“. . . then I will hear from Heaven . . . .”

“. . . if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”  II Chronicles 7:14 NIV

We have arrived at a time in history where America has only one possibility of being spared radical judgment by God:  either repent and return, or be destroyed, like Sodom and Gomorrah, from within and without.  Constantly, I pray for American churches (once Christian, but now in name only) to return to God, His Word, and righteous living. 

Like many others, I believe the day is drawing near when the Lord Jesus will rapture His own to Himself before the Great Tribulation—that final judgment on Israel before Jesus returns with the Church, to redeem Israel and His people the Jews, and begin His Millennial rule from Jerusalem.

Now the USA, once a beacon of hope for millions, has fallen.  Decadence and wickedness rule in high places, and immorality is rampant across our land.  And our government, long the world’s chief defender of God’s people the Jews, has turned from Israel with incredible measures to hold hands and bargain with Iran—a prime exporter of worldwide Islamic terrorism, a nation that has publically shouted “Death to America!”

All of this has been prophesied again and again throughout the centuries, before and after the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ.  All of this is literally occurring before the eyes of those who are not too blind to see and comprehend.

I pray that the mighty wind of revival will sweep across America, resulting in repentance and the salvation of millions before the Rapture.  May the church in the United States be redeemed and reclaimed way beyond its former position of influencing lifestyle and government, before that point of no return!

As I pray, I offer the above Scripture plus God’s account of Abraham bargaining with God in a futile attempt to save Sodom from destruction:

“Then Abraham said, ‘May the Lord not be angry, but let me speak just once more.  What if only ten (righteous men) can be found there?’  God answered, ‘For the sake of ten I will not destroy it.’ ”  Genesis 18:32 NIV                   

In the United States of America, there are still far more than “ten righteous men”.  There are still countless righteous men, women, and children who are dismayed and heartbroken over the condition of our nation.  May more and more of these individuals muster up the courage to speak out—although doing so may very well mean suffering, loss, and possibly even persecution! 

I’m trusting our merciful Lord for that revival of His Spirit, and the redemption of countless more to repent of the evil which has permeated America.  I’m trusting God for America’s return to the life-saving position of being Israel’s chief friend and defender. 

I keep thinking of Meriam Yehya Ibrahim, that incredibly valiant woman who was recently freed from a Sudanese prison where she delivered a baby amidst torture and threats of “Convert to Islam or die!”  This young mother knew she had eternal life in Jesus Christ, and she refused to recant her faith in God regardless of consequences.  May we Americans exhibit that kind of commitment and love for the Lord Jesus—the love which will cling to Him no matter what! 

Then God will hear from Heaven! 

Margaret L. Been, March 2015

A Personal Note:  I’ve been praying and reflecting over the candidates for nomination to run in the 2016 election.  I will still pray for God’s wisdom and guidance, but now one of God’s men has fearlessly declared his intention—an outspoken Senator who consistently swims upstream in Washington rather than going with the flow. 

The fact that Ted Cruz announced his intention to run for the nomination at Liberty University speaks volumes.  May God protect this man from evil within and without, preserve his dedication to righteous living and God-honoring government, and use him mightily as an instrument for change!  MLB

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“Study to be quiet”!

“. . . . And that you study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you;  That you may walk honestly toward them that are without, and that ye may have lack of nothing.”  I Thessalonians 4:11-1

Ladies in our church are currently delving into I Thessalonians, via an excellent study called “While We Wait”.  Paul’s loving instructions and admonitions to this fledgling church are applicable to all believers, whether young or mature—today and for all time. 

The above passage of Scripture has been one of my life verses, a life motivator and actual lifeline to me for decades.  It’s always helpful to read a passage in more than one Bible translation.  In the case of I Thessalonian 4:11-12,  digging into several translations has been tremendously valuable to me, for shedding an in-depth light on God’s Word.

Regarding Paul’s command to be quiet, both the NIV and NASB translations of verse 11 say:  “. . . and make it your ambition . . . .”

The New King James Version reads:  “. . . that you also aspire . . . .”

The Amplified Bible tells us a bit more by saying “. . . make it your ambition and definitely endeavor . . . .”

But for me, the original King James says it all:  “And that you study . . . .”

