Who is in Control of the Earth?

Some Jehovah's witnesses came by today and handed me a pamphlet with the question, "Who do you think controls the earth?" The answer the pamphlet gave was that Satan controls the earth, and they cited a few verses to justify their answer.

I think the question is interesting, as there are many related issues in the ballpark that perhaps are being wrapped into it. "Control" is a very different sort of a thing than, for example, "authority" or "sovereignty". I think if we separate all three of these concepts, as they are distinct, then we can more easily answer the question of who is in control of the earth.

The Real Maleficent

When we visited family over the holidays this past season, my sister-in-law was super excited to show my kids the move Maleficent (2014). It really struck a chord with her. As she described the movie to us, she glowed with excitement. After sharing a bit, she said thoughtfully, “I don’t know… I guess I really like it when a person who’s assumed to be bad is shown to be more complex and dynamic.”

A Walk on the Beach

Jesus and I were walking along the beach, with a large, faded blue mountain in the distance. To my right was the ocean, and to my left was some tall, weedy grass.

I knew we were headed toward that faded blue mountain, but because it was so far away, I grasped for what to do in the meantime. I found myself instinctively scanning my immediate surroundings for things that were out of place. I told Jesus, “I know I'm called to go to that mountain up ahead, but it is so far in the distance I don't know what I'm supposed to be doing right now.” I hesitated, then asked Him, “What do You want me to do now? Is there something you want me to do or learn? What's my immediate purpose?” Jesus looked at me briefly and then set His gaze forward. He remained silent and continued walking beside me.

Who's the Better God?

While Josh and I enjoyed our final free breakfast today at the Bodhi Tree in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, a young girl came into the open outdoor restaurant area where we were seated. She asked, "Lady, do you need a bracelet?"

I answered her honestly by saying, "No, I don't need a bracelet."

With a slightly annoyed and dramatically dejected expression on her face, the girl asked, "Why?" (Imagine her holding out the word "why" with a low, complaining sort of drawl.)

2013: A Year of Change and Surprise!

Back in January, I was seeking the Lord about what words He would use to describe this coming year. I heard the word, "change". A couple days later, I asked Him the same question, and I heard the word, "surprise". Well, this year my husband and I are definitely looking at a major change coming up since we will be relocating to Azusa, California this summer! I am sure we cannot even anticipate the sorts of changes and surprises we will encounter along the way. But I discern one thing in particular about these coming changes and surprises: they are good! I believe we are entering into a season of blessings and favor from the Lord!

The Bronze Sea

As I was in my bed, halfway thinking of going to sleep, I decided to ask God how to grow in revelation. In that familiar small whisper that could almost be mistaken for a fleeting thought, I heard, "Read My Word." So I asked, "What should I read?" Before I formed the words in my mind, I heard the response, "Jeremiah." Jeremiah what? "27." So, I picked up a Bible and turned to Jeremiah 27.

Hearing the Audible Voice of God

Last night I had a very interesting conversation with my three-year-old son. We talked about all sorts of spiritual things. He asked basic but penetrating questions like, "Will God click on youtube videos for me?", or "How does Jesus get to heaven?" The one question that really made me stop and think was this: "How can we see God and hear God?"

All Dogs Go To Heaven

Anyone who has owned a pet that died has probably wondered, "Will I ever see my pet again?" Well, perhaps the Bible offers some hope for all you pet owners out there.

In the Apostle Paul's letter to the Corinthians, he goes to great lengths to correct false beliefs about bodily resurrection. In the midst of Paul's discourse, it seems as though he implies bodily resurrection of animals! Read the passage below:

Lord of the Dance - The Noble and the Ignoble

(written in February of 2011)

A dear friend of mine invited me to see the the Lord of the Dance with her and her family, and we went to see the show yesterday afternoon. The show was wonderfully done and was very inspiring. (It made me want to learn how to tap dance!) As I was enjoying the musicality and precision of all those tap dancers on the stage, I noticed that most of the dance pieces had a main "star" (or stars) that led the activity. These stars brought life, personality, and meaning to the entire production, carrying the story along. As I pondered this (in the midst of Irish jigs and synchronized lights), I had a new thought about the meaning of "special use" verses "common use" in relation to mankind as described in Scripture.

