Sometimes people don’t even know what they are doing or why they are doing it.
it could be their history, they could have issues you do not know about,
but it also could be that you serve the Living God and that can be apparent by your choices, your life, your actions.

I have someone in my life who has asked me to do illegal things. She has also asked me to lie.
I know some people follow her lead. I refuse. I will not bow to her which really is what some people want.
They want power and control. They want to be like God and have people serve them. It’s an ugly truth.
That will not happen with me.
I will submit as unto the Lord, but not to them when they ask me to do something that I know is wrong.

Expect to be mistreated and then it won’t be such a shock. That is what Jesus told us would happen.
If the world hate you, ye know that it hated Me before it hated you.
If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world,
but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. John 15:18-19

Don’t be surprised. God allows us to be treated as less than sometimes. He knows it is hard to live on Earth amongst these earthlings. Each of is also of dust. We belong to the Lord above and He warned us so we would know when we are persecuted or treated unfairly that we are to still serve Jesus and honor Him in our lives.

It seems sometimes like mistreatment will never end.
One day, we will not be here on this earth any longer.
We will be forevermore with our Creator.
Let us not forget that while we are here, Jesus would like us to bring as many as will come with us
to meet and give their lives to the Lord.
It will help us all to remember we are not here for ourselves, but rather to do the work of the Lord.

I felt a caution to not get too close.
The reason was because things were on his terms.
When you follow the Lord Jesus Christ,
there are times when you know that someone would get you off track.
I was not willing to go off track for this guy or for anyone.
I stayed back, kept my distance, while still participating to an extent.
The guy was a dance teacher.
He was inclusive to most.
We got along great, but I continued to feel a caution from the Lord, not to get too close.
If I went into his world, it would be on his terms, so I kept my distance.

He was a part owner of a new dance studio.
I went, I helped to get the studio off the ground.
He was gay and had a nice boyfriend.
I found myself being pulled farther into this world.
He was in the community a very important person.

I prayed for him.
He got a new boyfriend. That was difficult for the community.
His new boyfriend was also on my prayer list.
I heard the Lord say, There will come a time when you will no longer be able to participate.
I was warned.

The day came for me to share the gospel.
We got into a very deep discussion.
I shared the word of God.
He did not receive it. He moved his thoughts to rise against and twist the word of God.
Just then, in the midst of our discussion, his new boyfriend joined us.
He said, I used to be a Christian. I was on a mission trip in Peru.
I decided while on that trip that I no longer believed what I was sharing.
I decided I wanted to go another direction and I changed course.

The conversation was not contentious. I realized that I could not change their minds.
I had shared the word of God, shared Jesus, and they refused.

I knew something had shifted.
That was our last conversation at that studio. He got removed from the studio.
I do not know exactly how it happened, but the lady he had partnered with and this guy parted ways.
He had agreed not to teach in the city and the surrounding area for a certain amount of time.
I believe it was 10 years.

At that point, I could not go anymore since I felt like he had been wronged.
Either way, our time was over.
He went to the same dance class I went to as a student shortly after at a new venue,
but he did not show up anymore after a few times .

I saw him at the airport a few years later. He said he was doing well and was still with that new boyfriend.
They ended up marrying, bought a house. The boyfriend had children and the children were a part of their lives.

This guy reminded me of the people that come in and out of our lives.
We can only know what the Lord shows us.

The Lord has removed other people from my life who have not been saved.
I try while they are there to share the gospel of Christ.
Many do not agree or want to hear or perhaps they will be saved down the road, some other way.
Very few will make it to the finish line.
Some will never find the narrow road.
We have to keep going. We cannot get distracted.
Carrying our cross, through many dangers, toils and snares.

Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.
Matthew 7:14

Assuming that God wants us to do this or that without asking Him is not His way.
I was directed to leave my home and city and friends several years ago.
It takes a while to build friendships, to get to know your neighbors, to learn the ropes.
Share and share alike? I don’t think so. They’ll share if there is plenty, but they will not if there is not.
What about my church family?
Yes, I think they will come together.
There will also be those who cave and decide to get the Mark of the Beast.
We might not know who we can trust.
God is still good. He will be with us. That does not guarantee that He will do things like we think He should.

If you get an idea, pray it through.
While there is not much time, you also don’t want to assume you know the timeline.
You don’t. None of us do.

