Dana's Christian Journey

musings of a thankful cancer survivor

Author: Dana

  • difference

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    Dana

    Scripture tells us James the brother of John was put to death by the sword on the orders of King Herod. (Acts 12:1-2) Of the ten other apostles who were alive when Jesus rose from the dead, it is believed that all but one met violent deaths. John was exiled on the Island of Patmos where he received the Revelation.

    Of the three confused disciples mentioned last week, tradition says Philip was crucified; Peter was crucified upside down; and Thomas was killed with a spear in what is now India. All eleven were committed to carrying out Jesus’ instructions to take His Good News to all the world.

    What transformed faithless, fearful friends of Jesus into bold, confident witnesses? The resurrection solidified their faith… but there is more…

    “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift My Father promised, which you have heard Me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized by the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 1:4-5)

    John the Baptist had predicted what Jesus promised: “I baptize you with water for repentance. But after Me will come One who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not fit to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.” (Matthew 3:11)

    The Holy Spirit makes the difference! He is the Helper who not only comforts… but empowers. After receiving this promise of Jesus on the day of Pentecost, Peter, who earlier had denied his Lord, clearly proclaimed the fulfillment of God’s Word to thousands. The Messiah had come. He had performed signs and wonders witnessed by many. He had been nailed to a cross which was lifted up by wicked men. He had been buried in a borrowed tomb… but God raised Him to life and exalted Him to His own right hand.

    The prophet Joel’s words were being fulfilled: “In the last days, God says, I will pour out My Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. Even on My servants, both men and women, I will pour out My Spirit in those days and they will prophesy. I will show wonders in the heaven above and signs on the earth below, blood and fire and billows of smoke. The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great day of the Lord. And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” (Acts 2:17-21)

    The Holy Spirit transformed weak disciples into powerful ambassadors willing to give their lives for the Lord… and He does the same today. “The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off – for all whom the Lord our God will call.” (Acts 2:39)

    “If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!” Luke 11:13

  • confused

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    Dana

    Reading the end of John 13 and the beginning of John 14 without the chapter break helps us gain insight as Jesus approached the fulfillment of His purpose on earth. The disciples struggled to understand. Peter was confused about himself. Thomas was confused about his destiny. And Phillip was confused about his Lord.

    Jesus tells Peter he is not as strong and loyal as he thinks he is… but he still should not let his heart be troubled. Jesus tells Thomas that the destiny of the believer is God… through Christ. Jesus tells Phillip that His own life is lived fully in His Father. From these words, we can learn about ourselves, our destiny, and our Savior. Praise God that Jesus accomplished what no one else could… He prepared the way to the Father. He is the way.

    “Little children, I am with you a little while longer. You shall seek Me; and as I said to the Jews, I now say to you also, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come.’ A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”

    Simon Peter said to Him, “Lord, where are You going?” Jesus answered, “Where I go, you cannot follow Me now; but you shall follow later.” Peter said to Him, “Lord, why can I not follow You right now? I will lay down my life for You.” Jesus answered, “Will you lay down your life for Me? Truly, truly, I say to you, a cock shall not crow, until you deny Me three times. Let not your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go to prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. And you know the way where I am going.”

    Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going, how do we know the way?” Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me. If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; from now on you know Him, and have seen Him.”

    Phillip said to Him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.” Jesus said to him, “Have I been so long with you, and yet you have not come to know Me, Phillip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; how do you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me? The words I say to you I do not speak on My own initiative, but the Father abiding in Me does His works. Believe Me that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me; otherwise believe on account of the works themselves.” (John 13:33 – John 14:11… New American Standard Version)

  • present

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    Dana

    By faith we know that Jesus died, was buried, and was resurrected. “For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, He cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over Him. The death He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life He lives, He lives to God. In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.” (Romans 6:9-11) This is in the past.

    By faith we believe that in the last day we will be changed into the likeness of Jesus with resurrected bodies. “We will all be changed – in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.” (I Corinthians 15:51-52) This is in the future.

    But what about the present?

