The Strength of Hope

I'll never forget my first day on that job. While going to college, I was able to get a job as a nurses' assistant in the CCU and ICU units of a large teaching hospital. That first day, my supervisor told me to stay with one nurse only and help her with anything she needed. One of her patients was in very critical condition and the nurse needed extra help. In fact, the patient was so critical that he could die at any moment. The family believed the patient had been cursed by someone, so they expressed to the medical team their desire that no matter what, we were to keep their loved one alive! Now all the tests revealed that the patient had been brain dead for a while, but the heart was still beating. Otherwise he had to be on a ventilator to support his breathing and all kinds of medications to keep alive the rest of the organs. This person was on major life support!

It didn't take long into the day before the patient died. The medical team came quickly and was able to resuscitate him. Not long after, it happened again. Even during my lunch break, the team was working on resuscitating one more time the dying man. I started to think that maybe my supervisor was testing me to make sure I wanted to work there. Talk about an intense first day at a new job! People dying, families crying, ventilators, CPR, medications, and all kinds of things to try to keep this person alive! If I came back the next day, maybe I could work there!

But as intense as everything was, what impressed me the most was the family. They believed their loved one was cursed, and they were doing all they could to break that curse. That involved an onion, special water placed in different parts of the room, and chants. I also remember looking at their faces and seeing no signs of hope. It felt dark, very dark.

After resuscitating that patient several times throughout the day, the family finally decided that it was enough and we were going to let nature take its course. Medically speaking, nothing else could be done. I remember the desperation in the patient's sister's face, knowing that soon her beloved brother could be gone. And it wasn't long before the patient's heart stopped once more, and he died. 

The cries that came out of that hospital room were different from anything I had ever heard. Remembering their sound still brings shivers up my spine and tears to my eyes. It was awful. It was a cry of desperation, a cry of no hope. No hope.

I started to think about my own experience with death. I had lost my father to cancer not many years prior, and even though I was very mad at God, I still had the assurance that I was going to be with him again. A few more fleeting years on this earth and we would be reunited, to never more separate. I cried a lot. Loosing a loved one is probably one of the most difficult things we go through in this world. The sadness of loss hurts a lot. But I had hope. I had hope. I have hope!

And this is the difference between one who relies on God and one who relies on other things for strength. With God there is hope. Yes, we go through difficult times. We all do. That's life in the world. Pain comes to everyone. It doesn't matter if we're rich, if we work for God full time, or even if we are innocent, pain comes to everyone. How we deal with that pain is what's different.

God gives us hope and gives us the tools to endure our painful experiences with courage and strength. Psalm 18 says that God arms us with strength and trains our hands for battle. Yes, because there is a battle going on on this earth. A battle between good and evil. And evil brings pain and suffering. But God gives us the strength we need for this battle. Isn't this a wonderful assurance? God prepares us! He trains us! No one wants to go to battle unprepared. So God makes sure we are ready!

And He fills us with His Spirit. And how wonderful God's Spirit is. With Him we also have love, joy, and peace. Wow! We have patience to endure this crazy life. He gives us kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and gives us self control. That's why Jesus said that the peace He gives is different from the world's. When we have His peace, we can go through life with the confidence that we are under His care and everything will turn out well in the end.

If you are going through difficult times, hold on to God! I know it's tempting to think He doesn't care and is far away from us. I go through that temptation all the time. But I was thinking this week, as I was getting frustrated about all the things I've been going through, that it seemed that king David, every time he had a problem, ran to God for help. David knew that God had what he needed. God is truly ever so near to us and has everything we need to help us go through our difficult time with success. You need Him. You need His strength, His peace, and that amazing joy to live life in this crazy world. If things are difficult, run to Him, not away from Him. 

I love how Psalm 23 ends. When we are under God's care, His goodness and love will chase us down, and then we will dwell in His home forever. Doesn't that just fill you up with hope?

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"It is God who arms me with strength and keeps my way secure."

Psalm 18:32

"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid."

John 14:27

"You make your saving help my shield, and your right hand sustains me; your help has made me great."

Psalm 18:35

Super clean!

The Bible never ceases to amaze me! It's incredible that after all these years, (well, not that many) I still find new things to learn. It's truly an endless well of treasure! And it's incredible that some things I've read over and over and even have them memorized, but I sill find something I hadn't seen before. Amazing!

And what an incredible treasure I found this morning as I read Psalm 51. How many times have a read this? It's a beautiful Psalm, written by a man with a broken heart in desperate need of God's forgiveness, but also full of hope in His love and mercy.

