A Few More Thoughts and a Reminder

4 Comments / June 11, 2020

We’ve had a busy week around here. We welcomed our fifth grandchild! A beautiful little boy who is already loved so dearly by all of us. What an awesome thing to watch his two older brothers meet him for the first time. What a bright spot in the midst of all this chaos!

I enjoyed a couple of days with my grandsons while mommy was in the hospital and was reminded why you have kids when you are younger. I enjoyed every minute of it but I am sure tired. You grandparents who are raising your grandkids are doing an amazing and self-sacrificing thing. But most of us will do what we have to when we truly love someone, won’t we? That’s what love does.

At any rate, I feel like anything I write this week would be…contrived. I feel a bit disorganized inside my head. So I am going to just write some of my thoughts down about the recent events.

I am overwhelmed with emotion at what is going on in this country right now. It feels surreal and I told my husband the other night it feels like we are just waiting for the next thing to happen to a country already weakened by a virus (with a less than 1% death rate, no less…) and now being destroyed by a religion called Woke that was started by the death of a guy who was a longtime criminal. (And some are even wondering if he’s dead, given the mysterious circumstances surrounding the incident.)

Something evil is at work in this country. There are too many questions. Too many things that just don’t add up. In fact, aren’t some of these things making you question your own sanity?? How can people see situations so differently? Where they see freedom in the future, I see bondage. Where they see abundance, I see hunger. Where they see life, I see death.

If we do a study of history, we will learn two things. First, we will understand that those promoting communist ideology have not studied history. They couldn’t have or they’d understand where this ideology takes any society that tries to implement it. I think we are clearly seeing that they have been fed propaganda in our schools and universities and they are brainwashed.

Second, we will understand that societies have gone through these kinds of times since the beginning of time. We are not the only ones to experience uncertainty or dread. We are not alone in our fears and our questions for the future. This world is full of sin and Satan has been very active destroying it and it’s inhabitants since the fall.

As Americans, we have been rather sheltered from the awfulness of this world in many ways. Until now. Now we are tasting it firsthand and we can feel the solid ground of the greatest democracy in existence begin to shake beneath us. It’s so disconcerting.

But here’s what isn’t shaking: God. God and His Word are still as solid as they ever have been. Some of us are starting to understand that we may have had our security in the wrong place. That we were trusting in something that never existed in the first place.

If this doesn’t make any Christian turn to the truths of scripture I don’t know what will. Throughout all of time, God has held and taken care of His own. Sometimes that meant a pleasant life here on earth and sometimes it meant death. Sometimes life was so hard and for others, not so much. But whatever our lot in this life, we know God is with us. He has promised and we know He always keeps His promises.

To me, the beauty of the sky is a daily reminder that God cares about each one of us. The sun will continue to rise and set, no matter what else is going on around us.

Many are the evenings that I will look toward the west and have to grab my iPhone for a photo. And every now and again, I will look toward the east in the morning and do the same. The sky is a beautiful painting every single day. Whether it is cloudy and gray or filled with amazing color, we are reminded that God is in control.

We may fret and worry, but He is sovereign and not one tiny thing is going unnoticed by Him. He is allowing all that is happening for His purposes and plans. And He never changes.

We, the remnant, have much to look forward to in eternity. We, of all people, are so blessed. May we remember to keep our eyes on things above.

I’ve created a short video of those shots I’ve been taking this year. I hope it is a small blessing to you as you process all that is going on around you right now.

Psalms 113:3 From the rising of the sun to its setting, the name of the Lord is to be praised!

Isaiah 45:5-7 I am the Lord, and there is no other; There is no God besides Me. I will gird you, though you have not known Me, That they may know from the rising of the sun to its setting That there is none besides Me. I am the Lord, and there is no other; I form the light and create darkness, I make peace and create calamity; I, the Lord, do all these things.’

p.s In honor of the 10th anniversary of Growing4Life, I am raising money this month to help with the needs across the world during this economic crisis. Find out more here.

The Only Solution

8 Comments / June 3, 2020

When I was a little girl, we moved south for a short time. There, in my first grade class, I was one of only three white kids in the entire class. It didn’t bother me a bit and I quickly became best friends with a little black girl named Lisa. We were so young and neither of us had been taught that being a different color was a big deal, much less a bad thing.

I credit that experience with forming my young mind on this explosive thing called “racism”. It came at a critical time in my life and I am thankful for it. Unfortunately, many people did not have such an experience and there are many issues, not just between blacks and whites, but between all races, including Asians, Arabs, Indians, and many others. Wherever there are differences, there seems to be people who will mock and bully and harass.

And then there are those who would take advantage of the disunity that is a result of this tension and try to manipulate it to their own ends. I believe that we are definitely seeing that with the current protests that are resulting from the George Floyd case. There is much to be suspicious about when one really studies the details surrounding that case.

But that’s neither here nor there. What I want to take a look at today is how a Christian should respond biblically to something like this. I have been more than a little dismayed to see and hear about many who would call themselves Christians posting scripture verses out of context or promoting interviews with false teachers. Many have jumped on the wagon of the current movement without ever doing any research at all into what the movement actually stands for or taking a look at it through the lens of scripture.

Before we think through how we should respond to this issue of racism, let’s first take a look at what we know about this issue from scripture. I will give one scripture reference for each point, but if you do your research, you will find there are many more that support them. The Bible is a cohesive book that is unified throughout. It is truly amazing! Okay, so here we go–

1. We know this world is wicked and broken and will be until such a time as God destroys it and creates the new earth (Revelation 21).

While so many Christians believe falsely that we can make the world a perfect place and build God’s Kingdom here, the Bible teaches that this will not happen.

2. Every person is born dead in their sin. No race or color is an exception to this curse. (Romans 3:23)

Original sin is the rub in this culture. Even many Christians want to deny this. But without this admission–that I am a hopeless sinner–there is no salvation. We are not broken in need of a fixer. We are sinners in need of a Savior.

3. The Gospel is our only hope. (Romans 1:16)

The good news that Jesus took on our sin and nailed it to the cross, so that we could be made alive together with God and be forgiven (Colossians 2:13-14) is our only hope for true and lasting change. Psychology and other behavioral methods may make a little headway, but they are man-based and cannot yield the same permanent results as a heart that is truly changed by the Gospel. This is the culture’s only solution. But more about that later.

4. The Gospel is for everyone. (Colossians 3:11)

God makes no exception to who is accepted into His Kingdom. He cares not what race, what color, or what class anyone is. All are welcome. We only need confess our sin and believe (Romans 10:9).

5. In the last days, man will do almost anything to get his way. (2 Timothy 3:2)

We should not be surprised at what we see going on. Violence towards another person, theft, looting, and rioting are all part of a culture that has become obsessed with self. Self, along with its dreams and opinions, has become king and nothing else matters. There is no love for fellow man in a person who would kill another human being. But there is also no love in the heart of a person who would burn down small businesses that people worked hard to build or beloved historical buildings. Both are wrong. But both should not be unexpected. It would appear we are living in the last days, according to scripture. Whether they last another year or another hundred years, we can safely conclude that, if we take a consistent approach to interpreting scripture, we are moving quickly toward the end. The passage in 2 Timothy shows us what we can expect from mankind at this time and it is consistent with what we are seeing.

6. Sin is always sin. (Galatians 5:19-21)

The end never justifies the means. There is no place in scripture whatsoever that would promote sinning as a way to reach a desired goal–even if the goal is a good one. Looting and rioting to bring change is always wrong.

