Where does love come from and how is beauty created? The wise man knows that the source is God, but how do His processes work? Is there a limit to His power and control? Answering this question will have a direct effect on how much confidence we feel we can place in Him. I am convinced God is in total control, even of the most seemingly irrelevant circumstances. I also believe we have total freedom of choice in the accepting or rejecting of Him.
The crucible of decision is where our wave of obstinacy is broken apart on the shoals of God's improbability, the audacity of hope amid the twisted wreckage of our rebellion. We witness the evidence of death and destruction, our heart swallows darkness until we come to understand it. That is when we cry out for something more. He is that more.
Our bondage is temporary. Evil, no matter how powerful it seems, is but a fleeting affliction. Creation itself has been ransomed and all things will be restored. We lose nothing in this conflict, if we believe in Him. We have only gain from it in the areas of wisdom, understanding, and love.
You see, He knew us, those that wear His name. He has seen us, His likeness, through the long corridor of years, from before the laying of the foundations of the earth. He knew everything about those who would respond to Love's calling. He has used everything: Himself, our circumstances, the physical world, and those around us, to provoke us to dialog with Him. The dance of the cosmos is orchastrated to bring about our freedom so that we would be overcome with love for Him, and because of that, our total redemption would be accomplished in Him.
Because of His efforts, our life becomes a poetry of praise and glory to Him. The beauty of the image of His Son is developed in us. He will be satisfied with nothing less than that we will share in His joy. "Enter thou into the joy of thy Lord."
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Saturday, April 11, 2009
Why Hell is Necessary
By becoming a message of reconciliation and practicing forgiveness, we defer matters of justice to God's all encompassing understanding. In Proverbs 25:22, it says that when we are good to those who abuse us, we heap burning coals of fire upon the abusers heads. By doing this, we become a living epistle of the love of God. We become a visible example of God's self sacrificial and giving nature.
Be warned. Jesus said, "No servant is better than his master. The world has hated me, it will also hate you." Our soul will become the crucible of fire. Evil can only destroy, never create, so superficially, it will look like evil is winning. "For Your sake we face death all day long, we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered." When persecuted, and yet forgiving, we offer others the image of the dying Savior in ourselves. When our pain and humiliation are on public display for the world, as His was, then the willful sinner is offered a visible example of his actions come to fruitation. The writhing, dying face of the Savior is set before Him for consideration. Perhaps the rebel will revise his conception of reality and change his perpetual question from "Why does God allow evil to exist in this world?" to the more applicable observation that "My own evil is what has made this happen." Faced with the inevitable conclusion of his lack of submission to the gentle leadership of the Savior, if astonished love is not the response, then the rebel becomes one with the Jewish leaders who cried out, "We will not have this man to rule over us! Crucify Him!" If the rebel thinks he can do things better on his own, without the "interference" of God, then he has committed "Deicide", the murder of God.
Be warned. Jesus said, "No servant is better than his master. The world has hated me, it will also hate you." Our soul will become the crucible of fire. Evil can only destroy, never create, so superficially, it will look like evil is winning. "For Your sake we face death all day long, we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered." When persecuted, and yet forgiving, we offer others the image of the dying Savior in ourselves. When our pain and humiliation are on public display for the world, as His was, then the willful sinner is offered a visible example of his actions come to fruitation. The writhing, dying face of the Savior is set before Him for consideration. Perhaps the rebel will revise his conception of reality and change his perpetual question from "Why does God allow evil to exist in this world?" to the more applicable observation that "My own evil is what has made this happen." Faced with the inevitable conclusion of his lack of submission to the gentle leadership of the Savior, if astonished love is not the response, then the rebel becomes one with the Jewish leaders who cried out, "We will not have this man to rule over us! Crucify Him!" If the rebel thinks he can do things better on his own, without the "interference" of God, then he has committed "Deicide", the murder of God.
There is no one righteous, not even one;
there is no one who understands,
no one who seeks God.
All have turned away,
they have together become worthless;
there is no one who does good,
not even one.
Their throats are open graves;
their tongues practice deceit.
The poison of vipers is on their lips.
Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.
Their feet are swift to shed blood;
ruin and misery mark their ways,
and the way of peace they do not know.
