the persecuted Church

Do you ever get tired of hearing about the persecuted church?

Well guess what? Until every Christian is allowed to worship freely, in safety, there will be a persecuted church.

We can’t all go overseas and help Christians and stand with them against their foes. We can’t all be on the field against the evil doers who are exterminating the faithful for their own gain. We can’t all guard the worship areas around the world, where terrorists break in, threatening, killing and sacrificing Christians.

But we can all pray.

Pray that the believers in the world keep their faith as adversity presents itself.

Pray that the Christians everywhere fortify each other in a unified show of faith.

Pray that the hearts of the aggressors be softened by their inability to overwhelm God’s strength.

Pray that those that do not believe are able to see God at work and accept Him as their own.

Pray that all people, everywhere, work together to destroy all evil.

And when our prayers are answered and our hearts one in Christ, there will be no more persecuted church. It's that easy.

Thanksgiving 2015

Lord – bless my family, far away

As they gather on this day.

Bless the journeys of the few

And the host and hostess too.

Bless the joy and love they share

Bowing heads in grateful prayer.

Bless the feast, the meat, the pies,

The talk and laughter, whispers, sighs.

Lord in love I ask you please,

Take good care of all of these.

Thanks for all the gifts you give

and gratitude for lives we live.

And one more thing I have to say…

Lord, bless my family, far away.

 

not out of reach

I like to think that when we die we get one more chance to accept Jesus. That in that last moment, and if we lived according to His promise and not our own hopes, He will reach down and say “My child – believe in Me now, that I can give you life eternal.”

And in that moment, we need to reach up and grasp the hands of Jesus and enter the kingdom.

But will we?

I fear that I will be so busy holding on to earth that I may miss it. What will happen if He reaches to me and I don’t reach up? Will he take me regardless or will my pride and ignorance condemn me?

I say ignorance because the only reason to not embrace eternal life is by not being aware of the gloriousness of the gift being offered.

The easiest way to guarantee condemnation is bad habits and behavior while on earth, out of God’s glory. True death comes if I look back and see myself alive in body but dead in spirit, active in word but pathetically idle in action.

Not only in the end, but do I see Jesus’ hands reaching to me daily and do I reach for them or am I too busy to raise my arms in praise?

I don’t want to delay – I want to relieve stress now. I want to ensure my eternal life and save God some work by reaching up now and clasping the hands that will raise me up when He is ready for me.  

warning lights

This morning, I turned on my car and all the icons lit up to show me oil, gas, tires, etc, etc.

Then they all went out so I would know that things had been checked out and were working fine… except one. I immediately opened my owner’s manual to find out that the best way to check this out was to turn the engine on and off and if that didn’t work, call my dealer.

If only life were that easy,

Imagine getting up, flipping on the bathroom light and getting a series of icons on your mirror.

The logo of your company – goes off if the day will be productive. If it stays on, be ready for anything.

A picture of your cell phone – goes off to show you it will be working properly. Stays on? Better get your phone on the charger and back up anything you need.

A photo of your closet – goes off to show that you are dressed appropriately for the weather. If it stays on, you may want to grab that sweater you thought you wouldn’t need.

A blur of your refrigerator – goes off to indicate you will have a nutritious and satisfying day. If it stays on, better rethink going out for lunch and pack a few pieces of fruit or healthy snacks.

A cross - to indicate your day will be completed in Christ. And if it doesn’t go off you know what to do. Go to the owner’s manual and read what to do to get things back on track. Maybe it’s John 21:17 for encouragement. Maybe it’s John 3:16 as a reminder of Jesus’ sacrifice of love. Romans 12:9-10? General guidance for a good day. Whatever you see, read, digest and act on it.

Now turn the light off and on again.  Is the cross still on your mirror or does it fade to appear in your heart?

If it fades, you know you will have a good day!

Prayer for enlightenment

Lord, I offer as a token, all the times your praise, unspoken, stayed inside this mortal broken
Till I raised my hands to You.

Lord my heart forgets to cherish all the times I did not perish even though my thoughts were bearish, Grumbling and not praising You.

