How Quickly We Forget

(A note from me, the blogger who seems to have given up blogging: I'm still here.  But it seems that things are happening so rapidly the topic I thought about adding to this blog is overcome by another, then another, and so it goes, until I give up trying to keep up.  Every so often I dig back and bring to the front of this page a post I shared with you in the past.  Although it hasn't been a week since Easter Sunday, it fits.  Perhaps it's because some of us are quicker to forget in these perilous times.  So this is just a reminder that we should never forget, and that we should go to the foot of the cross every day of the year.  In the meantime, to my two followers, don't give up on me.  Maybe someday I'll start fresh.  I miss it, and I hope you do, too. ~ Karen   


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It has only been a week since millions, or perhaps billions, around the world honored the day that has been set aside to commemorate the death, resurrection, and ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ. Easter, or Resurrection Day as some are becoming more apt to call it, is the most important day of the year for Christians and is celebrated in churches in every nation on this earth.

What are more commonly empty pews on any regular Sabbath day, on Easter the church is filled to the brim with men and women who attend to remember (or, at least we hope so) the sacrifice that was made nearly 2,000 years ago - "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life." (John 3:16)

John 3:16 is perhaps the most recited verse of Scripture.  Even unbelievers and atheists are able to recite it.  We see it on road signs, on greeting cards, and on handwritten placards held up for all the world to see at televised ball games.    For a fleeting moment, the conscience is made aware and the heart is seared, until the eyes that saw it are lured away by worldly things.

And so it goes with the majority of those who attend a Easter service each year.  We could hope that the reason they attend church on that day is because they desire to honor Christ and thank the Father for giving us His Son as a propitiation for our sins.  We could hope the reason they were compelled to come by family and friends is because of a deep, unexplainable yearning to know more about Him.  Or better yet, we can hope the Holy Spirit is calling one more of God's children into the fold.  But, sadly, this isn't the case with most.  Easter is just another holiday filled with treats, frivolity, and family gatherings, and the Easter egg hunt has replaced the search for the One whose sacrifice defines the reason it's celebrated in the first place.

Because Monday always follows a Sunday, for most after Easter it's back to business as usual.  The world has its demands, even for Christians, I might add.  But the way the world sees it, life is dependent upon going back to work in order to keep the bacon coming in and fulfilling the needs and wants of an incessant, nagging houseful of imperious princes and princesses who believe the world (that means Dad and Mom and you and me) owes them everything they desire (that also means Dad and Mom who, all too often, are driven by material wants of their own).  All too often, the only remnants of the venerable day called Easter are overly wound children, a few brightly colored eggs that have been badly abused during the hunt, ear-less chocolate rabbits, bits of colored foil, plastic "grass" stuck to sticky candy and clinging in unlikely places, and stray jelly beans found under the couch cushion weeks, or years, later.

Along with the baskets and frills, Easter has been stored away until next year.  And for those who donned their Easter best and made their obligatory appearance for the first time that year, church attendance has also been stored away - at least until Christmas, when more treats, frivolity, and family gatherings will occur.

And sadly, far too many professing Christians fall into the same trap.  Church attendance resumes as just another social gathering.  Prayer becomes less constant.  Earthly trials and troubles and the mundane day-to-day routine draw our focus away from Jesus Christ and all that He has done to secure our salvation.  The main focus of the attention of many is on the next holiday waiting around the corner.

How quickly we forget.

I have been thinking about writing this blog post for the last couple of days.  But it wasn't until this morning, while reading my Spurgeon devotion, that I was finally convinced it needed to be done.  Spurgeon has a way of not allowing me to forget.  For the last month, every single morning and evening devotion was dedicated to remembrance: from the beginning to the end of that week-long account of Christ's entry into Jerusalem, His anguish in the garden of Gethsemane, His betrayal, His arrest, His trials before the rulers, to His agony on the cross and His ultimate rising from the grave and appearing to His disciples and others, and gloriously culminating on His ascension to Heaven and sitting down at the right hand of God the Father.

But how quickly we forget.

I have been reminded of late by things I have read and programs I have watched that we should preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ to ourselves every single day.  "Do this in remembrance of Me." (Luke 22:14-20) can be rightly applied to this practice.  When one thinks about it, there is no Gospel without all that occurred that fateful hour 2,000 years ago.  Forget Him?  God forbid that we ever do.  But because of the world and all that it entails, we are apt to, from time to time, until once again we are drawn back to the foot of the cross and are reminded of the real meaning of Easter and the One Who secured our salvation.

