Alien Space Slips

This was one of those unending weeks where alien space slips were landing everywhere (no not alien space ships that can fly us away, but alien space slips - those strange invisible uber terrestrial vehicles that fly in and grab the edges of the time we have and pull it forward while we are not looking) and our only natural response is "where did the time go?". The older we get the more we are troubled by these vessels of time-way robbery, but while younger they were welcomed by our announcements that we were bored and had an urge that mysteriously pushed forward to grow up (that's where they first got us!)

Here is the rub ... The Kids of the Kingdom of God, since the fall in the garden, have been fed a "politically correct" thread of lies from the Serpent via his "world-savvy" evangelists - "Keep your Faith quiet, Be careful not to offend anyone". "Remember, be politely pluralistic - you have a secular and a sacred life to lead and it must be in kept in check." "Worship is for the houses of worship, not the work place."

I would like to state this for the record - There is truly no secular; only fallen tasks that have no Breath because they either violate or ignore the desires of God. There is an attitude in the unregenerate heart of man that leads us to believe that God is not interested in our affairs that provide a living for us here on this side of Heaven. (what a divisive lie!) Every noble task to work on this planet that serves people at some level is a Divinely Called appointment, everyone one of us need to see the grace of God in each task and appointment; and welcome God's desire to walk with us and in us ... into the lives of men who may not realize how much they desperately need Him.

BUT I JUST DON'T HAVE THE TIME TO SHARE THE LOVE OF GOD!!!! (The Alien Space-Slips are ready to pull your time forward!)

Now this is where the wrestling match with "alien space-slips" gets interesting because they do not want us aware of the true power we have over time as God's Kids:

Ephesians 5:16 - "Redeeming the time, because he days are evil." We, as believers and followers of Christ, have the gift to buy back time out of the market place of men's lives because of the Hope of Glory within us. The days being intrinsically without wholeness, without lasting goodness, and down right evil (don't be fooled by the smiles - sin is only a pleasure for a season) carry with them God's mandate that we be about the business of living openly as Good News Advocates. If this advocacy is actively advancing there will be far more comfort appropriated than the momentary discomfort of getting out of our complacent comfort zones. If we get one step beyond the Serpent's lies we will realize that Love waits there with a rescue.

Colossians 4:5 - "Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time." Stand upright and move forward in the wisdom of the words of scripture when dealing with those outside "The Door" ... Buy the time... out of the present squandering of their life way and lead them lovingly into God's Way. The only wasted life is a life in Christ that has been neutralized and paralyzed by the lies of the Devil (The first lie he loves for us to believe is that he does not exist).

Special note for Good News Advocates: Actually - " alien space-slips" work mostly on the minds of those who have no positive plan to make an impact on the Kingdom of men during this clash time with the kingdom of God. Plan to redeem the time by living openly for Jesus everyday.

In the squeeze of life that comes because of the "time limit" - don't lose out, and don't give in - remember the people around you - love the people around you, and activate your advocacy by being ready to give an answer to every man who humbly asks you ... "What is the reason that you live with such hope?"

We say, "No one ever asks!" -- I guess we have some redeeming to do to get the jump on the "alien space-slips".

HLFA

Jeff

There Came a Leper

I heard the News, a Healing One was going to pass my way and this would be that opportunity that I needed to be free from the debilitating effects of Tzaraath. BUT What was the proper way to approach such a One that could cause Him to heal me? What would I need to orchestrate a display of my sincerity in my approach to Him?

I was slowly becoming a social outcast since first contracting the disease. I am still not sure how the infection began but it manifested itself near my mouth, eyes, ear, nose and hands. What I saw first were very slightly uncolored (almost bleached white) patches of receptive tissue. At first it was easy to cover up on my own because it was small in its physical manifestation and could be easily covered with a good foundational makeup. But as it infected more and more of the parts of my body, the cover-up became more and more difficult.

To those outside my "slow death" affliction, I was becoming more disfigured, increasing clumsy and more repulsive. Oh, I forgot to tell you about the numbness that was setting in as my body tried to fight off the disease all by itself. The Tzaraath began working its way into my nerve centers with a relentless inflammation that was destroying the sense of touch and the awareness of pain. The body literally was stunned into a state of growing collective and receptive ignorance, allowing this uncontrollable response: the good cells would rope off the infected cells creating a total disconnect from true healing.

Being trapped in this walking death, the only way I knew to cope was through a reclusive ambiguity and limited communication with the uninfected (I was embarrassed). Most of my outcry for help was now vented via the "unclean" chat sites (that I later found were set up to trap those like me and further wall us away from society). But while I sought out these "fellowship of suffering" chat sires, I kept seeing posts of a different type of Hope.

