I Know That!

Teaching is hard! And raising children is not for the faint of heart. I'm sure I am not the only one who has implored to my children, "How many times have I told you that!" I recently had a conversation with my 17 year old son (the same conversation I had had with him about a bagillion times) about behavior patterns that will cause him challenges down the road. Then I asked him, "Do you think your dad and I are wrong about this?" And he said, no, that he agreed. So, where do you go from there? I thought about it. I thought about how we all receive information, good sound advice, and often agree with it, and acknowledge that it is contrary to how we live, but nothing changes. Why is that?  We have churches full of people who sit and, "Amen," through a sermon on obedience to Christ, evangelism, Christ being our first love, etc. and think to ourselves, 'Yes! that is true!' Then leave church to resume the same patterns that have been established for years. Where is the disconnect? 

 

For example, I read an article that had been posted to social media regarding over scheduling children and the drawbacks it can have on their development. All of the comments were whole heartedly in agreement that most kids today are stretched too thin. They discussed the rat race from school, to practice, to piano, tutoring, grabbing dinner at a drive through, and doing homework in the car. Rushing home into bed only to do it all over again the next day. Every single comment agreed that it was no way to live. I asked if anyone who found truth in what the article said was willing to make a change to their life and no one was. It's insanity. Just like with my son, he knows that his life will be easier and more successful if he makes the changes we've suggested. But to date he hasn't done that.

 

We have access to truth of all types. But what we do with that truth determines what kind of people we really are. I get it, change is hard. But Christ equips us to do hard things. We must hear truth and apply it, regardless. God's word says, "But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror;  for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was." James 1:22-24 The book of Proverbs is full of warnings to people about not heading wise instruction. The first ten chapters of Proverbs begins the same way. Take a look:

 

Proverbs 1:7-8

My son, hear the instruction of your father,
And do not forsake the law of your mother;

For they will be a graceful ornament on your head,
And chains about your neck.

Proverbs 2:1-2 & 5
My son, if you receive my words,
And treasure my commands within you,
So that you incline your ear to wisdom,
And apply your heart to understanding;. . .
Then you will understand the fear of the Lord,
And find the knowledge of God.

Proverbs 3:1-2
My son, do not forget my law,
But let your heart keep my commands;
For length of days and long life
And peace they will add to you.

Proverbs 4:1-2
Hear, my children, the instruction of a father,
And give attention to know understanding;
For I give you good doctrine:
Do not forsake my law.

I could go on but I think you get the idea. We are told in scripture over and over again, just like we've told our son, listen to our instruction. It takes purposeful and intentional dedication to follow and be obedient to God's call on our lives. At the new year many are finding a single word to focus on as a motivator for the year. I've seen words like, determination, focus, intensity, motivation, etc. I believe the word I would choose would be 'obedient.' That one probably wouldn't be real popular today. It insinuates humility and acknowledges authority. People these days don't like those things. But if I am obedient and actually make the changes in my life to fall in line with what I know to be true, all of those other profound sounding words will come along with it. Obedience draws us closer to Christ. We need to be a people drawing to Christ, making Him again our first love, and actually living the precepts we know to be true. Knowing it isn't enough. It's time to make the change.

It's a Boy!

Those three amazing words, whether it's a boy or a girl, are celebrated by parents. We wait with eager anticipation to find out the gender of our child. Both genders bring a unique set of joys as well as concerns. Kevin and I chose to wait until the birth to find out the gender of our children. A very wise older woman once told me that the sex of your child is the last of life's true surprises. Most of the nursing staff in the delivery department was huddled in my room eagerly anticipating the big reveal! When my nurse got out one of each of the tiny little hats, one pink and one blue, she giddily said "We hardly ever get to see the surprise of the sex. It's so exciting!" It struck me funny that people who see deliveries every day are still captivated by the proclamation of the gender of a brand new little person. Could it be because it really does matter? Maybe a person's gender does say a lot about who they are. We live in a society that is trying continually to blur the lines of gender and sexuality when we should be celebrating them! In a recent news story, (I forget about what) the journalist stated that we need to create a unisex society for the purpose of equality. This breaks my heart for so many reasons.

