Makenzie's Broken Heart
Makenzie is my friend Sherrie's precious little girl. Last night she was praying for Haiti. At some point she asked her sweet Momma a question that when answered with truth broke her little heart. She wanted to know what happened to those who died without Jesus. Sherrie told her the truth that those who had not trusted Christ would spend eternity separated from God in hell. Of course, she was concerned for those she loved and decided with tears that she didn't want anyone to go there. Sherrie wrote me today because she was thinking about her sweet baby's heart and I think her own. Though thousands of miles from Haiti and the tragic realities that come with such devastation, I feel Makenzie's pain and I want her heart that no one go there. Sherrie was looking for answers for her baby and I was looking for answers for me. This was my response. Right or wrong (and I could be) this was my heart today.
To Sherrie---
"As you can imagine, tears fell from my eyes as I read your email. Oh, the faith of a child that believes what the Bible says even if it breaks her heart. If we could all be so heartbroken for the those who have not heard with their ears. We know that God has called us to be ministers of reconciliation to the world, to show them who Jesus is and to share His love but ultimately it is the Holy Spirit who draws men to Christ.
To you I would say, that it got me to thinking about another time -- the time before the New Covenant when people looked to the hope that only God could make a way for them to enter His presence. Abraham, Moses, Joshua, David, Job and many others in the Old Testament were looking to the Hope that God, because of His goodness, His kindness, His patience would make a way for them to come be with Him where He is in the most Holy of Place where man could never enter on his own merits.
I think all people have the inner understanding that "this isn't all there is." God has placed eternity in our hearts. Eternity is our destiny. All mankind who find themselves in the Presence of God come there by faith--faith in the Someone, their Maker, who loves them and has made a way for them. Is our God not big enough to reveal Himself to every single person on earth? Why did He reveal Himself to me?? Did I deserve to know the name of Jesus since I was eight years old? On this side of the cross, our faith is in Jesus. I think most of us in America would be shocked at the number of people in the world that know about Jesus---- even a tribe in Africa who has heard of him through legends told maybe for centuries. When I was in Cuba, the people there were so incredibly open to the gospel; there is no doubt that God sent us there at the exact time and place because he was drawing these people to Himself and he is now, I am sure, using many of them to tell others who Christ is. Of course, there are those who have never heard, or have heard there are other ways to get to heaven. The fact of the matter that it is fair that some won't go to heaven. If man chooses his own way then he has chosen death, but if he turns to the Living God who the Bible says has made Himself evident so that no one is without excuse, then I am going to trust God that He is working in ways I may not even be able to comprehend. That's where you hit it on the head my friend! There is the Judge who knows the heart of a man, and He will decide if they have placed faith in His power to save them through the sacrifice of His Son. He did it for those who looked toward the cross and he does it for those on this side of the cross. Abraham believed God and it was reckoned to him as righteousness.
Of course, the above paragraph was for you and for me. We all have to remember Who the God is that made us and how incredible it is that His grace came to us. It is a mystery because we really didn't have anything to do with it. God is the covenant maker and keeper. We just received his gift and oh, is it good!
This is what I think you should consider sharing with Mackenzie. Talk to her about the mysteries of God. We can't know everything about how God works but we trust His character, who He says He is. Remind her that he didn't let everyone die in the flood only the wicked. The Bible says His ways are higher than our ways and His thoughts higher than our thoughts. We can't even begin to understand God. But we can act on the things that we do know--that God is love, that it is not His wish that anyone go to hell, but that all come to a saving faith in Jesus. He wants us to tell everyone about Jesus and serve others in his name. When we don't understand then we just tell Him we don't understand. But then we say, since he is God and we are not, we will trust Him. We remember He can see the whole story--from the beginning to the end. God is really big. Someday we will really understand that with our eyes when we see him in Heaven. Jesus came and died and came back to life. That is the greatest mystery of all. Even though we can't explain everything about it, we know it happened. We know it in our hearts. We can't see God but we know He is there. Remind her that God is so sad about Haiti. Everything bad that happens is because of sin, and soon Jesus will put the Earth back together like it was supposed to be. Until then we are his hands, his feet, and we tell of his love as long as we live or until Jesus comes back.
I think we all need a good dose of the mysteries of God thinking. We in our world want everything to be reasoned out and proven or we reject it. That is our nature, our culture beats this message into us, but it isn't going to happen with God. He requires that we will live by faith and we must do so to please him. We don't even understand how the brain works but we try to use it to figure out God.
I will be praying for you and Mackenzie. Jesus is showing up BIG in Haiti right now. Christians are in the best place to mobilize relief efforts.I know Samaritan Purse is already on the ground as well as Compassion, World Vision and others as well. Praise God for that even as we weep for them. We know they have been working there for years and our hope is that many of those who died did hear the gospel before the earthquake and received Christ by faith. What we cannot know, we leave it to God, who has given us "hope as an anchor for our soul."
