We celebrated Mother's Day earlier this week. In recent years, Mother's Day has been a mixed bag for me. I miss my own mother. I rarely get to spend time with my own sons on Mother's Day, one of the consequences of living so far from each other. Mother's Day has become a time for me to travel down memory lane, which results in lots of smiles and some tears as well.
One memory that always surfaces at this time of year is hearing the doctor say that we would never be able to have children. I remember the Mother's Days when I so wanted to be a mom and it seemed that would never happen. That's a painful memory, but one that is more than balanced by the fact that obviously the doctor was wrong and God had another plan. Two plans! Two sons! The joy I felt when that same doctor told me the pregnancy test was positive has never diminished!
Motherhood is not an easy job. And I haven't always been a candidate for "world's best mother". I've made my share of mistakes. Perhaps more than my share. Bad decisions. Lost my temper. Said things I have regretted. But through it all, I have loved being a mother. I love my sons. And the daughters they brought into my life. And the grandsons who now bring us all so much joy!
As I travel down memory lane at this time of year, there are so many things that make me smile. Sometimes even giggle a little bit.
I smile when I think of hearing I love you, Mom, no matter what day of the year it is.
I giggle when I remember the poor hamster named Roscoe who met an untimely end when Brian jumped off the top bunk and landed on him.
I remember the big bows my mother always put in my blonde curls. And there were the sweet smiles and hugs of my own little blonde boys (who aren't so blonde anymore!!).
I remember Baby Dedication services for our sons and our grandsons. Violin lessons and soccer games. Long distance calls from England when Brian was stationed there during his Air Force years.
And I remember the last words my own mother spoke to me. We knew her time was short. We left Minnesota, flying down to SC, hoping we would get there in time. We arrived on Saturday around midnight. She left us on Monday morning. But on that Saturday night when we got there, she opened her eyes, smiled a faint smile and said the last words I ever heard her say.
"I love you."
Those words are a treasured memory. And a reminder. We should never miss an opportunity to speak those words to those we love. Because we never know if we will have another opportunity.
"Love one another; just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another."
(John 13:34 ESV) \
Thursday, May 16, 2019
Tuesday, May 7, 2019
As Mother's Day Approaches
As we approach Mother's Day, I find myself thinking a lot about about my mother and my grandmother, two of the women I admired most in all the world! How I miss them both! Each time I think of them, some verses from Proverbs 31 come to mind:
"Strength and dignity are her clothing, and she smiles at the future. She opens her mouth in wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue. She looks well to the ways of her household, and does not eat the bread of idleness. Her children rise up and bless her; her husband also, and he praises her." (Proverbs 31:25-28 NASB)
As I do each year when Mother's Day comes around, I celebrate the joy of being a mother and a grandmother. I'm so thankful for the blessing of my sons, the sons God gave me, the ones the doctors said I would never have. I'm loving my role as Nana, being grandmother to two precious no-longer-little boys who are growing into young men and who bring me so much joy! I'm celebrating the mothers of those little boys, the daughters who came into my life because they are the women my sons chose, the women who love my sons. I celebrate the joy they each bring to our family, their unique personalities and gifts, and the blessing they are to all of us.
On Mother's Day, I celebrate my mother and my grandmother, and the countless grandmothers before them that I never knew, as well as those daughters who are now part of my life, all love the Lord and His Word, and I celebrate the commitment of each of those women to teach His Word and His ways diligently. I celebrate our commitment to have families who love Jesus. I celebrate our desire to honor Him in all we do and say.
My prayer for each of is that we be found faithful. There's a song called "Find Us Faithful" that talks about this concept: May all who come behind us find us faithful, may the fire of our devotion light their way, may the footprints that we leave lead them to believe.*
I'm thankful for the women who went before me who were found faithful, who left those kind of footprints. I'm praying that I will be found faithful, that the fire of my devotion will light the way for those who come behind me. I'm praying that I will love the Lord with ALL my heart and soul and mind. That my love will be evidenced in my behavior. That I will leave for my sons and my daughters and my grandsons, and all who follow behind me, a legacy of that kind of devotion to the Lord. That I will teach that diligently to my children and my grandchildren. That my sons and daughters will teach those things diligently to their children. I'm celebrating what God will do in and through us when we commit ourselves completely to Him.