 

So these are some facts from scripture that we know. Now let’s take a look at how we should be responding.

First, we are personally accountable for how we treat all people. (I Corinthians 13) We have a responsibility to treat our elderly neighbor, the Asian nail salon worker, our frustrating relative, and our African-American co-worker the same way. Our treatment stems from God’s love that abides in a saved and charged heart.

Second, we are personally called to share the Gospel with all men, regardless of skin color or class. I don’t have a specific passage but we can see throughout Acts that Paul and his companions faithfully share the Gospel, no matter what culture they are in.

Third, we are to love our fellow man, no matter what skin color or class. I Corinthians 13 gives no exception clause.

Fourth–and listen to this carefully because it goes against what the evangelical world is telling you–we are not responsible for the sins of those who have gone on before us. We can do one thing and that is to work for change now. We cannot and will never be able to make up for past hurts and sins. Why this idea has taken on so much steam in the past years, especially in certain circles, I cannot tell. But nowhere in scripture are we called to make reparations for the sins of others.

And, finally, Fifth, we must keep turning to God’s Word to understand what’s going on in this world. It is making more and more sense, in light of these past few months. This is our only anchor and the more we study, the more we really get it. The more we know it, the less we are tempted to pull things out of context as we see so many other Christians do.

There is only one solution for any culture and that is the Gospel. We know from scripture that man will reject God. He will remain rebellious and unrepentant and grow increasingly wicked (Romans 1:19f) We cannot force people to accept the Gospel. We can only share it.

Let’s not get caught up in the wave of worldly thinking or the swiftly-flowing river of the masses. Our focus in a situation like this must remain on the Word. We must share the light of the Gospel in the midst of this darkness. For it is the only real hope any of us have at all.

 

Would You Help Me Celebrate the 10th Anniversary of Growing4Life?

4 Comments / June 1, 2020

In June of 2010, I was a little at loose ends. My kids were growing up and I was finding that I had a little more free time on my hands. I wasn’t all that familiar with blogging, but when my daughter started a blog, it came to me that this might be a good fit for me since I loved to write and now had some time.

I gained a tiny little following and was actually very satisfied with that. God was so good to have just the right people encourage me at just the right time and this kept me going, even when I grew discouraged.

And then in 2015, five years after I began the blog, a post called What does the Bible say about OMG went viral. It was shared over and over. The facebook counter for the post malfunctioned and reset at the end of last year but the last time I checked a year or two ago it had been shared over a million and half times. Suddenly, people from around the world were interested in the blog.

I remember we were on a camping trip and I saw the stats just keep climbing and climbing until the site actually crashed. I was like “What is going on?!?”

It was not exciting to me to think all of these strangers were reading my personal blog, where I shared my personal life experience and made myself extremely vulnerable. I almost stopped writing.

It took a few days to think through why I was blogging in the first place. My only desire was to point people to God and His Word. He had opened a very unexpected door and I knew I had to walk through it.

And so many of you subscribed around that time and/or started following the Growing4Life Facebook page. Eventually, we became a little community of like-minded believers who are dedicated to following God and His Word, no matter what the rest of the world– or even the mainstream church– is doing.

And now here I am! As of June, 2020, I will have been blogging at Growing4Life for TEN years! I can hardly believe that.

I have so appreciated your support and readership through the years and many of you have become long-distance friends. I look so forward to meeting many of you in person in heaven. With all that’s going on in this world currently, I can’t help but wonder if that will be happening sooner rather than later. Even so, come quickly, Lord Jesus!

And that brings me to an idea I had to celebrate this special anniversary of Growing4Life.

Through the years, my husband and I have made the decision together to personally absorb the costs of running this blog. While I know many Christian bloggers have no choice and I am certainly not faulting them for this, I am so very grateful that God has honored my heartfelt desire to keep this blog ad-free, while also not having to ask for donations.

I do this out of a heart of love for my Savior and also out of love for you, my readers. I hope that this blog is an encouragement as you strive to live daily according to God’s Word. I don’t do this perfectly nor always wisely. I am simply a sinful, imperfect woman saved by grace who has ended up in an unexpected place. But here I am and I only desire to be faithful.

Because I have not had to ask for money through the years to support the blog, I was hoping that you might understand why I am asking for some now!

Let me explain.

Recently, I have been made aware by four or five different missionaries of unusual circumstances they are facing. Due to the Coronavirus crisis and its economic fall-out, many people that are in poorer countries do not have access to any government help or supplemental income. Meeting even basic needs has become a huge challenge for so many families.

Many missionaries are working to supply these needs at this time as best they can. This is giving them some unexpected open doors to share the Gospel with the lost, along with opportunities to encourage and support fellow believers.

I can’t think of any better way to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Growing4Life than to help meet these needs! Funds are so desperately needed and this is a small way I can help.

And so I contacted some missionaries whom we personally support to find out if they could use some funds to help in their efforts to meet the needs of their church people and communities they are in during this time. Three of those whom I contacted said they would be able to use these funds.

And so I am asking that– if you have been encouraged by Growing4Life any time through the past ten years–you might be willing to give towards this cause. I will divide whatever is raised by three and get it into the hands of these couples.

Please NOTE: This is not a tax-deductible gift and you will not be receiving a receipt. Nor will I benefit personally from your gifts in any way. This is simply a gift of love to show your support for this ministry, while, at the same time, benefiting those who are in great need.

I also want to let you know that I realize this is a hard time financially for some of you. Please don’t feel obligated to give. If you are struggling and just can’t right now, please don’t worry.

I just want to conclude this post by thanking those of you who have encouraged me through the years. Many of you have reached out through email or via facebook to encourage me. Some of you even tell me in person. Your kind and uplifting words often come at a time when I am extra-discouraged and even ready to quit. I always love God’s timing in these things!

And a big thank you to all of you who continue to read! If it wasn’t for you, there would be no Growing4Life.

You will find the link to give here: Growing4Life Relief Fund

Please give as the Lord directs. Small or large, each gift will be treasured and appreciated.

I will be sharing this link throughout the month of June.

 

Swimming Up a Waterfall

2 Comments / May 27, 2020

The other morning I was sitting out on my second-story porch for my quiet time. It is one of my favorite spots in the whole world. Below the porch is our little fish pond where both fish and frogs make their home. This provides much entertainment for our grandchildren.

That particular morning, as I sat on the porch alone, I took a moment to watch the fish, as they were doing something very curious. You can see from the photo below (which is a snapshot I took that morning), that the fish has its head into the waterfall. It looked like it was trying to go up the waterfall and then, discouraged, he would swim away. Only to come back again a few seconds later. This went on for quite some time.

I found out later from my knowledgeable husband that there is something about the oxygen at the bottom of the waterfall that the fish like and so they will congregate there. But, from my vantage point on the porch it really did look like the fish was trying to swim up the waterfall and failing every time.

It reminded me of my life as a Christian. We are all called to “swim up a waterfall” –or, in other words–do the impossible. We are to die to self and crucify the flesh and live only for Christ. This is as impossible–perhaps even more impossible–than swimming up a waterfall. And, yet, this is our calling as believers.

Mark 8:34 — And calling the crowd to him with his disciples, he said to them, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.

Romans 6:6 — We know that our old self[a] was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin.

Ephesians 5:8 — or at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light

Galatians 5:16-17– But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do.

I Peter 2:11 —  Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul.

