A Good Friday or just a Spring celebration?

The other day I was making cinnamon and pumpkin seeds rolls for the children. I've spent half of my day on that luxury. But I thought it was worth it. Almost every day I read something disturbing about food in the supermarket. Some friends probably think by now that I enjoy it or have nothing better to do. As far as I know, I  probably wont change massive business operations by not buying their products, but I hate being naive and totally disarmed  about it .

As I was in the middle of working with the dough, a thought came to me. The  tag of war to be  always will be  there: to feed your body properly & nutritionally beneficial or feed your soul?

This is what I mean. We, as women, have a natural interest towards cooking. Especially when we have right ingredients. But even as Christian women can get carried away. Being an expert in any area requires putting a lot of hours into practice. I've met plenty of Christian women who are excellent cooks and spent hours in the kitchen, experimenting, but they never study the Bible in-depth. Once, a friend of our family, had invited us to his inauguration service. The spread afterwards was phenomenal. I have not seen such amazingly delicious and impressive cakes in any church before. But the spiritual discernment  from the Lord(now I know ), almost took my appetite away. I thought to myself: 'Surely, women who cook such cakes, can't be excellent at baking and at the same time diligently studying God's word?' This thought would not leave me, so after we got home I shared this concern with my husband. Guess what? A few months later we've received a phone call. Our friend along with his family has been kicked out from that church.
I think in the age when the soil has been deprived from vitamins, when pollution is high, when vegetables are not from the garden,and new poison being invented by the scientists almost daily to 'enhance' our food, we must be concerned. And not concerned at the same time. Yes, it is important what we feed ourselves intelligently.
But we also have to remember that Jesus will give us new resurrected body for eternity to enjoy! Surely out of gratitude we must spend some time in His truth and in His presence every day. If this doesn't happen because we are too busy in the kitchen, it is not worth the trouble.
In Russia, there is a tradition to color eggs  and bake special cake for Easter  celebration, Pascka. Eggs are easy to make, but you have to be a decent baker to produce a delicious traditional cake. Most of the Orthodox women can easily bake a cake such as this, but many of them had never even read the Bible. When I first became a Christian, I didn't really understand what was this rebuke was all about in gospel of Matthew 16:3 'And in the morning, ‘It will be stormy today, for the sky is red and threatening.’ You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times.' Now, to me it is almost sounds as Jesus was saying : ' You know how to make high complexity cakes, but there is no intimacy between us. You have no idea what I desire from you' Let's not get carried away in the kitchen if it takes spiritual nourishment away.
I've seen  in local magazines and newspaper a cunning way to explain away an Easter as just a Spring celebration. I assure you a false banknote is fake no matter how hard you try to state otherwise. The were saying that Easter is originally a Spring celebration with bunnies and egg hunts, that Emperor Constantine turned it into a Christian celebration later on and ect. Well, today the whole  nation of England had a day off to celebrate Good Friday. And Sunday's celebration is only possible because of Friday. Last time I've checked Emperor Constantine is long gone and not twisting anyone's arm = don't be a hypocrite, introduce a Spring holiday! Easter isn't about food or bunnies no matter how you turn or twist it.  Chase your bunnies, eat your eggs, but why impose all that as  more significant or glorious than death & resurrection of your Creator? I think that is exactly what atheists are trying to do. They don't really care about eggs or bunnies, as long as a Christian message drowns somewhere in the bushes.
Let's get our lamps ready with oil, Jesus might return at any moment. It is best to be  found ready for His return.7

 Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps.  And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ But the wise answered, saying, ‘Since there will not be enough for us and for you, go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves.’  And while they were going to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut.

May this Easter draw you close to the most wonderful and perfect being you will ever consider knowing - Jesus Christ. His love was so great that He allowed a creature to torture His Creator. What a thought to ponder!

On Titanic & still dancing.

