Bury Me

Dreams...wishes...dandelions...somehow they seem synonymous. 

Like tiny florets floating on the wind, none can really be sure which will reach maturity. They must be content to go where the wind blows. And we to surrender our dreams to the Author of Life, to bury, and bring to life, as He sees fit. 
Place and timing He knows best. 

And dreams are always safe committed to His care. Even if they never grow. 

For in that case, He simply has something much greater in store. And all that can hinder that greater good is us. He's just waiting for our permission. To work in our lives. 

True, it may appear as though mounds of earth cover cherished dreams, never again to see the sun. But who can tell what the springtime may bring. A thing of beauty, yielding so much more.

So the question. The only one left to ask. 

Will we let Him?

Bathtubs, Drains, & Valuable Lessons

A gurgling sound. Then, dark, grey, murky water, filled with floating bits of kitchen scraps and whatever else might be found in a drain system, bubbled up into the once sparkling white, clean bathtub. In an instant it could quite accurately be described as "filth and squalor". And needless to say, the stench of drain contents is enough to make anyone with functioning olfactories take a swift exit to escape the pollution. I guess I should be glad that it wasn't a drain system in a Korean apartment, where your neighbors' drain is also connected to the pipeline!

Nonetheless, such things in life do not automatically rectify themselves, and someone has to clean the mess, which I proceeded to do. 
Oh the wealth of lessons that a humble, even repulsive drain held!

As I scrubbed at the gunk, it became so representative of much of the stuff with which we fill our minds. Like drains, they become clogged with the filth of worldly pursuits, entertainment, and even seemingly innocent things that take up our time. God longs to quench our thirst with His pure water of life, but we would rather drink at broken cisterns. And like a clogged drain won't let the clean water run down, so we don't even want to accept that refreshing stream. Instead of letting it cleanse us completely, we try to mix it in with our own junk, but it is polluted, its power lost. 

As I thought about crystal clear, pure, refreshing drinking water, it seemed so wonderful in comparison to the nauseating drain water. I wouldn't want even a drop of contaminated water, or a speck of kitchen scraps to come near my drinking water. Yet I can be content so long as there's only a little bit of sin in my life? This can never be! I can't experience the blessing of the water of life God wants to give me if I insist on filling up on junk. He desires all, and the only way for me to have fullness of life is to give Him all. No reservations, not even a speck of dirt sticking to the side of the glass.

To my dismay, when I had the bath nice and clean, I discovered something rather disheartening. Although all the muck was cleaned away, the water wasn't going down properly, and a colony of drowned red ants floated up out of the drain. After getting rid of them, I realized the drain was still blocked, and so tried baking soda and vinegar, before getting out the plunger as a last resort. But, plunge as I might, little bits of rubbish kept floating up, and the drain remained blocked. 

This was when I saw another important lesson. I can clean up the symtoms, and yet the problem still remains, waiting to resurface at the most inopportune times. What I need is a heart transformation. And this is something I cannot do for myself. I can plunge and work as hard as I want to, but, in and of myself, I don't have the resources to solve the problem. Only Jesus can get to that level and change me from within. Only He can scrape away the layers of grime caked on over years of life in a world of sin. Only He can unblock my brain from the mass of garbage I have willfully allowed to clog it. But here's the secret: this is something He wants to do! In fact, the only thing getting in the way of Him performing His incredible operation clean-up is my own stubbornness to keep my dirt. Really? Rejecting God's beautiful, refreshing streams of life-giving water for a stagnant cesspool? How tragic! What a ridiculous trade! Yet how often I make this very fateful exchange. 

I pray that the lesson of the blocked drain will remain fresh in my memory. I pray that God will help me to recognize the true colour of that which this world dishes up as so desirable. That I will see it for what it really is: filth and squalor, repulsive. That I will lose my taste for it. And that I will acquire a love for the heavenly, living water, that quenches all thirst for all other, and springs up into everlasting life. Of that water I want 
to drink deeply.

God Lent Me His Piano

The beginning of August found me rather dejected, hopeless, wondering what had possessed me to even start this. An out-of-tune piano, final exam one month away, and pieces sounding more like they were falling apart than coming together...

Then more bad news, as if the situation couldn't get worse. 

The tuners finally came that first week of August, and to my dismay, I learned that the church piano would have to be moved out to the hall for an entire month. As a church pianist, the last thing I wanted was to have to hammer out the notes on an old piano with sticking keys. But the examining body uses our church piano, and wanted it perfectly tuned, so the replacement was moved into the church, and the main piano placed in the hall, not to be moved for a month.

