Uncertain Certainty

The title to this post sounds like an oxymoron.  But if applied correctly, it speaks of an assurance that our patient waiting for guidance from God will not be in vain.

Rather than lean heavily upon God in anticipation of our next step, we have a tendency to forget about the certainty that He will do what He has promised.  Instead, when He is silent and our life appears to be emptied of His presence and direction, we become uncertain.  Our impatience breeds doubt in His word and we begin to question not only ourselves, but Him.  Uncertainty then becomes a bad thing because we see ourselves as having failed at reaching our self-perceived goal.

Oswald Chambers, in “My Utmost For His Highest”, writes:

“Certainty is the mark of the common-sense life; gracious uncertainty is the mark of the spiritual life.”

Most of us want order in our lives.  We want each step to be carefully measured out so that there is never any question left hanging in reaching our ultimate goal.  This is the “mark of the common-sense life.”  And when things fail to go as we think they should, our certainty in ourselves and in our own efforts are shattered.  Clinging to our “common sense” and to our attempt to keep our steps orderly and in line with how we want things to play out will ultimately lead us to places we ought not go and, eventually, further from God and His perfect plan.  In other words, we want to lead Him rather than allow Him to lead us, especially if it means a certain amount of disorder must be endured.

The “gracious uncertainty” Chambers speaks of is one of joyful anticipation for God’s spontaneity.  We can compare it to a child waiting in anxious expectation for the moment he is to receive a much-wanted gift that has been promised him.  He knows it has been ordered, but he must wait patiently because the timing of its arrival is not determined.  The shipment has been delayed.  It could come tomorrow, or it could come next week.  He may be uncertain of the time of delivery, but he knows it will eventually come because he believes and trusts the one who has made the promise.

Our uncertainty should never lie with distrust that God will not deliver upon His promise, rather upon what He will do next.  Even though we have periods of idleness in our desired work for Him, He is carefully planning His next move.  This should excite us as we wait to see how He will use us and where He will place us to further His kingdom.  Like the child joyfully anticipating his gift, we should wait with uncertain certainty that eventually God will come and when He does, we must be alert, listening for His instruction, and ready to act upon it.

Open the Door!

Have you ever tried to save yourself multiple trips and had your arms loaded with groceries, finding yourself unable to grasp the doorknob or slip a key into the lock in order to let yourself into the house?  The items you are carrying are heavy, your arms become weary from bearing them and they begin to shift and threaten to spill from the bags onto the stoop below.  A family member is somewhere inside the house and you begin yelling and kicking the door in hopes he or she will hear you.  Visions of broken jars, dented cans, and two dozen cracked or broken eggs cause you to yell and kick even louder.  But the person in the house is not hearing you.

The only way to gain entry by yourself is to relieve yourself of your burden.  You slowly lower the heavy bags, placing them on the ground below.  Instantly, you feel relief from the weight you were attempting to carry.  As you finally let yourself into the house, you determine that next time you will make that extra second or third trip.  The kids come running to see what treats you have brought home and you chide them for failing to come to your aid. 

"But, Mom," they reply, "you told us to never open the door to strangers!"

Jesus told a parable in Matthew 25:1-13 that bears a striking resemblance to the response given by the children in my own, and one that should give us pause.  At a specific time in the  not-too-distant future, there will be many, their arms loaded down with heavy burdens, who will find themselves locked out of His house.  But this time, the One Who holds the key will be on the other side of the door.  Their failure to prepare and be ready for such an event will prevent them from gaining passage, no matter how feverishly they pound upon the door and plead with the One Who possesses the key.  His response will be, "I tell you the truth, I do not know you." (v12) 

Will you find yourself in this situation?  Are you struggling on your own to bear the entire burden you carry?  Or have you gratefully handed it over to Jesus to carry for you?  Are you approaching the door with Him by your side, the key to heaven's door in His hand?  Or are you stubbornly refusing His help, only to discover when it is too late that He is behind the door that is forever shut tight against you?

Jesus says, "Do not be afraid.  I am the First and the Last.  I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold, I am alive for ever and ever!  And I hold the keys of death and Hades." (Rev 1:18)  He will determine who He allows into His eternal kingdom.  It will be those who "trimmed their lamps" (Matt 25:7) and kept faithful watch for His return (v13) that will be rewarded entry into His house.  Knowing that He alone carries the key that not only opens the door to eternal punishment, but also to heaven, should urge us to be counted among His children who are blessed with acceptance into Paradise.

