walk

Posted on January 27, 2022 by Dana

“God’s truth stands firm like a foundation stone with this inscription: ‘The Lord knows those who are His.’” (II Timothy 2:19) To those who began to follow Him, Jesus once said: “There are some of you who do not believe.” (John 6:64) Faith is not just a mental ascent to something that is true. Even the demons believe Jesus is the Son of God. We are called to bank everything on who Jesus is and what God has accomplished through Him. “Trust Me completely and do what I say. Commit yourself to Me… and you will experience true life.”

In the parable of the sower, Jesus explained that temptation, distraction, and difficulties will oppose those who hear the Word. “But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.” (Matthew 13:23)

The fruit is in Christ. “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.” (John 15:5) No surprise Paul prayed we could see our position in Jesus ‘in the heavenly realms’ and ‘grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge…’ (Ephesians 3:18-19)

In his short book, ‘Sit, Walk, Stand,’ Watchman Nee points out the wonders of our blessings in Christ revealed in the first three chapters of Ephesians. Paul prayed that we can ‘understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe Him. This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead and seated Him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms.’ (1:19-20) And we are seated with Him! (2:6)

Paul uses the last three chapters of his letter to show how our position in Christ leads to victorious living. Watchman Nee writes: “Though the Christian life begins with sitting, sitting is always followed by walking. When once we have been well and truly seated and have found our strength in sitting down, then we do in fact begin to walk. Sitting describes our position with Christ in the heavenlies. Walking is the practical outworking of that heavenly position here on earth.”

As the old hymn says: “When we walk with the Lord in the light of His Word, what a glory He sheds on our way! While we do His good will, He abides with us still, and with all who will trust and obey. Trust and obey, for there’s no other way to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.”

“I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” Ephesians 4:1-3

“Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” Ephesians 5:1-2

“At one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of the light (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true).” Ephesians 5:8-9

‘Sit, Walk, Stand’ by Watchman Nee; Gospel Literature Service; ©1957; Bombay, India

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sit

Posted on January 20, 2022 by Dana

God’s servants, through whom He chooses to help us better understand all that He has accomplished through His Son’s life, death, resurrection, and ascension, point us to true hope. It often seems impossible to imitate the courage or service or wisdom of the great heroes of faith. “I’m not too courageous or industrious or wise…”, but thank God, Jesus is. To find Him as my wisdom, righteousness, holiness, and redemption is the goal. (see I Corinthians 1:30)

Watchman Nee (Nee To-sheng) was born in Foochow, China in 1903. After putting his faith in Christ as a teenager, he began to see Jesus as our only hope. Though an exodus of foreign missionaries began taking place in the first half of the 1900’s culminating in full expulsion in 1953, the Gospel was not silenced in China. Multitudes put their faith in Jesus and scores of ‘illegal’ house churches sprung up across the nation.

After the Communist government came to power in 1949, persecution of all Christians increased and in 1952 Watchman Nee was arrested on false charges. He died in 1972, having spent the last twenty years of his life in prison. Many of his writings and translated messages were published and spread throughout the world. His bold exaltation of our Lord Jesus as revealed in the Bible has helped disciples better understand God’s amazing gift.

A short book on Ephesians entitled ‘Sit, Walk, Stand’ has strengthened the faith of Christians since its publication in 1957. Below is a section from the chapter entitled: ‘Sit’.

The Christian era began with Christ, of whom we are told that, when He had made purification of sins, He “sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high” (Hebrews 1:3). With equal truth we can say that the individual Christian life begins with a man “in Christ” — that is to say, when by faith we see ourselves seated together with Him in the heavens.

Most Christians make the mistake of trying to walk in order to be able to sit, but that is a reversal of the true order. Our natural reason says: “If we do not walk, how can we ever reach the goal? What can we attain without effort? How can we get anywhere if we do not move?”… But Christianity begins not with a big DO, but with a big DONE. Thus Ephesians opens with the statement that God has “blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ” (1:3) and we are invited at the outset to sit down and enjoy what God has done for us; not to set out to try to attain it for ourselves.

Walking implies effort, whereas God says that we are saved not by works, but “by grace… through faith” (2:8). We constantly speak of being “saved through faith,” but what do we mean by it? We mean this, that we are saved by reposing in the Lord Jesus. We did nothing to save ourselves, we simply laid upon Him the burden of our sin-sick souls. We begin our Christian life by depending not upon our own doing, but upon what He has done… “I can do nothing to save myself, but by His grace God has done everything for me in Christ” is to take the first step in the life of faith. The Christian life from start to finish is based upon this principle of utter dependence upon the Lord Jesus.

May we see where God has placed us!

