Falsenessess and Endurance

1 And as he came out of the temple, one of his disciples said to him, "Look, Teacher, what wonderful stones and what wonderful buildings!" 2 And Jesus said to him, "Do you see these great buildings? There will not be left here one stone upon another, that will not be thrown down." 3 And as he sat on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter and James and John and Andrew asked him privately, 4 "Tell us, when will this be, and what will be the sign when these things are all to be accomplished?" 5 And Jesus began to say to them, "Take heed that no one leads you astray. 6 Many will come in my name, saying, `I am he!' and they will lead many astray. 7 And when you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed; this must take place, but the end is not yet. 8 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; there will be earthquakes in various places, there will be famines; this is but the beginning of the birth-pangs.
9 "But take heed to yourselves; for they will deliver you up to councils; and you will be beaten in synagogues; and you will stand before governors and kings for my sake, to bear testimony before them. 10 And the gospel must first be preached to all nations.11 And when they bring you to trial and deliver you up, do not be anxious beforehand what you are to say; but say whatever is given you in that hour, for it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit. 12 And brother will deliver up brother to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death; 13 and you will be hated by all for my name's sake. But he who endures to the end will be saved.
Mark 13:1-13

Pastor had a WONDERFUL sermon this Sunday. I wanted to post about it and I should have, because now I forgot most of the wisdom I wanted to share about it.

Thinking about false prophets gets me thinking about idols and I have many of them...including this blog. I am making an effort to read Scripture online as much as I read other things. It has led me to some very interesting places. Places I would have never thought I might go for inspiration.

Caution, brutal honesty coming up...

I sometimes feel that being raised Lutheran has influenced me to be untrusing of other Christians. As I have experienced my life I have always been curious about other people and their faith. At first I was skeptical of others, thinking perhaps they were not practicing their faith the right way. At times I even dismissed other faiths simply because they were not the same as mine.

I try always to go back to the Word, take out my tattered and highlighted Book to see if the words printed are the same as what I am hearing. So much of the Word is taken out of context, I, myself, am guilty of reading into verses. I pray that when I do use Scripture it will be interpreted the way that it should be, the way He intended it. Truthfully, I know sometimes I do not and can not understand the true meaning.

I have found, in the most unLutheran of places, fellowship in the Text. Inspiration, hope, and comfort with other Christians, be them Lutheran, Jewish, or Baptist. I am enlightened by posts from women and men all over the world. Am I being led astray? I hope not. I pray not. I believe just the opposite, that I am being strengthened and am learning more about my personal journey with the Savior through others and their winding paths.

This is not to say that there are no false prophets. There are many. They are strong.
It will (is getting) get ugly. I know this.

I am reminded, through the above verses in the Gospel of Mark, that our time here is limited and I need to balance the good with the ugly. It is terrible of me to spend this time here and not glorify the One who made me. I spend an hour finding how to get 100 free photo prints and minutes in daily devotions. That is falseness. My life is full of falsenesses. Free samples, free shipping, cash back, rebates, coupons...check the sidebar for the proof ;)

Endurance is the key. Keep on keeping on. Read more about Him. Post more about Him. Share more deals about Him. The REAL DEAL. Listen for Him, see Him, be more like Him.

I have added several "new" sites to my google reader. Each balancing their own falseness with truth. So, if you happen to visit me to check out the latest deals and you come across a post that I have shared about the Lord and Giver of Life. Know that I am trying my best to endure, and by all means take out your Bible to be sure:)