Not for the faint of heart ~

"Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ."

We are all familiar with this verse from 1Peter (2:5). I believe, this verse is a clue to the problems the follower of Messiah is experiencing today.

It's here...."Ye also, as lively stones".
Do you see it?

We are called to be "lively stones". How do you describe a STONE? The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language describes a stone as, "concreted earthy or mineral matter; rock."

Stones (or rocks) are similar to snowflakes. They are created by God and they are different. You may have a rock as small as a grain of sand or you may have a single rock the size of a mountain. They differ in color, size, and shape.

I believe, the enemy sees the follower of Yeshua as stones and he is attempting to change us into bricks.

Webster describes brick or bricks as "a handy-sized unit of building or paving material typically being rectangular and about 21⁄4 × 33⁄4 × 8 inches (57 × 95 × 203 millimeters) and of moist clay hardened by heat."

And I might add ~ created by man.

If we allow ourselves to be changed from (God's) stones to (man's) bricks, we will all look alike, be uniform in size and color - think alike, talk alike, worship like.....

As Bill Cloud says, we will all become (like milk) thermized, sterilized, pasteurized, and homogenized. We should all just "be nice and get along." We (the Christian) "must" become "tolerant"...."like minded"......(lower our standards)...."be excepting" ......because obviously it is a hate crime to think or speak one's beliefs if they are based on that outdated book we call the Bible.

.....okay, I think I am getting a bit off course here.....

But my point being, the world (the enemy) is trying to remold and reshape you and I. He is chipping away at our created (by God) image, trying to reform us to look like everyone else.

And this chipping and molding is hurting us. And one might say, the more we resist, the more it is going to hurt.......until Abba delivers us.

However (thank God) we have this scripture in our quiver, "Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." (James 4:7).

As for me, I think I have the resisting part down....unfortunately, the "submitting" part is a little more difficult for this "stone." I definitely I do not want the enemy trying to remold me into a brick, as his followers. But the question is, why is it difficult for me to submit to my Heavenly Father?
Why do I resist HIS guidance (teachings, commandments, boundaries), when HE only desires my good?

It would seem, I am attempting to do things my own way and that isn't working out to well.

I believe (for me, at least) I need to fast......a serious fast. Meaning, not 12 hours, 18 hours, a day, rather I need to hear from Adonai as to how and what HE wants.

"Then I proclaimed a fast there, at the river of Ahava, that we might afflict ourselves before our God, to seek of him a right way for us, and for our little ones, and for all our substance." Ezra 8:21

So, that is where I am. I will be seeking HIM as to how to go about fasting, praying, studying.....to achieve the end result that will be pleasing to HIM. We (I) have to break this evil oppression that is hovering just above our lives.

I believe we are at this "Daniel moment" when we have to purpose in our hearts as Daniel did, that we will not defile ourselves with whatever the enemy uses to temp us (and may God grant us the wisdom to recognize that weapon when it comes). I believe like in Daniel 10....God is answering, but the war in the heavenlies is so great, our answers are having difficulty breaking through.....it is a spiritual battle. And rather than continuing to seek HIS Face, HIS answers, we grow weary, therefore surrendering more ground to the enemy! We need to "take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand." Eph. 6:13

Daniel said.....

"Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever: for wisdom and might are his: And he changeth the times and the seasons: he removeth kings, and setteth up kings: he giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding: He revealeth the deep and secret things: he knoweth what is in the darkness, and the light dwelleth with him. I thank thee, and praise thee, O thou God of my fathers, who hast given me wisdom and might, and hast made known unto me now what we desired of thee:"

So this is were I am....seeking that God would grant that wisdom and might to me....to each of us.

I do not know where this is leading. However, after much prayer, I believe this is the right track for me to be on.

Does this make sense to anybody?