The following is Charles H. Spurgeon's devotion for the morning of April 26th.  May it compel my readers to never forget and draw them into a deeper and more meaningful relationship with our God and Savior Jesus Christ.

~ ~ ~

"This do in remembrance of Me." ~ (1Corinthians 11:24)

It seems then, that Christians may forget Christ!  There could be no need for this loving exhortation, if there were not a fearful supposition that our memories might prove treacherous.  Nor is this a bare supposition: it is, alas! too well-confirmed in our experience, not as a possibility, but as a lamentable fact.  It appears almost impossible that those who have been redeemed by the blood of the dying Lamb, and loved with an everlasting love by the eternal Son of God, should forget that gracious Saviour; but, if startling to the ear, it is, alas! too apparent to the eye to allow us to deny the crime.

Forget Him who never forgot us!  Forget Him who poured His blood forth for our sins!  Forget Him who loved us even to the death!  Can it be possible?

Yes, it is not only possible, but conscience confesses that it is too sadly a fault with all of us, that we suffer Him to be as a wayfaring man, tarrying but for a night.  He whom we should make the abiding tenant of our memories is but a visitor therein.  The cross where one would think that memory would linger, and unmindfulness would be an unknown intruder, is desecrated by the feet of forgetfulness.  Does not your conscience say that this is true?  Do you not find yourselves forgetful of Jesus?

Some creature steals away your heart, and you are unmindful of Him upon whom your affection ought to be set.  Some earthly business engrosses your attention when you should fix your eye steadily upon the cross.  It is the incessant turmoil of the world, the constant attraction of earthly things which takes away the soul from Christ.

While memory too well preserves a poisonous weed, it suffereth the rose of Sharon to whither.  Let us charge ourselves to bind a heavenly forget-me-not about our hearts for Jesus our Beloved, and, whatever else we let slip, let us hold fast to Him.

The Expectation of Thanks

For the last twenty years, I have been watching a growing problem in society.  Well, let's say that it's just one of many that rubs me the wrong way.  None of us are so blind that we don't see the degrading of Godly morals and values and the world's population becoming more centered on self.  As is commonly opined, when society begins to crumble, the first place to look is in the home and how it's structured and how our children are being raised.  And the problem I will be referring to begins there.

Gratitude and thankfulness for the things we do for others is on the wane.  I am seeing it far too often in today's youth.   I can't tell you the number of times my husband and I have done things for family members that puts a strain on our pocketbook, only to receive no thanks.  What's worse is when we do get that telephone call, only to find out later that the caller had to be reminded to make it.  When that happens, it causes me to wonder if the response was genuine, or if it was only uttered to silence a harping parent.  However, if a child is raised right, a reminder shouldn't be necessary, even if the thanks you receive is only viewed as a duty.

I don't give gifts because I want gushing praise.  I don't expect anything, except that the recipient understand how much I love them, regardless of the size or cost of the gift.  A gift is an expression of how much that person means to me.  And the response I receive - a phone call or silence - may tell me how much I mean to that person.  Others I know have expressed the same disappointment and, sadly, this behavior is a heart problem.  As Charles Spurgeon once said, "For the most part, nothing is more easily blotted out than a good turn."

I don't expect others to shower me with gifts.  Money and things aren't important to me.  A simple card with a hand-written note, or a phone call just to let me know I am loved, lifts my spirits more than material things ever could.  They are ways of letting me know that I am important to that person, and they are more than enough.  But when the occasion to exchange gifts becomes a one-sided event with nothing in the way of reciprocation, it can be hurtful.  To draw once again from Charles Spurgeon, "The foal drains his mother, and then kicks her.  The old saying is, 'I taught you to swim, and now you would drown me,' and many a time it comes true. The dog wags his tail till he gets the bone, and then he snaps and bites at the man who fed him."  Spurgeon's metaphor describes the harshest response and, sadly, I have been the recipient of such heartlessness.  As I did with my children, my parents instilled in me a heart of gratitude, especially when it came to thanking others for their thoughtfulness.  But today's youth are either not being taught the proper response, or are, and just don't care.

So, with that thought in mind, let's move on to how God may feel about how we respond to the gifts He faithfully and continually bestows on us.  When His providence continues without fail, do we thank Him, or are we the "dog [that] wags his tail till he gets the bone, and then...snaps and bites" His gracious hand?  Do we even acknowledge the fact that, without Him, we couldn't draw a single breath?  When we rise in the morning, do we thank Him for giving us one more day?  As meals are being prepared, do we pause to consider that if He had not provided the ingredients, we would go hungry?  The roof over our head?  The clothes on our backs?  The job that guarantees our family will be cared for?  Even things as simple as the weather and His creation that surrounds us?  The bounties God pours out upon us are endless, yet how often do we thank Him for the simplest and most basic things?

