Torn Between Two Loves

We are called to live separate lives unto the Lord----  II Peter 2:19--But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God's Own possession---yet we identify greatly with the world.

We have allowed apathy and complacency to creep into the church over the years and little by little we have absorbed attitudes of our affluent society.  We live for our comforts, entertainment, sports, fashion, and 'techie toys'.  In moderate amounts, these are not wrong, but we often crave them and consider our lives fuller because we have an abundance of them.

We know they have a hold of us when we become disgruntled, and unhappy during times we have to do without.  Let's face it.  Most of us would have to admit there are things that have a hold of our hearts other than the Lord alone.  There may be varying degrees, but is there much difference between this attitude and that of unbelievers who 'live' for these pleasures.  Again, these things are only wrong if they have a hold of our hearts.

This is almost identical to the children of Israel.  They promised to love and serve the Lord and they did.  But they also loved and served other 'gods' of the land by building shrines in the hills and burning incense as part their worship.  They were to be His people but He had to share Israel with other gods.

This provoked the Lord and He allowed invaders to oppress Israel in hopes they would return to Him and they did.  But it was short-lived and after numerous attempts at re-gathering His people, He brought them into captivity where their way of life and prosperity was stripped from them.  Upon returning, they walked more faithfully until the time of Christ, but it was very costly.

Brothers and sisters, I do believe the church in America stands on the very same precipice that Israel did prior to the Babylonian captivity.  " If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, forgive their sins and heal their land."

The church might appear closer to the Lord than the average American, but the church is torn between two loves.  We are to live separated lives unto the Lord.  We are His people, His Own possession and we're passing through on our journey.

I Have One of These. Do You?

The concept of breaking up fallow ground as seen in the picture above comes from Hosea 10:21.  "Break up your fallow ground for it is time to seek the Lord."  I brought this topic up because so many of us are praying for America and using II Chronicles 7:14 as a model and it tells us to seek the Lord and turn from our wicked ways.

Fallow ground is a plot of land that is resting or not being used.  Spiritually, it represents an area that the Lord has dealt with us and we never successfully pressed through to the end.  Or it could be that He told us to accomplish a task, but we got busy and pushed it to the side and now there is no harvest.  Either way, our land is a fallow field instead of a profuse garden.

We may not consider it a conscious sin, but if we have neglected to do what He has told us then it is still equated with sin.  At this point, our assignment is labeled fallow or unprofitable ground which makes me think of Matt. 25:30 with the parable of talents.  In the end, The Lord tells them to cast the unprofitable servant into outer darkness.

If that's the case, we need to plow our fallow ground and complete what He has directed us to do as part of the requirement for our prayers to be  heard according to II Chron. 7:14.  This is another aspect of turning from our wicked ways or should we say our 'selfish ways' because we've been more interested in our needs than the needs of His Kingdom. 

I believe this is the crux of the problem in our land.  We have been more concerned with ourselves than we have been with the King and His Kingdom!