The Lukewarm Church

"Because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth"-Rev. 3:16.

Dear Reader,

I'm finishing the last week of my Precept Upon Precept study (Revelation Part One: Jesus' Message to the Church).  I've spent months disecting the purpose and context of Jesus' messages to the seven churches in Asia.  When I bought this workbook, I couldn't wait to understand the prophecies of Revelation.  However, this workbook spent little time on anything but the personal application of Jesus' instructions to each of the early churches.  Having studied all of the messages, I am grateful for the Lord's historic and present advice to His church, as every word applies today. 

Each of the messages follows a general pattern.  First, Jesus describes Himself to the individual church in an identidfiable way.  Following, He commends, rebukes, warns and instructs as the churches need.  Finally, Jesus makes a faithful promise to overcomers.  

Only two of the churches received no reproof (Smyrna, called the "Persecuted Church," and Philadelphia, known as the "Faithful Church," or the "Church of Brotherly Love").  These churches deserved praise for endurance and for keeping Jesus' name. 

On the other hand, one church received no commendation from Christ.  Laodicea, called the "Lukewarm Church," was bereft of any good deed before the Lord.  Through John, Jesus spoke this message to the Laodiceans: 

"The Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God, says this: 'I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot.  So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth.  Because you say, 'I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing,' and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked, I advise you to buy from Me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself, and that the shame of your nakedness will not be revealed; and eye salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see.  Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline; therefore be zealous and repent.  Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me.  He who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit down with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne'"-Revelation 3:14-21.

Verse 17 piqued my interest, where Jesus says, "You do not know that you are..."  The Laodiceans didn't understand their sad spiritual state!  They had no idea that though they were rich in this life, they would be destitute in the life to come.  They were too busy getting wealthy to realize that they had not stored up any wealth in heaven, as the Lord instructed in Matthew 6:20.  This worried me.  Lord, am I too busy planning for the future, getting an education or making decisions to see that I've left You behind?  A couple of days ago, I had a discussion with my husband about our future.  After we finished talking about what we both want, I realized that the Lord's plan never even came up.  How can we hash out perfect plans without consulting the One guiding our path?   Why is it so easy to be self-sufficient and independent from God?

In spite of ourselves and because of His grace, hope abounds even for Laodicea.  Verse 19 says, "Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline."  Jesus wanted the church to know her spiritual poverty because He loves her.  This life is but a breath (Job 7:7), so we must store up our treasures in heaven.  We must buy from Jesus gold, white garments and eye salve to be rich, clothed and seeing.  If one only hears His voice and answers the door, that one will sit on Jesus' throne.  What an incredible reward, even after turning away from Jesus in pride of one's own work. 

I pray for those who do not realize their destitution.  Lord, reveal the truth through Your Word.  Give us the strength to gently remind those who have fallen by the wayside of this world of the true, lasting riches You offer.  You give freely to anyone who thirsts (Revelation 21:6).  Stir up Your Spirit inside so they will thirst after You.   

I've always been told that Jesus is a gentleman (He knocks on the door instead of kicking it in).  Let's quiet our hearts so that we don't miss His gentle knocking in our lives.  He is true and everything He says is true.  So let's listen.

By His grace, 

adguglielmo  

          

About the Will of God

Dear Reader, 

Bear with me as I wait for further instruction and inspiration from God on The Screwtape Letters.

I want to talk about something inspired by the message I heard last Sabbath at church (http://www.gbfsv.org/).  The key verse Pastor Cliff used was James 4:15, which reads: "You ought to say, 'If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.'"  This made me reflect on what I know about the will of God.