Lord I ask that You relieve me of the people I let peave me, hoping myself to believe me,                 That I’m blessed through them by You.

Let me see the joy, not sorrow; yesterday, today, tomorrow; here and there and near and far. O    Let me live my life in You.

Margaret, 7/13/15

Don't look at me... see me!

When I was young, I wanted to be pretty. “Dear God, let me wake up pretty…please?!”

I would look at magazines and watch TV and I knew the pretty girls had heart-shaped faces (mine was more round…with a chin poking out the bottom), deep colored eyes of brown or blue (mine changed color daily and though my drivers’ license says blue, that is not always the truth), silky hair properly quaffed (not fuzzy curly hair with a mind of its own), long legs, arms and necks, graceful like a giraffe (not stubby and short with the tread of a baby elephant), and perfect teeth, skin and tone (don’t get me started about the crooked, the blotchy and the pasty.)

So I decided that I could be nice, funny and smart and make do with that. But I would never be pretty.

At church, I began to interact with Christian women and noticed that they were past pretty – they were beautiful. Now I resigned myself that I would never be pretty and to boost my self-esteem I was associating with beautiful women instead? That made no sense at all. But I also felt no resentment towards them and they accepted me as if I were one of them.

Then it hit me. I saw their beauty because they were kind and caring… generous and soft spoken… good humored and tolerant… and they loved me because I was their friend, didn’t judge me because I wasn’t as wonderful as they were. Their beauty was the radiance of God and His message shining through. It shone through any dull hair, extra pounds, odd habits. It so overwhelmed the ordinary human figure and made each of them extraordinarily beautiful and pleasing to God and then to me.
I finally accepted that God had created me in His image and He was perfect. Once I did that, I knew why all my church ladies were so stunning. It was because they had accepted years ago that they were indeed children of God and in all their actions, exemplified His glory and purpose for mankind.

I have a new prayer now.

Dear God – I don’t want to be pretty anymore. I want to be beautiful. Amen.

God waits

God reached down to take my hand.

But I was busy…one hand on my cell phone, one steering the car. I really didn’t have a hand to spare to reach up.
                                                                                                         So He waited.

God reached down to take my hand.

But I was tired…one hand under my pillow, one curling the blanket under my chin. Needed to sleep in peace, not grab on.
                                                                                                        So He waited.

God reached down to take my hand.

But I was playing…one hand in a ball glove and the other throwing the ball. Had to make the play, not swat the air.
                                                                                                         So He waited.

And things went bad. My husband’s health was failing. My family was at odds. My job was getting harder. I had no one to turn to and nowhere to go, so I threw up my hands in frustration,

And God reached down and took my hands.

                                                                                                         Thank heavens He waited.

if Dr. Seuss wrote devotions...

I AM GOD…

                              GOD I AM.

That God-I-Am, that God-I-Am, how well I know that God-I-Am.

Do you know His Son, the Lamb?

From Love, I know His Son, the Lamb… I know Him through that God-I-Am.

Do you know Him in your house? Do you serve Him with your spouse?

Of course I know Him in my house and daily serve Him with my spouse.

Do you take Him here and there? Do you take Him everywhere?

I take His word both here and there so He is with me everywhere.

Do you feel Him at your work or from His mission do you shirk?

I try to keep Him at my work where evil often seems to lurk.

So I keep safe His Holy name and honor how He took the blame

For all my sins and all my fears, for doubts and pains and mournful tears.

He sacrificed His Son the Lamb so I could live as He had planned.

Why he would often hold my hand and guide me through the world of man

I cannot start to understand. So humbly in His love I stand.

                                             Thank you…Thank you, God-I-Am.

when do you pray?

My life is filled with many fears:

               Fear of failure    Fear of loss

               Fear of spiders and bees

               Fear of the unexpected, and the unwanted.                                                        So I pray.

My life if filled with much sadness:

               Sadness for my friends as they suffer loss.

               Sadness for my child when he struggles.

               Sadness for my family as they bear burdens I cannot help them carry.          So I pray.

My life is filled with apprehension:

               What if I lose my job?

