Saints Who Have Gone On To Glory

Week 21

Who are these saints who have gone on to glory? Hebrews 11:1-2 tells us that faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. It is by faith that we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible. The entire eleventh chapter of Hebrews describes the ancients who believed in God and the promise he made even though they never saw it come to pass. But then we move into Hebrews 12:1 “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.”

I was praying one day and thanking God for my ancestors who were Christians and had passed their beliefs on to their children and grandchildren down the line to myself. It just struck me as wonderful that those who had gone before me left me such a remarkable legacy. As I was offering my prayer of thanks, I saw those ancestors on the other side of heaven waiting for me to join them. I remember thinking that those saints who had gone on before me were also waiting for me to join them. They were probably cheering me on from heaven. Watching and waiting. I had a vision of being surrounded by them. They were before me in heaven and behind me as my ancestors and those who passed on the heritage of Christianity.

In Exodus 20:4-6 God himself makes a promise. “You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.”

Faith is a personal thing, just because my grandmother was a Christian doesn’t mean that I will become one. But I have a greater chance of being a Christian because of what the Lord says in Deuteronomy 6:4-9 “Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all you heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your forehead. Write them on the door frames of your houses and on your gates.”

Having Godly parents will give us the foundation on which we can build our own faith walk. They will teach us and instruct us, but it is up to us as individuals to come to a personal knowledge of Christ Jesus. 

Many people come to this personal knowledge through believing friends, in-laws, neighbors, co-workers. It doesn’t have to be a parent or grandparent who shows the way. I am also a firm believer that people don’t come to Christ unless someone prays for them. Another argument for the generational faith. 

So, who prayed for you to come to the knowledge of Christ? I know that my grandma prayed for me and I also know that my mother prayed. Who are you praying for? Who do you know that doesn’t come from a godly background and needs to know about Christ? We can actually pray people into the Kingdom of God. 

Whenever I think of my Grandma Fisher, I get an image of her praying for me from the time I was born, as I grew up and even today I picture her looking down from heaven and praying for me to continue on the right path.

I have done and will continue to do the same thing for my children, grandchildren and maybe even some day great grandchildren. The heritage that I have received from my own parents is important to me. Eternity is something that I want to experience with all my family.

It was amazing to me that I had a great grandfather six times removed, who wrote down his testimony. What a legacy he has shared with each of his children, grandchildren and those who knew him personally. 

In writing this book, I hope that I am sharing my testimony with the generations that will follow me. That as they learn more about me through the written word, they would also learn more about my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

If we think about those who have shared Christ with us, we probably all have memories of the kind of person they were, or are. There was a dear lady who was our pastors wife. She taught a group of us who were quite young at the time. We were mostly young married couples with very small children. I know that at times, she was probably totally frustrated with us, but she persevered. Every Sunday morning she taught us from the scripture.

She is the one who opened my eyes to the old testament. Before that time, I hadn’t really thought that the old testament could add anything of relevance to my life. It seemed so outdated. I learned so much from her teaching and she taught us from her own life experiences. That is extremely important. Just knowing the words of the Bible isn’t enough. There have to be examples. We have to be able to  apply the word of God to our daily lives in practical ways.

Paul wrote to the Corinthians, “You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everybody. You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone, but on tablets of human hearts.” 2 Corinthians 3:2-3. 

I want to be that sort of Christian. One who is remembered as a disciple of Christ. A letter from him. An ambassador on this earth always doing what Christ would have me do. What is the best way for this to happen? We have to know the word of God and have it engraved on our hearts so that no matter what the situation we find ourselves in, the Spirit will remind us of one of the promises of God. These promises are important to help us get through the difficult times.

As I go through my daily life there are times when I am sure that someone is praying me through. Today was one of those kind of days for me. I woke up tired. I hadn’t slept well all night, I was having some physical pain and I knew there was no possible way I could call in sick. I had to get the job done today. What was I going to do?

The Holy Spirit reminded me that I am a child of God. I asked the blood of Jesus to cover me and I asked Jesus to guide me through the day. The day turned out better than I could have imagined. I know longer felt sick, I was able to concentrate on the task at hand and the day went very quickly. I know that it was partly due to my persevering, but also I had to throw off the things that would hinder me. Pain, self-pity, these things had to go. I am sure that as I threw these things away, there was a cheering section of saints watching and applauding me. The saints that have gone on before me.

