Only Setting the Stage

Two million former slaves are trapped between a sea, mountains, and the Egyptian army....

A hated and despised brother waits in fear as his brother sets out to destroy him and his family, and there's nothing he can do in defense....

A general realizes he is running out of daylight to defeat the enemy in a crucial battle....

Some fishermen in a boat on the sea find themselves in the worst storm they have ever experienced and are looking death in the face....

What happens when seemingly insurmountable problems meet up with an omnipotent God whose word is law?  When feeble hands reach out in faith and take hold of God's promises?

A sea divides in two and a dry path forms a way of escape.

A hard heart is softened.

The sun stands still.

The storm flees at three words from the Savior.

The darkness now, the perplexity and trouble now, makes the deliverance all the more glorious.  It's almost as though God is setting the stage.... for miracles to happen on.

So when problems and perplexities crop up and loom over us like a giant,  when we can't seem to see farther than arm's length in front of us, let's step back, "stand...still, and see the salvation of the Lord."

He's only setting the stage.


Examples used in this post:
Exodus 14
Genesis 32
Joshua 10:1-14
Mark 4:35-41

Time for Eternity

Time ticks by as the earth turns and slowly makes its revolution around the sun (or not so slowly!). And one thing is for sure, even if the clock stops, time doesn't.  It is one thing in this world that we can depend on.  It doesn't change it's course and slow down or speed up according to what happens in our world. It just continues on its steady, endless journey.

But while time will go on for eternity, what we do with it now will determine whether or not it will go on without us.

Time is a precious gift.  We have been given full and free access to its every second.  And actually, everyone does something with every second.  It is not something that we can choose to leave on the shelf and not use. So, now it's time to ask ourselves a question:  "Where do all the minutes go?"

....Hopefully not into a trash can behind us.

We are involved in a cosmic war.  (Sorry, you're enlisted.)  God needs soldiers, disciplined and determined, who will go and wrest souls from Satan's grasp.  But the enemy has devised every distraction imaginable to drug us into a stupor that will cause us to become oblivious to what is really going on.  And unfortunately, he has been quite successful.  It's as if a building is burning, and people are screaming for help inside, and we are standing on the sidewalk with our phone, busy on Facebook.  Shocking, isn't it?  But friends, that is exactly what we are doing.  I am appalled as I look into the "trash can" behind me, and see the irretrievable moments, carelessly squandered, that could have been spent in prayer, in study, in service, in reaching out to humanity.  The Master will hold us accountable for every minute He graciously gives us.  (See Matt.25:14-30)

 If the time we as Christians waste would be spent pouring our lives out for the Gospel, imagine how much sooner Jesus would come!  How many more souls could be won for the kingdom!  If our eyes could be opened, as God opened the eyes of Elisha's servant,*  we would see the angels holding back the four winds, whistling, straining to blow hurricane-force upon this earth.  They are giving us extra time... They are waiting.

But they won't wait much longer.

When will we wake up?  When will we realize that we have no time to waste?

The choice is yours. The choice is mine.  What will we do with our time?

"The crisis is stealing gradually upon us. The sun shines in the heavens, passing over its usual round, and the heavens still declare the glory of God. Men are still eating and drinking, planting and building, marrying and giving in marriage. Merchants are still buying and selling. . . . Pleasure lovers are still crowding to theaters, horse races, gambling hells. The highest excitement prevails, yet probation's hour is fast closing, and every case is about to be eternally decided. Satan sees that his time is short. He has set all his agents to work, that men may be deceived, deluded, occupied, and entranced, until the day of probation shall be ended and the door of mercy be forever shut. The time is right upon us when there will be sorrow that no human balm can heal. Sentinel angels are now restraining the four winds, that they shall not blow till the servants of God are sealed in their foreheads; but when God shall bid His angels loose the winds, there will be a scene of strife such as no pen can picture. . . . " 

-In Heavenly Places p. 342

"Angels are now restraining the winds of strife, until the world shall be warned of its coming doom; but a storm is gathering, ready to burst upon the earth, and when God shall bid His angels loose the winds, there will be such a scene of strife as no pen can picture. . . .  

