Let's take a look at Apathy

I just want to say that this evening I got ask a question that really caught me off guard, but filled me with joy and and happiness...and surprise.  I'm not going into now I want to let it settle in and take a few days to reflect on today's wonderful event that made a good Sunday spent with the Lord to a great one.  It will be next weeks topic of choice.  

Apathy is a lack of feeling, emotion, interest, or concern about something. It is a state of indifference, or the suppression of emotions such as concern, excitement, motivation, or passion. An apathetic individual has an absence of interest in or concern about emotional, social, spiritual, philosophical, virtual, or physical life and the world.  It happens to you in your spiritual life through spiritual warfare when you lose that fire to worship and start to slack on your studying scripture, praying and attending services. I know Covid-19 has hampered attending church and that has help with the spread of it. 

Apathy can hit anyone at anytime and can affect anything that you might or may have had an interest in.  The reason it is such a concern to Christians is because it can affect them negatively in their worship.  One of the problems is it opens a slight crack of the door that allows Satan to slip in and start to work on your mind in the individual realm, but

 "Satan's Purpose for Believers Is to Make Them Ineffective. Since Satan can't touch Christians in terms of our salvation, he will do anything he can to thwart the process by which God gets glory through their lives. He wants to make us useless in terms of any real impact for the kingdom of God. That's why the devil keeps some believers depressed, some discouraged, and others living underneath their circumstances. He wants you there because he knows you can do nothing for God if you're miserable.  Apathy allows this to happen." **

Peter described him as a roaring lion seeking to devour you. No matter who you are or what your status, he wants to overthrow and defeat you. I personally believe it can also be contagious...a husband gets apathic and takes it home and it spreads into the family realm. The family struggles with it and week after week carry it to their church services until other members of the church catches it and suddenly it has spread into the churches realm.  Then church members who have been infected go out into the world and visit with friends that may attend different churches and discuss how they're feeling  and before you know some of them have it and it spreads the society realm when all this time it is repeating this scenario from the beginning countless times until Satan is in the heads of no telling how many 100's...1,000's...100,000's or possible millions of people. This is the four realms that Satan seeks to dominate in spiritual warfare and He only needs one person to slipup to start the process of killing churches.  Our attention right now is on the Corona virus and the Covid-19 pandemic and I'm sure Satan has a hand in that to draw our attention away from the fact that for Christians around the world there is another pandemic we need to worry about and it's called...Apathy, it's drawing people away from the church which can put the church under a strain both through it's membership and financially which could eventually lead to the church being forced to close its' doors...victory for Satan.

Now I believe the antidote is a constant dose of prayer and worship to keep that fire lit and burning strong.  Spreading the gospel to non-believers and believers that have fallen a sleep can battle this epidemic with the cure being the faithful obedient following of Jesus Christ.

Please don't read this as you've got to be a believer in Jesus Christ to suffer from apathy.  If you've ever thought about Jesus or church and just never developed the fire or urge to go....that's apathy, it's the indifference about your future and eternity. 

I share this on Facebook because that's the best place right now as I try to build readers and maybe have you come to me so I can share my story and the gospel with you, so maybe you'll accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, even if you're not interested share it with your friends one of them may be interested in hearing my story and coming to Jesus.  You can message me (Joseph Glenn Berry) on Facebook and we can figure out the best way to get together or communicate.  

May God bless you.

**Tony Evans

Let's talk a little about pride

A little trivia to warm ya up.

**What are three things God CAN NOT do?  You'll find the answer at the bottom.

You know pride can be a good thing but it can also be a bad thing....a VERY bad thing.  Let's start with the good, okay?  One can take pride in his work and do a good job, you can take pride in your wife or kids for jobs will done...the promotion at work, graduating high school or college.  But all that pride can turn into the bad and ugly in a hurry when you turn it on yourself and your ego swells.  Pride has the capacity to be a huge game changer....even the beautiful and powerful can be brought down by this form of idolatry.  If you don't believe me lets look at the story of one of the most beautiful creatures ever created as well as one of the most powerful.  I'm talking about the Angel, the anointed cherub....Lucifer.  Pride and ego overtook him and he paid an ultimate price for his disobedience. 

11 The word of the Lord came to me: 12 “Son of man, take up a lament concerning the king of Tyre and say to him: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says:

“‘You were the seal of perfection,
    full of wisdom and perfect in beauty.
13 You were in Eden,
    the garden of God;
every precious stone adorned you:
    carnelian, chrysolite and emerald,
    topaz, onyx and jasper,
    lapis lazuli, turquoise and beryl.[a]
Your settings and mountings[b] were made of gold;
    on the day you were created they were prepared.
14 You were anointed as a guardian cherub,
    for so I ordained you.
You were on the holy mount of God;
    you walked among the fiery stones.

Can you imagine being that adorned in beauty, just imagine the love you would have to have for your designed, your creator. I can just see having such a love for Him I would be willing to do what ever He ask and worship Him like the Lord God He is.

But, no my pride in my beauty makes me want to be at the very least equal to God and I repeatedly say "I will, I will, I will, I will, I will" yes 5 times I say it...

