Category: Encouragement

Leaving

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24 Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. – Genesis 2:2

Yesterdays

It seems like just yesterday that I was helping the mid-wife deliver my second child, but in actuality, yesterday I walked my second child down the aisle to give her away in marriage.

Can it really be possible?

Wasn’t it just yesterday I held my little girl in my arms and thanked God for answered prayers after struggling through years of infertility?  Wasn’t it just yesterday she was running through the back yard shirtless like her boy cousins saying “I a boy, I a boy”?  Wasn’t it just yesterday she was shooting baskets in the driveway?  Wasn’t it just yesterday she asked me to play ping-pong?  Wasn’t it just yesterday I found out she met this guy?

Those yesterdays are gone.

Yesterday her and that guy left their fathers and mothers to become one flesh.

Today

Today we are picking up the pieces.  Literally.  The wedding tent is still in the yard and it has a lot of company.  It will take some time to put things back in their proper places but we will have a lot of help.

But organizing the objects in the yard is the easy task.  It is wrestling with the memories of the yesterdays that is so difficult.

How do you pour so much love and time and energy into your children over the course of years and then adjust to having them “step out” of your life in just one moment?  That is what today brings.  And it is difficult.  Today is one of those days we all encounter that we want to trade for just one more yesterday.

But yesterday has passed us all by.

Second Guessing

Yesterday morning I literally woke up in a cold sweat.  Rebekah (Rose to me), was up in her room, presumably sleeping, for the last time.  In hours she would become the wife of a Godly man (Daniel).  But as much as we had prayed and prepared for this day, it was the past that was haunting me.  I began to have serious concerns that I had failed Rebekah (and my other children).

Life has a way of keeping us so busy with the trivial.  It is so easy to allow the things of the world to absorb our attention and time.  We go from putting out one fire to another and then telling ourselves we need to rest in between.  All the while life, real life, is passing us by.

The reality of having Rebekah leaving our home and my protection was motivation for a reality check.

God answered our prayers for children, but what kind of steward of them am I?  After all, they are His children and I will have to give account for the time He allowed me to have them.  Hence the cold sweat.

Parenting

The world places so much emphasis on happiness.  So often I hear parents talk about wanting their children to be happy.  But if that is all we want for our children we are deceived.  After all, do we really know what happiness is?  It seems like we have equated happiness with possession of things.  When a baby cries we give him something to divert his attention.  When a child throws a fit we bribe him with things.  When our teenagers seem despondent we continue the pattern by seeking “something” to take away their sadness.  But are “things” what our children really want?  It certainly isn’t what they need.

I am preaching to myself.

Not being able to sleep and not wanting to wake Rebekah, I decided to send her an e-mail. I certainly didn’t want to upset her on her special day, but I wanted to accomplish two things.  I wanted to apologize for any shortcomings in my role as a father to her; and more importantly, I wanted her to know as she was leaving me to “cleave” to another man, that I love her as deeply as any man can possibly love his child.

Fathers and mothers, that is what are children need.

Dancing

Life has a funny way of surprising us.  I wrote the e-mail to Rebekah in the early morning hoping it would encourage her for the day.  As I read her response a few hours later I couldn’t help but cry.  Although my purpose was to encourage her, it was I that was encouraged.  She assured me that since the day she was born she knew she had my love and support.  Thank God.

Parents, redeem the time.  Don’t worry about trivial things.  Invest yourselves in your children.  Instruct them in the Word of God.  Recognize that the “happiness” that the world offers is fleeting, but the joy that God offers is eternal.  Assure them of God’s love and shower them with yours.

Having our children leave us is painful.  But it is part or God’s design.  The pain is only a consequence of love.  But as painful as the consequences of love are, the rewards are so much better.  Before Rebekah left the wedding I was able to have one dance with her.  We danced to the song Cinderella by Steven Curtis Chapman that summarizes so well the importance investing time into our children.

Go dance with your child.  The clock will strike midnight sooner than you think.

Cinderella

She spins and she sways
To whatever song plays
Without a care in the world
And I’m sitting here wearing
The weight of the world on my shoulders
It’s been a long day
And there’s still work to do
She’s pulling at me saying
“Dad, I need you
There’s a ball at the castle
And I’ve been invited
And I need to practice my dancing
Oh, please, Daddy, please”
So I will dance with Cinderella
While she is here in my arms
‘Cause I know something the prince never knew
Oh, I will dance with Cinderella
I don’t wanna miss even one song
‘Cause all too soon the clock will strike midnight
And she’ll be gone
She says he’s a nice guy and I’d be impressed
She wants to know if I approve of her dress
She says,
“Dad, the prom is just one week away
And I need to practice my dancing
Oh, please, Daddy, please?”
So I will dance with Cinderella
While she is here in my arms
‘Cause I know something the prince never knew
Oh, I will dance with Cinderella
I don’t wanna miss even one song
Cause all too soon the clock will strike midnight
And she’ll be gone
She will be gone
Well, she came home today with a ring on her hand
Just glowing and telling us all they had planned
She says,
“Dad, the wedding’s still six months away
But I need to practice my dancing
Oh, please, Daddy, please?”
So I will dance with Cinderella
While she is here in my arms
‘Cause I know something the prince never knew
Oh, I will dance with Cinderella
I don’t wanna miss even one song
‘Cause all too soon the clock will strike midnight
And she’ll be gone
Songwriters: Steven Chapman

Mothers

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…as one who laments his mother,
    I bowed down in mourning. – Psalm 35:14

Mourning

David is devastated.  The King (Saul) whom he loves is jealously pursuing him, seeking to put him to death.  In his passion to eliminate David, Saul has stirred up other enemies against him.  Enemies that David accuses of laying traps for him and bearing false witness against him.  David is devastated because his enemies have repaid him evil for good (v. 12).  Their behavior manifests their ungratefulness.  But it not only manifests their ungratefulness, it stands in stark contrast against David’s attitude towards them.

13 But I, when they were sick—
    I wore sackcloth;
    I afflicted myself with fasting;
I prayed with head bowed on my chest.
14     I went about as though I grieved for my friend or my brother;
as one who laments his mother,
    I bowed down in mourning.

Filial Grief

When David describes his attitude toward his enemies, he uses terms of humility and intimacy.  When his enemies were in need, David humbled himself before God by adorning himself in sackcloth, denying himself with fasting, and petitioning his Creator with bowed head.  David’s grief was not feigned.

The sadness David felt was extremely intimate.  He equates his grief with that of loosing a friend or a brother.  Or worst of all, as one who has lost a mother.  For many, the deepest kind of grief we will experience.  It is a grief that is singularly intense and painful.  One that nothing can prepare us for.

Mother’s Day

We just observed another mother’s day a couple of weeks ago.  For my wife and I it was bittersweet.  For the first time in our married life, we had no mother to visit.  As I wrote in August, Behold Your Mother, my worst childhood fear became a reality as my mother lost her battle with cancer.  My mother in law passed away in 2000 as the result of an accident.

“Motherless”, we had to observe mother’s day differently than we have in the past.  There would be no flower basket to purchase to hang on mom’s porch.  There would be no pizza to order after an afternoon of visiting.  The days of honoring our mothers in their presence have now passed us by.  Instead, there would be memories of Mother Days past.

Memories

The death of any loved one is sure to precipitate memories of the deceased.  But our mother is not “just” any loved one.  She is a special gift from God given a great blessing from Him.

We have but one mother who bore us and nurtured us. We have but one mother who loved us with the closest thing we will witness to a Godly love this side of Heaven.  Unconditional.

The Bible tells us to “Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep” (Romans 12:15).  Who  in our lives does this better than our mothers?  Our mothers are truly interested in every aspect of our lives.  While others may be interested only in the highs and lows of our lives, nothing is too insignificant for our mothers. While others may be indifferent to the details of our lives, our mothers are certain to express an interest.  When we can talk to or turn to nobody else, we can always count on our mothers.  There is truly something very unique and special about the relationship of a mother and her child.

