. . what shall I say? "Father, save Me from this hour? But for this purpose I came to this hour. Father, glorify Your name." John 12:27-28
As a saint of God, my attitude toward sorrow and difficulty should not be to ask that they be prevented, but to ask that God protect me so that I may remain what He created me to be, in spite of all my fires of sorrow. Our Lord received Himself, accepting His position and realizing His purpose, in the midst of the fire of sorrow. He was saved not from the hour, but out of the hour.
We say that there ought to be no sorrow, but there is sorrow, and we have to accept and receive ourselves in its fires. If we try to evade sorrow, refusing to deal with it, we are foolish. Sorrow is one of the biggest facts in life, and there is no use in saying it should not be. Sin, sorrow, and suffering are, and it is not for us to say that God has made a mistake in allowing them.
Sorrow removes a great deal of a person's shallowness, but it does not always make that person better. Suffering either gives me to myself or it destroys me. You cannot find or receive yourself through success, because you lose your head over pride. And you cannot receive yourself through the monotony of your daily life, because you give in to complaining. The only way to find yourself is in the fires of sorrow. Why it should be this way is immaterial. The fact is that it is true in the Scriptures and in human experience. You can always recognize who has been through the fires of sorrow and received himself, and you know that you can go to him in your moment of trouble and find that he has plenty of time for you. But if a person has not been through the fires of sorrow, he is apt to be contemptuous, having no respect or time for you, only turning you away. If you will receive yourself in the fires of sorrow, God will make you nourishment for other people.
Oswald Chamber
My Utmost for His Highest
Everything we read about trials in the Bible tell us that they are not to be unexpected and that they are intended to help us grow in our faith (James 1:1-18; 1 Peter 4:12-19; 2 Thessalonians 1:4). But they can only work in us if we accept them and seek to grow through our deliverance in them. The alternative is to become bitter and turn from God. If we view ALL things as coming to us through the filter of God, then we can have confidence that it is in fact for our good and His glory (Romans 8:28).
I love the last paragraph of this devotion. It is a great reminder that as we learn and grow through our trials, we are then equipped to help others along the way through theirs. May we not be contemptuous toward those in need, but nourishment to them!
Sunday, January 8, 2012
Friday, January 6, 2012
Grace and Truth
Chapter two of the Gospel of John tells of Jesus’ first public signs revealing Him as the Son of God. The first was at a wedding in Cana. The wine had run out and Mary, Jesus’ mother, asked Him to intervene.
This event was important even though it was only known by a few. Jesus revealed his authority by setting himself apart from His mother. He was not just an earthly son, He was the Son of God.
Warren Weirsbe points out that Mary didn’t place the focus on herself, but Jesus. She trusted Jesus to do what was right. What a wise example for us to follow as well! Because Jesus revealed his glory in this way, it gave the disciples a stronger foundation of faith. It is not that they simply believed in the sign that Jesus performed. Weirsbe writes that a sign is “something that points beyond itself to something greater. It was not enough for people to believe in Jesus’ works; they had to believe in Him and in the Father who sent Him.” The Harvest study writes, “the disciples had placed their faith in Jesus before this event, but now they were ready to follow Him anywhere.” May I be willing to do the same!
In his New Testament commentary, Warren Weirsbe compared the wine running out to the world’s joy. He writes, “the world’s joy always runs out and cannot be regained, but the joy He gives is ever new and ever satisfying. The world offers the best at first, and then, once you are “hooked”, things start to get worse. But Jesus continues to offer that which is best until we one day enjoy the finest blessings in the eternal kingdom.”
So often we look to money, material possessions, entertainment, experiences, relationships or personal status to fulfill us. These things are all of the world and only temporary when compared to eternity. It is only the things that God provides that are everlasting.
Following the wedding at Cana, Jesus traveled to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover. Upon arriving at the temple he found men selling animals and exchanging money. While animals were needed for sacrifices, it was difficult for families who were traveling far to bring the animals with them. Weirsbe points out that this practice of selling animals was intended to be a convenience for the traveling families. The problem was that it didn’t remain a ministry, but grew into a business. Jesus was angry at what was being done in His Father’s house. He revealed His zeal for God by acting as judge and purifying the temple of the sin of greed.
Our worship is not to be simply a routine, impersonal act each week. God desires us to give willingly and cheerfully. John 4:24 tells us to worship “in spirit and in truth”. Weirsbe adds that “John’s purpose in writing this Gospel (was to show that) the legal system had ended and grace and truth have come through Jesus Christ. He is the new sacrifice and the new temple. New worship depends on inward integrity and not outward geography.”
