Lenten Meditation: a Word of Completion

tetelestai

Tetelestai!* It is finished! The death of Christ on the Cross is the HINGE of human history...and nowbefore He breathes His last breath... a cry of victory,It is finished!

What's finished? It must be something BIG,...look at what happened when Jesus died:

At that moment the curtain in the sanctuary of the Temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. The earth shook, rocks split apart, and tombs opened. The bodies of many godly men and women who had died were raised from the dead. They left the cemetery after Jesus’ resurrection, went into the holy city of Jerusalem, and appeared to many people. The Roman officer and the other soldiers at the crucifixion were terrified by the earthquake and all that had happened. They said, “This man truly was the Son of God!” Matthew 27:51-54 NLT

So WHAT was finished?  What wascomplete at the death of Christ?

All the work that the Father had sent the Son to accomplish:

“My food,” said Jesus, “is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work."

...especiallythe work of atonement and redemption as our Sin Bearer:

For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ. 2Cor 5:21 NLT

...so that there was nothing left to be done to bring us to a Holy God!

Christ suffered for our sins once for all time. He never sinned, but he died for sinners to bring you safely home to God. 1 Peter 3:18 NLT

paid in full

This has HUGE implications for us!

Jesus did everything that He needed to do... ...for our salvation from the penalty of sin! ...for our Christian life on this earth! ...for our eternity in glory!

Look at how Paul says it:

When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners....God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. And since we have been made right in God’s sight by the blood of Christ, he will certainly save us from God’s condemnation. For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of his Son. Romans 5:6-10

But not only did Jesus die for us (as if that wasn't enough), but we died with Him (read Romans 6 and Colossians 3)

I have been crucified with Christ; nevertheless I live, yet not I, but Christ lives in me... Galatians 2:20a NIV

...you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. Col 3:3-4

crucufixion tetelestai

Now this is where it gets really exciting...and practical for my everyday life:

WHAT did I die to through my union with Christ?

I died to the sinful self -- Gal 2:20; 2Cor 5:17; Rom 6:3-14 I died to the flesh -- Col 2:11-12; Rom 8:1-10 I died to sin --  Col 2:13; Romans 6:3-14; Eph 2:1-7;2Cor 5:21 I died to the Law (“to do list” religion)! -- Rom 7:4-6; 8:3-4; Gal 2:19-20; 3:10-25; Col 2:14 I died to the power of Satan, whose main tactics are lies and accusation! -- Col 2:15; Heb 2:14-15; Eph 1:19-21;6:10ff I died to the world -- Gal 6:14; Col 2:8

So if death means separation, then...

I've been disconnected from my selfish self as my source of life; I've been disconnected from the fleshly and sinful attitude of independence as the source of my life; I've been disconnected from the need to do good works (religious and otherwise) to earn God's favor (I already have God's favor in Christ); I've been disconnected from the power of the lies of the enemy (for a good example of this, see Caught in the Web); I've been disconnected from the world system with its values and mindset as my source of meaning in life.

Now I can chose to live from the indwelling, risen Christ who is my life...

And that's worth shouting about...Tetelestai!

And singing about..

How deep the Father's love for us, How vast beyond all measure That He should give His only Son To make a wretch His treasure

How great the pain of searing loss, The Father turns His face away As wounds which mar the chosen One, Bring many sons to glory

Behold the Man upon a cross, My sin upon His shoulders Ashamed I hear my mocking voice, Call out among the scoffers

It was my sin that left Him there Until it was accomplished His dying breath has brought me life I know that it is finished

I will not boast in anything No gifts, no power, no wisdom But I will boast in Jesus Christ His death and resurrection

Why should I gain from His reward? I cannot give an answer But this I know with all my heart His wounds have paid my ransom

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Bible Note: In John 19:30, "John chose to quote Jesus using the Greek word tetelestai, an accounting term found on canceled loan documents, relieving a debtor of future payment.  When the last payment had been made, the paper was stamped tetelestai, meaning 'paid in full.' If the lender wished to forgive the debt, he could stamp the document tetelestai, meaning 'fulfilled' or 'completed.'"  (Chuck Swindoll, Saying It Well, p. 131)

Lenten Meditation: a Word about Words

Thinking of the  the heart-rending words of Jesus on the cross, I came across these enlightening words of a brother that I have loved and followed for years. Steve Brown of Key Life is all about Jesus and all about His grace....and that's what I love!  So maybe you would like to hear what he says about the words we God-people speak.  This is Steve's March 2015 newsletter.  Enjoy and be "arrested!"

This morning I came across a C.S. Lewis poem in The Bulletin of The New York C.S. Lewis Society. (I’ve subscribed to that publication longer than some of you’ve been alive.) I had to share it with someone. And you’re it.