Character

When a fragile spirit has been crushed by an evil world and harsh words it is the affectionate embrace of a mother that can make things “right” again.  When a child scrapes his knee, it is his mother who tenderly cares for his wounds.  How many hurts have been mended by the healing qualities of a mother’s tears?

When we were in need, it was our mother who was willing to sacrifice so that we might have.  How often did your mother place your needs above her own?  Like the excellent wife described in Proverbs 31, who rises while it is yet night to provide food for her household, our mothers exemplify self-denial.

I believe a mother most clearly sees the potential of a child, accordingly, she will never “give up”on them.  With an unwavering patience, she grooms her children to enable them to be all that God intended.  While the rest of the world might perceive an unruly seed, a mother patiently waters and prunes as the seed grows into a beautiful flower for God’s garden.

Prayer

In one week I will be walking my second born daughter down the aisle and giving her away in marriage.  Like this past Mother’s Day, I know this too will be a bittersweet day.  It is never easy watching the children you love so dearly leave the “nest”, but we know it is part of God’s design.

All of our children are a gift from God (Psalm 127).  Like Hannah (1 Samuel 1:27), we cried out to God that He would grant us children and He granted our petition.  Our prayers for children evolved into prayers for their faith and then prayers for the faith of their future spouses.  Again, God has granted our petitions.  But our prayers are not done.

For my daughters, I pray that God will grant them the privilege of motherhood.  Although my wife and I may no longer have the blessing of spending Mother’s Day with our mothers, we can honor them by instilling in our daughters the profound but simple truth; motherhood is a special gift from God.  What is more important than raising eternal souls for God’s Kingdom?

I can’t wait to get to heaven and see all of the beautiful flowers you have nurtured for His garden.  Until then, I am going to enjoy the Mothers God has raised up under my own roof, starting new traditions and cherishing old memories.

God bless our mothers.  May your children rise up an call you blessed (Proverbs 31:28)!

New Beginnings, Eternal Truths

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28 And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” 29 And God said, “Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit. You shall have them for food. 30 And to every beast of the earth and to every bird of the heavens and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food.” And it was so. – Genesis 1:28-30

Out with the old…

“Out with the old, in with the new.”  Once again it is time to turn over the calendar.  Not just from one old month to a new one, but from one year past to another just beginning.

Each new year brings fresh hope.  For many, each new year entails new resolutions.  This is the year we will finally lose weight!  This is the year we will finally address that home project we have been putting off.  After all, sooner or later that roof is going to leak.

Maybe this is the year to work on that strained relationship.  Do you really want to keep kicking the can down the road when a little sacrifice and forgiveness could be the seeds of reconciliation and peace?

As we step into the New Year with all of its promises, we say goodbye to the old and all of its memories.  Most notably, memories of loved ones left behind.  Those who will not turn the calendar into a New Year and share the future with us.

But despite their absences, time moves on.

Eternal Truths

I don’t know what, if any, resolutions you may have made for the New Year, but I do hope you have committed to making a journey through your Bible part of your plans for the New Year.  If not, I would like to challenge you to dust off your Bible and open it up and allow God to “accompany” you as you walk through 2019.

While each year is a mystery waiting to unfold, some things are a given.  The path will not always be smooth.  Nor will it always be well lit.  For every day of sunshine, there will be an allotment of storms.  Some severe.

When the way is dark, God’s Word will illumine our path (Psalm 119:105).  When the tempest rages, God’s Word can still the storm (Mark 4:39).

As we encounter the trials and temptations that are sure to confront us in the New Year, we can take comfort in the fact that the truth of God’s Word will enable us to persevere along the way.

In the beginning…

We are all familiar with the opening words of Genesis.  The first chapter of the Bible tells us that during the first six days of the earth’s history, God was “busy” creating.

As you begin your journey reading through the Bible, you will notice the multiple times the words “And God said” are recorded in Genesis Chapter one.

3 And God said, “Let there be light…”

6 And God said, “Let there be an expanse…”

9 And God said, “Let the waters…”

For six days of creation, God spoke into being a material world.  With each “God said” there was obedience.  What God commanded came into being.  From nothing.

God’s Words brought life, order, and light to an earth that Genesis described as “without form, void, and with darkness over the face of the deep” (Genesis 1:2).

We would be wise to obey His Words.

Beasts

When God created man on the sixth day, He blessed them and gave them dominion over the rest of creation, including every creeping thing that creeps on the earth (Genesis 1:26, 28).

I am not sure what form Satan had before he was cursed to go on his belly and eat dust (Genesis 3:14), but I have to believe he was one of the beasts that Adam and Eve were supposed to subdue and have dominion over.  But they did not.

Genesis chapter three verse one tells us that Satan was “more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made.”  Crafty enough to get Adam and Eve to be the first to disobey the spoken Word of God. And they would certainly not be his last prey.

Since the serpent first deceived Adam and Eve to doubt the veracity or integrity of God’s Word, the battle has never ended.  Because Adam and Eve did not subdue every beast, Satan’s “victory” ushered in a lifelong battle with sin.  Accordingly, we would be wise to heed God’s words to Cain.

7 If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is contrary to you, but you must rule over it.” – Genesis 4:7

Promises

All of this brings us back to the importance of being in the Word of God every day.  Satan, the beast we are to subdue is a roaring lion, seeking to devour us.  Like he did with Adam and Eve, he wants us to doubt the integrity of God’s Word.  Better yet, he wants us to ignore it.

Don’t succumb to Satan’s lies this year, rather embrace the promises of God.

6 Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.” – Deuteronomy 31:6

22 The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;
    his mercies never come to an end;
23 they are new every morning;
    great is your faithfulness. – Lamentations 3:22-23

31 but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength;
    they shall mount up with wings like eagles;
they shall run and not be weary;
    they shall walk and not faint. – Isaiah 40:31

2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
    and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you;
when you walk through fire you shall not be burned,
    and the flame shall not consume you. – Isaiah 43:2

…in with the new

Obviously, the above are just a few of the many promises God has spoken to comfort His children.  As you can see I only quoted a few promises out of the Old Testament.  Hopefully, this is enough to encourage you to consider reading through your Bible this year if you do not already intend to do so.

God has “made the effort” to speak to us.  Satan has resolved to keep us away from God’s Word.  Won’t you honor your Creator by reading His love letter to you?  Won’t you bring Him glory by believing it?

Satan is slithering in the Garden.  Sin is crouching at the door.  May we have the wisdom to read and appropriate God’s Word so we can resist and rule over the enemy of our souls.  As you read the Bible this year, you might want to make a list of truths you can stand on in the midst of the world’s lies.

The next time we turn the calendar over from one year to another we don’t know what loved ones we will “leave behind”, but one of these years it will be us.  Thank God that based on His inerrant Word, we can know that eternity is secure.

As you walk with God each day in His word enjoy the journey.

16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. – John 3:16

13 I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life. 14 And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. 15 And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him. – 1 John 5:13-15

Instead of Ashes

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61 The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me,
    because the Lord has anointed me
to bring good news to the poor;
    he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim liberty to the captives,
    and the opening of the prison to those who are bound;
2 to proclaim the year of the Lord‘s favor,
    and the day of vengeance of our God;
    to comfort all who mourn;
3 to grant to those who mourn in Zion—
    to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes,
the oil of gladness instead of mourning,
    the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit;
that they may be called oaks of righteousness,
    the planting of the Lord, that he may be glorified.
4 They shall build up the ancient ruins;
    they shall raise up the former devastations;
they shall repair the ruined cities,
    the devastations of many generations. – Isaiah 61:1-4

Fire

Yesterday morning, just after first light, I ventured into town to look at a pile of rubble.  No, I am not a dumpster diver.  I have no attraction to rubble.  But like a moth I couldn’t stay away from the light.  I had to make sure it was real despite my wishes that it wasn’t.

