Friends & Family

I heard the old Michael W. Smith classic "Friends are friends forever"  this morning on the radio and I started thinking about how friends are gifts of the Almighty God. He uses the friends in our lives to be the hands and feet of Jesus. And as believers in Jesus Christ our friends are also our family fulfilling both parts of Proverbs 17:17, " A friend loves at all times and a brother is born for adversity."

I would like to briefly recount a few times that the Lord used my friends to reach down and surround me with His love in a way that was "just like Jesus," unmistakably Him.

When I got my wisdom teeth out my dad took me home and then went to the store to fill my scripts before the novacaine wore off. My mom was working and so my little brother and sister were the only ones home with me. My mouth was completely numb and apparently my gauze was completely soaked because the next thing I knew I was drooling blood. My poor younger sibs were staring at me wide eyed not sure what to do and I was sure that I would not be able to change the gauze on my own. At that moment there was a knock at the door and my mom's best friend walked in. She had come over with a stack of movies for me to watch. She changed that nasty gauze for me and reassured us all simply by her presence. I remember thinking, "that is true love."

Another time that was maybe a year or two ago I was at church and feeling very alone. I had just listened to a sermon on marriage and was feeling a bit forgetten. I was walking quickly to the nursery to find my sister trying to hold back the tears when a young man who had recently graduated from the high school youth group that I help lead, called my name. I turned around almost reluctantly, and he said "Megan, I just want to tell you how special you are and how much you mean to me as a friend and leader." He gave me a hug and held on as I sobbed tears of joy that the Lord had not forgotten me.

Recently at work one day I was choking back tears as I read an email from a friend that brought me joy and heartache. I was trying to slip unnoticed into the back when my co-worker caught me. She offered the words of encouragement that I needed right then as one who has shared the same mingled joys and pains.

I am sure that I have more stories to tell, and as I think of them I will share because they are really testimonies of this great truth: WHAT A FRIEND WE HAVE IN JESUS!!

The Foolishness of God

"Come lose your life for a carpenter's son

For a madman who died for a dream

Then you'll have the faith His first followers had

And you'll feel the weight of the beam"

"but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God." 1 Cor 1:23-24

A babe in the straw

Was the God who inspires awe

The Word of God made man

So that we might understand

From Nazareth, the carpenter's Son, 

Came with a purpose, the Father's will to be done

He had no to place to lay His head

He left the throne of heaven to stand in our stead

He chose his followers, called them by name

they were not perfect but none would ever be the same

He chose the outcasts of this world to declare His word

In the weak of this world His message was heard

And today He calls you

His message is true

On the cross He did die

but now is risen on high

Will you bow the knee?

will you answer His plea?

The Word Became Flesh

I have been thinking about the importance of sharing the gospel--and what that looks like in my day to day life. 

I have thought about famous quotes from great theologians like Sir Francis of Assisi who said "Preach the word at all times, and when necessary use words." And I have wondered--is it ever unnecessary?

Can we effectively share the truth about who the Lord Jesus is by    actions alone? And if not what is the role of words? I mean, we all agree, I hope, that our lives should reflect the Lord Jesus Christ, but many of us would disagree about when and how we speak of Him to those around us.

I don't want to debate methods--but I want to just point out what the Lord showed me from His word this week "The Word became flesh." John 1:1 I think that this answers the question---there is no either or the Word was Incarnated for us. We must speak and we must act as our Lord has called us to. 

In need of Grace

I was reading tonight @ aholyexperience.com and one phrase caught my eye "Grace always asks if you want more." Oh, yes Lord, I want more--because I need more of Your grace! And the following is just a glimpse of why I need His grace. 

I was discussing tonight with a friend how speaking the truth about who Jesus is and what He has done for us is a necessary part of sharing the gospel. How this really is a gospel of the Word and without spoken, or written word much about who He is would fail to be expressed. 

