The empty church

One evening I was standing in church. The band was on the stage singing, the church was full, the minister was waiting for his turn.

Suddenly during one of the songs God put an image in my mind. I saw, in my minds eye, an empty church. Nobody was there except the pastor and one of the musicians. I was there, but not in reality.

I saw the pews empty. Not a person in sight. The minister got up to preach, and he preached to the empty pews. The musician played and only the pastor and the musician could be heard singing.

At the end the musician said to the pastor "why do we still do this every Sunday, nobody hears us?" The minister replied "God hears us. He will bring the people when they are ready."

God then placed an image in my mind of an old stone church, in a medieval setting. A monk was standing at the door while another man was ringing a church bell. The church was also empty. The man said "I don't think anyone is coming." The monk then said "Never mind, keep ringing that bell, it will remind the villagers there is hope."

The final set of images God placed in my mind was of the church I was in again. I could see everyone standing there singing. But they felt like empty shells, except for a select few, I sensed about 20 that were more than shells, their spirits in worship. I didn't hear a voice, it was just a feeling, a very strong feeling...

The feeling that the people there were not present in spirit, that they were going to leave as time progressed. That only a few would remain. Then the feeling that the few who are still faithful would feel that all hope is lost at rebuilding.

Finally there was the feeling that all God requires is that we keep doing our part and He will keep on doing his. A feeling of "I won't drop the batten, I will remain faithful." Because my God will bring the people, he will keep HIS church going even in the times of darkness.

I am sharing this because I believe that God intends someone else to read it. I don't know who that person is, or why.

Maybe you are the shell, the one who is in church, but not present in church.

- Seek to build a stronger relationship with God, or else one day you will be too far gone.

Maybe you are the pastor who is preaching to the empty church.

Maybe you are the musician who doesn't get why nobody is worshipping and is wondering what the point of continuing is.

Maybe you are the bell ringer... or in a modern context... the one praying, visiting, providing meals or doing another service for God and you feel like nobody is benefiting from all your energy spent.

- draw close to God. Always give him the glory. Pray and keep on keeping on. It isn't about the number of souls you knowingly reach, it is about the number of souls God reaches through you without you even realizing it. Give God your best, all eyes on him and let God do the rest.

What have you done today to tick Satan off?

The title of this blog post might sound like a weird question but I am going to describe my train of thoughts in getting to it, and it may not seem like such a strange question anymore.

Who knows the Robin Hood story? That is the one where Good King Richard left England to go on the crusades and in his absence the Evil Prince John took over the throne. He taxed the people heavily and ruled by fear. Along came Robin Hood who refused to be terrorised by Prince John and worked for justice by stealing from the rich and giving to the poor. When King Richard returned Prince John got what was coming to him, and King Richard restored order to the kingdom. At least that is the basics of the legend.

There is a good Disney movie with a fox that will give you the basics of the story. It is a great watch an one of my favorite movies.

Robin Hood has always been one of my favourite legends. I was always fond of the love story involved in it. While stealing is still a sin even for a good cause, I loved the fearlessness of Robin Hood and his loyalty to the true king.

What does the Robin Hood story have to do with God and Satan?  Well, picture Jesus as Good King Richard and Satan as the Evil Prince John. Jesus has "gone away" to prepare a place for us, he left us with the Holy Spirit though (Robin Hood). However, Satan has temporarily taken over the throne and is trying all his tricks to rule by fear and hate.

If you were trying to overthrow a kingdom, how would you do it? I know I would try to convince the people that the real king isn't coming back, and as time progresses, that he didn't exist in the first place. Then I would tempt the key people, the ones who have the potential to make a difference in the world with fame, money, power and as a last resort fear.

Fear of "what will people think of me" and "I will look silly" and fear of failure and as a last resort fear of torture and death.

What is the key difference between Prince John and King Richard (in the legend) ? I see it as Prince John ruled by fear, King Richard ruled by love.

So if we (the Christian's) are the Merry Men (and women) of this time, because we are filled with the Holy Spirit (Robin Hood), what should be our goal? Reflect the Love of Jesus (King Richard) and strive to keep his kingdom intact, the way he intended it to be.

Remember how in the story, Robin Hood frustrated and infuriated Prince John by doing good, showing love and thwarting his every plan until King Richard returned to deliver justice? He really ticked Prince John off, and just by being a good man.

That makes me end with this question:

What have you done today to tick Satan off?

