Let me first say that I am very excited about today’s blog. This marks the 100th blog here at Theonelesstraveled. I look back and can’t believe it! I have been blessed beyond belief to have had the opportunity to share what God is sharing with me. For those of you who read it, I say “Thank you!” Thank you for going down this road with me. You have allowed me the opportunity to do what I believe the Lord has called me to do. Over the past year, the blog has been an outlet for me to share what God reveals to me during my devotional times. It is an honor for me to be able to share that with you. I pray that you will continue to take this journey with me, and that the Lord will speak to you through the words He gives me to give to you!

This morning God gave me some powerful insight. If you are like me, you look at what is going on in the world and wonder how much longer we can last. Surely, Jesus has to be returning soon! The earthquakes are numerous; the situation in the Middle East is, well, dangerous. The unrest and wars and battles leave little to be at peace with in any situation. I look at all of it and wonder why He hasn’t come back already. Not that I’m particularly anxious; there’s a lot that I still want to see and do. While I want to see my kids get older and graduate and get married, and all that life can offer them, I shudder to think of what the world will be like when they get there. Are you there, too? Do you look at today’s happenings and wonder what God’s plan is? Where is He?

Peter addressed this in 2 Peter 3. This was as if Peter was reading my mind today. When you hear people say that we are living in the end times, what do you think? Well, the “end times” span the first and second coming of Christ. So, since He left this Earth to take His seat next to God, we immediately began the era of the “end times.” So, when Peter talks of this time, he, too, was living in the end times. Peter explains pretty well both the time frames and the reasoning of God.

In 2 Peter 3:8, Peter says, “But you must not forget this one thing, dear friends: A day is like a thousand years to the Lord, and a thousand years is like a day.” See, God’s time table isn’t anything like ours. He is patient, and He is constant. He is the beginning and then end. But, if you’re like me, you know that He sees the current condition of the world. He sees the state of even the US. How many different ways has the nation failed Him? Turned its back on Him? How perverted and twisted our society is has surely made Him angry. So what is He waiting for? Why not come now and make this right?

2 Peter 3:9 is where Peter gives us the answer.

“The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent.”

God isn’t late. God hasn’t forgotten. God isn’t leaving us. He is being patient. He is being merciful. He is giving everyone an opportunity. He sees what is going on around us. He sees the conflict in the world. He sees the way so many have turned their backs on Him and His ways. Because of that, He is waiting. It is not his desire that people should perish, should suffer, and should be doomed to an eternity separated from Him. That’s the last thing He wants. He gave His SON so that we would not be separated from Him. But, He also understands that there will come a time when everyone will have made a decision.

When that day comes, Peter says, it will be sudden with no second chances, and the world will be judged. In verse 10, Peter paints this picture.

“But the day of the Lord will come as unexpectedly as a thief. Then the heavens will pass away with a terrible noise, and the very elements themselves will disappear in fire, and the earth and everything on it will be found to deserve judgment.”

No one ever expects a thief. No one ever walks into their home expecting to see that it was robbed and ransacked. It happens suddenly, while you are away doing whatever it is that you do. It happens while you are sleeping. It is never expected. That’s what it will be like. It will be unexpected, sudden, and final.
So what are we to do? What do we do while we wait? Do we get in our “holy huddles” and stockpile water and sardines? No. We go out there and live our lives in a way that brings others to Him. We live out our faith in a way that is light in the darkness, even if it seems weird to the world. Peter’s advice here is found is verse 14.

“And so, dear friends, while you are waiting for these things to happen, make every effort to be found living peaceful lives that are pure and blameless in his sight.”

Make every effort. Live a life that is peaceful and pure. Be the difference. Christ could return today, tonight, or 20 years from now. If He is being patient and waiting to give everyone an opportunity, it could be that someone you know. It could be that child, your spouse, your neighbor, your coworker, and yes, it could be you.

Prayer: “Jesus, Lord, Savior, Abba, thank You for Your patience. Thank You for the opportunity we have because of Your patience. Father, there is someone out there I know who doesn’t know You. You have placed that person in my life somehow, and I pray that You would open that door to speak truth and love into their life and heart. Help me to have that opportunity to let You speak through me to them. Father, if it is me, then I ask now that You would forgive me for the time I have been away from You. I accept You as my Savior, my Lord, my God. Help me, Jesus, to live the life that makes a difference. Help me to be a light in the darkness, and to have the courage to stand up when the world bows to lesser things. I love You, Jesus, and I ask these things in Your powerful, Holy Name, Jesus…Amen!”

