What If?

I recently realized I have a very specific imagination. Sometimes that’s a plus. There are times that my specific imagination and thinking down the road serves me. It helps in planning events.  It helps in coming up with new solutions. In guessing the plot line specifics to many movies I watch. (I try to keep my speculations to myself since that tends to annoy people.) 

And there are times this imagination and “fore-thought” doesn’t help at all.  There are times that my anxious thoughts can lead to “what if” scenarios that take me to more “what ifs” and more “and then such and such”. Those “what ifs” zero in on the problem at 440% zoom and the very notion of the possibility of a solution doesn’t even occur to me.

What if.

Paralyzing words.

As I’ve been reading through some of the Israelites’ famous 40 year travels, I’m astounded by their lack of vision and lack of trust in the Lord.  Lack of remembrance of all the Lord had done.

Talk about a log in my eye.

I’m not sure when or where the thought came, though it must have been from the Lord, because it’s way smarter than me.  But I’ve been challenged to stop considering “what if this happens” and start thinking “But what if the Lord does such a thing?”  “What if the Lord rescues us in this way?”

In a sense, the challenge is to become creative in hope about the Lord’s abilities BASED ON the things that I’ve seen Him do.

This reflects on the character of God: who He is, what He’s done. It challenges me to recall the times He’s done absolutely impossible things in impossible situations. This type of “what if” question makes me consider how absolutely powerful God is. When there was no way, God parted seas. When about to drown, God calmed storms. When hope of healing was long gone, men and women were made whole. Families broken--God healed. No food for the crowds--God provided basket upon basket of leftovers.

I have a hard time wrapping my brain around how to change my way of thinking, but I know it starts with remembering what my God has done for me already. And it challenges me to cast my eyes to heaven in waiting and wonder.

"God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore, we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling." Psalm 46:1-3

This gives confidence to quell those "what ifs" that arise as giants against me. What if the earth gives way? I don't care. God is my very present help in trouble.

"And the Lord said to Moses, 'How long will this people despise me? And how long will they not believe in me, in spite of all the signs that I have done among them?" Numbers 14:11

If we cannot conquer the "what ifs", they will conquer us. They will ruin our potential, ruin our faith, I think.

"Rejoice in the Lord always, again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:4-7

I better stop before I ramble, because these Scriptures are everywhere. I turn my heart and eyes to the Lord. What if He does something so incredible that I can’t even conceive of it right now?  What if the plot becomes so twisted that it makes the novel even more riveting to read? What if it’s so completely astounding that people see it and get saved?  What if it encourages others?  What if God uses this horrible thing to help me comfort someone else?

"Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving, and perform your vows to the Most High, and call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me." Psalm 50:14-15

by Janine Alvarado, Missionary to Japan

In The Beginning God...

"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." Genesis 1:1 (NLT)

Recently, a friend posted a cartoon on Facebook. It was a picture of Noah's Ark with a rainbow behind it. Two penguins were prominent among the pairs of land animals approaching the door. The caption read, "Not feeling very bright today? Smile and remember...There are grown adults who actually believe that two penguins walked all the way from Antarctica to the Middle East to get aboard an ark built by a five hundred year old man."

That statement, which sounds SO intelligent, mocks God and mocks my faith. When I was younger it would have made me angry. Now it makes me sad. Today I grieve for those who think they are wise, who laugh at the foolish idea of a God who created the heavens and the earth. As I prayed for my friend, the LORD spoke to my heart. "How big is your God?" Really, God? You would ask me that question just as I'm trying to go to sleep for the night?

I actually slept quite well, but woke up the next morning with a verse resonating in my brain. "The heavens proclaim the glory of God. The skies display His craftmanship. (Psalm 19:1) And it was raining!

"I am the LORD, the God of all flesh: is there anything too hard for Me?" Jeremiah 32:27 (KJV)

Do I believe that? The people who think they are intelligent don't. The first comment on the cartoon was "Physically Impossible!" The super-intelligent people say there is no God while they make their own gods to worship--career, family, house, car, fashion, money, what money buys, whatever makes "ME" comfortable. But,

"Only fools say in their hearts, 'There is no God." Psalm 53:1a

God's answer?