So, we know that we are to leave our flesh and swim up the waterfall to holiness. This goes against our innately selfish nature which demands to be pleased and coddled. Our hearts demand we listen to our feelings and our minds work in creative ways to make excuses and to develop logical reasons why we can do what our flesh is demanding to do and still be guilt-free and “godly”.

But the Bible is very clear that we cannot do both. We cannot please self and God. We cannot love God and love the world. We cannot be obsessed with fulfilling our personal dreams of glory and fame while furthering God’s Kingdom. These things are mutually exclusive. They cannot be done at the same time.

There are only two kingdoms.

There is the Kingdom of Light. God is the light (I John 1:5) Jesus Christ is the light of the world (John 8:12) We have been rescued from darkness to light! (Colossians 1:13) Being rescued, we are now children of light (I Thessalonians 5:5). We are to walk as children of the light (Ephesians 5:8).

AND…

There is the Kingdom of Darkness. Satan is the head of this kingdom and the whole world lies in his power (I John 5:19). Natural man loves this kingdom (I John 3:19-21). Natural man is blind to the the light (Acts 26:18). As children of the light, we are to turn away from the darkness (Ephesians 5:11) and to never partner or commune with darkness and its children (2 Corinthians 6:14). This kingdom of darkness is represented by both the flesh and the world, which Satan uses to war against our souls and to keep mankind in darkness.

Every choice we make, every action we take, every thought we think, and every word we say furthers one of these kingdoms.

Now, with this in mind, let’s go back to our adventure of swimming up the waterfall. As children of light, swimming up the waterfall becomes possible. It is possible to live a righteous and holy life that is pleasing to God. Notice I didn’t say easy. It’s not easy.

But here are a few things to keep in mind as we strive to swim up the waterfall to holiness–

1. We must first make our way to the bottom of the waterfall.

We can’t be righteous without salvation. We can’t even get to the bottom of the waterfall without it. If we are not saved, we are unaware that the waterfall even exists. It is only when our eyes our opened, that we recognize which direction we are to go. And this direction is in complete opposition to the direction of the rest of the world. We will be mocked, viewed as odd, and may lose our reputation by going this direction. Remember, we can’t have the world and Jesus, too.

The old hymn puts it like this: Take the world but give me Jesus.

Too often, modern-day Christians would prefer to sing: Give the world and give me Jesus.

But it is simply not possible according to James 4:4. Swimming to the bottom of the waterfall means turning our backs on the world.

2. Not making efforts to swim up the waterfall indicates a serious problem.

Many are those who’ve said a prayer for salvation as fire insurance and they aren’t even making their way to the bottom of the waterfall. They are still swimming in the opposite direction with their worldly friends. They haven’t given up the things of this world and they are still focused on furthering their own kingdom. They are people who are living solely for themselves but think they are saved because they said a prayer. This person may very well be–and probably is– a false convert! (Matthew 7:21-23) I hate even saying this, because I know that describes so many that we all know and love. But we can’t mince words because their eternity is literally at stake. If you know someone who thinks they are a Christian but who is still swimming out in the pond, pray for them. Really pray for them.

3. We can’t do it alone.

As I watched the fish turn away again and again, I assumed he was just discouraged and tired. I found out later that he wasn’t, of course, but it was a great analogy for our own efforts to get up that waterfall. We try and try, using our methods and our self-discipline but we just don’t make it. That’s because we are trying to attempt it without the Holy Spirit. It is impossible to live a godly life without the Holy Spirit. We are to be filled with the Spirit (Ephesians 5:18). This is the only way to make possible a holy life that is pleasing to God.

4. We must discard distractions and secret sins.

So often, we get so frustrated that we aren’t making progress up that waterfall. But if we really examine our lives, we may understand just why that is…

We have either crowded our lives so full that we have no time at all to give any effort or intention to this calling of living a pure and holy life.

Or we are holding on to secret sins that we just aren’t willing to turn away from. It may be an unwillingness to give up a grudge against someone or a love for the world’s entertainment or style that causes us to compromise our purity. It may be laziness or gossip. But, oftentimes, if we are really struggling to make progress in our Christian life, there is some sin that we are nurturing and feeding and unwilling to give up.

Or, perhaps, we haven’t yielded to God’s sovereignty in the happenings of our lives. We try to live a godly life, but, inside, we are angry and discontent and upset about how things are going. This makes it almost impossible to get up that waterfall because we don’t trust God. Instead, we are wary and disbelieving. This lack of faith stymies our Christian growth severely.

5. We will never reach perfection on this side of Heaven.

One of the things that makes this such a hard thing is that we will never reach perfection. We, like that fish, are always trying, always trying, but we will never arrive at the top. This can be discouraging and sometimes we may think: Why even try? So let’s unpack that a bit. Why is it important to keep trying to get up that waterfall?

First, we keep trying because we are told to do this (I Peter 1:15). To live a life of obedience to our wonderful Savior, we strive to live holy and pure lives.

Second, we keep trying because we do grow and change and bear much fruit, through the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives (Psalm 92:12-14). If we have been a Christian for more than a year, we can look back and see how we have grown and changed. This is very encouraging as we face new challenges and sins that discourage us. God is growing us to be more like Christ, be it ever so slowly.

Third, we keep trying because God uses our efforts to build His Heavenly Kingdom (Colossians 1:24-29). Our efforts to live a holy and pure life shine as a bright light in this dark world. We should look different in every way when compared with those around us. Remember, there are only two kingdoms: Light and Darkness. Children of light should never resemble children of darkness. This includes being loving and kind, but it also includes what we watch, how we dress, what we talk about, and every other little and big choice we make in our lives.

_______________________________

So, my dear readers, keep swimming up that waterfall. Don’t get discouraged. Don’t try to do it alone because we are not alone! We have the Holy Spirit to strengthen, comfort, and guide us. May we cast off the things that distract and tempt us. May we intentionally live as children of the light, because that’s exactly what we are if we have been saved by the blood of Jesus Christ alone!

 

The Nature of the Promises of God

2 Comments / May 19, 2020

When we consider the promises of God, we often go to the book of Psalms or consider the words of Jesus, Paul, and other biblical authors that provide strength and comfort to us. These are a balm to our soul during trials and uncertain days.

These days, so many false teachers rip verses out of context when it comes to God’s promises. I thought it might be helpful to take a brief look at what we know is true and what is not true as we consider God’s promises, no matter how big or small.

1. God’s promises are not physical in nature.

God’s promises do not have anything to do with our physical pleasure or ease of life.

When it says in Matthew 21:22–

And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.

or in John 14:13–

Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.

we must realize that this cannot be implying that we will receive perfect health, material wealth, or a trouble-free life. While this is a popular false teaching, how can we know that this is not what these passages mean? Without digging too deep into theological waters, I’d say two things easily stand out–

First, we know this because of context. When these words are spoken by Jesus in Matthew they are referring to the spiritual realm. It has nothing to do with physical blessing. In John, Jesus is talking about having the strength and power to continue on as His witnesses after He leaves the earth. Context is always crucial but perhaps especially so when claiming a promise of God.

Second, we can know this because of what we read about godly men and women throughout scripture. Joseph was betrayed by family, Noah stood utterly alone, Jeremiah was mocked and persecuted, Stephen and John the Baptist were martyred, Paul was imprisoned, and John was exiled. We can move on into history where we see terrible persecution of Christians under Nero and the Catholic Church. And we can talk about the here and now, where we see people dedicated to serving Christ and building His spiritual Kingdom suffer innumerable physical hardships. We can and must conclude from this that God’s promises are not about our physical well-being.

