“How you respond to a setback exposes your faith, your fears, and your future.” Dan Skognes

I saw a two-wheel concept car (or motorcycle in a shell) from Lit Motors that was really cool. You could try to knock it over from any side and it automatically self-corrected to right itself. They use similar technology in robotic dogs. They compensate for the obstacles encountered and recalibrate to get centered again.

Is that what you do? For some reading this, you think, “Yes, I adjust well to whatever comes my may.” For others, you might think, “No. I melt down when unforeseen circumstances trip me up.”

When something unexpected happens like a loss of a job, a relationship ends, you get diagnosed with a deadly disease, someone close to you dies, or you take a financial hit…whatever it is, there are basically two responses: faith or fear. You either have faith that you will get through it and continue to move forward, or you cower in fear and retreat.

There are many things in life that we can’t control, yet we are tasked with getting through them. If you want to get through the storms, you have to be centered. You have to have the ability to stay calm when all hell breaks loose around you. I realize that it is easier said than done, but that is our reality. It applies to everyone.

Whether we respond with faith or fear will determine our future. Nobody in their right mind would choose to respond with fear, and yet it happens on a daily basis to people all over the world.

Some people would say that ignorance is bliss, but I think ignorance can be fear of the facts. It takes courage to have faith in the midst of a storm when you can’t see the horizon. In the example above, the car and robotic dog do not have a mindset of fear. They are programed to adapt and overcome. We need to program our minds to have that type of mindset. “When we get a setback, we need to think about our comeback.” Anticipate what is coming. “You may not be able to stop the wind, but you can learn to set your sails.”

Shalom!

Dan Skognes

danskognes.com

When our daughter was barely a teenager she came down with a rare life-threatening disease. That was a terrible time for us. We spent many months in and out of Children's Hospital in Seattle. We longed for a word from God that her life would be spared. But God was silent. That is not quite true. That was a very hot time of God speaking to us, showing us things in Scripture, and ministering to our lives. But we were desperate for a word of assurance about our daughter's condition. And about that, God seemed to be silent.

We were a full year into the ordeal when God gave us Scripture to cling to. My wife came home one night from a teachers’ meeting at church saying, “I have a word from God!”

The lady leading the meeting had shared Romans 12:12 with her. She opened her Bible and read it to me.

“Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.”

We both agreed that God was speaking to us, but we were not exactly sure how it applied. We had no questions about being faithful in prayer. Even when we were discouraged we prayed. And we had many friends and family members praying with us. People we didn't even know were praying for us and for our daughter.

And we knew to be patient in the affliction. But we welcomed this reminder. It would have been much easier for us to endure our own suffering than it was for us to deal with our daughter's.

But what did it mean to be joyful in hope? Our hopes always seemed to be mixed. We would have good news one day that would be crushed the next. But we began hunting for hope. And we were committed to rejoice right away.

One of our daughter's symptoms was huge ugly ulcers on her knees and elbows. Even the doctors winced when they examined them. My wife had to dress them every day. One day a dermatologist came by her hospital room and my wife said, “I think that ulcer on her right elbow might have been a little smaller today. The doctor talked with us for a few minutes and then drew a small ruler from her pocket. Giving it to my wife she said, “Why don't you start measuring it when you replace the tegaderm?”

My wife began measuring the the ulcer every morning as she redressed the ulcers. Several days later she measured and found the diameter of the ulcer had reduced by a milometer. We celebrated! And we rejoiced one millimeter at a time until her ulcers had healed completely.

Now there is an important facet of Hope that I need to point out here. We sometimes see our hope in tiny sparks in the midst of the darkness. We could not have rejoiced in tiny hope if we did not, somewhere in the back of our minds, have a greater and deeper hope. But rejoicing in those tiny sparks sustained us, and kept our eyes on God and the ultimate hope promised to us.

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During the summer, many grandparents vacation with their grandchildren. It is an excellent opportunity to spend extra time with the possibility of quality interaction. Now imagine you are camping with your grandchildren in the mountains. You have cooked your campfire stew for dinner, and you are relaxing around the campfire beside a big lake. It is perfectly still; there is no wind. The lake is a mirror reflecting a beautiful sunset. Sticky-fingered grandchildren delight in s’mores while skipping stones across the lake’s glassy surface. The grandchildren are enthralled with the traveling waves seeing who can make the biggest ripples.

