One of my coworkers was kind enough to let me look through his eclipse glasses today. I wasn’t expecting to be blown away, but when I saw the sun being partly blocked by the moon, my response was an enthusiastic, “Oh that’s cool!” I only looked for a brief moment, but it was incredible to see the eclipse first hand and to know I was witnessing it myself.
I watched a live feed on my computer, and saw many photos posted on Facebook and Instagram, and as neat as those were, they didn’t come close to exciting me in the same way as my firsthand experience. Did you know that God created the sun and the moon for us? One to be the light for us during the day, and one for the night. I promise I'm not trying to insult anyone's intelligence with that question, but it's something we kind of take for granted until one of them goes dark! “Then God said, 'Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night, and let them be for signs and for seasons and for days and years; and let them be for lights in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth'; and it was so. God made the two great lights, the greater light to govern the day, and the lesser light to govern the night; He made the stars also.” (Genesis 1:14-16) He also sent His Son Jesus to be the Light for us. Jesus Himself said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12). Today’s eclipse had me thinking a bit about the sun being our light and the Son being our Light. Just as it was so much more exciting for me to see the eclipse of the sun today firsthand, so is it much more incredible to experience Jesus firsthand. In this country we are fairly inundated with talk about church, Christianity, and even Jesus, but if you’ve never experienced Him firsthand, you may not understand what the big deal is. I initially had no intention of watching the eclipse and passed by numerous displays at stores selling the special viewing glasses, not realizing what a big deal it would be. But when I had the opportunity to witness it first hand, I sure wish I had my own pair! It's kind of the same with Jesus. Knowing about Jesus is not the same as knowing Him personally. A relationship with Him and experiencing His guiding Light can impact your life in a way that facts and stories about Him never can. Many of us, Christians included, can lose sight of this, when His Light is darkened (or eclipsed if you will) in our lives. What can cause an eclipse of Christ’s Light in our life?
“For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened.” Romans 1:21 We can remove the barriers which shadow us from God's Light by humbling ourselves and acknowledging that we've been wallowing and stumbling around in darkness. We need to turn back towards the Light and let Him in. Sometimes when God feels distant and His light seems dim, I have to stop and reflect and confess the bad attitudes and other junk in my life. Sometimes I can't even see clearly enough to recognize the junk in my life, and I have to ask God to shine into my darkness and reveal those things in me that I can't even see! Doing so allows me to confess those things and ask His forgiveness, and allows me to walk with Him again freely in the light. I would encourage us all to seek the Light, the true Light, Jesus Christ. In a world of chaos, conflict, moral ambiguity and confusion, I find myself craving the Word of God even more as my foundation of Truth and Light. Jesus, the Word of God, is so refreshing to my soul!
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“For the Lamb in the center of the throne will be their shepherd.”
On Easter Sunday, Christians around the world celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ. For Christians, this is the single most important event in history, because the resurrection proves that Jesus is who He claimed to be. It proves He is God Almighty and has the power to forgive sin. Because of the resurrection, Jesus proves His power over death, and His ability to give us new life. Such an amazing truth!
Although I enjoyed hunting for Easter eggs as a child, it now bothers me that this is a tradition in Christian homes, and even more that many churches advertise Easter egg hunts to attract people to their churches on Easter Sunday. The whole story of the Easter Bunny greatly detracts from the most significant event in history! Surely God coming to earth in the flesh, being crucified, and rising from the dead should draw a crowd in its own merit. Do we really have to resort to stories about a fictitious bunny? Growing up as a Christian, I was often left feeling a bit disappointed with Easter day. My brother and I got our candy-filled Easter eggs (no complaints there!), went to church (like every Sunday), but then what? Aside from dressing up a little more than usual for church that morning, we didn’t really have any special traditions to celebrate Christ’s resurrection. Easter Bunny Alternative - It's All About a Lamb
I can’t hardly criticize, if I don’t offer a solution, though, right? So here is my attempt to propose a fun activity for kids that is actually relevant to the person of Jesus Christ, the reason Christians celebrate!
Easter is not about a bunny, but rather a Lamb. And a Shepherd and His sheep. Instead of hunting for eggs laid by the “Easter Bunny,” why not hunt for the “Lost Sheep,” as our Risen Lamb searches for us when we are lost? With some simple craft supplies, you can make little sheep that you can fill with candy (or treats of your choosing) and hide them around the house and yard for your kids to find. This would also be great for a Sunday School activity. In the Bible, Jesus is known both as the Shepherd and the Lamb. He is a Shepherd over us, and He was the sacrificial Lamb for us. Old Testament law required the regular blood sacrifice of animals, including lambs, for the atonement of sin. But God, in His love, sent His Son Jesus as the perfect Lamb to die once and for all as payment for the sins of mankind. This fulfilled the old sacrificial system, starting a new covenant between God and man. Jesus as the Lamb
Consider the following Scripture verses:
“He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He did not open His mouth; Like a lamb that is led to slaughter, And like a sheep that is silent before its shearers, So He did not open His mouth.” (Isaiah 53:7) “The next day [John the Baptist] saw Jesus coming to him and said, ‘Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world!” (John 1:29) “...you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life...but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ.” 1 Peter 1:18-19 “for the Lamb in the center of the throne will be their shepherd, and will guide them to springs of the water of life; and God will wipe every tear from their eyes.” Revelation 7:17 Jesus as the Shepherd
“Like a shepherd He will tend His flock, In His arm He will gather the lambs And carry them in His bosom; He will gently lead the nursing ewes.” Isaiah 40:11
“ For thus says the Lord God, “Behold, I Myself will search for My sheep and seek them out.” Ezekiel 34:11 “As for you, My sheep, the sheep of My pasture, you are men, and I am your God,” declares the Lord God.” Ezekiel 34:31 “When Jesus went ashore, He saw a large crowd, and He felt compassion for them because they were like sheep without a shepherd; and He began to teach them many things.” Mark 6:34 “I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.” John 10:11 “For you were continually straying like sheep, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Guardian of your souls.” 1 Peter 2:25 How to Make Easter Egg Sheep
Materials You’ll Need:
The Steps
1. Cut a square of black felt, and shape it into a lamb face and ears. If it helps, you can draw yourself a template on a paper and trace it onto the felt. Doesn’t need to be exact, but something like this:
2. Put two tiny dabs of hot glue onto the face and secure the googly eyes.
3. Put four dabs of hot glue on the bottom of the egg and secure 4 pom poms to act as the feet. 4. Add a dab of glue to the front of the wide end of the egg, and secure the lamb’s face. 5. Add one more dab of glue on the back end and secure a 5th pom pom for the tail.