In contract, God’s promises are spiritual in nature.

They are about our spiritual health, our wealth in heaven, and being effective witnesses for God here on earth.

2. God’s promises are not temporal in nature.

Temporal means relating to life in the world, as opposed to eternal life. While many of God’s promises do give us hope and peace right now, we can see that much of this hope and peace comes from us setting our eyes on the right thing. Colossians 3:1-2 says–

If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.

So when we read the promises of God, we must do so with an eternal perspective. We must view them through the filter of a mind set on things above. When we do this, so much of the concerns and worries of this life fall away. Richard Baxter, a Puritan author, talks about this better than I ever could. I’d like to share a portion of his writing here–

Unbelievers seek their happiness in the things of the world. Believers find their happiness in God. It is contrary to the nature of faith for a believer to seek peace in his earthly enjoyments. Our present pilgrimage is a prison, yet alas, we too commonly do this. By this we kill our comforts and then complain they are missing. It is folly to expect any stable peace or solid joy that does not come from Christ as the fountain. O that Christians would learn to live with one eye on Christ crucified and the other on His coming in glory! If everlasting joys were more in your thoughts, spiritual joys would abound more in your hearts. No wonder you are comfortless when heaven is forgotten. When Christians let fall their heavenly expectations but heighten their earthly desires, they are preparing themselves for fear and trouble. Who has met with a distressed, complaining soul, where either a low expectation of heavenly blessings, or too high a hope for joy on earth is not present? What keeps us under trouble is either we do not expect what God has promised, or we expect what He did not promise. We are grieved at crosses, losses, wrongs of our enemies, unkind dealings of our friends, sickness, or for contempt and scorn in the world. But who encouraged you to expect any better? Was it prosperity, riches, credit, and friends that God called for you to believe? Do you have any promises for these things in His Word? If you make a promise for yourself, and then your own promise deceives you, whom should you blame for that? We have less comfort in earthly things because we have too high an expectation from them. Alas, when will we learn from Scripture and providence to seek far more from God, and far less from the earth?

God’s promises are not rooted in earthly hope but in eternal hope. If we have our eyes set on temporal things, then we will be most disappointed and believe that God has let us down. But if we recognize that God’s promises are not of this world, we will see miraculous answers to prayer and experience the peace and comfort we are promised.

3. God’s promises are not generally instant in nature.

In this current world where we want everything instantly, God’s promises take some hard work to mine from the scriptures. They are like special treasures that we find throughout the Word as we give our time to study it. Understanding and greater comfort come the more we dedicate ourselves to this study. It is only through personal prayer and Bible study that we are able to more fully understand.

The thing that is most tempting when we are faced with a trial or uncertainty is to turn to other, much less satisfying, ways to deal with all of the emotion and feelings that well up within us. We watch more TV, we shop, we eat more, or we immerse ourselves in a book or hobby. Anything to dull the pain and discomfort of our current circumstances.

And, while there is nothing intrinsically wrong with doing any of these things, it is important that we don’t do them in place of mining God’s Word for the rich promises He has given us in His Word.

It is easy to cast prayer and Bible study aside during trying times because we feel distracted and unfocused and it’s extra hard. But we must persevere. God is waiting patiently for us to turn to Him and will reward us mightily if we but just turn our eyes upon Him.

Another way God’s promises are not instant is in the timeline of how we experience them. When something happens that is terrible, most of us respond in shock. We question God, we question our faith. We are filled with doubts of God’s goodness and we wonder if we really believe all we said we believe.

It often takes time to sort through these feelings. We often fall into a ditch beside the proverbial narrow road and it takes some work (study of the Word) and time to pull ourselves up and out of that ditch. The more we practice, the quicker this will happen but we must give ourselves time to process and work through things. God will not let us down but our journey from fear and doubt back to the solid, narrow path rarely happens instantly. Trials give us precious insight into where our affections lie and what sins still beset us. We can’t be comforted until we have a true understanding of why we need comforted.

I also want to add that sometimes God provides instant comfort that is an incredible balm to our souls. Small mercies and unexpected tiny miracles dot our lives in such a way that we, His children, know without a doubt, He is real.

But, generally, God’s promises, rather than being instant, are uncovered as we give effort and time to study the Word, humbly and willingly examine our lives for sin and worldly affections, and then wait calmly on God to work in and through us.

Isaiah 40:31 says it so beautifully–

but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength;
    they shall mount up with wings like eagles;
they shall run and not be weary;
    they shall walk and not faint.

_______________________

And, so, as you look for God’s promises throughout the Word, I hope that you will remember these three things. They may not be what our flesh desires, but they are all we need to live a holy life that pleases God.

Perhaps this can all be summed up in this verse from Philippians 1:21–

For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.

May we filter all of God’s promises through this point of view that Paul expressed while writing this letter to the Philippians from his prison cell in Rome.

My dear friends, God’s promises are real. But we must view them as scripture teaches us to view them, rather than how a worldly, false church teaches us to view them.

God’s promises are far deeper and wider than simply life on this earth. They encompass all of eternity. He is with us, He will never forsake us, and He will protect us. And that you can count on!

 

 

Attacking Messengers, Crucifying Dissenters, and Belittling Questioners

7 Comments / May 13, 2020

Over the past twenty years or so, I have experienced the vitriol of those blindly following a person or a cause. Social media is the mecca for such interactions and to post a dissenting comment has made anyone come to expect sarcasm, anger, and even hatred. I have talked with others who have experienced this, as well.

This dynamic takes place anywhere people are gathered online. It seems a lot worse right now, but perhaps that is because so many of us are relegated to online interaction. Somehow when people get online, they remove all inhibitions. They would never, ever talk to someone face-to-face the way they talk to someone online. At least, I hope they wouldn’t!

But there are a lot of debates and disagreements and controversies going on online right now and I wanted to make you aware of a few things to look for as you watch this all take place.

By the way, while this does take place in the secular world quite a bit, we understand that they are unbelievers and have rejected God’s ways. While it is interesting to observe, it is certainly not surprising. However, it borders on tragic that this is the same approach of many in the evangelical circles. People that you trust. I encourage you to look for these as you encounter quarrels and controversies in these current days.

It is a three-pronged approach, where one, two, or all of these prongs may be used to put down the “enemy”. I wanted to make you aware of them because it is critically important that we recognize them and then move them aside in order to look at the real issue at hand. They are a decoy. They are a smoke screen to draw your eyes away from the real issue. Don’t be deceived.

Here are the three prongs–

1. Attack the Messenger. Instead of answering the accusations, they will attack the messenger. They will call them all kinds of names, put them down, make them out to be unloving, unkind, divisive, and unintelligent. They will dredge up old sins. They will cast doubt on their integrity. This trick is as old as the books, but don’t let them fool you. And, hey, in some cases, maybe the person sharing the message is some of those things. This still doesn’t release us from investigating to see if what they are saying is true. Beware character assassination. It is a bright red flag and should lead you to mistrust, rather than to trust, the person conducting it.

2. Crucifying Dissenters. How dare you disagree? You are NOT allowed to disagree and so we will crucify you with our words. I am not sure when the world changed but I see leaders encouraging their followers to act like this. Secular and Christian alike, their followers are using words to spread venom and hatred and, rather than discouraging this type of thing, the leader seems to encourage it. This is because it is an important part of the three-pronged approach. They are counting on their followers to silence anyone who disagrees. Blind loyalty yields a passion that will stop at nothing to defend its subject.

