Faithful and True

Rev 19:11    I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and wages war.

Rev 19:12    His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself.

Rev 19:13    He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God.

Rev 19:14    The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean.

Rev 19:15    Coming out of his mouth is a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. "He will rule them with an iron scepter." He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty.

Rev 19:16    On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.  NIV

At this festive time of year, we hear a lot about the baby Jesus wrapped in swaddling clothes, and how He came to earth with  the announcement of bringing "good tidings of great joy."  For over 2000 years, nations all over the world have been celebrating His birth and proclaiming His good news. Through Him, we are saved and given new life, when we receive Him and His finished work on the cross because He sacrificed His own life for us at the age of 33.  Then He died and rose again and lives forevermore in heaven with His Father.  He also dwells in the hearts of all those who believe in Him and trust Him as their personal Lord and Savior.

But this morning the words "faithful and true" kept coming to mind and the verses above had particular meaning for me, especially after the Newton tragedy where 20 children were killed.  Some people may question where God is when such a thing happens.  My heart goes out to all the parents and anyone affected by this tragedy of so many young lives lost, and also the teachers and principal whose lives were taken.  I pray for God's comfort in a very special, real and tangible way at this time.  A few days after the tragedy, the Lord gave me a vision, which I recently shared on my Facebook page.  Here it is:

I see Jesus and his white robes, and the glow of His deep love and compassion surrounding the slain children. He's gathering them in His strong arms of love and protection. Then they are gone and the room is empty, swept clean. All that is left is His assuring presence.

He is Lord of all and in all circumstances, He reigns supreme.

It is the last part that was especially revealed to me.  HE IS LORD OF ALL AND IN ALL CIRCUMSTANCES HE REIGNS SUPREME.  This is extremely significant to me because, in spite of the many human atrocities that occur in our fallen world, Jesus is still on the throne, He is still in control, and this is His world and always will be.  No one owns the earth or any part of it; we are simply renting a space, and all is on loan while we are allotted our time on this earth.  Evil will not rule forever, even though it may seem like it is out of control. 

So at this time of great loss and also celebration of Jesus' birth, may we keep in our hearts and mind that Jesus is King of Kings and Lord of Lords.  May His excellent and glorious name be continuously praised.  

Grief and Gifts from God

Jas 1:17  Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. NIV

Rom 11:29  for God's gifts and his call are irrevocable (unalterable). NIV

Its Christmas time and this is the time of year when our emotions can run high.  We fluctuate between the joy of the celebration, and the sadness of remembering those we love that are no longer with us.  Financial pressures mount as we want to take in as many festivities as we can, and we want to buy appropriate gifts for our loved ones and friends.  Some of us want to remember to help the needy as well.  Today I want to talk about grief and some insights the Lord has opened up to me.  Above all, I think it’s appropriate for this time of year.

This past year has been difficult for me in terms of grief.  In the late winter, almost a year ago, we discovered that one of our beloved cats had an inoperable internal problem, and he was suffering, so we had to make the difficult decision to put him down.  We still have his brother with us.  At first when we got these two cats, I was really hesitant because I had just lost my orange tabby of 15 years, days before and the pain was so great I wondered how I could go on. But the Lord had gently assured me that these two black cats would be no problem.  He didn’t tell me I’d only have one of them for five years, and then I would lose him.  He didn’t tell me that I would grieve so much for so long and wonder if I’d ever stop feeling so much pain.  After my cat died, the Lord kept saying, “Your joy will be full,” and I keep waiting for that to happen.  But today I realized that there is a purpose in all this pain and suffering.  Each person in our life, whether it’s a child, a friend, a spouse, or even a pet, is a gift from God.  But in our busy day-to-day lives, we often take for granted the great gifts God has given us, even to the point of taking God for granted.

Some thoughts went through my mind about God’s gifts being irrevocable.  If my cat was a gift from Him, then why was he allowed to be taken from me when he was only five years old?  Other people who have suffered great loss came to mind, friends that lost babies and children, and some have lost both parents and siblings as well.  We hear of huge losses, and many this year in our own city, where many young people senselessly died in freak car accidents, some leaving behind small children, others just beginning their your adult lives.  Two young girls in their 20s both died in a house fire, one leaving behind a small boy.  For families and loved ones left behind, it is and can be so devastating and painful as they go through the grieving process.  Today, I wondered, why do some grieve and grieve and never seem to heal from the pain of these great losses?  What would God have us learn from all this pain and suffering?

I had to ask myself what I have learned from this on-going grief from losing my cat.   One thing was a surprise to me, and that is that I made him an idol, because so much of my time and energies went to thinking about how much I missed my cat.  Gifts are just that – gifts.  They are not and should not be our whole life.  Only the Lord can be our whole life because we are commanded to love Him with ALL our heart, soul and mind.  So I have had to repent of making my cat into an idol, whereas my love and energies should have been focussed on the Lord.  I also learned that when it comes to grief, Jesus took all our pain and suffering on the cross when He died for us.  We don’t have to bear it.  He already bore it for us:

Isa 53:3  He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

Isa 53:4  Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.

Isa 53:5  But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.

Everyone grieves a little differently.  Some make a point of remembering their loved ones on their death anniversary, and they write memorials.  They never want to forget the people who meant so much to them.  For me, I try to reach out to those who are alive and in need in some way right now.  This gives me the most peace and provides a healing balm for my sometimes troubled and sad soul.  Those who are gone have lived their life in the time they were allotted.  Now life still remains for me and many others who are reading this right now.  So we must carry on and help each other through life.

Yes, pain and suffering have a definite purpose and a place in our lives, but I believe that it is only for a time, and then we must seek to move on, and live fully, richly and with great purpose.  Suffering can most definitely make us better, but too much suffering and for the wrong reason can make us bitter and serve no useful purpose, especially when it comes to the things of God.  We are never to become immobilized by our grief and suffering. We are to continue to live a life that is praiseworthy to God and be thankful in all things. There is a time we must let go of our grieving and trust God fully with our lives.  Perhaps today it is your time.

May we, like Job, be able to say:

Job 23:10  But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold.

This Christmas season, there will be many people who are grieving and will need a friend and some Christmas cheer.  This is an opportunity to bear one another’s burdens, and offer friendship and encouragement.  After all, isn’t this all a big part of what Christmas is all about?