Make as many as you like, and fill each of the lambs with candy. Hide them around the house for kids to find, just as you would have done with regular Easter eggs!
In addition to candy you can also insert a Scripture verse related to the Resurrection into each “lamb” for another opportunity to review the Easter story as you find each one. (See below for a list of some good verses to use.) This activity is a great chance to share with your kids (and be reminded as adults) of how God cares for us and seeks us out when we’re lost and brings us back to Him. You can share how He laid down His life for us on the cross as the sacrificial Lamb, and rose again to seek out and Shepherd His flock. Sample Resurrection Verses
"Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies,” (John 11:25)
"who was declared the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead, according to the Spirit of holiness, Jesus Christ our Lord," (Romans 1:4) "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead" (1 Peter 1:3) "He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said. Come, see the place where He was lying." (Matthew 28:6) "Go quickly and tell His disciples that He has risen from the dead; and behold, He is going ahead of you into Galilee, there you will see Him; behold, I have told you.” (Matthew 28:7) "And He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again." (Mark 8:31) "They will mock Him and spit on Him, and scourge Him and kill Him, and three days later He will rise again.” (Mark 10:34) "And he *said to them, “Do not be amazed; you are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who has been crucified. He has risen; He is not here; behold, here is the place where they laid Him." (Mark 16:6) "Afterward He appeared to the eleven themselves as they were reclining at the table; and He reproached them for their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they had not believed those who had seen Him after He had risen. " (Mark 16:14) “The Lord has really risen and has appeared to Simon.” (Luke 24:34) "and He said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ would suffer and rise again from the dead the third day" (Luke 24:36) A couple weeks ago I posted a fun Christmas trivia quiz to test your knowledge of the Christmas Nativity Story, the Biblical account of Jesus’ birth. If you haven’t taken it yet, give it a shot and see how you do! Knowing the details of the Bible is important and useful for a number of reasons, but head knowledge of Bible stories mean nothing if what you know in your noggin doesn’t creep its way into your heart. If you aced the Christmas trivia quiz, but don’t know Jesus Himself, you are no better off when you arrive at the Judgement Seat one day than the person who didn’t answer any questions correctly. Facts and stories don’t save: Jesus does. Consider this quote from the Christmas story, of when the angel announces to Joseph that Mary would bear a child: “She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.” (Matthew 1:21) Jesus will save His people from their sins. A person, will save us, not knowledge about the person. That’s an important distinction to understand. That’s amazing news! Salvation is so much simpler than many people try to make it. There is no checklist of rules to keep, no tests to pass, no hoops to climb through. All we need is to personally know the Savior, Jesus Christ, whose birth we celebrate on Christmas day.
How do you do that? You just need to come to Him with a heart of humility. You need to acknowledge to Him that you can’t keep all the rules, pass all the tests, or climb through all the hoops. None of us are that perfect. Only Jesus is. In our humility we then put our trust and faith in Him for the forgiveness of our sins, and we will be welcomed into heaven one day with open arms because we come in the name of Jesus, and not by our own accomplishments. In some respects the simplicity of trusting the Savior is harder than trying to keep a checklist because it requires us to let go - it means we’re no longer in control (not that we ever were!) But it’s also quite liberating. When we know Jesus and have Him by our side, God looks at our sins as already paid for by the blood of the Savior and pardons our many flaws. We are invited into His kingdom based on what Jesus has done, not on what we have done, and not on the many things we know. Jesus modeled the heart of humility for us, that we need when we come to Him. He was God Almighty, and He came to us on earth as a little baby. He wasn’t laid in a silk-lined golden crib, but a manger, probably filled with straw, where the animals fed. As He grew, He allowed Himself to be misspoken of, mistreated, tortured, and ultimately killed, for our sakes. He had the power of God to stop it, but He chose to lay down His perfect life (and three days later raise it back up) so that us sinners could live. That’s humility. That’s love. That little baby in the Christmas story is pretty special. He's Someone worth getting to know! My mom always hosts Thanksgiving for our family, and she does an awesome job. Everything is beautiful, festive, and most importantly delicious! My husband and I typically arrive earlier than requested and get in her way, attempting to “help” as we fill up on all the tempting appetizers on display before us. My dad runs around trying to take pictures of us when we’re feeling the least photogenic and also captures the details of all the finely crafted foods. Later my husband’s parents arrive and more chaos ensues until we’re finally ready to sit down to eat way more food than any human should. That’s Thanksgiving #1. My mom prefers to buy her own turkey, but I also receive a turkey from my employer every year. Since I have no room to store such a large bird until the next holiday, I have no choice but to cook it the Saturday following Thanksgiving. Twenty pounds of turkey (yes, my employer gives us a huge turkey!) is a bit much for two people to eat alone, so we started a tradition several years back that we call “Second Thanksgiving.” On 2nd Thanksgiving, my hubby and I cook our turkey, heat up all the leftover side dishes from 1st Thanksgiving and invite our family to feast all over again on Saturday! Even then we still have tons of leftovers. God has richly blessed us! Our turkey turned out so good this year on 2nd Thanksgiving that I wanted to share our method for anyone who struggles to cook a turkey. It takes a long time, but it’s super easy. Cooking a Perfect TurkeyI’ve found that the “low and slow” method produces awesome results every time, not just with turkey, but with any meat. I didn’t follow any particular recipe this year, as I was tired and just wanted to throw it in the oven, but it sure turned out great! Here are the steps I took that yielded such perfect results:
So why is this recipe on a Jesus blog? Oftentimes following Jesus is less about learning and knowing theology and more about living it. It's about people and daily life, serving others, being hospitable, and sharing what you have. It’s about doing your daily tasks with excellence. During the holidays, it’s easy to get behind on Bible reading because you’re busy doing things for other people and living out what Jesus has been teaching you, and I think that’s OK. While reading the Bible is important (and I highly recommend doing so regularly), Jesus certainly didn’t spend his life with His nose in a book, but everything He did stemmed from being connected to His Father.
