Why has the world gone mad

 

WHERE'S GOD

It's not God's fault that the world is in the horrible shape it's in. We have only ourselves to blame. The world God created for us was perfect (Genesis 1). It contained everything we could ever need. So then, what happened to that world? Simple. When the first humans sinned, that world was damaged. Think of it like a computer file that is corrupted, and no longer works as intended. Now, generations later, the world is experiencing the awful ramifications of sin where evil acts and death are daily facts of life. Some may wonder, "Why didn't God scrap that world and create another?" Probably, for the same reason you didn't scrap your PC for one corrupt file. Instead, you found a better way to save it. And so did God.

God in his mercy was not willing to let sin destroy his created world. So he sent out a rescue mission in the person of his son, Jesus Christ, to take the penalty for our sin. Jesus took on the punishment that we deserved. His death on the cross was the pardon (the fix) that fully paid for our sins. But a pardon is worthless unless you claim it (John 3:16).

When you accept God's pardon for your sins, you unleash the power of God upon your life. Think of it like setting a restore point on a PC. God's pardon gives you a restore point. With your past, present and future sins forgiven, you are reconciled with God, even as you enter a new phase of life in Christ.

Apart from Christ, this world will never solve all it's problems. The solution for the hatred, violence, murders, wars, sexual abuse, human trafficking, lying, stealing, adultery, cheating, racism and other sinful ways of humankind is for more people to accept Christ as their Lord and Savior, and receive the new life that he freely offers (2 Corinthians 5:17). Now is the time for you to make that decision. If you're someone who's already made it, then share this message with someone else you know who needs it. A brighter day awaits.

God with us

In my distress I called upon the Lord, and cried unto my God: he heard my voice out of his temple, and my cry came before him, even into his ears.—Psalm 18:6 KJV

It should be a comfort, if you are a Christian, to know that God hears you. The question is—do you have faith enough to believe it? I encounter people all the time who say they are Christians but who are weak in the knees when it comes to believing God for what they need. They don't have confidence to approach God's throne of grace themselves so they ask others to do it for them— "Please pray for me." No question intercessory prayer is a powerful ally, but our personal prayers are what's needed to move God to act on our behalf. The Bible clearly states in James 5:16—

The earnest (heartfelt, continued) prayer of a righteous man makes tremendous power available [dynamic in its working].—AMP

With that kind of power right at our fingertips, prayer should be automatic in every situation we face. Nevertheless, God is gracious to answer our unspoken prayers as well as the prayers of others for us. Sometimes, when someone experiences an instant or miraculous answer to prayer, you know without a doubt that it came from God. At other times, He may delay the answer or give a partial answer so that we might labor in prayer until the answer comes.

God knows everything about us before we even open our mouths to tell him. He wouldn't be God if He didn't. He's the omniscient, omnipotent (all-knowing, all powerful) God, nothing is hidden from His sight. David wrote in Psalm 139:2—

I’m an open book to you; even from a distance, you know what I’m thinking.
You know when I leave and when I get back; I’m never out of your sight.
You know everything I’m going to say before I start the first sentence.

So, you ask, why pray if God knows everything? One reason is because God commands us to "pray without ceasing"... because this is the way God wants those who belong to Christ Jesus to live (1 Thessalonians 5:16). The other reason is our prayers unleash God's power into the situation. Angels spring into action at God's command to rescue believing Christians who cry out to Him. That's what prayer does. Here's a simple analogy: You have a car at your disposal to take you anywhere you want to go, at anytime. You have the keys to the car. But if you don't put them in the ignition and start the car, it will never do what it's suppose to do. It's the same with prayer—it works best when you use it.

A final thought, if God is ever present in a believer's life, then the reverse must also be true—the believer is always in God's presence. Now that's reason to rejoice and pray.

Note: If you are unsure of or want a closer relationship with the God of the Bible, you'll find help at Peace with God.

A New Year's Resolution for a happier new you

Every year on December 31st at exactly 12 o'clock midnight fireworks light up the night sky, champagne corks pop, horns and whistles blow, hugs and kisses are exchanged and well wishes for a Happy New Year greet  people all over the world. Most people view this annual end of the year ritual as a chance to start the new year with a clean slate.

Habitually, some people make New Year's resolutions, but I wonder how many of  these  resolutions are actually holdovers from previous failed attempts? We tend to regurgitate the same resolutions year to year hoping for a different result. According to Clinical Psychologist John Norcross: 

New York, New York

Approximately 50 percent of the population makes resolutions each New Year. Among the top resolutions are weight loss, exercise, stopping smoking, better money management and debt reduction.

