Loved and Protected

Remember when your parents said this? Can you hear their tone of voice? Have it said it to your own children? It’s easy to empathize with our parents when we’re in the same place, isn’t it?

Well, imagine how God feels when He loves us and has only our best interests at heart, only to have us rebel the way some of our children have.

How can we say we love Him when we refuse to receive His love and wise counsel?

Well, the day is coming, and is, in fact, upon us, when we will account for going our own way. We’ve presumed upon grace too long, and the day of reckoning is at hand.

How many times have we been told of our roots? Of the pilgrims who came from other nations because of the lack of religious liberty and freedom to worship? Of the people who gave their lives to purchase these freedoms for us? Have we lightly esteemed them or valued them as gold? And the bigger question is: are we willing to fight to hold onto them, or will we let them slip away and scarcely notice?

How many times have we been told that our secret sins will find us out? That we can hide nothing from God?

Have we listened when He convicted us of sin, righteousness and judgment? Or have we shaken our heads and given Him a look of annoyance, and walked away?

We’ve argued about which sin is the worst for far too long, rationalizing and excusing our own sins, majoring on the minors instead of realizing that we will be judged depending on whether or not we have a personal relationship with God. Whether we bowed our hearts to Him.

We’re at a crossroads, and our eternal destiny will depend on which fork in the road we take. It’s our choice, but can we be trusted to receive wisdom and salvation, or will we throw it back in His face, demanding our own way?

Can we truly say, “For me to live is Christ?”

Only time will tell.

Because of His great love,

Nancy

Rest? What’s that? It’s promised everywhere, isn’t it? Just look at the billboards and commercials. They promise rest in luxury resort areas, sleep aids, in expensive mattresses, in movie theaters, places to get away from it all, don’t they? But most of us have been running from one to the other of those things for years and found little rest anywhere.

So where is the place of real rest? One that doesn’t break the budget or give merely a temporary fix, one that doesn’t have side effects or cause buyers’ remorse?

Is there a place on earth where we can truly rest? There is, but rather than a place, it is found only in the Person of Jesus Christ.

Personally, I’d heard this concept preached for years, and yet its true nature escaped me, haunted as I was by perfectionism and doing things exactly right. I even sought the truth about rest in God’s Word, but for a long time I found no rest there either. Why? Because I wasn’t ready to give up trying to find it on my own.

Rest in one’s spirit is a rather nebulous thing, isn’t it? We can grasp it, or think we have, for a brief time, but when things go wrong or life cycles between good times and hard, we ride the tide, up and down, and it quickly slips away.

But true rest doesn’t depend on circumstances or economic conditions, health, wealth or whether we have the means to retire in some incredible mountain retreat or whiling away the hours on a sandy beach somewhere. Real rest comes in knowing we are precious to our wonderful Creator, God–knowing we are loved with an everlasting love, and are here for a reason, to glorify the Lord Jesus Christ. Rest is the byproduct of understanding our identity in Christ, the One who bought us back from the enemy, Satan, via His death on the cross.

In Him, we find our value, dump our grief, fears, and cares, take comfort in His changelessness, and find solace and rest in the truth, that whatever we lack, He is.

As we age, we can take immense comfort in the fact that He doesn’t value us any less, and in fact, He can give us a reason to live until we’re finally called home to heaven.

But true rest demands that we give up striving to make it on our own. Because we are sinners, we can never measure up to God’s high standard of perfection. But Jesus does. He always has, and He always will, so when we put on His righteousness, God says, “It is enough. Come in and rest and talk with Me. Be My friend.” And in the talking and dumping of my cares I find the rest I so desperately seek.

This truth transforms me. No matter what ups and downs lie ahead, I am His and He is mine. He even goes so far as to offer an invitation in Matthew 11:30: “Come unto Me, all who are weary, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn of Me, for I am meek and lowly in heart, and you shall find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” 

Come and rest in the person of Jesus Christ.

Because of His great love,

Nancy

I was just watching the news, and heard someone suggest that cursing in the workplace is the newest stress reliever. All I can do is shake my head when I hear these things. One more example of thumbing our noses at God!

The only true answer for our stress is God, so cursing Him is the most ridiculous and counterproductive thing we can do, especially when staring judgment right in the face.

It blows my mind that most of us have not made the connection between the disasters happening around us and the hand of God moving in judgment.

Look around. The weather is in a state of unheard-of chaos. Weather forecasters are calling it an “active weather pattern.” Talk about understatement! Lightning strikes have caused huge forest fires in the west, while there is flooding in North Dakota and New Orleans, tornadoes in the Southeast that never see them. Snow in Texas and New Mexico in places that never see snow. Ice storms have now crippled four or five entire states. Blizzards that are dropping twelve plus feet of snow, and winds are blowing so hard that drifts are over twenty feet tall. And more storms are building to follow them as we speak. What will it take to convince us that our own arrogance and sin are responsible and that this isn’t just a temporary blip in the road?

