Las Vegas, NV 2011: Longing for the old life of Egypt or Vegas has long presented itself as a problem for God’s people. But, God always provides a way to stand up under such temptation. We must look for that way out.
Excerpts from Trent’s historical letters candidly and anonymously offer flavors and insights from real-time and real-life origins. Hop aboard these instructions and confessions in mid-stream, below, and see if they help you, too.
From Trent Ling:
I am not inclined to accept your resignation from the Kingdom. Not comprehensive, my letter here is something that I hope you will consider. Thereafter, I hope you will turn your heart to God (1 Thessalonians 1:9) and join us in that. Many things come to mind that should make leaving unacceptable:
1. When your kids, in their cute little voices, ask about ministry people by name, how will you harden your heart enough to answer them and/or train them to forget the people they were taught by you to love, trust, know, visit, and regard as family?
2. How can you accept letting your actions tell your historical hearers that they were right all along in ignoring that silly bloody Jesus, and his dumb little book, and his ridiculous, ignorant followers who have no lives? Can you really harden your heart enough to witness your hearers conclude such in their hearts and minds on the basis of your actions?
3. Everyone on earth longs to be real and honest and free. You have had this opportunity presented to you on a silver platter. Why not take this opportunity that the world merely longs for but cannot find or grasp or have? You have yet to be really real, really honest, and really free. Go for it! Instead, you’re going to sign up for phony, false and enslaved? I cannot believe that you are really excited about that. Blasé ignorance would represent your best-case scenario going forward. Say it isn’t so.
4. In a great Romans 1 effort to get your attention, God has given you over to reminding me of your lost and infantile family members, who you know are not right, in how you are handling some light and momentary troubles (2 Corinthians 4:17). The children in your family are excused. Your parents are worn out in the world. Your others are completely lost. And you have the truth, the Holy Spirit, forgiveness, fellowship, and everything else that you need (2 Peter 1:3). You resembling them should alarm you back to your senses immediately, shouldn’t it?
5. God’s words to you: “I remember the devotion of your youth, how as a bride you loved me and followed me through the desert, through a land not sown. What fault did (you) find in me that (you) strayed so far from me?” Jeremiah 2:1,5. Can you really answer God’s question with a hard heart and resist returning to Christ and doing the Bible for real?
I love you. I expect your heart to yield to God’s call here, and I expect to see you soon. There will be no shame or explanation needed. You will simply fellowship with King David who confessed “But as for me, my feet had almost slipped; I had nearly lost my foothold.” Psalm 73:2. This is not the first time, nor will it be the last.
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