Are You Watching? Do You Notice?

I just spent the first 30 minutes of my day the way that I do every morning. I have set up RSS feeds to scan newspapers across the United States and around the world. I like to review the news this way as it keeps me on focus and I'm not bogged down by articles that just really don't make a difference in the long run.

One of my RSS feeds happens to be Joel Rosenberg's blog (joelrosenberg.blogspot.com). He mentioned that since the summer of 2005, 4200 rockets, missles and mortars have been fired at Israel! All while the U.S. and other countries do basically nothing! What would we be doing if it were Canada firing into Chicago or western New York? This is just amazing to me and is spoken so much of in the end-time prophecy of Ezekiel, Daniel and Revelation... No one comes to the aid of the Jewish State.

I also read of Putin's progressively aggressive stance to the countries that used to be under control of the USSR. His retoric is also aimed at the European countries and the U.S. All the while, Putin has had very cozy relations with Iran.

All of this is ratcheding up in real-time. Are you watching? Do you notice? Most importantly... are you in prayer?

Time is short and there are SO many who are not Christ followers. I don't mean 'Christian' either, I mean 'Christ followers'. The term Christian means close to nothing in the United States except that the person professing that they are a Christian know that God exists and that someone walked around several thousand years ago by the name of Jesus who called Himself 'Christ'.

Time is short and we have do not have time to 'play' Christian. Spiritual warfare is running rampant and we must be diligent and solid in our stand for Christ. I am a Christ Follower. Please join me in prayer for salvation for unbelievers as well as fortitude and strengh for Christ followers as they stand solidly and firmly on the Rock of Salvation for what they believe.

Step Back and Listen to God

Today I am brought to my knees thinking of the awesomeness of our Creator. I start each morning with a quick review of what is going on in the world around us through various news feeds that I have set up. I then go into Bible study to receive guidance for the day and for my spiritual life in general. I was reading from the book of Exodus about the plagues that engulfed the Egyptians because the Paraoah would not let the enslaved Israelites leave. The Israelites were in Egypt for approximately 430 years and in that time went from 70 people to over 2 million in number.

Feeling threatened by the number of Israelites in the land, the Paraoah enslaved God's people and treated them harshly. God, hearing the plea of His people, came to their rescue although it should be noted that He never left them. He lead Moses to speak to Paraoah on behalf of the Israelites to 'let His people go'. Only after ten plagues ending with a killing of the first born of all the Egyptians and their livestock were the Israelites allowed to leave.

I am sitting here trying to place myself in the sandles of the Israelites. What was it like to be enslaved, treated bitterly... each day seemingly without hope? I wonder how many heard God the way that Moses did. Were they able to step back and listen to God ... hearing His comforting words that He is in control?

Today is upon me. The sun has just risen above the eastern horizon. God's word is within my heart from the time spent reading. What will I do with that knowledge? I pray that the awesomeness of my Creator will overwhelm me so that I can hear His direction for my life today. God, I step back right now and open my ears to you. Help me to focus on your purpose for me today. God, I'm praying for revival. May it start in my heart and then spread to those within my influence.

I step back and my heart is listening for your voice...