We were eleven this Christmas, a far cry from the twenty-five that we had been for many many years. But time changes everything, even family dynamics. Some have moved away, others have passed away. Even so, Christmas was wonderful. Chatter and laughter filled my daughter’s house. And as usual, we had so much food we could have feed the neighborhood. And there were gifts to open, and empty boxes and torn wrapping enough to fill the garbage pail in the garage.  Life is good when you have family and friends to love, and who love you.   

And that’s the thing to remember as we go into 2012. No matter how your own family dynamics have changed, life is still good because whatever else, you’ll always have that larger family of God who loves you and needs you. God never changes, though the world around us might. And your place in His family never changes. You are valuable. You are wanted. You belong. You are important not only to God but to His kingdom.

No one knows what 2012 will bring. But we can all look forward with confidence in these constants. God has a plan and purpose for each and every one of us. We can be encouraged by that.

May 2012 be all you hope for in the Lord. May you feel His constant love and presence, and may you become secure in who you are in Him. And may you fulfill the wonderful destiny He has planned for you. 

Happy New Year.

Until next time,

Sylvia

The Bible tells us that the joy of the Lord is our strength (Nehemiah 8:10). And that word “strength” literally means fort or rock. Wow! That’s formidable. It also tells us that joy is the fruit of the Holy Spirit and should be part of every believer’s life. But if joy is the key to strength, is that why so many Christians are weak? One look around in some of our churches reveals just how few Christians take these scriptures seriously. Instead of joyful faces, they often look worried, fearful, or depressed. Yes, there is much in our world, and often in our lives, too, to cause us to feel these things if we let them.

But the first thing the angel said when he appeared to the shepherds on that unforgettable and holy night of Jesus’ birth was: “Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day unto the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.” (Luke 2:10-11)

Nothing has changed. We still have the same “tidings of great joy.” Jesus is still with us. And He has overcome the world. No matter what we are going through, we must remember that. And this, too: “weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.” (Psalm 30:5b)

May this wondrous season of celebrating the birth of our Savior rekindle in us the joy of the Lord so we will be strong for the coming year.

Wishing you the unsurpassed joy of Christmas.

Until next time,

Sylvia

Everyone knows appearances can be deceiving, yet we have all, at one time or another, been fooled. And it happened even in the Bible. Take for instance David, the shepherd boy. Who would ever think that an uneducated, insignificant shepherd would become the great king of Israel? And then there’s Daniel, the Jewish teenager, who was dragged to Babylon as a captive, only to become advisor to the most powerful rulers of the then known world. And Rahab, the harlot, who became part of the lineage of Jesus.

But the best example is God Himself who came down to earth as Emanuel in the form of a helpless baby, born in a smelly stable, and who lived the life of a humble carpenter before beginning the greatest ministry of all times, that of reconciling man to God; and changed the world forever. Many were fooled then, too, and couldn’t believe that such a thing was possible. Even Nathanael, one of the twelve apostles, when first hearing of Jesus said, “”Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth?” (John 1:46).  And people are still being fooled today.

As Christians decorate their trees, buy presents, and display nativity scenes to celebrate the birth of Jesus, many others still can’t comprehend that this so called “good man” was in reality the Creator of all, the God of the Universe, the Commander of the Hosts, the One who brought everything into existence with just His spoken word. His having been clothed in the body of a baby fools them. So does the humble way He worked as a carpenter. And they still don’t understand that the reason Jesus made the ultimate sacrifice of forfeiting His life was so that we could have a hope and a future, not only in the present but for all eternity.

As we prepare the room of the inn of our hearts to receive Him, once again, this season, and throughout the New Year, let’s remember and pray for those we know who have yet to receive the King of Glory into their own hearts. Who have yet to receive the God who loves them more than they could ever imagine.