“I will ascend to the heavens"

"I will raise my throne above the stars of God"

"I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly, on the utmost heights of Mount Zaphon."

"I will ascend above the tops of the clouds"

"I will make myself like the Most High.”

You are given the freedom of choice on whether or not to worship and love God, because He wants that love to come from you freely and not forced upon you. How dare you be so defiant and rebellious.  What should be done one might ask?

15 You were blameless in your ways
    from the day you were created
    till wickedness was found in you.

16 Through your widespread trade
    you were filled with violence,
    and you sinned.
So I drove you in disgrace from the mount of God,
    and I expelled you, guardian cherub,
    from among the fiery stones.
17 Your heart became proud
    on account of your beauty,
and you corrupted your wisdom
    because of your splendor.
So I threw you to the earth;
    I made a spectacle of you before kings.

(Ezekiel 28: 11-17)

(Isaiah 14: 13-14)

(Just my thoughts and musing through the scripture)

 **He cannot lie, He cannot change, and He cannot allow sinners into heaven.

I'm unbelievable

 ...when the doctor tells ya, "you can't run anymore" and the Lord has done everything in his power (and we know that's A LOT) to let you know it was Him that led the doctor to that decision and you go ahead and say "I think I should have a say in in this" so you go out a couple of times and try to run.  Well, the Lord has handed me my butt both times. Yep, two massive runs that together have totaled less than .10 miles...yes that says LESS than a tenth of a mile combined.  Yes, I handled the initial news much better than I handled the actual facts after it settled in and made the mistake of thinking I could overrule the Lord on this one.  I don't know how many ways there is to say nope, no or ain't happening, but you can use them all. Running at least at this point does not seem to be in his plans for me...that has been confirmed.

Yeah, it's kinda short this week...I've been working through some issues other than the running and I just devoted more time reading the Lord's word and just quite time in meditation trying the discern God's voice from the noises of this busy world we're living in.  

I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 3:14

>>>When your legs get tired...Run with your Heart<<<

Been a long week...

Romans 12: 2

2) And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable and perfect, will of God.

As some that deals with depression and anxiety this message rings true to my heart that could preached as a sermon to these very real medical issues. I battled for years with my mind and wanting to change it, but until my heart and eyes opened to the Lord...even with proper medication it was one step forward and two back. Then one night (in a yoga class of all places) I had a personal experience I can only describe as "Grace came to me" a voice a audible as anything I've ever heard.  Same night I get home and have a from who is now my Pastor inviting to his upcoming Sunday service.  The next morning the Corona Virus shutdown begin...one step forward and two steps back. I didn't forget the invite nor the spine chill message and began watching the FB Live services weekly and sometimes twice.  When we were finally allowed to attend a live service I was there and got saved that day and accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior.  Approximately 6 weeks later when things began to settle in a bit for the church I was Baptized and I've never felt a release of emotion and burden in my life...I came out of the water a different person than what went in.  The thing is people than know me and knew of my struggles can see the change and are aware of the huge difference in me and even those that didn't know...know something is different.  Our Lord is that powerful.

Got a sick friend or family member?

Lord our Father in heaven, let fill in name here be filled with patience and joy in your presence as he/she waits for your healing touch. Please restore your servant to full health, dear Father. Remove all fear and doubt from their heart by the power of your Holy Spirit, and may you, Lord, be glorified through his life if it be thy will.

Amen

If you haven't noticed I start these and work on them over the course of several days or like in this case all week.  The above prayer is one I found and said over a sick uncle.  He had beaten Prostate cancer, but had developed throat cancer and was finally admitted to the hospital with pneumonia.  On September 2nd he was healed, his cancer and pneumonia and any other sickness or ailment was removed from him when the Lord called him home.  I was sure of my uncle's standing with the Lord, but the pastor assured us that he had accept the Christ as his Lord and Savior in the final weeks of his live.  Many will grieve and hurt for days, weeks and months...some may never get over it.  Me? I'll grieve, but I rejoice at the same time because I know he's no longer in pain, no longer struggling to breathe his shot shell riddled legs from hunt accident no long makes walking difficult.  He's at home with the Lord visiting with his parents, his brother and sister and various other family and friends that passed before him.  Uncle Earnie, I know you can look down upon us and see the love and difference you made in everybody's lives, you'll be missed, but you and the love the you showed the world and the people around you will be forgotten.   

I'm not sure where this poem comes from...but I can hear him saying these words.

I'm Free

Don't grieve for me, for now I'm free

I'm following the path God laid for me.

I took His hand when I heard Him call

I turned my back and left it all.

*

I could not stay another day

to laugh, to love to work or play.

Tasks undone must stay that way.

I found that peace at the close of the day.

*

If my parting has left a void

then fill it with remembered joy.

A friendship shared, a laugh, a kiss,

ah, yes, these things to I will miss.

*

Be not burdened with times of sorrow 

I wish you the sunshine of tomorrow.

My life's been full, I've savored much,

good friends, good times, a loved one's touch. 

*

Perhaps my time seemed all to brief,

don't lengthen it now with undue grief.

Lift up your hearts and share with me

God wanted me now:

He set me free.

>>>When your legs get tired...Run with your Heart<<<