Monday, August 11, 2014

TRUTHS FROM THE OTHER SIDE: Devotional from "Am I Okay, God?" by Lorilyn Roberts



If I [Jesus] go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to myself, that where I am, there you may be also.
—John 14:3

Science fiction gives me the ability to travel to faraway places—and I like the exotic. In reality, Scotty can’t beam me up, I can’t travel to Mars, and I can’t live under the ocean.

But what if I could walk through walls? What if I could die and come back to life? What if I could read other people’s minds, talk to animals, travel through time, and visit the spiritual world through a hidden door?

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From Seventh Dimension – The Door, a Young Adult Christian Fantasy:

“Will the king always be with me?”
“Always. The seventh dimension is within you.”
—Shale Snyder and Astella, chapter thirty-seven

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The seventh dimension is a place beyond time. It’s within you and amongst the stars, but a heartbeat away and a prayer close by in times of need. God is ever mindful of what we do and where we are. If we feel estranged, we have moved—not God.

The Bible says many unusual things happened on the night of Jesus’ crucifixion, events often overlooked by the casual reader. I mention some of those strange apparitions in The Door to draw attention to the fact that much of what happened at the cross was supernatural. Supernatural means what it says—unnatural to the world we can see and feel and touch. I call it the seventh dimension.

Matthew 27:45 says from the sixth hour until the ninth hour, darkness came over all the land.

Matthew 27:46 says Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me!” He didn’t cry out to one of his followers or his family. He cried out to God.

When Jesus gave up his spirit, Matthew 27:51 says the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook and the rocks split. Tombs broke open and dead people came out of them. After Jesus’ resurrection, they went into Jerusalem and appeared to many people.

Those that saw this exclaimed, “Surely he was the son of God” (Matthew 27:54).

A violent earthquake shook the ground following Passover. An angel rolled away the stone from the tomb and sat on it. Matthew 28:3-4 says, “His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. The guards shook for fear of him and became like dead men.”

Later that day, Jesus met the women who had followed him and his disciples. Over and over, he told his followers, “Do not be afraid.”

Stop and think. Imagine you had been there. You witness two earthquakes, see something strange in the sky, hear about the tearing of the curtain in the Jewish temple, and are told dead people have come back to life. One of them even appeared to you—your uncle who died five years ago. You hear rumors of an angel appearing before the guards in the garden.

Reports spread about several appearances of Jesus, even though you saw him die on a cross. You witnessed a spear stuck in his side and nails driven into his hands and feet.

In today’s world, with all of our medical technology, how long would it take someone to recover from that kind of injury, if it were even possible?

When have dead people come back to life and greeted hundreds of astonished onlookers? With the Internet, Twitter, Facebook, and around-the-clock television reporters looking for the story of the century, we would know about it immediately.

When has there been an eclipse associated with two earthquakes that occurred simultaneously?

What is the boundary between the spiritual world and the natural world? Spiritual beings can go back and forth—humans can’t. Jesus’ resurrection is proof that a person can come back from the dead. He was the first to be raised.

While his disciples recognized him, he appeared strangely different. They witnessed him travel through walls. He was no longer bound by the limitations of a human body. Something supernatural happened—that had never happened before.

All these things were possible because there’s a seventh dimension—a reality we can’t see or touch or feel—a reality that is outside of time as we know it. God’s reality is bigger than we can perceive because we are mortal.

When sin entered the garden and tainted God’s creation, it took away the immortality of humans. The unique relationship that man had with God in the garden ended. Death began and time took on a different meaning. Man would count the days, grow old, and die.  




When Jesus died,  he conquered sin once and for all. We will still suffer a physical death if the Lord tarries, but God will resurrect us so we can live with him forever in heaven. Those who have not received Jesus’ salvation will also suffer a physical death, but they will be resurrected to spend an eternity in hell.

We only have glimpses into the world of angels and demons—like we can see the introduction to a movie, and catch scenes of what’s to come, but we can’t “see” the movie until the movie hits theaters.

We have visual clues into a world beyond this one—evidence that demands our attention.

Jesus said in Luke 17:21 that the kingdom of God is within us. Because we are made in God’s image, his image is imprinted on us—in our synapses and in every breath we take. We long to be known by our Creator. We are the created: loved and molded in the Creator’s image.

Shale’s adventure into the seventh dimension is what happens to all of us at some level once we begin our quest for truth—a truth that is unlimited. The spirit from beyond teaches us about things we can’t understand naturally. Science has no answers for spiritual truths. They must be perceived spiritually.

When we die, we leave earth and go somewhere. We don’t stay here. No human has ever escaped the inevitable except two men in the Old Testament. In both cases, their being “taken up” without death was to glorify God.

Martyrs throughout history have also glorified God in their deaths—a testimony to everyone who comes after them. We are but a vapor, here today and gone tomorrow, but we hold the truth within us. God wants us to share that truth with a world that needs more love—God’s love.



