Dana's Christian Journey

musings of a thankful cancer survivor

Author: Dana

  • two sons

    —

    Dana

    “What do you think? There was a man who had two sons. He went to the first and said, ‘Son, go work today in the vineyard.’ ‘I will not,’ he answered, but later he changed his mind and went. Then the father went to the other son and said the same thing. He answered, ‘I will, sir,’ but he did not go. Which one of the two did what his father wanted?” (Matthew 21:28-31)

    On the exterior a young man seemed to be a good son. He was wealthy; he followed the Law of Moses; and he was sincerely interested in the Teacher from Nazareth. “What good thing must I do to get eternal life?” he asked. But when Jesus told him to get rid of everything that hindered him and follow the Master, the rich young ruler would not do it. Once someone in a crowd asked, “What must we do to do the works God requires?” Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the One he has sent.” (John 6:28-29)

    Believe! Believe what? Believe He is: Messiah, King, Savior, Lord, the Way, the Truth, the Life… Everything! This was the explanation of the parable of the two sons: “John the Baptist came to show you the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes did. That is why they are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you.” (Matthew 21:31-32) Jesus is the Way of righteousness. “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. Repent and make the paths straight because the kingdom of God is at hand!” John’s message was Jesus. The religious and the prominent looked very much like obedient sons, but they did not believe John’s message. On the other hand, the sinners, who definitely would have been labeled ‘disobedient’, entered the kingdom by believing the Good News.

    The message is the same today: “Look to Christ;” “Call on Christ;” “Trust in Christ;” “Follow Christ;” “Abide in Christ.” Keith Getty and Stuart Townend wrote a great anthem for all who say “yes” to Jesus.

    IN CHRIST ALONE
    In Christ alone my hope is found; He is my light, my strength, my song.
    This Cornerstone, this solid ground – firm through the fiercest drought and storm.
    What heights of love, what depths of peace…
    When fears are stilled, when strivings cease…
    My Comforter, my All in All; Here in the love of Christ I stand.

    In Christ alone, who took on flesh; fullness of God in helpless Babe.
    This gift of love and righteousness, scorned by the ones He came to save.
    ‘Till on that cross as Jesus died, the wrath of God was satisfied;
    For every sin on Him was laid, here in the death of Christ I live.

    There in the ground His body lay, Light of the world by darkness slain.
    Then bursting forth in glorious day, up from the grave He rose again.
    And as He stands in victory, sin’s curse has lost its grip on me.
    For I am His and He is mine, bought with the precious blood of Christ.

    No guilt in life, no fear in death. This is the power of Christ in me.
    From life’s first cry to final breath, Jesus commands my destiny.
    No power of hell, no scheme of man can ever pluck me from His hand.
    ‘Till He returns or calls me home, here in the power of Christ I’ll stand.

  • two wives

    —

    Dana

    Two wives have one thing in common: their husbands have been out of the country for quite a long time. One wife constantly thinks of her spouse. She wakes up thinking of him, she goes to bed thinking of him, and he is in the back of her mind throughout every day. She cannot wait until he returns. The other wife does not seem to miss her husband much at all. She thinks of him rarely and though she knows she is married, this wife seems quite content living alone. In fact, when news came that her husband would soon be home, she was a little sad. So what’s the difference between these two ladies? Without knowing anything about the individuals involved, a person would conclude that the first wife loves her husband much more than the second.

    So what’s the difference between the Christian who is madly in love with Jesus and the Christian who rarely thinks of him at all? We know the problem is not with the Husband, for He is the definition of love. Such love inspires him to state things exactly as they are. He said to one church, “You are lukewarm.” He said to another, “You’ve forsaken your first love.” Such words are meant to rescue the passionless.

    We know the reasons love grows cold: forgetfulness, lack of intimate communication, busyness, hard times, worry, finding fulfillment or pleasure outside the relationship, laziness… But how could I ever forget what Jesus has done for me? How could my communication with God ever drift into common duty? How could I ever get too busy to treasure fellowship with the One who died for me? Shouldn’t hard times or worrisome situations drive me closer to my Savior? Dare I ever substitute any pleasure or entertainment for the fulfillment God gives? Will I let my laziness damage the most important relationship of all?

    The enemy of marriage has many weapons. He’ll even use a writing like this to accuse and condemn. “See, you are a pitiful sinner who will never love your God the way you should. Why bother?” But Jesus speaks with a different voice… one full of grace and truth. “Come to me and listen carefully. Leave the things that distract and let me satisfy your deepest needs. Don’t you know I am enough? I am knocking at the door of your heart. Open up and let me come in. We’ll eat together and I’ll remind you of who I am. The more you know me, the more you’ll want to be with me. Fill your lamp with the Oil of my Spirit then you’ll be able to watch and pray. Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent.”

    “Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your deeds complete in the sight of my God. Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; obey it and repent. But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you.” Revelation 3:2-3

    “To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit on my throne, just as I overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne. He who has an ear to hear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” Revelation 3:21-22

  • spotless

    —

    Dana

    My eyes filled with tears as soon as the music began and the bride stood with her father at the end of the aisle. I later asked my wife Susan if she thought anyone noticed I was really struggling to get it together before I had to speak, but she reminded me of the obvious truth: “No one was looking at you.” Of course, we were all looking at the beautiful bride who had prepared herself perfectly for her husband. She was spotless, without blemish.