Through your busy days, be full of Jesus. Let your actions and your service be an overflow of what He has done in your life. Reflect His goodness through your cooking, your giving, your housecleaning, and all that you do. You don’t have to be the best cook or have the tidiest home, but let your actions be seasoned with the love of God and a love for others. When you work to honor God, you will have a greater joy in what you do, and others will be blessed by the love that goes into it. May you have a blessed holiday season! Happy Thanksgiving, Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year! P.S. I didn’t anticipate writing this when we were preparing our turkey, or I would have taken more pictures of the process! All I have is a photo of the final product. Next time I cook a turkey, probably next year, I’ll try and take more pictures and edit them in to this post.
Now that we've all had our turkey, let the Christmas season begin! I've put together a fun little quiz about the biblical nativity story to get you thinking about the birth of Christ and the reason for the season. Enjoy!
Last week left me with no words. Donald Trump won the election, and the world went haywire. It all felt so surreal. I fully anticipated riots in the streets or perhaps even an assassination attempt, but what caught me completely off guard was the way people turned so bitterly and venomously against each other. I couldn't tear myself away from the news and Facebook, just sinking deeper and deeper into depression and disbelief at everything I was seeing. On Facebook alone, there were venomous words towards those who voted the "wrong" way, unfriending, unfollowing, and story after story of racial hatred towards others. For a few days after the election, I just felt like being quiet as I took it all in. I shouldn't have been surprised at the depravity that was spewing from people's hearts, but I was. The last straw for me was watching a video on Friday night of a mom torturing her child by telling him he was kicked out of the house for voting for Trump in the mock school election. This poor boy, probably no older than nine years old, was crying and screaming, thinking his mom was truly kicking him out into the streets. I cried with him. It was just too much. This week still leaves me at a loss for words, so I'm just going to share some of God's. These words that follow are a portion of what I read on Saturday morning as part of a read-through-the-Bible-in-a-year plan, and they reminded me of the hope we have in Christ. They felt particularly applicable and/or encouraging given the events of the last week. One day God will put all things right! These are words of prophecy about Jesus from the Old Testament book of Isaiah, and some words to Christians in the New Testament imploring us to walk in the unity and love of Christ, giving direction on how we should treat one another. Enjoy. Isaiah 9: 1-71 But there will be no more gloom for her who was in anguish; in earlier times He treated the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali with contempt, but later on He shall make it glorious, by the way of the sea, on the other side of Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles. 2 The people who walk in darkness Will see a great light; Those who live in a dark land, The light will shine on them. 3 You shall multiply the nation, You shall increase their gladness; They will be glad in Your presence As with the gladness of harvest, As men rejoice when they divide the spoil. 4 For You shall break the yoke of their burden and the staff on their shoulders, The rod of their oppressor, as at the battle of Midian. 5 For every boot of the booted warrior in the battle tumult, And cloak rolled in blood, will be for burning, fuel for the fire. 6 For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. 7 There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace, On the throne of David and over his kingdom, To establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness From then on and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will accomplish this. Isaiah 11:1-101 Then a shoot will spring from the stem of Jesse, And a branch from his roots will bear fruit. 2 The Spirit of the Lord will rest on Him, The spirit of wisdom and understanding, The spirit of counsel and strength, The spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. 3 And He will delight in the fear of the Lord, And He will not judge by what His eyes see, Nor make a decision by what His ears hear; 4 But with righteousness He will judge the poor, And decide with fairness for the afflicted of the earth; And He will strike the earth with the rod of His mouth, And with the breath of His lips He will slay the wicked. 5 Also righteousness will be the belt about His loins, And faithfulness the belt about His waist. 6 And the wolf will dwell with the lamb, And the leopard will lie down with the young goat, And the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; And a little boy will lead them. 7 Also the cow and the bear will graze, Their young will lie down together, And the lion will eat straw like the ox. 8 The nursing child will play by the hole of the cobra, And the weaned child will put his hand on the viper’s den. 9 They will not hurt or destroy in all My holy mountain, For the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord As the waters cover the sea. 10 Then in that day The nations will resort to the root of Jesse, Who will stand as a signal for the peoples; And His resting place will be glorious. Isaiah 121 Then you will say on that day, “I will give thanks to You, O Lord; For although You were angry with me, Your anger is turned away, And You comfort me. 2 “Behold, God is my salvation, I will trust and not be afraid; For the Lord God is my strength and song, And He has become my salvation.” 3 Therefore you will joyously draw water From the springs of salvation. 4 And in that day you will say, “Give thanks to the Lord, call on His name. Make known His deeds among the peoples; Make them remember that His name is exalted.” 5 Praise the Lord in song, for He has done excellent things; Let this be known throughout the earth. 6 Cry aloud and shout for joy, O inhabitant of Zion, For great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel. Ephesians 41 Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, 2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love, 3 being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all.