Grandpa tells Grandma, “Just as the kids are making ripples in the water with the rocks, we can make ripples in the lives of our grandchildren with our prayers.”Our prayers for our grandchildren to invite Jesus Christ into other lives and to walk with Him throughout their lives will have a ripple effect on their families, friends, their world, and their future.

Another way we as grandparents can have a ripple effect on the lives of our grandchildren is by the way we live our lives, investing time, energy, and effort in our spiritual walk. Our example will have a ripple effect on our children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and future generations.

My Great-grandfather’s Prayer

I found a letter in my family archives written by my great-grandfather in Poland, addressed to my grandfather who had immigrated to America. In the letter, he wrote that he was praying for my grandfather and his future generations. It was a special blessing for me to see in writing that my great-grandfather prayed for me before I was born. His prayers had a ripple effect on my grandparents, my parents, my life, my children, my grandchildren and now my great-grandchildren.

My Grandmother's faith

When I was a young woman, I had many opportunities to visit my lonely, widowed grandmother while I attended college in her hometown. As she grieved my grandfather’s death, she reflected her trust in God to care for her and showed how God sustained her each day by claiming the promise Jesus gave His disciples after His resurrection. “And be sure of this, I am with you always.”(Matthew 28:20).

My grandmother’s reflection of her faith that God would always be there for her made a significant impact on my life.Her testimony influenced me to incorporate that verse into the daily experiences of my life. Since those early adult years, whenever life has been painful, disappointing, or downright discouraging, I have claimed that same scripture verse. My prayer is that I will have opportunities to reflect my life experiences of trusting God to my children and grandchildren.

Note from Granddaughter

I want to share a note from my oldest granddaughter, a confirmation that praying for these precious grandchildren is never a wasted effort.

“Your phone calls, cards, and emails were encouraging and made a significant impact on my life, especially in my teenage and college years. Your prayers and encouragement have been rock-solid reminders of God’s truth in my incredible, crazy life-shaping years, and now in my married life. Your prayers help me surrender the craziness of my life to God.”  

 In Proverbs 27:19 NLT we read, “As a face is reflected in water, so the heart reflects the real person.”  We may ask ourselves, “What does that look like.”  When we are committed to read and meditate on God’s Word, we will reflect a life transformed into His image. We glorify God if we reveal or manifest his character by the way we live, demonstrating God’s love to those around us.  

Be a Prayer Warrior

God has placed our grandchildren into our families so we can be their prayer warriors. He has given us the excellent opportunity to partner with Him on behalf of these dear ones. He has given me nine grandchildren to pray for, and He has given you your grandchildren. Our grandchildren are our mission field.

If you did not have a Christian heritage, you have the privilege to start the ripples in your family. Prayer is the greatest gift we can give our family. Material things are needed, but they are temporary. Our prayers will affect them for a lifetime.

Sometimes, as we get older and limited physically, we might feel useless. However, if we have grandchildren, God has a purpose for keeping us on this earth.

As grandparents, let us pray deliberately and pass on our love for God to our children, grandchildren, and future generations. This ripple effect of specific prayer communicates our love and acceptance, as well as giving them an example of living a God-centered life.

“Your faithfulness continues through all generations;”

(Psalm 119:90a)

 Have you heard about Grandparents’ Day of Prayer?

Christian Grandparenting Network is inviting grandparents to unite in prayer for their grandchildren and their grandchildren’s parents. This day is scheduled to coincide with National Grandparents’ Day, which falls on September 9, 2018.  We desire is to make this day a day of prayer for our grandchildren.

We believe the battle for the hearts and minds of our dear grandchildren and their parents can be won only by praying grandparents who sense the urgency and unite to do battle in prayer.

Please check our website http://www.grandparentsdayofprayer.com for more information, testimonials, promotional materials and free downloads.

For additional information or if you have any questions, please contact us.

Email Lillian Penner,  lpenner@christiangrandparentinng.net or

Deborah Haddix, deborah@deborahhaddix.com

During the summer, many grandparents vacation with their grandchildren. It is an excellent opportunity to spend extra time with the possibility of quality interaction. Now imagine you are camping with your grandchildren in the mountains. You have cooked your campfire stew for dinner, and you are relaxing around the campfire beside a big lake. It is perfectly still; there is no wind. The lake is a mirror reflecting a beautiful sunset. Sticky-fingered grandchildren delight in s’mores while skipping stones across the lake’s glassy surface. The grandchildren are enthralled with the traveling waves seeing who can make the biggest ripples.

