Tag: jesus

Is “wait” a four letter word for you?

I’ll be honest. I hate waiting. I don’t think anyone enjoys waiting, but it is especially hard when we wait on the Lord to answer our prayers. Perhaps you are waiting on God, as I am. Perhaps like me, you have been praying for what seems like years, and you are growing discouraged. 

I’m waiting for healing. I’m waiting for prodigals to come home. I’m waiting for promises to come to pass. It has been a difficult season for me. However, I have to admit that during this time, the Lord is teaching me some hard lessons. Lessons that I know would be impossible for me to learn, if I was not waiting for them to be answered. Let me share some of them with you and hopefully encourage you not to give up.

The first thing that I began to realize during this season, is how many people in the Bible had to wait for their promises to come to pass. Abraham had to wait 25 years between the time God promised him a son and the time Isaac was finally born.  Joseph was about 17 when he was given two dreams of what was to come. He waited 20 years, 13 of those spent in prison, before he saw those dreams come to pass before his eyes. David was anointed king of Israel as a teenager by Samuel. Then he spent the next 13 or so years running for his life because King Saul wanted to kill him. These are just the more famous stories, but there are many others who also had to wait.

I also realized that God uses these periods of waiting to test our hearts. Proverbs 17:3 tells us “The refining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold, but the LORD tests the hearts.” The comparison between a refining pot and a furnace is not lost on me when it comes to waiting. Metals are heated up to refine them and purify them. The dross or impurities are then skimmed off. I would suggest that waiting is also a furnace that heats us up and allows what is really in our hearts to come out. Which brings me to another lesson learned during this season. 

While we wait on God, we have choices. We can choose to take matters into our own hands, like Abraham and Sarah did. (Genesis 36) Even though Abraham was called a friend of God, he was very much human, just like you and I. He and Sarah found it difficult to understand how  God could give them a son when they were old. They were in retirement age, to say the least. They decided that since they were well past childbearing age, perhaps Sarah’s maid Hagar could give Abraham a son. What came about was Ishmael, who sadly became a thorn in their side when Isaac, the promised son born from Sarah, came into the world. The jealousy and anger towards Isaac was no joke. If you are uncomfortable with my opinion about Abraham and his son Ishmael, read Galatians 4:22-30.

Or, like Joseph we can become angry with those who have hurt us and perhaps caused us to wait for those promises from God. (Genesis 37) When Joseph saw his brothers, almost twenty years after they had sold him to slave traders that took him to Egypt, he was so angry with them that he sent them to prison for three days and did not reveal himself to them for quite some time. It was not until he realized that God had allowed the whole situation because it ultimately saved his entire family from starvation, that he forgave them and told them who he was.

Sadly, we can also choose to give up, or maybe even lose our faith, as Zacharias the priest did in Luke 1:18. Zacharias and his wife had spent many years praying for a child. Judging by how old they were, decades had passed. Now the old priest was standing in the Holy of Holies in the temple in Jerusalem when suddenly an angel appears to him and tells him that God has answered their prayers and that he and his wife will have a son. This was no ordinary angel. No, this was Gabriel, an Archangel. His response to seeing this angel and hearing that their prayers were finally answered is sad, but understandable. “And Zacharias said to the angel, “How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is well advanced in years.” Ouch! Clearly, the angel did not react well to his response. Gabriel rebuked him and told  him that because he didn’t believe him, Zacharias would be struck mute until these things came to pass. He could not speak until his son John (later called John the Baptist) was born.

And then there is David, the future king of Israel. David was anointed as king by Samuel and then the trials began almost immediately. King Saul was so jealous of him that he tried for years to kill him but never succeeded. What was David’s response? He wrote many of the Psalms during those difficult and painful years. Clearly his response to waiting was to praise God and trust Him to bring it to pass. 