God created two specific and unique sexes for the human race, and they each have very specific strengths and weaknesses. There are characteristics that can be attributed to each one. . .most of the time. Stereotypes are hard. Sometimes people don't cooperate with what our expectations are. Sometimes men are sensitive, caring, and emotional. And there are women who are forceful, strong, and independent. What do we do with that?  God created each of us with a unique beautiful personality. Me for example. As a child, I wondered briefly about my sexuality. Well, I was too young for it to be directly related to my sexuality. I wondered about why I was a girl. I have always been fairly strong, "for a girl." In fourth grade I won the arm wrestling contest for my class at the school fair. I played sports, have a strong personality, am not very emotional, can figure out how to fix most things, and struggle with being merciful. God put me together perfectly for the life He had laid out for me before I was born. He knew I would be married to a man who He would have travelling all over creation. He also knew we would be stewards of a farm that would require a lot of elbow grease to maintain. I am not a girly girl, but make no mistake. I am a girl. And I am so grateful for that.

There is great confusion in society about sexuality, gender identity, family roles, and the value of the mother/father and husband/wife positions. We are confusing God's plan with our desires. This message is for Christians who struggle with these issues. We all have desires we should resist in order to be faithful to God, but not all carnal desires are forbidden.  I have a driving desire for my husband. Convenient for me, right? What are people to do however, who have a burning desire for those of the same sex, or have any desire that is contrary to God's word. Well, let me explain it like this. In my life I have had deep desires to sin against God. I have desired to lie, to take revenge when I, or a loved one has been wronged. And yes, I had lustful desire for men before I was married and am purposeful to guard against it even now. This is certainly not an exhaustive list of my sinful desires. But what we need to understand is that just because we want to do something, I mean really REALLY want to do something, it does not equal it being ok. So just because my sinful desires are not the same as yours, it doesn't mean I don't understand. “He who would love life And see good days, Let him refrain his tongue from evil, And his lips from speaking deceit. Let him turn away from evil and do good; Let him seek peace and pursue it." 1 Peter 3:10-11. God's direction is not for our heartbreak or pain. All instruction is out of his great love for us.

Don't think that your desire for whatever is contrary to God is unique to you. We ALL struggle with our own sinful flesh. But we must trust that God's plan for us is better than our own plan. I am sorry that some church organizations have made sexual and gender sin seem unforgivable and more egregious than other sin. I understand that those who struggle with sexual sin have been made at times to feel unwelcome. Yes, God warns against corrupting the sexual relationship that He designed. "If a man lies with a male as he lies with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination." Leviticus 20:13a. It is however forgivable. And to those who feel superior to any who struggle with this sinful desire, there is this warning using the same adjective. "Everyone proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord; Though they join forces, none will go unpunished." Proverbs 16:5. In order to restore the beauty of the family God created we must be able to speak truth in love without condescension. In order to draw closer to Christ we must resist our fleshly desires regardless of what they are. "Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you."  James 4:7. That is a promise.

And one last thing.  Our culture has gotten love and sex all mixed up. We can have deep emotional connections with people of the same gender. God endorses and encourages these relationships. But that is very different from satisfying our sexual desires with someone of the same sex or even heterosexually outside of marriage. Love and sex are not interchangeable words but our culture uses them as if they were. Women and men are unique, made for distinct and beautiful reasons. Society would benefit from embracing the design of our bodies and celebrate the strengths of each. God's blueprint is beautiful. Forgiveness of all sin is available at the cross. Let's meet there and help others find the way.

To Those Who Want More of Christ:

We live in the information age. Anything we need to know can be found in an instant. If we need to learn how to do something we can watch a YouTube video. Last summer our riding lawn mower threw a belt. I watched a video and removed the mower deck, replaced the belt, and reassembled the mower deck and had the mower functioning in a matter of a couple of hours.  We have access to 24 hour news, and can receive information from celebrities and politicians via their Twitter and Instagram accounts. But how much can you really learn in 140 characters? We have easy access to information but are a society of superficial awareness. We read a tweet/post/headline and feel we are informed. We nibble on knowledge and feel educated. It is easy for those shaping their message to manipulate followers with thumbnail pictures of the whole story. And the church is approaching our relationship with God the same way.

