Temporarily suspending blog due to family illness. Looking forward to reconnecting with you in the near future.

Love and blessings to all,

Sylvia

2012. Talk about your little black rain cloud! Other than the Y2K scare in 2000, I don’t remember any other year in my lifetime that has been so dreaded. Look at Hollywood and all the doomsday movies they have made alluding to this year. And don’t forget the Mayan calendar and the Sibyl prophecy that doomsayers say point to a 2012 end of the world.

While I don’t believe any of it, there are certainly many real, tangible things that can give us plenty to worry about; everything from the global debt crisis to the increase in violence and instability around the world, and a myriad of things in between.

So, because of that I don’t think 2012 is the year for making my usual New Year’s resolutions: lose weight, eat better, read the stack of books on my night table, etc.. Instead, this year I’m making only two: 1) love the Lord my God with all my heart, mind, soul, and strength and 2) love my neighbor as myself.

I know. I know. No two resolutions are more impossible than these two. But that’s only if I plan on trying to do it on my own. Which I don’t. Instead, I will rely on the power of the Holy Spirit who God has given to us for just this purpose. And He is more than able to bring these things about in my life if I allow Him. Oh, not like some jinni, who with one snap of the fingers, creates an instance fix. Instead, He’ll bring this about in me through patience and grace, with one situation at a time, with one person at a time.

I don’t know about you, but I look forward to this year. I look forward to the things God will do in my life and in the lives of those I love. And though it might be trying, I also believe it will be exciting and wondrous, and very memorable.

Until next time,

Sylvia

I’ve never seen a time when so many people are so burdened. And it’s understandable for men and women are trying to keep a roof over their heads and food on their tables and care for their children while everything around them seems to be falling apart. They are losing their house, their job, their kids to the world and drugs, their marriages. They are in so much debt they can’t make ends meet. And many in governments world-wide seem to be acting unwisely and making decisions based on securing their own futures rather than those of their nation’s. Nothing seems to make sense anymore. All the so called “tired-and-true” methods are no longer working. How does one cope with the enormity of such problems? How can one carry such loads?

It’s simple, really. We turn to Jesus!  Didn’t He say in Matthew 11:29 “Come unto me, all you that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart; and you shall find rest unto your souls.” And 1 Peter 5:6-7 says, “Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: casting all your care upon him, for he careth for you.”  Not only is Jesus able to carry our burdens, He wants to.

Like anyone who has lived a respectable number of years I’ve experienced burdens of my own: my husband did lose a job, we had to give up a home and change our lifestyle, there have been deaths in our family and serious illnesses, so I understand about burdens and don’t make light of them. I know expressions like “buck up” or “keep a stiff upper lip” or “time will heal all wounds” aren’t really helpful. Even a friend’s sympathy and hand-holding, while offering a measure of comfort, won’t really do anything to improve the situation.

Burdens are hard and stressful and take more than words and sympathy to handle. But one thing that works; one thing I’ve learned over and over again from experience is that no matter how difficult, no matter how heart wrenching the burden, God’s grace is truly sufficient. If we turn to Jesus He will supply our needs, He will carry that burden.  And when we think we can’t go any further, He’ll even carry us. He is the great I AM, the Alpha and Omega, and everything in between. Which simply means, He is all we could ever want or need. And while He carries our burden, He’ll give us the courage, wisdom and strength to see it through with Him. And that’s not all. He’ll even give us joy and peace in the midst of it. And that’s saying a lot in a world that has so little joy and peace even in the best of times. In the end, He truly makes us an over comer—a far better option that being left to our own devises where, more often than not, we’re prone to sink into confusion, self-pity and depression.

Be assured, Jesus is willing and able to be our burden bearer. The question is, will we let Him?

Until next week,

Sylvia

Last week I volunteered in my grandson’s school library.  It was exciting to see how eager the kids were to find books.  Some even tired to check out more than the limit allowed.  It reminded me of how tender and fervent children are, and why Scripture says to “train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” (Proverbs 22:6)

Parents have an awesome responsibility. God has given them the mandate to raise up Godly seed for Him.  It’s a hard road, with much against them; rewarding when accomplished, but disastrous when not. Even so, every parent is training up his child whether he knows it or not. And either that child will be for God or for the world.

The Bible tells us “that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady, high-minded, lovers of pleasures more that lovers of God.” (2 Timothy 3:4) Wow! What a terrible description of the worldly character!

