I know many of you out there are without direction and confused, you have been seeking – and you keep seeking – all in vain. You are searching for a purpose, an aim, an ambition in life, and you keep coming up empty and unfulfilled and unsatisfied time and time again. For a time you may find some fleeting happiness, but it is fleeting because it is rooted in the world and not in Jesus Christ, the one true God who is from everlasting to everlasting. How can we ever expect to have lasting and all-satisfying happiness and fulfillment in created things rather than the Creator – and yet don't we all go there time and again like dogs returning to their vomit?!

   I have been and am continuing to pray that God will give you ears to hear what His Spirit has to say to you, that His Holy Spirit would work in you an irresistible passion to follow hard after Him – and along with that, a holy ambition for your life. I say this with a great sense of urgency. I wandered in the wilderness of lukewarm Christianity for over twenty years. I was a walking carcass. I look out all around me and I see a lot of walking carcasses, and it grieves me. I don't want you to be a walking carcass!

   I am praying God would be gracious to you, that the eyes of your understanding would be opened to begin to see the all-surpassing worth of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ, and, as you do so, have God's love in Christ so captivate and constrain you that like the apostle Paul, you will begin to count all things loss for the sake of knowing Christ and making Him known. I am praying that the things of earth will grow strangely dim and your life's ambition and purpose will be a holy – centered on Jesus Christ and seeking to bring glory to God. There is no true joy for us apart from having such an ambition.

   Because the Christian is a citizen of heaven, the things of earth ought to be growing dimmer and dimmer for us each day, as we are given freedom by the Spirit of God to behold the glory of the Lord with unveiled face, and we are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, as the light shines brighter and brighter to the final day.

   I am praying you might come to know the living Christ as your exceeding joy and drink deeper and deeper of His love and be filled with all the fullness of God, and serve Him here with joy and gladness in the holy ambition He writes on your heart.
     
      ~ Karen

   Whistling in the dark is no substitute for good information. We want to know what's going on. A great deal of modern philosophy that passes in the name of religion, and even in the name of Christianity, is a tuneless pucker of the lips to blow meaningless breath into the darkness. "Believe" is a modern creed – but believe what?" is a relevant question.

   We can go around with our chin up,

and trip right into hell over a gravestone.


   We have grown too big for dolls and kiddie-cars, but we are not too big to be afraid. We need the Father's hand on ours to lead us through the shadows, and by the light of His Word to show us that our fears are groundless but that our faith in Him is well-founded. We wonder what hides behind the veils and drapes which are hung over the walls and windows of eternity. It may be in the plan of God for us to weep, but not to weep "as do the rest who have no hope." Sorrow may be our portion, but not the soul-agony and torture of those who have not the reality which is in Jesus.

   This study in tears will be an expedition into the foreboding parlor of human sorrow, that we may learn that a well-furnished world can do nothing but produce frenzy and frustration, as illustrated by the tragic stories of suicide and divorce and alcoholism and every other evil that blights mankind.

   Two of my close friends, Ken Anderson and James Kaminga, in a 'round-the-world tour to survey the possibility of making Christian and gospel films in various countries, using native talent and local stories, have written some interesting reports that show the need for gospel ministry. Figures from Japan indicate that suicide is the number one cause of death in that land. Over 80% of those suicides are among young people fifteen to twenty-three years of age. Interviews conducted with missionaries and Japanese young people reveal that the Oriental young person lives for one thing – an education. The education, however, is desired for just one purpose: to obtain better employment. College entrance is hard. Out-of-school study for a college student averages five to seven hours a day, and the local saying is: "Five fail; four pass." This means, sleep more than five hours a night and you'll fail entrance exams. Sleep less than four, and with that much study, you should pass.

   But when asked, "What do you live for?" the Japanese student replies, "We have nothing to live for. Only to get into college and get better pay. . . . We do not follow the way of the past. We do not know what way to follow in the future."

   Pointless living, however, is not the peril of the Oriental alone. What are you living for? Multitudes of American young people do not even want an education, and those who do probably want only one profit from it – better pay. Some are bursting at every seam and pulling every string and using every trick to gain simply one thing – better pay.

   The height of ambition for multitudes of even Christian young people is not to

glorify Christ,
    win souls,
        be efficient in prayer and skillful in the Word,

but simply to get married,
   have a family,
        have a beautiful home and all the modern appliances – and then what?

   What are you really living for?

    Any purpose less than Christ – "For me to live is Christ," said the Apostle –

     any purpose self-centered or material-centered
          will be frustrating and unsatisfactory, even though it may be moral.

Scripture quotations are taken from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. Copyright ©2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Go to Nineveh!
That great city
Our sworn enemy
Worthy of mercy?

Jonah, you are blessed to be a blessing
May you have ears to hear this lesson
Your light is to shine in the darkness
To preach to enemies as well as friends
To go to all tongues, tribes and nations

Go to Nineveh!
That great city
Our sworn enemy
Worthy of mercy?

