The house shook...and shook...and shook...

It went on for 50 interminable seconds.  The earthquake measured 7.8 on the Richter scale. Going through our house when it had stopped shaking, we found nothing damaged, nothing fallen; nothing had even shifted its position.  (Just a small stack of disposable cups ended up on the floor.)

But how different those 50 seconds were for so many people on the coast of our country. So far the death toll is over 500, and keeps rising.  Pictures of the disaster break our heart. Coffins are filled and buried by mourning family.  Some people wait for what seems like forever for any sign of a loved one who hasn't been found...yet.  Houses are crushed, possessions smashed.
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God knows all about earthquakes.  They can be so frightening!  In Revelation, a number of earthquakes will accompany the "activities" of the last days.  Even Isaiah said:  "Suddenly, in an instant, the Lord Almighty will come with thunder and earthquake and great noise..."  (29:5-6)

No one in his right mind would actually desire to be smashed under tons of debris...right?  Well, apparently, in the last days, some people might do just that!  Revelation 6:15-17 says that kings, princes, generals, mighty, rich, free and slave:  "...hid in caves and among the rocks of the mountains.  They called to the mountains and the rocks, 'Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb!  For the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?'"  Imagine!  Knowing that they will not pass the judgement favorably, they would prefer to be crushed and obliterated rather than face the Judge.

We've wondered how many of the more-than-400 people who died on the coast were our brothers and sisters in Christ. They are with their Savior!  But how many of them, having perished, will realize that they've lost their chance to be there, too?
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In the wake of such a tragedy, we draw comfort from the psalmist's declaration:  "For the Lord is the great God, the great King above all gods.  In his hands are the depths of the earth, and the mountain peaks belong to Him.  The sea is his, for He made it, and his hands formed the dry land."  (Psalm 95:35)

And we have this promise from our loving Lord:  "'Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken, nor my covenant of peace be removed', says the Lord, who has compassion on you.'"  (Isaiah 54:10)

      LET OUR FAITH AND TRUST IN HIM NEVER BE SHAKEN, EITHER

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But the Final Graduation will the best, by far!

I hadn't thought of graduation as a "rite of passage", but I guess you could call it that. "Rite of passage: a ritual that marks a change from one stage of (social) life to the next".

So here's my son Dan, just turning 5, passing from one stage to another?  Hardly!  It's his kindergarten "graduation" ceremony.  We enrolled him in a tiny private school (in Quito) when he was 4, and they lumped the pre-kinders in with the regular kindergarteners.  Being one of the top students, he graduated with the rest of them, this beginning his sequence of diplomas.

Curious about the origin of the cap and gown, I found that universities in the 12th and 13th centuries used them.  The teachers were usually clerics, who wore long gowns, hoods, and other head-wear, and the students came to use them, too.  (They were worn during the school year, also, not only at the ceremony celebrating the completion of their studies.)  A good reason for wearing robes was that the stone buildings were cold, and the attire helped both teachers and students stay warm!

(This painting is of a 13th century medical school class.)
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We go through different rites of passage - marriage, school graduations, funerals - but the most awesome "change from one stage to another" will come when we have "completed our studies" of Life here on Earth, and reach Heaven to receive our "diploma"!  Eternal life!  (Although for those who never registered for class at the Narrow Way, the final reward won't be so awesome!)

Revelation gives us a glimpse of the rewards we can expect...IF we don't "drop out of School" before we finish the course.

"He who overcomes will, like them, be dressed in white.  I will never erase his name from the book of life."  (3:5)
"To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with Me on my throne."  (3:21)

"He who overcomes will inherit all this, and I will be his God, and he will be my son.."  (21:7)
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Paul gives us a good illustration:  "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.  Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award me on that day - and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing."  (II Timothy 4:7,8)

          So, "Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us."  (Hebrews 12:1)
                          The end result will definitely be worth it!


 

"The closest one can get to God on earth"... (Really??!)

Did you know that you can write a letter to God, and it will be "delivered"?  Just address it to "God, Jerusalem" and it will arrive at His post office box. 

Every year, over 1000 letters arrive in Jerusalem addressed to God (although once in a while they get one for Jesus Christ, the Virgin Mary, King David, or a dead relative).  They come in many languages and from many countries.   Most ask for something, but occasionally there's one like this sweet postcard message: "Dear Jesiu, I love you.  I think of you.  I thank you." On the other hand, there was this message from someone who must have watched televangelists: "I want to thank you very much for the opportunity to participate in your television offer regarding the Christian faith, and for your counsel and awards."  (It was accompanied by a check for one cent!)

