"Ye are all the children of the light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness."  (Thessalonians 5:5)

 more Christian articles

(click on title to link)

Each Other's Teacher, Each Other's Students
God at work in the Philippines
I Was Lost, but Now I'm Found
Instruments of Peace In a Troubled World
My Take on End Times, Last Days Prophecies, etc.
Promise Keeper
Tapestry
The Bible is Y2K Compliant
The rape of the Virgin Mary
The Search for Meaning
 

Each Other's Teacher, Each Other's Students

by Erika Halverson
Copyright © September 2006 Heart Links / All Rights Reserved

Fr. Cyprian Niyitegeka seemed to struggle with his homecoming memory. "When I finally saw her, my mother seemed to feel both joy and fear," he recalled. "Joy because her son was home and fear because she no longer knew him…after six years, she no longer knew me."

The reunion had occurred when he returned to Rwanda, the homeland he had been forced to flee because violence and civil war had plagued the nation. He said the return was hard, but it was something he had to do to "begin the healing process."

From April to July 1994, the tribal war between the Hutu and Tutsi factions resulted in massive genocide and between 500,000 and one million deaths. The figures are so skewed because many bodies were never recovered. The rebels, which now represent Rwanda's current government, performed a Coup de tat, massacring most government officials and many civilians. Fr. Cyprian’s father was a Rwandan Supreme Court Justice.

"I lost seven members of my family during that time: my father, four brothers, my sister and my niece," Fr. Cyprian said. "We never found their bodies, which is especially bad because the African culture emphasizes the importance of a proper burial to keep good relationships with one’s ancestors."

Fr. Cyprian, who was a seminarian at the time, became one of the many refugees in Zaire trying to find sanctuary from the chaos around him. He had fled Rwanda with his Bishop and his fellow seminarians. After helping in the refugee camp, Cyprian's Bishop asked the Bishop of Zambia to take the group of 25 into Zambia’s National Seminary, hoping they could finish their studies, become priests, and return to their homeland if peace would ever come. Cyprian's Bishop was later killed.

"I was so traumatized by what I'd seen and experienced," Fr. Cyprian said. "I needed spiritual support."

Sr. Elaine Thaden was a teacher and the spiritual director at the Zambian seminary where Cyprian and his companions came to learn English and continue their studies. She ministered there for nearly nine years, teaching in the seminary and helping form leaders for the church—religious women and lay people.

"The people in Zambia taught me to trust God for all I need and to find deep joy in simple things and always to keep priority for relationships over task-oriented success," Sr. Elaine said. "I loved it there, and it was difficult to leave."

Sr. Elaine returned to the United States in 2001, one year after Fr. Cyprian became a priest and returned to Rwanda. Neither of them thought they'd ever see each other again, but God brought them together once more—here in Spokane, Washington.

In 2002, Sr. Elaine became the Executive Director of St. Joseph Family Center (SJFC), a local facility where people come to heal their minds, bodies and spirits, mostly as counseling clients. For more than four years, she has worked diligently to help the less fortunate Spokane community members, using some experiences from Zambia to guide her philosophy.

Fr. Cyprian had come to Spokane in 2005 after obtaining a scholarship to study at Gonzaga University.

In June of 2006, Fr. Cyprian was attending Sunday Mass at St. Aloysius church. Also among the congregation was Sr. Elaine. Neither could believe their eyes. It had been so long in a place so far away. Yet there they were, face to face, teacher and student. They hugged and told each other what brought them to Spokane. Cyprian recalled the cultural differences he encountered here.

"In my country we are a very spiritual people; even those who aren't Christians are spiritually in-tuned with the Creator of the Earth," Fr. Cyprian revealed. "So it was very strange to be in my Theology class, sitting next to a person who said she had no faith at all. Very, very strange."

Recently, Sr. Elaine invited Fr. Cyprian to lead Mass at SJFC for a group of missionaries returning from decades of service in foreign nations. The group was participating in a ten-day retreat to ease the homecoming transition. Fr. Cyprian quickly bonded with this group who had also experienced trauma and culture shock.

