A couple weeks ago I got some very depressing news.  My best friend from High School just found out that she has cancer…again.  It started over a year ago when she went in for a colonoscopy.  Doctors found a huge mass that had to be removed immediately.  Then we found out that the cancer had spread to her lungs. 

After months of chemo and radiation, the doctors declared her cancer free.  At her very next PET scan, they found some disturbing dark spots on her lungs.  The cancer was back.

I was wasting time on Facebook earlier today and saw several people I know asking for prayers for loved ones.  One for a father about to go into hospice.  Another for a sweet six year old boy fighting a terrible staph infection.  When will it end?

I don’t know.  But I do know that it will.  And I do know that God will work all things for His good purpose.  Not just some things.  ALL things. 
Micah prophesy’s in 4:11-12, “True, many nations have gathered together against you, calling for your blood, eager to gloat over your destruction.  But they do not know the LORD’s thoughts or understand His plan.  These nations don’t know that He is gathering them together to be beaten and trampled like bundles of grain on a threshing floor.”

There is a plan in place.  We simply aren’t equipped to understand it.

I would like to gently suggest this to my sweet friend and everyone who has reached out for prayers:  hang on.  Just hang on. 
We know that the pain, hurt, sorrow, trials and troubles won’t go on forever.  Job 7:7 – O God, remember that my life is but a breath.   We also know that eternity is waiting.  John 14:2 - In my Father’s house are many mansions.  If it were not so, I would have told you.  I am going there to prepare a place for you.

We know that we’re never alone, and that we have nothing to fear.  Psalm 23:4 – Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for thou art with me.  Thy rod and thy staff protect me.

As believers we can be confident that no matter how difficult things get, this is not it for us.  There is more.  So much more.  Let us hold on ever more tightly to the hope we have in Jesus.  He is coming.  He will make all things new.  If life is but a breath, a vapor, surely we can hang on knowing the eternal reward ahead.

Dear Heavenly Father, today we ask for the miracle of healing.  Lord, I know you hear each person’s individual needs.  You know each of our hurts.  You wipe away each tear that falls from our eyes.  Would you please heal our deepest, hidden hurts?  Heal our hearts, heal our bodies, heal our souls.  Heal our spirits, Lord.  Strengthen us for the task at hand.  Let us always feel You right beside us.  Let us feel Your arms around us.  Bless us, Lord, that we might be a blessing to others.  We love you so much and we ask these things in the precious, holy name of Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

These are some tough economic times, aren’t they?  I’m pulling a headline from the Fort Worth Star Telegram; it says, “Grim news for investors in some life settlements.”  Here are the first two sentences in the story: 

Sharon Brady realizes that she will never see the 16 percent annual return she was promised on her $50,000 investment. Worse, she realizes she may have lost most of her money.

Yikes.  Of course, that pales in comparison to Bernie Madoff’s 50 million dollar ponzi scheme.  The news was filled with stories of former millionaires coming out of retirement to work at jobs they once considered beneath them.  Tragically, several people even committed suicide. 

It could be the enemy’s greatest lie.  The more money you have, the more secure you’ll be.  Money is interesting, though.  More often than not (but certainly not always), the more money one has, the more expensive the lifestyle gets, and the more money one needs to maintain it.  The stress builds, and the life becomes emptier and emptier.

Money is not evil.  Wealth is not a sin.  Solomon, the son of David, was arguably the wealthiest man ever to live, yet he sought wisdom over riches.  So God replied, “Because you have asked for wisdom in governing my people and have not asked for a long life or riches for yourself or the death of your enemies – I will give you what you asked for!  I will give you a wise and understanding mind such as no one else has ever had or ever will have!  And I will also give you what you did not ask for – riches and honor!  No other king in all the world will be compared to you for the rest of your life!” ~ 1 Kings 3:11-13.

This does not mean you can manipulate God by asking for wisdom to attain wealth.  The Lord sees through our requests to the intentions of our hearts.  It is not God’s will for mankind to be wealthy and healthy.  That is the message of the prosperity gospel, and it is a wicked, evil twisting of Scripture.  God’s will for our lives is obedience.  He desires for you an intimate relationship with the only one who can fill you, sustain you, and give you peace and joy.  His Son, Jesus Christ.