From all my lame defeats and oh! much more From all the victories that I seemed to score; From cleverness shot forth on Thy behalf At which, while angels weep, the audience laugh; From all my proofs of Thy divinity, Thou, who wouldst give no sign, deliver me. Thoughts are but coins. Let me not trust, instead of Thee, their thin-worn image of Thy head. From all my thoughts, even from my thoughts of Thee, O thou fair Silence, fall, and set me free. Lord of the narrow gate and the needle’s eye, Take from me all my trumpery lest I die.

That poem resonates with me for a lot of reasons. One of them is because I’m a man of words. I preach, teach, speak and write with God words, and sometimes I’m overwhelmed by how very shallow they are. Thomas Aquinas, after writing hundreds of thousands of words, at the end of his life as he went to live in a monastery, said, “It’s all straw…just straw!”

A critic of mine said recently that I should be ignored because I was “irrelevant.”

Bingo!

I get that. A critic of mine said recently that I should be ignored because I was “irrelevant.”

Bingo!

Henri Nouwen once wrote, “I am deeply convinced that the Christian leader of the future is called to be completely irrelevant and to stand in this world with nothing to offer but his or her own vulnerable self. The leaders of the future will be those who dare to claim their irrelevance in the contemporary world as a divine vocation.”

I think I can do that.

Sometimes I feel like Charlie Brown watching the clouds with Lucy and Linus. Linus says that he sees in the clouds the profile of Thomas Eakins, the famous painter and sculptor, or the map of the British Honduras. Lucy says that she sees the image of the stoning of Stephen with the Apostle Paul standing by. They ask Charlie what he sees in the clouds and Charlie says, “Well…I was going to say I saw a duckie and a horsie, but I changed my mind.”

The Apostle Paul made a powerful comment that I’m going to take a bit out of context. Evidently, one of the criticisms of Paul was that he was all talk. So Paul is angry and defending himself—Paul did a good deal of that—when he wrote, “For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power” (1 Corinthians 2:2-4).

I’ve been thinking of late about words in general and God words in particular. Those words are the words from which we create theology, doctrine and truth about God. Words are also what we do when we defend, denounce and destroy in God’s name. Words—even God words—can often be irrelevant.

Karl Barth, perhaps the most important theological voice in the church in the last hundred years, said that every time he came out with another book the angels got the giggles.

Jesus made a very scary comment once—especially for someone like me who talks all the time. “I tell you,” he said, “on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned” (Matthew 12:36-37).

Yikes!

Why would Jesus say something like that?

First, I suppose, because, as House says, “everybody lies,” and you have to be careful about lies. Paul said to the Ephesians, “Let no one deceive you with empty words…” (Ephesians 5:6). People lie all the time about God. They do it for a variety of reasons…power, prestige, money, etc. If I can convince you, for example, that God is a monster and can make you feel guilty enough, I can take up a big collection and build an empire. That, of course, is fairly obvious.

The purpose of doctrine and theology is to point to Jesus. (emphasis mine)

But there’s more. Second, words are not reality but only point to reality. There is only one purpose for biblical doctrine and theology, and it’s not so we can know as much of it as possible and impress our friends. The purpose of doctrine and theology is to point to Jesus. Insofar as the words do that, they are good; and insofar as they don’t, they are about as valuable (even God words) as a “bag of chicken feed.”

It’s possible, as Mark Twain said, “to know the words but not the tune.” (emphasis mine)

It’s what Jesus meant when he quoted Isaiah: “This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me” (Matthew 15:8).

There is another reason for Jesus’ scary words about words. Third, words must become flesh or they don’t mean anything. Of course, John 1 is the perfect example of that when God not only talked about love but “the Word became flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:14) and loved us. Then you’ll remember what Jesus said of the Scribes and Pharisees, that the crowd should listen to what they said because they “sit on Moses’ seat, so practice and observe whatever they tell you” (Matthew 23:2-3). Then in the rest of the chapter, Jesus says some very harsh things about the very people he had just said ought to be listened to. Why? It was because their words didn’t reflect the reality of their lives.

I fully believe that at the judgment seat of God when all God’s people stand before a righteous God he will have a lot to say about words. “You were all wrong,” I suspect he will say, “and some of you were really wrong. But I’ve talked to my Son about you and he says you’re covered. So welcome Home.”

When our words reflect the “covering of Jesus” then those words are not ones that will judge us. They are the words out of which we write a hymn of praise to God for the finished work of Christ.

And I’m not talking about “walking the talk” or being nice to please Jesus. Nobody has words that reflect their own goodness, purity and faithfulness. That’s because nobody is that. I’m talking about the fact that loved people normally love more, great sinners rarely throw rocks, guilty people make others feel guilty while forgiven people set people free, self-righteous folks make us wince while great sinners remind us of Jesus…and our words reflect all of that. It’s not just something you say; it’s something you are.

Speaking of words, I’m running out of space here for more words.

But frankly, I feel a lot better about my words than I did when I first started this letter. Given that I’m the most screwed-up friend you’ve got and just said that… …I’m safe.

Jesus told me to tell you that you are too.