Heavenly Father,

I give you praise and I am so very thankful for my ancestors who were obedient in sharing the gospel message. Thank you for diligent teachers, for loving friends and for godly parents and grandparents. I am so blessed and as a result, I choose to be a blessing to others. Show me how to share the good news, give me opportunities to be a living letter and pass on the message that I have received. May you be glorified in my life and may I pass on this heritage to my children and grandchildren. In the name that is eternal and everlasting, Jesus. Amen

Intercessory Prayer

Week Twenty

Intercessory Prayer

Interceding is defined by Webster as prayer, petition or entreaty in favor of another to intervene between parties with a view to reconciling differences, to mediate.  

We can know in our minds what interceding is all about, but knowing in our hearts is the most important part of being an intercessor. Have you ever been so sick or grief stricken that you couldn’t pray? Have you ever been in so much mental or physical pain that you didn’t have the strength to pray? Have you ever been so confused or dismayed that you didn’t know what to ask the Lord for? I hope that you had someone to intervene in your behalf when you were unable to pray. 

But intercession isn’t about you needing prayer, it is about others in need of prayer. Others who are grief stricken, physically ill, mentally confused, spiritually lost or hurt. Someone who is unable to pray for themselves. Someone who is hurting. They need someone who will petition the throne of heaven for them. They need someone who will mediate when they are not able. They need an intercessor.

Before we can pray for others though, we need to put ourselves in their place. We need to know how it feels to be sick, to grieve, to experience pain, heartbreak, utter confusion, complete loss. We need to have compassion for others in need. The best way to know those needs is to have experienced those needs ourselves. 

The more we experience life and its ups, downs, ins and outs; the more we suffer, the greater capacity we have to pray for those in need. Because we can actually feel their pain. As we remember our own suffering, the despair we felt, the way that pain removes the ability to be able to think calmly and clearly. These experiences have brought us to a higher plane. 

We are able to relate. That is exactly what Jesus did when he came to earth to bear our sins. He was able to relate to every temptation that we would ever have. He knew what pain was and can speak to the father in our behalf when we are in pain. He knew what it felt like to be betrayed. He knew what it was like to have people ridicule him. He experienced rejection, he experienced loneliness, he even experienced complete separation from God. 

This week as I have been focusing on intercessory prayer, the Lord has spoken to me in a beautiful way. He gave me an illustration of what intercessory prayer is all about.

The other morning I woke up early, I couldn’t get back to sleep and the things in my life that are out of my control kept coming to mind. I laid in bed thinking and praying for myself. “Oh God, what am I going to do about our finances? Dear Lord, what can I do for my son, David and the mess he’s gotten himself in? Dear Jesus, restore my health.” I went on and on for hours until finally, I guess God had had enough of me whining. He said just as clearly as I am speaking right now, “Marsha, let’s make an exchange. You cast all your cares upon me, because I care for you. And in return, I ask that you pray for your aunt, Lillian who just had back surgery. Pray for George, a fellow at church who is grieving the death of his wife of 34 years. Lift up Geraldine, who has not yet received Christ as her personal savior. Pray in behalf of Wanda, who just had a toe amputated.”

It was like a light bulb went on in my head... now I get it. Forget about myself and the problems that I have, just quit trying to figure them out. Give my burdens to the Lord and forget about them - let him take care of them. Instead I should focus my energy on those that the Lord puts on my heart, those with needs that I can meet. A note, a call, a dinner invitation, a prayer for someone who is too sick to pray for themselves. A prayer in behalf of someone the Lord cares for and someone I care for also. 

The rest of the day every time one of my worries would pop into my head, I would pray for one of those that the Lord asked me to pray for. I spent the entire day interceding for those dear folks that God had put in my heart.

When I think about Jesus and what he is doing right now, I always remember the passage in Hebrews. “Now there have been many of those priests, since death prevented them from continuing in office, but because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood. Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.” Hebrews 7:23-25.

That is what he does for us day in and day out. He is seated at the right hand of God, he is watching us and listening to us lift needs to him. He then turns to the Father and makes our requests known. He sees us when we are confused, when we are experiencing pain, when we fail, when we grieve. He knows what we need before we ask for it. When we lift the needs of others, when we set aside our own desires and think about what others need, he hears those prayers and will turn to God with those requests. 