We're amusing ourselves to death

We're giggling as we go

We're the dance band on the Titanic

And nobody wants to know

Anything to stop us thinking

Anything to give us a thrill

We've chosen the path of pleasure

Even if it kills......

                                                                                                                     by Garth Hewitt.

That is exactly what I said to my friend on Sunday after the church service. In prose.  Imagine how existed I was after I've found a poetry version?!

Every Friday night our eldest son and my husband drive to in-door skate park. After they finish,  they are ready to eat an elephant, let along a burger. All decent places already shut down, so often they end up in MacDonald. It is easy, convenient  on route, cheap. For a very long time I had no idea how this could be anything else than just a cheap snack to tie them over before they have food much later at home.

There is a saying: 'I learn something new every day' .  The DAY that I've learnt about MacDonald's and how this business venture shaped the world now, was a day of a  HUGE REVELATION.

I'm not going to write about every detail that I've discovered. Instead, if you are a person who like to watch films where justice prevails, where evil comes to a permanent end, where good triumphs, no matter the cost, this documentary  will be just your cup of tea. Guess what else? You will be the one to eliminate the criminals and fight against evil. Go to Netflix and  watch this documentary film for yourself, 'Food, Inc.'

Just watching 30 minutes of this film will give you a clear idea about  human greed,absence of any  integrity in some businesses, a real 'cost' of cheap food & your health, glimpse of hidden reality, what certain food will do to your health.

'Enjoy' watching. I have to add that with such knowledge comes responsibility and decision to make: 'Will I carry on supporting these businesses ignorantly or Will I take a stand against them by ignoring them with my money?' Sometimes 'quiet fighting' is the most brave one. It will be a cost to pay, but crowds will not cheer you on for this. Will you do it?

                                                                                                   Count me in.

What an abortion takes from you.

Children. The hardest job you could have. You can't take a vacation or even a day off from them in your thoughts. Once they are born, they are forever with you. Distance or imprisonment doesn't matter. So many for that reason can't even comprehend it. The statistics say that there are 50 million abortions around the world every year. That's some numbers for you!

But what are we exactly missing when we say 'no' to God's gift'? This was the best & recent illustration I can think of.

My two-year old boy, Sam for short, Samuel on the birth certificate, and I, are sitting on the sofa one afternoon. He is my number four.

  'Can you read a book to me?' 'Yes, I can.'

'This one, please.'

'Guess how much I love you,' I start in a different tone. We read this book about a hundred times already.

His small body leans on me, connecting us somehow beyond the physical touch; melting anything that can ever separate us. This little boy is the most delightful being in this Universe to me. This moment is captured forever. Samuel is so enchanted with the story, his tongue almost sticking out, as the dog does  in a wild excitement and his eyes are growing big!  It gives me an enormous  pleasure to read the story to him again and again. I have no fear or worries. I know God gave this treasure to me. Even if he dies physically, we are so connected now, this bond isn't broken by death. I know he is an eternal being. Aborting never has been an option for me. I can't put such responsibility  on my soul. I pray passionately to the true and living God of the Bible that this little boy grows up loving His Maker. I will teach him and look after him in exchange of the pleasure sitting like this, connected from the very top and all the way to his toes. The rest is hard work, but every bit of it worth it when LOVE  itself drives you. His well-being  education, health, talent development will never end. Perhaps his disobedience and lies that he 'innocently' tells will never permanently stop. He will need correction & a lot of  nurture. The more you have them, the SWEETER they are somehow, not EASIER.  But such labor carries the message of God's love to the human race. Just as an Olympic torch. For the greater cause; for a celebration where time ends, enjoyment and pleasure in heaven with God who made us in His image. Think again. Don't abort.

High Fashion for heaven.

Alina and Serafima had met in England, Sussex. Alina came here to work. She was a truly gifted musician with an outstanding voice. It was no wonder that soon enough she had organized a Russian Folk choir. Locals sang out with keenness their hearts in a language beyond their grasp; her ability to get people together in the cause of art and for the deep love that she had for a song, drew different people in like a magnet.