    The Holy Spirit tells us over and over through the words of Jesus and the teachings of the apostles that the resurrection of Jesus impacts our daily living. Because He lives, we live. We were dead in our sins, but God has made us alive in Christ. The power to live comes, not from our determination to follow the perfect laws of God, but through the Spirit of life. “By dying to what once bound us, we have been released from the law so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code.” (Rom 7:6)

    Because our old selves died when Jesus died, we are now raised to walk in newness of life. “For we know that our old self was crucified with Him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin – because anyone who has died has been freed from sin.” (Romans 6:6-7) “We were therefore buried with Him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.” (Romans 6:4) It is no longer we who live, but Christ who lives in us. The lives we live in our bodies, we live by faith in the Son of God who loved us and gave Himself for us. (see Gal 2:20)

    When Jesus said to Martha, “I am the Resurrection and the Life,” He was not just forecasting the great miracle of bringing Lazarus back to life four days after he died… He was saying: God is presently in your midst and He holds the power of life. Jesus was and is God in the present.

    Not everyone believes Jesus rose from the dead, despite the evidence and believers’ efforts to convince. But if people could see the changed lives of those who used to be captive to sin and empty living, what a witness that would be. “By My Spirit… and with one another… live the resurrected life my Son gives and the world will see Me. Pray His prayers, do His works, love others the way He loves you… and My will shall be done on earth as it is in Heaven.”

    “His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, according to His eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord. In Him and through faith in Him we may approach God with freedom and confidence… Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we can ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen” Ephesians 3:10-12, 20-21

  • son

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    Dana

    img_0943“My Daddy fell down this morning and a firetruck came to my driveway. The doctor came in the house and a fireman put stickers all over Daddy’s tummy.” This was the story four-year-old Wilkes told his teacher a few weeks ago.

    Susan and I were at Emory getting tests done when Emma called. She had called 911 when Taylor passed out after complaining of a racing heart. The paramedics said his heart was out of rhythm and that he needed to see a doctor. The doctor sent them to the emergency room and for a while things were crazy. Helpers rushed to his room and nurses tore off Taylor’s clothes. The doctor said, “Mr. Davis, we think you’re having a heart attack.” In the hall, a person asked Emma if her husband had a will.

    I made it to the emergency room shortly after they determined Taylor was in atrial fibrillation, a condition where the heart beats irregularly and too fast. Susan drove to Taylor’s house and took care of Wilkes and Macy. Of course Emma was shaken up. The doctor released them around 10:00 that night with instructions to meet with a cardiologist and find the cause.

    So for the past few weeks, Taylor has been meeting with doctors and undergoing various tests. An echocardiogram revealed he has an atrial septal defect (ASD) – basically, a hole in the heart. He has had it since birth and his heart has simply compensated for the abnormality. Doctors said it was good that the problem came to light now, because patients five to ten years older than Taylor typically experience far more dangerous problems.

    Soon a date will be scheduled to patch the hole by going through a vein in Taylor’s leg. The doctor is confident he will be fine. Thanks for praying for him and Emma and all of us.

    It is a terrible feeling to see your son, only in his early thirties, face a life threatening situation. This week, the world remembers another Son who in His early thirties willingly went to the location where His life would be taken. A perfect Father allowed the injustice, the suffering, and the death to take place for you and for me.

    But God did not allow His only Son to remain in the ground. The blood of Jesus brings us forgiveness. His death brings us reconciliation. His resurrection brings us life. “Thank you, Lord.”

    Happy Easter!

    “You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since we have now been justified by His blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through Him! For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to Him through the death of His Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through His life! Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.” Romans 5:6-11

    “We died to sin; how shall we live in it any longer? Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? We were therefore buried with Him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. If we have been united with Him like this in His death, we will certainly be united with Him in His resurrection. For we know that our old self was crucified with Him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin – because anyone who has died has been freed from sin. Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with Him. For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, He cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over Him. The death He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life He lives, He lives to God. In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.” Romans 6:2-11

  • Golden

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    Dana

    img_0986 img_0996 img_0984

    Over Spring Break, Susan and I had a great week with Kinsey, Jordan, Owen, and Keightley. On our last day we went to Golden, Colorado, a small town a few miles west of Denver. Signs in the parks stated their ‘Golden Rule’ as taking care of the creek that runs through the city. Of course, the more famous ‘Golden Rule’ has to do with taking care of people.

    Visitors to the Chick-fil-A headquarters in Atlanta are given a wooden ruler with these words printed on it: ‘Golden Rule — Do unto others as you would have others do unto you.’ The restaurant’s founder, the late Truett Cathy, when asked about his philosophy in the business world, would often say: “We simply practice the Golden Rule.”

    Jesus spoke these words in the Sermon on the Mount. Our world would be a better place if they were followed. Treating others the way you would like to be treated is the path of love… and the Father, Son, and Spirit smile as we love one another.

    “So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.” Matthew 7:12

    “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.” Matthew 7:24-25

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