So it seems everywhere you turn right now there is an attack on Christianity. It has been an ongoing battle since the beginning of time. However, we are seeing some things unfold in front of our eyes that were prophesied in the book of Revelation. Does it scare you? Does it scare you for your children? I think it is only human that there is a little fear in us as to what may happen right now in our lifetime and the lifetime of our kids. We would probably be lying if we said there wasn't just a little bit of us that want to pretend it isn't happening. So what if it is? What are we as Christians going to do about it? Are we willing to do anything at all? Or, do we have the mentality of what can I do...I am one person! We are more than "One" person we are a community of believers and if we stood together and actually took a stand...oh what a difference it would make. If the body of believers in Christ would stand together and say "no more" what would that do? But, is this all God's plan coming into play? Even if we stood would anything happen? Well, if we don't stand I know that for sure nothing will change. We must fight for our belief and our faith. We must take a stand and say "no more".
This morning at the breakfast table we were having this same conversation with our boys. Talking about what is happening in our world...our schools, the military...we referenced it back to Daniel. Daniel prayed to God, Daniel was thrown into the lions den for praying, Daniel was saved by GOD! I asked the boys what if someone told you that you couldn't pray or that you could not go to church and worship. What if they told you that you could not share or show your faith with anyone? What would you do? A unanimous reply of "we would do it anyway" rang out around our table! We are being told as Christians that it is not ok to be a Christian or to believe in GOD - our GOD - the one true ONLY GOD! What are we going to do about that? When our textbooks right here in our schools have 30 pages devoted to Islam and 3-5 pages devoted to Christianity...what does that tell you? Do you see where this is going? It is not ok! It is not ok for me to send my child to school and be "ok" with this. Because again I am one person...what can I do? We will be homeschooling in the fall. Oh yes, I have gotten the "are you crazy" looks..."how are you going to afford that"questions ..."I could never do that" statements...I ask the questions "at what cost can you not do it?" Is it going to be easy? No, I am sure there are days we will absolutely struggle to make it through the day! But I do know that the great wonderful days will far outweigh the bad and I am willing to deal with a few bad days for all the good! "Praise be to the name of God for ever and ever; wisdom and power are his. He changes times and seasons; he sets up kings and deposes them.. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning. He reveals deep and hidden things; he knows what lies in darkeness, and light dwells with him. I thank and praise you, O God of my fathers: You have given me wisdom and power, you have made known to me what we asked of you..." Daniel 2:20-23
Hmmmm, I think that works with our Christian walk also. Are we willing to endure a few "bad" days to have an eternity of "good"? No matter what happens...no matter what takes place...no matter what this "world" as we know it comes to..."as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord" Joshua 24:15. So in the end no matter what happens if you are a true Christian Our God WINS! We win in the end to spend an eternity with our Saviour in Heaven! We win! No matter what if you are a Christian...you win in the end! The process may not be easy...and the trials maybe great...but his love endures forever!
"Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance" James1:2
Monday, May 20, 2013
The Do Over...
Came across something in my quiet time that really spoke to me. You know we spend part of our lives just thinking well "I should have done this" or "I should have done that". Wanted to share this with you:
Ever wish you could start over? Probably all of us have longed for another chance in some area of our lives. We wouldn't necessarily have done things differently, just more or perhaps less...The truth is we can't go back, only forward into uncharted territory. To sit in our sorrow would lead to misery. Although regret that leads to change is a dear friend, regret that leads to shame is a treacherous enemy.
So how do we live without allowing regret to rob us of our joy? How about this insight to prompt us on: "And lean not on your own understanding" (Pr 3:5)...There is no guarantee that if we have done a part of our lives differently things would end up any different. We have to trust that God of the universe who directs the outcome of all things that he will do that which ultimately needs to be done (in spite of us, if necessary).
WOW! Are we letting regret rob us of joy? Are we letting the woulda, shoulda, coulda's take away our happiness. What if we just say "God, I don't understand this, I don't know why, but I know you are in control...I don't know the outcome but you knew the beginning just as you know the end". Can we change our way of thinking to "God, what would you have me do?" "God, please direct my steps!" . Have we ever wanted something so bad and not receive it right then. Only, to later receive what we wanted all along? Is God waiting for us to "grow up"? Is we waiting until we can "handle it"? We may never know. What we do know is that if we have Christ in our lives and know that he is in control we have nothing to worry about. Our answers may not come when we want them to come. They may not come in the form we want them to come. But as long as we pray for wisdom and understanding we have to know that God's answer will come...in his time...and in his way! TRUST!
It is easy to get our priorities out of alignment. It is for me for sure! So many goals vie for our attention: professional success, domestic happiness, financial security, good health, intimacy with God. I always think I have them in the right order...only to realize I fall short all the time...my priorities aren't exactly balanced all the time! This is where we should seek wisdom from God. Without wisdom ..we waste our lives focusing on the wrong things. Wisdom enables us to know the difference between what gives life and what leads to death.
In 1926, Reinhold Niebuhr first invoked the famous prayer; "God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference."
I never saw a moor,
I never saw the sea;
Yet I know the heather looks,
And what a wave must be.
I never spoke with God,
Nor visited in heaven;
Yet certain am I of the spot
As if the chart were given.
-Emily Dickinson
Ever wish you could start over? Probably all of us have longed for another chance in some area of our lives. We wouldn't necessarily have done things differently, just more or perhaps less...The truth is we can't go back, only forward into uncharted territory. To sit in our sorrow would lead to misery. Although regret that leads to change is a dear friend, regret that leads to shame is a treacherous enemy.
So how do we live without allowing regret to rob us of our joy? How about this insight to prompt us on: "And lean not on your own understanding" (Pr 3:5)...There is no guarantee that if we have done a part of our lives differently things would end up any different. We have to trust that God of the universe who directs the outcome of all things that he will do that which ultimately needs to be done (in spite of us, if necessary).
WOW! Are we letting regret rob us of joy? Are we letting the woulda, shoulda, coulda's take away our happiness. What if we just say "God, I don't understand this, I don't know why, but I know you are in control...I don't know the outcome but you knew the beginning just as you know the end". Can we change our way of thinking to "God, what would you have me do?" "God, please direct my steps!" . Have we ever wanted something so bad and not receive it right then. Only, to later receive what we wanted all along? Is God waiting for us to "grow up"? Is we waiting until we can "handle it"? We may never know. What we do know is that if we have Christ in our lives and know that he is in control we have nothing to worry about. Our answers may not come when we want them to come. They may not come in the form we want them to come. But as long as we pray for wisdom and understanding we have to know that God's answer will come...in his time...and in his way! TRUST!
It is easy to get our priorities out of alignment. It is for me for sure! So many goals vie for our attention: professional success, domestic happiness, financial security, good health, intimacy with God. I always think I have them in the right order...only to realize I fall short all the time...my priorities aren't exactly balanced all the time! This is where we should seek wisdom from God. Without wisdom ..we waste our lives focusing on the wrong things. Wisdom enables us to know the difference between what gives life and what leads to death.
In 1926, Reinhold Niebuhr first invoked the famous prayer; "God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference."
I never saw a moor,
I never saw the sea;
Yet I know the heather looks,
And what a wave must be.
I never spoke with God,
Nor visited in heaven;
Yet certain am I of the spot
As if the chart were given.
-Emily Dickinson
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