God Shows Up, Sometimes with Donuts!

I had a great time visiting Sky from Haiti. Isn’t that a beautiful name? And he is a beautiful person, dreadlocks and all.

On my way there, I passed the donut shop on the corner as I always do, but this time I felt a nudge. So I picked a dozen assorted chocolates, glazes and sprinkles, thinking a box of goodies might help someone wake up and feel special. 

When I went into the shelter, Sky said he was the only one who would be at Bible study this time.  This was a first. Everyone else was out helping with projects, and some had doctor appointments. I looked at the big box of donuts and smiled, “Take your pick then!” and a big boyish smile came over his face. I guess he felt pretty special at that moment. 

We dove right into the donuts and the conversation. He talked about his childhood and moving to America. There were some rocky years, a little prison time, and a lot of regret. Every time there was an altar call he’d go forward again, just in case.

Life is like a river, isn’t it, I began. There are sunny times when we float along with a big box of goodies. Then we come around a corner and there may be some waves and a cold wind blowing. We might find ourselves bumping the rocks in white water. We don’t know what’s coming next, but God does!

Jesus is in the boat with us. He is at perfect peace and gives us chances to exercise our faith. We talked about the men in that boat. Even though they had known the sea their whole lives, they found themselves way in over their heads. Too far to swim. Too deep to stand. It was the middle of the night and they were in the middle of the sea, far beyond human strength to paddle. 

What was Jesus thinking, asleep at a time like this? At first glance, you might think he didn't care, but wasn't God watching and listening to everything?

I imagine Jesus was praying in the Spirit for them to exercise some faith in the things he’d been teaching for two years. Yet, when the water started slapping into the boat they forgot it all. They forgot him! They were too busy trying to save themselves.

Who finally remembered him? It might have been John, the deep sensitive one, who finally went to his side and woke him up. “Lord, don’t you care?”

Imagine it! Jesus saw the look of terror in the eyes of his companions and he stood and raised his hand. “Peace! Be still!” Imagine their mouths hanging open, hearts pounding, and white knuckles wrapped around the rails. But the wind and the waves stopped. Instantly still! 

What happened to these giants of faith he hoped they would be? “Why couldn’t you have faith?” He puzzled. What’s it going to take to show you what I’ve been saying? 

Faith. God wants us to show it in the middle of the storm. He wants us to speak it and live it and conquer our fears.

Have you ever wondered why God doesn’t just show up now and stop everything that troubles us? Have you asked, what’s taking so long? Why doesn’t God just take me out of this storm? 

Times of testing show what we truly believe and understand about him.

Then we jumped into the story of Daniels’ friends. Sky read the passage in Daniel 3 and we talked about secular culture, peer pressure, pride and the fury of a king. Mostly, we honed in on the courage it took for three young men to stand up for their faith.

This test was straightforward and with fatal consequences, but they knew the second commandment: You shall not bow down to a manmade image or worship idols. Would they obey it?

They bravely determined together, "our God is able to save us, but even if he doesn't, we WILL NOT BOW a knee to a gold statue!" 

If they hadn’t been put in such a predicament, they NEVER would have SEEN JESUS! They would never have been promoted either. Everything changed when they stood their ground. 

Jesus loves to show up in the fire! All heaven takes note of a stand like that. 

What do you think they talked about in there while everyone else sat on the sidelines hoping to see the power of the king’s fury and his law fulfilled?

I think it might have been something like this. “Hi guys! Can I just tell you how proud I am of you right now? You men just made the most wonderful confession of faith and have given the Father great glory! I can’t wait to show you the rewards waiting for you and the celebration going on in heaven over this!”

They probably looked around at the fire and asked, “Are we dead? How is this happening that we don’t even feel the heat?”

“You are being held by the power of the Spirit of God right now, sealed in his love.  Nothing can touch you or separate you from the love of God! But you can’t stay here now. I’m sending you back to keep living for me. You are about to be promoted and I’m going to use your story for generations to come! Keep up the good work, boys!”

Meanwhile, the king had risen to his feet and counted the four men. He called to them, “Servants of the Most High God! Come out!”

And so, three young men were bound and thrown into a furnace, but three young warriors walked out of the fire in their own strength. They encountered God in that fire. Their story made front page news in Babylon and demonstrated that God is indeed able to rescue us from the king’s fury. 