Serafima, an extremely brilliant fashion designer got married to an Englishman, also in Sussex. There is a bit of a mystery  how the two women initially met.  It could be that Serafima came to sing in a choir, which also became famous among the Russian women who moved to Britain. There is nothing like a song from your motherland in your heart!

Though Alina’s ability to perform was phenomenal, normally she dressed rather insipid. After both ladies got to know each other, the situation had radically changed. Serafima offered to Alina some of her best dresses from her collection – all unique, embroidered by hand, with original design. One of her collection is titled ’The silk way.’ The picture is still vivid in my memory: Alina wearing a knee-high scarlet red dress with delicate tiny lace running through, a thin belt around waist line, walking on the podium. Coco Channel herself would have taken pleasure in that. Alina became all together beautiful.

Such an illustration shows well what is happening to a sincere believer. God fills them with His Holy Spirit, who has unlimited power and unquenchable energy. He is impossible for anyone to stop. God is the greatest artist of this Universe. Psalm 33:6 declares: “By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, and by the breath of His mouth all their host.” The word breath here in original Hebrew language is Ruach, the same Spirit that lives in a believer, completely changing a person. In the book of Acts 1:8, ‘But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you…’ Jesus explained to the disciples what sort of power will be available to them after the day of  Pentecost. In the Greek language, this word for ‘power’ and the word for ‘dynamite’ are the same. It is rather unfathomable to estimate the scope of resources that Jesus had left a believer with. Thinking it over to the tiny details, Jesus Himself pleased and obeyed the Father by the same power of the Spirit, bearing the sin of the world on His shoulders. Often we don’t muse over it much, desperately trying to change other people or our present circumstances.

However, God Himself has begun a good work in every believer. Because He is the greatest artist of all times, He is shaping His masterpiece in everyone who completely puts their trust in Him. Often we can’t see what exactly He has in mind or we can’t figure out His final design, but instead we feel the sharp scissors in His hands that are so piercing. When His ‘High Fashion collection’ will be ready for display, all shall see that there is no other created thing more beautiful than the Bride of Christ, ready to meet God. While believers are awaiting for that Day, God has promised to give to us the anointing of His Spirit when we ask (Luke 11:13).

As soon as irritations come, when things don’t go our way: like when husbands buy the wrong meat; when a toddler blocks the toilet by putting Lego down; when your relatives insist on their ways which are contrary to your convictions as a believer. These are the ‘sharp scissors’ that God purposefully holds, cutting the believer into the pattern of Christ who is all-together lovely. At moments like that is necessary to ask God to refill you with the power of the Holy Spirit.  When you are tempted to reply sharply and rudely, don’t forget the ‘power-dynamite’, which is at our disposal. By His Grace try to please your ‘fashion designer’ because ‘a hidden person of the heart … of a gentle and quiet spirit’ is pleasing Him. By doing so, in the future, when God continues to ‘cut the pattern’ in us, frustration and pain will diminish. One day all temptation will be gone and the garment finally finished:’ For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison.” (2 Corinthians 4:17 ). Do not forget about the Grand Fashion Show where every child of God will be a ‘super model’ and time, fashion trends or age will have no effect or power over us because this transformation is eternal and imperishable!

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'Wi-Fi' connection to God.

Before I sat down to write this blog, a painting by a Mongolian artist came to mind to illustrate how I feel about writing these days. I hardly have time to write interesting & well edited stuff, but I can't wait until better times when my children are all grown up.  The painting was all-dark, with black & white horses bursting with boundless energy. You could just imagine them coming off the picture at any point. In expectation, you are looking and almost waiting for it to happen. Sometimes the thoughts come and rapture your imagination as in a wild & beautiful dance! If they do, write them down. If you don't, they will stop coming.  This morning as I was running, I've almost turned around to go home to do just that.  So much for carrying your pen & paper around!

