Tragedy and Mary

I have already done one post on Jesus' mother, Mary, and the things we can learn from her. In the wake of Friday's tragic events, however, I simply cannot get her off my mind. And here's why:

Mary knew tragedy.

John 19:25 says, "Now there stood by the cross of Jesus His mother...". Not only did Mary know tragedy and heartbreak, she experienced it first hand. She watched her son hang on a cross and suffer indescribable pain. She watched as the blood trickled down His brow; she heard Him cry out in pain; she looked on as His body hang limply after He'd given up the ghost (Lk 23:46). We read this story and we focus on Jesus--and rightly so--, but imagine for a moment that you are Mary. No mother should ever have to experience this! And yet, she was there, experiencing what no one should have to, for her son.

Surely we have all muttered (or at the very least thought) that no person should have to go through what those 40-something parents are having to go through. Their innocent, beautiful children were slain in an unexplainable, evil act. They are, without doubt, suffering immensely. But they aren't the first.

Mary watched as her beautiful, innocent Son was brutally murdered. She was there as the crowds chanted, as the soldiers prodded, as the darkness gathered. She saw firsthand, much like these parents are seeing now, the evil that was in the world.

And yet, because of all that Mary had to suffer on that day, we can all have hope--yes, even those parents of the children whose lives were cut too short. You see, because of the cruel death of Mary's innocent Son, we can all have life (John 3:15-16). Because of her Son, we can know that those innocent lives from Sandy Hook will be in a land with no more death and no more pain (Rev. 21:4). We can have full assurance that God will avenge their untimely deaths (Rom. 12:19), as He will avenge and ultimately purge all of the evil this world has ever known.

Mary was not crushed on the day that her Son died. Instead, Mary knew that He would rise again and claim victory over death. We, too, can know that victory will be ours. In the last day this earth will ever know, Jesus will once and for all claim victory over death--and all of those who will be faithful to Him can claim a part in that victory (1 John 5:3-5).

With every fiber of my being I hate what happened on Friday. I hate that those children we taken from this world in such a cruel and painful way. I hate that people are hurting. I hate that people are blaming God. I hate that the world that we live in is so evil. But, I can find peace in the midst of this tragedy, and if you will turn to God, you can too. Let the words that Paul wrote to the Thessalonians in 1 Thess. 4:13-18 comfort you.

"But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God wi ll bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus. For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words."

Death is not the end. Undoubtedly Mary knew that as she watched Jesus hang on the cross, and we can know that ourselves in the face of tragedy. Whether we are taken brutally from this life, die peacefully in our sleep, or are alive when Jesus comes back and all of world is destroyed, we can have a hope (expectation) of heaven for our final abode.

Please continue to pray for the hearts of those affected by this tragedy. Pray that they can give their lives over to God so that they can experience the peace that passes all understanding (Phil. 4:7) and have the hope of reuniting with their children one day.

Leave All and Follow

Sometimes I forget the circumstances surrounding the calling of the disciples to follow after Jesus. In Luke's account (Luke 5:1-11), we are told that Jesus got into Peter's boat and taught the multitudes. Once He had done that, He told Peter to cast down his net into the water. Even through the experienced fishermen had attempted to catch fish by themselves, they had failed. Surely Peter was exhausted and exasperated by Jesus' plea to let down the net, after all those nets weren't light. Still, he let down the net, and we all know the miraculous story that follows. The net was filled so full that it almost broke, and James and John had to bring over their boat to help. There were so many fish that both boats were filled to the point that they almost sank.

The part of the story that we always remember is Jesus asking the fishermen to follow Him, but we rarely think about the first part of the story.

Do you realize how many fish were in not one, but two boats? Do you realize how much money they are walking away from at this very moment? Two boats full of fish would be quite the pretty penny, yet the text tells us that they "forsook all and followed Him."

Do you think it was easy? In my mind, I can see them looking at Jesus and then looking at the boat, then back to Jesus. We know that Jesus didn't even have a place to lay His head (Matt. 8:20), and perhaps the disciples had the temptation to keep the fish that He had given them and tell Him they just couldn't go with Him. Maybe they could have asked valid questions: where will we sleep, what about my family, will we even have food?

The disciples could have focused on the blessings that Jesus had put before them, but instead they focused on the good part: a life of dedicated service to the Savior. In our lives, how many times are we tempted to forsake God because we're caught up in the gifts He's given us? I know that I have been blessed beyond measure, as have any of you who are reading this on a laptop or iPhone or computer in some air conditioned environment protected from the elements. Still, sometimes we get too focused on the blessings we have been given and stop focusing on the Giver of every good and perfect gift (James 1:17).