Sr. Elaine and Fr. Cyprian are happy God has brought them together again. The world in which they now live is quite different from the one where they first met. They will always remember what they learned from each other in Zambia and new experiences will be shared in Spokane. Each new encounter will birth different lessons and memories, ones which they will carry with them for the rest of their lives.

The Six Men Team! In February of 2000, I had the privilege to be part of a team of six men who traveled to the nation of the Philippines for an intense week of preaching, teaching and ministry. Gathered at a local conference center were about 350 pastors and leaders from all over the island of Mindanao and the central islands of the Philippines waiting for a week of inspiration and instruction. They had traveled to the City of Davaos to meet with other pastors and leaders who are a part of the One Way Outreach fellowship of churches.

The Church on the Move! One Way Outreach is an organization of almost 600 churches whose ministry and presence in the Philippines over the past 25 years or more has seen literally thousands of people come to a personal saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. The leaders, local pastors and their churches are committed to expanding the Kingdom of God through community minded local churches who have determined to minister in the power of the Holy Spirit in spite of the hardships and constant threats from the Muslim rebels, Communist guerrillas groups and others.

Clear Dedication! I was humbled at the sight of these leaders waiting for us to arrive to begin the first night of ministry. Many had traveled by foot; many had traveled by bus, ferry and foot over the course of many days to arrive on time for the first meeting. Most of them do not own vehicles and most do not have enough money for special transportation so it was a special effort for them to come.

Greeted by Thunder! The week of meetings began with an unusually strong thunder and lightening storm accompanied by heavy rain. All of this converged on the area around the conference sight just as we were to start the first song of the first evening service. The explosive thunder, blinding lightning and deluge of rain actually postponed the start of the meeting for over an hour. At times the noise of the rain was deafening as it pounded the tin roof of the large open-air tabernacle. For several hours during and after the rain we had to contend with rivers of water and mud as the red clay soil struggled to capture the water. Having been born and raised an American I was familiar with rain delays during baseball games but never had I experienced a rain delay during a church service. This was an ominous beginning for a conference. As it turned out, the rest of the week was beautiful and the only thunder and lightning and rain was that of the Spirit of God pouring forth on the men and women who had gathered in seclusion to hear of God. The Lord Jesus was faithful to grant a clear anointing for teaching, preaching and prophetic impartation.

The Grand Finale! After the week of ministry at the conference finished the team was divided up into smaller teams and we spent time with several local churches in the surrounding area on Sunday morning and evening. The reports of what God had done were wonderful as we all compared notes about our different experiences. All of the team preached and shared from the scriptures to encourage the people to serve God and reach others. Much personal ministry took place with many being filled with the Holy Spirit, others being commissioned for ministry and others receiving healing for physical needs. In one incident a woman sitting in the audience, who had not come forward for specific prayer, jumped up and ran to the front of the church to announce with tears of joy that God had healed her leg. Her leg had been crippled and was causing her pain and discomfort. Those that knew of her condition rejoiced with her as they witnessed the power of God at work.

Ongoing Ministry! We returned to Spokane with a sense of awe and humble excitement having witnessed the grace of God at work in us as well as the Philippine people. As you read this article we will have gone back for another conference in October of 2000 to speak and minister not only to leaders but also to a large gathering of One Way Outreach lay leaders and church members as well. It has been a year of wonder as we have seen the Lord Jesus Christ at work in His church.

I was bound by drugs and alcohol. I had gotten another opportunity to live life once again. My mind was trapped, untamed, and unaware of the destruction that was about to take place and turn my life and family upside down. My thoughts were no longer my own. My attitude was disturbing and my personality diminished. I was a shell and my body was taken over by darkness. I was in a death trap and didn't believe I was going to get out any time soon unless I was blessed with a miracle–and on May 6, 1996 my miracle began.

I was placed in jail from the actions of my drug abused. Looking close at death my body needed the rest. From 1991 through 1996, this was my cycle. In the period of that time I've been in several jails, prisons, women prison boot camp, and a halfway house for women and finally a Recovery Center which helped me to change my life and realize that I needed God. I had to really search within myself to see who I really was, what I became and what I wanted to become.