That that statement should hit us deep. Attending church each week is important because it is a specific time set aside to worship the Lord and hear the teaching of the Word. But, we can (and should) worship the Lord daily. By acknowledging His provision and work in our lives and living in such a way that brings Him glory and not ourselves, we worship Him.
Jesus performed miracles to draw people to Himself and to help them believe in Him. His desire was that all would come to repentance and follow Him. But, it wasn’t the miracle itself that would do this. Weirsbe writes, “Jesus always tied His miracles to the truth of His message.” He adds, “Seeing is believing is not the Christian approach. First we believe and then we see. Miracles lead us to the Word - the Word generates saving faith.”
The Harvest study points out that “the emphasis in John’s gospel in on Jesus’ message rather than on His miracles. Believing in a miracle or sign does not necessarily mean belief in Jesus. He knew what was in the heart of every man. The Lord looks into our hearts to see if we really do believe in Him! He doesn’t trust outward appearances and is not fooled by insincere professions of faith. He has a penetrating understanding of who we are and where we stand in Him.”
These are important things to grasp. We may go through the motions - attend church weekly, tithe, say we’ll pray for others - but it’s not those things that reflect true faith. God knows are hearts. He knows if we have truly surrendered ourselves to Him and are committed to following Him. We can’t be like those who made excuses as to why they couldn’t follow Jesus right then. (Luke 9:57-62; 18:18-30) They allowed earthly wealth, relationships and time to supersede a personal walk with the Savior
The study ended with the question: Is there anything in you that is standing between you and the Lord? We were directed to look at 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 and to reflect on how we can keep our “temple clean”. When we allow ourselves to be truly transparent before the Lord, things will be revealed that we may not have realized are in us, or we may have buried deep because we are ashamed to admit. But thankfully, when “we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins.” (1 John 1:9) We need not fear condemnation.
The theme of this lesson for me was grace and truth. In grace, Jesus fed the hungry, restored the sick and raised the dead. In truth He taught the Word which is what brings us to true, saving faith in Him. In my own personal application I am reminded that as a follower of Christ I am to live and speak the truth; but I need to do so with grace (love and compassion). May I grow in the area of grace!
This event was important even though it was only known by a few. Jesus revealed his authority by setting himself apart from His mother. He was not just an earthly son, He was the Son of God.
Warren Weirsbe points out that Mary didn’t place the focus on herself, but Jesus. She trusted Jesus to do what was right. What a wise example for us to follow as well! Because Jesus revealed his glory in this way, it gave the disciples a stronger foundation of faith. It is not that they simply believed in the sign that Jesus performed. Weirsbe writes that a sign is “something that points beyond itself to something greater. It was not enough for people to believe in Jesus’ works; they had to believe in Him and in the Father who sent Him.” The Harvest study writes, “the disciples had placed their faith in Jesus before this event, but now they were ready to follow Him anywhere.” May I be willing to do the same!
In his New Testament commentary, Warren Weirsbe compared the wine running out to the world’s joy. He writes, “the world’s joy always runs out and cannot be regained, but the joy He gives is ever new and ever satisfying. The world offers the best at first, and then, once you are “hooked”, things start to get worse. But Jesus continues to offer that which is best until we one day enjoy the finest blessings in the eternal kingdom.”
So often we look to money, material possessions, entertainment, experiences, relationships or personal status to fulfill us. These things are all of the world and only temporary when compared to eternity. It is only the things that God provides that are everlasting.
Following the wedding at Cana, Jesus traveled to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover. Upon arriving at the temple he found men selling animals and exchanging money. While animals were needed for sacrifices, it was difficult for families who were traveling far to bring the animals with them. Weirsbe points out that this practice of selling animals was intended to be a convenience for the traveling families. The problem was that it didn’t remain a ministry, but grew into a business. Jesus was angry at what was being done in His Father’s house. He revealed His zeal for God by acting as judge and purifying the temple of the sin of greed.
Our worship is not to be simply a routine, impersonal act each week. God desires us to give willingly and cheerfully. John 4:24 tells us to worship “in spirit and in truth”. Weirsbe adds that “John’s purpose in writing this Gospel (was to show that) the legal system had ended and grace and truth have come through Jesus Christ. He is the new sacrifice and the new temple. New worship depends on inward integrity and not outward geography.”
