Set for Life

"Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment" (I Timothy 6:17)

A recent windfall and change of fortune gave way to their proud announcement, "We and our kids are set for life". In one household it was the sale of their family business to a wealthy investor that propelled them into millionaire status. The other was their child's new high paying job in a coveted corporation. Joyous news though it was it rang hollow in my ears because of the falsehood it was built upon. When our security is not in Jesus but in ourselves and what this world offers we are definitely not set for life.

The Bible teaches us to use our heavenly gifts for God's glory versus our own. The Father delights in our work when we do this with enthusiasm (Ephesians 6:7). But if striving for more cash in your bank account is what makes your soul complacent your spiritual depravity will one day impoverish you. Money is not evil, it's our view of what it represents and how we use it that can become corrupted.

The Lord knows we need money in this modern economy. But money can make us feel indestructible to hardship, proud, and if we are not careful we'll find ourselves indifferent to our need for God. We may become judgmental and less compassionate toward those less fortunate. Money does not make us set for eternal life. All the philanthropic works of our flesh will not gain us favor with God. We can never be good enough to earn our way into heaven! Only by grace through faith in Christ's sacrifice for our sins are we saved from hell. We are all born spiritually bankrupt sinners.

Do you want to be set for life? Pray to Jesus for forgiveness of your sins and thank Him for dying on the cross in your place. Invite His Holy Spirit to live in your heart and surrender your desires to Him. Praise God for the free gift of salvation that you now enjoy as His follower, and ask Him to equip you for serving Him with your talents and treasure (Hebrews 13:21). When your faith and hope is in Christ you are truly set for life! "Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment" (I Timothy 6:17)

Your fellow herald for Jesus,

Mary

Hark the Herald People Sing

“My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, as you are in me and I am in you” (John 17:20-21).

The following is an excerpt from a women's event (Holidays Fit For the King) I spoke at in November.

As God’s girl, do you ever think of yourself as His herald to the world? The angels were first to declare His birth, then the shepherds spread the news after they heard the story. As Christ’s disciples now it’s our turn.

Being God’s herald may intimidate you, but did you know Jesus prays for us, our ministries and He is with us? Shortly before His crucifixion John 17:20-21 quotes Jesus, “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, as you are in me and I am in you.”

Christ’s last words before He ascended to heaven in Matthew 28:19-20 were “go and tell—make disciples of all the nations—I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Jesus isn’t the Savior of “some” people. He’s for “all” people. The Nativity scene was very diverse. No one who drew near to Jesus was turned away. The poor shepherds and the rich wise men alike were welcome. The message is still the same.

If you died today would go to heaven? What makes you think you are good enough? If you were standing side-by-side with Jesus before our Holy Heavenly Father which one of you would be acceptable? Romans 3:22-24 says: “This Righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.”

We can joyfully celebrate Christmas because of Easter. The good news is not that Santa Claus is coming to town but that the Messiah was born in Bethlehem; He died for our sins, rose from the dead, is reigning in heaven and is coming back for His church!

As believers in Christ we are united in Spirit with Him. He has made His home in our hearts. We are His ambassadors, here to reflect His message. I pray we exude so much joy and kindness that people will ask us the reason for our hope in these trying economic times. May we smile and say we are thinking of Jesus; we’re too blessed by His love to be stressed by this life. Hark the herald people sing glory to the new born King! Go and tell sisters. Go and tell. Merry Christmas!

Your fellow sojourner and herald for Jesus,

Mary

Glory Bound

“Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God” (Colossians 3:1).

Last Friday a close friend lost her nine-month battle with cancer. While we knew the end was inevitable, none of us expected it that particular day. She’d had a good week; I was looking forward to seeing her on Saturday. Two weeks earlier I’d booked a flight to New York where a planned gathering with our mutual girlfriends was scheduled for that afternoon. But it was not to be. The night before my flight the news we’d been dreading came calling. She’d had a seizure and never woke up. Her soul was glory bound.

This was my first experience helping a seriously ill friend prepare for heaven. In the weeks leading up to her departure I held nothing back with regard to spiritual matters. Praise God His Spirit prepared me and prompted me to share what He placed on my heart! While there have been moments of weeping these last few days, I’m filled with great peace because she is with her Lord and Savior.

In the home of one of our girlfriends we assembled to share photos, stories, laughter and tears over the loss of our friend. What a blessing to have these special relationships that were formed in our childhood years. Of the twelve of us she was the first to die, and yet I know she is more alive now than she has ever been. She’s seen God! How I wish I could get her commentary on that meeting, but one day that sweet conversation will take place.

Before leaving my friends to return to my family, one of the girls asked me to lead the group in prayer. Standing side-by-side hand-in-hand we offered praise to the Father for His glorious abundant blessings. We thanked Him for mercifully taking our friend peacefully and with dignity. Those who witnessed her death saw no suffering. She is now healed and whole in heaven, and we grieve with hope of the reunion we’ll have with her there. This separation is only temporary.

As we slowly resume our daily routines now that her funeral has passed, I smile as I see Jesus at work. We watched a loved one die, but in reality we have learned how to really live. Grace abounds, forgiveness is more easily granted, broken relationships are healing, and people are examining their faith walk. It’s all good and it’s all because of God.

