Chosen people

I reread THE HIDING PLACE by Corrie Ten Boom last year. I don't know if a book has ever made an impact on me like that one has...aside from the Bible. I had read it maybe 10 yrs or so ago, but I really don't remember being moved by it or that interested in it. This time it was a different story.

I couldn't put it down. There were so many things that jumped out at me. I remember one particular that really hit. When Corrie was finally taken in. She had the flu and had been in the bed for days with a fever. At the time I got to that chapter I had picked up a stomach bug, so I read that section while I was sick and not feeling well myself. I just kept thinking what a blessing it was to lay in my nice, warm, cozy bed while I was sick. It was just unimaginable to me to have endure what people did during that period.

I don't know if its my age or what, but I just have such a hard time getting my head wrapped around the whole idea of the Holocaust. Since rereading THE HIDING PLACE, I have also read Elie Wiesel's biography. It is so hard for me to understand the mentality of those in the world who did nothing. I can 'get' why Hitler and his crew did what they did. I understand evil.. . I guess indifference and apathy is where I struggle.

When I think about this I wonder what most average, everday folks around the world actually knew about what was going on. I know that the leaders of the countries had to know, but I wonder how informed everyone else was. I want to believe they knew very little, because that makes it so much easier to understand.

I also wonder to myself... what would I have thought. It is so easy to see from the vantage point where I sit today and say that I would have cared. I want to believe that I would. But then I ask myself ...."how many places are there in the world today where people are persecuted and suffer horribly that I am apathetic to?"

I feel so insulated. I almost at times don't feel like I live in reality. I sit in my home here and it is hard to really fathom how the rest of the world lives. As Americans. even our own government isn't grounded in reality. We spend pretend money on things that don't really matter. Our kids think that they are living in poverty when they don't have the lastest gaming system or cell phone. We talk about being descriminated against, but even that alot of times seems so petty compared with the rest of the world's troubles.

I don't know why the Holocaust has gotten my attention so. I studied about it in high school and college and I remember thinking it was bad, but then forgot about it as quickly as I had heard about it. I think it may have to do with the fact that I really believe that we are doomed to repeat past mistakes if we don't study them and really get to the bottom and learn the lessons no matter how painful. So I guess this is the beginning of an education on the Holocaust.

I also have been reading a book about Islam, Christianity, and Judaism. It is written as a historical account. It is interesting to see how these three religions have interacted since about 70 AD. Having read thru most of that book I wonder if the Holocaust wasn't really stopped just because it was Jews. I hate to think that . But once you see in black and white how Jews and Christians have interacted throughout history. I am really ignorant on that subject as it pertains to the last 100 years. But I am thirty three and I can remember people saying things like 'jew someone out of something' or terms like that from my childhood... which was the late 70's to early 80's.

I can't really understand the issue especially for Christians. But maybe there is where my ignorance comes into play. I don't understand completely the relationship between God and the Jews, but there is alot that I don't fully understand. I know that they are His chosen people. Some people find that offensive... I really don't understand that, but I really don't feel one way or the other about it. God is God. He can do as He chooses. If He wants Jews to be His chosen people then fine with me. To me that means that I should pray for them and seek to protect them not destroy them and talk negatively of them.

But its like with so many things. 15 people read the bible and come away with 15 different interpretations. All I can do is rely on the Holy Spirit's guidance and pray that I would understand the truth.

Wow... I didn't mean to just ramble on... But I did.

persecuted church

My eyes have just recently been opened to the persecuted church. I heard a man named Patrick Sookhdeo speak on a Focus on the Family broadcast. (I didn't get to hear all of it though). It is amazing how isolated we can be even in the midst of all the technology we have.

I guess in the back of my mind I knew that Christians were persecuted for their beliefs, but unfortunately, it was not something I thought or prayed about a great deal... or honestly ... at all. But after hearing him speak I decided to educate myself. ( I have earned several degrees from Google University... hahhaa) So I got on line and googled his name and the words "persecuted christians." I found out so much.

It is just heartbreaking... and convicting. To think.. we as Christians in America can meet together with no fear of being of our church being raided and our bibles being confiscated and yet we opt to lay in bed on Sunday morning and sleep late. We can share the gospel freely and openly with very few restrictions and yet we keep the good news to ourselves.