I saw many people suffer from many things and somehow I wanted to help, but I knew in order to do that, I had to help myself first by getting my mind together. So I first sought God, and I was taught to forgive myself for all the terrible things I've done, the pain I had caused, and how relationships had suffered from my destructive ways. I had to ask for forgiveness from others who really didn't want anything to do with me. And I knew that I could not do this alone. So I prayed from the depths of my soul and with everything I had left within me and asked God to help me get my life together and to use me for his glory whatever that may be.

So I started writing prayers, my thoughts, and poems to comfort me in my time of distress. As I prayed for guidance of my mind and hand I realize that I was in the process of healing. Then others started asking me to write poems for them in their time of distress so that they can be comforted as well. And I did. It's so amazing the way God makes this happen.

As others express their thoughts to me, I somehow, by the grace of God, placed myself in their situation and God allows me to create a beautiful personalize poem from their thoughts. So I've decided that's how I wanted to help others–by comforting their minds in a positive way. Putting their thoughts and transforming it into a beautiful design frame poem or greeting card.

In 1997 my family and I moved to Spokane, and I've done just that. I wanted to start a business writing spiritual and personalized poetry, creating them in greeting cards and design frames, comforting the hearts of others in their storms as well as in their triumphs. So I pursued that goal and now I have my own business doing just that. I create poetry in frames and greeting cards.

I've also written, released, and self-published a book of poems entitled "Comfort's Top 42 Poems", based on the original 300 page poem collection titled "Comfort". Comfort's Top 42 Poems are being sold at Auntie’s Book Store on the corner of Washington and Main in downtown Spokane.

God has blessed me with this gift along with many others since I turned my life over to Him. I am now over 4 years clean and sober and I'm taking it one day at a time. I also have my sponsor out here as well as my home church. And my gift to God is to give something back, and that is to spread His Word through my poetry and pray He ministers to their hearts in the process. God has brought people into my life to help me deal with this addiction to the point where He has delivered me from it.

He has brought me a mighty long way and I still have a long way to go, but now I have God to help me get there. I want others to know that if they're caught in a death trap, there is a way out. You might not see it but God does, and you need to let Him show you the way. Let God use your experience in life to help others who are now going through their experience. For I am blessed and God loves me. You are blessed and God loves you too! Let him show you by allowing Him to come into your life when no one else will because of your addictions. He will turn your life around.

I am a living witness. I am now a Author and Poet by the Grace of God. My church home is Jesus Is The Answer Apostolic Church, 1803 E. Desmet, Spokane, WA. Elder Shon L. Davis, Pastor.

A Poem by Gaye Hight . . . . .

“Make me an instrument of your peace.” Perhaps this song-prayer resonates with your inner being. When I sit and read the papers, listen to the radio, or watch TV, I wonder how this can become more of a reality in my life and in the life of others. At times, I feel so helpless.

I was feeling helpless one day as I began to reflect on a typical picture of Francis of Assisi. Often depicted with a bird in his hand and standing next to a birdbath, Francis was far more than someone who simply talked to the birds. He and his feminine counterpart, Clare of Assisi, are powerful examples of what can be done when one follows the urgings of God or one’s higher power. They are individuals very relevant for today’s world.

The song, Make Me an Instrument of Your Peace is attributed to Francis. Though not actually his words, it holds the values and sentiments by which he and Clare lived their lives. They believed in an All-Good God whose love flowed over in abundance. They followed in the footprints of Jesus Christ who in the Gospels showed us how to live in peace with all people. Like Jesus, they let go of all earthly wealth, power, and personal glory in order to be with and care for the outcasts of society. Francis and Clare willingly choose to have their lives centered on God and the power of God active within them. Their lives were lives of poverty and simplicity, appropriating nothing to themselves. They related to others with mutuality, treating each person as a sister or brother.

Through their relationship with God, both Francis and Clare realized their unity with all human beings and all of creation. Everything came from and was united in the Creator Spirit. It is from this deep knowledge that they could call one another brother and sister. Whether it was a man, woman, child, bird, cricket, or hare, Francis and those who followed him, held all creatures with great reverence and saw them as gifts and reflections of the loving Creator. Their love enabled others to grow in personal dignity and self-respect.

