WHEN NOTHING MEANS EVERYTHING

IN THE 8TH CHAPTER OF ROMANS PAUL MAKES MENTION OF HIS (OUR) ALLOWING A SEPARATION BETWEEN THE LORD AND US.

HE THEN GOES ON TO LIST A NUMBER OF ITEMS THAT COULD POSSIBLY BECOME PRECIPITANTS OF SEPARATION.

IF YOU READ VERSES 35, 38-39 YOU WILL SEE WHAT I MEAN.

TODAY I WOULD LIKE TO POINT OUT THAT WHEN WE SO CASUALLY TOSS OUT WORDS WE, ARE OFTEN UTTERING BOLD STATEMENTS WE HAVE FAILED TO CONSIDER THE WEIGHTINESS OF.

HOW MANY TIMES HAVE WE STATED THAT WE WOULDN'T ALLOW NOTHING TO COME BETWEEN US AND OUR GOD, OR OUR SALVATION.

WHEN WE STAND TO TESTIFY WE OFTEN PLACE OURSELVES IN PRECARIOUS POSITIONS WITH BIG WORDS, AND DECLARATIONS.

IN OUR EFFORTS TO IMPRESS WE OFTEN IMPLICATE AND/OR SET OURSELVES UP FOR SCRUTINY BY THE LISTENERS, AND OFTEN TIME THE MUCH ANTICIPATED FAILURE THAT UNFORTUNATELY WAS INEVITABLE.

MANY TIMES OUR SPIRITED AND WELL INTENDED BOASTING CAN ONLY BE SUMMED UP AS LIES.

IN GETTING BACK TO OUR FOCAL POINT HAVE WE EVER STOP THAT WHEN WE MAKE STATEMENTS USING WORDS LIKE "NOTHING" THAT WE CAN ACTUALLY BE SAYING EVERYTHING.

IN ORDER FOR US TO ALLOW NOTHING TO SEPARATE US FROM GOD, WE MUST REALIZE WE ARE SAYING THAT EVERYTHING FALLS INTO THE CATEGORY OF NOTHING.

EVERYTHING THAT IS IN EXISTENCE, AND/OR ACCESSABLE TO US MUST THEREFORE TAKE SECOND PLACE TO GOD.

I BELIEVE THESE WORDS ARE SPOKEN IN SINCERITY, AND WITH GOOD INTENTIONS.

I ALSO BELIEVE THE SPEAKERS OF SUCH WORDS HAVE ALREADY COMPILED A PRECONCEIVED LIST OF POSSIBILITIES LEAVING OUT ALOT OF REALITY.

MOST LIST PROBABLY CONSIST OF SUCH ITEMS SUCH AS ALCOHOL, DRUGS, THE OPPOSITE SEX, STEALING, LYING, ETC... WILL NOT BE ALLOWED TO SEPARATE US FROM THE LORD.

ALL OF WHICH SHOULD BE ON THE LIST, BUT THERE ARE SO MANY OTHER INTANGIBLES THAT MAY COME INTO CONTENTION WHEN IT COMES TO SEPARATING US FROM THE LORD.

SUCH AS JOBS, FAMILY, SCHEDULES, OBLIGATIONS, HEALTH, FINANCES, EMOTIONS
AND ANY OTHER PLETHORA OF THINGS MUST BE ADDED ONTO OUR NOTHING LIST, OR SHOULD I SAY OUR EVERYTHING LIST.

ON THIS DATE LAST YEAR I WAS SITTING IN MY 28 YR OLD DAUGHTERS FUNERAL SERVICE NOT BELIEVING THIS WAS REALLY HAPPENING.

IN THE YEAR SINCE I FEEL AS THOUGH I HAVE AGED SEVERAL YEARS.

EVEN THOUGH ON ONE HAND I CAN'T BELIEVE IT'S ALREADY BEEN A YEAR, ON THE OTHER HAND THIS SEEMS LIKE IT'S BEEN LONGER THEN A YEAR.

I CAN REMEMBER SAYING THROUGHOUT THE YEARS THAT I WOULD BY THE GRACE OF GOD NOT ALLOW ANYTHING TO COME BETWEEN GOD AND I.

THAT WAS BEFORE THIS PAST YEAR, AND BEFORE MY EXPERIENCING SUCH LOSS, AND SADNESS.

I CONTINUE TO DESIRE THAT NOTHING SEPERATE ME FROM GOD, BUT I HAVE A GREATER UNDERSTANDING NOW OF THE COST OF STAYING WITH GOD.

AS IN ANY GENUINE RELATIONSHIP THE COST IS GREAT, AND THE SELF SACRIFICE IS EVEN GREATER.

ONCE AGAIN IN MY CLARK KENT FASHION I OPENLY ADMIT THAT I AM IN A BATTLE FOR MY FEW RELATIONSHIPS HERE ON EARTH, BUT NONE HAVE PROVEN AS TAXING, AND DEMANDING AS THE ONE RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD.

IN MY FIGHTING FOR MY EARTHLY RELATIONSHIPS I HAVE INVESTED MUCH, BUT I LIKE ALL HUMANS HAVE MY LIMITS I GUESS.

I'LL GIVE OF MY FINANCES, THEY CAN HAVE MY HOME, CARS, ALL OF MY THINGS, INCLUDING MY HEART, BUT IN MY ATTEMPTS TO MAINTAIN, OR PERHAPS EVEN SALVAGE MY RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD I'VE HAD TO EVEN GO SO FAR AS TO THROW IN MY SOUL.

IT WAS THEN THAT I DISCOVERED WHAT GIVING EVERYTHING MEANT.

EVEN IF I WERE TO OFFER MY SOUL TO MY EARTHLY LOVED ONES WHAT COULD THEY DO WITH IT THAT WOULD BE OF ANY VALUE TO THEM OR ME ?




2DAYS PROPHETIC ADMONITION:

I'VE INFORMED YOU ALL IN THE PAST THAT GETTING INTO HEAVEN IS NOT FOR THE FAINT OF HEART, AND THAT OUR SUCCESSFUL JOURNEY THERE WILL REQUIRE GREAT EFFORT AND SACRIFICE ON OUR BEHALF.

IT WASN'T EASY FOR JESUS TO ACCEPT THE SHAME AND PAIN OF THE CROSS, WHY WOULD WE BELIEVE THAT IT WOULD BE EASY FOR US TO GET INTO HEAVEN.

LET'S REMEMBER SAINTS THAT WHEN IT COMES TO ENTERING HEAVEN, AND SPEAKING DECLARATIVE WORDS OF OUR INTENTIONS, THAT OUR NOTHINGS COULD VERY WELL REQUIRE OUR EVERYTHING.