First, we are to understand that everything is in the will of God.  Nothing happens that isn't allowed by Him.  This can be difficult to believe when we suffer hardship.  We wonder, How can the Lord expect me to endure?  How could He allow this for His precious child?    "We know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose," says Romans 8:28.  Even the hardship.  Especially the hardship.  It seems I asked myself for so long, Why do I have to suffer?  How come my family doesn't act like all the other families?  And as I grew older, resentment grew, and I just couldn't figure it out.  Even after I became a Christian, I looked at my friends' lives, at their parents who raised them in the way they should go, and I felt jealousy over the guidance and love they grew up with.  How come they have You and they get to have functional lives, Lord?  I've come to realize now that Jesus saved all of His people in the same way (by dying on the cross in the place of each of us sinners who accept His grace), but we don't all find salvation in the same way.  For some, it takes a lifetime of a willful attitude and sinful action before they see the Truth while lying on their deathbeds.  Murderers find Jesus in prison as they serve their life sentences.  Paul came to know the Lord after actively persecuting those who believed.  For some, it takes a lot of sinning to realize the abounding grace of God.  But for others, it takes the Biblical formula for how to live.  It takes parents who learn the Lord's commands and then teach them diligently to their children (Deuteronomy 6:5-7).  But maybe if I grew up in a Christian home, I wouldn't have the relationship I have with the Lord today.  So I am grateful for God's knowledge of my soul (Romans 8:29), and the blessing of enduring hardship in order to know Him.  Amen.

James 4:15 indicates that we ought to want His will to be done (also refer to Matthew 6:10). This can be tricky.  I am no expert on wanting anyone's will but my own.  My grandma kept a journal for me from the time I was a year-and-a-half old.  Her first entry, dated September 12, 1992, reads: "You...are very strong willed and aggressive.  You very much want your own way...I like to hug you or sing 'Shine Jesus' when you are especially naughty.  Sometimes I just laugh and tell you that someday Jesus will break that strong will of yours.  He certainly delights in making us gentle."  At such an early age, I showed my sinful nature and pride in my own way.  Now, when I seek to fulfill my will, I see that I am just acting like a toddler.  Just in the months since I've been married, God has been working to teach me to honor the will of my husband.  In my women's precept Bible study, we just learned the Greek for the word "submit," or be subject to, in regard to our husbands.  What interested me is that the key is willfulness.  This kind of submission is a developed will of a wife under her husband.  We are to desire to do the will of our husbands!  In the same way, we are meant to long for the implementing of God's will.  Again, we do not wish hardship on our families or ourselves.  But truly longing for the will of God allows us to accept with gratitude these trials ("In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you"-1 Thessalonians 5:18).  

  

Father, I pray that you crucify our selfish desires today.  Help us to long for Your will, knowing that our submission brings glory to you.  Fill us with the truth that abiding by Your will brings us closer to You.  Thank You, Jesus, for your ready forgiveness for when we stumble and long only for what we want.  We praise You for Your grace.  Amen.

As always, may God bless you in everything you do today.

adguglielmo

On Forgiveness, Part Two

"Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth"-Colossians 3:2.

Last year as I was working my way toward marriage, I thought it would be a good idea to see a Christian counselor.  I knew the importance of preparing for such a permanent life choice because I had seen the results of what happens otherwise.  I wanted to get over my "coping mechanisms" and learn to be at peace in Christ, so I went on a hunt for someone who taught Biblical principles and instruction as a method of healing from abuse.  I didn't want anyone to tell me, "You look great!  I can't believe you overeat" (which was a similar response from the first counselor I saw), or "I'm impressed by you.  You've really overcome your tribulation" (which I've heard from people who view the choices I've made as petty in comparison to what some do as a result of abuse).  I wanted to tell someone exactly what kind of a sinner I was, and I wanted to hear what the Bible had to say about that. 

It only took two consultations before I found my guy.  He was a pastor for nearly a decade, had a counseling practice for over two decades, and a wife for even longer than that.  He had eight children (the youngest being my age), and when we weren't talking about me, we were talking about his kids.  I appreciated his emphasis on family, as that is what I couldn't wait to build.  So we met and talked for about three months.

