Dana's Christian Journey

musings of a thankful cancer survivor

Author: Dana

  • Peter

    —

    Dana

    Interviewer: Hello, Peter. We know you are a part of the great cloud of witnesses cheering us on from Heaven. If you could speak to Christians in our land today, what might you say?

    Peter: I guess I wrote most of what I would say in a couple of letters while I was still on the earth, but I would be happy to remind you of a few things. First, you know my life story; I was a sinner with many weaknesses. You’re no different… as the sons of Adam, we’re all in the same boat. I was one of those guys who liked to jump out of the boat 🙂 . But if I’m tempted to boast about walking on water, I instantly remember how quickly I sunk. Pride and unbelief… I was guilty. Instead of standing for Jesus in his darkest hour, I ran away and denied him three times. What a coward! So the first thing I would say to you is this: don’t think too highly of yourself. Put all your hope in Jesus and cast your cares on him. If he had not pulled me out of the water, I would have drowned. If he had not prayed for me, I would have lost all faith. If he had not restored me after the resurrection, I would have been forever guilt-ridden. “What a Friend we have in Jesus…” Do you sing that song? It is true! He intercedes for you today! I hear him! You’ve got to keep your eyes fixed on Jesus… or you’ll sink… just like I did.

    When Jesus said we would be better off after he left we all thought, “Yeah, right.” We could not understand such a statement… until Pentecost. Without the Holy Spirit’s work, my life on earth would have been fruitless. You must receive the Holy Spirit and walk in the Spirit to live as the Father desires. Evaluate yourself; are you living in Christ? Are you adding to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love? If you can’t see these qualities increasing in your life, something is wrong. Don’t be afraid to admit the truth and go straight to Jesus. Camp out with him and receive his forgiveness and instruction. He wants you to be full of the love of the Father so you can show the world grace and truth.

    You realize the end of all things is near, don’t you? Are you living in reverent fear? You must be clear-minded and self-controlled so that you can pray. In your land the enemy roams about as a roaring lion and he is devouring people in subtle ways. He tempts believers to be comfortable in a wealthy society that is drowning in selfishness and godlessness. Remember, you are a stranger in the world; you’ve got to live with God’s Kingdom in mind. Live a holy life and be ready to give an answer to everyone who asks you about the hope you have. You possess true life… so love people deeply and use your gifts to serve others. Be compassionate and humble, not selfish and proud. You are called to inherit a blessing and I have received a taste. What can I say? There are not sufficient words to describe what God has in store for his children. Do not be deceived by the evil one… resist him. Study the Scripture… read the writings of the prophets and the writings of the apostles and listen for the voice of the Good Shepherd. Your life should be all about following him. If he led me home, he can lead anyone 🙂 .

    Regarding suffering – don’t be afraid to embrace it. God has amazing ways of molding us through fire. He is changing us to look more and more like his Son. You should see me now! But even while on earth, God gave me grace to change and I received the privilege to suffer for his Name. I experienced his power in weakness and I came to see that nothing is impossible for him. When the angel freed me from jail I thought I was dreaming! But you know I was not freed every time. Even in death, I knew God was with me. “He was led like a sheep to the slaughter…” I was honored to walk in Jesus’ steps. I want you to receive a rich welcome into the Kingdom of our Lord. Listen carefully to these closing words and find out what they mean: His divine power has given you everything you need for life and godliness through your knowledge of him who called you by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given you his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. Shalom.

  • disagreement

    —

    Dana

    I guess when you name names you risk getting in trouble. Joe and Perry had problems with my age descriptions. Joe doesn’t consider himself old and Perry denies being my age… he’s two days younger. But disagreements from others seem more serious and, once again, I know God is calling me to change. Having received similar compliments (or accusations) Shane, speaking for himself, his friends, Rob and Nick, and others like them, wrote this: “I think if what we are doing seems radical, then that says more about the apathy of Western Christianity than about the true nature of our discipleship. And that is why ‘radical’ has to be coupled with ‘ordinary.’ (Ordinary does not mean normal, and I lament the dreadful seduction which has resulted in Christians becoming so normal.) Our way of life was typical in the days of the early Jesus movement. We are like the Marys and Marthas, and Peter’s family – houses of hospitality, which was the standard call of the early Christians, who abandoned their personal possessions to a new family. This is to say nothing of the countless others who gave up everything and left their homes with no money or food or even sandals to follow Jesus. Christendom seems very unprepared for people who take the gospel that seriously.” (from IRRESISTIBLE REVOLUTION p. 130 and p. 20)

    The truth is there are scores of men and women around the world who take the gospel just as seriously as the early believers. Read some of the stories from parts of China and India and you’ll begin to wonder about God’s perspective as He looks down upon the nations. Are those who have every opportunity and every luxury known to man, but are so distracted with ‘stuff’ that they can’t focus on the Kingdom, really better off than the poor, uneducated believers who only have Jesus and know that they must share Him with others before it is too late? Oh to see with God’s eyes…