Not often enough.  And I am just as guilty as the rest who daily fail to recognize His magnificent beneficence.

What is even more astounding is the fact that God provides life and its necessities even for those who hate Him:

"For He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust."

 (Matthew 5:45)

Now that is definitely something worthy of serious thought!

But there's one difference between how we respond to gifts we receive from others and the response God desires when He gives them.  We may not get the thanks we think we should get, but we can live with it.  God, however, wants to be thanked for the gifts He daily pours out upon us.  He wants to be praised for His benevolence in giving the gift.  He wants to receive the glory He so richly deserves when we acknowledge that it is Him, and only Him, that makes the gift possible.  We were created for His glory, and God is greatly honored by our reciprocation and delights in it.  King David, as well as others, understood that God deserved all of our worship and praise for everything from deliverance from trials and tribulations to merely living and breathing.  The book of Psalms is replete with words of thanksgiving and are too numerous to mention here.  But here is one very small example that sums it up quite nicely:

"Praise the Lord!
Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good,
    for His steadfast love endures forever!"

 (Psalm 106:1)

Throughout the entire Bible, men gave praise where praise was due, for they knew from whom it was the gift came.  Just a couple more examples:

"If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him! 

(Matthew 7:11)

 "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change."

 (James 1:17) 

  

When we receive gifts, although we desire it, there should be no overabundant expectation of thanks, especially in light of today's messed up civilization and the lack of parental guidance.  A hug and the simple words, "thank you," should be sufficient.  But with God, there is an expectation of thankfulness.  After all, He is the giver of all things and His greatest desire is that we acknowledge the tremendous love He has for man and all that He does for us.  When He honors us with a gift, whatever that gift may be, small or large, our response should be continual overwhelming gratitude.

The gifts we give our children and grandchildren are only material things that will not last.  But God the Father gave to mankind the ultimate gift that will last forever:  His Son Jesus Christ.  Through His death and resurrection, Jesus secured us a way back to the Father.  He is the Giver of Life, our Provider, our Protector, our Comforter, and the only way to have eternal life.  We may not receive much in the way of thanks from others, but our deep gratitude and sincere thankfulness to God should be such that there is never any question where we stand.

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

 (1 Thessalonians 5:16)

 

There is an old song from Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young, "Teach Your Children," that parents should take to heart.  By instilling in yourself and your child a heart of gratitude towards God and others, you will know they love Him and you.

May grace and peace, and a heart of gratitude, abound to all who have visited. 

 

 

The End Will Be Better Than the Beginning

On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink.  Whoever believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’”

John 7:37-38

Another year of my life is drawing to a close.  It has been an ordinary year of ups and downs, joys and delights with family, friends, and my horse, and with a smattering of trials that crept in and threatened to pull me away from my faith in Jesus Christ.  When the trials came, I have often prayed that God would "restore to me the joy of [His] salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit" (Psalm 51:12).  I may wallow in self-pity for a moment, but He has never failed to do just that.  Restoration by the LORD is a beautiful thing.

I know many who will look back upon the last year as unproductive or unfulfilled, but they are only looking at the surface and what they perceive to be their own accomplishments and efforts, rather than acknowledging their Creator and their own inability to even exist without Him.  They will make New Year resolutions that will not be kept, setting their eyes on unattainable goals, only to fail and be disappointed at next year's end, where they will make new resolutions.  "Come now, you who say, 'Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit^{' -}  yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring.  What is your life?  For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes.   Instead you ought to say, 'If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.'  (James 4:13-15)

And so the cycle goes.

I have experienced this myself.  I have looked towards tomorrow with anticipation to self-made plans, only to watch them never materialize.  I have known disappointment far more times than I can count in my nearly 61 years.  I have often wondered why my idea of how my life should be lived never seems to come to fruition; why I can't have the life others lead and the comforts they enjoy.  But then I am reminded that my life is not my own.  I am given a choice to either whine, moan, or covet after what I don't have, or rest in the knowledge that what I do have is what God desires for me and be eternally grateful for it.  He alone knows me and what I am capable of handling.  He alone knows what is best for me.  And what I do have are gifts from Him that are beyond comparison to what so many others lack.  He has upheld me with His strength even in my darkest moments and His daily bounties have been magnificent!

