Here is to 2021

 Happy New Year

I told my Facebook friends I would post one of my blogs rather than one of the regular posts which I have shared throughout the year of 2020. Many of which fueled a lot of anger within myself and others. Many of the posts meant to be informative. However, to some people, they are controversial topics or conspiracy theories. To me they hold a lot more truth than the regular televised news casts. All of 2020 makes one thing clear, we all have a lot more praying to do. We sure do need God’s help.

I looked at my BlogSpot website the other day and was surprised to notice that I haven’t written a blog since 2019. Now, that the year of 2020, along with all of the upheaval in our lives has ended, we look forward to 2021 while holding on to a glimmer of hope for better things to come. 2020 is somewhat of a blur or a blip which erased a year of many lives. For some people it is an ink blot in the obituary section of the news paper, representing each of those who lost their lives to Covid 19 and other causes of death. Another life lost amongst the numbers given out on the daily broadcast.  The picture we see is that of a flawed healthcare system, worldwide. 

For my family, the year of 2020 came in like a lamb as God gifted us with our third grandchild, David. Many days he spread sunshine into our home, through the daily pictures my daughter sent me through text message, along with the videos and pictures of our other two rays of sunshine, Lucas and James.  Sunshine that many times got me through the dark days of lockdown in the early spring. We thank God for the many blessings we do have even when there are other trials, worries and fears which try to steal our joy.

The year 2020, was a year of changes which have brought with it much fear, death, pain, loneliness, uprisings, rebellion, controls, restrictions, anger, division, addictions, poverty, strife, times of insanity, and so many other emotions and thoughts. The Lord Jesus told us to lay all our burdens at his feet and that He will carry us, walk with us through the storms of life when we trust in Him.  

Truly, it was a year many are happy to see end. Many of us have found ourselves tested in ways we never imagined could happen. There are some charitable stories of people who have shown a better side of humanity. The long days and months apart from loved ones, tore at our heart strings. 

Businesses shut down, lockdowns, wearing masks, as our freedoms were taken away. People suffered mistreatment and discrimination because they did not comply to wearing a mask even though they had their reasons and rights. This became the new normal. But is it really normal at all? Some accepted such abuses of power by police and even applauded them. Others snitched on someone, maybe a neighbor or a kid skating on a pond.  who didn't  comply to mandates. A troublesome growing reoccurrence. Even still, many comply while others, say enough, to these suffocating restrictions and mandates as they lose their lively-hood. Two camps who can't compromise or see the other side. 

The world changed in a flash. Life as we knew it crumbled. A different kind of world war began. It started with a war against a virus. Over time it turned into a war between people, friends, families as some fought for the freedoms being taken away. A new kind of intolerance happened to people. At first everyone was all working together against this virus. Then as the months dragged on and the tides began to shift, taking many people spiraling down into some void of darkness, we in North America, have not had to experience before. At least not since the early century world wars.  Even for people who seem to have all the answers with their word speak, deep down, they too find themselves flailing from within the deepness of depression, trying to find their way back to some normality. 2020 has left us with so much distrust, not knowing what is true and what is not. The devil is always in the details. Now we enter a new year 2021.  Usually it would be a time to sing, Auld lang syne.

I didn’t sing that song this New Years Eve. I felt more like singing "Bye by American Pie" I was not surrounded by family or friends, holding hands nor taking a sip of champagne. I was in bed as I heard this muffled voice from my husband coming through the cracks in the floor boards. “Happy New Year.”

I replied with a tone of little excitement, “Happy New Year”. 2020 is over and another year gone. I turned off the light and went to sleep. 

For many years, this song has been sung at New Year celebrations, I imagine many of us never knew the meaning of the words we sung. It always had a melancholic tone that brought a tear to the eye. It was not originally written in English. Translated literally it means “old long since,” but the meaning is more like “old times” or “the olden days “Should ole acquaintances be forgot and never brought to mind? It asks a question. Of course the answer is, we should not forget all those who are no longer here.  ‘We drink a cup of kindness dear and sing of ole lang syne (the olden days). Song written by Robert Burns also known as Rabbie Burns, born in Scotland 1759.

Just maybe it is the right time to sing this song if there ever was a time to sing it. As we flip through the calendar year when most of us didn't have a clue what day it was because every day became the same. We take a moment of reflection to remember the great things that happened, what we have learned and just for a moment forget all the crap. Think of your loved ones you can still hold and hug or talk to on the iPhone. Just for a few moments "sing, sing a song, make it simple to last the whole night long.  Don't worry if it's not good enough for anyone else to hear. Just sing." by Karen Carpenter. 