 Grandpa tells Grandma, “Just as the kids are making ripples in the water with the rocks, we can make ripples in the lives of our grandchildren with our prayers.”Our prayers for our grandchildren to invite Jesus Christ into other lives and to walk with Him throughout their lives will have a ripple effect on their families, friends, their world, and their future.

Another way we as grandparents can have a ripple effect on the lives of our grandchildren is by the way we live our lives, investing time, energy, and effort in our spiritual walk. Our example will have a ripple effect on our children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and future generations.

 My Great-grandfather’s Prayer

I found a letter in my family archives written by my great-grandfather in Poland, addressed to my grandfather who had immigrated to America. In the letter, he wrote that he was praying for my grandfather and his future generations. It was a special blessing for me to see in writing that my great-grandfather prayed for me before I was born. His prayers had a ripple effect on my grandparents, my parents, my life, my children, my grandchildren and now my great-grandchildren.

My Grandmother's faith

When I was a young woman, I had many opportunities to visit my lonely, widowed grandmother while I attended college in her hometown. As she grieved my grandfather’s death, she reflected her trust in God to care for her and showed how God sustained her each day by claiming the promise Jesus gave His disciples after His resurrection. “And be sure of this, I am with you always.”(Matthew 28:20).

My grandmother’s reflection of her faith that God would always be there for her made a significant impact on my life. Her testimony influenced me to incorporate that verse into the daily experiences of my life. Since those early adult years, whenever life has been painful, disappointing, or downright discouraging, I have claimed that same scripture verse. My prayer is that I will have opportunities to reflect my life experiences of trusting God to my children and grandchildren.

Note from Granddaughter

I want to share a note from my oldest granddaughter, a confirmation that praying for these precious grandchildren is never a wasted effort.

“Your phone calls, cards, and emails were encouraging and made a significant impact on my life, especially in my teenage and college years. Your prayers and encouragement have been rock-solid reminders of God’s truth in my incredible, crazy life-shaping years, and now in my married life. Your prayers help me surrender the craziness of my life to God.”   I

In Proverbs 27:19 NLT we read, “As a face is reflected in water, so the heart reflects the real person.”  We may ask ourselves, “What does that look like.”  When we are committed to read and meditate on God’s Word, we will reflect a life transformed into His image. We glorify God if we reveal or manifest his character by the way we live, demonstrating God’s love to those around us.  

 Be a Prayer Warrior

God has placed our grandchildren into our families so we can be their prayer warriors. He has given us the excellent opportunity to partner with Him on behalf of these dear ones. He has given me nine grandchildren to pray for, and He has given you your grandchildren. Our grandchildren are our mission field.

If you did not have a Christian heritage, you have the privilege to start the ripples in your family. Prayer is the greatest gift we can give our family. Material things are needed, but they are temporary. Our prayers will affect them for a lifetime.

Sometimes, as we get older and limited physically, we might feel useless. However, if we have grandchildren, God has a purpose for keeping us on this earth.

As grandparents, let us pray deliberately and pass on our love for God to our children, grandchildren, and future generations. This ripple effect of specific prayer communicates our love and acceptance, as well as giving them an example of living a God-centered life.

“Your faithfulness continues through all generations;” (Psalm 119:90a)

Have you heard about Grandparents’ Day of Prayer?

Christian Grandparenting Network is inviting grandparents to unite in prayer for their grandchildren and their grandchildren’s parents. This day is scheduled to coincide with National Grandparents’ Day, which falls on September 9, 2018.  We desire is to make this day a day of prayer for our grandchildren.

We believe the battle for the hearts and minds of our dear grandchildren and their parents can be won only by praying grandparents who sense the urgency and unite to do battle in prayer.

Please check our website http://www.grandparentsdayofprayer.com for more information, testimonials, promotional materials and free downloads.

For additional information or if you have any questions, please contact us.

Email Lillian Penner,  lpenner@christiangrandparentinng.net or

Deborah Haddix, deborah@deborahhaddix.com

2 Timothy 1:7 says, For God has not given us the spirit of fear; but of power and of love, and of a sound mine.

People often say “life is what you make of it.” I guess that is true in a sense, but I have come to believe that apart from God there is no life abundantly.  Life is full of trials and tribulations. Each day we wake up, we hear of the toils of the world.  There is no one we can trust to speak the truth.  Everyone seems to have their own agenda.   I hear myself saying on many occasions, “what is this world coming to?”  Just the thought of the violence that surrounds us each and every day is definitely enough to keep us fearful.

