Did you ever want something so much you could taste it? Did you ever pray for it, hope for it, even beg and weep for it? And when things didn’t turn out the way you wanted, you were so disappointed, perhaps even angry with God?  I have. A few times. And when that moment came when I realized my prayers were not going to be answered, at least not in the way I wanted, there also came the grace to deal with it.

But it brought to the forefront something else, too: my sense of entitlement. I think sometimes we Christians can fall into an “entitlement” mentality. Just because we are God’s, we sometimes believe He is obliged to answer our prayers in just the manner we want. It’s coming to us. Right? After all, we’ve been walking in faith these many years, doing things His way. Surely we can expect our prayers to be answered now and then.  But what we forget, what I forget, is that God is not obligated to do anything more for us. He already did it all by sending his son, Jesus, to the cross to pay for your sins and mine. And this act has given us the greatest gift of all, peace with God and a hope and a future.

During this Easter season, as I thought about the magnitude of what He did for me, everything in my life, all of its problems, its hurts, its disappointments, paled in comparison.  If God never does another thing for me, I’d have no right to complain. When I reflect on this great gift of peace with God, forgiveness of my sins, and the hope of eternal life, I’m amazed all over again by God’s great love. It’s this kind of loving God that I can trust with my future, to know what is best, even when I don’t understand what He is doing. And He is the kind of loving God you can trust as well.

Until next week,

Sylvia

This is the third and last of the judgments, and the one that makes me weep. Revelation 20:11-15 tells us this judgment will occur after Jesus’ one thousand year reign on earth, and after Satan is released from the bottomless pit and allowed to deceived the world one last time before he’s cast into the lake of fire for all eternity. When this is done, the dead will be summoned. “And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them;” and they were judged every man according to his works. From previous scriptures, we know that believers have already been judged, even those believers who lived through the tribulation and did not worship the beast or take his number (Revelation 20:4). Thus, we can assume those at this judgment are unbelievers only.

This judgment will take place before a great white throne where Jesus will sit. Every deed, every thought, every word of every person has been recorded in books kept in heaven. Now those books will be opened and each person will come before the Great Judge and King of Kings, and give an account. And those found guilty will be cast into the lake of fire for all eternity. But found guilty of what?

Verse 15 tells us; “whosoever was not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.” It is this one thing, and not all their bad deeds, that will send them into eternal torment—not found written in the Book of Life. If that’s so, how does one get in? Philippians 4:3 gives us a clue.  It talks about those who are followers of Christ and His gospel and “whose names are in the book of life.” And again in Luke 10:20 after the disciples brag about how “even the devils were subject to them”, Jesus says this: “rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven (the book of life). Revelation 21:27 calls it the “Lamb’s book of life.” And there’s only one way in. Through Jesus. Those who have rejected Jesus, will not be written in the book, and at the white throne judgment it will be too late for them to change their minds.

And that’s the tragedy. It’s the easiest thing in the world to avoid this judgment. God has made it so simple: “Believe on the Lord Jesus and you shall be saved.” And the alternative? Hebrews 10:31 says it well, “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.”

Until next time,

Sylvia

If Scripture tells us that “Righteousness exalteth a nation” (Proverbs 14:34) and “Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD” (Psalms 33:12) does that mean the opposite is also true? Does that mean nations that follow unrighteousness and whose god is not the LORD are cursed and brought low? I think so. Can we not point to the world collapsing around us as ample proof?

The Bible tells us these nations will be judged.

And one of the things they will have to answer for is how they treated the nation of Israel. Isaiah 34:1-8 is sobering text that speaks about the last days and how the “indignation of the LORD is upon all nations and his fury upon all their armies,” and goes on to tell us what is going to happen to them. Then the reason for this indignation and fury is revealed in verse 8: “For it is the day of the LORD’s vengeance, and the year of recompences for the controversy of Zion.” That word controversy in the Hebrew means contest, contention, strife, and the “nations” God talks about, according to the Hebrew translation, are the Gentile nations. Isaiah 29: 6-8 also explains what will happen to those nations “that fight against mount Zion.” The scriptures in both Isaiah 34 and 29 speak of destruction, slaughter, land soaked with blood, stinking carcasses, storms, earthquakes, tempests, huger, and thirst.

