Beyond Walter Mitty Dreams

 

        This past weekend I went to see the movie, "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty."  It's a movie based on an old short story by James Thurber - updated, of course, and not very recognizable from the original except in concept.  The idea is about a man with a nondescript life but active imagination, dreaming of doing more exciting things with his life, until one day he throws caution into the wind and instead of dreaming about the extraordinary,  he acts on his impulse and one wild act follows another until he becomes the person he has long dreamed of.  

     
        I think there is a Walter Mitty inside each of us to some extent:  part of us that knows instinctively that there is "something more"  to who we were intended to be, even if we can't quite say why.  Some of us, like the Walter Mittys of our world, are active dreamers but rarely act on them for a variety of reasons;   others still are too busy with daily responsibilities, or too afraid of stepping "out of the box."  I'm not judging here, just pointing out some of the reasons that keep us from venturing out into the realm of the "not yet but possible."  



     In a song on their most recent cd, the  group Casting Crowns has a song called "Dream for You,"  in which God is talking to David and Mary of the Bible,  as if some years prior to David becoming King and Mary becoming the mother of Jesus.  In the song,  God is speaking to them about  1) how they see their dreams for their respective futures and  2) God's dream for each of them. He doesn't put their dream down, and acknowledges the parts of them that were accurate, but doesn't leave them there.  After starting with their current dreams,  He takes each one individually and tells them about the dream that HE has for them, going FAR BEYOND their simple and "practical" (if you will) dreams to the ones based on who HE is and what He is capable of making happen if they will let HIM dream for them!    It's an OUTSTANDING song - of hope and encouragement - of what God CAN DO with us, and the desires and dreams and ABILITY to make them happen in our lives if we trust  and hold on to Him, of whom the apostle Paul describes as "able to do IMMEASURABLY  more than ALL we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us." (Eph. 3:20)



     I know that listening to this song (repeatedly, as I have done, being captivated by the message), along with watching the Walter Mitty film,  has lit a fire under MY imagination.  We can go far by taking a deep breath and stepping out by using our talents in a way we may never have before, or risking in some other part of our life, and that would be a great first step!  But I want to encourage all of us,  particularly those out there who know and walk in a personal relationship with the Creator of all that is and, as Paul again describes Him in the book of Romans (4:17), "The God who gives life to the dead and calls things that are not as though they were" :  take that extra step - today - and ask Him what HIS dream is for you.  If Jesus has dreamed it, and we take His hand in partnership,  buckle up - we might be in for a wild and exciting ride, far beyond any daydreams of Walter Mitty!

Judging Like Jesus

 

            

Judging  like Jesus

 “Can any of you prove me guilty of sin?  If I am telling the truth, why don’t you believe me?”  (Jn. 8:46).  This bit of dialogue is in the middle of one of the most heated conversations that Jesus had with the Pharisees.  Jesus “laid it on the line” with them, calling them “slaves to sin” (8:34), sons of Satan (8: 38, 41, 44),  and  liars (8: 55).  This “interaction”  comes on the heels of another “scene” that Jesus had recently had with the Pharisees and teachers of the law in which they brought to him a woman caught in the act of adultery. 

When I was reading this passage,  I couldn’t help but changing the setting of this conversation to today.  Jesus talking to certain church leaders,  calling it like it is with many of them.  In a  day and age in which “judging” is the ultimate (and practically ONLY) sin (akin to “intolerance”) in our world ,  would Jesus be accused today of “sinning”?  I found it interesting as I was reading the quote at the top of the article by Jesus, “Can any of you prove me guilty of sin?”  In spite of ALL the judgments he had made of these men, not one of them then turned and said, “Yes – it’s a sin to judge, and since you are making all kinds of judgments about us,  therefore, you are a sinner!” Certainly if they had said so, it would have been important enough to have been included. But its conspicuous absence speaks volumes, or should, to our generation.

  The Jewish leaders  asked Jesus once, “Who do you think you are?” (8:53) but that was in the context of his claim that “if a man keeps my word, he will never taste death.” (8:51) They were taken aback that he could make such a claim since Abraham and the prophets all died and he was saying that if anyone believed in HIM, they would never see death”! (Radical statement indeed).   But it was the next claim that caused outright pandemonium:  “I tell you the truth, before Abraham was born, I AM!” (8:58)  It was here that they picked up stones to stone him to death.

Today,  when anyone mentions the “I AM” statement, we’re told by New Agers that Jesus was just referring to the “I AM Ascended Masters” and how he was being our model and we were to be -and could be if we just awakened our consciousness to be on that wavelength -  just like him.  But once again, this is taken out of context and without understanding of the historical  implications of the statement. He was not talking about being a model for people in this statement. He was saying two things:  1) that he came (in years and preeminence) before  Abraham, and 2) that he referred to himself as “I AM WHO I AM.”  (Exo. 3:13-14) The understanding by everyone from Moses to the Pharoah to whom He told this, was that this was the name of God by God Himself. Therefore, when Jesus made the statement, “Before Abraham was, I AM,” the implication was understood by the Pharisees to mean that Jesus was claiming to himself be God. This was the reason for their stoning attempt! It was considered blasphemy for a man to call himself God.

 

Many people today prefer for the sake of not hurting anyone’s religious sensibilities, to steer clear of a Jesus that made waves.  They would rather believe in the Jesus who stilled the storm.  But the Jesus of the New Testament was not an either-or Messiah – He was ALL of those things he said about himself (for a sample, check out John's Gospel, chapters 5-8 for starters) – and so much more.  They say that this (Biblical) view of Jesus is “narrow” and “exclusivistic ,” and edit his quotes out of the Bible or disregard him altogether as unhistorical (in spite of other extra-Biblical writers of the time who wrote about him, such as Josephus who was not a Christian, and others). 

The Jesus of the Bible is not small but HUGE – far beyond what our puny little brains can wrap around!  Many people of ALL nationalities and religious backgrounds (including former atheists) have come to follow Jesus  over the centuries. He speaks today in a myriad of ways – mostly through people in relationship with other people, sharing their experiences with Jesus,  but also through the Bible, physical healings,  miraculous life-changing events, and even through dreams and near-death experiences – whatever ways people need to meet him.   

He is the SAVIOR of ALL people – IF we accept His judgment – that we are sinners who the God of all creation deemed worthy enough to move heaven and earth  to become a baby born not in a rich man’s palace but in a dirty barn, his first cradle an animal’s feeding trough, giving up his unfathomable glory as the ultimate deity to show us OUR worth – that God would become one of us and DIE to take on our sins so that we might – if we choose – come back into a right relationship with Him and live forever.  Now THAT is some judgment and some basis for self-worth!

If only all of us could be that judgmental.

 

 

 

 

A Birds-Eye Lesson in God's Care for Us

A Birds-Eye lesson in God's Care for Us


      As most of you know, I work with Developmentally Disabled adults, getting them jobs and taking them there as a job coach.  I love what I do. 

