Rocking Our World

So God has given both his promise and his oath. These two things are unchangeable because it is impossible for God to lie. Therefore, we who have fled to him for refuge can have great confidence as we hold to the hope that lies before us. This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls.

Hebrews 6:18-19a NLT 

What keeps you grounded during tough times? What is it you choose that will anchor your soul when the howling winds of hell threaten to destroy you? On what can you stand and hang on to that never changes - that never needs an upgrade to be forever sustainable? Only the promises found in God's Word. Everything else will fail. God's Word never fails. 

God is faithful. He is love. He is everlasting. He is light and compassion and justice and power and SO MUCH MORE. He is everything we need and His Word has everything in it we need to live.

Life is HARD and we don't always understand the whys and wherefores of it. God's plan for our lives rarely aligns with our own. Yet, He is trustworthy and worthy of our praise, our thanksgiving, our faith, and our worship. When our world is rocked by the storms of life - sickness or calamity or even death - such things do not knock God off His Throne. If we stand on His Word, our Anchor will hold.

Revelation 21:4-5 NLT assures us, "And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.” Then He who sat on the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new.” And He said to me, “Write, for these words are true and faithful.”

Prayer:

Father,

           Thank You for Your Word that calms our hearts and soothes our souls through the storms of life. Thank You for Your promises that give us hope and blessed assurance. Thank You, especially for Matthew 5:4, "Blessed are those who mourn, For they shall be comforted." written in red. We need Your comfort and Your peace, Father, in Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Remembering - Mom Died 28 Years Ago Today

And now, dear brothers and sisters, we want you to know what will happen to the believers who have died so you will not grieve like people who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and was raised to life again, we also believe that when Jesus returns, God will bring back with him the believers who have died. We tell you this directly from the Lord: We who are still living when the Lord returns will not meet him ahead of those who have died. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, the believers who have died will rise from their graves. Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever. So encourage each other with these words.

1st Thessalonians 4:13-18 NLT

Yes, my mother died 28 years ago on this date. Sometimes, it seems like forever. Other times, like it was just yesterday. I wrote this promise a couple years ago, but want to post it again in honor of Mom who introduced me to Jesus.

I have been remembering moments in time of my mother and my two brothers, of babies who have gone to Heaven without ever having drawn one breath here on Earth, of beloved friends who died from diseases that ravaged their bodies but could not destroy their souls. I remember marvelous moments of joy and laughter, as well as those of heartbreak and grief. And I remember God's comfort through it all.

I remember as children, my siblings and I cleared the table, washed and dried dishes, and swept the kitchen floor, as our mother played hymns on the piano, encouraging us to sing rather than squabble over who was doing what task. I remember that some nights, we touched Heaven with the harmony of those old songs. It was palpable. At that time, I didn't know it was the presence of God inhabiting the praises of His children, but I knew I could feel something deep inside my soul.

As a young teen, I ran from God and it wasn't until my late twenties - desperate for my broken heart to be healed and longing for the peace that they wrote about in the Bible - that I returned to the God who promised that and so much more. And I returned to the music that soothed my soul.

I remember sitting by our mother's bed, singing to her, and years later, by my oldest brother's bedside, holding his hand and singing softly to him in the middle of the night, as his spirit hovered between life and death, and I witnessed the peace of God's presence soothe as only He can. I remember...

And on those days that seem darker because the light that was their lives is no longer around me, I remember these words from 1st Thessalonians. "And now, dear brothers and sisters, we want you to know what will happen to the believers who have died so you will not grieve like people who have no hope... First, the believers who have died will rise from their graves. Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever.
So encourage each other with these words."

Prayer:

Father,
           Thank You for remembering us and our frailty as humans. Thank You for providing everything we need to thrive in this life You have given us. Thank You that we have hope and our hope is in You. You are the same yesterday, today, and forever. You do not change. You are straight and true. Your Word does not fail. Strengthen us, Father, so that we may help others and encourage each other with Your Words. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Lent - Day Twenty-Six - Waking from Sleep

Lent Devotions from Concordia University 2024 

After saying these things, he said to them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I go to awaken him.” 12 The disciples said to him, “Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover.” 13 Now Jesus had spoken of his death, but they thought that he meant taking rest in sleep. 14 Then Jesus told them plainly, “Lazarus has died, 15 and for your sake I am glad that I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.” 
 John 11:11-15

This story, in many ways, parallels our own experiences. “The Gospel says that Lazarus lay ill… With poignant simplicity the evangelist tells about two women sending a plea to Jesus only to receive silence in return, and about a friend of Jesus who dies when Christ is not visibly present.”1  How many Christians over the centuries have prayed for the health of a loved one only to feel like God’s response is silence? In the end, it seems death takes everyone.

