Apr 17, 2017
seen from Malaysia
seen from Kazakhstan
seen from Malaysia
seen from China
seen from United States
seen from Malaysia
seen from United Kingdom
seen from Germany
seen from United Kingdom
seen from Malaysia
seen from Israel
seen from Singapore
seen from Canada
seen from China
seen from United Kingdom
seen from Malaysia
seen from Greece
seen from Malaysia
seen from Germany
seen from Ukraine
Maranantha = Come Lord!
“Maranatha - Come Lord, we need you so.”
Pray for me, please, friends.
The First and the Last Christmas
I have been thinking a lot lately about Christmas...for obvious reasons. What it was like that night. What the sky must have looked like when the angels came. What exactly it would be like to see the glory of the Lord shining all around them. How many people didn't see that. Things of that nature. I've also been thinking about how the people of Israel had been awaiting their King, longing for Him to come, praying that the day would come quickly. And He did. However, He didn't come when they thought or as they had pictured but instead He came humbly and quietly to two young, terrified parents. It was good news of great joy that is for all the people. The next time He comes it will be good news of great joy for His people.
Here again with this new Christmas season we sit, awaiting our King, longing for Him to come and praying that it would come quickly. Well, we should be doing those things. In the states we don't usually think about it all that much and I'm just as guilty as you are sitting here in Ukraine. We're too comfortable with our lives. We await things like Christmas break, people to text us back, our next vacation, movies to come out at Redbox and for our dinner to finish cooking in the oven. Rarely do we ever plead with the Father to send our Lord to reign forever on His throne. We may have moments of agreeing with this or someone may remind us that we really do want that, but too soon after we are distracted by our lives and current situations. We have things to do that have managed to slip ahead on our list right past the coming of Jesus. This happens on a daily basis. Our eyes are too quickly distracted by the world.
Ask any mother waiting on their child to finally come home to them. Ask my Mama. Meeting princes Lera and beginning this journey of waiting and longing as a family has done nothing but drawn me closer to my God, for I have no other hope. He is all I have and He is enough. There is no way she can come home without Him orchestrating it. Ask any parents starving because they barely have enough to feed their children. Ask anyone who lives in the slums or sleeps in the street night after night if they are ready for Jesus, their Savior to return and they would plead and beg for it to be so. As I write this I am sitting in a flat in Ukraine. I’m pressed to pray harder for the return of our King. We don’t feel the pressure. We don’t feel the pain. We don’t have needs...we get to satisfy our wants. So much of our world is in need of the end. They know Jesus is coming and all of their pain and misery will be transformed into forever worshiping the King of kings. This world is weary. It is groaning. This waiting, this longing, it is revealing our need for Him. The hopelessness apart from Christ is unbearable. The world needs Him. Oh, how I wish I could see this day come during my life. To be forever pleading for Him to return and put an end to death, sickness, loneliness, cold, hunger and devastation would give my life such purpose and direction, such a clearer world vision. This passion has been stirred in me from the time I first reached Ukriane. I am here. You sent me. Let us not forget that there is a world needing to hear of our reigning King. He is returning and we must be ready. No questions. No excuses.
I have such hope in Him as those so long before me did: He is coming once more to claim what is His. He is powerful, mighty, holy, sovereign, good, perfect, faithful, beautiful, commanding, authoritative and glorious. He once came humbly and quietly, gently and peacefully. When the Last Christmas is upon us it will be like nothing we have seen or read about before. Every knee will bow and tongue confess? Yes. Can you miss it? No. He will interrupt life as we know it. It will be so miraculous and frightening. A day I can't wait to see. Will it be in my life? No one knows, but can I pray that it happens? Oh, let it be what I ask for most. Come thou long expected Savior.
Don't let this be a Christmas-y thing. It's not about Christmas. It's about Jesus. As it alway should be. Reconsider what you're longing for. Change the desires of your heart. Lord, break my heart for what breaks Yours. Merry Christmas...all the way from Ukraine.
"And the angel said to them, 'Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.'" Luke 2:10-12
"Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me, and on turning I saw seven golden lamp-stands, and in the midst of the lamp-stands one like a son of man, clothed with a long robe and with a golden sash around his chest. The hairs of his head were white, like white wool, like snow. His eyes were like a flame of fire, his feet were like burnished bronze, refined in a furnace, and his voice was like the roar of many waters. In his right hand he held seven stars, from his mouth came a sharp two-edged sword, and his face was like the sun shining in full strength." Revelation 1:12-16