Jan 28 - Acts 4 - Does anyone know you have been with Jesus?

Wow, it has been awhile since I've posted. Time gets away so quickly. I've been enjoying reading some of my favorite passages in recent weeks about Joseph and Moses and the Day of Pentecost. Today In Acts 4, verse 13 stood out to me. "When they (elders, rulers, high priest) saw the courage of Peter and John and realized thay they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus."

What hits me is that it stood out to those questioning Peter and John that they had been with Jesus. Affected by Jesus, taught by Jesus, empowered by Jesus, encouraged by Jesus. These men were doing and saying things way beyond their worldly capabilities and education. This was only possible because of thier encounter with Jesus and the empowering of the Holy Spirit sent by Him. It made me wonder, would anyone know that I have had an encounter with Jesus? Do I operate beyond my natural abilities because of Him and the working of the Holy Spirit? Do you?

Now these questions can feel judgmental and condemning if the answer is something along the lines of "Not so much." But for me it is more of a challenge. I believe it happens over time.
2 Cor 3:18 says "And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit." Ever-increasing implies to me that we forever grow into His likeness, it doesn't happen at once. So the challenge to me is to let my words and my actions reflect more and more the fact that "I have been with Jesus!"

Jan 9 - Gen 23 - Do the Right Thing

I've been enjoying reading about Abraham the last several days, and then I came across this curious story in Gen 23 today. Abraham's wife Sarah had died and he wanted to buy a burial site in the land in which he was living. He asked the Hittites if he might purchase a suitable site to bury his wife. The Hittites viewed Abraham as a wealthy and powerful prince and they told him that any one of them would happily give Abraham their best tomb site for his family. Again Abraham insisted that he buy the site and he apparently had his eye on a specific location, a cave at the end of a field that belonged to Ephron. Abraham insisted that he pay full price.

Ephron came to Abraham and said he would gladly give him the field and the cave. Now at this stage of the story, I'm thinking this is an amazing gesture of kindness and respect. I'm thinking Abraham should accept the gift with dignity and go on to bury his wife. But no! Abraham insists again on paying full price. Ephron tells him what the price of the field is, Abraham pays him and goes to bury his wife with a clear conscience.

This got me to thinking and wondering why Abraham was so insistent on paying for this land. Several thoughts have come to me. First, when you accept a gift, there is a sense of obligation or indebtedness to the giver. Abraham did not want to be indebted to the Hittites. Second, I felt that there was a matter of honor about where you buried your family. To bury a loved one on someone else's property would not accord the proper respect to your departed family member. But I felt that there was something more than this. Now Abraham had trusted God his whole life and exhibited tremendous faith in various situations. So while this whole incident may simply have been a matter of doing the right thing to honor his family, it may also have been that Abraham's trust in God would somehow be lessened if he accepted such a great gift. His sustenance and his blessings all came from God. He needed to trust God for provision, not these strangers that he lived among. It does happen that God will bless someone through the kindness of others, but Abraham knew this gift from the Hittites was not from God and would turn him away from his faith in the Lord.

These kind of situations require much discernment. In a different setting and with different players involved, this could have been how God provided. How do you know the difference? Only by the Holy Spirit can we discern God's will. And then only if we are transformed from the world's ways to God's ways by the renewing of our mind (Rom 12:2) - and I believe this renewing is also the work of the Holy Spirit within you. Then we will be able to know God's will. Then we will know what the right thing is.

Jan 5 - Luke 5 - The Call to Follow Jesus

Today in my reading, I noticed a difference in the call of Simon Peter, James and John from that of Levi. Peter, James and John spent the day listening to Jesus teach the crowd from one of their boats. They then experienced a miracle in the huge catch of fish they had when Jesus instructed them to put down their nets again (after a long night of catching nothing!). When Jesus asked them to come with Him to catch men, they were ready. They had been convinced, they knew there was something about Him, they expected to see and do great things.

Levi on the other hand, simply had Jesus walk up to him and ask him to follow Jesus. Levi responded immediately. Now we can suppose that Levi had heard something about Jesus, maybe even saw Him at some point. But all we have recorded in Scripture is this simply "Follow me."

I believe it has been the same for all people down through the ages. Some people need to hear and think and comtemplate what they have heard and seen about Jesus. They slowly become convinced that He is who He claims to be and ultimately make a decision about following Him. Others have this immediate recognition that Jesus is the Son of God, a Savior who died for them and they know right away that this is what they want for their life. In both circumstances, it is the work of the Holy Spirit that speaks to the heart and mind of the person. Is either path to Jesus more holy or spiritual than the other? No, not at all. For those of us who are Christians, this tells us we need to have patience and let the Spirit work in the way that is most effective for any given individual. The last thing we want is to pressure someone into making a decision they are not ready for only to see them rebel, or make a choice that they quickly fall away from later (see the parable of the seeds, Matt 13, Mk 4 & Luke 8). Our job is to show the light of Christ in us and let the Spirit do the rest. Praise God for the many ways He can deal with us!