There is no fear of God before their eyes.
The Lord will allow this person to make his own decision. He does not compel, but provides information about the alternative He has provided. When someone refuses their responsibility, denies their accountability, God will not forever burden His people with the horror of evil. His people will not be held hostage forever, but will be delivered by Justice Himself, who will consign evil to darkness and everlasting punishment.
this burden I have chosen.
My legs tremble and my mind reels.
Surely the Mighty One is stronger;
this sorrow will not bear Him down.
My eyes tire of all their tears,
for who can hear the cry of the wicked?
The one who has refused to see
the angry countenance of their God.
The have turned from acknowledging their debt,
From the One who has given them life.
What is their portion, save darkness?
Confined to the cell called despair?
No relief from loneliness is there
and wisdom turns to rend them.
The innocent will not remember these
the ones who sought to devour them.
None can deliver them from distress.
They have chosen to be cut off.
Might I be the one to speak?
To ask that mercy and compassion
place obstacles to halt the rush?
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Why I Forgive
Some inspiration from our Lord on this matter of justice. Certainly an oppressor owes a great debt. Impatience to see retribution enacted upon him is ........inappropriate. Vengence belongs to the Lord. Debts accrued are owed to Him alone, to whom belong all things. Not to anyone else belongs the role of spiritual accountant. Is there anyone else who knows, better than Him, how to collect genuine repentance? Having our own agenda, apart from His will, causes us to resist the implementation of what is best for everyone involved, namely those things that He already has in mind.
If we hold on to the could-have-beens, cling tightly to the SHOULD-have-beens, we miss the transition to the hope that God has provided. We give up the blessing of God's ministry of reconciliation. Forgiveness is the vehicle that brings about the rebirth, like the tamarack pine that sheds it's foliage in wintertime. Only when we eject the dead detritus of unworkable passions, during the cold, barren time of pain, can we then burst out with new growth and extravagant beauty of the kind most precious to God. It is the birth of grace towards others.
Make no mistakes here. Only the mentally strong can possibly forgive. It is not a field of play where the weak can participate. That is why God makes sure we get plenty of practice. The strength required is spiritual, and this one act uses the most of it and matures us the most. Why? It goes against our natural desires, against what everyone is telling us to do. It even makes us look weak. Yet,"My strength is made perfect in weakness", says Jesus.
You see, all those traumas, all that anguish past bearing, will become a gift that blesses. Shed the blindfold on a hardened heart and see that, one day, He will let us understand that these things were allowed to happen for our good and His glory, and that we will thank Him and praise His holy name for just these very things.
When we forgive, we bring that day closer. When we forgive, we participate in His ministry of reconciliation. We become a part of the spreading of the message. We become the message, like Jesus is. Standing beside Him, we will rejoice with Him and be satisfied when everything is completed.
If we hold on to the could-have-beens, cling tightly to the SHOULD-have-beens, we miss the transition to the hope that God has provided. We give up the blessing of God's ministry of reconciliation. Forgiveness is the vehicle that brings about the rebirth, like the tamarack pine that sheds it's foliage in wintertime. Only when we eject the dead detritus of unworkable passions, during the cold, barren time of pain, can we then burst out with new growth and extravagant beauty of the kind most precious to God. It is the birth of grace towards others.
Make no mistakes here. Only the mentally strong can possibly forgive. It is not a field of play where the weak can participate. That is why God makes sure we get plenty of practice. The strength required is spiritual, and this one act uses the most of it and matures us the most. Why? It goes against our natural desires, against what everyone is telling us to do. It even makes us look weak. Yet,"My strength is made perfect in weakness", says Jesus.
You see, all those traumas, all that anguish past bearing, will become a gift that blesses. Shed the blindfold on a hardened heart and see that, one day, He will let us understand that these things were allowed to happen for our good and His glory, and that we will thank Him and praise His holy name for just these very things.
When we forgive, we bring that day closer. When we forgive, we participate in His ministry of reconciliation. We become a part of the spreading of the message. We become the message, like Jesus is. Standing beside Him, we will rejoice with Him and be satisfied when everything is completed.
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Who is this man?