As I look back over the years and the times I found myself in despair or need, God was always present, whether I acknowledged Him then, or not.  As I grew in faith, my thirst for my Savior Jesus Christ compelled me to drink from His bottomless well of providence, mercy, and grace.  And I have returned there every day for renewal, because I know He is the compilation and completion of all that I am.  Without Him, I will die from thirst.  But with Him, my thirst is quenched for all eternity. 
 

I know with all my heart that the end of my life here on this earth will be far better than its beginning.  I, like all sinners, didn't start out that well.  I stumbled and faltered often and made mistake after mistake.  But the finish line is in view and I know Who it is that is waiting for me there with open arms and the beginning of what life is truly meant to be.

It is my desire for the New Year 2015 that those I know and love who have yet to receive their Savior Jesus Christ will come to Him and drink deeply from the living, eternal waters of life that He is offering you.  Don't resolve to put it off for another day.  Don't think you can plan when, how, and where you will respond for, if you do, you may one day face a locked door:

 “Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom.  Five of them were foolish, and five were wise.   For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them,  but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps.   As the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and slept.   But at midnight there was a cry, ‘Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’   Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps.   And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’   But the wise answered, saying, ‘Since there will not be enough for us and for you, go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves.’   And while they were going to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut.   Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open to us.’   But he answered, ‘Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.’  Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour."  (Matthew 25:1-14)

I pray you will hear and heed His voice.  The day is growing shorter and His return is on the horizon.  Who knows what next year, tomorrow, or even the next moment, will bring?

Jesus is calling,

  ^"Come to Me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.  Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.   For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light.”  (Matthew 11:28-30)

For this coming New Year, repent of your sins against a Holy God and resolve to know, trust, and have faith in your Savior Jesus Christ.  May it be so.

Have a blessed and Happy New Year!

Loving Others Into Hell

Quite often, my posts begin with a title before any words are written.  The title is placed in the little box where it belongs, I know the message I want to convey, but the page can remain blank for days, weeks, or even longer while I wait for the words to build in my mind.  This particular post has been graced with a title for over a month, and it's a doozy, don't you think?  I decided it needed an explanation and found myself gravitating to the computer today to fill in that blank page.

But before you get started reading my thoughts, stop for a moment and meditate on those three words.................................................................................................................................................................................................

Are you done?

Let's get started on why I chose such a startling title, and whether or not you are as guilty as I often am by its implication or, perhaps better put, insinuation.

If I had used each word individually, they could be viewed as innocuous, or less harmful.   Or if I had only used the first two words as my title, there would be the appearance of a warm and compassionate post filled with encouragement to "love your neighbor as yourself" (Matt 22:38-40).   But by adding the last two words, the title then becomes a little more threatening to our sensibilities.  It implies a negative connotation, creating an undertone of suspicion that the writer of this blog may be going just a little too far with what some perceive as finger-pointing, or today's popular usage of the accusation, "being judgmental."  However, what is possibly not being considered by the "judge not" crowd is that I am not only pointing the finger at some, but also right back at myself.

Are you confused?  If so, let me explain.

Each and every Christian has unsaved friends and family members.   If we were true to ourselves, we would even acknowledge that as we walk through a crowd of strangers, our eyes are incapable of landing on someone who isn't in need of hearing the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  As I sit here writing this post, there are two men, one I've known for over 30 years, who are working on a foundation for a new addition to our house.  I'm as positive as we can be that neither are saved.  Their words and actions (their talk and walk) give enough evidence to assert that claim.  But what I am not positive about is if they have ever heard about their desperate need for salvation.

With that question bouncing around in my head, the burden then becomes mine.  Why should it be my burden?

God may have placed them before me for a reason, other than a new utility room.

Although I don't know the young man that is with my old friend, I can honestly say that I love them both.  Not in the physical or emotional sense that the world would understand.  Rather, I love them for what they lack.  I love them for what they sorely need.  I am given a glimpse with my eyes into their lives, I am able to hear with my ears their sins, and know that unless I or someone else speaks up and tells them about God's law and the death it can bring and why man has fallen from grace and how he can be restored to life and tell them of the One who secured that for us, they will leave this world without hope and suffer eternal punishment in Hell.

