For those of us living in the south, summer is in full swing. For those of you living on the east coast, school is just letting out and your summer is just beginning. Regardless, my prayer for you is that this will be a summer full of celebration wherever you live. Below are some suggestions to help you make this a summer that is rich in God's purpose for you and one full of treasured memories. Perhaps you would like to try out a few ideas each month and add your own. In fact, we’d love to hear your thoughts on how you celebrate summer in the comments below or on the social media page where you are reading. Rest. I spoke to a young mom today and she talked about how busy summer was for her with all the kids activities. We long for the lazy days of summer when we were children. Be sure to take time to rest this summer so that you can actually enjoy the days. Some of us simply need to give ourselves permission to slow down. Take a nap! Read through a book of Scripture, or spend the summer in the Psalms or Proverbs. When you get out of your routine it can be easy to lose your focused time in the Word. Consider using a different translation than you normally read to keep things fresh. Or choose an attribute of God’s character to focus on this season such as God’s faithfulness, holiness or grace or one of the names of God such as Shepherd or Creator. Spend time reading and meditating on Scriptures that teach about the attribute or name you choose. What could be better than spending your summer deepening your understanding of Christ and His Word? Expand your mind. We live in a world that bombards us with information in all forms of media that invades our minds constantly. Be sure that you are giving spiritual truth a priority. I like to spend some of my summer days in quiet time reading a good sacred book. My current summer reads are The Next Right Thing by Emily Freeman and just published, The Heel Catcher by my pastor Steve Foster. I also like to read the classics in sacred literature. Recently, I pulled out Abide in Christ by Andrew Murray. What a treasure! Engage in some of local culture. There are typically lots of wonderful free events in the summer such as music concerts and festivals. Visit a local museum, an art gallery, or go see a play. Check out your community calendars for ideas to get out and have some fun! Pack a picnic and enjoy a lazy lunch outside. We are picnic people! Through the years, we’ve gone to parks nearby, or just had a picnic in the backyard. For years with our girls and with our friends on vacation we would always ride our bikes to our favorite point for a picnic with our children. It has become our tradition on vacations to search for the perfect picnic spot. Sometimes, I fix an elaborate picnic spread and other times we just pick up a sandwich or fried chicken. The point is to enjoy nature and each other! Recently on our vacation in the Canadian Rockies, we found some pretty special places to eat a sandwich! I spotted this beautiful point at Horsehoe Lake and so we made the climb for one of the most spectacular picnic spots ever! I just packed that backpack cooler in my suitcase headed for Canada. A visit to the local bakery for a loaf of bread, cheese and meat and we were off and ready for an inexpensive lunch on the road with a view no restaurant could match! Make something creative. Explore your artistic side with a handmade card, paint a little canvas for fun, create a piece of jewelry, press some flowers. Just have fun and play at something new. Let go of perfection. Maybe buy a summer herb plant, paint a flower pot and plant your herb to grow in the windowsill. Then you can snip the fresh herbs for summer roasted veggies or salads. Keep a gratitude journal. Look for three things that you are thankful for each day. Jot them down in a journal before you go to sleep as a reminder to be grateful. You’ll be amazed at how this simple practice can change your perspective to one full of gratitude and joy. Clear out some clutter. Breathe in the space. My tendency here is to over plan too many projects and then I end up feeling disappointed when I don’t complete my list. This year I’m starting simple. Clean out a drawer, a closet, a shelf and celebrate the little progress I am making toward decluttering and simplifying my home. Visit your local farmers market and buy something to support your community. Try out a new recipe. Cook something new with the fresh ingredients you found at the farmers market. Put some fresh flowers in your home. Buy some fresh flowers or cut them from your garden. Something as simple as a vase of flowers adds a little color and cheer to your home. Consider bringing a simple mason jar of fresh flowers to someone else or drop them off anonymously on your neighbors doorstep. Invite some friends over for dinner this summer. Practice Hospitality. Keep it simple with something like a charcuterie board or a summer salad. The point is to connect and enjoy an evening together with life giving conversation. Put on some fun music, laugh and savor friendships that can easily get lost in the busyness of our lives. Make choices that keep you engaged in relationships. Look at that calendar with a careful eye. Is it too busy? Have you allowed time for the important relationships in your life? Are you making an effort to engage in a new relationship? Consider a media fast for a period of time this summer. For a day, a week, even part of a day - turn off the phone, the tv, the computer, and let your mind rest. Turn off all those notifications that distract and interrupt your train of thought. Journal how you felt after your fast. Were you more able to fully engage with others? What did you learn about yourself? Put on some of your favorite music and dance! Make a Care Basket for someone who needs a special touch of love. I like to collect things for care baskets all year long and keep them in my gift closet so that I have things ready to gather when the need arises. Then I add things to it that I know would mean something special to the recipient. Here are some of the things I typically include - an encouragement card, a candle, tea and usually a pretty tea cup, something homemade like a loaf of pumpkin bread, homemade granola or cookies for example. I usually include some wonderful body lotion or bath salts, or a pretty journal. I always include a few pieces of dark chocolate (because chocolate just makes everything better) and fresh flowers or a pretty blooming plant. I collect pretty tea towels when I see them on sale and line the care basket with one and tie the goodies up with a pretty ribbon. I often include Scripture cards or quotes of encouragement. There are so many wonderful and different ways to make a special care basket. It doesn’t have to cost a lot of money to be special. You’ll end up being the one blessed! Watch the sunset or wake up early and catch the sunrise. Soak in God's presence! Take in the vastness of the night sky. Drive somewhere away from the city lights, bring a blanket and lay out and look at the stars. Listen to the quiet. Be amazed! Psalm 148:2-4 “Praise him, all his angels; praise him, all his armies! Praise him, sun and moon; praise him, all you shining stars. Praise him, you heaven of heavens, and you waters above the heavens.” Psalm 147:3-5 “He heals the brokenhearted and bandages their wounds. He counts the stars and calls them all by name. How great is our Lord! His power is absolute! His understanding is beyond comprehension!” Psalm 8:3-4 When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him? Plan an adventure far away or close to home. This year my husband Ken and I began our summer with an adventure that had been on our wish list for almost thirty years. We made a trip to the Canadian Rockies - Banff, Lake Louise, and Jasper -to celebrate our 40th wedding anniversary! It was all we dreamed it would be and more. The splendor of God’s glory on display was unlike anything I have ever experienced. We spent time out in nature, in the beauty of the snow capped mountains, and crashing waterfalls, hiked through canyons and saw wildlife in abundance. The sights along the Icelandic Parkway, which is considered one of the top drives in the world, filled our eyes and hearts with awe. Each turn seemed to bring another wonder to behold. We reconnected as we pulled away together, celebrated and remembered the hand of God and His faithfulness and grace in our marriage and ministry through the years. We ate delicious food - found amazing new picnic spots - and stretched ourselves beyond what we thought we could do physically as we hiked into canyons seeking out glimpses of God’s glory. Amazingly, at each of the three hikes to waterfalls, God gave us a rainbow! Along the way we saw some of God’s magnificent creatures, (bears, elk, and big horn sheep, mountain goats, beavers, beautiful birds, and even a porcupine!) We came home blessed beyond measure! It was the trip of a lifetime, one we had saved and dreamed of making for so many years. I encourage you to dream and plan an adventure of your own. You may have to wait like we did, but don’t let that stop you. In the meantime, consider taking in some of the sights and beauty waiting for you a little closer to home. Oh, how we need to get out of our routine, our offices and computers and let nature restore us! The Scriptures are filled with visual images of water, mountains and valleys. They can so beautifully depict our faith journey. It’s good to get out into nature and soak in the beauty. It gives our souls space to breathe. As we traversed through the deep canyons in Canada and made our way up and up in search of the promised reward at the top, a glorious waterfall, I thought about how that path mirrors the journey of our souls. There were deep crevices that the water had carved through the rock as the force made its way down from the mountain peaks. We began our hike at the base, in the valley and the path was full of challenges, much like life that often twists and turns and is sometimes hard like the rocks in those canyons. But the living water of Jesus brings life in those hard places. The trees clung to the rocks and beautiful green mosses covered the ground, nourished by the splashing water. The pressing onward is always worth the effort. Along the way, in addition to incredible beauty, God gave us a special bonus. We met people from all over the world - Australia, New Zealand, Asia, Europe, India. We came from different cultures and faiths and yet deep within us God has placed that yearning for beauty, for adventure, for something beyond ourselves, for we are created in the image of the God who created the universe! When we reached the top the gushing, abundance of water was such a beautiful metaphor of the sustaining life-giving power of Jesus. Nature knows to yield to the waters force and let it have its way. We even saw one canyon where the water had completely changed its course. Sometimes, God does that in our lives. I’m so glad that Ken and I have learned to yield to His way within us even though there has often been pain in the process. The Lord has lovingly etched out the path He wanted us to take in our lives and ministry. His goal is always the carving and molding of our lives so that we will be a display of His glory. As we drove through the valley, the snow capped mountain peaks surrounded us. It was to me a picture of God’s glory, strength and presence - always there - majestic, beautiful, and powerful. Nestled in the mountains were the most beautiful glacier lakes. They were colors of deep turquoise and green like I had never before seen. We have such a creative God! He is the Master Artist, painting His wonders for us to behold and enjoy. Truly His glory was on display in the Canadian Rockies for us to celebrate and savor! The extravagant beauty of them will always remain in my mind. The day after we returned, from our wonderful trip I found myself in a deep valley of physical illness that lasted for over a week including four days of high fever. The shock of it stunned and exhausted me physically. I was forced to yield and rest. In the mountain top experiences of our lives we feel overwhelmed by the goodness and majesty of our great God and in the valleys we often feel vulnerable and shaken. I began my summer with both of those experiences. Here is the truth that remains - Our great Lord is with us through them all, sustaining us with His power and love every step of the journey. Psalm 121 A song of ascents. I lift up my eyes to the mountains-- where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. He will not let your foot slip-- he who watches over you will not slumber; indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord watches over you-- the Lord is your shade at your right hand; the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord will keep you from all harm-- he will watch over your life; the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore. I’ll close out today's Musing with a slide show of some of the wonders we saw in the Canadian Rockies. If you only knew how hard it was to choose from all the photos! Even if you can’t make a vacation trip this summer, take a moment to enjoy some of His beauty where you live and dream about future adventures to celebrate summer! So what about you - what are some thoughts you have about how to celebrate summer? Please share them on social media where you are reading this or on the website in the comment section below. We would love to hear from you! Grateful and blessed to be celebrating summer! Kathy If you are reading this blog through social media we would suggest that you sign up to recieve the blog each week in your email inbox. It will come directly to you to read at your leisure. Just enter your email in the subscriber box on the right at the top of this blog page on the website, then REPLY to the invitation email you will receive in your personal inbox. 