Think of all the rest of 2020 as fully past and gone, days of old long since. For tomorrow is a new day on a new calendar year. "May God Bless you each and everyone." Tiny Tim or you could always tip toe through the tulips of spring. Even better, Let us all pray for this country and ask God to keep our Land Glorious and Free. 

"Should auld acquaintance be forgot,

And never brought to mind?

Should auld acquaintance be forgot,

And days of auld lang syne?

And days of auld lang syne, my dear,

And days of auld lang syne.

Should auld acquaintance be forgot,

And days of auld lang syne?"

Onward we go into 2021  

Sounds of silence

The summer flew by as quickly as a snowbird jet on it's way to the CNE air show. The months of summer had moments of heat and sweat, dead grass and well, just the daily things of life which come and go. The politics, election issues and an election were on the minds of some of us. Every season has it changes from one to the next. That being said, I witnessed the last red leaf fall from the enormous Maple tree in my front yard. Larry the leaf gently fluttered like a butterfly landing to join all his friends on the ground. The pool is closed and the ice sits on top of the cover like it is waiting for a hockey game. The season of fall turned into early winter as the snow fell way too soon. We say goodbye to yesterday yet with hope and faith, we pray for the tomorrows to come.

The world seems to be in upheaval as so many changes occur on a daily basis. I can't keep up with the technology. I imagine my mother must have felt this way years ago when the dial-up internet began. Too many apps to download, don't know how don't want to know-how. It all exhausts me to try.   Flipping to the next page of my calendar to the next month, the thoughts of this over-thinker exploded again. Snap, crackle, pop, Rice Krispies. Christmas is only a month away.

The clock never stops ticking unless there is a power outage. It would be nice if we never lost that time. Truth is the sun sets and hopefully rises again. We live our lives in the same way we breathe. Like we have billions more breaths to take. Instead of being thankful that our feet get to touch the floor one more time, or realize we get to hear one more love song on the radio, pour one more cup of coffee for our loved one, we act like robots doing the same routine. It becomes so obvious to me that many of us are simply stuck in a cyber system of technology and in the digression of the human race are becoming very robotic. Sit and watch a movie on television if you don't have Netflix and watch the same commercials over and over again ten-twenty times. If that is not being transformed into brainwashed, time-wasting robots, I don't know what is.

I ask myself, why do we do this? Are we so bored or lazy or are we simply seeking to fill some empty void with garbage? Whether we spend hours on facebook looking for some gratification, some kind of human connect or texting to people rather than phoning them, it all really just shows a changing human race controlled by cyber technology which gives false gratification. I am not a phone person. Go figure, I would rather write. So it is definitely easier to text message and fall into that trap. Can't say I get together with friends very often. Possibly that draws me and maybe you to twitter, facebook - like water draws a horse to the trough.

When I think about the last year, I can't help but notice the great disconnect between people. We see it as we scroll through the Facebook news feeds. People crying out for some kind of love, recognition, one more like one more love heart, one more smiley face. Months can go by and we never talk to those who are closest to us. The more time that passes, the wider the disconnect. Where does this lead? When does this get better? Or Does it get better? The longer we slide down that slippery slope, the steeper the decline. Then we find ourselves sitting on the roadside, sitting in the dumpster of denial. Lost in the garbage, thrown out like yesterday's leftovers. Sounds a little negative, I know.  When we examine these truths we will discover that disconnect. Haven't we all done it?  Sat in the same room with someone and both people looking at their iPhones while they scroll. People are sitting in the same room but they are not present. The sad realization of the message being conveyed is that your newsfeed is more important than the person beside you. This might be a good time to take an inventory of life. Your life. Your family's life. How can we climb out of that dumpster of denial long enough to clean the stench off of our own clothing and smell the rose sitting beside us? Time to appreciate the sunsets and the sunrises in our lives and share it with each other.

Passover

As we are coming up to the season of Spring and with Spring many people celebrate Easter, which is really a pagan word to distort or take away from the original celebration of Passover which took place in the early ages, reported in the book of Exodus (Old Testament Scripture) which gives the account of the Passover. You can read this below.


