Reasons Why I Didn't March on January 21

                         Is anything too hard for the LORD?  Genesis 18: 14

If you are like me, you are probably amazed by the way things appear to have turned around in our country in the last week. I am cautiously optimistic, but don't want to put my confidence in any man, only in the Lord. Yet I pray for our new President, that God would grant him wisdom and surround him with good counsel. Our nation deserves judgment but perhaps God has granted us another respite from it, though we certainly don't deserve it.

Yet I was dismayed by this big woman's march on DC. I believe that women are equal to men, but are different than men because God made us different. And that is OK. And I also believe that God made man both male and female, but not something in between. That is still my right to think so.

I had no interest in marching and I don't feel threatened by the new administration. I didn't like the old one but didn't protest against it either. Why? For it is God who

 ... changes the times and the seasons; He removes kings and raises up kings; He gives wisdom to the wise And knowledge to those who have understanding. Dan 2:21 NKJV

 I am in this world, but according to the Word of God, I am not of it. So I don't need to fight for my so called lack of rights.

Jesus answered, "My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here." John 18:36 (emphasis mine)

My citizenship is in heaven, and from that country I am awaiting with anticipation for Savior to come again and receive me to Himself.

For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, [Phl 3:20 NKJV] who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself. [Phl 3:21 NKJV]

In II Timothy we're informed that if we belong to Christ we should put our interest in Him and not  be consumed with this world:  

 You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. [2Ti 2:3 NKJV] No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier. [2Ti 2:4 NKJV emphasis mine] 

Finally, my real life isn't what I see all around me. This raging in the nations, confusion and madness was all predicted by Jesus to come in the days before He returns to this planet. 

"And there will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring; men's hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near." Luke 21: 25-28

Don't those verses describe out world?  This is an unprecedented time, but if we are the Lord's we must look to Him. 

 The confusion of this world is not my life, but Christ is my life.

For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. Colossians 3;3

But God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. Galatians  6:14 (emphasis mine)

Instead of marching for our rights, wouldn't it would be better instead to lift up our heads?  Our Redemption is drawing nigh. 

If you are not sure you are a child of God, you can believe that Jesus Christ paid the penalty for your sin debt on the cross, and that God was so pleased with His sacrifice that He raised Him from the dead.

"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.

"For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.

"He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. John 3: 16-18

Finding Pure Treasure

Wisdom and knowledge will be the stability of your times; And the strength of salvation; The fear of the Lord is His treasure. Is.33:6

O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him. 

Psalm 34:8

As I took a walk on my Christmas holiday, my feet crunched upon the little round droplets of ice encrusted  snow. The little circles of ice droplets made a lovely pattern in my sister's yard. I thought about God's words to Job about the treasury of snow (Job 38:22) and the mystery of every different single snowflake. It looked so pretty I snapped a picture with my camera. Just one nanosecond of time that pictured a certain amount of molecules ordered together by a loving God who holds the entire creation together by His awesome power.

For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: And he is before all things, and by him all things consist. [Col 1:17 KJV]

God is the author of all the mysteries in the universe, both great and small. Whether it is staring into the Milky Way Galaxy from a ranch in Arizona (as I did in 2006) or staring at the crystals of snow on the ground in Lebanon County, Pennsylvania in 2016, I am reminded that my God is a God of wonders, a God of limitless treasures. And He Himself is the treasure that I will never grow tired of, or bored with, or become dissatisfied with.

He, and He alone, is the treasure.

Some things happened yesterday that helped to rouse me from the slumber I fall into so easily. Not only slumber but also spiritual doldrums  hit me hard at this time of year. How is it that my heart can wander away from God so easily? How is it so easy to want to find something that will replace what only God can give me?

Food and all the pleasures of eating cannot give me that satisfaction.

Friends and family members, no matter how near and dear they are, cannot give me that satisfaction.

Novels with great plots and great characterization cannot give me that satisfaction.

Being the girl with the most fabric and sewing projects cannot give me that satisfaction.

The Steelers winning against the Kansas City Chiefs tonight cannot give me that satisfaction.

Even the satisfaction of seeing my name in print cannot give me that satisfaction.

Still, the liar whispers to me that I will not find satisfaction in God.

But, all that enemy can do is to lie, and cheat us and steal from us all the abundant life that Jesus wants us to have.