No one knows my name now, but I was the one who brought my son to Jesus because he was tormented by a demon. My son was very young when he started having seizures. He is my only child and his mother and I tried everything we could to help him. We talked to doctors and teachers of the law, but they only told us it was our own fault that he was like that. When I heard about this Jesus, I knew that I needed to see if he could help my son.
When I first encountered the followers of Jesus, he was not with them. The followers of Jesus attempted to cast the demon out of my child, but were unsuccessful. At that moment, I felt that the hell of my family circumstances was going to just continue as it had, without relief. I had no faith or energy to offer anyone right then. Obviously, no one could help me or my son.
Shouting at the foot of the path up the mountain made the crowd run over to where it ended. Finally, Jesus was deigning to show himself? I'm afraid I was so angry that I surged to my feet with the intention of giving him a piece of my mind! Strangely, though, Jesus seemed to be irritated himself, and asked those surrounding him what in the world they were doing. I spoke up and told him what had happened between his disciples and my son and I. Wonder of wonders, he was exasperated with them! He commanded that my son be brought to him.
The demon gave my son a fit right at the feet of Jesus. Jesus saw directly to my heart and my uncertainty at that moment. He told me that all things are possible to those who believe! I cried out for him to help my unbelief, for the sake of my son! Then Jesus delivered my son from his oppression.
Who is this man? He has power over the spiritual world. He gives deliverance to the oppressed. Who is he? That is what each of us must decide.
When I first encountered the followers of Jesus, he was not with them. The followers of Jesus attempted to cast the demon out of my child, but were unsuccessful. At that moment, I felt that the hell of my family circumstances was going to just continue as it had, without relief. I had no faith or energy to offer anyone right then. Obviously, no one could help me or my son.
Shouting at the foot of the path up the mountain made the crowd run over to where it ended. Finally, Jesus was deigning to show himself? I'm afraid I was so angry that I surged to my feet with the intention of giving him a piece of my mind! Strangely, though, Jesus seemed to be irritated himself, and asked those surrounding him what in the world they were doing. I spoke up and told him what had happened between his disciples and my son and I. Wonder of wonders, he was exasperated with them! He commanded that my son be brought to him.
The demon gave my son a fit right at the feet of Jesus. Jesus saw directly to my heart and my uncertainty at that moment. He told me that all things are possible to those who believe! I cried out for him to help my unbelief, for the sake of my son! Then Jesus delivered my son from his oppression.
Who is this man? He has power over the spiritual world. He gives deliverance to the oppressed. Who is he? That is what each of us must decide.
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Death in the Family
When it comes to the subject of suicide, I don't think christians should be supporting laws that restrict other's right to die. Graveyards will be filled whether we do or no. ( As my son told me yesterday, the big "secret" of life is that we're all going to die.) I think, instead, that we should be telling people about Christ so that they will have something to look forward to when they inevitably do die. In the meantime, Christ will not fail to have compassion on the suffering of His people.
In the space of three years, I have had four family members pass away. When I say family, I mean the next of kin of the man I was married to before, and the man I am with now.
The gentle person who lights up my life right now, has lost his father, brother, and then his mother in a short period of time. The crazy thing is, that each time that each one of them was so sick, and out of compassion we prayed for them, the next thing that happened was that they left us and passed on.
First it was the father, stricken with cancer of the throat. After devastating and debilitating surgery, the doctor found it had come back again and the prognosis was terminal. The father asked the doctor if there was any way that things could be hurried along to get it over with. When I was told (I did not really know him, because at the time I had only met him once, after he was very ill) I began to fast and pray that the Lord would honor his request. I found out later that he passed away the same day of my prayer.
A few months later, the brother became ill. We spent a lot of time with him in the hospital, feeding him, reading the bible to him, and praying for him. He continued to deteriorate. We found out, from the doctor, that he would not recover. Anguish over seeing such a kind person brought to this state led me to lay hands on him and plead with the Lord to heal him. Three days later, on Sunday morning, we got the phone call that he had passed on.
The mother starting becoming ill about a year and a half later. Her son was angry with her for not fighting or trying to recover. I told him to let God do what was best for her, and that is what we prayed for. Three or four nights later, when I arrived home from school, they told me she had gone to be with the Lord.