Some pastors (right here in the Lonestar State) fill stadiums by promising riches and security if you can only live in the victory that God intends for you.  God certainly desires for us to live in victory – He just has a different definition of it.  Jesus says, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.”  The prosperity gospel promises happiness, but Jesus says, “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.”  Some religious teachers say God desires us to be healthy, but Jesus told the Apostle Paul that He would not remove the thorn from his flesh, replying, “My gracious favor is all you need (in order – Matthew 5:3, 4; 2 Corinthians 12:9).”

Has not the LORD Almighty promised that the wealth of nations will turn to ashes?  The enemy desperately wants you to buy into the lie of wealth, power and success.  And so many do.  But God tells us to seek wisdom over wealth, peace over power, His Son over success.  Why?  Because money, power and success will never fill you.  They promise security, but as the victims of the economy and the stock market will tell you, deliver none.  God has promised us that our wealth will disappear.  Let’s put our hope and faith in the One who never will.

Dear Heavenly Father, we love You so much.  Please gift us with wisdom, knowledge, understanding and compassion.  Please give us generous hearts, and don’t let our hearts chase after idols.  You promise us that You will meet our every need…help us to believe You.  Help us to trust You.  Multiply our faith exponentially, and remind us that You bless us so that we can bless others.  We ask these things in the glorious name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  Amen.

My husband had plans last night, so it was me and the kiddos for Friday Night Movie Night.  We had an early dinner right at 5pm, and then hustled to get ready for bed so we could start Jack and the Beanstalk at 5:45.  During the week, Caitlyn and Nick (and I, given my wake-up call of 3:40am) have a strict bedtime of 7:30.  We tend to push it back a couple hours on the weekends, but I wanted them in bed early so I could have some tube-time for myself.

While we snuggled together on the couch, I began to get the sensation that God was trying to tell me something.  “Go to bed early.  I want some time with you before the distractions of the day set in.”  I tried to fight it for a little while, because I really wanted to rent Clash of the Titans.  But His voice only got louder.  “Come away with me, first thing in the morning.  Let me refresh you.  Let me fill you.”  You see, it’s been a very busy couple of weeks, and while I was still sitting down with God and my Bible every day, my time was always cut short, rushed, or forced.  I truly needed to simply sit at the feet of Jesus and listen.

So I went to bed.  At 4:51 in the morning, my eyes popped wide open.  It was almost as if I’d heard God say, “Wake up!”  I put on my slippers, padded downstairs, started the coffee, and walked outside to breathe in the refreshing cool-for-August morning air.

I looked up at the sky and gasped.  I couldn’t remember the last time I’d seen so many stars.  I rushed inside to get my glasses for a better look.  There were three in a vertical row I’d never noticed before.  Five or six of them were so bright that I was convinced they must be planes.  I stared for so long that I actually got a crick in my neck.  And I heard the whisper of the Holy Spirit, quoting Psalm 147:3-4 – He heals the brokenhearted, binding up their wounds.  He counts the stars and calls them all by name.  And right there, in the middle of my back yard, I was absolutely flooded with His love.

He spoke the universe into existence.  There are more than 300 billion galaxies in the universe, and God wanted to wake me up to tell me that He loves me…and you.  That He is with us.  That He has a plan for us, and that it’s good.  To have faith when things get difficult.  To trust Him during times of refining and pruning.  To take time away with Him to marvel at His creation.  He made it for you. 

Psalm 8:5-6 says, “For you made us only a little lower than the angels, and you crowned us with glory and honor.  You put us in charge of everything you made, giving us authority over all things.”  Breathe in deeply and meditate on that.  Though you can’t feel it, on your head sits a crown of glory, bejeweled with honor.  Draped across your shoulders are robes of righteousness, given to us when we trust in Jesus Christ to take away our sins.  You are precious and beautiful in His sight.  Don’t doubt your worth for a single second.  The value of your soul is beyond estimation.  You are cherished.  How much so?  To steal a line from Max Lacado, Jesus would rather die than live in heaven without you.