Perhaps if each one of us could come to that awareness of ourselves as truly sisters and brothers in the human family, we would choose to live our lives differently. What a peace-filled and loving world it would be! At this beautiful time of the year, as we see new life blossoming all around us, perhaps we can take time to notice the beauty and allow it to speak peace to our heart. Then looking deeper into ourselves, we can ask ourselves whether or not the beauty that is particularly ours speaks peace to those who see us.

I invite you to become a witness to peace through your very being. In your immediate surroundings where there are those wounded physically, psychologically, emotionally, or spiritually, be the bearer of peace through love, pardon, faith, hope, light, and joy.

May this Franciscan Peace Prayer be a source of inspiration for your reflection and your life’s journey. PEACE!

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
Where there is injury, pardon;
Where there is doubt, faith;
Where there is despair, hope;
Where there is darkness, light;
And where there is sadness, joy.

O Divine master,
Grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console,
To be understood, as to understand,
To be loved as to love;
For it is in giving that we receive;
For it is in pardoning that we are pardoned
And it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

Ever since the time of Christ, there have been those who held varying degrees of interest in Eschatology or End Times events. Even before I received Spirit in 1989, Marty (my husband) and I had a lot of concern for this. Some of the music groups that we listened to (Iron Maiden, Ronnie James Dio) were apocalyptic in nature as well. "The last in line...." This further cemented our belief that we were living in End Times.

We continued to "feed" this when becoming Christians, taking certain New Testament passages literally while attempting to cross-reference the book of Revelation with current events. We lived in constant expectation of God's manifest wrath upon a wayward earth, going from one conspiracy theory to the next:

*Wars in the Middle East
*The coming economic collapse
*The impending tyranny of forced UN global government (surely the seat of the anti-christ!)
*Y2K, Ah yes, Y2K

We were "one of those". We did not think Y2K would be the battle of Armageddon, (that's what all the trouble in the Middle East was about, right? or was that the Russians?) but from its apparent probability, (ha!) we thought it would be the most likely outcome of mankind's bringing judgment upon itself. (I might also add....as apocalyptic believers, we did not believe in a "pre-tribulation rapture", so not only did we have judgment, wrath, and global destruction to look forward to, but the mark of the beast, the perseverance of the saints, and a rather egotistical Anti-christ to look forward to as well!)

Well, Y2K came and went, with hardly a hitch, as we well know. It was at this time that my confidence in all of the "judgment prophets" began to wane. I had the most intense spiritual shaking of my life, so much that at a certain point all I could honestly say that I believed was, "Oh Lord, I know you are".

For 11 years I had been an End Time believing....believer. A similar mindset preceded the Christian one. This was a house of cards that finally fell in. Slowly, gently, with great care and love, I have been picking up the pieces of that which I had believed. Some I kept, some I couldn't. As a fundamentalist (now former) I would never dare believe in imminent End Times, for in self-fulfilling prophecy, did not want to be a "scoffer" (See Peter 3:3-12).

I believe that every generation seems to have had their own unique tribulation, anti-christ, persecutions, etc. I cannot say, with all confidence or divine revelation, who the final anti-christ shall be, what the mark shall be, or how end- time eschatology shall unfold. But this I do know: the central message of Revelation and the battle of Armageddon is that of an ultimate battle between good and evil, with good prevailing. I had to have "my own personal Armageddon", my own cosmic struggle with good and evil—to have come to this place of peace where I now am.

So....it's a done deal! What's left for me? To simply change from matter to pure spirit!

Charles Spurgeon once commented that "he did not know enough about end times to preach upon it". I would echo this sentiment, all the while simply believing: Christ has died. Christ has risen. Christ will come again! Yes, I believe in a literal application of this...but I also see it with its personal, present application as well!

That's my simple take on End Times events. With not much fanfare, speculation, or book series of apocalyptic pabulum to sell. I think "entertainment" such as this tends to neutralize folks to being effective to the needs that surround them in their present. At its best, such mindsets produce a peculiar sort of evangelism, bringing others to faith in Christ lest they succumb to "the mark of the beast".