       A few weeks ago I went with one of my clients to his job at the local Y, and since the day was pretty nice (DRY! I live in the Seattle area, after all!),  he was sweeping the outside courtyard area.  This particular client is quite independent and so I was going to sit on the sidelines so that I wouldn't be breathing down his neck while he worked, yet still watching in case he needed any assistance.  Well, I went over to a table on one side and saw a small bird, probably a sparrow or something like it, sitting on the sidewalk in front of the table. I got closer, figuring it would fly away, but the closer I got to it, it didn't move, just sat there with its eyes closed (see picture).  I took a picture with my phone's camera and sat down, figuring it was probably dying, either of natural causes or some kind of previous trauma. 

     Being so close (about 10 feet) from the more natural setting of trees and earth, I slid a laminated map that a friend had recently given me for my car under it and moved it under a tree so that it would get some shade and be more comfortable.  Then I began to look for something I could put some water in to try to feed it a little (I looked around for worms but couldn't find any), and found the cap of a little bottle with eyeglass cleaner. I removed the tiny cap and went to the bathroom and filled it up, bringing it back outside to where the bird was. I put the cap of water up over the beak of the little bird and then away, and it actually moved and looked as though it were taking the water in.  I did it a few more times.  Finally, after walking away to check on my client and returning, the bird was actually sitting up and looking around! 

I couldn't help but think of the Scipture that reminds us that God knows each of us, and cares for us all, knowing even the smallest sparrow that falls to the ground. And if He knows this tiny creature, and cares for it personally, how much more does He know YOU and ME?  And if He knows and cares for US, why should we worry or fear?  For as Jesus has said...

"Look at the birds of the air: they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them.  Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you, by worrying, can add a single hour to his life?" (Mt. 6:26-27)

Instead:

"Seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."  (Mt. 6:33-34)

P.S.  A few days after this I found myself back at the same place and looked for the bird (or its remains, as I figured it would no longer be alive), it was gone. But the tiny cap of water was still in its place, standing up and half filled with water. Did it recuperate enough to fly away? I will never know.  But the message that God is taking care of us - of me - in spite of how bad things look to the natural eye -  will stay with me always, especially when I see a small bird.



Perspective

      Every day I get up,  play a little with my 2 cats, get up, shower and dress, feed the kitties and make myself breakfast and lunch to go, and then head off for work.  I feel like I'm running on auto-pilot. Relate?  The ways of the world weigh me down, and I get mad at stupid drivers in my way until I get home, feed the cats and make my dinner, watch TV and go to bed, to start the same process over again the next day.  Not so very different from the Bill Murray movie, "Groundhog Day." 

      But then I am reminded, by a still, small voice in my spirit that says, "It doesn't have to be this way. Listen to my voice, spend time with me;  I am here for you and have to give you life in the fullest way."  Then I slap my forehead and like the V-8 commercial, I shake off my weariness, regain my sense of  whose I am, and open the "Instruction Book," (aka the Bible) that reminds me of what my life and perspective should be! 

     Thankfully,  I'm doing the latter more and more regularly nowadays,  not that I don't still have those "auto-pilot" days (sometimes a couple or 3 times a week when I'm particularly forgetful, I'm sorry to say).  But what I'm learning is that when I start my day off with prayer and God's Word,  and I remember that God wants a partnership with me, in order to reach His sick and hurting world,  I have a sense of perspective that I can't otherwise have. 

     I've been doing these "miracle" blog postings now for a few months and maybe you might ask yourself why.  Truth is,  writing (or actually reporting) these present-day miracles is another way to remind myself of the eternal, or heavenly perspective that really does give this life a clearer direction and purpose.  I am reminded that my life is not just for me, for one thing, and for another, that in looking at what God has done and continues to do in this world, I remember that He is still in control and wants me to work with Him, to reach out with His hands and feet, and in so doing, to realize how much more I can accomplish when I am working with Him, or, more accurately, letting Him work in and through me!  How much more meaning my life has when I see it from an eternal perspective, rather than my little, earth-bound, auto-piloted one. 

     If you find your life dull, devoid of purpose, and running on auto-pilot, there's good news waiting for you!  The Creator of the COSMOS knows, loves and has a bigger plan for you than the day to day boredom of the same-old same-old.  He is waiting for you to reach out to Him, as He is has been reaching out to you your whole life, whether you've known it or not.  Believe that Jesus is the "Word made flesh" (read the first chapter of the gospel of John!), came to reunite you to your eternal, loving, Heavenly Father through no effort on your part but HIS death on the cross FOR your sins, and walk into His embrace to a life worth living and an eternity to look forward to rather than dread. 

     I recently came across a website (www.jesuslovesyou.org) that shares LOTS of miracle stories that remind us this world is NOT all there is, that there is a God out there who loves us enough to intervene in our lives, is bigger than ALL our troubles and able to handle them, and who wants to use us to partner with Him or just to worship Him in awe and with thanksgiving to come into His courts.  Join me as I do so and let's turn off the auto-pilot once and for all, letting Jesus be our pilot!

Another Christmas miracle!

     Recently, at a staff meeting at my job, my boss shared this touching story about her sister that just happened.

      Her sister has a young son who wanted an X-Box 360 for Christmas.  She didn't have the money for something that pricey but she prayed for it anyway.  Then one day,  a coworker came to her,  paper bag in hand.  

     "Please don't get angry,"  she started.  "I know what it's like  to want something for your child but not be able to afford it for them. I've been blessed and just wanted to pass on the blessing. This is for you."

     Handing the bag to my boss's sister, she opened it, and what do you think she found?  An X-Box 360, of course!

     My boss's sister's co-worker had been blessed to be a blessing.  It's a good time to be praying about and  thinking of how each of us can be the same. Look for opportunities all around you!  Being a blessing may involve giving a physical gift as in the true story just told.  But it could also be a myriad of other types of giving:  spending time with a shut-in relative,  bringing Christmas joy to a friend in a hospital or providing a meal for their family,  trying extra hard to get along and not be dragged into a verbal sparring match with "that relative" at your family Christmas dinner (but instead, praying for and passing on some "extra grace" to them), sharing the REAL, Biblical Christmas story with a child, or passing on a gentle "Merry Christmas" to someone in a store who looks frazzled and in need of some "Christmas Peace" and "A Silent Night, Holy Night.."
  
      So, while we're busy getting all our presents bought and checking off all our "to do" lists this last week leading up to Christmas Day, let's take some time to first spend time at the foot of the manger, in adoration of what C.S. Lewis called "The Grand Miracle" of God becoming a human baby.  As we focus in appropriate awe and wonder on the One whose birth we celebrate as the  FIRST and GREATEST gift of Christmas from our Creator and Heavenly  Father, let us stop to listen to His stilll, small voice whispering to us unique ways in which we can shine the true light of Christmas on the world around us in His Name!

     Merry Christmas to all and God bless us,every one!

Advent season - Who is this King and who are we in Him?

    For a few months now, I've been writing about miracles - big and small.  This morning on the "TODAY SHOW"  I was reminded about one of, if not THE greatest miracle of hope for believers. 

