I was rudely awakened, very early, this morning by the unrelenting roar of a motorcycle that, for all intents and purposes was about to explode, and perhaps kill the rider and those nearby.  I have only heard this sound here in Brazil, and each time I hear it I pray that this person will not kill themselves nor those in his path.   This sound is exceedingly amplified as it travels up the eleven stories to our apartment which makes it an even more frightening experience.  I actually awakened myself praying out loud..."Lord, don't let that man kill himself or anyone in his path!  In Jesus Name!"  I got up and at that very moment had such a burden of prayer; I resolved to, "get to prayer" about the many things weighing on my heart.  I am so thankful for the "blessing" of prayer.  How much God knows our need to come to Him, as well as, His need for us to be instruments in His hand through intercessory prayer.

Without going into the particular church situation that was heavy on my heart, with you, it will suffice to say that I simply went to prayer about it.  I realized that one of the main reasons I am here is to pray about, not just things like this, but this very situation.  I also realized how terribly remiss I have been in, "pressing into heaven", as we say, for the redemption of it.  [Might as well settle in, this is going to be longer than I thought].

I seriously confessed this to the Lord and asked Him for His help in being faithful to intercede on the things He speaks to me.  When I realized that, there also are many things that I should have said to you, and for fear of rejection I have held my peace; or more accurately said...been disobedient.  Today is a day of freedom for me, after all, what in the world do I have to lose being obedient to God?  Perhaps living in another country allows me to see, with a greater clarity, certain influences on my own culture and country.  My soul, my brothers and sisters, is rent here today, over what I see and hear in my own dear family, the family of God.

Where are the voices assigned to speak into our darkness and address our compromise and our blindness.  Why are they silent OR better said, silenced.  Silenced,  by our own hardness of heart and our own sophistication of mind.  Some have allowed themselves to be cowered into a corner of silence by the choices all around us, of indulgence; others have been educated "out of their minds" and into silence. These are all imprisoned; a state that is never to be our state of mind or soul!

Recently I heard a message that riveted me to the wall on the term "tolerance".  The question that came forth in this sermon, was, "How much sin will you tolerate in your life?"  Folks, we don't even see sin anymore!  We don't even realize how far we have wandered from God's design and standard for us.
We no longer acknowledge that, our lives are supposed to look, feel, smell, be and effect the world, from a totally "other reality".  The Kingdom of God.

We have left the youth of the world, and often our own offspring, to the mercies of the "gods of this age".  Let's think for a moment.  Do you imagine that these Super-hero films are just some "old-time" folklore that is being carried on in a new generation?  Do you realize the depth of darkness that we openly invite into our lives and into our very homes, when we blindly indulge in the "fare" that the pagan world has to offer?  WAKE UP my brothers and sisters!  Let's all look into the mirror of God's Word and shout at ourselves; WAKE UP!  WAKE UP NOW!  Friends it is late, and we are sleeping, and at the very least, totally groggy.  What are we thinking?  Are we thinking?  Are we listening? To what are we listening?  What has happened to our spiritual receptors?

I am asking myself these very questions!  When I hear messages on my need to "Reclaim My Voice", I am afraid my first question is, "How did I lose my voice to begin with?" This we must know, so that it never happens again!  Too many years have passed by as we have watched the enemy devour lives and souls, and even the lives and souls of our children, while we enjoyed our stupor of worldly-headiness.  WAKE  UP, dear ones.  WAKE UP, my soul!  We must WAKE UP!

The world is searching and grasping for THE Messiah.  Tragically, they are willing to accept anyone, fictitious or infamous substitute; we see presentation after presentation of these messianic-heros who have no moral conviction, to speak of; and we are willing to allow our little ones to be indoctrinated with their evil, dark and twisted sense of right.  Do our little ones even know Who the True Messiah is?  And that He has come to dispel darkness, to do away with the "real evil one" who has come to steal, kill and destroy us, and our families?

Our influence is a very powerful thing.  Some of us have greater, more widespread influence than others. I Cor. 8:9-13;  What does having "liberty" really mean to us?  Liberty to do, or say, or watch, or listen to, or believe...whatever?  Is this liberty?  I believe true liberty is to be free of the grasping claws of Satan, on our hearts and minds!  This is only through Christ, Who is alive and resides in us!

I will close with this scripture which hit me right between the eyes today and cut to my heart regarding my fear to reach out to you whom I love and exhort all of us, including myself to rise up to a new level of awareness in the Spirit, Today, while it is still called Today.

2 Cor. 7:8-10 (Not that I should dare to put myself in Paul's company; except through Grace.)

Listen carefully: Pay especially close attention to vs. 10

"8 For even though I did grieve you with my letter, I do not regret [it now], though I did regret it; for I see that that letter did pain you, though only for a little while;
9 Yet I am glad now, not because you were pained, but because you were pained into repentance [and so turned back to God]; for you felt a grief such as God meant you to feel, so that in nothing you might suffer loss through us or harm for what we did.
10 For godly grief and the pain God is permitted to direct, produce a repentance that leads and contributes to salvation and deliverance from evil, and it never brings regret; but worldly grief (the hopeless sorrow that is characteristic of the pagan world) is deadly [breeding and ending in death].

Amplified Bible (AMP)
Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation

My challenge to all of us is, that we no longer drink from the fountain of "(the hopeless sorrow that is characteristic of the pagan world) *[it] is deadly [breeding and ending in death]."

*[it] my addition for clarification only.