Why was his response so different from the others? I am by no means suggesting that David was perfect and was never upset or struggling with the wait, but I do notice that after King Saul did some things that were contrary to what God told him to do, Samuel the Prophet told him in 1 Samuel 13;14 “The LORD has sought for Himself a man after His own heart, and the LORD has commanded him to be commander over His people, because you have not kept what the LORD commanded you.” Paul tells us in Acts 13:22 “And when He had removed him (King Saul) He raised up for them David as king, to whom also He gave testimony and said, I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after My own heart, who will do all My will.’ 

So why was David different in his reactions? We are given a clue in the above statement. David did all of God’s will. David, you see, surrendered to God. He surrendered his own will, his own desires and plans and perhaps most important, his own understanding of things. There were many times when David had opportunity to kill King Saul, but he chose not to. He chose instead to wait on God’s timing. We are told in 1 Samuel 24:6-7 what David told his men, after he had an opportunity to kill Saul in a cave. “The LORD forbid that I should do this thing to my master, the LORD’s anointed, to stretch out my hand against him, seeing he is the anointed of the LORD.” So David restrained his servants with these words, and did not allow them to rise against Saul. And Saul got up from the cave and went on his way. 

David was given several opportunities to take matters into his own hands. He chose not to. He could have become angry, he chose not to. He could have lost his faith and given up, but instead he waited. And in the waiting, he wrote dozens of beautiful psalms praising the Lord that are an encouragement to us today. I have read many a psalm during difficult days and felt comforted. 

Many of the promises and prayers that I have prayed are still in the waiting period. I have waited for years for them to be answered. I will not claim to be like David. However, during this difficult time, I remind myself regularly that it is not because God does not care about me, or because He won’t answer my prayers. No, instead I look at the lives of those faithful men and women in the Bible and learn how they waited. And I pray that God would help me to surrender to His will, His plans and His purpose and to give me the grace to overcome the temptation to take matters into my own hands, give up, become angry or lose my faith. 

Perhaps you are also in a waiting period. You probably would not have read this far if you weren’t. I encourage you to not give up. Trust Him. His ways are not our ways and His thoughts are not our thoughts. I have learned over the many years that I have walked with Jesus, He is faithful and He always hears our prayers. Wait, I say, on the Lord. 

Do you have ears to hear the Lord?

Have you ever been around someone who is deaf or partially deaf? To say it is a challenge is an under statement, for both parties. But there is also something which I will call spiritual deafness. Sadly, this form of deafness might actually be worse than the physical kind because it cuts us off from hearing God. However, the good news is that this spiritual deafness can be overcome. And the one who has the power to overcome it, is you and I.

Jesus talks about having ears to hear, no less than 14 times in Scripture! Seven times in the Gospels He repeats the phrase “He who has ears to hear, let him hear!” (Matt:11:15, 13:9, 13:43, Mark 4:9, 4:23, 7:16, Luke 8:8)

 Seven times in the book of Revelation, when He addresses the 7 churches, He finishes with the phrase “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”(Revelation 2:7, 2:11, 2:17, 2:29, 3:6, 3:13, 3:22)

Now I’ve always been taught that when something is repeated in Scripture, it’s important. So with that in mind, I would suggest that repeating something 14 times must be very important! But what does it mean, you might ask? Well, clearly Jesus is not talking about only physical ears, although that would definitely be part of his admonition. He is also talking about spiritual ears. I do not believe that He would say this, if He did not want us to hear what He is saying. In John 10, Jesus very clearly says “My sheep hear My voice”. This implies that not only is He talking to us, but that we need to be listening. 

It is my opinion, and the Bible makes it very clear, that not only do we have control, we are very much responsible, for what we do and do not hear. 

To give you an example of what I mean, in Acts 7:51, when the Pharisees were stoning Stephen, he spoke these words to them: “You stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears! You always resist the Holy Spirit!” He is clearly referring to spiritual ears here when he says this. And what did he suggest was their problem? They were stiff necked and had hardened hearts. Consequently, they could not hear what God was saying to them through Stephen.

