Dana's Christian Journey

musings of a thankful cancer survivor

Author: Dana

  • resistance

    —

    Dana

    But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God – having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people.

    You, however, know all about my teaching, my way of life, my purpose, faith, patience, love, endurance, persecutions, sufferings – what kind of things happened to me in Antioch, Iconium and Lystra, the persecutions I endured. Yet the Lord rescued me from all of them. In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evildoers and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.

    But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Jesus Christ. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. (II Timothy 3:1-5, 10-17)

    As we read the description of the world today and as we are reminded of the power and value of God’s written Word, we are also instructed about suffering and persecution. In the conflict between the kingdom of God and Satan’s kingdom, there should be no surprise that servants of Jesus are bound to face resistance.

    photoSusan and I spent this past weekend at The Billy Graham Training Center in Asheville, North Carolina with our friends from Mission India. Indian nationals Chirie, Kamala, Sam, Prabhu, and John joined almost two hundred American believers to hear of God’s work in India and the enemy’s resistance.

    We heard the story of a pastor who had two of his children kidnapped by radical Hindus almost three years ago. He and his wife have had little help from local authorities, and they still have no news about their children.

    Saturday morning, Prabhu received a tragic e-mail reporting that another of his fellow pastors in India was attacked and killed. Faithfully, they continue to proclaim Christ and show His love and kindness to their fellow man.

    I spoke with Pastor John, our main speaker throughout the weekend, on two different occasions. He was giving encouraging messages from II Corinthians 4 & 5. Being curious about a story he told of a young boy being possessed by a demon in one of the rural villages, I asked him about Satan’s demonic activity. “I have witnessed this hundreds of times in the 350 tribal villages in which we work. Out of fear and superstition, parents invite the spirits into their homes without realizing the evil intent of the devil.” “How do you pray?” I asked. “We pray as teams. Several of us join in prayer until the demon obeys Jesus and leaves. The families then know the power of God.”

    Pastor John continued, “It is very important that we follow up quickly with teaching from the Word of God; otherwise they will just want to add Jesus to the long list of Hindu gods. God’s Word is powerful and the Holy Spirit grants understanding. There are many, many people who had never heard of Jesus just a few years ago who are now becoming mature believers. God is gaining momentum in my country.”

    Despite persecution, God is building His Church. Light expels darkness and we are told to “let our light shine.” Our brothers and sisters in other parts of the world encourage us to never give up… “Keep telling people about Jesus, keep demonstrating His kindness and character, keep teaching the Word, keep depending on His grace, keep loving the lost, keep praying, keep persevering… keep the faith.”

    “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, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith. For the joy set before Him, He endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Remember Him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and give up.” Hebrews 12:1-3

  • advice

    —

    Dana

    Keep reminding God’s people of these things. Warn them before God against quarreling about words; it is of no value and only ruins those who listen. Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth. Avoid godless chatter, because those who indulge in it will become more and more ungodly. Their teaching will spread like gangrene. Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus, who have departed from the truth. They say that the resurrection has already taken place, and they destroy the faith of some. Nevertheless, God’s solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription: “The Lord knows those who are His,” and “Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness.”

    Flee the evil desires of youth and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. Don’t have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels. And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. Opponents must be gently instructed, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will. (II Timothy 2:14-19, 22-26)

    A good friend recently commented regarding thoughts on II Timothy: “Dana, I can just picture you speaking to your kids like that and emphasizing the things you think God wants them to hear from you.” I told my friend that the reason I have been reading II Timothy was that my dad told me this was the message he would write to believers in this day and time. Reading the letter afresh, it is as if I can hear my father’s voice. Perhaps this is what God intends as we read His Word. Through the Holy Spirit, we hear our Heavenly Father’s voice.

    Regarding the verses above, I think I would say this to Taylor, Emma, Kinsey, Jordan, Karlyn, and John:

    Be ready to talk about Jesus any time and anywhere. But be careful; some people just want to argue. Quarreling about words, arguing about stupid things, and jumping into every debate does more harm than good. God wants us to resist evil and to pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace with a pure heart.

