forgiveness

Posted on February 8, 2018 by Dana

On May 26, 2017, eight to ten masked gunmen raided a bus full of adults and children going to a church gathering 85 miles south of Cairo, Egypt. A six-year-old girl was sitting in the front row with a friend, separated from her mother. One of the terrorists pointed his gun at this girl and demanded she recite the Islamic statement of faith: ‘There is no god but Allah, and Muhammad is his prophet.’ She replied, “No, I won’t say that thing. I am a Christian.” This brave child was one of twenty-eight Christians murdered in the attack.

Some time later, Joshua Youseff, whose dad Michael is a pastor in Atlanta and a native of Egypt, heard the mother of the little girl talk about forgiveness. “I cannot describe how I felt as I listened to this mother tell her daughter’s story. As I heard her talk of forgiveness and saw her face alight with joy, I felt an overwhelming sense of conviction.”

On Palm Sunday, a few weeks before the bus attack, two churches were attacked and forty-six Egyptian Christians were killed. Naseem Faheem, a security guard at one of the churches, asked a man to go through a perimeter metal detector before entering. Though he surely was one of the first to die, Naseem’s alertness saved many lives as the man detonated a bomb outside the church.

When interviewed, Naseem’s widow sat with her two grown sons. When asked about the terrorist who killed her husband, she said: “I’m telling him, ‘May God forgive you, and we also forgive you. Believe me, we forgive you.’”

We know Jesus teaches us to forgive our enemies, but I think it takes God’s supernatural work in our hearts to respond like these two ladies. When we do forgive, the world takes note and God is revealed for who He is. Amr Adeeb, a prominent Egyptian television personality, said this to his audience after watching the Faheem interview: “How great is the forgiveness Egyptian Christians have! These people are made of a different substance.”

When we forgive, we also escape the continued evil that Satan wants to wield, intending for bitterness, anger, and darkness to overtake our hearts. He is a murderer and a liar, and the lies he tells regarding hatred and revenge are just as destructive as bullets and bombs.

When we forgive, we follow our Savior who forgave those who unjustly killed Him. “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.” (Luke 23:34) The Son of God practiced what He preached and His life leads us to God’s kingdom.

“Jesus, give us grace to be just like You.”

“Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.” Matthew 6:12

“Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.” Colossians 3:13

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struggle

Posted on February 1, 2018 by Dana

God repeatedly tells us: “I love you;” “I am with you;” “nothing is impossible for Me;” and “you do not need to be afraid.” He does not tell us: “Life will be easy;” “you will always be understood and accepted;” “you will always be treated fairly;” or “My kingdom comes without struggle.”

All we have to do is examine the life of Christ to understand the tensions that exist when deity confronts humanity. Disciples of Jesus have been filled with the Holy Spirit, so conflict is bound to appear as we live in a fallen world. Our challenge is to keep eyes on our Teacher while following the two great commands: “Love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength;” and “love your neighbor as yourself.”

So why should there be struggle if ‘love’ is the driving force in our lives? We know there is an enemy who hates… Satan hates God and he hates people. Immediately after Jesus was baptized, He was led into the wilderness to face the devil. Satan wanted to defeat God’s work from the beginning, but God will not be defeated. Spiritual war existed as Jesus walked the earth and spiritual war takes place today. We should not be surprised when we are resisted or misunderstood or persecuted while living boldly for Christ. Satan hates us… but God loves us; He is with us; He can do all things; and we do not need to be afraid.

Brilliantly, our Father in Heaven uses our trials, our struggles, and even our failures to mold us into His image. Even Jesus grew this way: “Son though He was, He learned obedience from what He suffered.” (Hebrews 5:8) Disciples learn to look at hardship from a different perspective. “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” (James 1:2-3)

As we encounter trials and as we persevere, God teaches us to live like Christ. Trusting and loving His Father, Jesus resisted the devil, shared the good news of the kingdom, and loved people. “To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in His steps.” (I Peter 2:21) “Consider Him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.” (Hebrews 12:3)

We can be overcomers because He overcame!

“I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

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security

Posted on January 25, 2018 by Dana

A top priority of any good parent is to establish security in a child. “You are loved; you are safe; you will always have what you need; you do not need to be afraid.” Parents don’t want their children to be anxious or worried but to know they are in good hands.

As children of the perfect Father, we can simply read His Word and see similar feelings. God reveals such truths to us to erase all insecurity and to give us every reason to be totally confident in Him. He wants us to believe Him when He says:

  1. “I love you.”
    “I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge – that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.” (Ephesians 3:17-19)
  2. “I am with you.”
    “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:20)
    “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:38-39)
  3. “There is nothing impossible for Me.”
    “For nothing is impossible for God.” (Luke 1:37)
    “Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to the power that is at work within us, to Him be honor and glory, in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever!” (Ephesians 3:20-21)
  4. “You do not need to be afraid.”
    “Peace I leave you; My peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” (John 14:27)
    “Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom.” (Luke 12:32)
    “God has said, ‘Never will I leave you or forsake you.’ So we say with confidence, ‘The Lord is my Helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?’” (Hebrews 13:5-6)

There is no better place of security than in the hands of our Heavenly Father.