Sadly, their response was very much in the physical. “Then they cried out with a loud voice, stopped their ears, and ran at him with one accord; and they cast him out of the city and stoned him.” (Acts 7:57) Not only did they not want to hear what he said, they killed him for saying it. 

Obviously, we are no longer allowed to kill people for saying things that convict us, at least not according to the law, but that does not mean, people are listening to what God is trying to say to them. However, we are not left without warning, when we don’t listen to the Holy Spirit.

Jesus makes this very clear while speaking to His disciples in Mark 4:21-25. After talking about the parable of a lamp, He says the following to them: “Is a lamp brought to be put under a basket or under a bed? Is it not to be set on a lampstand? For there is nothing hidden which will not be revealed, nor has anything been kept secret but that it should come to light. If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.” 

He continues with this warning: “Take heed what you hear. With the same measure you use, it will be measured to you; and to you who hear, more will be given. For whoever has, to him more will be given; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.”

I’ll be honest with you. When I read this warning, it scares me. Not because I’m afraid, but because I know that the responsibility of hearing what He says to me, is mine and mine alone. Yes, He is a very gracious and forgiving God. He is kind. He is merciful. But He is also the Judge of all the earth. And when He speaks to me, I need to listen. I don’t want to be stiff necked. I don’t want to harden my heart and close my ears. I love Him and I want to obey Him. Why is that important? 

Because we are told in Scripture, both in the Old Testament and the New Testament, to obey Him. John 14:15 tells us, “If you love Me, keep My commandments”. In Exodus 23:20-22 the Lord tells the people of Israel, while they are in the wilderness, waiting to enter the promised land the following: “Behold, I send an Angel before you to keep you in the way and to bring you into the place which I have prepared. Beware of Him and obey His voice; do not provoke Him, for He will not pardon your transgressions; for My name is in Him. But if you indeed obey His voice and do all that I speak, then I will be an enemy to your enemies and an adversary to your adversaries.” The really interesting part of this Scripture is the word “obey”, which the Lord uses twice here. It is a Hebrew word that means, to hear intelligently, to understand, to obey. 

In order to obey Him, when He speaks to me, I have to hear Him intelligently, and I have to choose to understand, and then, to obey Him. The Lord will not force you to obey. He is not interested in prisoners of war or slaves. He calls us His friends. But He is also our Father, our Redeemer, our Judge, and our Bridegroom. If we do not listen to what He is saying to us, to the church, then we don’t love Him! It really is that simple. 

Perhaps I am offending you with all this. I would rather offend you and save your soul, then speak nice words that tickle your ears, and send you to hell. We are living in a very short window of time on this earth. It is called the age of grace, or the age of the Gentiles. Jesus Himself told us in Luke 21:24, “And Jerusalem will be trampled by Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.” If you see what the Lord is doing in Israel, what He is doing to bring them back from all the nations of the earth, what He is doing around the world, to fulfill prophecy, you will realize that this age is drawing to a close. The rapture is at the door, and the tribulation is coming. Those horses in the first 4 seals of the scroll, (Revelation 6:1-8) are at the starting gate and if you have ears, you can hear them snorting with anticipation. They are ready and the only thing they are waiting for is the word, “come”!

So I will leave you with this. If you are hearing Him speak to you and you are not listening, if you are hardening your heart, and turning away from His voice, don’t do it! He loves you and He has no desire to pour out His wrath upon you. Repent. Obey what He is telling you. If you don’t know Him, repent and believe that He is alive and sitting at the right hand of the Father. He died on a cross for your sins and He is coming back soon as King of kings and Lord of lords. He tells us in John 3:3 that we must be born again. You cannot work off your sins. Only His blood can wash you clean. Today if you hear His voice, do not harden your heart, but turn and be healed. 

Is the great Tribulation God’s wrath?