    Be a good student of God’s Word. Ask the Holy Spirit to give understanding when you read… He promises to guide us in truth. There is a lot of bad handling of God’s Word in the world today. Some are teaching things in direct in opposition of the truth. In every situation we encounter though, God wants us to speak with kindness and love.

    If there is confusion regarding who loves God and who is opposing Him, just remember: “The Lord knows who are His.” God is never confused and He has said that: “Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness.” We are called to walk in the light as Jesus is in the light. He is with us!

    I don’t think I can explain how much I love you. And I know we cannot fully fathom how much the Father loves us. With all the Body of Christ, let’s constantly thank God and let’s help each other on the journey.

    “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away. When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared. The owner’s servants came to him and said, ‘Sir, didn’t you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from?’ ‘An enemy did this,’ he replied. The servants asked him, ‘Do you want us to go and pull them up?’ ‘No,’ he answered, ‘because while you are pulling the weeds, you may uproot the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bunches to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.’” Matthew 13:24-30

  • saying

    —

    Dana

    “Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, descended from David. This is my gospel, for which I am suffering even to the point of being chained like a criminal. But God’s word is not chained. Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect that they too may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory. Here is a trustworthy saying:
    If we died with him, we will also live with him;
    if we endure, we will also reign with him;
    if we disown him, he will also disown us;
    if we are faithless, he remains faithful, for he cannot disown himself.”
    II Timothy 2:8-13

    There are four parts of this trustworthy saying:

    1. God wants us to know we are dead… we died when Jesus died (past tense). He took our sin and our ‘old man’ to the cross. And since we died with Him, we live with Him. This is the good news. “For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his. For we know our old man was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin – because anyone who has died has been set free from sin.” (Romans 6:5-7)

    2. Now we must endure… and the secret to endurance is ‘fellowship.’ We cannot be saved on our own and we cannot endure on our own. “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me.” (Psalm 23:4) He gives us grace; He gives us His Spirit; He gives us peace. If Jesus is with us, we can endure.

    3. We never disown him… I will always remember sitting in Ecuador early one morning this past February waiting on our mission team to come to breakfast. I looked at the news and saw twenty-one Egyptian Christians dressed in orange jumpsuits on their knees with twenty-one ISIS captors holding a sword to their necks. These men were given the opportunity to denounce Christ, accept Islam, and live. Each refused and each was executed as one who would not disown the One who died on the cross. “Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. But whoever disowns me before others, I will disown before my Father in heaven.” (Matthew 10:32-33)

    4. He remains faithful regardless of our faithfulness or faithlessness… Judas disowned Jesus; Peter was faithless. Peter was not as strong as he thought he was and Jesus knew it. “I tell you, Peter, before the rooster crows today you will deny three times that you know me.” (Luke 22:34) Though Peter failed in the dark night, the Good Shepherd was faithful to him. Jesus died for him, rose from the dead, and personally restored his chosen ‘rock.’ “He cannot disown himself.”

    ‘What a Friend we have in Jesus.’

    “Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners – of whom I am the worst. But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his immense patience as an example for those who would believe in him and receive eternal life. Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen.” I Timothy 1:15-17

  • soldier

    —

    Dana

    “You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others. Endure hardship with us like a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No one serving as a soldier gets involved in civilian affairs – he wants to please his commanding officer. Similarly, if anyone competes as an athlete, he does not receive the victor’s crown unless he competes according to the rules. The hard-working farmer should be the first to receive a share of the crops. Reflect on what I am saying, for the Lord will give you insight into all this.” II Timothy 2:1-7

    When a person enters the army, he separates from civilian affairs. Allegiance is pledged and total obedience to authority is required. Beginning in basic training, a soldier understands that hardship is part of the package, but suffering is embraced for a greater good.

    My good friend Tim did a tour in Afghanistan and continues to serve our country as a member of the Army Reserve. We were talking recently and he shared the importance of the concept of Esprit de Corps. This is a French term that translates to Spirit of the Body.