He has experienced our pain and knows that we need his compassion. He is compassionate and promises never to leave us. 

Intercession is a beautiful way to pray. It gets our minds off ourselves and puts the focus on others and that is exactly what the gospel is all about. Loving our neighbors as ourselves. Jesus prayed for the needs of others so many times. He longed to bring people before the Father and he wants us to do the same.

Who do you know right now who needs someone to say a prayer for them? Who do you know that is lonely, hurting, in pain, confused, sad? How could you intercede for them?

A prayer of intercession might sound something like this.

Heavenly Father, I know that you are a big God. I know that you are able to meet the needs of everyone in the world all at the same time. I worship you and give you praise because you are worthy of praise. Today I want to lift the needs of those who, for one reason or another can’t pray for themselves right now. 

Father, I ask that you touch Lillian’s body and help her to recover from back surgery. Mend her body and help her to be pain free. 

Lord, I ask that you comfort George. If you can use me to minister to him, please give me wisdom to know how and opportunities to do so. Send people to help fill the void that he feels in his loss. Give those who minister to him the ability to listen and share in his loss. 

I want to pray for Geraldine and the emptiness that she is experiencing in her life. She wants to have custody of her children again, but even more importantly, she is seeking to find you. I pray that you put Christians in her pathway to help lead her to you. I offer myself as a teacher to help her find you. I ask that you protect her from the evil one who does not want her to know your salvation. We will give you the praise when her name is written in the Lamb’s book.

Father, Wanda is a loving Christian lady, she trusts in you completely, but right now she is experiencing physical pain and the doctors don’t seem to know what is causing it. I lift her up to you Lord. Give her doctors wisdom, give Wanda peace, help her financially as she has to take time off work. Just meet every need she has and bless her in a special way.

These prayers I offer in the name of Jesus the Christ, the anointed one. Thank you for hearing my prayers and answering them in your time, in your way. Amen

Intercessory prayer is one way that we can build up and encourage the body of Christ. We are told in Ephesians 6:14-18 "Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all that, take up the shield of faith with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God, and pray in the spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests with this in mind. Be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints."

Intercession is not something that only a few people in each congregation should do, but rather it is an obligation of believers. We are expected to pray for one another. Jesus is our example. He is continually at the Father’s right hand interceding for us. We should be doing the same.

In James the church is instructed to ask for prayer. “Is anyone among you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? He should sing praises. Is there anyone who is sick? He should send for the church elders, who will pray for him and rub olive oil on him in the name of the Lord. This prayer made in faith will heal the sick person; the Lord will restore him to health, and the sins he has committed will be forgiven. So then, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, so that you will be healed. The prayer of a good person has a powerful effect.” James 5:13-16.

When your troubles are overwhelming, ask someone to pray with you and for you. But also remember to cast your cares on the Lord. Then focus on someone else’s need. Ask the Holy Spirit to remind you to pray for someone else. Stand in the gap for a brother or sister who just can’t pray for themselves.

God will take care of your needs by having someone else pray for you. That’s what this Christian fellowship is all about. We are one in the spirit and the Holy Spirit can give your need to someone else. Maybe someone who has been through what you are going through and remembers the pain, the torment. Someone who will have compassion for you.

Spider Web Christians

Week Nineteen

Spider Web Christians

Believers of Christ are joined together in a unique way. It is our belief that Christ is the son of God, that he lived on earth as a sinless man, that he was crucified, sacrificed to take away the sins of the world, that he rose from the dead and that he will come back one day to take all those who believe in him to heaven to live eternally with him and with God. This belief in Christ connects believers to one another. It isn’t the believing that gives us power, but the promise Christ Jesus gave to the believers that he would send his Holy Spirit to empower his church.

Jesus told his disciples the night before he was crucified, “Now I am going to him who sent me, yet none of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ Because I have said these things you are filled with grief. But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. When he comes he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgement; in regard to sin, because men do not believe in me; in regard to righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; and in regard to judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned.” John 16:5-11

When Jesus appeared to his disciples after he had been resurrected, he told them. “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Matthew 1:8.

The promised Holy Spirit entered the church on Pentecost and the believers who before had been followers of Christ, became leaders in a movement that is growing yet today. Not because of their power, but because the Holy Spirit of God indwells believers of Jesus the Christ. 

