“But on that day, I will deal differently with the land of Goshen, where my people live; no swarms of flies will be there, so that you will know that I, the LORD, am in this land. I will make a distinction between my people and your people.”
(Exodus 8:22-23)
It has always been my will that there be a distinction between my people and those who are not yet mine. Not because my people are more righteous or more deserving, but for the simple fact that choosing to become my people will always make you different and distinct from the society around you. This distinction is not one of religious righteousness, but the difference of two very different kingdom lifestyles. It is the difference between Jesus and every other religious leader that came before and after him. I want to raise up disciples who are distinct in the way they treat their enemies and in the way they treat each other. I want to demonstrate the difference between power-over leadership and power-under leadership, for that distinction will point to me in a way that nothing else can. I want the people of the world to know that I, the Lord, am in this land.
— January 18, 2021