My Love Letter's Gonna Have To Wait

I had planned on posting about a "love letter" I've been writing for the last two days ~ but I reckon that will have to wait. Today was the big day for our new president. I've been out and about throughout the day ~ I checked some blogs ~ and read some email ~ and even talked to some family and friends ~ and it seems that there is an air of apprehension ~ even worry ~ about what tomorrow and the next day and the next day holds.

On November 4th our nation went to the polls to vote ~ and the popular vote results (66,882,230 to 58,343,671) reflected a country that was pretty much divided. That night I wrote a post that God laid on my heart ~ and in light of the uneasiness I sensed among so many this day ~ it seemed fitting to post it again. And as for that love letter ~ I reckon it will have to wait until another day (you can stay tuned for that one).

It is a solemn evening as many Christians watch to see who will be the next president of the United States. I have been encouraging friends and family for quite some time to take God’s Word and use it as a measuring stick against the beliefs of the candidates. In the end we can vote the way in which we feel God is leading us through His Word and the rest is up to Him. So, if we wake up tomorrow morning to find that the man chosen by the people is not the man that we feel measures the tallest against God’s Word ~ we need to keep some very important things in mind.

~ We are to pray for our new leader ~ no matter who he is. God commands us to in His Word. I Timothy 2:1-4 says I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; For kings and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior. Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of truth.

~ OUR GOD IS STILL SOVEREIGN. HE IS STILL ON THE THRONE. In Colossians 1:16-17 it says For by Him were all things created, that are in Heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones or dominions, or principalities or powers, all things were created by Him and for him; And He is before all things, and by him all things consist.

~ We are to work for the night is coming. John 9:4 I must work the works of them that sent me, while it is day; the night cometh when no man can work.

I can see how Christians may grow very worried and fret over the election results. This is why it is so important for them to be in God’s Word. If we stay in His Word then we will be anchored and strong and ready for whatever comes. It is your only comfort; it is your only peace; let it be your all in all.

Listen, my friend, I can’t help but believe that the United States has become a "stinky" wound in the sight of God. This country ~ our country ~ founded on the God of the Holy Bible ~ with a heritage so rich for our Lord ~ has turned its back on Him. So many many Christians have become like the world ~ their complacency is so strong ~ just living to live ~ following God as it suits their lifestyles. Why do you think one out of two Christian men are addicted to pornography? Why do you think so many Christians are divorcing and then going on to live with the next person they come to care for? Why do you think 50 million helpless babies have been aborted since 1973 ~ even some by Christians? We are in a very sad state. And that is just in respect to the Christians. Looking at those who are still lost and dying ~ it is even more sinful and dark. We are an infectious wound in the eyes of God indeed.

I love America and have always counted it such a blessing and privilege to live here ~ to be an American. But we are so very far from where we started. We are so very far, even, from the days when I was raised in the 60's and 70's. Not long after 9/11 I saw a bumper sticker that said "We say God Bless America but we need to say America Bless God." We want God to bless us but we haven’t been blessing God in the way in which we live our lives.

As we near the end of our journey on this sin-sick earth things are not going to get better. They are not going to get easier. And I encourage you my friend to stand fast in the Word of God, stay in church, pray like you’ve never prayed before. We are fast becoming the minority in this world. If God tarries coming this night, we will see another morning. But be not discouraged. For God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling there of. COME WHAT MAY ~ FEAR NOT ~ GOD IS OUR REFUGE AND STRENGTH. Those verses still hold true today just as much as they held true back in November just as they held true when they were written. We are commanded to pray for our president ~ I hope you will. So dig your heels in ~ stay busy for the cause of Christ ~ and lift our new leader up ~ he's gonna need it ~ because this old world is spinning out of control ~ he's got his work cut out for him.

Are You Sleeping?

I'm come to be quite fond of the verse We spend our years as a tale that is told (Psalms 90: 9). I reckon my fondness stems from the reality check that it constantly reminds me of. This verse can truly put your whole life into perspective. Our life is a tale ~ a story ~ and with all tales an end is emminent. We have one "go around" ~ and while so many in the world see that as an excuse to live the devil's way ~ it truly is the perfect reason to live the Lord's way ~ and redeem the time that He has given us.

Ephesians 5:15-16 says See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Our time on this earth is running out. My pastor preached on this very passage last week ~ in tears pleading with us to "redeem the time." He talked about how the world is at an all-time low ~ because people are getting farther and farther away from God. And in the mean time Christians are sleeping. In verse 14 of this same chapter it says Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.

I think a lot of us can go to sleep ~ through indifference (having a more "open mind" in respect to this evil world which will lead to 'fence sitting' and a state of indifference) ~ and through sin (yielding to the temptation that encircles us in this world) ~ and even through distraction (satan loves to distract the Christian with everything imaginable from prestige and riches to trials and troubles ~ whatever it takes to make us ineffective for Christ).

