A Reason For Living:

     Do you have a reason to live that goes deeper than the nine to five daily grind?  Or is the job, kids, money, or leisure time  really all that motivates you?  Is there a yearning that is indescribable that pulls and tugs at the internal strings of your heart?  Making sense of that is key to our understanding and of the why's of our life.  If we can see that there can be no good if there is no evil then we can have an outlook in our life that there must be a just balance and that this balance must have a just judge who implements this justice.  If when we read and see all of the injustice that is around us and there is no one to administer a right and true judgement then we can admit to ourselves that truly there is a free for all mentality and that it truly is a "dog eat dog world." That is what the majority of us are molded in day to day....look out for yourself, number one...look the other way...be first to win at what? sports, education, money, first in your class what ever that maybe.  We in this country are molded and taught to excell above all and that that is the goal we should reach.
     But these things are all necessary if we are to survive in the world as it is presented to us throughout our life.  We are taught by parents, teachers, role models and so forth that this is the way it is done.  So we do it.  But what if it then after all is said and done it is only temporary and what is seen is only the very limited version of what there really is?  These are the problems the disciples of Jesus had too.  Divorce and marriage, riches, kingdoms, taxes and death.  (The last two being the only sure thing!?) Apparently.
      So if you are left scratching your head over these same issues and where to place your best efforts at getting by, how are we to live.
     I suggest taking a chance, a leap, and test the words of Jesus and see if they ring true for you.  So many others did, and history is written about these men and women.  Faith Paul said is the" substance of what is not seen." paraphrasing him, "and things hoped for". Abraham did not see his city made without hands nor did he see his blessing come to fruition thousands of years later.  God's covenants are sure his promises without fail. I am a recipient of this promise.
     I am moved by the world's events, torn at what I see and read about when terror and death is all around.  Dictators and rulers taking unfair advantage of it's citizens and throwing the innocents as if they are trash into prisons.
    What of Peter's imprisonment? For his preaching a gospel of good news?  The angels released him!  What of Daniel, thrown to the lions, for his refusal to worship the King as God?  The lions mouths were shut.  Joseph was humiliated and humbled, but exalted later by Pharoah (ultimately God) and made ruler of all Egypt and saved his kin. God's balance is a balance of justice.  Why you say does a God allow for evil?  and why do innocents perish?  It is because we must see the beginning and the root of our problems. "God does not wish that any perish" it is the Devil that is doing the evil and has had sway over humanity since the beginning. Cannot you see it?
     There is evil and we have to admit there is a God to counter it, it takes faith, and having the blinders removed as did Paul when he was healed from his blindness and changed from his murderous intents against a new and fledgeling faith, Christianity.  Three quarters of the New Testament was written by a man who swore out warrants and arrest documents to have followers of Jesus thrown into jail.  It was God's intention to change a man's heart and use him for the changing of history....and a message was then preached to the Gentile world.  Prophetic and covenental promise from God to Abraham and to the whole world if we hear it.
       So, the word's of Jesus, so counter culture, so against the grain.  Love your enemies?  Bless those that what, persecute you?  Apologise to your adversary before he throws you in jail?  Feed the poor, visit those in jail.  Get rid of riches?  Expect that if you follow his words you will be persecuted in some way, he said it.  We are counter culture and will be a target of the Devil but, we have this in us, "The Same spirit that raised Christ from the dead is in us."  Now we are overcomers.......so we must take the longview in the events of this world that are disheartening,  God is just and will meet out his justice his way and in his time....so are we arrogant because of the truth?,  in no way....we simply believe God........