Berlin, Germany

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Sound familiar?  Millions of people are stuck in this perennial revolving door of making new year resolutions, only to break them days, weeks or months down the road; and revert to the same old way of doing things, to the same habits they promised to change. Let's be honest. Our  human efforts at self-improvement are at best superficial, external, and also destined to fail every time. Psychology professor Timothy Pychyl says that resolutions are nothing more than a form of cultural procrastination :

[In] an effort to reinvent oneself, people make resolutions as a way of motivating themselves. People [really] aren't ready to change their habits, particularly bad habits, and that accounts for the high failure rate.

Then, there are those who believe in willpower (how's that been working for you?). If willpower alone were all one needs most people would have succeeded with that first diet or the first time they tried to stop smoking, drinking, using drugs or whatever else they tried to will themselves to stop doing. Face it, a resolution by itself has no power, according to author S. Michael Houdmann: 

Resolving to start or stop doing a certain activity has no value unless you have the proper motivation for stopping or starting that activity. 

For a resolution to succeed, however, it will  take more than proper motivation. Once you decide you want to make a change— you might make a specific plan, take specific steps, get organized, carve out time, seek peer or professional support but unless you have spiritual resolve you will fail.

A changed life

Spiritual resolve acknowledges that we are creatures created by a loving God for a purpose. As such, we are ultimately accountable to our Creator. Spiritual resolve must undergird any desire we have for a changed life.  Without spiritual resolve and God's help, our human efforts are nothing more than  a house built on sand.  The Bible explains it this way:

When someone becomes a Christian, he becomes a brand new person inside. He is not the same anymore. A new life has begun! 2 Corinthians 5:17 TLB

Trust in God alone for the power to change  by surrendering your old life in exchange for a new life in Christ. You don't have to go it alone trying to make life work. You have a helper to guide you. And you won't have to wait until next December 31 at 12  midnight to take advantage of God's offer. You can begin your new life right now with your sins forgiven and a chance to start your life over. Wishing you a Happy New Year, and an even happier new you!

 

A Christmas Day miracle: When death took a detour

"Miracle - A surprising and welcome event that is not explicable by natural or scientific laws and is therefore considered to be the work of a divine agency."  Webster's dictionary

I have always believed in miracles, and hoped for them in my life from time to time. Looking back I can think of a few divine interventions in answer to my prayers, but there is one that tops them all — the miracle I experienced in 2002 on Christmas Day.  I have never forgotten what the Lord did that day. I have vowed to re-post my story each Christmas so that some reader may find hope and comfort in knowing that God is with us to the very end. The following is a true account of my Christmas miracle.

By 2002, I had been caring for my mom for 22 years during her long battle with Multiple Sclerosis (MS). By far, our toughest battles came that year. MS had taken away my mom's ability to speak and made eating and swallowing difficult. At the same time, mom started having seizures that became life-threatening. As a result, she was hospitalized and given high doses of the drug phenobarbital to quell the seizure activity. We finally left the hospital after 12 days, just three days before Christmas.

Although mom couldn't speak, her eyes said she was glad to be back home. We both were. After making her comfortable in bed, I checked the newly inserted feeding tube in her abdomen, and left her room feeling a little exhausted. When I returned, I noticed that mom was staring intently  toward the window in her room paying no attention to the fact that I had reentered her room. This was not like her. I was standing at the side of her bed, calling her name, and she didn't even notice me. Instead, she continued to focus on the window at the foot of her bed. Oddly, she had the most radiant glow on her face like nothing I'd ever seen. It made me think that she was seeing something that my eyes could not see. So I stood there silently waiting until she finally turned to notice me. I asked no questions of her as I prepared to bed her for the night.

The next morning the home-care nurse came by to check mom's vital signs. After she left, I bathed, dressed, and transferred mom to her wheelchair. She was a little weak but happy to be out of bed after the long hospital ordeal. We had lost some ground in our fight against MS during this latest hospital stay, but I told mother that we were not going to let MS get the better of us; we were in this fight to the end. Later that afternoon, sitting in her wheelchair, mom closed her eyes and slipped quietly into an unexpected coma. It was Christmas Eve.

I knew things didn't look good at that point, but I made the decision not to take her back to the hospital. She had made her wishes known in a Living Will and I was determined I would honor it. Going back to the hospital was not an option for us. It was mother's wish and mine that when death came, he would find her in her home. Even so, I held out hope that somehow mom would pull through as she had done in the past. I called for the home-care nurse, but she never came. Next, I called my older sister, and waited. During the long hours that I was alone with mom, I held her hand and talked to her. I believed that even in a coma, she could still hear me. Later that evening, my sister joined me in a bedside vigil for our mother. Together we watched, her knowing more than me, that imminent death was poised to take our mother from us. I remember talking about keeping mom hydrated and needing Pedialyte from the drugstore. My sister volunteered to go. It was after midnight when she left for the 24-hour pharmacy just a few blocks away. She was gone for an usually long time, which made me wonder if she was somewhere crying? I looked out the window.  It was snowing. I realized then it was Christmas Day.

