Monday, June 10, 2019

DEFAULT

DEFEATING PERSONAL DEFAULT The war is spiritual. For we war not against flesh and blood but against spiritual wickedness in high places. There words, these precepts, from Ephesians 6:12 more fully declare: Ephesians 6:12 King James Version (KJV) 12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. King James Version (KJV) Public Domain Most wars are physical, involving clash of arms, death , destruction. More recently, Mahatma Gandhi, Kwame Nkrumah, Dr. Martin Luther King, jr., Nelson Mandela have all shown that physical death need not ensue massively in order to secure a victory for the oppressed ; to win, to triumph. These recent lessons from history should encourage us. But unless and until additional lessons are learned and applied from the Bible in individual daily lives respecting the duty of every person to acquire knowledge , to evince self-disciplined perfection, to love self, to love family, to love community, love of God and nature, there is likely to be a stultifying, a falling away, a backsliding default! We live in the default. In the midst of the great falling away! But there is hope! One need but to turn from their wicked ways @ 2 Chr. 7:14: 2 Chronicles 7:14 King James Version (KJV) 14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. These simple ethical lessons are olden, golden, lessons which are intended for those who are the called by God ; called by the still quiet voice of the Creator of all. For your life is not your own, however much it may appear to be so! Be you ever so guilty of "sin", you are still here, now, for a divine reason, rather than elsewhere in time and space, already dead or yet unborn. So get to work on yourself, perfect yourself by acquiring knowledge, by applying love to yourself, family, community; by obeying commands from the Heavenly Father; never fearing what you cannot control like death or incapacity or not winning! Emerge from the default state, your personal default state of inertia, of self-doubt, of uncertainty, of self-hatred! Pick up your bed and walk! These precepts may appear to be directed at you. They are not. They are aimed solely at me. If, even so, there is strengthening, if there is a valued encouragement for you too, give God the glory for connection! Amen.