I promised myself that I would be completely honest.  I truly wanted to "heal" and move away from the resentment I had built up over the years.  I didn't want to start a family on the foundation I had grown up with, but on the foundation of Christ.  We looked up a lot of Scripture, and I was assigned a lot of homework.  It started with dissecting Bible verses, but it turned into a lot of writing about events from the past.  I had always liked journaling, so I had plenty of records.  But the point wasn't to disclose to my counselor what had happened.  The purpose was to draw out my feelings about my family and the hurt I felt by the choices my parents made.  I have documents called "10 Things Being Robbed Of My Childhood Did To Me" and "List of Ouchies" (literally a compiled list of all the wrongs my parents had ever done that affected me.  Well, I had started with my mom, and by the time I was finished, I was too exhausted and upset to attempt to think about what John had done). 

This is where we went wrong. 

When I moved to San Jose last summer, part of me thought I had left all of my troubles behind.  My counselor had warned me that would not be the case, but I couldn't imagine carrying all of my baggage with me.  In reality, I just couldn't blame my family for my actions anymore, because they were all of 682 miles away. 

I started going to a Bible study a couple months after the move, and that's when I heard the truth I needed to hear.  Colossians 3:1,2 directed me to Christ rather than myself.  The chapter continues, "For you died, and your life is hidden with God in Christ" (v.3).  What does this mean?  I am not to go on dissecting this life, because it isn't my true life.  I am not to be inward-focused on how my parents made me feel.  When my counselor had me do these activities, I couldn't figure out why "letting myself feel" didn't stop me from hurting myself anyway.  I would cry during our session, but they weren't healing tears.  Rather, they turned to hot anger the next time my mom and I spoke, preventing my heart from forgiving. 

I praise the Lord for opening my eyes to His Word.  Oh, how opening my Bible has opened me to true life with God in heaven!  I couldn't have forgiven if my thoughts had remained on my hurt.  But knowing what Christ has done for me, finally having the eyes to see it relate to everything, has allowed me to forgive.  Praise the Lord! 

People can't heal people.  God heals people.  He does it in different ways, through different Scripture and experience and study.  I thought I had done everything I could possibly do to heal, and I felt hopeless against my habits.  But one day, the Lord showed me something different, and everything changed.  Oh Lord Jesus, thank You for Your work in my life!  I praise You for the blessing of eternal life with You, and the knowledge that in You, my true life lies.  I pray today that everyone who reads this will know or come to know this truth.  In Your name, amen.

May the Lord bless you as He has blessed me,

adguglielmo 

On Forgiveness

"You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me. Should you not also have had compassion on your fellow servant, just as I had pity on you?"-Matthew 28:32, 33

Part of my Bible study homework focused my attention on forgiveness this week. After I looked up the directed Scripture reading, I came to the next question, which asked, "Now, are you going to forgive?"

What I have to forgive in others is great. I was born out of wedlock, and I didn't meet my father until I was 19 years old (my mom gave birth to me at the same age). My mom's first marriage was short and nearly unmemorable, as I was only about two when they married and divorced. Around that time, you'll find John, the man I called "dad" throughout my childhood. But he didn't fill the role very well: Once he moved my mom and I away from all of our family, he proceeded to beat us. They had already brought my first sister into the world, but she remained untouched. John's attention stayed on me. Every move I made, every word I spoke came under harsh judgment followed by abusive punishment. Sometimes my mom would intervene. Sometimes she couldn't bear to believe what I told her. She never understood why, as I got older, I grew angry with her for the abuse John inflicted on me. Years passed, two more sisters were born, and the abuse continued. After several reports of John's crime, he nearly ceased to harm me physically. But how much worse was the emotional abuse. I spent such a long time trying to pacify my anguish by hurting myself. I started cutting when I was 12. I spent many years trying to gain control by overeating or under eating, or by not eating at all. My mom saw what was happening, but what could she do? Her life wasn't exactly together. But she reached the end of her wit with John two years ago, that summer he shattered the glass back door of our SUV over her arm. She obtained a restraining order, and he couldn’t come near my family.