    If you had a chance to read the book Heaven Is For Real, you know what I'm talking about.  Colton Burpo, at age 3, went into surgery and was taken to Heaven. There he was sung to by angels, met his (miscarried before he was born) sister and grandfather he'd never met on earth, learned about spiritual warfare and how much Jesus loves children, and most importantly had the opportunity to  sit on Jesus' lap and just be with Him! When he "came back,"  Colton slowly unravelled his story over the space of months (if not years), telling his parents what they each were doing while he was on the surgical table - and all that he experienced in that brief time.  Now, eight years later, at the ripe old age of 12, Colton has written a 35 page book of his own - the illustrated Heaven is For Real For Kids. 

    With all of the indoctrination of our children going on today - from every wrong side - it is a joy to hear about not only what happened to this child eight years ago. But now we have the privilege to see this child's heart as he grows up,  wanting to reach out to other children (it's geared to ages 4-8) through this beautifully illustrated book to help them see Jesus and Heaven a little clearer and to set the focus of their lives a little more clearly beyond the distortions that this world will teach them. I'm sure his parents asked themselves afterward, "Why Colton?" I think it's a little clearer now why Jesus chose this child to take on this adventure of a lifetime (and then some!). 

     I guess the next question it brings to my mind is "What am I doing with the gifts He's given me?" (And by implication, what are you?)  Sure my experiences (and probably yours as well) have likely not been as dramatic as Colton's, but God has gifted each of us with a set of specific gifts and talents, and put each of us here, at this time in history, to make a difference in one way or other,  for such a time as this (Esther 4:14 b). I've been reminded lately that we are living in a time, perhaps more than any before us, that will require a lot of us: courage, character and hope to pass on to those hurting ones around us. But in order to do that, we need to be in touch with the ONLY ONE who can give us these qualities. 

     C.S. Lewis said that trouble in our lives doesn't give us good character; it brings out what is already IN us.  We are responsible to spend the time necessary with God and His Word in order to develop the fruits of the Spirit that will enable us - and those around us - to deal with the increasing angst of our time.  It's not enough to just pray for them, any more than to just "be nice to" them.  It takes the whole deal - they need to hear the Gospel of grace from us, proclaimed in word and works. They need to see our courage and hope.  We can't manufacture them, though.  Fruit comes out naturally as the branches are part of the life of the tree, just as Jesus told us ("I am the vine, you are the branches; if a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me, you can do nothing." Jn. 15:5). Christ's life will come out of us as we are in Him. It can't be faked, though many have tried.

    As we have been shown through the eyes of a child (once again),  let us be reminded that our faith, hope and courage (as well as the love that comes as a result) come from "keeping our eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith..."  (Heb. 12:2)

    In this season of Advent - looking forward to the birth of our Lord Jesus - let's take the time to meditate on Jesus, who He IS, was and always will be,  and the hope of being with Him joyfully forever, but only AFTER the work He gave us to do has been accomplished.  And let's spend time with Him during this season to ask Him what that work is that He has predestined us to do to His glory (Eph.2:10),  through His power and grace in our lives.There's an assignment out there which only you and I can accomplish because He planned it that way. Will we do it?  I hope so. I know I'm going to purpose to pray more diligently about it from now on, and hope you will too. 

    Have a blessed Christmas season and all (next) year long!  Amen. 

Another miracle!

     I just read another miracle story on Facebook from a couple in my church.  I asked them if I could share their story here on this blog.  Listen up!
      

    Once again I am blown away by God's provision and timing. We received a letter tw weeks ago that Mac's unemployment had been exhausted and he needed to file an emergency claim, however in the meantime, no money would be coming in. We were waiting until the last possible second to mail the mortgage payment as we didn't have enough for it. As we were walking home from a school assembly this morni...ng, I was praying about the money and asking God to help me trust Him fully in this. Mac opened the mailbox and there was a letter from unemployment telling us that they are paying us despite the fact that the emergency claim has not yet been approved. After I wrote our tithe check, the remaining amount was EXACTLY enough for our mortgage payment! We serve an awesome God!
Mac & Robin McIntyre

    AMEN!  Praise GOD!

More Miracles!

     The more people I speak to about miracles, the more stories I keep hearing!  Since most people are too busy to write in themselves, I thought I would sum up some of the miracle stories I've been hearing of late.  Feel free to send YOUR stories to my email address at Spiritglogal7@comcast.net  and I'll add them next time!

      A friend, Teresa, told me about TWO times she nearly died of hypothermia - once with some friends on a hiking trail, wearing only a tank top and shorts.  It started getting late and cold, and her friends got ahead of her on the trail.  She started getting groggy and finally lay down and started to lose consciousness.  If it weren't for her friend's dog returning to find her in that state and running back to her friends, pulling on their clothes to finally get them to go back and find her, she believes she would have died on that trail.

     The same friend related how she was driving in a friend's pickup to drop someone off, only to find after that that her gas tank was empty!  This was a local road that was to be closed for the season the next day, so no one would have been able to come and look for her and once more she was dressed too lightly for the weather  and after some time started getting cold and very tired.  A man driving a truck with a usual route was surprised to hear a strong, repeated "nudge" telling him to get off his usual route and turn off onto a small, out of the way road, where he discovered Teresa already starting to fall asleep and was able to revive her and get more help - just in time!

    I was with a friend when we went to hear evangelist Mario Murillo at a church near my friend (and boss's) house near Tacoma, WA last Nov. 9.  I told her about my healing of my knee at one of his services 34 years ago and immediately she said she wanted to go the next day.  So we went.  He went up to her at one point and told her that God was touching and healing her (because it was a sensitive area, he didn't announce what it involved).  She knew immediately, she said, and accepted in faith that she was healed.  When she went back to her doctor after the fact, this doctor, who had acted so SURE about her diagnosis, changed her mind, not being able to "find" what had been diagnosed, and my friend was able to share her newly re-found faith with the doctor as well as build her own!

    HALLELUJAH!   God is SO GOOD!  Share YOUR  stories to encourage others and I'll add them to this blog!  We ALL need to bolster our faith in the God who STILL does miracles - especially during such difficult times as these in the lives of most people around the world today!  Trust God and be blessed today.
    

Miracle Stories - First of many!

      Recently I asked friends and readers for your stories of God's miracles for the purpose of encouraging one another in this time of increasing chaos and bad news.  I believe that the more stories we hear of God's  interventions into our daily lives, the greater our faith will grow in His character and nature and the more we will abound in hope and be in an ever-increasing position to help and encourage others, many of whom might just be in a similar place as you once were, lacking hope.  Second Corinthians 1: 3-4 tells us that God comforts us so that we can comfort others in their times of trouble.

    Since then, I have been asking friends of mine about their personal stories and have gotten quite an earful already.  Tonight one friend sent me an email about a miracle involving her granddaughter. Here it is in her own words. Get ready to praise God!