Little did I know what a blessing this small inconvenience would prove to be.

Our tuned piano at home was an improvement on what it had been, but it proved impossible to get final exam pieces and even scales up to standard on it. Yet now a wonderful opportunity afforded itself. I was able to go to the church hall every day, and practice on that beautiful, exam-quality piano. God's piano.

Then it was that it hit me. 
God, the King of the Universe, was willing to have a substandard piano in His house of worship so that a girl could practice for her exam. 

To my shame, I spent more of the month with that piano than I did with the One who so graciously lent it to me. Yet my music fell far short of perfection. And it made me think... Perfection requires agonizing, struggling, striving. And still I cannot attain. 
All my own righteousness is but filthy rags. (Is 64:6) 
Only Christ can perform it in me. 
Despite my unfaithfulness, His love remains unchanged. 
He still calls to my wayward heart. (Jer 31:3) 
He, the Author of music, can compose something perfect, beautiful, out of this discordant note.

And this, this, is what He longs most of all to accomplish.

God lent me His piano.

Will I lend Him my life?

For Such A Time

In the midst of crises, God has always had His faithful few. And He calls them to stand. The Esthers, the Daniels, the Josephs.

Desperate times call for desperate measures. And we are living in desperate times. If you don’t believe that, just take a look at the chaotic, messed-up world you live in filled with broken, desperate people. 

From generation to generation we plod on. The cycle: You’re born. Grow up. Try to become someone in this world, or, at the minimum, try to survive. Finally retirement. And then? It’s all gone. A vapour. And to the vast majority, not even forgotten, for they never knew you.

And so a probing question. Is this really what you want? No, really. Do you just want to be another generation in the vast span of years…or do you want to be the ones to see the end of this meaningless round, the end of suffering and woe?

For generations we have battled. We have failed. We have been slaves of sin. And if we continue in the same path, we can with certainty expect the same results. How much longer will we linger to enjoy hollow, imagined pleasures that only leave you empty? What will it take for us to be fitted the society of Heaven?

A radical change, to be sure. No doubt more radical than what I can think of right now. If we want to leave this world, we had better be heading in that direction. In every facet of our lives will be affected. How we dress. What we eat. What we listen to. What we watch. Who we hang out with. What we spend our time on. What occupies our thoughts.

Yes, it is radical. You will look different. You will stand out like a sore thumb. But look at the alternative. Your life will amount to nothing more than a selfish existence, for even our best deeds are selfish if we are not transformed by the Spirit of Christ. It will be but a pile of chaff, or as the Bible says without any attempt to euphemize, a hill of dung. You are lost, and all memory of you soon follows.

The call is for a complete, entire surrender. Maybe we have used these words so often that we have lost their true meaning. But they remain unchanged. You are not your own. You never have been. You only end slavery to Satan by becoming a slave of God.

Yes, the narrow path is by no means an easy one. When Christ Himself suffered, how can we expect a bed of roses? Yet it will be worth it. Infinitely worth it.

The question stands: Will we be the generation?

Grace in 100 words

Thinking of my blackened, sordid history, filled with selfishness, strings of failures, willful and deliberate rejections of light so lovingly shed across my path, I am left speechless. 

Amazed. 

Not by the bleak record, but by the Awesome God who saves. 

Who restores. 

Who creates out of dust. 

Who brings forth life. 

Only He can take the complete mess of our lives and turn it into something good.

And so it is, that, not the good times, not the smooth going, but the rough patches, the difficult experiences, the struggles and failures, ultimately polish, refine and grow. 

That is grace.

Rearranging Preferences

To say I've been a bit restless this evening is an understatement. I think I've checked my phone at least hourly. And no, I'm not expecting any important messages... In fact, I haven't even contacted a soul. I'm just...bored. And so I found myself staring at my notification centre.

Visibly lacking the coveted notifications. Why aren't people "talking" to me...? 
I'm inclined to protest the injustice of the situation, when I am suddenly and altogether silenced. 

So you prefer superficial human chats?

 Above intimate conversation with the King of the Universe?

My heart is pounding. Did I just hear right? Is this how far I've let things go?


A stern rebuke. But much needed. 

And because it comes from no other than He, it is so much more than that. 
He chastens because He loves. 
And so I will embrace it, running into the arms of my only Hope. 
When He cuts, it is to heal.

