We're All Terminal

This post may seem at first as though I am talking out both sides of my mouth. I believe if you read all the way through you will get the point and maybe it will make you do some thinking about your life. 

People from all walks of life tend to act like if you do certain things, or live in a certain way or exercise enough or eat all the right foods and avoid the wrong then you will live forever. I'm here to tell you that's just not the case. None of us are escaping death on this earth short of living until the Rapture of Christians. It is not out of the realm of possibility for anyone of us to be alive at the Rapture and the trumpet call of Jesus to call us to the sky with him but outside of that, we will most likely go into eternity with one final breath. The old saying goes "nothing is certain except death and taxes". 

Because so many believe what I just said in the above paragraph, they live life with the attitude "eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow we die" or "I'm living for the here and now". I confess that there have been moments in my life where I have had this attitude. I do my best to keep it in check as much as possible because I know where it leads. I am a firm believer in the phrase "you are free to choose but you are NOT free from the consequences of those choices"! People do things. They participate in things that are potentially harmful because it feels good or is enjoyable now. They never give a thought to the underlying harm they are causing to their health when they consume harmful foods, drinks, pharmaceuticals, or the wrong fad supplements. They also never consider the harm from lack of exercise. Not just routine, cardio exercise but most people are actually stationary. They sit...at a desk, on the couch, in the recliner, in the car, on the bus, etc. and rarely move, with the exception of bending the arm to bring snacks and drinks to the mouth or push a button on the remote, phone or gaming system. 

Hang with me people... I'm heading somewhere. 

I am living proof that you'd be surprised what you can live through. I'm pretty sure many of those walking the earth are living proof because so many are ill for years and have no idea. Did you know that you can have an autoimmune disease for years before ever having anything show up in lab work?!  You may have mysterious symptoms that you can't figure out why they started or that confuse doctors but it can take years before labs point the way to the problem. 

Just because you are existing doesn't mean you are truly living. Jesus said that he came for us to have life and have it more abundantly. Yet many don't live it more abundantly because they truly can't. They are miserable in their symptoms. It is a chore to make it through the day for some folks. Many of these folks are unwilling to make any changes to help the situation. For some people they don't live an abundant life because of being bogged down mentally. They feel stuck in their current situation. Some live in the negative. Some live in anger and resentment. They get no joy in life because they are too focused on the bad to enjoy the good around them. Life is full of choices. 

We all have to decide for ourselves if we want to have the attitude of "we live and eventually die so I'll do what I want today regardless of consequences tomorrow". If that is your choice it's perfectly fine. It's your life! However, please stop griping when you have to face the consequences. 

We can also decide that I have already proven that "you'd be surprised what you can live through" and I don't want to do that anymore until I die. I want to have a good existence until the last breath and not have to deal with negative consequences of my choices. 

It's up to each one of us!  

Satan's Goals

Have you ever thought about Satan's power? I had a thought the other day about how Satan hates God and anyone who follows God. Interesting that there are so many in the world today that also hate God and those who follow Him, but that is another post for another day. One thought lead to another while I considered what Satan's ultimate goals are. 

The first goal of Satan is to keep people from getting saved. He doesn't want people to accept Jesus as their Savior. So, he uses his many tricks to keep as many people from salvation from hell as he can. He blinds people to the truth. He uses false doctrines. He uses worldly desires and selfishness to keep people from even inquiring about God and what God would want. He even keeps Christians occupied so that they stop witnessing. Yeah, Satan's ultimate goal is to keep people from turning to God. 

When Satan loses a battle for a soul to Jesus and their eternity is forever sealed, he moves on to his secondary goal. This goal is to render as many Christians as possible ineffective. He uses many tricks for this, too. Some of them overlap with the ones he uses on people before salvation. Distraction and preoccupation are two of the biggest tricks Satan uses on Christians. He takes focus off church, Bible reading, serving God and keeps minds and yes, hearts, busy with the cares of the world. He removes contentment with what is already and brings desires that cause bigger bills which leads to working more hours to pay for those bills. He also keeps parents so busy making sure their kids have more opportunities, more things,and more activities than the parents had so that little by little the things of God are squeezed out. Church services and activities begin to be missed for sports, dance recitals, school activities, and/or extra hours worked to pay for the aforementioned and then once you begin missing, it becomes easier to miss. And as I have blogged about before, sometimes when you begin the move away from God, it's farther back than you think!!! It will take more work to get back on track than it would have if the effort was just made to start with to keep God first. I'm not saying it can't be done, I'm just saying it's harder. Just like it's taking much, much more effort to get this 52 year old broken down body back into good health and shape!! 