That that statement should hit us deep. Attending church each week is important because it is a specific time set aside to worship the Lord and hear the teaching of the Word. But, we can (and should) worship the Lord daily. By acknowledging His provision and work in our lives and living in such a way that brings Him glory and not ourselves, we worship Him.
Jesus performed miracles to draw people to Himself and to help them believe in Him. His desire was that all would come to repentance and follow Him. But, it wasn’t the miracle itself that would do this. Weirsbe writes, “Jesus always tied His miracles to the truth of His message.” He adds, “Seeing is believing is not the Christian approach. First we believe and then we see. Miracles lead us to the Word - the Word generates saving faith.”
The Harvest study points out that “the emphasis in John’s gospel in on Jesus’ message rather than on His miracles. Believing in a miracle or sign does not necessarily mean belief in Jesus. He knew what was in the heart of every man. The Lord looks into our hearts to see if we really do believe in Him! He doesn’t trust outward appearances and is not fooled by insincere professions of faith. He has a penetrating understanding of who we are and where we stand in Him.”
These are important things to grasp. We may go through the motions - attend church weekly, tithe, say we’ll pray for others - but it’s not those things that reflect true faith. God knows are hearts. He knows if we have truly surrendered ourselves to Him and are committed to following Him. We can’t be like those who made excuses as to why they couldn’t follow Jesus right then. (Luke 9:57-62; 18:18-30) They allowed earthly wealth, relationships and time to supersede a personal walk with the Savior
The study ended with the question: Is there anything in you that is standing between you and the Lord? We were directed to look at 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 and to reflect on how we can keep our “temple clean”. When we allow ourselves to be truly transparent before the Lord, things will be revealed that we may not have realized are in us, or we may have buried deep because we are ashamed to admit. But thankfully, when “we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins.” (1 John 1:9) We need not fear condemnation.
The theme of this lesson for me was grace and truth. In grace, Jesus fed the hungry, restored the sick and raised the dead. In truth He taught the Word which is what brings us to true, saving faith in Him. In my own personal application I am reminded that as a follower of Christ I am to live and speak the truth; but I need to do so with grace (love and compassion). May I grow in the area of grace!
The Teaching of Adversity
"In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world."
John 16:33
The typical view of the Christian life is that it means being delivered from all adversity. But it actually means being delivered in adversity, which is something very different. "He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. No evil shall befall you, nor shall any plague come near your dwelling. . . " (Psalm 91:1, 10) - the place where you are at one with God.
If you are a child of God, you will certainly encounter adversities, but Jesus says you should not be surprised when they come. "In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world." He is saying, "There is nothing for you to fear." The same people who refused to talk about their adversities before they were saved often complain and worry after being born again because they have the wrong idea of what it means to live the life of a saint.
God does not give us overcoming life - He gives us life as we overcome. The strain of life is what builds our strength. If there is no strain, there will be no strength. Are you asking God to give you life, liberty, and joy? He cannot, unless you are willing to accept the strain. And once you face the strain, you will immediately get the strength. Overcome your own timidity and take the first step. Then God will give you nourishment - "To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life. . . " (Revelation 2:7). If you completely give of yourself physically, you become exhausted. But when you give of yourself spiritually, you get more strength. God never gives us strength for tomorrow, or for the next hour, but only for the strain of the moment. Our temptation is to face adversities from the standpoint of our own common sense. But a saint can "be of good cheer" even when seemingly defeated by adversities, because victory is absurdly impossible to everyone, except God.
-Oswald Chambers
My Utmost For His Highest
Life has been relatively easy-going for us for many years. Dennis said near the beginning of his cancer diagnosis that he thought God must not have thought we could handle very much because we hadn't had to face very many challenges. But this past year and a half, we have certainly faced strain through the adversity of cancer in our lives. But through this strain, we have been strengthened. We have discovered new life as we have overcome the obstacles set before us. And seen God's faithfulness in providing the strength we needed for each moment. Christians need not fear trials. It is through these difficult times that we will grow in our faith like never before if we completely trust God to carry us through. The final result is strength we never thought we'd acquire and joy - true joy. Thankful for our God who has overcome the world!
John 16:33
The typical view of the Christian life is that it means being delivered from all adversity. But it actually means being delivered in adversity, which is something very different. "He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. No evil shall befall you, nor shall any plague come near your dwelling. . . " (Psalm 91:1, 10) - the place where you are at one with God.
