A Daughter in Chains

Yes, and I helped to tighten them. When I was younger, I read a lot of "Christian" fiction. One of these books dealt with the persecution of Christ's followers in China, the main character being a young girl.[1] One of my friends really enjoyed the book, and at some point, it went from being mine to hers.

When in middle school, I gave away however many of my numerous novels to this same friend. I wasn't going to read them anymore. Sadly, I didn't care enough to loosen her chains as much as I could.

 
There is a sequel to this book, which I have never read. My friend to this day is still interested in the series, and has the second one. She still has those chains, even though I've shared how I look at the subject now. An influence on the wrong side exerts a strong force, and whose influence is it that has damaged so much? It's mine. By giving her those books, I haven't made it easier for my friend to have better thoughts and goals, but harder. I haven't made it easier for her to love the true more than the false, but harder. To this day I can see the bad effects of that decision, and I can't undo the past. What a horrible reality.

The good news is that she enjoyed a book about someone real on the same subject not too long ago. She saw something better, and how good it was. God bless it so that it can exert an even stronger influence than all the fiction in the world! May it exert an influence that will lead her to the Bible, the Book of books that speaks of the Saviour, for Whom many real Chinese people have suffered.

If you come to a point in your life where you realize a better way to live, but you have all these things from the old way of life, don't give it away! You may tighten somebody's chains if you do that, and they may never loosen. If you trash it, it might be the beginning of breaking them, which will bring them one step closer to sharing in your freedom.

 

God bless,

Jean

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[1] The title of this is not the title of the book

The State of the Dead

This year, I learned about a death that happened in the past, but less than half a decade ago. The individual was young when they passed, and after doing some investigation, I learned more about this sad affair. It has left wounds in the family, wounds that are not fully healed. It doesn't help that those left behind don't understand what happens after death. It wouldn't ease the loss, but it would help them to know where their dear one is. It would also allow them to make sense of any after death experiences, and keep them, if they chose, from danger. Maybe they will find this blog post somehow; but even if they don't, I can share the wonderful truth with you, whoever you might be.

 

Understanding what the soul is key to understanding the state of the dead. Genesis 2:7 makes this very clear. "And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul." These two things combined make "a living soul."

After sin, God told Adam, "In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return." Genesis 3:19. The Bible does not tell us that he would continue as some spirit entity once this had taken place. The book of Job gives us more insight in vv. 14-15 of chapter 34. Speaking of God, it says, "If he set his heart upon man, if he gather unto himself his spirit and his breath; All flesh shall perish together, and man shall turn again unto dust."

 

Job also said, "And why dost thou not pardon my transgression, and take away mine iniquity? for now shall I sleep in the dust; and thou shalt seek me in the morning, but I shall not be." Job 7:21. The psalmist David said, "Consider and hear me, O LORD my God: lighten mine eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death;" Psalm 13:3. If you search the Old Testament, you will find many more references that refer to death in this way. Ecclesiastes 9:5 reads: "For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten."

 If that isn't good enough for you, there is a passage in the New Testament, however, that makes the truth about death very certain. We find it in John 11:11-14:

 

"These things said he: and after that he saith unto them, Our friend Lazarus sleepeth; but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep. Then said his disciples, Lord, if he sleep, he shall do well. Howbeit Jesus spake of his death: but they thought that he had spoken of taking of rest in sleep. Then said Jesus unto them plainly, Lazarus is dead."

 

How much clearer can it be? There are individuals who are in heaven right now; but they either never died, as in the cases of Enoch and Elisha, or they were resurrected. This was what happened to Moses and those spoken of in Matthew 27:52-53. All the other people are sleeping until Jesus raises them to life again. That means that there is no chance of your deceased relative communicating with you, and any supposed encounters with them are a deception. Demons watch us all the time and are able to impersonate us very well. They also hear what people say, so they have knowledge of the dead person's history.

 

As we can see, this truth is a lovely one. It is a safeguard, and it is some of the sweet in the bittersweet experience of death, because we don't have to wonder what is happening to our deceased relatives and friends. The privilege of eternal life adds even more sweetness. To think, one day we could be reunited with them forever! While this is possible, it is conditional.

 

What happens to those who were dead once they are resurrected is determined by each person's life. Sadly, someone who has rejected Jesus will be resurrected only to die again and stay resting in peace, not to burn forever. He would not be happy in God's presence, and even if God left him somewhere in the universe and made the spread of rebellion impossible, the person would be miserable forever. The way God deals with sin is a mercy.

 

If someone dies as a believer in Jesus, Jesus will resurrect him to live forever one day, in a place of complete safety and happiness. And though we will be safe and happy, we will be happily busy. "There every power will be developed, every capability increased. The grandest enterprises will be carried forward, the loftiest aspirations will be reached, the highest ambitions realized. And still there will arise new heights to surmount, new wonders to admire, new truths to comprehend, fresh objects to call forth the power of body and mind and soul." Ellen White, Education, p. 307.

We can do nothing about the destinies of the dead, but we can do something about ours. Which do you want?

A Solution Worth Seeing

My wheelchair has hill brakes, and while they are nice to have in the event of going down a hill, they can be a hindrance when used otherwise. One of my hill brakes was pushed down this time, and while it was less than ideal, it wasn't horrible. It wasn't as easy to do as when it was off, but I could go forward, turn, and even back up, if I pulled hard enough. In this state, I went over to talk to my sister. After awhile, I tried to go in reverse as before, but didn't get anywhere, although I will say that I didn't try very hard.