     My nine year-old granddaughter, Sage Isabella Clements-Gallagher, is somewhat of a walking miracle. On June 25, 2003, when she was 16 months old, she accidentally drowned in her parents’ backyard koi pond. Her mother discovered her, floating face up, and called 911 immediately. There just “happened” to be a Shoreline Fire Dept. paramedic taking a lunch break in their neighborhood, which I believe had to be the provision of an all-knowing God. Sage had no life signs for at least 20 minutes before the paramedics tried one last strategy and got her heart started again. She was rushed to Children’s Hospital.
As soon as Doug & I heard of the accident (shortly after they arrived with her at the hospital), we asked every church with which we had any connection to put Sage on their prayer chain, and within a short time she was being lifted up in prayer by people around the world. Although the doctors treating her at Children’s Hospital thought it would be best if she died (because they thought she would be severely brain damaged), she not only survived, she made a full recovery! After being hooked up to all kinds of tubes in the hospital ICU for a whole month after the accident---and receiving several years of traumatic brain injury (TVI) therapy thereafter---she now has minimal speech and motor-skill impairment. She is a bright, cheery and active little girl---brimming full of life. She is entering the fourth grade this fall and does not require any more TVI special assistance. What a blessing she is--- and all the glory goes to God!

     Now - email YOUR story and will publish it here so that others may also be encouraged.  Shorter ones can be combined in one posting.  Let me know what you think of the story (and storiES, as they start to come in! 

       Be encouraged in Jesus!
     

Miracles: Reasons for Hope

      Everyone needs hope.  In this world and in this time where everything seems to be turned upside down and inside out, when right is called wrong and wrong right, and when people's hearts fail them for fear, earthquakes and hurricanes hit unlikely targets (like NYC!),  people are deceived in every arena of life, and Jesus' name can be used as a curse word but not in any other realm of public life (other than church), it seems that we need reasons for hope more than ever.

      It is for this reason, primarily, that I would like to change the focus of this blog - for awhile anyway - to one that proclaims good news, specifically news that demonstrates that we still have a LIVING, LOVING God who CARES and INTERVENES MIRACULOUSLY in the affairs of humankind - TODAY! 

     But I don't want this to be a one-woman show blog!  In order to accomplish this goal, and reach the most people with the encouragement we ALL need,  I need to ask for your help!  In two ways.  First, I need to hear your stories of ways God has and IS moving in the miraculous:  healing miracles, amazing conversion stories, and more.  I KNOW they're out there!!!  Sometimes here in America we become too "sophisticated" or "smart" to believe, and as a result,  we fail to see God's workmanship in miraculous ways all around us, and more sadly, we fail to give God the "space" to perform His wonders that are often reported by missionaries from places WAY out in the "uttermost parts of the world" where they haven't been corrupted by "sophistication" and they still believe that God is willing and ABLE to do the "OUT THERE" miracles!  So, tell me your (or others' substantiated) stories of God's awesome power to share with people from ALL OVER the world!  That ties in with my second request/need of you:  in order for the most people to benefit from the encouragement of this blog,  I will need YOU to tell others ABOUT it, to people across the globe!  If you know of missionaries, evangelists, pastors with ties to ministries around the world, etc. - pass on this blog address and encourage them to write down their miracle stories so that MORE and MORE people will be encouraged, and hopefully nonbelievers would see the overwhelming evidence of God's moving in this world and come to Christ! 

      Please - spread the word and send in your stories so that MANY would know, be encouraged and be blessed, and so that Jesus would be glorified!  I can't wait to hear your stories!   Bring 'em on!

     Here's a preview:  just a tip of the iceberg, two, actually, and true.

      In 1976 I was a new believer (about a year into my salvation), living in NYC.  Seven years before I was running in my apartment in just my socks to get to the phone and slipped, skidding several feet and landing hard into the door jamb of my parents' bedroom. OUCH!  It hurt, and was x-rayed but it showed nothing. However, days became months, which became years and the pain increased.  More tests and more nothing.  To make a long story short (or less long),  after 4 years I had exploratory surgery and was told that "the ligaments supporting the kneecap had "stretched out" and weren't holding it in place any longer; additionally, I had fibrosis, which they told me "comes from chronic arthritis."  In short, I was told to "wear high heels and get used to the pain.  There's nothing we can do for you." That was in 1973, at the age of 17.  But God had other plans!  Three years later, at a large church in Queens, NY, an evangelist came to speak and I went with several friends to hear Mario Murillo speak. What I didn't know was that he had a ministry in which God gave him words of knowledge about miraculous things He was going to do and they were done!  At the end of the first night, my faith was encouraged, but the best I could say was, "It would be nice."  But I wasn't holding my breath. On my way out the door, though,  God spoke to my heart (loud enough to almost have been audible!) He said, "You're coming back tomorrow and I'm going to heal you."  I remember all the next day thinking, whenever my knee strained and pained, "Tonight my knee isn't going to hurt anymore."  Well, since this is already getting too long, I'll spare you the details.  But as you can probably guess by now, this story wouldn't BE included here if it DIDN'T happen.  It did.  And 34 years later, not only is my knee still healed, but once again God used the same evangelist to unexpectedly heal my back after a car accident three months prior to last November, only 3,000 miles away from the original "scene."  So you see, I KNOW first-hand, that God is still IN the miracle-making business! 

      Now it's YOUR turn.  Send your miracle stories to my email address:  Spiritglogal7@comcast;.net.  The sooner I get them, the sooner I can share them.  And pass this blog address on so many others can be blessed as well, and tell their stories.  Can't wait to read them.!

Miraculous Interventions

      Earlier this summer a couple of friends loaned me a dvd set called "Against All Odds."  It's about the many ways God miraculously saved His people just in the past century:  from World War 1, when a British major was inspired by the biblical account of Saul and Jonathan in a way that led to an amazing victory against a Turkish garrison to the 1948 establishment of the Jewish homeland to a 1976 hostage situation leading to a miraculous rescue at Entebbe airport, and SO many more miracles I wouldn't have room to include here.  If you can get hold of this movie or series, RENT IT!

      After hearing SO MANY recent negative  national as well as world events,  from natural disasters - floods, fires,  famine  - to man's inhumanity to man  - I know I don't have to name specifics for you to get the picture in your own minds,  I was once again reminded of this 13-episode series and the incredible power and goodness of the GOD of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.  It won't let go of my heart and head. I find that particularly when things around me and this world are getting increasingly INsane,  stories of triumph and the miraculous offer a weary world  much- needed hope, encouragement, courage and a reminder that God is STILL GOOD and STILL IN CHARGE! 

     Not that we can't be encouraged by God's Word, the Bible - we can and MUST, and the more of IT we get into our minds and hearts, the more transformed we will be and the more we will trust God's CHARACTER. This is not an either/or game, but both/and.  By looking at the biblical, historical events and records, we see how God worked (and works in the present at times, though He is not a God who repeats methods in a cookie-cutter manner). And more importantly, by keeping our eyes on Jesus, we will grow more into His image as He intends for us. 

    So,  I got an idea - likely whispered into my ear by God or one of His angels.  And I would LOVE to hear what you think of it.  What about a blog that centers around more such TRUE MIRACLES from around the world!  How much greater would the faith of believers grow  in order to embolden us all and how many others who don't yet  know this loving, miracle-working God  might come to know Him as a result?