We have often been taught that there will be no more tears when we get to heaven. And that is true. There are two scriptures that are used to verify this, both of them in Revelation. In Revelation 7:17 and 21:4, we are told “And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.” What a glorious time that will be, when there will be no more sorrow or suffering for all eternity. However, did you know that there is a time recorded in Scripture when someone actually did weep in heaven?

It is of all people, the apostle John. There is a very dramatic scene in the book of Revelation that puzzles me just a wee bit.  (not that the whole book is not full of drama). In Revelation 5:1-7 we are shown a scene that takes place in heaven, as witnessed by John:

“And I saw in the right hand of Him who sat on the throne a scroll written inside and on the back, sealed with seven seals. Then I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and to loose its seals?” And no one in heaven or on the earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll, or to look at it.

So I wept much, because no one was found worthy to open and read the scroll, or to look at it.”

Let me stop right here for a moment and ask a question. Why? Why are we shown this scene? It becomes clear, as we continue to read that the only one in this story who didn’t know that there was in fact, someone worthy to open this scroll, is John. With that in mind, I have come to a conclusion that I would like to share with you. John is the only person in this scene who was there for only a short time. He had not died and gone to heaven. He was still very much alive on this earth and was simply witnessing this scene after he was told “to come up here”.  Since he was then sent back to earth to write the book of Revelation, we can only come to the conclusion that this whole scene, was in fact, for our benefit. For you and me. With that in mind, let’s continue reading what happens next:

“But one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep. Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has prevailed to open the scroll and to loose its seven seals.” And I looked, and behold, in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as though it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent out into all the earth. Then He came and took the scroll out of the right hand of Him who sat on the throne.”

Now, let’s go back to that first part. No one in heaven, or on the earth or under the earth was worthy to open the scroll. No one. Remember that. 

I’m going to pivot here for a moment and talk about some end time theology that has many people confused. There are many in the church who claim, that the first half of the tribulation, is not in fact God’s judgment or His wrath. They teach that it is man’s wrath or satan’s wrath. That the 7 seals are just men being men, and killing each other. That satan is doing all this mayhem and destruction on the earth. But if we read what this scripture tells us, what this scene actually describes, it becomes clear that this teaching cannot be true. There is no one in heaven, or on earth or under the earth, who is worthy to open that scroll. Or, interestingly enough, to even look at it. Remember? Therefore the 7 seal judgments cannot be anything but God’s judgment on the earth.

In case you are not familiar with these 7 seals, let me refresh your memory. Seal one is the rider on the white horse, which cannot be anyone but the anti-Christ. Seal two is a red horse bringing war, conflict and people killing each other. Seal 3 is worldwide inflation. Seal 4 is death. Seal 5 is the cry of the martyrs that have been slain for being Christians. Seal 6 is cosmic disturbances both on earth and in heaven. This last seal is so powerful, that we are told the following:

“Then the sky receded as a scroll when it is rolled up, and every mountain and island was moved out of its place. And the kings of the earth, the great men, the rich men, the commanders, the mighty men, every slave and every free man, hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains, and said to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?” (Revelation 6:14-17)

Now I want you to notice something important here. For anyone who tells you that these seven seals are not God’s wrath, show them this passage. The people of the earth, both rich and poor, free and slave, are begging the mountains and rocks to fall on them and hide them from the face of Him who sits on the throne. That’s the Father, my friends. God Almighty! And, lest we forget, from the wrath of the Lamb! They acknowledge that the great day of His wrath has come. During this terrible time, the worst time that the earth has ever experienced, according to Jesus Himself, the people still alive at this point, know beyond a shadow of a doubt, that this is God’s wrath, the Lamb’s wrath, the wrath of Jesus Christ!

But wait. There’s more! I haven’t even mentioned the 7th seal. Because this seal is actually the prelude to what comes next: “And I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and to them were given seven trumpets.” This final seal brings even more judgment onto the earth, the 7 trumpets, which are then followed by the 7 bowl judgments. 

