Are you Wondering What to do Now?

Facing the Future with Deep Apprehension, Gloom, and Foreboding

If you like the title for this article, I got it from a line in an old movie called ‘Sullivan’s Travel’s’.  I highly recommend the movie.  If you haven’t seen it you need to find it and watch it.  You need a sense of humor to face the future.  A Christian who has both a sense of humor and hope is truly blessed.  (Our hope is built on nothing less than Jesus blood and righteousness.  ‘On Christ the Solid Rock I ‘Stand’.  http://www.hymntime.com/tch/htm/m/y/h/myhopeis.htm )

 Before we consider all the terrible things facing America and the world let’s first remind ourselves of Psalms 2 – which says (paraphrased) that the heathens and the kings of the earth are setting themselves against God, but God will laugh at them and set them in derision.’

Psalm 37 and Psalm 59 say something similar as well.  When things look dark and we are facing the future with ‘deep apprehension, gloom, and foreboding, we can always encourage ourselves in the word of God.

 Of course we do live in this world and we do have to face the future.  America is facing the natural course of events when many of the people of a nation have turned from God.  When the majority of people have either turned from God altogether or begun to follow a social form of Christianity it follows that ungodly leaders are elected.  Then, I have heard it preached that God simply stops protecting a nation and that is when the decline really sets in.  The end result is always bad.

 Many if not most of the churches have become more of a social institution than an actual house of God.

Church goers in general are ignorant of what the Bible says.  They have no idea of the importance of doctrine.  They don’t know theology.  They generally don’t even understand why there are different denominations, and they certainly don’t understand the theological differences that make up the different denominations.  They are led by feelings instead of God’s word.  They have no leaders to warn them of their stupidity.  Unfortunately, where there are Godly leaders, many people do not want to hear what they have to say.  These people go to a church with a preacher who pleases them but doesn’t really tell the truth.  It is an altogether sad situation.

 Such an ignorant set of Christians, or social Christians, are guilty of putting evil politicians in office by voting economically instead of righteously.  In other words, so called Christians vote for politicians who promise them more.  They do not care exactly where ‘more’ comes from as long as they get a good share of it.  They are without good character.

 By the grace of God, there are some Christians who take their faith seriously.  They actually do work at applying Bible teaching to personal actions.

 It is these Christians through whom God does work and will work.  Their job description is still the same.  They are to conform to the image of Christ, and not to conform to the world.  In times of crisis or national decline there may be more opportunities to preach Jesus Christ than in times of peace and plenty. 

The future of America has no effect on the future of Christians.  I love my country.  I pray for God to bless America and that America will return to God Almighty.  But my first citizenship is in heaven with God.  My first allegiance is to Jesus Christ.  I try to do what I can that will have even a small impact for good on America, but as much as I love my country I am thankful that it is not my eternal home.

Christians need to dis-attach themselves from the things of this world to some extent, even the blessing of being born an American.  We are to be thankful for all our blessings, but to understand how temporary they actually are.  We are to love God, love our families, love the church, and love our country.  That puts our earthly citizenship in 4^th place.  Duty to God, duty to family, and duty to our church/evangelism/missionary effort are all above our country. 

 But, it still hurts very deeply to see our country decline.  When we see our leaders making terrible decisions and turning more toward humanism/collectivism, we tremble.  Christians know God is not mocked.  There will be a day the nation as a whole has to pay the piper.  It doesn’t seem fair that we have to pay the price for the rebellion against God by the unbelievers and ignorant Christians.

 We need to remember that God is righteous.  We need to trust Him.  My youngest grandson recently asked me, ‘Bema – what does it mean to trust God?  How do you do it?’  I told him that to trust God is simply to believe Him.  Believe He is telling you the truth.  God is able to make a promise with the full knowledge that He has the power, authority, and resources, and personal resolve to keep that promise.

 In the midst of trusting God, we need to make a new commitment to do what God has called each of us to do.  We need to remember that we are ALL called to stand in reverent awe God and keep the commandments.  We are to do the things God says to do.  We are not to do the things He forbids.  We are to help fulfill the commandment that the Gospel be preached to all the world.  If you are not a missionary to a particular place or particular people, you are to support missionary efforts.  By the way, my personal opinion is that the little churches supporting missionaries around the world are one of the major things contributing to the stay of God’s Hand of judgment. 

 I have seen people facing a difficult situation use their difficulty as an excuse to sin.  There is no excuse to sin.  When Job was in the midst of his unbearable trial, he did not get drunk or take on a mistress.   He didn’t cheat on his taxes.  In a situation where he was totally out of his comfort zone, where he had no idea of what to do to ease the situation, he did what he knew to do.  He continued to love God and try to do what pleased Him.