My mom and I fought so much after that. She didn't understand why, after my years of pleading for her to leave him, I wasn't satisfied. Because I was grown! I was moving out of state two weeks later! Why hadn't she gathered her senses sooner? I would never get to be a happy child.

Let me tell you something: I am a happy child! The Lord is my Father, and He has fathered me well. He is gentle and caring and always listening to what I need...and then He provides for me. He comforts me when sorrow fills my heart. He encourages and strengthens me to do His bidding. There is no shortage of love from my Father, and I am the happiest a daughter could be. And to have His grace! Oh, how it abounds. I am sinful and in desperate need of forgiveness, and He forgives me. How, then, can my heart remain in unforgiveness for others?

"Now, are you going to forgive?"

Yes. I forgive you, John. I have an uplifted heart, and I am not burdened by your misdeed anymore. Please come to know the grace of God yourself. And Mom, I forgive you, too. It was a slower forgiveness, but it came through growth in the Lord. Thank you for seeking our Father. Now we're sisters in Christ! Although I know neither of you will ever read this, you will come to know my forgiveness.

It took much longer to forgive than to write this to you. I pray that the Lord will soften your heart sooner than I allowed Him to soften mine. Remember what Jesus taught in Matthew 6:14 and 15: "If you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses."

Now, are you going to forgive?

Screwtape and I, Chapter Five

I don’t know much about war, but that it results from sin, and therefore seems a playing field for Satan. However, in this chapter, Screwtape urges Wormwood not to become too excited over the approaching World War II. He tells his nephew that war draws people to think of death, taking away from “contented worldliness,” which the devil works to cultivate in people in order to gain followers. If we’re content here, what vision of the future could we possibly wish for? Will our eyes be set on the things above if we’re living for the perpetuation of the earth?

 Again with that distraction! I’m coming to see what a powerful tool it is. Back in chapter four, Screwtape writes, “It’s funny how mortals always picture us as putting things into their minds; in reality our best work is done by keeping things out.” If we don’t know the truth of eternity, what else could we live for but each day? War brings to mind the possibility of the end of a life. Whether you’re thinking about yourself or your spouse or your brother, you’re enabled to see life’s frailty (this life’s frailty). But the devil doesn’t want us to think about that! He wants us to seek every pleasure to our fulfillment, having no vision of consequence. But when we seek those pleasures, we are never fulfilled. We will not be satisfied until we reach eternity with the Triune God (Ecclesiastes 3:11).

While it seems that war would be the devil’s ultimate tool to drag people to hell, God works even in the utmost evil. Because war opens eyes to the potential of death, we have to address the inevitable question of the afterlife. Where are you going to go? Let’s think like those in combat, and ask the biggest question of life: Where will you be once this short life is over and we begin in eternity? Where will our friends and our families be? While it is truly up to God who is written in the Book of Life (Revelation 3:5), it is our responsibility to ask the question. It’s not something worth waiting for. As those who face the very real potential of death in war, we need to ask, Where am I going? and Where are you going? Let’s not allow Satan to withhold things from our minds. Yes, it seems as though there’s always tomorrow to ask your friend where she’ll be in eternity, but that may not be true. Give her a chance while she still has one. Pray with me today that we will have the courage to ask others the most important question they will every answer. Do not fear the reaction of man more than the fate of their eternal lives. Let’s stand together in our evangelization!
God bless,
adguglielmo

Screwtape and I, Chapter Four

In Screwtape’s next letter, he encourages Wormwood to drive praying for a feeling into his patient.  Screwtape writes, “When they meant to pray for courage, let them really be trying to feel brave.  When they say they are praying for forgiveness, let them be trying to feel forgiven.  Teach them to estimate the value of each prayer by their success in producing the desired feeling.”  Have you ever done this?  Have you ever felt heavy laden with sin, turned to God in repentance, and still felt guilty?  Did that continued guilt seemingly indicate a failed prayer and unforgiveness from the Father?