3. Belittling Questioners. If someone simply asks a question, they are belittled and mocked. If an accusation is raised and an honest questioner simply wants to find out more, they find out very quickly that, this, too, is NOT allowed. No questions may be asked of someone who has been faithful to the Lord for fifty years. No questions can be asked of the governor. No questions can be asked of the singer or the author or the pastor. No questions can be asked of the government or the politician. No questions allowed. Period. If you dare to ask them, people will call you selfish and question your character. They will call you names and ridicule you. All this, for simply asking a question.

_____________________________________________________

As I write this, my heart is heavy. It is especially heavy because I see this being used in the Christian world as much, or even more, than in the secular world. It is a treacherous world we live in these days. Please be on the look-out for these things. They are signs that all may not be right. Not a guarantee, of course, but definitely worth some research.

Before I close, I want to add one more {very important} thing–

As believers, we are called to respond differently! People are watching us. They see what we post and they are reading it.

Everything we post, whether it be a tweet, a Facebook post, a comment on a post, a comment on a news article or blog post, and anything else should be carefully worded with LOVE. There should never be biting sarcasm, anger, or vitriol spewing forth from our keyboards. This is a dishonor to our heavenly Father.

Make no mistake about it: We are in a spiritual war.

As we fight it, let’s be an asset to our King through truthful, loving, and kind interaction with others. Satan wants nothing more than to create havoc and chaos within the church. We can’t fall for his bait.

I don’t know where all this is headed. Or rather, I think I do. The world and the church has gone off in a direction over these past twenty years or so that I find most disheartening. But, thankfully, we know God is still on the throne. As His servants, may we carefully discern and examine all things. As His witnesses, may we do all we can to be a bright and shining light in this increasingly darkening world.

 

Onward, Christian Soldiers!

6 Comments / May 6, 2020

There are so many things about the response to the Coronavirus that just do not make sense:

Why can you buy a lottery ticket but you can’t buy seeds?

Why are the liquor stores open for mental health reasons (according to New Jersey’s governor) but church members can’t meet together in the church parking lot in their own cars?

Why can you have an elective abortion but all other elective surgeries are nixed?

Why can all of the big box stores stay open and crowded but the small businesses have to shut their doors?

Why are employees being paid more to stay home than to work?

And why do we have such strict mandates when the statistics don’t show them necessary?

There are a lot of theories and conspiracies as to why this is happening. Given the study of history I’ve done over the years, I would definitely have an opinion. However, what we always need to do is go to the Bible. Theories and conspiracies may be interesting, but unless they find their base in scripture, they are fairly irrelevant.

So let’s go to Revelation 13:16–

 Also it causes all, both small and great, both rich and poor, both free and slave,e]”>[e] to be marked on the right hand or the forehead, 17 so that no one can buy or sell unless he has the mark, that is, the name of the beast or the number of its name.

Many people have speculated over the years about these two little verses. More recently, the micro-chip has started to fill in the gaps of how this could even possibly occur. But I’d like to go beyond the mark and talk about a few other obvious points of this passage that we often miss.

First, if people must get the mark in order to buy and sell, then we know there will be a one-world government.

Second, if all buying and selling occurs through a marks-system, then we know that all buying and selling will be centralized.

Third, if all buying and selling is centralized, then we know that there is a one-world economy.

Now, for years and years, many of us–especially those of us who are older and were actually taught prophecy–have been watching interesting things take place. The countdown really began when Israel became a nation in 1948. It was an absolute miracle and, if you didn’t believe in the literal fulfillment of Revelation before then, this would have had to give you pause for thought. My own journey into nailing down my belief about eschatology started with a secular book I read about the birth of Israel. I realized then, as a young woman, that only God could do this. There was no other plausible explanation.

And, so, now I just didn’t believe what my parents and pastors had taught me over the years, but I started to actually understand the truth of it for myself. Of course, this helped me to put other pieces together of the Revelation puzzle, as we watched them unfold throughout my lifetime–including the micro-chip (so that’s how the mark will work…) and satellite technology (so that’s how the whole world will see the two witnesses being raised…)

One of the things I have been thinking (and have often said) is that America cannot be a strong nation when the time comes for a one world government. Her people would never agree to such a thing. America’s constitution is a very special thing and stands in the way of a one-world anything.

While I said this, I always thought it’s take-down was far off into the future. I mean things aren’t ever going to happen in our lifetime, right?

But I believe what we are witnessing is the beginning of the take-down of America. The way it is being accomplished is actually brilliant! Fear is a mighty tool in the hands of the wicked!

Through fear, they have–

–taken away the “inalienable rights” we are promised in the Constitution

–killed many small businesses (a very necessary step in the centralizing of buying and selling)

–started the conversation about a cashless society

–increased the debt of this nation by trillions and trillions of dollars

–made the people even more reliant on the government

–forced the people to stay in their homes, wear masks, and do any other number of forced mandates against their will

–started the average person considering that a vaccine (with or without a microchip) would be worth getting if it means they get their “normal” life back

–gotten us all just a little bit more used to an authoritarian style of government

–taken us out of our churches and forced our pastors online, where they can be closely monitored

Now, notice, I said the “beginning” of the takedown. I have no idea what is ahead. Will we go back to some semblance of normalcy? Everything in me hopes so. But we may not. None of us really knows. It could be another hundred years for all we know. Things take time and can only happen with God’s permission. We can’t possibly know what’s ahead.

But what I hope you will recognize is how this all fits into the eventual fulfillment of Revelation 13. These things aren’t going to just happen. They are going to take years–perhaps even hundreds of years–to put into place. We live in a very exciting time when many of the things we have heard and read about in both Daniel and Revelation are converging into reality.

The events we have watched since 1948 and the birth of Israel have fit right into the literal interpretation of these two books of the Bible. This latest set of events confirms it even more for those of us who are watching and putting the pieces together.

And so we must recognize that our terrain is changing.

I heard someone say the other day that an army general can’t change his terrain but he can change himself. He can change his tactics, his attitude, his preparation.

No matter what happens, I think we can all agree that Post-2020 America will look different than Pre-2020 America. Our terrain is changing.

I am making no prognostications but am just calling you to be aware and to be critically thinking as all of this unfolds. As believers, we must be viewing all of this through the lens of scripture. This is getting easier and easier to do, as we can see so many of the current events fit into what we are told will happen in Revelation.

While all of this may be frightening and, if we are honest, leads us to wonder how much we will have to suffer as all of this occurs, we also know that our earthly terrain will soon be exchanged for a heavenly one.

God has promised to remove us from the worst that is to come (I Thessalonians 5:9) and we can rely on that promise! Until that day, we will be given the grace necessary to get through each moment (2 Corinthians 12:9).

One final thing before I conclude: I know many of you no longer believe in a literal interpretation of Revelation. This post may even be enough for you to unsubscribe from the email list or unfollow me on Facebook. And that is certainly your prerogative to do so. I would, however, like to encourage you to really consider what I have written before you do so. Do an honest study using a consistent hermeneutic before you dismiss all of this. Just because an “intellectual” says a literal interpretation of Revelation isn’t accurate, doesn’t make it so.

And, so, let’s soldier on, my friends. No matter what terrain is ahead, we have our marching orders and we must continue on!

I will close with the little-known but very encouraging fourth verse of Onward, Christian Soldiers–

Crowns and thrones may perish, kingdoms rise and wane,
But the church of Jesus constant will remain.
Gates of hell can never ’gainst that church prevail;
We have Christ’s own promise, and that cannot fail.

