Hiding Place

I recently watched the movie called the Hiding Place. I had previously listened to the audio book years ago, but this was even better. It's the story of Corrie Ten Boom. During the World War II, she and her Christian family used their home in Holland to shelter Jews from persecution by the Nazi Germans.

She and her family knew the risk of doing so was very great. But they operated out of love for God and others.

She went through horrific trials, including being thrown into a Nazi prison camp herself. I am very familiar with this, since my own father spent time in one, as a soldier in the US Army. He shared his story with me, which I have recorded in "The Journey of My Father." Fortunately for him and for Corrie, they were eventually set free from prison, but some of Corrie's family died there.

Her sister Betsy died in the prison camp, but Corrie was released shortly afterward. Following her release, she traveled to over 60 nations, bringing the message of Christ's love.

She told people what she had learned in the midst of her hellish trials, saying, “No pit is so deep that He is not deeper still. With Jesus, even in our darkest moments, the best remains and the very best is yet to be.”

Her home in Holland, which she used as a hiding place for Jews, is pictured here. They had false walls built, so that during the surprise inspections from the Nazi gestapo, they could hide the Jews from the soldiers.

In her eighties, after all she had been through, Corrie said, "Some questions remain. But they are not to be feared. Our Heavenly Father holds all things in His hands – even our questions."

Maybe you can relate with Corrie. Perhaps you are in a deep pit right now. Let me encourage you that no pit is so deep that God is not deeper still. Cry out to Jesus, and He will save you. In Him, you will find that the best is yet to come.

Many feel that the persecution of Jews and Christians under the Nazis and communists was just a precursor of what is going to happen in the very last days before Christ returns. If that is so, then we can receive encouragement from what the Ten Boom family went through.

And as Corrie said, we don't need to fear the questions we still have about why God allows such terrible things to happen to people. "Our Heavenly Father holds all things in His hands – even our questions." Our part is to trust Him, to love Him, and obey Him.

Many people ask the question, "Why does God allow bad things to happen to good people?" But what we forget is that bad things happen to God every hour of every day. He sees all the wickedness and evil in the world happening all the time. He sees the way people reject His love, curse His name, and hurt one another. Jesus said that whatever you do to one of the least of these brothers of His, you have done it to Him.

So these bad things happen to God, and yet He is patient. He is willing to forgive. He is not willing for any to perish. The key is that they repent of their sins, and ask God for forgiveness. I have never heard anyone ask the question, "Why do bad things happen to a good God?"

In His great love for the world, God acted by sending His Son to die for our sins, so that whoever believes in Him would not perish, but have eternal life. He was crucified in the most cruel way by the Romans, even though He never sinned or hurt anyone. He only went about doing good, healing the sick, and delivering all who were under the power of the devil. Yet today nobody is asking, "Why did such a bad thing happen to God's good Son?"

For the believer, Jesus Christ is our Hiding Place! As the psalmist wrote, "You are my hiding place; You preserve me from trouble; You surround me with songs of deliverance." (Psa 32:7) The one who endured such suffering for us is now our shelter from all danger. He knows what is is to suffer. And He can be trusted to keep you through it all.

Attribution notice: Scripture quotation taken from the NASB.

Author's note: If you enjoyed this post, you may also like the other posts in this blog available through the Home page for this blog, and you can also find my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master."

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

When All Means Fail -- Part II

On April 27, 2011, David Wilkerson was killed in a tragic car accident. He was a beloved man of God, who impacted the world for Jesus in a powerful way.

It's amazing that in the blog he posted on the day he died, he had a word from the Lord for those going through the valley of the shadow of death. He had a word for those who felt like all means had failed. In that message, entitled "When All Means Fail," he said the Lord would say to those people, "You will see it was all part of my plan. It was no accident."

Of course, it's ironic how that relates to the car crash that took his life the same day. But it also relates to what you and I are going through today, and what we will go through in the future. David has left us with a great word of encouragement, so I would like to repost his April 27th devotional in its entirety. What follows is that post from his blog:

To believe when all means fail is exceedingly pleasing to God and is most acceptable. Jesus said to Thomas, “You have believed because you have seen, but blessed are those that do believe and have not seen” (John 20:29).

Blessed are those who believe when there is no evidence of an answer to prayer—who trust beyond hope when all means have failed.

Someone has come to the place of hopelessness—the end of hope—the end of all means. A loved one is facing death and doctors give no hope. Death seems inevitable. Hope is gone. The miracle prayed for is not happening.

That is when Satan’s hordes come to attack your mind with fear, anger, overwhelming questions: “Where is your God now? You prayed until you had no tears left. You fasted. You stood on promises. You trusted.”

Blasphemous thoughts will be injected into your mind: “Prayer failed. Faith failed. Don’t quit on God—just do not trust him anymore. It doesn’t pay!”

Even questioning God’s existence will be injected into your mind. These have been the devices of Satan for centuries. Some of the godliest men and women who ever lived were under such demonic attacks.

To those going through the valley and shadow of death, hear this word: Weeping will last through some dark, awful nights—and in that darkness you will soon hear the Father whisper, “I am with you. I cannot tell you why right now, but one day it will all make sense. You will see it was all part of my plan. It was no accident. It was no failure on your part. Hold fast. Let me embrace you in your hour of pain.”

Beloved, God has never failed to act but in goodness and love. When all means fail—his love prevails. Hold fast to your faith. Stand fast in his Word. There is no other hope in this world.

End of David Wilkerson's post.

I hope that by reposting and sharing this word, it will be read by even more people and that you will be encouraged by it. This has been the second part of my own blog called "When All Means Fail -- Part I." You may also be interested in David's book, written in 1998, called "God's Plan to Protect His People in the Coming Depression." It is available in hard copy or online at the link I provided.