I am guilty. I have wondered, where is God in times of such turmoil? I have felt equipped to be the defender of all that is right and good. Only to be shown I was woefully lacking in the chutzpah it really takes to stand on the front line for God. So much so, that I did not even know I was lacking! I want to be counted as faithful, one who God will entrust with great and mighty tasks. Many of you may probably feel the same way. What we need is spines of steel, ears for the voice of our Lord, and a heart to bring about His will. What I did not know was, just like society, the superficial stuff is easy. To know the heart of our Lord takes devotion. When we are young the excitement of a new relationship is exhilarating. We know very little about the person but what we know is enchanting. But as we get to know them on a deeper level we find that it is not all so easy. The same is true with God. This may seem as strange to you as it was me, but not everything about God makes us smile. God's word tells us this. "Then I took the little book out of the angel’s hand and ate it, and it was as sweet as honey in my mouth. But when I had eaten it, my stomach became bitter." Revelation 10:9

When we only know the superficial things of God, they are sweet.  We think we want more, to know more of His strength and His vision. We want to draw deeper from the well. But to be counted as the truest of God's faithful we must submerge ourselves in the holy presence of God.  We cannot accomplish this with 140 character snippets of God. I have seen the daily devotion books and apps. They are designed to be completed in about 20 minutes. We cannot reach the level of mighty warrior for Christ that way. I have been involved in conversations choosing Bible studies. The time requirement for the individual study each week is often a determining factor in the choice made. I have also been guilty of not participating in the  studies due to the time obligation involved. I understand that our lives are overwhelmed with legitimate obligations but this is the mentality that prevents us from walking by the very side of Christ.

I have not arrived. I wanted to share with you the keys to the next level. We have to be willing to shed our own flesh. The digestion is the understanding. What God desires of us is the bitterness in our stomach that comes after the honey taste in our mouth. "Then He said to them all, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me." Luke 9:23. Wanting to be one of Christ's trusted confidants is one thing.  Actually becoming trustworthy of such a position is TOTALLY different. I would really love to run a half marathon. I want to have the disciplined nature to train and achieve the level of fitness to be able to complete that goal. But as of now, I have not dedicated the time or effort to do that. The same  goes with our relationship with Christ.  How dedicated are we, really. Most would say, 'I want to be God's go to person!' But do we want it enough to dedicate our lives to knowing his heart. 

When we go deeper into understanding the heart of Christ we see sin for what it is.  We see the heartache it causes. We deliver blows to the enemy that can often be misunderstood by those who think that God is only love and nothing else. We become enemies of this world and place ourselves in the crosshairs of the adversary. "Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also." John 15:20. This is why so many are not willing to do anything other than nibble on the honey sweet surface of God's saving grace. I want more for the glory of my king. He is worthy and I want to earn His trust. We possess the same fortitude that characterizes the heroes of the Old Testament. Why do we feel like we are any less capable of the greatness they accomplished for God? We can stand with the heroes if we are willing to draw closer to Christ, draw to His side, and put His will above our own. Whose with me?

Epidemic of Anger

I have been away for quite sometime. Diligently listening for the voice of God. He has shared with me a few specific messages but has generally been very quiet . . . until last Friday night. I was sitting at my son's basketball game. I dearly love watching him and his friends play. They play with such determination and heart. Their opponents consist of mostly private Christian schools and other regional homeschool organizations. We have not typically experienced malicious play or poor sportsmanship . . . until this year. It  has gotten progressively worse throughout the season, the cheap shots, shoves, and bad attitudes. Friday night our team was playing a boisterous and angry group. It was a Christian school about an hour and a half from home. I was initially surprised by some the things happening on the floor and in the crowd. But then it happened. A fine young man on our team with exceptional athletic ability but more importantly exceptional godly character received an overly aggressive blow that left him curled up under some chairs. It happens. In the heat of the game sometimes young impulsive people make poor decisions. For that matter, years do not make any of us exempt of making poor decisions from time to time. And yet, I was utterly appalled and aghast when my mind processed what was happening. As this young fellow was very slow getting to his feet rubbing his head with a potential concussion, the opposing fans were celebrating his injury. He had to come out of the game due to the blow to the head, as the parents and friends of the other team cheered in jubilation.