The Problem with God Words - Steve’s Letter March 2015 By: Steve Brown on Wednesday March 4, 2015

Lenten Meditation: Eulogize your living loved one

eulogy  noun, plural eulogies.1. a speech or writing in praise of a person or thing, especially a set oration in honor of a deceased person. 2. high praise or commendation.

In our week's Lenten meditation, we focus on the Lord's care for His dear mom as His own death approaches.  How tender, how like a beloved son of a beloved mom! Caring for our treasured loved ones is at the heart of "family" in the purest sense of the word.

However, we often forget that true caring can be much deeper and more needed than merely physical care, as critical as that is.  There's a caring that touches heart and soul...one that meeting physical needs approaches, but a caring that perhaps only loving words can reach.

We busily go through our lives, often thinking many kind thoughts and feeling loving, appreciative sentiments for our loved ones, but not stopping to put words and voice to them...nourishing the soul of ones we love.

Rather what do we traditionally do?  We wait until the person has passed away to express those words, words that deep down she may have been longing to hear.    We give those golden words to others in the form of a eulogy, either formally or informally delivered, at a funeral or memorial service.

I've been thinking a lot about death these days, especially since my dear mom has taken some major steps in that direction.  About six years ago, several of my siblings had the wonderful brain-child to celebrate my mom's 85th birthday with a big party/reunion.  This was a huge deal with music, singing, readings and fun!

As part of that, many of us wrote, in a sense, our eulogies to her, and my son Jeremy compiled them in a book with photos.  And as wonderful as the entire occasion was, the most important thing was that little volume of golden words.

I'm not sure my mom was able to take it all that day...and maybe will never be able to take it in until Jesus says, "Well done, my faithful daughter, Jeanette!"  But I do know something was received...she was honored with words of love, affection, and affirmation.  And she can look through that book today, and who knows but memories may click in!

So dear friends, don't wait too long!  Don't even wait till 85...life is a vapor!

I really believe that a big part of our grief over the loss of a love one is really regret (which can eat us alive!).  Seize the opportunity to just simply say the beautiful, wonderful things you think and feel, even right then and there in the moment. You don't need a big bash to do it! Don't assume the person knows how you feel!

You will be glad you did...but most of all, your loved one will be "cared for" in the depths of her soul!

For His honor and glory! Amen!

To see my "eulogy" for my mom's 85, click here.

Take a look at the one another verses.

Lenten Meditation: a Word of Family Affection

Dear woman, behold your son...behold your mother.  John 19:26 Jesus has a special love for His own.

As we've already seen with His forgiving and saving attitude in the midst of excruciating agony, His concern was not with His own suffering.  Rather His attention was next drawn to His precious loved ones at the foot of His cross, His mother and His beloved disciple John.

What agony Jesus must have seen on Mary's face. Calvin Miller describes the scene well:

Beneath the tree stood the grieving mother of the heretic.  She was a woman whose face was rimmed by little wisps of silver hair that protruded defiantly from under her mantle; occasionally she trembled with uncontrollable spasms of despair.  Before the tree a young fisherman gazed in blurred glances at his dying friend; his broad arm cradled the head of the convict's mother.  But he was unable to console her.  The man on the cross was her son... Miller, Once Upon a Tree

This was her little boy...her precious son that she nursed and rocked and raised to be a man to fulfill God's plan.  Yes, she had warning of suffering ahead...remember Simeon's prophecy when the baby was presented in the Temple?

This child is destined to cause many in Israel to fall, but he will be a joy to many others. He has been sent as a sign from God, but many will oppose him. As a result, the deepest thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword [romphia] will pierce your very soul. Luke 2:34 NLT

Little did Mary know all this sword would entail.  According to Miller, romphia (Greek) was a huge Persian sword that literally skewers its victims in pain.   Jesus Himself knew all this and yet submitted to the Father's plan.

But now He would care for His suffering mama by entrusting her to the man He knew would care for her as his own.

When Jesus saw his mother standing there beside the disciple he loved, he said to her, “Dear woman, here is your son.” And he said to this disciple, “Here is your mother.” And from then on this disciple took her into his home. John 19:26-27 NLT

Years later the apostle Paul would write to Timothy, his beloved son in the faith:

Michelangelo's Pieta

If anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for his immediate family, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever. 1 Timothy 5:8

But this begs the question...where were Jesus' brothers?  Surely, this first-born Son could have entrusted His mother to one of his brothers, James or Jude, or perhaps another close relative.

There was obviously something more going on here...something that includes you and me.

Perhaps a year or so before...

...as Jesus was speaking to the crowd, his mother and brothers stood outside, asking to speak to him. Someone told Jesus, “Your mother and your brothers are outside, and they want to speak to you.” Jesus asked, “Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?” Then he pointed to his disciples and said, “Look, these are my mother and brothers. Anyone who does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother!” Matthew 12:46-50 NLT

So by entrusting His mother to His beloved disciple and friend, Jesus was "creating a new family based not on kinship to one another [blood relationship] but solely through their relationship to him."*  Although his brothers were related by blood, they had not yet become related in the Spirit through faith in Him, God's Son and Savior of the world.

