laughter

Posted on November 19, 2015 by Dana

photoOn the Friday afternoon of the Mission India conference Susan and I attended a few weeks ago, I recognized Jeanne Robertson as she walked toward our place of lodging at the Billy Graham Center. Jeanne travels the country telling humorous stories and being friendly to people. She was Miss North Carolina in her younger days and has been six feet two inches tall since she was thirteen years old. Now she is seventy-two.

As she approached, I said, “Hello, Jeanne. I just want you to know that my wife is your greatest fan.” Jeanne gave a friendly smile and asked, “What is your wife’s name and where are you from?” I answered and said we were looking forward to her show that evening.

A couple of hours later, as we gathered in a large room outside the dining hall, I saw Jeanne speaking to two ladies. “Susan, come with me and I’ll introduce you to Jeanne Robertson.” My wife can be a little shy and she declined my invitation, but I kept inching closer and closer to the three ladies.

Finally, Jeanne seemed to end her conversation and as the two ladies walked away I drew close. “Hey Jeanne, I want you to meet my wife.” Jeanne grabbed my arm and said, “No, first I want you to meet someone!” She then called out to the two ladies and said, “Here he is!” As you might guess, I was a little confused, so Jeanne explained.

She had struck up a conversation with two new friends and asked where they lived. When they said “Atlanta,” Jeanne asked their names and one of them answered, “Susan.” Jeanne then replied, “Well, I met your husband out near the parking lot.” The woman replied firmly, “No ma’am, you couldn’t have… because I’ve never been married.” So after Jeanne Robertson introduced me to another Susan from Atlanta, I introduced my Susan to her favorite entertainer.

Of course Susan and Jeanne struck up a great conversation and as we stood in the buffet line together, Jeanne asked if she could eat with us. We laughed a lot during her show, but we enjoyed even more sharing a meal together.

I probably won’t write next week as the holiday approaches. I hope you get to share some enjoyable meals with ones you love over this Thanksgiving week. Let’s all give thanks with great joy.

“Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy. Then it was said among the nations, ‘The Lord has done great things for them.’ The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy.” Psalm 126:2-3

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people

Posted on November 12, 2015 by Dana

“Christ in you – the hope of glory.” This is the mystery Paul revealed in his letter to the Colossians. As Christ lives in you and me, in His Body, the Church, we realize that God intends that His grace flow through people.

Almost twenty years ago, preceding and during the 1996 Olympics held in Atlanta, our family and church community met many Christians from around the world as Youth With A Mission sent over 3,000 young people and veteran missionaries to serve our city and be a witness for Christ.

Three of these, who still live abroad, are examples of how God’s grace operates through people to greatly influence others. “You must come visit us,” each said as the Olympics wrapped up and they left town. “Don’t say that if you don’t mean it,” I answered with a smile. “No, we mean it, we mean it.”

So, over the years, by God’s grace, all or some of our family have visited Harry and Dagmar in Jerusalem four times, John and Suzanne in Namibia seven or eight times, and Anna in Hawaii, Brazil, and Sweden five or six times. In their homes overseas and in our home when they visit, their impact cannot be measured. When I think that Taylor was ten years old, Kinsey was seven, and Karlyn was three in 1996, I realize the power of God’s seed that grows over time.

God works through people… He works through you and me. The examples we set, the words we share, the good we do, and the prayers we pray have an impact. We may not see the result for years or we may not even know the result until heaven, but Jesus makes a difference in this world through His people.

Paul wrote Titus, a younger follower of Christ, to encourage believers on the island of Crete: “Similarly, encourage the young men to be self-controlled. In everything set them an example by doing what is good. In your teaching show integrity, seriousness and soundness of speech that cannot be condemned…” (Titus 2:6-8)

We are the people of God, created in Christ to do good on this earth.

harry

Harry (right)

anna

Anna (middle)

john_and_suzanne

Suzanne and John (front)

“Because of His great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in our trespasses – it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages He might show His incomparable riches of His grace, expressed in His kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” Ephesians 2:4-10

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result

Posted on November 5, 2015 by Dana

I spend half my hours each day at school teaching seventh grade boys… a great joy. Last week we looked at Paul’s instruction to “honor God with our bodies.” When I asked how we are to do this, I was reminded why it is good to be around kids… they keep it simple: “Don’t do things that are harmful to your body; do things that make your body healthy and strong.”

If grace involves the truth that ‘God is with us,’ it is natural to wonder what result this has in practical living. God likes simple too: “As I live in you, you will learn to live in Me. I will teach you to avoid those things that harm yourself and others and I will lead you to do good. As you walk in My light, I will shine through you… and others will notice. Your life will reflect My love and I will receive glory.”