That is what Christians are to do in these uncertain times.  We are to continue to do the things we KNOW we are supposed to do.  We are to trust God to lead us through the uncertain times ahead.  We are to help preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ in all the world. 

Our world may be changing rapidly and terribly.

Our job description is still the same.

Set your face like a flint.  You will not be ashamed. 

 ‘For the Lord GOD will help me; therefore shall I not be confounded: therefore have I set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be ashamed.   Isaiah 50:7’

An aside here is this:

I just watched ‘Captain America’ with my grandson.  I know it is fiction.  In case you haven’t watched it (and why would you watch it unless you have a fantastic grandson who wants you to watch it with him) Captain America is a normal guy who gets super strength through some impossible scientific experiment.  He doesn’t have spider webs shooting out of his wrists like Spider Man; he is just super strong and has recuperative powers 4 times faster than normal.

Captain America saves the day by fighting evil ones who also have unusual powers.

All this reminded me that there are beings with super powers who are in a continual state of war.  We have a Biblical example of this concerning Elisha the Prophet of God.  Elisha and his servant were in a city under siege by a fearsome enemy.  The servant was afraid.  2 Kings 6:15-17 tells us:

15.  And when the servant of the man of God was risen early, and gone forth, behold, an host compassed the city both with horses and chariots. And his servant said unto him, Alas, my master! how shall we do?

16.  And he answered, Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them.
17.  And Elisha prayed, and said, Lord, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the Lord opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha.

Things have not changed today. We don’t see all the fighting going on around us.  They that be with us are more than they that be with them (the enemy).  Remarkable help and deliverance is available to God’s children. 

The story of Captain America began in World War 2.  That war was filled with real hero’s fighting the evil of Nazism.  The war between good and evil will not end until time itself comes to an end.  In the mean time, there are many (usually unwanted) opportunities for heroes of the faith to please God.  I think many of those heroes/heroines will be people of all ages from all the ages who simply did their duty to God in trying circumstances. 

Trying circumstances are coming for all of us in one way or another.  When they come to you, you will face them in a manner their either pleases God or pleases His adversary the devil.  As we face every day, whether it seems good or evil, we need to continually hide in the Word of God.  Remember verses that comfort you personally.  A favorite of mine is Galatian 6:7-10 which tells us:

7. Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.

8. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.
9.  And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.
10. As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.

 Verse ten is really a good motto by which Christians should live.  It sort of re-states the ‘ treat others the way you want to be treated’ concept of Christianity with an extra encouragement to treat out brothers and sisters in Christ well.

So, among the turmoil and uncertainty of the world today, we have a firm foundation on which to stand.  Things of the world change with every breeze that changes the direction of a weather vane, but our God does not change.  No matter what the earthly circumstances may be, God Almighty does not change. 

A very fitting hymn for troubled times, whether personally or nationally, is:

‘How Firm a Foundation’.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JbHtLR3GWTg

How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord,

 Is laid for your faith in His excellent Word!
 What more can He say than to you He hath said,
 You, who unto Jesus for refuge have fled?

In every condition, in sickness, in health;

 In poverty’s vale, or abounding in wealth;
 At home and abroad, on the land, on the sea,
 As thy days may demand, shall thy strength ever be.

Fear not, I am with thee, O be not dismayed,

 For I am thy God and will still give thee aid;
 I’ll strengthen and help thee, and cause thee to stand
 Upheld by My righteous, omnipotent hand.

When through the deep waters I call thee to go,
 The rivers of woe shall not thee overflow;
 For I will be with thee, thy troubles to bless,
 And sanctify to thee thy deepest distress.

When through fiery trials thy pathways shall lie,

 My grace, all sufficient, shall be thy supply;
 The flame shall not hurt thee; I only design
 Thy dross to consume, and thy gold to refine.

Even down to old age all My people shall prove

 My sovereign, eternal, unchangeable love;
 And when hoary hairs shall their temples adorn,
 Like lambs they shall still in My bosom be borne.

The soul that on Jesus has leaned for repose,

 I will not, I will not desert to its foes;
 That soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake,
 I’ll never, no never, no never forsake.