I talked to some ladies that I meet with on Fridays for prayer and they had no real clue about the persecution that Christians endure in other countries either. I really don't think that we are out of the norm.... sad to say. Even though we have access to the whole world I think that alot of times we don't want to be bothered with anything that isn't happening in our own neighborhood.

It is amazing how God works though. I heard Patrick Sookhdeo on the radio and that very night my son asked me to read to him about what heaven was like. So I turned to Revelations and read to him. After he went to sleep I just decided to read the whole book.. not normally something I would do, but as I was reading. in chapter 6 several verses jumped out at me.....

v9 When the Lamb broke the fifth seal. I saw under the alter the souls of all who had been martyred for the word of God and for being faithful to in their testimony. They shouted to the Lord and said, "O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you judge the people who belong to this world and avenge our blood for what they have done to us? Then they were given a white robe and told to rest a while longer until the full number of their brothers and sisters-- their fellow servants in Jesus who were to be martyred--had joined them

Then the next night my son asked me to show him in his bible the verse he currently is memorizing... I Peter 5:6. After reading the verse he randomly pointed to a block of text on the facing page and asked me to read it. It was 1 Peter 4:12-19 which talks about how we shouldn't be surprised at trials and being persecuted for our faith. And how we should keep on doing what is right even in the face of persecution and trust the Lord.

Its funny how the Holy Spirit illuminates what he wants you to see. I have been looking at that page in 1Peter for weeks now trying to help my boys memorize it.... but only at the right time did those other verses stand out.

I feel a burden... as we all should... to pray for my brothers and sisters in Christ that are living with persecution. I have had to ask for forgiveness for my ignorance and apathy and indifference. I hope that this lights a spark in anyone who reads it to do the same. And now that I know this truth I pray that I am faithful in telling others so that they may pray also.

Prayer crosses space and time and distance. Our prayers are heard by our Father in heaven and there is nothing that is out of his reach.

If you are interested in more info here are some great sights I found.

Open Doors USA
International Day of Prayer
Voice of the Martyr

a few political thoughts

Well, Super Tuesday is in the rear view mirror. Its looking like the Republican party is swinging out towards left field.... I guess whether that is a bad thing depends on who you are.

Mitt Romney gave his farewell speech.. probably one of the best speeches he has given thus far.. maybe he should have been writing his own speeches all along. Now we are down to McCain and Huckabee... two very liberal republicans. I have heard many people say that they would NEVER vote for McCain, but I think you need to be careful with your nevers.

I am still sort of in shock that the republican party for the first time... maybe ever.. doesn't have a true conservative candidate. I became elligible to vote in 1993 and I have voted in every election since. Most of the time I have a small feeling deep inside that I am choosing the lesser of two evils, but each year that feeling grows greater and greater.

It will be interesting to see how the rep party as a whole reacts to the recent turn of events and even more interesting to see who McCain will pick for VP. Romney was super complementary to him when introducing him after he stepped out... maybe he was trying to brown nose to get that vp spot. But I find it very unlikely that McCain would go for a vp that is as conservative as Romney... allthough he would probably make a great one.

The democrats haven't been quite as interesting. Hillary has went from ripping Obama's head off to basically engaging in a lovefest with him at times. Who knows? I like Obama. Even though I don't believe in a thing he is pushing for. He is inspiring and engaging. The dreamer side of me buys it all hook, line, and sinker. I am ready for a new America when he thru talking, but then a few seconds later the true pragmatist comes back out and that warm fuzzy feeling is gone. His competitor, Mrs. Clinton, absolutely grates me to the core. She is like fingernails down a chalkboard.

Really none of the parties represent me... maybe I am a closet independent. I believe that our government should be fiscally responsible. We should balance the books each year. We should only spend what we have and we shouldn't spend anything until we pay off our gigantic debt. We should be the generation that sucks it up and makes it right for future generations.... not a very popular mindset...

I believe in healthcare for everyone... but not provided by our government. I believe that our government has way too much power and they have abused it. I don't know about you, but I have been to government offices before.. take for instances the DMV... I do not want the same people running the DMV in charge of my healthcare. no way.

Enough... I could go on for days and days about pork spending and all of the other abuses of the power that they have been given, but it just raises my bp to no avail.... so I won't.