Dana's Christian Journey

musings of a thankful cancer survivor

Author: Dana

  • child

    —

    Dana

    childAfter playing ‘cars’ then playing ‘dinosaurs,’ Wilkes pulled out his medical toys. He checked my heartbeat, took my blood pressure, tapped my knee, and stuck something in my ear. Next, he was the sick patient and I was the doctor. As I examined him, I thought I would bring Jesus into the game: “Jesus, will You come and heal Wilkes? Please take care of him,” I prayed.

    I noticed as I started this ‘pretend’ prayer that the almost-three-year-old straightened up in his sitting position on the floor and started looking around. After five or six seconds, Wilkes looked at me and said, “He’s not coming.” But before I could figure out a sensible reply, he followed, “It’s OK; Jesus is in my heart.”

    The next time I was at Taylor and Emma’s home, Wilkes talked about Jesus again. “He’s my best Friend,” he reported. Taylor tells me such conversations are common at their house and this makes me smile. I wonder sometimes if God would like Wilkes to have faith like His grandfather… or would He want Opa to have faith like Wilkes?

    Some might want to discuss matters of ‘understanding’ or the ‘age of accountability’ or several other rational arguments against elevating the faith of a preschooler, but it would be good for us to try to understand why Jesus used a child to teach about His kingdom.

    “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.’” (Matthew 18:2-5)

    I’m sure I don’t grasp everything Jesus means, but I do know we can learn a lot from little ones. I think God would love all His children to look expectantly for Him to show up when we call His Name. And Jesus wants us to believe beyond a shadow of doubt that He lives in our hearts. And wouldn’t it be great if all disciples spoke of Jesus as a ‘Best Friend’?

    “What a Friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear;
    What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer.” – George Scriven

    “I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master‘s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything I learned from My Father I have made known to you. You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit – fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in My Name.” John 15:15-16

    “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.” Ephesians 3:16-17

  • evangelist

    —

    Dana

    “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when you have succeeded, you make him twice the son of hell as you are.” (Matthew 23:15)

    Jesus plainly reveals here that not all conversion is good. A person who thinks he is doing God’s will, but does not really know Him, can do more harm than good. Saul was zealous to do God’s work but was totally off track until he met Jesus. As a changed man, Paul became a great evangelist.

    God’s ultimate will is for a lost person to find Him… and Jesus is the way to the Father. After Christ set a demon-possessed man free from his tormentors, the man wanted to join the disciples. But Jesus gave him another assignment:

    “‘Go home to your own people and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how He has had mercy on you.’ So the man went away and began to tell in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him. And all the people were amazed.” (Mark 5:19-20)

    After Jesus revealed Himself to the Samaritan woman at the well, she went home as a witness. The townspeople asked Jesus to stay with them… “and He stayed two days. And because of His words many more became believers. They said to the woman, ‘We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man is really the Savior of the world.’” (John 3:40-42)

    I need the Holy Spirit to help me be an effective witness! He is the One who convicts the world of sin, but He calls us to spread the Word. The Holy Spirit will surely first give us the proper motivation. We have experienced the love of God, so we now share that love. “We love because He first loved us.” An evangelist without love is “like a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.” Holy Spirit, baptize us with the Father’s love.

    The Holy Spirit will also show us how to share our Lord. Jesus shared His Father in different ways. Each situation was unique and He allowed the Spirit to lead Him. The Holy Spirit wants every person to know Jesus, and He knows what is needed in each case. Even though we may be hesitant or unclear, we must remember God is with us. Holy Spirit, lead us to live and share the Gospel. Please give us wisdom and discernment for each situation.

    Finally, the Holy Spirit will give us courage. Paul requested this: “Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the Gospel.” (Ephesians 6:19) Paul knew from experience that Jesus is often rejected, but he also knew he needed to continue to share the hope of the world. Holy Spirit, as God’s children, make us fearless ambassadors for Christ.

    “For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by Him we cry, ‘Abba, Father.’ The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.” Romans 8:15-16

  • perceive

    —

    Dana

    Jesus wants us to hear and really understand. He wants us to see and truly perceive. As a Teacher, Jesus expects a lot and challenges us when we think too ‘small.’ Here’s an example:

    The disciples had forgotten to bring bread, except for one loaf they had with them in the boat. “Be careful,” Jesus warned them. “Watch out for the yeast of the Pharisees and that of Herod.” They discussed this with one another and said, “It is because we have no bread.” Aware of their discussion, Jesus asked them, “Why are you talking about having no bread? Do you still not see or understand? Are your hearts hardened? Do you have eyes but fail to see, and ears but fail to hear? And don’t you remember? When I broke the loaves for the five thousand, how many basketfuls of pieces did you pick up?” “Twelve,” they replied. “And when I broke the seven loaves for the four thousand, how many basketfuls of pieces did you pick up?” They answered, “Seven.” He said to them, “Do you still not understand?” (Mark 8:14-21)

    Jesus referred to two occasions when He fed great multitudes with just a little food. The first miracle took place near Bethsaida on the west side of the Sea of Galilee, and the crowd would have consisted mainly of Jews. The feeding of the four thousand, not counting women and children, took place a little later on the other side of the Sea of Galilee in the region of the Decapolis. This area was inhabited mostly by Greeks and other Gentiles. So what did the disciples not perceive about these miracles? And what did leftover baskets of food have to do with anything?

    I think this is what the disciples eventually concluded. The twelve baskets represented the twelve tribes of Israel, which included all Jews. The seven baskets stood for the seven Gentile nations that inhabited the Promised Land before it was given to Israel. (see Deut 7:1-2 and Acts 13:19) Jesus was saying: “Do you really think I’m worried about a loaf of bread in our boat? Come on… don’t you see? I have come to feed and save the Jews who are such a big part of My Father’s plan. AND I have come to save the Gentiles, who My Father loves more than you can imagine. But beware, there are Jews like the Pharisees and Gentiles like Herod who oppose Me and My Father. Don’t let them influence you.”