Jesus’ response that Lazarus had fallen asleep may seem a bit cavalier. Maybe it sounds like a gentle euphemism meant to lessen the pain of grief. But this little phrase means so much more.

Jesus knew that Lazarus would not remain dead. After four days in the tomb, Jesus raised him to life. Since Jesus is the Lord of life, Lazarus was not held by death. Death really was like sleep for him. Jesus explains: “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live.”

God’s word uses the words “fallen asleep” to describe Christians who have died (1 Corinthians 15:6, 20; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-15). Lazarus died, but Jesus raised him to life. Jesus died, but he rose again. All Christians who die will be raised to eternal life.

In death, all semblance of control is stripped away. A corpse cannot help itself. But to the Lord of life, death is like sleep. For a while, we rest in God’s presence and care. Until then we, like Mary and Martha, grieve the loss of brothers and sisters in Christ, but in the hope of knowing that their bodies will be raised to life again.

Someday (unless Christ returns first) we also will “fall asleep” in Christ. But we do not want you to be uninformed, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with Him those who are fallen asleep… And the dead in Christ will rise (1 Thessalonians 4:13-16). Christ had a reason for his delay in attending to Lazarus and we trust God’s appointed timing for the demonstration of his power when Christ returns on the last day.

Prayer: 

Merciful God, 

                     By the resurrection of Your Son Jesus Christ, you give us hope in the face of death. Give me joy in your victory now, and make my joy complete on the Last Day. Amen.

1 Koester, Symbolism in the Fourth Gospel p. 65.

Reading Further - John 11:1-16

1 Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. 2 It was Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was ill. 3 So the sisters sent to him, saying, “Lord, he whom you love is ill.” 4 But when Jesus heard it he said, “This illness does not lead to death. It is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.”

5 Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. 6 So, when he heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was. 7 Then after this he said to the disciples, “Let us go to Judea again.” 8 The disciples said to him, “Rabbi, the Jews were just now seeking to stone you, and are you going there again?” 9 Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. 10 But if anyone walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him.” 11 After saying these things, he said to them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I go to awaken him.” 12 The disciples said to him, “Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover.” 13 Now Jesus had spoken of his death, but they thought that he meant taking rest in sleep. 14 Then Jesus told them plainly, “Lazarus has died, 15 and for your sake I am glad that I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.” 16 So Thomas, called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.”

Lent - Day Eleven - A Divine Claim

Lent Devotions from Concordia University 2024

For just as the Father gives life to those he raises from the dead, so the Son gives life to anyone he wants. In addition, the Father judges no one. Instead, he has given the Son absolute authority to judge, so that everyone will honor the Son, just as they honor the Father. Anyone who does not honor the Son is certainly not honoring the Father who sent him.

John 5:21-23 NLT

Some people deny that Jesus ever claimed to be God. This isn’t anything new. Throughout history, even within Christ’s Church, controversy and false teachings have been addressed repeatedly. Passages like John 5 are sometimes misused to imply that, since Jesus and the Father are distinct persons, then Jesus must not be God. Yet examining the text refutes this. Just look at his critics. The Jews of Jesus’ day clearly understood that Jesus was claiming to be God. They prove this by their responses, persecution, and eventual execution of Jesus for blasphemy. Not believing Jesus’ claim to deity, they thought him worthy of death.

Jesus himself, and his followers, upheld his deity, even when denying it could have spared them from persecution and death. Either Jesus was God, or he was not. The implications of this are enormous. If Jesus is God, it means (as Jesus says in today’s passage) that he has full authority to carry out judgment, raise the dead, and ensure his promise that, “Whoever hears my word and believes… has eternal life.” This is a confident comfort for us, who by the Holy Spirit have heard and believe. It is also a calling to share the Gospel so that others may be moved from death to life.