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It is a joy to welcome back Margaret Kemp as a guest writer to Restore's Monday Musing Blog. Margaret writing always touches your heart in a place of deep need. As we move into the new season of summer, we are often faced with new struggles and often great expectations that sometimes bring disappointments. There is One who understands. I know you'll be encouraged by her words. Kathy Knees bent, arms raised, racket held high, I waited. Eyes fixed on the net, ears tuning out the clatter of other games in the field house, I got ready. Swat. Too late. Moving side to side, anticipating the swoosh of the shuttlecock as it met the racket, I prepared again. Swat. Missed again. How could anyone fail at badminton? Badminton! I thought badminton would be an easy class to fulfill the PE requirement for my Special Education degree. I was taking it Pass-Fail—not even for a letter grade. In the three years I’d been in college, I’d never dropped a course. Though I certainly wasn’t winning any medals for my athletic ability, I’d never struggled academically. Now, despite my best efforts, I was in danger of failing, and withdrawal seemed the best option. My instructor encouraged me to stick with it, so I agreed to give it one more week. My badminton partner patiently served the birdie again and again. And my roommate, a Kinesiology major, helped me practice by throwing wads of paper across the dorm room. I thought, Lord, why am I having such a hard time with this? As I poured out my complaints to the Lord, He spoke to me in the quietness of my spirit. If you want to teach special needs children, you need to experience what they experience----the challenge of accomplishing skills that come easily to others. You need to learn empathy. When we’ve experienced firsthand what someone else is going through, we are able to understand and share in their struggle. We can offer empathy. Jesus is the Master of empathy. He knows exactly how we feel---not just in an intellectual sense, but in a Been-There-Done-That kind of way. The Creator of the universe put on human skin. He felt the sun beating down on His head, the gritty desert sand scorching His feet, the lightning bolts of pain shooting through His body as nails were driven through His feet and hands. He experienced the same temptations we do. In Matthew 4:1-11, we read about Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness. Jesus felt the clawing in his stomach and the temptation to satisfy that hunger in the wrong way. Jesus knows what it’s like to see all the splendid things the world has to offer, and to know He could have them all without blood, sweat, and tears---if only He’d make a deal with the devil. He knows the taunting of the enemy, and He’s been faced with the same kind of choices we must make: Gratify the flesh or glorify the Father. “For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Hebrews 4:15 NKJV Have you been mocked? Jesus know what that feels like. Betrayed? He’s been there, too. Are you weeping over lost loved ones or wayward children? Jesus wept over those things, too. Have you felt like no one understands, like even God has turned His back on you? Guess what…Jesus has firsthand experience with that, too. He knows the battles we face as well as the victory of overcoming temptation. He tenderly reaches out to us and says, “I know it’s hard. Here, let me help you.” He took the penalty for our sins, but He didn’t stop there. Jesus didn’t leave us alone to swing aimlessly at the enticements the enemy serves into our court. Jesus sent His Spirit to intercede for us and empower us. “No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.” I Corinthians 10:13 NKJV “Yet in all things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.” Romans 8:37 I finally learned to hit the shuttlecock and even grew to enjoy playing badminton. But the badminton dilemma was just the introductory course in God’s School of Empathy. Since then, I’ve proceeded to graduate level courses---like divorce and serious illness. Each lesson has rendered me a little less judgmental, a little more compassionate. And in these life-lessons, I’m learning to lean on the One who loves me. Do you know someone who needs a little extra patience and understanding today? Or maybe you’re the one who’s struggling---wrestling with temptation, grappling with pain and heartbreak, straining to do things that are just plain hard. Maybe it feels like no one understands. Turn to Jesus. He knows exactly how you feel, and He has the power to help. In our frailty, Jesus offers friendship. In our struggle, He offers strength. He’s the Master of Empathy. Lord Jesus, in our struggles, let us rest in your love and rely on your leading. In our temptations, guide us to that way of escape. Help us show empathy to our fellow strugglers. “O, Lord, You have searched me and known me. You know my sitting down and my rising up; You understand my thought afar off. You comprehend my paths and my lying down, and are acquainted with all my ways.” Psalm 139: 1-3
Resting in Jesus, Margaret The night sky was quickly rolling in as I’m made my 4 hour trip northward. The long hard week was finally coming to an end, but the weekend would be no easier. It’s one of my other random jobs that has led me into an area of Louisiana with which I am not familiar. It has been an extremely busy day moving from one job to another, shifting my brain from one activity to the next. Thursday’s are just that way! I raced out early with no breakfast and when I came home after lunch to begin teaching piano, I had only time for a peanut butter foldie! I quickly scraped the end of the peanut butter from the spent jar and spread it on one of the last pieces of bread and shoved it in my mouth, all the while, trying to tell my husband about a difficult meeting I had just been in. My time was rapidly being spent before my student walked in for his lesson. It was also about this time that I remembered that the pants I wanted to bring on the trip were in the washing machine and needed to be dried. In walked my student and I totally forgot about the pants in the washer! Fast forward to 5:30 pm. I remembered my pants and quickly threw them in the dryer. I figured I’d remove them just before I left for my trip. I gathered a few clothes, my laptop...AND my Keurig and raced out of the door. I knew I would arrive at my destination way after my bedtime and I didn’t really want to be driving that late and in unknown territory! But I didn’t fear...I had GPS on both phone and iPad. The drive would be nice and I could slow my rapid brain pace and leisurely think...pray...and decompress. My brainpower needed rest and recharging! I had spent it all week worrying and thinking about the many task that lie ahead and the hard decisions that needed to be made. My brain was fatigued and totally spent! Thank God I looked at my gas tank indicator before I got on the interstate! All of my gasoline for the week had been spent...totally empty! So while I was filling up my tank, I did what every good traveler does! I plotted my course...on my phone of course! This is when I realized that I only had a very small percent of battery life left! Geeezz! I had spent over 90% of its life using it for my teaching. 10% or less would never take me 4 hours! No worries though, I always try to have backup plans...for almost everything! Life has taught me to think that way! I had my iPad and my fancy Bluetooth double USB car charger that would let me play my Pandora station through my radio while charging my phone. (I drive an old car without many bells and whistles) Taking precautionary measures before pulling away from the gas station, I also plotted the course on my iPad. After all, it’s much bigger to see and easier to follow. Not only that, but I was looking out for my phone battery life! Another backup plan. What?! How in the world did my iPad get down to 15%? I haven’t spent any battery life since I used it last and it was full! I know...by this time you’re probably shaking your head and calling me an idiot! And rightly so! I should have made sure that all devices were well charged while I was teaching piano and BEFORE I started my journey! That’s what I deserve for spending my time racing through the day! No worries. I’ll charge as I go! And I did! As I made my way down the interstate, I began to hear the most disturbing growling sounds and there was a terrible emptiness in the pit of my stomach. What little I had eaten (just a foldie for the day) had obviously been spent! It was then that I reviewed my day and realized that I had not even eaten breakfast and OH MY! I left my pants in the dryer! Oh well! I’ll have to make due with what I did pack...one pair of pants for the next day or I could wear what I had on already for Saturday if I didn’t dirty them too badly. And I did have my Yoga pants for an emergency...not thinking that I’d really wear them. I stopped for a bite to replenish the long spent foldie. As I traveled, I gave space for my brain to rest while listening to soft beautiful piano music. Just because...I checked to see that my phone battery was actually charging. I didn’t want to be caught not really knowing where to exit. I had been on the road well over an hour and the percentage had only risen 2%. It’s never charged this slowly before...even with Pandora playing! I decided to conserve battery and eliminate my music. There was silence. The only thing I could hear was the pounding of the pavement and the engines of a few 18 wheelers that I passed. My brain was free to wonder, dream, and reflect. That’s when it hit me! Only when my mind was free and focused on emptying was I able to be filled with thoughts from above. I love the way God takes events, objects, people, places, and circumstances to show you a greater truth. My thoughts revealed that all things were “being spent.” When something is spent, you no longer have it. This can often be damaging when you exceed or try to go beyond limits. I began to make a mental list of the “spending” that had been taking place. The end of so many things made my list seem to never come to an end! It was the end of the month, the week, the day, the sunlight, my gasoline, my nutritional need, batteries, clothes. The good weather was also coming to an end as I made my way through the extra-darkened-by-the-storm-clouds night. A little scary I might add; so even my comfort level was being spent! I reflected further about the day. I had just resigned from one of my jobs…now even my livelihood was ending and my emotional state was wrestling with how I spent my year! This blog is getting a little lengthy, so I’ll refrain from sharing the other million ways that God revealed the spending and ending of so many things, AND how I am being “spent.” (which are not all bad, I might add!) My list was divided between positives and negatives. The very long list seemed to speak out to me. Actually, it was the Lord speaking, “Come to the end of yourself!” When you choose to empty yourself and focus on what really matters (your love for God, His for you, and how well you show love to others) then are you able to experience a filling that only the Holy Spirit can pump into your soul! It’s then that your “life-gage” will register full! Each day we spend and invest. It’s the rhythm of life. Something is always coming to a close, just as there are new beginnings on the horizon that are coming into view. You may be retiring, graduating, beginning a family, caring for aging parents/siblings or changing a job situation. Maybe there has been significant loss in your life and you feel like a sailboat tossed at sea. Perhaps you find yourself spending and spending without recharging your battery and you are at the point where you have over spent! Are you living dangerously on the edge of unwise choices? Are you finding that your health is failing? Are your thoughts crowded and your brain fatigued by a whirlwind of decision making? My friend, take courage. Grasp tightly to Hope. A new day is dawning and joy comes in the morning! What is spent, is spent! There are no return policies! Behold, all things become new! Take the next step forward. Make healthy deposits by allowing the Lover of your soul to embrace you and fill you with all power and wisdom. Sure, some of us are prone to push against every obsticle, make unwise choices, and depend on self. It’s then that we will surely find ourselves right back where we don’t want to go. When we choose to depend on God in our decisions (even the ones that seem easy to make), He will direct our steps so that we don’t make wrong turns! The key is to empty ourselves of self! Leave space in your mind, heart, and soul for God to move in and through you. I promise that when space is made for God in these areas, that He shows up and brings glory and honor His name. Isn’t that, as mature Christians, really how we want to live? Well, to finish up my travel story, I finally made it to the hotel safe and with only one little detour! What relief! I admit, I was still a little anxious about the lateness of the evening, no place to park, and dragging my luggage in alone! Then just like God…when I was searching for my room number, I began to hear the most beautiful solo guitar music. What?! I didn’t know that the Holiday Inn Express was Christian owned and played Christian music throughout the lobby and halls? Well…that was my conclusion as the music seemed to follow me everywhere I walked. I recognized the tune and in my heart, I began to sing. What sweet words the Lord was sending my way after 4-1/2 hours of relentless feelings of anxiousness and my list making! I entered my room only to discover that the music followed me inside! Pandora was playing through the speaker on my phone…tucked away in my bag! The song: Before the throne of God above I have a strong and perfect plea A great High Priest whose name is love Who ever lives and pleads for me… And no! Christian music does NOT play in the lobby, nor do I believe that it is Christian ownded. The music was for me only! And in this, I found His perfect peace and thus bring honor and glory to His name! A couple of side notes:
Sherry Scriptures that restored my soul as I allowed space in my mind, heart, and soul. May they be a blessing to your soul today: Psalm 30: 5 For his anger endures but a moment; in his favor is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning. 2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old things have passed away. Behold, all things have become new. Luke 1:78-80 (TPT) 78 The splendor light of heaven’s glorious sunrise[a] is about to break upon us in holy visitation, all because the merciful heart of our God is so very tender. 79 The word from heaven will come to us[b] with dazzling light to shine upon those who live in darkness, near death’s dark shadow.[c] And he will illuminate the path that leads to the way of peace.” Luke 10:27 (NLT) “‘You must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and all your mind. ’ And, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” Isaiah 26:3 (KJV) 3 Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusts in thee. Romans 8:34 Who is the one who condemns us? Christ Jesus is the One who died [to pay our penalty], and more than that, who was raised [from the dead], and who is at the right hand of God interceding [with the Father] for us. 2 Peter 1: 4-11 4Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. 5For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; 6and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; 7and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. 8For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9But whoever does not have them is nearsighted and blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their past sins. 10Therefore, my brothers and sisters, a make every effort to confirm your calling and election. For if you do these things, you will never stumble, 11and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. If you are reading this blog through social media we would suggest that you sign up to recieve the blog each week in your email inbox. It will come directly to you to read at your leisure. Just enter your email in the subscriber box on the right at the top of this blog page on the website, then REPLY to the invitation email you will receive in your personal inbox. Your email address is safe with us! Follow ALL directions to completion! Feel free to share our blogs on your social media or email them to a friend. Just follow the directions carefully. We have just finished our Easter services and my heart is so full of joy. It has been a most significant Holy Week for me. My week began as usual on Monday teaching my young voice students. But last Monday was different. I was teaching a student the song “God Help the Outcast” from The Hunchback of Notre Dame, unaware that the Notre Dame Cathedral was in flames. When I finished the lesson, I checked a text from our friend Travis who asked if I had seen the news. I was at a break in my schedule so I turned on the television and watched the cathedral burning in flames. My heart broke. The tears flowed. I was flooded with memories of visiting there with Ken and the girls. I remember being overcome by the awe, the beauty and power in that house of worship. I remember gazing in wonder at the skill of such artisans who would dedicate their labor for a magnificent work of art built for the glory of God. We made our way to that island in the center of Paris on a cold, windy day and sat on a bench outside that sacred place. When we entered I took some time to sit, pray and take in the beauty and majesty, and although many came only as tourists, surely one could not miss the power of God’s presence in the cathedral. I love these words by Rick Steves about the cathedral: "Imagine the faith of the people who built this great stone wonder. They broke ground in 1163 with the hope that someday their great-great-great-great-great-great grandchildren might attend the dedication Mass, which finally took place two centuries later. Master masons supervised the construction, but the people did much of the grunt work themselves for free — hauling the huge stones from distant quarries, digging a 30-foot-deep trench to lay the foundation, and treading like rats on a wheel designed to lift the stones up, one by one. And then imagine being a simple bareheaded peasant, entering the dim medieval light of the church for the first time. Take a minute to let your pupils dilate, then take in the subtle, mysterious light show that God beams through the stained-glass windows. And listen as the priest intones the words of the Mass that echo through the hall: Terribilis est locus iste — "This place is awe-inspiring.” I am reminded of the Scripture from Exodus 31:1-4 when God spoke to Moses about the artisans building the tabernacle. “Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 2 “See, I have called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. 