The Hand of the Living God

“After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth, that no wind might blow on earth or sea or against any tree. Then I saw another angel ascending from the rising of the sun, with the seal of the living God, and he called with a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to harm earth and sea, saying, ‘Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees, until we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads’ (Revelation 7:1-3).”

I had a dream last night about these verses and the ones that follow listing the 12 Tribes of Israel from which the 144,000 are taken. In the dream these verses were happening as I watched, and then I was in a church I had never been in before. A huge church with cathedral ceilings and lofts, and it was full of people. I stood up and told everyone that the 144,000 were in the process of being sealed and then the four angels who had been stopped from harming the earth, sea and trees would be allowed to continue their task and the time to be right with God was quickly coming to an end. Instead of people coming to the altar to repent, many walked out of the church, laughing at me. I awoke with praise on my lips and asking God to forgive me any sins I may have committed. But the dream continues to bother me, so I called my pastor Daddy to help me process it.

“Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that He opened for us through the curtain, that is, through His flesh,  and since we have a great Priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water (Hebrews 10:19-21).”

Jesus Christ did all He could possibly do for us – He died for our sins and rose again, so we would also have everlasting life simply by accepting Him as our Lord and Savior. He was the final sacrifice that atoned for all of mankind’s sins, no matter what they are. There is nothing we can do that Christ didn’t already atone for, but it is up to us to make that confession of faith that brings us out of darkness and into His everlasting light. Without that confession, we are putting ourselves in hell for all of eternity. No matter how much time is left until Christ’s return, none of us know if we will be here when it happens. Our lives have a time stamp and when it’s up, there is nothing we can do to stop it. I’m going to die, you’re going to die, everyone you know and love is going to die. That’s life. We can’t change the fact that we are going to die but we can ensure what happens when we do. We can accept Christ with full belief that He is exactly who He says He is and have the assurance that when we leave this earth, we will spend eternity in Heaven with Him. Or not. But the choice is ours.

“For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries.  Anyone who has set aside the law of Moses dies without mercy on the evidence of two or three witnesses. How much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one who has trampled underfoot the Son of God, and has profaned the blood of the covenant by which He was sanctified, and has outraged the Spirit of grace? For we know Him who said, ‘Vengeance is mine; I will repay.’ And again, ‘The Lord will judge his people.’ It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God (Hebrews 10:26-31).”

Read Lamentations 1-5

©2018 Marie McGaha

Already Forgiven

“Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God.  So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.”

~1 John 4:15-16

Do you ever feel like no matter what you do, you’re never going to be good enough for Jesus? Or that you keep on doing things that make Jesus mad? Or that every time you promise to stop doing something like smoking, cussing, or getting angry and yelling, it’s the very thing you do five minutes later? When that happens, do you feel like you may as well give up on being a Christian because you just keep on doing the things you know you’re not supposed to? Do you think what’s the use, I’m a failure at this Christian thing, God is mad at me because I never do anything right? These are lies from satan, who wants us to fail so badly. But Christ paid for our sins, past, present and future and when we are covered by His precious blood, our sins, shame and regrets are already forgiven.

“This is the message we have heard from Him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all. If we say we have fellowship with Him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us (1 John 1:5-10).”

As fallible human beings, we are going to stumble in our walk with Christ, but He is always there to forgive, and no matter what we’ve done, His love for us is not conditional on the way we act. God’s love abides in us through our belief in His Son, Jesus Christ. He will never forsake us (Hebrews 13:5-6) because of how we feel, His love is based on who He is and not on who we are. Everything about God is the opposite of what we know to be true in this world. We can never be “good enough” to please God because we live in a fallen world and we are all sinners. What we can do is accept Christ and follow Him, because that is what God looks at. When God looks at us, everything about us is seen through the lens of Christ’s blood over us. And when we are covered in the blood of His Son, we are brand new creations in His eyes (2 Corinthians 5:17).

“The righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus (Romans 3:22-26).”

Read Jeremiah 30-40; Weekend reading Jeremiah 41-52

©2018 Marie McGaha

The War Within

“And he said, ‘Take the arrows,’ and he took them. And he said to the king of Israel, ‘Strike the ground with them.’ And he struck three times and stopped. Then the man of God was angry with him and said, ‘You should have struck five or six times; then you would have struck down Syria until you had made an end of it, but now you will strike down Syria only three times’ (2 Kings 13:18-19).”