And I am so thankful that I had a Mother and a Grandmother who modeled that kind of love and devotion.
L-R, my great-grandmother, Leona Harwell Knox; my mother, Helen Neil Austin, me, and my grandmother, Ethel Knox Neil
"Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the LORD, she shall be praised." (Proverbs 31:30 NASB)
*Find Us Faithful: words and music by Jon Mohr
"Strength and dignity are her clothing, and she smiles at the future. She opens her mouth in wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue. She looks well to the ways of her household, and does not eat the bread of idleness. Her children rise up and bless her; her husband also, and he praises her." (Proverbs 31:25-28 NASB)
As I do each year when Mother's Day comes around, I celebrate the joy of being a mother and a grandmother. I'm so thankful for the blessing of my sons, the sons God gave me, the ones the doctors said I would never have. I'm loving my role as Nana, being grandmother to two precious no-longer-little boys who are growing into young men and who bring me so much joy! I'm celebrating the mothers of those little boys, the daughters who came into my life because they are the women my sons chose, the women who love my sons. I celebrate the joy they each bring to our family, their unique personalities and gifts, and the blessing they are to all of us.
On Mother's Day, I celebrate my mother and my grandmother, and the countless grandmothers before them that I never knew, as well as those daughters who are now part of my life, all love the Lord and His Word, and I celebrate the commitment of each of those women to teach His Word and His ways diligently. I celebrate our commitment to have families who love Jesus. I celebrate our desire to honor Him in all we do and say.
My prayer for each of is that we be found faithful. There's a song called "Find Us Faithful" that talks about this concept: May all who come behind us find us faithful, may the fire of our devotion light their way, may the footprints that we leave lead them to believe.*
I'm thankful for the women who went before me who were found faithful, who left those kind of footprints. I'm praying that I will be found faithful, that the fire of my devotion will light the way for those who come behind me. I'm praying that I will love the Lord with ALL my heart and soul and mind. That my love will be evidenced in my behavior. That I will leave for my sons and my daughters and my grandsons, and all who follow behind me, a legacy of that kind of devotion to the Lord. That I will teach that diligently to my children and my grandchildren. That my sons and daughters will teach those things diligently to their children. I'm celebrating what God will do in and through us when we commit ourselves completely to Him.
And I am so thankful that I had a Mother and a Grandmother who modeled that kind of love and devotion.
"Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the LORD, she shall be praised." (Proverbs 31:30 NASB)
*Find Us Faithful: words and music by Jon Mohr
Thursday, May 2, 2019
A Day of Prayer
Today is the National Day of Prayer. Today there will be prayer gatherings, large and small, across our nation. On town squares and state house steps. In living rooms and conference rooms and around flag poles. It's inspiring and encouraging to see all these prayer gatherings. I'm grateful that we still have the freedom to pray publicly for our country.
On these public prayer days, a verse from the Old Testament book of 2nd Chronicles is often quoted.
"If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land." (2 Chronicles 7:14 ESV)
This word from the Lord was originally spoken to Solomon on the occasion of the dedication of the Temple in Jerusalem. A few verses later in the same chapter, the Lord warns of what will happen if His people turn aside from the Lord's commandments. There will be consequences for abandoning the Lord's ways. (2 Chronicles 7:19-22.)
There can be little doubt that as a nation we have turned aside from the Lord's commandments and are not wholeheartedly following His ways. Even more troubling, there are many among us who call themselves Christian, and yet are not wholeheartedly following the Lord. Could it be that the troubles we are facing as a nation stem from this root? And if so, is there hope for us?
I believe there is hope, and the solution is found in 2 Chronicles 7:14. If my people, God's people, follow the plan outlined in these verses, God will hear. Yes, in its original context these words applied to the Jews. But there's a principle here that still is valid.
If my people. These instructions are not to the pagans or the politicians. Not to the atheists or the agnostics. These instructions are to the people of God. To the people called by His name. What are God's people to do?