"So remember this and keep it firmly in mind: The LORD is God, both in heaven and on earth, and there is no other." Deuteronomy 4:39 (NLT)

"Is there a God beside me? yea, there is no God; I know not any," Isaiah 44:8b (KJV)

LORD God, thank you for confirming who You are by Your Word, Your creation and Your only begotten Son, Jesus Christ--the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End. When we doubt, You give answers. When we fear, You reach down to us and say, Do not be afraid.

"This is my command--be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the LORD your God is with you wherever you go." Joshua 1:9 (NLT)

by Marilyn Allison

The Stone Has Been Rolled Away

Recently, I've been meditating on the Easter Story, as it is presented in each of the four Gospels. The Lord kept impressing Mary Magdalene in my heart; so I revisited the scriptural references about this woman many of us can relate to.

Mary Magdalene. The Gospel of Luke tells us she was delivered of seven demons by Jesus. She found forgiveness, restoration and value in Him. She is mentioned at least twelve times in the four Gospels.

In Matthew, Mark and John she is mentioned by name as being one of his followers. Luke 23 refers to "the women of Galilee who accompanied Him" as being at the crucifixion. We find Mary M. was definitely there watching as her Yeshua was beaten unjustly, falsely accused, mocked, rejected and crucified for the sins of all mankind. She was there when He cried out, "It is finished." He completed His task - bearing in His body our sins, our rejection, hurt, accusations, injustice and so much more. - bringing us victory over all these things through Him.

BUT, the best was yet to come...

Early, on the morning of the Third Day (the first day of the week), Mary went with the other women to the tomb to anoint the body of Jesus. As they were walking, Mark 16:1-7 tells us they were saying to one another, "Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?" Then, "Looking up, they saw that the stone had been rolled away, although it was extremely large."

Matthew 28:8-10 tells us: "And they left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy and ran to report this to the disciples. And behold, Jesus met them and greeted them. And they came up and took hold of His feet and worshiped Him. Then Jesus said to them, 'Do not be afraid; go and take word to my brethren to leave for Galilee, and there they will see Me."

HE HAD CONQUERED DEATH AND THE GRAVE!!!

Mary had known what she had been delivered from. Now she fully saw Who she had been delivered "to".  This caused her, when she saw her Risen Savior, to fall down, cling to Him and worship Him.

The Gospels further record that the women obeyed Him in taking word to the Disciples of His resurrection.  They were the first to behold the Risen Savior! What an honor He gave them...gave to Mary Magdalene - despite her past.

May our hearts and eyes be open, not just at Easter, but everyday, to Who it is Who has delivered us, and what He has delivered us to:  everlasing life and victory over all sin and death for all who believe in Him. May we remember what (sin) and who (ourselves) He has delivered us from; what He continues to do each day as we seek Him (victory is already ours in EVERY situation - not even death will separate us from Him. Romans 8:31-39)

HE IS the RISEN SAVIOR in Whom Victory is already ours. What GREAT JOY!!! NO STONE IS TOO BIG FOR HIM TO MOVE, we just need to look up.

May we take joy and have hope in these truths and may our hearts be wholly surrendered in worship at His feet, clinging to Him. It will drive us to gladly obey Him when He tells us, "Go deliver this word."