Dear Heavenly Father…..oh, how we love You.  We are humbled beyond words that You would think of us, and love us so much.  God, help us today to remember our robes of righteousness.  Let us feel those crowns upon our heads and never forget what they represent.  The magnificent work on the cross.  Jesus’ precious blood, shed for our sins and the sins of the world.  Help us to be Christ’s ambassadors, God, and share His love with everyone you place on our paths today.  We love You so much, God.   And we thank You for loving us.  It is in the precious, holy name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior that we pray.  Amen.

Ever since I was a little girl, I’ve been fascinated by the story of Noah.  Not because Noah lived on a boat for a year, and not because he was the only man God found righteous on all the earth.  It’s because Noah had the faith to stand up to the entire world.  He was the ultimate victor over peer pressure.

I guess it impresses me so much because growing up, I always caved.  I wanted to be popular so much that I went with the crowd at every turn.  It’s sad, too, because I got myself into some fairly serious trouble.  And each time I did, I knew what we were doing was wrong.  I knew if my parents found out they’d be disappointed, but popularity meant more to me than their approval.  Sadly, I could still show you an emotional scar or two leftover from that lifestyle.

But not Noah.  Can you imagine how that must’ve played out?  Scripture tells us that out of everyone on earth, Noah was the only one who remembered the God of creation.  His worship and lifestyle must’ve stuck out to his paganistic neighbors.  And then, as if he wasn’t already conspicuous enough, God tells him to make a boat.  In the middle of a field.  That takes 120 years to build.  And Noah just obeyed.  I want that faith.

Most Christians today don’t think they’ll ever have to take that kind of a stance.  After all, Christianity is the third biggest religion in the world.  A lot of people share our faith.  Or do they?  Do you stand up for Scripture, or for tolerance?  Because they do not coincide.  Society, in the name of tolerance, is redefining the oldest institution in the world – marriage.  Even though the Bible specifically defines it as between a man and a woman:

Genesis 2:18, 22 – And the LORD God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone.  I will make a companion who will help him."  Then the LORD God made a woman from the rib and brought her to Adam.

Mark 10:7-8a – “This explains why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife and the two are united into one.”

I think (and this truly is only my opinion) that the religion of the future is tolerance.  You don’t like this one?  Try that one!  And those willing to stand up for the truth will be seen as narrow-minded and hateful. 

Here is something you need to write on your heart.  The Bible does not preach tolerance.  Yes, God loves everyone.  Yes, there is mercy and forgiveness for all who call on the Name of Jesus.  Yes, we are to love our neighbors, regardless of whom they are and who they worship.  But when it comes to taking a stance for our faith, there is only one truth. 

There is nothing politically correct about the Bible.  Jesus was quite possibly the most politically incorrect person to ever walk the planet.  He spoke a gospel of confession and repentance and they killed Him for it!  He looked right through the Pharisees’ religious exteriors into the wickedness of their hearts, and they hated Him for it.  And things have not changed all that much.  You don’t have to look far to see that society doesn’t want to know the truth, because they don’t want to turn from their sinful habits.

Don’t make the mistakes I made in my teenage years.  Don’t sacrifice your integrity in the name of tolerance.  If you are a Christian, then you believe that the Bible is the source of all things truth, and that Jesus Christ the way…the ONLY way…to the Father.  Don’t be surprised when the world tells you you’re intolerant.  Noah was made right in God’s sight when he condemned the world’s wickedness and refused to follow the fold.  Let’s do the same, always in the spirit of greatest love.

Dear Heavenly Father, it’s getting crazy down here.  Please convict us to stay in Your Word so that we can be bold in our faith.  Please give us the spirit of discernment so we know false teaching when we hear it.  Please strengthen us to do Your will, and please make it clear to us so we don’t miss it.  Let us always feel You walking with us.  We love You God, so very much.  It’s in the beautiful name of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior we pray.  Amen.