What happens to all those letter?  Periodically, all those addressed to God Himself are taken from their envelopes, folded up, and placed in cracks in the "Wailing Wall"...supposedly "the closest man can get to God on earth", to accompany the many other petitions left there.  At intervals, they are removed (to make room for more) and buried on the Mount of Olives.          

The tradition of placing notes in the Wall dates back about 300 years.  Fortunately, we believers in Christ know that for millennia, there has been a much better, much more reliable way to communicate with God ...just talk to Him!  Anywhere...any time...about anything.

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The poetic psalmist observes:  "Where can I go from your Spirit?...if I go up to the heavens, You are there; if I make my bed in the depths, You are there...even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast."  (Psalm 139:7,8,10)

"The Lord is near to all who call on Him, to all who call on Him in truth."  (Psalm 145:18)

 So much easier, don't you agree?  Besides, the Wailing Wall method lacks an extremely important factor:   the senders never get a direct, personal answer; they never get a letter back from God.

We, on the other hand, have at our disposal the most complete, most outstanding, most up-to-date Letter that ever existed: the Bible.  It leaves us no doubt as to His love and His desire to be in constant, direct communication with us, His children. He will speak to us. He will act on our behalf.  He will listen to us, and...
                        
                                                He will always answer!

"Palm Sunday" - a short poem...a spirit's cry. (Are we the same as they?)

                                                           Palm Sunday 

                            You looked down into the hearts in Jerusalem and wept,
                             saddened by the many things that kept
                             the people from truly looking at You.

                            When you look into my heart, do You also weep,
                             saddened by the many things that keep
                             me from truly seeing You?

                             Soon, You'll be killed on the Cross.
                             This, then, is my spirit's cry:
                             that You help me leave these ugly things
                             there with You...to die.

                             After three days, You will be alive again!
                             But must those things that keep me from You
                             be resurrected, too?
                             Never!
                             They must stay nailed to the Cross,
                             dead forever.
                                                                                        (Becky Rhon) 

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"As He approached Jerusalem and saw the city, He wept over it, and said, 'If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace...but...you did not recognize the time of God's coming to you.'" (Luke 19:41,44)    

                            May our hearts always recognize His touch, His voice, 
                                            His presence at our side...
                                               His "coming to us".




 

Turning 62 is OK, as long as I don't turn into an "ultracrepidarian".

Yesterday I had my 62nd birthday.  My daughter asked me if I felt older, and I told her the truth:  "No, I don't.  As far as how I feel, I could be 42."  Maybe it's because age sort of creeps stealthily up on us and takes us by surprise!

I think this baby picture of me was taken when I was almost 2 years old.  It's on my naturalization certificate (I was born in Mexico), dated December 1955 - but I don't know when the photo itself was taken.  Curls all over...but Mom told me that when I was born, I was so bald that when she wanted to put a hair bow on me, she had to tape it to my  head!

No, I don't mind getting older.  But I don't ever want to become an "ultracrepidarian", like some "old" people do.  What is an "ultracrepidarian"?  It's someone who doesn't know what he's talking about! It describes a person whose comments, judgements, advice, etc., are not at all within his/her expertise or knowledge. Actually, one doesn't have to be "old" to qualify!  Lots of younger people fit the description. So instead of telling someone, "You don't know what you're talking about", we can just say, "You are such an ultracrepidarian!"  (What a fun word!)
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Job's "friend" Elihu saw him as suffering from this affliction (even if the word hadn't been invented yet in whatever language he spoke back then!). "So Job opens his mouth with empty talk; without knowledge he multiplies words." (Job 35:16)

Then Job himself admitted it:  "Surely I spoke of things I did not understand."  (Job 42:3)
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I really like Proverbs 19:2:  "It is not good to have zeal without knowledge."  We can be enthused, all fired-up, excited about topics or projects...maybe even consider ourselves "zealous".  But if we don't know enough about the subject, the situation or the scenario, what we say can end up sounding ridiculous...or crazy...or dangerous...or just stupid and annoying.  (And here we thought we sounded so cool and smart and wise!)

The only Person who never, ever could be called an ultracrepidarian is God Himself.  That's so comforting, knowing that whatever He says, He always says it from a position of the highest authority and knowledge, and with the finest, noblest objectives in mind.  So we can trust every word that comes from Him.  He said: "So is the word that goes out of my mouth:  It will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it."  (Isaiah 55:11)
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Because the psalmist trusted what God had said, he wrote "Your promise renews my life."  (Psalm 119:50)

                                  "Every word of God is flawless."  (Proverbs 30:5)
                                       Who better to teach us how to use ours?
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Weird insurances, like...against virgin birth??

