Time 1

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“There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven—“ Ecclesiastes 3:1

King Solomon, one of the wisest men who ever lived, wrote this verse.  He understood that God appoints time…. to everything.   

Our concept or understanding of time is not God’s understanding of time.   And we are often indoctrinated in God by God’s use of time.  However, we are often ignorant of time and it’s use.  We miss use time.   We are possessive and selfish of what we consider “our” time.  We are possessive of the people and things in time, which cannot be possessed.  We fail to realize (repeatedly) is what we hope for others and ourselves cannot be destined and/or governed by us.  And what we force on our own accord often brings negative consequences and un-satisfaction.    

Jesus teaching is disciples to pray said to pray like this to the Heavenly Father, “May your Kingdom come soon. May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.” Matthew 6:10

May God’s will be done on earth, as it is in heaven…. Not our will be done on earth. 

When things don’t happen the way we expect we become impatient and frustrated with others, ourselves and with God.   Sometimes God's  “appointed time” for a certain thing has not come or become realized yet. (Remember Abraham, Sarah,  and Hagar.)

Often in unexpected death of a loved one we become angry and resentful with God because we think God has wronged them and us of the short time we got to spend with them on this earth.   What we do not fully understand is that all souls created by God a- belong to God and we are just brief stewards of what God fully owns -for he is the one who created us and gave us what we have.

“For we are God's masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.”  Ephesians 2:10

We are to take care of young, old, family, friend, neighbor, and even foe as if they belong to God- even if they don’t have a relationship with the LORD. 

So they might see… as we live as ambassadors of Christ, and come to the LORD and be not only saved in the LORD but have a more satisfying life that the LORD gives to those who trust Him.   

I believe the more we understand God is responsible for our life and others people’s life -the more we see life is truly in Him.  (Read that again.)

When a person tries to control what they can’t control there is no peace.  When a child, striving for control, disobeys the rules of the house - what ensues? What ensues when we try or presume we have control over our life?  Foolishness takes over does it not?  

For those living in God have to daily/hourly relinquish in thought and prayer what they thought they might have control over so they may have what God promises of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.  (Note Galatians 5:22-23)

Philippians 4:6-7 says “Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.  If you do this, you will experience God's peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.”

What is this saying to you about control, time, and your life? 

“Come now, you who say, today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a city and spend a year there and carry on our business and make money. Yet you do not know [the least thing] about what may happen tomorrow. What is the nature of your life? You are [really] but a wisp of vapor (a puff of smoke, a mist) that is visible for a little while and then disappears [into thin air]. You ought instead to say, ‘If the Lord is willing, we shall live and we shall do this or that [thing]’.  But as it is, you boast [falsely] in your presumption and your self-conceit. All such boasting is wrong. So any person who knows what is right to do but does not do it, to him it is sin.” James 4:13-17

How do you think about life, time and who has control?

I want to tell you about an event I heard in church years ago while the Lord had us living in a little eastern Washington town.   A family was heading to church camp.  The mother and father were in one car leading the way as the grandmother and granddaughter followed in a car behind them.   During the trip the granddaughter spoke up excitedly from the backseat.  “Jesus said he is taking me to heaven.”

The grandmother replied with what I understood as a kind presumption.  Something like…. “Yes one day you will be with Jesus in heaven.”

The little girl smiled and said, “No I am going now Grandma.”

It was then the grandmother’s car was struck by another car and instantly the precious child was killed.

This event and loss must have been more difficult then words can express… I am sure her mother and father had hopes for their daughter and thoughts about her future - as all parents do or should.  I am sure she is still thought about often as they live out the rest of their appointed time on this earth.  But even though this was a great loss- I think they find great comfort in their little girl’s recited excited words that came from the backseat that day and how she was instantly taken to be with Jesus to heaven.     

We often “feel” restrained by time but God, who is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow is not and someday at our appointed time we, who have put our trust in Jesus, will be with Him.      

 Things maybe beautiful for a time but without God everything becomes meaningless- not to mention disheartening.  May the love of God, hope in God and faith in God encourage us always- in Jesus name Amen!

Merry Christmas

MERRY CHRISTMAS

From our house to yours,

We wish you a wonderful Merry Christmas as we all celebrate the season of the Savior’s birth.

Christmas is about loving God and loving others.

When I think about Christmas I can’t help but see the two commandments Jesus told us to live by.  These commandments seem to sparkle especially bright during Christmas time.

Think about it....  As we celebrate Christmas we celebrate the love we have for Jesus Christ.   And as we celebrate the remembrance of the greatest gift to mankind, we give gifts to others.