Humble themselves. And here we get to the root of the problem. We're not very good at humbling ourselves. We don't want to humble ourselves, before God or anyone else. We want to be in charge. We think we know what is best. We think because we are American we have certain rights to do and say and think as we please. Yet God says we are to humble ourselves. This is much like what Jesus instructed when he taught His disciples, and us, how to pray. "Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven." (Matthew 6:10 KJV). Even Jesus humbled Himself before the Father when He prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane, "Not my will, but yours be done." (Luke 22:42 ESV)
To humble ourselves is to acknowledge that we are not God. A while back when my husband and I were out and about, we passed a church with a sign at the end of their driveway that read "Remember, God's still God and you're still not." Remembering that is the essence of what it means to humble ourselves before God. Remember who's in charge!
Pray. We think we understand what prayer is, don't we? Too often people think of prayer as giving God our list of wants and concerns, a kind of to-do list for God to handle. Is that really all there is to it? Is prayer really only giving God a list, or reciting a memorized poem, or mumbling a quick sentence before we go to bed? Is that really what God meant when He said His people are to "humble themselves and pray"? I think not.
Prayer is communication. And communication is two-way, meaning there is speaking and there is listening. Certainly one blog is not adequate to explain all that prayer is, but I definitely think God is expecting more than just a hastily mumbled mantra every day. Does that mean that longer prayers are better, somehow more spiritual? Does God hear us more clearly if we talk longer or use bigger words. Of course not. In fact, Scripture cautions against "empty phrases" (Matthew 6:7 ESV). The point is to be sincere in our communication with God.
Seek my face. This is an extension of the point about praying. Many years ago I heard someone say that we should "seek the Blesser, not the blessing". How often when we pray do we seek what God can do for us, rather than just seeking God Himself. Because God desires relationship with His people, He desires that we seek HIM and not just seek what He can give.
Turn from their wicked ways. This is the very definition of repentance, to turn from sin, to change direction. If we have sincerely sought the Lord, have humbled ourselves before Him, we will have become aware of those things in our lives that are displeasing to Him and we will want to repent.
Then. When we have followed God's instructions, He promises to hear and to forgive our sin and to heal our land. When we do things His way!
Will our land be healed because people gather in groups one day a year to pray for our nation? No. It's a good thing when people gather together to pray. But it's a better thing, a more important thing, when individuals come daily before the Lord in prayer. To intercede for the nation. To intercede for families. To intercede for the lost. To commit themselves to doing things God's way.
A day of prayer is a good thing. A lifestyle of prayer is even better.
"Lord, teach us to pray." (Luke 11:1 ESV)
On these public prayer days, a verse from the Old Testament book of 2nd Chronicles is often quoted.
"If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land." (2 Chronicles 7:14 ESV)
This word from the Lord was originally spoken to Solomon on the occasion of the dedication of the Temple in Jerusalem. A few verses later in the same chapter, the Lord warns of what will happen if His people turn aside from the Lord's commandments. There will be consequences for abandoning the Lord's ways. (2 Chronicles 7:19-22.)
There can be little doubt that as a nation we have turned aside from the Lord's commandments and are not wholeheartedly following His ways. Even more troubling, there are many among us who call themselves Christian, and yet are not wholeheartedly following the Lord. Could it be that the troubles we are facing as a nation stem from this root? And if so, is there hope for us?
I believe there is hope, and the solution is found in 2 Chronicles 7:14. If my people, God's people, follow the plan outlined in these verses, God will hear. Yes, in its original context these words applied to the Jews. But there's a principle here that still is valid.
If my people. These instructions are not to the pagans or the politicians. Not to the atheists or the agnostics. These instructions are to the people of God. To the people called by His name. What are God's people to do?