Let's consider the most important connection in the Universe. What would you say that be? I know what this connection is for me. So I would like to talk about it.

While  shopping at the supermarket, I saw a new sign:'Wi-Fi connection available now!'

We all know that in order to connect to the Internet, we must have access through broadband, Wi-Fi or another internet provider.  You can huff and puff, but if the Internet is disabled (as the case on my phone), it  will not happen. In a very similar way, to connect to God, we must have a right spiritual balance to start with. The Bible is clear on that:

'If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.'

This precisely means: 'Saving faith is not mere intellectual agreement but deep inward trust in Christ at the core of one's being.' (ESV Study Bible)

This one sentence has a great depth of information. Throughout the centuries there were two groups of men that prayed to God. One group represents sincere believers, while the other reflects the image of those with a vain hope that God hears their prayers. We can say that now because we can evaluate  their actions in the light of Jesus' teaching. Their behavior was as far as the East is from the West.   A classic example of such people were those who crucified Jesus, they appeared to be the most prayerful & spiritual people around.

Amazing, how the latest film, 'Les Miserables' pointed that idea out so clearly, as though  Javert & Valjean were the representatives of two camps. Both were praying to God, while one's prayers didn't reach the ceiling, the other one's went straight to the throne room of God, producing preservation of life and blessings. And the end is almost predictable, spiritual turmoil and darkness always leads to eternal oblivion whether we agree or not. Not being filled with kindness, which is a fruit of the Holy Spirit, just doing what is right in the sight of the law where humans lost value, life had  hardened Javert. That is another type of balance that is important to understand. The law is good, but the aim of it always to preserve life, not destroy it, we can see clearer now, while living under the Covenant of Grace.

The situation in France at the time was so grim for the poor, to the point  that you almost want to sympathize with the revolutionaries. The same air of oppression was in Imperial Russia. Because God's Word wasn't preached in the Orthodox church, corruption and injustice grow out of proportion.  I'm convinced that if God caused national revival to both France and Russia as He did in England,  the blood shed would be spared.

As we read about Puritans or saints of old, we can't help, but see that they put a huge emphasis on 'examining yourself' theme, searching into the depth of their hearts already,  as sincere believers. Once we put our trust in God, not just intellectually, but with everything that we have, we still have to keep testing ourselves. 'Examine your souls, whether you stand in the faith. Tend to your souls, or are you not aware that Yeshua The Messiah is in you, and that if not, you are worthless?'

As I was talking to the friend on the phone about 'Les Miserable', telling her about all the negative remarks  that the critics already spat out, she said: 'I believe there is such little humility in our society these days.'  She lived longer than me and she worked in London all her life, she must have come to such conclusion for a good reason.

The film clearly describes vividly what the Grace of God can do for a man. And what absence of it will bring - destruction at the end. How can anyone watch this film & not see this power of Grace, it is beyond me? I understand not all will embrace it, but surely they should see it. But they can't. This must then only confirm total & utter depravity of a human heart.

Here is a really thought-provoking idea. These critics, who despised the singing so much by non-professionals, demanding perfection from the actors, are not extending any Grace at all to them. They are not happy that it was such a long film; they are not pleased that Anne H. nostrils are so close up, call it simply 'disgusting'! The woman she plays just realized that her life is not worth living, her dreams are dead, so is she, no, it meant NOT to look very beautiful. This is simply hilarious that the very people, who suppose to understand the plot and paid for critiquing it, completely missed the point of it? Sounds familiar, I've read it in the Bible before.

Have any of those who complain out loud considered if they might be in need of God's Grace at one point? How long is Christ less eternity exactly - I'm sure longer than this film & how will they endure it then?  When they stand themselves before God, not having His grace and forgiveness, embarrassing perfection as their standard, how will they measure up to Holy and Perfect God?  The answer is: they were thinking so hard to bring the film & the message that it carries down through their arrogant opinion, they didn't think once that this rule could be applied to them just as much. No, there are still a lot of people out there how don't think about God & His absolute truth for a moment.