Prayer: 

Lord Jesus, 

                  I thank You, that by Your gracious mercy I have been moved from death to life. Please send Your Holy Spirit to work in the life of those who do not yet believe in Christ, especially ___________________. Amen.

Reading Further - John 5:15-30

15 The man went away and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had healed him. 16 And this was why the Jews were persecuting Jesus, because he was doing these things on the Sabbath. 17 But Jesus answered them, “My Father is working until now, and I am working.”

18 This was why the Jews were seeking all the more to kill him, because not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.

19 So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise. 20 For the Father loves the Son and shows him all that he himself is doing. And greater works than these will he show him, so that you may marvel. 21 For as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whom he will. 22 For the Father judges no one, but has given all judgment to the Son, 23 that all may honor the Son, just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him. 24 Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life. 25 “Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. 26 For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself. 27 And he has given him authority to execute judgment, because he is the Son of Man. 28 Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice 29 and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment.

30 “I can do nothing on my own. As I hear, I judge, and my judgment is just, because I seek not my own will but the will of him who sent me.

Act Your Wage

So are the ways of everyone who is greedy for gain; It takes away the life of its owners.

Proverbs 1:19 NKJV

Greed is a sin. The wages of sin is death - Romans 6:23. Whether it literally takes a life or figuratively (as in the constant pursuit of greedy gain), it will rob you of the abundant life Jesus came to give us. And not only abundant life here, but also our eternal life!

1st Timothy 6:17-19 spells it out clearly, Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy. Let them do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to give, willing to share, storing up for themselves a good foundation for the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life. 

We are to do as Jesus did. And just yesterday we talked about greater works than these shall we do. Remember?  As followers of Christ, our wage is to be rich in good works, ready to give, willing to share, storing up for themselves a good foundation for the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life. Which wage would you rather have - life or death?

Prayer:

              Thank You for always giving us great benefits, for always providing the best way to learn, for giving us the choice. Shine Your Light of Truth on our daily lives so we can see that life and death are choices we make. Guide us into Your wisdom and Truth. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

I Know This...

See to it, brothers and sisters, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called “Today,” so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness. We have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original conviction firmly to the very end.

Hebrews 3:12-14 NIV

I want to go on record declaring that I am a believer and follower of Jesus Christ and His gospel. I have a strong faith. I believe the Bible is the inspired Word of God and the standard by which we are to live. I believe that we will live eternally somewhere and that both heaven and hell are real.

So, I have hope in the Lord. It's hope - not born of desperation, but rather of relationship, knowing in Whom I have believed and having been witness to His mighty works and amazing grace. I truly believe that God is good even when I don't understand the dark times. Let the believers say "Amen!"

It's been a hard year. I have lost dear friends and my oldest brother - 9 people - this does not count the number of people who have died who I know OF, but didn't know personally. I am doing better now than I was 6 months ago, but deep in my heart, I am sad beyond words. I feel as though a part of me has died, too, and in a way, it has. Following my brother's death, and the passing of several close friends, a part of my heart seems to have gone dormant. But that's okay; it's just a season. Please know that I am not writing this for your sympathy. I am writing to reiterate these truths. Do not confuse my grief with lack of faith. Do not interpret my tears as signs of unbelief. Here's what I know that I know. Jesus tells us in John 12:24 that unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. There IS coming a time of rebirth. These 9 all had accepted Christ as their Saviour. The good news is, as much as I miss these loved ones, I know I will see them again. I know this because it's written in God's Word.

1st Thessalonians 4:13-18 NLT, And now, dear brothers and sisters, we want you to know what will happen to the believers who have died so you will not grieve like people who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and was raised to life again, we also believe that when Jesus returns, God will bring back with him the believers who have died. We tell you this directly from the Lord: We who are still living when the Lord returns will not meet him ahead of those who have died. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, the believers who have died will rise from their graves. Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever. So encourage each other with these words.

May you be encouraged today.