Until next time,

Sylvia

Worry.  It’s part of the human condition. Some worry more than others, but most of us worry at least sometime. And certainly life can give us plenty of reasons to worry. On the other hand, entire books can be written about all the reasons why we shouldn’t. Here, I’d like to give you just five:

1)    God is able. “Now unto him (God) that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us.” Ephesians 3:20 KJV

2)    God is faithful. “But the Lord is faithful, who shall stablish you and keep you from evil.” 2 Thessalonians 3:3 KJV

3)    God is our hope. Expect Him to act. “Why art thou cast down, O my soul? And why art thou disquieted within me? Hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him,  who is the health of my countenance, and my God.” Psalms 42:11 KJV

4)    God delivers those who trust Him. “And God helps them and delivers them; He delivers them from the wicked and saves them, because they trust and take refuge in Him.” Psalm 37:40 KJV

5)    God can replace our worries with His peace. “And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:7  

And here’s a bonus, for when things get really tough. Jesus tells His disciples (that’s us!) in John 16:33: (I’m using the Amplified version because I think it says it so well) “I (Jesus) have told you these things, so that in Me you may have perfect peace and confidence.  In the world you have tribulation and trails and distress and frustration; but be of good cheer, take courage; be confident, certain, undaunted! For I have overcome the world. I have deprived it of power to harm you and have conquered it for you.”

So, “don’t worry. Be happy.”

Until next week,

Sylvia

Trying to know God’s heart is like trying to plumb the depths of the universe. It can’t be done. But I think parents are in a unique position to glimpse at least part of it. Jesus, when praying what has become known as the Lord’s Prayer, begins with “Our Father, who art in Heaven” (Matthew 6:9), thus teaching us that God wishes to be known as a father, and we, as believers in Jesus, are His children (Romans 8:14-17).  But not just father. No. That barely scratches the surface. But He wants us to know Him as Jesus did, as “Abba”, as “Daddy”.

Oh, what a tender word “daddy” is! It tells us that our Father’s heart isn’t cold or distant.  It tell us that our Daddy is someone on whose lap we can crawl when we need hugs, or on whose shoulder we can lean or cry. As Daddy, God invests Himself in our lives.  He cares about every aspect of them.  No detail is too small to warrant His attention. He knows us better than we know ourselves.  His love is unconditional.  We don’t have to earn it. Oh, how often we are like babies, demanding and helpless; and like babies, not appreciative of the love and care our Daddy lavishes on us. But He loves us anyway, because He is love. And He loved us even before we first loved Him. And when we make mistakes, He doesn’t disown us or threaten to cut off our inheritance.

He’s a Daddy that weeps when we hurt, rejoices when we succeed. He sees us for what we can be, and not the mess we sometimes are. He’s there to encourage, guide, direct, and help. He wants and knows what’s best for us, even when we don’t, and patiently bears our scorn and anger and temper tantrums when He withholds something for our own good. He has set down rules for our benefit. And not wanting us to be spoiled, but rather to grow into that person He has created us to be, He must often correct and discipline. Yet at the same time, He is ever ready to lavish His undeserved love and blessings upon us. And His mercies are new every morning. We can never exhaust them. He’ll never throw in the towel or wash His hands of us, but He’ll stay the course; able and willing to use our mistakes to make something wonderful of us.

And even when we turn our back on Him; when we refuse to acknowledge that He is responsible for all the good in our lives or when we’ve gone off to live in the pig sty, our Daddy’s heart is ever with us, watching and yearning for us, the prodigal, to return to His outstretched waiting arms.  And like any good parent, He’s willing to lay down His life for us, and He actually did, over two thousand years ago on Calvary’s cross.

Yet all this is but a small glimpse of God’s heart. As much as I love my children, I know God loves them so much more, and that puts me in a place I can’t comprehend. But isn’t it marvelous that we don’t have to? All we need do is just allow Daddy to love us, and though we can never love Him as He truly deserves to be love, we can give Him our own puny, shriveled little heart in return.

Until next time,

Sylvia

It seems like the “in” thing, even among some Evangelical Christians, to claim that there are many ways to heaven. It sounds rather sophisticated, too, like it’s coming from someone who’s been around and knows a thing or too. And isn’t it oh, so, tolerant? Almost making all other positions appear narrow-minded. But is it true?