I love you. I really need friends who are real like you. Who wrestle it out with God. Be blessed. You have everything you need for this situation in the indwelling of the Holy Spirit that has sealed you until that Day."
To Sherrie---
"As you can imagine, tears fell from my eyes as I read your email. Oh, the faith of a child that believes what the Bible says even if it breaks her heart. If we could all be so heartbroken for the those who have not heard with their ears. We know that God has called us to be ministers of reconciliation to the world, to show them who Jesus is and to share His love but ultimately it is the Holy Spirit who draws men to Christ.
To you I would say, that it got me to thinking about another time -- the time before the New Covenant when people looked to the hope that only God could make a way for them to enter His presence. Abraham, Moses, Joshua, David, Job and many others in the Old Testament were looking to the Hope that God, because of His goodness, His kindness, His patience would make a way for them to come be with Him where He is in the most Holy of Place where man could never enter on his own merits.
I think all people have the inner understanding that "this isn't all there is." God has placed eternity in our hearts. Eternity is our destiny. All mankind who find themselves in the Presence of God come there by faith--faith in the Someone, their Maker, who loves them and has made a way for them. Is our God not big enough to reveal Himself to every single person on earth? Why did He reveal Himself to me?? Did I deserve to know the name of Jesus since I was eight years old? On this side of the cross, our faith is in Jesus. I think most of us in America would be shocked at the number of people in the world that know about Jesus---- even a tribe in Africa who has heard of him through legends told maybe for centuries. When I was in Cuba, the people there were so incredibly open to the gospel; there is no doubt that God sent us there at the exact time and place because he was drawing these people to Himself and he is now, I am sure, using many of them to tell others who Christ is. Of course, there are those who have never heard, or have heard there are other ways to get to heaven. The fact of the matter that it is fair that some won't go to heaven. If man chooses his own way then he has chosen death, but if he turns to the Living God who the Bible says has made Himself evident so that no one is without excuse, then I am going to trust God that He is working in ways I may not even be able to comprehend. That's where you hit it on the head my friend! There is the Judge who knows the heart of a man, and He will decide if they have placed faith in His power to save them through the sacrifice of His Son. He did it for those who looked toward the cross and he does it for those on this side of the cross. Abraham believed God and it was reckoned to him as righteousness.
Of course, the above paragraph was for you and for me. We all have to remember Who the God is that made us and how incredible it is that His grace came to us. It is a mystery because we really didn't have anything to do with it. God is the covenant maker and keeper. We just received his gift and oh, is it good!
This is what I think you should consider sharing with Mackenzie. Talk to her about the mysteries of God. We can't know everything about how God works but we trust His character, who He says He is. Remind her that he didn't let everyone die in the flood only the wicked. The Bible says His ways are higher than our ways and His thoughts higher than our thoughts. We can't even begin to understand God. But we can act on the things that we do know--that God is love, that it is not His wish that anyone go to hell, but that all come to a saving faith in Jesus. He wants us to tell everyone about Jesus and serve others in his name. When we don't understand then we just tell Him we don't understand. But then we say, since he is God and we are not, we will trust Him. We remember He can see the whole story--from the beginning to the end. God is really big. Someday we will really understand that with our eyes when we see him in Heaven. Jesus came and died and came back to life. That is the greatest mystery of all. Even though we can't explain everything about it, we know it happened. We know it in our hearts. We can't see God but we know He is there. Remind her that God is so sad about Haiti. Everything bad that happens is because of sin, and soon Jesus will put the Earth back together like it was supposed to be. Until then we are his hands, his feet, and we tell of his love as long as we live or until Jesus comes back.
I think we all need a good dose of the mysteries of God thinking. We in our world want everything to be reasoned out and proven or we reject it. That is our nature, our culture beats this message into us, but it isn't going to happen with God. He requires that we will live by faith and we must do so to please him. We don't even understand how the brain works but we try to use it to figure out God.
I will be praying for you and Mackenzie. Jesus is showing up BIG in Haiti right now. Christians are in the best place to mobilize relief efforts.I know Samaritan Purse is already on the ground as well as Compassion, World Vision and others as well. Praise God for that even as we weep for them. We know they have been working there for years and our hope is that many of those who died did hear the gospel before the earthquake and received Christ by faith. What we cannot know, we leave it to God, who has given us "hope as an anchor for our soul."
I love you. I really need friends who are real like you. Who wrestle it out with God. Be blessed. You have everything you need for this situation in the indwelling of the Holy Spirit that has sealed you until that Day."
You never cease to amaze me, I pray for your depth. Thank you for always being honest with God and with those of us who are in your bible class. Your friend, Love you.....
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