Prayer:

Father,
The heavens declare Your glory and I? I can only attempt to echo their praise. Thank You for Your grace and for salvation and for Your mercy, and help us to try to fathom the depth of Your great love...even in the dark times. May the many seeds bring about a great harvest, O God! In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

An Inkling of a Twinkling

But I am telling you this strange and wonderful secret: we shall not all die, but we shall all be given new bodies! It will all happen in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, when the last trumpet is blown. For there will be a trumpet blast from the sky, and all the Christians who have died will suddenly become alive, with new bodies that will never, never die; and then we who are still alive shall suddenly have new bodies too. For our earthly bodies, the ones we have now that can die, must be transformed into heavenly bodies that cannot perish but will live forever.

1 Corinthians 14:51-53 The Living Bible

Within my sphere of influence, we've lost quite a few people in the last 9½ months - and I'm not counting people who I know OF but didn't know personally. Frankly, I'm tired of death. Lately, my mindset has been that I'm tired of losing people. But today, I reminded myself of this Truth - the good news is that of the 11, I know without a doubt that I will see 10 of them again, and I'm hoping for the 11th...  

Life can change in an instant - without warning. We all know of incidents where that has happened. How many times have we heard something to the effect of, "I just talked to him yesterday..."? Look around. The signs of the times are more evidence of God's love for us. He told us what would happen, what we would see, what we would hear... There's a strong inkling that things could change in a twinkling.

Death is not permanent. Eternity is. Where will you spend yours? 

Prayer:

Father, 

          While we remain, we pray for divine appointments; opportunities that allow us to lead others to You, helping others to grow in wisdom and faith, to become stronger in relationship with You and with their fellow followers of Christ. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Asking Why

"I don’t think the way you think. The way you work isn’t the way I work.” God’s Decree. “For as the sky soars high above earth, so the way I work surpasses the way you work, and the way I think is beyond the way you think."
Isaiah 55:8-9 The Message

She was a Christian. So was her husband, and her children, and her siblings... We prayed and prayed in the Name of Jesus, we quoted Scripture and we believed and prayed some more, but she died, anyway. Why? It's a hard, hard place to be in. 

Do we trust God or do we indict Him? We may think we have no choice but to follow God. However, it is still our choice whether we seek Him and whether or not we choose to trust Him in all things despite what we have experienced. What about the next time someone is sick - will we still pray? 

"We don't know why she wasn't healed." That's probably what you're thinking, but I would exhort you to not buy any part of the devil's lies. God did NOT abandon her or her family and friends, nor will He! He did NOT abandon you. Think about this - is she healed now? It may be hard to comprehend and to bear, but in reality, the prayers for her to be healed were answered. Just not the way we wanted. Why? This might be a good time to reiterate "I don’t think the way you think. The way you work isn’t the way I work.”

Proverbs 3:5 tells us. it is written, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding." This verse speaks to what everyone faces at some point who chooses to follow God - trust and choices. We all have decisions to make, and yet this Proverb clearly states that we should not trust our own thinking or reasoning. Remember, we trust God's TRUTH OVER the facts!

We don't understand, but here are a couple of things we DO know. 

    He promised to NEVER leave us or forsake us. Deuteronomy 31

    The gift of God is eternal life. Romans 6:23

The Bible also tells us that we live in a fallen world and we will all die. When we know Christ, however, we don't have to be afraid in that we have the assurance of heaven because of what Jesus Christ did for us. 1st Thessalonians 4:15-18, NIV, According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. 

And then he says, Therefore encourage one another with these words. 

Prayer:

Father,
            Build a hedge of protection around our minds and hearts so that satan cannot defeat or discourage those who pray for healing. Anoint us with fresh fire! Let the same spirit that raised Christ from the dead, rise up in us with renewed fervor to make us passionate, fervent prayer warriors! Help us to realize the end result is not up to us, but trusting You in it is. Help us, O God! In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

What's Important?

You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed.
Psalm 139:13 NLT

One of my co-workers has a sign on her desk that reads, "We’re put on this earth to accomplish a certain number of tasks. Right now, I’m so far behind, I will never die." I have to admit, I had that same sign on my desk at a previous job. Now, we joke about which drawers to empty and burn if something happened to either of us.

Even though we joke about it, people don’t like to think of it and definitely don’t like to speak of it. None of us knows the day or the hour our life will end. One important truth about that is we ARE put on this earth to accomplish the plan God created for our lives, but there IS a time limit. I was reminded of that as I was verifying my insurance benefits choices, including beneficiaries. I realized I needed to inform my beneficiaries of their benefits.