     A moment of respite has been graciously given us of God. Every power lent us of heaven is to be used in doing the work assigned us by the Lord for those who are perishing in ignorance. The warning message is to be sounded in all parts of the world. . . . A great work is to be done, and this work has been entrusted to those who know the truth for this time. " 

-Maranatha p.266

* 2 Kings 6:15-17

Keep Paddling!

One thing I love to do outdoors in the summer is go canoeing down a river.  The exercise, the fresh air, and the sparkling water is exhilarating.  I'm the type that likes to keep the canoe moving.  And if you have any amount of experience in canoeing, you know that some places in the river move faster than others.

It makes me think of the Christian life. There are fast and exciting times when we can see God working in amazing ways, rough times when every ounce of strength is on the stretch and we crave Divine power.  It is in these whitewater experiences that our faith in God grows, our connection with Him strengthens.

We are inspired, our hearts ignite.

But friends, lulls come in every Christian life.  Times when things just don't seem to be moving forward and nothing special is happening.  It is in these times that we are in danger of becoming indifferent, of losing our focus...

in danger of forgetting what we are here for and where we are going.


A warm and sandy bank beckons us to stop and take a break, and let the lazy waters pass by.  Will we stop?  Will we get distracted? Will we lose our faith?


This is where the depth of our connection with God shows.  Friends, we can't expect that we will stay inspired with our hearts on fire if we don't maintain a steady, moment-by-moment communion with our Lord.  In this day of Facebook and texting, people stay connected. Constantly exchanging words no matter where they are and what they are doing.  Can't we do that with God?  He loves to hear from us just as much as our friends do.  Is it enough to say a prayer in the morning and before we go to bed? Are we staying connected?*  


Friends, let's keep our eyes on Jesus; let's stay connected with Him as we "press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus." **


Through the whitewater and the calm water,


Let's keep paddling!



* John 15:4-6
** Phil. 3:14

Why Do I Love Him?

A few weeks ago, I was contemplating all the things God has done and is doing in my life and all the things He has given me. As my heart brimmed with love for God,  I was interrupted by this startling thought:  What if it all were taken away, and all I had left in the world was myself and my God?  Would I still love Him?  Would I still be praising Him as I am now?  Will I say with Job, "The LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; Blessed be the name of the LORD"?  I had to think about that awhile.  That is a question we all need to ask ourselves, because there is coming a time when everything we have in this world will be taken from us, and the path we once walked by sight, we will have to walk by faith.*

I thought about Job and how he stood firm, not  having the scriptures to guide and affirm him.  Why did he stay faithful? How?  I wasn't sure that I could do that if I were Job.

But then it came to me...there is a sharp contrast between the life of the sinner and the life of the obedient.  There is simply pure happiness in walking in obedience to God's laws out of a heart of love. Job knew this way of happiness.  He had experienced it.  He could see that the God that so many scoffed and rejected was a God of love and wisdom that cared about him.  He had a close relationship with Him. For Job, there could be no turning back, no giving up on the One whom he had come to know...and love.  He loved God, not just what He gave him.

We must cultivate that vital connection with Jesus now.  We need to spend time with Him in prayer, reading His Word, contemplating on His life and His character.  As we do, we will begin to know Him...faintly, yes, as in a dim mirror.  But it will be a foretaste of the life to come, when we will come face to face with our Maker.**  Our Maker that died for us....

That's a reason Job didn't have.

We will begin to love Him for who He is, and not just for what He gives us.   That, my friends, is the secret for a life that will withstand the fieriest trials and, like Job, "come forth as gold."



* The Great Controversy p. 408
**The Great Controversy pp. 676-677

Thanksgiving

Yesterday marked the beginning of a whole new year to be thankful for. And this Thanksgiving I counted my blessings more than ever before. I can hardly begin...