It breaks my heart to see young people today who are a product of a rudderless upbringing, sailing along with no direction or sure course.  They are told, either implicitly or indirectly by what they learn in their home, school, on T.V., in movies, or on the streets, that they have crawled out of the primordial ooze and are nothing special, that there is no God, that self is the only thing that matters. No wonder they are depressed. No wonder their character is warped. No wonder they do drugs or sex to find significance. It must make God weep to see such precious lives destroyed, such precious hearts yearning and yet not finding anything of value in this dark world.

But here’s the great thing about God.  He has a Father’s heart and is the God of second chances. There is a sizable revival going on among the youth today.  Many are world-weary and have tried it all and found nothing but emptiness. But oh, how God loves them! How He desires to fill them with Himself. And how able He is to restore the broken hearted.  But wouldn’t it be better if these children had not lost their way in the first place?

I pray a blessing on all parents (and grandparents, too) that they find the courage, grit, love and strength to stand for Godliness in their homes, and train up their children for the Lord.

Until next week,

Sylvia

Last week I accompanied my daughter and grandchildren to the pediatrician where the kids each got a shot.  My grandson was fine about it, but my granddaughter, who was fearful, cried.  When it was over she admitted she hadn’t felt a thing, and that it was all a big nothing, certainly not worth fretting about.

I think this speaks volumes to the human condition. We are afraid of so many things, most of which are like that shot, a big nothing. We indulge in “what if this” and “what if that” until we work ourselves into a lather.  But simply saying “there’s nothing to fear” didn’t cut it with my granddaughter, and it doesn’t cut it with us. So how do we stop worrying and being fearful? By replacing our fears with something or someone bigger. And that someone is God.

At least 365 times, in different wording, the Bible tells us not to fear. I think because God knows our weak frame, He gave us something for each day of the year. In its basic sense, fear is simply lack of faith, lack of trust in God, in Who He is and in what He says He can do. If we truly believed, our fears, for the most part, would vanish and be replaced by what the Bible calls the “peace that passes all understanding” (Philippians 4:7).

This world will give us many opportunities to fret and fear, but the more we get to know God, get to know Who He is, the closer and more intimate our relationship becomes, the less we will be plagued by these “big nothings” and even when something sizable comes along, we will be able to face it with peace and confidence in knowing that our God is more than up to the challenge, and He will see us through.

Until next week,

Sylvia

Recently, Major General Eyal Eisenberg, chief of the Israeli army’s Home Front Command said that due to the countless uprisings in neighboring Arab states, that Israel could, in the very near future, face a multi-front war.  It seems that the so-called “Arab Spring” may quickly turn into a fall or winter . . . of war.

Hyperbole? No. All the signs seem to corroborate his fears. The Muslim Brotherhood is becoming more entrenched in Egypt, an organization that has deep Nazi roots, hates Israel and vows to wipe it out. In addition, the Syrian situation is heating up, and by many accounts could go one of three ways: Basar al-Assad can remain in power; he could be ousted in which case the Muslim Brotherhood will take over; or Assad can launch an attack on Israel to turn attention away from his troubles at home. Whatever happens, this much is clear—the noose is tightening around Israel. 

This is extremely troubling because there are two Bible prophesies that have yet to be fulfilled concerning this area which many scholars believe will occur prior to the seven years of tribulation. The first is in Isaiah 17:1 concerning Damascus (a continuously occupied city for over four thousand years) and says it will be turned into a “ruinous heap”; the other concerns Egypt (Ezekiel 29:6-12) and says it will be “utterly waste and desolate” and that “no foot of man shall pass through it or foot for beast” for forty years.  Both are horrendous possibilities and imply some nuclear and possibly biological conflict. If this happens, it will have worldwide consequences, affecting everything from global markets to global political/military alignments.

What can Christians do?  Two things for certain: Stand with Israel. She is losing her allies and needs every friend she can get. And “pray for the peace of Jerusalem, they shall prosper that love thee.” Psalm 122:6

I, for one, take my stand for Israel, and will continue to pray as never before.

Until next week,

Sylvia

Every child loves a treasure hunt.  And my grandchildren are no exception.  So last week when they had a “sleep over” at my house, I planned one for them, complete with pirate map and clues. We had great fun, and as usual, the time flew by, and before we knew it, we had to say “goodbye”.

I see many similarities between this and how we should approach the Bible.  First, we should be “child like”, leaving our preconceived ideas behind.  Then, we should expect to find treasure hidden in God’s Word and follow the clues, from one point to another. If we do, our time in the Word will not drag or be a stiff exercise, but will fly to the point we lament that we can’t stay longer.

