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“For thou hast possessed [set up] my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother's womb.” (Psalm 139:13)

Our least favorite events are encounters with passive aggressive loved ones who delight in pressing all the right buttons necessary to create and sustain emotional conflicts. They have known us since we came into the world, hence, they know just how best to provoke us to wrath. While smirking nonchalantly and shrugging their shoulders, pretending to wonder why in the world we might possibly have cause to be annoyed or frustrated with them, they project blame and shut down any productive dialogue by absolutely denying even the remotest fraction of responsibility for the incident. Words at such times only lead us further down a path of unrighteousness, no matter how hushed or polite the tones. Given the sin sick condition of our hearts, it is quite easy for us to murder the esteem, the psyche, and the basic human dignity of our brother, sister, son, daughter, mother, or father with a polished Hollywood smile on our faces. Such is the depravity in this flesh…

Lord, please perfect that love and patience of which I am incapable without You, God the Holy Spirit. Please hold my hand and guide me out of darkness and into Your truth and life. I so desperately desire to live, and move, and have my being in Christ my Savior. Help me, Lord. You alone are my peace and I desperately need Thee every hour. Try my reigns, Lord! Be Thou my vision in this fiery furnace of family dysfunction and confusion. I ask it all in Jesus’ holy and mighty name. Amen.


“Examine me, O LORD, and prove me; try my reins and my heart.” (Psalm 26:2)


“I will bless the LORD, who hath given me counsel: my reins also instruct me in the night seasons.” (Psalm 16:7)


© 2012 Brian L Hunter

Love

"Three things will last forever--faith, hope, and love--and the greatest of these is love." (1 Corinthians 13:13)

We are no less intelligent than unborn babes in the womb. We can sense hatred, discomfort, resentment, and ill will in our environment whether connected by blood or separated by several miles or continents. The spirit of Antichrist reveals itself when it reacts violently to the presence of God's Anointed One and His anointing in the earthen vessels which carry His treasure (2 Corinthians 4:7). This is why people can react violently to unsolicited messages of faith, hope, and love received in their Facebook inbox.

Sadly enough, the serpentine spirit seems most often to raise its ugly head within the community of those who profess to be disciples of Jesus Christ. God forbid. This is the epitome of deception and misrepresentation. More so-called Christians (In contrast to John 8:31-32) act unseemly and react violently to unsolicited messages of faith, hope, and love than any other group of people in and of the world. Muslims, Atheists, Buddhists, and even Satanists are often more civil than many who wear crosses and claim to be Christians.

Even Elmo's friends on Sesame Street realize that something is wrong with the picture of hypocritical inhumanity painted by the visible church throughout world history. Yet, the invisible church, the called out ones so conspicuous in Acts 17, disciples of Christ who fear the Lord and heed His Word, "Be holy, because I am holy (1 Peter 1:16)," are not ignorant of Satan's devices (2 Corinthians 2:11). No. Lest Lucifer outwit and deceive us into complacently believing that his bite is as awful as his bark, or, worse yet, that he does not exist, we do well to remember always that he was more crafty and subtle than any other beast of the field (Genesis 3:1) and that, being an angel who fell and introduced the very concept of disobedience to God's creation, he often appears now to be and to act as an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14). Warning, Will Robinson! Do not drink that particular Kool-Aid!

George Benson once asked, "Are we really happy here in this masquerade?" Nay! What are our best intentions and whom have we chosen this day (Joshua 24:15)? The very concept of social media was birthed out of the knowledge that the practice of open communication and freedom of speech protected by the First Amendment to the United States Constitution and by many state constitutions is a good thing for any society wherein the majority of people are honest about who they really are and from whence, in reality, they have come. Therefore, the apple of God's eye should speak, be, and live bold as a lion (Proverbs 28:1) because, no matter how violently the big bad wolf of intimidation, hatred, and malevolence huffs, puffs, and threatens to blow the household of faith down, since we belong to God, dear children, we have already won a victory over the unfriendly people, because, the Spirit who lives in us is greater than the spirit who lives in the world (1 John 4:4). Hallelujah! Glory to God Almighty!

Sovereignty and omnipotence have wrought for the beloved children all the glorious favor and grace of the King of Glory (Psalm 24:8). When the blood of the Lamb of God was shed upon the Cross at Calvary for the remission of sin (Hebrews 9:22), the final score was posted and it was finished. Hallelujah! Therefore, boldly, as though believing that we have access to the throne of grace, let us proclaim the good fortune of God's truly efficacious, propitious, encouraging, prosperous, and most auspicious gift from the rooftops. Glory to God! Let us go and tell it on the mountain. Hallelujah!

Let us fix our thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. If we can think about phone bills, data plans, iPhones, boyfriends, girlfriends, cancer, Duck Dynasty, war, revenge, Kim Kardashian, sports, and politics, why don't we more often think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise (Philippians 4:8)? In conclusion, regarding social media, just as many have learned that orange juice is not just for breakfast, some have realized that the Internet is not just for entertainment, secular business, and concupiscence anymore. What dominates the heart and mind controls the body. What is controlling us, church? Faith, hope, and love remain forever and the greatest of these is love. Therefore, let us think more diligently, carefully, zealously, and consistently about God's love (John 3:16, John 13:34-35, John 14:12-17, 1 Corinthians 13:4-8, 1 John 4:8) and not be slothful in making Him known by any means available in Jesus' holy and most publishable name. Amen and amen. 

© 2013 Brian L Hunter