The story of these three contrasts strangely with the father of my exhusband. Papa was a beautiful, gentle minister of the Word. He was sick for three years and his family was agonized to see him suffering. He was bedridden for months after having his legs amputated. Many (myself included) were praying that the Lord would take him and spare him further distress, but He did not.
Papa did not want to leave. He wanted to see his family healed before he had to make his final report to his Lord. Nothing happened the way that he thought it should have. Now that he is with his precious savior, he knows that that blessed healing has taken a different form from what he expected, and actually was experienced directly as a result of the trauma that he felt so guilty about.
In the space of three years, I have had four family members pass away. When I say family, I mean the next of kin of the man I was married to before, and the man I am with now.
The gentle person who lights up my life right now, has lost his father, brother, and then his mother in a short period of time. The crazy thing is, that each time that each one of them was so sick, and out of compassion we prayed for them, the next thing that happened was that they left us and passed on.
First it was the father, stricken with cancer of the throat. After devastating and debilitating surgery, the doctor found it had come back again and the prognosis was terminal. The father asked the doctor if there was any way that things could be hurried along to get it over with. When I was told (I did not really know him, because at the time I had only met him once, after he was very ill) I began to fast and pray that the Lord would honor his request. I found out later that he passed away the same day of my prayer.
A few months later, the brother became ill. We spent a lot of time with him in the hospital, feeding him, reading the bible to him, and praying for him. He continued to deteriorate. We found out, from the doctor, that he would not recover. Anguish over seeing such a kind person brought to this state led me to lay hands on him and plead with the Lord to heal him. Three days later, on Sunday morning, we got the phone call that he had passed on.
The mother starting becoming ill about a year and a half later. Her son was angry with her for not fighting or trying to recover. I told him to let God do what was best for her, and that is what we prayed for. Three or four nights later, when I arrived home from school, they told me she had gone to be with the Lord.
The story of these three contrasts strangely with the father of my exhusband. Papa was a beautiful, gentle minister of the Word. He was sick for three years and his family was agonized to see him suffering. He was bedridden for months after having his legs amputated. Many (myself included) were praying that the Lord would take him and spare him further distress, but He did not.
Papa did not want to leave. He wanted to see his family healed before he had to make his final report to his Lord. Nothing happened the way that he thought it should have. Now that he is with his precious savior, he knows that that blessed healing has taken a different form from what he expected, and actually was experienced directly as a result of the trauma that he felt so guilty about.
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Sin
Fairly recently my intellectual curiosity about biblical prophecy was transformed into a passion for personal evangelism. What started out as something which was going to happen in the unspecified future became an urgent message for the present. Prophesy is the fuel for the fire of evangelism. I hit a roadblock after that when I began trying to communicate the concept of sin to others. In this society, where there is relative peace and wealth, the predominate moral teaching seems to be that of tolerance. Superficially, it seems that only by accepting that everyone has their own truth (as the only truth) can everyone then be able to get along. When God attempts to interrupt this pleasant seeming fiction with our accountability, we interpret His efforts as just so much egotistical bullying. Some just live in denial, and say there is no God (and think that saying it ends the issue).
God wants to work with us, to bring us back from death and our own destruction. He's gone to a great deal of effort to explain things to the unwilling. Despite His all encompassing power, His way and His character is to choose to work through love, His support, and humble service. The example Christ gave us was to empty Himself of His rights as our creator and submit all the way to His own death. The meek are a reflection of this, Christ's character. How did Jesus say others would know who are His disciples? They would know because of the love we have for one another! Even adversity is given to increase our love, patience, and humility!
This type of character cannot be found anywhere but with God! Only following Him and doing what He says will give us the proper orientation and strength to be able to do what is right. If we have any other motivation, then we sin by murdering the image of God's character, either within ourselves, or in others. Since God is perfect in all things, we have to follow His example in order to not sin.