There is still time to be included with those who will find an unlocked door awaiting them.  The way is easy for those who choose to take it.  Jesus explains just how simple it is to find God and enjoy eternal peace and everlasting joy in this promise: 

"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.  For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened." (Matthew 7:7-8)

Don't be caught off guard and find yourself to be a stranger to the One behind the door.  If you do the things He asks of you, Jesus will know you when you come knocking.

Adopted As a Son of the Promise

To be naturally born into a family affords a child full rights as a family member and, by law, makes him an heir of his parent's estate.  He enjoys an intimacy with other siblings, becoming a part of the family unit and sharing with them all that comprises what we know to be a family.  The child associates with other relatives that make up the broader extended family; learning from them, relying on them for companionship, looking up to them for leadership, and assuming similar morals and values that are carried on into his adult life.  The family is essential in his growth and maturity into adulthood, for what is put in is what he will reflect when he begins his own.

However, there are times when a child is denied a complete family and the benefits he could gain from it.  Often, children become disconnected from the natural order and are thrown into confusion over who their true family is.  To not know one or both of their biological parents because of mistakes made in their parent's pasts, or to be subjected by their parents to multiple marriages, creates a mindset of confusion that can often have disastrous results.  The child who is thrown into this unstable situation finds it difficult to cope with the constant uncertainty or changes that are forced upon him and which he has no control.  He may attempt to have his pain heard by rebelling and becoming involved in destructive behavior, because no matter how reassured he is by his parents that another change will make things better, his anger festers and threatens to destroy what little security he has left.

I have personally witnessed this scenario being played out, and it involved two little boys that instantly became family members.  This came about not by the natural order, but by inclusion through our own son’s marriage that dissolved after seven or eight years and two children of his own.  When his marriage ended, my son made a determined choice to remain in the boys’ lives.  The oldest did not know who his father was.  The youngest did, but his father was selfishly absent.  My son’s decision to be the father neither of the boys had previously fully known was one I felt extremely proud over.  He did so out of a tremendous love for them and a desire to nurture them and provide for them what they lacked.  He wanted to help correctly guide them so that, one day, they would also be able to make the right choices.  

Problems were evident, even at their very young age.  Two small boys, who were tossed about on the turbulent waves of multiple marriages and unstable relationships, and made vulnerable to their mother’s whims, each were forced to make their own choices as they matured.  The youngest chose the path of rebellion and, although unknowingly I am sure, wanted to punish his mother for her indiscretions.  Although I have no doubt that she loved them, she knew only what her own childhood had taught her: that it was okay to not remain in a marriage and make it work, even for the sake of the children.

The oldest boy, Stephen, was drawn onto another path, however.  He looked up to my son as the father he had always longed for, and their relationship became closer as time went on.  When he was faced with decisions that would directly affect his life, he came to my son for guidance.  He sought instruction over moral issues and desired the intimacy that is shared between a father and his son.  He assumed my son’s strong values and began to apply them to his own life.  And, much to our delight, he visited us often when my son brought our other grandchildren for a visit and gained childhood memories he will always cherish.

Perhaps the pivotal point in obtaining the full rights enjoyed by natural family members came when Stephen enlisted in the Marines and asked to list my son as his “father” on his military documents, and to name my husband and me as his “official grandparents.”  It was then that his adoption into our family became formal; not with a piece of paper stamped with the approval of the courts, but divinely sealed in our hearts by the hand of God.  The Lord had brought Stephen into our lives, had caused our hearts to love him, and gave him the family he always wanted.

Yesterday, Stephen, along with his Marine unit, was deployed to Afghanistan.  Although my son was in the Air Force for eight years and strongly adheres to the values he learned there, his heart is crushed at this time.  He knows the danger Stephen faces.  He understands Stephen’s desire to serve his country in this way because he, too, would be there if not for disabilities that prevented him from a career in the Air Force.  But because Stephen is his son, not by natural descent but by divine adoption, accorded the full rights as heir of our promise, he worries about him.  And we also worry.  We are truly blessed to call him our own.  God has deeply embedded him in our hearts, he is greatly loved as much as our natural grandchildren, and is ever on our minds and in our prayers.

We trust the Lord to keep Stephen safe.  We believe He will bring him home to us, unharmed and ready to begin a life with his new wife, Diana, and to gain even more intimacy with us, his family, and the extended family that need to know him.  We have no choice but to believe and trust the Lord to do this, for He promised when Stephen was born that he would eventually belong to us.