All the beautiful things He has done and is doing in my life, and the things that He has graciously preserved.  The countless things we take for granted every day.  A loving family.  God's Word.  Miracles.  Friends. Trials. Yes, that's right. Trials.

Yes, I am thankful for trials,  I rejoice, because through them I have gained an experience deeper and  richer than I ever would have obtained. Through this past year, God has shown me, like never before, what it truly means to have a trusting, abiding relationship with Him.  As I look back over a very eventful, life-changing year, this one thing has been ingrained into my consciousness...that God is faithful.


Faithful to His promises.  Faithful to hold my hand and lead the way through the darkest and most perplexing times of my life, and bring me safely through.


I have discovered the power of prayer and the peace and security of leaning my full weight on those everlasting arms.  What a gift that, by God's grace,  I will always treasure.  What a gift that will never allow me to forget the Giver.

The Least I Can Do

Consider this a sequel to my last post.


What is this about giving honor and glory to God?  Some may think God is selfish for wanting all the attention for Himself.  Someone once said to me in an email after I expressed my amazement at what God had done for me, "God likes you, mainly because of how hard you work for Him. He should pay you more."  Oh did my heart begin to burn.  I responded, "No, He's done more for me than I could ever pay Him back for.  He has already promised me the world and I believe He'll keep his promise." 


To me, servitude is gratitude. The Lord works miracles in my life every day.  He has proven to me time and time again that I do not need to worry any more than the lilies do.  He has given me more than I could have thought to ask for.  How can I do otherwise than to express my thankfulness in willing service? 


Friends, when I see Jesus in Gethsemane with those sweat drops of blood upon His brow... 
When I picture Him on the cross as He says "forgive them for they know not what they do"... 
When I envision Him in the most holy place, making atonement for all the times I have hurt Him... my heart is overwhelmed with gratitude. This is no narcissistic despot. What else can I do but give Him the honor and praise He deserves. It's the least I can do.

Glorifying the Creator

The other day I came across this quotation, and it caught my attention....

"Music was made to serve a holy purpose, to lift the thoughts to that which is pure, noble, and elevating, and to awaken in the soul devotion and gratitude to God. What a contrast between the ancient custom and the uses to which music is now too often devoted! How many employ this gift to exalt self, instead of using it to glorify God! A love for music leads the unwary to unite with world-lovers in pleasure-gatherings where God has forbidden his children to go. Thus that which is a great blessing when rightly used, becomes one of the most successful agencies by which Satan allures the mind from duty and from the contemplation of eternal things." ~Christian Education 62.3 

We know that whatever our hands find to do, we should do it with our might. (Eccl. 9:10). Yet we often find ourselves falling into the trap of using our talent to boost our ego.  Being a musician, I am guilty of this myself.  It is a sly trap, and only an unswerving focus on Jesus can keep us on the straight and narrow.  A good question to ask ourselves, whether we be music-makers or music-listeners, is this:  What is my attention or the attention of others drawn to the most in this music?  Is it the awesomeness of our Creator, His unending love, the beauty of His character? Or is it  showmanship, awesome feats, how it makes us feel?    

Does this mean we ought not to strive for excellence in our praise to God?  I don't think so. Psalm 33:3 says, "Sing unto him a new song; play skilfully with a loud noise." Also, we glorify Him by making good use of the talents that He has given us. But there is a fine balance between excellence and prideful display of what we can do. 

One thing that stands paramount in my mind is this:  (I am using the voice as an example.) I did not create my voice.  God did.  Therefore it is His.  I am only His steward.  Should I not be using it for His glory?  We are creatures created to serve our Creator,  but so often we "serve the creature more than the Creator."  Romans 1:5  We think our talent is ours, and we may do whatever we like with it...when in reality, we wouldn't even have life if He didn't give it to us.  And eternal life is ours because Jesus "humbled Himself and became obedient unto death." Phil. 2:8

When you think of it that way, I think we owe the glory, our lives, to Him.    

"I Cannot Tell" video (December 2010)