7 But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift. 8 Therefore it says, “When He ascended on high, He led captive a host of captives, And He gave gifts to men.” 9 (Now this expression, “He ascended,” what does it mean except that He also had descended into the lower parts of the earth? 10 He who descended is Himself also He who ascended far above all the heavens, so that He might fill all things.) 11 And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ. 14 As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming; 15 but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ,16 from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love. 17 So this I say, and affirm together with the Lord, that you walk no longer just as the Gentiles also walk, in the futility of their mind, 18 being darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their heart; 19 and they, having become callous, have given themselves over to sensuality for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness. 20 But you did not learn Christ in this way, 21 if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught in Him, just as truth is in Jesus, 22 that, in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, 23 and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind,24 and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth. 25 Therefore, laying aside falsehood, speak truth each one of you with his neighbor, for we are members of one another. 26 Be angry, and yet do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, 27 and do not give the devil an opportunity. 28 He who steals must steal no longer; but rather he must labor, performing with his own hands what is good, so that he will have something to share with one who has need. 29 Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear. 30 Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. 32 Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you. How would Jesus introduce Himself? Most folks have heard of him, at least as a historical figure, but who does He say He is? How would He describe who He is to people don’t necessarily know or understand Him? Have you met Jesus? Meet Him! He’s pretty amazing. In the Gospel of John, Jesus makes seven statements introducing Himself in various ways to us, each starting with “I am…” Each of these statements involves a different way He relates Himself to you and me. All of them are quite tangible for us to have a better picture and understanding of who He is and who He claims to be. Of course Jesus says many other things about Himself through Scripture, but these seven word pictures are quite intriguing. 1. I am the Bread of Life (John 6:35-51)"Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst." (John 6:35) Why do we eat bread? Because we’re hungry! Our physical bodies need food to live. Our souls are hungry too, and Jesus says He is the bread that fills that hunger and gives life to our spirit. 2. I am the Light of the World (John 8:12)“Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, ‘I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.’” We need light to see, to live life effectively, and to appreciate the beauty of the world around us. Without it, we stumble around in the darkness. While we can manage to get through this life blind (some people don’t have a choice in the matter), when you can see, it opens up a whole new dimension to life! Light shines on things in the darkness – if you have to crawl into a dark attic or crawlspace, you definitely want to have a flashlight to avoid obstacles and creepy crawlies. Jesus not only shines light on the world around us, but He shines light on our own hearts. That’s why some people hate Him – they don’t want the sin in their hearts to be revealed, and Jesus infringes upon their comfort zones. But that’s what He does – He exposes what’s in the darkness with His light. 3. I am the Door (John 10:7-9) “So Jesus said to them again, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. All who came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them. I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.’” In this chapter, Jesus is speaking metaphorically about entering through Him, the “door,” to find abundant life. He is not just “a” door, but “the” door. We have to come through Him to find life in God, just as He says later in John 14:6, “no one comes to the Father but through Me.” 4. I am the Good Shepherd (John 10:11) “I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.” The full context of the chapter talks about how hired hands run from the wolf that would do harm to the sheep, but Jesus as the Shepherd is willing to lay down His life for us, because we are His, and He loves us as His own. A shepherd’s job is to protect the sheep, guide them to safety, feed them, pasture them, and find them when they wander off. That’s what Jesus does for us. 5. I am the Resurrection and the Life (John 11:25)When Jesus was talking with Martha after her brother Lazarus died, He made this statement to her: “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die.” Later, Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, as proof that He had power over life and death! We will all die a physical death, but the kind of life Jesus is talking about is an eternal spiritual life. He gives us that life – He is that life. Most of us understand eternal life to be heaven (as opposed to eternal death in hell), but it is more than that. According to Jesus in John 17:30, “This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.” Eternal life does mean spending eternity in heaven with God, but it starts earlier than that when you begin a relationship with Him now and experience a new life within yourself that He gives you! 6. I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life (John 14:6)“Jesus said to him, 'I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.'” This statement, more than any other, renders false the idea that “all paths lead to God.” Jesus didn’t say that He is “a way” or “a truth,” but “the way” and “the truth.” He claims to be the only way to God. Either He is right and all other religions are wrong, or other religions are right, and Jesus was wrong. But they can’t both be true; it just doesn’t work. Jesus made Christianity different from any other religion, because He didn’t just teach us to follow a way or a set of teachings; rather He said He “is” the way. The only way. 7. I am the Vine (John 15:5)“I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.” Jesus is saying that He is our source. Our nourishment, strength, and very life come from Him, just as a branch draws those things from the main vine. If we are not connected to Christ, we cannot survive, particularly in a spiritual sense, but since He created us and gives us breath, also in a physical sense. One more “I am"All of these seven statements start with “I am.” Jesus also makes an eighth statement in John 8:58 about Himself that is simply “I am.” What does this mean? This one is less tangible, but it’s huge. With this statement, Jesus is making a claim to his eternal nature, and more importantly, He’s making a claim to divinity, a claim to be God Almighty! How do we know this? Read this heated little dialogue that Jesus had with a group of Jews in John 8:39-58: Jews: Abraham is our father. Jesus: If you are Abraham’s children, do the deeds of Abraham. But as it is, you are seeking to kill Me, a man who has told you the truth, which I heard from God; this Abraham did not do. You are doing the deeds of your father. Jews: We were not born of fornication; we have one Father: God. Jesus: If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and have come from God, for I have not even come on My own initiative, but He sent Me. Why do you not understand what I am saying? It is because you cannot hear My word. You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies. But because I speak the truth, you do not believe Me. Which one of you convicts Me of sin? If I speak truth, why do you not believe Me? He who is of God hears the words of God; for this reason you do not hear them, because you are not of God. Jews: Do we not say rightly that You are a Samaritan and have a demon? Jesus: I do not have a demon; but I honor My Father, and you dishonor Me. But I do not seek My glory; there is One who seeks and judges. Truly, truly, I say to you, if anyone keeps My word he will never see death. Jews: Now we know that You have a demon. Abraham died, and the prophets also; and You say, ‘If anyone keeps My word, he will never taste of death.’ Surely You are not greater than our father Abraham, who died? The prophets died too; whom do You make Yourself out to be? Jesus: If I glorify Myself, My glory is nothing; it is My Father who glorifies Me, of whom you say, ‘He is our God’; and you have not come to know Him, but I know Him; and if I say that I do not know Him, I will be a liar like you, but I do know Him and keep His word. Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad. Jews: You are not yet fifty years old, and have You seen Abraham? Jesus: Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was born, I am. And then it says, “Therefore they picked up stones to throw at Him, but Jesus hid Himself and went out of the temple.” The Jews whom Jesus was talking with tried to stone Him because they understood Jesus’s reference when He said, “before Abraham was born, I am.” He was referring to a passage in Exodus 3:13-15, when God speaking to Moses announced that His name was “I AM.” Jesus in that statement was making Himself out to be God, and the Jews wanted to stone Him for blasphemy. So that's Jesus!Jesus makes some pretty radical claims about Himself, and He also makes it very apparent that He loves us and wants to be our everything. Most of these statements equate Jesus with life itself, and Jesus claims to be the unique and only way to God. In fact, He claims to be God Himself.