Seasoned Words

Language fascinates me. It always has. The more I think about combining letters to form words, and then words to make sentences, the more it intrigues me. 

In my humble opinion, no other language can hold a candle to the English language. Perhaps I am biased. Maybe it is simply because it's the language most widely used. Or because it's the one I know best. While the reasons are debatable, it remains my favourite. Suffice to say, it's at least annoying, (if not downright irritating), to hear the language I love misused. And, truth is, I'm not the only one who feels strongly about language. God listens to our speech. Angels are recording our every word. In His Word we are told:

"Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man." Colossians 4:6

But to my shame, the words that I use, the sentences I form, are far too often anything but a form of beauty. Often I am ashamed to even think that these utterances could have come from my lips. But it is too late to wish back. Words, once spoken, can never be taken back. You may be forgiven, but there is nothing you can do to erase your words from the minds of others.

We will have to give account for our every word. Are the words I speak true? Do they uplift, strengthen, and encourage? Or am I destroying the very work I profess to do by verbally wounding those for whom I am called to lay down my life? Do I squander precious moments where I could speak of Jesus, instead filling them with empty words? Do I sometimes twist the truth, even just by my body language when I say things? 

Poisonous words permeate the entire being. And we must not think that vain repetitions, profane utterances and such involves only those who speak them. They multiply evil. There is sure to be someone who follows your example, who is affected, tainted by your influence.

“Keep the tongue sanctified unto God. Cease to dwell upon the shortcomings of others. Refrain from saying anything that might detract from the influence of another, for by indulging in these words of criticism, you blaspheme God's holy name as verily as you would were you to swear.” 1SAT 367.2 

In fact, this is so important that we have the following statement: "Remember that those only will enter heaven who have overcome the temptation to think and speak evil.” RH 11/24/1904 

Truly, "Death and life are in the power of the tongue" Prov 18:21 

In his book "The Lost Art of Thinking", Dr Neil Nedley has a 14-day plan to improve thoughts. In the last two months I've gotten this challenge at least four times by various means, from Sedaven campmeeting, to my Wildwood course! (I wonder if God isn't trying to tell me something...)

14-day Plan to Improve Thoughts:

• For 2 weeks (14 consecutive days) decide to say nothing critical or negative about anything or anyone. 
• If you slip up, begin counting again right away, until you achieve 14 consecutive days. 
• Don't get discouraged, even when you have to start over you will have benefited because you will be more aware of your thoughts. 
• After completing 14 consecutive days, you can introduce constructive criticism, and you will be a far better judge of what that really means. 

To date I can't actually say I've made it through a day...But I've realized that this is not something I can do in my own strength.

We need God to search our hearts.  

We need to plead for Divine help to overcome. 

With David we must pray: 

"Set a watch, O LORD, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips." Psalm 141:3

 And so I'm starting again, relying on Christ's strength to help my weakness. 

Be Still

Today was a rough day. True, there have been worse, but life is just so busy. There doesn't seem to be time to think anymore, not to mention pray. And so this afternoon found me exhausted, short-tempered and ready to go home. But God had other plans. Instead of relaxing at home, I found myself waiting alone in the bakkie for about an hour. As fate would have it, my cell phone battery was about to give up the ghost, leaving me with time on my hands, and no distractions with which to fill it. As I was about to lament my dismal situation, it dawned on me that I'd been falling short as far as spending time with God was concerned. I realised that this was the perfect opportunity to just spend time pouring out my heart to God, and being still in His presence. What a blessing! I used some of my limited remaining battery power to read from the inspired pen on issues I have been grappling with of late, and spent the rest of the time in prayer. I realised what I've been missing. It was amazing to return to that place where I've been before, that relationship with God I once had. Yet again I am overwhelmed by that Love that will not let me go. Relentlessly pursuing, calling to my heart, seeking to save me. I am brought to see once more what is truly important in life:

"Be still, and know that I am God." Psalm 46:10

Transient Change, or Total Transformation?

Samson. A remarkable life... He did a lot for God.
But, oh, how different his story could have been! 

Samson was doing what he was supposed to be doing. Sort of...not fully though, and partial obedience actually can't be termed obedience at all.
He obeyed God on his own terms- when it suited him, and only in what suited him.