Humble themselves. And here we get to the root of the problem. We're not very good at humbling ourselves. We don't want to humble ourselves, before God or anyone else. We want to be in charge. We think we know what is best. We think because we are American we have certain rights to do and say and think as we please. Yet God says we are to humble ourselves. This is much like what Jesus instructed when he taught His disciples, and us, how to pray. "Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven." (Matthew 6:10 KJV). Even Jesus humbled Himself before the Father when He prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane, "Not my will, but yours be done." (Luke 22:42 ESV)
To humble ourselves is to acknowledge that we are not God. A while back when my husband and I were out and about, we passed a church with a sign at the end of their driveway that read "Remember, God's still God and you're still not." Remembering that is the essence of what it means to humble ourselves before God. Remember who's in charge!
Pray. We think we understand what prayer is, don't we? Too often people think of prayer as giving God our list of wants and concerns, a kind of to-do list for God to handle. Is that really all there is to it? Is prayer really only giving God a list, or reciting a memorized poem, or mumbling a quick sentence before we go to bed? Is that really what God meant when He said His people are to "humble themselves and pray"? I think not.
Prayer is communication. And communication is two-way, meaning there is speaking and there is listening. Certainly one blog is not adequate to explain all that prayer is, but I definitely think God is expecting more than just a hastily mumbled mantra every day. Does that mean that longer prayers are better, somehow more spiritual? Does God hear us more clearly if we talk longer or use bigger words. Of course not. In fact, Scripture cautions against "empty phrases" (Matthew 6:7 ESV). The point is to be sincere in our communication with God.
Seek my face. This is an extension of the point about praying. Many years ago I heard someone say that we should "seek the Blesser, not the blessing". How often when we pray do we seek what God can do for us, rather than just seeking God Himself. Because God desires relationship with His people, He desires that we seek HIM and not just seek what He can give.
Turn from their wicked ways. This is the very definition of repentance, to turn from sin, to change direction. If we have sincerely sought the Lord, have humbled ourselves before Him, we will have become aware of those things in our lives that are displeasing to Him and we will want to repent.
Then. When we have followed God's instructions, He promises to hear and to forgive our sin and to heal our land. When we do things His way!
Will our land be healed because people gather in groups one day a year to pray for our nation? No. It's a good thing when people gather together to pray. But it's a better thing, a more important thing, when individuals come daily before the Lord in prayer. To intercede for the nation. To intercede for families. To intercede for the lost. To commit themselves to doing things God's way.
A day of prayer is a good thing. A lifestyle of prayer is even better.
"Lord, teach us to pray." (Luke 11:1 ESV)
Wednesday, April 24, 2019
Top To Bottom
Just a few days ago we observed Good Friday, the day Christ Jesus died. The day He paid the price for your sin and mine, for the sin of the whole world.
"And Jesus cried out with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit." (Matthew 27:50 ESV)
On that day, according to the Gospel of Matthew, another important event occurred. "And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom." (Matthew 27:51 ESV)
In those days there was a temple in Jerusalem, on the Temple Mount, in the place where the Dome of the Rock now stands. That temple had been constructed according to the pattern given by God in the Old Testament. There was an outer court where the altar was located. There was a Holy Place, which contained the altar of incense, the table of showbread, and the golden lampstand. And there was the Holy of Holies, where the Mercy Seat was, on the Ark of the Covenant.
The Holy Place was separated from the Holy of Holies by a heavy curtain. sometimes called a veil. This veil was more than twenty yards high and more than four inches thick. Only the High Priest could enter the Holy of Holies, and only once a year on the Day of Atonement.
But on Crucifixion Friday, that heavy curtain was torn in two, from top to bottom!
What's the significance of that?
"Through His own blood, [Jesus] entered the holy place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption." (Hebrews 9:12 NASB)
"Therefore we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is, His flesh." (Hebrews 10:19-20 NASB)
Because the veil was torn, because Jesus gave His life for us, we can now go directly into the Holy of Holies. We now have access, through Christ, directly to the Father! All because of what Jesus did for us!
Because it is true that the veil was torn, and because it is true that we can now confidently enter the holy place, and because of what Jesus accomplished for us, what are we to do?
We are to draw near: "Let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith." (Hebrews 10:22 NASB)
We are to hold fast: "Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful." (Hebrews 10:23 NASB)
We are to consider: "Let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds. (Hebrews 10:24 NASB)
We are to encourage: "Encouraging one another." (Hebrews 10:25 NASB)
The veil was torn.