"Have mercy on me, O God" it says. "According to your unfailing love, according to your great compassion blot out my transgression." Psalm 51:1

As I read these words I just had to say that if God was to cleanse David of his transgression according to God's unfailing love and compassion, than David was going to be super clean! Because God's love and compassion never end. They are bigger than the universe! So if God was going to have mercy on David this way, there is NO WAY possible David was going to continue unclean with sin. NO WAY!

David was a forgiven man, as if he had never sinned. So much that God, several years later, reprimanded another king for not being like David who followed God's commands and did only what was right in God's eyes. (I Kings 14:8) How cool is that?! For God, it was as if David, the one who committed adultery and murder, had never done anything wrong. Actually, had only done right in God's eyes.

How wonderful to know that God's forgiveness is complete! He says He'll forgive and forget and He does! And what we do in God's eyes is the most important.

If you are struggling with sin be confident that you can run to God for forgiveness and restoration. His love for you never ends, and neither does His compassion and mercy. He wants to forgive you and restore you. He wants to cleanse you from sin completely. Blot it all out of your life to be gone forever! God will make you whiter than snow. And then He'll look at you and see that you've only done what was right in His eyes.

" Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me (...) Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me."

Psalm 51:10,12

Praising with little birds

It was one of those beautiful summer mornings and the house was calm since everyone was still asleep. The sun was shinning and I felt drawn to outside, so I sat on the deck soaking up the sun and morning breeze. Little birds played on the tall trees, and filled the air with their songs. In fact, there was so much singing that it was as if  I was in a concert hall listening to the most beautiful symphony. The sound was amazing and I couldn't help but smile at God's creation singing praises to their Maker. A new day had begun!

The little birds' music was so beautiful that I wanted to join in, so I just started singing too. As the sound of my voice rose to the air, the songs of the little birds started to quiet down, and soon I noticed I was the only one singing. All of a sudden I realized I had the solo part of this big choir, so I continued to pour my heart to God in song as my feathery friends listened.  In a way it was as if they knew that a princess, a child of the King of kings, the most important part of creation, was singing, and my song had priority over theirs. After several minutes, one little bird started singing with me. It was so cute and so beautiful. The two of us continued singing until soon, other birds joined in for their part as well. Not long after that, a choir of little birds joined us breaking out into the most beautiful song. And so we stayed there, that beautiful summer morning, praising our Creator in song!

A while back I was talking with someone about praise and worship, and they were telling me how some people and some churches truly know how to worship. This friend was referring to worship services with lots of music where people sing with their hands raised up high, who clap during songs, and who shout their praises to God in a nice and audible manner. Now while this is a form of praise, it's not the only one, and it doesn't even mean it's the best one. Having a good time during praise is not the best indication of a good praise service. 

The best praise is the one that comes from the heart, and that can come in many forms. For me, that summer morning, was singing with little birds, but it can happen in so many ways. A heart filled with awe and gratitude towards God is the one who praises the best! I've praised God through my tears, through a smile while watching the sky in wonder, through song, or even by pouring my heart to Him in prayer. Praise can come from the compassion we show to others, the way we talk to our spouses and children, and by being there for our friends. Praise comes in as many forms as there are people in this world.

Praise must come from the heart, and our heart is what God wants. Often He told the Israelites that He didn't want their sacrifices if they kept their hearts away from Him. We could do everything "right", but if we keep our heart far from God, none of those right things have value.

Today I encourage you to give your heart to God and pour your praise and adoration on Him in a way that only you can do it. You know your walk with Him and what experience you are living right now. Either way, right now, it's a great time to praise God. And if you give God your heart, you may be surprised at the way praise will come out of your life. It may be in tears, it may be in prayer, it may be in singing... even in singing with little birds on a sunny summer morning.

Photo by Bill Kasper

"Many, Lord my God, are the wonders you have done, the things you planned for us. None can compare with you; were I to speak and tell of your deeds, they would be too many to declare."

Psalm 40: 5

"I will praise the Lord at all times.  I will constantly speak his praises."

Psalm 34:1

 

Like seeing stars

It had been one of those beautiful sunny days, filled with activities and play. As the day neared it's end, I sat by the window looking outside. The snow covered landscape has become even more beautiful with the shinny sun, and I was admiring nature getting ready for the night. Little birds left the feeders and quietly sat on the trees. The sky was now getting darker and I could see two little stars already shinning up above.

As my eyes got used to the changing light, I realized that there were a few more stars already shinning. In fact, the more I looked up to the sky, the more stars I found! There were many already sending their glittery light down to earth. It was beautiful and I couldn't help but think how incredible that the stars had been there all along, but I just couldn't see them yet. All I could see at first were the two brightest stars.