He was to deliver Israel from the Philistines, but at the same time he was also called to live a life of purity and temperance, which calling he chose to ignore. He chose to associate with idolaters, linking himself with the very objects which it was his mission to destroy. Herein is a warning for us. We are to give the gospel invitation, calling people to forsake the world and follow Christ. How can we expect to have success if we try to use the world's methods, the very things we are called to leave, to accomplish our mission? 

Samson didn't think about whether or not his choices would bring glory to God, neither did he ask what God would have him do. He was bent on pleasing himself, and trusted in his own strength. 

In complete contrast to the sad history of Samson, we have Samuel. 

Even Samuel, despite the fact that he lived at the temple, (or maybe because of that very fact!), came into contact with evil at a young age. But he chose not to keep company with Eli's wicked sons. We read in Patriarchs and Prophets that "It was his constant endeavour to become what God would have him." (p 573)

In stark contrast to Samson's careless attitude towards God's requirements, Samuel performed even the most menial duty as to the Lord. His life is evidence that there is truly nothing insignificant in the life of the Christian. Each and every decision, no matter what it may be, exerts an influence for good or for evil, and holds weight in the balance of eternity. This is a solemn thought. The way I choose to respond when someone crosses me has a direct consequence on my eternal destiny. It is all-encompassing, touching every detail of my life.These so-called "little" things are shaping and moulding our characters. It's by no means going to be easy. But if I am ever saved, it will not be by my own doing. I am a hopeless case but for the grace of Christ. Notwithstanding, I am not free to just relax and take it easy. We are called to a complete surrender. We can't afford to just go on with life as we have before. Everything we have and are must be entirely consecrated to Christ. This calls for intense heart-searching. It's that serious. We cannot afford to overlook even one "small" cherished sin.

Today you and I are faced with the same test to which both Samson and Samuel were subjected. And we too need to choose. 

Do I want to just be known as a  "remarkable" person? "She did a lot for God." 

Or do I want something more? 

What would happen if I follow God's plan 100%? 

Patriarchs and Prophets gives the answer: "The youth of our time may become as precious in the sight of God as was Samuel. By faithfully maintaining their Christian integrity, they may exert a strong influence in the work of reform. Such men are needed at this time. God has a work for every one of them. Never did men achieve greater results for God and humanity than may be achieved in this our day by those who will be faithful to their God-given trust." (p 574)

Never. That's a bold statement! Just think of all the amazing things great men and women have accomplished in the past! And yet we, a degenerated generation, have this promise!

"Never did men achieve greater results for God and humanity than may be achieved in this our day by those who will be faithful to their God-given trust."

There is no limit to what we can accomplish if we make a complete surrender to Him! So why don't we have power? Because we don't claim it. Or we look to others to do it first. 

I'm tired of merely attempting to make changes in the world. They inevitably fail, because I can't change others. I can only choose for myself. 

I want a changed life. I want to put God to the test. I want to see the awesome things He has just been longing to do for us actually become reality! I want to make that complete surrender. Will you?

Bethlehem Seminar Blessings

 

The only way I can describe the past three weeks is: life-changing! And this is not merely a figure of speech. I literally can't go back and live life as usual ever again. 

Working with such an amazing, committed team has truly inspired me to work for God. Not only now, but to use the rest of my life, to be spent for Him. 
 

Seeing God working in all sorts of circumstances has been such a precious experience. There were so many amazing  encounters with various people, and though the vast majority didn't come, that makes it no less amazing.

Looking back, the single largest impact that I can see from 7 days of walking through the streets inviting people is the result it has had on my own life. Maybe it was not so much about inviting the people as it was about the way God worked in allowing us to invite them. Maybe there was another purpose. Maybe it was to change me. To instill in me a real love for God's work. And since His ways are so much higher than anything we can imagine, I know that only eternity will tell the full results, and show all the seeds planted. 

Yes, we thought at a time that the whole town would come. But God knew what we could handle. And with the recording, which He made possible, we cannot know this side of Heaven the number of souls that will be reached and lives that will changed!

But to me, by far the greatest influence I can see is that which it has had in my own life, as I learned countless precious lessons. Trust in God, surrender, willingness to be used and spent for Him. I was challenged and stretched, pushed beyond the limits of my comfort zone. 

Now the seminar is over. Reality hits home. Back to the mundane things of  life. But are they, really? The question begs- will I truly live a different life from now on? Is this change going to be practical? Will I take up my duties cheerfully, and am I as willing to serve my family here at home as I am to be working out on the streets? Nothing is neutral in life, nothing insignificant. Every descision, every word, every action, every thought holds weight either for good or for evil. Yes, these "little things" have just as much of a deciding influence as the so-called great descisions. 