Every religion in the world, other than Christianity, has a system of works, whereby you must earn your way to heaven. Only in Christianity are we told this has already been done for us, and done by the person of Jesus Christ; and that all we need do is accept it and believe in Him. Based on my years on this earth and observing how people operate and what generally motivates them, my logical mind tells me it’s impossible for any of us to work our way to heaven. For one thing, our motives usually stink. Like the Pharisees in the Old Testament who stood on street corners and had trumpets blown when they presented their tithes so that everyone would see them, our motives are all too often based on a desire to be admired by others. Oh, what a “good person” he/she is!  Don’t misunderstand, I’m stating a fact, not pointing a finger for I’ve been guilty of this myself. But knowing this makes it easier for me to understand that man is sinful and in great need of a Savior, thus Christ satisfies my need.  For me, any other route would be like embarking on “Mission Impossible”.

I do, however, understand the draw of a “works” religion. When my children were toddlers and I would try to help them do something, they often said, “me do”. And this was fine as long as what they wanted to do wasn’t dangerous or way beyond their capability. But most times they wanted to do something unsafe or what they sorely lacked the ability to do, and this while not even understanding these realities. So it really boils down to a question of pride. And doesn’t the Bible tells us that “pride goes before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall? (Proverbs 16:18 KJV)

But when it comes to Christians believing there are many ways to heaven, well, this is a real puzzler to me. If indeed there are many ways, why did Jesus have to come at all? Why did God the Father send Him to be tortured, beaten, brutalized and hang on a cross to die an agonizing death? Is God a sadist? Is He unfeeling? Or a cruel jokester? If there are other ways to heaven then Jesus’ death was unnecessary and that’s tantamount to pouring His precious blood down a drain.

Those who call themselves Christians should actually believe in who Jesus Christ is, what He did, and what He said. And that includes the hard sayings, like this one where Jesus claims, “Before Abraham was, I am” (John 8:58 KJV) proclaiming His eternal existence. Or “I am the way, the truth, and the life, no man cometh unto the Father but by me” (John 14:6 KJV) proclaiming He is the only way to heaven. Or this one, “I say emphatically that anyone who listens to my message and believes in God who sent me has eternal life, and will never be damned for his sins, but has already passed out of death into life” (John 5:24 LB) proclaiming that forgiveness of sins comes by Him. Or “I am the resurrection, and the life; he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live;” (John 11:25 KJV) proclaiming that belief in Him is required for gaining eternal life. Oh, there are so many more I could quote, but just these four show how radical Jesus’ statements were, and how He purposely left no wiggle room. Either Jesus is exactly who He says, or He’s a liar, and a madman or con artist. It’s a question that each of us must answer for ourselves. But no true Christian can have it both ways. For him/her, Jesus is the only way to heaven.

Until next time,

Sylvia

It’s too bad the Church has lost so much of her Jewish roots, the very roots from which she sprang. I suppose we can blame it on Emperor Constantine for legalizing Christianity with his Edict of Milan in 313 A.D., and setting the stage for Christianity to become the official state religion of the Roman Empire. This in turn caused paganism (Easter eggs, Christmas trees, etc) rather than Judaism to color Church traditions. And this should not be, because in its simplest form, the Old Testament (the basis of Jewish faith) lays out God’s promise, while the New Testament lays out the fulfillment of that promised. And as I’ve mentioned in a previous blog, Jesus and all his disciples were Jews. So by not knowing the Jewish roots of our faith, we often rob ourselves of both its richness and depth.

Take for example the menorah, a seven-branch candle stick and one of the sacred objects in Herod’s temple. The fourth or middle branch was called the Servant Lamp from which all the other branches were lit. It is a perfect picture of Jesus, who proclaimed Himself to be the “light of the world” (John 8:12); the very source from which true light comes (John 1:9). In Revelation 1:12-17 the apostle John, on the Isles of Patmos, sees and describes Jesus standing in the midst of “seven golden candlesticks”; in other words, a menorah. Jesus’ position in “the midst” or middle designates Him as the Servant Lamp.  

It’s interesting to note that the Jerusalem Talmud, Yoma 43:3 talks about how the “Servant Lamp” stopped burning about 40 years before the destruction of Herod’s Temple by Titus, which occurred in 70 A.D. on the Gregorian Calendar. That would put it around 30 A.D., the time Jesus began his ministry or around His death, depending on when you calculate His birth. It would be easy to make a case that the Servant Lamp didn’t need to burn anymore for the “light of the world” had already come and now continues to burn in all true believers.