Strange how we can imagine that ignoring God and denying His existence would actually make it so. He is alive and moving on Planet Earth as well as in heaven. His Word is powerful, likened to a two-edged sword that cuts to the quick in our hearts. And He has been judging sin since time began, trying to get the attention of those who deny Him, giving them one more chance to turn their hearts toward Him before it’s too late. What will it take to get us to bow down?

Apparently we are pretty far gone. We may need Valium to cope with the failing economy and job losses, but still we fail to make the connection with God.

It frightens me to think how bad it will have to get before we finally “get it. “Ezekial 12:2 says this:  “Son of man, you live in the midst of a rebellious house, who have eyes to see but do not see, ears to hear but do not hear; for they are a rebellious house.”

May the Lord give us a heart of flesh for our heart of stone. Oh, Lord, give us revival!

Because of His great love,

Nancy

Could today be the day Jesus comes again? What would it be like? Scripture says it will happen in the twinkling of an eye, suddenly, and unexpectedly. It says no man knows the day nor the hour, though many have believed they could predict it. It also says it will be “soon.”

If you’ve seen the Left Behind movie or read any of the books, you know that just as the Bible says, some will be taken while those working beside them are left, throwing the world into a state of utter confusion and chaos. And though many others observe the sudden and dramatic disappearance of millions with their own eyes, die-hard unbelievers will, predictably, try to explain it away in a thousand ways, refusing to accept the truth of God’s Word. But others will know instantly that they missed their chance. They’d heard it for years but didn’t believe it, though in their heart of hearts they knew it was true.

We as believers won’t need to pack or take anything with us, for we will be changed in an instant, with brand new bodies, as well as minds and hearts that no longer war with the Spirit of God. I for one will be relieved when my flesh is no longer an obstacle to pleasing my God. We will be instantly transported into the presence of God, rejoicing with those who’ve gone on before, forgetting what was behind us, and basking in the incredible love of God that made it all possible.

There will be no need for the sun there, because Jesus will be the light. Joy and love will reign at that grand reunion, and those of us who’ve felt displaced here on earth, as if we’re strangers merely passing through, will finally have come home. Home, where we can relax in who were are, with no more struggles, tears or striving. No more heartache, no losses, and no fear. Can’t you just picture the relief and triumph we’ll feel at that moment?

It helps me to envision what it will be like, because, so often the distractions of this world drown out visions of heaven. One of my earliest memories is of my grandmother, Ethel Arant, an amazing woman of God, who, in a wistful tone, often spoke of her yearning for heaven as if she had been there and was homesick to return. 

What about us? Are we ready–anxious for the day of His return? Are we looking up, waiting for that moment with yearning? Let it be so! Come quickly, Lord Jesus!

Because of His great love,

Nancy  

What is a conscience? To put it simply, it’s a limiting influence that keeps us in line, convicting us when we do wrong. Merriam Webster’s 11th Collegiate Dictionary defines it like this: The “consciousness of moral goodness or blameworthiness in one’s own conduct, intentions, or character, together with the feeling of obligation to do right or be good.”

We are all born with a conscience. But is it possible to kill the conscience? It absolutely is. That’s exactly what hardened criminals do. They harden themselves to the needs of others to get what they want.

Right now our President and lawmakers are stifling the voice of conscience to get rich and blow other people’s money withour regard for their needs. May God break their hearts and not let them rest or have peace until they repent. 

What about us? In what areas do we stifle our feelings of guilt? We humans are masters of rationalization, finding ways of excusing ourselves, while holding others to a much higher standard.

We’ve all done it, but it’s still wrong. Psalm 38:3- “There is no soundness in my flesh because of Thine indignation; there is no health in my bones because of my sin, for my iniquities are gone over my head.”

All we have to do is watch the news and weather to see that God is turning things upside down in America today. Right now there are blizzards, tornadoes, flooding, drought, and fires going on across our country. Judgment is at the door, and God is giving us one more chance to tune our hearts to hear conviction. The Holy Spirit is calling us to “Prepare the way of the Lord, and make His paths straight.” It’s time to humble ourselves and bow our hearts to God, to clean up our act, and turn around and go the right way.

Are we doing that? Time is short, and we stifle the voice of conscience and the Holy Spirit to our eternal peril.

What are you doing to prepare the way of the Lord?

Because of His great love,

Nancy

We all have our blind spots, don’t we? But there are also times when we are vividly aware of the truth, but would rather not be. And in that case, we simply pretend it isn’t so. A little like a baby who hides his eyes and thinks you can’t see him.

