MARTHA VANCISE

Writing for 21st Century Pilgrims

Big Event

Big Event

by | SepMon2014 | SIGNPOSTS

I’ve watched Big Events on TV—Super Bowl, World Series, Indianapolis 500, Rose Bowl Parade, Olympics, World Cup, Academy Awards, and weddings of world figures—but I have never attended one of these events.

Yesterday, in the Sunday morning worship service, words from the Revelation suddenly caught my attention. The Apostle John wrote of a gathering from every nation, tribe, people and language that will bow in the presence of the Almighty God and give praise. They will assemble for a Wedding and the sounds of celebration and praise will be like the roar of Niagara Falls and peals of thunder.

 Hallelujah! For our Lord God Almighty reigns.
Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory!
For the wedding of the Lamb has come,
and his bride has made herself ready.

As I heard those words, I suddenly thought “I get to go to that!”  I may never get tickets to other Big Events but I already have a reservation for that event. I will be there!

 

 
 
 
Martha Hawn VanCise ©
Helping God

Helping God

by | AugMon2014 | SIGNPOSTS

 

I could never understand why God struck a man dead for trying to keep the sacred ark from falling off an ox cart (II Samuel 6: 1-7). In Streams in the Desert, however, I found the following Old Signpost posted by A.B. Simpson.

A life was lost in Israel because a pair of human hands was laid unbidden upon the ark of God. They were placed upon it with the best intent, to steady it when trembling and shaking as the oxen drew it along the rough way; but they touched God’s work presumptuously, and they fell paralyzed and lifeless.

Much of the life of faith consists in letting things alone.

If we wholly trust an interest to God, we must keep our hands off it; and He will guard it for us better than we can help Him. “Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; do not fret when people succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes (Psalm 37:7). Things may seem to be going all wrong, but He knows as well as we; and He will arise in the right moment if we are really trusting Him so fully as to let Him work in His own way and time. There is nothing so masterly as inactivity in some things, and there is nothing so hurtful as restless working, for God has undertaken to work His sovereign will.  A.B. Simpson (1843-1919)

It is such a comfort to drop the tangles of life into God’s hands and leave them there.

A.B. Simpson—Streams in the Desert, July 6
KJV Scripture changed to NIV.

Martha Hawn VanCise ©
A Thousand One …

A Thousand One …

by | AugSun2014 | SIGNPOSTS

 

“So he made a whip out of cords…”

A thousand one plait
A thousand two plait
A thousand three plait
A thousand four plait
A thousand five plait
A thousand six plait
A thousand seven plait
A thousand eight plait
A thousand nine plait
A thousand ten plait

“Get these out of here!
How dare you turn my Father’s house into a market!”

Jesus cleansed the temple at the beginning of his ministry and near the end of his ministry. Both actions were deliberate actions. He took time to make a scourge during the first cleansing; the second time, Mark tells us that “Jesus entered Jerusalem and went to the temple. He looked around at everything, but since it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the Twelve.”

Mark’s narration continues with “The next day … Jesus entered the temple area and began driving out those who were buying and selling there.”  For Jesus, anger was not a sudden emotional release valve. His anger was a deliberate response to theft, injustice and desecration of the temple.

Christians sometimes justify angry tirades by saying, “Well, Jesus got angry.” Counselors of every faith and non-faith persuasion have told people, “Don’t hold it in. Let it out!”  In a world so full of anger and volatile reactions we would do well to consider the advice of past generations to, “Count to ten (slowly) before expressing anger.”

Remember:
A gentle answer can turn away wrath (Proverbs 15:1)
…be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry, for man’s anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires. (James 1:19-20)

 Martha Hawn VanCise © 

 

 

TRUST

TRUST

by | AugSat2014 | SIGNPOSTS

 

 

Trust in You is paralyzing

I cannot worry
I cannot spend time imagining the outcome
I cannot act on my own understanding

Trust in You is demanding

I must rest
I must be quiet
I must wait

Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you (I Peter 5:7 NIV)

Trust in the LORD with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding (Proverbs 3:5)

In repentance and rest is your salvation,
in quietness and trust is your strength (Isaiah 30:15)

Yes, my soul, find rest in God;
my hope comes from him. (Psalm 62:5)

 Martha Hawn VanCise©

Πνεῦμα (pneuma)

Πνεῦμα (pneuma)

by | JulFri2014 | SIGNPOSTS

 

A breath of air has stirred
and moved over me
in a soft refreshing touch.
And now … it is gone.
I did not see it.
I don’t know where it originated,
or why it came,
or where it has gone.
It came as a welcome and refreshing surprise
on this humid, sweltering morning.

 Πνεῦμα : movement of air; Holy Spirit

In an article titled “The Lord’s Surprise Visits,” Oswald Chambers said, “The element of surprise is always the note of the life of the Holy Ghost in us. We are born again by the great surprise—“  The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit. (John 3:8 NKJV)  “Men cannot tie up the wind, it blows where it lists; neither can the work of the Holy Spirit be tied up in logical methods. Jesus never comes where we expect Him …”

You breathe on our spirits in unexpected moments. We seldom understand why. We just know that when your Spirit comes and gently passes over us anxieties loosen their grip and often drift away.

Martha Hawn VanCise©

 

 

The Greatest Outlet of Power

The Greatest Outlet of Power

by | JulThu2014 | SIGNPOSTS

 

According to S.D. Gordon in Quiet Talks on Prayer,* the outlets of Power are Being, Speaking, Doing, and Giving, but the greatest outlet of Power is Prayer.

Gordon writes, “The power of a life touches just one spot, but the touch is tremendous … yet its power is limited to one spot where it is being lived. Power through the lips depends wholly upon the life back of the lips…. Power through service may be great, and may be touching many spots, yet it is always less than that of a life. Power through money depends wholly upon the motive back of the money…. But the power loosened out through prayer … may touch not one spot but wherever in the whole round world you may choose to turn it.”

The outlets of “being, speaking, doing, and giving,” are limited by time and space. We can only be in one place at time. While technology enables us to be heard beyond our location, technology also allows listeners to turn us off or ignore us.

Prayer is the only power that can reach a son or daughter in a dangerous situation, or in another hemisphere; prayer is the only power that cannot be turned off by friends who brush aside our efforts to lead them to Christ; prayer can heal bodies and minds and give hope when all medical help has been exhausted; prayer can supply daily needs when money has vanished.

Gordon said, “The greatest thing anyone can do for God and for man is to pray. It is not the only thing. But it is the chief thing…. The great people of the earth today are the people who pray. I do not mean those who talk about prayer; nor those who say they believe in prayer; nor yet those who can explain about prayer; but I mean these people who take time and pray. They have not time. It must be taken from something else. This something else is important. Very important, and pressing, but still less important and less pressing than prayer.  There are people that put prayer first, and group the other items in life’s schedule around and after prayer. These are the people today who are doing the most for God.”

Martha Hawn VanCise©

Quiet Talks on Prayer by S.D. Gordon is now in public domain. You may download it and other great religious classics at http://www.gutenberg.org/files/13196/13196-h/13196-h.htm#ch01-1