I'm not really worried about people like that here. The point of this blog is hopefully to encourage those who were walking with the Lord each day, but somewhere somehow the heart & head stopped being synchronized. The connection to God broke because sin got in the way.  As Christians, we still carry on believing in God in our head, just like 'demons who believe and tremble' (this is a great thought to muse over), but our heart & will can refuse to follow in His ways & to walk unashamed with Him daily. Our will reverses to obey our flesh than crucified Savior. Because we stopped watching the adversary of our souls through the Bible & prayer, other things more appealing got in the way. Often we ourselves are the last to know about it. Everyone else can see it, but not us. Satan's deception is powerful & not easily broken without prayer & repentance. We have myriads of  examples to that in the Bible, but almost never thinking it could happen to us...

God had paid the final & the only acceptable price, but often this alliance is costly to His followers just the same!  Our flesh hates to even think about it.  I know how it feels to be at the cross roads & in the 'spiritual swamps'. Only the Grace of God is able to pull you out of there. How scary is that place seems is once we escaped from it? Our sin has such blinding power, enchanting us & alluring supernaturally, constantly trying to overthrow dominance of the  Holy Spirit in our lives as born again believers.    This condition doesn't come upon anyone over night though. You hear that a Bible teacher had left his wife for another woman. You hear about the break up of the Christian family. You hear about abuse of the children in a believer's home. You wonder - how on earth is this possible? But it is & rather easily - it is The Great Delusion, ' Javert's Syndrome' would be proper to diagnose. Most of the time those Christians somehow convinced (due to the power of delusion) that what  they do is  good & right.  I think synonyms for word 'delusion ' will also massively help to know the meaning of the word:

                  Illusion-deception-hallucination-deceit-fallacy.

At other times, we are able to realize that what we are doing is wrong, but the power of sin & deception of the enemy is iron like. When you drink coffee without measure with 5 spoons-full of sugar every day & of course know this is a bad combination, BUT the voice in the head says....' I need my caffeine. I need my coke. I need my sweets. I need to go shopping. I need to argue my position.'  Endless...

When we are delusional because of our sin, the Bible is extraordinary fog-less on the issue:

'Woe to the world for temptations to sin! For it is necessary that temptations come, but woe to the one by whom the temptation comes! And if your hand or your foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life crippled or lame than with two hands or two feet to be thrown into the eternal fire. And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into the hell of fire.'

'Jesus uses hyperbole  (intentional overstatement) to emphasize the necessity of rigorous self-discipline & RADICALLY removing sin from disciple's life before it leads to judgement. Here hell= Gehenna is a word for a place near Jerusalem where rubbish was constantly burned, so became a metaphor for the fire of hell.' ESV Study Bible.

Speaking on behalf of women, it is hard, but possible to come back to your normal weight after the childbirth. I've always keep a pair of jeans that I used to wear before I had any children. They are my standard to measure up to and be able to see where I'm with my weight. It is painful, but possible to change your eating habits, even after many years of ignorance about proper nutrition.

What is almost impossible or extremely hard to do is to keep up your spirituality once again after you had a number of children without the spiritual encouragement of your husband or your pastor. I remember a good Christian friend sharing with me how her husband was not walking with the Lord, she tried to get to church on her own with five children and was late every time. One day he approached her and rebuked for being late all the time. He pointed out if she is not serious about God, how is she possibly expecting the Lord to take her seriously. After that, she has never been late for the service again. They had prayed together for the soul of her husband. The Lord had answered and as a family they turned out as faithful servants of the Lord, serving Him beyond their own country.