As to the answer to these questions? I have but to claim God's promises, He has already made provision. Yes, the choice remains mine. And once again, only time will tell. But I pray for grace to be faithful, that we may meet on that "Beautiful Shore", and marvel throughout eternity at the wondrous love of God in redeeming sinful human beings...



 

To Be Spent

It's not fair. I don't like it. I feel like such an etcetera. And no one really cares anyway. They just use me.

Such was the preoccupation of this modern-day "Jonah" but a few short minutes prior to this.

Why should I care? They don't. Do I look like some commodity or something?



Silence. Then I feel a gentle tug on my heart.


"Isn't this exactly what you prayed for?"


...

Then it hit me, like the force of bright noon-day light when you've just come out from pitch-black darkness.

Yes, this. This is my prayer being answered.

To be spent.

A Walk Like Enoch's

The prophet Enoch walked so close to God, his heart so in harmony with God's will, that eventually they could not be separated.
 

The godly character of this prophet represents the state of holiness which must be attained by those who shall be “redeemed from the earth” (Revelation 14:3) at the time of Christ’s second advent. (PP 88)*

If this means us, which we believe it does, then it is the standard for which we must strive. But how do we attain that state?

What did the life of Enoch look like?

• His walk with God was practical.

"Enoch’s walk with God was not in a trance or vision, but in all the duties of his daily life. He did not become a hermit, shutting himself entirely from the world; for he had a work to do for God in the world. In the family and in his intercourse with men, as a husband and father, a friend, a citizen" (PP 85)

• He was in constant communion with God.

"Pray in your closet, and as you go about your daily labour let your heart be often uplifted to God. It was thus that Enoch walked with God...Satan cannot overcome him whose heart is thus stayed upon God." (Steps to Christ p 98)

In the midst of a life of active labour, Enoch steadfastly maintained his communion with God. The greater and more pressing his labours, the more constant and earnest were his prayers. He continued to exclude himself, at certain periods, from all society...hungering and thirsting for that divine knowledge which God alone can impart. Communing thus with God, Enoch came more and more to reflect the divine image. His face was radiant with a holy light, even the light that shineth in the face of Jesus. As he came forth from these divine communings, even the ungodly beheld with awe the impress of heaven upon his countenance. (PP 86)
 

• He was a fearless reprover of sin.

"While he preached the love of God in Christ to the people of his time, and pleaded with them to forsake their evil ways, he rebuked the prevailing iniquity and warned the men of his generation that judgement would surely be visited upon the transgressor. (PP 86)

• He laboured for the salvation of others.

"remaining for a time among the people, labouring to benefit them by instruction and example" (PP 86) 

• He was educated yet humble.

"Enoch was a man of strong and highly cultivated mind and extensive knowledge; he was honoured with special revelations from God; yet being in constant communion with Heaven, with a sense of the divine greatness and perfection ever before him, he was one of the humblest of men. The closer the connection with God, the deeper was the sense of his own weakness and imperfection." (PP 85)

His was not a mere timeserving, he was a steadfast, unwavering servant of the Lord.

"There are few Christians who would not be far more earnest and devoted if they knew that they had but a short time to live, or that the coming of Christ was about to take place. But Enoch’s faith waxed the stronger, his love became more ardent, with the lapse of centuries." (PP 85)
 

We are instructed to do likewise.

"God’s people will seek for purity of heart and conformity to His will, until they shall reflect the likeness of Christ. Like Enoch, they will warn the world of the Lord’s second coming and of the judgements to be visited upon transgression, and by their holy conversation and example they will condemn the sins of the ungodly." (PP 88)

The example of Enoch shows that it is indeed possible to obey the Law of God, even in the midst of a perverse and sinful generation. By the grace of God we can resist temptation and become pure and holy, children of God.

* PP (Patriarchs and Prophets)

"But if not"

We, as human beings, are happy to be Christians when things are easy. While it's popular. And, forget the approvals, we are even quite willing to be ridiculed, as long we know we'll be rewarded.
But are we willing to serve God when the going gets tough?
When it appears as though evil is triumphing?
When it seems He has all but forsaken us, His answers not forthcoming?

Apparently Daniel's three friends were.

"Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter. If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up." Daniel 3:16-18 (emphasis mine) 

 

 What courage! Young men who were serious about their God. And I wonder- does such a thing still exist in our generation?

