Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. I met with the Author and Perfecter of my Faith in the wee hours of this new day and by the time the sun came up, it was already warm and muggy. The humidity is so high, the air so “thick”, that it feels like you could cut it with a knife. As I sat there in silence taking it all in, I thought about how the world is very much like the air at the farm today. Evil is raging and the Spiritual warfare is so “thick” that it feels like you could cut it with a knife too. The Bible warns us that as the end draws near there will be “perilous times” so it comes as no surprise to see our adversary raging in his race to destroy as many as he can while he still has time. I can’t do anything about a hot and humid Virginia day except to withdraw into cooler places, BUT there’s a whole lot I can do about that Spiritual war and withdrawing is not an option for a Child of the Living God. Isn’t that the way you see it too?

It’s amazing to experience pushback from people professing to share my Faith when I speak up for Righteousness and I preach the Truth…even when it hurts. I’m a stickler for manners and I preached “polite” to my children until I turned blue. These are important characteristics for Christian people and I drove home the message well…NOT so they would please me (although they did) BUT so that they would learn what it looks like to be a Good Witness of a Loving and Compassionate God…even when it hurts. It’s impossible to be a Good Witness for a loving God if we withdraw to our own opinions of what the Character of Christ looks like or retreat to our own comfort zone. Impolite, rude people carrying a Christian Membership card do much more harm than Good because they’re a poor representation of the Nature of Christ, and the ones opting for the comfort zone over what we’re Instructed to do…well, let’s just say they’ll be in for a BIG surprise One Day.

There are countless Good characteristics that should come into play for a Child of the Living God BUT withdrawing from Truth because we’re too cowardly to Speak it isn’t one of them. It takes Courage to stand boldly for Truth these days, but it also takes a whole lot of Unconditional Love to have the Heart to “save some” from the fire of Judgment that will come to ALL who withdraw from the Truth. So, I push back against the pushback and I pray for the ones professing to share my Faith as they do their part to Discourage me from what the Lord has for me because I know that when they do, they’re being used as “messengers of Satan”…ouch. Sad but true. No matter how many times they’re used by the adversary to shut me down, I remain strong because I know that he doesn’t win the Battle I’m Fighting, and the only thing that will succeed in stopping me from doing what The Lord of Hosts has called me to do is death.

Yes, the air is thick with the raging spiritual war BUT I am confident that no “weapon formed against me will prosper.” Yes, the air is thick with warfare BUT I am confident that “greater is He who is within me than he who is in the world.” His Word says: “Rejoice and be glad because great is your reward in heaven; for in the same way, they persecuted the prophets before you. You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its savor, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men. You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden.” How could anybody professing to share my Faith pushback as I push Forward to finish the race I’m called to run? How could people professing to have a Personal Relationship with Jesus Christ withdraw like wussies and refuse to speak the Truth to a lost world? The answer to these questions might scare you…but they don’t scare me. I’m bold. I’m courageous. I have nothing to fear. But more than anything else, I have a Heart so in Love with Jesus that I want to be Pleasing in His eyes and Obedient to His Call..even when it hurts. I’ll do my part to assure that I remain “salty”. I’ll stand up and speak up with LOVE because I want to be the light of the world. My Life…my Faith…is like a city on a hill and it cannot be hidden.

How about yours?