All the above-mentioned translations stress the importance of being quiet.  We are to mind our own business, allow our Lord to fill us with His peace, cultivate a relaxed attitude, even refrain from speech—as we work to supply our own needs so that we can walk (live, deport oneself) honestly toward others in need, without burdening anyone else.

Doing my own work, i.e. working with my hands, comes easily for me.  I’ve always loved making things, doing things, and caring for people.  But for me to do my God-given tasks in a spirit of quietness, I must STUDY.  I must be a Mary along with my Martha proclivity.  Far beyond aspiring or making it my ambition to be quiet, I must STUDY to continually let God fill me with His Spirit which includes every piece of fruit as listed for us in Galatians 5:22-23.

STUDY involves constant immersion in Scriptures, and letting those Scriptures ring forth in my heart and mind as I go about my work.  STUDY requires prayer.  STUDY requires for me to “pray without ceasing”—thanking God for His presence in my life, and living each day in conscious communion with Him.  There must be concerted prayer on my knees, and prayers offered en route throughout the day.  God’s Spirit moves me to say “Thank you, Lord!” when I gaze out over my garden and the park beyond.

When I remember to STUDY, I prayerfully seek and acknowledge God’s will for me as I make decisions and nurture relationships.  To bring the essence of God’s beauty and integrity to every moment of my life—to perform everyday tasks with loving diligence, relaxed patience, enthusiasm, and joyful gratitude—and indeed to even begin to be “quiet”, I must STUDY.

Of course I fail on occasion, flop out some days, and regress at times.  Very faithfully the Lord reminds, rebukes, and recycles me as I seek to walk in His light.  Concentrated STUDY results in renewed commitment.  And only God through His Word can do the renewing.

Evidently there were some in the Thessalonian church who had ceased working because they assumed the Lord would return for them at any moment.  It certainly is exciting to consider the blessed hope of The Lord Jesus’s imminent return.  Today more than ever before we can anticipate with confidence that moment when the trumpet will sound and Christ will come for us in the clouds, as succinctly pictured in I Thessalonians 4:13-18.

But rather than tempting me to become a sluggard, anticipating Jesus’s return has always encouraged me to “keep on keeping on”—in a spirit of joy!  For me the I Thessalonians 4:11 word “study” carries far more motivational weight, and potential for practical application, than the newer translations which read “aspire” or “make it your ambition”.

Meanwhile, I’ve pondered the apparent oxymoron in verse 11:  “study to be quiet”.  Study implies an intensity of purpose, a sense of striving.  On the other hand, the quietness for which we strive is a Spirit-filled attitude of serenity, peace, poise, and rest.  However, we must conclude that the verse really is not an oxymoron.  As we focus on our Lord and study to be quiet, we come to realize that in our flesh we cannot in any way achieve true serenity and rest—and thus, as in Hebrews 4:9–11, we “labor” to cease from our own works and enter into His rest.

Only God can provide true rest, and He will as we study, pray, and depend on His direction in all things.  When we apply ourselves to the Lord and His Word, when we seek the Lord in prayer, when we ardently live our daily lives in obedience, He does ALL THE REST.  As we rest in Him, He fills our work, directs our hands, and provides the witness to His glory which results from a Spirit-filled life.  He quiets our hearts, and stills our voices so that we will have something of His serenity to impart to others.  A quiet serenity with an attitude of grateful peace is his desire and His command for us, as we walk toward those who are without.

Thus “walking honestly toward those who are without” applies to the spiritual as well as material needs of others.  God’s Spirit of quiet peace, love, joy, patience, goodness, hope, etc. will minister to those whom the Lord is drawing to Himself.  Humanly speaking, we are repelled by people who radiate an attitude of driven “hype” or noisy aggression.  We tend to go entropic, turn in upon ourselves, and retreat into a defensive mode when we are stormed upon or shouted at.  But we relax in the presence of a person who reflects the quiet peace of God—that peace which is promised by The Lord Jesus, and granted in the presence of the His Holy Spirit in a believer’s life.

“Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you:  not as the world giveth, give I unto you.  Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”  John 14:27

©Margaret L. Been, October 2014

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The Abundant Life

“I am come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.”  John 10:10b

Yes, I look forward to the Lord’s return, and to an Eternity with Him—face to face.  I’m excited about seeing my many loved ones who are waiting for me—my parents, two brothers and one sister who died as babies before I was born, my sister who died at age 72, my grandparents, a beloved nephew, friends, and my ancestors who prayed for succeeding generations as I pray for those who will follow.  Meanwhile, I’m rejoicing and savoring LIFE NOW—that physical, material, concrete life on earth illumined and transformed by God’s Holy Spirit who Indwells me, and every other individual who has trusted in the salvation and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Jesus never promised material prosperity or excellent health while we are alive on earth.  Countless non-believers enjoy prosperity and good health, just as many Christian believers experience exactly the opposite.  We are all here together on a planet which fell prey to disease and destruction due to man’s rebellion.  But because the Lord Jesus Christ is with us NOW, through His Indwelling Holy Spirit, we can have His Abundant Life NOW regardless of circumstances, good health—or the lack of it.

Tragically, there are Christians who endure lackluster lives simply because they believe the Abundant Life is relegated to some kind of spiritual state apart from our concrete lives: an emotional high, an experience, or a vague condition detached from our everyday routine and tangible reality.  Yes, the Abundant Life is spiritual, but it is also our God-given reality on earth as we bring God’s Spirit to our relationships and activities.

I once heard a Christian say, “There is nothing on this earth that interests me—only the ‘spiritual’.  I simply want to be with the Lord.”

This shocking declaration would be understandable had it come from someone in a situation of extreme suffering, poverty, or deprivation.  Obviously there are places and circumstances in the world where the tragic conditions of human life defy description.  But barring extremes, we are to appreciate the potential beauty of each moment which God has given us—while responding with gratitude for His many blessings.  While we wait with eager anticipation for Heaven, we are still here on earth.  We Christian believers ARE with the Lord now—because His Spirit lives in us!

God created Earth and He proclaimed it “GOOD”.  He placed mankind on EARTH.  Man sinned, and the EARTH suffered along with the human race. Yet our sinless God cared enough about us to take on fallen human flesh, and pay the penalty for our sin.  He came to live among us on EARTH—while ultimately yielding His perfectly righteous life in atonement for our sin.  Christ will return to reign with justice and perfect righteousness on EARTH.  He will heal us and His EARTH from the disasters which have resulted from man’s sin.  Thus the prophet Malachi has written:  “But to you who fear My name, the Sun of Righteousness shall arise with healing in His wings . . . .”

Again, prosperity and/or good health may not be a part of the Abundant Life on earth.  Yet the absence of those blessings can provide a setting for the believer’s witness of God’s Indwelling Holy Spirit.  In the last seven years of my life I have had nine surgeries—three of them major.  These surgeries have been God’s Holy Ground for me.  Never in life have I had more “spiritual” blessing along with “down-to-earth” palpable peace.  Never have I had more joy in people and my routine activities, more excitement over the present and anticipation of the future than I’ve had over the last seven years filled with one health issue after another.  God’s Grace abounds in proportion to our need, and His Spirit has done it all.

My colon surgery took place on December 23rd, 2010, less than three months after I’d had a spinal fusion.  During that December hospital stay members of the staff—both nurses and aides—wandered into my room just to chat.  I was considered a curiosity, because there I was with a very unpleasant health issue during the Christmas week—yet after the first post-op day I was smiling and delighted with life:  with the bit of tea and jello I was allowed for starters, and with the many visits from family members.  Several of the hospital crew asked the same question:  “You are in the hospital over CHRISTMAS!  How can you be so happy?”

Of course I had an authentic answer. “No matter where you and I may be at CHRISTMAS, Jesus Christ was born.  He is my Lord and Savior!  He makes it all good, no matter what!”

Because of His Abundant Life, every moment and every day on earth is Holy Ground!  All of life is meant to be our “full time Christian service”.  Every relationship, responsibility, and God-ordained activity is Holy Ground for the believer—a witness to the presence of Christ in a believer’s life.  We Christians are recipients and beneficiaries of Abundant Life—NOW AND FOREVER!

Margaret L. Been, April 2014

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He is RISEN! He is ALIVE!