If you are a child of God, you will certainly encounter adversities, but Jesus says you should not be surprised when they come. "In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world." He is saying, "There is nothing for you to fear." The same people who refused to talk about their adversities before they were saved often complain and worry after being born again because they have the wrong idea of what it means to live the life of a saint.
God does not give us overcoming life - He gives us life as we overcome. The strain of life is what builds our strength. If there is no strain, there will be no strength. Are you asking God to give you life, liberty, and joy? He cannot, unless you are willing to accept the strain. And once you face the strain, you will immediately get the strength. Overcome your own timidity and take the first step. Then God will give you nourishment - "To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life. . . " (Revelation 2:7). If you completely give of yourself physically, you become exhausted. But when you give of yourself spiritually, you get more strength. God never gives us strength for tomorrow, or for the next hour, but only for the strain of the moment. Our temptation is to face adversities from the standpoint of our own common sense. But a saint can "be of good cheer" even when seemingly defeated by adversities, because victory is absurdly impossible to everyone, except God.
-Oswald Chambers
My Utmost For His Highest
Life has been relatively easy-going for us for many years. Dennis said near the beginning of his cancer diagnosis that he thought God must not have thought we could handle very much because we hadn't had to face very many challenges. But this past year and a half, we have certainly faced strain through the adversity of cancer in our lives. But through this strain, we have been strengthened. We have discovered new life as we have overcome the obstacles set before us. And seen God's faithfulness in providing the strength we needed for each moment. Christians need not fear trials. It is through these difficult times that we will grow in our faith like never before if we completely trust God to carry us through. The final result is strength we never thought we'd acquire and joy - true joy. Thankful for our God who has overcome the world!
Friday, December 23, 2011
Christmas Update
As we look back on 2011, we are reminded of the many ways the Lord has blessed us this year. January began with Dennis recovering from the radiation/chemotherapy treatment he had done through the months of November and December. We were overjoyed when the results of his ultrasound showed that his tumor had not simply shrunk, but was gone!During the month of February and the beginning of March, Dennis completed six weeks of chemotherapy. This was much less intense as it only involved two trips to UCI every-other-week instead of the five a week we previously did. Dennis tolerated the chemotherapy quite well; another of God‘s gifts. He experienced numbness in his fingers and toes, loss of appetite and fatigue; but his nausea was relieved with medication and he lost very little of his hair. We were able to enjoy a day at Legoland as a family several days before Dennis’ surgery in April.
The surgery went well and biopsies revealed no cancer! We once again were so thankful for the Lord’s intervention. Dennis’ surgeons decided that an ostomy was needed to allow the surgery site to heal. Aside from the initial disappointment, the ostomy caused many trials for Dennis. He suffered from severe skin breakdown around the ostomy site as well as many inconveniences. It was a long six weeks until it could be reversed.
Near the end of May Dennis was finally able to have the ostomy reversed. Again, the surgery went well and aside from pain, Dennis seemed to be recovering well and was released from the hospital. Two days later, however, we found ourselves in the emergency room of UCI. Dennis had a blockage which caused him to be in the hospital for nine days with an NG tube for seven of those days. This event really sapped him of his strength and it was a great relief when he could finally return home to begin recovering.
His final chemotherapy began the end of June and lasted through the beginning of August. It was the same schedule as before. It was a bit harder on him this time, but on his off weeks, Dennis felt good and we usually enjoyed a meal or two out to celebrate his appetite returning again.
Dennis returned to work the end of August and is doing well overall. He is still dealing with the side affects of chemotherapy on his feet; he experiences numbness and/or pain in his toes on and off. His system is still recovering from surgery and it may take up to a year for everything to be fully healed and working normally again. Although he is pretty fatigued by week’s end, his strength is returning gradually. Dennis has follow up appointments with all three of his doctors; which has meant once a month we get a family day as he has to take the day off of school to make the trip to UCI. So far his blood work has revealed he remains cancer free!
As for the rest of the family, Eliana finished out her 2nd grade year in Christian school in June. Joshua and Carolyn celebrated at his kindergarten graduation for having been a home schooling duo. Their year together went well and after much prayer and discussion, we felt the Lord leading us to home school both kids for this school year. Eliana has adjusted to being home and is managing to tackle her 3rd grade curriculum well. Joshua is sailing through 1st grade. The three of them have fallen into a good routine and feel that they are well-suited for the home schooling lifestyle. Both kids are very content to be at home with mom and neither desire to return to the school setting at this time. They are really enjoying the flexibility and opportunities provided by this type of school setting.