Not a pretty picture.

But if that’s still not plain enough, Zechariah 12:9 says it all in one paragraph, “And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem.”

These are troubling words when you consider more and more nations are turning against Israel.  It is a cautionary tale of what will happen if this trend continues. It should drive us to our knees and make us diligently pray for our nations, and the nation of Israel.

Until next time,

Sylvia

Did you know we’re going to get crowns in heaven? We are. At least believers in Jesus will get them when they appear before the “judgment seat of Christ” (2 Corinthians 5:10). I think there will actually be three judgments: 1) the judgment of believers which will begin after the rapture, 2) the judgment of the nations after the battle of Armageddon, and 3) the Great White Throne Judgment of non believers after Jesus’ one thousand year reign.  In this blog I’ll only be talking about the first judgment. I’ll discuss the others another time.

1Corinthians 8-15 gives us a good picture of this first judgment. It’s obviously speaking to believers or the “saints” since the passage makes it perfectly clear that salvation is not on the line, but only the rewards for the works one has done for the Lord. Our works will be tried, and if our motivation is wanting, if we have not obeyed the Lord and instead followed our own inclinations rather than the Holy Spirit’s, and done a work, even a seemingly good work, because of self interest, then it will not be viewed as “gold, silver” or “precious stones” but rather as so much “wood, hay and stubble” to be burned.

At times I’ve collected my share of “wood, hay and stubble,” just as other times I’ve narrowly escaped doing so. One example was during the season when God specifically impressed upon me to concentrate on three things: His word, prayer, and writing. At that time a friend was going through a difficulty and asked me to work with her at a local mission for the summer. After praying about it, I felt the Lord’s permission, so I did. But at the end of the summer, instead of releasing the mission ministry, I began begging God to let me stay. I think He got tired of my whining and pleading because He finally came back with a one-word question: “WHY?”

I thought about that question long and hard, and came to realize my desire to stay at the mission was birthed only out of the good feelings I had about myself for working there. I felt like a “real” Christian, and my actions proved it! Sadly lacking in my answer was God Himself. My work was not an act of obedience. Neither was it for His glory but for mine. Fortunately, I didn’t continue at the mission. If I had, my seemingly good effort would have been nothing more than a bit of stubble.

The Bible tells us that God Himself has prepared the specific good works that He wants each of us to do (Ephesians 2:10) and that He gives us the will and the ability to do His will (Philippians 2:13) . Our job is just to yield ourselves. And here’s the part that blows my mind. After Jesus gives us the will and ability to do His will, after He provides all the grace necessary to do the things He’s asked us to do, after He’s given us the provision, the ability, the courage, the talents, after He’s given us everything required to succeed in our assignment, He rewards us with crowns for actually doing it!! Imagine!

Who is like our God?

Until next time,

Sylvia

Imagine spending three years with Jesus, following Him around with eleven other sidekicks, watching Him do all those wonderful miracles, then having the gall, at the end of it, to argue with your eleven buddies which one of you was the greatest?  It’s hard to wrap one’s mind around it, yet it shouldn’t be because we all, in some way, want to be great. It’s the pride thing.

Mark 9: 34 tells us that the disciples had “disputed among themselves who should be the greatest,” and this after three of them had just witnessed Jesus transfigured in front of their eyes as He talked to Moses and Elijah, and after all twelve witnessed Jesus casting out a demon from a boy they themselves had been unable to cast out. Here they were in the presence of true greatness and all they could think about was their own importance.

Then in Luke 22 we see them again disputing who was the greatest. They were celebrating the last supper. Jesus had just told them he was going to suffer and die, had talked about the kingdom of God, and also that one of them was going to betray Him. And right after a brief inquiry by the apostles of who the traitor was, came this stunner in Luke 22:24, “And there was also a strife among them (the disciples) which of them should be accounted the greatest.”