“I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know Him better. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened that you may know the hope to which He has called you, the riches of His glorious inheritance in His holy people, and His incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength He exerted when He raised Christ from the dead and seated him at His right hand in the heavenly realms…” Ephesians 1:16-20

“But because of His great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions — it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages He might show the incomparable riches of His grace, expressed in His kindness to us in Christ Jesus.” Ephesians 2:4-7

‘Sit, Walk, Stand’ by Watchman Nee; Gospel Literature Service; ©1957; Bombay, India

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perfect

Posted on January 13, 2022 by Dana

parentsMy parents had an anniversary last week… 66 years after this wedding day picture was taken in 1956. They went to a favorite little restaurant called The Country Place just a mile from their house in Tennessee to celebrate.

My dad shared the happy occasion with a waitress and she must have spread the word. As they were eating their meal, a man walked by and patted my father on the back and said: ‘Happy Anniversary.’ When they went to the counter to pay the bill, my parents were told: “No… someone has already covered it.” My mom found their waitress and asked who did the kind deed so she could thank them. The waitress said: “Actually ma’am, people were almost fighting over the privilege to pay.”

Such surprises lift the spirits any day of the week, and such generosity brings a smile to our Heavenly Father. We are the temple of the Holy Spirit! Besides being a place of worship, the Temple of old was to be a place of prayer, healing, and compassion. Now God plans His children all over the world to reveal His Light to all through such means.

When Jesus says: “Be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect,” I think He is telling us to always act like the Father… towards friend or foe. ‘He is kind; you be kind. He is compassionate; you be compassionate. He is merciful; you be merciful.’ What change might there be in this world if the children of God spent less time vocalizing, posting, and arguing… and more time pouring out extravagant love?

parents2The secret giver in The Country Place did not care to be known or to call any attention to self. He or she (as well as those who fought over the privilege) just wanted to do something nice for an older couple… and my parents were blessed.

“Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?” I Corinthians 3:16

“If anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is My disciple, truly I tell you, he will never lose his reward.” Matthew 10:42

“If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that. And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be repaid in full. But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because He is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.” Luke 6:32-36

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destiny

Posted on January 6, 2022 by Dana

As Frodo Baggins and his loyal companion Samwise Gamgee pressed on through their dangerous quest in J. R. R. Tolkien’s story, ‘The Lord of the Rings,’ they had this exchange:

“I don’t like anything here at all,” said Frodo, “step or stone, breath or bone. Earth, air, and water all seem accursed. But so our path is laid.”

“Yes, that’s so,” said Sam. “And we shouldn’t be here at all, if we’d known more about it before we started. But I suppose it’s often that way. The brave things in the old tales and songs, Mr. Frodo: adventures, as I used to call them. I used to think they were the things the wonderful folk of the stories went out and looked for, because they wanted them, because they were exciting and life was a bit dull, a kind of a sport as you might say. But that is not the way of it with the tales that really mattered, or the ones that stay in the mind. Folk seem to have just landed in them, usually — their paths were laid that way, as you put it. But I expect they had lots of chances, like us, of turning back, only they didn’t…”

Despite a lack of comprehension, Frodo the Ringbearer, knew he had a destiny and was compelled to reach it… though he wasn’t so sure he could. Sam, his faithful servant, understood even less, yet knew he would do his best to help his friend to the very end.

Three times in the book of Revelation, Jesus refers to Himself as ‘the Alpha and the Omega,’ the Beginning and the End. He, too, walked this earth as a human, listening to a Spirit He could not see and trusting His Father completely. Jesus knew His destiny, but along the way there would be much misunderstanding, accusation, rejection, and sorrow. Thank God, He did not turn back.

Our vision is often cloudy as we follow our Master. Oswald Chambers, born in Aberdeen Scotland in 1874 and dying in 1917 in Cairo, Egypt while serving as chaplain for WWI soldiers, often articulated the beauty of our Lord while examining challenges of the journey.

From The Missionary’s Goal:

In our natural life our ambitions change as we grow, but in the Christian life the goal is given at the very beginning, and the beginning and the end are the same, namely, our Lord Himself. We start with Christ and we end with Him – ‘… till we all come… to the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ…,’ not simply to our own idea of what the Christian life should be. The goal of the missionary is to do God’s will…

From The Big Compelling of God:

Jerusalem stands in the life of our Lord as the place where He reached the climax of His Father’s will. ‘I seek not Mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent Me.’ That was the one dominating interest all through our Lord’s life, and the things He met with on the way, joy or sorrow, success or failure, never deterred Him from His purpose. ‘He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem.’ The great thing to remember is that we go up to Jerusalem to fulfil God’s purpose, not our own. Naturally, our ambitions are our own; in the Christian life we have no aim of our own. There is so much said today about our decisions for Christ, our determination to be Christians, our decisions for this and that, but in the New Testament it is the aspect of God’s compelling that is brought out. ‘Ye have not chosen Me, but I have chosen you.’