Exodus 12

The Passover

12 The Lord said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, ² “This month shall be for you the beginning of months. It shall be the first month of the year for you. ³ Tell all the congregation of Israel that on the tenth day of this month every man shall take a lamb according to their fathers' houses, a lamb for a household. ⁴ And if the household is too small for a lamb, then he and his nearest neighbor shall take according to the number of persons; according to what each can eat you shall make your count for the lamb. ⁵ Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male a year old. You may take it from the sheep or from the goats, ⁶ and you shall keep it until the fourteenth day of this month, when the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill their lambs at twilight.<sup>[a]

7</sup> “Then they shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and the lintel of the houses in which they eat it. ⁸ They shall eat the flesh that night, roasted on the fire; with unleavened bread and bitter herbs they shall eat it. ⁹ Do not eat any of it raw or boiled in water, but roasted, its head with its legs and its inner parts. ¹⁰ And you shall let none of it remain until the morning; anything that remains until the morning you shall burn. ¹¹ In this manner you shall eat it: with your belt fastened, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand. And you shall eat it in haste. It is the Lord's Passover. ¹² For I will pass through the land of Egypt that night, and I will strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and on all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments: I am the Lord. ¹³ The blood shall be a sign for you, on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and no plague will befall you to destroy you, when I strike the land of Egypt.

¹⁴ “This day shall be for you a memorial day, and you shall keep it as a feast to the Lord; throughout your generations, as a statute forever, you shall keep it as a feast. ¹⁵ Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread. On the first day you shall remove leaven out of your houses, for if anyone eats what is leavened, from the first day until the seventh day, that person shall be cut off from Israel. ¹⁶ On the first day you shall hold a holy assembly, and on the seventh day a holy assembly. No work shall be done on those days. But what everyone needs to eat, that alone may be prepared by you. ¹⁷ And you shall observe the Feast of Unleavened Bread, for on this very day I brought your hosts out of the land of Egypt. Therefore you shall observe this day, throughout your generations, as a statute forever. ¹⁸ In the first month, from the fourteenth day of the month at evening, you shall eat unleavened bread until the twenty-first day of the month at evening. ¹⁹ For seven days no leaven is to be found in your houses. If anyone eats what is leavened, that person will be cut off from the congregation of Israel, whether he is a sojourner or a native of the land. ²⁰ You shall eat nothing leavened; in all your dwelling places you shall eat unleavened bread.”

²¹ Then Moses called all the elders of Israel and said to them, “Go and select lambs for yourselves according to your clans, and kill the Passover lamb. ²² Take a bunch of hyssop and dip it in the blood that is in the basin, and touch the lintel and the two doorposts with the blood that is in the basin. None of you shall go out of the door of his house until the morning. ²³ For the Lord will pass through to strike the Egyptians, and when he sees the blood on the lintel and on the two doorposts, the Lord will pass over the door and will not allow the destroyer to enter your houses to strike you. ²⁴ You shall observe this rite as a statute for you and for your sons forever. ²⁵ And when you come to the land that the Lord will give you, as he has promised, you shall keep this service. ²⁶ And when your children say to you, ‘What do you mean by this service?’ ²⁷ you shall say, ‘It is the sacrifice of the Lord's Passover, for he passed over the houses of the people of Israel in Egypt, when he struck the Egyptians but spared our houses.’” And the people bowed their heads and worshiped.

²⁸ Then the people of Israel went and did so; as the Lord had commanded Moses and Aaron, so they did.”

                 Now we live in a modern era. If I had to guess, I would say a small percent of the world population still remember the original intent of the Passover. Some Jewish people still celebrate the original Old Testament observance of this statute. (Observe this day, throughout your generations, as a statute forever). They would do this if they did not read the New Testament. Evangelical Christians study the Old Testament and New Testament Scriptures, and in doing so, have followed the lineage of Christ from beginning of the Bible to the end of the Book of Revelation.  We see the importance of continuing to observe this significant time in history as it relates with the Biblical New Testament teachings of Jesus Christ.             