This made me think about relationships and people we meet. How many times do we meet someone and make a judgement based on what we see, but as we get to know them we start seeing more and more of who they truly are. Just like I could see the two brightest stars at first, so many times when we meet someone all we can see are the things that are right in front of us.

But people are a lot deeper than that, and as we get to know someone, we start seeing more and more of themselves. And often we come to a completely different conclusion about a person than what we first thought.

No wonder the Bible counsels us not to judge anyone. We only see the surface. To see deeper we need to get to know them, develop the relationship. If we don't get to know them deeper, than we should be content with the thought that everyone is a beautiful child of the King of kings. A potential heir to the kingdom of God, and someone worthy of our love and respect.

That's what Jesus did, and we're supposed to be like Him, right?

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"You judge by human standards; I pass judgment on no one."

John 7:24

Waking up...

The blending of the end of winter with the beginning of spring is fascinating. The white landscape is slowly transforming. As I sit outside on the porch watching this transformation happen, I can't help but be amazed. The snow is calmly melting off the roof giving the impression that I'm in a rain forest by a small waterfall. Other times the snow comes down the roof with a force that makes me think of an avalanche! Little birds fill the air with their joyful songs and happily spread all over the seeds that fill the feeders. After several months away, I finally saw a squirrel this morning. My dog is loving having her little friend back to play catch with. Walking through the woods earlier today made me think that soon we'll see baby moose playing in the yard and that somewhere buried in the snow there must be a bear getting ready to wake up from hibernation. Winter is coming to an end, and nature is waking up from it's slumber. Spring is coming!

It's interesting to notice all the object lessons we get from nature. The Bible also says that it's time for us to wake up from our slumber. Why? Because Jesus is coming! Can you see that happen in your life? Does the idea of His soon coming fill you with excitement? Do you look forward to spending time with Him every morning? Are you eager to share with others all the wonderful things your God does for you? Are your lips full of praise because of who God is?

If not, then it's time for you to wake up from your slumber! How? By asking God to fill you with His love and by putting on Jesus Christ. He must be your everything. Seek Him first. It's the only way to enjoy the abundant life He so wants to give you.

Happy Spring!

"The hour has come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed."

Romans 13:11

Baptized by Sprinkling

I’m not a person who asks why that much. I usually just go with the flow, ask few questions, quietly observe from behind the scenes what’s going on while forming ideas, opinions, and making decisions. But not long ago I asked why and came to the conclusion that religion is quite complicated!

You may be thinking “how did she come to that conclusion?” I'm glad you asked. :)

I’ve been led to study the work of the Holy Spirit and it has been incredible! But even though I’m learning that the Holy Spirit can do some amazing things, I don’t see much of it happening around me. I see some, but it seems like I should see more. When was the last time you saw a baptism and the person filled with the Holy Spirit began to prophesy? When was the last time you went to church and saw demons being cast out and lives changed forever? When was the last time you saw the sick being healed right there and then or someone being raised from the dead? When was the last time you saw Christians so filled with joy for the Lord that they started selling what they have to bring the profits to the church treasury? And what about meeting daily to pray and praise as a congregation?

But all of this and so much more is what the disciples experienced during the beginnings of the christian church! And people were added to their numbers daily. And in a small amount of time, the gospel was taken to the then known world!

What happened between then and now that we don’t see those things happening that much anymore? What is the difference? Well, the only thing I could come up with is that we have complicated religion!

For centuries the world was immersed in what is called today the Dark Ages. It was a time of darkness in many areas, but for sure it was dark spiritually. For years, no one was allowed to think for themselves, but only do what the church said they needed to do. The church was the only way to salvation. Tradition was of utmost importance. People were made to feel guilty for the wrong things they did and had to pay a price for forgiveness because God would not accept them otherwise. God was portrayed as an angry God, ready to zap dead anyone who would go against Him. People had to earn their salvation and had to work hard for it. Studying the Bible was not necessary because the priests did that for the people...or did they? And if someone had the nerve to think for themselves and went against any of the church's ideas, that person would be persecuted, excommunicated or killed.

We don’t live in the dark ages anymore, but I don’t think we’re completely free from that way of thinking.

 Don’t we still struggle with the guilt of sin and that unless we get our act together, God cannot accept us? Do we still struggle with the idea that God is angry and ready to zap us when we do wrong? Is tradition still a big part of our church? And how many of us rely on pastors or evangelists' study of the Bible without checking it ourselves? And if you go against the norm, aren’t you in a way persecuted by criticism or judgement?