It was torn from top to bottom. That means it was not torn by man, but by God.
The veil prevented men from access to the Holy of Holies, the symbol of the place where God dwelt.
The veil was torn, allowing access to the Holy of Holies. It was torn at the precise moment that Christ died on that cross.
Christ's death allows us access into the Holy of Holies! Christ's death allows us into relationship with God the Father through the blood of Christ the Son.
And that is a reason to celebrate! Not just on Good Friday or on Easter Sunday. But every day!
Because of Jesus, we can boldly approach the throne of God! Hallelujah!
Listen to TRUTH sing "Holy of Holies" here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6xuBp-4DDhU
"And Jesus cried out with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit." (Matthew 27:50 ESV)
On that day, according to the Gospel of Matthew, another important event occurred. "And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom." (Matthew 27:51 ESV)
In those days there was a temple in Jerusalem, on the Temple Mount, in the place where the Dome of the Rock now stands. That temple had been constructed according to the pattern given by God in the Old Testament. There was an outer court where the altar was located. There was a Holy Place, which contained the altar of incense, the table of showbread, and the golden lampstand. And there was the Holy of Holies, where the Mercy Seat was, on the Ark of the Covenant.
The Holy Place was separated from the Holy of Holies by a heavy curtain. sometimes called a veil. This veil was more than twenty yards high and more than four inches thick. Only the High Priest could enter the Holy of Holies, and only once a year on the Day of Atonement.
But on Crucifixion Friday, that heavy curtain was torn in two, from top to bottom!
What's the significance of that?
"Through His own blood, [Jesus] entered the holy place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption." (Hebrews 9:12 NASB)
"Therefore we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is, His flesh." (Hebrews 10:19-20 NASB)
Because the veil was torn, because Jesus gave His life for us, we can now go directly into the Holy of Holies. We now have access, through Christ, directly to the Father! All because of what Jesus did for us!
Because it is true that the veil was torn, and because it is true that we can now confidently enter the holy place, and because of what Jesus accomplished for us, what are we to do?
We are to draw near: "Let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith." (Hebrews 10:22 NASB)
We are to hold fast: "Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful." (Hebrews 10:23 NASB)
We are to consider: "Let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds. (Hebrews 10:24 NASB)
We are to encourage: "Encouraging one another." (Hebrews 10:25 NASB)
The veil was torn.
It was torn from top to bottom. That means it was not torn by man, but by God.
The veil prevented men from access to the Holy of Holies, the symbol of the place where God dwelt.
The veil was torn, allowing access to the Holy of Holies. It was torn at the precise moment that Christ died on that cross.
Christ's death allows us access into the Holy of Holies! Christ's death allows us into relationship with God the Father through the blood of Christ the Son.
And that is a reason to celebrate! Not just on Good Friday or on Easter Sunday. But every day!
Because of Jesus, we can boldly approach the throne of God! Hallelujah!
Listen to TRUTH sing "Holy of Holies" here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6xuBp-4DDhU
Monday, April 22, 2019
The Rest of the Story
" Christ died for sin, once for all, the just for the unjust, in order to bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit." (1 Peter 3:18 NASB)
Christ died. For sin. For my sin. For your sin. For the sin of the world.
But He didn't stay dead!That's the good news of Easter. Christ died. But Christ is risen!
Friday tells us that the sacrifice for sin, once for all, for all time, was made.
Sunday tells us that the sacrifice was accepted. The work of redemption is complete. It is finished!
It. Is. Finished.
We celebrated that yesterday. We sang the songs of resurrection. We worshipped. We rejoiced. We spent time with family and friends. We had a wonderful day.
And now Easter is over.
Or is it?
Is "Easter" ever really over? Do not we who are Christian celebrate Resurrection Day every day of our lives? Is this not the best thing that ever happened to us?
Or will we treat it as something we have now celebrated and have done with for another year?
Think back to that Resurrection Day. Think on each of the encounters people had with the risen Lord.