    My only remaining question is this, which is where I will need your  help (as well, of course, as God's):  I need to get the reports of the miraculous to share!  The wider out this net can be spread, the more hope and encouragement can be built!  I have a vision of this ministry expanding as well:  a television or internet component dramatizing some of the true life miracles for all  to see!  But that's a long way off.  If you hear about a miraculous event or story -(preferably first hand)  healing, deliverance, salvation of an unlikely person (a Saul-to-Paul-like transformation),  miraculous rescues and many other such faith-building stories - and have or know who to contact to corroborate the story - PLEASE - email me with your stories to Spiritglogal7@comcast.net and tell your friends, church members, missionaries - anyone who might have access to such stories to do the same and pass on the request to as many others as you think might be equally interested.

     My pastor said that He has been emboldened to pray and ask God for greater and more amazing things that could only  happen through God.  That's what this  sounds like too - forget the "box" - this  concept blows the box (along with my mind) - right out of the stratosphere!  Where evil and darkness abound,  how much brighter does the light of God shine!  All I can say is, if this is  in fact, His  idea, then the stories will come and many will be blessed.  I can't wait for it all to start!  Go GOD!

    

The Courage to Stand

The Courage to Stand

      Recently I’ve been finding myself led, in my prayer times, to read 2 Chronicles. I haven’t read this portion of Scripture in a LONG time. Unlike Psalms or the Gospels, it’s not a section that I (nor probably many other Christians) gravitate toward. Here’s the gist: It recalls the story of Jehoshaphat, king of Judah. His father, Asa, had once trusted in the Lord, but then started, as is often the case when power goes to the head of a leader, putting his trust in himself, his army and own strength. It never ends up well for those who do so, and did not for him either. But when he passed on, his son Jehoshaphat took over as king. 2 Chron. 17:6 says of him, “His heart was devoted to the ways of the Lord. Furthermore, he removed the high places and Asherah poles from Judah.” He was standing with God and against the idolatry of his forefathers. I’m sure this took courage. It always does when one takes an unpopular stand. Our nation and culture is not the first to embrace “multiculturalism.” It just went by different names at various times. Like idolatry.

     Fast forward three chapters to chapter 20. Jehoshaphat is told that “the Moabites and Ammonites with some of the Meunites” were on their way to make war on Jehoshaphat. Look at his response. “Alarmed, Jehoshaphat resolved to inquire of the Lord, and he proclaimed a fast for all Judah. The people of Judah came together to seek help from the Lord” (v.3-4). The result was nothing short of miraculous. The Lord responded by comforting them with these words: “Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours but God’s” (v. 15b). And then God came through and literally blew their enemy away by their OWN hands and all Jehoshaphat’s army had to do was set up a praise choir and watch God’s hand at work! Read the rest of the chapter for yourself. I don’t think Steven Spielberg would ever have come up with an ending like this!

     In reading and meditating on this section of Scripture, I couldn’t help but compare it to some current events of today. Space does not allow me to go off as I would like so I have to be (mercifully, for your sake) brief, or at least try.

      1. Then: Judah was being surrounded and attacked on all sides.

Now: Israel is being attacked on all sides by those who want to see t wiped off the face of the earth (again).

     2. Then: Their king, Jehoshaphat, gathered his people to pray for God’s help and direction.

Now: A band of people standing up for Israel, gathered together to stand up and pray for and encourage the people of Israel. What? I didn’t hear about this in the media. Why not? Where? When?

     Oh, you haven’t heard? Well, so glad you asked. From August 21st to 24th in Jerusalem, (on the Temple Mount on the 24th!), there was a gathering of Christians, Jews and others standing for Israel. It was not a political gathering, but a spiritual one, to pray for and encourage a people who are being surrounded once more by enemies on all sides (sadly, including our own country, the good old U.S. of A.

     It took real courage (in fact, the name of this gathering was “Restoring Courage”) to take this stand, by all those involved, and particularly Glenn Beck whose vision this was and who set it in motion through many threats leveled against this brave band all sides.

     And true to form, the media refused to acknowledge, much less cover this event, with a cast of two thousand-plus, not to mention the 1,400 viewing parties (of 25 + people) and all those smaller groups around the globe watching via the internet, many literally risking their lives to do so. Celebrity speakers, political figures and musicians all there to present an uplifting message of support and encouragement for this once again world- (but NOT God-] forsaken tiny nation at the vortex of world news.

     No doubt if an iota of violence would have taken place at this event, every network on the planet would have appeared, and likely most (at least from THIS country) would have blamed the victims. That’s the (understood) reality of the situation. I wonder if any of those who to now have believed everything the media says (or doesn’t, in this case) will ever open their eyes and see the truth of the matter. Not without prayer, I daresay.

     I find it staggering personally, to see how quickly our world has forgotten the Jewish people a mere 60 or so years after the Holocaust, and are once more not only willing but abetting its destruction. Yet they have learned NOTHING from history – spiritual or physical history. At every turn, God has showed up and miraculously pulled HIS PEOPLE out of the fire, and He WILL do it again. We need to continue to pray for the peace of Jerusalem, speak up for her, and then as did Jehoshaphat, stand by to watch God step in again with HIS victory! That is TRUE courage.

MERRY WHAT?

     Who would have thought that a simple greeting would become so controversial?  Yet today, just wishing someone - a friend, coworker, or store employee - "Merry Christmas" - is considered RADICAL amidst all the "Happy Holidays" that are sent out among us this time of year.  One doesn't even hear about "Christmas trees" anymore - it's "holiday" trees! (At least here in the "Great Northwest," one of the country's most unchurched and ANTI-Christian areas of the U.S.!)  Hmmm - what other holiday do you know of this time of year that involves dressing up an evergreen or fir tree? 

     I like what Charles Stanley (Baptist pastor of a large church in Atlanta, GA) said this morning on his TV program.  He went into a store and the clerk wished him "Happy Holidays."  He politely but firmly responded, "NO - Merry Christmas!"  He pointed out that because of THIS holiday, they (store owners and clerks) get to take our money but many don't want to hear the name of the one whose birth we celebrate and whose name is right there in the name of the day - CHRISTmas.  We don't offend them by giving them our money, but don't remind them of the name of the One who is responsible for the reason behind the giving and receiving that they are benefiting from. 

     But this is where the Enemy of our souls, Satan, is working, and has become more blatant over the years.  There have always been athiests who have hated the idea of what Christmas stands for and others who have been "uncomfortable" with mention of CHRISTmas, those "Scrooges" who want nothing to do with the day. And they are entitled to their misery.  But today ONE such voice piping up can be responsible for nativity scenes being removed from small towns or government offices, Christmas carolers forbidden and even Salvation Army bell-ringers removed from the front of big-name stores, in spite of MANY others in the same town who love the celebrations!  All because we in this country have come to value what we call "inclusiveness" (aka tolerance or not offending others) above all other values, which on the surface sounds like a good thing.

     This is the M.O. of Satan - making wrong sound right, (but don't let me get started on that sermon!) He's been at it since the Garden of Eden!  We don't want to offend people unnecessarily, of course.  Rudeness offends me.  Needless violence and rage offends me.  And rightly so.  But celebrating a holiday?   Particularly one that, in our culture has already lost most of the outer trappings of the true spiritual meaning?  We are bombarded, from practically Halloween now (I've even seen some Christmas displays up starting in September!) until December 26 (when the "After-Holiday" sales begin) and into the New Year with "Holiday Shopping" ads all over the TV and radio, yet children in schools (having worked in one capacity or other in that environment for the better part of the past 28 years) cannot utter the word "Christmas."  (Though I still see pockets of children in school halls and out in playgrounds wearing Santa hats.)  Christmas as it is celebrated (where it IS) in our culture has largely become a cultural rather than spiritual holiday, which is very sad.  But even our  cultural celebration of Christmas is under fire by those who are "offended" by the thought of the day.  I wonder how offended they would be if they truly got their wish and everyone stopped buying all those items to put under all those unnamed fir trees. 