 

 

 

 

 

What to Do When Things Are Outside of Our Control

4 Comments / April 30, 2020

Earlier this year, my father-in-law recommended a book to me I had never heard of before called The Crook in the Lot: God’s Sovereignty in Afflictions (In Modern English). While this version is written in modern English, the original manuscript was written by Thomas Boston, a Scottish church leader who lived during the 1600s.

Little did I know when I started reading it what comfort, conviction, and biblical encouragement it would be to me during the next few months. It is a timeless book with much to offer. I would recommend this if you are struggling with God’s Sovereignty in the current events. Whatever the struggle or the frustration caused by this “pandemic”, from high school and college students all the way up to senior citizens, this provides much needed biblical counsel on bearing under it.

In fact, this counsel is for anyone who is struggling under any crook at all. If you are disappointed in a diagnosis or a relationship or anything else that is completely outside of your control, I know you will find this helpful.

Be sure you read the last paragraph of this excerpt. While I don’t think the pandemic is necessarily the event he is referring to, I thought it was extremely ironic that he refers to a “public crook” to come. Do you realize that there has never been a worldwide event such as this since the Tower of Babel? Perhaps it is the beginning of the end? Only God knows.

Now on to these encouraging words from Thomas Boston–

Therefore, let us set ourselves rightly to bear and walk under the crook in our lot, while God sees fit to continue it. What we cannot mend, let us bear in a Christlike manner. Do not fight against God and thereby kick against the pricks. Instead, bear it:

1. Patiently. Avoid anger, worry, and murmuring (Ps 37:7).30 Though you lose your comfort in the world through the crook in your lot, do not lose the possession of yourself (Luke 21:19).31 The crook in our lot makes us like one who has only a meager fire to warm ourselves at; but impatience scatters it and sets the house on fire around us, exposing us. “A man without self-control is like a city broken into and left without walls” (Prov 25:28).

2. With Christian fortitude. Do not sink under discouragement, “nor be weary when reproved by him” (Heb 12:5). Satan’s plan is to use the crook to either bend or break our spirits, often bending them in order to break them. Our work is to continue evenly under it, steering a middle course and guarding against crashing into the rocks on either side. Our happiness does not lie in any earthly comfort, nor will the lack of any of them render us miserable (Hab 3:17-18).32 So, we are to hold to our way resolutely with a holy mindset, regardless of the hardships. “Yet the righteous holds to his way, and he who has clean hands grows stronger and stronger” (Job 17:9).

But you might ask, ‘When are we considered to have fallen into a sinking discouragement from the crook in our lot?’ When it prevails to the extent that you are unfit for your duties—either your particular or Christian calling. We can be sure it has carried us beyond the bounds of moderate grief when it unfits us for the common affairs of life, which the Lord calls us to manage (1 Cor 7:24).33 Such were the practical actions of Abraham recorded for his commendation (Gen 23:3-4).34 At other times, our grief unfits us for religious duties, hindering them altogether (1 Pet 3:7),35 which, in the Greek, means to cut off or cut up, like a tree from the roots. Or, it makes us quite hopeless in them (Mal 2:13).36

3. Profitably. Look to gain some advantage from the crook. “It is good for me that I was afflicted, that I might learn your statutes” (Ps 119:71). In this way, it becomes our advantage (Rom 5:3-5).37 And it is certainly an ill-managed crook in our lot when we get no spiritual benefit from it. The crook is a kind of spiritual medicine, but medicine is pointless when it alleviates no symptoms; its unpleasant taste and side-effects are endured in vain. So also, the crook is wasted when it is bitterly endured without bettering us. “Therefore by this the guilt of Jacob will be atoned for, and this will be the full fruit of the removal of his sin: when he makes all the stones of the altars like chalkstones crushed to pieces” (Isa 27:9).

–Motivations–

Also, consider the following motivations to bear the crook in your lot in this way:

1. There will be no evening of it while God sees fit to continue it. Let us walk under it as we will and make what attempts we want in our case, but it will continue immovable as if fixed with bands of iron and brass. “But he is unchangeable, and who can turn him back? What he desires, that he does. For he will complete what he appoints for me, and many such things are in his mind” (Job 23:13-14). Is it not wise then to make the best out of what we cannot mend? Make a virtue of necessity. What is not to be cured must be endured with a Christian submission.

2. Resisting makes it worse. A resistant mindset under the crook substantially increases the pain of it. What makes the yoke chafe our necks but that we struggle so much against it? We cannot let it comfortably sit on us (Jer 31:18).38 How often are we like a man who is dashing his head against a rock to remove it! The rock stands unmoved, but he is wounded and exceedingly spent by the struggle. Impatience under the crook lays additional weight on our burden. It makes it heavier and at the same time weakens us and makes us less able to bear it.

3. God uses the crook in your lot to test you. It is the special trial that God has chosen for your assessment (1 Pet 6-7).39 It is God’s fire that He tests what metal men are made of; it is heaven’s touchstone for discovering true and counterfeit Christians. Some may go through a variety of trials and bear them, but the crook in the lot will uncover their disbelief, because by no means can they bear that.40 Therefore, think to yourself, ‘Now, here the is the trial of my state, and by this, I must be proven either as sincere or as a hypocrite.’ Can we be an amiable subject of Christ without being able to submit our lot to Him? Do not all who sincerely come to Christ put a blank check in His hand (Acts 9:6)?41 And does He not tell us that without that mindset we are not His disciples? “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:26). Perhaps you find that you can submit to anything but that, but will not that one thing taint everything (Mark 10:21)?42 Did you ever hear of a sincere commitment to Christ with a condition or exception of one thing where they request to be their own lords?

Question: “Is this disposition a qualification that is required before we believe? And, if so, are we required to obtain it? Can we work it out of our natural abilities?”

Answer: No, this is not the case, but it necessarily accompanies and goes along with believing. It flows from the same saving illumination in the knowledge of Christ, where the soul is brought to believe in Him. Here the soul sees Him as a capable Savior and trusts on Him for salvation. It sees Him as the rightful Lord, the infinitely wise Ruler, and, therefore, submits the lot to Him (Matt 13:45-46).43 In taking Him for a Savior, the soul also takes Him for a Head and a Ruler. It is Christ’s giving Himself to us and our receiving Him that causes us to leave other things for Him, because it is the light that dispels the darkness.

Case: “Alas! I cannot get my heart to freely submit my lot to Him in that point.”

Answer 1: Your submission will not be accomplished without a struggle—the old man will never submit. And when the new man of grace is submitting his lot to Christ, the old man will still be resisting. “For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do” (Gal 5:17). But do you sincerely desire and habitually aim to submit your lot to Christ? Do you look away from the difficult struggle with the crook, and turn to the struggle within your own heart to bring it to submission? Do you believe the promise and use the proper means for this task? Are you grieved from the heart with yourself that you cannot submit your lot perfectly? If so, this is actually submitting your lot in the gracious design of the gospel (Rom 7:17,20).44 If you had your choice, would you rather have your heart brought to submit to the crook rather than the crook resolved to your heart’s desire (Rom 7:22-23)?45 And do you not sincerely endeavor to submit your lot despite the reluctance of your flesh?

Answer 2: Where is your Christian self-denial, your taking up of the cross, without submitting to the crook? This is the first lesson Christ puts in the hands of His disciples: “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me” (Matt 16:24). Self-denial would achieve a reconciliation with the crook and an acceptance of the cross. But when we cannot bear for our corrupt self to be denied any of its cravings—particularly those which God has seen fit to deny—we cannot bear the crook in our lot; instead, we fight against it in favor of self.