Let's not pray like Javert or pray at all. We have to connected to God in the way He intends us to. No one knows for sure how it could be done.... unless we consult Him through His Word. Remember this is the God who raises the dead. There is none like Him in this galaxy or in all the galaxies! The point of prayer is for God to hear us & answer us according to His will. If you see someone deceived, lift them up in an intercessory prayer. That is the best thing you can do for a friend or a family member. Valjean could not last in 18th century France without God's providence in his life. He was a marked man! That's the beauty of Grace - God gives it to those who don't deserve it and there is no human reason behind it - why it was Valjean, but not Javert. Surely he could have been a changed man if it were up to grace of God. Why not? We don't know. If out of all people who should have embraced God's Grace it should have been Judas who hanged out with Jesus for three whole years. Only imagine. But he  hanged himself. Judas without God's grace could not see the face of God in Jesus or His kindness to all that came  spiritually thirsty & hungry to be satisfied at long last.

The musical finished off on the note saying that when we see kind act, we look in the face of God. True. Judas thought it was more profitable to save the oil for the poor rather waste it on Jesus. If you can't 'waste it' on Jesus, how on earth will you love the poor & outcast?

My oldest son was so interested to know what the film was all about when I got home from the cinema. After I've introduced to him some of the plot, he curiously inquired: ' Is Valjean a real man?' That is a good question. He is not or most of us don't really know that. But he does represent all men just like him. Victor Hugo thought about this concept for a long time. It took him long 17 years to finish the novel and in the end he said: 'I'm not sure if anyone will read this novel...' To our knowledge today this tale translated to almost every known language. Even though Hugo himself did not profess to be a  believer, rejecting  the influence of the Catholic church that his mother was loyal to, God certainly used his talent & desire  for writing to produce a tale that stood through the centuries as a great masterpiece. The Lord is Sovereign and even Satan is only on the short leash from Him, serving every purpose that God has in mind. Let's not forget that.  Valjean clearly didn't make it  into God's courts, but how well his symbol served to every believe to see that the law without the grace only condemns the sinner.

'I, Yahweh, search the mind, I try the heart, even to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his doings.'

 No one can hide absolutely nothing from God. What a thought!

My Valentine.

Jesus said: The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.  John 10:10

My husband and I were having our weekly coffee together at Costa Cafe. What is interesting, as the children being added to the family that is about all you could afford. I remember the times when we lived in California and could afford going to the Italian restaurant. Glorious days! Thank you for the offer, but ‘no’, I am not ’celebrating with Pandora this Valentine!

Often if your or your husband’s parents are not near by, you can’t get out so easily even to the cinema, so what you do if you are sensible, you take turns. Having two babies I didn't risk it, so I officially haven’t been in a cinema for a very long time or anywhere else. Not very sensible.

The food shopping is sky-rocking especially if you aware that you need to eat nourishing food, not just survival or pleasure food. You have to budget and every week I’m amazed that we pull throw with a few organics thrown in.

Listing only some of the issues that might arise in the family over time, how could anyone say that this life is abundant?

And a big ‘Yes’, it is.

Life is not just about food & drink full stop. We need a reminder from time to time on that.

                                                     And also,

 Because Jesus is my Valentine, I can love through Him my husband and my children. (Someone who can’t love Jesus will never be able to love another sinner). I commit mistakes towards them all every day, but by the Grace of God they could count on me & I  will be there for them when they most need me.

Because with Pandora or without, love & trust between husband and wife are priceless. So if I already have that why do I need to pay for anything else???

Because we are on limited budget for food and other essentials, but God meets our every need. Every time I terribly needed something, I went to the charity shop and it was waiting for me there by God’s providence. That kind of provision is so mysteriously enchanting, that you can’t beat even by a handsome salary.

People who say that there is no God can’t explain a lot of things.  Here is an example that helps to illustrate the point.  A while ago I’ve heard on the news that a man wished to play computer games, his toddler daughter kept interrupting him, so he took her and threw across the room. She instantly died from injuries.