In a book by Gary Stearman and the late J.R. Church entitled, The Mystery of the Menorah, they talk about how the Bible is full of word menorahs, and how even some of its chapters form menorahs.  All very interesting, but none blew me away like their discussion about the very first sentence in the Bible: “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.” In the Hebrew, that sentence is made up of only seven words. And what do you suppose is in the center? Would you believe that in the very position of the Servant Lamp are only two letters, the Hebrew aleph and tahv, the first and last letters of the Hebrew alphabet? Translate that into Greek and you have Alpha and Omega. Three times in Revelation Jesus calls Himself the “Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last”! (Revelation 1:8; 1:11, 1:17).

Thus in Genesis 1:1, the first sentence of the Bible, we see Jesus, the Servant Lamp, the Alpha and Omega, in the very center of creation! And this substantiates what John says in John 1:3, that all things were created by Jesus and that “without him was not anything made that was made.”  Wow!

Oh, the profound wonder of Scripture! And the profound wonder of our Jewish roots!

Until next time,

Sylvia

I’ve never seen a time when so many people are so burdened. And it’s understandable for men and women are trying to keep a roof over their heads and food on their tables and care for their children while everything around them seems to be falling apart. They are losing their house, their job, their kids to the world and drugs, their marriages. They are in so much debt they can’t make ends meet. And many in governments world-wide seem to be acting unwisely and making decisions based on securing their own futures rather than those of their nation’s. Nothing seems to make sense anymore. All the so called “tired-and-true” methods are no longer working. How does one cope with the enormity of such problems? How can one carry such loads?

It’s simple, really. We turn to Jesus!  Didn’t He say in Matthew 11:29 “Come unto me, all you that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart; and you shall find rest unto your souls.” And 1 Peter 5:6-7 says, “Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: casting all your care upon him, for he careth for you.”  Not only is Jesus able to carry our burdens, He wants to.

Like anyone who has lived a respectable number of years I’ve experienced burdens of my own: my husband did lose a job, we had to give up a home and change our lifestyle, there have been deaths in our family and serious illnesses, so I understand about burdens and don’t make light of them. I know expressions like “buck up” or “keep a stiff upper lip” or “time will heal all wounds” aren’t really helpful. Even a friend’s sympathy and hand-holding, while offering a measure of comfort, won’t really do anything to improve the situation.

Burdens are hard and stressful and take more than words and sympathy to handle. But one thing that works; one thing I’ve learned over and over again from experience is that no matter how difficult, no matter how heart wrenching the burden, God’s grace is truly sufficient. If we turn to Jesus He will supply our needs, He will carry that burden.  And when we think we can’t go any further, He’ll even carry us. He is the great I AM, the Alpha and Omega, and everything in between. Which simply means, He is all we could ever want or need. And while He carries our burden, He’ll give us the courage, wisdom and strength to see it through with Him. And that’s not all. He’ll even give us joy and peace in the midst of it. And that’s saying a lot in a world that has so little joy and peace even in the best of times. In the end, He truly makes us an over comer—a far better option that being left to our own devises where, more often than not, we’re prone to sink into confusion, self-pity and depression.

Be assured, Jesus is willing and able to be our burden bearer. The question is, will we let Him?

Until next week,

Sylvia

It’s hard to imagine, but yes, there’s a one-world religion in the works and has been for some time. The UN has promoted “religious pluralism” for years, hoping to bring all faiths under one banner. Working closely with them, the World Council of Churches also tries to “unify all religions” while at the same time constantly attacking “Western imperialism and capitalism” but failing to criticizing even brutal Communist leaders or dictators. Another layer was added by Bill Clinton and Tony Blair in their promotion of “Face to Faith” a study course aimed at 12 to 17 year olds, and is currently offered in 17 different countries. It’s purpose? To promote “religious pluralism and interfaith dialogue.” And now the latest—Chrislam, the effort by so-called Christian churches in 32 US states to hold “unity meetings” and place the writings of the Quran and the Bible on equal footing on the premise that both these writings honor Jesus Christ.