Answer 3: Where is our conformity to Christ when we cannot submit to the crook? We cannot give evidence that we are Christians without conformity to Christ.  “Whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked” (1 John 2:6). There was a continued crook in Christ’s lot, but He submitted to it. “And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross” (Phil 2:8). “For Christ did not please himself,” (Rom 15:3), and so must we, if we will prove ourselves to be Christians (2 Tim 2:12).46

Answer 4: How will we prove ourselves to be the genuine children of God if we are still struggling against our crook? We cannot pray to the Father, “your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven” (Matt 6:10). No, instead our actions proclaim that we must have our own will because God’s will cannot satisfy us.

4. The trial will not last long here. Although the work is hard, it can be better endured when you know that it will not be long. A few days or years at the most will put an end to it, and you will leave all your trials. Do not say, ‘I will never be eased of it,’ because if you are not eased before, you will be eased of it at death. A serious view of death and eternity might help us to commit to walking well under our crook while it lasts.

5. A Christian mindset eases the burdens. If you decide to bear your crook in a Christian manner, you would find it easier than you imagine. “Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (Matt 11:29-30). Satan has no better way to achieve his goal than to persuade you that it is impossible that your mind should ever comply with the crook—that it is a burden that is entirely unbearable. As long as you believe this, rest assured you will never be able to bear it. But the Lord does not make a crook in the lot of anyone unless they can acceptably bear it, though not perfectly and not without sin. For there is strength available for this effort that is secured in the covenant (2 Cor 3:5,47 Phil 4:1348), and when we seek it by faith, it will surely come (Ps 28:7).49

6. Your labor is not in vain. If you persevere faithfully under your crook here, your labor is not in vain. But you will get a full reward of grace in the other world through Christ (1 Cor 15:58).50 James pronounces a blessing on the one who endures on this very ground; “Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him” (James 1:12). Heaven is the place that receives the approved upon the trial of the crook; “These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb” (Rev 7:14). When you go there, no remnants of the crook will remain in your lot, neither will you have even the smallest uneasy memory of it. Instead, it will accent your praises and heighten your joy.

7. A failure to persevere has eternal consequences. If you do not persevere faithfully under your crook here, you will lose your soul in the next world. Those who are at war with God in their lot here, God will have war with them forever. If they will not submit to His yoke here and go quietly under it, He will wreathe His yoke about their neck forever with everlasting bonds that will never be loosed (Job 9:4).51

Finally, whatever crook is in the lot of anyone, it is very likely that there will be a public crook in that generation that will be even more trying. This is a day of sinning beyond the days of our fathers. God makes great crooks in the lot of those He loves most, but these seem to foreshadow a general public crook that will affect that entire generation. This will make our private trials seem small in comparison (1 Pet 4:17-18).52 Therefore, commit to walking rightly under the crook in your lot.

Boston, Thomas. The Crook in the Lot: God’s Sovereignty in Afflictions: In Modern English (pp. 68-76). Christian Classics for the Modern Reader. Kindle Edition.

Where’s Your Home?

4 Comments / April 28, 2020

Many of us are spending a lot of time at home right now. Some of you probably live in tiny apartments, others live in mansions. Some live in picturesque villages, others in cities. Some live on a farm in the country, others live in a development in the suburbs. But wherever we are, that is home to us.

Is home a safe place for you? Is it a happy place? If so, then the stay-at-home order isn’t as bad as it could be. Of course, if it’s not happy and, worse yet, if it’s not safe*, then this time stuck in our homes has been a great, great trial for you.

No matter what our view of our earthly home, as believers, we have the fantastic promise of a future home in heaven–

Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God;[a] believe also in me. 2 In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?[b] 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. (John 14:1-3)

Jesus is preparing a home for us. Isn’t that just amazing when you stop and think about it?

I do like my home and I am so blessed to have a wonderful place to live and, more importantly, to share that place with people I love dearly. However, the events of the last few weeks have really put all of the physical blessings on a bit of a shaky level that they have never been on for me in my lifetime.

I have this house now, but will I have it in a year?

I have plenty to eat now, but will I have enough in six months?

I can go to the local hospital now, but will it still be around when I need it?

I can worship God freely now, but is that going to change soon?

The “What-Ifs” can eat us up alive if we aren’t careful. Articles of doom abound on social media and the scary thing is that many of them raise very valid questions. The ramifications of this all are still unknown and with each day of lock-down those ramifications grow exponentially.

The foundation of our materials blessings and innate freedoms has always been a very solid one here in the United States for most of us. There was no lack of food on our store shelves, no fear of businesses collapsing en masse, no threat of churches not being able to meet, not even the hint of a thought about being unable to visit our families…or shop, golf, and travel.

And then came the “pandemic” and the ensuing fear that closed the world.

As we start to tentatively open countries and economies back up, may we not fall too quickly back into our status quo.

May we remember that our home is not here. Oh, God has blessed many of us with wonderful, comfortable homes and we love them dearly. But our eternal home is where we need to keep our focus. This is the hope that we have and this is what we are to “set our minds” upon. Paul puts it like this in Colossians 3–

If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. 3 For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. (Colossians 3:1-3)

As believers, we are to seek the things that are above. In a life bustling with activities and material blessings and freedom, I all too soon forget that eternity is coming. But when all that came screeching to a halt and those things were taken away and threatened, it made me think. Really think.

Where does my hope lie? Do I really view myself as a pilgrim on this earth? What brings me joy? And peace?

And I had to come face to face with the fact that I was seeking earthly things, not heavenly ones. I wasn’t doing this purposely. I was reading God’s Word and studying it. But there is nothing like a pandemic to release our tight grip on this world just a bit more, is there?

Have you, too, felt your grip releasing on the things of this world? Have you, too, felt this bump out of status quo grow you in ways you didn’t even know you needed to grow?

I don’t want to go back to the “old me”. I want to remember the lessons in faith and trust that I have been learning these past eight or so weeks, whether we go back to normal or everything has changed forever.

Life is never easy. And we have all faced a myriad of different trials throughout our lives. I am not sure, however, that we can say that we have ever all faced the same trial together. But that is exactly what has happened these past few weeks. We are all dealing with empty store shelves, economic ramifications, being stuck at home, and all of the other dynamics that are part of this pandemic. It’s a strange time to be alive, but may we not waste it.

You may not need lessons in faith like me, but perhaps this has grown you as a spouse or parent. Perhaps your lessons were in areas of impatience or anger or time management.

In whatever we have grown these past few weeks, may we not slide back into the comfortable place we were before they occurred. Let’s keep taking the next step on that narrow path. God will never waste any experience in our life and that includes a world-wide pandemic!

 

 

*I have been deeply burdened specifically for women and children of abusive spouses during this time and cannot imagine how hard this forced home stay must be for you. If you are in this situation, I would like to pray for you specifically. Please email me at leslie {at} growing4life {dot} com or use the contact page here. No one else will see the email but me.

 

What Do We Know? And What Should We Do?

2 Comments / April 21, 2020

You may not realize that I am actually rather rebellious. I always laugh inside when someone calls me legalistic. This actually couldn’t be further from the truth. I hate stupid rules. If something isn’t firmly grounded in scripture, I am not going to be doing it anytime soon.