Barren busyness is one of Satan's best tricks to keep Christians from being effective for God. All the chores, errands, day to day living with the occasional trials fill up the time each day and pretty soon it's bed time and all of a sudden you realize that maybe you didn't read your bible or pray today or maybe you did  but never took time to tell anyone about Jesus or show forth His love by helping or caring for another person along the way. It happens to the best of us. The pressures of daily living are very consuming and at times downright overwhelming. We can pray for forgiveness and help to do better. That is the wonderful thing about a loving God who remembers we are dust and prone to backsliding but always allows u-turns back to His loving arms! 

When the trials or distractions become too much just tell Satan "Not today, Satan. You  can't have me or my family." 

Why Do You Go To Church?

This is a fair question to ask. As I observe the happenings in my own church and talk with pastors and pastor's wives and missionaries from around the world, I hear the same conclusion. That is that many sitting in churches are present only in body. Minds are mostly elsewhere. Only a fraction of those at church actually care about and are listening to the preaching and teaching going on around the room. This conclusion leads me to ask, "Why do you go to church?" 

I believe many go to church because they feel they are supposed to go. For many, it is a drudgery and an obligation that they must fill. These same people feel they are "Super Christian" because they have filled this obligation. They do not get involved in serving in the church. Many only show up when there is nothing more pressing or important going on in their life. Their heart is not truly in or for the church. It is just where they have always gone, possibly since childhood, and where they go when they choose to attend. They may even refer to the church as their church but they are not excited to be there. They do not invite others to join them. They are content to show up, sing a song or two from the hymnal, endure the preaching service and go home to get on with the rest of the day's obligations. They have no intention of allowing the preaching of God's Word to penetrate their heart or make changes in their life based on what the Bible says. It appears to just be show up, endure and go home so that they have fulfilled their duty. 

I say if this is you, why bother? If you don't see any point in church attendance besides fulfilling a duty to God and maybe even your pastor and you cannot get excited about going to your church to fellowship with others and learn and grow in God's Word; then it may be time to find a new church where you CAN get excited. Church should not be a drudgery. You should come as a willing vessel to learn and grow. Jesus said He would fill those who come thirsty. 

Let's look at what the Bible says the church was for (in no particular order)...
1. Fellowship with other believers Acts 2:42
2. Prayer Acts 2:42, Acts 12:5, 2 Cor. 1:11, James 5:15-16
3. Edification 1 Cor. 14:26, Eph. 4:11-12
4. Partaking of Lord's Supper 1 Cor. 11:20-34
5. Sending Missionaries Acts 15:3, Rom. 10:14-15, Phil. 4:15-18
6. Settling disputes Matt. 18:15-17, 1 Cor. 5:1-5

All of these things are good reasons to attend church, To get involved in the church. As I have stated before in other posts, the church is not for the lost but for the saved. It is for the Christian. Hebrews 10:23-25 is still in the Bible! The fellowship is for provoking each other to love and to good works. It is to share our burdens with each other (Gal. 6:1-2) It is to pray for one another. It is to help one another. 

Some folks come to church either right as church starts or even a few minutes late (this I will never understand why people show up consistently late - set the alarm a few minutes earlier and be on time!) and they leave as soon as the service is over and don't stop to speak to anyone. For them, there is no fellowship at all, sweet or otherwise. They carry all their burdens alone. They have fulfilled their duty but for them church isn't sweet. It isn't enjoyed. They gained nothing and because of that cannot give out anything to others. 

So, why do you go to church? This is a good question to ponder and check your own motives. Just because you show up from time to time, and give money in the offering to support the church bills and the missions fund, does not mean you are a great Christian. Church should be something you enjoy. It should be somewhere you want to come and learn and grow in your walk with the Lord. It should be a place where you desire to be involved and to serve Christ. If it is not any of these things, I strongly suggest you either find a church where you can participate fully or get your heart right and serve where you are. 

Your Worth and Your Cost

I read an article online this week that I am quite sure is reflected in the hearts and minds of nearly every girl and woman out there at one time or another. It was about being able to see the beauty and value in other females but not in ourselves. When we look in the mirror we see every flaw and when we look inward we see every character flaw, too. It can cause despair and negative thoughts and possibly even suicidal thoughts. We deem ourselves, because of these flaws, as unworthy of love or even friendship even though we deeply desire to have love and friendship. 

As females we are quite unique in the fact that we can, on one hand, applaud another while maintaining envy in our hearts. Envy that we are not as pretty or don't have the sexy body or sweet demeanor or we are not the great cook or do not have as successful a career as the one we are applauding. Our mind can be cruel to ourselves if we let it. 