From The Discipline of Dismay:

At the beginning we were sure we knew all about Jesus Christ, it was a delight to sell all and to fling ourselves out in hardihood of love; but now we are not quite so sure. Jesus is on in front and He looks strange. ‘Jesus went on before them and they were amazed.’ There is an aspect of Jesus that chills the heart of a disciple to the core and makes the whole spiritual life gasp for breath. This strange Being with His face set like flint and His striding determination strikes terror into me. He is no longer Counsellor and Comrade, He is taken up with a point of view I know nothing about, and I am amazed at Him. At first I was confident that I understood Him, but now I am not so sure… When the darkness of dismay comes, endure until it is over, because out of it will come the ability to follow Jesus truly, which brings inexpressibly wonderful joy.

Give up control; fix your eyes on Jesus; run with perseverance; don’t turn back. Be victorious!

“He said to me: ‘It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will give water without cost from the spring of the water of life. Those who are victorious will inherit all this, and I will be their God and they will be my children.’” Revelation 21:6-7

“… let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the Author and Perfector of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider Him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.” Hebrews 12:1-3

‘The Two Towers’ by J. R. R. Tolkien, Houghton Mifflin Company, ©1954

‘My Utmost For His Highest’ by Oswald Chambers, Dodd, Mead & Company, ©1935

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times

Posted on December 30, 2021 by Dana

Realizing the role he might have to play in saving Middle Earth in J. R. R. Tolkien’s ‘Lord of the Rings’ story, the hobbit Frodo shared his true feelings with the wise Gandalf: “’I wish it need not have happened in my time,’ said Frodo. ‘So do I,’ said Gandalf, ‘and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.’”

After many political defeats, Abraham Lincoln upset three candidates for his party’s nomination whom most considered more qualified and able. The New York Herald wrote on May 19, 1860: “The conduct of the republican party in this nomination is a remarkable indication of small intellect, growing smaller. They pass over… statesmen and able men, and they take up a fourth rate lecturer, who cannot speak good grammar.”

Of course Lincoln became the 16th President of the United States and, like Frodo, found himself in perilous circumstances. He had to decide what to do with the time he had been given. I recently read Doris Kearns Goodwin’s “Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln.” Three strengths of Lincoln stood out to me.

First, he held to his core beliefs that his country was built on solid foundations. Kearns wrote: “An indomitable sense of purpose had sustained him through the disintegration of the Union and through the darkest moments of the war… His conviction that we are one nation, indivisible, ‘conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal,’ led to the rebirth of a nation free of slavery.”

Such a ‘sense of purpose’ led to a second strength essential for anyone facing difficult times. Abraham Lincoln persevered. Many forget the personal tragedies the Lincolns endured which greatly impacted Abraham and Mary. Son Eddie died of tuberculosis when he was three years old in 1850. And while the Civil War was raging, eleven-year-old Willie died of illness in 1862. Though he often despaired, Lincoln did not give up. Though there were many moments it looked as if the nation could not be saved, he persevered.

A third strength highlighted in Kearns’ book was Lincoln’s willingness to listen to the thoughts and advice of others. Instead of distancing himself from his political rivals, Lincoln chose to place several who opposed him in positions of leadership for the good of the nation. The three men he defeated in the primaries became members of his cabinet. William Henry Seward was named Secretary of State; Salmon Chase was Secretary of the Treasury; and Edward Bates became Attorney General. Many questioned Lincoln’s wisdom.

But as it was proven, Lincoln was wise, perceptive, and decisive. He wanted to listen to others’ views. If there was a better way, Lincoln possessed the humility to change. Assistant Secretary of War Charles Dana concluded: “It was always plain that he was master and they were the subordinates. They constantly had to yield to his will, and if he ever yielded to them it was because they convinced him that the course they advised was judicious and appropriate.”

Lincoln also respected the thoughts of the inexperienced. Two young men in their twenties, who happened to be good friends, became Lincoln’s assistants during his presidency. John Nicolay and John Hay helped with correspondence, set schedules, and served their leader any way they could. Amidst numerous critics, these were men he could trust. Lincoln considered them as sons. After Lincoln’s assassination, Nicolay and Hay teamed up to write a ten volume biography entitled: ‘Abraham Lincoln — A History.’ With little doubt, John Hay concluded, “the ‘hand of God’ had put the prairie lawyer in the White House.”

In these times in which we live, a great leader’s example can help us. I want to hold fast to the core beliefs that are true and full of hope: God is love and He is in control; abundant life is in His Son; Jesus will never leave me. I want to learn to persevere; I should never give up. Finally, I must be humble; I can listen and learn from others.

Happy New Year!

“For lack of guidance a nation falls, but victory is won through many advisers.” Proverbs 11:14

“Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love Him.” James 1:12

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 5:3

“In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

‘Fellowship of the Ring’ by J. R. R. Tolkien, ©1954, Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston

‘Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln’ by Doris Kearns Goodwin, ©2005 by Blithedale Productions, Inc., New York, NY 10020

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