3 And I have filled him with the Spirit of God, in wisdom, in understanding, in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship, 4 to design artistic works, to work in gold, in silver, in bronze, 5 in cutting jewels for setting, in carving wood, and to work in all manner of workmanship.” Over the next few days I watched images of the flames in tears...and thanked Jesus that lives were spared and that our hope is in Him the living God, our resurrected Lord. The setting for the song I was teaching takes place in the cathedral. It comes from the musical based on the novel by Victor Hugo, the Hunchback of Notre Dame. It is sung by Esmeralda, a gypsy girl, in the cathedral as an intercessory prayer on the behalf of Quasimodo, the Hunchback, and her people, whom are treated as outcasts by the rest of their society. This is the first time in three years that I have been able to teach this beautiful music. This hymn of prayer has a long history for me. The last time I had a student perform the song, she tragically died shortly afterwards and her family asked me to sing it at her memorial service. I was honored, but broken. It was a very special song for this kind, young senior in high school with such a tender heart for those margined in society. Here are some of the words… I don't know if you can hear me, Or if you're even there. I don't know if you will listen to a humble prayer. They tell me I am just an outcast. I shouldn't speak to you... Still I see your face, and wonder, Were you once an outcast too? God help the outcasts, hungry from birth. Show them the mercy they don't find on earth. The lost and forgotten, they look to you still. God help the outcasts, or nobody will…. In the musical, the light from the rose window of the Notre Dame cathedral shines down on Esmeralda, the gypsy girl as she sings. The rose window that was saved by the heroic efforts of firefighters… During Holy Week we remember and celebrate the love of Jesus that enters the dark places and brings light and hope through Christ’s death on the cross and Resurrection. I was so struck by the pictures that flooded the internet all week of the gilded cross and the beautiful stone statue of the Pieta, Mary holding her crucified Son at the foot of the cross that survived the fire during this Holy Week. The beautiful rose windows and so many treasures were saved amidst such destruction….And the people wept and prayed and sang. In my own state of Louisiana during the last few weeks, three historic predominately black churches were burned at the hand of violent hate crimes. The buildings were lost for generations of believers who had gathered there. Their history and places of worship were also destroyed. And yet hope remains, because the church is more than buildings - whether they be simple brick and mortar or elaborate works of art almost 700 years old. I have worshiped in all types of buildings in my lifetime, from the beautiful downtown church of my childhood with glorious stained glass windows that tell the story of Jesus, to the humble little church in the country with my grandparents, to a school gym, to a simple brick building with a red roof, to the intimate setting with wooden beams in a gothic arch shape where I now worship. It is God’s presence and the heart of HIs people that makes a building a place of worship. Let us pray for France, for God’s people all over the world that we may come alive once more with a passion for the living God. That we may burn with a passion for Christ that overcomes tragedy and draws the lost to desire the Savior. May we burn with a fire of repentance that humbles us and transforms our hearts to cry out to the Savior. For the light of Jesus has the power to conquer the darkness, even those places that are filled with deepest sorrow or hatred. His flame of love conquers fires, destruction and gives us hope… hope for the outcasts, the lost, the lonely, the forgotten, and the desperate. For Jesus Christ has built up His church, not only as a temple of stones gathered in a building made for praise, but as a living body of believers. In our resurrected Lord, we have the promise of new life. Jesus forever transformed human history. It is He who calls His Beloved, the church, the communion of the saints to rise up as His living, breathing body. My prayer is that Notre Dame will be rebuilt, not rebuilt as only a masterpiece of architecture, a place of indescribable beauty, but as a home where God‘s people would gather to worship the living God who is the great Overcomer, the One who gives us hope in the face of tragedy, the One who lives and reigns on His heavenly throne, the One who will return to claim His chosen people. I pray that Notre Dame will arise as a beacon of faith. But the greater question I think for us all is how are we choosing to be a witness this day, a light in the glory and love of Jesus Christ? Will we be a passionate flame of the testimony of the love of Jesus in the world in which we live today? May the hearts of God’s people turn toward Him and embrace the power to share the grace and hope of Jesus Christ to a world that so desperately needs the Savior. May the rebuilding of the cathedral bring new life. May the world look into the hearts of the people in our churches and throughout the earth and see the life and heart of Jesus. This weekend in church buildings around the world the songs of the people of God have lifted up praise to our Risen Savior as we poured out our hearts of faith, in remembrance of Jesus death on the cross on Good Friday. Easter Sunday brought geat celebration of His resurrection from the grave. The music, the joy and the powerful words of Scripture echo in my mind and stir my soul as we close this most unusual, and thought provoking Holy Week. The songs of our faith have ministered to my spirit this past week. Our hope will never disappoint us for our hope does not rest in buildings of stone or wood. Despite the tragic loss, they can be rebuilt. Our hope is in the risen Lord Jesus Christ. Our faith doesn’t rest in any building, our faith rests within us because Jesus chose the cross of love and bore our sin. He conquered death and rose from the grave that we might live. The victory is won through the selfless love of our Savior. My life and ministry has been forever marked by the love of Christ and the power of His music. And so I close with the lyrics from a song another one of my students sang with our choir this Easter Sunday. There’s a heart that’s lost and alone, There’s a soul in the night desperate for hope, that Jesus sees. And He’s calling you to come and be free, To simply let the grave clothes fall at your feet. Can you see the light that’s dawning? Today is your day. It’s time to arise. O child, come alive! Let the grave be opened; Let the stone be moved. Let the glorious praises silence the tomb, There’s a resurrection where death has once been. Let the grave be opened and let the world look in. If you are in Christ, the old has passed away. Behold, new life has come. Death no longer has the final say. It’s time to arise. Oh child come alive! Let the grave be opened, Let the world look in! And so we sing….. Hallelujah! What a Savior! We have hope in the life and power of Jesus, our Resurrected Lord. May His flame of love rise within us as we proclaim the name of Jesus to a world that desperately needs the Savior... In His love and grace, Kathy Youtube videos of God Help the Outcasts and Let the Grave Be Opened are below if you would like to listen. Resources: Let the Grave Be Opened, lyrics Bolin, Koch West, God Help the Outcast, Menken and Schwartz Rick Steves, Timothy O’Malley, Featured Image: Olivier Mabelly, Notre-Dame de Paris fire, taken on 4/15/19; Source: Flickr.com, CC BY-NC 2.0. Image of cross and pieta -CHRISTOPHE PETIT TESSON/POOL/EPA, wikipedia photo from Hunchback, Pinterest photos If you are reading this blog through social media we would suggest that you sign up to recieve the blog each week in your email inbox. It will come directly to you to read at your leisure. Just enter your email in the subscriber box on the right at the top of this blog page on the website, then REPLY to the invitation email you will receive in your personal inbox. Your email address is safe with us! Follow ALL directions to completion! Feel free to share our blogs on your social media or email them to a friend. Just follow the directions carefully. There he stood proudly with the rowdy crowds, on the side of the road that triumphal day! I imagine he joyfully gripped a palm branch tightly with his fist and waved it with all of his might, shouting to the top of his lungs! He was no longer limited to gazing between the legs and feet of soldiers, men and women as he lay vertical and near to the ground. Able now to stand and see at eye level, because of the miraculous healing that took place when he first experienced Jesus, his heart pumped with excitement as the roar of the crowds grew louder and the small donkey approached. Jesus was making His way into Jerusalem. And there...perhaps at the beginning of the commotion, having just been healed hours earlier and walking with Jesus, was yet another with, I imagine, the same emotions welling up within. He had never seen the likes of such a crowd, literally. It was, the once, blind Bartimaeus all the way from Jericho! He was taking in every sight...absorbing every vibrant color, every smile, and every face. His experience with Jesus was life changing. He once was blind but now he could see. His faith had healed him. I can envision him to be among the first to shout loudly and lead in the rioted proclamation: "Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!" Bartimaeus was in fact a shouter! In his first encounter with Jesus, he shouted out, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!" In Mark 10:46-52, we find that he was emphatic about gaining attention and he shouted all the more when beckoned to remain quiet. Can you see him there, too? Read about Jesus' triumphal entry and Bartimaeus Mark 10:42 through 11:10. We call this the beginning of "Passion Week" or "Holy Week." I like to call it Passion week. For me, it's two fold. First, It's the time I remember and focus on the suffering, crucifixion, death, and love of Jesus Christ. His "passion" for us! Second, I reflect on my "passion" for Him. During the days leading up to Easter, some 40+ years ago, I experienced Jesus in a way that I'll never forget! My life was changed forever and I became a new creation with a purpose for living! The old passed away and I gained new life in Christ. My spiritual eyes were opened and I could now see! Obedient and following Jesus, I was buried with in Him in baptism and rose to walk in newness of life! The theme of my heart and the words from my lips proclaimed, "Jesus saves!" Having a personal encounter and experiencing Jesus does something to a person! It begins with your eyes...the eyes of your heart. Like Bartimaeus, they are opened! He knew Jesus could help him and change his life. Then, it moves to your feet. Bartimaeus JUMPED to his feet to meet Jesus and then he followed him along the road. Jericho was just roughly 18 miles from Jerusalem (an 8 hour walk!) I don't want to speculate, but, I just can't see Bartimaeus leaving Jesus' side! So when I reflect during this Passion week, I ask myself, "Has my passion for Christ grown and what is the evidence?" Are my feet following Him with joy and determination to make His name known? Would I be among the first to lead out in proclamation on that 1st century triumphal day? What significant encounters am I experiencing now that cause me to WANT to share about His power, His truths, and His healing touch? Let me encourage and challenge you to ask the same questions of yourself during this week of passion. What is the evidence in your life? As you take some personal, quiet, reflection time, may this week be a pivotal point in your spiritual journey with Christ. His passion and suffering for you was real! He sees you were you are, where you've been, and where you are headed. He is ever present and is cares for you affectionately! God is faithful and true. As I was mulling over my thoughts of this blog, two things that came to my attention just recently are timely and apropos. I'd like to share them with you here. It's a portion of the words on Saint Patrick's Breastplate and a new YouTube video that you must see and hear! Portions of St. Patrick's Breastplate: Deer's Cry I bind to myself today The strong virtue of the Invocation of the Trinity: I believe the Trinity in the Unity The Creator of the Universe. I bind to myself today The virtue of the Incarnation of Christ with His Baptism, The virtue of His crucifixion with His burial, The virtue of His Resurrection with His Ascension, The virtue of His coming on the Judgement Day.... I bind to myself today God's Power to guide me, God's Might to uphold me, God's Wisdom to teach me, God's Eye to watch over me, God's Ear to hear me, God's Word to give me speech, God's Hand to guide me, God's Way to lie before me, God's Shield to shelter me, God's Host to secure me,... Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me, Christ within me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me, Christ at my right, Christ at my left,... He is the God who sees, hears, and cares! So many standing on the road into Jerusalem that day had had an experience with Jesus. They had heard him speak and teach. Some had been healed. Fed. Some followed him across the countryside, just to hear more of His words. Some chose to believe, other's to mock and scorn. I believe that My Jesus rode into town that day with me on His mind. With you! And then just days later, fulfillment of prophesy was completed. By His stripes we are healed. He still sees. He still hears. He continues to care for us. And as my husband sang this past Sunday, "Love Took His Breath Away." My prayer for those of you reading this week, is that you will encounter Jesus like never before! May He touch your heart in ways that make you want to loudly proclaim His great love and care for you. Reflecting during this week of Passion, Sherry 1 Peter 5:7 Amplified Version Casting the [a]whole of your care [all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, [b]once and for all] on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you [c]watchfully. Click here to watch the 12 min. film The God Who Sees: youtu.be/sz81dIfwf4Y It will be the best 12 minutes you've spent all day!