     I grew up in New York City and go back there every year.  The highlight of my trip is going to Rockefeller Center to see the gigantic Christmas tree, all lit up with multicolored lights, the skaters, and the rows of wire angels blowing their wire trumpets leading up to it.  Add to that all the "magic" of the creative and beautifully decorated store windows (not even speaking of what is INSIDE the stores) designed to entice people in to buy as well as to provide delight to the millions of tourists and New Yorkers who annually do the whole Christmas ritual - "Carol of the Bells" playing in the air from seemingly nowhere like in a movie musical,  horse-drawn carriages transporting all manner of wide-eyed children,  young (and older) lovers, and tourists alike,  the millions of dollars spent around the city to amaze and - oh yes,  get people to spend their money.  Take all that away and the city would probably go bankrupt in a month!  THEN who would be "offended"?

     I have no problem with the idea of "tolerance" as long as it is used in a blanket way.  This nation of ours has tolerated everything imaginable, not to start naming names.  But this idea of being offended by all things Christian, including our cultural celebrations (like Christmas and Easter, which has also been largely stripped of the great If they are so offended by our holiday, Spiritual significance it has for Christians the world over) needs to be reconsidered.  We live in a country that says it values "culture" yet seems to include (in it's inclusivistic ideology) every "culture" except our own.  For those anti-Christian "humbugs," maybe there should be a symbol created to put up in their store windows so that Christians could avoid offending them with our business. After all, why should they be forced to contribute to  (not to mention profit from) a holiday they are offended by?  Maybe this would teach our soul-stripped culture the true meaning of "tolerance."    I would love to hear what readers of this commentary think.  Feel free to respond, and

                                              MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Season of Miracles and Wonder

     Ring out those bells to proclaim this season of miracles and wonder, starting with the best one of all:  the birth of God in the flesh, or as Pastor Andy Stanley said in his sermon this morning, "God in a bod." 

      As with most of us, this has been a crazy and eventful year for me:  going from unemployment to getting 2 jobs, five months apart, working with preschoolers and school-age kids (a nice balance), getting into a car acccident resulting in neck and back injuries (and a new-to-me car), and then, best of all,  going to hear Mario Murillo on Nov. 9 with my new boss at the after-school program at Leschi Elem. and BOTH of us getting healed, me of my neck and back injuries from the accident and also from  long-standing back trouble! 

     I know I tend to be a pessimist,  and don't like my negative attitudes - it's something God is CONSTANTLY working on with me.  But my healing reminds me (maybe that's WHY God did it!) to praise Him.  Not just because He has healed me, though that's certainly the big picture, and reason enough but moreso because healing, especially the miraculous kind that happened to me, is spiritual warfare.  As much as we want to focus on the good at this time of year (and always), we also have to realize the truth that we are ALWAYS involved in warfare, and rarely moreso than after such a healing miracle!  For one thing, healing boosts our faith, which Satan obviously doesn't want to allow!  So, one of his tactics after such an event is to throw out what I call "phantom pains" - he wants us to doubt our healing and figures that if we feel a twinge of that "old pain,"  we'll give it up and doubt God - both His ability (did He really do it?  Could he?) and His goodness (Maybe it was just wishful thinking or the power of suggestion? Would He really have healed ME?). 
    So, what I've learned in this matter, which carries over to the rest of my life (when I think about it and practice it!) is to battle the doubts with words of praise and trust!  When I start to feel those "old pains,"  I've learned to point to Jesus and thank Him for what I KNOW He's done for me.  And guess what happens EVERY time:  the "pain" disappears!  And, to boot, my faith is once more boosted!!!  Now, to get that message across to myself in all other aspects of my life - not that they'll all change instantly, but that with that attitude of praise rather than complaining, I will change into a more grateful person. 
    Today at church one of the points my pastor made was from a verse from Philippians 3:16, "Only let us live up to what we have already attained."  A good place to start!
    

Who Art in Heaven

       Tonight at my church's weekly prayer meeting,  Pastor Steve, who leads the meeting, had us meditate on the second part of the first line of the Lord's Prayer, "Who art in Heaven."  While asking the Lord what He wanted me to see in it, here are some of the things I came up with:

       1)  He is the Ruler over all principalities and powers in the spiritual realm.  Every power in heaven, earth and hell is subject to "Our Father in Heaven."

       2)  He sees the "Big Picture."  Like a helicopter flying over a freeway can "see" and even predict accidents about to happen because of  it's perspective,  God sees and knows everything going on at once (being outside of time) and even what is going to happen at any given time. 

      3) He knows us completely,  being the Creator of all.  Check out Psalm 139 as well.

      4)  He is all powerful,  being over all and knowing all.

      5)  He is worthy of worship, based on all the above.  How could I NOT?

      6) He is worthy of trust.  If  He knows more than I do, sees what I can't,  and is above all evil  "forces,"  then I can trust Him and don't have to struggle for control of things I can neither help nor understand or change.  What a relief!

      7)  I'm not  (any of  above numbers 1-6)!

       How humbling is that? 
    

Not Hate but Knowledge

      I have been reading a lot of articles lately by those who raise arguments against the so-called “Muslim-bashing” or “Muslimophobia” as described by Daisy Khan, wife of Imam Rauf and many others, including yourself and many Muslims in response to the proposed building of the Ground Zero mosque.


• Not all Muslims are terrorists. (TRUE) I have had opportunities to work with several Muslims in a school setting as a teacher, both with bilingual assistants as well as parents and students. I got along well with all of them and had some excellent discussions with one in particular with whom I shared a classroom. In many ways we had more values in common than either of us did with many of the more liberal staff. My difficulty is not with Muslim people—it is with Islamic ideology.

