Redemption

The Storm

You have been going to church your whole life, nothing new under the sun. Your pastor preaches another message you have heard many times before about a storm and he relates it to bad choices in life. You know the sermon by heart. Soon he will mention prayer and how important it is to build a relationship with God . I have heard it before. He even takes it to next level and stats "you pray you stay you don't you won't ." how funny, I would never leave church. He obviously does not know me ; I have been in church my whole life and I plan to stay. Oh, yah I can not forget the bible. He says I should read it every day to renew my mind, I think. I know the bible probably better than he does. I have had the word by my side since I was old enough to carry it. How boring, I had rather read something more exciting like the Keeper of the Stone by Keith Mere. Now he knows how to keep your attention. There is always something happening, he keeps you on the edge. The moment has finally come my pastors last words as he motions for the musicians to come. I can not wait to go eat I am starving. Over time the light inside you begins to dim and you begin to drift.

Drifting little by little the world begins to pull you further and further from your church until it becomes a memory. All along your man of God, friends, and your conscience cry out  wake up, but you do not listen . Soon a dark cloud begins to form in the distance and out of the cloud the faint sound of the world begins to ring in your ears making promises of freedom from the harsh rules of your pastor. Even though he says it is for my own protection, ha, what a joke I can take care of myself.  As the voice beckons you listen, oh how sweet the sound.

Completely unaware of the impending storm that threatens your very existence. Your eyes begin to grow heavy and soon your eyelids close. As the vessel of the world gently, ever so gently, begins to rock your sleep becomes deeper. Your pastor, seeing the approaching storm and the darkness that it is bringing into your life cries out, THE STORM, THE STORM, WAKE UP! You stir a little, but in your mind your thinking it's just a little wind nothing to worry about. Soon shadows of darkness surround the small craft and the winds grow in strength. Still sleep does not abate, instead ever so deeper you fall into the abyss of sleep. While in your slumber chains of darkness wrap themselves around you and they begin to weigh you down.

The roar of the coming storm awakens you from the abyss. The lightning of the bad choices I have made dance playfully across the sky mocking  and reminding me of just how much of a failure I am . Before long, the vessel begins to rock violently with crashing of the waves of doubt, fear, and unbelief and soon my life begins to take on the sewage of the world and you begin to sink into despair.  Somewhere in the darkness, amongst the tempest, I hear voices crying out in desperation. What can this mean? Are there others out here with me? As the illumination of my life continues I notice the multitude of people around me and the hopeless stat they are in without Jesus. As I begin to understand my predicament I wonder how did I get here. It did not take long for me to understand. My pastor warned me continually about the choices and how they can effect the outcome of our lives, whether good or bad it was our choice to follow God or not he never forces us to serve him, he gave us a free will to choose. How could I have been so foolish and not listen to the man of God. Can he ever forgive me for turning my back on him. As the weight the world continues to crush all hope of redemption I cry out to God for mercy, but it seems even God won't here my cries.

Somewhere in the distance a hum slices through the noise of the raging storm. Something out of the darkness begins to take shape as the sound grows louder , you think to yourself, has someone finally heard our cries? With the illumination from the storm it becomes evident it's a ship. As the ship approaches its light's come on and light up the area around it. As the liner drops anchor its name is revealed. "RUSE" As the anchor is being set a voice comes from the ship stating I am here to save you come eat at my table , you will have the goods of this world at your disposal. At the end of this saying a ladder is lowered.

As your pastor watches the storm overtake your heart he begins to cry out to GOD the storm has claimed another in his desperation he screams out "GOD HAVE MERCY ON THE LOST SOUL!" In the distance something begins to take shape as he continues to lament in prayer. God's mercy begins to build a ship chiseled in faith and fashioned in love. As your pastor looks up God reveals the ship "LOVE". The glory of God shines from front to back and side to side. As LOVE turns into the night God's glory cuts through the darkness like a knife.

Soon it's your turn to climb the ladder, but something is wrong another voice begins to echo through the darkness saying I am the resurrection and the light. Where is that voice coming from? Through the expanse of the darkness you begin to see a light, unlike any you have seen in your life. It seems the darkness begins to dissolve away as the light draws nearer. The closer the light gets the more you begin to see the love of God. As LOVE approaches RUSE draws back. As the brightness of God's love arrives the blackness in your soul begins to leave. In the brightness you see your true salvation. As you kneel down at the old alter bitter tears cloud your eyes and soon you begin to feel lighter as angels begin to lift the chains of darkness from your soul. One by one the chains are cast away from you. As the shackles are thrown down an angelic host takes up their position around you swords drawn ready for battle. As you pray the unmerited favor of God lifts you from the darkness that was once your prison. Your battles are no longer yours to fight alone. God becomes your strength. For greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world.