We need to realize our worth and our cost if we are to move past this mental torment. When my husband and I worked with teens, (who truly struggle in this area of which I speak but are not alone I realize as I get older--women of all ages struggle - at least most do) some of them would confide in me that they felt worthless and like they didn't matter. I would look at each one of them and tell them "Nonsense. When I look at you I see the fingerprints of God". Then I would make them listen to the Christian song with that title. Then I would remind them of God's love and how He loved them so much that He sent His Son to die for them. If they had been the only one on earth God would still send Jesus because He loved them so much. That made them of great worth. Indescribable worth! 

When we see our worth as being established by God, we can stop feeling like we are unworthy to have love or friendship. I cannot explain why God chooses to make some people easier on the eyes than others but I do know that God loves each of us. He loves us in our uniqueness and desires a relationship with everyone of us. It is why He sent Jesus-- to be reunited in a relationship with us after sin separated us from Him. 

Now let's look at your cost. You my friend (and I) are very costly! Jesus gave His life to be our ransom. Our sin required a ransom (a payment for the release of someone held in bondage) and Jesus paid that ransom. How can there be any greater cost? How can there be any greater worth placed on your life than that? It wasn't His debt but He paid it anyway. That's the love of the Father and the Son. 

So, the next time you look in the mirror or have those negative thoughts that you do not deserve love and friendship just remember that you are not a one in a million kind of girl but you are a once in a lifetime kind of woman and very much worth knowing. Trust and believe it when others tell you that they love you or enjoy your company or think you are wonderful or whatever statement that you instantly doubt in your mind and heart. Close your eyes when the doubts come and remember that you have the fingerprints of God all over you! His love never fails and never leaves. Even when troubles come He is still loving you. He is always just and fair even when we don't understand. Just trust Him! He thinks you are worth it! 

Parenting for the Future

I've been observing the world around me lately. Watching how children behave in public settings can sometimes be appalling. You watch the temper tantrum, misbehavior, or bad attitude and smart aleck speech and wonder what is going on. Then --- you watch the parent and realize the child is a product of their raising! It all becomes clear as you fight to refrain from disciplining the parent and reminding them that they should have set the example. Usually, I shake my head and pray for that family and the future of our world as I walk away. Sometimes I remember to invite them to church with one of our tracts but often I forget to do that in haste to make myself scarce from the situation. 

Of course, this is nothing new. I've been observing these situations for years but just wanted to blog about it for a moment or two. It is so very true that a child learns what they live! You CANNOT tell a child to "do as I say, not as I do" and expect that to work for very long. - Certainly, not as they grow and mature. 

A child who lives with criticism will learn to be critical. A child who is surrounded by negativism will be negative in their viewpoint. A child who lives with anger and hostility will become angry and hostile. A child who lives with secrets will learn to be sneaky. A child who lives with hatred learns to hate others who are different than them. Children who live with indifference learn to be uncompassionate. Children who have everything given they ask for or watch the parent make choices of indulgence become selfish individuals who think they are entitled to whatever they want, whenever they want it. 

Parents should live their lives in the manner in which they want their child to behave. This is a very convicting and sobering thought! The old children's song "Oh be careful little eyes what you see. Oh be careful little eyes what you hear" really comes into play in parenting. If the child must be careful then the parent must be careful what they say and emulate so that the child can be protected from what they see and hear! For as the Bible says "For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard." Acts 4:20 

If imitation is a form of flattery then let's give children and others something to imitate! The most important thing for us to imitate is Christ. We are to be living in godly character. Philippians 2:14-16 - Do all things without murmurings and disputings: 15 - That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world;  16 - Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain.  Paul said this to the Philippian church. 

Matthew 5:16 - Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. 

Just a thought provoker to help us realize that we need to live in the way we want our children and others to live. 

What's In A Legacy?

There's much talk about inheritances when folks lose a loved one from the family. Often times this is when the quarreling and fighting begins. Those left behind bicker over who gets what from the estate and belongings of the one who passed. Unfortunately, the material things are all that is able to be passed on to the loved ones left because there was no true legacy built. I heard someone say recently that a person's death bed doesn't build a legacy it REVEALS it. 

In other words, the building should have already been done before the time of the death bed comes. True legacy is the deep and abiding things taught to the rest of those left gathered around that death bed as they say their goodbyes. 

Good character, good work ethics, kindness, compassion for others, honesty, respect, the knowing that someone felt loved unconditionally, faith in God and joy in life are all things a legacy are built upon. These are the things that can be read in the faces of those gathered around some one's death bed. Legacy is about the things that last. 