This is making it a bit difficult for me right now. Mandate after mandate is being thrown down by the government. These mandates are eroding or outright removing the rights of every law-abiding citizen that we were given by the constitution of the United States upon its inception.

I don’t want to obey. I am angry and I don’t want to obey. This is for a number of reasons, but the greatest is that the statistics do not match the mandates. The fear that has been instilled in people by the media doesn’t match the actual facts. The damage that is being done by the mandates is astronomical! The ramifications will be felt by some families for generations, as they lose businesses or loved ones commit suicide or die because they are afraid to go to the ER.

Something much deeper is going on here. There are a million theories out there and analyzing them isn’t the point of this post. However, I think that those of us who have studied eschatology to any degree quickly recognize that this is part of the end game. We can see how these events are moving the world in the direction it needs to go for the one world economy and government prophesied in Revelation. (Actually, in this way it is encouraging because it is so incredibly confirming of scripture! )

Okay, so it’s clear that I don’t really buy the story we’re being told. This makes it even harder to obey rules that don’t make any sense.

I’ve had lots of conversations about this part of the quarantine with my family. We are supposed to obey the law. But when does obeying the law become wrong? At what point should we obey and at what point do we protest and even fight?

I am sure many of you are hoping I have an answer to these questions. But I don’t. I am sorry to disappoint you but I haven’t done a thorough enough study on this yet to give any kind of biblical answer.

But these are big questions. And we have to find our footing and remember our foundation in the midst of them. Any search for answers must be done through the lens of scripture.

At first, the novelty of all of this kind of filled us with that adrenalin that takes you through times of shock. None of the people on earth had ever faced anything like this before and we were reeling. After four or five weeks, however, we started to chafe against the restrictions. We became aware of families that were hurting, companies going bankrupt, depression and people committing suicide, people dying without their loved ones close by and with no funerals. Postponed weddings, canceled trips-of-a-lifetime, and high school and college seniors losing their final precious months that they can never get back again.

Some of us trust what we are being told by the health officials. And some of us don’t. But, no matter, where we find ourselves on that scale, I think I can safely assume that almost all of us are deeply saddened by what is going around us and feel pretty hopeless to change anything.

And, no matter how this ends, we all have to face the reality that our freedom was only an illusion. Our freedom dissipated in the face of fear like the early morning fog dissipates when the sun rises. We thought we were free but now we know we aren’t. Not even a bit. And this is something we need to live with, no matter how this turns out.

At any moment in the future, this could happen again. We could be ordered to do things we don’t want to do and there is nothing we can do to stop it.

Doesn’t that make you feel so powerless? We thought we were so independent and find out we aren’t at all.

So how do we, as believers, reconcile all this with what we know from scripture? This is where we must turn, isn’t it? What do we know, for sure??

We know that God is still in control. No matter what goes on or how awful it gets, He is still on the throne. (Jeremiah 10:10)

God did not abdicate his throne during Nero’s persecution of Christians. He didn’t disappear during the Black Death of the Middle Ages, the French Revolution, the reign of Pol Pot, or during World War II. And He has not abdicated His throne during this time. God is still on the throne.

We know that God wants us to obey our government as long as it doesn’t require us to disobey Him. (Romans 13:1-2)

We are told in scripture to obey our governments. There is no caveat there for rules we don’t like. This can be hard for independent Americans to swallow particularly. But it is there. We can, of course, agree that when the government tells us to do something that is in opposition of scripture, we can and must disobey. Where that line is drawn is something all of us are probably increasingly thinking about.

We know that there is a plan spelled out in the books of Daniel and Revelation, that must come to pass at some point.

Could this be a part of that? I think it is very, very likely. If you’ve done any study of end time prophecy then this makes so much sense. Whether the rapture is tomorrow or in a hundred years, we can see how the events of the past few weeks will most certainly be used to further a one world economy and a one world government. We can also see how this will break America–something that must be done in order for globalism to succeed. We can make no predictions of when, but I do believe we can say with certainty that this event took us an exponential step forward towards the New World Order.

We know that, through all of this, God can and will grow us to look more like Christ. (Romans 8:28-29)

Romans 8:28 uses that tiny word “all” to remind us that everything that happens to us–whether small or large–is being used to make us look more like Christ. We are to glorify God in this process, drawing men to Him through our godly attitudes and actions. This can be a bit eye-opening if you’ve been deceived by the “name it and claim it” kind of faith or believe that Jesus exists to make your life easier and to fulfill your big dreams. But when we finally understand that our goal as a believer is to glorify God and to look more like Christ, then the trials and hardships make so much more sense.

We know that God loves us and will give us grace to endure whatever comes. (2 Corinthians 12:9)

One of the most horrifying things about all that’s going on is the fact that it is being used to further ungodly agendas. I have seen terrifying articles on the unfair treatment of churches and pastors, on the necessity of the state to raise children, and on the promotion of abortion. One can only wonder how this is all going to end up for us as Christians. It is almost like the pandemic gave a burst of speed to Satan’s evil agenda for the world.

I was feeling a bit discouraged and frustrated the other day and so I read a bit in the Foxe’s Book of Martyrs to remind myself how much worse life could be. It is truly hard to comprehend the torture and persecution sanctioned by the Catholic Church during the Reformation. Thousands died at the hands of wicked, wicked men who delighted in torturing their fellow human beings. And yet, to read of the believers’ fortitude and commitment to the truth was astounding. They stood strong in the face of the threat of horrible torture, refusing to be bullied into the Catholic faith. In fact, many of them sang hymns as they burned at the stake. We know that only God can give this kind of strength. If God gave that kind of strength hundreds of years ago, then He will surely do the same for us, if and when the time comes that we need it.

And, finally, we know that we are not the center of the Universe. (Philippians 2:9-11)

We can get a little confused about this one. Many pastors preach like we, personally, are the center of the universe. Kids are raised to believe they are the center of the universe. We hear it everywhere. We need to help others and be kind, but at the end of the day, it’s about you. Take care of you.

Well, that isn’t the message of the Bible. While we most certainly need to care for ourselves as any normal human being would, we must recognize that God is the center of the universe. That all is about Him and His sovereign plan.

This can be a hard place to get to, because we have such big dreams and hopes for our lives. This current situation leaves most of those up in the air at best and has dashed them at worst. Surrendering our dreams and hopes may be one of the hardest things we have to do as Christians. Recognizing that perhaps it is not God’s will for us to do that thing we most longed for is a hard pill to swallow. But we are just a speck. A flower that blooms for a short time and then fades away.

Of course, the other side is that we know how much God loves us! He cares and gives strength and peace and joy, as we trust in Him. It’s a beautiful thing when we can surrender our lives and trust in God. But, of course, this is not easy. Releasing our grip can be very painful.

_______________________________

So these are some things we know. And these are the things we must remember as we continue to inch forward into the unknown. Many of us were on autopilot in our lives. We may not have even realized it. And now we are dealing with big questions. Some are dealing with really big problems. I think it’s safe to say that autopilot is now turned off for all of us at this point.

The circumstances are different for all. The spiritual and emotional dynamics are different. This new world is bringing to light different sins and weaknesses in all of us. To some it is overwhelming and to others it is not.

So, I’d like to encourage one final thing before I close today.

Let’s be so kind to one another. Let us have so much grace for the responses and outbursts and frustrations of others. Let’s humbly point fellow believers to the Word and share the Gospel with the lost.

I think we can all agree that the world should be a better place because Christians are in it. There is no better time than now to make sure that is true!

 

 

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