Consuming Fire

"Therefore, let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire."

~Hebrews 12:28-29

In Deuteronomy and Exodus, the Lord is mentioned as “fire.” He is a fire leading the children of Israel out of Egypt, and a consuming fire taking out their enemies. As all of us know, a fire can be a good thing or something terrible. Burning in our fireplace, a fire is warm and comforting but when that fire engulfs a building, it is destructive. Like the children of Israel, we can be comforted by the fire of the Lord when we trust in Him. But for those who do not accept Jesus Christ as their Savior, the consuming fire will be Hell.

"The sinners in Zion are afraid; trembling has seized the godless: Who among us can dwell with the consuming fire? Who among us can dwell with everlasting burnings (Isaiah 33:14)?”

Accepting Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior is the only answer in this life, and for the one to come. Our life here is fleeting. The Bible calls our lives a mist, vapor, shadow, and in 1 Peter 1:24, we are compared to a flower that withers and dies. But what is on the other side of this life is eternity, and where we spend it is determined during this vapor we call life. And the fire of God will reveal it.

“Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw—each one's work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. If anyone's work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire (1 Corinthians 3:12-15).”

Read Colossians

©2018 Marie McGaha

He Is Holy Still

“My God, my God, why have You forsaken me? Distant from my salvation are the words of my groaning. O my God, I cried out by day, but You did not answer, by night but there was no rest for me. Yet You are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel.”

~Psalm 22:2-4

There are times we go through dry periods where God can seem far away, as if He doesn’t hear us. Our prayers seem just as dry and go unanswered, and it’s all we can do to offer up words of worship. But no matter how we feel, it’s important to remember that God is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow, and He is not dependent on our feelings. No matter how we feel, He is holy still.

“Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why are you murmuring within me? Hope in God, for I will yet praise Him, for the salvation of His presence (Psalm 42:6).”

David lived a complicated life. He went through periods of depression, sadness, and grief. He lived through dry periods where God seemed far from him and everything that could go wrong, did. Even in the times when he cried out to God, his feelings raw and his life seemingly on the brink of disaster, David could draw on the one thing he knew to be true – God is holy and worthy to be praised.

When we find ourselves in dry times where God seems far away, we can draw on David’s wisdom—why are you downcast, O my soul? Hope in God! And no matter my circumstances, or my feelings, I will praise Him!

“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, ‘For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.’ No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 8:35-39).”

Read Philippians

©2018 Marie McGaha

The End Days

“But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people. For among them are those who creep into households and capture weak women, burdened with sins and led astray by various passions, always learning and never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth.”

~2 Timothy 3:1-7

I personally believe we are living in the end days and the Lord will be returning soon. I talk with a lot of people and the theme seems to be that even those who don’t claim to be Christians also believe life as we know it is coming to an end. While I am not a “prepper” I do believe we are about to see significant changes that will change the course of our lives. The world has gotten so out of control, even if there wasn’t a foretelling of these events in the Bible, I would believe WW3 looms in the not so distant future. The political climate is in upheaval; governments are pushing for a one world government, one world currency, and a one world religion; and all of this is prophesied in the Bible (Daniel 12; Revelation 13 et al).

“As He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of Your coming and of the end of the age?” And Jesus answered them, “See that no one leads you astray. For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will lead many astray. And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are but the beginning of the birth pains (Matthew 24:3-8).”

Anyone who has given birth can tell you that labor pains are not fun. They begin slowly but increase to the point of severe pain until finally, the entire body is engaged in just one function – to push that baby into the world. Jesus says the end of days will be the same way – a gradual build-up of lawlessness and disasters until it all gives way, and someone pushes the button. The labor pains began around the turn of the 20^th century but specifically after WW1 in 1914 when President Woodrow Wilson began The League of Nations. WW1 was the worst war ever seen on earth and President Wilson wanted to put a stop to anything like that happening again. However, The League of Nations never really got off the ground.

In 1945 WW2 occurred and 52 million people died. Then President Franklin D. Roosevelt, Joseph Stalin, and Winston Churchill got together and agreed what had not been accomplished after WW1 needed to be accomplished then. The United Nations was born. Although President Roosevelt was gravely ill, he pushed the UN charter forward through his diplomatic assistant, Alger Hiss. Mr. Hiss wrote the charter for the UN and it stands to this day. Three years later, Alger Hiss was exposed as a communist spy, was tried, convicted and sent to prison.

So, you can see that the New World Order has been in the works for a very long time. I don’t know when the end will come but I do know it’s getting close. Our only answer is Jesus Christ. If you are not assured of your salvation right now, at this very moment, don’t wait until it’s too late. Accept Christ as your Savior so your place in Heaven is guaranteed and no matter when the end comes, you will be welcomed with open arms.

“And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another. And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come (Matthew 24:10-14).”

Read Galatians; Ephesians

©2018 Marie McGaha

Satan's Con

“If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.”

~Colossians 3: 1-4

Life is cheap. Murder, suicide, abortion, human trafficking, prostitution, drugs, gambling... Life has been cheapened to an all-time low. Listening to the news is the most depressing thing, and sometimes, I have to shut it all down because I can’t bear it. I have to seek those things that are above and set my mind on them because the things of this earth are vile. I have to remind myself that no matter what the world around me looks like, it’s a cheap fake ruled by satan and his minions, and it won’t go on forever.

