Dana's Christian Journey

musings of a thankful cancer survivor

Author: Dana

  • man of God

    —

    Dana

    When the kids were younger, they would often be at Chris’ house up the street or Chris would be at ours. He and Taylor roomed a while together in college and have been close friends for seventeen years. So when Chris and his beautiful fiance, Lee Anna, asked me to officiate their wedding set for July, I was quite honored.

    I love helping in weddings, knowing God has something special in mind for a man and a woman pledging themselves to one another in his Presence. I always feel God gives a special thought or Scripture for each wedding and Chris and Lee Anna’s was no different.

    I was watching nine-year-old John take swimming lessons at an indoor pool in early spring. The instruction had not yet begun when John got my attention. From the water he pointed to a family of Indian descent sitting on a bench. They also were watching a little boy prepare for lessons, but I could not understand why John was wanting me to look at them. He became so animated that I finally walked close to the pool to hear what he was saying. “Dana, go meet that man sitting at the end of the bench… he’s a man of God!” The swimming lesson ensued and I went and sat on the same bench as the Indian family, more than a little confused by John’s declaration.

    Every time John had a pause in his lesson he pointed to the young father sitting with a book in his hand watching his son take lessons. I could read John’s lips: “Go talk to him Dana, he’s a man of God!” Realizing I was going to be embarrassed one way or another, I walked in front of the bench and stood next to the father. I got close enough to read the title of his book: Men of God.

    I learned that the man’s name is Daniel, as I struck up a conversation that eventually centered on Jesus. The book he was reading was written by Zac Poonen, a pastor who lives in India.

    The next week Daniel brought me two books by the same author. One was a wonderful encouragement to look to Jesus as our Source of Life and the other dealt with the Christian family. In one of the chapters in the family book, Mr. Poonen shared advice he gave one of his sons on his wedding day. I knew this was the message for Chris and Lee Anna. Giving credit to Indian Christians in the wedding ceremony, I suggested that three simple statements might provide some of God’s wisdom for us all.

    1. Be centered in God and not in yourselves. The hope for us being a great husband or wife or parent or friend is to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus — not on one another. God shows us how to love and how to live.

    2. Accept one another and don’t wear masks. Jesus accepts us as we are and this is the way we are to accept one another — no masks, no pretense, no hypocrisy.

    3. Do things together and you’ll overcome Satan. There is an enemy who wants to destroy all marriages and all godly relationships. But if we live in unity and pray in unity we will see God’s authority and power over darkness and evil.

    I’m thankful a little boy introduced me to a man of God.

    “Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them.” Matthew 18:19-20

    (The three statements are from A Heavenly Home, by Zac Poonen; ©2007; published by Christian Fellowship Church.)

  • Father’s business

    —

    Dana

    “Did you not know I must be about my Father’s business?” (Luke 2:49)

    The twelve-year-old Child asked his parents this question after they had been looking for him for three days. Surely Jesus realized that the business of a mother and father is to keep up with their children. But a higher agenda seemed to consume the Son of Mary and Joseph as they visited Jerusalem for the annual Passover Feast.

    Perfect humility enabled the King of kings to submit to modest parents in the unimpressive town of Nazareth. The holy Messiah obeyed a young mother and a simple carpenter even though He was Lord of all. The attitude of Christ revealed complete trust: “My circumstances were chosen by my Father in Heaven. He chose my parents, my physical appearance, my hometown, and my social status. My Father knows what He is doing and I gladly accept his will.”

    Jesus’ answer in the Temple was neither rebellious or prideful; He simply revealed the priority of the child of God: “I must be about my Father’s business.” Are we not all to think this way?

    I was born in a precise location at an exact time on a particular day in 1959. I now live in a certain city and have a God-given job. I have a wife and children and many friends. But is my mind set on the Father’s business? If a person ever asked why I was doing a certain thing, would I ever honestly answer: “Don’t you know this is what God intends for me to do?”

    The secret to Jesus’ life is our hope for such focused living: “I am in the Father and the Father is in me.” (John 14:11) Jesus says to us, “Remain in me, and I will remain in you.” (John 15:4)

    Come Lord, live your life in me. “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer.” Reveal to my heart what is important to You, and may I be about the Father’s business. Amen.

    “The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands. And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything, because he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else. From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us. ‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’” Acts 17:24-28

  • complete

    —

    Dana

    As we close out another school year, this completes another writing season, though occasionally I may send out a summer note. Susan and I appreciate your prayers this year. Doctors seem pleased with the results of the trial drug I have been taking the past couple of months, so the plan is to stick with it.

    “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” (James 1:2-4)

    The testing of our faith helps us develop perseverance which is essential in the life of a believer. Perseverance must be present in order for us to be mature and complete. So as we live and learn, we must keep in mind God’s great purpose: ‘To mold us into the image of his Son.’