“How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called the children of God! And that is what we are!” I John 3:1

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hero

Posted on January 18, 2018 by Dana

In my early days of coaching, David Copeland was one of our young basketball players. As he grew up and has become a husband and father, David has encouraged our son Taylor in many ways. They both love to fish, so most of the mentoring has taken place in a boat. This past week, David’s dad died of cancer after having been diagnosed this past summer.

Jim Copeland accomplished incredible things in his lifetime. He was a standout athlete in high school and college. He became an accountant and was eventually named CEO of Deloitte, one of the top accounting firms in the world. With an uncanny ability to analyze information and make wise decisions, he was asked to serve on many boards, including Coca-Cola, Equifax, United Way International, and the 9/11 Memorial Fund which raised over 400 million dollars for the families of those who died in the attack. A few years after retiring at the age of fifty-eight, Jim and two partners bought B.A.S.S., the world authority on bass fishing, from ESPN and turned the organization around. He rubbed shoulders with presidents of nations and secretaries of state and famous people around the globe, but the things highlighted at his funeral were what mattered most to him… faith, family, and friends.

David shared memories of his dad from his childhood and the special times they enjoyed in his fourteen years of retirement. Helping the poor was a priority for his father. Jim loved God’s Word and taught Sunday school and led Bible studies for over forty years. David spoke of his dad’s passion after cancer diagnosis to make sure all relationships with people were in good order, to love everyone, and to share Jesus with all.

Instead of promoting Jim’s many achievements, a writing by David’s thirteen-year-old daughter was printed on the inside cover of the funeral program. It was entitled Hero; here are a few lines:

  • “An example of a hero in my life is my grandfather; he is a true fighter and believer.”
  • “I have never met anyone so passionate and caring towards people.”
  • “Even with cancer his heart is ablaze for people and his heart for Jesus is a burning wild fire.”
  • “My grandfather is a true hero and I aspire to be just like him.”

When those that know you best see Jesus at work in your life, there is wonderful fruit. I told David how proud I was of the way he honored his father. He reminded me that his dad often prayed for me, then added, “Now he is in that ‘great cloud of witnesses.’” May we be encouraged by those who use their talents for God’s glory and may we all run our race well.

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.” Hebrews 12:1-2

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cousins

Posted on January 11, 2018 by Dana

Kinsey, Jordan, and Owen came to our house from Birmingham a couple of days before Christmas. Karlyn, Taylor, Emma, Wilkes, and Macy planned to join us Christmas Eve for a nice meal and gift exchange. On their way to church Sunday morning, Emma turned to Wilkes in the backseat and said, “We are going to Opa’s and Susu’s house this afternoon! And guess who else will be there?” With excitement, Wilkes asked, “Who?” Emma replied, “Your cousin Owen!”

img_7023Wilkes will be three years old in March; Owen is a little over a year younger. Staring out the window from his car seat, Taylor and Emma heard Wilkes say to himself, “Owen… I wuv that wittle man.”

My prayer is that my children’s children experience the same healthy relationships growing up with their cousins and extended family as our kids had. The Saturday after Christmas, we went to my parents’ house in Chattanooga. Everyone could not make it, but many of the family gathered around my parents’ table and enjoyed food and one another’s company. My brother’s son Jeremy, his wife Whitney, and their two girls were home on furlough… they are missionaries in Peru.

Jeremy is thirty-two years old and Taylor is thirty-one. They grew up spending holidays together and playing at their grandparents’ house. At the close of the day as people were leaving, I witnessed a beautiful sight as I looked out the window. Jeremy and Taylor were giving each other a big hug, knowing they probably wouldn’t meet again for a long time. I wonder if in thirty years a similar embrace might take place between Wilkes and Owen.

Many think Jesus and John the Baptist were second cousins because Gabriel connected Mary as being related to John’s mother. “Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age…” (Luke 1:36) Just six months apart, John and Jesus loved each other deeply.

John set the perfect example for all when he said, “He must become greater; I must become less.” (John 3:30) When Jesus spoke of John who had been imprisoned by Herod, He said, “Truly I tell you, among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist; yet whoever is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.” (Luke 11:11)

May all cousins love one another! And may all God’s children love one another! Love is the proof that Jesus rules our lives… and it is what the world needs.

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are My disciples, if you love one another.” John 13:34-35

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