The "J" Word

  Why is it that we as Christians tiptoe around the name of our savior?  We cry out to him at all hours of the day, but when in conversation with others, we tend to omit his name as if it were tabu.  I suppose that is because we have let a few make decisions for us all.  We have allowed Satan to convince us that it is tabu or not PC to say the name, Jesus. That some terrible fate will befall us should we acknowledge we are a child of God and will receive the inheritance of Jesus.   When I have discussions with my coworkers, family, and friends I do not hesitate to speak the names of those to whom I am very close.  Why should I be hesitant to speak Jesus' name when He is the reason I am?  Because I choose to serve as my profession should not keep me from voicing who I am and what I believe.  However, there have been many times, that I have second guessed myself, even avoided crucial conversations altogether because I did not know how to have them without referring to my faith.  This is the power of Satan in my workplace.  We don't like to think of him as being in our schools, but if Jesus is not there, then Satan is.
 
2 Timothy 4:1-3 says, "  I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom: 2preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction. 3For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires,…".  

  So, is it better to make sure that we do not offend anyone around us; or should we be sure to show our faith and our belief in how to love one another, serve our communities, and be strong, moral leaders?  I say we have no choice.  Our savior deserves no less than for us to shout his name from the mountain tops!  So we can surely call Him by name when we are a part of His family.  We should not refrain from naming Him as if he is some relative whom the family would rather not acknowledge.  When we refrain from saying His name, we are doing the same to our God.  My prayer today is to have the courage and strength to name my God and my Savior, Jesus Christ.  I want to give Him credit for all He does in my life day by day.  

Dear Lord,
  Please give me the strength, courage, and wisdom I need to acknowledge you in all ways and speak your name so that all whom I encounter know that I am a child of God and my Savior, Jesus Christ, is my life model.
  In Jesus' Name
Amen

My Dad's Voice

For as long as I can remember my day's voice has been a constant and caring guiding force in my life. I have listened to his words of advice, critical yet loving feedback, interactions with others, and core values of service to others. Like most typical children, when I messed up, it was Dad's voice I avoided. When I accomplished something worthwhile it was and is still his voice that I seek for affirmation. 

Even as a successful adult with much responsibility, I often find myself wondering, "hhmmmm, what would Dad say about that?".  I have looked toward his voice as my anchor for nearly 46 years now. It has been a source of comfort and center of influence my entire life.  Yes, he is opinionated and has very high expectations for those with whom he associates, but he is also one of the most giving people I have ever known. 

On January 28th Dad checked himself into the hospital for an elective hip replacement that should have taken no more than a couple months of recovery time at home and 3 days in the hospital at most. But, our Heavenly Father had very different plans. To spare you all the gory details, lets just say after multiple hospitals and many, "it'll be a miracle if he makes it 24 hours" , God wasn't finished with him yet! And yesterday, after almost 6 months of not hearing my Dad's voice, we had a 3 hour conversation about nothing really. But that conversation has blessed me more than any other. I didn't realize how I missed his voice until I heard it again. 

Nehemiah 1:10-11New International Version (NIV)

¹⁰ “They are your servants and your people, whom you redeemed by your great strength and your mighty hand. ¹¹ Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of this your servant and to the prayer of your servants who delight in revering your name. Give your servant success today by granting him favor in the presence of this man.”

I was cupbearer to the king.

     

As I basked in the comfort of his voice, I began to realize that God gave me Jesus as a guide as well. He blessed me with my earthly father to train me in the ways of servanthood, but he blessed the world with Jesus of Nazareth, descendant of David, son of God to train me in all His ways. Dear Father, may I be a constant and humble student of your Word and Ways.   I cannot imagine how I will feel the day I get to hear the voice of Jesus.  As sweet as my dad's voice is to my earthly ears, the heavenly voice is one I long to one day hear.

His guidance and example through God's Word and the whispers He allows me are a blessing here on earth just as my Dad's love and example have been. I praise his name for giving this servant success by granting me favor in the presence of man. 

Sharing My Jesus!

