Unyielding Star - A Poem

 Unyielding star (a lament)

Old men are sitting, exhorting

young men are running, exploring

both deeming to know the elixir of truth and success

yet powerlessness has become their shameful dress

Oh God strip us naked

of our filthy garments

and lead us away

from our murky swamps

Fill us with glory

and clothe us with light

to walk like Jesus -

unyielding star in the darkest night.

If I don't emerge shining inside and out - 

my life nothing more than a magnet of flout...

Mercy, mercy, mercy, God!

Reflection: Scared to be too grateful too quickly?

 Over the years I have come across a phenomena in the Western world which I would like to call "Christian atheism". It is very sobering to see that among believers, faith in Jesus and the teachings of the bible are accepted as truth in theory, yet when it comes to real life events and circumstances, they are not actually believed and applied. This whole issue I have come to observe could fill a book in itself, but right now I would like to focus on something I have observed as being very common (sadly) in our Christian lives, even as I was growing up in a Christian home in Germany. 

We sometimes come across a difficult circumstance or a problem in our lives. A lost purse or key. A health issue. Financial struggles. We pray and ask God to intervene and help us. "Lord, help me find my lost purse. - Heal me from having these stomach cramps. - I'm struggling financially, help me to balance my books."

So we pray. And God answers. We get our purse back. We come across someone who recommends a natural remedy that stops our stomach pain. We get a surprising money gift. And what is our reaction many times? We rejoice... and just get on with life. Or, even worse: We analyse the situation, saying: "Well, yes I prayed, but the solution would have come 'naturally' anyway, it wasn't necessarily God."

In view of what the actual truth is, I find this attitude rather sad, at times even sickening. Let's take a look at what the Word of God says:

"For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together." Colossians 1:16-17
"For from him and through him and for him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen." Romans 11:36

"Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows." James 1:17God made EVERY thing. Every particle, cell, quantum, and every invisible thing, too. The world and everything in it only functions in perfect balance because He is the One holding it all together. The very breath we breathe was given by God. And every good thing, whether small or big, comes from Him, too.

The kindness, generosity and goodness of God goes much further than we could ever understand in our little human minds:

"He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous." Matthew 5:45

Whether human beings deserve it or not, and whether they are aware of it or not... They receive His kindnesses and blessings every single day in countless different ways.

If every single good thing is from God anyway, we would actually have reason to thank Him every day, all the time, for an innumerable amount of things - let alone, for HIMself -, even before He has answered a single one of our prayers. He controls every thing. Therefore, whatever circumstance comes to your aid or blessing, He allowed it - He holds it all in hand!

So - what is wrong with us?... Romans 1:21 explains:
"For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened."

Here it is... our thinking has become futile - meaning: useless! - and our foolish hearts are darkened, they have become cold and hard.

We clearly have got a major problem. The good news is: There is help. God has given us everything through Jesus... not only the forgiveness of sins so we have access to heaven after we die, but on top of this God is wanting to give us the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16) and a soft heart (Ezekiel 36:26) that is able to acknowledge Him rightly and hear Him well - believing hearts that trust Him and understand our utter dependence on Him.

Let's not be hesitant to be grateful - we could never, ever be grateful enough to God for all He is and does for us. Worship and thanksgiving is to be as natural to us as breathing. We could never be too grateful too quickly, or be grateful enough, even if we never slept again and thanked Him 24/7 for the rest of our lives!

Father God, transform our hearts and minds today. Thank you that your truth sets us free. Help us not take anything good for granted, especially your very presence. Amen.

Earth and Orb Vision

God often speaks to me through dreams, visions and words in the night. In the early hours of this morning, just before I woke up, I saw a vision of earth. It was relatively small, as if seen from a distance. I then saw that earth was running out from below, as if being liquidised - and it ran into an invisible drain. (The force at work seemed to be stronger than gravity.) I knew immediately that this meant that earth was running out of time.

Then I saw, right above it, a pale, blue orb. It was the same size as the earth had been. I knew in an instant that it represented the church, the body of Christ. I then saw that this orb was sucked up from above, sucked into eternity by levity - but actually really by the power of God.

I believe God will give more revelation as to the full meaning of this, and I am sure and know He is speaking to many people around the globe about the times we are living in at present. But the two scriptures that came to me in connection with this vision were these:

"Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away." Mark 13:31

"Lift up your eyes to the heavens, look at the earth beneath, the heavens will vanish like smoke, the earth will wear out like a garment and its inhabitants die like flies. But my salvation will last forever, my righteousness will never fail." Isaiah 51:6

It is safe to say that we are fast approaching the end of the age which Jesus spoke about in Matthew 13. It is time to lay aside all indecisiveness and make our citizenship in the kingdom of heaven secure by unwavering faith and trust in Jesus, truly making Him Lord of our lives without compromise.

Philippians 3:20 says: "But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Saviour from there, the Lord Jesus Christ."

Life is no longer business as usual - simply watching the daily news is telling us that. I hear some people say that "there have always been wars, conflicts and natural catastrophes." - Do not be deceived. This is not the time to escape into the illusion that life is just plodding on as always. Earth is running out of time, folks! And the time is NOW to make sure we belong to the kingdom of heaven - to the kingdom of the King of kings. Jesus is the way. The only One.