I wanted to switch gears today and think about some of the reasons that we make it hard on ourselves to achieve authentic faith or Spiritual Heroism. Some of the ideas I will share over the next few days are basic and you have probably heard me talk about them before, but it is good to review sometimes, the way we recounted the reason for Thanksgiving back on the 24th.  In the same way that I share with my Tae Kwon Do classes, reviewing the basics helps us build a stronger foundation.

Like you, I believe the exiled Jews returning to Jerusalem had every intention of faithfully serving God. Their good intentions were likely bolstered by the visual reminders of their forefathers’ sin of unfaithfulness. They found the walls and homes of Jerusalem in rubble, weeds had replaced the beautifully terraced landscape, and the bounty of a promised land seemed nonexistent. Yet, even with this visual image of the consequence of sin, many Israelites chose not to walk with God. The nation did some things right; they rebuilt the walls and the temple, but this generation quickly fell back into mankind’s age-old habits. They became focused on what was pleasing to the eye, disregarding obedience. Even the priests married outside of the faith. Today, Christians are no different and it is a temptation that we can fall into by what we deem attractive.

I know that each of you have experienced dark times in your life. You may even be on a mental roller coaster right now. If you are, it’s not unusual. Ask yourself, “How do I turn good intentions into spiritual valor?” I pray that a time will come when you evaluate a period of darkness because it can be your turning point.  Contrary to Thomas Wolfe, who believed that “You can’t go home again,” I am here to tell you, “Oh, yes you can!” Your place in the Kingdom is the only home where true contentment and security exists but it is NOT a place—it is a position. Home is in the arms of the God who loves you and wants to see you smile with contentment, joy, and hope. You cannot escape the desire in your heart for relationship with God and it is part of your psyche and can only be filled spiritually. Focusing on your eternal position and purpose will take away the world’s doubts per Matthew 6:25-34.

This will help open your eyes to your reason for living. You then begin to think from an eternal rather than “spur of the moment” or reactionary perspective. Sin (Hebrew chattáah, Greek hamartia meaning “missing the intended mark” or “to err”) is not the only thing keeping you from your purpose and from having a positive attitude outlook on life. What deprives you of contentment and joy is the faulty reasoning behind your sin, reasoning that causes you to aim at the wrong goals or not focus on the heart of the target

In times when the odds are against you, you need help. The spirit of God will balance those odds against you. This will grow into a day in, and day out fellowship. It may sound hard, but it is not complicated. When you walk with each personage of the God Head, They become your close and intimate Friends. There are three spiritual factors which keep the average person from walking with Divinity. The three factors are:

1. Sin, which is based on our imperfect nature
2. Deception and distraction, which is directed by Satan and his angels
3. The time-space continuum, as well as the visible-invisible worlds, which limit our perception and vision of true Kingdom life.

Tomorrow we will begin to consider each of these items’ impact on our relationships with the Trinity. A lack of faith negatively impacts your walk with God.

Love, Dad