Hearing God's Voice

While driving to work this morning, I couldn't help but think about the Laodicean Church in Revelation 3:14-24 and the times we are living in.  We are neither cold nor hot; we are lukewarm.  We don't know what we stand for or believe in... but Jesus said 

"Here I am, I stand at the door and knock,

 If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, 

I will come in and eat with him and he with me. " 

Are we listening for Jesus' voice? In the Old Testament God sent prophets to speak to his people. Prophets would speak truth, speak conviction, speak repentance, speak a future hope in the coming Messiah. Most often the people didn't heed the warning and calamity came. Does God still send prophets today? I do not know? But... I will say God still speaks to his people today through his word, through his holy spirit living in us, and I believe, through other people unaware of God's plan.

With that in mind I am going to bring up this fall's election. This is not a push for a party or a person.  I believe people are fearful of the future if their party candidate does not win. We do not know or understand the plan God has but often in biblical history the people got the exact kind of leader they begged for.  I have complete confidence that America will get the exact kind of leader we beg for. From where I see it, neither candidate is of a standard that I would like to see on the ballot.  We can fight over who lies more, who respects women less and the list continues...both are flawed and sinful people who need the grace, mercy and forgiveness of Jesus Christ, just like we all do.  We are called to lift our leaders up in prayer so that is what we all should be doing.

But...I must share that I can't help but think that God is trying to wake us up one last time, like a plea to the Laodicean Church,   

You say, ‘I am rich. I have everything I want. I don’t need a thing!’

 And you don’t realize that you are wretched and 

miserable and poor and blind and naked. 

 So I advise you to buy gold from me—

gold that has been purified by fire. 

Then you will be rich. 

Also buy white garments from me 

so you will not be shamed by your nakedness,

 and ointment for your eyes so you will be able to see. 

 I correct and discipline everyone I love. 

So be diligent and turn from your indifference.

We have become a culture that believes itself to be rich, just like ancient Israel, we have wandered off and followed other gods-god of money, god of selfishness and pride.  Honestly I don't believe a D vote or an R vote will change the hearts and souls of people. Again, how would God speak to the people...through his word the bible, through his Holy Spirit or through other believers.  I can't help but notice a VP candidate, now don't get all huffy and stop reading. He is a human flawed and sinful, like we all are. It's not about the vote, it's much bigger than that.  

I watched both party conventions in July and his words spoke volumes.  He introduced himself  " I am a Christian, a conservative and a republican in that order". Wow, he identifies himself first and foremost with Christ. Later in September at the prayer breakfast he read scripture from 2 Chronicles 7:14,  He spoke of humbleness and repentance.

Then if my people who are called by my name

 will humble themselves and pray and seek my face

 and turn from their wicked ways, 

I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins

 and restore their land.

Then during the VP debate when asked about his faith-he didn't affiliate it with his denomination. He again identified his faith with Christ. When asked what is most dear to his heart he spoke of abortion and the rights of our unborn children.  * I have much to say on this matter but I will refrain!  He again spoke scripture Psalm 139:13-16.

For You formed my inward parts;

         You wove me in my mother’s womb.

I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;

         Wonderful are Your works,

         And my soul knows it very well.

My frame was not hidden from You,

         When I was made in secret,

         And skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth;

Your eyes have seen my unformed substance;

And in Your book were all written

The days that were ordained for me,

When as yet there was not one of them.

Now, if this is striking a nerve, I apologize, I am only sharing the scripture that was shared with the nation by a man who identifies himself with Christ, attributes his faith to Christ and is willing to stand with scripture to guide and lead his beliefs.  Again, I am not sharing this to sway a vote, I am sharing because I believe God is speaking to his people, not as a way for who to vote for, but as an invitation for us to HEAR HIS VOICE, OPEN THE DOOR TO OUR HEARTS and HAVE FELLOWSHIP with HIM!  Let us seek him; let us be a city on a hill and a light in the darkness. Now is the time for brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus to unite in peace, love, boldness and truth! 

MARANATHA!

~2RJL

A Daily Dance of Trust

  

Trust in the LORD always, for the LORD God is the eternal rock. Isaiah 26:4

The night our beautiful daughter went to her heavenly home all we could do was sit on her bedroom floor and hold on to her belongings, her scents, and her presence. Through the unimaginable pain and tears we fingered through a newly discovered prayer journal. We couldn't help but believe that the scriptures that spoke to her heart and through her pen were inspired by the Holy Spirit. The echoing theme revolved around trust. God allowed that golden nugget to stay with us. HE knew how hard it would be for us to trust HIM through the pain, the unknowns and the fears. The amount of fear that hovers over tragedy, calamity and struggles is so gripping it cripples your most inner being. HE knew how hard it would be for us to trust HIM with LIFE when life had just been shattered.  

"How can I trust in God when he let me down?" "How could a loving God hold out his arms and not catch me?" These questions taunted the mind like an echo that wouldn't quit. In the stillness a whisper came from within ... "If you make me small enough for your mind I won't be big enough for you!"  There was no way that I could understand the all knowing, all powerful God, so I had to let go of the taunting whispers of doubt and fear. "Lord, help me to let my thoughts be your thoughts, help me to TRUST."