God is coming back and if death does not take Christians from this world then the trumpet will. And with that thought, Pastor Dan encouraged us ~ that until that happens ~ to redeem our time in three particular ways:

1. Read your Bible ~ everyday. Cherish it like those Africans that Raphael took Bibles to (see post entitled "Greasing The Way in Prayer"). We need for it to be our most precious possession.

2. Win your lost relatives to the Lord. Now is the time ~ tomorrow might be too late.

3. Serve God with all you have.

Pastor Dan shared with us that he had been out soul winning and he was able to speak to a gentleman out in his yard about Christ. The man accepted the Bible tract but was unwilling to pray and ask God to save him. He said what so many say "Not today. Maybe another time." One week later my pastor went back to visit this man again and he had been killed in a drive by shooting. We won't know until we enter eternity whether this man read that tract and accepted Christ. Little did Pastor Dan know that less than seven days after he witnessed to this man ~ that his life would be needlessly snuffed out.

Oh that we would redeem the time that Christ has given us here on this earth. Oh that we would redeem the time so that this tale we are living might be a worthy story to tell. Oh that we will redeem the time...........

Getting "To The Point" ~ Like Maxine

This is the country girl in me talking ~ 'you kinda hafta watch Maxine.' I have seen a few of her cartoons that the language wasn't nice. But not so with this one.

A few weeks ago I received an email from a home schooling friend of mine with this cartoon included. She said that I came to mind when she saw it. She followed up with a second email to make sure that I didn't think that she was comparing my physical attributes to Maxine's ~ but rather this is something she might hear me say. But if you could have seen me all day today in my long purple robe ~ fighting "fibro flu pain" (it's not the real flu ~ you just feel like it is) ~ you might have agreed with her.

I do believe it is possible that I might make such a statement but I don't believe I would have said it to just anyone. It's easy when we are within our circle of Christian friends to boldly speak up ~ yet it is quite another to speak so candidly to those who do not believe in our God. May we ALL be as bold as a lion.

The wicked flee when no man pursueth: but the righteous are bold as a lion

Proverbs 28:1

"Greasing" The Way In Prayer

Have you ever heard such a phrase ~ greasing the way in prayer? I had not ~ until this past Sunday when an African man with the most beautiful of British accents shared how he and his wife took Bibles into their homeland that desperately needed the Word of God. He said, and I quote, "We greased the way in prayer."

You would have to hear Raphael speak ~ you would have to hear him pray ~ you would have to hear him sing ~ to completely grasp the tremendous inner beauty he possesses. It was nothing short of angelic to listen to him speak of how he and his wife had prayed and prayed that Bibles be provided so that they could go into Africa to distribute them to their people. How God provided 64 Bibles ~ and no one was even aware of the prayer request. How the Bibles traveled without any problems through customs. How 400 people showed up for the church meeting. How 200 people made decisions. How 64 of those folk received a Bible. How they felt as if they had been given the greatest possession they could ever receive. And the entire event was "greased in prayer."

Prayer ~ it is not utilized as much as it should. Oh the power of prayer. It rests the weary. It changes night to day. It enables us to forgive ~ to fight temptation ~ to praise our God of the universe ~ to protect us ~ and the list could go on and on. How often do we grease our lives in prayer? Our children’s lives? Our country? And that list could go on and on too.

May we be as Raphael and grease the way ~ whatever way that may be ~ in prayer.

Left Behind

I’ve put off writing this post because I haven’t felt adequate enough to say what is heavily burdening my heart ~ and I reckon that’s me not trusting as I should. You know how that goes ~ until you surrender and write what the Lord has burdened your heart with ~ well ~ no matter how hard you try to write a post about something else ~ the "writer’s block" won’t leave.

And, so, I decided to step out and share what has been on my heart. Any time that it involves the book of Revelation and the end times I can get a little uneasy. I’ve studied this scripture before ~ though not as indepthly as I need to ~ and I’ve heard many a sermon over the years about the rapture, and the tribulation, and Christ’s return ~ but there are parts of it that I am not comfortable in having lengthy discussions about. I read it, I believe it, I accept it ~ though I don’t completely understand all of it. And I know this is where my feeling of inadequacy comes from ~ for Revelation can be somewhat intimidating. And then I realized I didn’t have to "discuss" Revelation ~ at least not today :) ~ I just had to be faithful to share what God burdened my heart with.

I recently watched a movie about "end times." I had seen it one other time ~ and, as before, it left me feeling so terribly sad about all that will occur after the rapture. There is disagreement in the Christian circle about this movie’s Biblical accuracy and about even supporting anything that comes out of Hollywood ~ or Holl(ow)ood ~ as Jennifer at Double Nickel Farm calls it. And I reckon I can appreciate both of those arguments ~ but the fact remains that the movie was compelling to me ~ a believer ~ to quit sitting so much and start reaching out more to the lost. To see someone’s portrayal of this earth once the Holy Spirit has departed, to see the faces of individuals searching for their loved ones who were raptured, to see the total chaos across the continent ~ it continues to be a wake-up-call to me that this is real, that it is going to happen ~ possibly in my lifetime ~ and that there are so very many folk not ready.