Mary Magdalene met Jesus in the garden, early in the morning while it was still dark. Once she recognized Him, what did Jesus say to her? "Go tell my brothers." (John 20:17)
Matthew's gospel tells us about the women who came to the tomb. There they met the risen Lord, and He gave them an instruction. "Go tell my brothers." (Matthew 28:10)
Mark's gospel says, "Go tell......" (Mark 16:9)
Luke tells us that Jesus spoke to the disciples, saying, "Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things." (Luke 24:46-48 ESV, emphasis mine)
Do you see the pattern? An encounter with Jesus. Learn of the resurrection. "See" Jesus, and then what? Go and tell!
The disciples did exactly that. Once they knew that Jesus was risen, they told everybody! They went throughout the known world, telling the good news that Jesus was alive. They had a message to share, a commission to share it, and they did exactly that.
What about you and me, here in the 21st century? We too are "witnesses of these things"!
The message is the same. Jesus is alive!
The commission is the same. Go and tell.
"Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age." (Matthew 28:19-20 ESV)
Go and tell. That's how we continue to celebrate Resurrection. But as you are going, and as you are telling, be sure to tell the whole story.
Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again.
That's the "rest of the story", as Paul Harvey used to say. Let's be sure to tell that part!
"[Jesus said] I will come again and receive you to myself, that where I am, there you may be also." (John 14:3)
Christ died. For sin. For my sin. For your sin. For the sin of the world.
But He didn't stay dead!That's the good news of Easter. Christ died. But Christ is risen!
Friday tells us that the sacrifice for sin, once for all, for all time, was made.
Sunday tells us that the sacrifice was accepted. The work of redemption is complete. It is finished!
It. Is. Finished.
We celebrated that yesterday. We sang the songs of resurrection. We worshipped. We rejoiced. We spent time with family and friends. We had a wonderful day.
And now Easter is over.
Or is it?
Is "Easter" ever really over? Do not we who are Christian celebrate Resurrection Day every day of our lives? Is this not the best thing that ever happened to us?
Or will we treat it as something we have now celebrated and have done with for another year?
Think back to that Resurrection Day. Think on each of the encounters people had with the risen Lord.
Mary Magdalene met Jesus in the garden, early in the morning while it was still dark. Once she recognized Him, what did Jesus say to her? "Go tell my brothers." (John 20:17)
Matthew's gospel tells us about the women who came to the tomb. There they met the risen Lord, and He gave them an instruction. "Go tell my brothers." (Matthew 28:10)
Mark's gospel says, "Go tell......" (Mark 16:9)
Luke tells us that Jesus spoke to the disciples, saying, "Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things." (Luke 24:46-48 ESV, emphasis mine)
Do you see the pattern? An encounter with Jesus. Learn of the resurrection. "See" Jesus, and then what? Go and tell!
The disciples did exactly that. Once they knew that Jesus was risen, they told everybody! They went throughout the known world, telling the good news that Jesus was alive. They had a message to share, a commission to share it, and they did exactly that.
What about you and me, here in the 21st century? We too are "witnesses of these things"!
The message is the same. Jesus is alive!
The commission is the same. Go and tell.
"Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age." (Matthew 28:19-20 ESV)
Go and tell. That's how we continue to celebrate Resurrection. But as you are going, and as you are telling, be sure to tell the whole story.
Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again.
That's the "rest of the story", as Paul Harvey used to say. Let's be sure to tell that part!
"[Jesus said] I will come again and receive you to myself, that where I am, there you may be also." (John 14:3)
Thursday, April 18, 2019
Who Are You?
If you are on Facebook, then you know about the quizzes. Perhaps you have taken some of these quizzes; I have. They can be great fun, really, although I'm fairly certain that we shouldn't take them too seriously. Am I really pink? Or a rose? Or a dove? Or traditional? (Well, that one is pretty accurate!) Should I move to Paris based on my quiz result? Which muppet am I? Or which Frozen character? Or Lord of the Rings character? Or......
It is all great fun, but surely we are not basing our understanding of our identity on a quiz on Facebook!