God’s Year in 2013

I woke up in the early hours of Sunday morning.  It was still dark outside with no sign of light for a few more hours.  In circumstances such as this I would have normally turned over and gone back to sleep, but not this morning.  On this particular Sunday morning I could feel God tugging on my heart. 

Have you ever noticed that when God is trying to get your attention he usually does it halfway through the night?  I like to believe that when I wake up in the night it is God calling me to spend some time with him, and that is what I did on this Sunday morning.

What did God tell me?  Nothing in particular.  What did I learn from God?  How important it is to spend time with him.

Mark and I get married this year on 9th March.  At that time we will really be starting our walk together.  Our lives are very close right now, but living together is bound to bring more challenges, and hopefully strengthen our spiritual lives, no longer as two, but as one.

This year is full of uncertainty.  Uncertainty regarding Mark’s work, my ability to step up to the role of helpmeet, our ability to serve each other, weather it will be sunny for our outdoor wedding, if my dress will be here in time, how to fit all his stuff into my house, but most of all, uncertainty on where God is going to lead us in our spiritual lives.

Amidst all this uncertainty, the best we can do is pray and say “Blessed be the name of the Lord” in all circumstances.

I can tell that this year is going to be God’s Year.  Already he is working wonders in both our lives.  It is not like he wasn’t before, but 2012 was a fairly relaxed year as far as spiritual turmoil, a refreshing rest after 2011.

This is the season for rejoicing in the Lord, for growing in Him and for prayer.

What are my New Years’ commitments?

1. To pray more regularly and spend more time in reading God’s word.
2. To listen to God more.
3. To get more involved in his Church.

This morning I read the following Psalm and it spoke to my soul.  I hope it blesses you too:

Psalm 33

¹ Sing joyfully to the Lord, you righteous;
it is fitting for the upright to praise him.
² Praise the Lord with the harp;
make music to him on the ten-stringed lyre.
³ Sing to him a new song;
play skillfully, and shout for joy.

⁴ For the word of the Lord is right and true;
he is faithful in all he does.
⁵ The Lord loves righteousness and justice;
the earth is full of his unfailing love.

⁶ By the word of the Lord the heavens were made,
their starry host by the breath of his mouth.
⁷ He gathers the waters of the sea into jars^[a];
he puts the deep into storehouses.
⁸ Let all the earth fear the Lord;
let all the people of the world revere him.
⁹ For he spoke, and it came to be;
he commanded, and it stood firm.

¹⁰ The Lord foils the plans of the nations;
he thwarts the purposes of the peoples.
¹¹ But the plans of the Lord stand firm forever,
the purposes of his heart through all generations.

¹² Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord,
the people he chose for his inheritance.
¹³ From heaven the Lord looks down
and sees all mankind;
¹⁴ from his dwelling place he watches
all who live on earth—
¹⁵ he who forms the hearts of all,
who considers everything they do.

¹⁶ No king is saved by the size of his army;
no warrior escapes by his great strength.
¹⁷ A horse is a vain hope for deliverance;
despite all its great strength it cannot save.
¹⁸ But the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear him,
on those whose hope is in his unfailing love,
¹⁹ to deliver them from death
and keep them alive in famine.

²⁰ We wait in hope for the Lord;
he is our help and our shield.
²¹ In him our hearts rejoice,
for we trust in his holy name.
²² May your unfailing love be with us, Lord,
even as we put our hope in you.

 

May God bless each person who reads this blog.  I pray that you experience God this year just like I have begun to.

Matthew 5:13–Saltiness

Last night I read Matthew 5:13-16.  I’ve read this part of the Bible many times before.  Have you ever noticed that when you read a verse or section it means something to you, then you leave it alone for a while, and come back to it after a few months it means something different, or you have gained more insight into the verse?  This proves that you are growing spiritually.

While reading the verses about being the salt of the earth and the light of the world, I had an Ah-ha moment, slightly different from ones I’ve had in the past.

When you think about salt, it can be good or bad.  If a person uses salt on their food it enhances the flavour, if a person pours salt into a wound it hurts, a lot.  It will definitely bring attention to the wound.

In the same way, if you, as a Christian, fellowship with other Christians, you enhance each other.  You can be there for each other in times of trouble, in prayer, in joy, in sorrow and in spiritual growth.  Christians fellowshipping with other Christians improve themselves.