"The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, Because the Lord has anointed me To bring good news to the afflicted; He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to captives And freedom to prisoners; To proclaim the favorable year of the Lord And the day of vengeance of our God; To comfort all who mourn, To grant those who mourn in Zion, Giving them a garland instead of ashes, The oil of gladness instead of mourning, The mantle of praise instead of a spirit of fainting. So they will be called oaks of righteousness, The planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified". Isaiah 61:1-3

"I will rejoice greatly in the Lord, My soul will exult in my God; For He has clothed me with garments of salvation, He has wrapped me with a robe of righteousness, As a bridegroom decks himself with a garland, And as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. For as the earth brings forth its sprouts, And as a garden causes the things sown in it to spring up, So the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise To spring up before all the nations." Isaiah 61: 10-11

By Coleen Jejeran, Missionary to Romania

The Cross Requires a Continual Response

"He personally carried our sins in His body on the cross so that we can be dead to sin and live for what is right." ! Peter 2:24 (NLT)

The deeper I go into Peter's letters to the scattered exiles, the more I feel I know this man. His many human faux pas have been well documented in scripture, but in his epistles he reveals a beautiful visionary soul. He reveals this with courageous authority and unashamed humility.

His vision is eternal life...
His authority is Jesus Christ...
His humility is the Cross.

What a glorious testimony of a man who once opposed Jesus to His face, chastising Him for saying he was going to suffer and die, then shortly denying he had ever known Jesus at all.

But, the Cross...the Cross does something to people, doesn't it?

How Peter lays out his letter is very compelling and it's no wonder our hearts pound with deeper passion as we go along.

Peter acknowledges the heaviness and grief his fellow Believers are suffering. What does he do?  He stirs them up to rejoice! Not rejoice with a lowercase "r" but, REJOICE with all caps! "Be overflowing with joy!", he tells them. 

To some, this might seem insensitive, but we see in this, a man who has lived where they are, suffering many tests and trials himself (some in the very face of His Savior) now stirring up and strengthening other afflicted Believers. In a sense, he's saying, LOOK AHEAD! KEEP YOUR EYES ON THE FUTURE PRIZE, THE SALVATION OF YOUR SOULS! 

But he doesn't stop there. He shifts his focus from future glory to past persecution...Jesus' persecution. Peter's life was no longer about Peter and his failures. The cross changed him. His focus became Jesus Christ. As Peter encourages us to look ahead to our salvation, he also points us to look back and remember the price that was paid.

"As to this salvation, the prophets who prophesied of the grace that would come to you made careful searches and inquiries, seeking to know what person or time the Spirit of Christ within them was indicating as He predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories to follow."
1Peter 1:10-11

Peter reminds his readers that Christ's sufferings were a fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy, that humiliation and suffering of the Christ was the key part of God's divine Plan of Redemption. It was this work that brought about salvation--Christ's sufferings. And so Peter reminds us, too, of this vitally motivating detail of our faith.

Our salvation is not only about what is to come for those who believe, but WHO already came and why. Peter takes us back to the beginning: 

The Gospel. The Cross. 

And that's what I want us to remember this morning--the Cross. This very raw and unavoidable display of Truth;

The Cross being God's declaration of grace as the most exceptional display of His glory to all mankind.  

And the Cross also being Jesus' response, not only to who God is, but to who we are. 

For us, even today, the Cross is the ultimate crossroad where the epitome of Truth and man's free-will meet for all who have come after Adam. It's where a perfectly holy God and sinful, broken man collide. 

The Cross always demands a response. 

LOOK AHEAD! KEEP YOUR EYES ON THE FUTURE PRIZE, THE SALVATION OF YOUR SOULS!

by Dana Lange

The Gift of Easter

I was condemned because of my sin;
Without hope;
Destined for hell;
Redemption seemed oh so far away…

Then one day I was drawn to the Cross
And hope grew in my heart.
God’s love shone His light bright on me—
His forgiveness was before me—

Christ had come to die for such as me.
At the cross, His precious blood poured out red
And my sin, though dark, was washed pure white!
In Him, I was set free!

“Come now, and let us reason together,” says the LORD. “Though your sins are as scarlet, they will be as white as snow. Though they are red as crimson, they will be as wool.” Isaiah 1:18

“Purify me with hyssop and I shall be clean. Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.” Psalm 51:7

Purify literally means "un-sin" me!

Thank you, Jesus, for dying that I may be saved!

By Pat Tingwall