 

 

I was angry. As I search for the appropriate words to describe the atmosphere I am coming up short. I felt the presence of evil in that place adorned with Christian banners. Who revels in the injury of a person you don't know during the course of a game? Who celebrates pain? Who finds joy in suffering? There is one answer. Satan does. I was so angry. As we were driving home I found myself praying, asking God, What is the answer? Why are people so full of rage? And how are we to respond to it? Some might blame the political atmosphere for all the turmoil. But there is one cause, Satan. The spiritual upheaval taking place in our culture is palpable.  

But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth. This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish. For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace. James 3:14-18

Satan is the ruler of worldliness. He orchestrates chaos, hatred, and fear. We can label this conflict or that but all the different stories have the same author. Christians in churches and Christian schools are embracing sin of every kind, living in and loving what is evil. None of us are above being sucked in. At the game, I wanted to engage with those so flagrantly spewing venom and wickedness. I was eager to put them in their place and attempt to make them ashamed of their actions. But I held my tongue. Anger grew in my heart, it had spread to me like a terrible virus. Don't get me wrong, righteous anger has it's place.  There are times we are to defend the honor and sovereignty of our Lord with the same vigor as Christ driving the money changers from the temple. But this was not the time or place. It takes the voice of the Holy Spirit to know when to speak and when to stay silent. I have prayed for Christ to give me discernment to not be deceived, be able to differentiate when to be humble and extend grace and when to defend the honor of our Lord. We must be diligent in moving closer to Christ so his voice is clear. Only the proud will believe we are above being deceived by the Great Deceiver. It will only be by God's grace that we stay obedient. The Bible tells us that before Christ returns the faithful will fall away.

 

Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, we ask you, not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of Christ had come. Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition. 2 Thessalonians 1:1-3

 

Our world is blind to the spiritual upheaval taking place. Evil is hard at work and we can't even see it. It was not simply a game that got out of hand, evil was present. Supposedly they were Christians, representing a Christian school. And maybe they were children of God. Sin is permeating the hearts of Christ's followers and we are being lead astray. We must pray for ourselves. That is not self serving, that is Christ serving. Only by the power of Christ are we capable of resisting the seduction of Evil. There is an epidemic of anger. Self serving and irrelevant anger is of Satan. Righteous anger defends the weak and upholds the righteousness of God. We must know the difference and the only way to do that is to continually strive to draw closer to Christ.

 

 

 

When Trials Rock the Very Foundation of our Soul

Life is funny sometimes. Other times not so much. We go through this life focused on what is in front of us. Sometimes giving width and breadth to occurrences that do not even deserve a blip on the radar. Then one unsuspecting day something happens that rocks the very foundation of our soul and it affects everything we do and think. It could be the loss of a child, a life threatening accident, or the diagnosis of a life threatening illness. The last has happened to my family. My brother has been diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer. He is 46 years old, is married, and has a 14 year old son. The ripple effects of this are endless. I look in the face of my parents and see the pain in their eyes. I hear the stress and sorrow in the voice of his beautiful wife. Thoughts that we are not supposed to think raced through my mind. Like, he may miss my nephew's graduation, his wife may end up being a single parent, my parents my have to attend the funeral of their eldest child, and on and on. I even hesitate to admit I had these thoughts but I want share so you will know you are not alone in thinking these things when tragedy strikes. Fear tries to consume us. Then I remembered the post from 11/24/14 entitled "No Place for Fear." As all kinds of fear rose and tried to suffocate me, I  felt like my organs had become liquid and run down into my legs. I prayed. I also had a talk with myself and wondered (and still wonder at moments) if I will be able to take ahold of and apply the truths in that post to my own life.