Before our last presidential election, President Obama stated that “Al Qaeda is on the run.” And just recently, Al Qaeda staged a public demonstration in the country of Yemen—telling the world that Islamic terrorism is stronger than ever before. Al Qaeda spokesmen declared that they will defeat THE CROSS, and that THE CROSS is represented by America; therefore America is their prime target. These words, ominous as they may be in their tragic potential, did not terrorize me one bit—because I know in my heart and mind THE CROSS of Jesus Christ will never be defeated. THE CROSS is victorious!

We are living in “perilous times”, as predicted in II Timothy 3:1. Ever since a certain couple was ousted from a garden, there have been perilous times. Yet a study of prophecy in light of world events indicates that peril on all fronts is ramping up to what may be a prelude to Christ’s return. He has defeated sin and death, through His death on THE CROSS and His bodily RESURRECTION—which we Christians will celebrate this coming Sunday, just as we celebrate THE RESURRECTION every day of our lives.

This week I’ve been musing over events leading to THE RESURRECTION of our Lord Jesus Christ: the perfidy of the crowds in Jerusalem, the travesty of evil religious leaders, the rotten political scene as exhibited in the illegal and phony trials which our Lord endured, the cruel oppression of Rome, and of course the unspeakable horrors of Jesus’ death on Calvary.

As I consider the downfall of our nation and the recent scandals which our government has largely ignored I recall how Jesus was born, lived, and died—yes, and ROSE—in the midst of a perilous, sin-ridden world characterized by evil. Yet none of that evil could defeat Him. Instead, His Word spread—and has flourished in many places over some two thousand years.

THE CROSS, always a symbol of victory, prevails. It will never be defeated or obliterated. Down through history, right up to (and including) my own lifetime, many have tried: Hitler, Stalin, myriads of angry atheists around the globe, and now Al Qaeda. Nations will crumble and fall, as portrayed in Isaiah 40: 15: “Behold, the nations are as a drop of a bucket, and are counted as the small dust of the balance; behold, He taketh up the isles as a very little thing.” But THE CROSS will prevail!

Our Lord is victorious. He is a personal God who desires the salvation of every single person. A personal photo—taken yesterday afternoon on the maternity floor of a local hospital—expresses what THE CROSS, and RESURRECTION are all about!

“The thief cometh not but to steal, and kill, and to destroy; I am come that they might have life and that they might have it more abundantly.” John 10:10

THE CROSS AND THE RESURRECTION ARE ALL ABOUT LIFE! He is Risen! He is Alive! He is LIFE!

Margaret L. Been, April 2014

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“For Righteousness Sake”

“And who is he who will harm you if you become followers of what is good?  But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you are blessed.  And do not be afraid of their threats, nor be troubled.  But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear, having a good conscience—that when they defame you as evildoers, those who revile your good conduct in Christ may be ashamed.  For it is better, if it is the will of God, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil.” I Peter 3:13-17

Anyone with an inquiring mind and a heart filled with God’s truth realizes that our nation is on a crash course.  As Christians, and as any Americans who treasure the Judeo-Christian worldview, we see that our freedom is rapidly slipping from our hands.  We may wake up any day now and find ourselves in a country totally alien, totally reprehensible, and totally void of the quality of life we once took for granted.

A World War II address by FDR was the catalyst for artist Norman Rockwell’s famous paintings, THE FOUR FREEDOMS:  Freedom from Want, Freedom of Speech, Freedom of Worship, and Freedom from Fear.  All of these are integral to the wellbeing of the human race—but there is one core freedom upon which the other three depend, and that is Freedom of Speech.  Often in a totalitarian takeover, freedom of speech is the first to go.  Once the press and the people’s right to speak out in protest and disagreement are stifled, all is lost, and that country is left to the devices of a tyrant or a group of tyrannical oligarchs.

Thus it appears we Americans are wavering on the brink.   We do have a “fair and balanced” voice in communications, a champion of the private sector and individual rights.  But the majority of our nation’s television and press is sold out to our current regime, ruthlessly dedicated to government control of every area of our lives.

