The only one worthy.

The seals. Only Jesus was worthy enough to open take the scroll and open the seals. All seven of them. Reading Revelation can be a little unsettling, a little concerning, and then I remember that only Jesus was worthy to open the scroll. Those seven seals are incredible judgements released upon the earth, the skies, the rivers, and on man. Each one took out a third the land, the sun, moon and stars, the rivers and eventually mankind. A third.

But only Jesus was worthy to open the scroll.

I feel a little bit like the weeping prophet, crying out to God, does it need to be this way? Is this the only way to bring about salvation for those you love? And I hear a resounding "yes". "Agree with my judgements".

Jesus was the only one worthy to open the scroll.

I find myself doing a "cleansing" of many things as of late. I am reading scripture way more than I have in a long time, I'm praying more, I totally cleansed and rearranged my room and office (a HUGE change and cleansing) and I'm worshipping a lot more. Why? Because I feel like I have to? Because I'm reading end times scriptures and I want to be ready? (yes, actually) But also because I WANT to. I want to honour the only one worthy. I want to be a "good and faithful" servant of the only one worthy.

This is the month of Ramadan, a month of fasting and prayer of the muslims where they cry out to allah to hear their prayers and to return quickly. The most devout of the muslims pray 7 times a day during Ramadan. They fast from sunup to sundown. They consecrate themselves and seek to live holy lives to gain favour with allah. The world sees them as fanatics... or do they? Islam is the fastest growing religion in the world... including in North America. They have decided to stand for something. To live out what they believe is right, and it's become attractive to those who have grown up in a world of church that doesn't hold them to any standard anymore, that seems to have lost it's power, but claiming to have religion.

It's not the gospel or Jesus that has changed, but the church. And as the day draws ever nearer, when Jesus does return, so many of us... myself included are distracted, are focusing on the here and now, when Christ has always called us to follow Him and keep our eyes on things above.

Yes, I need to go to work every day and give 100% of who I am into the job. Yes, I need to pray, yes I need to live a HOLY life, simply because Jesus said to live as he did.

I can't get around that only He was worthy to open the scroll... because He was completely complicite to the will of His father... He took on the sin of the world, without hesitation... without regret making Him and He alone worthy.

I don't know where I'm going with all this other than to say... I am more and more day by day committed to who HE is, and who I am in Him. I want to live a life holy... seperate and completely His. And the only way to even attempt such a life is total surrender to Him... 100%.

I set my heart to worship
I give You all I am
The brokenness, the failures
The worst of who I am
But I stand before you open
My heart, my mind, my soul,
I ask for Your to fill me
So I can give you all...

I long to worship you alone
I long to honour your name alone
I long to worship you alone,
For you alone are worthy... so worthy.
(song I'm working on)

God, you've captured my fascination with who You really are and what You really mean. I am committed to the journey to finding You more and more each day. For you ARE the only one worthy.

"the dangers of the last days"

A couple of days ago, my reading plan took me to 2 Timothy 3 and 4. It starts out like this:

"You should know this, Timothy, thot in the last days, there will be very difficult times. For people will love only themselves and their money. They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents and ungrateful, They will consider nothing sacred. They will be unloving and unforginving; they will slander others and have no self-control. THey will be creul and hate what is good. They will betray their friends, be reckless, be puffed up with pride, and love pleasure rather than God. They will act religious, but the will reject the power that could make them godly. Stay away from people like that. (2 Tim 3:1-5 NLT)

Its a strong warning and a strong beginning and premise from which he writes the rest of the letter. It's somewhat easy to look at this list and think "we must be in the end times" as so many of these things are happening all around us. But what struck me was two in the list "ungrateful" and "they hold nothing sacred". Both speak of incredible selfishness to me, and my heart resonates with being "ungrateful" Yet I think it's the second one of these two that wounds God's heart. "they hold nothing sacred". Nothing has value or worth. Everything is common place and holds no wonder or delight. That is not the way the Lord created us, the earth, or anything He made.

To be ungrateful and hold nothing sacred goes together in a way. And both break his heart. I want to write more, but I have to be up in 6 hours ready to receive all the new students! I will get back to this next time.... until then... happy autumn :P

warning signals

So, this is the first time in my life I have owned a car. Granted, I didn't pay for it, but it is mine. Today, the "service engine soon" warning light came on. At first, I thought "OH NO!!! MY CAR IS GOING TO BLOW UP!!!" But after a few deep breaths and a few reassuring words from my wise friend Cheryl, I realized it is most likely just needing an oil change. PHEW. That I can handle.

It made me laugh though, because it's the same kind of reaction that my heart and mind have been having to my reading of the End Times scriptures. I kind of go through this "OH NO!!!! THE WORLD IS COMING TO AN END!!!" moment and then through the wisdom of the Holy Spirit and trusted friends, I realize, okay, it is coming, but not today. In the mean time, I need to change the oil... (get rid of the old to make way for the new) and keep my life well maintained... pretty good metaphore really.

As I've continued my reading through the scriptures on the end times, I am constantly amazed at the severity of the warning signs... Wars, rumers of wars, nation against nation... and then the natural disasters, earthquakes, floods, famines... and still they are only the beginning of the birth pangs. HOW MUCH MORE SEVERE WILL GOD NEED TO GET TO GET OUR ATTENTION?

I know that I need to take my car in and get it serviced. I know because the warning light tells me to. There was no light yesterday... there is today. Do I risk it and see how long the light will stay on before the car dies? Of course not... I'm taking it in this weekend (hopefully).

Then why do I think I can ignore the signs that Jesus himself told us to look for? He is coming like a thief in the night... we don't know when, but for those of us who believe and have the Holy Spirit in us, He has given us the playbook. We DO get to know the "signs of the times" and we DO need to stay awake and alert ... Praying and proclaiming His return. I know my car WILL blow up if I ignore the warnings... I know too, that I will miss what Jesus wants to do in me to prepare myself and others for His return if I ignore what's all happening in the world around me.

I'm not so sure that "service engine soon" warning was just a coincidence.