Tomorrow begins our Christmas break and I am taking a much-needed break from writing. Instead of just not posting, I have selected a few past posts to share. Also, please feel free to browse through my archives. I’ve been writing now for over six years. May God fill your holiday season with His great love!
Dec 22nd, 2021, Wed, 8:39 pm
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It has been a full day, Father, and a lot of little things have gotten done. Thank You for prompting Karen to have us go for a walk this evening while the weather was still nice. We needed the exercise and the change of view! All praise to You!
Luke 9:49-50 (<<click to read the passage)
I have a friend…a good friend…who has become a changed man. I have known him for quite a few years now but the man he is today is not the man he was even just a couple of years ago. He was (and is) faithful to the church. He was regular in his attendance, supportive of his pastor, generous in his giving…anything the church got behind and supported, he was right there at the front of the line to contribute whatever he could in any way he could. He most definitely was active…but he was distant. Maybe even a little cold… Something in his youth, something from the church, had hurt him…it had hurt him badly. I would say it scarred him for life. But that did not stop him from doing what he could for God. It was just that there was a barrier if you will, something that deprived him of the joy for which he longed. I don’t think he ever really stopped looking for it. But sometimes it is difficult to find something when you are not even exactly sure what you are looking for.
That all changed a little over a year ago.
A series of extremely difficult circumstances enveloped his life. It was not just a couple of bumps in the road of his life. In reality, it was a life-and-death situation in which he found himself. He had no choice but to go down the path that stretched before him…and it could easily have brought an end to his life. But God…
God chose to intervene. He stepped into the situation – which mind you, was overflowing with prayers from the faithful. And God heard those prayers and saw fit to answer them in a mighty way…in a miraculous way! What could have brought death, was halted by life! And the life was not just of flesh and blood but was of the Spirit Himself!
The joy he sought, has been granted. And his life has been changed. And even that word “changed” seems so inadequate! It is much too small a word for how this new life in Jesus has impacted his life! And truly Jesus is everything to him. Jesus is no longer an obligation to be lived up to, He is a friend like no other! And my friend is following Jesus, to the best of his ability, with every word, every action, and every thought. He lives to bring happiness and joy to his Savior!
In today’s short passage, there are some pretty harsh words spoken. And what makes them even harsher in their impact is who said them. Verse 49 tells us that the Apostle John said to Jesus, “Master, we saw someone using your name to cast out demons, but we told him to stop because he isn’t in our group.” NLT
Doesn’t that sound petty? Selfish? “Hey don’t do that! You’re not part of the club like I am!”
Remember, too, that John and his brother James – and it’s recorded in just a couple more verses -they wanted to call fire down on some unsavory villagers because they were ticked off at them! (Luke 9:51-54)
Mark’s Gospel has them vying for seats of honor in Jesus’ kingdom – something Jesus could not grant and something for which they had no right to ask. (Mark 10:35-45)
John wasn’t a bad guy…and even though he had spent a lot of time with Jesus, up close and personal time…he really didn’t know Jesus. But one day he would.
Read John’s own Gospel and you will see that he, too, had sought for joy and it was miraculously granted to him. And just as my friend’s life was changed, so was John’s…and without a doubt, Jesus became everything to him, too.
Lord Jesus, may we all find the joy – that “joy unspeakable and full of glory” that You have in store for each of us who truly seeks You…for we will surely find it!
Apr 27th, 2020, Mon, 8:21 pm