And that brings us back to us believers...those of us who are related to Him by faith.  We are His family...children of the same Father:

But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. John 1:12

Jesus the God-Man is our Brother, and we are his brothers and sisters:

In bringing many sons to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the author of their salvation perfect through suffering. Both the one who makes men holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers … For this reason, he had to be made like his brothers in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest. Hebrews 2:10, 11, 17

And Jesus cares for His own with a special love and care:

Since he himself has gone through suffering and testing, he is able to help us when we are being tested...So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most. Hebrews 2:18; 4:16 NLT

We also belong to one another...brothers and sisters in our Father's and Brother's family.

On the night before He died, Jesus gave us the new commandment, Love one another as I have loved you...

Why? because then the world will know you are my disciples. Why?  because the world will hate you. Why? because in this world you will have trouble.

So we will need each other!

Love each other with brotherly affection, and delight in honoring each other. Romans 12:10

Dear brothers and sisters, ...who is it in your human family that needs your affection and attention? ...who is it in the family of God that needs your brotherly (Or sisterly) affection and attention?

Therefore, whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone--especially to those in the family of faith.  Gal 6:10

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Bible Students:

Go back to the night before Jesus died (John 13-17). Mark every time that Jesus says love with a red heart. Who is loving whom? Now do this for the epistle of First John. Did you notice that LOVE is John's emphasis? No wonder...He's the disciple Jesus loved.

You may also like this post:  "Love's Abiding Harvest"

The New Testament is filled with "_________________ one another verses." Click here and read through all of them, including the Scriptures. Which ones jump out to you and why? Is God telling you to do something about it...attitude or action-wise?

You may also like this post:"It Takes a Village..."

Activity:

In the center of a piece of paper, write your name.  Around your name, write the names of all the other persons that you consider part of your family.  Those closest to you might be written close to your name, those further away may be written a greater distance from your name. *

Now do the same with your "spiritual family"...fellow believers in your life, whether in your church body, Bible study, family, neighbors, etc.

Then answer the closing questions above...

Dear brothers and sisters, ...who is it in your human family that needs your affection and attention? ...who is it in the family of God that needs your brotherly (Or sisterly) affection and attention?

Lenten Meditation: Finding It Home

Paradise, Heaven, the Pearly Gates, our Eternal Rest...mystery beyond measure! The Bible gives us glimpses of this place of rest from earthly labors...streets of gold, myriads of angels, the throne of God, believing loved ones we have said "good by" to on this earth, and most of all, the presence of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, the Lover of our souls!

heaven, jesus welcoming

My almost 91 year old mom is getting very close to that glorious place.  I think that all her life, she has kept heaven in view.  I remember as a child she would quote this verse to me:

...eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither hath it entered into the heart of man, what things God hath prepared for them that love him. 1 Corinthians 2:9 DRA

She applied that precious verse to heaven, and she is certainly right.*  We humans cannot even imagine...but we will have our spiritual senses sharpened to take it all in.  Now we experience Him & His delights as in a shadow, don't we?  But then face to face!

For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known. 1 Corinthians 13:12 ESV

I found a sweet book on Heaven in my search to find something my mom could take in with her now limited physical understanding.  It's by Anne Graham Lotz.  Perhaps you would like to take a look.

The older I get in the Lord, the more I realize what Jesus said is true, "Unless you become as a little child, you cannot enter [and might I add, "experience"] the kingdom of God."

Heaven, Lotz

As I woke up this morning, I recalled a song I have loved for years.  It has a hauntingly beautiful melody, so rich in imagery.  Here it is. Enjoy it in two ways.  The first is the song movingly sung by a male voice; the second, at the end of a sweet medley sung by Christine Wrytzen.  May you be blessed by both.

Heaven, god's hands

Finally Home

When engulfed by the terror of the tempestuous sea, Unknown waves before you roll; At the end of doubt and peril is eternity, Though fear and conflict seize your soul.

But just think of stepping on shore-And finding it Heaven! Of touching a hand-And finding it God's! Of breathing new air-And finding it celestial! Of waking up in glory-And finding it home!

When surrounded by the blackness of the darkest night, O how lonely death can be; At the end of this long tunnel is a shining light, For death is swallowed up in victory!

But just think of stepping on shore-And finding it Heaven! Of touching a hand-And finding it God's! Of breathing new air-And finding it celestial! Of waking up in glory-And finding it home!

*In the context of 2 Corinthians 2, this verse is more broadly applied to experiencing the Lord in ever increasing measure even while here on earth.  Of course in heaven, it will be full...hallelujah!