The king knew it too. His whole attitude reversed. Instead of screaming at them as he had before, Nebuchadnezzar praised their courage, practically bowing in recognition that their God truly is God. Then he promoted all three of them in the province. Laws were changed in a nation that day, and we still know the names of these three brave men today. 

It was so much fun eating donuts and reading through this amazing account of the power and presence of our Lord. We marveled at the goodness of God, how he shows up with the power to take us through the most fiery trials.

That's when Sky looked up and said, “I can’t believe you’re saying these things today. This is God.” 

Unbeknownst to me, these truths were exactly what he had been praying about, unable to sleep the night before! He shook his head again. “You didn’t know it, but you were answering all my questions.” 

I came away shaking my head and praising God too. Isn’t it great to remember that we are kept in the power of his love and that Jesus knows exactly what we’re going through? He can stand over the deep waters, calm the seas, and bring you through fire! Jesus loves you. HE thinks you're pretty special! 

Whether you feel like you’re in over your head and you’re tired of rowing, or whether you feel like the pressure’s too much, and you're facing the fire,  remember, the Most High God is mighty to save! 

He understands everything you’re going through and He promises to stand with you and keep you to the end of time. 
He may even bring you donuts!

If Asked, "Are you a Christian?" Would You Tell the Truth?

Why aren’t more people paying attention to the final question asked of the nine victims of the Oregon shooting?

Hillary Clinton is trying to turn it into a gun control campaign, but thousands die in car and motorcycle accidents every year. Should we eliminate cars and motorcycles? It makes more sense to me to address the problems when hurting PEOPLE don’t take their meds for Asbergers. Maybe they should be denied gun licenses due to an obvious mental instability, but this isn’t the story I want to address.    

According to the CNN report, “While reloading his handgun, the man ordered the students to stand up and asked whether they were Christians," Boylan told her family.

"And they would stand up, and he said, 'Good, because you're a Christian, you're going to see God in just about one second,'" Stacy Boylan told CNN, relaying his daughter's account.  ‘And then he shot and killed them.’”

That murderer was fixated on their response, which would determine their fate. All they had to do was say “no” and their very lives would be spared.” Instead, each one stood up and said, “yes.”

Every one of them, after the first believer had fallen to the floor, knew what was coming next.

Still, they answered truthfully! Think about that.

Who in our society tells the truth? Even when precious little is at stake, we live in a fairly dishonest world! I used to work in the dean's office and in judicial affairs I've seen people lie over something as simple as academic integrity over a grade. How many people would have at least thought for a fleeting moment, how can I get out of this predicament to save my life? 

But the ONLY WAY OUT would involve denying their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Christians follow Jehovah, our God who loves truth. He IS truth and in him there is no darkness.
Every one of those nine victims knew the Lord in their hearts and thought it important enough to tell the truth about Jesus, no matter what it cost. 

Like Daniel's friends, they went into that fire with the fire of God in their hearts. Perhaps they thought, God is able to save us, but even if he doesn't, I will not lie. I love him! 

They told the truth and said, “yes,” and promptly found themselves surrounded by angels and being carried to a heavenly city where they would see Him face to face. Instantly pain free and fully healed, comforted, and amazed at the glory of God, they have no regrets. Hard, not to say goodbye to loved ones, but if they could, I'm sure they would only tell us it's worth it.  

Of course, we hate the fact that nine families suffer this horrible untimely grief. They have lost a dear son, daughter or parent. But in heaven, we know there is rejoicing in the presence of angels. 

Thank God that these brave souls left a testimony to the truth and the love of the Savior who bought them. They are now safely in his arms forever.

But for all who don’t know Him, they will meet Him under different circumstances. Not to hear, “Well done my good and faithful one,” but sadly it will be, “You can’t stay here. I never knew you.”

The one who held the gun that day heard the latter message a few moments after turning the gun on himself. He apparently had a beef about people who love God, so instead he sent himself directly into the clawing arms of the devil and his demons. He tried to squelch Christians and their faith, and chose an eternity of anguish and separation from the very One who would have forgiven him!  What a sad ending to his sad story.

We are all writing our story and as the song says, we get to decide what legacy we will leave behind. We get to decide how the rest is going to read.

May it move us to consider that we all have just one life to live, one brief span to make up our minds about Jesus, and only one life to stand for what we believe. 

As it is written, "Man is destined once to die and after that to face judgment."  
Hebrews 9:27

"We must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad." 
2 Corinthians 5:10

Dear God, help me live my faith fully, bravely, and boldly for You and for your glory! Amen.