We well know that Satan is the father of lies (John 8:44).  Have we thought about how he tries to enter our prayer life with these lies?  If he can’t prevent us from praying, he will try to push his way into our conversations with God by encouraging us to pray the wrong way.  When we pray for forgiveness, we want our sin to be wiped clean, but our human nature calls for that pacifying feeling in order to know that we’ve been forgiven.  The truth is, though, whether we continue in guilt or we feel that our sin has been washed, if our hearts truly repent, we have been forgiven.  Sometimes I am glad to quickly move away from my sin, and other times, the guilt lingers.  But that lasting feeling that I’ve done wrong serves the purpose of reminding me not to do it again.  

Speaking from my own walk, I think sometimes Satan has an easy time of focusing our attention inward on our emotions.  He teaches us to think of our present state of mind as “reality,” calling us to focus in on whatever we feel at present, tricking us into seeing only a brief moment in time rather than the whole picture.  When we think thusly, we don’t always see impending consequences for what we say and do in these moments.  Do you find yourself reflecting on the devil’s strategy, only to fall into the easy snare the next time you’re upset?  I do.  After an argument or a short temper, once some resolution is made, I feel so silly!  Tricked into believing in feelings again.  That’s not to say I don’t believe in the value of emotion.  The Lord created us to emote and connect with others because of feelings in common.  However, feelings leave us, and the Truth doesn’t.  Remember this.

Keeping the perspective of what feelings are in relation to everything else will help us stand against the devil when he tells us our prayer is ineffective because we don’t feel better.  Remember, he doesn’t want you to pray.  He wants you to think that your prayers mean nothing so that you will stop praying.  But don’t stop!  Don’t stop, even when you think God can’t hear a thing.  He hears everything, and He wants to hear more.  Please don’t be deceived.  Pray with me today that we will keep praying in spite of how we feel when we pray.  Pray that we will be able to keep our emotions in perspective, and always see beyond to God’s true Word.  

God bless you today and every day, 

adguglielmo

Screwtape and I, Chapter Three

The third chapter addresses “domestic hatred.”  A common phrase denotes this equal-opportunity attack: “Familiarity breeds contempt.”  In households lacking Christ, this often leads to a ripping apart of husband and wife, toppling what was not built on a firm foundation.  Or we end up living at odds with our natural family, picking apart tiny offenses.  Screwtape encourages Wormwood to focus his “patient’s” attention on those annoying habits his mother has, teaching him to believe that she does them to spite him.  

I can say I’ve easily fallen into this trap.  My sister keeps singing that song she knows I hate!  My mom knows it bugs me when she doesn’t answer her phone, but she never seems to pick up when I call!  These seemingly harmless actions can turn a family upside down for a time.  How silly it is to think so highly of ourselves that everything everyone does has anything to do with us.

The enemy can wreak havoc on a family, if we let him.  The difference between a marriage of believers and a marriage of non-believers is the foundation (whether one exists or not).  Those who marry under God have the foundation beginning with the chief cornerstone (Psalm 118:22).  At times, it may seem like there’s nothing they can agree on.  But then they’ll agree on Christ!  And if Christ is the agreement, everything is settled.  Unfortunately for a couple who doesn’t believe, there may be a time when there’s nothing they can agree on, and that’s where it ends.  There’s no Mediator or commonality between them.  

“Familiarity breeds contempt,” but the Lord Jesus Christ triumphs beyond selfishness and human nature.  Scripture commands us to “be angry, and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on [our] wrath” (Ephesians 4:26).  While sinful people grate on sinful people (therefore binding us to some annoyance resulting from our sinners surrounding), we are told to resolve our conflicts before the day passes.  When we take our time to forgive or ask for forgiveness, we give the devil a longer deception period.  He wants us to have time to think so that he can inject his own thoughts, sometimes slyly enough for us to believe they belong to our minds.  When my husband sees a conflict forming, he immediately wants to resolve it.  It takes me a little bit longer.  My natural family was never quick to address issues, so I carried that with me.  But I so appreciate my husband’s diligence in not allowing the enemy any time to warp our thoughts.  When I look back on family arguments lasting any time span, I can see where the enemy took the liberty of including his paragraphs in our speech.  Often, the original conflict got lost in Satan’s injections. 