Lately my husband had left his jackets around the house. At first I put them away where they belonged. But after time passed & he still was doing it, I got a bit frustrated that I have to do the same thing all the time, as I don’t have enough cooking and cleaning. Why was he doing it – it is a bit of a mystery, or was God testing my heart? I don’t really know. But once I prayed about it, my heart took a radical change almost immediately towards the same situation. I was PLEASED TO SPOT his jacket hanging off the gate or left on the chair. It gave me another opportunity to remember to pray for him. Naturally I should of been beyond myself and threw him across the room once he got home, isn’t it? So, what is the difference between my case and that man’s case who killed his little daughter? The difference is: to have love of God or the lack of it. That’s simple.

If you have EVERYTHING today, but NOT God & His ETERNAL LOVE, who need it & how long it will last, shall we honestly ask ourselves….

An Avalanche.

I was doing a research about an avalanche. Simply fascinating! While I was at it, I could not help thinking: 'Sounds awfully familiar. Where did I hear about it before?' What I didn't realise, I had little knowledge of an avalanche, but I was closely acquainted with the affects of it.

The truth is, whether we like it or not, in life no one is 100% safe from disastrous affects of 'an avalanche'. This is a good visual, so I will us it to make my story her more vivid. 

Let's imagine a family with kids. Let's imagine a husband is really tired of the monotonous routine and moves on to where 'the grass is greener' at the moment. Let's imagine how the wife, the kids and the man himself feel and those around them such as family and friends?

When I was researching about an avalanche I've realised that there are different factors that could cause it: by humans or by nature. Guess what? When it happens it is doesn't really matter what caused it. What matters how well prepared you were for it. There is no guarantee that you will survive an avalanche. In fact there are 60% of people caught in it surely die. But if people caught in it had good companions and were well prepared in many cases lives could be spared. Wow! What a life and death difference!

Whilst I write about it, I don't want go on and on making everyone an expert on avalanche, but this is such a great illustration! In order to be wise and safe you need to have with you at least a beacon around your waste, a shovel and a probe. Those will definitely increase your chance of survival. Of course you could be extremely well prepared and bring a map, a compass, airback backpack, Avalung, avalanche safety ball and ect. Those are all extras.

Whilst the world with its pain and evil is raging all around us, it is like a wild nature force that we can't do very much about. Often we are not in control over the wars, killings, family break-ups and ect. And we can't put all the blame on God for it either even though He is in control. Our original sin passed on from Adam polluted this world and formed it the way it is. If anyone is offended by it, it should be God because He is the one we sin against. When some are saying that a concept of God is a lot of nonsense, how do they know what is good or evil, if it all evolved or exploded by pure chance? If there is NO a Moral Giver, we should all do and say as we like! Why mention about justice at all? But unbelievers do by complaining about so much evil and everything that is bad.

When on the trip to the mountains, it is vital to check all the equipment and learn how to use it, become familiar with. When an avalanche strikes, it happens in a twinkle of an eye. The person smothered by it has to be rescued as soon as possible, in a matter of minutes. You should know exactly how to use you beacon, how to 'switch it on search' and ect. In this case a survival is possible.

When we hit by our own sin or by the evildoing of others, we also could be well prepared or it could literally cripple us to the ground.

The Word of God, the Bible could be our Beacon. The Holy Spirit could be our Probe and the Pastor/Church could be our 'Shovel'. In this case, the impact will be great still, but not complete devastation.

I've listened to the people who suffered without the Lord and those who were walking with the Lord. It is heaven and earth difference. Depression, loss of desire to live and function are the main consequences to follow those who were unprepared, thinking that nothing disastrous could ever touch them and giving up Sunday for church is incomprehensible. Sunday is a shopping day! Once you depressed, the shopping will have to go along with your health and function in society anyway.   

