Such Trees Are Not Bothered Or Worried

In the Scriptures, God contrasts two types of people: those who trust in the Lord and those who trust in man.

Those who put their trust in people and rely on human strength, turning their hearts away from God, are cursed. They are described as stunted shrubs in the desert, with no hope for the future. The land in which these people live will become a barren wilderness in an uninhabited salty land.

"This is what the Lord says:

'Cursed are those who put their trust in mere humans,

who rely on human strength

and turn their hearts away from the Lord.

They are like stunted shrubs in the desert,

with no hope for the future.

They will live in the barren wilderness,

in an uninhabited salty land.'"

Jeremiah 17:5-6 (NLT)

But those who put their trust in God, having made the Lord their hope and confidence, are blessed. They are pictured as trees planted along a riverbank, with roots that reach deep into the water. These trees are not even bothered by the heat or worried by long months of drought. Their leaves continue to stay green and the trees never stop producing fruit.

"'But blessed are those who trust in the lord

and have made the Lord their hope and confidence.

They are like trees planted along a riverbank,

with roots that reach deep into the water.

Such trees are not bothered by the heat

or worried by long months of drought.

Their leaves stay green,

and they never stop producing fruit.'"

Jeremiah 17:7-8 (NLT)

If a nation continues to put its trust in man's abilities, turning away from God and His commandments, then God says that there will be no growth or success in the land. However, God also promises us that if we do not worry and continue to put our trust in Him, we will continue to grow in His care and light, producing good works for Him, even if starvation and thirst prevail in the land.

Do not fear, but trust God!

He Made Himself Nothing

Twice in my life, I have, for counselling and spiritual guidance, gone to a pastor of a church I was attending. The first was when I was nineteen following a traumatic experience in dating someone. The second was when I had to make a decision whether I should proceed in adopting a special needs little girl. Both times I was a mess emotionally, and even though the two pastors were God-fearing men whom I respected greatly, both times I left the office feeling worse.

It was the negative atmosphere of the counselling room that made me feel so bad. If you have not been there, then imagine the following scenario.

Feeling lost, hurt, confused, frightened, guilt-riddened, depressed, and maybe even suicidal, you decide to pick up the phone, dial the church's number, talk to the secretary, and make an appointment to see the pastor, uncertain, but still holding to a slight glimmer of hope, that the pastor will bring some clarity and peace to your troubled mind.

As you enter the church building, you notice that what was once filled with life and excitement Sunday morning is now vacant, and an eeriness creeps into your heart, a reminder of how empty and bleak you feel. It takes all the energy you have left not to turn around and run out of that darkened building, but the light coming from the office windows beacons you. You remind yourself that you wouldn't be here unless you were desperate, so you continue.

Once inside the office waiting room, the atmosphere changes. People are friendly and chatty. Warmth begins to flood your soul. But when it is time to enter the pastor's study and office, the atmosphere again changes. You first notice that there are two chairs to choose to sit upon. As you sit down on one, the pastor sits on his larger executive chair behind his enormous desk, and you feel that an instant blockade has been created, separating you from the pastor. The cold feelings return and the pastor all of a sudden seems so large and untouchable. As if you weren't dealing with enough negative feelings already! Now the feelings of inferiority and unimportance are now added to your list. At that moment, you wish more than anything that you were anywhere else.

Let me remind you that God is not like this. He comes in all humility. The whole story of His birth is one of extreme humbleness. There is no pride in God! He comes to us as a servant, wearing no gold or silver, no crown, just open arms and love in His eyes. Jesus made Himself nothing and did not use His Kingship to His own advantage.

"Who, being in very nature God,

did not consider equality with God

something to be used to His own advantage;

rather, He made Himself nothing

by taking the very nature of a servant,

being made in human likeness.

And being found in appearance as a man,

He humbled Himself

by becoming obedient to death —

even death on a cross."

Philippians 2:5-8 (NIV)

Don't mistake me, I honestly don't believe these two pastors intended to create the atmosphere they did, but it was there. Sometimes, we just don't think, or our pride creeps in slowly so that it is goes unnoticed and becomes acceptable in our own eyes and the eyes of others. Therefore, we must constantly refer back to God's Word and the example He sets for us through Jesus, if we are going to reach the lost and unsaved in this world.

The Closer You Listen, The More Understanding You Will Receive

I was so excited yesterday after church! Immediately following the service, two ladies introduced themselves to me, and all three of us were of like mind. They actually wanted to talk to me! After conversing with them for a bit, I told them my heart's desire: for God to use me in evangelism and teaching God's Word. I expected a yawn, or maybe a "that's nice," but instead, their eyes lit up. They began to share with me enthusiastically that it is also their foremost desire to see their church focus more on evangelism and God's Word. "Wow!" I thought. "This is great! Praise God!"