Both passages reveal the depths of man’s self absorption. And be it right or wrong, most of us want to be “great”. And since we do, it would behoove us to learn how to accomplish it.

In both the Mark passage and the one in Luke, Jesus basically says the same thing: those who want to be great must be the servant of others. Talk about radical! Upside down, even, to our way of thinking. In a world where most people are trying to scramble to the top Jesus says the path to greatest is serving others.  Serving others means humbling ourselves, putting our own selfish interests aside in order to consider the interests and wellbeing of others. It can mean taking the lower place instead of the higher, more prestigious, one. And since it fundamentally goes against the grain of our human nature, we could never achieve this without the help of the Holy Spirit. He is the only one who can change us, who can enable us to overcome our pride, and make us into the truly great people God has created us to be.

I say, let the work commence.

Until next time,

Sylvia

Yesterday, in order to get where I wanted to go, I had to cross a bridge. I had come this way before and knew what a “white knuckle” experience it could be. Both the bridge and the winds were high. I held my breath, put my foot to the pedal, and forged ahead . . . carefully. I felt the steering wheel bounce in my hand; heard the whizzing sound as I moved within inches of the concrete wall, a wall that only reached to the handle of my car door and seemed to climb straight up to the sky; then saw the dizzying view of the rough waters below; and finally sighed with relief as I reached the apex and began my descent to safety. 

It’s a good metaphor. How often have we had to pass through a difficult situation or circumstance in order to get where we wanted to go? And it was a “white knuckle” experience, too; one that was scary and dangerous because it could cost us something. Yet, when we persevered, pressed our foot to that pedal, we eventually reached the apex of our problem and found our selves returning to secure ground. I could name some in my own life: the loss of loved ones, the loss of a job and home. Perhaps you could name others such as the loss of a marriage to divorce or the loss of a child to drugs.

If you’re like me, you’re not fond of bridges; preferring a smooth, flat road instead, a road that is safe and predictable. But sooner or later we’re all faced with a bridge, and in order to get where we want to go, in order to get to the other side, we must cross it. The good news is not that there will never be bridges in our lives, but that we don’t have to cross them alone. We have One who can help us, who can place His hands over ours to steady the wheel.  And whether the bridge is short or long, like all bridges, it does have an apex where the problem peaks and eventually leads to some conclusion, though not always the happy ones we envision. But even here, we have One who is able to comfort and sustain us through it all.

At present, it seems so many people are crossing bridges they’ve never had to cross before. If you’re one of them you already understand that no one can make that journey for you. But be of good cheer. You don’t have to go it alone. You have One that will make it with you, for “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” Psalm 46:1

Until next time,

Sylvia

I’ve been rereading Brother Lawrence’s the practice of the presence OF GOD. It’s one of several classics I try to reread often; classics such as Andrew Murray’s waiting on GOD and Absolute Surrender, Watchman Nee’s The Normal Christian Life, J.I. Packer’s Knowing GOD, Hannah Smith’s GOD of all Comfort, just to name a few. I do this because every time I discover another nugget, something I didn’t get before, something I missed or glossed over or perhaps forgot.

Take Brother Lawrence’s book. It’s beautifully simple, but in its simplicity is able to compress so much Scripture into just four words: love God, love others. Sometimes I need “simple” to keep me from muddling the picture. And for me, Brother Lawrence’s life and book does just that. He worked in the kitchen and then the sandal repair shop during much of his time as a Carmelite lay-brother in the 1600s. He once said, “It’s not necessary to have great things to do.” But everything he did, he did for love of God and his fellows. Every act, no matter how small, how menial, was done out of this love. He had a true servant’s heart and was utterly devoted to God. And in his humility and simplicity, he developed an extraordinary relationship with Jesus.