Lenten Meditation: Forgiven to Live...and Forgive

Until you rest in the finality of the cross, you will never experience the reality of the resurrection, which is Christ living in and through you!Unless you rest in the fact that Jesus did it all, you’ll be so busy trying to pay off your debt—atone for your sins—that you’ll never grow and enjoy the personal relationship that Christ has provided for you.

Bob George, Growing in Grace

FATHER FORGIVE THEM

Embracing our total forgiveness by our Lord Jesus Christ and His atoning death on the cross for every sin,

one by one,

all of them,

what we have done and will do,

and, not only that, who we are apart from Him...

...is essential for life, that is, the life of God in us!

Yes, the living, resurrected Christ indwellingour spirit made new...

This is basic to forgiving others, because in reality, we can't do it on our own...but the forgiving indwelling Lord can and does, as we live from His life!

So whether we have been blatant sinners in the same category as the prodigal son...

...or subtle, pride-filled sinners a la elder brother,

Jesus has forgiven us!

Embrace that forgiveness today, dear friend, and live!

And forgive...by the indwelling, forgiving Christ! Amen!

I will be their God,    and they shall be my people...for they shall all know me,    from the least of them to the greatest.For I will be merciful toward their iniquities,    and I will remember their sins no more. Hebrews 8:10-12 ESV

Dancing with Jesus

stephanie

May I introduce my long-time friend and sister in the Lord, Stephanie Curtis?  Stephanie and I met at Community Bible Chapel when our kiddos were very little.  And then low and behold, I ended up being her son Aaron's kindergarten teacher for several months (as a sub) at Scoffield Christian School in Dallas.

But Stephanie and I really connected in studying the word together with Chuck Swindoll and Insight for Living...via radio, of course.  Stephanie and I, along with another friend, would study all week, using Chuck's study guides, and then we would get together and discuss the Word, followed by prayer for our families and each other.

Those were precious days indeed...those days as young moms, sharing with the Lord and with each other!

Then there came moves to Atlanta (Stephanie) and Dayton (Jan)...

The years passed...and kids grew and married...and the grandkids started appearing.  Once a year communication through Christmas letters (Stephanie being more faithful at it than I was, I have to admit) kept us loosely connected.

Then entered facebook! Oh blessed facebook!  And my friend Stephanie came back into my life.

So I am honored to introduce you to my godly friend Stephanie as my latest Guest Branch. Be blessed and amazed as you read her story of a precious intimacy with her Savior and ours!

Thank you so much, Stephanie, for  sharing your experience with us...to God be all the glory for His pleasure and purpose in our generation to the next! (Acts 13:36)

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waltz

One generation will commend your works to another; they will tell of your mighty acts. They will speak of the glorious splendor of your majesty, and I will meditate on your wonderful works. Psalm 145: 3,4

About fifteen years ago, I began experiencing an intimacy with God I hadn't known before. In part, this was prompted by our involvement as intercessors in a cantata based on the Song of Solomon. Don and I began studying the Song of Solomon.  I felt a closeness, an intimacy with God, that was quite amazing. My life seemed like a date with the God of the universe.

There was a man in our church at that time named Lamar. He was old school Pentecostal, and he loved the Lord with every inch of his long, lanky body.  He always sat in the front row and when he got excited about the Lord, he started dancing. He hooted and hollered and kicked up his heels, doing sort of whirly-gig across the room. We are a charismatic church, but he trumped anything the rest of us did to show enthusiasm for God.

One Sunday the worship team did a beautiful melodic praise song. I began imagining that Jesus was asking me to dance and I danced with him in my mind. Of course, that sort of imagination can get tricky because you have to do it so that you don't really put a face on Jesus. After all, we don't know what he looked like. I could run the risk of putting Don's face there. Or, worse yet, George Clooney's face.

So, to my best ability, I imagined Jesus, in sort of a fuzzy way, dancing with me. It was so lovely. We must have been doing a waltz. I think he was in a tux. I was really into it and loving the moment—so much so that I didn't notice the tempo and rhythm transition to the next song, which was “Mercy is Falling.” The one with the refrain that goes “Hey Ho I receive your glory; Hey Ho I receive your grace, Hey Ho I will dance forever more.”

As the worship team was ramping up that rousing song, I felt someone tapping me on the shoulder. It startled me out of my reverie and to my surprise, Lamar was there asking me to dance. I was in shock.  Lamar had never asked anyone to dance with him before. Well, before I had a chance to get too nervous, he pulled me up to the front and there I was, whirly- gigging across the front of the room with Lamar!  When the song was over, Lamar told me the most amazing thing. He said that God had told him to ask me to dance.

Isn't that so incredible and so like our God? God has often shown me His humorous side. In this case, there I was imagining dancing a waltz with Jesus and He tells someone to ask me to dance---kicking and leaping across the room.

But, besides a little chuckle, there were observations and lessons there for me. First, the obvious observation. What a miracle. What a boost to my faith that God, when I was imagining dancing with Jesus, would actually tell someone to ask me to dance. That still blows me away!

