Dana's Christian Journey

musings of a thankful cancer survivor

Author: Dana

  • purity

    —

    Dana

    Some have proposed that the Beatitudes speak to a progression in the Christian life. If this is the case, perhaps there is a path to purity.

    “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those that mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy…”

    Humility is the starting place with Jesus. Can the proud ever have a pure heart in God’s sight? Perhaps this is why Peter had to go through failure after he boasted of the things he would do for Jesus. What mourning comes when we see ourselves as we really are! But Jesus taught that such mourning would lead to blessing. It did for Peter. He was not only comforted, but he became meek. A transformed Peter called all disciples to walk in the meekness of Christ. He wrote, “Live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble. Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.”

    The pure in heart have learned to hunger and thirst for righteousness. “Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness”, Jesus said. But who can attain righteousness? “There is no one righteous, not even one!” How we need mercy! “God, have mercy on me, a sinner!” “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” “I am unrighteous, my heart is impure… have mercy on me!” “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.”

    As is righteousness, a pure heart is found in only one place. Jesus alone is righteous, and He gives the gift of righteousness to all who put their faith in Him. Jesus alone has a pure heart, but He can make our hearts pure as we follow Him. And what a promise belongs to those that do.

    “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.” Matthew 5:8

  • sight

    —

    Dana

    The Scripture says, “We live by faith, not by sight.” The first years Peter followed Jesus, he saw Him day after day. “We were eyewitnesses of his majesty,” he wrote. But after Jesus ascended, Peter had to follow his Master with a different type of sight. This is what we must do today. Peter’s words encourage us, “Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.”

    Though we may envy those who actually saw Jesus, the Lord shared with His disciples that it was better that He leave. “But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you.” It is this promise that gives us great hope. Though we do not see the physical Jesus, we can see with spiritual eyes. In fact, only those who put their trust in Jesus are able to escape the darkness. “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” Listen to these incredible words from the Light of the world:

    “If you love me, you will obey what I command. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever – the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. Before long the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him.” John 14:15-21

  • follow

    —

    Dana

    “Lord, why can’t I follow you now? I will lay down my life for you.” This is what Peter said to Jesus when the disciples were told they could not follow where He was going. Jesus knew Peter better than Peter knew himself. “Will you really lay down your life for me? I tell you the truth, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times!” (read John 13:33-38)

    How painful for God to bluntly say, “You’re not as strong as you think you are.” But when the truth is revealed, and we realize how weak we really are, God has the power to lift us up and make us stronger than we ever imagined we could be.

    Jesus said, “Where I am going, you cannot follow now, but you will later.” And they did… but not before they had failed, not before they were broken, and not before they were filled with the Holy Spirit.

    Susan and I visited friends in New Jersey over the holidays. On Sunday, we met a young minister who shined the light of Christ. He did not have all the answers. In fact, he would probably say he understood less now than ever. In March, his beautiful wife of three years died of cancer. But on the last Sunday of a painful year, he encouraged the children of God to trust the One who is with us in good times and bad. The Spirit of God communicated deep truths through an humble man.

    If we’re going to follow Jesus, we must come to the end of ourselves. No will power, no determination, no heroic effort will take us to the place Jesus went. Only God’s Spirit gives the power to pick up our cross and follow the Master. I may shout, “Lord, I’m ready!” But Jesus may say, “You’re not quite ready… but I can make you. Will you trust Me?”

    Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.” (John 20:21-22)

    “I tell you the truth, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.” Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. Then he said to him, “Follow me!” (John 21:18-19)

  • shame

    —

    Dana

    There is a time when shame is proper. In fact, the Lord rebuked His people through a prophet of old for being in sin and feeling no shame. “‘Are they ashamed of their loathsome conduct? No, they have no shame at all; they do not even know how to blush. So they will fall among the fallen; they will be brought down when I punish them,’ says the Lord.” (Jeremiah 6:15)

    But some types of shame are undeserved. One may be humiliated for simply loving Jesus. What should a person do with this shame? It sounds strange, but Jesus says, “Rejoice!” “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” (Matthew 5:11-12)

    I think there is another type of shame that may come to one who follows Jesus. This is the shame Job felt when everything in his life went wrong. When a person is free from sin and walking in fellowship with the Lord and everything crashes down, shame can easily attack. This type of shame is a weapon of the devil that targets confidence, faith, and hope. “If he was really a servant of God, he would not be in that condition.” “If she really loved the Lord, He would heal her.” “God would never let such a terrible thing happen to a Christian that pleased Him.” The friends of Job offered some strong religious arguments with just one serious flaw… they were wrong.

    Sometimes God ordains such shame to be a part of the lives of His children. Never was this proven so true as in the method of Jesus’ death. In those days, a cross equated with shame. While watching Him hang, the rare individual said, “Surely this was the Son of God.” The common thought was, “This could never be the Son of God! Would God ever subject one He loved to such a humiliating death?”

    Jesus gives His followers the way to handle such shame. To scorn means “to reject as unworthy”, and this is what Jesus did with shame. We thank God that He did not scorn the Cross, but we rejoice that He scorned the shame. May we follow in His steps this new year.

    “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so you will not grow weary and lose heart.” Hebrews 12:1-3

  • remain

    —

    Dana

    “Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God…” Romans 12:1

    In the day this was written, sacrifice involved an altar and fire. It still does. Will we get on the altar? Will we remain in His consuming fire?

    My family thought I was quite ignorant last week when I asked what would happen if I took the iron poker out of the fire and placed on a newspaper. My sixteen year old son sarcastically replied, “What do you think will happen, Dad? Of course, the newspaper will catch on fire.”

    But it was not so simple. The fire had just started when I first tried my experiment. Nothing happened when I placed the iron on the paper. So I put the poker back in and let it remain about ten minutes. This time the newspaper was irritated a bit, but it still did not catch on fire. It was only after I stuck the poker in the hottest part of the fire and left it a long time that the newspaper ignited when touched by the iron.

    In our enthusiasm, we may want to hop off the altar and set the world ablaze. But the Lord says, “Remain in Me and know that I am a consuming fire. I will burn away your impurities and teach you about Myself. My Spirit will burn within you, and you shall be salt and light in this dark world.” When two “unschooled, ordinary men” witnessed mightily about the risen Christ in Acts 4, people recognized a simple fact: “… and they took note that these men had been with Jesus.”

    “Lord, let us take the time to be with Jesus.” In this special week of the year, we remember how the Savior came to live on earth. He now longs to live in the hearts of all men. May we be among those who welcome Him!

    I thank God for each of you. Your prayers and encouragement are such gifts to me and my family. I pray God will bless you all with peace and joy this holiday season.

    Love,
    Dana

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