So why is all this so important? Because there are many deceivers out there, who call themselves teachers, prophets and pastors, yes, even apostles, who are in fact teaching lies to the church. They are teaching things that are contrary to what scripture teaches. The Bible is very clear that judgment will come on this earth. God hates sin. He hates it so much that He sent His one and only Son, Jesus Christ to die for our sins on a cross. Jesus then rose again on the third day and conquered death, so we can live forever with Him. But just because God made a way of salvation for us, does not mean everyone will accept His free gift. There are many who will not humble themselves and repent for their sins. And there are many who do not believe that He died and rose again and is alive today, sitting at the right hand of the Father. 

The Bible teaches us over and over that a day of judgment is coming on those who will not repent and choose to be wicked. The Old Testament calls it the Day of the Lord or the time of Jacob’s trouble.  Jesus told us in Matthew 24 and Luke 21 He would one day return to this earth and set up His kingdom in Jerusalem. He warned us that before He returns, He would judge the nations for their wickedness. That time is called the great Tribulation. Yes, we will have tribulation on this earth. But our sorrows and suffering, our private tribulation, is not the Great Tribulation. 

But I cannot stop there because the Bible is also very clear that God’s people, those that are His, those that have repented for their sins and believed that Jesus died for those sins and is alive in heaven, are not destined for His wrath. 1 Thessalonians 5:9 tells us, “For God did not appoint us to wrath”! 

Therefore my friends, do not be discouraged over what you see happening on this earth, or become afraid from the false teachings of many false teachers who try to persuade you that you must suffer through God’s wrath. Instead, be encouraged and comforted because Jesus has promised us that He will return and take us home to be with Him forever before He pours out His wrath on this earth! Paul makes this very clear in 1 Thessalonians 4:15-18:

“For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words.”

I don’t think it gets any clearer than what Paul says above. Being alive and subject to God’s wrath, as some have suggested, is not a comfort to me and I can’t imagine it is to you either. 

What on earth is going on with the church?

I usually like to start my posts with a story of some sort. But I don’t have a story this time, just a heavy heart. Can we be real? If you, like me, are watching what’s going on in the church these days, and feeling all sorts of emotions, not the least of which is dismay and disillusionment, then keep reading.

Let me start by saying, I am a charismatic. Perhaps even a Pentecostal. I speak in tongues. I believe in the gifts of the spirit. I love His presence. I’ve spent years, no decades following the most popular ministries, Bethel, Morning Star, even a little IHOP here and there. I have their books on my bookshelf. I’ve read them, learned from them. Enjoyed them. I’ve gone to the conferences. Listened to the teachings. Believed these people were hearing from God. But I’ve also learned something else, something I didn’t get from them. I’ve learned to read my Bible. Every. Single. Day. For an hour. Since I was born again, many years ago, I have made it my habit to read the word. It’s harder to be deceived when you know the word. But these ministries deceived me. I did not see the scandal coming. 

And that is perhaps why it has been so hard. It caught me off guard. The scandals came out of left field for me. Perhaps they shouldn’t have. I’ve seen the scandals in the Catholic Church, and in the non Charismatic evangelical churches, not the least of which was Ravi Zacharias just 4 years ago. I don’t know why I didn’t realize that God was cleaning house, knocking over tables, if you will. But then I realized that none of this caught the Lord off guard. He actually warned us it would happen in the last days. We just didn’t see it or believe it. If you relate, follow along as I show you from Scripture that non of this stuff should have been a surprise to us, and, more importantly, what do we do now.

In Luke 12:1-3, Jesus warned us about hypocrisy in leadership. 

“Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, nor hidden that will not be known. Therefore whatever you have spoken in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have spoken in the ear in inner rooms will be proclaimed on the housetops.”

I’m sure the disciples wondered how things could be proclaimed from the housetops, but here we are. Technology solved this problem and the hidden things, done in secret, have indeed been proclaimed into every home. What was He really saying to them? Be careful what you do in secret, especially if you are a leader in the church. I will tell the world!