Sometimes, we get the chance in life to see glimpses of our legacy before that death bed comes. We see our influence on our children, grandchildren and even friends or church members. It brings my heart joy during those times I've been allowed to glimpse that influence in others and know that I impacted in a positive way. I see my kids fight to understand Scripture and I see good work ethic on the job. I've seen little kids I have taught over the years repeat and teach those younger than them the same things I taught them when they didn't know I was watching. I've seen ladies under my influence grow in grace and patience with their kids and with others. 

When you go through periods of illness and struggles, you become acutely aware of how much closer the death bed looms and during rough times may even pray for that death bed! You wonder just what kind of legacy you have built and what will someday be revealed after you're gone. I know the legacies that were left to me by my parents and grandparents and others. Will the legacy I leave be as good or as strong and have such an impact? I sure pray so! I hope I will have left the best parts of me. My biggest desire in life is that I will have made a difference. I want it to have mattered that I was ever born. Loving truly those I care about and serving the Lord is the best way I know to accomplish building a good legacy. 

Remember, you can't build your legacy after you're gone. It must be built along the way of your life. Just something to consider. 

The Subtle Encouragement From the Bible

Today was another sad day for the United States of America. The past several years have not been a walk in the park quite frankly. The New York Senate made a state constitutional change to allow full term abortions and to do away with the law that had protected a baby that had survived an abortion attempt. This post is not about this topic so I will not jump too far off track. With the news, and the Facebook posts and arguments for and against I just needed a break so first I hit my knees in prayer to my God and Savior pleading for this country and for the remnant that still love and serve Him to not be brought down with the godless heathens. Next, I got in His Word to look up verses that I wanted to talk about in this post. I've been mulling over this topic for a couple weeks but this is the first chance to put it in type. It's a fitting time because I know that I needed encouragement from my Bible today and I am sure that other readers do too. 

Of course, we have the promises  for us in God's Word but to me there are many spots and thoughts where I receive encouragement that are not necessarily promises to us. You have to look at these in a deeper way. 

None of these are in anyway taken lightly or justification for sin in our lives but God's mercy and grace is so encouraging when you look at where God extended it in the Bible. These will not be in any particular order...just as they come to me. 

First of all, Abraham, with whom God made His covenant, was a liar. Yet, the promise extended to Abraham was never revoked. His son Isaac was also a liar in the same lie his father told. (In case it's slipped your mind, they both lied in a new city about who their wife was) Isaac was in the lineage of Christ. His son Jacob was a deceiver--more than once! Yet he was the father of the twelve tribes of Israel from whom the tribe of Judah comes which brings the Savior. 

Rahab the harlot who helped save the spies, is also in the lineage of Christ. She was the mother of Boaz who married Ruth, a non-Jew, who is a grandmother of King David. 

God could have kept the lineage of Christ completely pure but He did not. I've often pondered why that is. We will never know this side of heaven but we can speculate. Maybe it is for the encouragement that I'm speaking about. That God can use anybody and that there was room for others besides the Jews! Mistakes can be forgiven, especially when you repent and turn to Him. One of the reasons I believe David is called "a man after God's own heart" is because of his humbleness after sin. He was an adulterer, and a murderer and yet a promise is made to him because of his willingness to humble himself and turn back to God. 

In the New Testament Paul is used mightily even though at first he wanted nothing to do with Christ and he persecuted Christians. Peter got to preach at Pentecost even though 50 or so days prior he denied the Lord publicly. Mary Magdalene was a harlot prior to Jesus healing her of possession. She was one of the first to which Christ revealed himself after His resurrection.

All of these examples can and should give us encouragement that we are loved, forgiven and can still be used as long as we allow God to do so. 

There's more!...
Psalm 103:13-14 - Like as a father pitieth his children, so the LORD pitieth them that fear him. 
14-For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust.

Psalm 78:38-39 - But he, being full of compassion, forgave their iniquity, and destroyed them not: yea, many a time turned he his anger away, and did not stir up all his wrath. 
39- For he remembered that they were but flesh; a wind that passeth away, and cometh not again. 

In this passage the psalmist is remembering God's compassion on the Israelites thus far.

The part that jumped out at me one time was the "he remembered that they were flesh" and "that we are dust". In other words, God knows we are frail. He gives us a break at times. It is because of His mercies and longsuffering that we are not consumed by His wrath. 

I'm sooo thankful and grateful for His mercies! 

I hope this post was an encouraging reminder to you about God's love and mercy.