BUT GOD!

In Isaiah 41:10, God’s word says the following:

Fear not, for I am with you;
Be not dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you, yes I will help you,
I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.

If someone would ask me what is my truth today, I would have to say my truth is more of a declaration.  “Fear will no longer hold me hostage.” I’m guilty of a fearful heart and God is helping me to overcome my fears.  I find myself fearful of this world, fearful of the police, fearful of my future, fearful for my grandchildren’s future and fearful for my elderly parents and loved ones.  The list can go on and on.  When I feel myself being corralled by the grip of fear, I feel like I can’t breathe.  If we are honest with ourselves, we all have been held captive by the grip of fear. Fear  will stop us in our tracks. Fear will keep us from walking into our destiny.  Fear will keep us from living in peace.  It will cause us to miss the window of opportunity.  We become too afraid to make a move.  We don’t move, we become numb and unresponsive and eventually, our place of fear becomes a safe place.  We talk ourselves into believing it is a comfortable place, even though it is not where we want to be. Bottom line, fear stops us from trusting in God.  Fear keeps us from moving forward.  God is teaching me there is a remedy for my fearfulness.  We have forgotten that trusting God will diminish our fear.  When we allow fear to enter into our heart, it is safe to say that we have stopped trusting God. When we become honest with ourselves and with God, He will help us to go through in power.  The power of His word.  Today, I am focusing on His word in Isaiah 41:10.  I am declaring with my own voice that fear is not of God and if He has allowed me to go through something, I can rest assured that He has equipped me with everything I need to get through.

Fear not, for I am with you.  The very first line of this scripture is enough for me.  There is no one I need to fight alone with me but God.  God knows when we are going through dark times, being alone to handle it will often make the circumstance more fearful and scary.  Therefore, God want you and I to know that He is with us.

Be not dismayed, for I am your God.  I have made God my Lord and Saviour.  Therefore, He is my God.  Not only that, but God has promised to strengthen us and help us.  God is working on my circumstance before I ever know it would enter my life.  God is already there and He is concern about me.  He knows what it feels like to be alone in a circumstance.  The dread and the fear He knows of very well.  He felt the same thing in the Garden of Gethsemane.  The Garden of Gethsemane is where the agony in the garden took place.  Jesus asked His Father twice to remove the cup of wrath He was about to drink, but He submitted to the Father’s will.  We must trust in God and understand that all things will work together for our good.

 I thought it would be good to define the words “fear” and “dismay”.  One is an emotion and the other is the result of the emotion.  Have you ever been there?

Fear has been defined as a strong, uncontrollable and unpleasant emotion caused by actual or perceived danger or threat.

Dismay is a sudden or complete loss of courage and firmness in the face of trouble or danger; overwhelming and disabling terror; a sinking of the spirits.  Fear is to cause fear to; to frighten while dismay is to disable with alarm or apprehensions; to depress the spirits or courage of; to deprive of firmness and energy through fear.

Life can sometimes be full of fear, worry, or sadness caused by something unpleasant and unexpected but God has given us every reason not to be afraid in Isaiah 41:10.

This feeling of dismay overwhelms us because often times there are circumstances that come into our life that are out of our control and we feel absolutely helpless and alone. But God says to us to be not dismayed! God knows how you feel but He still tell us to be not dismayed. Why? Because I am your God.  I’m more than enough!  Isn’t God more than enough?  He can handle any battle.  He doesn’t want us to handle the battle.  In 2 Chronicles 20:15 the scripture says,

And he said, Hearken ye, all Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem, and thou king Jehoshaphat, Thus saith the LORD unto you, Be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God’s.

There is nothing to hard for our God.  Also, remember what Moses told the Israelites. in Exodus 14:13-14.

And Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which He will accomplish for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall see again no more forever. The LORD will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace.”