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It took me a while to realize that I had a problem. It wasn’t that it was hidden, or that it wasn’t obvious, but to me, it was tough to see. See, I love food. I don’t mean I like it a little, or that I like to nibble here and there. I mean that when I see food, I want it. When I am done, I am usually miserable. I eat too much. Even though I have been vegetarian (well, officially a pescatarian; a vegetarian who eats fish) for over two and a half years now, I still struggle with my weight. See, it wasn’t just what I was eating, it was how much I was eating. It doesn’t really matter if I am eating a pound of broccoli. It is still A POUND.

But lately I have been trying something new. Portion control. At first this was as radical as it comes. My wife makes great food, and I like to eat it. A lot of it! But now, I have started really watching how much I eat. And not just at dinner, but also at lunch. I have scaled back so much that now if I were to try to eat too much, my body tells me way ahead of time. It’s a warning that I am trying to go back to my ways.

I was reminded of this when reading 1 John 5 this week. See, there are a lot of things in life that we can make it a habit of doing, and even though it may seem as natural as eating just one more plate of something, it can still be wrong. We make practices of things that can harm us, harm others, or become stumbling blocks to ourselves and others.
John puts it this way in 1 John 5: 18-21:

18 We know that God’s children do not make a practice of sinning, for God’s Son holds them securely, and the evil one cannot touch them. 19 We know that we are children of God and that the world around us is under the control of the evil one.
20 And we know that the Son of God has come, and he has given us understanding so that we can know the true God. And now we live in fellowship with the true God because we live in fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ. He is the only true God, and he is eternal life.
21 Dear children, keep away from anything that might take God’s place in your hearts.

It’s about what we practice. It’s what our habits are that can be a danger to us. How can I call myself a Christian if I continue to ________? See in verse 18, John says we know we are God’s children because we don’t continue to sin. We don’t fall into the same trap over and over each day because that’s not who we are. We aren’t called to that kind of life style. So what do we do? We have to change our habits, for one, and we have to realize that we are not the same people. We have the power to change and not to be subject to the evil that is in the world and guiding it currently. We answer to THE GOD. He has the power above all powers. He has the answer to all the questions. He gives us the ability to conquer all addictions, all habits, all sins.

Look at the last part of verse 18 and then at verse 19.
“…for God’s Son holds them securely, and the evil one cannot touch them. 19 We know that we are children of God and that the world around us is under the control of the evil one.”

See what it says there? We are God’s. HE holds us securely. There is zero that satan can do about it. Once we are God’s, we are His. The evil one cannot touch us! And look at verse 19! It says the “…world around us is under the control of the evil one.” It does not say that we are under that control, just the world around us.
We are different. We have the ability to overcome everything that is around us.

If you are checking out this whole Christian thing, let me say this: You will have the ability and the power to overcome all the things that are holding you back. It won’t be easy. There will be a million doubters that will watch your every move. But, they are looking for the mistake. They are looking for the exception. Why? Because you will have been changed! You won’t be the same person anymore because you will now have the power to be who God has called you to be.

Paul backs this up in 2 Corinthians 5:17. It is there that he writes, “This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” You are a new person! Your old life is gone! You have a new life, a new chance, a clean slate. You have the opportunity that so few people ever realize is available to them; a chance to start over.

Here’s my advice. Take the chance. Even if you are already a Christian. Look at what your life looks like. What is it that you know that you know that you need to change? What is it that keeps you from getting closer to God, or closer to being more like Him? If you haven’t stopped to think about it, let me challenge you today to pray about it. Ask God to show you what in your life you need to change. What is it that you need to address? You may be surprised. He may ask you to do something different, or to quit doing something altogether. He may ask you to take one area of your life and get out of practice.

Prayer: “Heavenly Father, Lord Jesus, I come to You this morning realizing that there may be things in my life that I need to change. I may need to stop doing something. I may need to start doing something, and I am willing. I will need Your help. I know I can’t make these kind of changes on my own. Show me today what You want from me. How can I become more like You? What is it that the world has said is okay that I have bought into? Evil controls the world, YOU control me. I am YOURS. I love you, Jesus, and I want to be more like You, and closer TO You. I ask these things in the power of Your name, JESUS, Amen.”