We in the Spirit of the season, love God with all our heart, mind, soul and strength and that overflows to love our neighbor as we love ourselves.

This giving of cards and gifts some say come from the magi (wise men/kings) who followed the great star to Bethlehem to bestow gifts to Jesus but I am pointed in another direction when it comes to gift giving.

This custom,  I believe was, influenced by Jewish festivals such as the festivals of Purim where there was deliverance from death.  During these festivals, even to this day, food and presents are given to one another and to the poor.

We too celebrate the deliverance from death (eternal death) through our Savior Jesus Christ who came as a baby, born of a virgin.

  Jesus speaking of himself said, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16

“Not long after this, the LORD sent this message to King Ahaz:  “Ask me for a sign, Ahaz, to prove that I will crush your enemies as I have promised.  Ask for anything you like; and make it as difficult as you want.”  But the king refused, “No,” he said, “I wouldn’t test the LORD like that.”  Then Isaiah said, “Listen well, you royal family of David! You aren’t satisfied to exhaust my patience.  You exhaust the patience of God as well!  All right then, the Lord himself will choose the sign.  Look! The virgin will conceive a child!  She will give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel- ‘God is with us.’”  Isaiah 7:10-14

Christmas.  It is a season where we celebrate our deliverance through Jesus Christ. 

  Celebrate the joy of deliverance! Merry Christmas!

The Passing of a Dear Christian Friend

I received an ushering from the Holy Spirit to check up on a dear friend that I had not spoken to in person since college. Her name was Janine Killough. God would have me pray for her on different occasions but I didn't know why. When I looked her name up on the Internet I found to my regret that she had recently died from cancer just a few days before. I didn't even know she had cancer.

(If you lack faith in God I want you to ask yourself what are the chances of me finding out of my dear friend's death just days after she had passed away? They are humanly impossible but God knew of our friendship. God knew how her passing would affect me.)

Janine and I met in a sociology course which I was required to take for my minor in communications. When I came into class and saw her the first time, she was sitting in a desk right beside the wall by the door. I took a seat behind her. There was something different about Janine that drew me to her.

Later in the course we became study buddies and shared many laughs. I look back on this time as God ordained. I never had seen Janine before until that year and that quarter and then we started bumping into one another all over campus.

At the time I considered myself Christian because I went to church when I was younger and participated in Christian youth activities such as Young Life but my life style was anything but Christian. No I did not party or do drugs but my god was more of the "salad bar" variety if you get my drift. I chose what I wanted to believe and not wanted to believe about God.

Janine would invite me on occasion to one of the campus Christian group gathers but I always had an excuse for not attending. I would sometimes pass by the group as I went through the SUB, the student union building, in the evening and they would all be singing and praising God and there Janine would be too.

So what does a person get from a Christian's life after they have gone? What do I get from Janine's life and passing?

1. No matter our circumstances in life- no matter cancer, sickness, loss, sorrow, health, persecution, oppression, death, life - God really loves us and is there for us.

2. God uses things like cancer to not just touch others around us but us as well. Through life threatening circumstances we draw close to God. We see how fragile this life is and we need God for our strength. (That shouldn't just be when we have a life threatening circumstance but all the time.) Janine grew a strong intimate relationship with the LORD and because of that intimate relationship with the LORD she was a light and testimony of God's love.

3. Janine's strong conviction and faith in God/ Jesus Christ encouraged and made her a beacon of light. She said she would not take back this experience because it engulfed her in Christ's love. She realized the reality of God's love for her.

4. Janine was a vessel. She knew she was a vessel and she knew her life was in God's hands. We are like seeds that grow mature and die to glorify Jesus Christ. In her suffering and intimate relationship with the LORD she could not help but glorify the LORD. Her hope and passion for the LORD was not just a confidence and expectation but she knew personally how much God loved her. She knew God was faithful and unfailing even in death. She had peace when she passed into eternity. Janine was a vessel of God's love. She was not perfect but she was just the perfect vessel to be a light to many people's life - including mine.

5. This life is short compared to eternity. If we have to suffer for a while so be it-as long as God is with me. Even when there is disharmony in our body there isn't with our soul for we are connected spiritually with God not our bodies or circumstances.

6. Tell the truth no matter the circumstances but speak it in love. We are but dew on the morning grass. This is not our home. We know where we are going but do others know where they are going if they don't know Jesus Christ?

7. We are sometimes blind to God's love until God shows us all the many blessings bestowed upon us through different circumstances.

