Dana's Christian Journey

musings of a thankful cancer survivor

Author: Dana

  • poor in spirit

    —

    Dana

    The Sunday we were in Ecuador we attended the Verbo Church held in the gym of the Verbo Christian School in Riobamba. I kept asking the significance of the name and finally a little boy brought us a Bible (a different translation than the Spanish Bible we had). “In the beginning was the Verbo, and the Verbo was with God, and the Verbo was God.” I said, “Gracias.” When worship began I could not help but notice the energy and passion put forth by the people. These Christians did not have the material blessings we Americans have, but there was a joy and simplicity in their worship that was moving.

    Across the aisle from me stood a mother in the simple garb of her culture. She was short, as are the majority of the people we met. She had distinct Indian features and a pleasant countenance. Her two sons stood next to her. I would guess they were ages 8 and 10. I couldn’t understand most of the words of the songs, but I didn’t need to be fluent in Spanish to recognize genuine worship. With eyes closed and hands open, this lady sang with all her heart. During the second song I noticed she was on her knees, hands still open, and tears streaming down her cheeks. Her sons put tissues in her hands as she sang to her God.

    Conviction is a healthy thing, so don’t think this was a negative experience, but as I watched this sister in Christ, a few penetrating questions came to mind. “Why is she crying and my eyes are dry? Why are her hands open while mine are in my pockets? Why is she on her knees while I’m still on my feet?”

    “What can be done with an old heart like mine? Soften it up with Oil and Wine. The Oil is You, your Spirit of Love, now wash me anew in the Wine of your Blood.” Keith Green must have felt the same way once as he wrote an honest song: “My eyes are dry, my faith is old, my heart is hard, my prayers are cold… And I know how I ought to be – alive to You and dead to me…” We get in these hardened places sometimes without even realizing it. My wife, Susan, has told me a few reasons that probably contributed to my situation, but in this simple gym in Ecuador, God reminded me what to do. “Humble yourself. Draw close to Me. Admit what you see to be true. Ask Me to touch the deep places of your heart.”

    God used a worshipping mother to remind me that the ‘poor in spirit’ are really blessed. He showed me that my needs are just as great as hers and if I open my hands and heart, He’ll give me what is best. He showed me that tears often flow from a grateful heart and I have every reason to be grateful. He reminded me that his love endures forever… to every tribe and every tongue. He deserves all our praise…

    “‘God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.’ Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and He will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will lift you up.” James 4:6-10

  • good news

    —

    Dana

    First of all, a couple of personal things. I got a great six month report at Emory this week. No sign of cancer! Susan overheard my doctor (behind me as I walked down the hall): “There’s my star patient.” If he only knew how many people prayed for me, he’d know the reason! So we praise God for his faithfulness and thank you again for your love and prayers. Because someone dropped out of one of our school mission trips, I am heading to Ecuador Saturday. True missionary heroes died in Ecuador in the 1950’s. The tribe that killed them found Christ because courageous women continued to share the Gospel despite incredible loss. (Read “End of the Spear” or “Through Gates of Splendor” for the whole story.) Karlyn is going to Brazil with another school group and a third group is going to Honduras. I won’t write next week… Once again, we would cherish your prayers.

    Here’s an important verse from the Old Testament regarding the Gospel: “Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness.” (Genesis 15:6) We know this is an important verse because Paul quotes it in Romans and Galatians and James quotes it in his letter. The reason the Gospel is such good news is that it is full of grace and mercy and love. There is nothing ‘cheap’ about God’s grace for it cost him the life of his most precious Son, but the Father’s will is that no man boast before him. He knows us well.

    If I had circumcised myself as an adult, I’d tell everyone I deserved to go to Heaven! But when was Abraham declared righteous? Before circumcision or after? Paul makes it plain: “It was not after, but before!” (Rom 4:10) “Abraham’s faith was credited to him as righteousness.” (4:9) So God asks, “Do you believe I exist? Do you believe I reward those who earnestly seek me? Do you believe I have accomplished everything for you in my Son, Jesus? You can bring nothing of worth to me… I have done it all. Do you believe this? Do you believe in my Son?”

    “The words ‘it was credited to him’ were written not for him (Abraham) alone, but also for us, to whom God will credit righteousness – for us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification.” (4:23-25) “Consider Abraham: ‘He believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.’ Understand, then, that those who believe are children of Abraham.” (Gal 3:6-7)

    Don’t you love good news?

    “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” Ephesians 2:9-10

  • overcome

    —

    Dana

    For over forty years Jack Hayford has been a pastor, teacher, author, and hymn writer in southern California. He has blessed countless people with a deep love for the Lord and an incredible ability to communicate God’s truths. Recently I heard him teach about the letters to the seven churches in Revelation 2 and 3. His emphasis was on Jesus’ desire for the churches to be in a right place with God. Who can see our exact spiritual state but the King of kings? Perfect evaluation is a great gift! Any praise or any rebuke from Jesus is rooted in love and is right on the mark. Jack Hayford pointed out two common statements found in each of the seven letters. First, Jesus tells everyone to listen: “He who has ears to hear, let him hear…” Jesus also promises a blessing to everyone that overcomes.