As Christians we have been liberated from fulfilling all the laws written within the Torah, first five books of the Bible. This is only because the promised Saviour, King, Messiah has come in the flesh and fulfilled the requirement of those laws. The Perfect Lamb of God. That being Jesus Christ. He came as the example of the perfect lamb being the only one who could die to take away the sins of the world. His prophesied death and resurrection completed and fulfilled all the laws which man could not keep. I must also say, that Jesus left us with two laws to fulfill 

“Matthew 22 ³⁶ “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” ³⁷ And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. ³⁸ This is the great and first commandment. ³⁹ And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. ⁴⁰ On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”

In essence all the old laws are wrapped up in these two commands. If you can keep these two commands, then you are fulfilling all the others. We know that we are just as incapable of always fulfilling these laws to the full extent as much as the Israelites could not keep all the OT laws. That is why Christ Jesus (lamb) died for our transgressions.

                
For some it is a nice story. To some it is meaningless. In this world we live in, some would say, “What does this matter now?” I am saddened to look around me and see many of my loved ones who live oblivious to what the Bible (God’s Word) says. There just does not seem to be much interest to know these truths. How often can we sit down and talk about the Bible without arguing? Because I study His word on a regular basis over the last thirty years, since giving my life to Christ. (Not that my life was my own. It always belonged to Him who created me). At one point in my life the message clicked and I realized that I am a sinner and was dead in my sins. Yes, I always believed in God. But never had a relationship with God the Son “Jesus”. One day sitting in a church service and hearing the sermon from the Bible, I realized I was not truly saved. The message never went from my head to my heart. That day it did. I asked forgiveness of my sins and became born again in my spirit.

Yesterday, I was walking out back behind our home. A vast couple of hundred acres of nothing but quiet, serenity and beauty for me to behold. Blue skies, ponds, white fluffy clouds, trees. As always, when I go to that place away from all the distractions, the noise, I can take a breath of fresh air. His air. A time of just God and me. That is relationship. I can’t help but praise HIM. And then just be silent before HIM. I wonder how many of us today can actually do this? Don’t most people fill their days with all kinds of things to do? I confess, many days I am too busy (being under satan’s yoke). How many of us never give God a thought, never ever learn that this life is temporal and it is really just a short time and then what? We live for today and not for eternity. Because I know what the Word of God says, I have learned that God is love, God is also a God of wrath and He will one day judge each one of us as he judged the Egyptians. The Egyptians had kept the Israelites in bondage, working them as slaves for hundreds of years. God said, “Let my people go”. The Egyptians were full of pride and they worshipped their own gods and rejected the one true God. The blood the Israelites had to put on the door posts was so important. The obedience they showed was of great importance. If they did not put the blood over the door posts, their first born sons would have died too. Was that God’s fault? No! It would have been their own fault. They did obey God and their sons were saved, but the Egyptians first born sons died. Very sad indeed. Can you imagine?

               
 I say this to show that God is God and He does not change. God in His great love never gave up on the people (all of us to whom He gave that same free will to choose). God’s love for us came at a great price. (Not money). God coming in the flesh as a human/God to once again use the Passover week, as the exact time of Christ’s death on the cross. His shed blood (Lamb of God). It was a brutal death in every way imaginable. Yet, we have closed our eyes and our hearts and minds to the Greatest Gift that God has given to us. HIS SON, the forgiveness of sins and the opportunity to choose Him and receive eternal life rather than death.  This coming Easter, maybe we can all think just a little more about God/Jesus dying on the cross. Think about the thorns on HIS head and the blood and sweat dripping into his eyes. Think about the four inch spikes through His hands and feet. Oh, you got a sliver. Wow! That must have hurt. Next time drive a spike through your hand. Then hang on a cross naked in front of the mocking crowd. Think for a minute, would you do that for your worst enemy? Would you do that for someone spitting on you or punching you in the face and laughing at you? Would you do that for someone who puts sour wine to your lips when you are so dehydrated you couldn’t spit because of the lack of blood which drained from your body? I think not. I think most of us have a hard time forgiving a loved one because they offended us on facebook. Jesus was not like us. He is God and loves us and wants none to perish or go to eternal destruction. No, God loved us so much He gave His only Son that whoever believes in Him would not perish but have everlasting life. We today, have a choice. We can choose to follow that ONE Jesus who endured the Cross and in His dying breath said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”