               What if I have an accident or serious illness?

               What if my home is destroyed?

               What if my freedoms are denied, my faith challenged, my life turned over?             So I pray.

My life is filled with joy:

               The feel of the morning air when I walk my dogs.

               The sunrise guaranteed, even behind the clouds of storm.

               The love I receive every time I give love to someone.

               The God who calms my fears, alleviates my sadness and provides security when all else fails.

And that is when I really pray. Because praying thanks and praise makes the rest insignificant.

……………………………………………………………………I pray a lot.

Super salesman?

Many years ago, there was a young man who followed his father into the business world.

This man was ordinary in many ways. He lived in a medium sized town, where he worked hard. When his mother was left a widow, he supported her. He had many friends and worshipped regularly.

One day, he decided to take his father’s work global. That meant going outside his comfort zone and introducing his product to the masses.

As you can imagine, he met with some acceptance and some opposition. In business, we all know how hard it is to open new doors and we know that sometimes we leave with a large sale, sometimes no sale at all, and sometimes we leave wondering why we even tried. But this man didn’t ever stop trying.

Many wondered at his attitude. They wondered why he never gave up, even when he was insulted, threatened and humiliated. But he had confidence that the work he was doing was important. He knew that the product he was carrying from his father would withstand time and revitalize an industry that was suffering from apathy; an industry that over the ages had been taken for granted. He was ready to give it away if it meant one person would appreciate it. He was going to pump new life into a failing industry.  Most of all, he knew that he would be successful; even if it killed him.

And it did.

When He set his feet on the road for the first time, He knew that He was God’s Son, carrying on a mission of love and promise. He knew that He was going to face hardship and pain, even to death. He also knew that by following the Master’s plan, He would present a product so unique that one by one people would believe in it and carry it to victory.

Today we have that product within reach. All we have to do is buy it…and not with money. This product has already been purchased. If we want it, it is ours. No shopping or standing in line. Jesus Christ has fixed it so anyone can have it. He paid for it by shedding His blood on the cross. All we have to do is believe that we are sinners; that we are saved; that only by the blood of Jesus Christ are we redeemed and guaranteed eternal life in the presence of God.

It’s that easy.

 When I look back on my life, the most precious things I acquired were not those I purchased, but those I was given…lucked into, you might say. Home, family, friends… church home, church family, church friends. Those are things that I found not by getting for myself, but by accepting them from God. He didn’t respond to what I wanted but had been holding for me all I need. And when I was ready to accept it, He freely and without question made sure it was there for me.

My advice to you: The next time you are shopping and wondering how you can afford what you want, think of the God who gives you what you need…for free. Your wants will pale in comparison to the riches God is holding for you. Just ask Him to provide. And then, accept it with grace and thanks.  

Like I said, “It’s that easy.”

gone but not alone

A little boy on his sixth birthday was overwhelmed with the compliments his family paid him. “Why, you’re almost a man,” said one uncle. “You must be ready to get a job by now,” joked another. “Already in first grade” said an aunt. “You will be in college living in a dorm any day now.” His grandparents called him their “little man” and his mother and father said that now that he was 6, he may have to pitch in around the house.

Everyone laughed and had a good time celebrating his special day.

A week after the party, he got to thinking that he really was getting older and maybe he should go off on his own. So he packed his backpack with his pajamas and favorite stuffed monkey, grabbed his toothbrush and went to the kitchen to say goodbye to his parents.

Imagine their surprise when he declared his intention and kissed them both goodbye. His mother was about to stop him when his father intervened. “Son” he said, “it’s going to be hard out there but you know that we support you and whatever you want to do. Make sure to stay in touch.”

The boy walked out of the house, full of enthusiasm and excitement and walked away. As soon as he left the yard, the father snuck out and followed him. When the boy got to the corner, right at the busy street, he stopped and looked round and then he sat down. His father walked next to him and feigned surprise at seeing him. “Well, look who’s here! How are you doing?”

“Fine, but I can’t go any further. I think I will come back. Is that okay?”

“Of course, but why did you stop here?”

