Part 1 of 4 Blogs…. They are long but well worth the read!
Noah, Philemon, and Amadou
Separation was born separated from God and from a relationship with Him. Separation’s needs have been met by a loving mother and father. Separation did not even realize that he was separated for many years. As Separation grew in years he felt like all his traffic lights looked green. In all honesty he had no idea what the traffic light was for many. When he was young he had two friends named Love and Grace. Love and Grace were different than he was and he always enjoyed being around them. Even when Love and Grace had things come into their lives that would normally destroy others, He noticed that they always would be around their friend named Peace. It was being around Love and Grace that Separation noticed the road that they traveled was always going the opposite direction as his. He also noticed that they would watch these traffic lights. When the light was red, they stopped. When it was yellow, they waited and were never quick to keep going. Sometimes they would move forward and sometimes they did not move at all.
Three Mvslim Boys singing "We Three Kings"!
Separation was always curious about this light they would look at. He questioned in his mind, “Why is my road going the opposite direction? Why are my lights almost always green except when I am with Love and Grace? Even this week when I noticed the traffic light, it was the first time my light turned red and what does that mean?” Separation has a good life. He has a family that loves him, his needs are met, he has good friends, and he feels happy most of the time. So again he ponders, “I have a good life and I am blessed, but something is different even better for Love and Grace.”
The more he is around Love and Grace his feelings begin to become conflicted. He loves being with them but they have something he feels like he is missing. Many times he also feels yucky about himself or choices he makes. In his mind, they are things or choices that are perfectly O.K. so why does he feel badly. Love and Grace have done nothing but love him and shine this light towards his life. One day Love and Grace begin to explain to him that they have so much love for him that they have to let him know that the road he is on is a bad one. It is a road that is lying to him. This is a road that may make him happy right now, but is leading him to death and hell. Separation really does not always feel happy, but he cannot see how their road is the right one. His road is the only one he has ever known. Most of his friends and family travel this road. His father has even warned him that the road Love and Grace are on is the road that is death. He has been warned to never make a u-turn or his family would not be pleased and even may disown him.
Brice a Catholic who wants to be sure of his salvation!
At first, Separation thinks that they are crazy. He laughs and then even finds himself angry. He sees that his traffic light is bright red and is almost commanding him to stop this conversation with them. He begins to ask many questions to challenge their belief and faith. As Love and Grace are sharing what their road and their traffic light have done and continues to do for their lives he notices that Love and Grace have friends that begin entering the room. All of a sudden the traffic light is there and is actually blinking U-Turn. Faith, Hope, Peace, Joy, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, and Self Control have all come to join Love and Grace as well. He feels more conflicted in his spirit than ever before. He recalls times when he has felt pulled in this other direction, but it simply makes no sense to him. Love and Grace give him a little more insight into the road he is traveling.
You see, Love and Grace are able to see where Separation’s road ends. Separation is riding in cruise mode. Love and Grace know that if Separation does not turn around, there will be a day that Separation will not be able to stop. He will be on a curve and an 18 wheeler truck is flying down the hill coming the other direction getting ready to turn the corner that Separation is traveling. Separation has been told that these trucks travel his road at fast paces and how dangerous it is. Separation has no idea that this truck is headed straight for him or even how fast the truck is traveling. Love and Grace are able to see very clearly what is about to happen to Separation and they cannot handle it. They love him and simply agonize at the thought of his death, hell, and separation from the Father in Heaven.
Three Mvslim boys we long to see know Jesus.
Love begins to tell Separation that the road he is on may be a whole lot of fun, may even seem completely safe and moral, but the person controlling his traffic light ultimately wants to kill him. He was born on the road that leads to death. Then the controller of his traffic light is going to do everything he can to keep him on this road. His road is like the road that Love and Grace travel- it will tempt him to steal, cheat, lie, gossip, be consumed with pride, look at inappropriate things, be unfaithful to his wife, bring depression, a low self image, fear, anxiety, etc. The big difference is, on his road when those temptations come, his traffic light will always be green…. ALWAYS. There will be times when the light is green and yet you will still stop. You know in your heart that these are not good things, but you stop because you are a good man. You may stop because you may see the risks… for whatever reason… you stop.
Separation says to Love, “you talk about all these things but you have all of these things in your road too.” Loves explains that he is absolutely right. On our road there are these traffic lights that appear that are there to try and steal, kill, and destroy us. The controller of your lights tries to control our road also. He has put things there to trick us and try to destroy us; however, there is never a trick or a temptation that does not have a beaming bright red light telling us to stop. Sometimes we allow ourselves to see it is as yellow. We may stop and think about it and many times the light becomes clearly red. Sometimes we see it as orange so we move forward anyway and find destruction.
2 Mvslims playing Mary and Joseph in our Christmas play.
There has been a friend in the room that Separation could not see. As Love, Grace, Faith, Hope, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, and Self Control were all praying for Separation….a beautiful thing took place. Separation began to see a small flicker of this other person in the room. The more he listened to Love and Grace the clearer the person became. Separation felt a battle in his soul. He felt pulled to stay on his road, but He could not resist his spirit pulling him to this other person. Separation finally said to the others, I want your road. I do not understand all of this, but I want your road. I want your traffic light and the person that controls it. I do not want to travel any longer on this road of destruction. I want to make a u-turn and fully receive the life that is waiting for me. It was then that through the small crowd, a man walked up to Separation. With tears running down his face, Separation said, “I just do not understand how this is possible for all of us?” Truth lifted the hem of his robe slightly so that Separation could see these huge scars that cover the tops of his feet. He then holds his palms open to show the nail scares that take up such a huge part of his palms. This man put his arms around Separation and pulled him into his chest holding him tightly and said, “Hello, my child… my name is Truth.” He then said, Separation now that you are my child, I am going to change your name….. You are no longer Separation and never again will be… you are Saved and always will be!
Think about this for one moment, how many people in your families, jobs, neighborhoods, grocery stores, and churches are named Separation? Are you Separation?
In this 4 part blog post, I am very excited for you to hear the Story of Philemon. He was first named Ishmael and also separated. He is now called Philemon and also SAVED!
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