Normal people have a hard time seeing sin from God's perspective. (If He showed up in person we would be able to see His holiness and have a comparison, but we would die if He did.) A sinner, to God, is like a small child at an expensive resturant that insists on having a screaming temper tantrum! If you have very sensitive ears, like I do, then that is an extremely ugly noise! It ruins dinner for anyone within hearing distance. Consider also as an example the loud, foulmouthed, and unwashed person that comes into an establishment playing soft strains of beautiful music. He is, of course, at painful odds with the atmosphere into which he has introduced himself. These instances might inspire understanding of what sin looks like, but would not even begin to include the elements of agonizing betrayal that are part of it. Think of a soldier, responsible for protecting life and property from violence, selling out to the enemy and becoming a traitor. Sin is betrayal because we turn against the One who has given us everything that is good.
Satan introduced this whole concept of turning against God as his own pilot program to find a replacement for God. Satan has put himself forward as the next candidate. He tells us lies about God to induce us to follow his error. Satan tries to tell us that following God means that we are prohibited from having a will of our own. Satan says that worshiping God will make us religious bigots who think that we are better than anyone else. If he can convince us that there is nothing wrong with us in the absence of God, then he will take us with him to the quarantine which is the destiny of all evil.
God wants to work with us, to bring us back from death and our own destruction. He's gone to a great deal of effort to explain things to the unwilling. Despite His all encompassing power, His way and His character is to choose to work through love, His support, and humble service. The example Christ gave us was to empty Himself of His rights as our creator and submit all the way to His own death. The meek are a reflection of this, Christ's character. How did Jesus say others would know who are His disciples? They would know because of the love we have for one another! Even adversity is given to increase our love, patience, and humility!
This type of character cannot be found anywhere but with God! Only following Him and doing what He says will give us the proper orientation and strength to be able to do what is right. If we have any other motivation, then we sin by murdering the image of God's character, either within ourselves, or in others. Since God is perfect in all things, we have to follow His example in order to not sin.
Normal people have a hard time seeing sin from God's perspective. (If He showed up in person we would be able to see His holiness and have a comparison, but we would die if He did.) A sinner, to God, is like a small child at an expensive resturant that insists on having a screaming temper tantrum! If you have very sensitive ears, like I do, then that is an extremely ugly noise! It ruins dinner for anyone within hearing distance. Consider also as an example the loud, foulmouthed, and unwashed person that comes into an establishment playing soft strains of beautiful music. He is, of course, at painful odds with the atmosphere into which he has introduced himself. These instances might inspire understanding of what sin looks like, but would not even begin to include the elements of agonizing betrayal that are part of it. Think of a soldier, responsible for protecting life and property from violence, selling out to the enemy and becoming a traitor. Sin is betrayal because we turn against the One who has given us everything that is good.
Satan introduced this whole concept of turning against God as his own pilot program to find a replacement for God. Satan has put himself forward as the next candidate. He tells us lies about God to induce us to follow his error. Satan tries to tell us that following God means that we are prohibited from having a will of our own. Satan says that worshiping God will make us religious bigots who think that we are better than anyone else. If he can convince us that there is nothing wrong with us in the absence of God, then he will take us with him to the quarantine which is the destiny of all evil.
Friday, March 6, 2009
Choices, Choices
In an imperfect world, having conflict is a given. Life is an educational time given to us to acquire the skills our Lord will need from us in His kingdom. We're not there yet, so what do we do in the meantime?
The reality of living in the here and now is dealing with the frustration and anger which pressures us to act, mostly without the illumination of knowing the end results of our actions. The passionate feelings driving us to distraction come from not understanding or being in control of what it is that we face. Conflict happens when events and the resulting negative emotions have escaped our limited ability to restrain them. Conflict is an opportunity to choose between many possibilities in an effort to alleviate the situation. If we haven't learned anything when it's over, then we've suffered in vain.
What are some things we can try during a disagreement? It's good to think of them ahead of time and remember to use them during arguments. Our reasoning ability escapes us during times of turmoil. (We don't think very well when we're mad!)
1. There's always (figuratively speaking)murder and mayhem (violence). Don't all of us have times that we enjoy the entertainment of considering it (just temporarily) as a possible solution? (If this type of solution seems reasonable to you during an argument, TURN AND WALK AWAY!) Sigh! Jesus said to be good to those who are mean to you. Maybe it's because he knew before the rest of us that violence is only a temporary solution, that it doesn't actually teach anybody anything. It actually continues or worsens the emotional and physical situation.