8. This life is temporary so let us not live it as if we have tomorrow because none of us has that guarantee or assurance. Let us live in true genuine love, hope and faith of Jesus Christ. Let's see how faithful and unfailing he is in all circumstances.

I thank God for Janine and I know those who know and love her and have a trust and confidence in Jesus Christ will see and be reunited with her again. I am personally excited that I will be able to see her again.

When a Christian dies we have a tendency to feel sorry for ourselves because we won't see that person for a time but in all reality that is selfish. Who was should really feel bad and great sorrow for- are those who didn't give their lives to Jesus Christ. Would I had loved to see Janine again? Of course yes! - But that be only for selfish reasons. Janine is not suffering anymore. She is in the presence of the LORD that loves her. Janine is alive and well in Jesus Christ so let her life (a seed) go into our hearts and let her memory bear much fruit in us for Jesus Christ. Let us honor those Christians who have passed on before us not by feeling sorry but being thankful to have the opportunity to have them in our life- even if it was for a short while.

Janine's life has touched mine- and I know she has and will continue to touch many other people's life by the relationship she had with the LORD down here on earth. You cannot help but shine if you have an intimate relationship with the LORD and grow in that true genuine truth and reality that God is faithful and unfailing.

"You are my refuge and my shield; your word is my source of hope." Psalm 119:114

"He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress where I will not be shaken." Psalm 62:6

"And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God's love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow--not even the powers of hell can separate us from God's love." Romans 8:38 "We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love. God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them." 1 John 4:16 "I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God's love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God's people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is." Ephesians 3:16-18

I hope that these words haven't just been some words on a page but that you might see and understand the important significance of Jesus Christ in our lives.

You can see her honest, true and beautiful testimony at this address: http://vimeo.com/28829301

“Turn”

“Turn to me” would make a wonderful lyric for a song.

Talking about the soul and the flesh and the Spirit as “motivators” of the soul a word continues to be emphasized in my readings. The word is “turn”. Another word is to "draw." To what source are you going to "turn" or "draw" from?

What a person “turns” to will drastically effect their outcomes in this life and into eternity (heaven or hell). If they turn to Christ they will have life but they if they turn to their own fleshly understanding there is decay and death.

With help from God, because I could never do this myself, I was able to make this table. You start with the Soul God has created at the bottom of the two columns. The two columns represent what happens when we decide to follow the Spirit of this world or the Spirit of God.

Spirit of God (Sound Mind)	Spirit of this world. (Not Sound Mind)
7. Life	7. Decay & Death
6. love, peace, hope, joy, humility,	6. Twisting and distortion of enlightenment directed by sinful desires.
5. Productive as individuals in Christ Jesus.	5. Unproductive: following the ways and understandings of the flesh.
4. Respect For God	4. Not acknowledging God for who He is.
3. Trusting God	3. Trusting the world, people, themselves.
2. Knowing God	2. Knowing there is “some” higher power.
1.Walking in the Enlightenment of Christ (Spirit Understanding)	1.Knowing some words of enlightenment (Fleshly Understanding)

The “Soul” God has created.

When we as Christians “turn” to the Spirit of God who lives inside of us, he gives us a “sound mind” but if we “turn” to our own fleshly understanding it will produce pride, fear, frustration, anger, hatred, envy, and depression to name a few - very destructive. (Romans 1:28-2:1)

It’s pretty much a principle of Spirit filled life verses the principle of sin and death.

Romans 8:5-6 “Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit. If your sinful nature controls your mind, there is death. But if the Holy Spirit controls your mind there is life and peace.” These principles make their own natural spiritual law.

Romans 8:12 “So, dear brothers and sisters, you have no obligation whatsoever to do what your sinful nature urges you to do. For if you keep on following it, you will perish. But if through the power of the Holy Spirit you turn from it and its evil deeds, you will live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God.

We must understand that just as the sinful nature is so readily available to us so is God readily available to us if we trust in Him.

We have to “deliberately depart” or “turn from” what our sinful nature wants to do and “respond” to the Holy Spirit who called us to not act as the rest of this world does.

1 Peter 2:11 “Dear bothers and sisters you are foreigners and aliens here. So I warn you to keep away from evil desires because they fight against your very souls.”

1 Peter 3:10 For the Scriptures say, if you want a happy life and good days, keep your tongue from speaking evil, and keep your lips from telling lies. Turn away from evil and do good. Work hard at living in peace with others. The eyes of the Lord watch over those who do right, and his ears are open to their prayers. But the Lord turns his face against those who do evil.”