Aside from FOX NEWS and an assortment of smaller, localized radio talk shows and newspapers, Media USA currently marches in a LOCKSTEP which—to those of us who are old enough to remember—bears a terrifying resemblance to the GOOSE STEP of the 1930s and 40s.*

Freedom of Speech.  Lest we think that this freedom can be lost only at the various levels of civil government, each of us would do well to question, “What am I doing to prevent a LOCKSTEP in other areas?”  For if we are not exercising our freedom of speech in every facet of community and human dealings, we are extra ripe for the takeover.  Our nation’s demise may or may not include trains rumbling off to the death camps, but that demise will certainly spell abject misery for millions.  In fact, like the Jews exiled to ancient Babylon we may soon be asking:  “How shall we sing the Lord’s song in a strange land?”

It’s often said that our mainstream media refuses to speak out against our scandal-ridden national government because of a great “Love” for our president.  I wonder if the current policy of a silent press really is determined by “Love”, or if something far more insidious and ignoble is at play—something called “Fear”!  Fear of reprisal, fear of a loss of reputation or livelihood, fear/fear/fear!

Those of us who know God’s truth and long for His righteousness must endeavor to look Fear in the eye and speak out, at all levels.  We still have a vote.  We still have Representatives in Congress, albeit limited since our President passes and repeals laws willy-nilly—thus stripping the Congress of it’s legal power and representational purpose.

And we still have a local voice, a responsibility to speak out in our neighborhood and community organizations—in our individual avenues of public life.  If we fail at the local level, how can we ever hope to make a difference in our nation?  We must speak up for what is right and good in our community.  This is not just our “right”; it is our absolute, set-in-stone DUTY!

Fear threatens to stifle the local as well as national voice, and as Christians we need to shake our fist in the face of intimidation!  We need to be on guard, ready to be whistler blowers at all levels.  Any organization with an agenda can potentially become imbalanced.  Skewed priorities are not the domain of national government alone, and those who speak out will be threatened with intimidation.  But if we suffer for righteousness sake, we are blessed!  We must risk the consequences of speaking out!

But what are those consequences?  They may include the age-old ploy of demeaning the dissident voice, either with character assassination or subtle mockery.  Metaphorically speaking, mockery is less “bloody” than an attack on someone’s character.  In a “dignified”, community organization setting, mockery often serves effectively to render the whistle blower inconsequential—beneath concern.  Snide labels undermining the age or appearance of the one speaking out, and the subsequent denigration of human dignity, may be all that are needed to sway mindless onlookers from listening to (or reading!) an appeal to truth and reason.

Consequences may include what Scripture calls “whispering”:  the sly insinuation by leaders that an organization member must choose:  either the company agenda, or the member’s good friend who happens to verbalize that organization’s lack of balance.  Separating friends is the Chief Business of whispering, and when whispering occurs we can be sure that something is gravely amiss!

A good national government listens to its people, and continually welcomes scrutiny—and so does any valid local organization.  Our Lord is the only One who will ever bring true righteousness to earth.  But meanwhile we are here, waiting.  We Christians are to be salt and light, to speak out boldly whenever we can against anything that is Scripturally wrong or out of sync.  We must be willing to suffer for righteousness—and endure persecution, either great or small.  And if America continues on this current crash course, the persecution will be extreme!

Margaret L. Been, March 2014

*For a brilliant, detailed history of Fascism please consult Jonah Goldberg’s “must read” documentary:  LIBERAL FASCISM — The Secret History of the American Left, from Mussolini to the Politics of Change.

You will be shocked, amazed, informed, and fortified to stand firm like never before!

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What is God’s will for you?

“And that you study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you; that you may walk honestly toward them that are without, and that you may have lack of nothing.”  I Thessalonians 4:11-12

 

Truly we live in “perilous times”.  History affirms that perilous times have existed since Adam and Eve were expelled from the garden.  But never before have there been the communication options and incredible number of events impacting the entire world simultaneously.

We are not to name a date for the Lord’s return.  But according to Scriptures (Matthew 24 & 25, among many other passages) we are to be wise, live circumspectly, and observe any well-defined indications of the end of the Church Age.  We realize that life as we know it today may suddenly change—literally in “the twinkling of an eye”.

So, to quote the late Francis Schaeffer, “How do we then live?”  The Apostle Paul has comprehensively answered that question for us, in the above Scriptural command to the Thessalonian Christians who were also living in perilous times.  While anticipating our Lord’s return, we are to study to be quiet and to work with our own hands.  By so doing our physical needs may be adequately met, and we may be able to share material blessings with others who are less fortunate.