Early in the book of John, it is written that “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God," (John 1:1) and a few verses later it says, “the Word became flesh and dwelt among us" (John 1:14). Jesus was God in the flesh, born of the virgin Mary, who came to be the bridge between God and man. Jesus said, “He who has seen Me, has seen the Father.” (John 14:9) God made Himself reachable and tangible in the person of Jesus. Want to know God? Meet Jesus. He already knows you, loves you, and came to give His life for you! “Think positive!” “I am strong!” “Believe in yourself!” Ever heard these? I’ve been reflecting on the idea of positive thinking and self-affirmation. While there is some real value in having a positive mindset, many of the quotes and statements that I come across just don’t sit well with me. The Bible gives us clear guidelines on how we should think: “Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.” (Philippians 4:8) Sometimes statements of “positive thinking," particularly statements of self-affirmation, just flat out aren’t true. Why should I fill my mind with lies, even if they’re positive? To counter this, I set out on a quest to find some statements of truth based upon Scripture on which to reflect and mediate. As I poured over Scripture passages looking for true statements that proclaim our worth, importance, purpose, and anything else we might want to tell ourselves to increase our confidence and self-esteem, something quickly became very clear to me: According to God, it’s not about me. It’s all about Him. Let me explain. The Bible certainly teaches that we are valued and have worth in the eyes of God, but our worth, beauty, and importance are not the focus of Scripture; if we try and make it all about us, we will quickly become powerless in that line of thinking. The reason we have our worth, beauty, and importance is completely based on Christ and what He has done for us. The focus of Scripture is on Jesus, His beauty, His power, His widsom, His love, etc. The Bible strongly discourages us from propping ourselves up in our own mind. Biblical thinking is actually quite counter-intuitive and often goes against what society tells us to think and believe. The world tells us to believe in ourselves, be strong, take pride in ourselves, etc. But consider the following:
With statements like these, the Bible teaches that God doesn't ignore those who are weak and humble. In fact, He often favors those qualities, and He uses those people for His own purpose and glory. Worldly Positive Thinking in Light of ScriptureThe worldly idea of positive thinking generally focuses on self and is very egocentric. This flies in the face of what the Bible teaches. The Bible instructs us to think less of ourselves and more of others. We are to have a humble mindset. We are to die to self. We must become less and God must become greater in our lives. Paul writes in Romans 12:3, “For through the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith.” Be in the practice of testing everything against Scripture, and "taking every thought captive," (2 Corinthians 10:5). This way, if you're thinking positive thoughts, you can be confident that you're thinking positive thoughts of truth. The same applies to negative thoughts: if you are plagued with negative thoughts, test those against Scripture, because often times those thoughts are also lies. There is freedom in knowing the truth. (see John 8:32). Let’s put that into practice and examine a few statements found on positive thinking website: Worldly Statement: I make the right choices every time. In Light of Scripture: You know darn well you don’t always make the right choices. The Bible calls many of our bad choices sin, and the the only remedy for sin is to be honest about it with God and ask for His forgiveness. If our bad choices are not blatant sin, then they probably fall into the category of foolishness. Through the filling of God’s Holy Spirit, He will give us the strength, power, and wisdom to make the right choices every time. (Romans 3:23, 1 John 1:9, Galatians 5:16-25) Worldly Statement: I trust myself. I trust my inner wisdom and intuition. In Light of Scripture: According to the Bible, trusting in yourself can be a dangerous thing. Jeremiah 17:9 says the heart is deceitful. Proverbs 3:5 says to “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding.” We are to trust in God alone and seek Him for our guidance. Trusting in yourself instead of in the God who made you, is like making an idol out of yourself, and is not much different than trusting in a golden figure formed by the hands of man. Anything good about us comes from God: He made us, He saved us, He gifted us, He leads us, He empowers us. Our trust should be in Him, not in ourselves. (Also see Proverbs 28:26) Worldly Statement: I draw from my inner strength and light. In Light of Scripture: This is very similar to the above statement. Apart from Christ, we have no inner strength and light. Ephesians 3:14-21 talks about God’s Spirit strengthening us in our “inner man” and giving us the power and understanding that we need. Without Him, our flesh is weak. It's when we acknowledge that weakness and turn to Jesus that we find true strength and light. (Romans 8:26, 2 Corinthians 12:9, John 8:12) Worldly Statement: Money comes to me easily and effortlessly. In Light of Scripture: If only it were as easy as speaking those words! God never promises us material riches, but He does promise to supply all our needs. The Bible tells us that hard work leads to increased wealth, and it also says that when we give a portion of what we have back to God, we will receive blessing in return (not necessarily material, but it could be). Some are blessed with great wealth for God’s glory, and others are blessed with simple means, also for God’s glory. We are to be content with what God has supplied. (Proverbs 3:9-10, Proverbs 10:4, Proverbs 30:7-9, Proverbs 24:30-34, Malachi 3:10, 2 Corinthians 9:6, Hebrews 13:5) Worldly Statement: I am smart. In Light of Scripture: For some this may be true, but for others, saying the words just doesn’t make it so. (Sorry if I burst anyone's bubble there!) We all have unique strengths and abilities, but for some, being smart just isn’t one of them. If you’re one of those people who are lacking in the area of intellect, and you lie to yourself about it, you’re only shorting yourself the opportunity to grow and seek out others in your life who are smart to help you with your shortcomings. While we’re not all blessed with great intellect, (and even if we are), the Bible tells us that any of us can (and should) seek out God’s wisdom. Proverbs 9:10 says, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” James 1:5 says, “But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.” Positive Thinking From the Bible Now that we’ve looked at some worldly statements, let’s look at some trustworthy statements from God’s Word that speak to our worth and value. These statements are focused on Christ and what He has done, not on ourselves, and they are words of truth, rather than lies. These are not words to psyche ourselves into being better, but are words that are already true, that focus our attention on the One from who we can draw our strength and wisdom. We can cling to these words without hesitation. Look up these scriptures and meditate on those if you need to fill your mind with positive thoughts! (The statements with the “*” asterisks apply specifically to Christians, who have trusted Jesus for the forgiveness of their sins.) The "Scripture Support" references open up a link to the full Bible verse in a new window. Biblical Statement: I am wonderfully made. Scripture Support: Psalm 139:13-14 We were no accident. God made us with His own hands. Biblical Statement: I am loved. Scripture Support: John 3:16, Romans 8:38-39 God said He loved us, and proved it by sending Jesus to pay the penalty for our sins. Biblical Statement: I am valuable. Scripture Support: Matthew 6:25-27 God cares about us more than anything else in His creation. Biblical Statement: I am forgiven.* Scripture Support: Romans 3:23, 1 John 1:9 While it is true that we are all sinners, God promises to forgive us when we ask Him. Biblical Statement: I am complete.* Scripture Support: Colossians 2:10 Jesus makes us whole. Biblical Statement: I am alive.* Scripture Support: Ephesians 2:4-6 We were once dead in our sins, but Jesus makes us alive with Him through His death and resurrection. Biblical Statement: I am a new creation.* Scripture Support: 2 Corinthians 5:17 When we give our lives to Jesus, our old self passes away, and He makes us new. Biblical Statement: I can do all things (through Christ).* Scripture Support: Philippians 4:13 Jesus gives us the strength we need to do life. Biblical Statement: I am a child of God.* Scripture Support: John 1:12 God gave this right to those who believe in Jesus. A Better WayWorldly thinking is self-centered and prone to lies. Biblical thinking is Christ-centered (or others-centered) and rich in truth. When you remove the focus from yourself and start focusing on who God is and what He’s done, and when you start focusing on how you can bless others, you will naturally become a better person because of what He does in your life. Consider the attitude of Jesus, written about in Philippians 2:3-11: Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Instead of telling yourself how great you are and how much you can do, focus your thoughts on Jesus and how great He is and what He's done. Strive to be like Him. Embrace what He has already given you and walk according to His Spirit.
