EXILED.

We live in such a different world today. Yes, over time everything evolves through positive changes needed for survival, but the metamorphosis of today’s social normalities can be quite disturbing. The important issues of equality and racial discrimination are not diminished in any form or fashion by what I am trying to say. Evil exists, and without a moral compass to guide us through the murky waters of sociopolitical rights & wrongs, we can end up lost, without even knowing it. “Go with the crowd.” How many times have we heard that one. Sometimes if you are choosy with who your crowd consists of, going with that crowd can be a good thing. What is not a good thing is when you follow only because it is the majority and not what is the truth or what you believe down deep is right. The “right” message or even the “side” of the political spectrum you fall on does not always mean it is correct. The intentions, the goodness of meaning behind a policy or stance, does not amount to much if the end results are less than moral.

Last Sunday, our wonderful pastor taught an important lesson by going over something just as this topic. Are we a part of this world? Are we even supposed to be? What is our general take-away? When people meet you or know you very well, what is it they see as a message through you?

WHERE ARE YOU, MEN OF COURAGE?

I ask this, because no matter what society said yesterday, says today, or in the upcoming years, where are those who ignore society’s norms by following the word of God instead? This is not about equality one bit. Yes, politically in our country, that is of deep relevance. This is about an entirely different level of living by looking past the surface into our souls. As Christians and leaders to Christ, where are you men of courage? Where are the traditional men, not by society’s definition of “tradition,” but by God’s? Where are the cornerstones and anchors of our God-loving and God-fearing families? I ask this as a woman that, of course, struggles myself at times but often feels very alone with a fear that men of substance, men of integrity & valor, the real men of GOD are hiding far into the shadows... if they

still exist at all.

In Bryan Vaughn’s message, he clearly said that as Christians, We are NOT of this world, We are NOT supposed to fit in, and We are the exiles living in the land of Babylon. When we forget that, even for a split second, we allow our enemy to prevail. We surrender to the darkness by saying, “I’m just a normal guy or gal, I’m only human, I’m just doing what everyone else is.” WE ARE NOT everyone else. When we take a broader look into life beyond earth, that enormous concept of eternity, what does this sliver of “life on earth” really mean? We get one chance. ONE. We can keep all the pain and confusion from our childhoods, because let’s face it, none of us grew up in perfection, nor did our parents, their parents, and so on… or remember how God sent perfection through His son to live amongst the darkness, the evil, the “norm” of the world’s times. He was hated, shunned, ridiculed, and hung to die by the hands of His own people.

It's time to get deeper than what is "politically correct" and obey what our King, and not our country, has commanded of us.

Is walking on our own, feeling a bit lonely, and not doing what everyone else is doing really that difficult? Can we tear down the walls of shame, of pain, and of our own humanness to see we are never alone, for our Father walks beside us every step of the way, and at times, He carries us. If you get nothing else out of this writing, I pray you can remember…. If more of us would live like exiles and become brave enough to walk the road less traveled, it would not be so lonely after all.

OUR CHILDREN ARE WAITING. . .