But a lot more (beyond the obvious material considerations) is implied in the I Thessalonians passage.  By studying to be quiet and doing our own business, we are witnessing to “them that are without” by displaying a lifestyle characterized by stability, unwavering values, creative living, and our blessed (rock-solid!) Hope—even in the most perilous of times.

Through our lifestyle, we Christians can reflect a tranquil “joie de vie”—a mindset of quietness and serenity—while countless others are experiencing panic, chaos, and the inevitable moral and spiritual unraveling which accompanies a world view minus any meaning beyond the tumultuous moment at hand.  We believers are to be radically different:  beacons of light and anchors of reliability, when masses of people around us are metaphorically lost at sea. 

Those who study to be quiet are sometimes exhorted (or even intimidated!) by zealous individuals who presume to know more than we do about how we should “then live” in view of the Lord’s return.  Often these individuals have a noble agenda of “active Christian ministry”.  They may very well be doing their own business, according to God’s specific purpose for them.  But they err drastically if they believe that their agenda should necessarily apply to others.

Over nearly six years of blogging, I have written a lot about this presumption because the subject surfaces constantly.  When our enemy, Satan, cannot prevent people from being saved by the blood of Christ, and cannot derail believers into overt sin, he then connives to lure them with some sort of lifestyle imbalance.  Imbalance is everywhere.  All too often, believers who passionately desire to live in the center of God’s will are unfairly burdened with inferences of guilt from well-meaning but misguided brothers and sisters in Christ.

Rather than studying to be quiet, any believer who charges others with his or her own business is more likely studying to be noisy!  Lost to these sincerely dedicated but unfortunately misled individuals is the fact that when Christ is our life, then ALL OF LIFE IS “ACTIVE CHRISTIAN MINISTRY”!  Because I know this to be true beyond the proverbial shadow of a doubt, I’m sharing the above photos of my “own business”, my God-given Christian ministry.

I am far from perfect, but I know that He who has begun a good work in me “will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ”.  (Philippians 1:6)  And praise be to God, that day may come soon!  Meanwhile, I’m tremendously grateful for the business He has given me to do!  🙂

Margaret L. Been, 2014

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When will America wake up?

“Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened that it cannot save; nor His ear heavy that it cannot hear.  But your iniquities have separated you from your God; and your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear.  For your hands are defiled with blood, and your fingers with iniquity; Your lips have spoken lies, Your tongue has muttered perversity.  No one calls for justice, nor does any plead for truth.  They trust in empty words and speak lies.  They conceive evil and bring forth iniquity.”  Isaiah 59:1-4

“Their feet run to evil, and they make haste to shed innocent blood; their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity; wasting and destruction are in their paths.  The way of peace they have not known, and there is no justice in their ways; they have made themselves crooked paths; whoever takes that way shall not know peace.”  Isaiah 59:7-8

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Where can I begin?

Where can I begin to thank our Lord?  I have nothing but thanksgiving:  for God, and whom He is; for salvation, and the promise of eternal life; for more blessings on earth than I can begin to count—a happy childhood, ongoing cultural opportunities, a precious marriage of almost 59 years, a large and loving family, friends, a sweet dog, fresh air, the beauties of nature, a pleasant and comfortable home, food to eat, clothes to wear, a bed, a plethora of books, and an abundance of creative hobbies.

Where can I begin?  Perhaps with that huge blessing which is not listed above, yet one for which I thank God every single day:  FREEDOM.  With all that is wrong in America, we are still free.  We can publish our views around the world, via the internet—without censorship—at least for now.  We can choose our children’s education.  We can worship in public.  We can read our Bibles and pray in coffee houses and bistros, without fear—at least for now.  We are still free!

I read a lot of historical novels and documentary non-fiction on the subject of Irish history.  Actually I know Irish history nearly as well as I know that of my own country!  As I read, I think over and over:  Lord thank you that, with God’s enabling, my ancestors (many of Scottish and Irish descent) were able to overthrow the abject tyranny of the British Empire over 200 years ago.  The tenacity of the Irish people stirs my heart, profoundly!  I’m thankful for their determination to be free from centuries of brutal subjection—and I rejoice in the fact that today (at least much of) Ireland is free! 