Jesus also warns us in Matthew 7:21-23:

“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’”

When you really read that passage slowly, it sounds very much like He is referring to the things happening right now and what will happen to those false leaders.  They will stand before Him at the judgment and shout, “look at all we’ve done for you”! Think about the arrogance and pride it takes to stand before the judge of all the earth and say that! I don’t see any fear of the Lord, do you? But what is just as enlightening is actually what came before this particular passage. In Matthew 7:15-20 Jesus tells us:

“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thorn bushes or figs from thistles? Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Therefore by their fruits you will know them.”

I want you to think about the imagery Jesus is using here: Thorn bushes and thistles. Have you ever touched one of them? Thorns puncture and hurt deeply. Thistles get stuck in your skin and hurt when you brush against them. Thistles are more subtle in their pain, while thorns are immediate and obvious. Now think about how that relates to wolves in the church. And not just wolves, but ravenous wolves. They are starving, lusting to eat the sheep. What a sad indictment! Shepherds on the other hand, feed the sheep, just like figs and grapes feed our bodies. 

One more. In Matthew 24:4, when Jesus is asked what will be the sign of the end times, He warns us with this:

“Take heed that no one deceives you.”

And then with this in Matthew 24:11:

“Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many.”

So you see, we were warned, we just didn’t want to see it or believe it. Even now, we make excuses for them. Perhaps they didn’t mean it. Maybe they didn’t understand. Surely not my favorite prophet, teacher, pastor, leader! Only the Lord knows their hearts, but truthfully, it’s not looking good for them. Can they repent? Of course! Will they? Only God knows. 

But that is not why I wrote this. Yes, I’m looking at bad fruit, fruit I’ve touched and tasted, and apparently didn’t realize was bad. But what I’m really asking is, where do we go from here? What now? 

And that brings me to this conclusion. We cannot build our houses on a ministry or a leader. That is in fact, building our house on sand. Ironically, this parable comes right after the passages about wolves and people shouting at the Lord on judgment day. In Matthew 7: 24-27, Jesus tells us this:

“Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.”

I would suggest that the winds are blowing, the rain is descending and the floods of scandal have come. The only thing that will keep my house standing is if I have built it on the Rock, Jesus Christ. Do not build your house on anyone or anything else. Do not build your house, your faith, on a ministry or a leader. If these winds, these scandals are rocking your world, making you lose your faith, making you walk away from God, then your house is not built on the Rock! Come to Jesus and trust in Him. He will not lie to you or deceive you. He will not betray you. But you must repent and believe that He is alive and that He is coming back soon. Only then will your house be built on the Rock. 

Let me know in the comments if you have struggled with this issue and how you’ve handled it in a way that does not make you lose your faith.

The Lord is trustworthy, even in the storm.

Sometimes life hurts. There are days that it gets overwhelming and I sit at my desk and just cry. It seems like there are so many battles, so many things to pray about, so few answers. The other day I sat here, doing a puzzle, and I just started crying. Why, Lord? Why do we pray and pray, and wait and wait, and you do not answer our prayers? I know that you hear me. I know that you have not turned your face from me. I know you listen to every prayer I pray. Why do you not answer? Then I hear His still small voice, “do you trust Me, child?” Yes, Lord, I do. I choose to trust you, even though it makes no sense. Even though I do not understand. 

But even as I heard Him say this, I realized something. If I did not hear Him so clearly, know Him so well, I would have lost my faith in the past two years. The Lord tells us that He tests our hearts. (1Thessalonians 2:4) He has tested me, indeed. Should I share my trials with you? Are they any harder than yours? Everyone has trials in this life. It’s not a competition. We all suffer pain, grief, rejection, persecution, loss, heartache. And we all must wait for answers. And it is in the waiting, that He tests us. It is in the loss, the grief so powerful, one can hardly breath, that we make our choices. Do I get angry and offended with the Creator of the Universe or do I choose to trust Him.

