The Devotional

Papa J's rules for Livin #161

Socialism and Communism are identical twins, even dictionaries cannot tell them apart!

In July of 1994 I began a new and challenging work as director of housing for low income elderly people. The new housing unit contained 32 one bedroom apartments and only eight of them were filled. I explained to the housing commissioners that by December of 1994 all apartments would be filled or I would be looking for another job. We did not have a budget to advertise. I called out to the LORD daily, walked the halls singing hymns, prayed in each empty apartment and on December 31, 1994 received a deposit for the last apartment to be filled. Those were very memorable days. God answers prayer and He walks alongside during difficult times. He comforts those who are willing to walk in the battle. But after December I became tired of being on the front line so to speak and slowly let the power of God slip into the background. I began adopting procedures that the world of low income housing uses to make these systems work. I still prayed and focused on God, but it was more of fitting Him in to the operation of things rather than allowing Him to work through me. The singing of hymns in the hallways ceased and praying in apartments that became empty stopped. Instead of the housing complex being a beacon of Light in a dark community as it was, it became a struggling entity in a small township surviving and looking like the rest of the town. Because of the grace of God during that first six months the LORD carried me through those fifteen years and I retired with great respect within the town and the people in the housing industry. But it is not me who deserves any credit. If it were not for the power of God during the beginning, the ending would have been far different. What if the whole fifteen years were like the first six months...

1 Corinthians 6

1 Corinthians 6:1-11 Continuing with our thoughts on getting along with one another is that it is very hard for some of us to remember from where we came from in the world. As hard as it is, I have learned to like 1 Corinthians 6:9 since it is a continual reminder to me of where I came from. The truth is that if we allow verses like this one to speak to our heart we will not think of being holier than thou as some who have forgotten from where they came out of. You know like 2 Peter 1:5-11.

The apostle is clear in these passages and very pointed when he says that those who participate in the sins of there past will not inherit the kingdom of God. As another subject, what is it that they inherit? I am sure this is another area of scripture that we do not like looking at since many fail to teach it or reference it, but it is there, you know; like weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth outside the gate.

Overall we fail to much in our efforts to stay in the limelight, sometimes it is because we become fearful like Elijah, or we like the enticement of the world like John Mark. The bottom line is that we fail to allow God to lead, then out of desperation we try to fit him into our agenda, rather than following His. All because we have forgotten that we were washed from our filth. Even sanctified and Justified in the name of the LORD Jesus through the Power of the Holy Spirit of our God. When we forget this we resemble the world. Oh, we have success but it is success from the gut, not from the Spirit of God.