Isaiah 55:8-9

8 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts,

neither are your ways my ways,”

declares the Lord.

9 “As the heavens are higher than the earth,

so are my ways higher than your ways

and my thoughts than your thoughts.

Through the journey of learning to TRUST I discovered LOVE.  A deepening love for Christ that I had not known before. I looked to the cross and it meant something so much more.  I never took it for granted again. The cross became real!!  Our daughter lives because Christ conquered death. Our son lives because Christ conquered death.Jesus Christ won!  

The LOVE for Jesus slowly stitched and mended my broken heart.
 In the mending process my love for Jesus grew richer, purer and deeper.
 I also realized that when my life was in a neat little box and all was well,
 I loved HIM and my life equally. Unaware, I loved them the same. 
After losing our daughter my heart was shattered and torn to the point of physical agony.   
In the midst of this brokenness all I could do was cling to HIM. 
At HIS feet, HE began to mend me by filling me with HIM.
  More of HIM and less of me...less of my family, 
less of my children, less of my plans and desires.
 As, time went on, I realized that I loved Jesus more than I ever had before.  
 At HIS feet HE fully and truly filled me.
 Apart from HIM I can do nothing and that includes loving HIM.  

Trusting God with our daughter who is safe in HIS arms in heaven is easier for me than trusting HIM with our son who is living in the world where there is pain, sorrow and suffering.  We do not know what tomorrow brings. I will never fully understand life on this side of eternity, but I hold on to HIS promise For God so loved the world... 
 I know that Jesus loves me and gave himself up for me.
 Because of HIS love for the world, HE held himself to the cross. 
We have a God who promised us an eternity with HIM. 
 We have a Savior who LOVES us and we have a Savior we can TRUST!  
HIS LOVE is the anchor of my heart that allows me to TRUST. The words penned by our daughter were for us to remember that LIFE will be hard.  Each day will have it's challenges and that trusting is a daily dance with our SAVIOR. 

Psalm 56 3-4
But when I am afraid,
   I will put my trust in you.
I praise God for what he has promised.

    I trust in God, so why should I be afraid?
    What can mere mortals do to me?

Psalm 56:8

You keep track of all my sorrows.

You have collected all my tears in your bottle.

You have recorded each one in your book.

 Revelation 21:4

He will wipe every tear from their eyes, 

and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain.

 All these things are gone forever."

~2RJL
Stina shared this song with me a couple week before her car accident.

Post, Publish or Send?

Who needs to know?  Who will this build up?  Who might this hurt? 
Those should be the questions I ask myself before I push the send, post or publish button for all to see.

Now there should be two feet in the photo but only one of us has a foot that can be shared publicly. That alone should be a reason to not publish this post but I have been sitting on this thought for two years and it keeps tugging at my heart.

Two years ago we celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary at a lovely beach. I am so thankful for our marriage and our relationship that is grounded in Christ Jesus.  Now I could share with the whole world what a great and awesome spouse I have and that would only be partly true.  My spouse is great and awesome only for ME.  God chose to put us together just like so many other blessed couples. But who needs to know?  I think God is the only one that needs to know and we will personally tell HIM with thanksgiving and worship. Who will this build up?  Well... If I focus on marriage and Jesus it might encourage someone but do I need to tell how awesome my spouse is to encourage someone?  Probably not. Who will this hurt?  Well...it might hurt a family member who is grieving the loss of his spouse, it might hurt a neighbor who is struggling with his wife having breast cancer, it might hurt those who are divorced and lonely. So...as I see it, my words may cause way more hurt than anything.

When going through difficult struggles in life the "wounded heart" is so vulnerable to more hurts.  It opens me up to see how insensitive, prideful and selfish others 
can be...but oh thank goodness, I don't stay there.  God lets me see how 
insensitive, prideful and selfish I am. Yes, God uses my struggles for me to look inside my own heart and see my selfishness and pride!  I don't believe this would be 
possible if I wasn't so aware of pain.  Seeing my own ugliness makes me 
realize how dependent I am on my savior, Jesus! 

HE picks me up, washes me and tells me who I am in HIM! 

We can bathe in our pride of self through joys or we can bath in pride of self through struggles.  Struggles can consume us, as well as the joys, both interfering with our ability to be used by God for his purpose and glory.  We can spend our whole day posting, publishing and sending our joys that do nothing for anyone or we can 
spend our whole day drowning in our struggles and sadness in our 
"woundedness" reading other peoples' joys, only hurting ourselves more, OR 
we can find Jesus to be our PRIDE and JOY! Now HE is worth pushing the post, publish and send button for!  Who needs to know?  Everyone!  Who will HE build up?  Everyone!  Who might HE hurt?  No one!

1 Corinthians 1:31 Therefore, as the Scriptures say, "If you want to boast, boast only about the LORD."

Galations 6:14 As for me, may I never boast about anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because of that cross, my interest in this world has been crucified, and the world's interest in me has also died.

 ~ 2RJL