Dana's Christian Journey

musings of a thankful cancer survivor

Author: Dana

  • death

    —

    Dana

    “I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant will also be. My Father will honor the one who serves me.” John 12:24-26

    Jesus said this as the hour of his betrayal drew near. His path of bearing fruit led to the cross and he invites us to follow. But how can we accept such an invitation? How did Jesus accept his? The Son loved his Father and his Father’s purposes more than his own life. When we die to our own goals and comforts and pleasures and simply say, “Here I am Lord; I want to do your will,” then we follow the Master.

    Our whole future is based upon a trust in the miraculous power of God. Through death comes life… really? If I die, will I really live again? If I surrender, will I really gain victory? If I am baptized into the One I believe to be Savior and King, will I really be raised to live a new fruitful life? So often we look at ourselves and think, “My life does not seem so abundant. I believe in Jesus, but what can he do with me? Have I really died and received new life?”

    The Holy Spirit keeps telling us to look to Jesus. “You believe Jesus died and was raised, right? You believe death has no mastery over him, right? You believe the life he lives, he lives to God, right? You are in him! You died with him and you are raised with him. Because he lives, you live. You believe in the power of God in the Son, now believe in the power of God in you!”

    A twenty-two year old girl amazed 13,000 listeners in an Atlanta arena last week as she told about moving to Uganda as a teenager and adopting thirteen orphan girls. The power in the message of Katie Davis is not the fact that she gave up ‘normal American life’ to serve the poor but that she knows a Savior who changed her life. She says her story is not about Katie… it is about Christ. Jesus gave her God’s dreams and the faith and strength to live boldly. Katie Davis is very happy.

    God may not lead me to Uganda, but he will live powerfully in my life if I trust him. God does not have the same exact plan for you that he has for me, but he will not fail to accomplish his wonderful purposes if you trust him. “Trust and obey, for there’s no other way to be happy in Jesus but to trust and obey.”

    “Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death has no mastery over him. The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God. In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.” Romans 6:8-11

  • fruit

    —

    Dana

    The more we become like Christ, the more our thinking shifts from self-satisfaction to God-satisfaction. Jesus prayed, “I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do.” (Jn 17:4) The work God gave his Son to do was not easy. Jesus had to persevere… and so must we: “You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.” (Heb 10:36)

    In the parable of the sower Jesus explains what happens when the Word of God is spread. The devil snatches it from many hearts before faith takes root. Others believe for a while but when the times of testing come, they fall away. Others are overcome by life’s worries, riches, and pleasures. “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 Lk 8:11-15)

    No one has produced more fruit than Jesus and he teaches us the way. Through hardship and loss; through criticism and slander; through temptation and opposition from the devil… Jesus kept his eyes on the Father. His critics even accused him of being possessed by demons. “I am not possessed by a demon, but I honor my Father and you dishonor me. I am not seeking glory for myself, but there is one who seeks it, and he is the judge… If I glorify myself, my glory means nothing. My Father, whom you claim as your God, is the one who glorifies me.” (see Jn 8:49-54)

    Jesus persevered by keeping total trust in his Father, and we are to do the same. There is only one source of lasting fruit. When we chase the compliments of men and try to look good in the eyes of the world, we may gain self-satisfaction but we miss what is most important. “Apart from me you can do nothing.” To produce fruit and bring glory to the Father, we must steadfastly remain in the Son. In Christ, through the power of the Holy Spirit, we are able to persevere and accomplish the will of the Father. May we encourage each other and may we receive encouragement from our Teacher.

    “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.” John 15:1-8

  • sorrow

    —

    Dana

    “Be merciful to me, O Lord, for I am in distress; my eyes grow weak with sorrow, my soul and my body with grief. My life is consumed by anguish and my years are groaning; my strength fails because of my affliction, and my bones grow weak.” Psalm 31:9-10

    I’d like to ask for you to pray for a family today. I was in Orlando, Florida on a school trip when my wife, Susan, called early Sunday morning. “You’ve got to go see Steven,” she told me. Steven Hayes was in the seventh grade when I first started teaching. He and an incredible group of boys played on the first basketball team I ever coached. For the past eleven years he has been the boys’ varsity basketball coach at a small high school in central Florida.