As believers of Christ we have a responsibility that accompanies this empowerment. We are to spread the good news around the world. But we are not in this alone, we are all connected because the Holy Spirit is one entity. He is not fragmented, he is not a bunch of little spirits, but one spirit. 

Therefore, each person who has accepted Christ and his sacrifice has God’s Spirit living inside. This Spirit is put there to convict the world of sin, of righteousness and of judgment. As believers we have the power within us to convict the world of sin, of righteousness and of judgment. We are also a network of fellow believers around the world who support one another in our efforts to spread the gospel message.

I may hear the Spirit of God ask me to pray for a missionary in Uganda one day and reach out to a non-believer in my home town the next day. Every person who becomes a believer is given a job within the universal church. The Holy Spirit wants to use us to spread the message of what Jesus has done. He waits for us to ask him what to do. 

“In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will.” Romans 8:26-27.

It seems unbelievable that the God of the universe would be able to speak to us on a one on one basis, but the Holy Spirit makes the impossible possible. Jesus could only be in one place at a time while he walked on the earth as a man, but his spirit can live in every person on the face of the earth if they have a belief in him.

We, as believers, just don’t understand the magnitude of this power. We continue to live under our own power most of the time and the things we accomplish are done many times by our feeble minds and bodies. How much more could we do to advance the kingdom if we let God’s Holy Spirit direct us? The things done by the spirit have eternal lasting value that we may never know about on this earth. God’s ways are not our ways.

Every once in awhile we are permitted to see just how the Holy Spirit works. A few years ago I heard about a financial need some friends had. The Holy Spirit spoke to my heart to share this with another friend. She immediately put $100 in an envelope and asked me to give it to them. She didn’t want them to know where it came from. When I arrived at their home that day they couldn’t understand why I felt the need to do this. They said they didn’t have a financial need. But since they knew the Lord had asked me to do this, they accepted the gift.

Fast forward about two months. Those same friends used that money to purchase a ticket to Promise Keepers. They gave the ticket to a friend who had no idea what he was getting himself into. His wife had been going to their church and they wanted to include him in the event.  His life was transformed that day. He gave his life to Christ and today he is a mentor with the youth in his church and has served the local Chrysalis community for a number of years. He is totally sold out to Jesus. Why? Because the  Holy Spirit used me to mention a need, he prompted my friend to offer some money, and he directed the recipients of that gift to purchase a ticket to Promise Keepers for a friend.

How many times has the Spirit of God prompted you to do something that seemed odd or goofy? If we listen to God’s Spirit and let him lead us, it is hard telling what he can accomplish.

It is time for Christians world wide to make that connection with one another, to let God’s Spirit direct us and to act when directed. We will find people in our web without even knowing how they got there. The Spirit wants to use us to glorify God.

Holy, Righteous God,

You are Lord God Almighty, maker and sustainer of the universe. That you would entrust us as dwellings of your Holy Spirit is a mystery to us. We do not know what to do with that kind of power. We just don’t utilize your Spirit as Christ intended. 

Teach us how to ask for and hear your voice speaking to us. Help us to lose our timidity and to do the things your Spirit tells us to do. We know that you know each one of us, and that you would not ask us to do anything that we are not equipped to do. If you want us to do something for the kingdom, you will give us the grace to do it. Thank you for that promise. Forgive us for failing to listen to you, forgive us for falling short time and time again. We ask these things because we believe, help us in our unbelief. In the mighty name of Jesus. Amen.

If I Could Go Back In Time...

If I could go back in time and tell my teenage self one thing, what would I say?

As a teenager growing up in the 60s, I had high hopes of making a difference in the world and expectations of achieving greatness through my own power.

I would tell that young woman that the best way for her to make a difference and achieve her expectations would be through the power of God and His holy Spirit within her. Until you learn to lean on, depend on and rely on God for direction and guidance, whatever you accomplish on your own, is only second rate. The things you do in Jesus' name will bring eternal glory.

I have learned that it is the seemingly small things that we do for others that give us the greatest rewards. We don't have to be famous or rich to live a fulfilled life. The key to achieving greatness and making a difference in the world is being available for God to use us as He sees fit. 

Get into an intimate relationship with the one who created you and your life will be well-lived.