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In a crowd of voices, we can still hear the familiar. Just as a mother knows her baby’s cries, or a child knows the voice of his parents, we can hear what we are familiar with hearing. Today, unfortunately, we have become accustomed to hearing the wrong messages. There are so many voices that tell us to be silent, to be just a voice in the crowd, that it is often difficult to find your own voice.

They say that the squeaky wheel gets the grease. Those who make noise tend to be the ones who are listened to, catered to. For many years now, the Christian people have been too silent. In fact, we are at the point where when we do speak up about what we see happening, it is considered intolerant. When we speak of the perversions of society, we are considered close-minded or old fashioned. Honestly, that’s okay. The truth will always be the truth.

There once was a man who refused to be silenced by the crowd. He had a need, and there was only one person who could help him. He was blind, and he needed a miracle. He needed Jesus. But, he was not a welcomed voice.
In the final verses of Luke 18, his story is one that hit me this morning. We can read it in verses 35-41.

35 As Jesus approached Jericho, a blind beggar was sitting beside the road. 36 When he heard the noise of a crowd going past, he asked what was happening. 37 They told him that Jesus the Nazarene was going by. 38 So he began shouting, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”
39 “Be quiet!” the people in front yelled at him.
But he only shouted louder, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”
40 When Jesus heard him, He stopped and ordered that the man be brought to Him. As the man came near, Jesus asked him, 41 “What do you want me to do for you?”
“Lord,” he said, “I want to see!”

This man knew that he needed to see Jesus. When he cried out, the very crowd who was there to cheer Jesus told him to be quiet! They didn’t want him to be that voice crying out to Jesus. Isn’t this a lot like society today? There are a LOT of cheerleaders for Jesus. They like to cheer and do all the feel-good stuff; praise and worship, helping, singing. But, when there is a real, honest, desperate cry for Jesus, they get uncomfortable. They don’t like it when there is something so close to home. When someone out there says something is wrong because Jesus says it’s wrong, or that the Bible says we shouldn’t support something, the cheerleader isn’t vocal. There’s a tendency to look at the “grey area.” As a crowd, we seek anonymity. There’s no anonymity when someone cries out.

This man wasn’t worried. He needed Jesus, and nothing was going to get in his way. Look at verse 39 again.

39 “Be quiet!” the people in front yelled at him.
But he only shouted louder, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”

What happened when the crowd tried to silence him? He shouted even louder! He desperately wanted Jesus!

How long has it been since you have cried out, desperately wanting to hear from Him? How long has it been since you were the lone voice in the office, school, or with friends? How long has it been since you were that bold?

We can’t leave it there. There’s just a little bit more to the story. There’s something that changes everything.

Luke 18:42-43

42 And Jesus said, “All right, receive your sight! Your faith has healed you.” 43 Instantly the man could see, and he followed Jesus, praising God. And all who saw it praised God, too.

AGAIN! It was the man’s FAITH that caused him to be healed. He knew that Jesus could, he just wanted to ask if He would ! His desperate cry for healing and his faith in Jesus led to his life-change.
But, we can’t end there either. Look at the last sentence one more time.
And all who saw it praised God, too.

The very people who were trying to hush him were now also praising God! As a miracle was worked in his life, it affected all those around him! It wasn’t just the blind man who was changed, it was the crowd. His boldness to shout above the crowd despite their efforts to silence him led to an amazing event.

We are there. We are at that point. 2 Timothy 1:7 says “For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.” There are so many opportunities to be that lone voice. There is fear out there that is keeping you from speaking out. There is fear of what people may say; that they may try to silence you. And they might. But learn from this man. Hear this; you may be the one voice Jesus is waiting on to turn the crowd. He needs us to be His voice. Not Silent.

Prayer

“My Lord, my God, give me the boldness to speak when I see the opportunity. Holy Spirit, make me sensitive to you. I want to know when I should speak, and know that You are here to give me the words. I want to be like the blind man. I want to be the desperate cry in the crowd that changes everything. Allow me to be used by You, Lord. I am tired of being silent. I want to be Your voice. Help me to be bold, realizing that you have not given me a spirit of fear, but of power. Thank You, Jesus, and I ask this in Your Holy Name…”

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The last two days we have seen more rain than usual. It can be dangerous. It can be more than we asked for. Sometimes, it is the opposite of what we asked for. Rain has a way of changing your mood completely. It dampens the spirit and can bring you down. Rain can also be an answer to prayer. The trick is to be thankful for the rain either way.

