Oh Western "church",

You are holding to a form of godliness, yet you deny its power;

“YOU WILL KEEP ON HEARING, BUT WILL NOT UNDERSTAND; AND YOU WILL KEEP ON SEEING, BUT WILL NOT PERCEIVE; FOR THE HEART OF THIS PEOPLE HAS BECOME DULL, AND WITH THEIR EARS THEY SCARCELY HEAR, AND THEY HAVE CLOSED THEIR EYES; OTHERWISE THEY MIGHT SEE WITH THEIR EYES, AND HEAR WITH THEIR EARS, AND UNDERSTAND WITH THEIR HEART AND RETURN, AND I WOULD HEAL THEM.”’

‘I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot. ‘So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth. ‘Because you say, “I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing,” and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked, I advise you to buy from Me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself, and that the shame of your nakedness will not be revealed; and eye salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see. ‘Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline; therefore be zealous and repent. ‘Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me. ‘He who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit down with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne. ‘He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the church.

“Woe to the rebellious children (the "church" in America),” declares the LORD,“Who execute a plan, but not Mine, And make an alliance, but not of My Spirit, Who proceed down to Egypt(government)Without consulting Me,To take refuge in the safety of Pharaoh(politicians)And to seek shelter in the shadow of Egypt (government)!
“Therefore the safety of Pharaoh will be your shame And the shelter in the shadow of Egypt, your humiliation. For this is a rebellious people, false sons,Sons who refuse to listen To the instruction of the LORD; Who say to the seers, “You must not see visions”; And to the prophets, “You must not prophesy to us what is right,
Speak to us pleasant words, Prophesy illusions. “Get out of the way, turn aside from the path, Let us hear no more about the Holy One of Israel.”
“Since you have rejected this word
And have put your trust in oppression and guile, and have relied on them, Therefore this iniquity will be to you Like a breach about to fall, A bulge in a high wall,
Whose collapse comes suddenly in an instant, Whose collapse is like the smashing of a potter’s jar,

For thus the Lord GOD has said, “In repentance and rest you will be saved,
In quietness and trust is your strength.

Learning from Haiti

Something has been telling me to watch Haiti and see what happens when society breaks down. The following are a few links to articles that are describing the mayhem taking place in Haiti.

http://wcbstv.com/national/haiti.earthquake.haiti.2.1427143.html

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=arxZJfdcT_i0

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N14205092.htm

This link mentions the prison that collapsed and the prisoners now on the loose:
http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1953379_1953494_1953819,00.html?cnn=yes&hpt=T2

I heard a quote in one of the videos from Haiti that mentioned the fact that money is no longer valuable but water is now the currency that they are using.

I believe that it is just a matter of time before we experience some troubles in our own society. I recommend that we study and learn from this affair in Haiti. Then we need to plan in concert with each other, or with someone.

No, its not fear like some claim, but wisdom. Someone needs to be standing firm when the storms come. I believe that those of us that are prepared, spiritually and materially, to some degree will be significantly more effective early on in representing Christ to the desperate and the bereaved.

We need to guard our hearts. Of course, if our relationship with Jesus is lacking we will be short on everything that we really need. What good is a stockpile of goods without the fruit that only comes from relationship with the Father? After spending time in the presence of God, what ever ideas we have about preparation should be trusted. With each action we MUST weigh the motives behind them so as to make sure our preparation will not interfere with what the Father has planned for such a time; Ephesians 2:10. Ultimately, kingdom is all that matters. Is it impossible to think that we might be asked to give our lives for someone else according to eternal purposes? God forbid we position ourselves against the heart and plans of the Father.

Freedom

“O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to give you an answer concerning this matter. 17 “If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the furnace of blazing fire; and He will deliver us out of your hand, O king. 18 “But even if He does not, let it be known to you, O king, that we are not going to serve your... gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.” Daniel 3

In reading Daniel 3 I began to catch glimpses of the institutions prominent in our country. From the government, the financial, to the religious, I began to see this same pattern repeated: the leadership creates an "image"/ideal for the people to worship then demands that the people worship it. With a wide variety of manipulations, coercions, and Idealistic values to be revered, they have created systems of control.

For example,

I see the government creating a growing dependence upon themselves. To the degree we depend on someone, they have power over us. The gov demands our worship which is expressed through our taxes among other things- the more taxes they demand from us the more control they have over us under threat of punishment. Gov also has found it advantageous to create personalities with which to keep the people distracted from the reality of their slavery and through whom offers false/empty hopes that have the ability to make us patient for a tomorrow that will never come. This is the custom of all political parties for those of you who are blindly committed to a party.... See More

I see the financial institutions making slaves of just about all of us. If we agree to what the financial institutions declare as "good and ideal" then we must participate in their system- which enslaves us. "The borrower is slave to the lender" and to the degree that we get caught up in "more, bigger, better" we enslave ourselves further. The financial institutions too have found it beneficial to to create personalities through whom they can capture the gaze of the people. They idolize the rich and famous which effectively creates an idolatry that demands a life long dedication.

I see the religious institutions manipulating it's adherents with subjective and self-serving interpretations of their "good books" (the tithe as it is taught today is one example). I see the institutions creating virtues and rituals which are very shallow and largely powerless in the sight of God but have the ability to manipulate and influence an outward allegiance but leave the heart of man dry and disconnected from the Life that true religion/relationship offers. Few of the superstars that religion has created have been able to survive the idolatry they receive but this has not stopped institutional religion from creating them and using them for their own benefit. The institution has created, within their traditions a dependence on it's leaders, which they, often unknowingly, foster to the detriment of the people's spiritual health and freedom. This is witchcraft which produces idolatry!

As I have continued to draw closer to God/Jesus in relationship, not through religion, I have unexpectedly found the chains of slavery which have had my mind and heart bound to man and the worship of him. I did not set out on this path nor would I have chosen it. I do appreciate the freedom that I see down the road, not that I am there yet, but the cost is beginning to get expensive. I have heard it once said that "Freedom isn't free."

Trust

You cannot produce trust just like you cannot 'do' humility. It either is, or is not. Trust is the fruit of a relationship in which you know you are loved. Because you do not know that I love you, you cannot trust me. The Shack