    The more ‘complete’ we become, the more we look like Jesus. And, of course, the more we look like Jesus, the more we love. One reason we can “count it all joy” as we go through various trials is that God continually gives us opportunities to love. Love is the crowning result of the work of God in a person’s life.

    Even Jesus went through a journey on earth that brought him to the ‘complete’ place where he could pour out his love and save the world. “Although he was a son, he learned obedience from what he suffered and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him.” (Hebrews 5:8)

    Jesus trusted his Father… and so must we. There is no One more trustworthy.

    “Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, ‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.’” Hebrews 13:5

    “May the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.” Hebrews 13:20-21

  • wait

    —

    Dana

    Who likes to be told to wait? And is it not torture when the waiting goes longer than expected? Jesus said to his apostles, “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 with the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 1:4-5)

    Leviticus instructs that the Feast of Weeks, or Pentecost, was to begin fifty days after the day following the Sabbath of the Passover. Of course this was the Sunday Jesus rose from the dead during his last Passover. Jesus then appeared to different people on earth over the span of forty days. Before ascending, He gave his ‘waiting’ instructions and the disciples went to Jerusalem.

    What do you think they did while they waited? I’ll bet they prayed. Maybe they fasted. They probably often recounted Jesus’ instructions and tried to figure out the meaning of “a few.”  I imagine they got really frustrated and you would guess there were more than a few arguments. As the days stretched out, the less comfortable they became and the more they fretted. But God is not bothered too much by our discomforts. He had a plan.

    Ten days after Jesus left the earth; seven weeks and one day after his resurrection from the grave, a huge crowd gathered in the city for the feast. The Holy Spirit came Sunday, the Day of Pentecost. The waiting was worth it!

    So now we wait for the return of the King. We wonder what the Father wants to take place on earth before the end. We know we are set apart to live holy lives of faith and give glory to God. But will He allow his power to be seen as it was in the days of the early church? The ‘acts’ of the apostles (and others) were the ‘acts’ of the Holy Spirit; does God plan more action? Are not the lives of believers today also to be marked by the Holy Spirit?

    Surely we should pray big prayers. When the gospel is proclaimed in every tongue, and the sick are healed and evil is defeated, the Kingdom is seen. Let us seek… and knock… and ask… and wait.

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

    “So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened. Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? 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 11:9-13

  • pattern

    —

    Dana

    Many of Jesus’ disciples had listened first to John the Baptist, the preacher in the wilderness. We can assume they were baptized, as John baptized “with water for repentance.” But the prophet spoke of One more powerful than he, who would “baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire.”

    We know Jesus approached his cousin and was baptized in the Jordan, and the Spirit of God descended like a dove upon the Holy One. The Spirit then led Jesus into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. After forty days of fasting and resisting his enemy, Christ returned, preaching of repentance and the Kingdom of Heaven. He walked and lived in the power of the Spirit and fulfilled everything his Father desired.

    Jesus often talked to his friends about the Promise of the New Covenant. He even made hard-to-believe statements such as: “It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you.” (Jn 16:7) The apostles did not fully understand these teachings of Jesus, but when He died and rose from the grave, everything changed.

    On one occasion after the resurrection, John records that Jesus “breathed on them and said, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit.’” (Jn 20:22) But there were further instructions. Before He ascended, Jesus told his disciples to wait in Jerusalem. “You are witnesses of these things. I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.” (Lk 24:48-49)

    We know that on the Day of Pentecost God came in power. The disciples were empowered to be witnesses for Christ and thousands put their faith in the Risen One. So what do these ancient stories have to do with us? Is there a pattern we are to follow? We too are to be baptized in water. Jesus offers forgiveness and we all must repent. When we put our faith in Christ we declare that we are no longer trusting ourselves… in fact, we are dead. We are buried in the water and raised to live new lives.

    But we must be careful not to simply participate in a baptism like John’s. We want to be baptized by the One who died for us and rose again. We need him to breathe on us and say, “Receive the Holy Spirit.” When we are ‘born again’ we are given new life, and this life is to be marked by the Spirit of God and all of the fruit of Jesus. By faith we hold these promises true and we praise God for his grace and mercy.

    But what about Pentecost? Jesus knew his disciples needed power from above to be effective witnesses on earth; do we? I do. The disciples were simply told to wait. We don’t control the timing of God, but I believe He does want us to anticipate his activity. Is this world not in desperate need? Are not the children of God to be effective witnesses today? Surely we should pray: “Come Holy Spirit! Have your way with us. Use us on this earth to bring glory to God.”

    “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 with the Holy Spirit.” Acts 1:4-5

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