What he would reveal in the short moment to those being pushed by the hands of time? He had a poorly scribbled sign asking for "money or food" ... he was a "wounded veteran". He had a prosthetic leg that he was taking off and on; and almost appeared to be shaking it with anger at those that passed him by. Did he feel that everyone owed him because of his wounds? I have met wounded warriors, and my heart goes out to them. I find humble and broken souls trying to make the most of the next steps in their lives, but this was almost appalling and despicable in its presentation... from someone I did not know!
Song of Solomon 4:7 - "Thou art all fair, my love; there is no spot in thee."
John 15:9 - "As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you; continue ye in my love."
Flashback: Friday morning, woke up, but still broken hearted because of a movement afoot to remove the Bride from her key connection to the Groom ... His Spirit Breathed Love Letter. I was on my way to morning prayer and needed a clarification to wrap my thinking around. I needed to remove myself from the judgmental attitude that I was carrying so that I could approach the throne of grace to find help, not vengeance.
Then, there at the end of the exit ramp he sat - I saw the angry one legged man... and here is where my thoughts went. (Perhaps these benevolent deceivers have experienced a great disappointment that scarred them for life, only Christ can make them "New".)
I truly believe that the Charismatic Bible Deniers are much like the angry one legged man ... something stormed or slithered into their lives or their kingdom walk, knocked their spiritual feet out from under them, made them bitter at a portion of the Word of God, and now they use this busy intersection of faith and doubt to unknowingly shake their prosthetic replacement in the faces of those who listen and will follow.
These that offer a Prosthetic faith truly cannot connect their disappointments to the goodness of God . It possibly scares them that no amount of positive thinking will rescue a loved one from a terminal disease, bring back someone from the dead or stop a small child's suffering. They would like to shout the enemy away and sing fear into the hearts of all that oppose them. Their creed carries damnable heresies all riding on the power of a positive attitude that will not accept negativism... "For our God is Great and our God is Good, there is no room for negativity." They haven't quite figured out that "No" could be a rescue.
Please don't judge me as cruel and unfeeling; but while we should always be kind and loving to people, there are times when we need to fearlessly snatch some, having compassion, from the beckoning flames of Hell, even though we despise the very garment they are wearing. We may have to proclaim some negative truth in order to administer a healing.
Jesus came to those who knew they were in need of a physician. Admitting their "illness" allowed them to see that Jesus was the answer. Only in Christ can I be declared righteous ... "just as if I had never sinned". Proof of this declaration is only found in the Word of God. No man can declare us children of God without our taking personal responsibility for our faith moment to leave our sin at Calvary.
Sin is abominable in the sight of God. No sin will enter God's presence. Death is sin's penalty. Hell is the ultimate penalty for the Devil, his fallen angels, and Christ rejectors. Jesus' death on the Cross paid the price to free believers from the ultimate penalty. His resurrection secures their lives ... because He lives they will never die. His Spirit is their security deposit while He teaches them (every time they open the Word) and changes them so that they are less and less like the world, and more an more like Jesus. Some day maybe soon they will hear the voice of their Eternal Love.... "Well done!"
Don't use your disappointments to separate you from God, let your disappoints carry you right into His arms.
HLFA,
Jeff
No prosthetic faith...give me Jesus!