2. Name calling seems like a good way to express frustration (and is practically involuntary). I mean, you're not actually hurting anybody, are you? Yet Jesus said that calling your brother a fool puts you in danger of hellfire. How could he be so unreasonable? After all, isn't your brother not listening to you? Yet someone has to make the sacrifices of righteousness and be the one to start listening. So then you wind up thinking through your trashy attitude and his also. (Lord help us) what did you learn from all that? (That maybe your brother has a good point?)
3. Then there is my own area of expertise: stubborness. Who can possibly argue (or conflict) with someone who refuses to engage (intellectually or otherwise)? An intransigent character is nothing if not implacable, cold, and immoveable. We just outwait the drama experts. As far as I'm concerned, stubborness is highly underrated as a coping mechanism. I like to think of it as integrity with a bad rap. Yet, how can someone who refuses to discuss an item of concern possibly learn anything new about it? Learning involves changing and I have a huge quotation(that I copied) on my fridge from Dr. Laura Schlessinger saying how stupid we are to be so afraid of change.
4. Strange as it may seem, I have not yet exhausted the possible responses to another's anger. There is one more. We can thank the good Lord for a learning opportunity, or the chance to further His kingdom by being an exhibition of Christ's character. While we are thanking Him, we should be praying for His will to be done (while also fervently requesting that he make us premier students of whatever the situation is supposed to be teaching us: To get it over with). The miracles that happen as a result of this type of response are rewarding to see.
Disclaimer: Added so that readers will not feel that I am a proponent of violence. I view violence as the refuge of the intellectually challenged.
The reality of living in the here and now is dealing with the frustration and anger which pressures us to act, mostly without the illumination of knowing the end results of our actions. The passionate feelings driving us to distraction come from not understanding or being in control of what it is that we face. Conflict happens when events and the resulting negative emotions have escaped our limited ability to restrain them. Conflict is an opportunity to choose between many possibilities in an effort to alleviate the situation. If we haven't learned anything when it's over, then we've suffered in vain.
What are some things we can try during a disagreement? It's good to think of them ahead of time and remember to use them during arguments. Our reasoning ability escapes us during times of turmoil. (We don't think very well when we're mad!)
1. There's always (figuratively speaking)murder and mayhem (violence). Don't all of us have times that we enjoy the entertainment of considering it (just temporarily) as a possible solution? (If this type of solution seems reasonable to you during an argument, TURN AND WALK AWAY!) Sigh! Jesus said to be good to those who are mean to you. Maybe it's because he knew before the rest of us that violence is only a temporary solution, that it doesn't actually teach anybody anything. It actually continues or worsens the emotional and physical situation.
2. Name calling seems like a good way to express frustration (and is practically involuntary). I mean, you're not actually hurting anybody, are you? Yet Jesus said that calling your brother a fool puts you in danger of hellfire. How could he be so unreasonable? After all, isn't your brother not listening to you? Yet someone has to make the sacrifices of righteousness and be the one to start listening. So then you wind up thinking through your trashy attitude and his also. (Lord help us) what did you learn from all that? (That maybe your brother has a good point?)
3. Then there is my own area of expertise: stubborness. Who can possibly argue (or conflict) with someone who refuses to engage (intellectually or otherwise)? An intransigent character is nothing if not implacable, cold, and immoveable. We just outwait the drama experts. As far as I'm concerned, stubborness is highly underrated as a coping mechanism. I like to think of it as integrity with a bad rap. Yet, how can someone who refuses to discuss an item of concern possibly learn anything new about it? Learning involves changing and I have a huge quotation(that I copied) on my fridge from Dr. Laura Schlessinger saying how stupid we are to be so afraid of change.
4. Strange as it may seem, I have not yet exhausted the possible responses to another's anger. There is one more. We can thank the good Lord for a learning opportunity, or the chance to further His kingdom by being an exhibition of Christ's character. While we are thanking Him, we should be praying for His will to be done (while also fervently requesting that he make us premier students of whatever the situation is supposed to be teaching us: To get it over with). The miracles that happen as a result of this type of response are rewarding to see.
Disclaimer: Added so that readers will not feel that I am a proponent of violence. I view violence as the refuge of the intellectually challenged.
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