Nothing could be further from the truth!

For starters, the Prophet Jesus of the Quran has no resemblance to the Jesus of the Bible. According to numerous surahs or chapters in the Quran, as well as according to Muhammad Hisham Kabbani, Founder and Chairman of the Islamic Supreme Council of America, their Jesus will return with the Muslim Messiah, Mahdi, to establish a New World Order, and when this happens Prophet Jesus will confess that he never died on the cross, that it was all a fake. Then he’ll proceed to destroy all crosses and kill every man, woman and child who refuses to convert to Islam. To say that this Prophet Jesus is the same as the Jesus of the Bible is utter blasphemy.

The Church needs to wake up. Alexander Hamilton said, “He who stands for nothing will fall for anything.” But how can we stand if we don’t even know what our Bible says? And how can we tell a teaching is false if we’re not firmly grounded in Scripture? 2 Timothy 2:15 says “study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” Lies and distortion swirl all around us. More than ever, Christians need to know the “word of truth.”

The church of Laodicea was lukewarm, thinking it was rich and had need of nothing, when in reality it was poor and naked. Laodicea depicts the end-time church, a church Jesus said He would vomit out of his mouth. I don’t want to be part of that church—comfortable and content and not willing to thoroughly learn the tenets of my faith, then stand for them—do you?

I pray that revival falls on us all, and that the fresh fire of the Holy Spirit ignites us, and stirs us from our complacency before we open our eyes and find the New World Order and One World Religion has invaded our own church. It’s already happened to some.

Until next week,

Sylvia    

For eight days and nights our church celebrated the Feast of Tabernacles, and what a celebration it was! The blowing of the shofar, dancing, praise and worship, the parade of decorative banners, and messages from various speakers. It was impossible to attend and not be touched by the presence of God. I believe it marked a new beginning for many.

But what exactly is the Feast of Tabernacles? Many Christians are not familiar with it. Their churches don’t celebrate it because they think it’s just one of seven “feasts of the Lord” which God commanded Israel to observe; feasts celebrated during specific times of the year to mark historic events on the Jewish calendar. But these feasts are so much more. They are prophetic, and speak of Jesus the Messiah. The first three feasts, Passover (the death and sacrifice of Jesus as the Lamb of God), Feast of Unleavened Bread (burial of Jesus, and our call to holiness and separation unto God) and First Fruits (Jesus’ resurrection and the promise of ours), have all been fulfilled by Christ’s first coming, and each deserves its own study. The forth feast—the Feast of Weeks or Pentecost, marks the church age which will continue until the “catching away” or rapture of the church. But the final three feasts foreshadow Jesus’ second coming. Feast of Trumpets signals the beginning of the tribulation. Day of Atonement speaks of Christ’s return, the destruction of antichrist, and the separating of the goats from the sheep. And the Feast of Tabernacles signals the Messianic Era when Jesus will tabernacle with His people.

Like me, I suspect many Christians mostly think of Jesus as the crucified Savior, the One from Nazareth, the One Who never turned anyone away; the gentle healer of diseases, Who hugged little children, and loved with a love that is hard to comprehend; while at the same time forgetting He is also soon coming King, the One Who will rule with a rod of iron; Who will “smite the nations” with the sword of his mouth (Revelation 19:15; Who will throw both antichrist and the false prophet into the lake of fire, then judge the nations.  That’s the Jesus I was able to glimpse, albeit “through a glass darkly”, during the Feast of Tabernacles: His wonderful majesty, His splendor, His glory, His power, His awesome beauty, His incredible holiness. And this is the Jesus who will tabernacle with man very soon. What a breathtaking vision!

Anne Graham Lotz, daughter of evangelist Billy Graham, who was born in 1948, believes hers will be the last generation before Christ’s return, and talks about this in her book Expecting to See Jesus. I agree with her. I, too, believe we will be that generation who will see His coming, and then, along with all believers from past centuries, will tabernacle with Him forever. And we need to be ready!

“Even so come Lord Jesus.” (Revelation 22:20)

Until next week,

Sylvia