Some people might starve if the conditions allow.
If God does send manna or if He doesn’t, God is still good.
This is not to scare anyone. It is to help us seek the Lord about the practical things.
If there are roadblocks or difficulties, loss of comforts, we are all going to suffer.
We are used to a kingly lifestyle.
We have everything we want at our fingertips, at the click of a phone, the luxuries of the world.
Even the poor here have much more than some in other countries.
The lack of comfort is going to hit us hard if we cannot buy or sell.
When the Digital ID with health is brought forth, we need to be watching very closely.
The Mark of the Beast is not going to seem like a monster, on the contrary, it will seem like a help.

And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice,
If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand,
The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture
into the cup of his indignation;
and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels,
and in the presence of the Lamb:
And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night,
who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.
Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.

And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me,
Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth:
Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them. Revelation 14:9-13

Ask Jesus, then do what He tells you to do.

How do you know when you should act or when you should refrain?
If the Lord is in it, He drives.
Then, when you go forward, the Lord opens the doors and shows you: This is the way, walk ye in it.
First, you have to make sure you have no ought in your heart, that you do not wish the other person ill.
In fact, quite the opposite. You wish them well and you pray for their soul.

This is the second time in a week I have run into this man.
Two completely different situations and places and times.
I feel no hatred. I feel no unforgiveness. It is time to settle the balances.

I am praying for him to hear from God to do the right thing.
The judge will determine the outcome, so I am also praying for the judge to judge using God’s wisdom.
I am praying for the man to weather the storm he is about to encounter
as I believe he is young in the Lord.
And, if God wants to use me to extend grace,
I am praying I will be a willing vessel and that I can hear the direction of the Lord.

I already gave him several chances and he laughed in my face.
He spurned me and took money unfairly.
God is in this. Our two recent encounters are a reminder of what he did.
God is holding him to account.
The day of reckoning is almost upon us.

In Leviticus, when God first spoke these words, He talked about a grudge.
Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people,
but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the Lord. Leviticus 19:18
There is a difference between holding a grudge and wanting fairness.
And He answering said,
Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength,
and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself. Luke 10:27

For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ:
for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.
Romans 1:16

Proclaim His name. Proclaim His word. Shout it from the rooftops. Be not ashamed.
If they do not hear, that is not up to any human or anything any human can correct.
Jesus came not for the well, but for the sick.
He will not open every ear. That mystery is up to Him.
The prayers are ours to give, the answers are His.

When Jesus heard it, He saith unto them, 
They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick:
I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. Romans 2:17

If you are not one who is sick, pray for those who are. The outcome will be determined by the Lord.
To share love and compassion before the Lord is beautiful and He will honor our prayers.
Though some will respond to His Spirit and some will not, they are all loved by the Lord.
He will appreciate our efforts unto Him on their behalf.

But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear. Matthew 13:16

You can trust them until they betray your trust
Until they betray you

You can trust people only so much
If you give them all, you lay yourself open and bare
You can’t trust anyone too much
They don’t completely understand
They don’t completely get it
They don’t always look our for your best

Most of us have been betrayed or shocked when a person showed their true colors
Maybe they showed them before but we didn’t listen

Casting pearls before swine

Giving someone too much responsibility

Imagine how King David might’ve felt when Michal hated him for dancing and glorifying the Lord

Or Samson, whose eyes were gouged out when Delilah found his strength and shared it with the Philistines

Or Jesus when Judas betrayed Him with a kiss

You can probably guess what comes next and you’re right: God is the only One we can really trust

Anytime we expect more out of a person than they are willing to give or are able to give, we will be disappointed
God is always there for us
He never makes hurtful mistakes
He always understands exactly how we feel
Jesus is our anchor, who knows our every need and every desire
No human can fill that void

Humans have their place
It takes getting knocked down a few times,
getting deeply disappointed, rejected, betrayed
when we can then realize our affections must first and foremost be upon Christ the Lord

The only One who can fulfill all of our hopes and dreams of the perfect relationship is Jesus
The others are less than
Even the most wonderful spouse or sibling or friend must not be given the highest expectations
When they fall, it is not only their fault, but ours

These thoughts do not negate awesome friends or loved ones
It is just a reminder that God is always to be first in our lives
and His blessings flow through people but are ultimately from Him
The wonderful people in our lives are gifts from God
If He removes one, He has His reasons, keep looking to Him for He is the supplier

Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. John 15:13

For the Lord God is a sun and shield: the Lord will give grace and glory:
no good thing will He withhold from them that walk uprightly. Psalm 84:11
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights,
with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. James 1:17

Lord Jesus, we pray for this boy who has not yet learned of Your love.
We pray for him to read about You, hear about You, and for your Holy Spirit to comfort him.
Your word says the angels reap the harvest.
Please send your angels and draw him to Your people who can help him to grow in You.
He has no one else to turn to. Without You, there is no hope for him.
He is becoming more angry and more jaded. There is no one else who can help him.
You are the only One who understands what he needs, how to fix his broken, shattered heart.
You are the only one who can turn his life around.