The  sad irony is that earlier this same night I almost opened my mouth to testify of my Lord's amazing grace in my workplace this summer and I didn't. Either because of fear of what the hearer might think, or second guessing myself because "surely they wouldn't understand," or perhaps not wanting to make them feel uncomfortable--- I spoke empty words instead. These excuses seem pretty paltry in comparison with the importance of the issue at hand--eternal life with Jesus Christ or eternal death without Him. May I never lose sight of that again!

And so Lord Jesus, I need Your grace

I cannot, in my own strength, run this race

Forgive me for the times I fail

Help me Lord to walk Your trail

Jesus Lord please fix my eyes

Keep me pressing for the prize

May I run thus unashamed

Bringing all glory to Your name!

Called & Qualified

I was reading Exodus this morning and I came to the unique narrative about the men who were equipped to do the work of building the tabernacle. 
I was struck by the first part of verse 2: "See, I have called by name..." Here are these seemingly previously unknown men, who have never been mentioned before and will never be mentioned again as far as I know, and the LORD God, the Creator of the universe, steps in and says "I have called by name..." What an awesome thing! And how amazing to know that He has also called me by name!
The LORD goes on to say in the next few verses that He has filled them with the Spirit of God, He has gifted them with ability and intelligence, knowledge and craftsmanship. I love that--He not only called them; He qualified them. 

After reading that this morning I was reminded of it again as we read 1 Corinthians chapter 1 at Bible Study tonight. Paul starts out by reminding the Corinthians of their calling: "Called to be saints...and called into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our LORD." And in between those two callings he reminds them of their equipping that by the grace of God they are "enriched in Him in all speech and all knowledge,"not lacking in any gift,"guiltless in the day of Jesus Christ." 

All of this is mine in Christ Jesus and it blows my mind. I know that I am a rotten sinner. I worry and fret. I get angry. I gossip. I am grumpy. I forget to look out for the interests of others. I forget to pray. I speak harshly. I judge too quickly. I fail to show mercy.

BUT.... GOD is FAITHFUL!!

Amazing grace is shown to me. I am a saint. I am in fellowship with Jesus Christ. I am equipped to serve by the grace of God. I am qualified to serve by that same grace. What an amazing God we serve!

God still speaks

It is amazing to see how God still speaks into our lives through His word!
Yesterday I was wrestling with a difficult situation--not one that I have any control over but something that deeply burdened my heart nonetheless. I was angry and frustrated--seemingly just at the situation, but ultimately I realized that I was angry with God for allowing things to be as they are.
I went to chapel for our weekly prayer and Bible study and I hardly heard a thing that the speaker said except for two verses from 2 Chronicles 20.

The people of Israel are up against a hard situation and they cry out to the Lord "We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on You." And the Lord responds--"You will not need to fight in this battle. Stand firm, hold your position, and see the salvation of the LORD."

In my own life with this difficult situation--I do not know what to do---I am incredibly frustrated as a health care professional to feel like my hands are tied. The reality is that I am in the same position as the children of Israel, not just in this situation, but in all areas of my life. I am not wise or knowledgeable apart from the Lord and so I must look to Him.

And I love the Lord's answer--"You will not need to fight." This took all the anger right out of my heart--He will fight for me. He only asks that I hold my position--which from the previous verse is a simple one--with my eyes on Him!

What a mighty God we serve!

Cloudy Day

   This morning as I drove to work I was struck by the amazing beauty of the sun rising and breaking through the clouds. I think that the sunrise is actually more beautiful on those days when there are clouds to shine through. You can disagree but it started me thinking about the purpose of the cloud in scripture. The cloud is often used as the covering of the glory of the Lord. In our modern world we often think of clouds in connection with trials and difficulties. It struck me that when the sun breaks through the clouds the beauty is more breathtaking than the beauty of a cloudless day. And likewise when the Son of Glory shines through the trials of our lives the beauty is more beautiful, more deep and rich, than the beauty of a life without the refining fire of trials.