It’s a wonderful lesson. In this world where we are judged by what we have and what we’ve accomplished, it’s easy to forget that we don’t have to do anything great to be pleasing to God. In fact, God is not really looking for “great” men and women. He’s looking for men and women who greatly love Him and the people He has placed in their lives; men and women whose simple, everyday tasks are turned into acts of worship and love. We need to remember this when we are getting up early to go to that job that is less than exciting, or washing another load of dishes, or doing the never ending laundry, or mowing that forever growing lawn, or driving the kids to yet another soccer game or music lesson. If these acts are done in the right spirit they are indeed acts greatly pleasing to God, and just as in Brother Lawrence’s case, can lead us into a truly deep and glorious relationship with Jesus.

Until next time,

Sylvia

What brings a person to Godly repentance? Is it fear that God will strike him down or load him with troubles in this world? Or fear of hell in the hereafter? Or maybe a desire for rewards in heaven? They could all play some part, initially. But according to the Bible, the reason we are brought to repentance is God’s kindness. Yes kindness. Romans 2:4b (NIV) specifically tells us that God’s kindness leads us to repentance.

Indeed, kindness is one of God’s attributes. Nehemiah (Ne 9:17) talks about God’s kindness in His dealings with rebellious Israel during their wilderness experience. In Psalm 117:2 the psalmist tells us to praise the Lord “for his merciful kindness is great toward us”. Isaiah 54 tells us that God’s kindness is everlasting and will not depart from His people. Joel 2:13 (Amplified) tells us that God is “gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in loving-kindness.”

It’s this kindness that prevented God from letting sinful mankind languish in his sin; that prevent God from allowing mankind to be lost forever with no means of escape. It was this loving-kindness that brought Jesus to earth, so He could make, for us, a way back to the Father. How miserable we would be if this were not so! It would mean living in a world without hope, without a future; a world in which mankind was condemned to exist in lawlessness and ever-increasing despair, then face an eternity forever separated from their Creator.

When we begin to understand the magnitude of what God did for us, the magnitude of what He saved us from, the magnitude of what it cost Him; when we begin to see His tender heart toward us, and His longing that none should perish, it’s easy to bow before Him and confess we are sinners and in need of salvation. What a small thing it is for us to humble ourselves before a God whose character is one of such boundless mercy and love; a God Who cares about us and Who wants only the best for us; A God Who yearns for us to come to Him so, as Ephesians 2:7 says, “that in the ages to come he (God) might show the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.”

Who, indeed, is like our loving, merciful, kind God?

Until next time,

Sylvia

Temporarily suspending blog due to family illness. Looking forward to reconnecting with you in the near future.

Love and blessings to all,

Sylvia

2012. Talk about your little black rain cloud! Other than the Y2K scare in 2000, I don’t remember any other year in my lifetime that has been so dreaded. Look at Hollywood and all the doomsday movies they have made alluding to this year. And don’t forget the Mayan calendar and the Sibyl prophecy that doomsayers say point to a 2012 end of the world.

While I don’t believe any of it, there are certainly many real, tangible things that can give us plenty to worry about; everything from the global debt crisis to the increase in violence and instability around the world, and a myriad of things in between.

So, because of that I don’t think 2012 is the year for making my usual New Year’s resolutions: lose weight, eat better, read the stack of books on my night table, etc.. Instead, this year I’m making only two: 1) love the Lord my God with all my heart, mind, soul, and strength and 2) love my neighbor as myself.

I know. I know. No two resolutions are more impossible than these two. But that’s only if I plan on trying to do it on my own. Which I don’t. Instead, I will rely on the power of the Holy Spirit who God has given to us for just this purpose. And He is more than able to bring these things about in my life if I allow Him. Oh, not like some jinni, who with one snap of the fingers, creates an instance fix. Instead, He’ll bring this about in me through patience and grace, with one situation at a time, with one person at a time.

I don’t know about you, but I look forward to this year. I look forward to the things God will do in my life and in the lives of those I love. And though it might be trying, I also believe it will be exciting and wondrous, and very memorable.

Until next time,

Sylvia