But fear prevents me because I don't want to offend, to anger, to be rejected, to be scoffed at, to become that "religious nut," or to possibly lose a long-time friendship, or fail to establish a new one.  And when it comes to our unsaved family members who exhibit all of the above, there is even less willingness to speak up for Jesus, because to be alienated from them is the worst possible scenario in this life.  We don't want to upset the apple cart of family continuity.  We say we love them too much to break the family apart, or to be avoided at family gatherings.  But do we truly love them enough?   Do we love them so much that we would be willing to sacrifice good relationships with them by boldly giving the prescription they desperately need and that would cure them of the soul destroying disease of depravity and eternal death?

Sadly, the answer with most of us is usually "No."  We would rather that someone else step up and do for us what we ourselves should have done.

In other words, by our failure to obey the LORD Jesus' command to go out and make disciples of men (Matt 28:18-20), we are loving our friends and family straight into Hell.

By now, I'm sure you've caught on to the subject matter.

The greatest love we can demonstrate is to give the Gospel to everyone, regardless of their relationship to us, or the situation we find ourselves in with them.  To remain silent is a gross exhibition of hatred in its worst form.   When it comes to family and friends we say we love and would do anything for, it could safely be said that the love we have for them is shallow and without substance.  We love their sense of humor.  We love being with them.  We love their little quirks.  And we love that they also love us.

But that's not enough.

There are four types of "love" in the Greek language which are used throughout Scripture:

1. "Storge," a term rarely used in ancient text, denotes affection mainly between family members.
2. "Philia" or "phileo" is used to demonstrate loyalty to friends, family, and community and must include virtue, equality, and familiarity.
3. "Eros" is physical, passionate love that compels one to sensual desire and longing.  It's the type of love described as "love at first sight;" romantic, pure emotion without the balance of logic.  Although the word is usually used in the context of sexual desire, it isn't necessarily always attributed to it, but is also used as a deeper form of the "philia" type of love between friends, or an appreciation of the beauty within another person.
4. "Agape" means love in a spiritual sense, or unconditional love.  It is selfless, expecting nothing in return.  It is a deep and abiding love that expresses God's unconditional love for His wayward children.  The apostle, Paul, wrote of this type of love in 1Corinthians 13:1-13.

Taking these words and definitions into context, in what should be our witness for Christ, most Christians never succeed in getting past the first two Greek words when it comes to the type of love we demonstrate.  We have deep affection for our family and friends.  We are loyal to them and consider them to be equal with us, but that's as far as our professed love goes.  We all too often overlook their sinfulness and depravity.  We roll our eyes, maybe uttering a prayer for their repentance and redemption.  We neglect their absolute need of Jesus Christ and His gift of salvation, and fail them - and Him - time and time again, until it's too late and their destination after they die is fixed for all eternity.

We just don't want the reaction we think we're going to receive.

When I consider my failings and my utter unwillingness to give the Gospel of Jesus Christ to certain family and friends, I understand just how superficial and limited my love is for them.  Honesty with myself compels me to admit it borders on hatred.  Hatred not for their physical presence in the here and now, but for their soul that will continue to live on after their body is mere dust.  We should love as Jesus loved, not the way we think is appropriate and acceptable.  In light of the glaring fact that life on this earth and our relationships with others is fleeting, our primary focus should be on the next life and what those can expect who do not yet know, and are known by, Jesus Christ.

Instead of loving others into Hell through our complacency, unwillingness, or fear of reprisal, we should strive for the same love Jesus Christ demonstrated by faithfully telling them the truth.  And just as equally important, Christians should never think that any specific moment is inappropriate, especially during gatherings of frivolity and gaity, or a few moments together over coffee.  Seconds are ticking by, and the clock that measures the length of a person's life on this earth cannot be paused or stopped.

Three times, Jesus asked Peter if he loved Him.  Three times, Peter responded with a "yes."  But the third time, Peter understood the depth of Christ's question and it grieved him (John 21:15-17).   I am often reminded that my love for Jesus Christ is just as shallow and limited as the love I have for my family and friends.  I shouldn't be able to find the bottom but, ashamedly, I do, just as Peter realized his own lack.  I, too, should be willing to go out and "feed" Jesus' sheep each and every time the opportunity is presented, even if it means Jesus telling me what He told Peter: "Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, you used to dress yourself and walk wherever you wanted, but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you and carry you where you do not want to go.”  (John 21:18)

If anything would compel someone to keep silent about the way to salvation, Jesus telling Peter how he would die should have done so.  But Peter understood the vital necessity of the message he would carry and faithfully delivered it.