I’ve been attempting to write something about the 2016 Presidential Election for a while now, because Jesus is most certainly relevant to what is going on in our country, but the words aren’t coming easily. So much has been said already, from pretty much every angle, so what more is there to add? As I think and pray through what I want to say, one passage of Scripture that keeps coming back to my mind is 1 Samuel chapter 8. It feels so reminiscent of what is happening in America right now, and the Old Testament has never felt more applicable to me than it does this year. I can only steer people in one direction, and that's towards Jesus, but as far as this election goes, here are my thoughts on how America got itself into this place where we have to chose between a rock and a hard place. Israel and a KingIn the days of Samuel, Israel had judges, rather than kings or presidents, like we have today. Samuel was one of the judges whom God had appointed to rule Israel, and it was a season of Israel’s disobedience to God. Samuel was a godly man, but towards the end of Samuel’s life, he appointed his sons as judges of Israel, and they “turned aside after dishonest gain and took bribes and perverted justice.” (1 Sam 8:3). Sound familiar? It does to me. It sounds a whole lot like many of the people we currently have in office, and those who are now aspiring to rule the United States of America. Corruption in government is nothing new. The people of Israel approached Samuel and asked that a king be appointed over them like all the other surrounding nations. This didn’t sit well with Samuel, but he took it to God. Here was God’s reply: “Listen to the voice of the people in regard to all that they say to you, for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me from being king over them. Like all the deeds which they have done since the day that I brought them up from Egypt even to this day – in that they have forsaken Me and served other gods – so they are doing to you also. Now then, listen to their voice; however, you shall solemnly warn them and tell them of the procedure of the king who will reign over them.” (1 Sam 8:7-9) Samuel continued to listen as God warned of the king who would reign over Israel, if that’s what they chose. God warned that the king would take the possessions of the people for his own, and that the people would become his servants. The people would cry out, but God wouldn’t answer them in that day. Basically God said, “I’m your King. If you want an earthly king, you can have one, but you’re not going to like it.” America and a King America, we as a nation have rejected God from being our King. Instead of individually and corporately turning to Him for guidance and leadership and lordship, we have sought earthly leaders and legislation to solve all our problems. We have tried to legislate morality and generosity rather than each submitting our hearts to God’s leadership in those areas. Our hearts have turned from God, as we kick Him out of schools, government, and our daily lives. We no longer call sin “sin,” and we tolerate the things that God finds despicable. Samuel brought the word of God back to the people, warning them of what a king would bring, but they insisted on having their own way. “No, but there shall be a king over us,” was their reply. (1 Sam 8:19) So Samuel under God’s leadership appointed a king over them, and he ended up being a miserable king, just as God had warned. I wonder if our present situation in America is a result of us neglecting to heed God’s warnings over the years. Have we been insistent on having our own way, despite what God has said? We continue to stray farther and farther from God's ways, and we have ended up with two presidential candidates who are both either corrupt and/or immoral. How did that happen? When people reject God enough times, He’ll pull back, let them have their way, and leave them to their own devices. There are a number of times throughout Scripture where He “gave them over in the lusts of their heart to impurity” or “gave them over to a depraved mind” or hardened the hearts of those who didn’t want to follow Him. God doesn’t force Himself on us, but sometimes if someone rejects His instruction enough times, they lose their chance. Perhaps that’s what’s happened in America. It’s just a thought, but maybe God is leaving us to our own devices. That's what we wanted, right? Romans 1:28-32 says, “And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper, being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice; they are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, without understanding, untrustworthy, unloving, unmerciful; and although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but also give hearty approval to those who practice them.” Ouch. I don’t know a single person on earth who hasn’t upset God in at least one of the above ways. Election time in this country brings out these sins in abundance in people! Just watch the news or check your Facebook feed. Two Bad ChoicesThe people of Israel had two bad choices for their leader:
America also has two bad choices for our president this year. Enough has been said about the despicable details of the character of our top two presidential candidates, so I will say no more about that. But like the people of Israel, America is neglecting its third option: to turn our hearts wholly to God. While we are busy arguing with each other over whose sin is greater between Trump and Clinton, are we submitting our own hearts to King Jesus? Christians: we have declared that Jesus is the Lord of our lives. But do we act like that each day, or do we also get caught up in foolish controversies, slander, pride, and the like? Are we putting our trust and hope in the wrong places? Are we trusting Trump or Hillary to change America, to end poverty, to end corruption, to end greed, to bring unity? Or are we on our knees humbling our own hearts in each of those matters before the One who can truly bring peace to a nation? Are we praying diligently for the hearts of our leaders and other civilians alike, that they would also turn to God as their King? Imagine what our country would look like if each person was fully submitted to Jesus as their King:
Until Jesus returns one day (and He will), we’re stuck in an imperfect world with sinful people running the show. I realize that we can’t actually vote for “Jesus” on our ballots this year and have it be worth a darn in this election. But if our nation doesn’t turn its heart back to God who has blessed us so richly in this country, I fear He will remove His blessing from us, so that we will cry out to Him, as happened with the people of Israel time and time again throughout history. The following is a promise that God made to Israel, but perhaps He will also show our country the same mercy if we turn back to Him: “and [if] My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” (2 Chronicles 7:14) “We Shall Over Comb”This photo is of a bottle of hot sauce I found at our butcher shop over the summer. I found it humorous and bought it as a joke for a family member, but the sad truth is that with either Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump, the best we can hope for is to “over comb.” When we “over comb,” we’re simply covering up the problem, and not addressing the root issue. Trump and Clinton may have some ideas and suggestions of laws and policies to put in place in attempts to solve our nation’s troubles, but they can never fully fix our nation, because they can never fix people’s hearts. To truly overcome in this country, the root problem of sin needs to be addressed, and only Jesus can do that, starting in the hearts of each individual. When we humble ourselves and confess our sin to Jesus, he forgives us and makes us new. That’s what we need in this country: people with forgiven hearts and fresh starts! Jesus said in John 16:33, “These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.” John later writes, “For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. Who is the one who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?” (1 John 5:4-5) Whom Should I Vote For?I'm not going to tell you whom to vote for. How can I? In this election, seemingly more so than any other, it comes down to a matter of conscience. If voting for Trump violates your conscience, then don’t. If voting for Hillary violates your conscience, then don’t. I’ve heard convincing arguments on all sides of the equation with reasonable political, moral, and spiritual justifications. Some I agree with, some I don’t. Regardless of whom I think is the best candidate and why, if another is going to feel guilty for making the same decision, I would never push them to go against what they feel is right before God.