    Isn’t it funny that despite our ignorance and ineptitude, God uses us to be a part of His wonderful work? Before the great ‘feeding’ miracles, Jesus sent the twelve apostles in pairs to the villages of Israel with instructions to drive out demons, heal the sick, and proclaim God’s Kingdom. Surely many of the huge crowd of Jews that Jesus fed were those who witnessed amazing signs or heard about Jesus through the obedience of the apostles.

    In Mark 7, Jesus healed a deaf man in the area of Decapolis who could barely talk. After healing him, He told witnesses not to tell anyone. “But the more He did so, the more they kept talking about it.” (Mark 7:36) In the same vicinity in Mark 5, Jesus cast out Legion from a tormented man and sent the demons into a herd of pigs. When this man wanted to follow Jesus, He was instructed: “Go home to your own people and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how He has had mercy on you.” (Mark 5:19) And that is what the man did. Perhaps many in the crowd of the four thousand were inhabitants of the Decapolis who heard about Jesus from the recipients of earlier miracles.

    Today, we are Christ’s ambassadors in a desperate world. “God, give us the power to cast out evil, to heal the sick, and to proclaim the Good News of the Kingdom. And give us the remembrance and the passion to tell of all God has done for us and of the mercy we have received. May we invite the multitudes to meet Jesus and receive true life from Him. Help us not to think ‘small,’ but to really see what You are doing. Amen.”

    “Your Kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.” Matthew 6:10

  • forgiveness

    —

    Dana

    On May 26, 2017, eight to ten masked gunmen raided a bus full of adults and children going to a church gathering 85 miles south of Cairo, Egypt. A six-year-old girl was sitting in the front row with a friend, separated from her mother. One of the terrorists pointed his gun at this girl and demanded she recite the Islamic statement of faith: ‘There is no god but Allah, and Muhammad is his prophet.’ She replied, “No, I won’t say that thing. I am a Christian.” This brave child was one of twenty-eight Christians murdered in the attack.

    Some time later, Joshua Youseff, whose dad Michael is a pastor in Atlanta and a native of Egypt, heard the mother of the little girl talk about forgiveness. “I cannot describe how I felt as I listened to this mother tell her daughter’s story. As I heard her talk of forgiveness and saw her face alight with joy, I felt an overwhelming sense of conviction.”

    On Palm Sunday, a few weeks before the bus attack, two churches were attacked and forty-six Egyptian Christians were killed. Naseem Faheem, a security guard at one of the churches, asked a man to go through a perimeter metal detector before entering. Though he surely was one of the first to die, Naseem’s alertness saved many lives as the man detonated a bomb outside the church.

    When interviewed, Naseem’s widow sat with her two grown sons. When asked about the terrorist who killed her husband, she said: “I’m telling him, ‘May God forgive you, and we also forgive you. Believe me, we forgive you.’”

    We know Jesus teaches us to forgive our enemies, but I think it takes God’s supernatural work in our hearts to respond like these two ladies. When we do forgive, the world takes note and God is revealed for who He is. Amr Adeeb, a prominent Egyptian television personality, said this to his audience after watching the Faheem interview: “How great is the forgiveness Egyptian Christians have! These people are made of a different substance.”

    When we forgive, we also escape the continued evil that Satan wants to wield, intending for bitterness, anger, and darkness to overtake our hearts. He is a murderer and a liar, and the lies he tells regarding hatred and revenge are just as destructive as bullets and bombs.

    When we forgive, we follow our Savior who forgave those who unjustly killed Him. “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.” (Luke 23:34) The Son of God practiced what He preached and His life leads us to God’s kingdom.

    “Jesus, give us grace to be just like You.”

    “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.” Matthew 6:12

    “Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.” Colossians 3:13

  • struggle

    —

    Dana

    God repeatedly tells us: “I love you;” “I am with you;” “nothing is impossible for Me;” and “you do not need to be afraid.” He does not tell us: “Life will be easy;” “you will always be understood and accepted;” “you will always be treated fairly;” or “My kingdom comes without struggle.”

    All we have to do is examine the life of Christ to understand the tensions that exist when deity confronts humanity. Disciples of Jesus have been filled with the Holy Spirit, so conflict is bound to appear as we live in a fallen world. Our challenge is to keep eyes on our Teacher while following the two great commands: “Love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength;” and “love your neighbor as yourself.”

    So why should there be struggle if ‘love’ is the driving force in our lives? We know there is an enemy who hates… Satan hates God and he hates people. Immediately after Jesus was baptized, He was led into the wilderness to face the devil. Satan wanted to defeat God’s work from the beginning, but God will not be defeated. Spiritual war existed as Jesus walked the earth and spiritual war takes place today. We should not be surprised when we are resisted or misunderstood or persecuted while living boldly for Christ. Satan hates us… but God loves us; He is with us; He can do all things; and we do not need to be afraid.

    Brilliantly, our Father in Heaven uses our trials, our struggles, and even our failures to mold us into His image. Even Jesus grew this way: “Son though He was, He learned obedience from what He suffered.” (Hebrews 5:8) Disciples learn to look at hardship from a different perspective. “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” (James 1:2-3)

    As we encounter trials and as we persevere, God teaches us to live like Christ. Trusting and loving His Father, Jesus resisted the devil, shared the good news of the kingdom, and loved people. “To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in His steps.” (I Peter 2:21) “Consider Him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.” (Hebrews 12:3)

    We can be overcomers because He overcame!

    “I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

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