                
My friends and family, it is not always easy to follow Jesus. It is easy to say, I believe and it is easy to post some scripture or a song and maybe once in a while when we really feel like or when we need God’s help, say a little prayer. The more I study the Word of God, the more I realize the need to sacrifice more things in my life to follow Jesus. But they don’t compare to what God sacrificed. I don’t sacrifice out of fear of the Lord, although the Word says that “the fear of the Lord is the beginning of Wisdom.” I sacrifice little really. What I do for God is out of Love and admiration. If anyone deserves my admiration and love, it is Jesus Christ. What a great time to remember what Jesus did for each one of us. Many of you may not go to church for Good Friday Service or Resurrection Sunday. I know, it is hard to give up a couple hours of your weekend when you work all week.  I realize that going to church does not make you a Christian any more than driving a Honda into a garage makes it a Porsche. When we don’t go, we miss out on capturing the magnitude of what Christ did and what was accomplished by His death on the cross. We miss out on experiencing the depth of His love and also the fellowship of other believers. Most of all we miss out on worshipping and giving thanks to the One who deserves all Honour Glory and Praise. Our Saviour Jesus the Messiah. (Christ)

Luke 22:1 English Standard Version (ESV)

The Plot to Kill Jesus

“22 Now the Feast of Unleavened Bread drew near, which is called the Passover.”

As you read through the New Testament of the Bible you will learn the full account from Passover through to the death of Jesus and His resurrection, teachings of Jesus, and disciples. 

Happy New Year in 2019

Hello 2019



I had a dream last night. In that dream, my deceased aunt and uncle came to visit me. We shared great conversation and laughter. They looked younger than I remember them. None the less it was a nice dream because it was just so nice to see them again. Disappointment came when I awoke to reality. Who knows but God, why we dream what we dream? It does seem that the years go by quicker as each year goes by. The world changes, people change, every thing changes. One could hope for the better. Today, December 31, 2018, some of us will celebrate the New Year tonight, the changing of the clock as we watch the minute hand come to a stop at midnight. What happens during that stop? Are we celebrating the passing of another year of life gone by? Are we celebrating as to say "Thank God that Year is over and I sure pray that 2019 is better?" or "That was a great year of many wonderful happenings within our lives." Yeah! We made it through the struggles and came out stronger for them. Yes, there are still challenges ahead but this is a new year and a new beginning to make the changes we failed to make the previous year. We celebrate going forward in our lives, reaching new heights, conquering the giants which plagued us the year before. Is it a time to take New inventory of our lives to see where it is we are to go in 2019, what positive changes can we make to see progress within our lives which help the lives of those around us even better?

Well, I'm not sure. I imagine the clock will strike midnight and whether or not I am surround by many loved ones or sitting by the fire with my husband toasting in the New Year, hopefully, the clock won't stop at midnight and that minute of celebration will continue all throughout the coming days and year.

I remember the years of old and singing "Ole Lang Zine". Reflecting back some years, I also remember seeing in the New Year with my brothers and Dad shooting their shot guns up into the air while Mum and I were clanging the pots and pans as the New Year rang in loud and clear. Not sure why that was our tradition, but I remember it. Maybe in some way we were waking up the dead. As if to say, "Happy New Year!! everyone. May 2019 be a great one. May this world we live in, become a better one. (by God's great grace)

So, Happy New Year everyone. For me, I thank God for each day of 2018 and the years which have come and gone because within those years, I lived life. In doing so met many wonderful people who have come and gone. It has been a journey of learning of which there is still much to learn. God has always been a part of my journey all the way. To have that Saviour God the Christ Messiah to walk with me and help me, is of great significance. I am thankful for what He (God) has taught me through the ups and downs along that road. I thank Him for another day, another year ahead which may be full of many surprises. It is great to celebrate the life we have, especially the life we can have in Christ our Saviour. So I start out this New Year, not with a shout, but more of a whisper and a prayer as Jesus Himself taught an example of how to pray.


Matthew 6:9-13

9 Pray then like this:

"Our Father who is in Heaven. Holy is your name, Let thy Kingdom come and thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread (what we need). Forgive us our sins (trespasses) as we also forgive those who trespass (sin) against us. Lead us not into temptation (to not fall to the temptation to do evil) But deliver us from evil (Jesus is our deliverer) For Thine is the Kingdom, the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen!

Merry Christmas to all and to all a goodnight.

Yes, another year has come around. The stores are stocked, the Christmas carols are playing songs all about Santa. As a child, I never really thought that much about the real reason we celebrate Christmas. Yes sometimes we did go to church at Christmas. We enjoyed the school plays about Mary and Joseph giving birth to baby Jesus.