When I read the Old Testament, I am struck by how much of it is about the constant wars Israel fought, especially against Syria. They would gain ground and push Syria back, but no matter how long they raged against Syria, Israel never quite had complete victory. It reminded me of how each of us also struggle against our own enemies like addictions to drugs, alcohol, pornography, sex, or gambling. We battle in our own lives to have victory over the problems that plague us, and while we gain ground, we can’t seem to push through to the very end where we can walk away from those enemies and never look back. We might go to meetings, or to church, and we might say all the right things when others are around, but when we are alone, there’s that nagging feeling we aren’t really where we say we are. Like Joash in the verse above, we strike a few times and then we quit, when instead, we should listen to the Elisha’s in our lives and keep on hitting back as many times as it takes to overcome. True victory takes a lion’s effort and even if it’s a lifetime of striking back against our enemies, we have to find the strength to keep at it or whatever our personal demons are, will defeat us.

“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind (James 1:5-6).”

Part of the problem when fighting our own demons is that we try to do it on our own power. We might go to others for advice but those who attend the same meetings we do are probably in the same boat and have their own demons to vanquish. We are like boats with no anchors being tossed about on the sea without direction. It is only our faith in God that anchors us and gives us wisdom. The world wants us to remain at sea, going down for the third time, however, our victory is not found in the world but in Jesus Christ alone.

“For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? (1 John 1:4-5).”

Read Jeremiah 21-29

 © 2018 Marie McGaha

The Maddening Crowds

“Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

~Matthew 11:28-30

Life can be very demanding physically, mentally and emotionally. We all have burdens to carry that can seem to be very weighty and sometimes, those burdens can make us feel as if we can’t go on. There’s been times in my life when I’ve wanted to chuck it all, move to a desert isle and forget there is anything else in the world. I hate it that my time isn’t always my own and that I have responsibilities to others in the various circles in my life. I have family obligations, work obligations, ministerial obligations, and the list goes on. It gets tiring and sometimes, the most I can do is hideout and binge watch Forensic Files.

“But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength; they will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary; they will walk and not be faint (Isaiah 40:31).”

The Lord is our strength but that is also determined by our dependence on Him in every aspect of our lives. Even Jesus got tired but when He did, He separated Himself from the crowds and spent time alone with God, praying and being strengthened (Luke 5:16). If we are to complete our tasks on earth, we have to be like Jesus, who was fully human, yet fully God, but still took time to pray and be sustained by that close relationship with the Father. We must also pray privately, take time away from the maddening crowds, turn off the TV and other distractions and spend time alone with our Lord and Savior.

“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things…and the God of peace will be with you (Philippians 4:8-9).”

Read Jeremiah 13-20

 ©2017 Marie McGaha

The Lord Will Answer

“I call upon you, for you will answer me, O God; incline your ear to me; hear my words.”

~Psalm 17:6

We all have questions and that’s a good thing. Asking questions is how we learn, and we should never stop learning, no matter how old we are. But when we are answering questions, we should also stick to the facts and not use our own opinions as answers. Allowing someone to hear the facts and then form their own opinions is part of being a good teacher. Jesus was like that. He answered questions a lot, but His answers were simple facts and not just His own opinions. He allowed everyone the opportunity to either believe Him or not, to form their own opinions, and to either follow Him or go their own way. I try to remember that when I’m asked questions. I have formed lots of opinions in my life on a lot of topics, but I always hope that others will gather the facts and form their own opinions, instead of just relying on my answers, or anyone else’s for that matter. With that in mind, today, I decided to answer some of the many questions I receive.

From Oklahoma:

Do ghosts really exist? I asked two pastors and got two different answers. One says that ghosts and spirits are the same thing and they do exist, and the other says they are two different things and don’t exist. What do you think?

MM: In the Book of Acts, the term Holy Spirit and Holy Ghost are used interchangeably, so yes, they are the same thing, just different terms. And of course, the Holy Ghost is the Spirit of God, and He most definitely exists. As far as ghosts in the sense that when someone dies, does their spirit hang around on earth for their families to see, that is a matter of opinion, which I have said I will keep to myself for this forum.

From Oklahoma:

The Bible uses the term “sleep” instead of death but then it says the “dead in Christ will rise first,” so does that mean we don’t go to Heaven as soon as we die and we’re just hanging around waiting on new bodies before we can go to Heaven?