    Tim told me, “Our hope for success does not rely on the strength of the individual soldier but rather in the ability of the group to work together in pursuit of a common mission – even in the face of fierce opposition. We not only have to be dedicated to a goal, we must be committed to one another. Total commitment is essential.”

    Paul used the military as one of three comparisons to help Timothy grasp what it takes to be a fruitful disciple. We are saved by grace, but God’s grace is not cheap. Paul urged a younger man to “be strong in the grace that is Christ Jesus.”

    “Be like a good soldier; be like a world-class athlete; be like a hard-working farmer.” All three of these challenges point to dedication, effort, and sacrifice. We cannot be successful out of our own strength, but it might take every ounce of effort and energy to accomplish what Jesus asks us to do.

    In captivity in Jerusalem, the Lord said to Paul: “Take courage! As you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must testify about me in Rome.” The next day, over forty men pledged to kill Paul. Then Paul was escorted by Roman soldiers to Caesarea where he stayed in prison over two years. Falsely accused by the Jews, Paul appealed to Caesar and eventually was placed on a ship headed to Rome. The ship wrecked in a furious storm, but all survived and found refuge on the island of Malta. On his first day on the island, Paul was bitten by a deadly viper, but God did not let the venom harm him. Eventually Paul made it to Rome, where under house arrest for at least two years, he shared Christ with all who would listen. Tradition says Paul was beheaded in the year 68 AD while Nero ruled as Emperor of Rome.

    “Don’t worry about hardship – embrace it as a good soldier. We are in this world, but we are not of it. Remember, we are living for God’s kingdom! The One we serve is no ordinary ruler… He is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords! All we endure on this earth will be worth it when we finally see His face and live with Him forever. Run the good race; fight the good fight; don’t get distracted; be strong in God’s grace.”

    “People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. But you, man of God, flee from all this and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses. In the sight of God, who gives life to everything, and of Christ Jesus, who while testifying before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, I charge you to keep this command without spot or blame until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, which God will bring about in his own time – God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone is immortal and who lives in inapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see. To him be honor and might forever. Amen.” I Timothy 6:9-16

  • encouragement

    —

    Dana

    II Timothy 1:5-18:

    I have been reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also.

    For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline. So do not be ashamed to testify about our Lord, or ashamed of me his prisoner. But join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God, who has saved us and called us to a holy life – not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, but has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. And of this gospel I was appointed a herald and an apostle and a teacher. That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet I am not ashamed, because I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day.

    What you have heard from me, keep as a pattern of sound teaching, with faith and love in Christ Jesus. Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you – guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us.

    You know that everyone in the province of Asia has deserted me, including Phygeius and Homogenes.

    May the Lord show mercy to the household of Onesiphorus, because he often refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chains. On the contrary, when he was in Rome, he searched hard for me until he found me. May the Lord grant that he will find mercy from the Lord on that day! You know very well in how many ways he helped me in Ephesus.

    Though his grandmother and mother had faith, Timothy still had to choose for himself to trust and obey. Like us, Timothy was saved by grace through Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world. Now the apostle Paul, his mentor, encouraged a young man to let the fire of God burn strongly.

    “God has given you gifts, Timothy; use them! He wants us to live bold lives marked by God’s power, love, and holiness. Jesus warned in a parable of the servant who buried his talent because he was afraid. Do not be afraid, Timothy, and do not be ashamed of the Lord… or of me, though you know many have criticized and left me.

    “I have taught you that it is all about Jesus… his life, death, burial, and resurrection. The Gospel is the power of God for salvation for everyone who believes… share the Good News! Rely on the Holy Spirit who lives in you. He produces the fruit of Jesus in our lives… and we know that love is the greatest fruit!

    “Jesus has destroyed death! We need not fear anything! God is with us and gives everything we need. I love you. —Paul.”

    Mustn’t it make God smile when older men and older women encourage the younger in the faith? And doesn’t it bring God joy when the younger look for ways to help the older? May God’s family live in a manner that brings him glory!

    “Do not rebuke an older man harshly, but exhort him as if he were your father. Treat younger men as brothers, older women as mothers, and younger women as sisters, with absolute purity.” I Timothy 5:1-2

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