Have you ever boldly proclaimed Christ, only to fail Him later? Have you ever felt confused, broken or lost in your faith journey? Have you ever just wanted to go into hiding? Are there wounds deep in your soul that need the healing touch of Jesus? Have you ever wondered how Jesus could use a flawed sinner like you for any good in the kingdom? In my own faith journey through the years, my answer would be yes to all of these questions. I imagine many of you would say the same. There is another who also struggled with his failure, his flaws in his humanity and his passionate desire to serve his Lord. His name is Simon Peter. This teaching covers many verses, so I encourage you to give it some time to really soak in. I've divided it into two parts for those of you that might choose to read it in sections. The important thing is not to rush how the Lord wants to speak into your life through one of the most wonderful chapters in Scripture. For our last blog of the feast series we are going to study the last feast that Jesus shared with Simon Peter and his disciples on earth. John 21 is an intimate scene with the Savior that takes place after Jesus has been crucified and resurrected. This encounter holds beautiful truths for those of us who long to be faithful followers of Christ. Part 1 Jesus has told the disciples to go to the mountain at the sea of Galilee and wait, however in John 21 we see that seven of them have gone fishing. We don’t know if they are just hungry or if they are, in essence, returning to their old way of making a living. But the group is the familiar inner circle with Peter and Nathanael, James and John, Philip and Andrew. Thomas the doubter is thrown in and we can only assume that doubting Thomas wasn’t going to be left out again! The disciples had left everything and followed Jesus…. and there were three years of powerful ministry as they answered this call of Jesus on their lives. There were amazing miracles, healings, incredible teachings, heavenly visions, and through it all Jesus and the disciples faced great opposition. Then they saw Jesus, their Messiah die on the cross, and when it seemed all hope was gone, Jesus appeared to them twice risen from the grave. And now they wait for His coming to them again…. and this is what happens. John 21:1-14 (NIV) 1 Afterward Jesus appeared again to his disciples, by the Sea of Galilee. It happened this way: 2 Simon Peter, Thomas (also known as Didymus), Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples were together. 3 “I’m going out to fish,” Simon Peter told them, and they said, “We’ll go with you.” So they went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing. 4 Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus. 5 He called out to them, “Friends, haven’t you any fish?” “No,” they answered. 6 He said, “Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some.” When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish. 7 Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” As soon as Simon Peter heard him say, “It is the Lord,” he wrapped his outer garment around him (for he had taken it off) and jumped into the water. 8 The other disciples followed in the boat, towing the net full of fish, for they were not far from shore, about a hundred yards. 9 When they landed, they saw a fire of burning coals there with fish on it, and some bread. 10 Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish you have just caught.” 11 So Simon Peter climbed back into the boat and dragged the net ashore. It was full of large fish, 153, but even with so many the net was not torn. 12 Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” None of the disciples dared ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord. 13 Jesus came, took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish. 14 This was now the third time Jesus appeared to his disciples after he was raised from the dead. In our other studies in this series, Jesus has been fed a feast, as an invited guest, but here He is the one cooking the feast for his disciples. The future is uncertain. Jesus, their Savior is risen from the dead and has appeared and then disappeared again just as quickly out of their lives. This is the third time that Jesus was manifested to the disciples, after He was raised from the dead, (meaning He appeared suddenly in glorified form). It is sometime between the 8th day and the 40th day when He ascended into heaven. He miraculously appears through locked doors and they know it is Jesus, but don’t seem to fully know. Mary recognizes his voice but initially thinks He is the gardener. The disciples on the Emmaus road talk with him for hours, but don’t recognize him until He breaks bread, then to vanish again. The way they recognize Him is by the wounds in His hands and feet. This time, on the shores of the sea of Galilee, they recognize it is the Lord, not by what they can see from the boat only 100 yards away, but from what He tells them to do. Haven’t caught any fish have you? (They’ve been fishing all night.) Perhaps John recognizes His voice when He says, “Cast the nets on the other side.” It is a familiar part of their story with Jesus. John knows and then Peter knows. It’s Jesus! They recognize Him now because of the first miraculous catch of fish when He told them to put down their nets after they had already been fishing all night and not caught any fish. And even though they are so close to shore Peter simply cannot wait to get to Jesus, so he throws on his fisherman’s coat and dives into the cold water. This time there is no boldly asking Jesus if he might walk on the water. He just wants to get to Him as fast as he can. His response is so typically, wonderfully Peter! Now just try to imagine the scene.... Smell the sea, taste the fish and bread on the hot coals, hear the sounds of excitement as Peter jumps in, swims to shore, and rushes to embrace Jesus, splashing water all over Him. I imagine Jesus probably laughing, with His arms open wide to receive his friend. Meanwhile, the other disciples are doing their best to gather all the fish in the nets and get to shore. They arrive and Jesus invites them to bring some of the fish to join in with the breakfast that He is cooking for them, adding the fish they have caught to the fire. The risen Lord of the universe is cooking fish for the disciples on the hot coals! Then Peter drags the net to shore all by himself. That man was strong! He pulls in 153 large fish, probably about two pounds each. So he is pulling in at least 300 pounds of fish and the net is not torn. Isn't it amazing that they stopped to actually count the fish and that God gives us that detail! Then just picture them greeting Jesus on the shore. Can you see it in your minds eye? Imagine the joy! They know it is the Lord, but remember He is in His glorified form. The risen Savior has come to serve them His farewell meal of bread and fish. But there is much more to this story. I want us to look at the relationship specifically of Peter and Jesus. I love Peter. I relate to Peter. I think we all do in some way. He is referred to almost 200 times in the New Testament. Just as a comparison, John is referred to 31 times. Peter is a complex, strong leader, a simple fisherman, chosen apostle, yet flawed and sinful. He’s passionate, outspoken, impetuous and rash, bold in proclaiming who Jesus is, then hiding, confused, broken and humbled. Peter is utterly defined by what the love of Jesus brought forth in him. What did Jesus see in Peter? John 1:42 “Then Andrew took Simon to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, "Your name is Simon son of John, but you will be called Cephas." (This is the same as Peter and means "a rock.”) When later Peter declared Jesus, as the Messiah in Matthew 16, Jesus says, “But what about you? Who do you say I am?” 16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” 17 Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. 18 And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.” Jesus gazes into the eyes and heart of Peter and says, “Upon this rock I will build.” He is not describing who Peter is, but who he will become because of his faith and love for Christ. Peter always appears first in the listing of disciples. His deep and close friendship with Jesus is clearly portrayed in the gospels and Jesus often specifically names Peter. At the crucifixion Peter is fragile, yet he will emerge as the Rock, the foundational leader of the church of which Jesus is the chief cornerstone. Peter emerges as the one who fearlessly proclaims the risen Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit, and who is ultimately martyred for his faith. But what happens to make that difference in his life? What are the lessons we can learn for our own lives from the last encounter Jesus has with Peter in the last gospel, in the last chapter of John? This next scene in John 21 gives us the final lesson that Jesus specifically teaches Peter before he ascends to heaven. It is the turning point in Peter’s life and ministry that I believe enables him to move into his position of leadership in the church. The story continues.... Part 2 John 21:15-19 15 When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?” “Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.” 16 Again Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” He answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.” 17 The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my sheep. 18 Very truly I tell you, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.” 19 Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. Then he said to him, “Follow me!” It’s hard to imagine sinking lower than Peter was at the beginning of this story. He had proclaimed publicly that his intentions were to die for Christ if needed. He had spoken so boldly about how he would never forsake Christ, even if others did. He had even tried to defend Christ when the mob came to the garden of Gethsemane, drawing his sword to fight off possibly 100 men or more. He had followed Christ after his arrest. But when the slave girl questions him, he denies Christ, as he warms himself by the fire in the courtyard outside the palace of the high priest, Annas, where Jesus was being interrogated. In fact, he denies Christ three times that night and then when the rooster crows at the third denial, as predicted by Jesus, his eyes meet the Savior and he flees the scene and weeps bitterly. Jesus appears to Peter again where it all began, on the shore of Galilee. It was at this same sea of Galilee that Jesus had said they would be fishers of men. The setting had to remind Peter of his original calling with Jesus. Jesus had come to have a very specific conversation with Simon Peter. Nothing is coincidence with Jesus. This is all very intentional. And then Jesus asks Peter after breakfast on that morning, “Do you love me more than these?” Jesus always called Peter Simon because he had not yet become Cephas - the rock. Peter, the rock, was a prophetic name given to him by Jesus. Jesus has come to restore and reinstate Peter. Peter needs to be reinstated and affirmed in his calling because of his failure and denial of Christ three times after Jesus’ arrest. Peter’s denial of Christ took place next to a fire. It was a place of failure and despair for him. So Jesus asks him three times if he loves Him, not to condemn him, but to give him a chance to openly confess his love. Do you see how the similarities in his denials and this conversation are so beautifully orchestrated by Jesus? And now Peter’s calling is affirmed and he is restored next to a fire on the shores of the sea of Galilee, the same sea where he first answered the call to be a disciple. Jesus uses the word agapao in the Greek when he asks Peter about his love. It means to the fullest extent, noble and pure. Peter responds with the word phileo which is the word for brotherly love in the Greek. There has been much made of this response in teaching I have heard in the past, but they probably weren’t speaking Greek anyway and Peter’s word is the same one used in John 5:20 when Jesus talks about the Father’s love for him, so it couldn’t be an inferior love. Some commentators say that it was simply a stylistic choice by John as he frequently changed up words in his writings. The point is that Jesus is asking Peter to affirm his love for Him. He doesn’t ask him, “Will you serve me?” or "Do you have faith in Me?” Those would have been legitimate questions for faith serves as the foundation of our relationship to Jesus Christ. But faith is the foundation, and love is the evidence. In the Aramaic the word for love is hooba which is taken from a root word that means to set on fire. In other words, Jesus would have been asking Peter, “ Do you burn with love for me?” Our love for Jesus must be passionate and kindle a holy flame within our hearts. The Scriptures tell us that Peter is penitent. He had great remorse for his betrayal and wept bitterly. But Christ cannot commend his flock to those who are only repentant. It is only deep love for the Savior, love above all else, that will sustain his calling and ours. Jesus says, "Do you love me more than these?" What does “these” refer to? It could be fishing, his old way of life, either for the pleasure of it or material gain of it, but is most likely referring to the disciples. Do you love me more than your close friends love me? Remember Peter had rashly declared, “Though all deny you, I will never deny you.” And now he will not claim that he loves more than the others. He replies simply, “You know that I love you, you know that I love you, you know all things, you know that I love you.” Peter calls Christ himself in His omniscience to be the witness of His love. Peter must face up to the reality of his sin. It is a time of intense pain. But sometimes wounds must be reopened to be healed. Michael Card writes in his wonderful book on the life of Peter entitled, The Fragile Stone, ”His painful questions are meant to restore Peter to his proper place. Painful as the questions are, they are an expression of Jesus’ creative forgiveness. Jesus’ questions open a wound in Peter’s soul, a wound that can be tended to and healed only by being reopened. The forgiveness Jesus has commanded them to offer has been offered to them and it empowers Peter. Now he understands that his position of leadership is founded not on his strength but on his brokenness. Jesus had said of the woman, “I tell you your sins and they are many have been forgiven, so she can show me much love. But a person who is forgiven little shows only little love.” (Luke 7:47) If that was still true, then Peter's love must be the greatest because he is been forgiven of the greatest sin. Even in this Peter ranks first among the disciples. Once it is firmly established in his heart, he will be fit to lead them.” Each time Peter responds to Jesus’ question of his love, Jesus instructs Peter. Feed My lambs. Tend or Shepherd My sheep. Feed My Sheep His first call is to become a fisher of men. Now comes the call is to be a Shepherd and it will be one of the themes in the writings of Peter in Scripture. And finally when he says, “Follow Me” the healing is complete.The offer that Jesus had given Peter three years before to follow Him still stands, despite his failure. Jesus is the great pursuer of the fallen. He has been the dearest of friends to Peter - forgiving him when he failed, healing a painful memory, loving and believing in Peter and dying for Him. And what will be the result of this farewell breakfast of fish, forgiveness and restoration? The new calling is clear. For the remainder of Peter’s life he will be the primary earthly shepherd for this flock of frightened new believers. He will risk his life for them, care for them and powerfully preach by the Holy Spirit the truth, feeding them God’s Word. He will become the shepherd who feeds them Jesus. The coals on the fire become a flame in the heart of Peter. Within seven weeks Peter will preach the boldest sermon of his life in Jerusalem and 3000 will be saved and the nucleus of the church will be established there. He becomes the rock Jesus prophesied he would become through the power of the Holy Spirit, forgiveness, grace, mercy and love of the Savior. That is what and who defines him. That is what the love of Christ and for Christ can bring forth. Later, Peter will be crucified for his faith as Jesus had told him he would die - stretched out on a cross - and history tells us he requested to be crucified upside down. Ultimately Peter dies for his friend and Savior, Jesus, who first died for him, who paid the price for his sin. But this is so much more than an incredible story about Peter and Jesus. It's a story of the Savior's pursuing love for you and for me. Jesus wants to heal your wounds and forgive your failures as well. They do not need to disqualify you from answering Jesus’ call to serve Him. His heart is always for restoration. There is power in love and forgiveness. It is never too late! Are there painful memories in your mind that need to be healed by the love of Jesus? Many of us can identify with Peter over our own sense of spiritual faltering and failing. How many of us have resolved to be faithful, only to have fallen into sin, spiritual coldness, and barrenness? How often have we done the very thing we said that we would not do in terms of spiritual commitment? It is easy to get discouraged when we look at our lives. But our hope does not rest solely in our love for Christ - but in His love for us. Jesus is the great pursuer in this passage. He is in the business of restoring His children, His friends, His beloved. Maybe you too need to find an intimate moment with Jesus and confirm your love for Him and find rest for your soul and healing in His forgiveness. Jesus sees all. He is omniscient as Peter said to Him - You know what’s in my heart. You know I love you. Of course Jesus knew, but Peter needed to affirm it to heal the wound. Nothing is hidden from Him: not your motives, not your desires or your affections. He sees all and calls for your response. Do you love Him? Even with your failures, even in your sin, is there still that truest sense of love for Jesus Christ in the depths of your soul? We cannot look at the Bible studies or Sunday school classes we have attended or taught, our service in the church or community, the money we have given or the people we have helped. We must only stand on the merit of His grace in our hearts and His great love and mercy for us. Jesus’ love for me and you is not rooted in our performance. It is settled at the cross and in our hearts. We love Him because He first loved us. To realize that love for Christ is in our hearts is to rekindle the assurance that we are His and He is ours. And the response of Christ to us as well is “Follow Me!” How do we follow Christ? First, following Christ is an attitude of devotion and true affection which is set upon the Person of Jesus Christ. We know we are following Christ when we have a desire to know Him more intimately and we make choices for our lives that reflect that heart of devotion. When we long for His presence, seek Him in worship and prayer and ask HIm for direction in our lives we are following Christ. Secondly, we can’t really know how to follow Christ unless we are spending time in the Word of God reading, studying, and hearing the Word. "If you love Me," Jesus stated, "you will keep My commandments" (John 14:15). When we spend time with Jesus in His Word, we know His commands and how to live them out in service to the Lord. Our service must come from a root of deep love for Jesus. Peter’s failure in his denial did not disqualify him from service for the kingdom of God and the same is true for us. When we have been zealous in our words that we’re going to live and fight for Christ and failed him or when we have become complacent in our walk with Jesus, it does not disqualify us from serving and from the work of the kingdom. Like Peter, we are not defined by who we are or what we have done, but by who we can become through the love, forgiveness, grace and power of Jesus Christ living within us. That is why He died on the cross. He is the great forgiver. He sent His Spirit to enable us to be who He created us to be. Like Peter, we need to run into His loving arms when we have failed Him and every day of our lives. The One who pursued Peter in love and restoration also pursues you. As we close this beautiful story I want to leave you with a few questions to ponder in the days ahead.