Dennis’ cancer treatment already seems so far in the past, and it was surprising to realize that we spent most of this year working through it all. But in spite of the difficulties we feel we have been blessed beyond what we could have ever asked or imagined. God was faithful to provide for all of our needs in many ways. We were blessed by the incredible support of family, friends, the community of Arrowhead Christian Academy, and even fellow brothers and sisters in the Lord we have never met. The prayers, notes of encouragement, meals, assistance around the house and financial gifts were so appreciated - we can never fully express our gratitude.
It has been a difficult journey, but one that has had a lasting impact on us. We have experienced the Lord’s refining of our faith, lived out our marriage vows, and grown closer as a family. We now have a very strong eternal perspective and find ourselves living less for this world and the things in it. We are rejoicing this Christmas for the gift of life; grateful that God chose to heal Dennis of his cancer, but most importantly for the gift of Jesus, our Lord and Savior. May you also experience God’s hope and joy in the new year through the precious sacrifice of Christ.
With Gratitude and Joy,
The Henrys
Saturday, October 22, 2011
Follow Me
I had the opportunity to attend our church’s women’s conference today. It was a really nice time to be away from the responsibility of home, to sit at the feet of the Lord in worship, hear the Word of God and visit with my very good friend at lunch. The theme of the conference was “Follow Me” based on the Scripture Luke 9:23 which reads, “Then he said to them all: If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.”
Sandy MacIntosh was the first speaker. She talked about the three parts to this verse. First, is the denial of self. She pointed out that it is a choice. The verse says “IF anyone would come after me”. We must choose to give up our way for His will in our life.
Her second point was that we are to take up our cross daily. The verb is in the continual form. It is not a once and for all action. She shared a story from A.W. Tozer. He had said that in every heart there is a throne and a cross. We remain on the throne until we put ourselves on the cross. Paul aid that he could boast in nothing but the cross of Christ. This is to be our motto as well. We are to resign all of our rights to ourselves, our time, our talents, and our plans and surrender them all to the Lord.
In his New Testament Commentary, Warren Wiersbe explains that the “cross was a symbol of shame, guilt, suffering and rejection. There could be no more despicable way to die. Crucifixion was not mentioned in polite conversation. Jesus laid down the stern requirements for discipleship. We must first say no to ourselves - not simply to pleasures or possessions, but to self - and then take up our cross to follow Christ daily. This means to be identified with Him in surrender, suffering and sacrifice.” We are to yield ourselves to God and let Him do the rest.
Finally, Sandy spoke about the third part which says, “follow me”. Her point was that when we follow Jesus, we are transformed and begin to look, sound and talk like Him - the One we are following.
June Hesterly was our second speaker. She had some wonderful insights to add to this verse. June pointed out that there are two invitations in verse 23. The first is an invitation for salvation - the forgiveness of sins and the promise of eternity with God. While many people will accept this invitation and call themselves Christians, some of those people will not accept the second invite.
The second invitation is to follow Jesus and be His disciple. Warren Wiersbe writes that “a disciple is more than a student who learns lessons by means of lectures and books. He is one who learns by living and working with his teacher in a daily ‘hands on’ experience. Too many Christians are content to be listeners who gain a lot of knowledge but who have never put that knowledge into practice.” They are hearers of the Word, but not doers (James 1:22).
She mentioned that there are four parts to following Christ. To begin with, God has called each of us individually, knowing our hearts. In my study of John this week it was brought up that God prepares our hearts ahead of time to receive His message of salvation so we will be ready to accept the offer to follow Him. Next, Sandy said that when we choose to follow Christ, He asks us to live for eternal things, not temporal ones; storing up treasures in heaven. Also, we are to be transformed and renewed by our walk with the Lord. Finally, we are told to expect trials and tribulations.
To do this we must have faith. Faith means we don’t know all the facts about where we’re going, but we go anyway. Much like Ruth who agreed to follow her mother-in-law, Naomi. She gave up all she knew and who she was to take on Naomi’s way of life, place of residence and even her God.
The result of following Christ is we become more like Him. We begin to be filled with “Son-ripened fruit”. And as a result, we will draw others to Christ with the sweet fragrance of our life.
She ended by stating that in this world we will all follow someone or something. We have to decide if we will follow the temporary things of the world or the eternal Christ.
After lunch, Sarah MacIntosh, Sandy’s daughter-in-law, shared her testimony and songs all related to trusting the Lord in the midst of great trials. Her songs focused on God’s faithfulness and who we are in Him.