We haven't been commissioned in the exact way that the disciples were, yet we have been commanded to take up our cross daily and follow Christ (Luke 9:23). We have been told to deny ourselves and follow Jesus. And what does deny self mean? It means that it's not about you; it's about Him. It's not about all of the blessings and talents and possessions you have, it's about serving the One who gave them to you.

We must be willing, as the disciples were, to forsake everything that is earthly and temporary and follow after our Eternal Savior. Make it a priority today to put your desire to serve Christ above everything else in your life, because we must be willing to forsake all and follow Him.

Carrying Your Cross

Last Friday was a busy day. The church secretary and I (with the help of a few others) were taking down all of the VBS decorations from the week before. There were cardboard cut-outs and teaching materials and tables and chairs and all sorts of things that needed to be picked up. I was in charge of taking all of the big visuals up three flights of stairs to the aptly named "cardboard room". One of the items I carried first was a large, wooden cross used in one of the classrooms when we talked about Jesus' victory over death.

When I picked up the cross to carry it back upstairs, I was surprised at how heavy it was. It was made of real wood, and there were jagged, rough pieces sticking out as I tried to tuck part of it under my arm.  I made it a couple of steps before the secretary asked me if I needed help. She said, "If we need to get someone else to carry it, we can."

I stopped and thought about it for a second. Sure, the prop was heavy. But then I looked at her and I said, "You know, even if it was more than I could carry, I don't think I could ever complain about carrying a cross for any amount of time."

As I made my way up the three flights of stairs, I thought about Jesus. I thought about the pain He suffered in the scourging and beatings prior to having to carry His cross. I thought about how much larger the cross would have been, and how rough it would have been to the touch. I thought about why He had to carry that cross: it wasn't for anything He'd done. No, the weight came from the sins of the world.

After I'd made it to the top of the stairs, I paused and thanked God for the gift of Jesus. Too often we minimize what Jesus did for us in coming to earth and dying on that cruel cross. I know that far too often I forget about the suffering of my Lord on my behalf simply because I'm not being made to carry a physical cross.

In Matthew 16:24 Jesus said, 

"If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Me."

Carrying the cross up those flights of stairs was nothing in comparison to the cross Jesus bore, yet it wasn't easy. Why, then, do we sometimes think that Christianity is going to be a walk in the park? Why do we think that it won't require any sort of change or self-denial? Why do we think that it won't really affect our day to day lives? 

Carrying a cross is work. Being a true follower of Christ should be, too. Every day we are to be on guard, ready to stand against Satan. Every day we are to be denying ourselves of worldly wants and pleasures, and seeking first the kingdom of God. Nothing about that screams easy, and yet in comparison to carrying a physical cross to Calvary, it's really nothing. It shouldn't 'burn us out' to do service to our Lord. It shouldn't get us down when we have to skip something that the world deems awesome. We should proudly serve the Prince of Peace who came to this earth and carried a physical cross so that we wouldn't have to. 

If I ever, in my service to Him, find myself discouraged or disgruntled or discontent, I just need to remind myself that the cross that He carried wasn't even His, it was mine.

Tough Stuff Tuesday: Beating Bitterness

Why aren't more people pricked by the gospel's message? Why aren't there more people filling that front pew when the invitation song is sung? Is it because the church is filled with such righteous, sinless people? Is it because there are none of us who ever mess up in a public way, or perhaps none of us need encouragement from those around us?

I don't think that's it at all.

There are so many in the church today who are living with walls and fortresses around their hearts, and for seemingly good reasons. Because the church is made up imperfect people, those who come and sit on their favorite pew week after week are hurt, jilted, and angry. They are tired of people treating them with disrespect, speaking to them rudely, or spreading rumors about them to others within the congregation.

And so, they start building walls. 'If I don't make myself vulnerable to you, you can't hurt me', some will say. And week after week, year after year, the walls get higher, the bricks more mighty. And instead of keeping other people out of our hearts, we're closing ourselves off from Jesus.

You see, bitterness is a scary thing. It is a highly contagious, fast-spreading poison. It is a creature that oftentimes sneaks its way into your life, buries itself deep within the confines of your heart, and rears its ugly head only after weeks and months of cultivation. Sometimes, before you even realize that it's there, it's woven itself into your heartstrings so tightly that it isn't a quick fix. It isn't something you can get rid of by simply willing it away. It takes time, effort, and an extreme amount of dedication.

So why should we even bother with ridding our hearts of bitterness? Don't we have the right to hold a grudge against someone who has wronged us? Especially if they have wronged us in such a deep, possibly even publicly humiliating way?

Let's look at what the Bible tells us about the sin of bitterness:

"But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth. This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic. For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there." James 3:14-16

"...lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled." Hebrews 12:15

From just these two places in scripture we see that bitterness is a serious heart disease. It is demonic. It defiles us. It incapsulates every evil thing. These aren't light, easy to swallow words. These words are harsh. These words indicate a very grave subject matter. Simply put, we cannot be people of God and people who hold grudges. We cannot be people of God and people whose hearts are given over to bitterness.