The same God who was with the Israelites is also with you. Have we forgotten what God can do? He is working on our behalf.  Therefore, His word tells us to fear not. This is the first action God want us to take.  No matter the circumstance, fear not. Then He tells us to be not dismayed.  Don’t let your fear become bigger than God.  Don’t lose courage.  In the bible courage is also called “good cheer”.  The Greek word translated “courage” and “good cheer” means “boldness and confidence”.  In the bible, courage is the opposite of fear.  In Isaiah 41:10, God telling us why we should not be fearful.  God Himself is the reason.  He is God Almighty.  There is nothing in this world that is bigger than God.  No matter what it is you may be facing right at this moment, God would like for you to know that He is with you.  Trust in Him!  Be confident that He alone has your back.  God is your Shield and Buckler!

I love knowing that God is fighting for me. I can know without a doubt that the situation may appear dark, but the light of God’s Holy word will get me through and keep me in perfect peace.

In Proverbs 3:25-26 the word says, Do not be afraid of sudden terror or of the ruin of the wicked, when it comes, for the Lord will be your confidence and will keep your foot from being caught.  

I underline the words “when it comes” because God is telling us it will come, and He will be there with you.  I would hear older people say, if you don’t have any troubles now, wait and live long enough and you will see trouble come and go. The wickedness of the world surrounds us, but God is my confidence.  Let God be your confidence.  Now, take time to sit at His feet.  He will help you through uncertain times.  It will take time to surrender yourself to God.  In time you will see Him move in your life and take away the fear of this world.  He will give you power stand against the enemy.  When the enemy tries to use fear, you will use God’s word!  To God Almighty be the Glory!

GOD BLESS YOU TRUTH SEEKERS!  UNTIL THE NEXT BLOG, HOLD ON TO GOD’S UNCHANGING HANDS.

Have you ever heard that phrase? It is an old pilot term that relates to a clock. Twelve would represent forward, and 6 would represent your backside. Thus, when anyone says they got your six, they have your back…meaning they are making sure you are safe and secure from anyone coming up from behind.

Whether you are a pilot, a preacher, teacher, businessman, sports figure, spouse, or parent, it does not matter. You need someone to cover your six. Even though Mom had eyes in the back of her head, I can assure you she needed someone protecting and looking out for her.

If you are married, I hope that you and your spouse are back to back. Each one of you should know that the other one is there if they fall, if they fail, or if they falter. Solomon said: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up.

Lean On Me

Sometimes in our lives we all have pain
We all have sorrow
But if we are wise
We know that there's always tomorrow

Lean on me, when you're not strong
And I'll be your friend
I'll help you carry on
For it won't be long
'Til I'm gonna need
Somebody to lean on

Please swallow your pride
If I have things you need to borrow
For no one can fill those of your needs
That you won't let show

You just call on me brother, when you need a hand
We all need somebody to lean on
I just might have a problem that you'll understand
We all need somebody to lean on

Lean on me, when you're not strong
And I'll be your friend
I'll help you carry on
For it won't be long
'Til I'm gonna need
Somebody to lean on

You just call on me brother, when you need a hand
We all need somebody to lean on

Lyrics: Bill Withers

If you don’t have that, look for someone who does not have anyone to cover their six….and you can be there for each other. Everybody needs somebody to lean on.

Shalom!

Dan Skognes

danskognes.com

I fear that the church in these days, especially in the West, has become shallow in our understanding and practice of forgiveness. We sometimes confuse forgiveness with overlooking sins. And agape* love in the church family certainly covers over a multitude of sins. (1 Peter 4:8) But the depth of forgiveness in the church family must be more than putting up with one another's faults and weaknesses. Nor is forgiveness the same as understanding. I have heard someone say, “Well, I can forgive him because I understand why he did that.” Real forgiveness does not demand understanding. It can come while you still hurt. Such forgiveness is the key to true reconciliation that releases the power of God in our midst.

In the years that I was pastoring churches I always used the words of Jesus in Matthew 18:15-17 as a guide for church discipline when someone had sinned against the whole body. I believe that is justified to some extent. But that is really not the context in which Jesus spoke those words. They begin, “If your brother sins against you.” Because of the importance of this passage I want to present it here in its entirety including verses 18-20. And I encourage you to read it slowly and thoughtfully before I begin to unpack some of it.

“If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. Truly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.”

First, notice the goal of reconciliation. When someone wrongs you, you are not to go to them as the judge pointing out how wrong they are. Your goal is to heal the relationship. From the start you need to have worked through your willingness to forgive, and restore the relationship, possibly deeper than it ever had been before.