Barbara Henderson

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http://hellogoodday.myitworks.com

Evidence That You are the Christian that You Claim to Be

Evidence That You are the Christian that You Claim to Be

In a recent article, I asked readers, ‘What is the motivating force in YOUR life?’  The motivating force in your life should be your love for the God who saved you.  It is easy to say that your love for God is what motivates you to live your life the way you do; but, can you provide evidence that your love for God is the controlling factor in your life?    Evidence that God is the motivating and controlling force in your life can be found in these areas:

OBEDIENCE.  Psalm 119:2 says, ‘Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, and that seek him with their whole heart.’

This is easy to say, but more difficult to actually do.  Are you doing the things that God says to do?  And, how could you even know what God says to do if you are not seeking Him wholeheartedly?  You have to put effort into obedience.  This requires Bible study on a daily basis.  It requires that you meditate on God’s words and how to apply His teachings to your life.  As a Christian you are no longer free to choose your own way, your own thoughts, or your own pleasures.  Isaiah 58:13-14 says,

‘If thou turn away thy foot from the Sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the Sabbath a delight, the holy of the LORD, honorable; and shalt honor him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words:

Then shalt thou delight thyself in the LORD; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.

This is easy to read, but it is harder to put into practice.  You will never be perfect at it, but are you even trying?

TRUST.  Proverbs 3:5  says, ‘Trust in the Lord with all thine heart: and lean not to thine own understanding.

Trust requires that you go ahead and do the things God says to do even though it may sometimes be against what your feelings tell you.  Feelings are fickle to say the least; and they lead you astray.

Trust requires that you go ahead and do the things God says to do even though it may not appear to be the best thing at the time. 

PRAYER. Jeremiah 29:13 says, ‘And ye shall seek me and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.

You are a work in progress.  The more you obey God, the more you see that doing the things He says to do will always be in your own best interest.  That leads you to trust God more.  Yet, you will still feel the call of the world to doubt God and disobey Him.  In times of temptation, you should turn to God in prayer.  Jeremiah’s encouragement to prayer is to an unwavering and resolute prayer.  In the midst of whatever struggle you find yourself, seek God with your whole heart. 

 REPENTANCE.  Joel 2:12 says, ‘Therefore also now, saith the Lord, turn ye even unto me with all your heart, and with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning.

As you are seeking God wholeheartedly, He will often point out some things in your life that are bothering Him.  This is your opportunity to get the objects that are standing between you and a better relationship with God cleared up.  You need to change what is bothering God in your life.  Your sins stand between you and God.  The prevent God’s blessings and God’s answer to your prayers.

The question eventually becomes, ‘Which do I want more?  Do I want to hang onto my sin?  Or, do I want to get rid of my sin and then present my requests to God with a clean heart?

JOY.  John 15:11 says, ‘these things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.

Joy in the Lord is something that the children of the world cannot understand.  It does not depend on what is happening in your life at the moment.  Your joy rests on God’s love for you personally; His loving watch care over you; His promise to never leave you nor forsake you; and many other good things that come from a closer walk with the Lord.

DESIRE.  You desire to please God in all that you do. Your heart wants to tell of God’s love to the lost.  As a committed Christian, you gain a greater understanding each day of the great gulf between the eternal destination of the lost and the saved.  Everyone should have a chance to at least hear the gospel so they can escape the torment of hell.

Normally I don’t care for the choruses sung in church today.  However, I do like the first line of one that says, ‘I will serve thee because I love thee.’  This is the heart of the matter.  God loved us more than He loved Himself.  He laid down His life for us.  God can give us the capacity to love Him and love others more than we love ourselves.  Because we love God, we want to serve Him.  Our love for God motivates us to serve Him.  It motivates us to ‘lay down the life we thought we wanted for the life God wants us to have.’

I would like to promise you that the life God wants you to have will be a bed of roses from an earthly point of view. It might be.  It might not be.  I know of a young man who landed on the beach at Normandy June 6, 1944.  He did all that was required of him.  Then he began carrying the wounded to safety from that bloody beach.  Eventually he was killed by a gunshot wound to the head.  I know he was a Christian man.  I personally talked to two of his comrades.  They said there never was a finer young man.  He literally laid down his life for his friends.  I believe that love of God and of his country was so deeply ingrained in his daily actions that I don’t think he had any real choice in what he did.  He did his duty and then continued on because of his love and compassion for others.

Do you think you would have been a hero that day?  Would you have done more than was required of you?  Would you have even done what was required of you?  There is no way to tell.  But, we can know that the Hollywood version of someone with a totally messed up life saving the day when the chips are down is NOT going to happen.  If you want to be the one who pleases God when the chips are down, you have to begin today showing your love and respect for God, and the people He has put in your life.  You have to treat them like you want to be treated.  Obey God; keep the commandments; love others the way God loves them whether they deserve it or not.  This is possible when you desire to please God more than you desire to please yourself.