Mostly I remember Christmas being about family and friends getting together, food and more food. My mother's baking of sausage rolls, shortbread cookies, mince meat tarts with whip cream and listening to all the oldies: including Elvis, Bing Crosby. Decorating the Christmas tree with my mother. Even back when I was a child the same shows that air today, came on our black and white television set. Shows like "The Grinch" or "Charlie Brown Christmas" and who could forget "A Christmas Carol" or "The Miracle on 34th Street"? Well sometimes, I do forget. I forget many things of the past. Some things I cling to with a smile of the memories. I watch the old videos and recognise how young we were then. There are many cherished moments of togetherness which spanned over years.

Part of the Christmas celebration is trying to recapture that love and miracle of the season. Many of those loved ones from my childhood are now gone. I was thinking this morning of my sweet sister Penny who left us in December a few years ago . I was thinking well, now she is with her Mum and Mum has been reunited with her in paradise along with many others. This is the hope we have in Christ our Saviour. We have that hope because Jesus was the true "Miracle" who is often forgotten or simply left out of the all the Christmas celebrations. It is easy to do. So, as I sit and think about the past and the present time, I can't help but tear up a little because I miss those loved ones. It does not seem the same without them.

It is now a New time and a New season. I am where my mother was, what seems like only see a few years ago. I am a mother, wife, and a grandmother. Of course it is a desire to share all the love of Christ (CHRISTMAS) with each one. To capture the miracle of it all. While there is the fun of Santa for the little children, it is my prayer that my grandchildren will get to know the one behind the miracle. The true miracle of Christmas and what the greatest gift of all really is. Merry Christmas to all. Maybe this Christmas will mean something more. Enjoy the link video below.

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=utube+Christmas+songs+about+Christ&&view=detail&mid=6D5B449099BA486356656D5B449099BA48635665&&FORM=VDRVRV

Excerpt from "When Time Stands Still" by Rebecca Robinson (Pen name Rebecca Hickson)

It is a New Year. I spent much of 2017 trying to figure things out.  A quiz came up on my Facebook news feed today. My curiosity got the best of me and I attempted to answer the questions on the quiz to see if I am really an evangelical Christian. Doing the quiz, made me think. Even though I only got 88% on the quiz, I still passed.  I did get a couple questions wrong.  Like watching an episode of Veggie Tales meets the criteria. LOL! One of the questions, I guessed the name of the boy band who sang a Christian song. Got that one wrong. LOL! At the end of the quiz, I was congratulated because I could answer most of the questions correctly. Yeah! LOL! There was a disclaimer written at the end. It told me to - "now celebrate, but don't do anything fun because it will be sin." Ha! Ha! Was there some truth to what it said? Sometimes it does seem that anything fun is sin. I've heard this statement made, or one like it  - Christians can't have fun.

The other questioned posed to me, "Are we not to be genuine?" What is genuine? Does being able to answer all the Bible questions correctly make me a genuine? No. If I can answer all the questions, but don't have love in my heart then I think I need some serious self examination.

I remembered this chapter I wrote some years back - at a time, when even then, I was trying to figure out how to be a genuine person while trying to figure out all the do's and don'ts. When it comes down to it, are we not all trying to figure out who we are, and what our purpose is in life? In a world of extreme cyber technologies, it is easy to lose ourselves in the fantasy world and become a fictional character to those we meet. Why do people do that? Is it because we honestly believe that in our minds that people won't like who we really are? People become a self projected image of someone they are not, in order to find acceptance. Isn't that all part of the masquerade party?