Does God work through such motives? Despite our best of intentions or worst mistakes, at times I think God does. Sometimes "fear" can be a very healthy motivator.

However, I'll just bet God is so very much more pleased when sought and entreated of just because it is coming from a seeking, worshipping heart....that truly desires to know Him...and not primarily to "save" oneself from eternal condemnation!

In conclusion.........

What you focus upon expands.

I prefer not to focus upon End Times speculation. The culmination of this age belongs to God and God alone, as evidenced by the many false prophets who have held great sway with religious audiences for almost 2,000 years now. I prefer to focus on the Reality of the kingdom of God in my present......in my midst; where death is swallowed up in victory, righteousness, peace and joy reign, and with full confidence that whatever these times may bring, that my times are in His hands. Amen.

As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. "Tell us," they said, "when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and the end of the ages?"

Jesus answered, "Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, claiming, I am the Christ and will deceive many. You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains." (Matthew 24: 2-8)

In light of the arising tension between the nations in this present age, the economy plummeting like a falling rock, job insecurity, possibility of chemical warfare, and terrorist attacks, fear grips my heart, confusion clouds my mind. Everyday I hear nothing but hopelessness, death, violence, doom and gloom resonating from the airwaves.

BUT!!! Inspite of all the dangerous situations abounding each and every day, I hear the still small voice of Jesus saying "There is no need to fear. For he who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I am your refuge, I am your fortress. I will save you from the deadly pestilence and chemical warfare. I will cover you under my wings and you will find refuge. My faithfulness will be your shield. Sleep and do not be afraid of the terrorist attacks by night, nor the bullets or bombs that flies by day, nor the violence and death that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague and sickness that destroys by midday. A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand may fall at your right hand, but it will not come near you or your household. I am your dwelling, no harm will befall you, no disaster will come near your house. I will command my angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways. Because you love me, I will rescue you. I will protect you for you acknowledge my name. When you call, I will answer. I will be with you in trouble and deliver and honor you. With long life will I satisfy you and show you my salvation."

Seasons, problems and situations come and then they go, but I hold steadfast and know every promise given to me will come true. When situations overwhelm me, I cry out, "Jesus, I am not ashamed to tell you I am frightened, broken and worried. Jesus please help me!" Again I hear his voice reassuring me that He is a sovereign and wise God who is in control of everything. He is a promise keeper. Heaven and earth will pass away, yet not one word he speaks will ever fail. Jesus gives me the comfort, peace and joy to face the challenges each day brings and I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.

"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified, do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go." (Joshua 1: 9)
 

A basic assumption of psychology is that things on the outside hurt us and shape who we are on the inside. A basic assumption of Christianity is that we are created by God and are therefore beautifully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14).

Things outside hurt me and, at least in some degree, I do believe they have contributed to some of the wrong, embarrassing, ugly parts of my character.

If, as the Bible says, God is sovereign (Ps. 9:7,8; Col. 1:15,16), then His divine sovereignty and will are manifested in His creatures. So I demanded of God to know how I can be called beautifully and wonderfully made. If it is His plan to conform me to His likeness, then certain events which HE has allowed to happen have conspired against that plan. From my human point of view, it seems that His grand design for me has been polluted, twisted, and flawed and He has done nothing to stop it. In short, I asked Him why a good God allows evil to happen while He sits idly by.

But God honored me with an answer- of sorts. He has given my soul some peace on this issue by allowing me to see a little, a very little, of the bigger picture. There is nothing to renew a person like a sense of perspective.

I had a dream in which I was in pain. This was not extraordinary, the familiar agony of a thousand hurts that I have accumulated in my life. One after another they came, like sharp arrows piercing me. And then the extraordinary happened. I saw the arrows.

Large, small, poisoned, double-edged, short, long, wood, metal, stone, red-hot, icy-cold. All flying at me, one after another. No pattern, no rhyme and reason, simply at random. Sometimes ten flew at me at once, sometimes only one, but to my astonishment not a single one reached me. Not one! At once I saw the reason.