Returning to mom's bedside,I continued gently stroking her arm and squeezing her hand. As I did this, I was startled by how ice cold she had suddenly become— like the life blood had drained from of her body. I checked to see if she was still breathing. She was, but just barely. Her breathing had become shallow and raspy like air escaping from a tire. I hurried to the other side of the bed to check her 1,000 ml drainage bag. By now, it should have been full from all the fluids she had been receiving through the feeding tube. Instead, it was empty except for reddish-brown residue in the bottom. My immediate thought was that her kidneys had shut down. For the first time during this whole ordeal, I allowed myself to entertain the real possibility that mom was slipping away— that death was imminent. I wasn't ready to let go, yet I didn't know what else to do. So, I cried out:

"Mom, it's Christmas. Please don't die on Christmas Day."

Suddenly, I got the urge to go to the bathroom. When I returned mom's bedside moments later, I took hold of her hand again. I noticed that something was different. Her hand, which was ice cold only moments ago, was noticeably warmer. My hands began to work their way around the rest of her— arms, legs,  feet, forehead—her whole body was now feverishly hot. I quickly hurried to the other side of the bed to check the drainage bag. To my surprise, the drainage bag that had only moments ago been empty was bursting beyond its capacity with pale, yellow urine. At that moment, I was struck with the stark realization that God was in the midst; had He heard my plea and had performed this miracle. God stopped death in its tracks.

Only God can make death take a detour. Knowing my mother, I imagine that there was some  negotiation between her and God that day just outside the gates of Heaven. I can picture her holding up one finger and saying to God, "Please Father God, let me go back for one more night?"  
And just like that HE granted her request.

Mom died the next day on December 26 that afternoon. My sister and I were together as mom breathed her last. This story could have ended there were it not for Jesus Christ, who came into this world so that we could have life. Because of Jesus, life doesn't end in the grave. Whoever believes in Jesus Christ has eternal life. I can't wait to see mother again I want to ask her what really happened on that fateful Christmas Day.

Get in the boat: A tale of redemption

"For if a man belongs to Christ, he is a new person. The old life is gone. New life has begun." 1 Corinthians 5:17 NLV


One morning a man woke up and found himself all alone on a deserted island in the middle of nowhere with no idea how he got there. As he looked over his surroundings, he saw an old wooden marker lying face down in the sand. He picked it up, turned it over, and brushed away the sand to reveal these words painted on one side, "Island of Despair." The man had a sinking feeling that he was not in a good place. And that if he didn't find a way off this island, he would surely die there. But the island was surrounded by shark infested water. And he had no weapon to fight them off. From all he could see, his situation appeared to be hopeless.

It wasn't long before the man heard the sound of an airplane approaching. When the plane came near, the man started waving frantically hoping the plane's pilot would see him. As the plane flew over the island, the man watched a wooden crate fall from the plane's open cargo door and land in the sand a few feet from him. He ran over to retrieve it. Using a large rock, the man broke the crate open to reveal its contents. Inside he found several bottles of water, a hot meal and a Bible. Attached to the Bible was an unsigned note, which read: "This plane makes a food drop on this island every Friday at noon. We are praying for you." For now, the man was just grateful for a hot meal.

A week went by and the man realized that it was time for his next food drop. As he searched the sky for the plane, he could hear the sound of the plane's engines at a distance. Like clockwork, Friday at noon the plane flew over the island and dropped another wooden crate filled with water and a hot meal. Attached to a water bottle inside was an unsigned note, which read: "We're still praying for you."

The plane continued to drop food on the island every Friday at noon for as long as the man remained there, along with a note letting him know that someone was praying for him. But as long as the man got his weekly food drop, he seemed content to stay on the island. If he wanted to be rescued, he didn't act like it and did nothing to help his situation.

One Friday morning, the man awoke to darkening skies and the sound of thunder in the distance. A storm was coming. Thick dark clouds rolled in, and strong winds swirled over the island. The sea waves rose higher and higher and threatened to flood the tiny island. The man feared for his life. His eyes searched the sky anxiously for the plane; hoping the pilot would see the danger he was in and send help his way. With no place to hide from the storm, the man dug a deep hole in the sand with his hands and laid down in it. As the storm raged on around him, he remembered the words of a prayer he'd heard as a child and cried out, "Jesus, please help me."

