Who's By My Side and What's On My Doorstep?

Joel 1:13-15; 2:1-2

Gird yourselves and weep, O priests!
wail, O ministers of the altar!
Come, spend the night in sackcloth,
O ministers of my God!
The house of your God is deprived
of offering and libation.
Proclaim a fast,
call an assembly;
Gather the elders,
all who dwell in the land,
Into the house of the LORD, your God,
and cry to the LORD!

Alas, the day!
for near is the day of the LORD,
and it comes as ruin from the Almighty.

Blow the trumpet in Zion,
sound the alarm on my holy mountain!
Let all who dwell in the land tremble,
for the day of the LORD is coming;
Yes, it is near, a day of darkness and of gloom,
a day of clouds and somberness!
Like dawn spreading over the mountains,
a people numerous and mighty!
Their like has not been from of old,
nor will it be after them,
even to the years of distant generations.


These are the kinds of verses I love, but that also haunt me at the same time. I long to see the kingdom of God. I await the day I can worship him in his prescence, but I often wonder if I am ready for his arrival. If Jesus returned today would he welcome me.  My ego likes to differ. My ego says, "BLAAT, WHATEVER! CRAP! THESE LINES HAVE BEEN AROUND FOR YEARS AND THE KINGDOM STILL AINT HERE, COME ON, LETS LIVE IT UP!" Make no mistake though, the wise person knows that Jesus will return. If we choose to participate and see it, his kingdom is at hand. The choice is ours, do we want to acknowledge it? Do we want to accept it? Do we think if we choose to ignore it will prove to not actually exist or be there? We have to choose a side, even by refusing to choose we choose. I ask for God's help daily to help me with my retirement plan.

Luke 11:15-26

When Jesus had driven out a demon, some of the crowd said:
"By the power of Beelzebul, the prince of demons,
he drives out demons."
Others, to test him, asked him for a sign from heaven.
But he knew their thoughts and said to them,
"Every kingdom divided against itself will be laid waste
and house will fall against house.
And if Satan is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand?
For you say that it is by Beelzebul that I drive out demons.
If I, then, drive out demons by Beelzebul,
by whom do your own people drive them out?
Therefore they will be your judges.
But if it is by the finger of God that I drive out demons,
then the Kingdom of God has come upon you.
When a strong man fully armed guards his palace,
his possessions are safe.
But when one stronger than he attacks and overcomes him,
he takes away the armor on which he relied
and distributes the spoils.
Whoever is not with me is against me,
and whoever does not gather with me scatters.

"When an unclean spirit goes out of someone,
it roams through arid regions searching for rest
but, finding none, it says,
'I shall return to my home from which I came.'
But upon returning, it finds it swept clean and put in order.
Then it goes and brings back seven other spirits
more wicked than itself who move in and dwell there,
and the last condition of that man is worse than the first."

I would hate to be a pharisee in these days. I would be at the top of the heap. I would be a man of God. I would think that I was on the top of the heap. I would be looking down my nose at everyone. Reading this now, I'll be honest, I wonder if I act as a pharisee. Okay I'll be honest, yea, sometimes I do. Jesus forgive me. I'm an idiot. Sometimes I'm a down rite jerk. I don't mean to be by ego makes me loose focus and that lets evil to enter my mind. I am thankful that I have Jesus to smack me up back the head on a regular basis. If it weren't Jesus I would be a lost, sorry, pathetic soul. I know, I have been there before and got to look long and hard into the mirror.

Jesus,

I love you so much. You have done so much for me, and I will admit it, I don't deserve it. I don't deserve your grace, without it I would be lost. Help me to notice the evil on my doorstep and help me swat it away. Help me to have compassion for those that are lost. Help me to love those that need compassion, for I once needed tons of random compassion. Help me to have a strong friendship with you. I bow and kiss your feet for I know how awesome you are. Thank you Jesus.

In Jesus Christ's name I pray,
Amen