In a year filled with so much loss and grief, tragedy has struck again.

With tears in my eyes and a lump in my throat I parked my car on Main Street.  Along with my son I walked up to the yellow tape blocking the sidewalk and looked in disbelief at the pile of brick and mortar.  On top of the pile of brick rested a large steel beam.  Below the pile of bricks was buried the charred remains of businesses and a home.  Buried below the bricks was a lot of past history and future hope.

Fire is no respecter of the past, nor does it care about the future.

As I surveyed the scene, I wanted to rewind time just twenty-four hours.  The morning prior, two buildings graced Main Street where the rubble now lay.  Two buildings that stood sentinel for the better part of the towns history which began in the mid 1800’s.  A lot of hard work had gone into the construction of the buildings and the building of the businesses they housed.  Despite the best efforts of nearly twenty fire departments, one fire reduced them to the pile of rubble I couldn’t stay away from.

Boot

The loss from the fire will leave a void not only on Main Street, but in our family as well.  Not only was a family business lost, but also an apartment that served as home for multiple members of the family for years.  To a few of my siblings and their children the apartment was the source of many family memories.  For a couple of my nephews and nieces it was their first home.  Besides the sweat equity and financial investment put into the business on the ground level, there were a lot of fond memories associated with the apartment above it.

This was no ordinary heap of ashes I was drawn to.  This was a sight I had to see to believe.  Despite watching the blaze for hours the day before it still seemed surreal.  One of those events you know is real but you still have to make sure.  And when you are sure you wish you weren’t.

As the events of the prior day were still replaying in my mind I saw a little boot at the edge of the rubble.  A reminder of not only the tragedy that transpired, but the tragedy that was averted.  While the fire may have claimed a couple of old buildings and the possessions they contained, it did not claim any lives.  The family living above one of the businesses narrowly escaped the fire with their two young boys partially dressed.  As bad as the fire was it could have been worse.

The little boot was a timely reminder.  Some things can never be replaced.

Down

With my mother’s death this past summer, the fire was just another blow to the family.  As the fire ravaged, we helplessly watched the firemen fighting a hopeless battle.  As emotional as the scene was, it was most difficult on my father and sister.  My father purchased the building in the early 1990’s and my sister is the current owner.  The two of them, along with my deceased mother, had the most sweat equity in the business.  None of us were “ready” for another loss.  But how often are we?

Although I rarely go to the movies, I did see Batman Begins years ago.  One scene in particular has stuck with me from that movie.  After Bruce Wayne (aka Batman) laments to his trusty butler Alfred that he has failed, Alfred replies, “Why do we fall sir, so that we can learn to pick ourselves up.”

Whether we fall, or whether we are knocked down, we need to get back up.  Nobody likes to be down, planted on their backside, but the position can have it’s benefits.  While it is true that there is no place to go but up, I believe that more importantly, when we get back up we arise a different person.  Being down doesn’t have to be equated with being defeated.  Triumph can blossom from tragedy.

Seeds

Before my early morning trip to the rubble pile, I sent my sister a text reminding her that flowers grow in ashes.  When we are down we can rise up even stronger.  And instead of seeing the bricks on the ground as defeat, we must recognize them for what they really are.  Seeds.

We can choose to look at fallen bricks as defeat; the end of a run, or as seeds; the promise of a bright future.  The fire didn’t care.  The bricks are indifferent.  The choice is up to us.  Are we going to lament the past, or look forward to the future.  The future has my vote.

Before I left the scene of the fire, I crossed the yellow tape and picked up three seeds (aka bricks) and put them in my car.  I can’t rewind time so I decided to carry just a bit of the past home with me to plant for the future.  I am looking forward to the possibilities.

Ashes

The remains of the fire are just another reminder of spiritual truths.  When Isaiah penned the words quoted above, it is natural to imagine the comfort they might have brought to the Israelites in exile with Zion (Jerusalem) in ruins.  More rubble that was mourned over.  But their mourning would be interrupted by the Messiah.

To those who were “down”, the promise of the coming Messiah was good news.

When Jesus began His ministry He read from this passage of scripture in Isaiah and told His audience, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing” (Luke 4:21).  But the good news of the Messiah wasn’t just for Zion or the Israelites in exile, it is for you and me.

You and I were being ravaged by sin.  Like a fire within us, sin was destroying us.  Just as the numerous firefighters could not save the burning buildings, we cannot save ourselves from the blazing fire of sin.  There isn’t enough water in the world to do so.

Like the Israelites during the days of Isaiah, we needed One who was Anointed by God to save us.  We needed a Savior of new beginnings.  One who can bury the past and give us a new future.  Jesus is the only One who can replace our ashes of mourning with a beautiful headdress.  One that is worthy of being seated by His throne.

Oaks

Look closely at the words Isaiah used to describe those who were “down”.  Poor, brokenhearted, captives, bound, mourning and faint spirited.  From such despair, Jesus lifted us up.  And when He lifts us up, He makes us a new creation.

When death takes a loved one, don’t give into despair.  When a fire destroys your possessions, don’t deny the ashes.  Jesus has already defeated death.  He has already lifted you from the ashes of sin and made you an oak of righteousness.  Mourn for a little while if you need to but never forget, our Messiah has promised us His oil of gladness.

As painful as losses are, I am glad God is a God of new beginnings.  Like the boot lying in the rubble, the cross on Cavalry is a reminder not only of the tragedy that happened, but the tragedy that was averted.  Jesus died so you could live.  He died so you could wear a crown instead of ashes.

I am not sure what tomorrow holds, but I am guessing it can’t topple an Oak of Righteousness.  After all, we are rooted in Christ.

A Mother’s Prayer

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5 I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, dwells in you as well. – 2 Timothy 1:5

Sincere Faith

The Apostle Paul once referred to Satan as the “god of this world” (2 Cor. 4:4).  Satan, the father of lies, has spawned a worldview that is leading many people to Hell.  According to Paul, Satan has blinded the unbelieving so that they can not see the light of the Gospel of the glory of Christ.  Having successfully veiled the Gospel from those who are perishing, he has been embraced by the them as their god.

As Paul writes to Timothy, his spiritual son (1 Timothy 1:2), he commends him for his faith.  A faith that Paul says is sincere.  In Paul’s estimation Timothy’s faith was unfeigned and untainted with hypocrisy.  It was a faith that could withstand testing.  It was a faith that flowed from the wellspring of a regenerated heart.

Although Paul referred to Timothy as his spiritual son, his sincere faith actually came from two Godly women.  Women who did not embrace the god of this world but faithfully embraced the Gospel of the glory of Christ.

Believing Mothers

Today’s text is the only portion of Scripture that mentions the names of Timothy’s grandmother Lois and mother Eunice.  Two Jewish ladies who embraced the Christian faith.  All we are told about Timothy’s biological father is that he was a Greek (Acts 16:1).  In contrast to his wife, Scriptures do not tell us that Timothy’s father believed the Gospel.

Being raised in a home with the guidance of a Jewish grandmother and mother who embraced Christianity and a Greek father who did not must have presented certain challenges. I suspect young Timothy loved each of his parents as well as his grandmother, but how did he reconcile the differences in their teachings and lifestyles?

Thankfully, Lois and Eunice used the Scriptures to pierce Satan’s veil.

 14 But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it 15 and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. – 2 Timothy 3:14-15

I suspect that a feigned faith cannot be passed down since it would most likely produce rebellion.  But how comforting to know that God’s profitable Word, when used for training, yields a sincere faith (2 Timothy 3:16).  And how much more powerful is the training when it is bathed in a mother’s prayers?

History Lessons

People like to remind us that “behind every great man is a great woman”.  Certainly, when we look at the history of the Christian church we will see that behind many of its great men were mothers who were faithful prayer warriors.