You can take your pick of insurance plans for so many things.  How about insuring against attacks by zombies, vampires, or ghosts?  Better yet, insure yourself against alien abduction!  The first company to offer this pays out the enormous amount of $1 - (that's one dollar) - a year,  either until you die or for a million years...whichever comes first.  (After all, who knows how long one can live with alien technology?) 

But the weirdest one I've read about is insurance against virgin birth...(an "immaculate conception"...like Mary's  2000 years ago).  Three sisters in Europe (presumably virgins)  have taken this policy out, in case one of them is chosen to give birth to the Messiah at His Second Coming.  After all, it would take a lot of money to rear Jesus!

They're pretty mixed up, aren't they? Jesus' birth so long ago was a piece of history that will never be repeated. What makes these sisters believe that when Jesus comes again, He's once more going to be born to a virgin? As most of us know, that's not even close to what the Bible tells us!

"At that time...they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory.  And He will send his angels with a loud trumpet call..."  (Matthew 24:30,31)

At Jesus' ascension, angels told the disciples, "This Jesus, who has been taken from you into Heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen Him go into Heaven."  (Acts 1:11)  NOT "the same way He came the first time"!
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How blessed we are to have that heavenly hope, that feeling of amazing anticipation, the eternal excitement of knowing that Jesus our Messiah will return!  (If you don't feel that way about it...something's wrong!)  Many years ago, in Australia, I actually asked Jesus to wait a while before coming back!  I was pregnant with my first child, and I wanted to know what it was like to be a mother before He returned.  Then I had a dream that changed my whole outlook.  It was incredible, awesome!  (Do you want to know what it was like? I wrote about it in another post.  Here's the link: A dream of Jesus' return
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Having insurance (health, life, auto, etc.) can be a smart thing, assuring us of  help to cope with whatever comes our way.  How about in our souls and spirit?  There we have the assurance of our Father's love and strength to help us cope "with whatever comes our way".

"So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and I will help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."  (Isaiah 41:10)
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Paul said, "I know Whom I have believed and am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him until that day."  (II Timothy 1:12)

Until Jesus comes again, we can say with Job, "As for me, I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last He will take his stand upon the earth."  (19:25) 

"Curse your neighbor?"

It sure took him by surprise!  My husband Germán was invited to preach at a church in El Paso.  After the meeting, people came up to talk to him and ask for prayer, etc.  One man's request was totally unexpected.  "I'd like you to put a curse on my neighbor!"  Oh my!

The poor fellow obviously had the wrong idea...about a lot of things!  Germán did his best to straighten him out.  The curse this guy was thinking of was the kind associated with black magic.  And those curses can be very real.  But there is another aspect to the whole scenario of "cursing", one which has nothing to do with witchcraft...and everything to do with being fallen human beings!

A curse is also defined as rude or offensive words directed in anger, or wishing something evil or unpleasant to happen to someone with whom you're angry.  Most of us would never dream of contacting a real witch and asking for a magic curse.  But many of us have trouble keeping unloving, injurious words from slipping out when we're mad!
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Describing the problem:
"With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God's likeness.  Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing.  My brothers, this should not be."  (James 3:9,10)

"With their mouths they bless, but in their hearts they curse."  (Proverbs 62:4)

What to do:
"Bless those who persecute you, bless and do not curse."   (Romans 12:14)

"We work hard with our own hands.  When we are cursed, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure it; when we are slandered, we answer kindly."   (I Corinthians 4:12,13)
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Examples:
Jesus: "When they hurled their insults at Him, He did not retaliate; when He suffered, He made no threat.  Instead, He entrusted Himself to Him who judges justly."   (I Peter 2:23)

Angels: "Yet even angels, although they are stronger and more powerful, do not bring slanderous accusations...in the presence of the Lord."  (II Peter 2:11)     (So who are we to try it?!)
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  God's challenge:

"See, I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse - the blessing if you obey the commands of the Lord your God... the curse if you disobey the commands of the Lord your God and turn from the way that I command you..."   (Deuteronomy 11:26-28)

That's the kind of curse to really do something about!  God handles all that kind of stuff so much better than we do!  Let's leave it to Him.


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If we're careful about this...there's even a reward!  "Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing."   (I Peter 3:9)

And don't worry if others "curse" you, in any form.  Here's a verse I hadn't really noticed before:  "Like a fluttering sparrow or a darting swallow, an undeserved curse does not come to rest."  (Proverbs 26:2)

All we have to do is live in such a way that ANY curse, insult, etc. directed our way would be undeserved!

                                                         Help us, Lord!
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