A lady who got caught in avalanche (she was well prepared) said: 'The snow was all around, I had to breath very slowly, I could not move my arm or leg, all I could do is wait and hope to be rescued. Somehow I knew that I will be all right.' Yes, she was. Her companion was well prepared and found her in a matter of minutes. A helicopter was called and took her straight to the hospital. Four days later she was already back at home. 

A lady whose husband dropped her like an old habit (she wasn't prepared for that at all) said something like that: 'I feel like I don't want to get out of bed. I can't hear anything about them (his knew partner) and I can't stop crying. I can't believe he already has someone else. I don't want to wait any longer (the husband left her a couple of months ago). I've just filed for a divorce, he has humiliated me so much!' Their child is beyond hurt!

You see what I mean?!! It is a drastic difference between being prepared and unprepared. People can say that the Bible is 'a lot of rubbish.' I've just met with an ex-Jehovah witness. He spent his whole childhood listening to people who turn, stretch and twist the Bible in all different direction with the purpose of sheer deception.  Now he wants nothing to do with it being full of disgust towards it. I saw him leaving his Xbox on loan at Trade Inn. I was so surprised that someone will buy it and get rid of it so fast. Turns out he has no money, so he came to borrow some. Even though he is in trouble financially, he still won't turn to the true and living God.

Fighting an avalanche with your bare hands that are firmly tide up by a lot of compressed snow is fatal. The best thing I got out of this man was:' I will think about it in a few years time.' Do you have a guarantee to survive 'a spiritual avalanche' for a few years with the super powerful force up against you? Satan's lies and deception have supernatural power. Once you are enticed by them, anything ridiculous will sound just great! You can't win single handily against such avalanche or Satan's super power. You need God on your side. You need his counsel. You need His wisdom. You need the power of the Holy Spirit in your life.

Some of us could take a deep relief by saying: 'I read my Bible daily, I pray and I go to church.' What I haven’t realised myself for a while, that the Scripture says: ' work out your salvation with fear and trembling; search me, O God, and see if there be any wicked way in me…' Oh lala….. That should be as a morning exercise - prayers like this. Yes, born again Christians have the Holy Spirit indwelling them, but they are still on a very dangerous ground. Humans, believers or not are still great sinners to the core; therefore they love sin so much more than they love God, naturally. To sin comes naturally  easy. To love God is a mammoth effort at times. While I believe that salvation once obtained from the Lord stays with the sincere, true believer and his name has been recorded in the Book of Life Forever. But I wonder how much we are willing to obey Him and serve Him and display out affection towards the God who saved us from eternal punishment?   I wonder if some of the families in the West experienced what believers in Orissa (or many other places) had to deal with when Muslim neighbours cooked their children, served them on a rice platter and were put just outside their homes. How many families still will be attending the church knowing their children might be next? We can't say 'I will think about maturity later on in life.' Robert Murray M'Cheyne died before his 30th birthday,so did Jim Elliot. We are not always guaranteed tomorrows. I don’t know the answer myself. I only hope that I would be prepared and ready to face that sort of test of my faith by the Grace of God.

We must examine ourselves on a DAILY, not yearly bases! We need to learn how to spend quality time with the Lord in this fast paced life.     

We must guard our hearts from idols. We must maintain spiritual discipline, but it should never become an unbreakable tradition or a barrier for the Holy Spirit' intervention.

    

We must have godly people around us, in order to be able to have an accountability and wise council at times of need.

It does sound rather a lot, but looking at devastating consequences of an avalanche, would you rather be ready for it, or sorry because of it?

Happy Bible reading in the light of the Holy Spirit! That's what I said to an ex-Jehovah witness as he affectionately called his Xbox: 'my baby'. 'You spent hours on it. You never read what God has to say. Why do you think He would wish to spend an eternity with you in company?' Yes. That's is a good question we must ask ourselves when ANYTHING comes between God and us.

Is it worth gambling eternity with for a non-believer?

Is it worth getting vexed, being thrown to and fro by Satan while trying to reach a Celestial City for a believer?