Please keep Stephen in your prayers.

(The picture on this post is of our granddaughter, Emmie, and her big Marine brother,  our grandson, Stephen!)

Believe In the Light

John 12:36 - "While ye have light, believe in the light."  Or as the NIV translates it: "Put your trust in the light while you have it, so that you can become a son of light."

Jesus is the Light of the world.

So many refuse to come out of the darkness into His glorious Light, even though there is much to fear in staying in the darkness, and nothing to fear once in His brilliance.  As His "lamps", Christ's children try to draw others to His Light.  Some rush to it like moths to flame.  Others are offended by it and squint and wince because they prefer not to have their sins exposed and acknowledge their need for forgiveness.  These men and women would rather run from the Light back into darkness and attempt to hide the offenses they have committed from Him.  It would be better for them if they would allow Him to bathe them in His cleansing Light now instead of later, when it will consume them because of their unbelief and sinfulness and condemn them to an eternity of suffering.

To my friends and loved ones who are trying to hide in the darkness: You cannot hide.  He sees you there.  Believe and come out into His glorious Light and be saved.

Here's a little Bible trivia to brighten your day.

Did you know that each Hebrew letter has a numerical value? With that in mind, consider this:

Following Jesus' resurrection, the despondent disciples were out in a boat on the Sea of Tiberius attempting to catch some fish. However, their efforts proved unfruitful. The next morning, Jesus stood on the shore of the sea watching His disciples cast their nets and haul them in empty and void of fish. He "called out to them to" cast their net on the right side of the boat, where they proceeded to pull in "153" fish (John 21:1-14).

Have you ever wondered about the importance of citing the number of fish that were caught? Scripture could have simply maintained that there were so many, the disciples "were unable to haul the net in because of the large number" of them (v6). But in verse 11, it states "It was full of large fish, 153, but even with so many the net was not torn."

By applying the numerical value to the Hebrew letters contained in the number of fish, the result is surprising.  It translates:

"I AM THE LORD YOUR GOD."

Of course, the account is a lesson, not only to Peter and the other disciples, but also to us; to be "fishers of men", to fill our nets "full of large fish", and to take comfort that in our service to Jesus, the "net" He holds in His hand will not let loose of them. But I found great encouragement and pleasure in learning this little bit of trivia.

When you think your "net" will forever remain empty, allow Him to direct where you cast it. Jesus knows the "fish" He wishes to "catch", and He will fill His "net" with them in large numbers, not letting a single one threaten to fall through the tears and back into the sea below.  Then, when at last we are on the shore with Him where He has prepared an abundant feast for us, we will share in His eternal joy and everlasting peace.

So, with that, go out and cast your net for Jesus. If you listen to His instruction and place your net on the right side of the boat, He will be faithful in filling it with more fish than you can haul in.

When the Pen Becomes A Sword

The ability to express oneself in the form of the written word is a true gift from God.  Not everyone is able to effectively accomplish this, regardless of their verbal eloquence or higher education.  Many uneducated men and women became some of the greatest authors in history, filling library shelves with well-written tomes worthy of reading.  The necessary tools are elementary: a pen and a passion to transfer thoughts onto paper.  This passion, this deep-rooted love for words, drives the writer to convey opinions, reveal truths or falsehoods, or weave tales of adventure, intrigue, humor, or life’s ups and downs.  But if we fail to remember where the gift has come from, it can also be used to inflict damage or cause pain to the reader at which it is aimed.

It can be safely said that the pen has inflicted as many fatal wounds as the sword, because the source of the written word is the heart.  Unsheathed, the pen is able to cut to the very marrow of a man’s soul.  Unbridled, it has the capacity to slice through tender hearts, rendering them broken, despondent, or creating an incurable wound.  If the heart’s enemy is allowed to take hold of the pen and wield it as a weapon, the damage it inflicts can be devastating and life-threatening.  The writer who brandishes the pen of arrogance or hatred causes it to be a sword of destruction rather than a tool of instruction or enlightenment.  And, I might add, no writer is immune from using it in ways it should not be used, including this one. 

There are times when the pen should become a sword, but its use in this way should be reserved for times of necessity; for encouragement, correction, and even rebuking.  It is the method by which the pen is used as a sword that proves its effectiveness.  It should never be used to slay the heart or empty it of its lifeblood.  Rather, it should be applied as a surgical instrument that gently cuts out any offensive parts, leaving a wound that can heal the flesh surrounding it with greater strength than it had before.  