 There was a broom close by, and it occurred to me that I could attempt to solve my predicament with that. I went to it, although at first Kadri, who was washing dishes at the sink, wondered what I was doing. Using the broom handle, I pulled up the hill brake and once again enjoyed easy mobility! Praise the Lord! What's more, I was open to that thought.

What would have happened if I had chosen to sit there and be unhappy about my increased limitations, or if I had been content, even, with less than I could have had? As far as being unhappy goes, well, I would have made it worse for my sister in some way, and for me. That would have accomplished nothing. Being content with less than I could have had means that I wouldn't have had freedom so soon; that I wouldn't have had the joy of problem solving; that I wouldn't have had an experience to share with someone and that I wouldn't have been able to show them what God did for me.

Humans sometimes go through unpleasant situations where the key to freedom is right in front of them, and they don't see it. We can already see some of what may have been had I not seen the answer to my problem in the form of a broom handle. We must train ourselves to be alert to problem-solvers around us in every situation. It is so easy to want the solutions to come to us without any effort on our part, like they do at times, but that can't always be. While we are not to trust in ourselves, we are to use the brains God gave us to think, while staying in line with His will.

 There are some solutions to problems that aren't really solutions at all, to be sure. For instance, stealing food to satisfy hunger is not a real solution, for it only adds to the problem. We shouldn't try things like that, then; but we also shouldn't snub a good solution because we don't like it. Some people will not see the Bible as the greatest solution of all, because it means they must change somehow.  Yes, in the process of fixing problems, there is change, and sometimes that change isn't pleasant at first; but later on, we are glad we fixed the issue, even with the trouble in the meantime. We see that it was worth it.

Doing what the Bible says is even more worth it because when we view it further on in life's journey, we see that the so-called trouble (sacrificing for Jesus) wasn't trouble at all. Jesus loves us with a pure love, and wants our complete happiness; so He asks us to give Him only what would keep us from experiencing that. Remember what may have happened if I hadn't seen the help in the broom. When it comes to the Bible, the results are not what might be or may be, but what will certainly be. If we never try His way; if we sit there and complain about what He requires; if we have started and don't press on, forgetting the end of the journey, we will never experience true freedom. It means an unhappier existence while living, followed by death; and while death is a mercy to the wicked, it will certainly not be the best that they could have had! More than the broom, God's way is a solution worth seeing.

~Jean

 

You Will Too

In a previous post, I spoke of being lax when it came to my education. Because of this neglect, I haven't graduated high school yet even though I am in my twenties. My sister, who is younger, doesn't have her diploma either. I started homeschooling when I was fourteen years old, and I would like to think that if I could have seen eight years into the future I wouldn't have been so foolish, but I don't know. I realize that there were other people in my life that were responsible for my education to some degree; but we were both old enough when we began homeschooling, and we should have done better in the first place.

Although I eventually received a lecture from my father that spurred me to do more, life doesn't stop because textbooks need to be completed. I didn't think about the consequences of the path I was choosing, and I didn't make myself do it even though I didn't want to do it. I allowed other things to divert me from my studies, and, in fact, still do today. I know it shouldn't be the most important thing, but it should receive more focused attention than I give it.

A life without a diploma isn't very helpful, at least not where we live. It seems to be a problem for my sister, who wants to be a missionary. These days it is better if you go to college as part of preparation, and one can't go there without a diploma or GED. My being without a diploma doesn't help to show that I am not mentally challenged. My lack of a diploma has nothing to do with not being able to understand things in books, but rather a lack of understanding when it comes to the consequences of choices.

We searched for a way out of the messes we made, and found that the GED was out of the question if we wanted to remain true to principle. We looked into Seventh-Adventist schools too, but it wasn't possible for me, and my sister never finished pursuing a prospective academy. However, we will be able to receive the much-needed papers through Guilford Christian Academy, which makes it possible for homeschoolers like Katie and me to graduate. This opens up other doors, especially for Katie. Earlier on, there were thoughts of going to Hartland Institute, a school in Norway, an intern at Young Disciple. Now it is looking like she might be a camp counselor at Young Disciple camp.

I wouldn't be honest if I said I've always been thrilled with Kadri's going away—I haven't. God has showed me some things, however, that I would like to share with you. Perhaps some of you have to let someone go, too. When Kadri was considering Hartland more than she is now, I struggled but I did some thinking, and the principles still hold true today.

If Kadri were to go to Hartland, she would be going in preparation to do a good work. If she was supposed to go to Hartland and didn't, then she wouldn't be fulfilling God's plan for her.  On the other hand, if my sister followed God's leading, people would be in heaven that may not be there otherwise. What right do I have to be sad about that? Should I cherish the desire that would lead me to let someone experience death forever so that she could be with me a little longer?  No! Instead of pining, may I consider the possibilities; instead of tears, may there be a smile and a hearty, "Go!" Even if the people you know won't be involved in preparation for mission work or anything like that, think about how their leaving may mean that somewhere along the way, they will brighten someone else's life.

Before you think that there is no way you can think that way, that it will be too difficult to be without them and you will miss them too much, read to the end. Kadri and a friend of ours did go away recently—not to Hartland, but to the other side of the world, on a mission trip to the Philippines. I did struggle and shed tears. I was missing the adventure and whatnot. As time went by, however, thoughts came to my mind that helped me to come to terms with Kadri's absence and my place in life, and I talked and prayed with my mother about it. Things were obviously different, but I wasn't constantly thinking about Kadri or longing for her to come home. I adjusted to life as it was, and if you rely on God, you will too.

~Jean