I found out later that one of the ladies is the wife of the young adult Bible teacher whom my sons admire so much. He is a physician, but a humble God-fearing man who loves God's Word.

I will be honest. The three years now that I have lived in Alberta have been very difficult for me because I have been feeling so frustrated and useless, like how Joseph must have felt while in prison. So many souls are out there in need of a Saviour.

In the past, I have always been very active in church and other ministries. It isn't easy for me to be dormant. If any one knows me, they know that that's not my nature! To keep me from going insane during these last three years, I have written my feelings and experiences in this blog as God has taught and corrected me in many things. I have learned more in the last three years than I have during my three years studying in Bible College. I guess the seemingly unproductive years we go through can turn out to actually be the most productive.

Jesus said that we need to pay close attention to what He says to us, because the closer we listen, the more understanding we will receive — and even greater benefits too.

"The He added,

'Pay close attention to what you hear.

The closer you listen,

the more understanding you will be given —

and you will receive even more."

Mark 4:24 (NLT)

For me, God had to move me to a strange city where I knew no one and felt all alone before I stopped to reflect on past experiences and learn more about who He is and what His heart's desires are. Despite how lonely I felt during this time, I did have close beside me Him, His precious Word, a computer, and a keyboard.

What Kind Of House Will You Build For Me?

The Church isn't a building where people comfortably gather once or twice a week, each giving roughly ten percent of his/her income to pay for the church's expensive mortgage, the church's continual building improvement and expansion projects, the church's increasingly modern sound equipment, and the salaries of the church's pastors, who in today's times are becoming more selfish, egotistical, and interested only in pleasing the lukewarm congregats and themselves, and thus reticent to preach anything except partial truths from God's Word, or to zealously evangelize the lost.

The Bible says that God does not live in temples built by human hands.

"The God who made the world

and everything in it,

is the Lord of heaven and earth,

and does not live in temples built by human hands."

Acts 17:24 (NIV)

"However, the Most High does not live

in houses made by human hands.

As the prophets says: 'Heaven is my throne,

and the earth is my footstool.

What kind of house will you build for me?

says the Lord.

Or where will my resting place be?

Has not my hand made all these things?'

You stiff-necked people!

Your hearts and ears are still uncircumcised.

You are just like your ancestors:

You always resist the Holy Spirit!"

Acts 7:48-51 (NIV)

God through His Holy Spirit lives in each of those who has genuinely given his/her heart and life to Him.

"Do you not know that your body

is a temple of the Holy Spirit,

who is in you,

whom you have received from God?

You are not your own."

Corinthians 6:19 (NIV)

The Church is the Body of Christ, which consists of all sincere believers in Christ who do not resist the Holy Spirit when He speaks to them the truth, and who do not haughtily view themselves as their own, or as belonging to a building or a denomination, but rather humbly belonging to God.

The Simplicity Of Christmas

This year I have put my Christmas village on display early so that it will remind me of what the small town of Leavenworth, Washington will look like when Brian and I drive there this Christmas. Our holiday plans are as follows. Brian and I, and our four sons, will drive to BC to spend Christmas Eve and Christmas Day with Brian's parents. (We hope his brother's and sister's families we will be there too, since we haven't seen them in many years.) Then on Boxing Day, Brian and I will continue driving on to Leavenworth, where we will spend the remainder of the holidays. Meanwhile, our sons will stay in BC, where they plan to enjoy various outdoor activities, such as skiing, which are not really possible here in the prairies.

This year I hope to enjoy the simplicity of an old-fashioned Christmas, like the one depicted in my Christmas village. I believe the less complicated Christmas is, the more Christ-filled it is. After all, Christmas is a celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ, an event which itself, though miraculous, was simple, free from the exuberant wealth of mankind, the bustling commotion of throngs of people shoving and pushing to see Him, and the sensationalism of public media. Although the birth of Jesus Christ is life-changing, it has a sincere and simplistic message: God loves us so much that He sent His one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through Him.

"God showed how much He loved us

by sending His one and only Son

into the world

so that we might have eternal life

through Him."

1 John 4:9 (NLT)

He Takes Hold Of Your Right Hand And Says "Fear Not! I Will Help You"

The most frightful experience I can ever remember occurred one afternoon when my youngest son was just a baby. I had just finished scrubbing the kitchen floor, my youngest son was sleeping in his crib, my second youngest son was having his afternoon nap, my two oldest sons were at school, and my husband was at work. All of a sudden, a male intruder entered my house.