God’s Word is a treasure trove, full of gems to be discovered on many levels.  Take for instance Daniel 3: 1-27.  It tells the story of the Babylonian king, Nebuchadnezzar, who had a huge statue of gold made, then issued orders that all in his kingdom must bow before it. When three young Hebrew men refused, he had them thrown into a furnace, a furnace which he commanded to be made seven times hotter than normal.  But instead of dying, the young men walked around the blazing fire unharmed, with another man, who had suddenly appeared, and whose form Nebuchadnezzar said was “like the Son of God.” And when they came out of the furnace neither their clothes nor hair were singed, nor did they smell of smoke.

Just taking a quick look at it we can see, on the first level, God working a miracle and preserving his faithful servants in the midst of trials.  On another level, we can apply this to ourselves and say since God is the same yesterday, today, and forever, he will be in the midst of our trials, too, and that no furnace, no matter how hot, is too much for the Son of God to overcome on our behalf.  And on another level, we can see that Nebuchadnezzar is a type of the Anti-Christ, for the Bible tells us that Anti-Christ will also make a statue and demand that everyone bow before it. And because Nebuchadnezzar commanded that the furnace be made seven times hotter, we can see how this tells us the seven years of Tribulation, which the Bible talks about, will be exceedingly difficult, much more so than any time before it. But again, the Son of God will be there walking in the midst of his people.

Of course this passage in Daniel would take pages and pages to really expound, but one can get the sense, in just the short paragraph above, how chock-full of wonderful truths the Bible holds for us. And if we are like children, open and receptive, and ask the Holy Spirit to help us follow the clues, God will reveal treasures we can’t even imagine.

Until next week,

Sylvia

Political correctness has made monkeys of us all; a sort of reverse Darwinism (which I refute) where increasingly we are losing our ability to think for ourselves.  It permeates everything: our schools, our news, our politics and sadly, even our churches. I must confess, in some ways, it has even seeped into my thinking. And that’s the area I’d like to address, because I know other Christians have been affect, too, and that includes many pastors. In some ways, the Church has come to believe that the “unpardonable sin” mentioned in the Bible is “offending someone.” And because of this we hesitate to speak out.  We don’t talk about sin or God’s viewpoint of the world—that it’s fallen and needs a savior.  In fact, sin is often dismissed as a lack of self-esteem rather than a violation of God’s law. In this politically correct world, where we are so concerned about offending someone, it seems the only one we don’t mind offending is God Himself.

It’s hard to image anyone more politically incorrect than Jesus who called the religious leaders of His day “vipers” (Matthew 12:334) and “whitewashed sepulchers full of dead men’s bones.” (Matthew 23:27) And Christians are to emulate Christ.  But are we not to walk in love, one might ask?  Yes, we are commanded to do so.  Indeed, God is love.  It is the one characteristic that perhaps describes Him best.  But He is also Truth.  Thus, love and truth must, of necessity, go hand and hand. Love without truth becomes sloppy sentimentality. And truth without love is rigid legalism.

We all have an idea of what love is.  But what is truth, exactly?  Simple. It is what God says it is. It is what He has laid out in His Word.  In essence, it is Jesus Himself, the Word made flesh. And Jesus confirms it in His statement, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” (John 14:6) On the other hand, truth is not what prevailing “political correctness” dictates. For today, those things the thought police deem correct, may very well be incorrect tomorrow. Jesus, on the other hand, never changes. He “is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” (Hebrews 13:8)

Based on this it is easy to see that most times political correctness is neither love nor truth. Because it often borders the extreme and ridiculous, and flies in the face of common sense, it is incapable of offering us a true compass to which we can set our lives. Nor can it give us peace of mind or heart.

The Bible offers a stern caution.  It says, “Woe to them that call evil good, and good evil.” (Isaiah 5:20).  It also says that “a double-minded man is unstable in all his ways.” (James 1:8)  We are called to have the mind of Christ. Not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewing of our minds. (Romans 12: 2)  I know I could use a little renewing right about now.

When the apostle Peter was told by the religious leaders not to speak in the name of Jesus, (Acts 4: 1-24) he asked them what is better, to obey man or God? And what were they ordering Peter to do, exactly?  Well, they were saying stop telling everyone who Jesus is, and what He did.  In short, stop proclaiming the message of salvation.