Peter loved others as Christ loved.  Never faltering.  Never wavering.  Never watering down the Gospel.  And in all circumstances and all situations, Peter never feared rejection or persecution when he gave it.

Thus the meaning for the title of this post.

It took a while to reveal my thoughts and the conviction that I fail my Savior far too often, including the courage to confess it.  Although I am ashamed to admit it, my failures are ever before me.   But I'm thankful Jesus has revealed one more of my endless flaws that needs gentle correction.  Sanctification is a long process, and I am thankful He is patient with me.

If we truly love Jesus as we should, instead of loving others into Hell through our silence, we will love them with the same "agape" He has for us.  Knowing that, with each breath, our unsaved friends and family members are approaching eternity and a fixed location, we must be driven to set aside any discomfort we may have while in their presence and love them into Heaven by giving them the greatest gift a man can receive, regardless of the situation or timing.

So, here I am, pointing the proverbial finger at you and praying for your conviction, as well.  It sure gave me pause, and I hope it does you.

There's a world of sinners waiting for someone to speak up without fear.  Some you know.  Some you won't know until God places them in front of you.  Some will reject it in various ways.  Some will embrace it with joy.  And we should always remember it's not us that does the heart work.  It's the Holy Spirit.  We're just the instrument by which the Good News is given.

As I told my late father once, when he was attempting to give the Gospel to his sisters who were lost in false beliefs, and who cruelly refused to believe what he brought them, "It's not you they were rejecting, but the Holy Spirit Who sent you.  You did what the LORD asked, and that's all that was required of you."

So, go out and boldly proclaim Jesus Christ to your friends and loved ones so that they may also know and live in the glorious presence of God with you for all eternity.

Our Tireless Witness

I know many of you can relate to the discouragement we experience when we witness to the lost members of our family and to our friends.  Their rejection can be heartbreaking.  The Gospel we bring them is often met with stubbornness, an unwillingness to hear it, and a desire to debate you.  It is met with defiance because they want to believe in a god of their own choosing, rather than the True God whom you are introducing to them.  They believe you are exclusive by insisting that there is only One Way, One Truth, and One Life.  They demand that you be inclusive and tolerant for those with different beliefs, doctrines, ideologies, or philosophies that do not line up with the Word of God.

They refuse to believe in a Jealous God that commands belief in Him, and Him only.  Submission to Him is out of the question; they prefer to maintain their self-reliance, their works, their pride, their arrogance. They seek after mediums, palm readers, and attempt to "channel" the spirits of the dead in vain attempts to soothe their consciences.  Their days are filled with fulfilling selfish wants and desires, chasing after unholy and lustful lifestyles that will only bring them greater pain and drive them farther from Him.  His call is unheeded.  Yielding to Him is seen as a sign of weakness.  And just when you thought your heart was completely broken over their response,or lack thereof, you faithfully remain vigilant in prayer that one day they will receive what you're bringing them.

If our friends and family do have any bent towards "religion," you discover that it is a religion of their own creation; a religion that soothes their conscience, one which never teaches the depravity of man and his need for reconciliation with God.  They have possibly embraced a false Gospel, one that lies to them that they are really good people and that good people aren't sent to Hell.  Or one that encourages works in order to appease God.  Many of them have had their ears "tickled" by wolves that have slipped into the church, giving them just enough of the Gospel to make them think they're hearing the Truth of God.  Or perhaps they have fallen into the damning prosperity crowd, the "blab it and grab it" church that believes God is a puppet, and if they make demands of Him, He will magically give them all of which they ask.   They may be clinging to Papacy, praying to saints, worshiping Mary, buying indulgences, and mistakenly thinking the priest in the closet will be able to absolve them of their sins.  That is, until the next time they sin and feel it necessary to "confess" once again.  A few "Hail Mary's," counting their beads, and relying on dead men to cleanse them is all they believe they need.

You wonder if there is any hope left for them.

In one of Charles H. Spurgeon's sermons, I once read about a conversation he had with his Christian mother before his conversion.  Apparently, he was a bad boy around the age of 15 who loved the things of the world and involved himself in them to the point that she feared for him and pleaded with him, begging him to consider Christ.  According to Spurgeon, she concluded by telling him that when she was at last in Christ's presence, in her glorified state and watching as He judged unrepentant sinners, she "would have to say amen to his condemnation."   I have been giving this a lot of thought the last few days, and I must agree with Mrs. Spurgeon's declaration.  The heartbreak she felt over her son's wayward life is the same heartbreak I feel over the unwillingness of those I love when they refuse to consider what I bring them.  However, when I am at last in my Lord's presence, when I am at last freed from my sinful state, I will not weep over those I loved who refused Him in this life and are condemned to an eternity of suffering.  Heaven would not have it.  As Spurgeon's mother said to him, I will also say "amen" to their condemnation.