I think of John the Baptist, who sends his disciples to Jesus in Matthew 11:2-10, and has them ask Jesus, “Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?” The question is rather profound when you consider that this man, John, recognized Jesus when they were both in the womb of their mothers. This same man told the world that Jesus was the Coming One! What happened? Jesus tells us in verse 6, “And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me.” 

And there it is! Perhaps you’ve never had someone tell you that God loves to offend us. I wish I was kidding, but I’m not. How else do you test someone’s heart? It is in the offense, in the trial that makes no sense, the outcome that comes out of left field, the phone call that sends you reeling, the rejection you didn’t see coming, that what is hidden deep in our hearts, truly comes out. 

I remember years ago, during another season of trial, where it seemed like everything that could go wrong, every thing that could fall apart, did, that I finally lost it one night. I let God have it. Yes, I yelled at Him, I probably used cuss words, I told Him what I thought of Him. We’ve all done it, if we are honest. But His response shocked me: “I knew that was in your heart, and now, so do you!” Wow. He was right. I had no idea because I tried so hard to be good, to be faithful through the trials. I wanted to be a good Christian, to suffer well. But my flesh failed, as it always will. I repented. Malachi 3:2-3 tells us “For He is like a refiner’s fire and like launderers’ soap. He will sit as a refiner and a purifier of silver”.  When the refiner’s fire is in your life, it will bring up the dross in your heart. And it’s never pretty. But it is only when we see the dross of our own hearts, that we can truly repent. 

And all that brings me to answer the question in the title. How do you build your house on the rock? (Matthew7:24-27) How do you get oil in your vessels? (Matthew 25:1-13).

Both of these parables were a little confusing to me, I must admit. But as I sat here at my desk, talking to Him about my pain, hearing His voice so clearly, asking me if I trust Him, that suddenly I began to understand. 

Paul compares the Christian life with a race. In 2 Timothy 4:7 he tells us “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” What was the end goal? To keep the faith. Faith is not a feeling. Faith is in fact, a choice. And it is in fighting the good fight, in continuing and not giving up, that we keep the faith. When life sucker punches you, and it will, do you keep fighting, or do you give up? Giving up means walking away from God, giving in to my flesh and indulging it with distractions, and, blaming God. It is so easy to blame Him, isn’t it? If you believe He’s in control, then you know He could have stopped it. He could have fixed it. He could have changed it. But He chose not to. Ah, and right there, my friend, is the offense! What do you do with that? 

Yes, right there is where the test begins. Now all that gunk in my heart comes to the surface. And I choose. I choose to look back at my life and see how He came through. Not necessarily in the way I had hoped or even prayed, but nonetheless, He came through. He was faithful to me and things worked out for my good. So, do I choose to once again trust Him, because I know He is good or do I get offended? Sometimes the test is so bad, that it is hard not to be offended. I’m sure you have your own examples, as I do! But I choose to build my house on that Rock, because His name is Jesus, and He is faithful. I choose to have oil in my vessel, because the Holy Spirit loves me and is right here. He has never left me or abandoned me. 

And I do something else with that trial, that you might not have thought about. I will search for hidden treasures in that darkness. (Isaiah 45:3) It is in the secret places, in those dark times of the soul, that we can hear His voice ever so clearly. It is in the pain and suffering, that I hear His voice the loudest. And He shows me things, things I never understood, until I chose to trust Him, when all I saw and felt was pain. And that my friend, is how my faith has grown through these dark days. That is how I have chosen to overcome my fear. The fear that nothing will ever change or be good again. I have learned that trials are for a season. They do not last forever. But what I choose to do during that trial will either draw me closer to Him, or pull me further away. Knowing Him, learning to know His heart, is the most important gift that He can give me and I choose to receive that gift, even in the pain. I admonish you to choose that gift as well.

Look up, your redemption draws near!