As believers, we don’t want to give place to the enemy in our lives, but he’s very good at creeping in, especially into a family.  He wants to tear us apart.  He wants to deceive us into thinking that we are, in fact, fighting flesh and blood (contrary to Ephesians 6:12).  But we must realize that, yes, our family of sinners will do something to make us angry.  It’s best to catch this at the beginning of an annoyance, realizing that Christ’s followers are too distracted by Him to be doing anything to intentionally bother us.  If the annoyance gives way to open conflict, be aware of the devil’s purpose (go back to 1 Peter 5:8).  Don’t let too much time pass before you remember.

Pray today that we may remember our family is made up of sinners, including you and me.  Pray that we may get to a place of repentance quickly if we offend our sister; pray that our heart easily forgives our brother for his offence.  Let’s walk humbly before the One who humbled Himself on the cross.

In His name,

adguglielmo     

Screwtape and I, Chapter Two

The second chapter of The Screwtape Letters brings to light our need for humility in regard to the church.  Mr. Lewis uses Screwtape’s guidance of Wormwood to call into question our thoughts about fellow Christians.  I know that my thoughts have been turned away from the Word being preached in the pulpit by each of these: What I think is inappropriate clothing to wear to church; voices singing out of tune; the breath of the person sitting next to me; that weak handshake; that lack of note-taking; the Starbucks cup of the attendee who walked in late…the list continues.  Oh, how easy it is to be of a raised mind!

But we’re called to “esteem others better” than ourselves (Philippians 2:3).  However, we know very well, because of our fallen thoughts toward our brothers and sisters, that Satan does not want us to consider others better.  Satan’s division starts in the minds of men.  Once he gains a foothold and is able to control our thoughts toward the people of the congregation, he can dictate our thoughts about the Church, which would, at its worst, determine our thoughts about the Lord (if we despise the Bride, how highly do we think of the Groom?).

As in “Letters,” a romantic notion of what the church body ought to look like can distract and discourage us.  The unnamed temptee finds himself subconsciously disappointed by the common garb of believers when he first goes to church.  I have found myself not only distracted by clothing I deem inappropriate to wear to church, but also by clothing I find exactly appropriate.  I have looked at an unknown member of the Body in admiration because of her pristine dress, and formed an ideal of a Christian woman based on that appearance.  How fleeting these wicked thoughts are, but they are present.

Reading this novel brought to my attention the countless lies that stream through my subconscious every day.  Because hatred and sin begin in the mind, we must bring all of our thoughts captive in the obedience of Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5).  Humility is defined as humbleness of mind (Greek: tapeinophrosune), a mind in which we cannot exalt ourselves above the Saints.  I pray that today we are able to see not the faults of the sinners whom we abide with, but that we see the sins of our flesh, praising God for His grace.  I pray that we ask God for humility of mind, taking each thought captive, growing in the ability to visualize the beauty of the Bride.  We are the Bride!  Praise the Lord for our journey toward glory and perfection. 

In His name,
adguglielmo

Screwtape and I, Chapter One

In the first chapter of the C.S. Lewis novel The Screwtape Letters, Uncle Screwtape, a seasoned tempter, begins his guidance of his novice demon nephew, Wormwood.  Wormwood’s mission is to keep his “patient” out of the Kingdom of Heaven by way of seducing him toward the destructive and away from the spiritually beneficial.  The first mention of this man being led astray amounts to Wormwood’s guidance of his reading.  