Paul uses the metaphor of clay and kitchen utensils to teach us something about how God accomplishes His purposes through mankind:

"Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for special purposes and some for common use?" -- Romans 9:21, NIV

"In a large house there are not only utensils made of gold and silver, but also those made of wood and clay. Some are for special use, while others are for ordinary use." -- 2 Timothy 2:20, ISV

He points out that some things are designated for special purposes while other things are designated for common (or ordinary) purposes. What does this mean? Does it mean that God likes certain people better than others? Does it mean that he gives certain people all the attention and turns a cold shoulder to the others? No, I don't think so. And that became clear to me as I was watching the Lord of the Dance yesterday.

On the stage, there could only be one lord of the dance. In the midst of many dancers flawlessly weaving and intermingling in strict arrangements, one free spirit fleeted aberrantly among them. Though this one was apparently moving against the grain, in due time it became clear that this dancer was special. Sure enough, it was then that the lord of the dance showed off his solo skills to the amazement of the crowd. He pranced around, rallying support from the audience, and provoking a few laughs with his sense of humor. It may seem as though this one special dancer is the most important part of the show, but actually, the beauty of the production depends both upon the special dancer and the common dancers. The special and common dancers each have different roles to play, but they are both dependent on one another for the act to be perfect and complete.

I think that we can make some parallels here to our world at large. There are billions of people in the world today, and they are all part of a grand story. They all play a unique role, but some are called to go against the grain of ordinary life. Some are called to be leaders--to initiate change, to rally support, and to give direction. Each role comes with a different set of responsibilities, and yet none can fully operate without the others.

"Special" and "common" does not denote worth; rather, it denotes role and responsibility. There is a lot more attention on the lord of the dance because of his lead role, but he also has a lot more responsibility than the other dancers to perform with excellence so as to create fans and draw large audiences to the show. I think it is the same with God's appointment of certain individuals for "special" and "common" use. Some people need to be selected to create large pockets of influence in and beyond the church so that God's Kingdom can spread effectively, in an orderly fashion.

It also occurred to me that while one person may play the role of "lord of the dance" in one performance, a different person may play that role in another performance. I think it is that way with God's appointments, too. God can (and does) appoint individuals to play certain roles during certain seasons.

Certainly, God is always looking for people who are willing to be His star performers (Isaiah 6:8, 2 Chronicles 16:9). His auditions come in the form of tests and trials (Job 1:8, James 1:2-4), and He is looking for anyone who is ready to take on the responsibility of the roles He has available to assign.

Don't worry whether you have been made to be special or common. I think that is the wrong way to think about it. Everyone is designed for great things..... But the real question is, are you ready for what God has dreamed for you?

Are ALL the Gifts for Every Believer?

Some Christians cite 1 Corinthians 12 to support the claim that the gifts of the Spirit (prophecy, healing, tongues, etc.) are not for all believers. Specifically, note the following verses:

²⁷ Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. ²⁸ And God has placed in the church first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, of helping, of guidance, and of different kinds of tongues. ²⁹ Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? ³⁰ Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret? 

1 Corinthians 12:27-29 (NIV)

The answer to these rhetorical questions is naturally, “No.” So, many Christians determine that, therefore, all Christians won’t have every gift that the Spirit offers, and neither should they expect to receive every gift that the Spirit offers. Besides, the Spirit “distributes [the gifts] to each one, just as He determines.” (1 Corinthians 12:11).

Do I Have Enough Faith?

Imagine that you are walking along a dirt path in the woods admiring nature and communing with God. As you are enjoying God's presence, you see in the distance that a large tree branch has fallen across the path ahead. You reach the branch and realize that there is no way to pass unless the branch is moved. Thus, having the faith that God has the power to move mountains (let alone a tree branch), you fall to your knees and plead that God would remove the branch so that you can continue on your walk and get back to enjoying God's presence without hindrance. After a few uneventful minutes, you recall the story of the widow and the unjust judge (see Luke 18:1-8), and you decide that it is God's will for you to persevere in prayer until He answers. So you pray for 10 minutes. 30 minutes. 1 hour. 10 hours. ...

Blessing

A "blessing" is an impartation of goodness and life into someone, or a declaration of goodness and life over a situation. When someone sneezes, we often say, "God bless you!" We are imparting God's blessings upon that person! But since the phrase is so common, we often say the words without connecting the substance of the meaning behind them, and so the blessing is empty. But what difference do blessings make in someone's life, anyway? Words don't really make a difference, right? Besides, "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me." The opposite should also be true then. Words won't actually help me... they're just words.