Seek God above all else, and research all the issues at stake and potential long term outcomes for our country when casting your ballot. And then trust God that His plan and purpose will be fulfilled, regardless of who wins this election. Remember: “The king’s heart is like channels of water in the hand of the Lord; He turns it wherever He wishes.” (Proverbs 21:1) “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” (Romans 8:28) This is a story of God’s faithfulness and answer to prayer regarding a lifelong friendship of mine. It makes my heart so full of joy every time I think about how God worked throughout our lives and friendship! I share this story, both because it’s encouraging to my soul to remember what God has done in my life, and because I hope that it might encourage someone else to put their hope and trust in God to work in their own difficult situation, whatever it may be. This is also a story of God not giving up on people. Distance, brokenness, failures don’t stop Him from loving you and those you care about, nor from accomplishing His greater purpose in the lives of His children. FriendshipA true friend is such a blessing, and I’ve been blessed to have one of these friends in my life. She’s one of those friends with whom you can pick up right where you left off, even when time and distance and brokenness has gotten in the way. My best friend and I met when we were about nine years old. We lived in the same neighborhood, and every now and then I would see her riding her bike around, and I wanted to meet her. Our brothers were already friends, so it seemed natural that we should be friends too! Despite her being the more outgoing one, every time I would start to approach her to say “hi,” she’d ride her bike back home, or run down the hill back to her house. But I was determined! Once I finally managed to introduce myself, we were inseparable from that point on. During the summers, we would spend several days at a time together. We’d play all day, and then she’d spend the night at my house. The next day, we’d play all day again, and then I’d go spend the night at her house. We never got tired of each other’s company. We spent our days reading teen magazines to learn all the fashion and make-up tips, playing outside building forts, singing all the songs from our favorite movies, having deep talks, and sharing secrets with each other. We even started an odd-job service in our neighborhood together, since we were too young to have jobs, but hungry for cash! Oh, we were such good friends. One of the things we often talked about was God. I grew up in a Christian home, but my friend did not. Sometimes I would talk to her about what Jesus had done on the cross for our sins, and while she was interested in what I had to say, she wasn’t ready to accept Jesus as her personal Lord and Savior. I prayed for her daily, and sometimes she would come to church with our family on Sundays. (Although coming to church with me at that age was definitely just another chance to hang out rather than out of a genuine interest in the sermon!) Nevertheless, she heard about Jesus both from our family and from the pastor. Changing TimesIn junior high, my friend’s parents divorced, and she ended up moving away from our neighborhood with her mom and brothers to an apartment in town. We were sad, but this didn’t immediately impact our friendship. My mom was a stay-at-home mom, and was generally willing to shuttle us back and forth so that we could still see each other. As time went on though, she started making new friends in her apartment complex, and I didn't get to spend as much time with her. Her new friends weren’t the type of people I clicked well with, and I think they were probably into a lot of things they shouldn’t have been. I tried hanging out with her new group of friends a few times, but I just didn’t really fit in. Failures and RegretsMy family eventually moved to a neighboring city, so it became even harder for us to connect. We talked on the phone often, but it was more challenging to hang out in person. One of the biggest regrets of my life happened during one of those phone calls. The topic of God came up again, and I asked my friend if she had accepted Jesus into her heart as her Savior. She replied softly, “No, but I want to.” Silence. I panicked. What do I do now? I should pray with her and help her ask help Jesus into her heart, but I’m too afraid to pray out loud! You see I was terrified and too insecure to pray with people. I had been my whole life. I didn’t know the right words to say, and I was afraid of sounding stupid. I guess that’s what it was. So I let the moment pass. Friendship fail. Now her eternal destiny is all screwed up because of me! It wasn’t really, because none of that depends on me, but that’s certainly how I felt for a long time after. Drifting and DistanceWe grew up in the days before cell phones, so it wasn't easy to get a hold of my friend. She was quite the social butterfly, so she was always out doing things with her new friends, and when I called her house, she wasn’t usually there. We drifted. We drifted, but I never stopped trying. She was my friend and I didn’t want to lose her! I continued to pray for her, despite our drifting apart. Faith and More FailureOne of the last times I saw her was on a Sunday when she came to church with our family, as she still did on occasion. This particular Sunday, the pastor prayed a prayer for those who would like to invite Jesus into their lives. It wasn’t anything unusual for a Sunday morning, but later that afternoon, we were walking up the stairs to my bedroom, and my friend out of the blue told me that she had prayed the prayer with the pastor that morning! I was ecstatic! And once again I didn’t know what to do or say. I should say something to help her know what to do next. I should help her study the Bible. I should teach her how to pray. But I didn’t know how to teach her those things. I didn’t really even know how to study the Bible very well for myself at that point, but I knew it was important. Again, friendship fail. I let the moment pass, like I had on that phone conversation months earlier when she said she wanted to ask Jesus into her life. I kicked myself and wondered for years “what if” I’d done it right? Fortunately for all of us, God doesn’t allow our failures to get in the way of His plan. My own inadequacies didn’t stop God from accomplishing His purpose in her life, but I wouldn’t know this for over a decade. Broken Heart and Unanswered QuestionsI think I only saw my friend a few more times after that day, and then I could no longer get a hold of her. I tried calling her so many times over the next months, maybe even years. But no answer. Even when I left messages, no call back. The last straw was when she actually answered the phone one time. I said “hello,” and I know she knew my voice, but she didn’t say anything. Silence. And then she hung up. Oh, my heart was so broken, and I started sobbing. I had so many questions. Why didn’t she want to talk to me? Was she ok? Did she know it was me when she hung up? Moving OnThe whole thing was starting to feel like a crazy obsession and I just had to let it go. If she didn’t want to be friends, I couldn’t force her. I resolved myself to stop reaching out to her, but I continued to pray and just trust God for His work in her life. I suspected that she was into some things with her new friends that she didn’t want to share with me. Whatever it was, I was heartbroken, and I had to move on with my life. Even though my heart was hurt, I continued to pray for her, and I hoped that one day God would allow us to reconnect. Life went on, and I matured and grew physically, emotionally, and spiritually during that time. I went off to college, traveled, started working, and got married. I thought about my friend often, with so many unanswered questions, and continued to pray for her over the years.