This was a very timely theme for me. I have recently realized that I have been judging my walk with the Lord based on everything but Him. The only way I can truly follow Jesus and be more like Him is to keep my eyes fixed on Him, and Him alone. My greatest desire is truly to follow Him with my whole heart, to reflect His glory and for others to see Him in me. Wiersbe adds that “discipleship is a daily discipline: we follow Jesus a step at a time, a day at a time. One of the best things about life is that we can take it a day at a time (Deuteronomy 33:25).” Thankfully, the Lord is patient with me and His mercies are new every morning. So when I, like Paul, do the things I don’t want to do and don’t do the things I want to do, God forgives me and I am restored once again by His grace. I am thankful for another day to follow Him!
Thursday, October 20, 2011
The Lamb of God
“The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, ‘Look, The Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” John 1:29
John was born for the soul purpose of preparing the way for the Lord Jesus Christ. When he was pressed about who he was, he did not give a direct answer. He only told who he was not. Warren Wiersbe points out that “John had nothing to say about himself because he was sent to talk about Jesus. Jesus is the Word; John was but a voice.”
Like John, we are chosen by God and God is writing our life story even now. Ephesians 2:8-10 says that “we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works which God prepared in advance for us to do.” We can ask the Lord to help us fulfill our calling.
Once Jesus came on the scene, John began to acknowledge Jesus’ ministry. In verse 29 of chapter 1, John says, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!”. The Bible speaks of Jesus Christ as the “Lamb slain from the foundation of the world” (Revelation 13:8). Genesis 22:6-8 reminds us that God himself provided the lamb for the offering. Isaiah 53:4-7 reveals that like a lamb, Jesus was led to the slaughter. Hebrews 9:11-14 states that Christ “entered the most holy place once for all by his own blood.”
The sacrificial lambs offered by man to God could not take away our sin completely, but the Lamb of God took away the sin of the entire world. Has Jesus become your Lamb? Have you turned to Him to take away the guilt of your sin?
Jesus came to John for baptism in order to “fulfill all righteousness” (Matthew 3:13-17). When Jesus was baptized, the Holy Spirit descended upon Him to reveal His divine anointing. While John’s baptism had been by water for repentance, Jesus’ baptism with the Holy Spirit was for entrance into the family of God. Jesus stepped out of John the Baptist’s shadow to begin His own public ministry.
The rest of the chapter talks about the first disciples being called. Jesus invites us to follow Him, but it is our choice whether to do so. Warren Wiersbe pointed out that Jesus reveals the true heart of Nathanael. This is something that should take place whenever we study the Word of God either in personal study or at our churches. The more we know Christ, the more we will see God.
It is interesting to note that after Andrew and John became followers, they each brought their brothers to Jesus, and Phillip brought Nathanael. “It is a reminder to us that God uses people to win people to Christ!” What about you? Are you willing to be a “voice” to declare who He is?
Vocal - willing to speak out
Obedient - to go whenever and wherever He leads
Instructing - with Truth over your own opinions
Concerned - for the salvation of others
Encouraging - those who listen to follow Christ
(Taken from Live and Believe Harvest Study; Janis J. Vance)
Jesus is my redeemer. I was invited to follow Him and chose to do so. I am now to point at Christ’s work in my life and to draw others to Him. Because I have put my hope in Him, I have a future hope of eternity with the Lamb of God. To others, I say, “Come and see!”
Thank you, Lord, for being my Lamb and taking away my sin. Help me to keep the focus on You and not myself; to be a sincere “voice” to declare who You are to others.
The Christian faith engages the profoundest problems the human mind can entertain and solves them completely and simply by pointing to the Lamb of God. -A.W. Tozer
John was born for the soul purpose of preparing the way for the Lord Jesus Christ. When he was pressed about who he was, he did not give a direct answer. He only told who he was not. Warren Wiersbe points out that “John had nothing to say about himself because he was sent to talk about Jesus. Jesus is the Word; John was but a voice.”
Like John, we are chosen by God and God is writing our life story even now. Ephesians 2:8-10 says that “we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works which God prepared in advance for us to do.” We can ask the Lord to help us fulfill our calling.
Once Jesus came on the scene, John began to acknowledge Jesus’ ministry. In verse 29 of chapter 1, John says, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!”. The Bible speaks of Jesus Christ as the “Lamb slain from the foundation of the world” (Revelation 13:8). Genesis 22:6-8 reminds us that God himself provided the lamb for the offering. Isaiah 53:4-7 reveals that like a lamb, Jesus was led to the slaughter. Hebrews 9:11-14 states that Christ “entered the most holy place once for all by his own blood.”