You know, we have the ability to make choices that determine how and what the benefits will be when we die…for those we leave behind AND for ourselves. Thankfully, I have decent life insurance. But most importantly, I have perfect life ASSURANCE - John 3:16, For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

James 4:14 NLT tells us, How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog—it’s here a little while, then it’s gone.

Without Jesus, there is no Life and that’s the most important thing for my beneficiaries - and for YOU - to know!

Prayer:

Father,

Help us focus to redeem the time You have given us. Help us to make eternal differences for those You have put in our lives. In Jesus’ Name we pray. Amen

Forever

Those who are righteous will be long remembered. They do not fear bad news; they confidently trust the Lord to care for them.

Psalm 112:6b-7

Trust in him at all times, oh people; pour out your heart before him; God is a refuge for us.
Psalm 62:8

Today has been a hard day. The granddaughter of a dear friend of mine passed away (due to illness), and an older friend of mine died today, as well. I have cried a lot even though I know without a doubt where both of them will spend eternity. It is beyond sad when we lose loved ones. 

I am also moved to tears for the family members and beloved friends who are left bereft in their loss. We want to comfort them with word and deed, but the truth is there are no words spoken to them that will make it okay. However, words breathed in prayer to God on behalf of those in sorrow will bring both the comfort and the peace that passes understanding. We don't have to know how that works, we just need to trust God at all times that it will. 

We mourn, but not as the world mourns without hope. We trust a God who has promised us eternity with Him. This loss is not forever. 

Jesus is forever. Heaven is forever. This separation is not.

Prayer:

Father,

           Thank You for Your peace in the midst of the storms of life. Thank You for Your promise of no tears in Heaven. Thank You for the foundation and stability of Your Word that comforts us and holds us above the floodwaters of life. Wrap Your loving presence around us as we weep with those who weep, according to Your Word. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Friends' Favorite - Just to Be Clear

 And now, dear brothers and sisters, we want you to know what will happen to the believers who have died so you will not grieve like people who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and was raised to life again, we also believe that when Jesus returns, God will bring back with him the believers who have died.

We tell you this directly from the Lord: We who are still living when the Lord returns will not meet him ahead of those who have died. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, the believers who have died will rise from their graves. Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever. So encourage each other with these words.
1st Thessalonians 4:13-18 NLT

I am writing this out with the hope of helping. I'm no great theologian. I just try to discover the Truth of things based on God's Word. So, this is for those I love who are following Christ, but who have lost or are losing someone they love. 

The Bible does NOT say you won't grieve or that you shouldn't grieve (as some will try to tell you); the Word simply states that we will not grieve like people who have no hope. There IS a difference. Christians aren't superhuman. We aren't perfect. We're forgiven. We're redeemed. We grieve when we lose someone we love, but because of what Christ did, we have hope in this life and for after. 

Prayer:

Father,
          Free us from the deceptive subtleties of the enemy to kill, steal and destroy our lives. Give us a fresh vision of eternity with You. Remind us of the hope we have in You. And please comfort as only You can, the hearts and minds of those who are grieving the loss of loved ones. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

* To Encourage

 See to it, brothers and sisters, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called “Today,” so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness. We have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original conviction firmly to the very end.
Hebrews 3:12-14 NIV

I want to go on record declaring that I am a believer and follower of Jesus Christ and His gospel. I have a strong faith. I believe the Bible is the inspired Word of God and the standard by which we are to live. I believe that we will live eternally somewhere and that both heaven and hell are real. 

So, I have hope in the Lord. It's hope - not born of desperation, but rather of relationship, knowing in Whom I have believed and having been witness to His mighty works and amazing grace. I truly believe that God is good even when I don't understand the dark times. Let the believers say "Amen!"

My brother died a year ago. It's been a hard year. I am doing better now than I was 6 months ago, but deep in my heart, I am sad beyond words. I feel as though a part of me has died, too, and in a way, it has. Following his death, a part of my heart seems to have gone dormant. But that's okay; it's just a season. Please know that I am not writing this for your sympathy. I am writing to reiterate these truths. Do not confuse my grief with lack of faith. Do not interpret my tears as signs of unbelief.  Here's what I know that I know. Jesus tells us in John 12:24 that unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. There IS coming a time of rebirth.  I'm no farmer, but I understand many seeds = much harvest. 