Isaiah 55:7-8 “Let the wicked forsake his way and the evil man his thoughts. Let him turn to the LORD, and he will have mercy on him, and to our God, for he will freely pardon. "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the LORD.

Remember Paul saying in Romans “When I want to do good, evil is right there with me.”

Don’t let thoughts and awaiting solicitations from evil come to fruition by your actions. Turn from them to God who will give you the mercy and grace you need to overcome and be productive in any given situation. Remember God’s grace can overcome any thorn in our flesh if we get under the protection of God’s faithfulness and grace.

Hebrew 4:15-16 “This High Priest of ours (Jesus Christ) understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need."

"Turn"- to Jesus for his mercy and grace.

Life and Death

I am being constantly reminded lately that this body I live in is only temporary. It is simply a vessel to carry what is precious to God. It is not constructed and created for eternity like our soul. It is just for the number of days we have here on earth and it is useless once we exit out of it.

Life…. It is so brief no matter the age- when we go to meet our maker. Life has no guarantees that we will make it to ripe old age and only God knows the number of our days we have here on earth.

“For we are like a breath of air; our days are like a passing shadow.” Psalm 144:4

Life is impossible to hold onto, that includes ours and anyone else's.

"If you try to keep your life for yourself, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for me, you will find true life." Luke 9:24

Holding onto life is like holding onto fear. If a person who holds on to fear, they only find their fear worthless and that they have lost their life holding on it.

If we have accepted Jesus as our Lord and Savior, why worry over something we have no control of - love and live like you have no tomorrow for we don’t know when it will be our loved ones last day with us or our last day with them and heaven’s angels come to get us.

I have seen those who slip away surrounded by loved ones- grateful to God that they are no longer suffering and now I have seen the young- the so very young taken without warning and their parents crushed and brokenhearted as they cry out in such great sorrow over their tiny ones body.

This mission trip I have felt the daggers of painful sorrow as if it were my own child lying there in that make do casket in our sister church in Mexico.

A beautiful one-year-old boy, a gift from God. One day there… attached to his mother’s side and the next -him breathless and still in a box surrounded by a white blanket and white plastic. A child should never be put in a box especially this early.

I was not angered for I know nothing is impossible with God.

I remembered Jesus words,"Then he said, 'Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but now I will go and wake him up.'" and "The truth is, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father." John 11:11 & John 14:12

Perplexed, I held his hand; lay my head on his little chest, touching his baby cheeks, whispering, “Wake up precious boy,” over and over again. He didn’t seem dead to me but in deep sleep. His skin still filled with color, still filled with many years to go. His body no odor of death. His fingers and arms still loose and untouched by the stiffness of death. This was no shell of a body like I seen in the recent days and in past.

Perplexed, I was kept there by the Spirit. Believing God could breath life back into him again. Though people were mourning I had no inkling that this was truly the end. Though the hospital denied him my God never denies even when there is lack of sufficient funds.

My God provides. My God heals. My God is the resurrection and the life. I believed that God was going to put breath back into his little body again, heal the little one of his wounds and the painful sting of death would be erased with great celebration in Christ Jesus.

These weren’t good intentions -these were humble and believing and fruitful Spirit filled emotions.

The Holy Spirit then told me to have his mother come over and be with her baby boy. The Holy Spirit then released and I was only left to comfort the mourning.

(A week or two later, I was told by a sister in Christ that she got the impression that Hector was being held by Jesus. She, my pastor and I were the ones the Holy Spirit kept near baby Hector's body. She said that she got this image that baby Hector would laugh and giggle with joy as he was being held by Jesus and then he would look down as if looking at his mother for a moment or two and then would return his focus to Jesus and begin to laugh and giggle again. After I heard this, this made perfect sense to me. If you are in the presence of Jesus why would you want to come back. For when I was in the presence of Jesus, he brought me such joy that I did not want to stop looking at him. No matter how much praying and encouraging, you cannot stop the will, even a small child's will, to come back if he/she doesn't want to come back to this life. For Jesus brings so much joy you want to be in his presence.)

Soon after his mother spent some more time beside her baby son's body, news came that the death certificate had been finalized and they had permission to bury the baby boy’s body. The baby boy’s father and our pastor carried his little casket to the church with mother and family and friends following.

I am sure I was not the only one who wept. I did not weep for baby boy Hector but his family for Hector was with Jesus.

Death... it had followed me to Mexico it seemed and now I was experiencing a different type of passing then I did a few days before with my dad’s passing of cancer.

