It is just a little…

1 Cor. 5:6 Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump? (ASV)

It is just a little it does not matter. Somehow we seem to forget, it all matters, and it is the little things that make the big things matter. T. S. Elliot had it right, when he stated - We know too much and convinced of too little.

Many times we think we are not responsible, if we are not directly involved, although we were aware and did nothing…one apple can destroy the bunch, and disrupt the order. The bunch is no longer what it was, the order is disrupted because chaos ensues as the ‘bad apple’ is covering it track by drawing others into their web of madness. While still others are trying to find, their way in the this web of deceit. It is failure to realize, the act of doing nothing, makes us responsible too. See, our actions, whether we act or not, will always affect those around us. We become, what we surround ourselves with, is not just an good statement to share or told to us by our parental advisors, but an axiom, truism to live by daily. Because yes Virginia, a little leaven, can containment the whole bunch, and block blessing from appearing in our lives just because of who we are connected to in this life.

Don’t believe me less us take a look at a story in the old testament Joshua 7:10-12;19 - The LORD said to Joshua, “Stand up! What are you doing down on your face? Israel has sinned; they have violated my covenant, which I commanded them to keep. They have taken some of the devoted things; they have stolen, they have lied, they have put them with their own possessions. That is why the Israelites cannot stand against their enemies; they turn their backs and run because they have been made liable to destruction. I will not be with you anymore unless you destroy whatever among you is devoted to destruction… Then Joshua said to Achan, “My son, give glory to the LORD, the God of Israel, and honor him. Tell me what you have done; do not hide it from me.”…Achan decided to go against what was command from God and caused troops to not be victorious. Although, no one knew, God knew and was not please…Who are you connected to, or who are your friends connect to? You choose who you are around, choose wisely, it matters.

Exposure: traditionalist or traditions:

1 Cor. 2:9 -But as it is written: "Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him." (21^stKJV).

When it comes to our traditions, we act if they are absolute truths in this life for all. We are not open to a different perspective nor do we desire to be open to anything different; exposure does not matter if the perspective is not there…It as if we act like God is man, and He will puts us in harms way, or have do what will destroy us; God is not man!!...Yet, we like to quote the verse above with much verve and pride. It seems to me, we missed the whole point of the verse because we are traditionalist. See tradition is the thing that is done, not how, when, where, or whom; traditionalist requires all these to be unchanged. Why? We do not get it that God is about to take us to a different place, and the first step is to prepare us. God does not just throw us into anything without preparation. Now we do not always like it, and many times we resist because it is not what we want. However, we need to remember, to help you, to support you, to guide you, does not mean, you get what you want or you have to like it. But what is needed, is provided to equip us for the journey and the eventuality of arriving at the destination. We are not open to the new place that stretches us because it is not what we see, or saw for ourselves. For some reason, we do not quite grasp stretching is how we grow. Don’t believe me, ever watch a baby grows in the woman’s belly? Asked her if she has been stretched… We are the creation, not the Creator who knows what is best for us, and what He had in His mind when He fashioned us with love, refined us with grace, and whiten us with His sacrificial blood…hmmmm

God is looking for people who will say what Isaiah said, in this verse and mean it - Isaiah 6:8 Also I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?" Then said I, "Here am I. Send me!" (21^stKJV). And although, we quote this verse too, we don’t get it again for it implies you are willing to do something we have not, specifically, it is against our traditionalist mindset, and our heart desires. See Isaiah is not negotiating with God, and telling him, his desires…Foolish us…We cannot receive what God is offering, until we are willing to be exposed to what we haven’t seen, have not heard, and have not entered into our hearts.

It all begins with us being open, and next is the exposure for us; if we are not expose, we cannot grow spiritually toward God’s truth, which is our enlightenment… We choose, we always do.  

Revolutionary .vs. Relevant

Psalm 119:173 -Let Thine hand help me, for I have chosen Thy precepts.(21^st NKJV)

Revolutionary or Relevant? A meaning for revolutionary is new and different, to cause a major change. While relevant means to have some bearing of importance on today that is sensible and logical connection. However, to move forward in this life and get the things we never had, we have to do what we never done to get it; revolutionary. This requires a different type of communication than we are use to, in our ordinary life. Different from the church traditions, we talk about as if they are doctrine and they are only traditions that make no difference in bringing others to God; matter fact many hinder it. We must work to hear what is being said, not get caught up in hearing what we want. Why? We are shaped by our experiences. We do not hear what being said, if you do not believe me. Ever explain something, and then get this a crazy response from the person you were talking to that is unrelated to the conversations. Or better yet, you are arguing, discussing, debating and the person response is so left field, you go what are you talking about? We are shape by what we have experience, and seen work for those around us.  Yet, it is the responsibility of hearer to hear it right, and the speaker to say, it right. This is communication at its best when those involved focus on those things.

Release into your future revolutionary perspective and forgive, because everyone gets hurt but the best in us use it to become better not bitter. Release in your future the revolutionary that does not have you bound by the traditions, that were meant to bring us together, and now only serves to keep us separate.

I heard this minister tell this story, in a different context but I think it fits here. It demonstrated in the story what happens when we remain relevant to fit in, and not seek change  – There was a pregnant dog.  She was hit by a passing vehicle, and her left hind leg was hurt really badly. So she limped to a safe place and gave birth to perfectly healthy puppies. The leg healed but it never was quite the same, she had to drag it. And although there was nothing wrong with the puppies’ legs, they dragged that same leg because that was modeled. – Moral of the story, we do what we see modeled before us. However, as human we have the capacity to seek a better way, if we desire, and it requires the willingness to see with a different lens….the lens changes, then the landscape, otherwise, you will find, although different places, the same things…Revolutionary or relevant? You choose, because it is always your choice

The battle is not yours, but God…

Eph. 6:10-11 - Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. (NASB)

The battle is not yours, but God. Therefore, your efforts should not be focused on whose right, whose wrong, who will win, or who will lose. Rather you should focus on what is the message or what am I to learn from this experience. It is not your victory, you are a beautiful instrument that notes are played through, but we are not the musician, God is. Thus, the responsibility of getting it right is not up to us, but God. We struggle too many times trying to get everything so right, so perfect and so ‘my way’, we do not see how we are in our own way and causing our own madness, confusion.  We call God up with prayer, but we are too distracted by our selfishness purpose, we do not hear Him speaking to us, then we are upset He did not answer us, but we did not listen. We create confusion, and guess who is the author of that? We have invited Satan to author our journey by our own design. God forbid!

We cannot hear God, and follow His instruction, if we are only focusing on what we want, how we want it, and when we want it. We cannot see His hand moving in our life, when we are wondering why this person(s) is more right than wrong, wins more than I do, the real questions are - God what is it I should get from having this person in my life, and What are You trying to show me, I  could not have gotten any other way? We are so caught up in the win and lost column of life, we do not even see, the battle is not ours, it is God. When we begin to do so, the outcome changes, and our life is different. In every situation, at every juncture, and for all times, when we allow ourselves to submit to God, not man. It is not about win/lose, or man’s right/wrong, because if we study the book, the Bible, until the end, the deck was stack against us and one would think we lost all because Jesus follow God commands and not succumb to man’s demands; but in the end He wins. …The battle is not your, mind, or ours, but God’s!!!