Dana's Christian Journey

musings of a thankful cancer survivor

Author: Dana

  • viewpoint

    —

    Dana

    Harry and Dagmar, our friends who have lived in Jerusalem the past twenty-three years, stayed with us this past week. They visited my classes one day and answered questions from high school students. We may reach conclusions on world politics or the conflict in the Middle East by reading the newspaper or watching the news, but when you visit with people who live there you get a whole new perspective. “If a person has love in his heart for the Jews but no love for the Arabs, he does not understand the love of God. Or if a person has love in his heart for the Arabs but no love for the Jews, he also does not understand the love of God.” Harry’s quote reminded me that we need to see things from God’s viewpoint.

    Suppose Martha Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Henry Knox decided to write biographies of George Washington. Would they all write the same book? You might expect Thomas Jefferson to give clear insight on the political life of George Washington and his strength as an early leader in our nation. As Secretary of War and Revolutionary War general, Henry Knox might focus on the military exploits of our first president. And surely Martha would write a more personal volume about her husband. Each could give a true account of a man’s life, but the author’s perspective would produce three different books.

    Peter, Paul, and John all knew Jesus. Two walked with him on earth for three years as disciples. Peter and John listened to his teaching and witnessed his miracles. Paul was called to be an apostle after Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection. Though each knew Jesus as Savior and Lord, their experiences in life and the work of the Holy Spirit gave different viewpoints.

    Peter failed miserably as a disciple and friend when he denied Jesus three times on the night of his betrayal. But after Jesus forgave and restored him and after the Holy Spirit empowered him, Peter proclaimed the Gospel the rest of his life.

    John, ‘the disciple that Jesus loved’, was the only one of the Twelve to remain at the cross when his Savior died. He lived longer than any other apostle, constantly telling the story of Jesus.

    Paul said he was not worthy to be an apostle, yet God chose him to write more of the New Testament than any other person. Paul had a burning desire to know Christ more and more. Through a multitude of trials and much suffering, Paul proclaimed the good news and the mystery of Christ until he died a martyr’s death.

    So what about us? What viewpoint do I have? What viewpoint do you have? Can we humbly and boldly tell the story of Jesus in our lives? Your perspective may be quite different than mine, yet we know God’s love and Christ’s work in our hearts. Our message needs to line up with that of Peter, Paul, and John, but God’s work in a life is wonderfully unique. May we take time to remember, reflect, and recount the goodness of our King.

    “I will exalt you, my God the King; I will praise your name for ever and ever. Every day I will praise you and extol your name for ever and ever. Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; his greatness no one can fathom. One generation will commend your works to another; they will tell of your mighty acts. They will speak of the glorious splendor of your majesty, and I will meditate on your wonderful works. They will tell of the power of your awesome works, and I will proclaim your great deeds. They will celebrate your abundant goodness and joyfully sing of your righteousness.” Psalm 145:1-7

  • strength

    —

    Dana

    After lunch on the third day of this year’s Passion Conference in Atlanta, about forty-five thousand people stood praising God for an hour before Louie Giglio stepped to the microphone to make an appeal. “You know it is our habit to stand while we worship in song and sit while we hear God’s lessons, but this afternoon I want to ask you to stand for the teaching of God’s Word. Of course you don’t have to do this, but I want to encourage you to remain standing and listen carefully to a message straight from God.”

    I first thought to myself, “Oh man… I’m already tired. How am I going to stand through a whole sermon?” (The sermons at Passion are usually not short.) But then a little competitiveness rose up in me as I thought, “If these college kids are going to stand the whole time, I’m surely not going to sit down.” Five others joined Louie on the stage and they took turns reading Paul’s letter to the Ephesians. After each chapter the reader would pause and say, “Now we will have a moment of silence and ask Christ to speak to our hearts.”

    Without an exact count, I would guess three-fourths of the audience remained standing the entire time the six chapters were read. My seat was on the row behind my eighteen-year-old daughter, Karlyn, and I smiled as she stood. The day after the conference I tried to describe my experience to Karlyn. “I was so tired the first three chapters, but sometime during the reading of chapter four or five, something changed. It was really strange, but I started getting strength in my body. I was much stronger at the end of the reading than I was at the beginning.”  Karlyn replied, “The same thing happened to me, Dad. I did not sit down, because if I did, I knew I would fall asleep. I was so tired, but as we reached the second half of the Scripture I got stronger and stronger. If I didn’t get that strength, I don’t think I would have finished.”

    During the pause between chapter four and chapter five, after the reader said, “Now let us be silent and listen to what the Holy Spirit says,” God spoke this to my heart: “There is strength in my Word.” This truth was accompanied by an unusual strength in my body. I can’t know whether every person in the Georgia Dome experienced the same thing, but my daughter and I did. Of course we all know there is strength in God’s Word, but what does this mean practically? Am I always to stand when the Bible is read? Am I to read out loud? Am I to read a certain length of time or use a certain translation? God is far more concerned with relationship than form or ritual. He wants us to know him and He clearly reveals himself through his Word. I think He wanted to remind me of his incredible gift. “My Word is living and active and I can speak to any situation in your life. Have you noticed how my Son used Scripture as He walked the earth? He defeated the devil in the wilderness with ‘It is written’ and I have given you access to the same wisdom and power. What are you doing with my Word? Is it the lamp to your feet and the light for your path? Will you believe what I say? Don’t be deceived by this world; let my Word bring you strength.”

