Pawns?

I was thinking of the story of Job last night.  All my life I always focused on the story, the main theme.  Job losses everything, gets sick, dialog's with friends, and finally God and him have a chat.  But, look at the beginning of the story.  Satan comes to God and asks God to remove protection from Job and He does.  Why?  Well, it is to make a point that Job will not leave God.  Due to God removing protection, people are killed - Jobs whole family.  They did nothing wrong, they may have been believers is God - but to make a point...they are allowed to be killed.

The question I have is this...are we pawns in the cosmic struggle between God and Satan?  Look at Judas.  Scripture hints that this was his destiny from the beginning - this is what he was born to do...a pawn without a choice?

And the last thing I will leave with you...if God allowed Satan to kill innocent people to make a point...was this not murder?  Just a thought.

Direction

There was a time when I believe, and lived, that the church was the one place that would give a person direction.  What I have found out working inside and outside the church, the church itself has lost direction and is lost.  Now, I believe the church can be a great place to socialize with those you know, but when it comes to truly offering directions for a person...no.  The one place that should offer hope to a person who is lost, most often condemns and shuns those on the outside.  They pump up the idea that outreach is the focus for why they exist, but being a Director of Christian Outreach for 18 years....that idea is false.  They spend time and money to revamp and reorganize the church with the outreach banner being waved, when really the focus is all about the members there and what they want.

So, where do you go to get direction?  Do you need a church to tell you?  No.  True direction comes from seeking out God and where He sees you going.  It is time for us to come out of the box and see God for who He really is and what He expects of each of us.  Also, each of us (me included) need to really take off our blinders and see the people around us and see them as the ministry and refocus our attention on the truly lost and stop thinking the "church" will do it.  It is time to step out from behind the walls, and GO to those who are lost instead of WAITING for them to come to us.