Remember, when Jesus gazes into your heart, just like Peter, He sees who you will become. Perseverance in the faith isn’t simply left to us. When God truly has started the work, He will finish it (Phiiippians 1:6). If Jesus has made us his own, He will be faithful to keep us till the end (1 Thessalonians 5:24; Hebrews 10:23). I want to close out this teaching with a song that has ministered to me greatly in recent years. It is based on Psalm 139:8-10 and has spoken to my heart as I’ve wrestled with God’s purpose and future for my own life and ministry. This Scripture has carried me as I’ve struggled with loss and disappointments in this season of my life. Please listen to the link below. There is no safer or more beautiful place to be in the universe than hidden with Jesus in the heart of God’s delight. We can rest secure in His purpose and love for us when we are settled in our love for Christ through our salvation. There is One who knows the depths of your heart and has a beautiful purpose for your life no matter what pain, failure or uncertainty you may feel. There is One who offers forgiveness, restoration and hope in your story. His name is Jesus. He is the Feast for your Soul! He will hold you fast and secure in His love and grace. Grateful that Jesus is the feast of my soul, Kathy It has been our great joy and privilege to share this "Feast for your Soul" devotional series with you over the last few months, Thanks you for feasting with us in the Scriptures! In the words of Peter, “Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation — if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.” 1 Peter 2:2-3 May we crave God's Word and find our greatest delight in Jesus so that we grow into spiritual maturity, nourished and defined by His love so that we may become all that Jesus sees within us! Kathy and Sherry Resources: Michael Card, The Fragile Stone; Ken Gire, Moments with the Savior, teaching by John McArthur, Precept Austin, Phil Newton, Pinterest photos, LDS Media Library If you are reading this blog through social media we would suggest that you sign up to recieve the blog each week in your email inbox. It will come directly to you to read at your leisure. Just enter your email in the subscriber box on the right at the top of this blog page on the website, then REPLY to the invitation email you will receive in your personal inbox. Your email address is safe with us! Follow ALL directions to completion! Feel free to share our blogs on your social media or email them to a friend.Just follow the instructions carefully. If you've been keeping up with us over the past few months, you will know that we have been blogging our teaching from the home Bible Study Series we created entitled, A Feast for Your Soul. Each lesson is centered around the lessons that Jesus taught as he attended various feasts in the New Testament. Today's Musing is taken from Luke 14: 1-24 which doesn't contain warm hospitality or friendly conversations! It is filled with self-interests, rebukes, and tension. This story takes place during a feast at the house of a ruler of the Pharisees. Jesus takes the opportunity to speak boldly to the Lawyers & Pharisees, the Honored Guests, the Host of the feast, and to a Guest who tries to make everyone a little more comfortable! As I attempt to go through this extensive passage, the outline will consist of 4 brief sections and end with the parable of the Great Banquet and the 3 men who insulted the host with their excuses! Today's study is not for the faint of heart! Plan to invest some time into todays devotion. Enjoy Feasting at His Table! Introduction: What is a Parable? A Parable is a story with 2 levels of meaning where certain details in the story represent something else. Stories such as these are easily remembered, the characters bold, and the symbolism rich in meaning. Parables were a common form of teaching in Judaism anda common cultural form of communication. Though the religious leaders regularly resorted to quoting one another or used academic language, Jesus spoke in the storytelling format already familiar to His culture. In doing so, He connected with His audience in a way the religious leaders did not, both touching personal needs and communicating spiritual truth. Why did He teach in parables? One of Jesus’ favorite literary techniques! It was common in the 1st century to speak with stories and riddles. When the disciples of Jesus asked Him why He spoke in parables, He answered, "To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. For to the one who has, more will be given, and he will have an abundance, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. This is why I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand" (Matthew 13:11-13). The Invitation Banquets were feasting social events. Jesus was invited to dine by the Leader of the Pharisees. Little did the host know what was about to happen at this event! A banquet given by a Pharisee and hosting a famous teacher was one of the ways he showed his “more holy than thou” attitude along with a prideful exhibition of his social status. The New International Dictionary of the Bible & Unger’s Bible Dictionary says this about Banquets: The Hebrews, like other peoples of the ancient East, were very fond of social feasting. Besides religious observance of the great festivals, families feasted on birthdays, funerals, marriages, laying of foundations, and sheep shearing as well as other occasions. Not much different than our special events – but the process and what was entailed is rather different and I love the spiritual parallels that I have found while studying. I’ll share that toward the end. After receiving several wedding invitations lately, "banqueting” has been on my mind for quite a while. Great food, drink, and entertainment are all a part of the festivities. What do you expect when you go to a reception/feast or a dinner banquet? Think about who you might see. Everyone got an invitation! So when you get an invitation, what does this invitation say of you? You are an honored guest. A person of great admiration. Family, friend. You are special! In Jesus day, banquets were extraordinary. It was a special thing to get invited and no one wanted to turn down free food! Think about the cooking standards back then! They had to kill & gut the meat, gather the fruits, veggies, and bake the breads in less than conventional ovens!….Preparing for a feast in those days was a lot of work! They couldn’t just go to the store or the party store! ...Or get take out from a local restaurant! In Luke 14, we read of Jesus entering the home a Prominent Pharisee…the leader of the Pharisees and it was on the Sabbath. Pharisees werea group of over-zealous religious people who opposed Jesus and His claims to being the Son of God. Pharisee comes from a Hebrew word meaning “separated!” As a general rule, the Pharisees were self-righteousness and smug in their delusion that they were pleasing to God because they kept the Law—or parts of it, at least. They separated themselves from society to study and teach the law, but they also separated themselves from the common people because they considered them religiously unclean. It was the Pharisees that started and controlled the synagogues, those Jewish meeting places that served for both local worship and education. Now the Pharisees considered Jesus a threat. They seemed to always be butting heads and they tried to catch him doing something that would break their laws. It was constant eyes on him to see if he broke the rules especially during a Sabbath! This particular dinner party was far from what this Pharisee expected! 1 It happened that when He went into the house of one of the [a]leaders of the Pharisees on the Sabbath to eat bread, they were watching Him closely. 2 And [b]there in front of Him was a man suffering from dropsy. 3 And Jesus answered and spoke to the [c]lawyers and Pharisees, saying, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath, or not?” 4 But they kept silent. And He took hold of him and healed him, and sent him away. 5 And He said to them, “[d]Which one of you will have a son or an ox fall into a well, and will not immediately pull him out on a Sabbath day?” 6 And they could make no reply to this. Luke 14:1-6 I. The "Big Set Up" - A Lesson for the Pharisee's At this particular dinner party, a man with dropsy was in his midst! This man wasn’t an “invited” guest because the Pharisee’s considered the commoners “unclean!”
Immediately after this vignette, we see that Jesus takes notice of other guests scuffling to pick places of honor at the table! 7 And He began speaking a parable to the invited guests when He noticed how they had been picking out the places of honor at the table, saying to them,8 “When you are invited by someone to a wedding feast, do not [e]take the place of honor, for someone more distinguished than you may have been invited by him,9 and he who invited you both will come and say to you, ‘Give your place to this man,’ and then in disgrace you [f]proceed to occupy the last place. 10 But when you are invited, go and recline at the last place, so that when the one who has invited you comes, he may say to you, ‘Friend, move up higher’; then you will have honor in the sight of all who [g]are at the table with you. 11 For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” II. A Lesson to the Guests - Humility Leads to Exaltation I can picture the chaos and all the moving around – remember, it was custom that they recline at the tables. I imagine Jesus hasn’t yet been seated and as he looks at the clamoring. He gets their attention by telling a story of how to act when someone invites you to a wedding feast. Where had their manners gone! It’s a good lesson for us today as well.
III. A Lesson for the Host (the Leader of the Pharisees) Jesus hasn’t been under this roof very long and we see that he has spoken to the Pharisees and the guest…now He turns His attention to the Host of the meal…the leader of the Pharisees. 12 And He also went on to say to the one who had invited Him, “When you give a luncheon or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, otherwise they may also invite you in return and that will be your repayment. 13 But when you give a [h]reception, invite the poor, the crippled, thelame, the blind, 14 and you will be blessed, since they [i]do not have the means to repay you; for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”
Here was a rebuke! Don’t invite those who could reciprocate and in turn invite you to a banquet. Get out of your comfort zone. Reach out to the common – those not like you – the destitute. You will be blessed at the resurrection of the righteous. The “resurrection of the righteous” was something that the Pharisee would understand. Jewish people expected the resurrection at the end of the age, usually associating it with the time of the Messiah’s coming and his kingdom. He just didn’t accept the fact that Messiah was standing in his presence! His view was that the Messianic kingdom was only for notable Jews. IV. An Arrogant Interlude and a Story for the Assuming 15 When one of those who were reclining at the table with Him heard this, he said to Him, “Blessed is everyone who will eat bread in the kingdom of God!”
Suddenly, one of the guest burst out during what I’m sure was an awkward silence. Jesus' table conversation was staggering! He had just rebuked almost everyone...3 times! In this man’s attempt to “change the subject,” he seeks to lighten up the mood and tries to make everyone happy. But what he says is a genuine attitude of arrogance. Something that he feels sure that he is worthy of and everyone else reclining around the table! “Blessed is everyone who will eat bread in the kingdom of God!” In other words...How about that feast?! I’m sure he was remembering Is. 25:6 “ On this mountain the Lord Almighty will prepare a feast of rich food for all peoples, a banquet of aged wine – the best of meats and the finest of wines.” This man missed out too, for the ultimate feast (Jesus) was staring him in the face! Jesus replies to this man with the Parable of the Great Banquet: vs. 16-24 16 But He said to him, “A man was giving a big dinner, and he invited many; 17 and at the dinner hour he sent his slave to say to those who had been invited, ‘Come; for everything is ready now.’ 18 But they all alike began to make excuses. The first one said to him, ‘I have bought a [j]piece of land and I need to go out and look at it; [k]please consider me excused.’ 19 Another one said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to try them out; [l]please consider me excused.’ 20 Another one said, ‘I have married a wife, and for that reason I cannot come.’ 21 And the slave came back and reported this to his master. Then the head of the household became angry and said to his slave, ‘Go out at once into the streets and lanes of the city and bring in here the poor and crippled and blind and lame.’ 22 And the slave said, ‘Master, what you commanded has been done, and still there is room.’23 And the master said to the slave, ‘Go out into the highways and along the hedges, and compel them to come in, so that my house may be filled. 24 For I tell you, none of those men who were invited shall taste of my dinner.’” Before we go any further, let me tell you what I discovered about Great Banquets! What is a GREAT banquet? Usually has a great many guest. Typically it begins near the end of the day or evening and may last 7 days. If it lasts longer, it is considered excess! So think about it! 7 days worth of feasting…with many people…how much food would you need? How much wine? What would you do for 7 days of entertainment? This certain man had to have a working plan!! Two Invitations were given: An initial invitation at which time guest could respond (kinda like an RSVP) and then there's the “Come and Get it!” At which time ONLY the host knew when it would be ready! So as an invited guest, you would be looking forward to the date. Now, the time came so the master sent his servant to tell those who had been invited, COME, everything is now ready! But they made excuses: These were laughably bad excuses!