In fact, I met a man the other day and asked if he’d ever seen a million-dollar bill, (offering him a gospel tract) and he shook his head. But then he said, “Oh, no. Those things are too scary.” If he hadn’t seen one, just how did he know it was scary?

I thought about that for some time and realized we often put off dealing with issues that are simply too hard to face when we should instead be running as fast as we can to remedy the situation. Isn’t it better to be prepared than to wish we had?

Remember the old saying, “Never put off until tomorrow what you should do today?” Well, it’s true. You don’t have to be a genius to know the consequences are dire when you don’t pay your mortgage, car payment or light bill. You also know that if you don’t go to work, you won’t keep a roof over your head. The truth is, bad things happen when we avoid dealing with issues we should face head on.

The same is true of the spiritual realm. Heaven and hell and the devil are very real, and they must be taken into consideration if we want a positive outcome. There’s no other way to say it. We can’t make it go away by denying the truth of the Bible, merely pretending consequences don’t exist.

We can’t dabble in pornography or the occult and not open the door to satanic activity that will ultimately bring us to ruin. We can’t be unfaithful to our spouses without risking our most precious relationships. This is such a basic issue that it’s essential we “get it” before we lose everything. And not just physically but spiritually as well.

Proverbs 1:7 says, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.”

Jesus is our model, the only perfect human being who ever lived, and even He refused to play with fire or duck the crises that frightened Him–like death on the cross. He often made a point of saying we should be wise as serpents but harmless as doves, that we should arm ourselves, ready for spiritual battle, and not be taken unawares. Our wise and loving Father wants to equip us to win every battle.

He promises to fight for us, but we actually render Him powerless when we refuse to deal with reality. It’s true. He can’t do a thing until we admit our sinfulness and face facts. We actually empower Him to help us when we admit the truth and listen to voice of the Holy Spirit, arming ourselves with the Word of God, and letting Him lead us in the way of wisdom. I believe we’re going to need to have grasped this concept more than ever as time goes on.

So let’s be part of the solution instead of being part of the problem, by pulling our heads out of the sand and putting away the old things, living as those transformed into new creatures in Christ. As though our God is the Answer to every question, because if we as believers are not able to stand, how will we help those who desperately need to hear the gospel?

I pray that we face reality before it’s too late. God help us all. Amen.

Looking for an investment that won’t be rocked by the economy, by who’s in leadership, or by upheaval in the stock market? I’m sorry to say there isn’t one.

As much as we hate to hear it, Scripture says that everything on earth will eventually burn. Everything (like the value of stocks and real estate) that goes up must come down. Money loses value when governments print too much of it. If you’ve been watching the latest developments on CNN or Fox News you know exactly how volatile values can be.

So what is permanent? What can we invest ourselves in that does not lose value? The things of the spirit of God never change, because God never changes. The things that are valuable to God are not subject to market whims. Hebrews 13:8 says: “Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, today and forever.”

So how far does your 401K have to fall–how bad do things have to get before you’re willing to concede you can’t make it on your own? Scripture says we are blind and poor, and wretched and naked, and don’t even know it. But I daresay we soon will if things continue the way they’re going now.

But will we listen? May God give us a heart of flesh and ears to hear before it’s too late, and we pay for that choice for eternity! Invest yourself in God’s economy, where moth and rust do not corrupt and thieves do not break in and steal, for that is the only safe haven in our crazy, upside down world. Confess your sins, and believe on the only solid foundation, the Lord Jesus Christ, and be saved. Then read and study God’s Word and live for Him while there is still time.

Let him who has an ear hear the Word of the Lord!

Because of His great love,

Nancy

Have you ever thought about the difference between logic and wisdom? First let’s look at logic. Logic is truly a man-made entity, where we use our intellect to solve a problem.

Have you noticed how often logic ends badly? Take the idea of buying a brand new car, for instance. Right now you may need a car because yours is on its last legs. And because of the economy, car dealers are offering zero down, ten-year warranties, and extras of all kinds. One in my area is even offering $500 in groceries. But the groceries are a temporary thing–it would be better in the long run if he lowered the price of the car $500. 

You may have your eye on that shiny new car–you know, the one of your dreams, and have worked it all out on paper, and it looks quite doable. You can get a five-year payment plan with low interest. But think ahead–the shine will be off the finish before that car is debt free. The truth is, logic is always influenced by our point of view, which means if we want something bad enough we can nearly always find the logic to make it happen, deceiving ourselves into believing God approves when we haven’t even consulted Him.

But wisdom is something altogether different. We get it when we take our needs to God, ask His opinion and then wait for His answer. When we set aside our personal agenda (our desire for that new car) and wait on Him, He will often give us other means of transportation that will not involve paying interest on something that will lose value instantly upon driving it off the lot.