Last night, I read a book called Taste: My Life Without Food by a pastor named Gordon Meier. I found it at  Goodwill, of all places . He suffers from a rare disorder that makes it impossible to eat food, and can only be fed by parenteral nutrition. A man who loved food in all its differing delicacies can no longer partake of one bite of it, but he praises God anyhow that he is learning how to really taste and see that God is good. I highly recommend it if anyone may struggle with looking to food to meet their inward satisfaction.

I took a long walk today and tasted that God was good as I just sang along a melody of praise to Him in my heart, telling myself I need nothing more than Him to be my happiness. If ever I think I might grow bored with God, that thought can be immediately dismissed for His depths are unlimited. He has no boundaries and He is not a man with feet of clay like all of us. He is the Perfect Man, the God Man. And the best news of all is that this wonderful God never gets tired of me coming to Him to fill up that needy cup that I have once again.

O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out! 

For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor?

Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again? 

For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen. [Rom 11: 33-36 KJV]

There is nothing I can do to stop this wonderful God from loving me. (Romans 8: 28-39) Even my sin will not separate me from His love. 

He is the treasure my heart is seeking for, both now and forever. I pray today you may also find Him as your most precious treasure.

But What About My Rights?

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenlies in Christ... Ephesians 1:3


I have struggled with a certain area in my life for many years. Can you believe that I actually thought I was right?

Today it dawned on me that it would be easier just to agree with God and no longer hold onto my so-called right to be right.

I think of a commercial from, of all places, Kentucky Fried Chicken from many years ago. It had a little jingle to it as the commercial reminded us, "You've got a right to chicken done right!"

I used to laugh and make up my own little response, "You've got a right to chicken done wrong!" Now, of course KFC chicken should be done right, and is done right, but my point is, why do I think I should have a "right" for anything while I am living in this fallen world?

Maybe it's not popular, but I really have no rights, except to go to the lake of fire, which would be exactly my right, except that Jesus Christ took my place and received the due penalty for my sins. Because He did not take advantage of His own rights as God, He graciously gave me the golden opportunity to receive many spiritual rights, privileges, and a home forever in heaven.

Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. [Phl 2:5-11 NKJV]

It is not hard to homologeo, it is easy. It was hard for Jesus to make a new and living way for us. But for us, just to say yes and stop arguing with God is far easier than going the way of the backslider. When the Word says one thing and I say another, guess which one of us is right? (Hint: it's not me.)

 The word for confess is #3670 "homologeo,"  and in the Greek dictionary it looks like this: 

ὁμολογέωhomologeō

In the outline for Biblical usage, the first definition of homologeo (confess) is this to say the same thing as another, i.e. to agree with, assent.

I found such a relief in that today. God really does know what is best for me. Just something little I thought I would share in case someone else maybe struggling with holding on to their rights.

I actually had one right. I thank God He did not give me that "right,"  but instead the free gift of eternal life. 

For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.  Romans 6:23

https://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?Strongs=G3670&t=KJV

Blahh Humbug or Beautiful Happiness?

But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness; and came and sat down under a juniper tree: and he requested for himself that he might die, and said; it is enough, now, O LORD take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers.  I Kings 19:4

 Elijah felt sorry for himself. After great bravery and demonstrating God's magnificent power before the people who were drawn into worshipping the false god Baal, then slaying all the false prophets, he became frightened when his life was threatened by the evil Queen Jezebel. He ran for his life and asked God to take him away.

We might think to ourselves after reading this. "Oh Elijah, how could you?"

We could never think such a thing, could we? 

The day after Christmas, I felt so blahh humbuggish. (My new term for the after Christmas blues.) It was dreary and gloomy and now that the holiday was over there was the usual letdown. Plus the fact that Christmas is forever different now with Dad's homegoing To make things worse, when my husband came home that night we got into a little argument over the stupidest thing and he went off to bed and we hadn't really resolved it. So I stewed and went to bed early myself.

The next day, it continued to be gloomy and miserable and my attitude had not changed either. I felt terrible, but started to listen a message on Psalm 139.

Oh LORD thou hast searched me and known me. Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou dost understand my thought from afar off   (verse 1,2)

Didn't God know that I would fail in arguing with my husband on December 26th? Didn't He understand the world and all its bad news, and the gloom of the day outside? 

For there is not a word on my tongue, but lo, O LORD, thou knowest it altogether. Thou hast beset me behind and before and laid thine hand upon me. (verses 4,5)

My despair started to lighten when I thought about how much He loves me, right here and now, not before I am sinlessly perfect but in my weakness and failure. That's what He came here for. For people who fail constantly. He came to be the perfect Person and stand in our place when God had to punish our sin.