What can we say about our reading?  What about our TV consumption?  Are we under the influence of a Wormwood when we seek entertainment?  Before I dedicated my life to Christ, I had a great taste for teen and gossip magazines.  In fact, I had fantasies about moving to New York City and writing for one of them.  It all seemed so glamorous.  But now I think about how the material influenced me, and I look regretfully at the past before I knew Jesus.  Satan wants our minds to be full of the words of men and not the Word of God.  The enemy knows the truth of his inevitable defeat, but he doesn’t want us to know that we’re coming with him if we don’t accept the Truth.  So he distracts us with the shiny objects of entertainment.  

After I became a Christian, my grandma asked me how I could still watch horror movies.  I had always been a fan, and that didn’t change with my dedication to Christ.  Nearly five years later, I don’t even want to think about them.  If a commercial comes on advertising the latest thrasher, I have to turn it off.  I’ve even had to turn off my radio because of an ad.  While there were some things I was glad to throw off my old self, most of it was-is-a process.  And of course it is when Screwtape stands at the ready for an opportunity to consume us!  Very occasionally, I’ll suggest to my husband that we watch a scary movie.  That scares me most because I know that urge didn’t come from me.

The Word tells us to set our minds on the things above, not on the things on the earth (Colossians 3:1).  This is in order to avoid temptation (if we see the treasures of heaven, what heart remains on this earth?).  The Scripture continues to say “you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God” (3:3).  If our life is in Christ and not here, what value are the things of this world?  

The enemy tempts us with wicked forms of entertainment because it’s so available.  It’s common to want to see that box office hit rated R for strong sexuality and crude language because, well, everyone else saw it.  But be aware of Screwtape and his nephew behind that desire.  Remember that Jesus did instruct us to “pray, lest [we] enter into temptation” (Matthew 26:41).  He knows that Satan prowls “like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Peter 5:8).  So today, pray with me to avoid temptation.  Let’s acknowledge that we are not left alone with our thoughts, but that Satan’s minions await an opportunity to take our human desires and put them to work for his kingdom.  But be of good cheer!  Jesus has overcome the world.

In His name,

adguglielmo

About "The Screwtape Letters"

Dear Reader, 

I recently finished The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis, and immediately wanted to start reading it again.  The Lord gave Mr. Lewis a wealth of insight regarding the extent of the enemy's influence on our lives.  I thought it would be beneficial for me to reread Letters while taking notes on how some Screwtape has personally lead me astray.  I want to publish this reflection with Scriptural commentary to offer anyone reading an opportunity to delve further into the specific temptations mentioned in the novel (if you haven't read it, find a copy and do so!).  

Please pray that the Lord will provide me with insight so that I may encourage you.

Have a blessed day, 

adguglielmo

"Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you"-1 Thessalonians 5:16-18.

We All Need The Seed Of Truth

Dear Reader,

I don’t want anything more than what anyone else has, so it saddens me to see such great deprivation in my neighbor, in my peer, in my kin.  What’s lacking is the presence of Christ. 

We each have a heart that will either be filled or remain unfilled by the presence of the Holy Spirit at the time we perish.  As Christians, we are called to evangelize so that unbelievers will become filled with the Spirit, leading to eternal life with God in heaven.  Not every man will be saved, as Scripture indicates.  So I wonder:  Do unsaved people feel empty?  Do they know that something (Someone) is missing?  

When I am in the Spirit, communing with my Father, I am full.  But in myself, I am incomplete. I feel unfulfilled.   This is not an indication that Christ does not fill me, but rather a revelation that I am not enough.  Christ is enough.  He is Christ in me, the hope of glory (Colossians 1:27).

How can anyone outside of this hope and fulfillment live?  The answer is distraction.  Satan uses it as a powerful tool of persuasion for those who don’t yet know the Lord. Unbelievers live in a constant state of ignorance about the spiritual battle that is continually won against them.  It’s hard to see our friends and families turn to substances and ill-suited people as a means to satisfy the longing they unknowingly have for Christ.