 

Joseph went through the toughest thing anyone can go through. He's innocent, he stands for right, and his reputation is RUINED. 
 

"Joseph’s faithful integrity led to the loss of his reputation and his liberty. This is the severest test that the virtuous and God-fearing are subjected to, that vice seems to prosper while virtue is trampled in the dust...." 

(Conflict and Courage page 76.2) 

 

And I think of Esther. "If I perish." (see Esther 4:16)

Would we still trust God?

The focus of these Hebrew youths was not on themselves. It was on their God. It wasn't about them. Even if He did not deliver them, their priority was obeying Him.

 

Would we say that? Why do we serve God? Do we seek His glory? Do we truly love Him? Or do we merely do the right things because our 'gut-feeling' tells us it's the safest course to save our own skins?

 

Aah, but, we say. Things did work out for them in the end. 

Don't we believe they will for us too? 

We forget about the trying, even terrible experiences they had to go through first. And what about the countless martyrs who through the ages, and to this very day, who were not delivered from physical death and totrure, who actually laid down their lives for their Lord?

  

The scenarios we don't understand are more in number than our finite minds can grasp. In some cases people are laid to rest, and it doesn't occur to us that it is to save them, while they are still safe to save, before they can be tempted and turn aside. Only God knows what we would do with life should He extend it.Then the more common, "little" things. Nothing is working, you're frustrated because you're late for your appointment, but blissfully unaware of the accident you just missed being involved in!

Sometimes we get a tiny glimpse of God's providence in the trials of life. More often than not, though, it is unperceived, and we question. Disbelieving, we demand answers.

 

You see, we don't see the big picture. So, often we can't comprehend the puzzle pieces we hold in our hands. But we do know that God always acts in our very best interest, creating a thing of exquisite beauty. We can say with Paul, that this trial, this apparent defeat, has directly resulted in our salvation. (See Philippians 1:19)

 

Luke 6:22 says, "Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man’s sake."
Blessed!

We can count ourselves blessed to be treated in the same way our Master was. In fact, it is the greatest honour.

 

 "God never leads His children otherwise than they would choose to be led, if they could see the end from the beginning, and discern the glory of the purpose which they are fulfilling as co-workers with Him. Not Enoch, who was translated to heaven, not Elijah, who ascended in a chariot of fire, was greater or more honoured than John the Baptist, who perished alone in the dungeon." (Desire of Ages p 224.5)

 

Will we be "But if not" Christians?

What if it's "not"?

Am I willing to face the worst, regardless of the consequences?

 

Is He enough?

To Live is Christ

This may sound cliché-like, but it shouldn't, because it's gospel.
Without Jesus, I am nothing. Nothing.

But we first have to fall before we realise how far we've fallen. And thus I often find myself, slipping, sliding, clawing at the dirt, desperately trying not to lose what little grip I have left, until it all finally gives way. Then I fall, fast. Plummeting into utter oblivion, wondering how much lower one go. Once you're there, feeling rock bottom is inevitable.

How do we get there? It doesn't happen instantaneously. People never crumble in a day. Giants, seemingly strong and unconquerable, are slowly chipped away, piece by piece, until they are undermined. Like a slow erosion process.

Now for the bombshell: It happens from within! Yes, we are the cause, our own worst enemy. Self.

To overcome, we must die. Not temporarily. Self will not share the preeminence. We cannot be even partly alive to the things of this world. 

"For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God." Colossians 3:3 

How we feel, what people do to us, things that don't go according to plan- none of this concerns us. What happens to us here, ultimately, doesn't matter anymore. We are already dead.  
 
Then we say: "For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain." Philippians 1:21

Of Second (and Third, No- COUNTLESS) Chances

On so deep, so broad a subject, I almost hesitate to put pen to paper. 

But I will. 

Not because I understand it. 

Not because I know all the hows and whys and wherefores. 

Not because I'm by any means an expert (on the contrary!).

I write merely because I have experienced.

Because I have been the humble, undeserving recipient of mercy so great I cannot dream of words with which to portray it, let alone comprehend it!