When we think of Augustine, we think of him as a Church “Father”, but how different things might have been if not for his mother Monica.  As a teenager, Augustine not only was unsaved, but he lived a life of open rebellion.  He not only fulfilled his lusts, but in time he also become involved with a heretical religious group (Manichaeism).  While Augustine’s father was battling his own demons, his mother was fervently praying for his salvation.

As Augustine pursued his pleasures, he ran from the influence of his mother.  Yet, regardless of how far he ran, he could not outrun Monica’s prayers.  And she was committed to wrestling with God until Augustine was saved.

Eventually, Monica had a dream that Augustine would be saved.  And years later, he was.  By the grace of God, Monica was allowed to live to see him baptized, soon after which she was taken home.  Content.

History is replete with many such accounts.  The biographies of men such as John Newton, Hudson Taylor, Charles Spurgeon, John and Charles Wesley and others give powerful testimonies of the way their lives were shaped because of the influence of their Godly mothers.  Mothers who were selflessly devoted to praying for the souls of their children.

Love Lessons

How powerful is love?  What is more powerful than the perfect love of God?  Heavenly love sent Jesus to earth and Cavalry.  Sincere love for others is the fulfillment of the Law (Romans 13:8).  True love never ends (1 Cor. 13:8).

The Bible certainly has a lot to say about love.  Unfortunately the “god” of this world likes to distort our perception of Biblical love.  But when I compare scriptures with life’s experiences I have to wonder:  This side of heaven is there a better picture of God’s love for us than a mother’s love for her children?

When God wanted to illustrate His love for the Israelites, He posed this question.

15 “Can a woman forget her nursing child, that she should have no compassion on the son of her womb? – Isaiah 49:15

God understands that humanity recognizes the tender love of a mother for her children.  A love we must never take for granted.

No Quit

Too often we see children dismiss the teachings of their mothers.  We often see disrespect manifested in facial expressions such as rolled eyes or condescending verbal responses.   Like Augustine, children may disregard the admonishments of their mothers, but escaping the reach of their prayers is another matter.

Once, when Jesus tried to get away from the crowds to relax with His disciples, He was barraged by the requests of a mother.  A mother whose child was a victim of one of Satan’s demons.  Her mother’s heart could not bear to see her child suffering.

This woman was Greek, and not Jewish, but a mother’s love for her children is part of her nature irrespective of nationality.  Because of her faith, Jesus eventually granted the mother’s request and healed her daughter (Mark 7:24-30).

Similarly, Jesus taught the importance of persisting in prayer when He told the parable of the widow and the judge in Luke chapter 18.  Although the judge in the parable did not fear God or respect man, he could not endure the persistent requests of the widow and eventually gave her justice.  Always pray and never give up!

Rewards

I am thankful for the special God given love of a mother for her children.  I am convinced that we will never know the extent to which the world has been influenced by Godly mothers until we reach Heaven.  And I am confident of one thing, Hell has been denied a lot of citizens because of the faithful, persistent prayers of believing mothers.  Mothers like Lois, Eunice, Monica, Elizabeth Newton, Amelia Taylor, Eliza Spurgeon, and Susanna Wesley.

Keep the faith.  The world may not know your name, but God remembers your prayers.

I am not trying to diminish the sovereignty of God, but He does use humans to carry out His will.  Accordingly, I am convinced beyond the shadow of a doubt He uses the faithful prayers of His children in bringing lost sheep into the fold.  I am even more convinced, that the most urgent prayers for the lost fall from the lips of mothers.  Lips that pray for their children as Hannah prayed for a son (1 Samuel 1:9-11).

Never give up on your children.  Never stop pleading with God.  Our loving Heavenly Father has a long history of granting the requests of loving Godly mothers.  It was His perfect plan to plant within mothers such a special love in the first place.  How many Saints in Heaven will testify that the father of lies was thwarted by a mother’s prayers?

Spurgeon Quotes

“It was the custom on Sunday evenings, while we were yet little children, for her to stay at home with us, and then we sat round the table, and read verse by verse, and she explained the Scripture to us. After that was done, then came the time of pleading; there was a little piece of Alleine’s Alarm, or of Baxter’s Call to the Unconverted, and this was read with pointed observations made to each of us as we sat round the table; and the question was asked, how long it would be before we would think about our state, how long before we would seek the Lord. Then came a mother’s prayer, and some of the words of that prayer we shall never forget, even when our hair is grey.”  Charles Spurgeon

“Now, Lord, if my children go on in their sins, it will not be from ignorance that they perish, and my soul must bear a swift witness against them at the day of judgment if they lay not hold of Christ.” Eliza Spurgeon

“Never could it be possible for any man to estimate what he owes to a godly mother. Certainly I have not the powers of speech with which to set forth my valuation of the choice blessing which the Lord bestowed on me in making me the son of one who prayed for me, and prayed with me. How can I ever forget her tearful eye when she warned me to escape from the wrath to come?… How can I ever forget when she bowed her knee, and with her arms about my neck, prayed, ‘Oh, that my son might live before Thee!’” – Charles Spurgeon

Taylor Quote

“My beloved, now sainted mother, had come over to Liverpool to see me off. Never shall I forget that day, nor how she went with me into the cabin that was to be my home for nearly six long months. With a mother’s loving hand she smoothed the little bed. She sat by my side and joined in the last hymn we should sing together before parting. We knelt down and she prayed—the last mother’s prayer I was to hear before leaving for China. Then notice was given that we must separate, and we had to say good-bye, never expecting to meet on earth again.

For my sake she restrained her feelings as much as possible. We parted, and she went ashore giving me her blessing. I stood alone on deck, and she followed the ship as we moved toward the dockgates. As we passed through the gates and the separation really commenced, never shall I forget the cry of anguish wrung from that mother’s heart. It went through me like a knife. I never knew so fully, until then, what “God so loved the world” meant. And I am quite sure my precious mother learned more of the love of God for the perishing in that one hour than in all her life before.”  Hudson Taylor

Augustine Quote

“You sent down your help from above and rescued my soul from the depths of this darkness because my mother, your faithful servant, wept to you for me, shedding more tears for my spiritual death than other mothers shed for the bodily death of a son.”  Augustine

Revealed Glory

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18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. – Romans 8:18

“Jesus Wept”

That is what is recorded in the eleventh chapter of John’s Gospel.  It is the shortest verse in the Bible but it says so much about our Savior.  Lazarus had been in the tomb for four days and his sisters Mary and Martha were devastated.  It appeared Jesus was too late to help them.  As Martha was soon to point out.

Upon hearing that Jesus was coming, Martha ran out to meet Him on the way.  When she met Jesus, she wasted no time in rebuking Him.  Martha had enough faith in Jesus to believe that had He been present four days earlier, her brother Lazarus would still be alive.  According to her faith, Jesus could have prevented Lazarus’ death.  Reality is, Jesus is capable of so much more.

Jesus’ response to Martha was short but profound, “Your brother will rise again” (John 11:23).  Martha was soon to witness that she was indeed standing in the presence of the one who is the resurrection and the life (v. 25).  But more tears would precede the resurrection.

Before Jesus could reach the tomb of Lazarus, He surveyed the sorrow of Mary, Martha and their Jewish friends.  Moved with compassion, Jesus wept with them.

Tears all Around

In the last few weeks, we have experienced not only the death of my mother, but our lives have also been impacted by the occurrence of two suicides.  Just when we attempt to come up for breath, we are hit by more waves.

In the past week, our church family has been blindsided by the news of a severe auto accident and the arson of the home of one of our missionaries.  With so much suffering, there has been no shortage of tears.

Like Martha, we are tempted to say, if Jesus had been present these things would not have happened.  Like Martha, our faith needs to be increased.

Light Afflictions?