At that exact moment, the man lifted his head and looked toward the sea. On the horizon he could just barely make out the shape of a tiny boat. It appeared to be aiming straight for the island. "Who'd be crazy enough to be out boating in this storm," the man thought to himself. It was the only boat he'd seen since being stranded on the island. The man kept his eyes on the boat as it came closer and closer.

Finally, the boat came close enough for the man to see that it was a small row boat with the word, "GRACE" painted on its side. The lone man inside the boat was steering it with a single oar. Under these conditions, it was a miracle the boat made it to the island at all. Thanks to the storm, the sharks were gone, but the huge rock formations that engulfed the island, kept the row boat from reaching land. This meant that if the man wanted to be rescued, he would have to get in the water and swim a short distance to reach the boat. The man knew this was his only chance, but looking at the high waves and choppy sea, he was afraid he wouldn't make it to the boat alive.

As he stood there staring toward the boat, the man in the boat called out to him, "I've come to save you. Don't be afraid. Trust me and get in the boat." (To be continued)...

The meaning of this story

The man in the story represents anyone who is facing a difficult time in their life. You may even feel there's no way out or that you have no one you can turn to for help. On the outside, you look like you're doing OK, but on the inside, you're empty and hurting. Something's not right and you know it. You wonder if you're going to make it. 

The island represents separation from God. You may be on that island right now. The sharks represent sin. When we disobey or do things that go against God, God calls it sin. Sin messes up your life. It traps you, trips you up and you find yourself all alone in a mess of your own making. Because of Adam, everyone is born in sin; but then, like Cain, we commit sins of our own that need God's forgiveness.

The plane represents God's mercy and the crate, God's provision. God still loves us no matter what we may have done. He's not out to condemn us. The Bible says that "while we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8 NIV).

The man in the boat represents Jesus. Jesus was sent by God to rescue humankind from its sins. The Bible says, "For God so loved the world that He gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life (John 3:16 NIV)." Jesus is God's provision for our sins. Jesus risked his own life by dying on the Cross so that our past, present and future sins could be forgiven by God.

The rocks surrounding the island represent the things that keep us from coming to Jesus and accepting the salvation that God wants so freely to give to us. We let lustful desires and the sinful pleasures of this world keep us from coming to Christ. Other hindrances may include pride, anger at God, guilt, fear, or low self-esteem (not feeling you're worthy enough). You would be wrong on all counts. The Bible says that "everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved (Acts 2:21 NIV)." It doesn't matter who you are, or what country you live in; what language you speak or even your family's religion. It's a choice you must make for yourself, which God you will serve.

How does the story end

When we paused the story earlier, the man on the island was trying to decide if he was going to risk everything, get in the water and swim to the boat; or remain on the island and wait for a more convenient time to be rescued. The question is how does he know if he will ever have another chance to be rescued? The answer is, he doesn't know. That's the risk (the risk of doing nothing) he is taking by putting his decision off. 

If this were your story, how would it end? You have a choice between  accepting the salvation God offers through Jesus Christ or rejecting it. The Bible says "Today if you hear his [God's] voice, do not harden your hearts...(Hebrews 3:15 NIV)." What are you waiting for? Jesus is waiting to rescue you. There may never be a better time in your life than right now. 

A new year, a new life

At exactly 12:00 am every January 1, fireworks light up the night sky, champagne corks pop, horns and whistles blow, hugs and kisses are exchanged and well wishes for a Happy New Year are on the lips of  people all over the world. Behind this annual celebration is the hope that the new year will bring about a change of fortune, as well as, a chance to wipe the past year's slate clean and start over. But 364 days down the road, the unfortunate reality is that human will and human effort alone are not enough to transform our lives or make them any better.

Human efforts at self-improvement are only superficial and external at best. We believe change is just a matter of exercising our willpower. If we will ourselves to stop doing this or start doing that, it will produce the change we desire. But if willpower alone was all you needed, you would have succeeded with the first diet you tried or the first time you tried to stop smoking, drinking, using drugs or whatever else you may have tried to stop or start doing. Instead, it's the end of another year, and you find yourself back at the exact same place vowing to make many of the same changes you promised to make the year before.