Imagine... The King of the universe, creating a world of perfection from a tiny speck of cosmic dust, because He loves, only to have the ones He loves choose someone else! And yet He won't abandon them. Instead, He gives (not lends, but gives) His only Son, His dearest treasure, to forever be one of them. And to die. Yet this awesome truth- Heaven's Prince, taking our place that we, guilty sinners might live, more often than not fails to evoke in us more than but a passing interest, if that. But while we go on with our busy lives, the Father is still waiting with mercy, pardon, redemption and restoration. Despite our numerous blatant rejections, more than anything, He longs to have a relationship with us. No, mercy cannot linger forever, but God gives every opportunity He can for us to be reconciled.

All throughout human history has been portrayed the long-suffering mercy, the love of God towards His erring children. 

Think of Abraham. God called Him, but he was still human, susceptible to doubts, slow to learn. Not once, but twice he made the mistake of saying Sarah was his sister. Yet God never wrote him off as a failure. He simply picked up where Abraham had left, and continued their journey. 

Then we have Moses. Self-trusting, warlike, thinking he knows how to deliver God's people without God's help. He has murdered a man, however, God does not cast him away. He has some serious 'unlearning' to  do, but in the end God still uses him mightily.

The people Moses was leading were even worse, if that be possible. Rejecting the God who delivered them from the heavy yoke of bondage, they gave themselves up to the worship of other gods. This they did, not once, but many times, to the point where God Himself was ready to destroy them. Yet in His mercy He spared them yet again, giving them another chance.

Peter. Three times he denied his Lord, at a time when, of all times, he should have been standing up for Him. Yet one cannot fall unless you have been standing. And Jesus didn't put him on 'probation'. There was no "I'll first watch you and then we'll decide". Just: "Do you love Me? Then feed my sheep." He restored him from where he had fallen, brought him even closer to Himself. 

And so we have seen just a few examples of the unending evidences of God's amazing forbearance, His mercy, and unwillingness to let any of His children perish.

That "Love that will not let me go"!

Countless times I've failed Him, but, He never gives up on me. 
Instead, He picks me up yet again, calls me to walk even nearer to Him. Neither does He first watch me to make sure I'm free from faults and mistakes before allowing me to serve Him again.
I cannot comprehend it. 
His ways are past finding out! (Romans 11:33)

Or Not Be Used At All?

This evening as we sang the familiar hymn: Live Out Thy Life Within Me. The old song took on a new meaning for me in the form of this one profound phrase:

"Or not be used at all."

"Ready to have Thee use them, Or not be used at all."

That first phrase resonates so nicely our concept of how things should be. We're important. We must be used (or so we think). We don't even think twice about the alternative.
Maybe we should.

We're always ready to do something, be someone great. "I'll go", we say. "Anywhere, Lord". 

Just not nowhere.

But what if that's not His plan? 

Am I willing not to go? 

Can I stand to "not be used at all"? (emphasis mine)

Am I willing to be one of God's etceteras?

And most importantly- is He enough for me?

"I Know the Plans"

"I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11 What an inspiring promise! And yet so often we get it all wrong. Our picture of God is so warped, that we see Him as destining us to a miserable life, or at least deferring the realization of our hopes and dreams, to develop our characters. Yet this sounds like a very plausible explanation to us with our distorted views. Oh, how finite is our conception of the Infinite! In our foolishness we want to make Him like ourselves. But He is not. 

Thankfully, our misconstrued images are not nearly reality. No, my Heavenly Father loves me more than I could ever love myself! In fact, He sent His only Son to die that I might live instead. Do we understand what this means?! Clearly we haven't the faintest idea. And, for what it's worth, we can't even right our own thinking. But He has promised to do that for us. "A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh."  Ezekiel 36:26  

We can have certainty, (no matter how difficult it is for our minds to grasp this great truth): The God who created the very desires of our hearts, longs to fulfil them them much more than even we do! 

Will I give Him my hopes, plans and dreams, my heart?

Will I trust Him?

According to His Mercy

We try. We make resolutions. We know we need to change, but can't seem to. 

Why?

But we forget. It's not because of us. It's Him. Nothing I can do. 

We can't even come to Him of ourselves. Without His Spirit working in our lives, wooing us gently (even when we are resisting Him most), our hearts would just grow stonier. Without Him, we wouldn't even realize that we need Him.  

"Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;" 

Titus 3:5 

The only question, then, is this: Will we let Him?

GYC Challenge 2014!

Original post from GYC website:

"Spinning through the universe is this little blue and green dot, sparkling like a gem against the black, wrapped with the wind, cradled by a life-giving firmament.

 

And we're here. This is home.

But why? Why did we appear here in this corner of the cosmos in the first place?