God Himself was reaching out and grabbing each arrow, stopping them before they pierced me. He stretched out His hand and commanded them, so that they fell into God's hands like overripe fruit falls from the branch.

My relief, however, was short-lived when I saw what He did with the arrows after He caught them. He examined them, one by one. He looked at them oh so carefully, and some He threw away, never to be seen again. Most, however, did not suffer that fate. It was astonishing to see Him handling those arrows with exquisite care, like some master craftsman or artist, delicately handling those sharp barbs that had been destined for me. He chose one, for example, long and sharp, made of iron so hot its tip glowed white. He flicked it with a finger, he bent it slightly at one end, He caressed it lovingly in His own two hands.

He then prodded me all over with His bare hand, so gently. With such care, such delicacy, His hand moved over my bruised and tender flesh. He prodded my mind, my heart, until He found the perfect spot, and He thrust the arrow home with His own hand.

I reeled from the shock and found myself dazed and weeping with pain, doubled over and sobbing my agony for all to hear. He stroked my hair lovingly and said my name in the gentlest way, but I wanted to push Him away. How dare He? What was this betrayal? Was this the God who promised to protect me? Was this the God who said He loved me? Was it better to be hurt by someone I trusted than the random careless evils of the world? How could I possibly trust in a God who would inflict this on me?!

There was a warm wetness splashing on my hand. I looked up and His eyes were filled with tears. "Little one," He sighed softly. "Do you think I know nothing of pain?" He asked as He wiped away my tears with a nail-scarred hand.

"Watch," He said. So I watched Him catching the arrows and sticking them into me and I felt them go in, an agonizing misery, every single time. My hand would tighten on His and He would squeeze back in reassurance. How grateful I was for that hand!

"Watch."

I watched God, how carefully He chose the arrows, how attentively and exactingly He altered them, how carefully He wove them into me. Master craftsman, weaving His mosaic, and He knew exactly what He wanted it to look like. No hesitations, no uncertainties, no mistakes. A mosaic of hurts, but touched by Him, somehow transformed, so that there was more to them than the pain. And every now and then, He tore a piece of His garment and bound the gaping, raw wounds to stop the bleeding…

I stood back and examined His handiwork. Some of the arrows were much older than others; not nearly as sharp, some worn to a smooth lump. But they were still there and I could not keep silent.

But look at it!! There are parts of me that are unlike You. There are parts of me that I will spend my entire life trying to overcome. Even if they no longer cause such grief, must I still bear the scars? How is that beautiful? How can that be Your plan?

And a whisper in my ear: "Someday you will know fully as you are fully known…" (I Cor. 13:12)

My questions were not really answered, but there is comfort in knowing that there are answers. There is comfort in knowing that God is in control, and there is no hurt that touches me without His consent.

A sense of perspective is a great thing to have… and all too easy to lose. One day, I will see the whole work completed and I will have no more questions. For now, it is enough.

Facing the New Millennium:

The Bible is Y2K Compliant

by Doug Mallot
Senior Pastor, Rock of Ages Christian Fellowship
Copyright © December 1999 Heart Links / All Rights Reserved

There has been much made of the upcoming move from the 20th to the 21st century. In particular the predictions concerning massive worldwide computer failures has sparked confusion, fear, debate and in some cases extreme measures to prepare for the calendar change from 1999 to 2000. Many secular, economic and religious prophets are predicting anything from great opportunities for prosperity and the advancement of peace to international upheaval, global catastrophes and ruin.

When I examine the issue and all of the hype surrounding it there is a passage of Scripture that comes to mind from the Book of the Acts of the Apostles. In this passage the disciples of Jesus are spending their last moments with him and as he prepares to leave them and ascend into heaven, they ask him about the future, theirs as well as that of the world as they knew it. Acts chapter 1, verses 4-9 (NASB) records the following:

Gathering them together, He commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for what the Father had promised, "Which," He said, "you heard of from Me, for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now."

So when they had come together, they were asking Him, saying, "Lord, is it at this time You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?" He said to them, "It is not for you to know times or epochs which the Father has fixed by His own authority; but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth."