Author's note: If you enjoyed this post, you may also like the other posts in this blog available through the Home page for this blog, and you can also find my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master."

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

When All Means Fail - Part I

As I read the book of the prophet Habakkuk in the Bible recently, the Lord spoke to me through the first chapter. Let me share this with you in hopes that it will encourage you also.

Violence in the Land
Here is what the prophet saw in the land. He saw violence (Hab 1:2), injustice (Hab 1:3), destruction, strife and conflict (Hab 1:3). He saw the wicked hemming in the righteous (Hab 1:4). This was a heavy burden for Habbakuk, so he cried out to the Lord about it.

(Picture from the Franklin D. Roosevelt Library, courtesy of the National Archives and Records Administration.)

God uses wicked nations to bring judgment
The Lord answered his prayer, and here is what He showed him. God uses wicked nations to punish His people. He raised up the Babylonians, who were ruthless and impetuous people (Hab 1:6). They were bent on violence (Hab 1:9). They were a law to themselves (Hab 1:7). They swept across the earth and seized homes that belonged to others (Hab 1:6), and promoted their own honor (Hab 1:7). They gathered many prisoners (Hab 1:9). They scoffed at the rulers of the nations they invaded (Hab 1:10). No matter how strong their enemies’ defenses, they just laughed at them (Hab 1:10). They destroyed nations without mercy (Hab 1:17). They were godless and guilty men, whose own strength was their god (Hab 1:11). Therefore, they were feared and dreaded (Hab 1:7). The Lord appointed them to execute judgment and ordained them to punish (Hab 1:12). He stood silent while these treacherous and wicked people swallowed up other people, who were more righteous than they (Hab 1:13). This was utterly amazing and unbelievable to the prophet (Hab 1:5).

I see much the same thing happening today. God still uses wicked nations to punish His people. He raises up a nation of people who are ruthless and impetuous. They are bent on violence and a law to themselves. They sweep across the earth and seize homes that belong to others. They promote their own honor. They gather many prisoners. They scoff at the rulers of the nations they invade. No matter how strong their enemies’ defenses, they just laugh at them. They destroy nations without mercy. They are godless and guilty men, whose own strength is their god. Therefore, they are feared and dreaded. The Lord has appointed them to execute judgment and ordained them to punish. He stands silent while these treacherous and wicked people swallow up other people, who are more righteous than they. This is utterly amazing and unbelievable to the Lord’s people, who must stand by and watch it happen.

Cry out to the Lord for mercy
All we can do is repent of any known sin in our lives, pray for mercy (Hab 3:1) and ask the Lord to intervene. When Habakkuk complained to the Lord about this, here is the answer he received. The Lord gave him a revelation of the end times and told him to write it down, so that others could run with the message and proclaim it. He said that even though it seems to take a long time to come to pass, it would surely come to pass.

Then the LORD answered me and said, "Record the vision And inscribe it on tablets, That the one who reads it may run. For the vision is yet for the appointed time; It hastens toward the goal and it will not fail. Though it tarries, wait for it; For it will certainly come, it will not delay." (Hab 2:2-3)

As we wait, we will continue to see these things unfold. We will see the wicked ruler, who is puffed up. It will be obvious that his desires are not right (Hab 2:4). But the righteous will live by faith (Hab 2:4). Even Paul the apostle reiterated this in his letter to the Romans (Rom 1:17). We need to trust the Lord through all this and live by faith in Jesus Christ.

Make up your mind beforehand
If you are a disciple of Christ, you need to determine in your heart not to give up or give in. You need to make up your mind beforehand that you will rejoice in the Lord and be joyful in your Savior, Jesus Christ, no matter what happens (Hab 3:18). In the day of calamity, you need to wait patiently for Him (Hab 3:16). Even if there is another Great Depression, wait for Him. Even if the trees do not bear fruit, the crops fail, the fields produce no food, and all the animals are dead, you need to determine to rejoice in the Lord (Hab 3:17). He is your strength (Hab 3:19)!

Surely the Lord will bring deliverance
The Lord Jesus surely comes to deliver and save His people (Hab 3:13). When He does, it will cause the earth to shake and the nations to tremble (Hab 3:6). He will crush the wicked leader of the land and strip him from head to toe (Hab 3:13). The tables will be turned on him (Hab 2:7). Those he plundered will plunder him (Hab 2:8).

Afterward, the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea (Hab 2:14). How do the waters cover the sea? The waters of the sea are deep and wide. That’s how the knowledge of the glory of the Lord will be. It will be a deep knowledge and it will be wide. All across the earth, people will know the Lord Jesus Christ in a deep, personal way.

Putting it All Together
Today the world we live in is much like the way it was in the day Habbakuk lived. We see violence in the land, bloodshed in the streets, injustice, strife, and destruction.

The economy has been terrible for years now, and in 2011 the analysts are saying that we could be going into a double dip recession. Others say that it is probably much worse than that. They say it is going to be another Great Depression that exceeds the severity of the 1929 Depression.

Maybe you are already feeling like all means have failed. Maybe you are frightened at the prospects of all this. If you are a disciple of Christ, I want to encourage you today to put your hope in God.

The place to begin is to repent of any known sin in your life. Cry out to the Lord for mercy. Then live by faith in Jesus Christ. Trust Him moment-by-moment and day-by-day. Make up your mind to rejoice in the Lord, regardless of what is happening around you. He is your strength.

Jesus is coming back soon! Wait for Him! He will surely bring deliverance. And the knowledge of the glory of the Lord will cover the earth as the waters cover the sea.

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB.

Author's note: If you enjoyed this post, it is continued in Part Two on my next post. If you enjoyed this post, you may also like the other posts in this blog available through the Home page for this blog, and you can also find my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master."

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.