Jesus used the analogy of the Vine and the branches to teach us: “I am the Vine, and My Father is the Gardener… 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… 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… This is to My Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be My disciples.” (see John 15)

Thank God for being the perfect Gardener. Thank God for the perfect Vine. Thank God that He produces good results in our lives. Thank God for grace.

“For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say ‘No’ to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope – the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for Himself a people that are His very own, eager to do what is good.” Titus 2:11-14

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grace

Posted on October 29, 2015 by Dana

“But the Lord stood at my side and gave me strength, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and will bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom. To Him be glory for ever and ever. Amen. Greet Priscilla and Aquilla and the household of Onesiphorus. Erastus stayed in Corinth, and I left Trophimus sick in Miletus. Do your best to get here before winter. Eubulus greets you, and so do Pudens, Linus, Claudia, and all the brothers. The Lord be with your spirit. Grace be with you.” II Timothy 4:17-22

And this is grace: ‘God is with us.’ If we are His children, the sheep of His pasture… and His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus… then He is with us.

The prisoner in Rome knew the same Good Shepherd that David sang about centuries earlier: “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me.” Paul testified: “The Lord stood at my side and gave me strength.” This is grace.

“My sheep listen to My voice; I know them and they follow Me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of My Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.” (John 10:28-30)

When we read Scripture and God’s Word seems to jump off the page and speak directly to our hearts, or when a verse comes to mind that bears truth to our spirits, the Good Shepherd is speaking.

One August day in 2000 around 4:00 in the afternoon, I heard this: “My grace is sufficient for you.” A couple of hours later my doctor and his wife knocked on our door, came into our home, and shared that I had cancer. To that point, Susan and I had not really considered I had a serious health problem; I had just gone to the doctor to check on aches and pains in my forty-year-old body.

Now, after dealing with the blood cancer multiple myeloma for fifteen years, I know: “God’s grace is sufficient.” Or to state it another way: “It is enough that God is with us.”

No matter the prognosis or the challenge or the trial, to know ‘God is with me’ is the grace I need. No one can snatch me out of His possession. This is the Word of the Good Shepherd who knows us and cares for us with loving kindness and eternal power. We are in good hands.

“If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up for us all – how will He not also, along with Him, graciously give us all things? Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died – more than that, who was raised to life – is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: ‘For Your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.’ No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, 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 8:31-39

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poured

Posted on October 22, 2015 by Dana

“For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time has come for my departure… Do your best to come to me quickly, for Demus, because he loved this world, has deserted me and has gone to Thessalonica. Crescens has gone to Galatia, and Titus to Dalmatia. Only Luke is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, because he is helpful in my ministry. I sent Tychicus to Ephesus. When you come, bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas, and my scrolls, especially the parchments. Alexander the metalworker did me a great deal of harm. The Lord will repay him for what he has done. You too should be on your guard against him, because he strongly opposed our message. At my first defense, no one came to my support, but everyone deserted me. May it not be held against them.” (II Timothy 4:6, 9-16)

I think if I were Paul I would have asked God a couple of questions: “So Lord, is this the way it was supposed to end? Me sitting in prison with only a few loyal friends, realizing that so many have either deserted or betrayed me? Who is going to want to walk in my path?”

And God might have replied: “You have been faithful, Paul, to walk Jesus’ path… and that is what you are inviting others to do. Remember, you wanted to know My Son. It is quite a blessing to experience His power, but you also asked to know Him in His sufferings… and there you have found a different type of blessing. You have fellowship with My Son! And just as I poured Him out to the world, so I am pouring Him through you… to those that accept Me and to those who don’t. You’ve followed the Risen One and others have been blessed. Rejoice! You’ll be with Us soon!”

Oswald Chambers once wrote: “Our Lord’s teaching is always anti-self-realization. His purpose is not the development of a man; His purpose is to make a man exactly like Himself, and the characteristic of the Son of God is self-expenditure. If we believe in Jesus, it is not what we gain, but what He pours through us that counts. It is not that God makes us beautifully rounded grapes, but that He squeezes the sweetness out of us. Spiritually, we cannot measure our life by success, but only what God pours through us, and we cannot measure that at all.”

“But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ – the righteousness that is from God and is by faith. I want to know Christ and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in His sufferings, becoming like Him in His death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.” (Philippians 3:7-11)

Quote from “My Utmost For His Highest” by Oswald Chambers; ©1935 by Dodd, Mead, and Company, Inc.; p 508

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