Interestingly, all of these guest had already RSVP’d! They knew this banquet was coming yet they opted to decline! This was a GROSS insult to the host! The servant comes back with the replies. The owner of the house became angry! Can you imagine? Not only have you been insulted, but you have this massive feast with no one to share it with. The master ordered his servant to:
When I study the Bible, I like to use the method of Interpretative Journey Through the Scriptures Map. [Clicking this image will take you to a slide presentation of how to use this map!] There are the invited guests in both parts of the story (Luke 14:1-24) which can be represented as idols in our own life and keep us from feasting at His banquet table. 1. Religious leaders– represent OUR PRIDE We can get really proud because of our works of righteousness. We can only be righteous because of our position with Christ that tranforms us and our journey. Phil. 3: 7-9 “But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ - the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith.” 2. Guest #1– The Property Developer – The idol of Our work. We believe that we can get MORE significance from our career than from Jesus. That’s why so many of us are work – aholics! “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ” Colossians 3:23-24 3. Guest #2– MONEY: Security from our wealth. Notice that the man had just bought 5 yoke of oxen. This is crazy. 10 ox! Most families only needed one yoke! This man was spouting off the importance of his great wealth. 1 Tim. 6: 17-19 “Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.” 4. Guest #3- represents Our Relationships– This causes Co-Dependant tragedies. Putting our relationships before Christ is simply saying, I’m gonna get intimacy that I can’t get from Jesus. Oh…If we only knew the intimacy that comes from really knowing Christ! He desires that we would taste and see that He is good. Song of Solomon 2:4 "He brought me to the banqueting house, and his banner over me was love.” These invited guest in the parable represent the Jewish Nation. The Great Banquet is the Kingdom of God. The master represents the House of God. The Jews rejected Christ and He had been teaching that the kingdom of God was near. Matt 4:17 Kingdom of God is near. John 1:11 Jesus came to His own but His own received Him not. The call was then to GO OUT: streets and lanes – members of Jewish society. Bring them in. But then we see a broader search: the Highways and along the hedges. This represents outside of Judaism - To the Gentiles! Jesus uses this parable with embedded layers of truth. Prophesy was fulfilled as Jesus the Messiah was standing before them issuing the invitation to Come to Him. The tragedy of the Jewish rejection of Christ has opened the door of salvation to the Gentiles. The blessings of the kingdom are available to all who will come to know Christ by faith. Tyndale’s NT Commentary suggest that the 1st invitation represents the testimony of the OT prophets while the 2nd invitation is a more personal invitation….one that Jesus came to give. The church would be represented by the slave who went into the highways and hedges. When we cross the river of culture, language, time, situation, we find that The Gospel/the Kingdom is a feast of Hope. It was one for then….it’s one for now….and it’s one for the future. In Acts 10 Jesus taught that the kingdom is even available to the unclean. We learned with the teaching of Zaccheaus, the extent of God’s grace, as Jesus was involved with tax collectors and sinners. Without Christ we are condemned and unclean. Salvation was extended to the Gentiles…that’s us! Those who ignored the invitation to the banquet chose their own punishment – they missed out! The master respects their choice by making it permanent: “they will not taste of my banquet.” So it will be with God’s judgment on those who choose to reject Christ: They will never taste the joys of heaven. So, this story in Luke 14 is once again, an invitation in itself. An invitation to the Great Banquet – the Kingdom of God! Life Application My challenge was how to take this passage which has been taught to me so many times as a call to “missions” – “go into the highways and hedges”….and make this parable more applicable for everyday life. So here’s a new little twist for you: Charles Stanley helped confirmed my thinking! He said, “ I was speaking about this parable lately to a man who had been a butler in a family for many years. I said to him, “Just tell me what you do, when dinner or supper is on the table.” Oh, he said, I merely open the drawing-room doors and say, Dinner is on the table, which means all is ready. The guests then take their seats” Well, now, Said I, Suppose when you took off the covers, that there was a bit of paper on every dish with this sentence on it, “A promise of a supper,” what would you say? I never heard of such a thing. I said, No, I suppose not; no man would ever think of serving his fellow men, as unbelief would represent God,” "Now, this is the simple question, Is the Gospel–feast a present, certain reality or is it the mere promise of salvation, leaving the anxious sinner in disappointment and uncertainty. Is it a real supper or the hope of one?" We surely know that there is the hope of one yet to come…everyday I look forward to the Great Banquet at the end of time as we know it! The Wedding Supper of the Lamb. But what about for today! I believe that the Gospel-feast or “love feast” is certainly here, now, as well. If you are a believer, The invitation has already been sent…Some have said YES! When we invited Christ to be enthroned on our heart, He has offered us a table of great magnitude. He is the bread of life! He is the Living water! He offers a cup of New Wine. Earlier we briefly discussed what is involved with a banquet. But I didn’t give you the full scoop. I wanted to save it for last to give you something sweet to linger on your taste buds and ponder deeply! In the 1st Century, when you were invited to a great banquet, Here is the order of what would have happened:
This scripture passage not only reminded us of the history of he feast that the OT characters were looking forward to as we saw in Is. 25, but Jesus was speaking to these particular guest concerning the feast that was in front of their eyes. It also foretells of a great feast yet to come in the book of Revelation. For me, it is also a passage for NOW. It is not merely a promise of hope for a future supper. It seems like the theme of a lot of my teachings is COME – But that’s what the Father bids us to do! Jesus calls us to “Come” – He has made ready for us by His crucifixion and resurrection. Matt 25: 31-46 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdomprepared for you from the foundation of the world. Matt: 11:28 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Is. 55: 1-13 “Come,everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food. Incline your ear, and come to me; hear, that your soul may live; So many times, I believe we settle for crumbs…we feel unworthy to even approach the table. We’ve accepted the invitation but we haven’t fully indulged in what the Father has prepared for us. When I host a dinner, I like to choose a meal that I know the person will enjoy…something they really like or maybe don’t get very often! God does that for us. He has chosen a menu for your life that is rich, full, and one that you cannot buy! It will fully satisfy! Let me compel you to scoot your chair closer to the table. Pick up your fork and take hold of FAITH and TRUST – completely…for therein are great blessings! Take up your knife and cut into the meat of His word. It is rich – it will fill you and satisfy every lonely and hurting heart. It will encourage you with promise! It’s totally something that you can sink your teeth into with confidence. Raise your chalice! It is full of the sweetness of His new wine! The new covenant! Join in the toast declaring, Our God Reigns! And a great banquet isn’t complete unless it has music! Let Him put a new song in your heart! Sing praises and worship Him for YOU are HIS special and honored guest! You have been invited to the great Love Feast. We have all of this now….. But oh the day, my friend! Are you excited?! The time is drawing near! I believe it is the evening hour --- at any moment God could lean over to Jesus and say… Everything is now ready, tell them to COME! And the door will be shut! Questions for Reflection: Do you feast at His real banquet now or are you simply hoping for one to come? Take a moment to self-examine if you are settling for crumbs or have you pulled your chair up to the table to enjoy the “love feast” set before you. Ask God to show you how He has prepared a great feast before you this very day! Awaiting that Great Day! Sherry Resources: Unger Bible Dictionary, Matthew Henry Commentary, Sally Clarkson, Charles Stanley, John Piper, Matt Heard, International Bible Dictionary, Tyndale’s, Commentary, GotQuestions.com, Grasping God’s Word – Duvall Hays NIV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible, Scolfield, John MacArthur, Interlinear Greek-English, Strongs Concordance, Josephus Complete Works If you are reading this blog through social media we would suggest that you sign up to recieve the blog each week in your email inbox. It will come directly to you to read at your leisure. Just enter your email in the subscriber box on the right at the top of this blog page on the website, then REPLY to the invitation email you will receive in your personal inbox. Your email address is safe with us! Follow ALL directions to completion! Feel free to share our blogs on your social media or email them to a friend.Just follow the instructions carefully Do you ever wonder if the sins of your past will always define you? Do you ever look at others and see the transformation in their lives and wonder how something so radical could have happened? Today our Monday Musings Devotional looks at a story most of us know from Sunday School. One of the things I love about studying the Word of God is that it is fresh for our lives every time we study it, because Jesus always meets us right at our point of need. There are so many great truths in this passage that I had never before considered. This year, in our Feast for Your Soul series, we have been studying the lessons that Jesus taught during feasts in the New Testament. Interestingly, Jesus invited himself to this feast! Take a moment and read the passage about Zacchaeus and Jesus from Luke 19:1-10. He entered Jericho and was passing through. 2 And behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus. He was a chief tax collector and was rich. 3 And he was seeking to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was small in stature. 4 So he ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him, for he was about to pass that way. 5 And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for I must stay at your house today.” 6 So he hurried and came down and received him joyfully. 7 And when they saw it, they all grumbled, “He has gone in to be the guest of a man who is a sinner.” 8 And Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, “Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor. And if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I restore it fourfold.” 9 And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham. 10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” This is such a wonderful story in the gospels. To fully understand the story and cultural context, let me set the scene for you and give you a little background on tax collectors in the time of Jesus. Jericho was a beautiful, desirable place to live. It was famous for its palm trees, rose gardens and balsam groves. The name Jericho means “the perfumed." It was considered the Eden of Palestine, the fairy land of the Old World. This garden city of the ancient world was near the Jordan river, a popular resort for royalty and priests and was a busy center of trade and because of this Jericho was one of the most highly taxed towns in Israel. Tax collectors were despised for many reasons among the Jews. Israel was part of the Roman Empire. The Romans liked to squeeze as much money as possible out of the Jewish people. But the Romans didn’t collect the money themselves. Instead, they found a few greedy Jewish men to do the collecting for them. Zacchaeus was one of these tax collectors. The Scripture tells us that he was rich, a chief tax collector so he would have had others working for him. He would have been corrupt to the core, for Rome would set the tax but the collector could collect anything beyond that and keep it for himself. These men were considered scum, unclean, the lowest of the low, corrupt, rich, cruel and they were utterly despised. A tax collector like Zacchaeus was driven by the love of money. It was his sole motive, even if it cost him everything including friends, respect, and decency. Interestingly, the name Zacchaeus means innocent, pure, clean and righteous. His parents chose a beautiful name for him, but it is a name that he wasn’t living up to. Zacchaeus probably knew of Jesus’ encounters with tax collectors. Jesus is on his way through Palestine, on His way to his death in Jerusalem. On His way we have this very unique and wonderful encounter with a little man named Zacchaeus. Jesus came to seek and save the lost. He came to rescue humanity devastated by sin. He came to rescue men like Zacchaeus. That word lost in the Greek means to be ruined, to be destroyed. To save in the Greek means to deliver from danger, save from His wrath and holy judgement. John MacArthur says, “Once God begins that seeking, once He opens our understanding to our own sinfulness, once He illuminates us as to the glory of the gospel, once He takes away the blindness and the darkness, once He gives life to our deadness, the awakened sinner, the enlightened lost one, the one who has been given life responds by seeking the one who sought Him.” We are only enabled to seek when God has first sought us. That's exactly what happens in the story of Zacchaeus. Out of nowhere Jesus seeks him and before it's over, his heart responds by seeking Jesus.” Let’s consider some of the beautiful faith lessons in this story. 1. Jesus sees, but not like we see. When Jesus sees Zacchaeus, He sees past the choices that he has made, past the sin, the failure, the hatred that others feel for him. He sees past the brokenness, the dishonesty, the greed and sees a man curious and in need of mercy. When the crowd saw Zacchaeus they saw a man who repulsed them. Jesus saw a man, crooked and broken who needed to be treated with dignity. Jesus saw a man who had sold his soul for money, a man empty and alone. Jesus saw a man ready for salvation, because he no longer wanted to live sinning against God and his own people. So Jesus invites himself to dinner and tells Zacchaeus that he is going to be his houseguest that very night. What Jesus sees isn’t dependent on public opinion. He sees into the depths of our hearts to our need, to our future, and to our potential. 2. To receive Christ in our hearts and homes requires humility. Zacchaeus had to humble himself to see Jesus. Imagine this wealthy, short, disliked man running through the crowd and climbing a tree so that he could see Jesus entering Jericho. He certainly wouldn’t have wanted to draw attention to himself in this crowd for he is despised by the Jews, but he risks it, runs, and climbs a tree so he can see the Savior. He is driven by something: curiosity, perhaps a sense of his own depravity, certainly a sense of a need for something or someone beyond himself. Zacchaeus wanted to see Jesus for himself. See who He really was, this One he had heard of who was a friend of tax collectors. I think we see from the humility that Zacchaeus displays that there must have been a deep knowledge of his own need for something outside of himself. A desire for Jesus and a humble knowledge of our own deep need must be at the root of our spiritual life as well. 4 So he ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him, for he was about to pass that way. 5 And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for I must stay at your house today.” 6 So he hurried and came down and received him joyfully. Other translations call it a sycamore fig tree, a mulberry fig tree. It’s a short stout tree with large leaves that Zacchaeus could have easily climbed, perhaps even hidden himself a bit among the leaves. I love that Jesus calls Zacchaeus by name, but we have no record of him ever meeting him before. Of course, in His sovereignty Jesus knows exactly who Zacchaeus is. 3. Jesus knows when, where and how you will be saved. He says, “Today I must stay at your house to spend the night.” It’s not a request, but is a divine command. Zacchaeus could have never anticipated this. He was considered unclean by the Jews, defiled, but Jesus wanted to see Zacchaeus, to meet with him, dine with him and stay the night. So in the next verse we are told that he hurried, comes down, and receives him gladly. The Lord reaches out to this one considered scum. Look at the response of the crowd in vs. 7 - And when they saw it, they all grumbled, “He has gone in to be the guest of a man who is a sinner.” Here we see the contrast in the heart of the Father and what we unfortunately often see in the heart of his people. To the Jews, Jesus is defiling himself to be the guest of such a man. To the Jew, to go to the house of Zacchaeus would be to partake of his crimes. But Jesus has a divine appointment with this man for salvation. Jesus came to save the sinner with nothing to commend themselves to Him. I love Spurgeon’s take on this part of the story. He says, “Next, I think it was a necessity of His sovereignty. “I must stay at your house.” Here were scribes, Pharisees, and all sorts of people around Him who were saying, “He is a prophet! He has opened a blind man’s eyes, and He must, therefore, as a prophet, be entertained by some notable Pharisee! Some very respectable person must find Him a lodging tonight.” But our Lord Jesus Christ seems to say, “I cannot be bound. I will not be fettered. I must exert My own will. I must display My sovereignty, and though these people will all murmur, I cannot help that. Zacchaeus, I will come and stay with you, just to show them that I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion!” Jesus says to him, “Zacchaeus make haste.” And he does just that, he receives Jesus. Then the Scripture makes this dramatic jump when suddenly Zacchaeus wants to give away his possessions to the poor. It’s so interesting that we jump from Zacchaeus receiving Jesus into his house to the evidence of his transformation. John MacArthur, "Wow, something dramatic has just happened. Whoa! You've got a man who is a professional thief, extortionist who is now become an instant philanthropist. You've got a man who spent his whole life taking who now wants to give. You've got a man who is defined by selfishness now acting in an absolutely unselfish way. Something dramatic has happened here.” There is no discussion of his conversion, but we don’t need to know those details.We are not given the conviction of sin, repentance, or the conversion discussion in this passage. That is all throughout the gospels. The focus in this Scripture is the evidence of the salvation in the life of the new believer. McArthur says, “He is one of the lost which He seeks. It is true that he knows he has no eternal life, no relationship with God, no forgiveness of sin, bears a weight of guilt and all of its consequences. Jesus addresses that, talks to him about forgiveness, about repentance, about the kingdom, and he embraces it, by the power of God he embraces it. That's obvious. You say why? Because in verse 9 Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house.” Zacchaeus makes a dramatic leap to salvation. We see it in the evidence of his transformed life and from it there are more faith lessons for our own journey. 