MM: 
Generally, the term “sleep” is used for believers in Christ who pass away and “death” is used for non-believers. The reason is that the death of our bodies here on earth is not the end. When Christians die, our spirits are released from our bodies at the moment of death, and we go to Heaven. However, when a non-believer dies, the term “death” is used because it is not just bodily death, but spiritual death as well. Paul said, “We are confident and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord (2 Corinthians 5:8).” And in Philippians 1:23 he says, “I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far.” As far as the “dead in Christ will rise first” I believe that is a more involved conversation than I can write here, however, I think that while our spirits go to Heaven immediately, there will come a day when our bodies will be resurrected as a new, celestial body just as Christ’s was when He walked out of the tomb, and our spirits will be reunited with that new body.

From West Virginia:

Deborah was called to rule over Israel; God gave her that leadership. Was there any other women called to lead like Deborah? Her story is amazing.

MM:

If you want women who ruled the way Deborah did, the Bible is sorely lacking in that area, although I am sure there were many more. You have to remember in those days that women were not much more than chattel and used as bargaining tools, broodmares, and maids. In Deborah's case, no man stepped up to do the job, so God put a woman in place. For that era, it was a slap in the men's face to have a woman in a position of such power in Israel. In today's time, there is still as much division over whether women should have positions of authority in the church as in biblical times.

1 Timothy 2:12 "But I do not allow a woman to teach or exercise authority over a man, but to remain quiet."

That verse is used by men to show God doesn't want women in positions of power.

1 Timothy 2:15 "But women will be saved through childbearing if they continue in faith, love and holiness with propriety."

1 Timothy 5:14 "So I counsel younger widows to marry, to have children, to manage their homes and to give the enemy no opportunity for slander."

And these verses are used to back up the idea that women are to be satisfied with being wives and mothers, serving their husbands while the husband serves the church.

Now, that being said, I agree with it. I was perfectly content to be a wife and mother, and now a wife and grandmother. And if we lived in a perfect world, which is what those verses speak to, there would be no need for women to have positions in the church other than teaching Sunday school and singing in the choir or running the bake sales. The problem, however, is the same one that occurred in Deborah's time. Men do not want to step up and take hold of the authority they have been given—not in the homes and not in the church. So, we see women stepping up to take those roles. That is why I think God said in Galatians 3:28, "There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus."

That being said... there are other examples of women who served in positions that no man could have filled. Most of the women in the Bible from Eve to Mary were the reason Christ was born. But also, there are others who served in their own ways. Marion was a worship leader. Rahab saved the spies Joshua sent into the land. Elisabeth gave birth to John the Baptist. Mary & Martha prepared Jesus' body for burial. And Mary anointed Jesus' feet by breaking the alabaster box of oil that was worth a fortune.

I don't think our gender really matters. I think we serve the Lord in whatever way God presents to us whether it's teaching Sunday school, pastoring a church, or staying home to raise the kids.

From email:

Why is there such a divide in churches? And not just between denominations but even in churches that claim the same beliefs like Baptists or Pentecostals. Ask them a question and you get different answers and it starts a fight. What’s up with that?

MM:

I have heard a lot of disagreements as well and what I have learned is to not ask random people the same questions. Find someone you trust to give you straight answers from the Bible and not just their opinions. Humans are fallible, even pastors and teachers, and we have a hard time not interjecting our own opinions into everything. But to understand the Bible, you must first accept Christ as your Savior, and then have the infilling of the Holy Spirit, who is our teacher straight from Heaven. And no matter who you go to for answers, always make sure their answers line up with God’s Word. 1 John 2:27 says, “But the anointing that you received from Him abides in you, and you have no need that anyone should teach you.” Seek the Lord and He will teach you.

“No one who denies the Son has the Father. Whoever confesses the Son has the Father also. Let what you heard from the beginning abide in you. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, then you too will abide in the Son and in the Father. And this is the promise that he made to us—eternal life. I write these things to you about those who are trying to deceive you. But the anointing that you received from Him abides in you, and you have no need that anyone should teach you. But as His anointing teaches you about everything, and is true, and is no lie—just as it has taught you, abide in Him (1 John 2:23-27).”

Read Jeremiah 6-12

©2017 Marie McGaha

Our Blessed Hope

"But from everlasting to everlasting the Lord's love is with those who fear Him, and His righteousness with their children’s children."