Too often our lives seem to be dominated by tragedies and suffering.  These things not only vie for our time they also drain us emotionally and physically.  Often times they completely beat us up.  And yet Paul refers to such things as “light momentary afflictions” (2 Cor. 4:17).  How can he say this?

How do you tell a family grieving over the body of a deceased loved one that what they are experiencing is a light affliction?  What balm can alleviate the pain of a young woman whose wedding plans were replaced by funeral arrangements for her late fiance?  Instead of the bliss of matrimonial union, she is experiencing the pain of separation.

What do you say to little children who will never again be embraced by their mother because she has been laid to rest way too young?  How about the missionary family sifting through the ashes of what used to be their home and earthly possessions?

These things seem anything but light and momentary.  In fact, they are earth-shattering experiences that leave us traumatized and scarred.  But although we only seem to feel the “damage” of these present sufferings, God is using them to transform us.  As F.F. Bruce said, “As the hardships wore down the outer man, they were at the same time used by God for the renewal of the inner man and the augmenting of his heritage of glory.”

Paul’s Perspective

What could make Paul write that our afflictions are light and momentary?  How could he consider that our present sufferings are relatively “nothing”?  As humans, God has made us emotional beings.  As alluded to above, we are capable of very strong emotions.  Think about the depth of the sorrow you have experienced during your greatest suffering and ask yourself, how special must the “glory to be revealed” be if Paul says our sufferings are not even worth the comparison?

Paul’s perspective on suffering was not congenital.  It is not something he inherited from his parents or learned in the Synagogues.  Paul was only able to write such radical words about suffering because of his radical conversion.

Paul had the unique privilege, (although it probably didn’t feel like it at the time), of being in the presence of the glory of Christ.  On his way to Damascus, Paul received a special revelation from Jesus and the brightness of the encounter left him temporarily blind.  When his eyesight was restored three days later, Paul saw things more clearly than ever.  Including suffering.

Paul was given a thorn in the flesh to keep him humble, but his thorn in the flesh was nothing in comparison to the new hope in his heart.

Concealed Glory

When Jesus took on flesh and blood, his glory was temporarily “concealed”.  When Peter, James, and John accompanied Jesus during His transfiguration, they were given a glimpse of the majesty that is Christ’s. His appearance overwhelmed them just as it would overwhelm Paul on the road to Damascus.

What will Jesus look like in all of His glory?  Although Scriptures give us a glimpse of our Savior, and through Him, our Heavenly Father, sin limits our ability to see them clearly.  As Paul writes to the church at Corinth, now we see through a dark glass (1 Cor. 13:12).

What will it be like when the dark glass is removed?

When John had a vision of Jesus on the island of Patmos, he fell to the ground as if dead before the feet of his glorified Savior.  When John would write about Heaven in the Book of Revelation he gave us but a glimpse.  Our earthly minds can’t comprehend future glory.

Even with the illumination of the Holy Spirit, we have to admit that Christ’s glory is still concealed from us.  However, we see enough to make us long for more.  Like Paul would write just before his execution, we should love His appearing (2 Tim. 4:8).

Hidden in Christ

When Paul wrote to the Believers at Colossae, he told them that they had died with Christ and now their lives were hidden in Christ (Col. 3:3).  This is a beautiful truth that assures us of our safety in Christ and at the same time implies that although we are radically changed by Salvation, for the most part, who we are in Christ is hidden from the eyes of the world.

Although we are a new Creation, we continue to live in our old tent.  As long as we are in the flesh we will continue to suffer.

From all outward appearances, our new identity is hidden.  But the seed has been planted.  Appearances aren’t always what they seem.  In time reality will be revealed!!

Glory Revealed

As long as we walk this earth, we will suffer.  I am not trying to be depressing, I am only being honest.  But as long as suffering is our fate and the waves keep rolling, I am going to throw out hope to cling to just as Paul did.

Jesus is not unaware of our suffering.  As we saw from His tears, He is sympathetic to our sorrows.  But more important than the tears he shed was the blood He bled on our behalf.  While it is comforting to know that Jesus is compassionate, it is more important to know that He is the resurrection and the life.

Jesus suffered so we could have hope.

As Paul would go on to encourage the church at Colossae, Christ will appear, and we will appear with Him in glory (Col. 3:4).  Knowing in part will give way to full knowledge (1 Cor. 13:12).

Someday, we will not only see Christ face to face, but the Scriptures tell us we will be like Him (1 John 3:2).  In other words, we will not only see His glory, we will share it with Him (Rom. 8:17).

Unworthy

What do we do when suffering comes our way?  We grieve.  With hope.  Like Jesus, we are not afraid to show our emotions.  It is important to mourn with those who mourn.  But our tears will only last a short time.

As I said before, our suffering and grief are only a backdrop against which glory will be contrasted.  The depth of our sorrows will be nothing compared to the joy that awaits us.  A joy that will not be constrained by our earthly bodies or finite minds.  We will experience the joy of Christ’s perfection.

When we contemplate the effect that the glory of Christ had on Paul, Peter, James, and John we begin to understand their attitude towards suffering.  The instruments God uses to conform us to the image of Christ will seem trivial when we behold Him in all of His glory.

As Paul will go on to tell us in Romans chapter eight, the revealing of the sons of God in glory is the consummation for which the universe waits with longing expectancy (Romans 8:18-25).

Jesus is indeed the resurrection and the life, and in His humility, He has “redeemed” suffering and will share His glory.  We may not understand our present suffering, but it will all be worth it when glory is revealed to us.

2 Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. – 1 John 3:2

Present Sufferings

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18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.  – Romans 8:18

Crazy Eights

I last wrote about the passing of my mother.  As we passed the hours at her bedside we often talked about my mother’s penchant for the number eight.  Ironically, my mother would pass away on 08-08-2018.  The time of her passing was roughly 8:18 p.m.  And of course she passed with all 8 of her children at her bedside.

It seemed that every time we turned around, the number eight or eighteen confronted us.  Of course, sometimes you would have to be a little creative in looking for it.  For instance, when you add up the digits for my mother’s birthdate, the total is eighteen.  Ok, so I started to have a little fun with numbers, but we are just getting started.

After the funeral, a couple of my siblings delivered some flowers to the nursing home and picked up some clothing articles that belonged to my mother.  On the way home, they stopped for lunch and at the restaurant, they found a penny dated 1943, the year of my mother’s birth.  I have to admit that is a little strange.  Now if you add the four digits you get a total of 17, and of course, if you add those two digits you get a total of 8.  Should I even mention that the blog about my mother’s passing was blog number 170?  Of course, those digits also add up to 8.  Amazing what you can do with numbers!!

All silliness aside, on my mother’s porch were some painted rocks placed there for encouragement when she was diagnosed with cancer.  On one of these rocks was painted, “Romans 8:18”.  I thought that since today is 08-18-2018, it might be a good time to look at this verse.  There is nothing crazy about these eights.

Romans Eight

Much like we had fun with the number eight during the difficult time of my mother’s passing, we found solace in the words Paul recorded in Romans 8:18.  Seeing our mother suffer during the last two years of her life and especially during the final days was often overwhelming.  Suffering is never pleasant but seeing our loved ones suffering is even more difficult.  As bad as experiencing suffering is, spectating it is no walk in the park either.  No one likes to feel so vulnerable or helpless.

As we go through such experiences it is easy to ask the question, “Why?”.  It just doesn’t seem to make any logical sense.  In such a position, especially when we are sleep deprived, you can begin to understand to a degree why people like Jack Kevorkian have an audience and even a “clientele”.  If we lived in a “closed system” and this world is all there is, get me out of here with as little suffering as possible!!

But as Paul reminds us in today’s passage, we don’t live in a closed system.  This world is not all there is.  Suffering may be part and parcel of this “present” time, but compared to the future glory it is nothing.  Not even worth the comparison.