I thank God that, throughout history, that there have been countless heroes who sacrificed everything they had for the cause of freedom!  And of all those heroes, no other people on earth loom larger in their quest for freedom than God’s chosen people—the Jews.  I’m thankful for American history, Irish history, and for the Jewish people and the nation of Israel.  

Meanwhile although Christians everywhere have inner, spiritual freedom in Jesus Christ, much of the world is still in physical bondage.  I praise the Lord Jesus for His promise to return, and reign on earth as King of kings and Lord of lords.  Someday, hopefully soon, the entire world will be free! 

“Yea, many people and strong nations will come to seek the Lord of hosts in Jerusalem, and to pray before the Lord.”  Zechariah 8:22 

Margaret L. Been, ©2011

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He Will Return!

The events of Christ’s death and resurrection are as familiar to those of us who know God’s truth as if they had happened only yesterday rather than nearly 2000 years ago.  These events were prophesied many times in the Old Testament, and fulfilled down to the last detail in the Gospels.

How much closer in time, for those of us alive today, are the events of the Lord Jesus’s 2nd advent when the Lord will return to establish peace and justice on earth as He reigns from Jerusalem! 

We sorrow as storm clouds thicken around the world, and we are tempted to despair.  But these very clouds signal the completion of prophecy.  Beyond the storm clouds, a glorious future awaits—when our Passover Lamb will return to reign as KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS!

“And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and He that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He doth judge and make war. 

“His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns; and He had a name written, that no man knew but He Himself.  And He was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood; and His name is called The Word of God. 

“And the armies which were in heaven followed Him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. 

“And out of His mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it He should smite the nations; and He shall rule them with a rod of iron; and He treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. 

“And He hath on His vesture and on His thigh a name written:  KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.”  Revelation 19″11-16

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“For Zion’s sake will I not hold my peace, and for Jerusalem’s sake I will not rest, until the righteousness thereof go forth as brightness, and the salvation thereof as a lamp that burneth.

“And the Gentiles shall see thy (Israel’s) righteousness, and all the kings thy glory;  And thou shalt be called by a new name, which the mouth of the Lord shall name.

“Thou (Israel) shalt also be a crown of glory in the hand of the Lord, and a royal diadem in the hand of God.”  Isaiah 62:1-3 

Margaret L. Been, 2011

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Pray for Japan!

 

I am weeping over tragic events of recent hours.  Although I’m not normally in favor of our current president’s politics or policies, I felt a deep kinship with him yesterday when he met the press with the words, “I’m heartbroken!”

I believe that President Obama is truly heartbroken over Japan’s disaster, as people should be everywhere—no matter whom they are or where they live.

Perhaps those of us who clearly recall events of World War II are most heartbroken of all.  It seems like “only yesterday” that we viewed those horrendous news photos of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.  A necessary military action on the part of the U. S?  Yes, I believe it was.  An unprecendented human tragedy beyond comprehension?  Yes!  From man’s technology to nature’s devastation, the tiny country of Japan has “had it all”

I’m weeping, and I am praying!  “Lord, may this tragedy awaken many Japanese people to Your truth!  May Your Holy Spirit sweep that land, and bring multitudes into Your kingdom before it is too late!  May individuals everywhere wake up and believe in You—accepting your gracious will that none shall perish but rather be saved for eternal life!”

On the Mount of Olives, before our Lord was crucified He issued a warning and prophecy:  “Watch out that no one deceives you.  Many will come in my name, claiming ‘I am he’, and will deceive many.  When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed.  Such things must happen, but the end is still to come.  Nation will rise up against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.  There will be earthquakes in various places, and famines.  These are the beginning of birth pains.’ ”  Mark 13:5-8 (NIV)

God’s Word is true, to be taken literally.  The end times are unfolding dramatically, right before our eyes.  Time and again, Scripture assures us that—after the great deception, after the reign of the anti-Christ and 7 years of worldwide tribulation—the Lord Jesus Christ will return to earth as King of Kings and Lord of Lords, the one and only Prince of Peace!

Now more than ever before, those of us who know our Savior sense an urgency to share His love, His life, and His Word!

Margaret L. Been, ©2011

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