesterday that his infant daughter has been hospitalize with a very serious infection. She has been quarantined and the doctor's are at a loss because the infection has not responded to treatment.
I'm asking you to pray for God's healing to this little girl.
For God's Spirit to comfort this man and his family as they find themselves in a very difficult situation.
Ask God to supernaturally empower the doctors, nurses and staff of that hospital to deal with this infection.
We recognize that God is the true healer, so we ask that he would touch her body and remove the infection.

I will keep you updated.

God on you...
mb