Sorry, Dr. Death, your logic is no match for Jesus, who is the Way, The Truth and The Life.  When we look to Him, He helps us keep everything in perspective.  Even suffering.

Present Suffering

In the context, it would appear that the sufferings Paul has in mind are specifically those that result from our association with Christ.  In other words, it might seem as if he is primarily interested in persecution, especially if we look at verse 17.  But while it might be tempting to say this is predominantly what Paul is referring to, I don’t believe it is exclusively what he is referring to.

As I have mentioned in a prior writing, suffering is a consequence of sin.  As Paul goes on to say in this chapter, even creation is groaning as it waits to be set free from the consequences of sin.  Which leads me to believe, Paul is talking about suffering in general, whether it is illness, bereavement, financial difficulties, hunger, or death itself.  Sin has forged a strong chain with this present time, and the consequences are not pleasant.

As we walk this earth, we are not immune from suffering.  Paul delineated his sufferings as he mentioned such things as being whipped and stoned and left for dead.  Peter and the other Apostles also suffered during their lifetimes.  And even Christ Himself suffered as He bore the consequences of our sins.  It is difficult to expect immunity from suffering if even our Savior was not.  In fact, Isaiah would refer to Him as a Suffering Servant.  But the beauty is, for the Christian, suffering will never have the last word.

Seeing Suffering

Much is made about being at the side of our loved ones as they take their final earthly breaths, however, at the present, I am feeling that perhaps it is overrated.  I will spare you the details, but as I have often said, it is difficult to unsee things that we have seen.  Certain images will forever be forged in our minds and perhaps reappear when we would rather they don’t, such as when we want to sleep.

While we can’t unsee things that we have seen, the beauty of Biblical Truths such as we are looking at today, is that they help us to properly see things that we have seen.  Which in this case is better than unseeing that which we have seen.

As difficult as it was to see my mother pass, it does serve as a canvas or backdrop on which God can paint eternal Truths.  How much more beautiful are the pastels of eternity when we contrast them with the blackness of this present world?  How much more majestic will the Heavenly voices sound in contrast to the groanings of this world?

In other words, as unpleasant as the present sufferings are, they will help us to more clearly see and appreciate the glory that awaits us.

The Other Side

Christians have historically referred to death as a river to be crossed.  We can accompany our loved ones to the river’s edge but no further.  We must release them at the bank and entrust them to Christ.  The transfer from one side of the river to the other is a mystery.

The last two days of her earthly life my mother was for the most part non-responsive.  At least she wasn’t verbally communicative.  At one point during this final stretch, a smile came on her face.  She then began to stretch out her neck and turn her head from side to side.  Although her eyes were closed, she appeared to be looking around and basking in the scenery.

What she was experiencing and seeing, if anything, is a mystery.  We would like to think that she was experiencing a foretaste of Heaven itself.  If so, I am sure she would tell us that as difficult as the suffering was, it was nothing compared to what she was seeing.  Fortunately, the glory that awaits us is not something we will spectate, but more importantly something we will experience.  Paul is right, that which is earthly and temporal never can compare with that which is heavenly and eternal.

Suffering may be prevalent, but Glory will have the final word!!

17 For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, – 2 Corinthians 4:17

Behold Your Mother

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26 When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son!” 27 Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!” And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home. – John 19:26-27

Giggles & Goosebumps

I remember playing hide and seek as a young boy.  Stealthily sneaking into a closet.  Silently sliding the clothes on the bar.  Softly positioning my small frame in the corner and sliding the clothes back into position.  Holding my breath to listen for, “ready or not, here I come.”

And then I would giggle.  I recognize that laughter spells “doom” when you are hiding but I couldn’t help it.  I had a good hiding spot and I knew it.  Certainly I wouldn’t be found for hours.  Maybe even days!!  And then I would be smitten by the giggle bug.  I might as well have tried hiding with an elephant and a foghorn!

For a young child to stop such giggles is a little like trying to stop the hiccups.  Not wanting to prematurely sacrifice my hiding spot I knew I had to put an end to my giggling.  Pronto.  I figured the best way to do so was to try to think of something sad.  I knew I had to trick my mind with sober thoughts.  But what?

What was the saddest thing I could think of?  Death.  I wasn’t trying to be morbid but as my mind ran through the gamut of sad thoughts, the worst I could think of was the death of my mother.  As the thought crossed my mind my giggles gave way to goosebumps.

Worst Fears & Reality

Sadly, my worst childhood fear has now become realty.  Last night my mother succumbed to cancer.  Death has made another un-welcomed visit, leaving his cruel calling cards; numbed minds, heavy hearts and lots of questions about the future.  How do we pick up the pieces?  And once we pick them up, where do we place them?

As much as we would like to, we can’t turn back the clock.  We can never recover or relive yesterday.  There will be no more hugs or “I love yous” with mom.  Crawling in a closet and covering myself with clothing isn’t going to hide reality.  Mom is gone.

For the time being I can’t trick my mind.  I can’t turn these goosebumps into giggles.  At a time like this there is only one thing to do: turn to Truth..  I can’t bring back my mother, but I can turn to my Heavenly Father.  I can open my Bible and see what I can learn from Jesus.

Cross Eyes

As Jesus hung on the cross, He was badly beaten.  Isaiah tells us, “his appearance was so marred, beyond human semblance, and his form beyond that of the children of mankind” (Isaiah 52:14).  His back was torn open from the scourging.  His brow was bloody as He bore the crown of thorns.  His face was black and blue from being slapped and mistreated.  His heart was heavy as He bore the weight of our sins on his shoulders.  But the cup would become more bitter.

Despite His present physical condition, Jesus knew the worst was yet to come.  The sun would be darkened and the Father would have to look away.  God’s eyes are too pure to look at sin.  Jesus had never experienced a separation from His Father’s gaze.

As Jesus braced Himself for the turning away of the Father’s gaze, His eyes would turn to His mother.  Before He showed us the ultimate sacrifice as our Savior, He showed us the tender love of a son for His mother.

Behold Your Mother!

Despite the fact that His body was beaten and “broken” and the stench of death, His death, was in the air, Jesus’ heart was still swollen with love.  With all eyes on Jesus, He made sure His mother was taken care of after His death.

Although most of His disciples abandoned Him, John did not.  As Jesus looked at His mother He entrusted her future care to the “disciple whom He loved.” “Behold, your mother!”

Jesus would have grown up hearing the rumors.  His young mother was pregnant before she was married.  But Jesus and Mary knew the truth.  Jesus’ birth was no ordinary birth.  Jesus was no ordinary son.  Jesus’ love is unlike any other.  And Mary had the privilege of seeing it lived out on a daily basis.  But no more.  Death would sever the bond.  For a time.

Jesus and Mary

The love between a mother and her child is a special thing.  A mother’s sensitivity and ability to nurture is a very special gift from God.  Children intuitively know this, making separation difficult.  At any age.

I don’t know what an average day in the home of Joseph and Mary would have looked like.  If Jesus grew up in our house He would have had a nickname.  At least one.  Perhaps Joseph and Mary didn’t take the liberty considering the fact that Jesus’ name was Heaven ordained!

Nickname or not, I am confident that the bond between Jesus and Mary was a very special one, where love was spoken not just in words but in actions.  When Jesus would fall, Mary would pick Him up.  When Jesus was sad, Mary would comfort Him.  When Jesus was hungry, Mary would feed Him.  But these are just the obvious things.

In addition to the obvious, I believe a key part of what makes the love of a mother so unique is the intuitive aspect.  What we refer to as maternal instinct.  Mothers know when their children are struggling even though there are no evident signs to others.  A mother has a unique connection with her children.  They can read things in their children that no one else can.  But more importantly, they can meet the needs of their children that nobody else can.