    Just as Jesus presented himself to his Father as a spotless Lamb so we are to present ourselves to our Savior as a spotless bride. “‘Hallelujah! For our Lord God Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready. Fine linen, bright and clean, was given to her to wear.’ (Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of the saints.)”

    Of course we understand we did not make ourselves spotless; that miracle was accomplished at Calvary. When writing to husbands and wives, Paul said the mystery of Christ and his church was also being proclaimed. “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.”

    Our challenge is to remember two pieces of good news: the incredible sacrifice that made us spotless and the reliable promise of a coming Day. The uninvited enemy is constantly throwing mud at the bride, trying to ruin the present and future. But he is a defeated foe and we remind ourselves to constantly rely on the blood of the Lamb. Daily we should present ourselves as living sacrifices; this is our spiritual act of worship. We are not to conform to the pattern of the world, but we are to be transformed by the renewing of our minds. As Jesus understood his purpose, so we want to know the Father’s good, pleasing and perfect will for our lives. (See Rom 12:1-2)

    I imagine Jesus is more excited about the coming Day than any groom has ever been. Let us be just as excited and “let us encourage one another – and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”

    “But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare. Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness. So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him.” II Peter 3:10-14 (see also Revelation 21)

  • wedding vows

    —

    Dana

    The wedding was beautiful Sunday evening. (I wore a suit, by the way.) There is nothing as joyful as two families and a host of friends coming together to celebrate a man and woman pledging their lives to one another.

    Jadon and Amanda wrote their own vows. She had to pause at one point as emotion made it impossible to talk. But with tears in her eyes, Amanda told her new husband how much she loved him and how she would remain faithful to him until death. Then with a strong voice, Jadon told Amanda how much she meant to him. He promised to protect her, provide for her, and love her all the days of his life. Then I asked that Jadon take a ring, put it on his bride’s finger, and complete the vow. Amanda did the same and the marriage was sealed. (Of course, for some reason, the guy always wants to kiss the girl before they walk down the aisle.)

    Jesus calls us the bride and He is the Bridegroom. “The bride belongs to the Bridegroom,” John the Baptist told his listeners. Sometimes we get choked up when we think of how much Jesus loves us. We know we only love him because He first loved us. What kind of love motivates One to lay down his life for a selfish sinner? At the foot of the Cross, we look up to our Savior and vow we will never leave him. But even our ‘pledge of a good conscience’ does not keep us as faithful as we want to be. We’ve all been guilty of walking out on the Lover of our souls. Do our hearts stray like the ancient children of Israel who seemed to always forget their God? What pride needs to be broken in our stubborn hearts to keep us in a faithful place? “Lead us, Lord, into your strong arms. May we find our joy and fulfillment in your unfailing love.”

    His love is unfailing and his vows will never be broken. His arms are strong and no villain can snatch his bride away. He invites us to walk in humility as He did on this earth. He tells us to watch for him and to pray constantly. He wants us to guard our hearts from the harmful advances of an enemy who despises the Son of God. He lives to intercede for those who have given themselves to him. He has given us something far greater than a ring to put on our fingers. “Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession – to the praise of his glory.” He knows what we need and He speaks to our hearts. “Surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” He wants us to remember this promise and look forward to his appearing. What a day that will be!

    “The Spirit and the bride say, ‘Come!’ And let him who hears say, ‘Come!’ Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life.” Revelation 22:17

  • wedding clothes

    —

    Dana

    In three days I’ll have the honor of helping a couple recite their vows to one another at an elegant outdoor wedding. Amanda and Jadon love one another and are so excited to finally reach this long awaited day. I’ve not told anyone, but I’m going to look a little different at this wedding. Though it is indeed a dress-up affair with tuxedos and fancy dresses, I’ve decided to just wear casual clothes. You see, what really counts is what’s in the heart. In my later years I’ve realized this more and more. Besides, I’ve worn so many ties in my lifetime that, to tell you the truth, I am sick of them. So I’m going to be foot-loose and fancy-free at this wedding and feel totally comfortable as I carry out my duties.

    The father of the bride is a good friend of mine. If I show up Sunday evening wearing tennis shoes, shorts, and a t-shirt, I know exactly what he’ll say: “Dana, what’s the deal? You’re not participating in this wedding looking like that. Give me your notes, I’ll get someone else to take your spot. I’m sorry, but you need to leave.”

    “But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing wedding clothes. ‘Friend,’ he asked, ‘how did you get in here without wedding clothes?’ The man was speechless. Then the king told the attendants, ‘Tie him hand and foot, and throw him outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’” Matthew 22:11-13

    Don’t be shocked at this passage. There is a definite dress code at the great wedding feast. It is an incredible outfit we’ve been given, but we’ve got to wear it. In fact, these clothes, though perhaps not well recognized on earth, are to be our every day attire. Read the Scriptures below and remember why we are so beautiful in the eyes of our Father.

    “You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.” Galatians 3:27

    “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 one another 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

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