    But I was most disturbed that the Radical we worship disagreed with my remark that He brought peace. “I have come to bring fire on the earth… Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division. From now on there will be five in one family divided against each other, three against two and two against three.” (Luke 12:49-52)

    What kind of statement is this from the One we call the Prince of Peace? Jesus knew most would reject his radical message. And the ones most likely to reject Him are the ones who have the ‘stuff’ on earth to lose… power, position, wealth, reputation, possessions… It was true in the first century and is no less true today. His message does not target the exterior… it addresses the heart of man. But Jesus knew his words would pierce so deep that one would be forced to choose… self or God? … this world or an invisible Kingdom? … tangible wealth or hidden treasure?… pride or humility? The One who searches the mind of every person is accustomed to man’s attempts to ‘justify self’ or ‘explain away’ His words to make them basically meaningless. So today, two thousand years after He walked the earth, I think His message to us would be the same as when He returned from forty days in the wilderness: “From that time on Jesus began to preach, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.’”

    “‘For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind.’ Some Pharisees who were with him heard him say this and asked, ‘What? Are we blind too?’ Jesus said, ‘If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains.’” John 9:39-41

    “You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes so you can see. 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 3:17-19

  • radicals

    —

    Dana

    I hung out with some radicals last week: Rob, Perry, Shane, Nick, and Joe. Rob is a young man with a contagious smile and a twinkle in his eye. He finished college with majors in Communication and Spanish, but his passion is to love his fellow man. He lived in Bolivia a year, working with the youth of a different culture. He’s saving up money to go back, but while he’s in the States he’s hanging out with the people few do… the homeless, the poor, the ones society rejects. Rob kind of reminds me of Jesus.

    Perry bought us all a meal last week. He doesn’t always have a pocket full of money, but on this particular night he did, so he generously said, “Dinner’s on me.” Perry is my age and is a youth minister. He is one of those courageous guys who will tackle any task. If he says he will do something, he’ll do it even if it means working day and night until the job is complete. If a friend says, “Man, I think it would be fun to build a house,” without really knowing what he was talking about, Perry just might say, “Let’s do it!” We’re still living in the house he built twenty-one years ago. Perry kind of reminds me of Jesus.

    Shane may be a modern-day prophet. He looks quite different from the regular church-goer, but I guess John the Baptist looked different from the regular Jew when he did his preaching. A young man with a Tennessee accent, Shane humbly preaches a radical message: “Jesus meant what He said.” What gives his message power is that he lives it out. Shane lives simply, giving away things that are given him. When visiting a strange city, he stays with any willing family that offers him a bed. While in his home city, he lives with the poor. “He upholds the cause of the oppressed and gives food to the hungry.” Such bold living has landed this radical in jail a few times. Shane kind of reminds me of Jesus.

    Nick is a college student who loves music and people. If you’ve ever seen a picture of the Confederate General, James Longstreet, Nick has his beard. Nick is the kind of guy that would jump in his car and drive five hours to pick up friends in a distant city and turn around and drive five hours back home. (Young people do these kinds of things…) Nick delayed his education for a season to go live with the homeless in Camden, New Jersey. Now that he’s back in school in a different city, he continues to serve the poor along side fellow college students from different universities. Nick kind of reminds me of Jesus.

    Joe is the oldest of these radicals and a reminder that the call of Jesus transcends age. As a young man Joe abandoned all for the Gospel, his home has always been a refuge for the broken, and for decades he’s shared God’s love all over the world. He’s not intrigued with the temptation of retirement. He sees much of the ‘American Dream’ as being in opposition to the life Jesus calls us to live. I think I witnessed God’s desire for the generations last week. Young radicals blessed the older with energy, courage, and zeal while an older radical blessed the younger with wisdom, experience, and an example of what it means to ‘go the distance.’ Joe kind of reminds me of Jesus.

    In a time when religious radicals are bringing tension, hate, and death into this world, Jesus is producing radicals that are promoting peace, love, and life. Though misunderstood and persecuted, Jesus brought the Father’s plan of peace to the world. Though hated and eventually killed, Jesus was the epitome of love. “Love your enemies.” How radical is that? And though Satan’s great weapon of death has held mankind hostage for ages, Jesus came to bring abundant Life – one not defined by material wealth or worldly standards. Oh to be a radical like Jesus.

    “In him (Jesus) was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it. There came a man who was sent from God; his name was John. He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all men might believe.” John 1:4-7

  • fearfully made

    —

    Dana

    “I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand. When I awake I am still with you.” Psalm 139:14-18

    When things go wrong in your body you gain a deeper appreciation for the magnificent creation of a human being. Over these last several years I’ve learned more than I’ve wanted to about white blood cells, red blood cells, platelets, plasma cells, stem cells, wanted proteins, and unwanted proteins. How can one conclude this all came together by chance? The child of God not only knows he is created, he knows he is created for purpose. And the One who created us holds us together. God knows every day we will live and he loves us with an everlasting love. He is not against me… He is for me! How precious are his thoughts!