It is no wonder Mary’s heart was pierced as her Son’s broken body was hanging on a cruel Roman cross.  If any human could “feel” Jesus’ pain, it was Mary.  Which makes Jesus’ care for her from the cross so special.  If only we could grasp the significance of the words John recorded about Jesus and His disciples, “when Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end” (John 13:1).  The love of Jesus is not restricted by time, nor can it be quantified.

Desiring Love

As my mother was battling cancer, she had her share of highs and lows.  After the initial shock of the diagnosis, there were a few glimmers of hope as she had some positive responses to treatments.  As you might expect, this drawn out battle left her physically and emotionally drained.

As my mother was going through one of her difficult times, my sister was asking her some probing questions.  They discussed such things as my mother’s greatest fears and greatest needs.  In a moment of brokenness and vulnerability my mother simply stated, “I just want to be loved”.

Whether we are broken by cancer or not, isn’t that the heart cry of every human?

Love & Life

As the earthly life of Jesus was coming to an end, He looked out through His swollen eyes and beholding his heartbroken mother made sure that she would be taken care of.  With His lifeblood ebbing out of Him He made sure Mary would be loved and comforted in His absence.

As the earthly life of my mother was coming to an end, she became more afraid of darkness and being left alone.  Her mother’s heart did not want to be separated from her loved ones.

When my mother passed, all eight of her children were at her bedside.  As we cried and grieved, we assured her we loved her.  But despite our presence and our love, we were no match for death.  But Jesus is.

The love that motivated Jesus to provide for Mary’s temporal needs, sent Him to the cross for our spiritual needs.  Because Jesus died for our sins we no longer have to fear death (Heb. 2:14) as unwelcome as it my be.  Because of the love of Jesus, we can have eternal life.

If our loved ones die in the faith, our separation is only temporary.  It doesn’t remove the grief, it just covers it with hope (1 Thes. 4:13).

It has been less than 24 hours since my mother’s death.  The emotions are still raw.  Forgive me if this seems incoherent, but I just want to express my thankfulness for my Savior, who is light in darkness, who will never leave us or forsake us, who loves us with a perfect love and has conquered death so that our goodbyes don’t need to be forever.

Someday, I hope to “behold” my mother again.

Jesus Help Us

As we stood around the bed of my deceased mother last night, there were a lot of tears and very few words.  My fourteen year old son Caleb with Down Syndrome did not appear to grasp the magnitude of the moment.  As I scanned the room his were the only eyes without tears.  But then I realized that perhaps he had the best “comprehension” of the moment and the greatest faith.

In the midst of the grief Caleb said just three words, “Jesus help us”.

So He has.  So He will.

4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” – Revelation 21:4

Grow Up

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4 And the Lord said, “Do you do well to be angry?” – Jonah 4:4

Race

Yesterday, I wrote about my experience of getting “lost” in my recent race.  I don’t necessarily try to spiritualize everything, but I do think when trials come our way it is better to look for their “redeeming” value than to “stew” over them.  While my brief time off course reminded me of Demas, my emotions after the race reminded me more of Jonah.

Running a race is hard work.  At least it is for me.  A lot of time and energy goes into training.  Every morning I am up before sunrise to begin my exercise routine.  Before I pick up a weight or lace my shoes I step onto my scale in my weight room.  When it comes to health, ignorance is not bliss.  And besides, if I don’t know how much I weigh each morning how do I know how much I can eat each day?

Yes I know I am not normal.  However, if what I see in the media is, I think that it is a compliment.  I am not only a discipline freak, but I am also extremely competitive.  Too much so.  And as long as I am making confessions let me make one more: I am a poor loser.  I would like to say it is because I don’t lose very often, but the truth may be more that I lose too frequently.  Regardless, I wanted to play the “victim’ card after my race experience.  I wanted to let someone know that I was misguided.  I wanted “justice”.  Why?  Pride.

While I wanted to set the record straight, God asked me the same question he asked Jonah.  Do you do well to be angry?

Race Benefit

As soon as I finished the race I sat on the curb next to the individual who finished third.  MY THIRD!  The first question I heard was, “Did you get lost?”.  Despite the turmoil inside of me, I offered no excuse.  “Yes, I took a wrong turn.”  I congratulated my competitor on a good race and swallowed my pride.  I would rather kill my pride than swallow it but until then…

As I drove home I didn’t know if I should laugh or cry at my immaturity.  How long will I struggle with keeping things in a proper perspective?  An eternal one. The races on Sunday weren’t just about friendly competition.  They were being held to raise money for cancer research.  The runners weren’t the only ones with sweat equity in the race.  A lot of people put in a lot of hard work to pull off the two races.  To many of them, the event was very personal.  I don’t know how many of them have been personally affected by cancer, but I’m guessing the percentage would be high.

While I can’t speak on behalf of any of the race organizers or volunteers, I do know that since my mother was diagnosed over a year ago with stage four cancer, our world has been rocked.  Which should have helped me keep the race itself in perspective.  But unfortunately, pride has a way of blurring perspective.

Nursing Home

The day prior to my race, I helped move my ailing mother into a nursing home.  I picked up my father and we headed to the hospital where my mother had been admitted for the previous three days.  In her declining health, she is no longer able to stand on her own.  Roughly a month ago she was still walking with a walker and now she is in a wheelchair.

Because of her condition, the medical staff decided my mother should go into a nursing home instead of going home.  I don’t mean to overreact, but who knows if she will ever return home.  Only God.

Don’t miss the irony.  One day I am admitting my mother, who can no longer stand much less walk, into a nursing home, and the very next day I am upset because I “had to run” an extra four tenth of a mile!!  I had no excuse for my anger, and unfortunately, I have a lot of company.

Running Jonah

God has no problem seeing the big picture or keeping things in perspective.  He has a passion for lost souls.  He desires and deserves to be eternally worshiped.  Therefore, He chooses people to carry out His will in transforming sinners into worshipers.  The people He chooses are weak.  The people He chooses are a work in progress.  People like you and I.  People like Jonah.

I’m sure you are familiar with the story of Jonah.  God went to Jonah with a job; go to Nineveh and preach to the heathens.  Jonah had a problem with the job God gave him.  Jonah had a problem with pride, and it manifested itself in rebellion.  Instead of going to Nineveh, Jonah fled to Tarshish.  Bad Idea.

God chased the wayward Jonah down with a storm.  The storm forced Jonah out of the fleeing boat and into the troubled water where God had a great fish waiting for Jonah.  For three days Jonah traveled “first class” in the belly of the great fish.  I’m not sure how comfortable the accommodations were but it gave Jonah time to think and pray.

Nineveh Repents

After three days, which should have been sufficient time for Jonah to put things in their proper perspective, the great fish “deposited” him on dry ground.  Before Jonah even had time to recover from his fish lag God again commanded him to go to Nineveh and preach.  This time Jonah acquiesced.

Jonah reluctantly proclaimed God’s call to repentance and Nineveh responded.  From the common people to the King, sackcloth became the fashion, ashes the floor covering, and fasting the diet plan.

Despite Jonah’s attitude, God blessed the preaching of His Word.  A good reminder that it is not the vessel but the message that is most important.  It is a good thing that it is the treasure that the clay jars hold that is efficacious because most of us are like Jonah.  Cracked!

 Hot Jonah

When God saw the sincere repentance of Nineveh, He withheld His impending wrath.  When Jonah did not see the terrible wrath of God, he released his emotions.  He was exceedingly displeased and angry (4:1).

While God was pleased to extend His mercy to Nineveh, Jonah was “hot” (literal translation).  Like a good blacksmith, God decided to strike while the metal was hot.

Jonah, do you do well to be angry?  Jonah, let’s look at this from an eternal perspective.  Let’s look at this my My perspective!

God Strikes

Perched outside the city of Nineveh, Jonah made himself a comfortable “nest” from which he could get a bird’s eye view of the city.  God provided a plant to make him more comfortable as he watched and waited from his perch.  Sitting in his ease, Jonah was “very happy about the plant.”  But his happiness would be short-lived.

