QUIET-TIME REFLECTIONS Week of: February 12, 2023 By: Pam Crawford
"Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us." - 1 John 4:8-12
LOVE
Friends, may I share today that I have spent the last few months away from social media for a purpose that has ended in amazing blessing. It has led to a deeper understanding of that which I can see out there in the public square in 2023. Along with other prayer warriors, we decided to start the new year off with intentional prayer and personal reflection concerning the current state of our nation. A nation that appears to be turning further and further away from GOD's beautiful Word of instruction and subsequent warnings at a rapid pace. I am not referring to any god. I am not talking about the gods that promise that which they cannot give. I am not talking about the gods we conjure up in our minds to fit the narrative that we desire. No, I am speaking about GOD the Creator of Heaven and earth. The GOD who inspired the writings of His Holy Word [2 Timothy 3:16-17]. Both were once the guiding forces on American soil. It might be wisdom to ponder this on this day of LOVE.
Studying early American history with fresh eyes, one can discover that there was a time in history when the GOD I am speaking about was welcome within the family unit. This GOD was in our schools, the workplace and our churches. Much of what drove the original American forefathers and their families was a love and respect of this GOD and His Holy Word. The people back then wanted something better for their loved ones and their world. Thus, why they set out to establish those very freedoms that we are unfortunately seeing under attack today. Make no mistake, the end goal is to extinguish Christianity on American soil. Many are participating in the plot. Unfortunately for some, it is sheer ignorance or apathy that they have become caught up in it.
This brings me to the Hallmark occasion of LOVE represented in America known as Valentines Day. Forgive me in my choice not to jump on the bandwagon of chocolates, flowers and romance. Why are these things no longer important to me? Because I understand how far we have come to distort this concept of LOVE as nothing more than a "feeling" or a "right of the people." It is at this point that I ask myself "what does my Bible say about LOVE?" I encourage you to read all of 1 John chapter 4 where you can see that GOD is LOVE not Love is God [1 John 4:8]. If we only understood or embraced that this LOVE is sacrificial and genuine in nature we might not be waking up again to news of killings on another American campus. I continue to pray that GOD would be merciful to His children as we are forced to watch such atrocities on our soil.
In addition to prayer and reflection time, some of us decided to read the book by Rabbi Jonathan Cahn titled The Return of the Gods. I highly recommend to each of you who may still be reading at this point to check it out. In his book he does a phenomenal job at answering the question "What would happen to a nation that turns its back on GOD?" Make no mistake, America has done this and you only need to go back to the 1960's to see the transition to insanity. Or simply look at 2023. We see an increase in violence that sometimes is even supported. You only need to turn on your TV screen, phone or laptop to view sexual depravity. Within our schools we are teaching Critical Race Theories and pitting one race against another. There is pressure everyday to tolerate sin instead of correcting it. We have institutions, leaders and hospitals on board with gender reassignment surgeries for children. If you stand upon marriage as being between one man and one woman you run the risk of being stoned. You are called a hater or a bigot if you believe that people were created male or female. I honestly cannot believe what I see out there today. We have conformed our bodies to art canvases. Men dress as women and women dress as men and we are all expected to celebrate the individualistic mentality. Don't you dare speak truth in LOVE, because then you have to answer whose LOVE? And, let us not forget how we are now expected to celebrate the deaths of over 60 million unborn babies under the guise of "My Body, My Choice" instead of including their lives in this "All Lives Matter" propaganda. I don't know, but we might want to ask ourselves "who gave us our body?" If you believe you just happened on this planet then I imagine you will argue your point to the death. But if you consider that you had a Creator, and His name is GOD, you might understand that we have taken a wrong turn to which I can only weep and pray that many will choose to repent [turn from] that which is against GOD and beg for His mercy upon this earth. I pray that many will see the importance of being the change by speaking out for what is right. It has been the silent voice that has allowed these atrocities to slip in. We don't have to be brazen, but we do need to be bold in the truth of what we see. We don't have to argue with a fool, but we can ask for courage to stand up against the foolishness.
Many are praying for revival and that is wonderful. I however am praying for an awakening of GOD's beautiful and powerful Spirit in the hearts of His church. I am praying that those who do not yet know this GOD will desire to explore His nature, His promises and His warnings. I am praying that GOD's Spirit would come to rest upon America again. That we can be salt and light in the darkness. That we can stand upon a firm foundation of hope and assurance. That one day soon we can experience an about face from the things that are likely to destroy this nation without another Great Awakening upon our land. Will you join me in these prayers?
GOD BLESS you! And, may today be the day when LOVE is seen through new eyes.
Blessings,
Pam
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