It is sobering. It is sad. And I keep having this thought of someone out there that I could have witnessed to and didn’t ~ and they keep saying "Why didn’t Cathryn tell me? She knew. She knew all along the truth. She knew and she didn’t tell me." Those words haunt me. Frankly I don't want to be in that position. And right now unfortunately I am. Oh Dear Lord, may I not lose this urgency to share the gospel with this sin sick world. For you are returning someday ~ may we all be about Your business!

Matthew 24:38-46 ~
[38] For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, [39] And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. [40] Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. [41] Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left. [42] Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come. [43] But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up. [44] Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh. [45] Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season? [46] Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing.

Comforting Words ~ Balm To The Soul

Can't you just hear the sweet, precious voice of Jesus saying Let not your heart be troubled (John 14:1a). He was speaking to His disciples hours prior to Judas Iscariot betraying Him in the garden.

In verse two He says, I go to prepare a place for you ~ another precious promise from our Lord. Can't you feel the comfort in His words? 'Don't be troubled my child. I love you. I have to go but I am coming back some day. And where I am going ~ I will be getting things ready for your arrival.'

Verse three beautifully promises And if I go and prepare a place for you I WILL come again and receive you unto myself that where I am you may be also. I've found that as I get older I do think more of the glorious eternity that awaits me as a child of God. Sometimes I think I am more excited about going than I am about staying and leading others.

May we all keep our eyes on the prize - resting in knowing that we will spend forever with Christ and our Christian friends and family AS we fulfill the great commission to Go ye therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. (Matthew 28:19).

Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you and ordained you, that you should go and bring forth fruit
John 15:16

Stand Up For Jesus

Have you ever been in one of those situations where you knew you were going to "major-ly" kick yourself later if you didn’t speak up right then and there? Have you also found out there are going to be some folk ~ relatives included ~ that have made it quite clear that they don’t believe what you believe, they don’t want to believe what you believe, and would you please stop talking about what you believe?

This Thanksgiving weekend brought such a time for me. I was visiting with family and was half-way listening to a relative talk about something she had been reading on the internet in respect to land that the Jews are fighting for ~ something about Mesopotamia ~ wars ~ fighting over land was mentioned again ~ Abraham ~ and so on. (I really started listening at this point). She concluded by saying "They say the wars will continue until the end of time ~ and no one will really win the war over this disputed land. Everyone is just going to blow up anyway and no one will win."

I sat there for a moment and contemplated whether I should speak up or not. And then I quietly spoke and told her of God’s covenant with Abraham and how the land did belong to the Jews ~ how the battle would ultimately be won ~ and that everyone was not going to blow up. She was quiet for a moment and then said "I don’t believe that." I told her that it was clearly written about in God’s Word. She then said something that hurt my heart ~ "I don’t believe in the Bible completely ~ just parts of it are true ~ it is not literal." Now this is not "just" any relative ~ this is a relative that knows better. She was raised in the church ~ made a profession of faith at the age of 12 ~ she once professed that she believed in the Lord Jesus Christ. Years ago a "new age" colleague drew her away from the truth. Oh how far from the Lord she has come.

It’s possible that had this conversation taken place last Thanksgiving I might have not said a word. But this Thanksgiving was so different for me ~ I am tremendously thankful for God’s Word ~ more so than I have ever been in my life. It has been that light unto my path and a lamp unto my feet this past year. To hear someone I love ~ someone I know who knows the truth deep down in her heart ~ dispute the Word of God ~ to proclaim that it is not inspired but rather "written by a whole bunch of different men" ~ to say that portions are not real ~ that was hard for me. I told her to say that even one small part of the Bible was untrue meant that we could not proclaim that any of it was true. I tried to explain to her that it was inspired by God ~ that it has withstood the test of time ~ and for me to sit back and say nothing to her statements against the Holy Bible would be a tragedy against God. She looked at me and said, "Cathy, you’ll be alright" to which I replied "Yes, I know I will." And she concluded by saying "Hey, I know I’ll be alright."

I walked away from the conversation feeling so inadequate ~ as if I had failed. Yet God promises in His Word that He will give us what to say when we need it. Matthew 10:16 says Behold I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves; be ye therefore wise as serpents and harmless as doves. Verses 19-20 say But when they deliver you up, take no thought how or what ye shall speak; for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak. For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you.

I know this ~ excluding my family ~ God’s Word is the GREATEST earthly treasure to me. I can’t live without it ~ now that I know what it is like to live with it. I had to stand up for it. Did my feelings of inadequacy and failure come from satan? I think so. Did I let the Holy Spirit speak through me? I pray so. People have died standing up for their faith ~ standing up for His Word ~ should we do any less? It isn't easy to take a stand. Plenty of times I have quietly stood by. I pray I will always speak up when God wants me to ~ and that I will say what the Holy Spirit gives me to say.