This type of death stung and felt like a ripping deep within one’s soul. Oh this life would not pass by soon enough for those left behind -when it came to the passing of this precious child.

For Hector would only have to wait moments for his family to join him because he now lives in God's time but those left behind it would seem like a very fair away reuniting.

Was this an unfair death? What would come of this sudden and too short of life?

The memorial service was followed by a long drive out to a dusty road to an unkempt cemetery with many wood white crosses. People stood under umbrellas and a single shady tree. The tree branches had thistles and I could not help but feel how painful poetic it was….

It was then I heard the father let out a painful cry over his son’s body as he kissed his flesh and embrace his body one last time. Oh the pain….. His mother Sandra, again deeply mourned and kissed his little face one last time. Again the pain…..

They then closed… the casket and carried it to a small rectangle hole where I could not bare to watch for it did not seem right.

Family then dropped dirt on the casket and the cemetery grounds men quickly covered the box and I wondered how everyone could watch as the dry dust stirred in the 100 degree heat.

Life is precious. Life is sweet. Life is painful.

Life...

Do we make the most of every opportunity to love in life? Do we trust God more then everything else in life? Do we pray more then we fear? Do we let go more then we hang onto? Do we think before we speak not knowing if those would be the last words our loved ones would hear from us or we would hear from them? Do we live knowing we have no guarantees of tomorrow?

Yes my God provides. Yes my God heals. Yes my God is the resurrection and the life.

What came of precious boy Hector's death? His father and grandmother came to the Lord and the day following Hector's memorial service many children cheerfully accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior at the churches vacation bible school. I was reminded so vividly of all the above. Life here on earth is short no matter what our age. Life is fragile and with God's help we have to make the most of every opportunity to do right and love as if it were our last day to do so. That God cares for our physical needs but it's our soul that is most important to him. That God is God, I will probably never "completely" understand His ways and I am just a passing shadow...

“For we are like a breath of air; our days are like a passing shadow.” Psalm 144:4

The Line to Cross

Our love for God has to be stronger then the dark forces that come against us. The vitality of Christ must always be the main focus in our lives. The more we walk in faith the more and greater the dependence upon God. Life is delicate, fragile and precious and it can only be satisfied and accomplished fully when guided and lived with God.

These are all great truths but I forget sometimes what it must be like for a person who doesn’t know God or doesn’t have a relationship with the Savior Jesus Christ.

The questions that must come in the quiet moments in that person’s life as they sit on a picnic table watching the waves roll in on the shore: What is my purpose? How can I get past this pain? Who is right and who is wrong when it comes to certain religions or should I just take a little of everything to make sure I am covered when I die?

The truth of a Christian life sounds foolish to a person who doesn’t know Christ Jesus but we as Christians know it often takes a lot of discipline to remain foolish in the eyes of others. We also know that our foolishness has paid off many times and has strengthened us in difficult times. Our lives speak to unbelievers or those on the fence. We don’t do the same things we used to do. The way we live out our lives is just “different”. People can see it in our eyes and faces and it is undeniable the joy we have when speaking about our God and our Jesus Christ.

We forget that the unbeliever and/or fence walker is still comparing themselves to the world and each other? We forget that they are still looking for something that is sufficient to take away the emptiness, loneliness, hurt, anger, depression and anxiety. We forget that they still look at Christianity as just another religion. We forget that they have a salad bar God, chosen and picked out to their likening.

And then we also wonder why they still look to a pastor or reverend to give their loved one a proper burial when they don’t seem to believe in God?

The point is they do believe in God. The point is they are looking for answers. The point is they are comparing themselves? The point is they can see a difference in a person with Christian values verses someone who doesn’t have Christian values. The point is they are looking for something to fulfill them and give them a real purpose in life.

The only thing is they need that line to cross. Where is that line?

We all remember that line. The day we gave our lives to Christ. Some of us crossed that line through hardship and difficult circumstances. Some of us just knew that it was the time to give our lives to Christ. Some of us found the end of ourselves and were fortunate to find Christ waiting there for us. In all instances Christ was that line. He was the one who we found as sufficient. He was the one who opened our eyes to a life that we were blind to before. He was the one we compared our lives to and found that we needed Him as Lord and Savior everyday of our lives. He was the one who gave us purpose and the love to reach out, a love that is beyond our understanding or ability. He is that truth and that fulfillment in life and through all good things grow, mature and last. He is the only one can provide you eternal life in Heaven instead of hell.

Jesus Christ is that line.