Our Christian duty is to plant the seed of truth, that is, Jesus’ death and resurrection and His resulting Spirit which is to dwell in us, guiding our actions toward that which will glorify God.  Without this knowledge and without the care of we who walk in Christ, and mostly, without the salvation that God grants those who believe in His Son, there is no hope for an unbelieving soul.

It is painful to look at an unbeliever and know the riches he misses out on every day when I wake up to the presence and fulfillment of Christ each morning.  So I pray that the Lord will teach me how to represent Him on earth, so that others will long for eternity.  And that is also my prayer for you: That God will give you the desire to plant that seed of truth.  

In His name,

adguglielmo

Truth

Dear Reader,

Below is an edited excerpt of something I wrote in 2008, early in my Christianity.  I had forgotten about it until my grandma drew my attention to it this morning.  I went back and reread, editing for clarity and the truths that I’ve since found.  I hope this blesses you. 

 

"My Papa has told me countless times that as a journalist, I have a duty to mankind. That duty is to teach truth. Truth is not always the tip of the iceberg, but it is always present, with a little seeking. At times it is completely submerged underneath the waves of false truth and imitation, and it takes more than a little seeking to find; it requires the complete will ("Come near to God and He will come near to you"-James 4:8). Some find this difficult to comprehend. Many times I’ve heard, "I'm trying to find God but I don't know where He is." My answer? It's hard to see the sun through the clouds. Sin darkens our beings and shades our sight of the Lord. In other words, one cannot continuously sin without a repentant heart and expect to be close to the sinless One. Our Spirit is strong inside of us and will send a pang in our hearts when we sin.  But after repeatedly ignoring instruction from the Lord, His voice starts to seem quieter. In no time, it can even appear that God is no longer present. But He is; He’s there waiting for us to heed His instruction on how to live. (He lived perfectly, remember?  The One who lived a sinless life is the One who truly knows how to live.)

 When I came to Christ, I experienced something so unbelievable that I wish I could feel again.  It was an incredible humbling. I kept thinking, how could He die for me? How could Christ love me so much that He would die for ME, sin-soaked and confused and imperfect as I am? That was when I really grasped for the first time the love that God has for me. 

My most passionate love for God unveiled itself when I had to let go of someone I loved. I experienced heartache that could have overpowered me and carried me away. Instead, the Lord’s presence became intoxicating, and Jesus was my best friend.  I would ask Him why He took away the one thing I thought I had a right to.  He showed me that I don't have a right to anything but to worship my Father and glorify Him in everything that I do because of all that He has done for me. Life’s unfair.  I don't deserve unconditional love, and yet, God continually fulfills His promise to love me. Thank you, Lord.

 Having an intimate relationship with God makes me certain that His Word is true. He wrote the Bible through man and blessed us with His guidance through this life toward the next.  He is a lawgiver, but He is also a friend, a lover and a ceaseless forgiver (oh, He is so full of grace!).

 I have seen so many things in the mere year that I've known the Lord. I am not capable of loving without God, because God is love. When I read 1 Corinthians 13:4-8, I realize that there is no way that anyone can ever love in the flesh; God’s standards are unmet in our humanity.  But Jesus embodied love as He lay dying on the cross. He thought of us who were to be saved, and He gave up His body to be broken.  For love!

Because of this perfect love, we are able to love through Him, and because we love, we will live."

  

-adguglielmo 

 

Life in Christ

Dear Reader, 

This blog is devoted to recording life in Christ.  I have lived long enough to graduate high school, marry my husband and, most importantly, realize that there is no life outside of Christ.  Because this rich blessing has been bestowed on me (that is, an intimate relationship with Jesus, our Savior), I am inclined to share my walk with you as a source of encouragement and fellowship.  

I will close with Scripture that made my heart long for eternity this morning.  Have a blessed day.

-adguglielmo

"The Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God.  And the dead in Christ will rise first.  Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.  And thus we shall always be with the Lord.  Therefore comfort one another with these words"-1Thessalonians 4:16-18.