~Psalm 103:17

If you're a regular reader of my blog, you'll have noticed my absence over the past week. I went to Tennessee to visit my folks, who are both in ill health and getting on in years. For me, it was a long flight, a long drive, and lots of walking through airports. The week with my parents went by too quickly and then it was more driving, walking and flying to get back home. I'm exhausted! But I am so happy I was able to make the trip and spend the week with them. I am blessed to still have both my parents at this age in my life and I hope I will be able to see them again soon. I don't think that as a younger person, I fully appreciated having parents who love me, but as a mother and grandmother, I find I am more appreciative of having parents who are still with us. Especially since many of my friends have lost theirs and are grieving that loss. My parents are both Christians and I know when they do leave this world, they'll be with the Lord and one day, and I will see them again. I can't imagine how difficult it is for people who don't have that assurance with their families. 

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to His great mercy, He has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in Heaven for you (1 Peter 1:3-4)."

My paternal grandmother was the praying matriarch of our family, and the reason I am a Christian today. She died without seeing even one of her children or grandchildren saved, but the Lord never forgot her prayers. Her greatest hope was to see her family in Heaven one day, and that is also my greatest hope for my own children and grandchildren. Every time I think about my grandmother, I am filled with gratitude for her unending prayers that are the reason my parents will one day join her in Heaven, and someday, I will too. I always think what a wonderful family reunion that is going to be! Christ is our blessed hope both here on earth and in Heaven. If we are to have any hope at all, let us all hope in Him.

"For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession who are zealous for good works (Titus 2:11-14)."

Read Jeremiah 1-5

© 2018 Marie McGaha

Unanswered Prayers

“Therefore, we do not lose heart. Though our outward man is decaying, yet our inward man is renewed day by day. For our trouble, light and momentary, is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, as we look not at what can be seen but at what cannot be seen. For what can be seen is temporary, but what cannot be seen is eternal.”

~2 Corinthians 4:16-18

My father has cancer—for the second time. The first time was colon cancer, and after surgery and chemo, he was declared cancer-free. Our prayers were answered, or, as the doctors said, they cured him. A few years later, he was diagnosed with another tumor, this time on his organs and it was inoperable. He went through chemo for a very long time, but his one tumor became three, and then six, and now, there’s nine tumors and he quit chemo. Obviously, chemo didn’t work but it did make him very sick and my father, who usually weighed around 170 pounds, was down to 118. Since stopping the chemo, against doctor’s advice of course, he is gaining weight again. I’ve been praying for his healing for years, as has his church, my church, and every person I know that I’ve asked to pray for him, yet, he has not been divinely healed. People have laid hands on him, anointed him with oil, and everything else we are instructed to do for the sick (James 5:14-15). Yet, he still has cancer. So, what are we doing wrong? In short, nothing. Sometimes our prayers go unanswered, and as frustrating as that can be, I still believe God heard those prayers and there is an answer.

“As He went along, He saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, ‘Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?’ ‘Neither this man nor his parents sinned,’ said Jesus, ‘but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him’ (John 9:1-3).” 

In the New Testament, we see a lot of divine healing by Jesus, and by the disciples in the Book of Acts. Throughout the Bible there were times of healing and although it may seem that a lot of people were healed, when you consider the span of time, nearly 3,000 years, there really wasn’t that many people who experienced divine healing. People get sick for various reasons; some will recover, others will not. We are frail humans born with an expiration date, and that’s something no amount of prayer will stop. But when we die or how we die isn’t even the point because we all have to die of something. The point is what we do with the life God gave us. We are here to serve God and Him alone and our reward is not healing, or riches, or anything else we can obtain in life, it’s hearing those words, “Well done good and faithful servant” (Matthew 25:23) when we leave this life and step into life everlasting.

Tomorrow, I am flying out to see my father. It will probably be the last time I see him this side of Heaven. It makes me sad to think he will no longer be here for me to call whenever I want. He has a great sense of humor and I can always count on Pop to make me laugh. But I know that when he leaves this life, he will step into the life I long for, one where we see Jesus face-to-face, where we are reunited with those who have gone before us, where there is no more pain or disease or sorrow or tears (Revelation 21:4).

“So, to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong (2 Corinthians 12:7-10).”

Read Isaiah 17-21 (Continue reading Isaiah over the next week while I’m visiting my parents)

© 2017 Marie McGaha