I also thought of the greatness of His power as He knit me together in my mother's womb and created all the trillions of cells that would make my human body. (verse 13) What kind of God could plan such a wonderful machine as our human bodies?

I cannot escape from His love, no matter how I feel. Even as I age, I do not have to fear for He will still be my God then, even as He is right now.

Even to your old age, I am He, And even to gray hairs will I carry you! I have made, and I will bear; Even I will carry, and will deliver you. Isaiah 46:4 

In the message, I was reminded that He was the One who created me, who understands me better than I understand myself. And I have this gift called eternal life. Even if I feel blahh humbug, right here, right now I have eternal life through my relationship with Jesus Christ.

What more could anyone want? We watch and read stories of rich and famous people. People who have everything their heart could desire.But just like Charlie Brown said, they aren't happy.  It is not enough. It will never be enough. 

Deep down, that One who made us and knows how each one of us ticks, is the only One who will (or even can) fill our craving souls. Most men are searching for happiness and it is right there, if only they would reach for it.

"And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings,

"so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us." Acts 17:26-27

Suddenly I had this joy in my heart, a feeling of beautiful happiness. Even if the day is gray and gloomy, I have Christ, and the hope of a bright future which no man can take away from me. 

Anyone reading this post who does not yet know Jesus can have this same gift simply by receiving by faith the free gift of salvation that He stands waiting to share with you. You can start the new year of 2017 with a brand new faith and a hope that will last forever.

 

Last Christmas with Dad

The winter sky last year at Dad's.

I looked through my pictures from last Christmas and was reminded that my husband and I spent the day with my parents at their home, bringing them a meal and presents. I didn't know it would be my last Christmas with my beloved father. The picture tells me otherwise. Just a quiet Christmas with the four of us there.

Mom and Dad were going to  Arizona that winter, but in early December 2015, Mom fractured her tailbone and was in extreme pain. That trip, meticulously planned out by my father, was cancelled when we heard the news. Bedrest, pain meds, and physical therapy took the place of travelling in the sunny southwest.

This winter, Dad again had carefully planned for wintering in Florida. The weekend after Thanksgiving Dad would take an Amtrak train with their car and Mom and I were to fly down the following Tuesday. That highly anticipated trip, also, was not meant to be when Dad fell while deer hunting just a few weeks before.

Instead, Dad has blazed the family trail, being the first one in our family to be at home with Jesus this Christmas. We never would have dreamed it, but it happened.

Life happens while we make our plans and dreams. God knew that my parents would not make it to Florida. Looking at last year's Christmas pictures, I have no regrets. Instead, I have happy memories of spending that last Christmas of his with him, loving him and Mom.

II Cor. 5: 1-4 says, "For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed with our habitation which is from heaven, if indeed, having been clothed, we shall not be found naked. For we who are in this tent groan, being burdened, not because we want to be unclothed, but further clothed, that mortality may be swallowed up by life."

I want to be thoughtful, not necessarily sentimental, in thinking about Dad's absence this Christmas.  Dad is no longer groaning, but rejoicing in his new heavenly home. Dad has put on his uniform of light, never to be shrouded by darkness again. In this I can rejoice this Christmas.

I thank God for memories of happy times. I rejoice that I felt closer to Dad in these last years than ever before in my life, that I was able to be an important part of his life.

Life happens while we make our plans. If you love someone, show them now, for you never know what day, or what Christmas even, might be their last.

Thank you God, for wonderful memories of Christmas' past. Thank you for the parents you gave me, who loved me the best they could, and that one day soon, I will see them again and never have to say goodbye again.

Pour Out Your Heart

Arise, cry out in the night at the beginning of the nightwatches! Pour out your heart like water before the presence of the Lord! Lift your hands to him for the lives of your children who faint for hunger at the head of every street.

Lamentations 2:19

 My children aren't fainting from physical hunger and I thank God for it. Yet last night, I brought them before God in the wee hours of the night.

Apart from physical hunger, there's another kind of famine in our land. A famine that's destroying the generation we live in. Amos the Old Testament prophet talked about it in Amos 8:11:

“Behold, the days are coming,” declares the Lord GOD,
“when I will send a famine on the land—
not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water,
but of hearing the words of the LORD.