And why is that? The answer lies in the simple fact that you were created by God. Therefore, you cannot recreate yourself---for that to happen, you need the Creator. In Psalm 51, King David recognizes his inability to change himself and prays: "Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me." (Psalm 51:10 KJV). King David acknowledges that without God's help his efforts to change himself are fruitless. Paul, an Apostle of Christ, explains the dilemma we all face as human beings: "I have discovered this principle of life---that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong. I love God's law with all my heart. But there is another power within me that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me. Oh what a miserable person I am. Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death? Thank God. The answer is in Jesus Christ, our Lord!" (Romans 7:21-25 NLT)

The key to becoming a new you in this new year is surrendering your life to Christ. He alone has the power to change you. After all the Bible says that God created everything that exists and that  includes you. To the sinner, God promises that if you confess your sins, he will forgive your sins and set you on a new path --- the path of right living. To the Christian who has turned away from God to his own way, if you repent, he will forgive your sins and restore you to his family. No sin is so great that it cannot be forgiven if you come to God in a spirit of true repentance. You don't have to wait until the clock strikes midnight on January 1, you can begin your New Year with Christ right now. The Bible declares that "anyone who belongs to Christ is a new person. The past is forgotten, and everything is new." (2 Corinthians 5:17)  What a way to begin the New Year with your sins forgiven and a chance to start your life over. It doesn't get any better than that. Happy New You!

Dear God,

I turn my back on the past life I've lived. I am sorry for the sins I committed
 that have separated me from you. I believe Jesus died for my sins.

And I ask you, Jesus to come into my heart

and help me to live the rest of my life for you.

Did you pray this prayer and mean it? Congratulations, you have been born again into the family of God. Celebrate your new life. To help you understand and learn more about your new life in Christ, find a local Christ believing church in your area or contact Peace with God. 



The Big Lie

I told a lie. It slipped out my mouth so fast, I didn't have time to shut it. It was shocking. Can you believe it? Me, a born again Christian, telling a lie? God forbid. The instant that lie left my lips, two things happened—Satan cheered and heaven   groaned. Immediately, the Holy Spirit convicted me. There I was caught between that lie and what I knew would be its consequences.     The battle for my soul was just beginning to heat up.

I had Satan, in one ear telling me, “Oh come on now, it wasn’t even a big lie. Besides, it didn’t hurt anyone now did it? And the Holy Spirit in the other ear softly pleading, “The lie you just told wounded the heart of God, your Father. You must confess it.” I was crushed under the weight of my guilt at the very thought that my actions could possibly have hurt God.

This was major and not something I could easily dismiss, as Satan had tempted me to do. I knew that if I listened to Satan and just let it go, he would dig in even deeper, and establish a stronghold in my mind from which he could manipulate my thoughts. This little lie, as unintended as it was, was now beginning to take on huge proportions as the battle for my soul continued. Satan fired another shot, this time a direct hit at my pride: “You don’t want people to know that you, of all people, tell lies do you?

There goes your witness and your testimony. What will people think of you? You better keep it under wraps. It’ll just be our little secret,” Satan said with a wink. The thought was a tempting for a minute. But I knew that it was a lie straight from the pit of Hell. Imagine the father of lies trying to convince me that he could keep a secret.

The Holy Spirit countered Satan’s onslaught by bringing to this battle for my mind every scripture from the word of God that I'd ever memorized. I remembered that God hates liars. Revelation 21:8 says that liars will be judged and tossed into the lake of fire—a place especially prepared for them. Also in this fiery lake will be the cowards who have turned away from God, unbelievers, murderers, and persons who are corrupt, sexually immoral, who practice witchcraft and worship idols. Talk about being in bad company.

I was beginning to realize the enormity of what I had done. There was only one way to get Satan off my back and God back on my side—I had to confess. Without further delay, I dropped to my knees and prayed, “Father, forgive me, the lie I told was a sin. It was wrong and I am truly sorry.” Well, that was just the beginning of my restoration. Later, I went back to the one I told the lie to and confessed.

I guess the lesson in all this is that Christians aren’t perfect, just forgiven. As long as we are on this earth, we will be tempted, and we may even succumb in a moment of weakness. Even Jesus was tempted but he handled it God's way. Rather than hide from our sin like Adam did or try to cover it up like King David did, we should confess it directly to God and ask for His forgiveness. He offers this promise in 1 John 1:9 to both Christians who sin and the unsaved sinner alike: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” It sure feels good to be forgiven.

If there is sin in your life that Satan has convinced you is just between you and him, he's lying. Sin is really between you and God. There’s no such thing as a white lie or a little sin. Big or small, it’s all sin. And God hates it. To add to sin's consequences, it blocks your blessings and hinders your prayers so that God will not hear you. Don’t let Satan fool you. For your own good, confess your sins and be set free. Jesus died for my sins and yours so that by believing in him, we can be forgiven and have eternal life. By the way, if you’re wondering if I made this story up, absolutely not. It’s a true story, no lie.