When Time Stands Still

by Rebecca Hickson

Chapter 34

The Mask

. . . Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. 2 Corinthians 11:14 Is the world one big masquerade party? Daily we see people masquerade behind a mask of pretending imagery trying to be accepted by the status quo. Why do we think we have to hide our real identities and personalities behind a mask? Is there so much fear of rejection in the world, or just too much rejection? Why do we persist in the game? What does it take to be who God created us to be? Will the real John Doe please stand up? Without saying much babble, the direction I would point you to is to the Almighty Counselor, Jesus Christ. It is crucial that we as children of God know our identity in Him. By knowing, believing and having faith in Him, we can learn to accept the fact that God totally accepts us and we are exactly who God created us to be. He formed us in our mother’s wombs. Let us look behind the masks; remembering that the first mask we need to remove is the one we are wearing. Have you ever experienced relationships where it has taken more than a couple years before you get to know the person behind the mask? Perhaps years have passed and you realized one day that you never even knew the person you called your neighbour, brother, spouse or friend. The masks wear out over time and fall off. Have you ever experienced a broken relationship? The mask is off and your relationship has ended. You are left holding a mask full of questions and tears. We wonder what on earth happened, surprised by the mask of deception we never knew existed. When we try to build our relationships, it is important to build the foundation with real materials like honesty, love, reality and truth. Any imitation materials will not persevere the stormy weather ahead. If we look at an imitation flower compared with a flower filled with life, what might we notice? From a distance both look the same. Some imitation flowers look so real, you cannot tell until you touch or smell them. Nothing can replace the natural beauty of a flower, fragrant fresh with silky softness and vivid colours. Without the fragrance something is missing. They are beautiful on the outside yet fragrant less, never growing or spreading life. No seeds can fall from an imitation. Even sun and rain will not enhance its beauty. In fact sun and rain will only enhance the fraudulent reality of the emptiness held within a stem without roots. Without growth, without life, it is dead. In the same way God’s light will eventually reveal the things in our lives, which are imitation. Truth will always uncover the lie. We frequently hear on the news about horrendous crimes committed. People are left in disbelief of the offender. We cannot believe our neighbour could have done such a crime. After all, he was such a nice guy. We are left shocked. I always wonder, did anyone ever really take the time to get to know the person behind the mask? Maybe he had been crying out for such a long time. No one noticed, or cared enough to help or listen to the cry behind the mask. Does that make us accomplices to the crimes?

The originality of these masks began a long time ago in the Garden of Eden. God had created everything perfect and it was all very good. The first mask maker was Satan, who was also in the garden. Satan the devil gave Eve the first mask as a lie. He told Eve what God had given her was not enough. She needed more. Eve swallowed the lie along with the fruit from the forbidden tree. Today we are still swallowing Satan’s lies. You have to be funny. Your nose is too big. You are fat and ugly. You will never be able to succeed. They will not like you if . . . And on and on the lies go. Satan wears the craftiest mask of all. The bible says that Satan masquerades as an angel of light. He would like nothing better than for us to wear his masks and be like him, deceiving and being deceived. We have not lost. There is victory in Christ Jesus. We can learn from the mistake Eve made and we can learn from the mistakes we make. It is time to take off the mask and be who God created us to be. Allow God to change us into His image. In the changing process learn to accept and praise God for who we are in Christ Jesus. In Christ, we are so much more than the surface appearance. Behind every face is a beautiful spirit and soul that God loves so very much. He is waiting to shine out and shine in and melt off the masks of deception. He wants to end the masquerade party. Jesus never hid behind any mask. He made no false pretences. Christ lived truth all the way to the cross, the grave and back to heaven. Praise God. Be real! Be free! Be all that God intended us to be!

What does the Bible say?

When Time Stands Still

The Mask CHAPTER 34

1. What are the names of Satan? (Deuteronomy 13:13, Matthew 10:25, 1 John 3:8, 12:30, Luke 8:30,)

2. What are some characteristics of Satan? (Genesis 1, 3:1, Job 1:6-12, 2:1-6, Revelation 12:10)

3. Who are you in Christ Jesus?

4. One of the main ways Satan tries to attack us, is in our thoughts. Study these scriptures and write down how we can battle and defeat Satan and his tactics. (2 Corinthians 10:5, Romans 12:1-2, James 5:16, Psalm 150:6)

5. Read Revelation 12:11 and write down the key way in which we can overcome Satan?

Remove the negative thoughts and replace them with the word of God and His truth. Prayer is important because your relationship with the Lord will grow in intimacy and His power will strengthen, protect and free you. Praise is also a big weapon against Satan.

Time To Grow

Time to grow up

I’m still crawling along at a snail’s pace as far spiritual maturity goes. Everyday, I look in the mirror to see the subtle changes of aging – only to realize that my maturity level is not catching up with that mirrored image.  You would think we would learn from our mistakes and immaturity. One would think that the little slips of the tongue would help us live with tongue in cheek. Sometimes the tongue behaves like it is still frozen from being at the dentist. When it is frozen you can bite your tongue right off and not even feel it. However, like in life, when the freezing comes out and the damage is done, it is hard to sew your tongue back on. Often times the hurt and damage is done and the dentist and care providers have left the building, leaving you to wipe up your own saliva.