Do you believe in dreams? The Bible is full of stories where people had dreams and visions. Usually God gives us dreams for a variety of reasons. Some dreams warn us, others show the future. Sometimes dreams guide us in what to do or what is coming. I think God likes to give us dreams because He likes stories and dreams are a type of story, are they not? Jesus spoke in parables all the time, and are those not stories to help us understand? 

So the other night I had a dream. It made no sense at first but I asked Him what He was showing me because I could tell from the way that I remembered all the details, that it was from Him. I dream all the time, but most of my dreams are not from the Lord. This one was. 

In my dream, I was living in an apartment/condo and I knew that my lease was almost up. 

I was frustrated however, because the new tenant was already moving in. He was setting up his stuff in various rooms and acting like he already lived there. So I went to the landlord and asked him why he had rented my place to someone else. I told him I would gladly have renewed my lease, if given a chance. The landlord just stared at me. I woke up.

So I went to the Lord and asked Him what it could mean. What I heard was this: “Time is almost up, whether you like it or not!” Oh my, now it suddenly made sense to me. 

If you think about it, does this dream not describe what is happening in our world today? Does it not feel like the devil has already moved in, and is taking over like he owns the place? Never mind the theology of all that, lets just cut to the chase. The world has gone mad. Or has it?

The truth of the matter is that Jesus warned us about these last days. He talks about it in Matthew 24 and in Luke 21. Daniel tells us about the time of the end in chapters 9-12. Paul warns us about the end times. I could go on because 30% of the Bible is about prophecy; much is about the first coming of Christ, obviously in what is commonly called the Old Testament. But the majority of Bible prophecy is about the last days, the return of Jesus to this earth, before He sets up His kingdom during the millennium. 30% is a lot in my opinion.

So why are people so afraid of it? Why do so few teach on it? Why are the pulpits mostly silent on this topic? The reasons are many, and sadly, there is no valid excuse. I am no scholar, but if I can talk to you about the fact that Jesus is coming back, so should the preachers. And for that reason, I believe that Jesus is taking ordinary people, like me, to warn you that time is short. Jesus likes to take ordinary people and use them. The 12 disciples were all fisherman and tax collectors. Not a religious leader among them. What I’m trying to say is that if your pastor won’t talk about it, that doesn’t mean it’s not important. 

So what is my dream really saying to you and me? Is Jesus trying to scare us? Well, that would depend on several things. If you are a born again believer, filled with the Holy Spirit, then no, He’s not scaring you. As a matter of fact, He’s repeating Himself with my dream. In Luke 21:28 Jesus tells us the following: “Now when these things begin to take place, straighten up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.” Jesus is encouraging you! Yes, He’s telling you that even though these are difficult and scary days we are living in, when you see all the signs, which we are, then look up, be encouraged, He’s about to call you home! He’s about to rapture His church. 

Paul describes the rapture like this: “For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words.” 

1 Thessalonians 4:15-18

 I want you to notice something here. Those of us who are alive when the rapture happens, will meet Jesus in the clouds in the air. Jesus does not touch down on the earth in this scene. This is not the second coming, where Jesus sets His feet on Mount Zion at the end of the tribulation, as described in Acts 1:9-11. “Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel, who also said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.” 

I want to point out something else that Paul says in the verse I quoted above in Thessalonians 4:18. “Therefore comfort one another with these words.” And that my friend is exactly what my dream is about! Jesus wants to comfort those of us who are looking for his appearing. Are you looking forward to seeing Him face to face? Are you searching the clouds, looking up and waiting for Him? Then you are being comforted because that day is near, very near.

Now if you are reading this and that day strikes fear into your heart, and you don’t know how you feel about all this nonsense, may I please implore you to not take my word for it. Read your Bible. Read the scriptures for yourself. And if you need to, repent. Jesus is not interested in scaring you. No, He loves you and fear is not part of of His language. If you’re afraid, it is the devil scaring you. So go to the Lord, read the Word, ask Him to confirm all this to you and repent! Time is almost up. Our heavenly bridegroom is coming soon!