Dana's Christian Journey

musings of a thankful cancer survivor

Author: Dana

  • center

    —

    Dana

    I led a session at the annual GISA Conference this week as 1900 educators from Georgia independent schools gathered at the Atlanta International School to focus on the theme: The Three C’s – Creativity, Communication, Collaboration. Daniel Pink, author of A Whole New Mind and Drive, was the keynote speaker.

    Throughout the day many teachers presented various ideas regarding one or more of the chosen categories.  The title of my class was Jesus and the Three C’s. It was fun to share a few Scriptures, tell a couple of stories, and ask fellow educators their thoughts about the Master Teacher.

    For the past several weeks God has been reminding me to be totally centered in Christ. It is so easy in our busy world to simply leave Jesus out of our thinking and our daily decisions. But when we center on Him, Jesus brings meaning, purpose, and hope to any situation.

    The classroom was full, and a young Spanish teacher from the Atlanta International School was assigned to make sure everyone’s needs were met. I am usually very low-maintenance, so my helper simply stood by the door at the front of the class for the entire hour and listened. Afterward, she came to me and said, “That was not at all what I expected.” Later in the hall I overheard her telling other AIS teachers how much she enjoyed the discussion about Jesus.

    When Jesus is the center, even those standing by take notice. Of course not everyone will follow Him – they didn’t while He walked the earth – but thoughts may be stirred and hearts may be touched. The Holy Spirit wants everyone to know that the secret to true life is found in the Son. ‘God, help us keep Jesus in the center.’

    “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy.” Colossians 1:15-18

  • Halloween

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    Dana

    There has been much discussion the past few decades about what a Christian is to do with Halloween. My family has gone a variety of routes throughout the years. From traditional ‘trick-or-treating’ to worship gatherings to neighborhood cookouts to church parties to handing out candy and Good News to all who came to our door. We know we are called ‘Light’ and Jesus calls us to shine in this world.

    Eight-year-old John couldn’t wait to go door to door in our neighborhood. But before we left the house (we were the first ones on our street), I wanted to remind him of who he was. This week he had a school project in which he had to answer a question: ‘Why are you special?’ Without prompting from any other person, John immediately wrote: ‘Because I am a child of God.’ “John,” I said, “Remember, you are a child of God.” “I know Dana. Can we go get some candy?”

    Whether or not we dress up like Jesus on Halloween, we are all to remember we are sons and daughters of God. We are to wear Christ. We are to be clothed in his goodness and love. God calls us a ‘new creation’ and the ‘light of the world’ and the ‘salt of the earth.’ His plan is for his children to be Jesus on the earth.

    And this strategy is not just for one day of the year or even one day of each week… we are to depend on the Holy Spirit to help us be like Jesus every day. May God smile as He looks upon his children.

    “Clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature.” Romans 13:14

    “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.” Colossians 3:12-14

  • End

    —

    Dana

    End times

    “The end of all things is near. Therefore be clear minded and self controlled so that you can pray. Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers a multitude of sins.” I Peter 4:7-8

    No matter what position a person takes regarding the Second Coming, all agree we are closer than we’ve ever been. Peter said that knowing the end is near should motivate us to be alert and self controlled so that we can pray. And as we pray we must remember to love. Are we praying? Are we loving?

    End places

    “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Act 1:8

    Are we thinking about those who have never heard of Jesus? God intends the Gospel to go to the ends of the earth! And we must be empowered by the Holy Spirit to accomplish his will. Are we depending on the Holy Spirit? Are we Christ’s witnesses every where we go?

    End promise

    “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:18-20

    As Jesus gave his great commission, He also gave a great promise: “I will be with you.” We know this promise is for us because we have not reached the end of the age. Do we really believe Jesus has all authority? Are we holding to his great promise?

    “All men will hate you because of me, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved.” Matthew 10:22

  • harvest

    —

    Dana

    One American speaker at the mission conference Susan and I attended a few weeks ago shared that every believer he met on a recent trip to India had either been physically healed, or knew a family member who had been healed. It is estimated that less than 3% of the 1.2 billion people in India are Christians. Around 80% are Hindu, 13% are Muslim, and the remaining 4% are Sikh, Buddhist, or of another religion. India is a huge country with many large cities, but over 60% of the population live in rural, impoverished villages. There are approximately 412 million Indians who have never even heard the Name of Jesus.

    It should not surprise us that God chooses to reveal his love and confirm his Word through healing the sick and delivering the lost from Satan’s grip. The story was told of a family with two daughters. The father was a Hindu priest and carried the position of spiritual leader in his village. Though a Hindu, he permitted his youngest daughter to attend an afternoon Bible Club led by a young married Christian couple.

    One day the oldest daughter became very ill and her parents took her to the nearest hospital. After several days, the doctors told the parents there was nothing more they could do and that their daughter was about to die. Returning to their home fearful and distraught, the youngest daughter said, “Daddy, in my Bible Club the teachers tell us of a God named Jesus who hears prayers and heals the sick.”

    Desperate, the father asked to meet these teachers. The young couple went to the hospital, prayed for the older daughter, and God healed her. Joyous and convicted, the father removed the dozen Hindu idols from his home, put them in a bag, and threw the bag in the river. From that point on he declared that he and his family would only follow the God Jesus.

    Angus Buchan, an evangelist in South Africa, once said, “One genuine miracle equals a thousand sermons.” As a Hindu priest of a village became an outspoken advocate for Christ, an entire village was impacted. And a little girl who listened in Bible class was instrumental in the spreading of the Kingdom of God.

    “After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go. ‘The harvest is plentiful and the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field. Go! I am sending you out like lambs among wolves… When you enter a town and are welcomed, eat what is set before you. Heal the sick who are there and tell them, “The Kingdom of God is near you.”‘” Luke 10:1-9

    “… and a little child will lead them.” Isaiah 11:6

  • Obama

    —

    Dana

    A good friend let me know last week that I left out one of the presidents that met with Billy Graham. He sent me an article from the New York Times that chronicled a meeting President Obama had with the evangelist one Sunday in April of 2010.

    President Obama is the only U. S. president to visit Billy Graham in his home in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. With no cameras or news teams, they visited awhile and then prayed privately together.

    “The President’s coming over this afternoon. I guess I’d better do a little cleaning.” Can you imagine? But as you might predict, criticisms came from all directions.

    Some Obama supporters lamented the fact that their leader felt like he had to walk in the footsteps of his eleven predecessors. Others took liberty to categorize Billy Graham as an out-of-touch Bible thumping extremist who has no business meeting with the most powerful leader in the world.

    Others criticized Billy Graham for meeting with a president they loathe. Accusing Obama of being insincere and having no belief in God, these asked, “How can Billy Graham pray with a pretender?”

    But what if God wanted such a meeting to take place? What if a president feels such a burden in his position of authority that he realizes he desperately needs the intercession of godly men and women? The Creator, who holds the future of every ruler in his hand, wants his servants to lift up petitions on a leader’s behalf. It is so easy to scrutinize every step a president makes while forgetting that God is above all politics.

    Have you ever been criticized for interacting with someone? Do you base your friendships and acquaintances on what others think? Jesus often received scathing judgments regarding his associates… but I don’t think He much cared. He was consumed with doing the work his Father gave him to do… which meant relating to all people — rich and poor, powerful and lowly, religious and sinful. Aren’t we to do the same?

    “My food,” said Jesus, “is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work.” John 4:34

    “I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone — for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.” I Timothy 2:1-4

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