This requires humility produced by the Holy Spirit through time spent agonizing in prayer for the person. And that humility extends to a willingness to sit down with a person before an outside party. When you bring in another party, or failing that, go before the entire church, you have to be open for them to see things you haven't seen in the issue. And you have to be humble enough to submit to their authority over you for the sake of reconciliation. This will require nothing short of the agape* love that God is developing in our lives and in the fellowship of the church.

And even the judgment of the church, is to be carried out in heartbroken agape*. While treating people as non-believers does not mean we have no more contact with them, it does mean that the whole purpose of the body of Christ is broken. And seems to be very serious. Jesus says rather forcefully here, “Whatever you bind on Earth will be bound in heaven.” He says identical words in John 20 where He breathes on his disciples the Holy Spirit.

“And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.”

(John 20:22,23)

Finally we see the depth of agreeing together in prayer that can only come from forgiving from our very hearts. Peter comes to Jesus and asks how many times shall he keep on forgiving someone who has wronged him. Jesus tells the parable of the servant who has received great forgiveness, but won't forgive his fellow servant. And he concludes with verse 35.

“So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart.”

*Agape is the ultimate love of God poured out in our lives. The fullest description of agape in 1 Corinthians 13.

http://theanchorofthesoul.blogspot.com/

http://thinkinginthespirit.blogspot.com/

http://watchinginprayer.blogspot.com/

http://writingprayerfully.blogspot.com/

Website

http://daveswatch.com/

YouTube

https://goo.gl/PyzUz7

When we go back to visit family in Oklahoma, I like to go to the cemetery to visit the gravesites of my parents and grandparents. As I was looking at my grandmother’s tombstone, I read:

What Does the Dash Represent?

When we go back to visit family in Oklahoma, I like to go to the cemetery to visit the gravesites of my parents and grandparents. As I was looking at my grandmother’s tombstone, I read:

MARIA WARKENTIN WIEBE

March 7, 1880 - June 14, 1959

Have you ever thought about what the “dash” between the date of birth and the date of death represents? It represents the lifetime of a person. As I was looking at her tombstone a memory of my grandmother that quickly came to my mind was that, she was a godly woman who loved the Lord and her family. I often found her reading her Bible, serving the Lord by teaching Sunday school, and participating in the women’s group at church where they were quilting, sewing for relief organizations and helping missionaries. 

My grandmother followed the commandments Moses gave the Israelites in the desert, by teaching me about God and His Word. She lived with my family the last 15 years of her life. As a small child, one of my favorite times was sitting on the porch swing in rural Oklahoma in the summer time listening to my grandmother tell me Bible stories and singing my Sunday School songs with me in the evenings.                                     

Life had been hard for my grandmother as she faced many disappointments and challenging times. Her steadfast faith in Jesus Christ carried her through those difficult years because she loved the Lord with all her heart. When I think of the “dash” on my grandmother’s tombstone, I am reminded of the spiritual impact she had on my life.

Questions to ask yourself:

• When my life has passed what will the “dash” on my tombstone

      represent to my children and grandchildren?

• Will they remember my love for Jesus?
• Will they remember that I was their prayer warrior?
• Will they remember that I walked with God through the valleys and over the mountains on my journey of life?

Or

• Will they remember the expensive gifts I gave them or the trips

      I took them on?

• Will they remember that I did not have time for them?
• Will they say, “I don’t remember my grandparents ever telling me they were praying for me?”

Prayer

Dear heavenly Father, I thank you for my grandchildren.

Help them to remember my love for You

and that I have been their faithful prayer warrior.

I pray they will recognize that You have walked with me

 through the valleys and over the mountaintops in my journey of life.

Show me how You want me to impress on them Your great love for them.

In Jesus’ name. Amen

My latest sermon has been posted at https://sermonsfrommyheart.wordpress.com/.

An audio version is available at https://www.spreaker.com/user/sermonsfrommyheart/romans-3-verses-1-8-gods-gift

Why me?

Life seems to offer us many opportunities for resentment, bitterness, disillusionment, or anger designed to turn us quickly self-centered as we compare ourselves to others:

• We didn’t get what we thought we deserved—that promotion, job, relationship, or vacation to the Bahamas!
• We don’t like the way we look.
• We feel cheated, duped, discarded.
• We broke up with our loved one.
• We didn’t get healed.

Built into us is a button, a self-destruct button that we automatically press whenever things don’t go our way.