    “Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired and weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” Isaiah 40:28-31

  • Word

    —

    Dana

    Francis Chan delivered a powerful message to over 40,000 young people at the Passion Conference in the Georgia Dome last week. “I beg you… read God’s Word for yourself. This world is giving you so many false messages and if you do not read God’s Word for yourself, you will not know the difference between a lie and the truth!”

    I teach seventeen- and eighteen-year-old high school students. Though they have access to more information than anyone in human history, there is a frightening absence of knowledge of the Word of God. What advantage is unlimited information if we fail to focus on what is most important? What good is technology that can instantly supply the answer to any question if we don’t have the ability to discern the truth? What deception accompanies amazing sophistication that drowns out the Word of God?

    As the devil quoted Scripture to Jesus while tempting him in the wilderness, Jesus declared that man lives on every word that comes from the mouth of God. What did Jesus mean? What warnings did the Teacher give his listeners regarding the Word of God?

    Jesus was careful to fully explain one of his parables: “The Word goes out as seed from a sower. Know this: the devil is determined to steal the Word. The hard heart has no hope; the Word is taken before it has chance to take root. The rocky ground receives the Word with joy, but when trouble or persecution comes, these listeners with good intentions fade away because there is no root. Growth begins in the thorny ground, but riches and pleasures and life’s worries choke out the life. ‘But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the Word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop.’” (see Luke 8:1-15)

    Jesus, the Word made flesh, wants the children of the Father to receive strength, wisdom, and power from the living and active Word of God. He then wants us to hold out this Word to others… the Word of life that brings hope to all men.

    “Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life.” Philippians 2:14-16

    “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.” Colossians 3:16

    “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.” James 1:22

  • 27,000,000

    —

    Dana

    This week I’ve had the privilege to hang out with 40,000 college kids and another 5,000 older Christians at the Passion Conference at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta.  As the praises and shouts for God rang out over the arena more accustomed to football cheers, I couldn’t help thinking how God must rejoice as we fully engage our affection toward him.

    Each year the leaders ask young people to give money in order to make a difference in the world. Human slavery was this year’s target of attention as we learned that more people are in slavery today than in any time of human history. It is estimated that 27,000,000 people are in bondage to some type of slavery. Many of these are children, and many are caught in the horrible sex trafficking that is a worldwide epidemic. During the first two days, over a million dollars were given toward six agencies that direct all their attention to setting people free and helping restore them to a good place in society. Over the next two days, people continued to give and many joined online until by the end of the conference over three million dollars had been given.

    The second day of this conference I received an e-mail request from one of my students from the past asking me and others to pray for a college friend. Brother Thomas is one of the Lost Boys of Sudan and he had just learned that his ten month old nephew has been abducted in Africa. We are crying out for God to rescue this baby. The world problem instantly became more personal, because some of the members of our group are also friends of Brother Thomas.

    When a statistic becomes personal, everything changes. Could you imagine if your child were kidnapped? Each of the 27 million is a precious soul to God… who hates all slavery and injustice. May our hearts expand to become closer to his and may we determine to make a difference.

    “Is this not the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter – when you see the naked, to clothe him, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood? Then your light will break forth like the dawn and your healing will quickly appear; and then your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard.” Isaiah 58:6-8

  • faith

    —

    Dana

    “We ought always to thank God for you, brothers, and rightly so, because your faith is growing more and more, and the love every one of you has for each other is increasing.” I Thessalonians 1:3

    Child of God: I noticed that not only did the love the Thessalonian Christians had for each other increase, but Paul also said their faith was growing. That’s what I’d like this New Year — more faith.

    Father God: That is a worthy desire… are you sure this is what you want?

    Child: Honestly, I’m not sure. The great heroes of faith were asked to do some difficult things: “Leave your home and go to a land I will show you”; “Believe you will be a father of nations when you and your wife are too old to have a baby”; “Sacrifice your only son… the son of promise.” If this is the way a person’s faith increases, I’m hesitant.

    Father: So you don’t really trust me? Faith is about knowing me… which is why it is so important. Do you realize that Jesus walked by faith? He trusted me completely and did only what his Father showed him to do. The disciples witnessed his bold living and said, “Lord, increase our faith.”

    Child: Yes, and then he told them that if they had only mustard seed sized faith, they could move mountains. Jesus always challenged people to have more faith… and I know we have the same need.

    Father: So are you willing to trust me? To enter my Kingdom, a person humbles himself as a child and puts faith in my Son. My children believe the impossible… just as Abraham did. The Son of God came in the flesh; He took all sin upon himself and died on the cross; He was buried; and He was raised from the dead on the third day. If you believe I’ve accomplished everything in Jesus, you are standing in my grace… now simply obey your King.

    Child: This is the Good News. Thank you for saving us!

    Father: I’ve saved you and I’ve given the Holy Spirit so my children will grow up into the likeness of my Son. Every child has been given a race to run. The better you know me, the better you’ll run your race. Faith is about trusting who I am and what I can do. Abraham put his son on the altar because he knew I made a promise that I would not break. Even if Isaac was killed, Abraham believed I could raise him from the dead. I am love; I can do all things; I can be trusted.

    Child: So I guess the apostle Paul came to a point where he truly did believe he could do all things through Christ.

    Father: Yes, but he came to that place of faith by simply walking with the One who saved him… the One who gave him strength. Do not make faith complicated, my child. Walk with the One who saved you. Jesus is the author and perfecter of your faith. Keep your eyes on him this year and do everything he tells you to do. ‘Christ in you’ is your hope of glory… and your secret for growing in faith.

    The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!” He replied, “If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry bush, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it will obey you.” Luke 17:5-6

    Happy New Year!

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