For those who have believed in salvation by Christ alone, we are gifted by His Holy Spirit to display His love and glory. In Him our earthly life takes on new meaning and we find joy even in sorrow. What a privilege to be used by Jesus to offer true and lasting hope to a hurting world as we invite others to join the glory bound. “Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God” (Colossians 3:1).

Your fellow sojourner,

Mary

Tell Jesus Thank You

“No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind conceived what God has prepared for those who love Him” (1 Corinthians 2:9).

It was an “out of the boat” moment; one I had been praying for. But when it arrived I almost let it pass out of fear. Stepping forward in faith is often much easier to talk about than live out, especially when others are watching you. My first reaction, when talking to a dying friend long distance as a mutual friend placed her cell phone on speaker, was to play it safe; not rock the boat of anyone’s spiritual convictions. After all, who am I to cast judgment on her faith? It’s not polite to seek assurance of her salvation, is what my mind was saying. But isn’t that what real love does? Shouldn’t I share the truth of Christ’s penalty for our sins so those who believe this will be guaranteed a place in heaven with Him? Now or never had arrived and I had a choice to make.

The call with my friend was pre-arranged the day before. My friend is losing her ability to speak and write. She’s dying of brain cancer. Knowing friends would be visiting her on Wednesday, the time was set for me to call one of the women’s cell phone. After a restless night with little sleep, I felt a strong urging to pray with her on the phone. Hours before the call I said, “Lord, you calmed the raging seas when you walked on water. Surely you can calm the storm that rages in my girlfriend’s head, even for a little while”. Simple as that prayer was, it carried a big request. My friend had not been able to make complete sentences for a week. In my hour of need I was asking for a miracle—the ability for her to understand me and me to understand her.

When I dialed the number I had no idea what I would find on the other end. Each day brings many changes in my friend’s condition. The cancer is spreading rapidly. My girlfriend, whose cell number I was calling, had offered to be the mediator as she held up her phone on speaker. A third girlfriend introduced herself, so now there were four of us connected. Nervously I said hello to my dying friend. To my delight a beautiful exchange of words took place between us. I was able to tell her I loved her and she replied in kind. What joy! But God told me I wasn’t done yet.

In an instant, I asked if it would be alright if I prayed with her. She muffled “yes” along with my girlfriend’s utterance of “go for it, Mare” setting the stage. Fumbling at first, I felt the Holy Spirit guiding me out of my comfort zone. Suddenly I was speaking as He directed. Recently my friend had slyly interjected into a sentence that she would put in a good word for me. This statement came on the heels of her latest MRI results—the tumor was growing and time was running out. I did not initially understand what she meant. Then it hit me. She was offering to put in a good word for me when she went to heaven.

There was no time to waste. Jesus had given me this chance to share Scriptures with her, and to tell her something precious. “When you get to heaven tell Jesus I said thank you”. As the cell phone owner began to speak she couldn’t contain her excitement. She hadn’t seen our sick friend so lucid and able to complete a sentence until this exchange. Praise God for this moment! He’d taken my trembling spirit and walked beside me that day. I felt as if I were really in that hospital room hundreds of miles away.

In this season of grief I am learning from death how to really live. I want to have more moments like Peter did—scared but willing to step out of the boat into the raging water where only complete dependency on Christ can uphold me. As I make this journey, I am comforted by the reality that God wants to bring glory to His name through all who are willing to trust and obey. What a treasure to be able to share with my friends that for all who love Jesus the best is yet to come. I’m still telling God “thank you” for this story, and for the gift of eternal life. Are you? “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind conceived what God has prepared for those who love Him” (1 Corinthians 2:9).

Your fellow sojourner,

Mary

Prayer Gift Letter for My Friend

I wrote this letter for my friend who is terminally ill. Her name has been removed from the letter to protect her confidence. A special "thank you" to Lee Merrill who introduced me to "Prayer Gifts" at the Proverbs 31 She Speaks 2008 conference. The blessing lives on, Lee!

"So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand" (Isaiah 41:10 NIV).

Father, the moment I heard of my friend’s illness you spoke these words to me in prayer. I know that you wanted me to share this truth with her, this verse is for her. Please help her to see that it is a special love letter from you; meant to bring her comfort each time she meditates on these words.

Dear friend, I pray you always remember that Jesus loves you. He is right beside you holding you up before the Father. He is your greatest intercessor—He continually prays for you before the throne of grace! You are not alone. If you listen with your heart you can feel God strengthening you for this journey you are on. It is not an easy road. He knows that. You can depend on Him to walk beside you, and to provide all that you need.

May you rest assured that you are surrounded by heavenly angels when you least expect them, and most need them. Sometimes they will be angels with skin on in the form of family and friends. Other days they will be invisible to your eyes, but not your senses. I pray the knowledge of their presence ministering to your soul brings you peace.

Thank you, Father, for watching over all the affairs of my friend's life. Help her to trust in your faithfulness and all-sufficient power. Give her a special revelation of your love for her, and help her to lean on you for guidance in all her decisions. Bestow on her a peace that surpasses all human comprehension.

I praise you for her life and place my friend in your loving hands, knowing you love her deeply.

Mary Singer Wick