It all comes down to blame. We are blamers—they, them, and, ultimately, we blame God for all our grief and problems. It all boils down to his fault. The most difficult thing in life for us is to let go of our wills and let God rule. There is a script to our life whether we realize it or not. It was written before we were even born. The very day of our birth and the last hour of our life were created in the mind of God before the foundation of the world. The Psalmist said, “My times are in your hands” (Psalm 31:15). In other words, our dates from beginning to end are within the governing power of our God.

Avoiding the Blame Game

This means avoiding the blame game.

“Whose fault is this? Why did God (or someone else) allow this to happen to me?” This is one of the most worthless, energy-draining, self-deluding exercises we can engage in. Don't do it.

Resentment toward our neighbor or our God will not help us. The one and only one result of this sort of bitterness is destructive—mostly to the one who gives in to it. In his article, "Cancer of the Soul: Negative Nelly Meets Bitter Betty," Dr. Fraser Ryan writes, "These spiritual sicknesses cause us to think and behave in unhealthy and unholy ways. Moreover, these detrimental and destructive attitudes are responsible for injuring others. But, sadly enough, in the end they ultimately hurt us more than anyone else."

So it really doesn't matter who or what got us into the jam we're in. It may be someone else's fault, or it may be our own, or it simply may be due to the weather.

Whoever is directly responsible for our plight, we can say at the very minimum that it was God who oversaw it. What happens to us can never be the product of “just accident” or pure “chance.” If we believe in the God of the Bible, such things are not even a possibility. God is the God of order and purpose and whatever occurs in this life must first pass his inspection. It may be good or evil, but it doesn't happen while he's looking the other way. Whatever you do, don't fall for any of the popular views of God that make him anything less than totally sovereign and in complete control of the entire course of history.

God's Ultimate Good

In truth, God blesses us by means of his will—he chooses to bless us with his ultimate good. He wills our highest good in the form of his perfect will for us. The best that we can envision for ourselves is paltry and pathetic in comparison to what our Father in heaven can envision for us. The most exciting, most fulfilling, most spectacular career or success we can secure for ourselves is nothing compared to what God can bring to us in the center of his will. That's why we're taught by Jesus to pray for the perfect will of God.

When we understand this, there is no longer any place for resentment or blame. Everything we are and have comes by God's design, and it's all part of a greater plan that involves not only our lives, but also the lives of others in ways we might not even be able to imagine.

God blesses us through his will because his will is the very best thing available to us anywhere at any time. Our plans must be in line with his purposes.

Thanks be to God for his love and grace.

Recently I have been memorizing and reveling in some wonderful verses from the book of Revelation. Actually, one of them, Revelation 13:8, has been a favorite of mine for many years. But it is a verse that can confuse and disturb. My dealing with it today may disturb you. There are, in fact, two fairly different ways this verse can be translated into English. I want you to see the emphasis of these two translations as a foundation for what I have to say. We can see one in the English Standard Version of the New Testament that I have been using most recently. I will print verses 7 and 8 to give you the context about the beast rising out of the sea.

“Also it was allowed to make war on the saints and to conquer them. And authority was given it over every tribe and people and language and nation, and all who dwell on earth will worship it, everyone whose name has not been written before the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who was slain.”

Revelation 13:7,8 e.s.v

The emphasis here is that the only people in the whole world who will not worship the Beast are those whose names were written before the foundation of the Earth in the Lamb's Book of Life.

Now, let me show you the other emphasis from verse 8 in The New International Version which I have used for 40-plus years.

“All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast—all whose names have not been written in the Lamb’s book of life, the Lamb who was slain from the creation of the world.”

Revelation 13:7 n.i.v.

This translation focuses on the Lamb of God being slain from the creation of the world.

It is worth something to try to see which is the correct translation here. Henry A. Sawtelle in the American commentary noted that revisers from England generally focused on the lamb being slain before the foundation of the world. While translators in America focused on names being written in the book of life. Of course the NIV, which was not written when the American commentary was published, is an exception to this. It is also an exception to something I have noted. Translations done in the last 50 or 75 years tend to focus on names being written rather than the Lamb that was slain. I tell you this to make the point that neither of these are good arguments for how it should be translated. I may be more comfortable with one because I'm an American, but I don't think John or the Holy Spirit of God would be impressed.