Now, what was the end of the young man who died 6/6/44?  Because he was a Christian, he went straight into the arms of God.  Most of us will not be called to face such a situation.  We are called to die to self daily.  We are called to lay down our lives in order to do the things of God.  We don’t know what will happen to us if we let the love of God be the motivating force in our lives.  We don’t know if we will live a long and blessed life, or have a life that is cut short like the young man who landed on Omaha Beach on D-Day.  In the end, death is certain regardless of the length of our days.  And, after death comes the judgment. 

For the Christian, eternal life is secured.  But, to hear ‘Well Done!’ from God is not. That is determined by how we live our lives now.  It is time to do a reality check in your own life.  (I did one on my own life already.  The results are ‘needs improvement.) Do you see obedience to God’s teachings in all that you do?  Do you see your trust in God growing?  Do you see your prayer life growing?  Do you see your heart as more tender and repentant than it was just a short time ago?  Do you see yourself having joy even in heartache?  Do you see your desire to please God growing?  Do you see your desire for God’s company growing? Do you see your desire to tell the way of salvation to the lost growing?  These things provide evidence that God is the motivating force in all that you do.

The song for this article is ‘Brighten the Corner Where You Are’.  Often we are waiting for an opportunity to do a great deed.  That opportunity may never come.  Actually, hopefully, it won’t ever come.  Remember the young man on Omaha Beach on D-Day?  He had the opportunity to do a great deed.  He did it.  He wound up in heaven really fast.  Just be faithful where you are to do things God requires of you.  You won’t be sorry.

Thank you for reading my article.

Barbara Henderson

‘Brighten the Corner Where You Are’

Do not wait until some deed of greatness you may do,
Do not wait to shed your light afar,
To the many duties ever near you now be true,
Brighten the corner where you are.

Refrain

Brighten the corner where you are!
Brighten the corner where you are!
Someone far from harbor you may guide across the bar;
Brighten the corner where you are!

Just above are clouded skies that you may help to clear,
Let not narrow self your way debar;
Though into one heart alone may fall your song of cheer,
Brighten the corner where you are.

Refrain

Here for all your talent you may surely find a need,
Here reflect the bright and Morning Star;
Even from your humble hand the Bread of Life may feed,
Brighten the corner where you are.

Refrain

http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/b/r/brighten.htm

Links to my blog and my books on Amazon

http://tobarbara.blogspot.com

http://amazon.com/author/barbarahenderson

Gossip Hurts Everyone

Take the Gossip Challenge

Without a doubt you know someone who is a gossip because all they do is gossip.  They probably even drool when they hear something ‘good’.  I mean ‘good’ as in really juicy.  It might big.  It might be little.  If it is something they can tell others and cause trouble or get a reaction, then they are happy.

These career gossips may or may not realize they are gossips.  In fact, some of us reading this may need to take a few moments to pause and examine our own lives to see if we (not me of course) ever gossip.

Here is the test for closet gossips.

First, they really don’t like the word ‘gossip’.  They think it is wrong to gossip.  In fact they KNOW it is wrong to gossip.  In order for a person like this to gossip they must first come up with a ‘reason’ to spread around something that should not be spread around.

They think and think and think about some bit of information they have heard until they decide that they need to ‘talk to someone’ about it ‘for the good of the person involved’.  That becomes their excuse to gossip.   He/she says, ‘I know this about the problem Sweet-Nell is having.  I need to talk to Precious-Pete about the situation with Nell.  I will have to tell Pete about the problem so he can help me think up a way to do something about it.’  The gossip tells herself that she just wants to help Nell.  However, what she REALLY wants is to get to tell someone all about the problem Nell is having.  The gossip convinces herself that she is doing it all for a ‘good cause’.  Yeah, right.  The good cause is she wants to gossip.  Gossip is really slander.  It is evil. 

Also, while a gossip is often stereotyped as a woman with nothing to do, gossips are all ages, economic and social levels, and both genders.  Everyone is tempted to gossip.  Some are more predisposed to gossip than others, but no one is exempt from the temptation.

I am not saying that there is never a real reason to seek help or discuss an important matter with someone other than the exact people involved.  However, it is not often.  The main thing is that most things told in secret or overheard somehow do not need to be repeated.  And, they should certainly not be discussed without the express permission of the person/people involved. 

Gossip accuses people of doing something wrong.

The devil is the accuser of the brethren, but gossips do his work for him. 

