A Word From The Lord- "Return to Me"

A Word from The Lord- "Return to Me"

by Bryan Craig

We began this year, 2020, saying this was a year for Vision, maybe new Vision.  For those of us who believe in God and follow Him, we asked God to give us His Vision for our lives.  With these thoughts and prayers came hope and faith that something new and fresh might be revealed.

Then, we moved along in our normal routines and rhythms, with little change in our vision or perspective, UNTIL NOW!  A little, invisible virus has stopped the whole world and has most people reeling.  Who would have ever thought something like this could happen?  One common threat to all people all over the planet.  One thing grabbing everyone’s attention and affecting everyone.

I am a Christian, which means I believe that God is the King of the Universe.  I believe He is in charge of all things. For reasons I don’t fully understand, He gives us free will, which causes all sorts of chaos and pain, but it seems that in the midst of pain and suffering, most find God and what their soul really desires.  I don’t know if God created the Coronavirus to get our attention or whether it was created by man or by evil and He has merely allowed it to spread.  Either way, I do believe God is now truly answering our prayers for Vision, for a new perspective on life as we know it.

I asked one of my daughters if she thought God needed to get our attention.  Do most people on this planet know God or even care what He thinks?  Do most people who call themselves Christians really follow God’s precepts in His Word?  She looked at me and realized the answer was “No” to both questions.

As I spend time in God’s Word every day, He has been taking me to many Old Testament scriptures in Amos, Hosea, Joel, Deuteronomy, Chronicles, where God is imploring His people over and over again with these words, RETURN TO ME.

That seems to be the rallying cry that God wants me to share with everyone I know.  RETURN TO GOD!  2 Chronicles 7:14 says, “If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” So, this is a call to all of us who know God and are called by His name.  It starts with us.  Let us RETURN TO GOD, in humility and repentance, asking for forgiveness.

For those who don’t know God, let me tell that He is real and He sent Jesus, His Son, to be the sacrifice for your sins, so that when you die, you will not perish, but have everlasting life.  Jesus, the One who proved He was Who He said He was, by being killed and rising from the dead, said these words: “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears My Word and believes Him Who sent Me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.”

Now is the time choose what you believe.  I ask you to give Jesus a chance.  I tried living for the world for 30 years, and it never brought me peace or true satisfaction.  It always left me yearning for more.  When I gave Jesus controls to my life and surrendered to Him, my life changed.  I now have peace and significance like never before.  I now have eternal hope and love that can never be taken away, not by a worldwide virus or even by death.

In February, right after the President’s State of the Union Address, I was inspired to write these words.  This was before the Coronavirus hit our country.  I wrote my heart about what I saw as the State of America.  Perhaps God was giving me His Vision.  Maybe this worldwide Pandemic will give you new Vision.

My State of the Union

February 6, 2020

I see God, not as King of my people, but as one god among many.

I see wealth and luxury as one of the most-worshiped gods.

I see rampant sexual sin:  pornography, infidelity, pre-marital sex, homosexuality, gender confusion, pedophilia.

I see the rich and powerful determining laws and morality, with little, if any, regard for God’s Word.

I see sports and entertainment as taking the highest priority in most people’s hearts.

I see churches who seem more focused on programs, buildings and production, rather than on making disciples and meeting people’s needs.

I see people trying to portray the best impression of their lives on social media when no one knows their real identity or struggles.

I see a perverse willingness to accept all things, all views, all people, all values, with no absolutes, so that we are not accountable to anyone.

I see hate everywhere and “acceptance” disguised as love.

I see ministries more worried about fundraising than trusting God.

I see women leading families spiritually and men feeling ill-equipped and under-qualified.

I see unwholesome talk coming out of tongues every day, cursing men and cursing God.

I see acts of kindness done for personal recognition or ratings.

I see Media captivating millions of minds and hearts and immobilizing even those who know Christ and are called to make disciples.

I see billions of dollars spent on medicine each year and very little time spent praying for the sick and anointing them with oil.

I see sins of our forefathers being passed down to this generation so that they are normalized and justified.

I see a stark lack of Elders and spiritual Fathers and Mentors.

I see alcohol and marijuana as the anti-depressants of choice for too many.

I see no absolute standards for living, definitely NOT the Bible, so people have no basis for peace or unity.

I see darkness, like a blanket, covering my people.

BUT… IF WE HUMBLE OURSELVES AND PRAY AND SEEK HIS FACE AND TURN FROM OUR WICKED WAYS…

I see God, seated on His throne and in His Glory.

I see Jesus, seated at His right hand, interceding and pleading with the Father on our behalf.

I see men and women who have been set free from the bonds of sin, who are walking alive in the Spirit.

I see the Holy Spirit changing people so they can help change others.

I see men and women who love God’s Word and accept it as the authority in life.

I see people who live to please God, not to obey laws.

I see people loving their enemies, seeking reconciliation and forgiveness, sharing the Love they have found in Christ.

I see a remnant of people, who are like burning embers being oxidized by the breath of the Spirit, slowly gaining ground on the coldness in this world.

I see people falling on their knees in repentance for their love of the world, turning their lives toward God.

I see families being restored and marriages rekindled to their original love and true ministry being birthed.

I see people with rich hearts toward God and others, not counting any possession as their own.

I see people answering the call to pray and seeing miracles as a result.

I see beacons of light and oaks of righteousness, standing tall, and being a respite for those in their days of despair.

I see Hope, by God’s grace, that my people will return to God, and He will relent from destroying us.

Dear God, please have mercy on my people.