Sleep eluded me, and I couldn't help but think about them, for the younger generation as a whole. God laid on my heart the necessity of praying for my children, and my children's children, that they might hunger and thirst for the living words of God. What blessing could be more important than to desire God's highest and best ?  The blessings come from having His Word dwelling richly within our hearts. 


 Sometimes we say, as if in despair, that the "only thing we can do is pray." How can we say that when prayer is our secret weapon, our greatest weapon, the only offensive weapon in the spiritual armor? If it does not represent much on our part, then why did the Lord allow the parable of the persistent widow in Luke 18:6?  The story of bothering an unjust judge who finally relents reminds us to never give up in prayer, no matter how hopeless it seems.

Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart,

 I will pray and expect to see answers coming. How futile it is to stew and worry when it accomplishes nothing. The enemy doesn't want us to pray, he wants us to throw up our hands in despair. Meanwhile, the world grows darker and more defiled, like in the days of Noah.

It is an exciting time to be alive. It is a dangerous time to be alive.  The enemy is on the prowl for anyone he can catch off guard. All we need do is give a little inch, and the enemy comes in like a flood, taking a mile. Anxiety does nothing to quell it, but persistent, believing prayer can. Our families are worth fighting for!

When I pray lately,  I might say to God, "Here I am again, Lord. Just like that persistent widow who did not stop bothering the unjust judge until he gave her justice from her enemy. But You are not unjust, You are righteous and want me to come to You. I am putting _______ before you. I am waiting to see You get  glory from this situation. I know it will be a great testimony when the answer does finally come. Cover my children and grandchildren with the precious blood of Christ and grant them repentance in any area where they may need it. Amen."

The fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.(James 5:16) 


 Many are enduring extreme difficulties. We must not faint nor lose heart. Jesus is coming back  soon, and the night is always darkest before the dawn. I can almost see His rays of sunshine breaking in on this dark old world.

New Mercies Each Morning

This I recall to mind, therefore I have hope. It is of the Lord's mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; great is Thy faithfulness. The LORD is my portion, saith my soul, therefore I will hope in Him.

Lam. 3: 21-24

These are more than just nice sounding words on a page . These are absolute truths. Every day can be a new beginning, no matter how bad we blew it the day before.

Pride is so sneaky. Sometimes I think I'm doing well. It's easy to think of others and how they might be failing in one way or another. But the Spirit pulls me up short and I realize in this thick skull of mine that I am no better than any of them. We all need God's mercies.

If I do well, it is because He helps me to avail myself of His neverending supply of mercy and grace. If I fail, He is not surprised, He  wants me to come back to Him. Could we really think that God is surprised by any of our failures when He knew every day that was appointed to us? (See Psalm 139.)

Christian, do you, or could you, really believe these gracious words?

Come to Me, all who are growing weary to the point of exhaustion, and have been loaded with burdens and are beneath their weight, and I alone will cause you to cease from your labor and take away your burdens and thus refresh you with rest. Take at once my yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am meek and lowly in heart, and you will find cessation from labor and refreshment for your souls, for my yoke is mild and pleasant, and my load is light in weight.*

* The New Testament, An Expanded Translation by Kenneth S. Wuest, Teacher Emeritus of NT Greek, The Moody Bible Institute, 1956.

A. T. Robertson, in his Word Pictures of the New Testament, Volume 1, Kregel Publications, 2004 Revised and Updated by Wesley J. Perschbacher, says this of Christ's yoke:

Jesus promisess that we shall find his yoke greatly lightens the burden, "Easy" is a poor translation of chrestos ( χρηστός  ); Moffatt puts it "kindly."... We have no adjective that quite carries the notion of "kind and good." The yoke of Christ is useful, good and kindly (cf. Song 1:10). 

So, if you think living the Christian life is hard, think again. It was hard for Him, so it could be easy for us to receive a new start and His mercies each day. 

 Christianity isn't a list of rules but a relationship with the Living God. And He is the One who accomplishes it in us as we simply let His Word dwell richly in our hearts.

Faithful is He that calleth you, who also will do it. I Thessalonians 5:24

For it is God that worketh in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure. Phil. 2:13

Finally, remember Jesus' gentle rebuke to Martha when she was so busy trying to serve Him. He simply said:

...Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her. Luke 10: 41-42 

Jesus did everything necessary to make me good before God. He is a good and kind Master. When I fail Him, I come again to His throne of grace and receive abundant mercy.

Who His own self bare our own sins in His own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness; by whose stripes you were healed.                 (*my emphasis) I Peter 2: 24