So what is the Bible's remedy for bitterness? If we are not to be people who hold grudges and have bitter hearts, how are we to change? Look at the verses surrounding those mentioned above:

"But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace." James 3:17-18 

"Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord." Hebrews 12:14

Without peace, we will not see the Lord. And that peace? We are to pursue it with all people. I love the way James illustrates wisdom--the way we are to behave to be pleasing to God:

• It comes from a place that is pure. Our motives are to be like Christ, not "forgiving them" so we can use them or hurt them when they trust us again. 

• We are gentle and willing to yield. Sometimes you have to concede and give way to others. When they hurt you, they may never apologize for it. You have to be willing to put your pride on a shelf and yield to them, knowing they are the weaker brother. 

• We have to be full of mercy (which, as I've heard it stated, is not giving someone something they do deserve--kind of like the opposite of grace). The world may tell us that certain people or certain types of transgressions are unforgivable. We never have to trust them or love them or speak to them again. Ah, but peace is full of mercy. God's infinite wisdom shows us that. 

• It is also impartial and without hypocrisy. When the Hebrews writer tells us to pursue peace with all people, it means just that. We do not get to pick and choose the people we forgive, or the types of things we forgive. In order to be fully forgiven, we must fully forgive (Mt. 6:14-15) and pursue peace by whatever means we have to.

There is a beautiful way to attain this type of peace, and Paul tells us in Philippians 4:6-7 exactly how that is possible:

"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."

When we are in constant contact with our heavenly Father, His peace will guard our hearts and minds. I don't know about you, but when I am at odds with someone, it tends to make me anxious. When something has gone terribly wrong and tempers have flared, it tends to stress me out and make me physically ill. But through inspiration we know that if we will simply talk to our Father about it, He will in turn grant us peace. When someone wrongs you, talk to God. If it is causing you extreme pain and you are feeling especially tempted to hold a grudge and be bitter, pray even more. The more you pray, the more peace you will be given.

I have struggled for a significant portion of my life with bitterness. There are grudges that I have been clinging to for years on end. And, by worldly standards, I may have had the right to hold these grudges. I was legitimately hurt, humiliated, forsaken, discarded, and misused. But that list? That list is nothing in comparison to the way that people treated the only begotten Son of Almighty God when He was on this earth. How did He respond? With outstretched, nail-pierced arms. Why, then, do we excuse ourselves when our attitudes are different? When our attitudes are prideful? Should we not react as Jesus did, with unconditional and abiding love?

Pursuing peace isn't easy, but it is commanded. Letting go of our personal agendas isn't easy, but it is necessary if we are going to have God's agenda. If we are seeking our own will, we aren't seeking His. May we all strive to be people of peace in this self-seeking, bitter world.

Lord's Supper and Giving--why together?

When I was growing up, it was hard for me to distinguish the Lord's Supper from the time we are giving our contribution. After all, the two very separate things were usually only separated by a prayer---and since the bread and the cup are separated by a prayer, too, it was difficult for my young self to discern between the two very different things.

As I grew older, I realized they were separate, and I wondered why we kept them together all the time. Do we have to? Is it commanded? Is it a tradition that we simply cannot change? I know that the answer to all of those things is no, but recently I've decided that I like that they're together. Today, I'd like to share the reason with you.

First let me say this: I know that MY feelings don't really matter in worship. When I come to worship God, I'm coming to do just that--worship God. Not gratify myself; not invoke some sense of worthiness within me. No, I am coming to honor God and that is that. So whatever my preferences are, well, they really don't matter. I get that. However, I'd like to explore this thought of Lord's Supper and giving because it helps me to worship my God better, and maybe it will do the same for you.

As I said in a recent post, my husband recently concluded a gospel meeting where he talked in depth about the trial, crucifixion, death, and resurrection of Jesus. Since that time, dozens of thoughts have been pouring into my head. Perhaps the greatest thing (and a surprising thing to me!) I took away from his lessons was a greater appreciation for giving back to the Lord as is commanded for us to do on the first day of the week (2 Cor. 9).

You see, this past Sunday as I sat in worship, I took the Lord's Supper as I am privileged to do every Sunday. I reflected on my Savior dying on a cross for my sins. I thought about His beaten, mangled body and the blood that flowed out from Him. Though the images that came before my mind were heightened because of the lessons I'd heard from my husband only a week before, it was something similar to the things I'd been doing every week. Then, like nearly every Sunday before, it was time for me to give. Like always, only a prayer separated these two very separate forms of worship, yet because they were so close together together--it had a profound impact on me.