Let him hear Your voice calling him.

Remember the Centurion, Lord, the one who said to You, You don’t have to come to his house?
I trust You to heal him from afar. I know you are able.

The centurion answered and said, Lord,
I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only,
and my servant shall be healed.
For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me:
and I say to this man, Go, and he goeth; and to another,
Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it.
When Jesus heard it, He marvelled, and said to them that followed, 
Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel. Matthew 8:8-10

I place him at your altar. I know You can take his life and heal him. I am trusting him in your hands.
In Jesus’ mighty name, Amen.

Since God made all of us, there is none that are considered better than another.
In fact, on the contrary, we are to consider others better than ourselves.
Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. Philippians 2:3

Miriam and Aaron did not do that. They were Moses’ siblings. They did not approve of his choice.
if it had been that she was a foreign woman in her heart, then the situation would have been different.
The bible does not say that Moses’ wife served the Living God, but she had to have or she couldn’t have been there.
Miriam and Aaron were making a determination based on her skin tone, not on who she was inside.
And, not only did they judge her, but they faulted Moses for marrying her on that basis.

Then they started trash-talking Moses. Digging their hole even deeper. The Lord put a stop to that immediately.

And they said, Hath the Lord indeed spoken only by Moses? hath he not spoken also by us?
And the Lord heard it. 
(Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth.) 
And the Lord spake suddenly unto Moses, and unto Aaron, and unto Miriam,
Come out ye three unto the tabernacle of the congregation. And they three came out.
And the Lord came down in the pillar of the cloud, and stood in the door of the tabernacle,
and called Aaron and Miriam: and they both came forth.
And He said, Hear now My words: If there be a prophet among you,
I the Lord will make Myself known unto him in a vision, and will speak unto him in a dream.
My servant Moses is not so, who is faithful in all Mine house.
With him will I speak mouth to mouth, even apparently, and not in dark speeches;
and the similitude of the Lord shall he behold: wherefore then were ye not afraid to speak against My servant Moses
And the anger of the Lord was kindled against them; and He departed. 
And the cloud departed from off the tabernacle; and, behold, Miriam became leprous, white as snow:
and Aaron looked upon Miriam, and, behold, she was leprous. Numbers 12:2-10

They got in big trouble with God. He was not only displeased, He was angry.

Moses forgave her right away. God did not. He made her a leper. While God knew it was temporary, Moses still pleaded with God to cleanse her right away. That did not happen. God did what He did and commanded she be kept outside of the camp for seven full days as a leper. He was harder on Miriam, so it seemed, He also was seemingly more angry at her than Aaron. The only conclusion I can draw is that God looks on the heart. He knows what is inside each of us and He deals with us accordingly.

And Aaron said unto Moses, Alas, my lord, I beseech thee, lay not the sin upon us, wherein we have done foolishly, and wherein we have sinned. Let her not be as one dead, of whom the flesh is half consumed when he cometh out of his mother’s womb. And Moses cried unto the Lord, saying, Heal her now, O God, I beseech thee. And the Lord said unto Moses, If her father had but spit in her face, should she not be ashamed seven days?
let her be shut out from the camp seven days, and after that let her be received in again. Numbers 12:11-15

Jesus was kind to the unthankful and the evil.
We know about loving our enemies. What about being kind to our enemies?
Loving the unlovely.
Kindness takes effort.
It also gets to be a habit.
Jesus wants us to be sincere, not just go through the motions.
That does make it a little more work.
How can we be kind even though we cannot find a good reason to be kind?
There doesn’t have to be a reason. We may never find a reason. Be kind anyway.

Paul said Woe unto me if I preach not the gospel.
For though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of: for necessity is laid upon me; yea,
woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel! 1 Corinthians 9:16

Don’t give yourself any excuses. Pray for open doors from the Lord.
Pray for opportunities that the Holy Spirit goes before you,
and even helps you in your conversations to share Jesus with people.