It's about love

I feel I have lost the country I once loved. I look at America and don't recognize it at all. I'm sure many will say I'm overreacting but I always wondered how hitler was able to happen but now I know. The only thing with the nazi's was they tried to cover up what was happening, now we are celebrating Hamas and the atrocities that have occurred. So now what do I do. I have looked for places to move but there is no where else this side of Heaven. So while we become a socialist country what is my role. 

I know this is nothing new under the sun for God. We screwed things up from the start with Adam and Eve. The thing is, God knew it and still created. In His perfect creation evil came right away. But the thing is God is love. In order to have love, there has to be choice. If God made us love Him, there is no love. However, God chose us, and God is love. If I could have made Talia love me it wouldn't have been fulfilling at all because she didn't have a choice, but to know she chose me to be her husband with all my faults, that meant the world to me.

A price had to be paid however for that first sin where we didn't love God so enter Jesus. Philippians 2:5-11; John 3:16

So now until Christ's return, our job is to have the same mind as Christ in humility, and tell everyone how much God loves them and that they are God's kids and creation and that He has purpose for every life. Jeremiah 29:11

You would think that would be easy and everyone would believe. However, there is an evil one and the fight of good vs evil is real and so much of it is in the spiritual realm. Ephesians 6:12 

Too often we conduct ourselves based upon what we can see. Truth is we all exhibit faith in some way. We get on a plane and put faith that the pilot can fly it, we cross over bridges trusting the engineer who designed it knew what he was doing, even exchanging money is an act of faith because both parties are trusting the value of that piece of paper if you pay $1 for something. We do it all the time, but the evil one wants you to think that the existence of God is mythological and if you can't see Him then it isn't true. 

Going through my wife's transition to Heaven really brought home this point. I'm holding her hand in one moment and still holding her hand in the next moment her spirit left for Heaven. We can see our bodies but we are spirits living inside these bodies. So in that moment, despite seeing her and holding her hand she was no longer there. What God says about where are spirits go for those that love Him is so encouraging. II Corinthians 5:8

There is no doubt that my spirituality ( I hate the word religion. I don't like religion) is based on faith. However, at this juncture in time if you investigate matters, you almost don't need faith. I want to be very careful in saying that because it is only by faith to know God, but I think that God is such a lover and wants everyone to come to Him, he continues to prove his existence. Science continually is proving God's existence even as he commented to Job, "Where were you when I created the earth" Job 38:4

Archeology is constantly proving the Bible true. A few resources on this topic.  

To me the overwhelming proof on God's validity is the opposition to Jesus from His birth. As it has always been, it's about good vs evil. Matthew 2:13 King Herod was willing to kill all the firstborns so Jesus didn't exist. hmm sounds a little like our current situation. The very idea of Jesus Christ is enough for nations to go to war. This is a spiritual battle played out in a physical world. 

So once again where does that put me now. I have lived a very easy life comparatively to so many of the saints before me and around the world currently. I do think my time is coming where I will have to make sacrifices and be challenged for my belief in Christ. Right now it's mostly will be in ideology and words but I do see a time and it is here just not majority rule yet. We see Catholic priests being targeted by the weaponized DOJ for their Biblical stance that all life is precious. Pastors in Houston have been asked to submit sermons to make sure it meets city approval. the Bible is now being called hate speech. It's here. 

So what I will try and do is be a light in these very dark times. Matthew 5:14
I will try and do that through my music and the many relationships God has blessed me with. 

The ultimate example is Jesus. He lived for 33 years to show us how to live in love when so many rejected and ultimately killed Him. I have been so thankful for the show The Chosen. Please check it out if you haven't. 
https://thechosen.tv/en-us

However, I do draw so much inspiration from contemporaries who are showing in the face of evil how to still love. 
I think of those who stood up for the evils of racism 
Ida B Wells, Dr. Martin Luther King, Fanny Lou Hamer, Harriet Tubman, Sojourner Truth, Rosa Parks, George Washington Carver, President Lincoln, William Wilberforce to just name a few. 

I also want to highlight some amazing modern day individuals who when confronted with evil and persecution for their faith, chose love. Here are their stories: 
Bob Fu, Maryam Rostampour & Marziyeh Amirizadeh, Virginia Prodan, Richard Wurmbrand, and Dietrich Bonnhoffer. 

Thank you Jesus for coming to wipe away my sins and provide my way to Heaven. Like Francis of Assisi, I want to tell the world about you and if I have to, use words.