As more churches concentrate on entertainment and mocha lattes and watered down feel-good messages, we Christians must answer this same question for ourselves: Is it better to obey man or God?

Until next week,

Sylvia

I was planning to write something lighter on my blog this week until I heard about the June conference in Volos, Greece, hosted by the World Council of Churches.  One of its missions: to discuss the growing problem of how Christians in Muslim countries are being slaughtered by Muslims, and their churches and property destroyed.

The conference attendees were a mixed bag of church representatives—both Protestant and Catholic, social scientists, politicians and theologians.  Their conclusion: that Israel was responsible.  What? And not only that, but the Jewish state was declared a “sin”, and a Christian had the duty to resist this “offensive” Jewish existence.  Wait. Do I have this right?  The reason that all these Christians are being slaughter by Muslims in their own countries (and much of it provoked by the Muslim Brotherhood who hopes to take over the Middle East, purge the land of all non-Muslims and institute a caliphate and sharia law) is because of the Jews in Israel?

When organizations take facts and reality, and willfully twist them to conform to their misguided theories or agenda, and to accomplish hateful purposes; and when Christians begin to twist some scriptures while ignoring others for the same purpose, and then ascribe these hateful beliefs and theologies to God, then we are on thin ice as Christians, as a nation, as a world. And that’s what happened at this conference.

The pronouncements that came from this group are so far from anything you can find in the Bible. Like Hitler, who essentially proclaimed the Jews non-human so he could discriminate against them, then ultimately exterminate them, so-called Christians are declaring Jews no longer the “chosen” race through the false teaching of the Dominionist  Movement and Replacement Theology that says the church has replaced the Jews in both God’s plan and covenants, thus making it easier to discriminate against them and eventually close their eyes and ears to the Ahmadinejads of this world who want to ultimately exterminate them.

The Bible says that in the last days the whole world will be against Israel. Sadly, we are seeing this prophecy begin to unfold. But make no mistake, the same demonic force that was behind the anti-Semitism of Hitler’s Nazi Germany is the same demonic force that is behind today’s new rising global anti-Semitism.  Satan hates the Jews.  It was to the Jew that God gave His law and revealed His word.  The entire Old Testament was written by Jews.  And all the New Testament, with the exception of Luke, was written by Jews.  The “seed” of the woman promised in Genesis 3:15, the one that would crush the head of the serpent, was a Jew.  His name was Jesus, and he came as Messiah and Savior, and all his apostles were Jews. But it doesn’t end there. According to the Bible, New Jerusalem will have twenty four names inscribed on it, and they will all be Jewish! Revelation 21:12 talks about the twelve gates into this city and says, “and names written thereon (the gates) which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel.” Still describing New Jerusalem, it goes on to say in Revelation 21:14, “And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles (all Jewish) of the Lamb (Jesus).”  Finally, when Jesus returns He will rule and reign not in Washington D.C. or London or Brussels, but in Jerusalem. And He will take His rightful place on the throne of David, a Jewish King.

It’s a dangerous thing to spit in the face of God.  If any group of people should love the Jews it should be Christians, for we owe them so much. While others stand on thin ice, let us stand on the sure, solid word of God where in Genesis 15:18-21 it clearly defines Israel’s borders; and where in Genesis 17:7-8 it clearly seals these borders as a non-revocable, everlasting possession and covenant.

Until next week,

Sylvia

I love young people.  They’re so full of enthusiasm and vitality.  And this week at our church’s youth conference there was plenty of that. When some shared their experiences during Sunday service I was struck by the tone. It wasn’t all about goose-bumps and spiritual highs.  It was more serious.  It was about connecting with Jesus; about getting ready for what’s coming next in these end times; about concentrating on the Kingdom of God, and sharing it with others while there’s still opportunity.

We can learn from the young.  I think the conference is proof of that.  Too many of us who have gone by the name, “Christian”, for years need a wake-up call. No matter what our theology is about the end times and the tribulation, one thing we should all be able to agree on is that we are living in unusual times. Something is happening and it can be described in one word: change.  Everything is changing: the weather, governments, world stability, finances, families, and long held concepts of morality. And in order to survive these changes we’re going to need to visit the mountaintop, to spend time with Jesus and get our priorities straight, and to get our hearts and minds prepared for whatever comes.

These young people weren’t afraid. They were excited about the opportunities God was about to give them. Opportunities for God to show Himself strong in their lives.  Opportunities to touch a hurting world with His love.

Now that’s an example I’d like to follow.  

Until next week,

Sylvia