Simple. God is love, and love cannot exist without an object.

So, He made you.

Created for love.

And the search for life and meaning is defined by our origin, our purpose.

Join us for the next GYC memorization challenge: At The Cross.

The Gospel of Mark, and the Epistle to the Philippians.

Because, as Philippians so aptly puts it, "To Live is Christ" Phil 1:21"

 

Starts 1 February 2014!

to join click here

 

The Prayer That Moves The Hand

What if your prayers are the only thing that allows God to act in someone's life? To think, that your connection with God might be what saves someone else's life... what an awesome thought!

Let's examine just a few biblical examples, where, had these men not prayed, people would have been destroyed.

Paul:

On that wild, stormy night, when all others were fearing for their lives, he was in communion with the One who controls the winds and the waves. 

"Because there was in that ship one man through whom God could work, the whole shipload of heathen soldiers and sailors was preserved...These things were not written merely that we might read and wonder, but that the same faith which wrought in God’s servants of old might work in us. In no less marked a manner than He wrought then will He work now wherever there are hearts of faith to be channels of His power." (Ed 256)
 

 We could be that "one man"! But will we? Or will we be so caught up by the spirit of the crowd that we are no different from them?

Moses:

We see this principle once again in the example of Moses. We cannot intercede without first searching our own souls. Moses had not shared in the sins of the people, thus enabling him to intercede for them. For them! The very people who despised, even sought the death of him and Aaron.

"Moses lingered; for he could not consent to give up all that vast multitude to perish, although he knew that they deserved the vengeance of God for their persistent rebellion. He prostrated himself before God because the people felt no necessity for humiliation; he mediated for them because they felt no need of interceding in their own behalf... And by his intercession he held back the arm of vengeance, that a full end was not made of disobedient, rebellious Israel...Moses dared not cease his entreaties. He took hold of the strength of the Angel, as did Jacob in his wrestling, and like Jacob he prevailed." (3T 357, 358)

Moses truly loved the people for whom he was praying. He would not take honour for himself, leaving the people God had chosen to their fate. No, he was willing to have his name forever blotted from the book of life, to die in their stead. Could a lack of this kind of love be the reason we don't see answers to our prayers?

 

Abraham:

From the account of this man of faith, we can learn many lessons on how to intercede. As he approached the Lord, there was no self-confidence, he did not boast of his own righteousness. He made no claims on the grounds of his obedience, or the sacrifices he had made in following God's will. He spoke to God as to a father, with confidence.

"Love for perishing souls inspired Abraham’s prayer. While he loathed the sins of that corrupt city, he desired that the sinners might be saved. His deep interest for Sodom shows the anxiety that we should feel for the impenitent. We should cherish hatred of sin, but pity and love for the sinner. All around us are souls going down to ruin as hopeless, as terrible, as that which befell Sodom. Every day the probation of some is closing. Every hour some are passing beyond the reach of mercy. And where are the voices of warning and entreaty to bid the sinner flee from this fearful doom? Where are the hands stretched out to draw him back from death? Where are those who with humility and persevering faith are pleading with God for him?" (PP 140)
 

What a thought! A human being, by his prayers, could hold back the Omnipotent's vengeance! All this, merely a type of the intercession of our Great Example.

Jesus:

"The Son of God is Himself the great Intercessor in the sinner’s behalf. He who has paid the price for its redemption knows the worth of the human soul. With an antagonism to evil such as can exist only in a nature spotlessly pure, Christ manifested toward the sinner a love which infinite goodness alone could conceive. In the agonies of the crucifixion, Himself burdened with the awful weight of the sins of the whole world, He prayed for His revilers and murderers, “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.” Luke 23:34" (PP 140)

 And now, to think that we have this same power available to us! Our prayers can change the course of history, can change lives. How could we not use this infinite resource?!  What would happen if we spent all the empty minutes in our day in intercessory prayer? What if, whenever we are tempted, instead of yielding we immediately started praying for someone else? What if we prayed for our governments? For our leaders? For our families? A struggling friend? Yet so very, very little of our time is spent in this all-important work. As I think of all the time I've wasted, of how easily I've given up... I'm overwhelmed by the sheer loss... Oh the victories that could have been gained, the souls who could have been saved from ruin. If only I had prayed...
May I not be guilty of neglecting to intercede.
 

 

 

 

*abbreviations: Ed (Education), PP (Patriarchs and Prophets), 3T (Testimonies for the Church Volume 3)