    So how do I overcome? Can I overcome sin? Can I overcome disaster? Sickness? Death? The answer is ‘yes,’ but we must know the way. “To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne.” Our hope centers in the One who overcame. He walked the same earth we do. He confronted evil, disappointment, sickness, and death. His secret was to look with child-like trust to his Father. “My Father will help me overcome.” This is why we read of Jesus getting up early to pray or going to a garden to spend time with his Father or simply looking up for guidance in a particular situation.

    The world came against Jesus just as the world comes against us. But Jesus overcame… and we can overcome. “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)

    “My Savior will help me overcome.” This is the truth we must remember. And if, as in several of the churches in Revelation, the problem is of my own making, a loving God corrects and calls to repentance. “Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent. Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.” (Revelation 3:19-20)

    “A Mighty Fortress” by Martin Luther (verse 2)
    “Did we in our own strength confide, our striving would be losing;
    Were not the right One on our side, the Man of God’s own choosing.
    Dost ask who that may be? Christ Jesus, it is He; Lord Sabaoth is His name,
    From age to age the same, and He must win the battle.”

  • children

    —

    Dana

    One morning a couple of weeks ago, I sat by myself in a Chick-fil-A restaurant and witnessed a disturbing exchange. Just a few tables from me a father raised his voice toward his teenage daughter, “You don’t believe there’s a drink called a ‘Shirley Temple’? Do you think I’m lying to you? How dare you question your father!” With her back to me, the blond haired girl quietly pleaded, “Dad, you’re embarrassing me.” With a louder voice he yelled, “Yes I’m embarrassing you and you deserve it!” And with that he stormed out of the restaurant, went to his car, and smoked a cigarette. My heart went out to this young teenager. Left alone, she turned around to see who was watching. Our eyes met and all I could think to say was, “It’ll be OK.”

    It is the faces of the children in Haiti that impact us most as we watch the news. We want to tell them, “It’ll be OK,” but deep down we wonder. We see volunteers from many nations holding children in their arms and we wish we could do the same. We see parents holding the hands of their own children and we long to help. Of course Haiti is not the only country with multitudes of hurting children.

    So what do we do? Treasure the children in your own home. Be kind to the children in your own neighborhood and in your own city. Give to the hurting in foreign lands. Care for the orphans. Offer a cup of cold water in Jesus’ name. Ask to understand God’s heart for children and listen carefully to Jesus’ words. Love, love, love… and remember ‘love’ is an action word.

    “At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, ‘Who is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?’ He called a little child and had him stand among them. And he said: ‘I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me. But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea. Woe to the world because of the things that cause people to sin! Such things must come, but woe to the man through whom they come! … See that you do not look down on one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven.’” Matthew 18:1-10

    “And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is my disciple, I tell you the truth, he will certainly not lose his reward.” Matthew 10:42

  • fullness

    —

    Dana

    I asked a new group of students to write what they would most want to gain in my Bible class this semester. The answers reflected an interesting range: “course credit,” “an A,” “something I don’t already know,” “knowledge,” “understanding,” “something relevant,” “stronger faith,” “a deeper relationship with God”… and a few didn’t answer the question. Our answers might not be much different.

    Suppose Jesus, Himself, visited your room tonight, sat down on your bed, and asked, “Child, what would you like me to give you this year?” Presently, we would all be tempted to ask God to rescue Haiti, but suppose the question is totally personal. “Ask something for yourself. Do you believe I can give it? Be wise and answer.” None of us would pull the covers over our head and go to sleep! None of us would say to the King of kings, “Just help me survive 2010.”

    I’ve thought about this lately. Solomon asked for wisdom, but he didn’t seem to always live wisely. Simeon wanted to see the Messiah, but if Jesus was sitting on my bed that wouldn’t be a good reply. “The Holy Spirit” would be a good answer, but I’m afraid Jesus would say, “Oh son, don’t you know? I’ve already given you the Holy Spirit. He is with you always and lives in you.”

    So here’s my answer: “Lord, fill me with the fullness of God.” I’m not even sure I know what the “fullness of God” means, but it must be good. Surely His fullness will jolt me out of mundane living and worldly thinking. This fullness must have something to do with the abundant life Jesus promised. “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” “Fullness” will have everything to do with the love of God… which surpasses knowledge. Surely my mind will be expanded to truly believe that “with God all things are possible.” Surely my heart will be more in tune with the needs of the poor and suffering in Haiti, in my city, and in other parts of the world. God’s fullness will lead to Jesus spilling out of my life every day I walk this earth. Yes… this is what I want in 2010.

    “I pray that out of His glorious riches He may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge – that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we can ask or imagine, according to His work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.” Ephesians 3:16-21

Random Post

Categories

Archives