The boy looked at him, almost surprised at the question. “Dad…there is no crossing guard here, and you told me I can’t cross by myself.”

The father took his son’s hand, and they walked back home together.

Is this how our faith life goes? We live under God’s protection for our whole life till one morning we think that we can do it on our own. It may be the encouragement of our peers or someone we respect. It may be an inkling, or a whisper…it may be a great event or surprising personal success that convinces us that we are capable of functioning in life without God.

So we move away from our home of grace and mercy, thinking we are wise and free and independent. But there will be trials and temptations. There will be highs and lows, good times and bad. And ultimately, there will be that time when we have to choose things of man or of heaven. Will we unthinkingly walk into sin, knowing this is a choice contrary to everything we have been taught?  Or will we stop and wait, to find that God has been walking with us, to watch over us, even when we thought we were on our own.

When you are lost or dejected or confused, just turn and reach up your hand. God will be there to hold it, and guide you back to safety in His presence.

Victorious Secret

Victorious Secret

Ladies and Gentlemen…Boys and Girls!! Gather round and I will reveal to you the secret of winning – the information denied to you by all the successful winners of the ages.

Have you felt defeated, deflated and disregarded? How many times have you been beaten, bruised and batted down? Have you been feeling like everyone knows something you don’t?

You probably accept that life isn’t all first place finishes, but what if I revealed to you the secret used by millions to triumph in every situation? What if I told you how to be gold medalists in all the Olympic battles of your life? What if I had two simple things for you to do that would guarantee you would be successful in every aspect of your life? And leave a legacy of promise to everyone you share this with?

Well, I have the secret to living a successful and happy life. You can never fail if you listen to what I have to say.

Gather round – closer…lean in and listen to me.  Are you ready…?

 

“'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' And then 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'

From Mt 22: 37 – 39

And that is all. Now you have a Victorious Secret… what do you plan on doing with it?

how cool am I

I was sitting in my car at a strip mall, waiting for my son to complete a quick purchase when I saw a young man exit one of the stores. He left the store, pulled the hood of his sweatshirt up and forward so his face disappeared into it. His head was down, his hands were tucked in his pockets, his jeans were slightly low and he had that strut. You know the strut. It says “I am too cool to make eye contact, too tough to give you a glance, too gangsta’ to deal with the likes of you.”

And then he walked into a tree. A low hanging branch had gone right into his hood and could have poked his eye, cut his cheek or done some damage, but I had to laugh.

And then I thought, he was so busy being cool, he didn’t see the tree.

How often has that happened in my Christian life?

I can be the picture of a good Christian woman. I help people who are struggling; the old lady with her groceries, the student dropping books, the young mother who can’t get her stroller and parcels out the store door without assistance.

But am I pulling up my hoodie to keep from seeing the world and being satisfied with having the world see me?

Some days, I insist on doing 95% (or less) and leave that 5% open to worldly ways, evil and negative influences. When I walk with my head down, hidden in a hood of my own making, is there a tree waiting to slap me in the face? I drop my head thinking I am shielded from judgment , and then suddenly I realize that everyone sees me anyway. My efforts to be Christian on the outside do not preempt a stray branch from sneaking in and changing my whole persona.

The young man at the strip mall was not ready and the branch reached in and changed the way the outside viewed him. If I am not ready, I shudder to think of what I am opening my heart to. I can’t let the smallest evil get in, because I am not ready to betray my faith for the love of self over world.

I need to fling back my hood, raise my eyes and declare to the world that I am ready to let them see me as I truly am. I must shout to the mountaintops that I am armed and ready to face and fight adversity and damaging items and defeat them. I need to let the world see me and to look back at them and say that I am their servant in Christ, regardless of how they see me. It isn’t my image that makes me a Christian, but the real me. I have to be honest, loving and most of all, forget what others think and only focus on what Jesus decreed to be right.

I can’t love unconditionally with blinders on. I can’t see the world with my hoodie covering my eyes. I need to open up, wise up and look up. There is so much I will miss if I forget to look.