Being Oaks of Righteousness

Week eighteen

Being Oaks of Righteousness

When Jesus began his earthly ministry he read this scripture. “The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion - to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting for the Lord for the display of his splendor.” Isaiah 61: 1-3

God is looking for people who want to become oaks for him. Oak trees are one of the most important trees in the world and are symbols of strength. They are used for lumber and fuel. There may be as many as 75 species of oaks in the United States. The fruit from the oak tree, is the acorn and these acorns serve as food for deer, squirrels and racoon. 

Why would God want people to be like oak trees? What sort of symbolism is there for us to want to model our lives after? 

When we think of how an oak tree begins, it is amazing. The oak starts as an acorn. An acorn looks nothing like the tree it will become. Our faith is like that acorn. When we first accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior we are like that acorn. Everything that we need to become mighty oaks of righteousness is within us. Within an acorn is all that it needs to become a tree. When we are born, God has created us for a purpose. He has a plan for each person in the world. The potential to become what he envisoned us to be is there. Just like the ability to become an oak tree is within each acorn.

There is a conscious effort needed to plant that acorn. If it doesn’t get planted, it will never become a tree. There are many acorns that are never planted, many that are scattered across the earth and never get the opportunity to become the trees that they could be because they either never heard the word of God or they refused to believe it. It is up to each one of us whether we will accept Christ into our hearts. Believing in Christ is the first step toward becoming an Oak tree. 

Once we accept the gift God has given us, the gift of eternal life, the gift of forgivness, the potential within us takes on a new life. The seed, the acorn has been planted. Planting for Christians comes in the form of joining a body of believers. Once Jesus has come into your heart, you need to nurture that faith and increase it. 

An acorn that is planted soon becomes a little twig. This little twig needs some protection and care to grow straight and tall. It will need some pruning also to form it into the great oak it has the potential to become. 

New believers need support and guidance to become the display of God’s splendor that he intended. God will provide the pruning necessary to produce more branches. We have to yield ourselves to God daily and learn to trust him as he teaches us and guides us.

This is where being in a good Bible based church and surrounding yourself with true disciples of Christ makes a big difference. Believers will not grow if they are not nourished and fed the word of God on a regular basis.

As the tree grows, and this process takes years, there will be many storms of life that will threaten it. There may even be lightening strikes, but if that tree is rooted firmly in the ground, secure in God’s presence, no matter what assails it, the tree will stand firm. That is the place all believers want to reach. A place of complete peace and trust.

This is a process. I can imagine that some of the trials I have been going through lately would have totally destroyed me 20 years ago. But today I know that God will help me through any storm that may come my way. When a loved one dies, when there are financial problems, when we go through sickness or pain, these are the times that we grow. These are also the times when we learn to rely on God.

As an Oak tree grows, it sends out branches in three different directions. The lower limbs of mature trees bend toward the ground. These branches can be likened to mature believers who reach out to those people who don’t know the Lord yet. These are people who are living lives for this world. They haven’t heard the good news and accepted Christ Jesus as their Lord and master yet.

The branches half way up the oak reach out laterally. These branches connect with other trees around them. These branches could represent the fellowship of believers. We need to help and encourage others in the faith. As mature oaks, we have much to share with newer believers and our life experiences can make a difference in the lives of others.

The top branches reach toward heaven and as mature oaks, we are in the world but not of the world. We need to continuously seek God and realize that our true home is in heaven. We are only ambassadors here on this earth. Picture believers with their hands raised in praise to God.

As true believers we have a long way to go to become mighty Oak trees. But remember that it is a process. It won’t happen overnight and God will not give up on us. It is up to us to want to grow, we do have a choice. I’m not sure just how long Oak trees can live. I know that they are some of the most stately trees in the world. I also know that when they are cut down they make some of the most long lasting furniture. Oak trees are still useful even when they are dead. I guess that is what we can hope for.

Heavenly Father,

We are so grateful that you are patient with us and that you grow us up into the mature Christians that you created us to be. Thank you for letting us grow at a pace that is suitable for each one of us. Help us to remember that all those around us are also works in progress. That not everyone is growing at the same rate or in the same manner. That you are the one who is in control and that we are to encourage one another and reach out to the lost. May all the things that we say and do bring glory to your name. Because of Christ Jesus. Amen