Graduating Into Eternity
Kathi and her husband sat at the bedside of her 90-year-old mother knowing these were their final moments together. With mixed emotions they watched as she took her last breath and graduated to heaven. Although they long anticipated this day, this hour and this very moment they could never fully prepare. However, they were confident of one thing that brought them peace. They knew without a doubt that they were saying goodbye to her earthly body until they would meet her again.
Kathi said in her recent devotional, “It would be foolish to think that just because we know where she is and that we will see her again that we don’t feel grief or sorrow.”
Kathi experienced much the same thing when her father died almost 12 years ago, though the immediate joy was perhaps a bit more intense, as he didn’t receive Jesus as his Savior until the last week of his life—something they’d prayed for over many years. Kathi’s mom, on the other hand, came to know Christ in a personal way at the age of 50, and God graciously gave her 40 more years to enjoy a relationship with Him before taking her home.
“Whether we are blessed to receive Christ as children and live our entire life with our hand tucked securely in His or we mercifully come to him on our death bed, those of us who bid farewell to born-again loved ones can rejoice even as we grieve. To witness the end of my mom’s earthly suffering was to rejoice that she had at last stepped into the presence of the One who held her in His nail-scarred hands throughout her earthly journey and even as she passed through the valley of the shadow of death.” Kathi said with confidence, ”One day I too will graduate to heaven and will at last see my Savior face to face—as well as all those who have gone on before me.”
Kathi indeed has hope in Christ alone as she mourns the loss of her beautiful mother whom she devoted these past years to love like Jesus, which left her no regret as she watched her mother pass into eternity.
Do you look forward to graduation day with hope?
“But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 4:13-14, NKJV).
Adapted from Kathi Macias’ devotional.
Kathi’s newest release, People of the Book (set in Saudi Arabia and the final installment of the Extreme Devotion series) is now available at most online venues and in bookstores across the country. You can find/order it, along with previously published books, on my website (www.kathimacias.com). Also, watch for news about my Fall 2011 releases, Deliver Me from Evil and A Christmas Journey Home.
Power of Perseverance
Pray with patient endurance. Whatever your pain, whatever your circumstance, whatever difficult person you are dealing with know that you are loved by God. He has not forgotten you. He is with you. You may be reading this at work, in your home, or in a coffee shop.
Wherever you are, God is with you.
While you pray be patient as God works in your heart and in the
heart of the person you are praying for. Consider that God is refining you.
“We also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.” Romans 5:3-5
We don’t see what God is doing as we pray, but know He’s at work in the situation. He is in the process of building our character. Continue to pray. Paul says, “Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, and faithful in prayer,” Romans 12:12.
Don’t give up.
In Luke 18:1-8 ”Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. He said, “In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared about men. And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, ‘Grant me justice against my adversary.’ For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, ‘Even though I don’t fear God or care about men, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t eventually wear me out with her coming!”
find…If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask Him?”
The blessing is on the other side of the storm. God wants us to seek Him with all of our heart and stay faithful in prayer for that difficult person. How bad do you want reconciliation?
Especially in marriage, God wants your relationship to be reconciled, because He hates divorce and what it does to the family. With that said, God tells us to love others as ourselves. When we are being harmed, or our children, or others are being harmed we have a responsibility to protect.
Love always protects, (1Corinthians 13:7).
When there is physical and emotional abuse we must stand for righteousness and protect those being abused. Sometimes merely speaking truth in love will stop the abuse, other times it may mean putting physical space to send a strong message. The consequences we implement for destructive behavior can bring about a repentant heart and ultimately true change.
Either way, seek God with all your heart and read His Word. When we seek God we establish an intimate relationship. When you surrender the situation to God and trust Him, He will direct your path and what you need to do next.
Our ultimate reward for perseverance will come in heaven, promised in James 1:12, “Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.”
Our true reward is Jesus. When we abide in Him through obedience we will have an abundant life here in the midst of our trial. Although the situation may seem overwhelming we will experience His joy, peace and strength. We experience Jesus and there is nothing better than that.
Too many people give up too quickly, not giving God the opportunity to do a good work in the heart and mind of the unlovable. Instead of staying faithful in prayer to gain intimacy with the One true living God we walk away, give-up, stop praying, and reflect little faith in our Mighty God who does miracles and is the Miracle. We miss the blessing of knowing Jesus intimately and seeing Him at work in our lives.
Are you crying out to God for the Miracle?
Cancer Didn’t Change The World – It Changed Me!
Three years ago Terry received the phone call that would make any person cringe. The call came from his family doctor who said, “Terry, I’m sorry to have to tell you this, but you have cancer.”
The moment was surreal and time seemed to stand still for Terry. The pain he saw in the face of his wife and three boys was beyond description…though he understood it because he felt it himself. Questions immediately began flooding his heart as he struggled to understand the purpose of this. He had surrendered his life to Jesus when he was 18 and entered full-time ministry when he was 22. Here he was one week removed from his 46th birthday facing this huge valley. He cried out, “Why, Lord, why???”
Terry said, “My story is not uncommon. Many have walked down the well trodden path of affliction and asked the same questions. In fact, I found a plethora of the similar questions asked by the writers of Scriptures, from Job to David, from Jeremiah and Habakkuk to the Apostle Paul. I was among friends!”