Do we also try to work our way to Heaven? Maybe not by paying alms or by inflicting corporal pain, but what about through the way we dress, eat, or the way we worship?

Following God is not like this. We put all kinds of ideas and burdens on ourselves and on others, just like the Jews did. Jesus challenged their laws His entire ministry. So I think the reason we’re not seeing the work of the Holy Spirit more clear in our churches and our lives is because we get ourselves in the way, way too much! And Jesus knew we would do that, so He reminded us often that we needed to be like children.
 
“And he said: "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 18:3

When you look at children, aren’t you in awe at how gentle their spirit is and how they totally trust those who are responsible for their care? Don’t they completely rely on promises made? Their faith is so simple, so pure. If you tell a child that spider man can walk on the walls they believe it. Of if you tell them santa is real, they believe it. But if we tell an adult that God can heal the sick, then we go well yes, but...

Notice what that verse says in the beginning: “I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children.” Unless we change. We need to change or we won’t enter the kingdom of heaven. We need to change and become like children! Vs 4 says that we need to take a humble place like children, and vs. 6 calls God’s little ones those who believe in Him.

Do you believe in God? Do you believe in God with no restrictions? Do you believe in His strength and wisdom to carry you through? He’s responsible for your care, do you trust Him completely? Do you rely on His promises knowing that they are faithful and true and that He, unlike earthly parents, doesn’t change? And how are you doing at taking a humble place? Are you in the way of God’s work in your life or of some one else's life? Taking a humble place means leaving your self out of the picture. In more adult language, dying to self. 

I've just started on this journey with the Holy Spirit and I’ve seen Him do some incredible things. Couples turning away from divorce, God providing financially, sick being healed, people freed from the depths of depression, division beautifully turned into unity, love prevailing... and you know what? I can’t wait to see more. I want more! And I want to go Home! So I can forever praise the God who makes my life in this crazy little world a life of abundance and joy.

Don’t you want more in your life? Don’t you want that abundant life Jesus said He came to bring? Don’t you want to experience God as much as it is possible in the world? He said we could when He sent the Holy Spirit. Didn’t Jesus say we could do all He did and much more? (John 14:12.) Don’t you want your church to grow like the early church the book of Acts talks about? Don’t you want your church to be full to the brim and have the problem of having to build a bigger church? Don’t you want people to be in one accord, united, to solve problems and differences in a way that honors God? Don’t you want to see people’s lives being transformed before your eyes? Don’t you want to see the sick being healed and the dead being raised to life? Don’t try to explain any of this away. God says  it’s possible and it did happen during the early church, so it can happen for us now too. I think the only difference between them and us is that we are being baptized with the Holy Spirit by sprinkling and they were baptized with the Holy Spirit my immersion!

I challenge you to pray more for the Holy Spirit. Tell God you want to see and live the way the early church lived. Tell Him you want to see people added to the church daily, and people being on fire for God! It’s time to get this work done and go Home!

 

"Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son."

John 14:12,13

 "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit."

Romans 15:13 

Where Past Meets Future.

Wow! Can't believe 2012 is over! Gone! To never return again. All the experiences and things lived that year are forever in the past. The only thing that we'll always have from 2012 are the things learned and the growing that we did. Those carry from year to year and affect every new year that begins.

2012 was an interesting year. It started with some very difficult experiences and the year brought many trials. But as I look back to each one of them I see how God helped so beautifully along the way. He was there at every step, giving me strength, peace, and everything I needed to overcome with success everything that life was throwing at me. I learned through them all that I serve an Amazing God and that He placed in my life some incredible people whom I love very much! In the end, I was blessed beyond any expectations!!

So 2013 is here! And even with the experiences learned from 2012, a new year marks a new beginning. New opportunities. Resolutions. The chance to start over.  I know I have some ideas of what I would like to do and some things that I would like to accomplish, but the most important is to make sure I am at the center of God's will. And I know that if God has helped me in 2012, 2011, 2010, and so forth, He will be ever more present in 2013. And His promise is sure. The work He has begun in me, He will carry it on until it is completed. (Philippians 1:6.)

So my desire for you, and for me, is for 2013 to be an incredible year with God!! I pray that God will take you places you've never been and that you'll be blessed beyond any expectations. This year I want to see again the floodgates of heaven open and pour so many blessings we can hardly breathe! And I want to go Home. 2 Peter 3:12 says we can speed the coming of the Lord. So let's do that. Let's resolve to serve Him this year with all our heart, mind and soul. That will be true happiness and abundant life!
   

Happy 2013!

"Jesus replied: 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' "

Matthew 22:37

"being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus."

Philippians 1:6