    “From heaven the Lord looks down and sees all mankind; from his dwelling place he watches all who live on the earth – he who forms the hearts of all, who considers everything they do. No king is saved by the size of his army; no warrior escapes by his great strength. A horse is a vain hope for deliverance; despite all its great strength it cannot save. But the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love, to deliver them from death and keep them alive in famine. We wait in hope for the Lord; he is our help and our shield. In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name. May your unfailing love rest upon us, O Lord, even as we put our hope in you.” Psalm 33:13-22

    Our oldest daughter Kinsey gave me a great present for Christmas. It was a DVD of an event she attended in Atlanta a little over a year ago. Song writers Chris Tomlin and Matt Redman led worship and speaker Louie Giglio pointed to our awesome Creator. He told this story. After an event in Tyler, Texas, a molecular scientist introduced himself to Louie and shared about a protein in our body that has a special purpose. ‘Laminin’ is a cell adhesion molecule similar to glue that holds our body together. Louie confessed he didn’t understand the big words the scientist used, but he promised to ‘google’ the word ‘laminin’ when he got home. After clicking ‘image’ in his search, this picture appeared:

    Did the Author of Life put a cell in our bodies that points to the sacrifice offered on our behalf? He holds all things together… what Good News for the New Year!

    “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.” Colossians 1:15-20

  • wise men

    —

    Dana

    Three-year-old John was playing with a manger scene in our home a few days ago. He had pulled out the three Magi when I asked what he was doing. “These are the bad guys,” he replied. “No, those are wise men, John. They came to worship baby Jesus and bring him gifts. See, they gave him gold, frankincense, and myrrh.” John looked a little puzzled, then picked up one of the statues and asked, “Is this Merv?”

    “After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, ‘Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him.’ When King Herod heard this he was disturbed and all Jerusalem with him. When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Christ was to be born. ‘In Bethlehem in Judea,’ they replied, ‘for this is what the prophet has written.’ (quote from Micah 5:2) Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. He sent them to Bethlehem and said, ‘Go and make a careful search for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.’ After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.” (Matthew 2:1-12)

    We have much to learn from the Magi (no matter what their names) about being wise in our generation: First, be looking for what is promised. We may not know enough about celestial beings to notice a strange star, but we should be familiar enough with Jesus’ words to notice signs around us and His promise of a return. Of course people will call you a star-gazer, but I don’t think He’ll call you a fool… and His opinion is the one that counts. “It will be good for those servants whose master finds them watching when he comes.”

    Next, be willing to take a journey. These wise men didn’t really know where they were going; they just packed up and left. They didn’t have to wander as long as Abraham did, but their story reminds us that God is pleased with faith in action. If these guys had simply said: “Behold, a new star! Come all you people of the east and let us tell you what we have found,” but had never taken the journey, we would have never known about them. I’m sure their trip was not easy – it took sacrifice; it was inconvenient; some probably called them crazy; but oh was it worth it. Jesus says, “Watch and pray,” but He’s not telling His followers to sit around. “I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest.”

    Next, be humble enough to ask directions. “We know a King has been born. Could you help point the way?” Today the question is similar: “We know the King is alive. Could you help point the way?” Listen to answers with great discernment; not everyone has proper motives. “Come over here! We are bigger and better than everyone else. You are sure to find God here… just look at how much He’s blessed us!” Jesus gave different directions: “You’ll find Me in the least of these my brethren… the poor, the hungry, the sick, the imprisoned… But be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”

    Next, don’t quench the joy of the Lord. These wise men found the King! They worshiped… they gave… they celebrated… they were overjoyed. If there is no joy in worship, we don’t see the King. If we give out of duty (or if we don’t give at all), we don’t see the King. If we don’t celebrate freedom from sin, freedom from hell, and freedom in Christ, then we don’t remember or understand what the King has accomplished. “O worship the King, all glorious above, and gratefully sing His wonderful love; Our Shield and Defender, the Ancient of Days, pavilioned in splendor and girded with praise.”

    Finally, follow God’s guidance. Though doubtless these wise men intended to share their good news with many listeners, they would not share it with Herod. God sees the battle and He gives perfect orders. We don’t see clearly, so we must depend on His wisdom and direction. God knew this: Herod was an evil man. He was the tool of the devil and he was about to destroy all the innocent male babies of an entire town. So the wise men were warned in a dream and they heeded the warning. (If they hadn’t… we wouldn’t call them wise men.) “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.”

    “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.” Luke 2:14
    MERRY CHRISTMAS!

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