“We always hear how affliction changes our world.” Terry disagrees, “The world remains fallen and in need of redemption. However, suffering changes us. It moves us out of the vanity of self-absorption, youthful lusts and the idolatry of the American dream, and into the needs of others. It teaches us to count our days, redeem the time and seek God’s glory in all things. It makes us men (and women) of faith. Yes, if we have been born of the Spirit, we are all men of faith. However, when we have looked at death face to face, the certainty of our mortality becomes a constant and sober companion.”
Terry believes, ”Regardless of whether our affliction claims our life or not, the change it works in us is of extreme importance to our heavenly Father. Sure we want to survive, but sometimes affliction has much to do with working God’s Love into the core of our being. Our sorrows, torment and crying, all press us into the heart of Christ. Even as a believer, or a church leader, we experience a paradigm shift in our view of God, view of others, and the seriousness of our call.”
In his blog post, Terry said, “I do not know how many years the Lord will allow me to live and preach His glorious gospel. But, as I’ve discussed with my lovely wife Susanne, I know this…the rest of my years will be poured out on the altar of God, not as a means of earning anything, but because His Love has arrested me on a whole new dimension. And I am, by His grace, a debtor to all men.” (Rom.1:14)
“Yes, cancer changed me. The world has not changed, but I certainly view it differently. And now I can thank the Lord for allowing to me walk down this road, and I glory in my infirmities, even the permanent side effects from treatment. Before cancer, I had heard about God’s greatness when in the valley of affliction through the testimony and biographies of old saints. However, now, I have experienced His tender mercies as He held my weakened heart in His hands of grace. My eyes have seen his faithfulness, up close and personal!” (Job 42:5)
If you are in a deep valley, and need someone to listen…Terry is available, because of God’s grace at http://terryivy.com/.
Article adapted from Terry’s blog.
What Happens When You Listen to God
In her prayer she heard God‘s still small voice, “Go to Maharabi.”
Where is Maharabi? Connie thought. After her prayer time she became distracted with busyness.
A few days later in prayer she heard God whisper again, “Go to Maharabi.” This time she stopped to pay attention. Where was Maharabi? She never heard of this place. Getting on the internet Connie discovered this place to be a small village in India.
Connie has a heart to share the gospel that Jesus came to die for our sins to pay the penalty of death for us so that we can be alive in Him today and into eternity with His resurrection power through the gift of the Holy Spirit.
She immediately partnered with a mission team to bring the gospel to Maharabi. The mission organization put Connie in touch with an interpreter in India who would take her to Maharabi. She discovered that her interpreter had recently had a dream where he preached the word of God in Maharabi.
Together, Connie and a man across the world, listened and obeyed the call of God to bring the message of hope to a small village in India. Connie shares what happened when she opened her mouth to speak:
Jesus rules and reigns in Maharabi! Jesus’ name rings throughout Maharabi! Salvation has come to Maharabi!
For seven days my team of five went door to door. Seventy one people professed Christ as their personal Lord and Savior. Praise the name of Jesus! Personally I never experienced anything like it; whole families gave their lives to Christ…. Aunts, Uncles, young and old are hungry for Jesus! God is so good! I’m amazed. All He asked of us to do was open our mouths, and home after home that we entered He filled our mouths with truth.
So many examples of how people came to know Jesus as their Savior; one widow with three children received Christ and afterwards they brought us her relatives, while walking on the road eight young men approached us and all sat and listened to the gospel of the Kingdom and joyfully received the simple plan of salvation.
On my last day in Maharabi the little church was packed with new believers. I shared and encouraged them with the story of Peter‘s failed attempt to walk on water and my battle with cancer. There was not a dry eye in the place. Jesus was there in that little church! Jesus touched their hearts once again…
Truly the harvest is ripe. My cry once again is “Here am I, send me.” Who will come back with me to reap the harvest?
“When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then Jesus said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.” Matthew 9:36-38
Why Should We Pray?
God created us to be in a relationship with Him. Prayer allows us to commune with God. When we take the time to pray He reveals Himself to us and becomes personal, someone we want to spend time with, like a friend.
We also become aware of God’s presence and we experience Him at work in our lives when we pray. That’s why we need to be in constant prayer, even for the littlest things. Nothing is too insignificant for God. He cares about the details.
Some people think that God’s too busy for them. I remember when my son had leukemia and I proclaimed to my Great Aunt Daisy that I was praying for God to heal Connor.
She said, “He’s got more important things to take care of.”
Well, I beg to differ. God healed my son. He also cares about a parking space and me eating right and giving me the words to write for my book. He cares about every detail of my life. And I know this because I know Him and I see His faithfulness.
Open your eyes in the morning and praise Him for another day. Pour yourself a cup of coffee, grab your Bible and a notebook, and give Him your attention. That’s what He wants, just you and Him without distractions, even if it’s for only ten minutes.
Start there and then you’ll want to spend more time with Him. In fact, as you give Him your time you will discover that your time is multiplied. You will accomplish more throughout your day when you begin your morning with Him.
Talk to God as you get ready in the morning and eagerly anticipate with joy what He will do. Throughout your day call upon him for wisdom, direction, inspiration, strength and efficiency. At the grocery store ask Him to help you choose healthy food, before you walk in the door of your home talk to God and listen to what He wants to tell you.
Then, as you go to sleep reflect on your day. Praise Him for being with you throughout your day, confess your short comings and resolve to please Him, thank Him for what He did, and then ask Him for your specific requests. Use the simple acrostic ACTS: Adoration for the most Holy God, Confession, Thanksgiving, and Specific requests.
“Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” 1Thessalonians 5:16-18
Prayer changes your perspective. Why do you pray?