Spirit of Anger

About a week or two ago, I felt myself giving into feelings of anger like I hadn't for years. Understand, I am not an angry person. I am very easy-going and usually, if something bothers me, it brings me to tears -- not rage! So, this particular explosive emotion inside of me was very peculiar to me and unexpected.

Against Flesh and Blood?

This week I was reminded once again of a phenomena that has occurred on a regular basis over the past few years of my life: just as I cozy up to fall asleep for the night, I will begin to manifest allergy symptoms, specifically, watery eyes and swollen nasal passages. I don't think it happens every night, but it doesn't seem to have been seasonal, either.

Well, this week I did a set of experiments. About 30 minutes before I intended to go to bed for the night, I laid myself down and snuggled up my face right next to the sheets and then snuggled up into my pillow. I waited awhile in each position, monitoring my nose and eyes. No allergy symptoms appeared! But, sure enough, about 30 minutes later when I was determined to go to sleep for the night, my eyes started watering and my nose became swollen to the point that I had to breathe with my mouth open. I did similar tests for the 2 following nights and had similar results.

Wii Resurrection

For our 4th anniversary (a couple weeks ago), we took a small vacation to a house on the lakeshore of Lake Michigan. We brought our Nintendo Wii along as part of our vacation experience. On the last day of our vacation, there was a thunderstorm that led to a power surge throughout the house. We had our Wii plugged directly into the wall outlet at the time of the power surge. An hour or two later, we attempted to turn on our Wii so that our son could play for the remaining time while we packed up our stuff. But the Wii would not turn on. In fact, the LED indicator was completely black. (The LED is usually red when the Wii is plugged in.)

In the Face of Uncertainty

Josh and I prayed for healing for a childhood friend of Josh's a couple days ago who has been told by doctors that he has 1 year to live. As we prayed, we felt "electricity" flowing through our hands and forearms (with various intensities throughout the session), and Josh's friend experienced shaking on the left side of his body for a portion of the time. We commanded evil spirits and sickness to go in the name of Jesus after taking Josh's friend through some prayers to release negative emotions (unforgiveness, bitterness, resentment, fear/anxiety, etc.). There are several visible abnormalities due to Josh's friend's condition, but we have not yet seen any visible improvements of these.

Healing Close to Home

This past weekend, my family came to visit us. On the Friday night they arrived, my sister expressed much physical discomfort, including a stomach ache, hurting back, and many other things. Now, you must realize that my sister ALWAYS tells me that something is hurting her whenever I see her. I must admit, it can be taxing to carry the emotional burden of her being sick all the time. Thus, when she expressed her discomfort on Friday night, I was tempted to become disheartened. But, realizing this, I took my thoughts captive to Christ and gave my heart over to His desires for my sister instead.

I felt "electricity" concentrated in my forearms and palms, which from past experience indicated to me a special presence (or, "readiness") of the Holy Spirit, so I decided to do an experiment. I went over to my sister Sarah, who was sprawled out on the floor on her belly, and said, "Sarah, put out your hand palm-up."

Beam Me Up, Jesus!

Tonight while I was gathering together with my prayer partners, one of them mentioned that she was struggling with a question: Why doesn't God just beam us up to heaven after we become Christians? She expressed that she was having a hard time figuring out what her role is for God's Kingdom, but even more, what God's purposes are for the world in general.

Her question made me reflect on how I might answer that question based upon what I know from the Scriptures. She suggested that I post my thoughts on my blog, and so that is what I will do now. :-)

Instantaneous Transformation?

Many Christians (mainly, Protestants) believe that when Jesus comes back, we will experience an instantaneous transformation that will make us immortal, incorruptible, morally perfect, and spiritually mature--qualities that make us fit to enter the Kingdom of Heaven into God's presence. I think that this idea is based upon the following three passages, primarily:

"51 Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed— 52 in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet." (1 Corinthians 15:51-52a, NIV)

Learning How to Speak in Tongues

Does it make sense to learn how to speak in tongues? How can we know for sure that tongues are really from the Spirit of God and not simply from random movements of our own mouths? Although I've been pondering and praying about this for several months now, my mind is not completely settled on what to think. But, I can tell you that at the present moment, I believe that speaking in tongues is something that Christians should pursue. It's such a foreign concept to so many Christians that perhaps it could be helpful if I share my experiences so far. Feel free to share your own experiences or to ask questions below by posting a comment!

How I "Learned" to Speak in Tongues