Our Lord Jesus Christ stated that He came not “to bring peace, but a sword” which would divide, setting us apart from others, and cause conflict because of our commitment to God (Matthew 10:34-36).  His coming, as described by Simeon, promised a piercing of not only His mother, Mary’s, soul, but our own (Luke 2:35), for the word He brought, the sacrifice He made, would pierce and convict us of our sin and the need for His intervention.

In the apostles' letters in the New Testament, they illustrate for us the proper usage of the pen as a weapon for God and eloquently demonstrate how, if used effectively, the written word of God is able to penetrate the heart of man, convict him, and lead him towards salvation and righteousness.  The Sword of the Spirit, as described in Ephesians 6:17, is the written word of God.  To the person whose desire it is to wield it in service to Him, he should always apply the apostles' method and check his Source before it is unsheathed, never allowing arrogance or pride to cling to it and cause destruction.

The power of the written word comes from the heart.  It is conveyed to the pen we hold in our hand and written onto the blank page before us.  Like spoken words, once published for the world to see, written words are hard to take back.  If we, as writers, pause before the first stroke of the pen and ask God to provide us with His wisdom and His word of truth, which is “living and active" and “sharper than any double-edged sword,” (Hebrews 4:12) then the dynamics with which we write may just cause a reader to decide for Him.  The result will then be a manuscript we can humbly take pride in, for the true Author has written it.

Answered Prayers! Gao Zhisheng Update

Shalom Alechem...Barukh Hashem Y'shua!
(Peace and Blessings in Jesus' name!)

How faithful our God is in answering our prayers!  Thank you to everyone who has kept Chinese Christian attorney, Gao Zhisheng, lifted before God's throne.  I would like to share the following information I recently received from China Aid, the Christian organization that has tirelessly worked on Gao's and his family's behalf:

Yesterday morning, on April 6, 2010, ChinaAid President Bob Fu spoke with Gao Zhisheng over the phone. This was the first direct contact Bob has had with Gao Zhisheng since he last spoke with him by phone last January, as Bob was rescuing Gao's wife and children in Thailand. The conversation brought hope and light for the two men, after more than 400 days of uncertainty and doubt.

Gao told Bob he had spoken with his daughter Gege in New York earlier this morning. "She told me she felt like God was silent, that He had not heard her prayers," Gao shared openly, deeply pained by his daughter's anguish over their prolonged separation. He expressed concern for his family's safety and well-being, and his desire to be reunited with his family.

Gao thanked Bob Fu personally for ChinaAid's role in pressing the FreeGao campaign internationally on his behalf for so long, and for aiding his family in their escape from China.

He informed Bob that he had just returned to his Beijing apartment from his guarded location in Shanxi. Abandoned for more than a year, Gao was saddened by the thick layer of dust covering the apartment and the emptiness of the rooms.

Using the words of Psalm 23, Pastor Bob Fu prayed for Gao Zhisheng and his family, reminding him of God's faithfulness and love.

Gao further reported he had just recovered from a racking cough for more than a month, but was not able to give any further details about his physical condition. According to Pastor Fu, Gao was deeply concerned about the condition of his family in New York, but has remained strong in his faith.

"Gao Zhisheng and his family have suffered deeply from the long separation," said Pastor Fu. "Despite the persecution, he continues to trust the Lord."

Pastor Fu was moved by Gao's need to be with his family. "By allowing us to speak with Gao Zhisheng, the Chinese government has shown they have been forced to respond to the international outrage and pressure on Gao Zhisheng's behalf.

"Yet, Gao is still not able to speak or move freely. According to international norms and Chinese law, he has the right to travel overseas to reunite with his family and to be free, if he is not found in violation of laws during his probation."

"We must call on the Chinese government to release Gao Zhisheng and permit him to reunite with his family in the United States. It is his legal and basic human right to be united with his loved ones."

Please continue to pray for Gao and his family.  Ask the Lord to continue to strengthen his faith and trust in Him and to wait upon Him for deliverance, for the Lord's timing is perfect.  Pray also that those who are detaining Gao will see the light of Christ through him, repent, and seek salvation through the only One that can give it.  Also, please keep Gao's wife and children lifted up in prayer, asking for comfort and peace for them, knowing the Lord is watching over His servant.

