Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. It’s partly cloudy and slightly sunny and at first glance, it appears to be a warm day. But don’t let the photo fool you. I ventured outside to see what God was up to this morning but I didn’t last long at all. Despite the bright sun, the cool temperature and the steady breeze made it too cold for comfort…at least for now. About this time every year, my Heart begins to yearn for the Spring – a time when my mornings will once again be spent outside on the porch instead of inside looking out. Until then, I’ll be grateful for whatever today brings because I’ve “learned to be content” in this Journey of Life. Every day I pray for the Church and every day I mourn over how distracted and divided God’s people are. We aren’t (necessarily) divided over doctrine…although there will always be some of that going on. Instead, we’re distracted and divided by things of this world that shouldn’t even hit the radar screen for Believers in this Journey of Faith. It’s not easy to avoid the “headlines” that’s for sure, so it takes more Determination than ever to “take captive every thought” to keep things in Spiritual Perspective. As for me, I will ALWAYS be more focused on who’s name is written in the “Lamb Book of Life” than who’s name is written on the Epstein list. Because I clearly understand my Priorities as a Follower of the Lord Jesus Christ, I Focus much more on the Condition of my own Heart than I do the condition of the world or the White House, and because I do, my Compassion for the lost ones never fades. Isn’t that the way the Journey of Faith is supposed to be for genuine Believers?

There is no doubt that I can be a bold Voice for my God when I speak up in this dark world, but it takes much more than a bold voice to be Useful to Him with words. It takes a Heart in Good condition…a tender Heart and a compassionate Heart that gives me the ability to recognize pain in another…and it’s THAT part of the Journey of Faith that I ( we all) struggle with the most. It doesn’t take much for me to cry over somebody’s pain and it doesn’t take much for me to roar like a lion when I see harshness or unfairness toward someone else all in the name of Christianity. It doesn’t take much for me to trade sleep for prayer as I appeal to my God for mercy on behalf of someone else. It doesn’t take much for me to speak up with Words of Wisdom that come from deep within my soul without any effort at all because He Promises to ALWAYS give us Wisdom and Words when we need them. It doesn’t take much for me to call someone out for their judgment of someone else, and it doesn’t take much for me to redirect a pointing finger back to the source of the problem. It doesn’t take much for me to lose my strength when so much of me is consumed by the pain of another. My Heart has been tenderized by the King, and it’s a combination of the Heart that He “refined” within me, and the bold voice that He’s equipped me that is of the most benefit to His Kingdom and the only part of me that will be “everlasting”. Keeping a Spiritual balance makes the difference between being a bold voice that can be used by the Living God for His glory, and one that just sounds off in judgment and anxiously awaits the revelation of a list of lost people most likely headed for Hell. God forbid that I should ever be the latter.

Anybody can thump people over the head with a Bible and anybody can spit out Scripture to set someone straight, but it takes Compassion to deliver the most Powerful message of the Cross…even to people on “a list”. Anybody can be a 21st century Pharisee and anybody can pass judgment on somebody else’s sins while they ignore their own. But it takes Compassion to turn away from judgment and to pray for healing instead. Anybody can ridicule and threaten to get somebody else to do whatever they want them to do – but real leadership (and a genuine representation of Jesus Christ) begins with Compassion and a Desire to lead the way by example instead of by way of judgment. Anybody can attend church whenever the doors are open and anybody can memorize Scripture – but those two things fall short of walking out our Faith the way Christ calls us to walk it out…with Compassion that runs deep and with the kind of Compassion that drives us into Action. It’s that balance that defines our Faith AND our Works and it’s one that’s much easier said than done…unless we work on the Condition of our own Heart every single day and we’re willing to be taken to the Spiritual Woodshed whenever He thinks it’s necessary. After all, that’s what humility looks like.

I don’t like to be taken to the “Spiritual Woodshed” but because I’m willing to go there to be set straight by the Living God, I am able to Focus much more on who has their name written in the Lamb’s Book of Life than I ever would on a list of names of people in bondage to perversion. I’ll do whatever I need to do to be pleasing and useful to my God and it all begins with the right Heart and the kind of Compassion that is only possible with Jesus Christ. Until then, I’ll be praying for opportunities to Show people how to get their name written in the Lamb’s Book of Life and I’ll be praying for all the others – ESPECIALLY the ones who many professed Believers are salivating to expose and destroy. How could I, you ask? Because that’s what Jesus would do! After all, He saved an (unlovable) wretch like me and Transformed me into a Usable Vessel for the King of all kings…if He can do that for me…He can do that for anybody!

How about you? Are you anxiously waiting to see a list of lost people just so that you have the pleasure of watching them be destroyed AND is that more important to you people having their name written in the Lamb’s Book of Life”? Hmm…