Before you think I am heartless, let me explain.  Because we will at last be perfected like Jesus Christ in all ways, we will rejoice to see His enemies finally be put to eternal shame and destruction.  Sin that now resides in every atom of our being will be completely and utterly removed from us.  The concept is such an alien one to us at this point in time that we can not conceive what it will be like to be free of sinful thoughts and actions.  But then - ah then! -  it will be fully understood!  When we, Jesus' Saints, return with Him to bring an end to evil, we will rejoice because we will better understand the hatred and unbelief the world has had for Him.  We will see sin through God's eyes.  We will look upon them with more disgust than we ever experienced in this life; their sinful wickedness appalling and detestable because it is aimed at our King, our Lord, our Almighty God - the One they denied so vehemently.  He will be our Champion, our great Victor who has conquered His enemies, and we will praise Him for all of eternity for doing so.

I look forward with tremendous anticipation to that day of victory for my King's honor.  But while He tarries, my love for my unbelieving family and friends still whispers within me.  And because of the deep love I have for them, the desire I have for their salvation is even greater still because I understand the implications of eternity without Jesus Christ.  Regardless of the responses we receive from those who have not yet believed in the One Who has done all to secure their salvation, we must continue in our witness.  Jesus commanded it: "...and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”  (Acts 1:8b,  ESV) - and it is our duty to Him to fulfill it.

We must use Jesus' example. Never should we allow rejection from others to cause us to quit.  Like our Lord did, we must meet the woman at the well in Samaria and the Scribes and Pharisees at the temple.  And we must tell them of not only a forgiving and merciful God, but of a God who is also just and filled with wrath against sin and those who reject His Son and His redeeming act that purchased our salvation.  Regardless of their unwillingness to hear, they must know that, one day, they will stand before Almighty God in judgment, and that all their deeds and thoughts while on this earth will be laid out before them.  Without the covering of the blood of Jesus Christ, which washes away our sins and clothes us in His righteousness, their condemnation will be swift and their eternity sealed in damnation.

The Gospel of Jesus Christ can not be silenced. Many have tried and failed. No threats of persecution, whether physical or emotional, ever stopped it from spreading across the earth.  Nor will it stop it in our lifetime, or the one after us, even if it comes from family and friends.  We will experience the excuses, objections, and the rejections from many, but it shouldn't discourage us.  Our words must be from His Word, never of our own making.  They must be clear and transparent and never deviating from the Truth of Scripture.  Our testimony must be His testimony; never boasting of ourselves, but of Him.  The work we do must be dictated by Him, never becoming our own, rather pointing out His work.  And the love that we shed abroad upon the hearts of our loved ones must never be lacking the fullness and reflection of the immensity of our Lord's great love for mankind.

Spurgeon exhorts us with the following:

Do not watch the clouds or consult the wind.  In season and out of season, witness for the Savior.  If it happens that, for Christ sake, and the Gospel's sake, you must endure suffering in any form, do not shrink from it, but rejoice in the honor thus conferred on you, that you are counted worthy to suffer with your Lord.  Rejoice also in this: your suffering, losses, and persecution will be a platform from which you can witness for Christ Jesus even more vigorously, and with greater power.  Study your great Exemplar, and be filled with His Spirit.  Remember that you need much teaching, much upholding, much grace, and much humility, if your witnessing is to be to your Master's glory.

"Sow your seed in the morning and do not be idle in the evening, for you do not know whether morning or evening sowing will succeed, or whether both of them alike will be good."  (Eccl 11:6, NASB)

The heartbreak we feel over unyielding hearts can be discouraging, but it must never cause us to faint or turn away.  We must sow; in the morning or the evening, in good times and in bad, never allowing ourselves to become weak over insults or slights.  Nor should it cause us to minimize the Gospel in order that we not offend anyone with a part of its Truth.  Jesus never spared His hearers of the complete and true nature of God, His will, or His purpose.  His descriptive words revealed a loving and kind God, but also a wrathful One Who would ultimately destroy sin forever.  He knows those He has chosen, and one or all of our loved ones may be among those He will spare. There will come a time when our work for Him is done and we are able to at last turn our faces away from this sinful world.  But now is not that time.  We must faithfully continue with tireless devotion, drawing upon God's strength and heeding His direction until, at last, all of His children are drawn into the safety of His arms.