Fear can be absent from the equation. It is not because we are oblivious to the magnitude of the situation or because we have some secret or preferred access to Christ. It is because fear is not to be confused with pain, dread, grief, suffering, or  any multitude of other emotions. For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind." 2 Timothy 1:7. Not allowing fear to consume us is an intentional yet challenging practice. There have been all kinds of "what ifs," but my family knows this is God's will for my brother's life. We can wrestle with "why" and "what now", but facts are facts. My brother is a devoted child of God and is very deeply rooted in his faith. He has been a light to multitudes of what the life of a godly man should look like. His circumstances are being used by God to bring glory to God in the eyes of throngs of people. Here at Christmas time I cannot help but make the comparison between him and It's a Wonderful Life's George Bailey. Literally, hundreds of people are praying for him. God has been faithful to answer every need we have lifted up to Him at every single turn. He has heard and answered in splendor. So, as we pray and not only trust, but KNOW, that God hears, we have the knowledge that God is accomplishing His will in the life of my brother. We live in hope and pray for healing. We know God is more than capable. Regardless of whether He saves him and he lives a long and healthy life, or He determines that his life's work will be short we know Christ will be glorified. This is where we all come face to face with life's purpose.

When we accept the excruciating pain that comes with this life we yank Satan's biggest weapon out of his hands, fear. When we step back and acknowledge God's sovereignty over our lives we realize that the control belongs to God for the glory of Christ. "Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life." Revelation 2:10. Notice we are not told that we will not suffer. We are being told not to fear it. Listen my friends, there are times of immeasurable suffering, consuming pain, and unimaginable grief. We can dread it, be angry about it, feel desperate, insecure, and vulnerable, and have sadness deeper than the deepest ocean, but when we know who sees and hears us, loves us to the level of sending His son to die for us, and is more than able to accomplish His will in our lives, the fear is gone. We will wrestle with God, pleading for what we want and what we feel is best. No one wants to suffer or see their loved ones suffer. But when they do, if we are close to Christ we can accept it.

So this new journey begins. It is a road none of us want to walk, least of all my brother and his little family, but we will. We will walk it with faith and strength that can only come from Christ. "Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the Lord your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you.” Deuteronomy 31:6. No one can do this on their own and my family is no exception. But our position in Christ equips us for the task to which we are called. "And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work." 2 Corinthians 9:8. When we see this life as poured out for the glory of Christ and nothing more, we have the strength we need to persevere. We are also encouraged to share our burdens with fellow believers so we can pray and help carry the heavy load. "Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ." Galatians 6:2. We will make it. There will be scars and pain but our reward will be worth it. God is faithful.

Having learned of my brother's condition a couple of weeks ago it is only now that I am able to share it. It is raw and personal and it is still painful and hard. But I very much wanted to share the truths of God's promises with you. We are not watching the battle through field glasses on the bluff but down in the trenches with you. There are moments and even days we struggle and fight the fear. I am sure that will continue.  But we will not concede to it and give Satan the victory. The closer we are to Christ the better we are able to manage this road of hardship and the more glory Christ can bring to himself which is what it's all about anyway. We will all find the strength we need when we seek it in Christ. God bless.

Christ Always Fills in the Gaps

I was privileged to attend my brother's deacon ordination last week. The picture of service and dedication was painted beautifully as the godly men, determined qualified by their church, sat in humble acceptance of the task before them. The most impactful part of the service was when all previously ordained men in the fellowship lay hands on these men in prayer to bless and charge them with the responsibility of the torch they now carry. My dad was one of these men. He struggled to his feet with cane in hand and tottered over to the line to stand, longer than he is comfortably able, to pray for his son. It was one of those moments that shifts a paradigm on its axis, realizing on a new level how short life is.  And wondering in a new and deeper way, 'What are we doing here, really?' As we live this life, purpose and priorities ebb and flow in and out of focus. And it is flashes like these that snap what is truly important back into focus. We are only here for a short time and the lives we touch are forever changed in some way, whether good or bad. I pray for my own kids, that God take my and Kevin's meager attempts to train them and shape it into something beautiful, of which only He is capable. Life is hard, and we all know it. Yet, for some strange reason we hesitate to let others help us. And are often too busy to help others. I guess, even though we know life is hard for everyone, we would like to convince others that we are the exception. God does not expect us to walk through this life alone.  He doesn't even expect us to walk this road with only Him. He gives us each other, His bride. Make no mistake. It does NOT take a village, but it does take the body of Christ.  