Jan 1 - Home with the Lord

My entry today will be short and simple. Our in-law Peggy went home to be with the Lord last night. While my heart goes out to my daughter and her husband, all the family and especially Peggy's husband Perry, I also rejoice that Peggy's suffering was not long and she is now in that wonderful place - in paradise with Jesus.
God bless all the family who are mourning the loss of this special family member. May your time of sadness be short and may your memories be sweet and sustaining.

Dec 31 - Rev 19-22 - A New Jerusalem

It is with sadness I write today. Just got off the phone with my daughter. Her husband's mother who has been battling stage 4 cancer the last few months is in the hospital and has taken a turn for the worse. Doctors give her about 36 hours. My daughter and son-in-law are in a whirlwind of activity trying to figure out their next move. We have been praying for a miraculous healing, but it appears God has a different plan. It is in that context that I read Rev 19-22.

These chapters cover the judgment, the lake of fire and such, as well as the appearing of the New Jerusalem - our eternal dwelling place with God. What struck me as I read about the New Jerusalem today was the phrase "prepared as a bride, beautifully dressed for her husband." (Rev 21:2). I was reminded how every wedding I go to, there is something about the bride; she is beautiful, she glows, she is expectant. I mean no offense by this, but no matter how plain or beautiful a woman may be in everyday life, she is at her most beautiful on her wedding day. Now, as I re-read the description of the new Jerusalem, I think of the beautiful bride and can picture more clearly how glowing and beautiful this new city will be. And while it seems that this new Jerusalem will not come into being until the very end of this age, it is to this destiny that our dear in-law Peggy is headed.

If she in fact is taken from earth in a few hours or days, we know with confidence that her hope is in Christ and her name is surely written in the book of Life. The chapters I read today clearly describe the result of our choice here on earth. Some wrestle with the notion that God would actually condemn someone to death, but I don't. Rev 21:27 says that "Nothing impure will ever enter into it," speaking of the New Jerusalem. God is perfect, His dwelling place is perfect and pure, He can not allow even one speck of impurity into His Kingdom because then it would no longer be pure. Our purity is not of our own effort, it is in the covering of Jesus who lived sinlessly and sacrificed for us. And the great thing is, this is a free gift to any who would take it. You too can have this eternal destiny by only accepting this gift and turning your life around to live for Jesus. Which of you will give back unopened this wonderful Christmas present?


Peggy with her husband Perry - the day before our daughter married their son.
Peggy & Perry with their two sons and new daughter-in-law

Finally, Peggy dancing with her son at the wedding reception

Dec 28-29 - Rev 5-14: Worship and Judgment

The chapters of these last 2 days of reading bring two words to mind.

1. Worship: There are several scenes of various worship services giving praise to God the Creator, the Lamb our Redeemer and the Sovereign Ruler of all. Angels worshipped, elders worshipped, a huge host of redeemed souls worshipped and creatures worshipped. Our own worship of God is not a trivial thing. It is a testimony of God and all He is, all He has done, is doing and will do. We worship with our lives in how we conduct ourselves; we worship with our voices, singing and speaking praises; we worship in the giving of gifts be they our talents, our resources, our time or our acts of charity (love) and service. Praise be to our God, the Almighty, Sovereign Lord! Praise be to the Savior of His creation! Glory to His Name.


2. Judgment: In contrast, we see the results of living in denial of God and His rightful place in our hearts and lives. Unspeakable suffering chases after those who rebel against the reality of God. Their hearts become hard and they are easily deceived into believing anything that appears to be great and wise and good - as long as it is not God! The suffering they endure causes them to become angry at God and all the more defiant. Admitting their errors and repentence is not even a thought. Their choice is fully realized in the judgment they will face. We see in these chapters only the beginning.

My response to these chapters is the same as Joshua's when he says "...choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord." (Josh 24:15).

Here is a little of my worship of God the Creator....

Dec 27, 2008 - Rev 1-4: Rewards for the Faithful

Obvious learnings from the letters to the seven churches are the warnings about the things that God hates to see in His people. But what struck more today was how much hope there is in these letters. To those who overcome, persevere and stay true to the end, these are the rewards that await them:

1. The right to eat from the tree of life


2. Access to the paradise of God


3. They will not be hurt by the second death


4. They will receive hidden manna


5. They will receive a white stone with a new name on it that only they will know


6. They’ll have authority over the nations


7. They’ll receive the morning star


8. They will get clothes of white


9. They will remain in the book of life


10. They will have protection from the coming hour of trial


11. They will be a pillar in the temple of God


12. They will have the name of God and His city written on them


13. They will receive a new name


14. They will have the right to sit with Jesus on His throne

In a word; WOW! To remember what our eternal destiny is, the sacrifices (the things we give up for the sake of Jesus) in this life are pale and empty in comparison. Give your all, your whole life to Jesus and it will be worth it, both now and in eternity.