So, to my beloved family, to my cherished friends, and also to the person who finds himself on this blog, I will tirelessly continue to witness to you.  I will bring you the Good News of salvation through Jesus Christ, and to exalt Him above all of creation and the false things you have embraced.  It may not be something you want to hear or read, but I am compelled by a Force greater than myself to give it to you.  The decision whether or not to heed the warnings I bring will be your own.  But our Lord will receive glory and honor, either because of that decision, or in spite of it.

"Therefore God has highly exalted Him and bestowed on Him the Name that is above every name, so that at the Name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."   (Philippians 2:9-12, ESV)

I encourage everyone to examine themselves in the light of God's Word, and to believe, repent, ask forgiveness, and be reconciled to God.

Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling. 

Kiss the Son, lest He be angry, and you perish in the way,

for His wrath is quickly kindled.
Blessed are all who take refuge in Him.

Psalm 2:11-12, ESV

Listen...

I am listening to the music of the rain.  As it falls from the gray skies that have enveloped my mountain valley, the patter of its drops fall from the roof onto the ground below.  The nourishment it brings is welcomed by the earth as it soaks deeply into the ground and replenishes the life-giving soil.

I won't complain about the chill in the air, the mud the dog brings in on her little feet, or the droplets she carries into the house on her back.  She smiles at me as she shakes them onto the floor as if to say, "You don't mind if I bring a little in with me, do you?", then makes her odd little circles over the top of her rug before curling into a smaller shape to warm her body.  I clean up any footprints or raindrop spatters that have reached the cabinets and smile back at her.  Today I don't mind.  I am listening to the rain.

The rain is my music.  Its melody is gentle and soothing, reminding me of the continuing providence the earth and its inhabitants faithfully receive.  In the days and weeks to come, there will be a different music played from the heavens.  It will be the music of sunshine and heat the summer will bring; of the occasional thunderstorm that perches atop the mountains surrounding my home, its booming bass drums and timpani echoing back and forth across the valley floor, the lightening flashing its brilliance like crashing cymbals bringing the symphony to its glorious conclusion.  The cadence of life passing by as in a dream will play upon my soul as I listen to the musical laughter of my grandchildren freed from the constraints of school and relishing the days of warmth and frolic.

There is much more music coming, but today, I am listening to the rain.  Verses begin to flood my mind, feeding my soul like the waters feed the earth.

“And if you will indeed obey my commandments that I command you today, to love the Lord your God, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul, he will give the rain for your land in its season, the early rain and the later rain, that you may gather in your grain and your wine and your oil.   And he will give grass in your fields for your livestock, and you shall eat and be full."

Deut. 11:13-15

  “Give ear, O heavens, and I will speak,
    and let the earth hear the words of my mouth.  May my teaching drop as the rain,
    my speech distill as the dew,
like gentle rain upon the tender grass,
    and like showers upon the herb.  For I will proclaim the name of the Lord;
    ascribe greatness to our God!"

 Deut. 32:1-3

 "Behold, God is great, and we know him not;
    the number of his years is unsearchable.  For he draws up the drops of water;
    they distill his mist in rain, which the skies pour down
    and drop on mankind abundantly."

Job 36:26-28

 "May they fear you while the sun endures,
    and as long as the moon, throughout all generations!   

May he be like rain that falls on the mown grass,
    like showers that water the earth! 

In his days may the righteous flourish,
    and peace abound, till the moon be no more!"

Psalm 72:5-7

  Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving;
    make melody to our God on the lyre!

He covers the heavens with clouds;
    he prepares rain for the earth;
    he makes grass grow on the hills.

Psalm 147:7-8

"But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven.  For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust."

Matthew 5:44-45

I know the music of the rain will soon cease and the sign of God's enduring covenant will shine brightly in the sky (Gen 9:8-17).  From one side of my valley to the next, the bow will gleam with vibrant colors of promise, a glorious display in the heavens that will stop even the hardest heart as it gazes upon it in wonder and awe.  The melody that issues forth from the bow will pierce the eye and flow into the heart that desires understanding of the One who placed it there.  That is its purpose and its music will not go unnoticed.

Today I am listening to the music of the rain.  It is carrying me along with its gentle bars of praise and worship, and its heavenly melody is filling my soul.

Tomorrow there will be a different song from heaven.  But for now, I will rest to the musical tones of the rain falling upon my heart.

Do you hear the music?