 

By definition, a healthy and functioning body takes care of itself. When we are hungry we eat; tired, we rest; broken or hurting, time to heal. This is true of a healthy and functioning body of Christ as well. We all have our individual purpose, and gifting to which we are to serve each other. The mouth is fed by the hand and all parts must be still to achieve rest. The feet transport the ears to the place where listening is needed for compassion to be shown. We are not as individuals capable of accomplishing all things. With changing jobs and changing circumstances we often we feel we cannot follow the calling of Christ on our lives because our family, finances, job, etc. will suffer. But Christ will NEVER let following Him prevent His perfect will in all these areas from happening. Christ always fills in the gaps. "The Lord will perfect that which concerns me; Your mercy, O Lord, endures forever; Do not forsake the works of Your hands." Psalm 138:8  And He allows us the privilege of participating in His plan.  My family has been blessed by one willing to pour himself out to fill a gap, to allow himself to be used, so that God's will be accomplished in the life of our son. "For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another." Romans 12:4-5. We all have this call, we are to use our gifts to fill in the gaps in the lives of others. Not because we are better, but because we are different. We fit together like a beautiful tapestry woven by the Master. My iridescent thread is woven throughout to enhance the lives of others as theirs, of complimentary color, is woven through mine.

 

This is accomplished in a couple of ways. First, we must draw closer to Christ in order to hear his voice when He calls us to minister to others. We live in a society full of noise and chaos. This is by the enemy's design. Among the roar of life it is challenging to hear the soft call of the Holy Spirit on your heart. He seldom yells over the bedlam to demand your attention. We must spend time talking with Him and learning the sound of His voice. Turn off the television, the radio, and put the devices, that connect us to everything except God, down. At least for a time. We need to teach our children to honor times of quiet and peacefulness. "Be still, and know that I am God;" Psalm 46:10a. Second, to pour life into someone, we must have the time to invest. We must guard our hours and minutes. I struggle greatly in this area. I go from one task to another with little thought of over extending myself. This often leads to days of frustration because I have left important tasks undone. It even leads, at times, to substituting time with Christ, for doing things for Him. Do not misunderstand, we should be actively working to accomplish God's will for our lives and the lives of others. But there must be time spent with Christ alone and time available to devote to the lives of others. I pray that one thing our son learns from this man is to be available and willing to be inconvenienced for the sake of someone else.

 

The body of Christ in all of its beauty, is to be awed. When functioning properly the give is balanced by the take and every member benefits. This should be normal and commonplace within the church, but sadly it is not.  Be encouraged to offer to lend a hand, be a guide, or stand in the literal gap. And when the offer is made, do not be too proud or ashamed to accept it. This is how the love of God works. "Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.  For if anyone thinks himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself. But let each one examine his own work, and then he will have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another. For each one shall bear his own load." Galatians 6:2-5. The closer we draw to Christ the closer we will be to those who He calls His children. While looking outwardly to share His love with those who do not know Him, we also must be tending to the needs of our brothers and sisters. We are so much more than the sum of our parts. "For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another." Galatians 5:13.

 

 

Coinicidence, I Think Not

The events of this world are often the focus of our attention. We watch the news and see events to celebrate as well as matters which cause us to grieve. We are present in our thinking and if we value the opinions of C. S. Lewis, he says we should stay in the present mentally. "The duty of planning the 'morrow's work is today's duty." Screwtape Letters. We cannot comprehend God and the fact that He is outside of time. Creating the earth and everything around it, me writing this post, and His culmination of earthly events is all present time to Him. He established time for us and placed us in it and obviously values time as a great organizational tool. He reveals many things to us in scripture by the use of His timetable. He is clear in His description of many things by the use of time in parameters He uses for us.  And many are tripped up by Peter's description of time regarding God. "But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day." 2 Peter 3:8. This is a reminder to us that God stands outside time. But He gives us consistent timetables to function in and so we have information He wants us to have. So often we are looking at what is right in front of us and not recognizing the mighty obvious workings of the hand of God on a worldwide scale. My suggestion is that we step back, WAY back, off the porch, across the street, out of the neighborhood, and just keep widening our scope until we can see with our finite little minds the world and all its workings from a god-like perspective. He is showing us some amazing things but are we looking.