Before sunrise the next day the plant was devoured by a worm that God provided.  Much like He provided the big fish.  In addition to having Jonah’s source of shade removed, God sent a scorching east wind and a blazing sun to beat down on Jonah.  Now Jonah was literally hot!!  So much so that he told God he wanted to die.  A blacksmith strikes when the metal is hot, and eternal lessons are often learned on the brink of death.

Jonah, look at your concern over this temporary plant.  Look at your concern for your creature comforts.  Look at your emotions.  You are angry over the loss of a simple plant that provided you temporary comfort.  Do I not have the right to be more concerned about the lost people of this great city who are so spiritually ignorant that they cannot discern their right hand from their left?

Jonah didn’t need a bird’s eye view of the city, he needed a Godly view of the souls of its citizens.

Point Taken

Someone gave me bad advice; I turned left when I should have turned right and it upset me.  I have confessed to you that for me, pride manifests itself in anger.  But obviously, this isn’t about my road race.  Nor is this even about me (or Jonah).  This is about you.  This is about us.  In the final analysis, this is about growing up; being conformed to the image of Christ.

Whether or not we are in a hospital or nursing home, we are all on the brink of eternity.  Check yourself.  Where are you at spiritually?  What are your struggles?  What makes you “hot” like Jonah?  We all have our triggers.  Those things in our lives that expose our weaknesses.

Be careful.  Your struggle may not be with anger, but anger, although perhaps the most “visible”, is not the only way pride manifests itself.  It has other ugly heads that it will rear.  None of which resembles Christ.

…we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ… – Ephesians 4:15

Finish Well

Posted on by scott


10 For Demas, in love with this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica…Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is very useful to me for ministry. – 2 Timothy 2:10a & 11b.

Race Time

Talk about a humbling experience.  I have been following a running schedule to prepare for a half-marathon to be run over Labor Day weekend.  Per my schedule I was to run a 5k race this weekend.  So, I decided to run a road race before church yesterday morning.

Having done this (running races) a few times I thought I was well prepared.  My “racing” outfit was laid out the night before.  I was careful about what I ate the day prior to the race and made sure I was in bed at a decent time to allow for sufficient sleep.  When you’re old and slow such routines become more important.

Since I was unfamiliar with the course I made sure I arrived at the race sight early.  Although I had no misconceptions about winning the race I thought I should briefly review a copy of the course just because.  Unfortunately, either the copy machine was spilling toner or the aerial view was taken at night.  Even if I was wearing my glasses the map would have been difficult to read.  But I got the gist of the course.  It was a simple out and back.  Run out to a half way point and turn around.  How hard could that be?

Head Start?

The 5k race I was running was not the only race at this venue.  A half an hour before the start of the 5k race, a half-marathon began.  We would use the same start and finish line which is common.  Since I had arrived early I decided to watch the start of the first race and scan the runners for familiar faces.  Those that I have met and created bonds with through previous races.

As I approached the Start/Finish line I was carrying my bib number for the second race.  Innocently, one of the spectators mistook me for an entrant in the half-marathon.  Since the race was about to begin and the participants were already “toeing” the line this spectator asked if I was giving the rest of the field a head start.  Naturally, I informed the mistaken spectator that I would be running the second race.  But little did I know his question would be somewhat prophetic.

Whoops

Before the start of the race, we were informed that there would be no pace bike.  Again, even though I knew I wouldn’t be leading the pack, the thought of no “guide” made me a little uneasy.  But lead bike or not, the race started without a hitch.  Little did I know I was minutes away from my humbling experience.

With about a little over a quarter of a mile left in the race, I found myself in third place.  Which says more about the field than my talent, but at my age I was looking forward to a top three finish.  The finish of the race was in front of a school.  As I was running on the backside of the school a course guide instructed me that up ahead the half-marathoners were to make a right turn and the 5k runners were to go straight.  Unfortunately, at the end of the road, straight wasn’t an option.  I had to choose between left or right.  Which was really a choice between right or wrong.

Unfortunately I made two very quick and very wrong assumptions.  Number one, obviously the guide would know the course better than me.  Number two, although going straight wasn’t an option, the guide would not have made a distinction between the participants of the two races if everybody was to make the same turn.  Hence when she said straight, she must have meant left.

Wrong Way Demas

How could a person work alongside the Apostle Paul and then desert him for the love of the world?  As we see in today’s text, that is exactly what Demas did.  When Paul penned Colossians (4:14)  and Philemon (v. 24), Demas was listed as a fellow worker.  Now, shortly before his execution, Paul is lamenting to his protege the fact that Demas has left the course.  He has taken a wrong turn.

Paul’s letter to the church in Colossae, was written roughly five years prior to his letter to Timothy.  At that time Paul was imprisoned just as he was when he wrote to Timothy.  Demas knew the importance of faithfully running the race.  He certainly knew the risks and rewards.  What went wrong?

A Costly Affair

Paul doesn’t articulate or expand on what happened with Demas.  He simply tells us that he was in love with the present world.  Did he look to make financial gain from the wealthy city of Thessalonica?  After the difficulties of “church” work did he crave the comfort and excitement a cultured city?  Was he looking for something else Thessalonica could offer or was he just seeking safety?

Regardless of the specifics, one thing is very clear.  The charge Paul was making against Demas was very serious.

15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. 17 And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever. – 1 John 2:15-17

Separate Ways

After lamenting being deserted by Demas, Paul asks for Mark who he deems to be useful to his ministry.  This is ironic following his charge against Demas for deserting him, because as Luke records in Acts chapter 13, Mark was once guilty of doing the same thing.  In the midst of missionary campaign with Paul, Barnabas, and their companions, Mark left them at Pamphylia to return to Jerusalem.

Like Demas, we are not sure why Mark left Paul.  But we do know Paul was greatly upset.  As Luke records in Act chapter 15, when Paul and Barnabas decide to visit their church plants they have a sharp disagreement.  Barnabas wants to include Mark on the trip, whereas Paul does not.  He was stung once by Mark and didn’t want to be stung again.

The disagreement was so strong that Paul and Barnabas separated, with Paul now traveling with Silas and Barnabas traveling with Mark.

Welcome Back Mark

In time, Mark would prove his faithfulness, and God would bless the work of both sets of men.  Thankfully, despite their disagreements and disillusionment, they continued serving God.

Paul must have been proud as he penned these words about Mark.  But not only Paul.  Luke, who recorded the unpleasant history between Mark and Paul was with Paul as he wrote this letter to Timothy.  I am sure this reconciliation was a balm for the heart of this faithful physician.

And how about Barnabas?  When Paul was adamant that Mark had burned all bridges, Barnabas was willing to build a new one, even at the expense of opposing and offending the spiritual giant Paul.

“Get Mark…he is very useful to me.”

Finish Well

When I realized the error I had made I once again was faced with two options.  I could drop out of the race and avoid embarrassment, or I could turn around and finish what I had started.

To say I was not happy would be an understatement.  Although it wasn’t technically a head start, despite my training and race preparation, I am not talented enough to spot the field such an advantage.  A top three finish and a respectable time were now out of the question.  But such is life.  Mistakes happen.  But as we learn from Mark, there is always hope.

After Demas started well, he finished poorly.  At least from the last that is recorded of him.  To the contrary, Mark finished well after starting poorly.  Me, on the other hand; after I started well…well I finished.

Things will not always go our way.  Many if not most things that we confront are out of our control.  But stay the course.  Beware of the love of the world and keep your eyes on Christ.  As long as we follow Christ we will be in the Father’s will.  As long as we remain in the Father’s will we will never get lost.  

Jesus is the way (John 14:6), and there is no other.

If you are going to run a race, it is always comforting to have a guide.