4. Jesus invites himself into our lives in the midst of our mess and sin. Jesus comes to Zacchaeus before he repents. He doesn’t wait for him to tidy up his life before he comes. It is His loving presence that brings repentance. Remember, Jesus is a pursuer of the lost. 5. Life in Jesus brings repentance and change. Because of his salvation, Zacchaeus makes a dramatic turn. Suddenly the heart that stole wants to generously give back. ”And Zacchaeus stopped and said to the Lord, 'Behold, Lord, half of my possessions I will give to the poor and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I'll give back four times as much.’ Luke 19:8 6. Life in Jesus has the power to overcome our past. Surely Zacchaeus cried out in his inner man to experience fullness, completeness. He was rich, but unfulfilled, probably lonely and certainly despised. I would imagine that Zacchaeus had some experience with a crushed life. He was short, probably made fun of as a child and as an adult. We don’t know, of course, but something drove him to live the life he chose as a cheating, hated chief of tax collectors among his people. Something drove him to do anything for more money. But we see in this story the power of Jesus to overcome our past. 7. Life in Jesus brings healing, transformation and freedom. He is a transformed man. When you are saved, the past, the guilt is closed! Zacchaeus doesn’t hesitate or get bogged down in the failure of his past or let it excuse him from acting with generosity in his future. He freely gives. His chains are gone! The power of life in Jesus can overcome our natural tendencies and personalities that we are so quick to excuse. Zacchaeus had shown no evidence of kindness, generosity, righteousness, yet once saved with Jesus, he is generous and has a desire to be righteous. He is finally living up to his name! Because when he is saved, he can become a new creation in the Spirit of God. Suddenly the little man, despised, and insignificant in the eyes of the Jewish people was chosen and cherished by the Son of God! Jesus always reached out to those whom others saw as insignificant and unworthy. The result is a radically changed heart. Zacchaeus gave generously, not out of his leftovers. The presence of Jesus in our lives and His saving grace should move us to righteousness, generosity and holiness. Zacchaeus rises, takes a stand and confesses Jesus as Lord. First he confesses Jesus as Lord and then he gives half of his possessions to the poor, and that’s a lot of possessions! It was radial evidence of the saving miracle in his life, a picture of denying yourself and following Christ. ”If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, take up his cross daily and follow Me.” Luke 9:23. It’s really a stunning transformation. In one day Zacchaeus goes from being lost to being saved, from being a thief to being a benefactor, from being despised to being cherished! His transformation hits at the very core of the dominant sin in his life - money and greed. True righteousness results in true transformation. And this account of the salvation of Zacchaeus is such a beautiful display of that truth. It’s dramatic. One day, you’re a new creation! He turns from a greedy man to a generous, gracious giver. And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” Jesus calls him a son of Abraham. He is already physically a son of Abraham as a Jew. He was a son by race, but now he was a son by faith through trust in Jesus Christ, the Son. Jesus came to seek and save the lost. To the people in that day, the middle Eastern mind, it was outrageous to include this man in the community of salvation. But for us, it is the most beautiful story of God’s redeeming love and grace and the amazing power it has to transform a life. We all need the Savior, because until you meet him, you too are a slave to sin, full of guilt, living in ignorance and darkness. This is a story of hope for all of us! Like Zacchaeus, “We need a prophet from God to come and tell us the truth. We need a priest of God to come and give us access to God. We need a King to come and guide, protect and provide. We need a Shepherd to come and feed and lead. The entire complex of man's needs points to the Lord Jesus Christ who makes men alive, who cleanses them, who frees them from sin, who gives them light, instruction, who is their prophet, priest, King, and Shepherd. He didn't come to demonstrate a noble ethic. He came to save people from their sin, from eternal hell, to bring them into His everlasting kingdom and heaven, to make them the possessors of everlasting life.” John MacArthur Jesus proclaims His mission in verse 10 - "For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” That was the consistent heart of His ministry on earth and today, always seeking out the outcast, the lowly, the ones ridden with sin and guilt. We are all like Zacchaeus in one way or another, with no righteousness of our own and in desperate need of the Savior. We all need Jesus, the Savior who gives us life, cleanses us with His blood and frees us from power of sin and the chains of darkness. Do you know Him as Savior? He is seeking you as well. You too can accept His invitation and receive Him joyfully! (Read Romans 3:23, 6:23, 5:8, 10:9-10, 10:13, 1 John 4:15, John 3:16) If you are saved it is because in love Jesus sought you and called you by name. There was also a divine appointment for your life when you were delivered and saved. Salvation is a gift. The evidence is how we now live and think when we are infused with the life of Christ. It’s good to acknowledge that change within us (and it’s ongoing) and thank the Father for it. Isn't it great to know that in Christ we aren't defined by our past for we can lean into the power of Jesus right now! Even if your story isn't as radical as Zacchaeus, you too can choose to live a dramatically transformed life. What is the evidence of the saving, transforming work of Jesus in your life? Take a few moments in prayer and thank the Father. Prayer Thank you that you sought me and saved me from my sin. Thank you Jesus that you are always the pursuer of the lost, the One who seeks and saves. Lord it is so easy for us to slip back into old sin patterns that you have shown us, so easy to get caught up in the desires of our flesh when you have done the redeeming work in our lives. It’s so easy to lose the fire of that first love, that radical transformation. Lord invade us with your presence and with a passion for you that will lead us to live our lives abandoned to your purpose for us, not counting the cost. Give us a holy affection for the things and people that you love. Let us never lose our passion for that miraculous transforming work within our souls until that day when we see you face to face. May we live generously with kindness and love so that the beautiful transforming work you have done in our lives is evident to all. And Lord, we lift up those today dear to us who don’t know you as Savior and Lord. Thank you that you see their need and you have the power to overcome the past, deliver and bring freedom! Lord, we ask this day by your Spirit you would remove the blindness from their eyes that they may behold you as Lord. In the saving name of Jesus, Amen Grateful for His saving grace and transforming work in my life, The Lord is my salvation! Kathy Resources: Teaching and writings by John MacArthur, Charles Spurgeon, Ken Gire, Sally Clarkson, Edersheim, photos Pinterest Surely this calls for a song of rejoicing - The Lord is my Salvation, by Keith and Kristyn Getty Join in the youtube video below and praise your Savior. The Lord is My Salvation by Keith and Kristyn Getty The grace of God has reached for me And pulled me from the raging sea And I am safe on this solid ground The Lord is my salvation I will not fear when darkness falls His strength will help me scale these walls I'll see the dawn of the rising sun The Lord is my salvation Who is like the Lord our God? Strong to save, faithful in love My debt is paid and the vict'ry won The Lord is my salvation My hope is hidden in the Lord He flow'rs each promise of His Word When winter fades I know spring will come The Lord is my salvation In times of waiting, times of need When I know loss, when I am weak I know His grace will renew these days The Lord is my salvation And when I reach my final day He will not leave me in the grave But I will rise He will call me home The Lord is my salvation Glory be to God the Father Glory be to God the Son Glory be to God the Spirit The Lord is our Salvation! If you are reading this blog through social media we would suggest that you sign up to recieve the blog each week in your email inbox. It will come directly to you to read at your leisure. Just enter your email in the subscriber box on the right at the top of this blog page on the website, then REPLY to the invitation email you will receive in your personal inbox. Your email address is safe with us! Follow ALL directions to completion! Feel free to share our blogs on your social media or email them to a friend.Just follow the instructions carefully Today, we continue in the Feast for Your Soul Bible Study teachings with the last devotional of our three part series entitled “The Women of Bethany.” I encourage you to listen to the audio below of the drama written about Mary based on John 12:1-8. It is a live recording, so please pardon the background noise. Our hope is that listening to the drama will help you enter into the Scripture and better understand the hearts of the women who lived in Bethany. In the drama I give my interpretation of this amazing encounter that Mary had with Jesus when she anointed His body shortly before His death. You may also want to read the Scripture from which the drama was adapted in John 12:1-11 NIV. Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. 2 Here a dinner was given in Jesus’ honor. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him. 3 Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. 4 But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected, 5 “Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year’s wages.”6 He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it. 7 “Leave her alone,” Jesus replied. “It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial. 8 You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me.” 9 Meanwhile a large crowd of Jews found out that Jesus was there and came, not only because of him but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. 10 So the chief priests made plans to kill Lazarus as well, 11 for on account of him many of the Jews were going over to Jesus and believing in him. We have seen in each part of this series the depth of love that these women of Bethany had for Jesus and how His love for them defined their lives and faith journeys. If you are just joining the series you may want listen to the dramas in parts one and two to gain a deeper understanding before moving into the last devotional blog in this series. You can find them by scrolling down to the blogs dated January 13 and February 4, 2019. Remember in part one of this series, we learned that Bethany was...a place of love, feasting, welcome, service, listening and transformation. In part two we discovered that Bethany was also a place of waiting, hope, friendship, suffering, death, resurrection, and freedom. In this last part of the series, again we are at another feast with Jesus in Bethany and find more beautiful faith lessons for our own lives. Bethany was... A place of friendship Mary cherished her friendship with Jesus. She had taken time to hear His heart and her life was a beautiful display of her love, friendship and devotion to the Savior. One of my favorite quotes is from Phillips Brooks. He writes… “The great danger facing all of us...is not that we shall make an absolute failure of life, nor that we shall fall into outright viciousness, nor that we shall be terribly unhappy, nor that we shall feel that life has no meaning at all...The danger is that we may fail to perceive life’s greatest meaning, fall short of its highest good, miss its deepest and most abiding happiness, be unable to render the most needed service, be unconscious of life ablaze with the light of the Presence of God—and be content to have it so—that is the danger. That someday we may wake up and find that always we have been busy with the husks and trappings of life–and have really missed life itself. That is what one prays one’s friends may be spared—satisfaction with a life that falls short of the best, that has in it no tingle and thrill which comes from a friendship with the Father.” Mary had befriended her Lord and taken the posture of listening at His feet as a disciple. She had the courage to take the radical position in that time of a woman sitting at His feet. She was not content to stand outside the door. She had found that place in her heart of authentic relationship with Jesus. Mary had an intimate, life changing friendship with the Savior. And because of that she received the incredible blessing of His words, “ I tell you the truth, wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her.” A place of listening and lavish worship Each time we meet Mary in Scripture she is at the feet of Jesus. In this passage, once again, Mary is at His feet in worship and devotion, lavishing Him with her love and preparing Him for burial. She knows His need and her attention to His words have given her a glimpse into the future. And so she risks the scandal of unbinding her hair to wipe His feet and pours out all she has on the Savior as she anoints Him for burial. That is lavish worship. Mary has a story that has touched and changed the hearts of millions. More importantly, her devotion touched the heart of the Savior. Her devotion is what defines her. Her physical posture reflects her spiritual posture. A place of transformation Again we see that Bethany is a place of transformation in the lives of these women and their brother Lazarus. In part one of this series Martha is serving, but anxious and bothered by it.( See Luke 10:38-42) When we look at the account of Mary anointing Jesus for his burial, Martha is still serving, but we have no indication that she is worried and bothered by Mary’s rather scandalous, extravagant act. Something has changed in her. She has been with Jesus. She serves without complaint or the need to be noticed. Before she served in the flesh. Now, perhaps she understands that resurrection power enables her to serve with the strength of her character, which was to serve in her gifting, but with the heart of Christ. A place of Anointing Our chief priority is to sit at His feet, listen and respond, not counting the cost. When Mary enters the room to anoint Jesus, she understands what the others seem to have missed, although He had clearly told them He was going to die and how. Spikenard is made from the root of the nard plant found in the northern Himalayan mountains of India. This alabaster jar was Mary’s security. We don’t know how she obtained it. Perhaps it was her dowry. They were obviously a fairly wealthy family since their home was large enough to lodge Jesus and his disciples. The perfume was worth approximately 300 denarii, a years wages. The equivalent today would be about forty to fifty thousand dollars!. Her devotion to Christ transformed that home into a temple with the fragrance of her devotion and worship. John 12:3 - Mary then took a pound of very costly perfume of pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped His feet with her hair; and the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. Jesus’ defense of Mary in her extravagant offering transformed her anointing into an immortal act of worship and an example for us all. Two thousand years later we are still talking about it! When Judas and the other disciples rebuked her “waste” as they called it, she brought no words of defense. Mary could have chosen to be offended by the disciples. Surely Mary loved her Lord deeply and was unfairly criticized for that display of love. But there is no indication in Scripture that she took offense. Mary chose to leave her defense in the hands of Christ. Christ was her defense. We would do well to remember her choices when we are unfairly criticized. Mary is consumed by her love for the Savior. Her love is bold, intimate, costly. Jesus is her life. She will give everything she has for Him. I believe that expression of her love went with Jesus to the cross because this event happened so close to his death. In the beatings, the trials, when the crown of thorns was crushed on his head, when it seemed all had deserted him... the scent of the perfume still must have lingered on Jesus body. When he walked the Via Dolorosa and was stripped naked, beaten and nailed to a wooden cross... Jesus could smell the perfume. And when the chief priest and thieves and those present at the crucifixion mocked and taunted Jesus and His body writhed in agony as He gasped for his last breaths.... the scent of the perfume still must have lingered on Jesus body and perhaps Jesus thought of Mary, and remembered the woman who gave all she had for the love of her Teacher and Savior. Jesus is looking for disciples who will give everything they have for him. He is looking for extravagant love and extravagant worship. This is what we are called to and when we give this love, it will be our greatest joy. The beauty and fragrance of her act of worship has had spiritual effect and blessing throughout the world through the centuries. Never underestimate what one adoring response in worship can do. Centuries later you and I also have the privilege of pouring out our love on Jesus. One of the ways we do that is by spending time listening, studying, meditating on the Scriptures and spending time in devotion to Jesus. There at His feet, in humility, in HIs presence, the Holy Spirit of God will form you into who He envisions you to be. Each of us has a unique precious fragrance that only we can give to be “wasted” on our Savior. What is the fragrance that lingers in my home today? In yours? Is it the fragrance of Christ? Is it the outpouring of love for Him? A place of Ascension and Blessing Jesus conquered death and the grave and rose on the third day. He spent forty days in his resurrected body appearing and teaching about the kingdom of God. When the time came for Jesus to leave the earth and return to heaven, again He came to Bethany. Luke 24:50-54 - When he had led them out to the vicinity of Bethany, he lifted up his hands and blessed them. 51 While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up into heaven. 