    On Saturday evening, Steven’s 10-year-old son was hit by a car and killed. I spent five hours with Steven and his family and friends Sunday afternoon. I can’t describe the pain and sorrow. A father and mother and ninth grade sister wonder how they can go on. They say two to three hundred people visited the hospital Saturday night; five to six hundred people gathered at their school on Sunday; a thousand came to the visitation last night; and I don’t know how many are presently attending the funeral as I write this note. We are all helpless… but God is not helpless. This is why I am asking you to pray. Pray for this family and all the friends and the whole community.

    David was honest in his songs. In the first two verses of Psalm 28, he cries for mercy. In the last two verses, he tells what he knows to be true about our Father in Heaven.

    “To you I call, O Lord my Rock; do not turn a a deaf ear to me. For if you remain silent, I will be like those who have gone down to the pit. Hear my cry for mercy as I call to you for help, as I lift up my hands toward your Most Holy Place.” Psalm 28:1-2

    “The Lord is the strength of his people, a fortress of salvation for his anointed one. Save your people and bless your inheritance; be their shepherd and carry them forever.” Psalm 28:8-9

  • persevere

    —

    Dana

    Sometimes we are offended by God (or at least disappointed) when we go through difficult circumstances. But the Holy Spirit tells us to think in a different manner: “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that we may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” (James 1:2-4)

    In nature, the caterpillar would probably appreciate a little help getting out of the cocoon. But without the struggle, he can never become a healthy, beautiful butterfly. “Though He slay me, still I will trust him,” were the words of one who endured loss and experienced every emotion suffering brings. In the story of Job, we’re also told of behind-the-scenes Satanic involvement. Who know what types of similar stories are taking place today?

    There are so many unknowns in suffering that it might be best to focus on two things: 1) Trust God; 2) Persevere. If I can trust God with all my heart and refrain from leaning on my own understanding, then I can look forward to straight paths. And if I can simply take the next step with my eyes on Jesus, then I can look forward to finishing the race. In order to be formed into the image of Christ, we must learn to persevere. When we persevere, we demonstrate that we truly believe what God tells us to be true.

    Let us receive encouragement from the Holy Spirit and let us encourage one another to never give up.

    “Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds… So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what is promised.”  Hebrews 10:23,24,35,36

  • offend

    —

    Dana

    “Does this offend you?” Jesus asked his disciples as he finished telling them who he was. “I am the bread of life,” he repeated over and over (see John 6). “It is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” ‘OK,’ the people said, ‘we’ll take this bread from now on.’ In John 4 the Samaritan woman made a similar statement: ‘OK, give me some of this water so I won’t get thirsty any more.’ But instead of simplifying his message, Jesus said things that offended his listeners.

    Have you ever been offended by Jesus? He does not mind offending our flesh. “The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life.” He knows our pride must exit before we can receive him. He can expose our motives and tell us the truth. The woman at the well confronted the truth about herself and ended up believing in the Christ. The crowd in John 6 enjoyed a miracle meal but could not accept that this Teacher was the only hope for true life. ‘Who does this man think he is, saying he will raise us up at the last day?’ “I am the living bread that came down from heaven… Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day… This is the bread that came down from heaven. Your forefathers ate manna and died, but he who feeds on this bread will live forever.”

    So what do we do when we’re offended by God? What if we really don’t understand? What if the ‘abundant life’ does not seem so abundant? After many disciples walked away, Jesus turned to the Twelve and asked, ‘Do you want to leave too?’ Peter gave a great reply: ‘Where are we going to go? We believe you are the Holy One. You have the words of life.’ We must remember the One who offends is also the One who loves. If I can humbly say, ‘I may not understand, but I’m going to trust you,’ Jesus smiles.  God help us trust completely.

    “Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me.” John 6:57

Random Post

Categories

Archives