One  lesson is that we never know what to expect when it comes to our God. We want God in our circumstances and in our lives, but we are clueless as to what that is going to look like. So, we sometimes don't recognize Him. Comparing our lives to a dance with the Lord, when He taps us on the shoulder and wants to dance with us, we are sometimes expecting a different kind of dance; a different kind song.

This brings me back to intimacy with God. It doesn't always feel like a date, or a slow dance, with the God of the universe. But, God is ever Present and ever waiting for us to dance with him.

For those who have lost "their valentines"

broken heart

Thinking of you this week, dear grieving ones.  Are you one of them? -- you've lost the "love of your life," a treasured loved one, a precious friend. I've been listening to this song... and thinking of you!  May the Lord's comfort be yours in abundance today!

God Is Love

All we hold is frail and briefPatched together by beliefThe pattern only partiallyRevealed for us to seeWhat are tears but seeds we sow?In fields unseen such harvest growWhose joys will one day overflowThe measure of our grief

REFRAINIf God is loveThen love we trustIs strong enough to hold our sorrowIf God is loveHe carries us We will not fear what comes tomorrowLove will heal usFor God is love

Then suffering's no enemyAnd poverty, no povertyAnd death our greatest victoryWhen swallowed up in life

REFRAIN

Though sorrow surge at every stepYet goodness is assuredFor none that harms or troubles hereWill speak the final wordLove speaks the final word

REFRAIN

Loving and Being Loved

valentine man

A few years ago on Valentines Day, I ran to Kroger to pick up a few needed items.  As I got out of my car in the parking lot and walked across the lot to enter the store, I saw a man leaving, carrying a beautiful bouquet of fresh flowers!   For some reason, it moved me to tears. Here was a middle-aged, short, stocky guy...not handsome at all....not romantic looking or attractive in any way.  And yet, I realized he was incredibly blessed because he LOVES someone.

Maybe she's a wife, a sweetheart, a daughter, a mother...but he has SOMEONE to love.

And maybe she loves HIM in return!

Love is a gift...both sides of love -- loving and being loved.

If you love someone today...let him/her know!  If you are loved by someone today...be thankful!

Above all, dear friend, know that you are loved by your God...be thankful and let HIM know!

We love because He first loved us! 1 John 4:19

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!

conversation hearts

I love this poem.  I discovered in the form of a picture book when my kids were young.  Now I use it with my adult ESOL & GED classes, printed out with several Hershey Hugs and a real hug!  Give it a try!

Hugs by Ron Stopkoski

It's wondrous what a hug can do.A hug can cheer you when you're blueA hug can say, "I love you so,"Or, "Gee, I hate to see you go."

A hug is, "Welcome back again,"And, "Great to see you!  Where have you been?"A hug can soothe a small child's painAnd bring a rainbow after rain.

The hug! There's just no doubt about it!We scarcely could survive with out it!A hug delights and warms and charms.It must be why God gave us arms.

Hugs are great for fathers and mothers,Sweet for sisters, swell for brothers.And chances are your favorite auntsLove them more than potted plants.

Kittens crave them. Puppies love them.Heads of state are not above them.A hug can break the language barrierAnd make your travels so much merrier.

No need to fret about your store of 'em;The more you give the more there's more of  'em.So stretch those arms without delayAnd GIVE SOMEONE A HUG TODAY!!!!

Straining at my Oars...

I've been preparing a devotional for a local home school support group. This message, which I have given many times before, always seems to hit home, no matter the age group. And it's not because I'm such a dynamic speaker (I go with fear and trembling).  It's because of the Lord's simple truth that we often miss, at least I did for many years...and apparently many others have also. The devotional is based on a story we find in the gospels when Jesus walks out on the stormy sea to His terrified and struggling disciples.  (If you would like to read more, pause right here and follow these two links: Inviting Jesus into my Boat  & Urging and Opening).

The basic message is that...

...the Lord wants us to invite Him into our "boat," our stuff, our mess, our upheaval--whether emotional, spiritual, or physical.

This is so simple, but so true: no matter how old we are humanly or spiritually...

The Lord wants to be wanted by each of us!

But in this post, I want to share a realization that the Lord awakened me with this morning...from a verse in that story that I had rehearsed for myself and many others.  This verse hit me right where I live in my today:

And when it was evening, the boat was in the midst of the sea, and He was alone on the land. And seeing them straining at the oars,... He came to them, walking on the sea; and He intended to pass by them.

With that verse creeping into my waking consciousness, I sensed the Holy Spirit's merciful, gentle, but insistent, nudge:

Jan, you are straining at your oars again!

Wow, You are right, O Lord!  I'm straining at

my "book oars,"

my "90 year old precious mom who is fragile and failing" oars,

my "needing to get on a plane and fly to help after just being home from a trip for not even two weeks" oars.

I'm struggling with

the oars of "blood pressure issues and allergies to the meds,"

the oars of "teaching a new group of students in my English class,"

the oars of "speaking in front of an unknown audience anxiety,"

and any other "oars" the enemy and my insecure humanness may drum up in my mind.