The same is true of chronological snobbery. The Holy Spirit does not necessarily like what is old simply because it is old, or what is new because it is up to date. And having studied the syntax in Greek has convinced me that John was emphasizing both of these points equally. It does not matter which one of them I am more comfortable with.

This leaves me with a dilemma. When did these two things actually happen? I know very well when I became a child of God. I was there. I remember the monumental struggle, the spiritual war. I knew that my eternal destiny depended on the decision I made. I knew that if I refused God I would be choosing separation from Him, and would spend eternity in hell. To say that my name was written in the Lamb's Book of Life before I agreed that it should be, seems to be saying struggle and my decision did not matter. And I know they did matter.

And while it may not be quite as emotional to me, the same was true of the crucifixion of Jesus. It took place at a moment in time in the middle of History. Ask those eyewitnesses who saw him scourged and nailed to the cross, who heard him cry, “Father, forgive them.” They were there when the sun was blotted out, and the Earth shook, and the veil of the temple was torn in two as Jesus breathed His last and died.

But both of these statements overlook some things about the complex nature of the Eternal God. Theologians have pointed out that God experiences time differently than we do. The Bible shows Him to be omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent. The latter two of these especially apply here. Saying God is omnipresent means He is present in every when and where. His omniscience means He knows everything and has known all things from before He created time. A good play will follow a timeline. You can know which scene follows which. But the timeline of a play will not tell you there was a play practice last Thursday night. That is beyond the timeline of the play.

It is true that Jesus suffered for our sins at Calvary. In Romans 6:10 and elsewhere the Bible says Jesus died “once for all” for our sins. Hebrews 5:8-9 speaks to His ordeal.

“Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered. And being made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him,”

The scripture says, Jesus “learned obedience.” He had always been obedient to his Father. But He had to go through the trial. And being made perfect He became the source of eternal salvation. He was always sinless. How could He have been made perfect? Well, He had to go through the ordeal. You do not judge a perfect football player, by the cut of his uniform before the game. You may see something about how he played by the blood on his uniform at the end.

But God the Father, God the son, and God the Holy Spirit had been there before.

I've actually heard people blame God for the sin of man and the condition of the Earth because He, being omniscient, knew beforehand we would sin, and yet He still created us. Long before you, or I, or Adam had sinned, God knew, God had experienced what it would cost him to redeem us.

The same is true of my conversion. Before the foundation of the earth God knew that I would receive Him. Does that mean that God knew that I would receive Him, so he wrote my name in the Lamb's Book of Life? While that is certainly true, I believe that oversimplifies the matter. It misses the wonder and mystery of God's infinite complexity. In John 6:37 Jesus also said all that the Father gives Him would come to Him. In John 6:44 He said no one could come to him without the Father drawing him. The Bible's point is that God, and the things of God, are more complex and more wonderful than we can fully grasp. When we oversimplify them for the sake of our comfort we miss much of what God is saying and doing in history and in our lives.

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Please pray for the salvation of Dr. D's summer course student, Andy (pseudonym). Although from the Gulf, Andy once lived in Los Angeles, where he became involved with a gang. Thankfully, Andy was able to leave that situation left that situation, and he has shared some of his life with Dr. D. They have, in fact, become confident friends. Pray for meaningful conversations about the gospel in the next few weeks, and for the Spirit of God to convince Andy of the Truth.

There was a group in one AP country that specifically did campus ministry at a local university. The girls of that group started to find that many of the local female students had questions about who Jesus is. So, they started having Bible studies with these students, and in the end, about 13 female students began to meet regularly and read through the Bible together. They continued to disciple the students for some time, but the group ended up leaving altogether. They did, however, hand the girls off to other believers. Please pray for spiritual fruit among these university students. Pray that the seeds of the gospel sown in them will grow into full salvation in Jesus Christ. Pray that they would continue to be hungry for the Word and find Jesus to be sufficient and satisfying.

Pray for a local man who has been hospitalized for a year since last Ramadan. He is wasting away and cannot communicate but is conscious and can hear. A member of his Muslim family happened to sit next to a Christian on a bench. Although they were total strangers to each other, the Muslim struck up a conversation and directly invited the Christian to pray specifically for a divine healing for the man. Such an invitation was certainly seen as a divine appointment by the believer! Pray for God to be glorified in healing and salvation of the man, his family, and those who hear the testimony! Pray for the fame of the Lord to spread and draw multitudes to Him through the Son.