The same goes for home purchases. That brand new home may come with incentives galore, and even a low downpayment, a low, teaser interest rate, with the seller paying closing costs. But watch out for that 5-year balloon and those adjustable rates that may suddenly make your payment jump thousands of dollars a year. And interest only payments? Crazy! No better than paying rent. Read the fine print. Ask yourself–will you really be making more in five years when that low rate disappears? And what happens if one of you isn’t working–will you still be able to cover the payment, interest and insurance on one salary? If you’re honest, you could scale down to what are truly only needs rather than wants. Wouldn’t that be better than losing that home and ruining your good name and credit in the end?

The secret to using wisdom is being like that little child who is willing to accept his father’s good answers no matter what they are. Are we willing to take no for an answer or to wait until the right thing comes along? Wisdom would say “yes,” while logic says “not a chance.”

Proverbs 12:15 says this: “The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but he that hearkeneth unto counsel is wise.”

These days more than ever we need wisdom to see past the glitter and address real needs. May God help us seek His wisdom on every issue.

Because of His great love,

Nancy

It’s a sign of the times, I suppose, but I’ve recently watched HGTV shows where people are gutting perfectly decent and presentable homes at tremendous cost simply because they aren’t the latest and most luxurious.

So what’s going on? Well, as I was pondering the issue, the Lord brought to my mind the parable of the rich man in Scripture. Remember? He told himself he had much goods laid up for the future, with barns so full to overflowing with good things that they could hold no more, so what did he decide to do? He decided to tear down those barns and build bigger barns. (See Luke 12:16-21)

The parallels are stark between the two scenarios, aren’t they? We who have known nothing but blessing and wealth are now tearing down our barns to build bigger ones. But remember what the Lord told the man in the parable? He said, “Tonight your soul will be required of you.”

Scary thought, isn’t it? Yesterday I asked this question: Why (as believers in America and other blessed nations) are we feathering our nests when we’re supposed to be focusing on heaven?

The next question is: How can we do this when people are starving in places like Kenya where I have a wonderful friend, a young national evangelist/pastor (with a wife and famly) who is preaching and winning souls amid the horror of civil war, drought, and famine. And this dear young man who just longs to be Jesus with skin on to his people, can’t even feed his family, let alone the thousands of others who look to him for answers and bread. And this while we sit at home tearing down our barns to build bigger ones (when Brother Gideon Mudenyo needs help)!

We should be ashamed! I am. My heart breaks when I hear this, and it makes me long for the means to pour out on this dear man, sending money to help buy food for starving people whom apparently only God can feed, not only with the bread of heaven but with literal food.

What are we doing, people? We’re fiddling while Rome burns. Can you see it in vivid, living color the way I see? May God break our hearts over our selfishness and pride, and for misusing our blessings this way. Remember, to whom much is given, much is required. Will we be weighed in the balances and found wanting?

May God forgive us. May we be about our Father’s business of winning souls, and supporting others who are–foregoing our bigger barns, lest we pay with our very souls. Let us repent and listen and obey, while there’s still time, or regret it for all eternity.

Let him who has an ear hear!

Because of His great love,

Nancy

We live in a fallen world where nothing is guaranteed, and no matter how hard we plan, things can and often do still go wrong.

Have you ever tackled a project that seemed simple at the outset but turned out to be a superhuman challenge?Life is often like that. What starts out small ends up complicated, even making us regret our decision to try. At times like these we finally realize we aren’t always on top of our game. We absolutely need help.

And in the same way these times show us we can’t handle it all, God made us finite, limited, knowing that if we were able to manage it all on our own, we would never need Him at all.

But we do need Him, and as things get tougher, we will see our need as never before. When jobs end, bills pile up, unemployment insurance runs out, and things aren’t looking good, God is there.

The point of this whole economic upheaval is, I believe, to get our attention, to let us see, as never before, that we can’t make it on our own.

Will we listen? Or will we just be furious with God and tell Him to take a hike?

It’s up to us. It’s our decision. But in the end, it will cost us everything to walk away from the One who loves us most.

No doubt we need to reevaluate our priorities, and realize we need God’s point of view to see what’s really important.

People are important. Pleasing God and spending eternity in heaven are high priorities. And everything else is optional. So it’s up to us to fix our gaze heavenward and let go of things on earth.

Here’s a question we should answer: have we improved our earthly homes so much that we don’t want to leave?

There’s nothing wrong with being good stewards of God’s blessings, but let’s not let them distract us from our real treasure. Let’s be about our Father’s business, remembering that in the end, the things we had on earth will burn, while only eternal things will last forever. This is why Scripture says to lay up our treasures in heaven where moth and rust do not corrupt. 

We all quote Philippians 1:21: “For me to live is Christ and to die is gain.” But if that’s really so, why are we feathering our physical nests at the expense of the eternal?

Just something to think about…

Because of His great love,

Nancy