And so Lord, come into my boat, which holds each of these situations...don't walk past and let me strain at my own oars, O God!

I don't have the strength...You do!

I don't have the resources...You do!

I don't have the courage...You do!

I don't have the wisdom and discernment..You do!

In fact, You are all of those things and much more. 

I release to You!  I invite You in! I live from Your abiding Self...today...right now...for anything and everything! Amen and amen!

This day...This LORD!

My prayer for my Today:

You belong to me, and I belong to You, TODAY, my Jesus.

You live in Me, and I live in you, TODAY, my Lord.

You abide in me, and I abide in You, TODAY, my Vine.

You save me TODAY and always, my Savior, and You save me right NOW, my King!

You are my I AM, now, TODAY...AND FOREVER!

Living Water for my thirsty soul right now,

the Bread of Life for my hungry heart in this moment,

the Light of my world today,

my Good Shepherd for this situation,

the Resurrection and the Life for my present "deadnesses,"

the Way, the Truth, the Life for the path I take right now,

the True Vine in whom I am now abiding...

You are my indwelling Peace, my ever-present Joy...TODAY, my Lord and King Jesus Christ!

Live through me TODAY! Love through me TODAY! Serve through me TODAY!

THIS day...THIS bread...Today!

daily bread

I love this picture.  We received a framed copy for a wedding gift many years ago.  It reminds me of the simplicity of daily provision by our loving Heavenly Father for today...every day.

We don't really need much...but we think we do, don't we?  Just a simple prayer today...

THIS day, O Father! THIS bread, O Lord!  Thank You!

So let's reflect again, dear friend, and may your soul be enriched:

We need to learn to receive the grace of THIS day and THIS bread

...The only way we really break the cycle of being trapped in either the glory years or future anxiety is to allow the words of the Lord’s prayer to sink all the way in. When we pray “Give us this day our daily bread,"...the most important word might be THIS.

We are designed to be dependent creatures. Like the Israelites who received daily manna, God has designed us to be dependent on him in a day-by-day, moment-by-moment way. We don’t have leftover manna to live off of from the glory years. And we don’t get a detailed plan of where next year’s manna comes from. All God promises us is THIS day, and THIS bread.

What if we learned to receive that as a gift instead of a curse? What if each meal could be received with a grace for THIS moment’s provision. What if each good conversation could be received as a gift from God for THIS moment? On and on the list could go.

...I am asking God to reveal to me THIS — this moment, this grace, this provision, this gift, this opportunity. It really does change the way you look at each day day… even each moment with God. Daniel Hill

And so we again pray:

I do not ask

for some future bread.

I do not ask

for some lofty thing.

I ask for nothing more

I ask for nothing less

than primal provision.

For this, and this—only this.

I do not ask for then.

I do not ask for there.

I do not ask for that.

only this meal—this moment.

for this day, only

for this, and this—only this.

Jonathan Martin

THIS Day...Today

Give us this day

For this NON-procrastinator, it is very difficult to live in the moment, in the today!  My mind is always racing ahead...to the next responsibility, the next event, the next idea... As a result, " time crunches" and "performance anxiety" are often the name of my game! So I love these words from our Lord, captured with the help of two brothers.

Give us THIS day our daily bread...

Here is today's reflection to feed my soul...and yours?

Most of us live trapped in anxiety around either the past or the future

There is something about the human condition that seems incapable of living in the now. We seem unable to enjoy the moment; to be grateful for our current provision; to be joyful in our present reality. We tend to either memorialize the past or anxiously await the future.

...for some of us, we seem to incessantly gravitate back to the “glory years.” This is quite common in the life of church. As the congregation grows and evolves, some of us are tempted to say, “I wish we could go back to (fill in the blank) era. Things were so peaceful then. Everybody knew each other. There was so much harmony and joy.” Of course, the actual reality was almost never as good as the fantasy we have turned the glory years into. But that’s just the point – by fondly remembering a story we’ve created for ourselves, we find another way to escape from the reality we currently live in.

For others of us, we spend all of our precious emotional resources on trying to guess what lies ahead. We worry about our future finances, our future vocation, our future spouse, or the future of our kids. We plan, strategize, and obsess over every potential detail. We hear the words of Jesus — “Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?” — but it doesn’t seem to break the anxiety cycle. When it comes down to our emotional and spiritual state, we realistically live much more in the future than in the present moment. Daniel Hill

praying hands

So again we pray...

I do not ask

for some future bread.

I do not ask

for some lofty thing.

I ask for nothing more

I ask for nothing less

than primal provision.

For this, and this—only this.

I do not ask for then.

I do not ask for there.

I do not ask for that.

only this meal—this moment.

for this day, only

for this, and this—only this.

Jonathan Martin

THIS Day...THIS bread!

lords-prayer-41

I have a new prayer to pray, a new breath to breathe:

Father...THIS day, THIS bread!