And after He had said these things, He was lifted up while they were looking on, and a cloud received Him out of their sight.

Looking at this passage and applying it to the current hoopla and excitement in anticipation of the New Millennium several points stand out to me as a Christian and church leader.

First, Jesus tells his disciples that they can not know the future like they would like to. It is not within the realm of possibility to predict the future climax of the age and their future. He seems to be saying that focusing too much on the future only distracts us from the challenges of present day living.

Second, Jesus tells the disciples that the times and epochs of the future are only God's to know. No amount of fussing, worrying, planning or running will change the progress of God's future work. He has already set in motion overall timetables over which we have little authority. Thus, we should be sober minded and apply ourselves to the tasks at hand.

Third, Jesus tells His disciples that their concentration and expectancy should be on preparing to experience the coming promise of the Holy Spirit. He wanted them focusing on their relationship with the living God more than future things. It is my conviction that this must be our priority as we face incredible challenges in our contemporary living.

Lastly, Jesus tells His disciples that their experience in the Holy Spirit would propel them forward into the future, not by predicting it, but by empowering them to bring great witness to the nations of the personal reality of Jesus Christ. The disciples were concerned about the future and Jesus was concerned about the present. He wanted them powerfully prepared to make a difference in the present and He would take care of the future.

As I face the New Millennium I will be endeavoring to adopt the perspective that Jesus wanted his disciples to have in their day. I trust you will as well!

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The Search for Meaning

by Doug Mallot
Senior Pastor, Rock of Ages Christian Fellowship
Copyright © September 1998 Heart Links / All Rights Reserved

As I watch closely the struggles that face our American culture, which faces the 21st century, it appears to me that the issue at the heart of our entire struggle is one of meaning. At the core of every human heart is a basic need for meaning, a silent cry for acceptance and a secure place to fit into life's big picture.

Viewing our cultural struggles is much like watching someone pull weeds in a garden. Among the flowers the ever-threatening weeds appear and as they grow we settle on a quick fix. We think that to simply grab the tops of these weeds and pull real hard we can eliminate them. However, time tells us, that pulling the tops of weeds does not rid us of their ugly presence. It simple makes things quickly look nice on the surface but allows the roots to reproduce unwanted growth once again.

On the surface of our societal garden we see unwanted weeds of racial prejudice, we see the traditional family unit breaking down with divorce, domestic violence and child abuse. We see cultural order being shaken with high crime rates and disregard for authority. Many other weed-like social ills, such as drug and alcohol abuse, prostitution and the increased number of homeless families and individuals all tell us that our garden needs weeding. But for the most part our gardening technique has been to reach for the tops of the weeds and pull real hard. We pump more government spending at our weeds. We advocate numerous self-help programs. We create and recreate educational efforts to eliminate our weeds, but alas in the end, we still have them and they seem to take over more and more space in our garden.

We who attend the Rock of Ages Christian Fellowship take a different approach to gardening. We believe the bibles teaching that a supreme personal creator God created man and gave him meaning in his personal relationship to his creator. We also believe that mankind, through the sin of Adam, chose to serve himself rather then God and thus forfeited his intimacy with God and thereby lost his sense of direction and meaning. With an eternal separation between him and his creator, man was left to his own natural and selfish effort to make life work for him. History has proven that man's best effort simply ends up being an effort in pulling the tops of weeds. It never really gets to the real root of the problem, which is the lack of meaning and direction that only develops when a human being is enjoying a restored personal relationship with the God who created him.

If all of this is true then the next question is: How does one come to experience and enjoy this kind of restored relationship with God? Contrary to common belief the Bible gives only one answer. The Bible teaches that God sent his only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to die the horrible death of crucifixion in order to die in our place. We, who had chosen to live for ourselves without God, could be welcomed back into full relationship with the God of the universe, if we would simply face and admit our waywardness and make a commitment to serve Jesus Christ totally and sincerely. It is this message that we at the Rock of Ages endeavor to live and communicate to those interested in listening.

It is our hope that solving the real root problem in our cultural garden will produce a beautiful array of human lives blossoming into a great and grand song of thanksgiving to the God of the universe.