The sacrificial lambs offered by man to God could not take away our sin completely, but the Lamb of God took away the sin of the entire world. Has Jesus become your Lamb? Have you turned to Him to take away the guilt of your sin?
Jesus came to John for baptism in order to “fulfill all righteousness” (Matthew 3:13-17). When Jesus was baptized, the Holy Spirit descended upon Him to reveal His divine anointing. While John’s baptism had been by water for repentance, Jesus’ baptism with the Holy Spirit was for entrance into the family of God. Jesus stepped out of John the Baptist’s shadow to begin His own public ministry.
The rest of the chapter talks about the first disciples being called. Jesus invites us to follow Him, but it is our choice whether to do so. Warren Wiersbe pointed out that Jesus reveals the true heart of Nathanael. This is something that should take place whenever we study the Word of God either in personal study or at our churches. The more we know Christ, the more we will see God.
It is interesting to note that after Andrew and John became followers, they each brought their brothers to Jesus, and Phillip brought Nathanael. “It is a reminder to us that God uses people to win people to Christ!” What about you? Are you willing to be a “voice” to declare who He is?
Vocal - willing to speak out
Obedient - to go whenever and wherever He leads
Instructing - with Truth over your own opinions
Concerned - for the salvation of others
Encouraging - those who listen to follow Christ
(Taken from Live and Believe Harvest Study; Janis J. Vance)
Jesus is my redeemer. I was invited to follow Him and chose to do so. I am now to point at Christ’s work in my life and to draw others to Him. Because I have put my hope in Him, I have a future hope of eternity with the Lamb of God. To others, I say, “Come and see!”
Thank you, Lord, for being my Lamb and taking away my sin. Help me to keep the focus on You and not myself; to be a sincere “voice” to declare who You are to others.
The Christian faith engages the profoundest problems the human mind can entertain and solves them completely and simply by pointing to the Lamb of God. -A.W. Tozer
Monday, September 26, 2011
To See Him Walking on the Sea
Dennis and I read this devotion the other night in Oswald Chamber's book "My Utmost for His Highest".
This devotion spoke exactly what I had been feeling in previous weeks. So often I have identified with Peter and his desire to express his faith in the Lord by stepping out of the boat and walking to Jesus on the water. All is fine while Peter keeps his eyes on the Lord, but when he begins to look at the storm around him, he becomes fearful, begins to sink and then drown in the turmoil. The lesson is clear, we do not need to be anxious, fearful or confused in any situation because Christ is there "walking on the sea" with us. We need to remain obedient in all circumstances; "moment-by-moment" so that when hard times do come, we won't become overwhelmed.
I was anything but "calm, faithful, and unconfused" when dealing with Dennis' job change four years ago, amid our financial struggles these past several years, with different stages of Dennis' cancer treatment, and even just these past weeks with homeschooling, as well as at various times throughout my Christian life when I find myself stepping into the same area of sin again.
Like Peter, it is my greatest desire to follow Christ with my whole heart and to acknowledge Him in all my ways. But too often I take my eyes off of Christ and look at my difficult circumstances, the people around me, or I focus on the fact that my expectations and desires are not being met. The end result is that I become disconnected with the Lord and things begin to fall apart.
Our Pastor shared on Sunday that being a Christian doesn't mean life is going to be easier. In fact, it means it's going to be harder. When we're living only for our selfish desires, it's easy. We're not worried about having integrity, being patient and kind to others, showing respect, working through marriage difficulties or teaching our children to do the same. But when we decide to follow Christ, we then have a standard to follow. God desires us to be obedient in all the daily mundane things in our life so that when the really hard things come, we can still follow Christ.
So as a new storm had been building in my life over the past several weeks, I realized once again that I had stopped being obedient and keeping my focus on Christ Himself. I was looking too far ahead and at others around me and wallowing in the fact that my expectations weren't being met. But once I began to put my focus back where it belonged, I was able to navigate the difficulties with patience, kindness and wisdom. They haven't completely gone away, but by being obedient to God's purpose for me and my home, I am learning to walk in the storm.
So I step out in faith again - seeking to fulfill God's purpose for my life.
God's Purpose or Mine?