We have heard the sermons. We know how and what we are supposed to do as Christians. Speaking for myself, I always fall short. My human efforts are not enough. Many days I seem to say something I should not say. Sometimes I make a judgement I should not make. Often I realize this, too late. When that happens it always seems to lead me back to repentance. That being said, I believe the first step would be: getting on my face and praying, seeking God with all my heart, soul and mind. That being said, knowing and behaving are two different things. There is a long distance from the head to the heart.

I just watched a video last night called “More than Dreams”. It was about five people at a crossroads in life – crying with all their heart for a deeper understanding of God. It is said that in every person’s heart there exists a void only God can fill. For these five Muslims their cry to God brought them new discovery and a relationship with Christ Jesus. They found the truth they were seeking to find. They discovered more than superstition… more than magic… more than ritual… more than religion… more than dreams… They discovered Jesus. Their lives were radically transformed. God can change  all of our lives. I couldn’t help but notice that within each person’s story, they had one thing in common. They each had a desperate desire for God and His truth. Desperate seeking of God, is the best place to start in our pursuit of Spiritual Maturity. Start on our knees before the God of the Universe. Allow His transforming power to work. He is the heart transformer. He can change a heart full of hatred, jealousy, anger, addiction, pain, judgment, depression into a heart of Christ-like love and Spiritual Maturity. When we receive Jesus in the truest sense – it is like being born again. Being changed to a new creation. God becomes the rudder of our ship. We will not go anywhere if don’t get on board, all the way. We can’t have one foot on the dock and one foot in the boat.

It struck me – a lightbulb moment as I watched that DVD. It occurred to me that I seem to want to protect certain areas of my heart; fill that void with other things or people, rather than give all my heart to the Lord to fill. No wonder I struggle with Spiritual maturity. After examining my own heart, I repented, prayed and ask Jesus to fill that area of my heart that I had not given over to him. I know that has to be my constant prayer. It is a life long process.

Maybe you have a void in your heart and you feel that desperation, but you don’t know what to do with it? Think about what Jesus did on the cross and ask Him to fill that void in your heart.
Did you know that it is God’s will that every person become spiritually mature? It’s true!
God wants us all to grow to spiritual maturity. Paul scolds the Corinthian church for their lack of maturity. He treats them as if they are babes in Christ. One scripture verse comes to mind.

”I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for it. And even now you are not yet ready, for you are still of the flesh.  For while there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not of the flesh and behaving only in a human way?”(1 Corinthians 3:2-3)

Some of us have been following Jesus for years and it is easy to slip away from what we know to be right and true. Like looking in the mirror and the moment we look away forget what we look like. Or we don't want to face the mirror of change. Reality is that we need positive change to grow and mature. That is why they say that we become wiser with age. Life's experiences teach us much. Or at least they should. 

I think of my grandchildren and how much they have grown in the last year. From a baby and eating breast milk to now eating more solid food. That one little verse teaches us that it is the same for us spiritually speaking. Often we stay on a diet of little spiritual nourishment. Satisfied with the basic messages of God's Word. Maybe a verse we memorized when we were a child. Or we may have said a little prayer to accept Christ Jesus as our Saviour at one point in time, but have not grown in that relationship with him. We are still like babes satisfied with the milk. 

It is so familiar to me, that place where we often get stuck in life, spinning our wheels so to speak. The bowl of baby food gets empty and we don't replenish it with Spiritual food. The only kind of food that will grow us. The bread of Life. I believe there comes a time in each person's life to think about God as these people in the video did. Often we wait until a crisis happens in our lives and in our desperate cry we call out to a God we hope will hear us. He hears. He waits. He loves. It does not have to take a plea of desperation to bring us to our knees. How much better it is to look in that mirror and take an inventory of our life and seek the one who came to save us so that we may have life eternal. 

Christmas time is approaching. It is a great time when our hearts are warmed and the best of all of us seems to generously exude from us, even people like the Grinch. It a time such as this, to unwrap the greatest gift ever given. That gift is God the Son, our Saviour who emptied Himself of all His power and came to earth as a baby, to one day take our sins upon Himself on a cross.  Let's seek God and find Him in our quest for maturity.

Yesterday I saw a little 2 year old boy sing, "Holy Holy, Holy is God Almighty" It melted my heart as he closed his eyes to pray. A babe in Christ, yet so much older in His spiritual maturity than many adults. Praise be to God.