My brother, Joe, was an encourager! He was the family cheerleader and story-teller and so funny! I miss him so much, but I will see him again. I know this because it's written in God's Word.

1st Thessalonians 4:13-18 NLT, And now, dear brothers and sisters, we want you to know what will happen to the believers who have died so you will not grieve like people who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and was raised to life again, we also believe that when Jesus returns, God will bring back with him the believers who have died. We tell you this directly from the Lord: We who are still living when the Lord returns will not meet him ahead of those who have died. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, the believers who have died will rise from their graves. Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever. So encourage each other with these words.  

May you be encouraged today.

Prayer:

Father,
          The heavens declare Your glory and I? I can only attempt to echo their praise. Thank You for Your grace and for salvation and for Your mercy, and help us to try to fathom the depth of Your great love...even in the dark times. May the many seeds bring about a great harvest, O God! In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Victory is the Lord's *

Be happy with those who are happy, and weep with those who weep. 
Romans 12:15 NLT

Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.
Matthew 5:4 KJV

You may have followed my posts about Baby Asa - who just last month was declared cancer-free! Praise God! Tonight, his mother wrote about young Caroline, who next to Asa, is the one for whom she most requested prayer. Mimi Barreras is an incredible writer. Her blog site graceinspades.blogspot.com is just exactly that - Grace in Spades. I am sharing her post as the Promise for Today because what better promise do we have than Christ laid down His life to redeem ours and to set us free? 

Many of you who have been along for Asa’s big, long journey, know that there are a lot of sweet people, docs, nurses, volunteers, patients, and families that we have gotten to know along the way. You just can’t help it.   We are very sad to report that our precious friend, sweet saint, Caroline, the one that we probably reported on most, requested prayer for most, lost her battle with leukemia yesterday.  We celebrate in ways as she is free, free from the pain and torturous treatments, the ups and downs of chemo and pits of side-effects, finished forever with the days of trying to survive being a teen and living like a bubble kid, day after day of needing transfusions.  We celebrate that she was born again and is with her Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ and enjoying every minute of a new and perfect body and all the freedom and joy in His presence.  How exciting!  We sorrow with her family who loved and encouraged her (and us!) so and fought so hard.  Caroline’s presence influenced so deeply all of those who met her.  She was a funny and delightful kid who just gleamed a holy content whenever you saw her, pain or not. 

Clearly, we ask for prayer for Caroline’s family.  I know families with cancer grieve as they go, but when cancer has been your life, when all is said and done, no matter the outcome, you are sort of left not knowing what to do.  Please pray for Caroline’s family.  I know they want her memorials to reflect Jesus.  Pray for her siblings as they are released to the next thing in their lives.  Pray for her parents, that they adjust back to civilian life well now that the battle is done.  It’s hard, so hard.  Pray long term.  It’s a rest of the life, until eternity adjustment.

This past weekend I went to my son’s college choir concert.  It was a hymn concert in 4-part+ harmony, featuring many old classics and their histories, standing room only with overflow out of the concert hall.  I was struck by the truth of it all.  I have a partiality to old doctrinal hymns, even though I learned that some in particular were scandalously modern when they were written.  I think they bleed timeless into history though, even the boat-rocking ones, because they are just so chuck full of restated Scripture.  Mid-concert, the choir sang Spafford’s “It Is Well with my Soul.”  As I stood in the back, just outside the door of the hall, I thought of Caroline. 

Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,


Let this blest assurance control,


That Christ hath regarded my helpless estate,


And hath shed His own blood for my soul.

I knew it was close.  The end.  The new beginning.  Even with good reports, we all knew.  You are weighing in one hand the need for the unheard of miracle, the Master’s touch and in the other, the truth of Psalm 116:15, “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints.”   You don’t really know how the scales will weigh.  You are not out of time, but stuck in the dead present, thinking you know the best solution, and, quite simply, we don’t.