Revelation 12:10  tells us, ‘And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.’

How the devil must love gossip.  The most famous snake of them all has millions of traitors within the church cowardly accusing their brothers and sisters in Christ of sins, while constantly doing the devil’s work themselves.  Talk about have a log in your eye while telling the world about a speck in someone elses eye!

Gossipers are thieves.  They steal other people’s reputations!  Does anyone know where you go to recover a stolen reputation?  They also steal away friendships.  When a lie has been told about someone to a friend, that friend is hurt.  Their trust in the friend is shaken.  The innocent person winds up trying to restore trust with someone when they haven’t done anything at all. (Of course a friend of many years is not easily taken in by gossip.  However, how many new friendships have been ruined by a gossip?)

Proverbs 16:27 says, ‘An ungodly man diggeth up evil: and in his lips there is as a burning fire.’

A gossip looks for evil in others.  The ungodly are gossips. He/she gossips with a passion like a raging forest fire!

A gossip is a modern day word for a talebearer.  The Bible has some choice words to say about them…

A talebearer revealeth secrets: but he that is of a faithful spirit concealeth the matter.  Proverbs 11:13

This one is really good.  If you hear a rumor, do not repeat it.

The words of a talebearer are as wounds, and they go down into the innermost parts of the belly.  Proverbs 18:8

This is certainly true.  Learning about gossip about yourself or your family or friends does feel like you have been stabbed in the stomach.

He that goeth about as a talebearer revealeth secrets: therefore meddle not with him that flattereth with his lips.  Proverbs 20:19

Pay attention to this one.  If someone is a known gossip do not associate with them.  If you have to be around them be careful to say nothing at all.  Also, try to never be alone with them for a second.  Then you will have a witness if they start gossip about you.

Where no wood is, there the fire goeth out: so where there is no talebearer, the strife ceaseth. Proverbs 26:20

Don’t waste a lot of time trying to explain or stop gossip.  That may
just gives fuel to the fire.  Remove yourself from it. Also, it is my firm opinion that BEFORE you defend a friend in a gossip episode – you need to first ask your friend if he or she WANTS to be defended.  Sometimes it just stirs the pot and keeps the problem going longer.  Once in my experience there was a terrible rumor about a good friend.  A letter to the editor of a local newspaper was written filled with lies about my friend.  I asked him if he wanted me to write a letter in his defense.  He said no thank you because he thought it would only keep the gossip going longer.  The charges were totally and provably false.  He just thought his friends would know they were false and others would not believe they were false no matter what who came to his defense.  He had the final say and I did not write a letter of defense.

What is the result of gossip?

It hurts the gossip.  People may want to listen to a gossip, but no one really likes them.  Certainly no one trusts them.  By the way, a gossip can take the most innocent remark and twist it or exaggerate it into something entirely different.  Once burned, no one trusts a gossip or wants to be around them.

It divides people.  People who might have been good friends based on common interest and beliefs are separated by the hurt that comes from gossip. 

It can crush a church.  One person’s big mouth can cause a church to split entirely.  Efforts to evangelize are completely neutralized by the gossip of one wicked tongue.

It makes the church and Christians look bad to the unsaved world. 

What can you do about gossip?

Start by recognizing the source of gossip or tale-bearing.  It is the devil.  Gossips do the devils work.  Do you work for God or the devil?

Then determine that you will not listen to gossip under any circumstances.  If you are in doubt regarding whether something is gossip or not give it the old ‘THINK’ test.  I know it has been around for years and may be a bit on the corny side.  I also know I have no idea who came up with it in the first place.  It wasn’t me.  Anyway here it is.  When evaluating conversation as to whether or not it has stepped over the line into gossip ask yourself:

Is it True

Is it Helpful
Is it Inspiring
Is it Necessary
Is it Kind
T.H.I.N.K.

Remember true gossips may go through the ‘think’ process and still want to gossip.  That is when they convince themselves that they need to ‘talk it over’ with someone in order to ‘help’.  Gossip destroys the gossip and everything they profess to love.

Do not gossip yourself!

Do not listen to gossip!

Barbara Henderson

Please visit my author page on Amazon Kindle

http://amazon.com/author/BarbaraHenderson

My books are:
Soul Wars Trilogy - books one and two now available
Oh Worship the King
Everyday Prepping for Beginners
Christian Self-Help and Encouragement  2013
(just a collection of articles from my blog http://tobarbara.blogspot.com )

If you get a chance please read my books and recommend them to others.

Thank you all.

Barbara