I was learning that I was not alone and that there was a cure -- there was One that had the cure. I needed Him, and if only I could find Him ... I would fall at His feet and let Him know that I believed that He was my only Hope. At His feet I would remain, at His steps I would follow, I would throw my life completely at His mercy, and I would not leave Him or let Him go ... Here is where worship in Truth and Spirit would arise. And the assembly saw this and said "Cast out the Leper!"

Matthew 8:2 - "And behold, there came a leper and worshipped Him, saying, LORD, if Thou wilt, Thou canst make me clean".

O Church of the Living God - It is imperative that we catch this snapshot of TRUE worship (for it is repeated over and over and over in the Words of scripture) "BEHOLD" -- "THERE CAME A LEPER" this is where worship begins, not with a high powered, emotionally driven worship service, nor with flashy shows of "look at me on stage with my sanctimonious expression of pumped up sincerity" and cries to join in "if you really mean it too". Stop the distortion for a moment and "BEHOLD" --"THERE CAME A LEPER AND WORSHIPPED HIM" - watch the Leper humbly bow his rotting frame, open his wounded heart, and pour out his shattered spirit before JESUS. The Leper has absolutely nothing to offer but knows that only Jesus has what he truly needs. "SAYING, LORD, IF THOU WILT" - Lord, You are able and if you desire, if you long to, if you are willing to... if you will LOVE ME ... "YOU can make me clean".

Worship is -- staying before Jesus until You realize the truth -- There is no "IF" with our God when it comes to us ... that He is not only able, but His desire, His longing, His will .. is to LOVE US in an Extravagantly Extraordinary Way.

Don't get caught up in the obscenity that has always waltzed in and out of the Kingdom, that unknowingly but purposely is isolating the Kids of the Kingdom into thinking that a "Worship Service" is a way to get God to see our sincerity and therefore respond to our need.

Sorry Lepers -- we just need to quit pretending we are OK, and lay our rot before Him and let the "IF" be destroyed by His desire to love us ... Let us stay before Him, until we realize He has reached out and touched us.

Matthew 8:3 - "And Jesus put forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I will; be thou clean. And immediately his leprosy was cleansed."

HLFA,

Jeff

What is that smell?

What is that? You know...that smell...my nose is picking up a hormonic frequency that is either including me or excluding me via my olfactory organs which send a signal immediately to my brain for consideration. It could be a sharp stench that repulsed me or a savory smell that draws me. My nasal receptors are wired for memory protection as well as memory comfort. While I was young my mind began cataloging events not just by sight and sound, but by smell. Some of the most vivid memories (good and bad) were created around a certain smell.

Can there be a smell that reminds us of triumph? Can there be a smell that hosts conflict and brings prideful remorse?

2 Corinthians 2:14 -17 - "Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place. For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish: To the one we are the savour of death unto death; and to the other the savour of life unto life. And who is sufficient for these things? For we are not as many, which corrupt the word of God: but as of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God speak we in Christ."

Triumph...what a word! {In Christ, triumph is a little different than most of us would think - since we walk in victory, the triumph of Christ brings humble peace to those who receive Him, with humility it disrupts those in the valley of decision, and it humbles and terrifies those that stand in rejection.}

Immediately the day greets us (give it few moments) with reminders of how we are out-of-sync with the "in" people that feel they have the corner of the market in knowledge and beauty. Anyone that doesn't carry the same verbs and vibe is immediately written out of the inner circle. It seems there is a pride to own a certain number of friends and to keep a number of outcasts at bay for differentiation. Many of us are outcasts that love the outcast(of course we will pick the outcasts that we want to own as friends and keep a few "in" people at a distance so that we can claim that we are somewhat normal).

In the midst of our daily interactions with all kinds of people, we have to pull away every once and awhile and check our body odors to see if that could be the cause of our invisibility. We then stop and take a breathe to catch a Scent of Heaven to realize a powerful truth... Jesus came out of invisibility and offered the miraculous only to remain in ambiguity by those who thought they had it together. He keeps us together, we do not have it together.

Men that portend to have self sufficiency will potentially curse their lives with a death scent that moves people away from them instead of toward them. In their time of true need no one will believe that they have a need. Not being able to admit that we "need" is a debilitating disease that eventually chokes us with a prideful paralysis that will not allow us to receive help even "if and when" we truly need it.

According to the Scripture above -- WE STINK -- Face it!! And count on it by faith .. Huh? Through God's saving grace, those who have received Him give of a vertical and horizontal sweet smell. That smell of Christ in us "the Hope of Gory" thrills our God and our brothers and sisters with the memory reminder of the Peace that passes understanding; but that same sweet smell discomfits and reminds the Christ rejector of his or her disconnect. To the believer the triumphant smell is sweet, to the unbeliever it reeks road kill.

OK - Sweet Smelling, Church Triumphant - Let's move forward with sincerity, speaking the words "in Christ" to point as many as possible to that extravagant eternal love relationship with Jesus Christ.

What is that smell in your life?

Is it Jesus?

HLFA,

Jeff