You speak well for none is worthy
But I, the Lord, delight to show mercy
To even the vilest and worst offenders
Jonah, take heed, always remember
You, my child, are the chief of sinners

Matthew 18:23  “Therefore the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants. 24  When he began to settle, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. 25  And since he could not pay, his master ordered him to be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and payment to be made. 26  So the servant fell on his knees, imploring him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’ 27  And out of pity for him, the master of that servant released him and forgave him the debt. 28  But when that same servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii, and seizing him, he began to choke him, saying, ‘Pay what you owe.’ 29  So his fellow servant fell down and pleaded with him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you.’ 30  He refused and went and put him in prison until he should pay the debt. 31  When his fellow servants saw what had taken place, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their master all that had taken place. 32  Then his master summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. 33  And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?’ 34  And in anger his master delivered him to the jailers, until he should pay all his debt. 35  So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart.”

knowing mercy ~ reflections on Osama Bin Laden's death
Bible Reading: Things To Look for in a Church: What We Find in Solomon's Temple, #7: Missionary Zeal
Feast of Epiphany/Bible Reading-II Corinthians: manifesting Christ to the world
Epiphany: we are made a light to bring salvation to the ends of the earth
We are the salt of the earth; sprinkle us out in the world.

Scripture quotations unless otherwise indicated are taken from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. Copyright ©2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

I Peter 3:18  For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God...

Romans 8:14  For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. 15  For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!”

Abba! Father!

"Abba! Father!" fitted by grace
To look upon Your lovely face

"Abba! Father!" bold humility
Bought at the cross of Calvary

"Abba! Father!" what a wonder
Sin's bonds were torn asunder

"Abba! Father!" the lowly raised
Jesus Messiah worthy of all praise

"Abba! Father!" by grace I come
Precious blood poured from above

"Abba! Father!" dust and ashes
Healed by the Lamb's lashes

"Abba! Father!" at the mercy seat
Depravity and divinity meet

"Abba! Father!" falling face down
My shame transformed to renown

"Abba! Father!" with grateful tears
Once I was far, but now brought near

"Abba! Father!" adoption sealed
My record of debt nailed, repealed

"Abba! Father!" my heart leapt
Into Your strong arms I was swept

"Abba! Father!" blessed poverty
Counted now Your holy seed

"Abba! Father!" my only plea
A beggar lifted to reign with Thee

"Abba! Father!" slave made bride
Pleasures forever at Your side

"Abba! Father!" this needy soul
Thrills to exult in You over all

"Abba! Father!" pure delight
Dancing in Your marvelous light

"Abba! Father!" this infant cries
Childlike faith the world despises

"Abba! Father!" the Spirit's saving
All fleshly confidence disabling

"Abba! Father!" my groaning sigh
Welcomed at Your throne most high

"Abba! Father!" fortify me to abide
In the true tabernacle opened wide

"Abba! Father!" may my prayer never cease
Beside Jesus, my eternal great High Priest

"Abba! Father!" help me there to tarry
You have borne, surely You will carry

"Abba! Father!" through the Son
Strengthen me 'til my work is done

Hebrews 10:19  Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, 20  by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, 21  and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22  let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.

Isaiah 62
6  On your walls, O Jerusalem,
I have set watchmen;
all the day and all the night
they shall never be silent.
You who put the LORD in remembrance,
take no rest,
7  and give him no rest
until he establishes Jerusalem
and makes it a praise in the earth.

Luke 18:1  And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart. 2  He said, “In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected man. 3  And there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Give me justice against my adversary.’ 4  For a while he refused, but afterward he said to himself, ‘Though I neither fear God nor respect man, 5  yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will give her justice, so that she will not beat me down by her continual coming.’” 6  And the Lord said, “Hear what the unrighteous judge says. 7  And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? , Will he delay long over them? 8  I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”

Naphtali News: the Ministry of the Word & Prayer
tent of meeting - my other website devoted to prayer for revival
postcards from England: "The Burden for Revival" (ML-J)
may we learn to value the blood-bought privilege of prayer
In this valley, in the midst of this valley (Ezekiel 37:1-14)

Happy Father's Day: "Only the child cries, 'Abba, Father'"
learning to run without fear
Reflections on my Dad on his 107th birthday* (Letter 33 on assurance & fighting for joy)
Holy Father, it grieves me . . . (Father's Day reflections on husbands & fathers)
the poor & needy & joy ~ Psalm 35:9-10 | letter 105 on assurance & fighting for joy
Sovereign Glory (An Advent Hymn)
O, How Shall the Ark of the LORD Come to Me? ~ A Hymn of Gospel Salvation ~ II Samuel 6
I am a leopard - Christ is a lion ~ The Resurrection Celebration
Lenten Reflections: Who hath believed?

Scripture quotations are taken from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. Copyright ©2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.