• The Muslims who are trying to build the “Community Center/Mosque” near Ground Zero have our country’s Freedom of Religion to worship as they please. (TRUE). However, there is a difference, as we have just seen with the controversial pastor in Florida, between having a right to do something that may be legal but still WRONG. They have a right to worship as they please. BUT they need to practice what they want others to do for them=sensitivity must go two ways. They have sought and DEMANDED that our culture, including government, schools and businesses be “sensitive” to their culture, even holding “sensitivity trainings.” Now, when they are asked, even by the Governor of NY, David Patterson, to find another location because this one infuriates and offends the “sensibilities” of 70% of New Yorkers and a large number of Americans, they staunchly refuse. Does anyone (of the many groups that think they are fighting the “hatemongering, Anti-Muslim, Anti-freedom right-wingers and Christians) stop and even bother asking themselves WHY?
      Like me, I believe that a lot of Americans since 9/11 have been learning about Islam and Sharia Law. Knowledge of the FACTS, not ignorance, hate or bigotry, is what is fueling the negative feelings about Islam as a belief system and ideology. I feel sorry for the many moderate Muslim people who get caught in the crossfire while simply trying to go about their daily business. Violence against anyone cannot and should not be condoned, whether in the name of bigotry, hate or religion. However, the increasing push for Sharia Law, (including by the Imam of this proposed Mosque/”Community Center”) as well as specific verses in the Koran itself, say to me and many others that this is not just about a few “bad eggs.” In 1998, Omar Ahmad, co-founder and longtime Board Chairman of CAIR Council on American-Islamic Relations), said this: “Islam isn’t in America to be equal to any other faith, but to become dominant. The Koran should be the highest authority in America, and Islam the only accepted religion on Earth.” (After he received unwelcome publicity as a result of this statement, Ahmad denied saying it, several years after the fact. However, the original reporter, Lisa Gardiner of the Fremont Argus, stands by her story.
      So what is CAIR? It is an unindicted co-conspirator in a Hamas terror funding case — so named by the Justice Department during the trial of the Islamic charity known as the Holy Land Foundation. CAIR has a long record of duplicity and deception. Although it has received millions of dollars in donations from foreign Islamic entities, it has not registered as a foreign agent as required by the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA), despite spreading Islamic supremacist propaganda within the United States. Although it presents itself as a civil rights group, CAIR actually has numerous links to Islamic supremacist and jihad groups. Lies and deception, which ARE acceptable, even encouraged in the name of proselytizing non-believers to Islam.

      Look at YouTube to find instances, not only in Taliban-controlled countries but our own, about the increasing number of Honor Killings occurring, muslims who leave Islam are threatened with their lives (according to the Koran and Sharia that they should be killed for deserting their “faith.”) Is this the meaning we want for “Freedom of Religion”?

     Imam Rauf (of the proposed infamous Ground Zero Mosque and “Community Center”) has stated his support for Islamic Sharia Law which strips women of most of their rights. In countries that have fully implemented Sharia Law, girls are not allowed to be educated; women may not be seen in public without a man; they may not work, drive, or be uncovered. Under Sharia Law they may even be stoned to death or given 99 lashes for adultery, or for such things as having a picture of themselves without their covering. ( I haven’t heard of these same penalties being given to men, who presumably were the ones sharing in the act of adultery.) Women’s statements in court and their inheritances are worth half that of a man’s, and they can be routinely beaten by their husbands, a punishment sanctioned by the Koran (Surah 4:34 There are many more examples of intolerance under Islamic Sharia Law.

      According to the Koran, non-Muslims must be fought against until killed, converted or “subdued.” As Surah 9.029 states:

      “Fight those who believe not in Allah… nor acknowledge the religion of Truth [Islam], (even if they are) of the People of the Book [Jews and Christians], until they pay the Jizya [protection tax, extortion] with willing submission, and feel themselves subdued.”)

      In Islamic countries, non-Muslims, as second-class citizens, cannot get the good jobs reserved for Muslims, must pay extra taxes as non-believers, and have no freedom of religion or speech expressing any disagreement with Islam or anything associated with it. To this day, Muslims who want to convert to Christianity or other religions, fear for their lives as they might be killed at any time by relatives or members of their mosques for doing so. I have read many such reports.

      Add to that the historic fact that a victory mosque has been erected in every place Muslims have conquered since Islam began in the Seventh Century AD. This is entirely consistent with the Koran, which states in Surah 18:21: “Erect an edifice over them-- their Lord best knows them. Those who prevailed in their affair said: We will certainly raise a masjid [mosque] over them.” The most famous example of these victory mosques is the Dome of the Rock, built in 688 AD atop the foundation of Judaism’s most holy site, Solomon’s Temple. This is the reason why the location of the Ground Zero mosque is important, as well as the plan to build a crescent-shaped “memorial’—which, again, has all of the design elements of a mosque—at the Flight 93 crash site in Pennsylvania.

     Surah 18:21 also explains why the promoters of the Ground Zero Mosque refuse to accept offers by the Governor of New York and others to assist in finding a less controversial site. Though they are being promoted as “memorials,” the Ground Zero and Flight 93 crash site mosques are designed to be symbols of Muslim Conquest, pure and simple.

      Americans are becoming aware and growing tired of the duplicity practiced by Islamic leaders, claiming one thing but in actuality being something quite different. So naturally we will be hearing a lot about “Muslim-bashing” and Islamophobia.” In this way Islamic leaders are using the politically-correct rhetoric of the American culture to subdue it and ultimately replace it with Sharia Law.

     You are right about one thing: many Muslims have come to America to experience the freedoms of this country. Those include the freedom NOT to be bullied and tormented by religious leaders/systems (i.e. Sharia Law). Americans like the freedom to choose how, who and/or what we worship. And even though we often must agree to disagree with each other about our individual beliefs, we have managed until now to respect the other’s rights to believe what they will.

      Freedom is what they came for. Freedom is what those of us who are against the Mosque at Ground Zero are FOR. This is NOT a “Republican” or conservative fight (though some liberals seem to desperately want it to be, though I can’t see why. It wasn’t just Republicans or conservatives or “right-wingers” who were killed on 9-11). It’s a fight against those who would take away our Freedom long fought for and declared in our Declaration of Independence (“Inalienable rights given to us by our Creator.” ) Not to be taken away by some radical and hate-filled group that sees itself as Supreme and WOULD go against the First Amendment’s “Establishment of a Religion” clause because of their Koran. America, wake up before it’s too late! Look at the world that IS controlled by Islam.

      Is that what WE want? I don’t think so! If you do, then, great - move to Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan or the many other places that practice Sharia Law. And enjoy practicing your faith. But leave the rest of us to Democracy and Freedom.

Faith on Wheels

      Everytime I get into panic mode over ANYTHING (and I'm so GOOD at it!), God comes along again and teaches me another lesson on trusting Him!  And this week He did it again.

      Last week (Aug. 26th, to be exact), I was driving with a friend to a bookstore on Lake City Way when suddenly, right in front of us a car pulls from the center lane into a restaurant parking lot!  Since he was no more than about 20 feet away when he pulled in front, no amount of braking could have helped to avoid him, so - CRASH we went! 

     Thankfully, no one was hurt (on either side) and the young man who caused the accident apologized profusely, asked if we were ok, and explained that his sister was getting married in two days, and he was starving, so a little distracted.  We exchanged insurance info and did all that fun stuff.  My car still worked and so my friend and I (who were also hungry) decided to opt out of the bookstore and calm ourselves down with some dinner. 

    Thankfully,  the young man's insurance company were able to arrange for a rental and the following day the company picked up my car to have it assessed. 

    Well, this week I heard back from the insurance company that they decided to total my car, though it still worked internally, probably because it was 10 years old.  Then they said that I would only be able to keep my rental until Saturday the 4th of Sept. (today).  I started to break into a cold sweat.  A couple of days later, I spoke with a different representative of the same company, and this one told me that I could have the rental until I got a CHECK from them, so my panic abated a bit, and I started thinking of how I was going to acquire a new car!  I signed up with a car broker, but he told me that it could take a week to a MONTH to get a new car.  NOOOO!!!  Panic swept in again.  Then I finally got back in touch with the original insurance adjuster.  No, I couldn't keep the car until I got the check - I had to give it up on the 4th.  That was yesterday.  Panic deepened. 