The events going on today are not things we will hear about on the news. Very few will recognize them on their own and most will discount them as pure coincidence when they are pointed out. But we, who are children of God, are seeking His face, and daily seeking to move closer to Christ, have understanding that cannot be explained to secular society.  "Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God. These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned." 1 Corinthians 2:12-14. It can be intimidating to acknowledge the spiritual world around us. That concept is usually perceived as wacky and we might even be whispered about as "unstable." This is how the enemy wants it to be. His biggest fear is us tapping into the power of the Holy Spirit within us and living our lives confident in our position in Christ.

There are very significant events taking place around us which indicate God is moving. He wants us to know. His word clearly warns us, not to frighten us. On the contrary, He wants us to be ready. Every seven years God declared would be a Shemitah year. This is a Sabbath year or year of rest. Significant historical events, too many to list here, come about in connection with Shemitah. One recent example took place on September 11, 2001. This was the last day of the Shemitah year. Also, during the Shemitah year which just ended, Benjamin Netanyahu addressed a joint meeting of Congress and warned the United States.  He conveyed that Israel will be safe with or without the help of the United States but compared the U.S. to Esther who intervened for the Jewish people and warned us to choose our friends wisely. Rosh Hashanah, celebrating the Jewish New Year, was September 13-15, 2015. This ushered in an even more significant event from the perspective of our Lord. It begins the year of Jubilee. Even more momentous is the year of Jubilee than the Shemitah year. It  happens the year after each seventh Shemitah. It is a Sabbath of Sabbaths.  In scripture God designated specific time for work and time for rest, time for restoration, as well as time for liberation. The year of Jubilee was the time designated by God to wipe the slate clean, cancel all debt, and restore everything and everyone to their rightful place. The year of Jubilee that began on September 15, 2015 will be significant for mankind. It marks the 70th Jubilee year and the 40th since the crucifixion of Christ. Both numbers, 70 and 40 hold special meaning in scripture and are used many times for Christ to chronicle important events.

 

In addition to the calendar marking yearly milestones, for those Christians who are watching, the skies also give a glimpse into the working of our Lord. His word teaches that we are to be mindful of celestial events and spoke of their significance. "And there will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring" Luke 21:25. When He set the path of the sun, moon, and stars, He made them to cross paths to coincide with His mighty plan. Do not confuse this with the practice of astrology. These are strictly coordinated with events orchestrated by God our Father and Creator. During the Shemitah that just ended and the year of Jubilee there is a Tetrad. A Tetrad is when four blood moons (lunar eclipse) occur within an eighteen month period. This has happened many times since Christ's death. But  in the past 2000 years, this is the first time it will have happened during the Shemitah, Jubilee cycle. Also, all four of these blood moons happened on Jewish Feast days. In addition to the blood moons, two solar eclipse have occurred. One on March 20, 2015, all these things also occurred on this day:

• A Solar Eclipse in the North Atlantic. 
• The exact center day of the Jewish Shemitah Year. 
• The Vernal Equinox marking the first day of Spring in the Northern Hemisphere. 
• Moon at "perigee in its orbit markings its closest point to Earth, which many people call a Super Moon. 
• First Day of Nisan on the Jewish calendar.

God's word is clear. "The sun shall be turned into darkness, And the moon into blood, Before the coming of the great and awesome day of the Lord." Acts 2:20. These are not to be dismissed as random occurrences. Do not be deceived, these things are no coincidence. The almighty Creator is at the helm as always and He is sending us messages.  Are we understanding them?

 

These events are significant but are not intended to make us afraid. We are to be looking with anticipation for what Christ is doing. It should excite us as well as give us a sense of urgency to share the gospel with a hurting world. Please notice that this post is not predicting specific events such as Christ's return, economic collapse, or foreign military oppression. Any of these things could happen along with multitudes of other scenarios. But be confident that God's hand is moving. There has never been a more important time to make those strides to be closer to Christ. Right by His side is always the best seat in the house. He is preparing quite a show.   

 

*http://www.seasky.org/astronomy/astronomy-calendar-current.html

*http://www.shemitah-blood-moons.net/

*http://www.chabad.org/holidays/default_cdo/year/2015/jewish/2015-holidays.htm