I find myself breathing this often...

And there's a bit of a story behind embracing this prayer.

It all started with an unlikely meeting...on Twitter, of all places!. Now you have to know that I am on Twitter, but I'm not "on Twitter."  But when Daniel Hill interacted with my "tweet" (a tweet? really?), a connection happened.  And I'm so glad! I've been following Daniel's blog ever since.

Daniel Hill pastors River City, a diverse congregation in Chicago, and is the author of a new book,10:10: Life to the Fullest.

Pastor Dan's blog has held treasures for me, and his current post is no exception. In it Daniel shares some profoundly simple and practical truths from a sermon on a line from the Lord's Prayer by a respected colleague in the ministry, Jonathan Martin:

Give us this day our daily bread.

So for the next few days, I would like us to meditate on this amazing verse here on A Branch in the Vine.

But for today, this prayer:

I do not ask

for some future bread.

I do not ask

for some lofty thing.

I ask for nothing more

I ask for nothing less

than primal provision.

For this, and this—only this.

I do not ask for then.

I do not ask for there.

I do not ask for that.

only this meal—this moment.

for this day, only

for this, and this—only this.

Thank you, Jonathan Martin for letting us pray along...

And thank you, Daniel, for sharing your reflections.

Found!

lost & found

The first time I heard this song, I began to sob.  It took me back to the darkest point in my performance-addicted, self-effort driven Christian life. When I finally had realized Christ in me, the hope of the glory of God being manifest in my human life...it was light into darkness...like being born again, again!  I can't go back.

What about you, dear friend? Have you discovered the indwelling Christ by faith?  If not, may the Holy Spirit illumine your mind and heart to receive the good news...Christ in you, the hope of glory! (Colossians 1:27)

FOUND Travis Cottrell

Somewhere deep inside me I found You

Your sunlight shakes the morning sky

How'd You ever find me through the blue

Of my darkest night

Chorus:

All, all, all my life

You're all I've never known

You're all I need to feel alive

This heart has found it's home

No one need remind me where I've been

In younger years I'd gone astray

Somewhere down the wrong road You took my hand

And led me here today


Chorus 



Right where I've always longed to be

Though never seemed to find

Until Your grace opened up my eyes

found, travis cottrell

Christ in Me is Everything I Need

Christ in Me is Everything I Needlyrics by David Bolton

Christ in me is everything I need

Christ in me is all the Father seeks

He’s my Truth, my Righteousness

My Wisdom, and my Peace

He’s my Life, my Holiness

My Hope of Glory

For all He is

He is in me

And I am now complete

For Christ in me is all I’ll ever need

Thanks to a dear brother, David Bolton, for permission to reprint this beautiful lyrical response to our all sufficient, indwelling Christ. Explore David's Christ-exalting website/blog at www.christcenteredchristianity.com

The Bible: Religion or Relationship?

I love the Lord's interchanges with the religious rulers of His day, the Pharisees.  Jesus always cuts to the heart of every issue of life, every point of the Law that these religionists would bring up. Perhaps one of my favorites is the encounter described in the gospel of John, chapter 5.  In the midst of "discussion" about Jesus' claims of relationship with His Father, we find this surprising "jewel" tucked away in the discourse:

 You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me, yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life. John 5:39-40 ESV

Wow! I remember the first time I really got this!  I began to realize that even though we Christians have come to Christ for eternal life initially ("salvation"), we  can live our lives as if Bible reading and study, in and of themselves, are what gives us a greater experience of that "life." We can treat the Bible above the Lord Himself, if we are not careful.

But here's the truth:

All...yes, all...of the Scriptures points to our Lord Jesus Christ, who is the Father's All.  And we come to HIM to experience LIFE!

Paul said it well,

Therefore the Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ... Galatians 3:24 NASB

And even as believers, the Scriptures expound Christ to us so that we can know Him in ever increasing measure.  Along with Paul we can exclaim,

I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. I want to suffer with him, sharing in his death, so that one way or another I will experience the resurrection from the dead! ...Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. Philippians 3:8-10 NLT

So as promised in yesterday's post, here are just a very few of the precious Scriptures that point to our Christ.  Our brother, Watchman Nee, has saturated his writings with the truths of Scripture concerning our glorious Lord Jesus Christ.

Take a few moments today and meditate on these gems (many of which are familiar) which are tucked away in the short excerpt of Christ, the Sum of All Spiritual Things.

Our Jesus is...

I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. John 14:6 ESV

And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power... Hebrews 1:2 ESV

For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority. Colossians 2:9-10 ESV

And because of him, you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord. 1 Corinthians 1:30-31 ESV

If you are journaling, add your own Christ-centered favorites.  And if you care to, comment and add them in below...we would love to share them with you so that...

...in everything he might be preeminent. Colossians 1:18c ESV

 For a good read, visit High Calling, What Does it Mean that Jesus Came to Fulfill Scripture