Reading in Ezekiel of late, I’ve been growing in my appreciation for an un-god-ing… of self.  I know that’s not a word, but check out chapters 27 and 28 about Tyre, and you’ll want to do the same.  Let’s un-god self.  We have come to prize what we can accomplish as Americans and in worshiping what we’ve made of ourselves, we’ve become less and less impressive in the world’s eyes and under the discipline of a holy God.  Our pride as the merchant king of the world and the one nation really able to accomplish what we’d like, fulfilling dreams of individualism and human autonomy…  All of this slowly crumbles as we watch our moral crumble slowly take down our prideful positioning globally.  It’s far more than what can be observed in the overt externals.  The US is crumbling from the inside out.

Imagine a steady taking stock among believers first, a heart-felt looking at self long enough to see the pride and lust and greed so predominate among us.  Imagine if we turned again to being one of the most generous and servant-hearted nations in the world.  Imagine even more than acts of service, if our serving was from a constant meditation on the cross of Jesus Christ, if He was our continual reason for hope, not just a generic social gospel.

Jesus Christ died not for our earthly prosperity but for our eternal celebrating of His victory over our justly earned judgment.  He died to give us joy and hope and ultimately eternal purpose for existing – to worship and rejoice and celebrate OUR SAVIOR AND LORD!

My son and I are going down to work in the dirt in Tuolumne City today.  I still believe God is up to something in this county that no one can gauge or measure or expect.  It will take humility for all of us, but as we submit to the eternal purposes of our holy God, this movement of God will spread across our state from the hearts of God’s people all through the state.  May this action of God in our hearts to unite around the Gospel of Jesus Christ steadily spread and be something we are caught up in here in the mountains, all through the Valley, and out to the coastlands.  May the glory and excellence of Jesus Christ be our mutual souls’ obsession.

Enjoying Jesus,

– Torrey