In the last book of the Bible, we are given a detailed account of the seventh dimension. John, the disciple whom Jesus loved, was imprisoned on the island of Patmos. He was an old man as this vision happened many years after the crucifixion. John was told by an angel to write down everything he saw.

John was given a glimpse into the future. He saw many events yet to take place, mysteries, terrifying images for which he had no words. His writings make up what is known as the Revelation.

and the living one; and I [Jesus] was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and Hades.
—Revelation 1:18

I can’t do justice to understanding Revelation, but I have thought about what certain things mean many times—the receding of the scroll, how John could see so far into the future, why God gave him the vision, and what God wants us to learn. Revelation is the only book in the Bible that offers a blessing to those who read it.



Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of the prophecy, and heed the things which are written in it; for the time is near.
—Revelation 1:3

Imagine there is a ruler timeline for the whole universe. You’re a tiny, insignificant dot in the year 20__. You can see only a sliver of what’s on that timeline. That’s your reality. But the seventh dimension covers the whole timeline and keeps on going past the edge of the ruler forwards and backwards. A ruler is only two dimensions—but the seventh dimension is, well, who knows how many dimensions? I chose seven because it’s the most sacred number in the Bible.

Let’s take another example. You’re a fish in an aquarium. That is your world, perhaps located in the corner of the living room. When you look through the glass of the aquarium, you see a world that you don’t understand. People outside the tank seem like gods to you. They dump flakes of fish food in your tank—they keep you alive.

Your three‑dimensional world is only as big as the fish tank. Because you don’t understand the outside world doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist. You see distorted glimpses of it through the aquarium glass.



For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face-to‑face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known.
— I Corinthians 13:12

Shale was known by Jesus long before she knew who he was. She sensed there was something she wanted, but she didn’t know what it was. She longed for something she could not name. Have you ever felt that way?

That longing is for Jesus Christ. Jesus was fully human and fully God. He died and was resurrected on the third day. He now assumes his godly position in heaven. The Messianic Jews accept Jesus for who he said he was. They call him their Messiah. The king resides in heaven now, his abode.

In Seventh Dimension – The Door, the birdcage descended from heaven and alighted on the king’s out-spread palm. Then he opened the door of the cage and set the small bird free.

The symbolism is powerful. In the same way, the king set the bird free, Jesus freed Shale. You are that beautiful bird in a cage waiting—to be freed from sin, freed from impediments that blind you and bind you. You’re as free as you give yourself permission to be—free to become all God created you to be.



Don’t place limitations on yourself—your lack of belief, your lack of trust, your lack of faith—your lack in these areas is because of sin. Sin limits your ability to receive love. Jesus came to set you free. That freedom is yours once you commit your life to him.

Your freedom is a gift—Jesus Christ will not force himself on you. He is a gentleman in every sense of the word—a perfect gentleman. You must choose to let him into your heart.

If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.
—John 15:7

You have been given everything you need to live a godly life in the person of Jesus Christ. Take a moment and ponder where you want to spend eternity. Remember, you’re no more than a worm, but Christ was willing to become as lowly as a worm in order to save you.


Out of the seventh dimension greatness visited us in the form of a king. He left his throne and entered the abode of man. He became one of us so we could become one of his.


In our flesh, limited by our ability to see the supernatural, we see God through general creation. But we must open our eyes to see. We must not let depravity steal our joy. We must not let evilness wax our love cold. The choice to heed God’s calling is ours.

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Dear Jesus, I have sinned against you and others. You died for me on the cross, my only way to heaven. Please come into my  heart and help me to follow you. Thank you for your gift of salvation.

http://bit.ly/Old_Testament_Prophecies


Monday, July 21, 2014

BECOMING: Devotional from "Am I Okay, God?" by Lorilyn Roberts





I gave you milk to drink, not solid food; for you were not yet able to receive it. Indeed, even now you are not able to receive it.
—I Corinthians 3:2


 We are born. We get married. We raise kids. We pay taxes. Then we die.

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From Seventh Dimension — The Door, a Young Adult Christian Fantasy quoted from Shakespeare’s play, The Tempest.

All the world’s a stage.
And all the men and women merely players
They have their exits and their entrances
And one man in his time plays many parts
His acts being seven ages.
Mrs. Wilkes, chapter two

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Sounds depressing, doesn’t it? While the above statement is an exaggeration, at times I have felt like life is far too woeful with little reward. But without God, life would be a hundred times worse.

Goodness in the world is an extension of God’s love. Hardship is an extension of his grace. How much darker the world would be without God’s presence. Would we even know the difference between good and evil without the Holy Spirit? I am thankful for absolutes. God does not change, and when I feel threatened, I am comforted by knowing that God holds everything together.

You lose your job, your home, your health—God allows it. An accident lands you in the hospital—God allows it. Sorrow is part of the human condition—all over the world.



Hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes, and floods ravage and destroy property. The toll on human life is difficult to comprehend. “Why, God?”

Randomness is universal to us. God causes it to rain on the just and unjust.

I used to think I suffered because I was bad. I thought bad things happened because I deserved it. Some Christians will tell you that if you get a disease, it’s because there is sin in your life or you don’t have enough faith. If you had more faith, you would be healed of your disease.

Or if you suffer economic hardship, you must have done something to cause a reversal in your fortunes—something you did displeased God.

Perhaps, when I was young, this is where I got the idea that I was born under a cloud. You shouldn’t make that correlation because it’s not true.

Bad things happen to good people. Good things happen to bad people. Why? We live in a fallen, sinful world. Although God is in control, he allows events to happen. While life might seem random to us, it’s not random to God.

Why do bad things happen? I don’t know. I don’t know the mind of God. I have often said, when I get to heaven, I want him to tell me why he allowed this thing to happen or that thing to happen. Then I quickly remind myself, when I see him, it will no longer matter. He will wipe away my tears.

Besides, God already knows the outcome. The process is for our benefit—to reveal what’s in our heart. How much do we really love God? Do we only love him when we receive good things from him and not hard things? How well do we know ourselves?



God cares about the process. If the process of suffering draws us nearer to him, then God can be glorified in our suffering. When I feel that I can’t take “it” anymore, God reminds me that my momentary afflictions will not be remembered in heaven. One of my favorite expressions is, “this, too, shall pass.”

Besides that, where else can we go? If we hit rock bottom, where will we turn? Who holds the answers? Who understands us? If we can glorify God despite hardship and loss and suffering, then we know we love God—not because he gives us good things, but because we know he is with us in the hard things.

Throughout history, Christians have suffered at the hands of others. Corrie ten Boom and her sister Betsie were taken to a concentration camp during World War II after helping Jews to escape the Holocaust. Betsie died while in the camp.



Foxe’s Book of Martyrs shares the testimonies of Christians who have died for their faith. I tried to read this book with my older daughter when we homeschooled. I couldn’t quit crying.

An average of 159,960 Christians worldwide are martyred for their faith each year (http://christianity.about.com/od/denominations/p/christiantoday.htm).

While you may never suffer persecution, there are other forms of suffering. There’s disease, hunger, disability, hardship, and death. God never promised that Christians wouldn’t suffer. A student is never above his master. Jesus suffered unimaginable pain and separation from God when he died on the cross.  If God wanted to spare the death of his son on the cross, surely he could have avoided the process, but he chose not to.

Jesus asked for the cup to be taken from him, but it didn’t happen. Jesus willingly chose to die. Thousands of angels would have come to his rescue had he asked. He didn’t. Jesus willingly died for you and for me. That was his passion, and God has given you yours.

It’s in the process that we choose how we shall live—what our attitudes will be and what choices we’ll make. Are we willing to sacrifice and toil and labor for the God whom we claim we love, or will we succumb to our sinful nature?  Life is about the process. We’re born and we die, but it’s all the stuff in between about which God cares.



When you enter college, you meet with a guidance counselor who will create a plan for your four-year academic career. For example, if you want to be a doctor, you must take calculus. At the end of the semester, you must take a test to see if you have mastered the subject. You can’t graduate from college if you don’t pass all your tests and complete the requirements laid out for you by the counselor.

If we never faced challenges, we would never be tested. God tested Abraham when he asked Abraham to sacrifice his son, Isaac. God knew what Abraham would choose, but did Abraham himself know? The process of becoming reveals to us who we are in Christ.

In the same way, God has a plan. His plan is to help you become more like Jesus. Our sanctification, the process of becoming, will not be completed here. In Pilgrims Progress, Christian overcame many obstacles along the way, and as the name of the book implies, he progressed in his faith until God called him home. We are becoming Christian.

God gives us times of rest and times of work, times of war and times of peace, times of tearing down and times of building up, but in everything under the sun, we are becoming.

We need Christian leaders, peacemakers, and prayer warriors. These heroes of the faith aren’t born that way—they have become that way. While God gives us gifts to become, it’s up to us to use the talents he gives us. If we misuse our gifts or pride puffs us up, God may take away our gifts and give them to someone else.

In the low points of our life, we feel the depth of God’s love. Oh, the Deep, Deep, Love of Jesus Samuel Trevor Francis wrote in his well-known Christian hymn. Years earlier as a teenager he had contemplated suicide. Perhaps a better question to ask is not why I have suffered so much, but how much more would I have suffered without God’s grace?



Only when we arrive home will we be made perfect in Jesus Christ. Until then, we are becoming—and suffering is part of that process—our passion. 




Dear Jesus, when bad things happen, you are with me. Even if I am fearful, I will trust in you; and if I trust in you, who can separate me from your love?