On the flip side, if you, as a Christian, spend time with non-Christians, it is like pouring salt into wounds.  Let’s say (theoretically) you spend a lot of time with people who drink heavily, but you don’t touch a drop, at some point they will notice.  What makes you different from them will cause them to examine themselves and their drinking habits.  Usually people don’t like to see faults within themselves and they will be hurt (like pouring salt onto a wound), but the hurt makes them acknowledge there is something wrong.

People who get hurt usually try to bring the person who hurt them down to their level, or they try to get away from the person who hurt them, or they try to heal the wound.

Maybe, by being the salt of the earth we shine a light into the darkness in other people’s hearts, and expose their darkness to themselves.  What they do with it once it has been exposed, is between themselves and God.

Light and darkness, good and evil

“Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed.” – John 3:20

While reading God’s word this week I came across the verse above.  This isn’t the first time I have heard this verse.  As I grow, I begin to see more in certain verses than I did in my youth.  Maybe I’ll never be a completely mature Christian, but each day I feel I am closer than I was previously.

So let me tell you my thoughts on the above verse this time when I read it.

Let’s paint a picture.  A person does a horrible deed, a terrible sin, what is the number one thing a person with a conscience is worried about? That person is worried that the horrible deed will be found out.  Even a person without a conscience won’t advertise a murder they committed to the police force, and if they do they usually don’t sign a name…

Let’s think about something a little closer to home.  Think about your reputation with those at your church, or around you.  I can guarantee that there is something you haven’t been completely open with regarding your past.  Something that maybe you have put behind you, that you have asked God to forgive in you, but still don’t want to advertise to the public at large.  I know I have a few things like that in my past and only the people closest to me know about those things.  I know that if I open up about those things nobody will think any less of me, they will know they were my past and won’t hold them against me, but I still won't bring those things up unless necessary to help somebody else through a similar circumstance, probably because they are my past.  Learn from the past, but put it behind you.

What I want to talk about though are the things you are hiding away right now.  The ones that you are still busy doing and don’t want to be exposed.  That is the easiest way to identify sin in your life.  Are you doing something right now that you wouldn’t want anybody outside your inner circle finding out about?  Are you doing something right now that you wouldn’t even want your inner circle finding out about?  Are you hiding something that you wouldn’t want to be brought to light?

That is almost definitely a sin.  It is something that you are doing under the cover of darkness.  It is the easiest way to identify a sin your life.  You need to be honest with yourself.  Ask God for forgiveness and turn away from your sin.

Remember Jesus said to the woman caught in adultery “Go now and leave your life of sin.” (John 8:11).

Once before I posted a quote from a TV show I enjoy, it goes:

There is only one thing in life you can truly control, and that is whether you are good or evil.

I still believe that quote holds true, only you can control your actions, nobody else.  Others can guide you, and make it seem like there is no other choice, and all choices will have consequences, but ultimately, you still choose.

If you want to read my first post with that quote in, you can find it here: Red pill or blue pill?

Luke 18:17 - Child-like Faith

“Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” ~ Luke 18:17

Have you ever met somebody who has a child-like faith? A person who just seems to believe in God without questioning?

I remember a friend from grade 1 who firmly believed that raisins were made from dead flies because her brother told her so. She trusted her brother without questioning him at all.

Our faith in God should be of a similar kind. We should have a child-like faith that God exists, that God only wants the best for us and that God is in control of everything.

Naturally we should question everything that teachers of God's word say, and we should be weary of false teachers and prophets, but we need to be sure in God's word as we read it. Trust it and have faith in him.

Jesus himself said that if we do not receive the kingdom of God like a little child, full of child-like belief and faith, we shall not enter it.

Trust God unconditionally. Love God unconditionally. And receive him like a little child.

The Persistent Widow

This morning while reading Luke 18, I came across The parable of the persistent widow.  It brought my mind back to another blog post I made over a year ago.  since I have many more readers now than I did then, I would like to bring your attention to that blog post.

As an advanced note.  God did move the chess pieces into positions at exactly the correct time.  My prayer was answered in ways I could never have imagined at that time.  I wrote the blog post in May 2011.  He answered the first part of my prayer in June 2011 (work-related).  He answered the 2nd part of the prayer in November 2011 (heart-related).  He then answered the third part in April 2012 (home-related).  I am still waiting for him to answer the 4th and 5th parts.  I have no doubt in my mind God will answer all 5 parts of the prayer, but only when his timing is absolutely perfect.

Without further delay.  Here is the link to:

God's Will vs. Relentless Prayer