52 Then they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy. 53 And they stayed continually at the temple, praising God. I find it so fascinating, and yet not surprising, that the last place the feet of Jesus touched earth until He descended as the Holy Spirit at Pentecost was Bethany. Bethany is located on the eastern slope of the Mount of Olives, just a small village where He loved to be. Bethany was an oasis for Jesus, a sanctuary where He feasted, was loved, and worshipped. Bethany was a place of rest in a world that was hostile to the Savior. Bethany - a place where cleansed lepers, resurrected humans, transformed servants, extravagant worshippers, brothers, sisters, and disciples all gather around the table where Christ is the head. They gather for feasting, fellowshipping, and rejoicing with Jesus, confident in the hope that one day Jesus will return to claim His own! And so the question for you and me is this, “Am I willing to make my heart a Bethany for the Lord... a place where He is welcomed and enthroned as Lord above all?" Because Bethany is a place where Jesus is the feast. When your heart is a Bethany you make different choices.We have seen these choices in the faith lessons throughout this series...welcome, listening, friendship, learning, serving, waiting, anointing. When your heart is a Bethany you will also know transformation, suffering, hope, faith, resurrection power, freedom, and above all extravagant love. Jesus’ love for you is bold, lavish and it costs Him His life. Will Jesus find a Bethany in your heart, in your home? Will you choose to live your life utterly consumed with Jesus as Lord and choose to sit at His feet? Prayer Jesus stir within our hearts an extravagant love for you. May the fragrance of our lives be the fragrance of Christ and the pouring out of our love. Lord may our hearts always be a Bethany, a home for You. Father, I pray that you will use the faith lessons you are teaching us in the days ahead as we welcome people into our homes. May we give you glory with the way we choose to live our lives. Help us to do the work of a good host, but never let the duties overtake our priorities of loving and serving you. I pray Father, that we will be known as people consumed with a deep passion for you, that we will choose to sit at your feet and hear your words of life. Thank you that you are committed to doing a transforming work in our lives. Show us the things that are keeping us in bondage and give us the courage to live set free in the resurrected life! Jesus, by your power and love strengthen us to rise up like the women of Bethany to live our lives displaying our lavish love for you - not counting the cost!. In the powerful name of Jesus, Amen Consumed by His Love, Kathy Below are two songs to encourage you in your worship response to this devotional blog. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LOSrSVghKDY - My Heart Your Home, Watermark https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6amm1XoZN4E - All I Have is Christ, Getty, Kauflin Resources: Sermons and writings by Charles Spurgeon, Ann Graham Lotz, Frank Viola, Ken Gire, Pinterest photo If you are reading this blog through social media we would suggest that you sign up to recieve the blog each week in your email inbox. It will come directly to you to read at your leisure. Just enter your email in the subscriber box on the right at the top of this blog page on the website, then REPLY to the invitation email you will receive in your personal inbox. Your email address is safe with us! Follow ALL directions to completion! Feel free to share our blogs on your social media or email them to a friend.Just follow the instructions carefully Today, the Feast for Your Soul Bible Study devotionals continue with part two of our series entitled “The Women of Bethany.” I encourage you to listen to the audio of the drama. It is a live recording, so please pardon the background noise. Our hope is that listening to the drama will help you enter into the Scripture and better understand the hearts of the women who lived in Bethany. In the drama we give our interpretation of the encounters these women had with Jesus. If you have not read and listened to part one of the series, please do so before moving on to part two. The stories build on one another as we look at the faith building lessons and miracles that took place in the village of Bethany. The hearts of those who lived there were forever changed and interwoven together with Jesus. Bethany was one of Jesus’ favorite places to visit. Todays drama is based on John 11, Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead. As you listen you will enter this story in Scripture through the eyes of Martha played by Sherry Barron. Here is the link https://youtu.be/HYmKBLyS8-8 If you are not familiar with this incredible passage of Scripture, you may also want to take a few moments to read the Scripture in John 11:1-53 to learn all of the details. The Scripture can be found at the end of this blog. There are many faith lessons to be learned as we walk the pages of Scripture with the women of Bethany and their brother Lazarus. This little village of Bethany was a favorite place in the heart of Jesus, a place where He often visited for rest and fellowship. In part one of this series we saw that Bethany was...a place of love, feasting and welcome. It was also a place of service, listening and transformation. In today's devotional we learn that Jesus' ministry there brings some hard lessons and miracles! Bethany was… A place of love Throughout this series we see that Bethany first and foremost is a place where Jesus is loved and loves His own. All of the faith lessons and interactions that Jesus has with this family are rooted in His deep love for them. We will learn that even in the difficult lessons and hard seasons it all comes back to love. A place of waiting and hope In our suffering we want explanations, answers, deliverance, but Jesus wants to give us a revelation of Himself. To Mary, Martha and Lazarus it seemed that Jesus had waited until it was too late. They believed that Jesus should have come and healed. They didn’t understand His view and greater purpose of a resurrection and a building of faith that many would come to believe in Christ as a result of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead. Jesus did ultimately meet the need. He just did it on His Father's time clock in a way no one expected. He chose a way that would develop the character and faith of all in Bethany that day and bring the most glory to God. Death is hopeless and four days after death is beyond hopeless. The family had sent word that Lazarus was sick asking Jesus to come and he didn’t come. Jewish belief in that day was that on the fourth day the soul leaves the body permanently. Sometimes God allows us to experience situations that are beyond human aid so that He can be a display of resurrection life within us and for others to see. Often, we simply must wait… in the suffering… in the pain until His time of resurrecting power. His goal is to bring freedom and victory. The power of His resurrection follows the fellowship of His sufferings. That is our hope! Waiting can be a difficult lesson to learn. I have found that basing my faith on God’s performance is a profound mistake. His promises are true. His ways are perfect. The only solid foundation for a faith that doesn’t waver despite our circumstances is to believe that God is. Our faith must be rooted in the belief and knowledge of His character and confidence that He does “all things well,” no matter what takes place. What is the waiting in your own life? What is the performance you are expecting of God that He hasn’t met in the way you thought He would? In Bethany the mystery and the majesty of God collide. We can never understand or fully comprehend His ways. “Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out!” Romans 11:33 We must simply surrender to His ways in the waiting and rest in the hope of who Christ is. A place of friendship A true friend is someone with whom you feel safe, welcome, heard and valued. Jesus felt all of these things by the family in these passages and he returned the friendship. In regard to Jesus weeping at the scene at the tomb, the Jews said, “Look how he loved him.” Fellowship and intimacy with Jesus is a choice and it takes time. It is a matter of our priorities. It is the main course of the meal. And Jesus says when we make that choice it counts for eternity. Friendship with the living God is a treasure to be cherished. Because Mary had befriended her Lord and taken the posture of listening at His feet as a disciple, she had the courage to share the deepest sorrows of her heart with him. She had found that place in her heart of authentic relationship with Jesus. And so she crumbles at His feet and pours out her heart of suffering about the death of her brother. A place of suffering and death “Sometimes the brightest light comes from the darkest places. And what doesn’t destroy us ends up defining us in a significant way.” Frank Viola In my own life I have seen the dark places of suffering bring forth a refining in my character. Those seasons have defined me, made me stronger and made me dig deeper into the knowledge of who God is. The Lord has used the times of waiting and suffering in my life to shape my character. One reason that Jesus allows us to suffer is so that our faith is developed until it rests in Him alone. But He also allows us to suffer so that we become a display of his glory. Martha runs to Mary with a glimmer of hope and faith and she says in John 11:28 “The Teacher is here and is asking for you.” Imagine Mary running through the village, frantic, her tears blinding her eyes and streaming down her face. She is overcome at her helplessness. Surely her mind was spinning with “What if’s”…. And maybe you’ve been there…I know I have. And Mary fell sobbing, helpless, hopeless at Jesus feet and says, in John 11:32 “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” She was so defeated because she thought He was too late. The mourners had followed Mary, weeping. And the text tells us that Jesus was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. In John 11:33, the text indicates he felt more than just grief. He felt anger that day in Bethany as Mary wept and her friends wept with her. Grief and anger, compassion and emotion overcame the heart of Jesus so that He could no longer contain it. I would imagine that his voice must have been choking with emotion when he said, “Where have you laid him?” When those around him replied gently, “Come and see Lord”…. Jesus wept. John 11:34 -35 We see Jesus weeping three times in the New Testament
The words describing His tears indicate that He wept aloud over the holy city of Jerusalem. He sobbed silently at the tomb of his beloved friend, Lazarus. We can take comfort in our own pain and suffering that Jesus knows and feels our pain for He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Hebrews 13:8 A place of resurrection and freedom In this place Jesus proclaims who He is: “I am the resurrection and the life!” Martha runs to find Jesus and says in John 11:21-22, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask.” In the Scriptures we see Jesus patiently persisted in developing Martha‘s faith until it was focused on Him and Him alone. He replied with words that have resonated throughout the centuries giving hope at the graveside of thousands of believers of every generation. “John 11:25 - 26” I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live even though he dies, and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this? “ His eyes must have seemed to penetrate past her doubting mind and into her broken heart to the very depths of her being when Jesus asked Martha, “Do you believe this?” Anne Graham Lotz writes in her wonderful book “Just give me Jesus,” “Do you believe that when there is no hope, when there is no recourse, when there is no answer, when there is no way, when there is no remedy, when there is no solution, when there is nobody, there is hope if you have Jesus. Do you believe Jesus can make a way when there is no way? Gradually the light pierced through the depths of Martha‘s grief and despair and she affirmed with a beautiful confession of faith. “Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Christ the Son of God who was come into the world.” John 11: 27. Martha recognized and acknowledged that apart from Jesus she was totally helpless and totally hopeless. Jesus has shifted Martha’s focus from her own suffering and grief and pain and problems and despair and hopelessness and helplessness to Himself.” In Bethany, death doesn’t have the last word. Jesus does. In three simple words, “Lazarus, Come Forth!” Lazarus is awakened and set free from the bondage of death. But Lazarus is still in the bondage of his grave clothes. Notice that Jesus asked those present to unbind him and set him free. "The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face. Jesus said to them, “Take off the grave clothes and let him go.” John 11:44 What are you in bondage to today? Fear, guilt, the flesh, sin, addictions, the ways of the world? Jesus came to set you and me free. And He may ask us as believers to be part of the process of freedom in someone else’s life. Galatians 5:1 It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. And so, we must ask ourselves some hard questions from the lessons in this incredible miracle and story in Scripture. Am I willing to trust and rest in who He is and how He chooses to act in my life? Because in that place of surrender in your waiting, in your suffering, in death, you and I will experience an awakening to the power of God like nothing we have ever known. We have an incredible God, a Savior who has the power to raise the dead to life and a God who weeps with us in our pain. Prayer Father, thank you for your love and friendship. Jesus help us to trust you in the times of waiting and suffering and to find comfort in the fact that you weep with us. Help us to find our hope in who you are, in your Sovereignty and perfect plan for our lives. Your ways are always perfect, despite our circumstances. Father, show us the things that are keeping us in bondage and give us the courage to live set free in the resurrected life! In the powerful name of Jesus, Amen Resting in Christ, Kathy Resources: Sermons and writings by Charles Spurgeon, Ann Graham Lotz, Frank Viola, Ken Gire, Pinterest Images A beautiful song by Keith and Kristyn Getty to encourage you, I Will Wait for You. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2aWdSRrrW_4 If you are reading this blog through social media we would suggest that you sign up to recieve the blog each week in your email inbox. It will come directly to you to read at your leisure. Just enter your email in the subscriber box on the right at the top of this blog page on the website, then REPLY to the invitation email you will receive in your personal inbox. Your email address is safe with us! Follow ALL directions to completion! Feel free to share our blogs on your social media or email them to a friend.Just follow the instructions carefully. John 11:1-53 ESV
1 Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. 2 It was Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was ill. 3 So the sisters sent to him, saying, “Lord, he whom you love is ill.” 4 But when Jesus heard it he said, “This illness does not lead to death. It is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.” 5 Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. 6 So, when he heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was. 7 Then after this he said to the disciples, “Let us go to Judea again.” 8 The disciples said to him, “Rabbi, the Jews were just now seeking to stone you, and are you going there again?” 9 Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. 10 But if anyone walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him.” 11 After saying these things, he said to them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I go to awaken him.” 12 The disciples said to him, “Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover.” 13 Now Jesus had spoken of his death, but they thought that he meant taking rest in sleep. 14 Then Jesus told them plainly, “Lazarus has died, 15 and for your sake I am glad that I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.” 16 So Thomas, called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.” 17 Now when Jesus came, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days. 18 Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles off, 19 and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them concerning their brother. 20 So when Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, but Mary remained seated in the house. 21 Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.” 23 Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” 24 Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.” 25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, 26 and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” 27 She said to him, “Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.” Jesus Weeps 28 When she had said this, she went and called her sister Mary, saying in private, “The Teacher is here and is calling for you.” 29 And when she heard it, she rose quickly and went to him. 30 Now Jesus had not yet come into the village, but was still in the place where Martha had met him. 31 When the Jews who were with her in the house, consoling her, saw Mary rise quickly and go out, they followed her, supposing that she was going to the tomb to weep there. 32 Now when Mary came to where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet, saying to him, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” 33 When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in his spirit and greatly troubled. 34 And he said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to him, “Lord, come and see.” 35 Jesus wept. 36 So the Jews said, “See how he loved him!” 37 But some of them said, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man also have kept this man from dying?” 38 Then Jesus, deeply moved again, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it. 39 Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, “Lord, by this time there will be an odor, for he has been dead four days.” 40 Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?” 41 So they took away the stone. And Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. 42 I knew that you always hear me, but I said this on account of the people standing around, that they may believe that you sent me.” 43 When he had said these things, he cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out.” 44 The man who had died came out, his hands and feet bound with linen strips, and his face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.” The Plot to Kill Jesus 45 Many of the Jews therefore, who had come with Mary and had seen what he did, believed in him, 46 but some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. 47 So the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered the council and said, “What are we to do? For this man performs many signs. 48 If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation.” 49 But one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them, “You know nothing at all. 50 Nor do you understand that it is better for you that one man should die for the people, not that the whole nation should perish.” 51 He did not say this of his own accord, but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation, 52 and not for the nation only, but also to gather into one the children of God who are scattered abroad. 53 So from that day on they made plans to put him to death. |
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