How can you not be a cheerful giver when you think about all that Christ has given for you? How can you be a penny-pincher in regards to the money you are a steward of, when Christ held nothing back for you?

Philippians 2:5-8 gives us a glimpse into the sacrifices Jesus made:

"Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being made in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross."

If you have been correctly taking the Lord's Supper (and we know we can take in incorrectly--1 Cor. 11:27), then you have been examining the death of Jesus and remembering all that He did for you. Coming off of such a somber moment, how can you not readily and cheerfully give back to the One who gave all for you?

Oftentimes we get distracted--maybe we have to find our checkbook, a child is being restless, or we've been sitting there so quietly that we just let our minds relax. Whatever it is that you think about during the time that you are giving back to God, I urge you to let your thoughts continue on what Jesus has done for you. It was such a rewarding experience for me. It humbled me, and made me feel that much closer to God in what I was doing. Knowing God didn't spare anything, it made me want to give absolutely everything I could to Him--holding nothing back.

I know this isn't earth-shattering. I'm sure this is something you've done for years and years. For me, though, it can become routine instead of purposeful. It can be a no-brainer at times--dropping a check into the collection plate. I urge you to remember, during those quiet moments, what God has done for you. It will be so much easier for you to give cheerfully, and thus worship Him more acceptably. After all, isn't that what it's all about?

Better Not to Have Known

My heart has been aching lately for people who have turned their backs on God and on the salvation He offers through His Son. There are so many that I know or at least know of who, at one time, were saved through the knowledge of our Savior, who have now returned to their sinful lifestyles. Peter has this to say, in 2 Peter 2:20-21

"For if, after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the latter end is worse for them than the beginning. For it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered to them."

These stern words from Peter give a warning to all of us who are faithful followers of Christ: should we choose to turn away, after knowing our Savior and His love and sacrifice for us, it will be a worse end than if we'd never even believed.

But what about those who have known, yet still walked away from God? How are we not warning those people? How are we not encouraging those people? Their end is worse than it would have been because they have willingly walked away and spat upon our Savior's sacrifice for them.

I have had the privilege this week of attending a gospel meeting that my husband was preaching. He talked about Calvary. He talked about the agony in the garden of Gethsemane, the excruciating pain of the cross, and the sacrifice Jesus gave simply by leaving heaven to come here for us. It was an intense, emotional journey, but one I am so thankful to have taken. It has made me even more aware of what my Savior has done for me, and what He has done for you. It has made me more aware of the suffering and agony that He faced so that we could live in a heavenly home free from those things. Who, knowing all of these things, could simply turn their backs on them (and on Him) for fleeting, earthly pleasures?

Robert's title for the week was "Lead Me to Calvary", and he walked through the lines to that beloved hymn, focusing especially on the chorus:

"Lest I forget Gethsemane, lest I forget Thine agony, lest I forget Thy love for me, lead me to Calvary." 

When people turn their back on Jesus, it must simply be that they have forgotten what He did for them. No trial or circumstance in this life trumps the pain and agony Christ endured for your salvation and for mine. No "love" for a person that isn't rightfully your spouse is greater than the love that held Jesus to the cross. Nothing that I could ever imagine is greater than the sacrifice Jesus made in leaving heaven to come to this sin-ridden world to be beaten, scourged, mocked, spat upon, tortured, and placed on a humiliating cross. There is nothing so great or so powerful that could separate me from the love of God and the love Jesus chose to extend to me by coming here.

So why do we let little things keep us away? Why do we let the harsh words by imperfect Christians keep us away from the cross? Why do we let our own desires for fleshly pleasure keep us away from the cross? Why do we let relationships that are not God-ordained keep us from the foot of the cross? Why do we even put ourselves into the equation when we think about the cross? When we become Christians, we die and are crucified with Christ (Galatians 2:20). We are irrelevant, and Christ lives in us now. We have died to our old man, and in so doing we have placed Jesus' will into our hearts and His life and His will now takes over. That leaves no room for the things I want to do. Instead, it leaves me to walk by faith, knowing that Jesus Christ will give me the strength to make it through this life below until I can be with Him and My Father forever.

There is nothing on this earth that is worth losing heaven. No riches, no pleasures, no trials, no person. Jesus endured so much on that cross (not to mention all of the time leading up to that pivotal moment). The least, the very LEAST, we can do is to be faithful until death. In no way do we deserve a crown, but Jesus says we will get one if we endure. If we will simply follow His commandments (and they aren't burdensome), we can have a home in heaven. Tell me, friend, what on this temporary earth is worth that trade? What would it take for you to give up that crown? I pray that nothing will ever separate us, and if something has, I pray and I beg that you will rid your life of whatever it is keeping you from God. Through Christ, all things are possible, even the hardest things life can throw at us.

"Be faithful unto death, and I will give you a crown of life." - Revelation 2:10