What is the rain in your life? What happens to dampen your spirit? What is it that brings you down? Find it, figure it out, and that will be your answer. If you can narrow it down, you can learn to beat it. How? By learning to pray for the rain.

James put it this way, “Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy (James 1:2).” While that sounds wonderful, how do we do that in reality? Why would we do that in reality? How does this translate to our life? James answers that in the next few verses. “For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. ⁴ So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.”

Notice a few things here. James doesn’t say “if your faith is tested.” He says “when.” There are going to be times that our faith will be tested. There will be times that we will ask “why.” Maybe you’re going through that now. Let me tell you this: Endure. God is with you. It’s not His intention to leave you. He is working on who you are going to become on the other side of this. He is working on who you are while you’re in it. When you do come out on the other side, you will be so much stronger, and so much more like Him than you ever thought possible. That’s where James says when that there is something that comes out of the test, “your endurance has a chance to grow.” Just as an athlete prepares his or her endurance for the race, the event, the contest, so we are preparing our hearts, our minds, our faith for further tests.

Now look at verse 4. If we endure those trials, that rain, when we develop endurance, then we become different. James says we “will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.”

Did that say what we think it said? In a way, yes. See, when our faith is in Christ, then truly, we need nothing more than what He provides, because our will is to mirror His will. What does that mean? It means that what we desire and want is what He already wants to give us.

In verse 6, James explains. “But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind.” That’s the catch.  We have to make sure that our faith is in God alone. If we waver, we suffer. James puts it this way in 7-8, “Such people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. ⁸ Their loyalty is divided between God and the world, and they are unstable in everything they do.”

When it rains, when it gets tough, it is easy to get tossed by the wind. It is easy to doubt. Ground yourself. Know that God is shaping you. Know that He is with you and will not leave you. What happens after you beat it? And you will beat it. Skip forward to verse 12. “God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.”

If you are in the middle of this test, if you see it on the horizon, or if you are about to come through it–pray. Pray for the situation, but pray for what God is doing in you. Learn to embrace it. Before you know it, you’ll be praying for rain.

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Last week I had the opportunity to take our church’s youth group to Extreme Camps in Tyler, TX. It was a week that truly impacted most of them. Many of them learned what it is to spend time with God, to learn what it is that holds us back from following God completely, and that it is actually God who helps us break those chains. So, while many of you thought I may have disappeared, I didn’t. I was just camping!

That of course, got me to thinking. Seems like a lot of things make me think lately.  There was a time when those who were actually walking with Jesus pulled a disappearing act.  Shortly after Jesus told those around Him that He was the way to the Father, that unless they ate of His flesh and drank of His blood, they would not see heaven; many of the disciples (there were more than just the Twelve at this point) deserted Jesus. Can you even imagine? They were so close to the Messiah and they just couldn’t do it. They didn’t get it.

Maybe the teachings were too hard. Maybe Jesus said things that just hit too close to home. Maybe they were following Jesus hoping for personal gain. Maybe they thought Jesus was going to put each of them as a czar over certain areas of His kingdom. Or, maybe they just realized that they didn’t want to be who Jesus was telling them to be. There are a lot of possibilities, but the truth is this: they left.

Why would we leave Jesus? You may think, wait a minute there Colby, I wouldn’t leave Jesus. Really? Every time we sin, every time we take matters into our own hands, every time that we go into things or make decisions without Him, we leave Him. Notice I said “we.” I do it too. I’m not pointing fingers as much as I am confessing.

But, it gets better. Jesus, after seeing the crowd of disciples leave, turned to the Twelve that were left and asked them if they were going to leave. Peter, the bold one, answered the answer for all of us.

In John 6:68, Peter said, “Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words that give eternal life. ⁶⁹ We believe, and we know you are the Holy One of God.”

What is your response today? Jesus asks us that every day, every decision, every temptation. Are you going to leave? Are you going to desert Him? Or will you take the opportunity to answer just as Peter answered?

“Lord, where else would I go? Who else would I turn to? YOU are the one who holds the answers. You are God.”

I am here. I am not leaving. I will not pull a disappearing act.

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