The Snake In The Grass: The Westboro Baptist Church

I am a Christian. I am grateful for the grace and mercy that God has shown to me through His Son Jesus Christ. I am heading to a home beyond my imagination because of that grace and mercy. I love Jesus and what He did and stands for. Because of that I am compelled to let everyone else around me know about that love and forgiveness. But there is a snake in the grass seeking to devour everyone out there who does not know Jesus. This snake is a liar and a very good one. He can convince even the very educated. The ones who say "there is no God".

This snake uses an assortment of methods to accomplish his goal. He even uses "religion". One of those "religions" is the Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka Kansas. You know them. They are the ones who claim to be Christians yet go about spewing hatred at fallen soldiers funeral services. Why? "Well didn't you know that God hates homosexuals and because of that He is judging America because we accept them here." (Their sentiments not mine or God's). These people have chosen to fixate on one sin: homosexuality. They have chosen to be the judge. They have chosen to hate. These people are as far removed from Christ as someone who says they do not believe.

These two groups, the atheist/agnostic and members of cults like Westboro Baptist Church are more alike than they would like to think. Both have decided to fixate on one issue. Both have decided to be the judge. Neither have a relationship with Jesus Christ. One is just claiming to have one and the other is claiming He doesn't exist. That's the only difference between the two.

Why do I write this? Many people who have no knowledge of Jesus Christ are convinced that because I am a Christian that I must believe like this cult. That's an oxymoron. I am a Christ believer. I am fixated on Him. I am not nor will ever be the judge. I love because Christ loves me and through me. The truth is, if you have no knowledge of Him you are much more like the Westboro Baptist Church cult. They have no knowledge of Him either.

So I've said my peace. I do not have to defend my Christianity to anyone. Jesus is already doing that for me before His Father. He knows the hearts of men. My job is just to tell you about His love, mercy, grace and forgiveness.

Hebrew Lesson #2

It has been a while since I posted any new Hebrew words.  While looking for the pronunciation of a Greek word we wish to use for the name of our boat, I ran across this  phrase.  I hope you use it often!

Shalom Alechem...Barukh Hashem Y'shua!
 
(Peace and Blessings in Jesus' name!)

Best Friends, Forever

“Greater love has no one than this, that He lay down His life for His friends.”

John 15:13

To be called a “friend” by Jesus is worthy of my contemplation.

The word “friend,” or philos  in the original Greek, implies “loved, dear, or friendly.”  Primarily used as an adjective, its usage became a noun in both the masculine and feminine genders.  The word exudes an intimacy reserved for those who are closest to one’s heart; those who are greatly loved and cherished.  It speaks of an affection so vast that there is no depth nor height to which one would go to insure the safety and well-being of another person.

A true friend is the rarest of gems.  The intimacy that derives from this person is faceted with unwavering allegiance.  There are no limits to which a friend would go for another he loves.  His surface sparkles and gleams from the brilliance of the light that emanates  from deep within him.  The gem of friendship is placed deeply and firmly in its setting, held tight by golden prongs of faithfulness that will never wear out or break.  And like the hardness of a diamond, his love for his friends will never be shattered, but will remain eternally unyielding.

Yes, to be called a “friend” by Jesus is more than worthy of my contemplation.  He is what I described above - and more.  But I am unable to understand the reason He calls me His friend.  I rejected Him for so long, refused to obey Him when He called, and treated Him with contempt.  And because of all this, I helped put Him on that cruel cross.  My sins, so great, nailed Him there.  What true friend would hate so much that he would respond to Jesus so cruelly?  Yet, He still calls me His friend, and He does so in spite of my unfaithfulness to Him.

He loved me so much, He stepped in to defend me.

He loved me so much, He intervened for me and asked His Father to make me His child. 

He loved me so much, He took my sins, ever great before Almighty God, and carried them to the cruel cross.

He loved me so much, He took upon Himself the Father’s wrath that should have been reserved for me.

There, in His precious hands, He loved me so much that He held my sins firmly in the grip of his hands as they were nailed to that tree - and He forgave them.

There truly is no greater love than the friendship of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for His children.  I did nothing to earn it.  He did it all through His tremendous display of obedience to His Father,  and loyalty and selfless love for me, whom He calls His friend.  There are also no other of my friends who can equal what He has done for me.  They will fail me, but He will not.  And because I know this, I will embrace His friendship, remember it, and in return, I will call Him my Best Friend, forever.