We only get the last two lines.  We have been regarded by the Maker of heaven and earth, the Savior of the world.  That’s all we’ve got.  All anybody has.  All anyone can rejoice in, that we have been regarded and bought with His precious blood.

So, for today, we sorrow, but we can also easily and joyfully state that it is well with Caroline and for that, we are truly grateful and even excited.  Praise the Lord, Oh my soul!

If you are not familiar with “It is Well with my Soul,” the full lyrics are here:

http://library.timelesstruths.org/music/It_Is_Well_with_My_Soul/  And better yet, if you don’t know the history behind this hymn, check it out here.  What a story! http://www.sharefaith.com/guide/Christian-Music/hymns-the-songs-and-the-stories/it-is-well-with-my-soul-the-song-and-the-story.html

Prayer:

Father,
          Comfort as only You can in times like these! Surround Caroline's family and circle of friends with Your love and Your peace. Cause the rest of us to be aware of those around us who need to feel Your touch through our hands extended. A fresh anointing of compassion, Father, this we pray. In Jesus' Name. Amen

*+ Why?

“My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord. “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. 
For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.
Isaiah 55:8-10 NLT

I don't think I know anyone who hasn't questioned God at one time or another. 'Why?' seems to be the most common question we have for Him, and the one that seems to be most often left unanswered. However, I have noticed the longer one follows the Lord, the more the 'Why?' is to try to understand or make sense of a situation, and less of a confrontational 'How dare you' attitude. 

Today, I attended a 'See You Later' Celebration of Life for a 15-month-old little boy named Elisha. Nobody wants to do that...ever. As difficult as it was, I can't imagine going through something like this without God. Thankfully, Elisha's parents, grandparents and great-grandparents are all Christians and their faith beautifully reflected God's glory and grace today. 

Most amazing to me were the testimonies of how this baby's short 15 months changed the lives of those who interacted with him. How - because of his condition - they had to reach deep for ways to connect and communicate with him. How they found new depths of their own character that they never knew existed. And their words today profoundly affected those gathered to honor and support the family. I look forward to hearing the after stories of how lifestyles and choices were changed forever by what folks heard this day about a 15-month-old little superhero named Elisha. 

There were lots of tears, but there was also laughter. There was tangible pain, but there was also hope and confidence that this truly was a 'See You Later' event. 

We may never know the answer to any of the times we have asked 'Why?'. After all, we have never 'commanded the morning to appear and caused the dawn to rise in the east' or 'made daylight spread to the ends of the earth, to bring an end to the night’s wickedness' or any of those other marvelous things listed in the last few chapters of Job, but we do know the One who did.

Prayer:

Father,
         Jesus told us in His famed Sermon on the Mount, Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted. Comfort as only You can, Father. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen.

Beginnings and Endings +

The end of a matter is better than its beginning...

Ecclesiastes 7:8a NIV

I've been thinking a lot about beginnings and ends - in many different realms. How we perceive the value or benefit of either depends on how we look at it.

Several friends are pregnant or have just given birth - their whole focus is about the end of the pregnancy and the beginning of life spent with their newborn.  One friend recently retired. He's still floating on Cloud Nine, but not sure what the future holds.  And another was just promoted. He's excited about the beginning of the new global position, but is torn at leaving the people and position he had. 

Several friends were recently laid off from their jobs. One was elated. One was concerned. One was "okay as long as it didn't last more than two months." The jury is still out on the other. 

And still one more precious friend who is at the end of her life's journey. She's excited beyond measure at the thought of Heaven and being with her beloved Jesus, yet sad beyond words at leaving her husband and children and grandchildren.

As mere human beings, we are conflicted with beginnings and ends. We don't always see that the end of something means the beginning of something else. And yet, oftentimes, the end of something is vitally important so that we may get to the new beginning... 

This one thing I know. If we follow the Lord and walk in His righteousness, then our steps are ordered by His design, and just like the Blood He shed for our every sin, He's got it all covered. Revelation 22:12-13 NLT assures us of this, Look, I am coming soon, bringing my reward with me to repay all people according to their deeds. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.

Prayer:

Father,

           Thank You that our confidence is in You since You know the end from the beginning. Your Word in Psalm 139 teaches us that You have numbered all our days, and know the days and minutes in each. Keep us holy and righteous before You, O Lord. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen