For the Joy That was Set Before Him

“let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.” Hebrews 12:1:2.

The writer of Hebrews tells us that Christ endured the cross and the shame for the “joy that was set before him.” He knew what God’s plan was for his life. He knew that he would have to endure the suffering and shame of the cross. Yet he chose to follow God’s plan. Because of his trust and obedience to His heavenly Father, Christ was able to go to the cross. But he also did for the joy which would be his. He suffered for the joy of being seated at the right hand of the Father, and he suffered for the greatest joy of all —- saving you and I.

He suffered for the joy of imparting His righteousness to you and I; for giving us a mansion in heaven, or as C. H. Spurgeon says, “ for the joy of finding mansions in heaven for homeless souls.”

If Christ can endure the shame, suffering, and agony of the cross for our homeless souls, shouldn’t we be able to endure suffering for His sake?

Yet send even a little suffering our way and God will find us crying out for relief. He will find us praying, “It is too much, Lord!” or “It is not fair, God!” Our suffering in this world pales in comparison to him who was “tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin.”

This Easter season, take a fresh look at the cross. Stand there at the feet of your suffering Savior and worship Him anew. Marvel at His great love for you.

Do not turn away from His suffering, for it is that suffering that you were healed. Worship Jesus Christ, your Savior and pray as William Gadsby did,

Now, for the love I bear His Name,

What was my gain I count my loss;

My former pride I call my shame,

And nail my glory to His cross.

Grant, O Lord, that in your wounds I may find my safety, in your stripes my cure, in your pain my peace, in your cross my victory, in your resurrection my triumph, and a crown of righteousness in the glories of your eternal kingdom. Jeremy Taylor, in The Westminster Collection of Christian Prayers, compiled by Dorothy M. Stewart

Two Little Words

Have you ever thought what a difference two little words can make in your life? Martha and Mary were dear friends of Jesus as was their brother, Lazarus. When Lazarus became ill they sent a message to Jesus that the one "whom Jesus loved" was sick. They knew how much Jesus loved their brother and were confident he would come to his aid. However, Jesus did not arrive soon enough and Lazarus died. When Jesus finally arrived at Martha's home in Bethany, both sisters were despondent. They did not understand why Jesus had not arrived sooner and in their despair they said, "If only you had been here, Jesus, our brother would not have died."

If Only…If Only. Two little words that can color our world black: two little words that can plunge us into a quicksand of guilt, pulling us deeper and deeper into a pit of despair.

These are the same words that the friends of a blind man used about his disability in John 9. If only he had not sinned, if only his parents had not sinned, he would not have born blind. This blindness was worse than a death sentence for this man. He was and would be forever dependant on others for his basic physical care. Because of his blindness this man could not work, could not marry, and could have a family. He would never be a respected member of society. He would always be dependent on the charity of others for all his basic needs. He would always be an outcast. But the worse than all that, his blindness also prevented him from having access to God! He was considered unclean in the Jewish religion and would never have the opportunity to worship at the temple the same way a physically whole man would. As far as the world was considered, his was a wasted life. His parents would live for years with the guilt that they had done something to cause this to happen to their son. If only….

Do you live under a cloud of "if onlys"? If only you had not made that business deal. If only you had not bought that house. If only that disease had not robbed you of your normal life. If only you had avoided that car accident.

God is a sovereign and good God. He turns our "if onlys' into "so that's". That is what he did for the blind man. When asked who sinned to cause this man's blindness, Jesus replied, "Neither this man nor his parents sinned," said Jesus, "but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life." (John 9:3) And then Jesus, the light of world, removed this man's darkness forever and restored his sight. This man was born blind so that God's glory could be displayed in his life.

And how about Jesus' friend Lazarus? When told of his illness, Jesus' said to the disciples, "This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God's glory so that God's Son may be glorified through it." Jesus purposely waited until Lazarus had died that he might perform the greatest miracle of all; the raising of a dead man.

Sufferings come to all us. Dwelling on the "if onlys" in our life will cause only discouragement and defeat. When we focus in on the "so thats" of our suffering, God is glorified through our sufferings. He uses us and our lives to display his magnificent glory, and we can persevere through our trials knowing they are not without purpose. Praise God today for the so that's he has brought into your life, and revel in the knowledge that you are a masterpiece of God's glory.

His Amazing Grace

Grace. We sing about it on Sunday but have a difficult time living it on Monday. Sometimes it is hard to believe that The Almighty God would have grace on puny little us. Many of us have experienced God’s saving grace; the grace that frees us from our chains of sin. But we still live like shackled people. How can we break the bondage of our own list of do’s and don’ts; our own set of rules that keep us drowning in shame? We need to anchor our self image to the Word of God. See how very much our Father loves us, for he calls us his children, and that is what we are! 1 John 3:1 2 Samuel 22 says that God "…reached down from heaven and rescued me; he drew me out of deep waters. He led me to a place of safety; because he delights in me." How amazing, how astounding that the creator of the universe delights in me. God cannot love us any more than he does now, and He will not love us any less no matter what we do. Nothing we do can increase or decrease God's love for us. This is grace. It is astounding that God should love us so. Knowing this helps us have a more accurate view of who we are in Jesus Christ and helps us be more compassionate and patient with others. God in His mercy has shown his abundant grace towards us; how dare we not extend a small measure of that grace to others who are image-bearers of God? . God delights in me: ME. That is astounding to me. Sometimes I don't even like myself. This helps me to have a more accurate view of who I am in Jesus Christ which helps me to continually conquer my worst sin, pride. It also makes me more compassionate and patient with others. God in His mercy has shown his abundant grace towards me. How dare I not extend a small measure of that grace to others who are image-bearers of God? Tim Keller in The Reason for God said this, “The Christian gospel is that I am so flawed that Jesus had to die for me, yet I am so loved and valued that Jesus was glad to die for me. This leads to deep humility and deep confidence at the same time. It undermines both swaggering and sniveling. I cannot feel superior to anyone, and yet I have nothing to prove to anyone. I do not think more of myself nor less of myself. Instead, I think of myself less.” I will be honest. This has not been easy to do. But in focusing on who I am in Christ, I have seen progress in my life. I hang on less to past and present hurts. I forgive quicker, both others and myself. I am more compassionate toward others. I focus more on who I am in Jesus Christ instead of what I do for Jesus. I serve him out of love and not out of obligation because I am following a list of do's and don'ts. This is freedom. This is love. This is grace.

LIfe's Landmarks

The Book of Judges Chapter 3 tells the story of one of Israel’s judges who was left-handed. His name was Ehud and his unique characteristic was considered an exceptional asset in those days. At this point in Israel’s history they are being controlled by the evil King Eglon of Moab. Ehud is appointed by God to rescue Israel by killing this king. Ehud goes to visit the king with a double-edged dagger hidden it in his right boot, knowing that the king’s bodyguards would be searching the left side of the king’s visitors. Everything goes according to plan but Ehud loses his nerve and leaves the palace discouraged and defeated.

On his way home, Ehud passes what Judges calls “the stone idols”. These stone idols were actually an historical landmark for Israel. They were the 12 stones that God had instructed Joshua to be brought out of the dry riverbed of the Jordan River after the Israelites had crossed into the Promised Land. (Joshua 4). The stones were to be a reminder of God’s covenant with Israel and were to “stand as a memorial among the people forever” (Jos. 4:7). But the Jews had forgotten about the memorial and over time the memorial had been reduced to a pile of stones that travelers passed by with no notice.

But on this day, Ehud notices them. And he remembers. He remembers God’s promises. He remembers his calling and the purpose for which he was sent. He goes back to Moab and asks to see the king, telling him he has a secret message for him. The king ushers him in and Ehud does something for God that no right-handed man could do. He kills the Moabite king.

God used Joshua’s landmark to remind Ehud of his purpose. God use landmarks in our lives as well. We all have those landmark moments when God rescues us or empowers us with His Spirit to fulfill a unique calling. As you look forward to a New Year, remember that God had called you and gifted you for His purpose. Don’t let your landmarks become a pile of stones but keep them as memorial and testimony to the power of God in your life.

A Father’s Epitaph

It was 1:30am when the phone rang. "He's gone. " She said.

"Ok." I replied. I did not know what else to say.

"At least he did not linger in pain for weeks." She replied

"Praise God for that. I guess I will talk to you tomorrow about the arrangements." I answered.

"Yes, " she said. "Goodnight."

I hung up the phone and went back to bed. Sleep evaded me as my mind traveled back over 50 years of memories with my dad.

   

Dad was born in upstate New York to a hard working German couple. The 5^th of 15 children, family, fun and the farm were the most important things to him. He always considered himself a farm kid which in those days was not saying much. In 1947, he met and married a beautiful southern gal named Bettie Jane Reeves. Though military rules forbade them from fraternizing (she outranked him) that did not stop Dad. He wooed her with his charm and charisma and they married in June of 1947. A daughter was born in 1948, another daughter in 1950, and the first son in 1952. They moved around a lot then and Dad went from job to job. Mom said he always had a bit of wanderlust in him.

   

The promise of a better life and warm winters brought them to California in 1955. Dad took a good job for a chemical company in the San Fernando Valley and a set of twins were born, a boy and a girl, in 1956. Pneumonia took the life of their second son in 1959 which sent both Mom and Dad into a long period of mourning.

   

Dad continued to work at the chemical plant rising to a supervising position over a large crew of men. Mom stayed home to care for the kids which she loved. Joy crept back into their lives when a third son was born in 1961 and a fourth daughter in 1965. Their quiver was definitely full. It was a "Leave to Beaver" life for many years.

   

Dad's job transferred him to a new city but rather than relocate the family he decided to commute. At first he came home every night, then every other night, then only on weekends, then finally not at all. The "Leave to Beaver" life was unraveling. Shortly after their 25^th wedding anniversary, Mom announced that they were divorcing. Dad had begun a relationship with another woman.

   

Life changed dramatically for the three of us still at home. My youngest sister was only 7 at the time, my brother was 11. Mom went back to work and back to school and I became a surrogate mother to my younger siblings at the age of 16. Our childhood memories of dad were few and reduced to some weekend visits, or an occasional letter or phone call.

   

Meanwhile Dad decided to leave his suburban life for something different. He married his second wife and moved to Northern California to begin his own farming business. Perhaps he hoped to relive his carefree days as a farm kid. Unfortunately things did not go as planned. Soon he moved to Oregon to begin another business. When that did not succeed he gave up the dream of self-employment and got a job in the business world in Northern California. After ten years, the second marriage ended and he moved back to the San Fernando Valley and worked whatever jobs he could get. He was lost and un-tethered.

   

By this time all the "kids" were grown and married with kids of their own. Mom had gotten a college degree and was successful computer programmer for an engineering company. She attended a local Baptist church and had a great group of friends. She spent much of her free time enjoying the grandkids and traveling when she could.

Dad's spiritual life was always a big question mark for us. At one time during his second marriage he told me he walked an aisle at a small church and prayed to receive Jesus. However his lifestyle never seemed to match that confession and he had no desire for church.

 After 15 years of being apart my parents remarried in 1987. Mom had forgiven Dad years before and she said that Dad was the only man she had ever loved. She had high hopes that he would start attending church with her. He went a few times, but always got too antsy in church to stay committed to it for too long. However he saw Mom's devotion to the Lord every day. She had a vibrant prayer life and kept her Bible next to her chair at all times. When they relocated to Lancaster, CA, she quickly found a new church and attended it regularly. She began a woman's bible study in the mobile home park where she lived. They lived out their last years together pretty happily. Dad was a good grandfather and was proud of all his kids. He loved Mom immensely and preferred to not talk about the years they spent apart.

   

When Mom passed away suddenly in 2004, Dad was devastated. He talked about wanting to join her constantly. He said that he hoped that she would put in a good word for him. We reminded him that he had to turn to the Lord himself. It was only his own confession of sins and turning to Jesus for salvation that would get him to heaven. We were not sure how much he understood for at the point he was several years into Alzheimer's disease. Dad health continued to decline and he eventually moved in with my brother and his wife. He talked often about reuniting with Mom and how wonderful that would be.

   

In early December Dad went into the hospital for what we thought was Alzheimer's issues. A battery of tests discovered lung cancer which had spread throughout his body. Already frail and battling emphysema, we opted not to do any further treatment. He went into a nursing facility where Hospice treated him and kept him as pain free as possible. Doctors said he had a month or so left.

   

I went to visit Dad in mid-December for several days. Still uncertain as to his spiritual condition I was hoped to talk to him about Jesus. I had mixed emotions going into those visits. Knowing that he was in his last days, I had already begun to grieve for him. I grieved for the father I was about to lose but I also grieved for the father I never had.

   

I prayed that the Lord would allow me to know exactly where he was spiritually. I was surprised to find him relatively coherent even though he kept forgetting that he was in the hospital. We were able to have some good conversations during the two days I visited with him, although his attention wandered a lot. On my last visit with him I opened my Bible and read Psalm 23 to him, it was as if a light came on inside him. He began to talk about the Bible and how wonderful it was. He spoke about how much he loved Mom and how much they both love the Lord. He expressed regret over their divorce. This was the first time I had ever heard him talk about the divorce in over 20 years. I read John 14:1-4 "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going." We talked about how

Jesus had a home for him in heaven. He made the comment, "Most people don't understand how powerful that scripture is." Then as suddenly as the light came on, if went off and the moment of clarity was gone.

   

Days later, my son told me that he had been praying that the double-edge Sword of God's Word would penetrate the cloudiness of Dad's Alzheimer's. God gave me the answer to my son's prayer.

   

When I said goodbye to Dad that day I knew it would be the last time I would see him this side of heaven. I got into my car and wept over my loss: the loss of my "Leave to Beaver" life those many years ago; the loss of my mom and the rapidly approaching loss of my dad. I was confident that Dad loved the Lord and trusted him as Savior but it bothered me that I did not know when that was.

   

"Lord, I prayed, I just wish I knew when Dad's life with You began." "It matters not when or how it began", the Lord answered, "but how he finishes." The apostle Paul said, "None of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy", Acts 20:24.

   

Those brief hours with my dad were a gift to me from God. The Lord knew that I needed the opportunity to completely forgive my dad for past hurts and assurance of his salvation. He gave all that to me in what ended up being Dad's last coherent hours on earth. He slipped into semi-consciousness the next day and then slipped away to heaven.

   

   

My sister called a few days later. "What should we put on Dad's headstone?" She asked. The Lord gave me the right words. "He finished well."

   

God’s Amazing Gift“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us” John 1:14

    

The incarnation—a miracle of God planned from the beginning of time. God knew His creation, man, whom He had lovingly sculptured in His own image, would fall. But God loves man and so He made a way to redeem him. Man's spiritual death would be redeemed by a birth- the birth of God Himself to a lowly, young woman. The incorruptible God entered the world through a corruptible woman.

    He could have come as a man, fully grown, ready to start His ministry. But God chose instead to leave His heavenly world, spend 9 months in the body of a woman, make the arduous, messy journey out of the woman's womb, through the birth canal and into a sinful world. He took the form of a newborn baby, the most helpless of all humans, and at that moment in time, hope entered the world and His name was Jesus.

    He chose as His vehicle a young Jewish girl, Mary, called "highly favored one" by an angel who visits her. She was, as T.S. Eliot says, "the place of impossible union where past and future are conquered and reconciled in incarnation." Mary is the one constant is Jesus' life. She brought Him into the world and watched as death took Him from this world. This "most favored woman" does not question God but presented herself as God's servant and said "let it be to me according to your word." (Luke 1:38) Her faith was simple yet deep. Perhaps she remembered the many Old Testament scriptures that prophesied the Messiah's birth. God had been in fact preparing the world for His arrival since before the world was created. The entire Old Testament is the story of a special preparation.