Good Ol' FacebookFifteen something years later, now that we had this handy tool called the Internet, I decided to do some Internet sleuthing (“aka” stalking!). Call me crazy, but I was still a determined to find my friend! It took a long time, because she had intentionally made herself hard to find, but one day by God’s grace found her! I could hardly believe it, and my eyes welled up with happy tears. Although she had used a different name on Facebook, I had managed to put together some shared connections and found her picture! The picture was of her holding her newborn baby in a hospital bed. She was older now, but it was definitely my friend! And she was a mama now! I excitedly poured over the rest of her Facebook page to see what I could learn about who she’d become. I looked over her pictures, including those of her wedding. And what made my heart the happiest was seeing pictures of her with her husband at church activities and going on a mission trip! I rejoiced that she was okay, that she likely knew Jesus, and that God had been faithful in her life when I couldn’t be there for her. He had watched over her and protected her throughout the years, when I was no longer able to be in her life. And if that’s where my search for her ended, I was content just to know that she was alive, happy, and that God was in her life. But of course I wanted to see her! Rejoicing over God’s Faithfulness Now came the scary part – reaching out to her. It had been a very long time, I still had a lot of questions, and I wasn’t sure how my communication would be received. I greatly feared more rejection, but I had to try. She had Facebook messaging blocked on her account, but now that I’d discovered her married name, I was able to track down her mailing address. I sent her a card in the mail with a brief note and my contact information, and put the rest in God’s hands. Now I waited. On June 28, 2012, my long lost friend sent me a message on Facebook! Nervously I opened it, and as I started to read, I could hardly hold back the tears. God is so good. Here is a snippet of what she wrote that totally blessed my socks off: I think about you and your family often. If nothing else, I'd really like you to know you were a pivotal person in my coming to Christ. Your's and your family's kindness and persistence definitely planted seeds that later blossomed. Also, coming from a broken home, I often reflect on your family unit and find myself looking to model that in my own home. What encouragement! Sometimes you just never know how God might be working in someone’s life, even when you can't see it. God had heard my prayers and held my friend tight in His hands, and I was blessed to be able to see the outcome of my endless prayers over the years. ReconnectingWe got together for lunch a week or two later and spent hours and hours catching up, sharing memories from our childhood, looking at pictures, and learning who the adult versions of each other had become. I asked her to share how her faith in Christ had come about. I was curious how much she remembered from our childhood, and what had taken place in her life since we were younger. Much like I suspected, she had become involved with some things that she wasn’t proud of. Her life went off track for a while, and amongst other things, she had started dabbling around with astrology, which opened her up to demonic influence and activity in her life. She told me some crazy stories about how she would wake up in the morning with big claw marks on her legs that weren’t there when she went to bed. There were other things too, but that’s the one I remember most distinctly. Naturally, she was afraid and turned to another Christian friend in her life. (Yay God for giving her another Christian friend!) That friend and her mom helped her turn her life back to Jesus. They prayed with her and told her that she needed to burn her astrology books to break the demonic stronghold that had formed in her life. When she did, the books went up in black smoke. After that, she was committed to Jesus and has been growing with Him since. I asked my friend if she remembered that day she told me she prayed with the pastor at church, but she didn’t. Even though it wasn’t a moment she remembered, God was faithful not to let her go, and I’m so thankful to Him for that. I believe that moment back then was real, but it was just a seed in God’s plan that would later blossom. We barely scratched the surface of all we wanted to talk about in that first reunion, but we continue to have lunch dates at least a couple times a year. We’re older now, and our lives are busier, but we have picked up right where we left off! A Picture of God's Love For UsI'm not so arrogant as to think I'm just like God, but I think this story provides a good picture of how God loves and pursues us. Maybe that's why He allowed things to happen the way they did. Just like I so persistently pursued my friend, even from the very beginning, so God pursues us. He chooses us to be His children and doesn't let us go. I didn't choose my friend because there was anything so perfect about her or anything like that, and I didn't keep pursuing her for so long because she treated me so well. In fact, she really wasn't a very good friend for a stretch of time. It hurt when she parted ways with me, but she was still my friend, and I still loved and cared about her. God chooses and pursues us and even lets us go our own way for awhile, but He never stops loving us. If we're being stubborn, sometimes He gives us over to our own devices so that we can see what life is like without Him, experience the consequences, and run back to His loving arms. God is deeply grieved when we turn away from Him, but He never stops loving us, and He never stops pursuing those who are His children. Lessons to LearnWhile my story is not your story, I want you to come away with a few things:
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AuthorFull time office worker, full time wife, and full time lover of Jesus. I'm kind of a Bible nerd, and I have a passion for finding ways to introduce Jesus in a practical way to everyday people doing everyday things. Archives
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