Everything God has done, satan has manufactured a fake counterpart. Everything God says is good, right and pure, satan twists for his own evil purposes. What God says don’t do, satan says won’t hurt you. What God says to do, satan calls a burden to hold you down. God made love and satan turns it to misery. And the saddest part is, since Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, we continue to fall for the lie.

“Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. Because of these the wrath of God is coming. In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its Creator. Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all (Colossians 3:5-11).”

Seeing that we are all unable, on our own abilities, to put away evil and walk in righteousness, God came to earth as Jesus Christ as the perfect sacrifice for sin. His love for us is so great that He gave Himself completely, so we don’t have to believe the lie and follow satan to hell. We can try to be good, to be righteous, to do the right thing, but we will fail time after time unless Christ is working within us. None of us are righteous, none of us seek God, we are worthless (Romans 3:10-12) on our own. It is only when we seek God, when we accept Christ as our Savior, that we can rise above satan’s con and be the righteousness of God in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:21).

“Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the Name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him (Colossians 3:12-17).”

Read 1 Corinthians 11-16; Weekend reading 2 Corinthians 1-13

© 2018 Marie McGaha

His Strength

“And David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him, because all the people were bitter in soul, each for his sons and daughters. But David strengthened himself in the Lord his God.”

~1 Samuel 30:6

In the above verse, David and his men had returned to Ziklag and found the Amalekites had burned the city and taken everyone hostage, including two of David’s wives. All the men were grieved and angry, and lashed out at David, threatening to stone him to death. David had a couple of choices—he could have lashed back, he could have run in fear, but instead, he turned to the Lord God and strengthened himself.

While we may not face death by stoning, there are many times in life when we face adverse situations that bring us to our knees. It is in these moments of weakness that the devil stirs up seeds of doubt that can wreak havoc on our lives and our faith. The devil’s goal is to divide and conquer, to make us feel as if God is far from our lives and doesn’t care about our situation.

“I am the Vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in Me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing (John 15:5).” 

It is only through our complete dependence upon the Lord that we are able to persevere through any situation and have victory on the other side. When we begin to think we can overcome on our own ability and strength, it is then that we truly fail.

“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 about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong (2 Corinthians 12:9-10).”

Read 1 Corinthians 6-10

©2018 Marie McGaha

Marriage By Design

“But from the beginning of creation, God made them male and female. Therefore, a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. So, they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.”

~Mark 10:6-9

When God created Eve, she was designed to complement Adam, to be his helper, friend, and companion. She was everything he was not and together, they completed one another, and were designed perfectly for one another. God designed men and women to fit together in form, but also in thought, feelings, and abilities. He not only designed us, He designed marriage in the same way.

It is no secret that divorce surrounds us in today’s world. Statistics say that more than fifty percent of today's marriages will end in divorce, including those couples who attend church regularly. There is something terribly wrong with that. Marriage is a gift from God and He hates divorce, so why is divorce so prominent in today’s society?

Part of that can be answered by saying that, like everything else, today’s life is disposable. We seek pleasure more than God, we want what we want when we want it, and when we’re finished with it, we throw it away. Our society holds nothing sacred, including marriage. Even our children are now taught that the Bible is not the word of God, and we are to keep our mouth shut and let people do what they want. Our children are taught that homosexuality is just as natural as heterosexuality, and same-sex couples demand marriage rights alongside opposite sex couples. That is not how God designed marriage, and He does not approve of any marriage outside of a man and woman, nor does He approve of any marriage outside of the biblical pattern.

So, what can we do to change that outlook? The answer lies only with God and a change of heart in people. God knows what is good for us because He created us with purpose in His own image. We are here on earth for a reason, and that is to glorify God through His Son, Jesus Christ.

“For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths (2 Timothy 4:3-4).”

Read 1 Corinthians 1-5

© 2018 Marie McGaha

Please The Lord

“So, if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.”

~Philippians 2:1-4

My youngest son calls me every day when he gets off work. He’s a rookie cop, has a lot of stress and I debrief him. It’s a kind of counseling session where he can get his frustration out without it having negative consequences. And of course, mama doesn’t mind those calls from her baby boy. He is a daily reminder that God’s call on my life is to help others, to share wisdom, good counsel, and show the love of Christ in whatever way I can.

“Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore, do not be foolish but understand what the will of the Lord is (Ephesians 5:15-17).” 

We live in a selfish world, where those who scream the loudest get their own way. We live with the foolishness of the world, but we don’t have to be part of the foolishness. We cannot change the world. What we can change is how we handle the world. We don’t have to affect the entire world, just the world around us. No matter what is going on with others, we can still behave in a manner pleasing to the Lord. We can find what is good and pure and right in our own lives, without allowing the negativity of the world to affect us. We cannot change how the world acts, but we can determine how we act. We are responsible for ourselves, our actions, and our reactions to others. When we exercise self-control and act in love, we are pleasing to the Lord.

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires (Galatians 4:22-24).”

Read Romans 13-16

©2018 Marie McGaha