He's not like us --- HE is totally OTHER

There has always been an attempt to bring down Father God to a man like persona. Even though his word is replete with admonitions like, "God is not a man that he should...".

In fact to come to save humanity from sin HE had to become man, which means HE is not a man.

In fact he is Holy.. the least like man you can imagine.  Holy meaning unlike anyone else.  Completely different and OTHER.  Jesus used parables to define the Kingdom but not to explain God.  In fact He pointed to Himself to understand who or what Father is.

What makes Him so Holy is his capacity to be so outside of Himself.  I am beginning to grasp the essence of divinity that is the concept of Others.  William Booth, founder of the Salvation Army very late in his life had a one word admonishment to his mission.  "Others" was the full text of a telegram that was one of the last he ever sent.. 

We live in an exceptionally selfish self centered world.  Everyone is out for whatever or whomever they can get.  They are focused on themselves or those like them.  It is defined by a concept called "The Other".  All racism, victimization, persecution, reviling, anger, hatred, fear and division revolves around a demonic concept called "The Other". 

Where it falls apart is among an unholy people happens when we see everything thru the filter of our own self interest and without any capacity to see things thru the eyes of others.  The enemy comes to destroy us by division, hatred, anger and all the other manifestations of the flesh called "The Other".

What some people see as rights others see as injustice
What some people see as heritage others see as cultural collapse
What some people see as provision other see as theft
What some people see as freedom others see as a threat
What some people see as recompense others see as tyranny
What some people see as  safety others see as isolationism

The opposite of faith is not unbelief, it is apathy. The concern I have as a prophet is we have reached a tipping point in our self centered focus.  I see it everywhere.  It is what and who we have become.  People, even Christians have become so ME focused that they are no longer able to see any "Others".

Much of the rage against racial injustice we see and hear is actually selfishness.
Much of the anger about political power is because we don't feel we have any.
Much of the fear about those from other places is because they are more "other" than most.

When I see racial injustice pointed out, when I hear cries of fear from those who make a living on "Otherisms" I see satan laughing up his evil sleeve.  We are a deceived people. We have been lead to kill and destroy each other out of our own fear of the other.

Certainly there are boundaries, borders over which we cannot cross. Not everyone is to be considered a brother or sister.  Yet.. many are never going to see the kingdom because only have one vision.. ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME and what's in it for me, and what about me.

The more Godly a person is, the less he or she is going to focus on themselves, their political group, their racial group, their ethnic group, their own world.  It is beyond natural capacity to live in harmony with the "Other" until we get outside of ourselves.  Here's a secret, if you wait for the "Other" guy to make the first move, you will never get off dead center.  If you keep score you will always lose.  If you try for a cosmic quid pro quo you will never see the Kingdom.

As a prophet I have come to see clearly how the enemy has deceived and deluded people into feeling put upon by "Others".  Prophets see injustice first and find it most unjust when claims of injustice are the injustice themselves.

The Lord didn't have to save us.. He could have wiped us from the face of the earth with one breath from His mouth.  He would have been completely justified in doing so.  Sin had destroyed us all.. and only hell waited.  BUT God so loved the Other that He sent His son, Himself in fact, to become an OTHER and dwell among us to offer a life line to the point where whoever believes and grasps that lifeline is Saved.  That is what He expects of US.

The call to be a lifeline in taking our eyes from ourselves is a clarion call this Sunday Morning.

OTHERS!!