Distracted Into Darkness

You will indeed hear but never understand, and you will indeed see but never perceive. For this people’s heart has grown dull, and with their ears they can barely hear, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and turn, and I would heal them.

Matthew 13:14-15

The Sound of Silence

Arms raised moving side-to-side throughout the crowd, giving the appearance of something similar to that which you’d see at most sporting events – people joyfully, even passionately, cheering for their favorite team. I sat on my couch, staring at the TV as it was broadcasting live from some large city in America that I can’t even remember the name of now. The waving motion created a unifying movement of people that momentarily distracted me from comprehending what was actually happening. People in the crowd were shouting. All around, law enforcement officers dressed in riot gear clashed with them. This scene was beginning to take place in cities throughout the country in the spring of 2020.

Even in my state of momentary numbness as I accepted what was going on, I wondered, “How did we get here? How could this happen? How bad is this gonna get?”

In the midst of all the shouting, suddenly, I couldn’t hear anything.

I clearly saw the young woman on the screen at the time. She was shouting and appeared very upset, angry even. People were all around her, shouting too.

Sound escaped me as I could not hear God amongst those voices. As loud as they all were, I only heard silence.

I saw all these people – hundreds, thousands – coming together over a social issue, and sadness filled me. They had not come to worship God or glorify His name. Shouts of praise did not echo down the streets. No. For them, where was God? Where did He rank? I wanted to know.

The Sound of Silence had a new meaning to me. I thought about the song I had loved so much since I was a child. It seemed to uniquely speak to what I personally was experiencing along with society as a whole. That connection would only become more surreal as time passed and people everywhere began to kneel in solidarity for this social issue. They did not kneel in prayer or subjection to God. They knelt for man.

And the people bowed and prayed

To the neon god they made

Paul Simon

The Heart of the Matter

Do not misunderstand me, this particular social issue was not, and is not, all that has disrupted our lives in the past several years. More was happening, more came, and more is yet to come. But it was at that moment when I began to focus on the heart of the matter, which is the root of the tree that bears such fruit. The heart of the matter is that millions of people in the world do not put God first in their lives, if at all. They did not gather in the streets for the sake of God, but for their own sake.

 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness…

Matthew 6:33

 Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.

Mark 12:30

The heart of the matter is the heart of man. What is your heart captive to?

I admit, I have never felt more like I’m living in the middle of some dystopian writer’s worst nightmare than I do now. Civil unrest, political upheaval, control ceded and receding, faith under attack in the most free places, the line between the haves and the have-nots growing exponentially, fake news here – misinformation there, world-wide plagues, division everywhere, UFOs, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera. However, there is nothing new under the sun, (Ecclesiastes 1:9).

Right about now, some of you may be thinking that I mean the born again child of God shouldn’t care about the people of this world. That’s not what I’m saying at all. The love of Christ shed abroad in your heart won’t allow you to be indifferent. Christ cared so much for people that He died for us. We love and care for all people. We see none as greater than others and none as less. Whether you are born male or female, black, white or any color in-between is a beautiful gift from God. Pretending man can shackle that gift by default with a life sentence of victim or oppressor – or anything else – is a LIE and not of God. The same God that made you – made me.

We must guard our hearts, and ensure that nothing – no person, cause, ideal, or anything – takes the place of God. Do not abandon your first love, (Revelation 2:5).

My son, pay attention to my words; Don’t lose sight of them; keep them within your heart. For they are life to those who find them, and health to one’s whole body. Guard your heart above all else, for it is the source of life. Don’t let your mouth speak dishonestly, and don’t let your lips talk deviously. Let your eyes look forward; fix your gaze straight ahead. Carefully consider the path for your feet, and all your ways will be established. Don’t turn to the right or to the left; keep your feet away from evil.

Proverbs 4:20-27

The Mission

Regardless of whatever is going on in the world, or how loud the noise gets, the mission remains the same. We are a light to the world; here to share the Gospel everywhere, (Matthew 5:14-16 & 28:18-20). We are in the world – not of it, (John 17:14-16).

It is easy to get distracted from that mission. Distraction is Satan’s favorite ploy. He absolutely wants to distract the children of God from fulfilling their mission, and when he is successful – that’s what darkness looks like.

Be sober-minded, be alert. Your adversary the devil is prowling around like a roaring lion, looking for anyone he can devour. Resist him, firm in the faith, knowing that the same kind of sufferings are being experienced by your fellow believers throughout the world.

1 Peter 5:8-9

Stay aware and be prepared. Take heed to how cunning Satan is and remember that he is the Father of Lies, (John 8:44). Put on the whole armor of God every day, (Ephesians 6:11-18). Be the watchman who warns the city, not the one who fails to, (Ezekiel 33:1-6). Stay focused on Jesus.

Much work is yet to be done until Kingdom comes. Remember what Jesus said:

The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest. Go your way; behold, I am sending you out as lambs in the midst of wolves. 

Luke 10:2-3

God equipped each one of His children with the ability to fulfill His mission:

“His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us to His own glory and excellence, by which He has granted to us His precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire. For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins. Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall.”

2 Peter 1:3-10

I was born-again free, and I will die free…no matter how bad things may get, because the joy of the Lord is my strength, (Nehemiah 8:10). We live in a fallen world. Injustice, lies, wrong, & evil will always exist here. If you’ve read the book of Revelation, you already know we should expect things to get worse, but we live from the standpoint of victory for we are more than conquerors, (Romans 8:33-39). So, even if you find you no longer have the rights you once had and you wind up behind bars, follow the example of your risen Savior. I find no mention of Him protesting or rioting or leading others to do so. It was He who said, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” Have discernment on what is God’s. Stand for the Truth of God as Jesus did, yet He did not hide or fight when they came to arrest Him. He said very little on His own behalf during His unfounded trial, and a more innocent man has never been born. When you understand why He did that, you understand the love of God. Therefore, if you find yourself taking a ride in a police car to jail, praise the Lord for He has given you a prison ministry.

I am able to do all things through Him who strengthens me.

Philippians 4:13

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