He made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side. . . Mark 6:45
We tend to think that if Jesus Christ compels us to do something and we are obedient to Him, He will lead us to the great success. We should never have the thought that our dreams of success are God's purpose for us. In fact, His purpose may be exactly the opposite. We have the idea that God is leading us toward a particular end or desired goal, but He is not. The question of whether or not we arrive at a particular goal is of little importance, and reaching it becomes merely an episode along the way. What we see as only the process of reaching a particular end, God sees as the goal itself.
What is my vision of God's purpose for me? Whatever it may be, His purpose is for me to depend on Him and on His power now. If I can stay calm, faithful, and unconfused while in the middle of the turmoil of life, the goal of the purpose of God is being accomplished in me. God is not working toward a particular finish - His purpose is the process itself. What He desires for me is that I see "Him walking on the sea" (6:49). It is the process, not the outcome, that is glorifying to God.
God's training is for now, not later. His purpose is for this very minute, not for sometime in the future. We have nothing to do with what will follow our obedience, and we are wrong to concern ourselves with it. What people call preparation, God sees as the goal itself.
God's purpose is to enable me to see that He can walk on the storms of my life right now. If we have a further goal in mind, we are not paying enough attention to the present time. However, if we realize that moment-by-moment obedience is the goal, then each moment as it comes is precious.
He made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side. . . Mark 6:45
We tend to think that if Jesus Christ compels us to do something and we are obedient to Him, He will lead us to the great success. We should never have the thought that our dreams of success are God's purpose for us. In fact, His purpose may be exactly the opposite. We have the idea that God is leading us toward a particular end or desired goal, but He is not. The question of whether or not we arrive at a particular goal is of little importance, and reaching it becomes merely an episode along the way. What we see as only the process of reaching a particular end, God sees as the goal itself.
What is my vision of God's purpose for me? Whatever it may be, His purpose is for me to depend on Him and on His power now. If I can stay calm, faithful, and unconfused while in the middle of the turmoil of life, the goal of the purpose of God is being accomplished in me. God is not working toward a particular finish - His purpose is the process itself. What He desires for me is that I see "Him walking on the sea" (6:49). It is the process, not the outcome, that is glorifying to God.
God's training is for now, not later. His purpose is for this very minute, not for sometime in the future. We have nothing to do with what will follow our obedience, and we are wrong to concern ourselves with it. What people call preparation, God sees as the goal itself.
God's purpose is to enable me to see that He can walk on the storms of my life right now. If we have a further goal in mind, we are not paying enough attention to the present time. However, if we realize that moment-by-moment obedience is the goal, then each moment as it comes is precious.
This devotion spoke exactly what I had been feeling in previous weeks. So often I have identified with Peter and his desire to express his faith in the Lord by stepping out of the boat and walking to Jesus on the water. All is fine while Peter keeps his eyes on the Lord, but when he begins to look at the storm around him, he becomes fearful, begins to sink and then drown in the turmoil. The lesson is clear, we do not need to be anxious, fearful or confused in any situation because Christ is there "walking on the sea" with us. We need to remain obedient in all circumstances; "moment-by-moment" so that when hard times do come, we won't become overwhelmed.
I was anything but "calm, faithful, and unconfused" when dealing with Dennis' job change four years ago, amid our financial struggles these past several years, with different stages of Dennis' cancer treatment, and even just these past weeks with homeschooling, as well as at various times throughout my Christian life when I find myself stepping into the same area of sin again.
Like Peter, it is my greatest desire to follow Christ with my whole heart and to acknowledge Him in all my ways. But too often I take my eyes off of Christ and look at my difficult circumstances, the people around me, or I focus on the fact that my expectations and desires are not being met. The end result is that I become disconnected with the Lord and things begin to fall apart.
Our Pastor shared on Sunday that being a Christian doesn't mean life is going to be easier. In fact, it means it's going to be harder. When we're living only for our selfish desires, it's easy. We're not worried about having integrity, being patient and kind to others, showing respect, working through marriage difficulties or teaching our children to do the same. But when we decide to follow Christ, we then have a standard to follow. God desires us to be obedient in all the daily mundane things in our life so that when the really hard things come, we can still follow Christ.
So as a new storm had been building in my life over the past several weeks, I realized once again that I had stopped being obedient and keeping my focus on Christ Himself. I was looking too far ahead and at others around me and wallowing in the fact that my expectations weren't being met. But once I began to put my focus back where it belonged, I was able to navigate the difficulties with patience, kindness and wisdom. They haven't completely gone away, but by being obedient to God's purpose for me and my home, I am learning to walk in the storm.
So I step out in faith again - seeking to fulfill God's purpose for my life.
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