 

"Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel." Isaiah 7:9 2

 

"But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times." Micah 5:2

 

"The days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will raise up to David a righteous Branch, a King who will reign wisely and do what is just and right in the land." Jeremiah 23:5

 

The miracle of the incarnation made possible the miracle of salvation. We marvel at how God, the creator of the universe, could become man. Yet we should also marvel at how God could love us so much that He would leave His heavenly throne to become like us. The miracle of Christmas is not just that "the word became flesh and dwelt among us" but that God chose to love us at all. The ancient scholar Irenaeus wrote, "The word of God, Jesus Christ, on account of his great love for mankind, became what we are in order to make us what he is himself."

 

Take time this Christmas season to ponder, wonder, contemplate and reflect on this great love!

"See what an incredible quality of love the Father has given, shown, bestowed on, us, that we should be permitted to be named and called and counted the children of God! And so we are!"

I John 3:1 (Amplified Bible).

Have Yourself a Mary Little Christmas

Luke 1:46 And Mary said: "My soul exalts the Lord, And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior. "For He has had regard for the humble state of His bond slave; For behold, from this time on all generations will count me blessed. "For the Mighty One has done great things for me; And holy is His name." AND HIS MERCY IS UPON GENERATION AFTER GENERATION TOWARD THOSE WHO FEAR HIM. "He has done mighty deeds with His arm; He has scattered those who were proud in the thoughts of their heart. "He has brought down rulers from their thrones, and has exalted those who were humble. "HE HAS FILLED THE HUNGRY WITH GOOD THINGS; and sent away the rich empty-handed." He has given help to Israel His servant, in remembrance of His mercy, As He spoke to our fathers, To Abraham and his descendants forever."

Christmas time, more than any other time of year, should be a time for worship. One of the most magnificent passages of praise and worship is found in Luke chapter 1.

In this chapter, the angel Gabriel visits Mary following his appearance to Zechariah. He tells her that she has been chosen to be the mother of Jesus who would be great and called the Son of the Most High. What's more he would be given the throne of his father David and would reign over the house of Jacob forever in a kingdom that would never end. When Mary asks, "How will this be?" Gabriel reveals that it would be because the Holy Spirit would make it so; the son the virgin would bear would be the Son of God. Mary showed great humility and piety in her response, "I am the Lord's servant. May it be to me as you have said."

Mary embarks on a three-day journey to visit her cousin Elizabeth. She traveled eighty to one hundred miles from Nazareth to the hill country of Judah. Mary enters the home and greets Elizabeth. At the sound of Mary's voice, Elizabeth's baby, John the Baptist, leaps in his mother's womb. Filled with the Holy Spirit, Elizabeth immediately knows that Mary is carrying the Christ-child, God's son. Elizabeth rejoices that God would find her worthy and honor her with a visit from the mother of the Lord. She is amazed at God's involvement in her life.

Meanwhile, Mary is unable contain her joy! She worships God in song expressing her praise to him for what he has done to her and what he would do for believing Israel as well as all those who fear him.

This song of praise is called the Magnificat. Found in Luke 1:46-55, it is a beautiful, magnificent song of praise and worship to the Mighty God. Mary knew she was blessed. Not because of anything she had done, but because of what God had done. She says in verse 48, generations to generations will count her blessed because of her son and His greatness. Eugene Peterson's The Message, Mary praises God saying,

"I'm the most fortunate woman on earth! What God has done for me will never be forgotten."

How easy it is for us, even at Christmas time, to forget what God has done for us. Our live are hurried and hectic and we rarely take the time to praise God for who He is.

Psalm 95:1-7 says Oh come, let us sing to the LORD! Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving; Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms. For the LORD is the great God, And the great King above all gods. In His hand are the deep places of the earth; The heights of the hills are His also.

The sea is His, for He made it; And His hands formed the dry land. Oh come, let us worship and bow down; Let us kneel before the LORD our Maker. For He is our God, And we are the people of His pasture, And the sheep of His hand."

This is the essence of true worship. We worship God for who He is and what He has done for us.

….His mercy flows in wave after wave on those who are in awe before him. …He embraced his chosen child, Israel; he remembered and piled on the mercies, piled them high." Luke 1:50, 54 The Message

When we consider God's mercy of our lives, how it flows in on us wave after wave; how God piles it on high; we too should be like Mary, unable to contain our joy and be filled with worship and praise to Mighty God.