This man had come from the dark, heavily treed forest on the other side of the street where I lived in Campbell River, BC. My next door neighbour, a Christian, was outside at the time, working on the house he was building for his wife and two children. He noticed the strange man right away and instantly had a bad feeling. So when the stranger walked past him, he asked, "Who are you?"

The strange man, offended by the invasive question, became outraged. He punched my neighbour in the face with such brutal force that he knocked him flat to the ground! Shocked and greatly concerned, my neighbour kept his eyes fixed on the stranger and watched with horror as he continued along the sidewalk, walked up my driveway into my carport, and entered an unlocked door. This door led to my utility room, from which another door led to my family room.

When the stranger entered this second door, I was standing there, waiting impatiently for the kitchen floor to dry. When I saw him and looked into his eyes, I viewed a man void of all goodness and feeling. I knew instantly what his intentions were. Being terror-strikened at the danger and violence I was facing, I froze! Both my mind and body became paralyzed. I didn't run, grab a weapon, or even pray. I just stood there, my eyes fixed on his with the greatest amount of fear imaginable — not so much for my own safety, but for the safety of my babies. Who would take care of them if he killed me? Would he hurt them too?

Suddenly, my courageous neighbour barged through the door, breathing heavily out of fear himself. But his fear didn't stop him. He looked at me. My eyes quickly diverted to him, begging for his help and protection. He caught his breath, and with the authority of Christ in him, ordered the intruder to leave, telling him that he had just called the police, and that they were on their way. Without a fight, the intruder abruptly turned and ran out of my house. The police later spotted him in a neighbourhood park, matching the description my neighbour gave of him, and they arrested him.

My neighbour told me later that he, too, was terrified at the situation he faced. I thanked him, and I thanked God for a man who believed in God's Word, overcame his fear to protect a neighbour and her little children, and had the courage to face a demonized man bearing the most evil of intentions.

"For I am the Lord, your God,

who takes hold of your right hand

and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you."

Isaiah 41:13 (NIV)

"Look Up!" "Watch Out!"

Whenever a natural disaster occurs in our world, people inevitably search for answers. Some blame God while others blame man. Some turn their hearts to God while others pull away. Some look to God to save them while others look to man. Some fear God while others just fear.

Does God control the weather? Absolutely!

"'Who is this man?' they asked each other.

'Even the wind and waves obey Him!'"

Mark 4:41a (NLT)

Does God use the weather to punish people? Yes, but not always. He also uses the weather to speak. Furthermore, in the Bible, whenever God used catastrophic weather to punish a certain people because of their prolonged sins and evil hearts, He always forewarned them first to give them a chance to repent and be saved.

"Indeed, the Sovereign Lord never does anything

until He reveals His plans to His servants the prophets."

Amos 3:7 (NLT)

And just as God forewarned people in the Old Testament of specific impeding disasters, He has also forewarned us in the New Testament that, in the end times, there will be natural disasters. Therefore, these natural disasters should not come as a surprise to us.

"There will be great earthquakes,

and there will be famines and plagues in many lands,

and there will be terrifying things

and great miraculous signs from heaven."

Luke 21:11 (NLT)

"And there will be strange signs in the sun, moon, and stars.

and here on earth the nations will be in turmoil,

perplexed by the roaring seas and strange tides."

Luke 21:25 (NLT)

And when we see all these things begin to happen, God tells His people not to fear, but to look up to the sky to Him with gladness in their hearts because His glorious return is near.

"So when all these things begin to happen,

stand and look up, for your salvation is near!"

Luke 21:28 (NLT)

"Watch out!

Don't let your hearts be dulled

by carousing and drunkenness,

and by the worries of this life.

Don't let that day catch you unaware."

Luke 21:34 (NLT)

God also tells those who are lovers of themselves and this world to watch out, prepare their hearts, and not let His second coming catch them unaware. It is His will that none should perish, but all have eternal life in Christ Jesus.

The natural disasters we are experiencing on this earth have already been prophesied in Scripture, and their purpose is to serve as a sign and a warning to both the saved and unsaved, not as a punishment. Yes, people do die in these natural disasters. That is why God warned us about them. However, when these natural disasters do occur, God speaks through them, and many of the survivors, as well as those who watch, turn their hearts toward God and His Word, and thus are saved from eternal punishment. God's foremost desire is to save, not to punish.