May 24, 2011

This message is dedicated to two dear friends. They know who they are and why.

Sometimes. Sometimes, life is so hard. Sometimes we are faced with decisions and events that leave us asking “why?”.

Why did this happen? Why am I dealing with this? Why isn’t this easier? Why don’t I know what to do? Why isn’t God speaking clearly to me?

Sometimes these are things in our control and sometimes they are just beyond our control.
For these days, these hours, these minutes I turn you towards James 1:2,3.

“Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow.”

Sometimes we pray for guidance and hear nothing. And it can be tempting, oh so tempting to ask “where are you!?”

This is human. Even Jesus asked “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?”

I admit that His words used to bother me. How could the Messiah despair? How could He ask such a thing? I’m not sure I will ever fully understand. But I know this. When we despair we isolate ourselves. We hide from and deny the truth.

We are never alone. He will never abandon us. Even when we don’t feel His presence.

And in the bad times, the worst of times, when we lean on Him our faith will grow. It will be perfected, strengthened.

I stand on these promises.

That while no evil ever comes from God, He will “cause everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.” (Romans 8 )

That “…the temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.” (1 Cor. 10:13)

And most of all “… I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.”

Hard times are unavoidable, decisions sometimes paralyzing but these days strengthen us. The strongest sword first faced the fire and the hammer.

Most of all know, you are not alone.

And that you never will be.

 

 

May 20, 2011

All you have to do is look at the news right now and the topic of my post is probably going to be obvious.

Some would say I am in fact taking a great risk just by writing this post. After all, the people who would be interested in reading it might be gone tomorrow (May 21st).

Out there, right now, a group of people are saying that on May 21st the rapture will occur. And the world will end on October 21st.

A rather strange mathematical formula is given that explains the conclusions drawn and the date is set in confidence.

So why then do I write this post that is unlikely to be read?

Because the only reason it may not get read is that I don’t post often enough to gain a following.

I do not believe the rapture will occur tomorrow.

I believe the person in question who has set this date will be wrong. Again. (Perhaps I should mention this isn’t their first attempt at predicting the end)

The thing is, Jesus was clear on this matter. Extremely clear. He said:

“…no one knows the day or hour when these things will happen, not even the angels in heaven or the Son himself. Only the Father knows.” (Matthew 24:36)

Some one argue that this means no one in that day knew. That it doesn’t necessarily mean no one will ever know. They might have a point. But one thing strikes me as odd. These mathematical formulas are based on passages from the bible, most of it the old testament. Anything taken from the new testament is knowledge that Jesus surely would have known, as the Son would likely know more of the Father than the disciples.

So I have a hard time believing someone would have greater understanding of the works of God and the scriptures than the living Word of God.

Could we be raptured tomorrow? Sure. It’s possible. But will someone correctly gleam the knowledge that God the Father didn’t even share with the Son? I find the concept impossible.

This will come, “Like a thief in the night…” when no one expects it. And as much as we should “expect the unexpected” we won’t be able to predict it.

Instead, what we should do is live our lives in anticipation of what we could be, and with our eyes on God.

Gleam knowledge of God from the Bible, but don’t make it say something it doesn’t. Don’t put God in boxes He doesn’t put Himself in. Focus on God, let Him Focus on you, and the rest will take care of itself.

May 1, 2011

I don’t normally write on current topics. (Unless you count the current topics being discussed at wesdraws.com. Hi there anyone who read my guest post today, thanks for stopping in!) But this is one I think that will be on the mind of every American, and many many people all over the world.

Osama Bin Laden is dead. He was killed in a firefight by a team sent for just that purpose. The details are easy to find. Just open yahoo, google, or any news site and I’m sure that it will be front page. (As of the writing of this post)

But then there are the inevitable questions. Now what? Does the war end? Continue? Can we finally go through the airport while keeping our shoes on? Will gas prices go down to something that won’t require a bank loan?

I don’t know the answers to most of these questions. (I’m going to guess though that in the immediate, most things will stay the same)

But I do know the answer to this.

Now is the time for prayer.

Like so many others, I remember exactly where I was on 9/11. I’m old enough to have lived more years before 9/11 than I have since. But young enough that this won’t be the case for long. And I think every generation will have one of these events. If not more. Flashpoints that we never forget.

But as much as I can’t ever forget where I was that day. My thoughts, feelings, fears. I know that this can not compare to others.

The one’s directly affected by that fateful day. The people who said I love you one last time. The people who didn’t get to say I love you one last time. The people waiting in the airport for planes that never arrived.

Now is the time to look to the future. But for so many the death of this man will force them to remember the past. To cry. To cheer. To feel relief. And anguish.

And so now is the time to pray. For those who have been forever touched just one day. That they have the comfort and solace they need. That grief passes, and happiness once more finds their door. That anyone who lost a loved one will see them again in the tomorrow.

Now is the time to pray that as a people we turn to God for guidance and wisdom. For His peace and grace. The days ahead will not be smooth, or easy. But they can be navigated with His help. Most of all, whether we lost someone or not, now is the time to pray.

Because we never have to be alone.