My friend, Shirley

In my life, I can only recall knowing 3 Shirleys. The first was in high school, one of a pair of twins, Mary and Shirley. The second was in my church choir, a lovely woman who exemplifies Christian attitude and grace.
This is for my third Shirley.

My friend, Shirley.

I met her as a result of my husband’s Men’s Bible Study. I would drop him off but he required a ride home. Many men have helped but one day a wonderful man named Tony started driving him. Tony and Duke became fast friends with much in common. They decided to go to dinner together with their respective wives and that is how I met Shirley.

Shirley was everything Tony had told Duke. She was not only friendly, but God-fearing and serving, a great cook and wonderful friend. Shirley made it obvious that like me, family really mattered. She worked in love for her husband and children, and they loved her for it.

 Shirley would make bakery and share with everyone. For the Bible study, women were invited once a year for a Christmas message and she made sure that each table had fresh, homemade cranberry bread.  I remember her walking in with a basket of fancy plates and wrapped breads and I would help her cut them and put the slices on plates for the group.

 Shirley won multiple ribbons at the Wisconsin State Fair for her cooking, her art and other skills. She downplayed her abilities and always gave credit to those who won the Blue over her Red ribbon, or acknowledged the receivers of the Red while she took the Blue.

We liked to eat out. Our favorite Chinese place – their favorite buffet. We went to Mama Mia’s Italian / Pizza restaurant many times because we all relished the garlic bread there. The portions are large enough for two, but Shirley, like us, refused to share hers. Tony may have wanted just a taste, but of the other three, no one was overly enthused about giving him one.

The only fault in Shirley was her health. Before I even met her, she was diagnosed with cancer and had been fighting it for years. Each time remission hit, her life became focused and back to normal. Once the cancer came back she would buckle down and square off against it. She came back repeatedly, her spirit ever stronger, even though her body was weaker. 

When I heard of her fight I was surprised because the news was not delivered as a complaint from or illness in her, but as a simple statement that that was why she took meds, made sure to use disinfectant lotion before eating and was occasionally laid up.

Good days and bad days…that is cancer. She relished the good ones and just accepted that the bad ones could be battled away.

Shirley was finally defeated in October of 2014.

Faith can get people through many things. Knowing that God has embraced and healed Shirley for the last time can be reassuring, but we miss her. We spend time with Tony but know that it isn’t Tony and Shirley anymore. He is still a loving and generous friend to Duke but there is a difference; there should be a fourth person at the table when we go out. In our hearts there is and always will be.

I found that people look like what they are. I have seen physically attractive women become ugly and repulsive by their attitudes. I have seen soft spoken, ordinary women, become strong and lovely in their faith.

And Shirley? I saw the most stunning and gracious woman I have ever met and I thank God that He brought her to my life for even a short time. When I grow up, I want to be like Shirley!

Poem - what do nonbelievers do...

What do nonbelievers do when they lay down to sleep?

Do they relax with milk or wine or just start counting sheep?

 Do they recall the little things that made their day a mess,

Or do they wish they could be rich and have to work much less?

I wonder if they know that when you rest at night in love,

You know your life is under guard by those who reign above.

The pain from life is just a load that each of us must bear

But we can turn it over to the Lord’s unending care.

I wonder how they sleep when life could end at any time

And they don’t have a promise of eternity in mind.

I wonder if we told them that the peace we have is real,

Would they allow the Savior in, their wounded lives to heal?

Would they respond that we are nuts and turn their eyes away?

Do they know we won’t let them off? Won’t let them get away?

Will we express our faith and love and tell them of God’s will?

Will we convince them He can help their empty hearts be filled?

Do we show them through ourwords, our actions, thoughts and deeds

That God above, the Lord of Love, supplies their every need?

Do we show that the love we have as Christians can be shared

To all who throw their selves aside – who step to Christ – who dare?

Did we hold back, or take the reins and charge to fight the fight

That keeps them tossing, turning, as they try to rest at night?

If they became believers, their minds could rest in peace

Knowing that through God above, anxiety will cease.

Do we help them see that God alone, in life their souls will keep?

What DO nonbelievers do when they lay down to sleep?