     Then I remembered, or God planted a thought into my pea-brain, not sure which -- that right in front of my apt. building was an Enterprise (I've lived there for 3 years this very weekend and always thought it was a car rental place until I had to rent a car via this accident and found out that it is a car SALES place, not rental).  So I thought, "Why not?"   So after work and running a few errands afterwards (in case I wouldn't have a car after today- woman of faith, right?),  I ambled over there and walked in.  I won't bore you with details, but the long and short of it is this:  I tried out a car on the lot, liked it, and am going to get it (or a different-color model they had to bring in from Renton) when I get my settlement on Tuesday or Wednesday!  Meanwhile - here's the best part for NOW - THEY are going to pay to extend my rental until then!!!  So - ta-da!  I don't have to be "Wheel-less in Seattle"!!!

     When will I learn? 

Judging the Law

     We've all heard the line, "Who do you think you are to judge me?"  And:  "Your Bible says that you can't judge me!"    Is that true?  Are we told, in the Bible that we are not supposed to judge anyone - ever?  In our day, the only non-relative value is tolerance; the only non-relative wrong,  judgement. 

     No one likes to hear about judgement:  it makes us feel guilty because we know that deep down, we ARE, about SOMETHING.  Many people, who do not believe,  deny or even hate Christ because they associate Him and Christianity with the concept of eventual judgement and accountability. 

     So let's examine this issue of judgement in the Bible.  Mind you, this is by no means an exhaustive study, but it will hit on some of the main Scriptures on the subject.  For those who don't believe that the Bible is God's definitive message to us,  try to at least read this with an open mind and temporarily suspend disbelief until you (who may not have read the Bible for yourself or read these references before this) have "heard me out."  (Of course, this assumes that anyone at ALL will read this post to whom this may apply.)

     First of all,  the Old Testament speaks often of judgement coming and God being the judge of all.
           1 Sam. 3:13 - Personal judgement of the family of Eli.
           Ps. 1:5 - Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgement (referring to following death).
           Joel 3:12 - "...There I will sit to judge the nations on every side." (prophetic voice of God speaking)
           Jeremiah 25:31 - "[God] will bring charges against the nations, he will bring judgment on all mankind..."
    
     And from the New Testament, a few highlights:
           Matt. 11:24 - "But I tell you (Jesus, speaking to Capernaum, where often preached) that it will be more bearable for Sodom on the day of judgment than for you." (implying an ultimate day of reckoning).
           John 5:22, 23 - "Moreover, the Father judges NO ONE, but has entrusted ALL JUDGMENT to the SON,  that all may honor the Son just as they honor the FATHER. He who does not honor the Son, does not honor the Father who sent Him.
           John 5:27 - "And [God] has given [Jesus] authority to judge because He is the Son of Man."
           Heb. 9:27 - "Just as man is destined to die once and after that to face judgment"
           Rev. 20:12 - "And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books."

      OK, so three things we have learned here so far:
            1) There will be an ultimate judgment.
            2)  Each person dies and is judged.     .
            3)  Jesus is the ultimate judge.

       Now,  that is one kind of judgment.  God is the ultimate judge (in Christ).  But what about us
 judging one another?  What does the Bible say about that?  Let's check that out. 
    
       Matt. 7:1-2 - Do not judge or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you too will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you."  (This is the verse everyone seems to know and is referred to at the top of this post.)

       1 Cor. 4:5 - "Therefore, judge nothing before the appointed time; wait till the Lord comes.  He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness, and will expose the motives of men's hearts. At that time each will receive his praise from God.

       James 4:12 - There is only one lawgiver and judge - the One who is able to save and destroy. But you - who are you to judge your neighbor?

       Gal. 5:14-15 - "The entire law is summed up in a single command:  Love your neighbor as yourself. If you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.

       1 Cor. 5:12 - "What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church?   Are you not to judge those inside? God will judge those outside."

       1 John 4:1 - Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.

      In summary here:

     1)  We are not to judge others because we do not know their hearts or motives. The way we judge others is the measure of the way we will be judged by God.
     2)  God will ultimately judge;  He knows people's hearts and motives and will rightly judge everyone, so we don't have to.
     3)  We should focus on loving one another. Backbiting is of no value and destroys/ plays into Satan's wishes and tactics. 
     4)  We are to test (judge / discern) the spirits of what people say to see if they are of God or not. (See 1 Jn. 4 to find out how). Not all are, even those who say they are. Satan acts as an "Angel of Light" to deceive, kill and destroy).  So we need to practice discernment and wisdom!

      When someone says to you, "You can't judge me!" (for whatever it is, whether an immoral lifestyle or something else,  we learn here that we in fact should not judge those outside the family of God.  God will do that.  Inside the family,  we need to avoid arguing, be gentle with, instruct, pray for, and when in conflict follow the instructions given by Jesus in Matthew 18: 15-17.  

      If the person saying this to you is not a believer, as is often the case,  the irony is that in many if not most cases,  they are judging you, which may also be pointed out.  Funny (not really) how those who preach the loudest about tolerance and nonjudgmentalism can yell the loudest and be the most intolerant and judgmental when it comes to those with whom they disagree.

     Don't worry about them.  Just pray for their spiritual eyes to be opened - they are deceived.  Pray for God's Spirit to reach them with His love, and try not to argue, especially when you realize that they are not listening and do not "have ears to hear," as Jesus said.  When they accuse you, don't fire back, just step back and pray. 
      

Open doors to...?

     I started a job in May that requires me to drive nearly downtown every day, Monday through Friday.  So, every day I drive down there, and before this job (with the exception of two years in between), I did the same for 8 - 1/2 years.  I'm sure you're thrilled with this bit of my driving history, but the point IS coming soon. 

    Last night on the show, Dateline, they focused on how we miss things around us, even some important things, when we are not expecting them.  So here I was, driving to work as usual yesterday, and about a mile before an exit before the one to the University of Washington,  I happened to be stopped in traffic and looked around me.  There, on the right side of the freeway, up an embankment, was a wall.  In the middle of the wall was a door in a frame, opened.  Looking through the door was...grass and open sky!  A door to nowhere!  Straining my brain, I tried to remember if I'd ever noticed it before over the past ten years.  Maybe it was new.  One can hope.

    After passing that exit, I started to think about how many times I've let something important go unnoticed.... a sad or concerned expression on a friend,  sudden change of attitude or behavior, a new person seated alone at church.  I  am often guilty of this,  as I am more of a "big picture"  as opposed to a "detail-oriented"  person.  What might I notice if I asked God to help me?  How might I have more of an impact on those around me if I truly "saw" and "heard"  those I came across every day, whether at work or play each day? I want to be, not only a "believer" ( "You believe that there is one God. Good! Even demons believe that - and shudder!" James 2:19) but true "follower" of Jesus in everything I say and do. Lord, open my (spiritual) eyes to see people and circumstances through yours, and show me how to be your instrument of love each day!