July 1, 2007

Good morning! Well, it is here, July 1st, and half the year is gone into the past. Summer has only just begun, but we will soon be talking about the new school year and how cold the winter will be. The seasons change and one of the best ways to enjoy the season is to talk about what is next. Eh? Can that be true? No, it is actually what happens so much in our lives; we look to the future hoping to drown out the misery of the present. However, Jesus said that he came to give us life and that we would have it more abundantly. Plans are good, and I need to do it more, but living with our head in the clouds is not the way to have life more abundantly. That is one of the more difficult tasks for us as Christians since we are looking forward in hope to the return of Jesus and his taking us home to be with him. How can you or I hope to compete with that vision of Christ's glory! We don't try to compete, but we live in his love and that love reaches out to those who do not yet share in our hope.

Speaking of the other side of the coin, hopeless tasks, I am reading a murder/mystery book that introduces a group devoted to fighting evil in the world. All well and good, but this group does it in their own intellect, strength, and wealth. That is a hopeless task if ever there was one. Satan has far more resources than any or all of us do in our own strength. I do not know how many angels fell with him, but 1/3 of the hosts of heaven must be an awesome number. I cannot think how anyone could possibly think that they could win such a fight without the power of Jesus Christ. Wait, I do know how, they do not believe in Jesus in the first place. Satan must laugh at the pride that would be required to make someone think that they can take on the power of the Prince of this world in their own strength.

For us, let us just run to our Abba when faced with powers beyond our scope in this world. As we grow in our Christian faith, we will have Kingdom authority over all things. However, the first thing is to run to our Father in heaven, our Abba. Children are not afraid to run to daddy when faced with a threat and neither should we try to take on powers that are beyond us in our own strength.

To the glory of God the Father!

Bucky