Do we really know who we are? And are we protecting that identity? There's an entire industry these days devoted to identity protection. Unfortunately, I am more aware of that than I ever wanted to be. These identity protection services can protect our credit cards and our social security numbers and our bank accounts. But do those numbers really identify us any more than the Facebook quizzes do? Have we really come to the point that we are just a number?
The Scriptures tell a different story. We are individuals created in the image of God. He knows our name. He knows the number of hairs on our heads. He knows us intimately. And He loves us. Not because we deserve it, but in spite of the fact that we don't. He loves us so much "that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life." (John 3:16 NASB)
That's what this Holy Week is all about. That God loves us. That Jesus loves us enough that He died for us. That we matter to Him. That's our identity!
"See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God, and so we are." (1 John 3:1 ESV)
"You are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God." (Ephesians 2:19 ESV)
How do we respond to such love?
"Let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. In this is love, not that we loved God but that He loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another." (1 John 4:7-8, 10-11 ESV)
Today, and throughout this Holy Week, I'm thanking the Lord for that great love and for the high price that was paid for my salvation. And I'm praying that I will respond to that great love by loving others more fully, by being a reflection of the Father's love. I'm rejoicing in my identity in Christ. And I pray that you might do the same.
"I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe." (Ephesians 1:16-19 ESV)
It is all great fun, but surely we are not basing our understanding of our identity on a quiz on Facebook!
Do we really know who we are? And are we protecting that identity? There's an entire industry these days devoted to identity protection. Unfortunately, I am more aware of that than I ever wanted to be. These identity protection services can protect our credit cards and our social security numbers and our bank accounts. But do those numbers really identify us any more than the Facebook quizzes do? Have we really come to the point that we are just a number?
The Scriptures tell a different story. We are individuals created in the image of God. He knows our name. He knows the number of hairs on our heads. He knows us intimately. And He loves us. Not because we deserve it, but in spite of the fact that we don't. He loves us so much "that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life." (John 3:16 NASB)
That's what this Holy Week is all about. That God loves us. That Jesus loves us enough that He died for us. That we matter to Him. That's our identity!
"See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God, and so we are." (1 John 3:1 ESV)
"You are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God." (Ephesians 2:19 ESV)
How do we respond to such love?
"Let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. In this is love, not that we loved God but that He loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another." (1 John 4:7-8, 10-11 ESV)
Today, and throughout this Holy Week, I'm thanking the Lord for that great love and for the high price that was paid for my salvation. And I'm praying that I will respond to that great love by loving others more fully, by being a reflection of the Father's love. I'm rejoicing in my identity in Christ. And I pray that you might do the same.
"I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe." (Ephesians 1:16-19 ESV)
Wednesday, April 17, 2019
At A Distance
"Then they seized him and led him away, bringing him into the high priest's house, and Peter was following at a distance." (Luke 22:54 ESV)
At a distance. Three of the four Gospels include this information. That Peter, after Jesus was arrested, followed Him to the house of the high priest at a distance.
Peter, who had been with Jesus almost from the beginning of His public ministry.
Peter, who had said, "You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God." (Matthew 16:16 ESV)
Peter, who had been with Jesus at the Transfiguration.
Peter, who just a short while earlier had said, "Lord, I am ready to go with you both to prison and to death." (Luke 22:33 ESV)
Peter now follows Jesus at a distance.
What about you? How are you following Jesus? Are you following at a distance?
Something to think about.
"If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me." (Luke 9:23 ESV)
At a distance. Three of the four Gospels include this information. That Peter, after Jesus was arrested, followed Him to the house of the high priest at a distance.
Peter, who had been with Jesus almost from the beginning of His public ministry.
Peter, who had said, "You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God." (Matthew 16:16 ESV)
Peter, who had been with Jesus at the Transfiguration.
Peter, who just a short while earlier had said, "Lord, I am ready to go with you both to prison and to death." (Luke 22:33 ESV)
Peter now follows Jesus at a distance.
What about you? How are you following Jesus? Are you following at a distance?
Something to think about.
"If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me." (Luke 9:23 ESV)
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