Shawn 

Forgiveness

   Oh what that one word means!  It is almost impossible to have a complete understanding of it, yet I would go out on a limb to say that most of us begin our prayers asking God  to forgive us. God has presented me with several situations recently to think about the concept of forgiveness; and on Wednesday during prayer meeting, that was the topic Pastor placed before us. Coincidence?  I think not!  Sometimes when I refuse to be still, God puts me in time out for my own good. :)

   Our study on Wednesday evening was of Matthew 18:21-35,  which is the parable of the unmerciful servant.  (V.21-22). "Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, 'Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me?  Up to seven times?' Jesus answered, 'I tell you not seven times, but seventy-seven times."

   Jesus clearly tells us all that we SHALL forgive our brother as many times as he sins against us. Now, if you sat down and made a mental note of all the people (brothers) who offended you in one way or another today, I bet you could make a pretty healthy list. Others you encounter throughout the course of your day may sin against you, but because you are having a relatively good day, you just let it  go in the spirit of being a "good" Christian. However other times even the simplest, unintended slight can become the biggest stumbling block for us for weeks and even months, depending on our mood at that particular time. 

    Forgiveness is such an important teaching point of Jesus' that we can find 124 different references to it in the Bible. Interestingly, very few of them are from the Old Testament.  The references to forgiveness there are almost exclusively about repentance in the form of some offering to God to repay the debt of sin, as required by Jewish law. As a matter of fact, the law required actual atonement of the debtor.  Additionally, in  pagan cultures forgiveness was considered a personality weakness, and many times small transgressions were considered to be beneath important or influential men. (Hmmmm.... I think I've seen that philosophy very recently.)   

     My favorite  verse about forgiveness is Ephesians 4:23. 

   "Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you."  It speaks of both human and divine forgiveness.   So, as I take inventory of those who I need to forgive and the much longer list of those who have forgiven me; I think of God's sacrifice for us and maybe the most recognized verse in the New Testament.  Luke 23:24 "Father, forgive them. They know not what they do."

   Heavenly Father forgive me. Lead me to live and forgive as Jesus did. 

~Amen

Please consider commenting on Forgiveness. 

Sharing My Jesus,

Shawn

Gift Giving

Today John and I are on our 9 hour journey home from the beach. I know that no one can enjoy riding/driving for that many hours, but who am I to complain?  The blessings poured at my feet during this ride are many.... Quiet time to read and study God's word, time to reflect on our week at the beach and conversation time with the hubby, just to name a few. You will have to forgive me if this post has misspellings or abruptly ends. We are currently driving through the mountains of NC.

   Today my reading was Luke 3:1-23. It is the story of the baptism of Jesus by John the Baptist. John has always been a character from the Bible who interests me. He is a cousin to Jesus; was born to a barren mother, and lived in the desert before coming on the scene to " Prepare the way for The Lord, make straight paths for him. " (Isaiah 40:3-5)  Although there are many, many interesting details to this story, today I chose to focus on verse 11, "The man with two tunics should share with him who has none, and the one who has food should do the same. "  Obviously as Christians we would not let others go hungry, but what about the gifts with which we have been blessed by God?  What gifts do I have?  After reflecting I realize that my gift is a very simple one that God expects me to share with others. I can provide support and empower others to believe in themselves and have self respect. 

   My job allows me contact with folks from all walks of life and all ages. The way I choose to interact with them can either build them up or tear them down. I want to be a cathedral builder as author Greg Coker says in his book Building Cathedrals. My prayer for today is that I share my blessings with all whom I interact in the way that Jesus would. God has given me a position of influence and blessing so that I would use it to glorify Him and His Word. I pray for the wisdom and words I will need to be a gracious messenger of what it means to be an heir to the King of Kings. 

In Jesus' Name

Blessings ,

Shawn

Luke 1:45

New Bible study started today, Beth Moore's Jesus the One and Only.  I am already sure that this will be a personal renewal that's been awaiting my attention. I love the patience God shows me. I am at the beach and have been still long enough to hear His word and love for me, again. I am beyond thankful that He does not give up on His children.

"Blessed is she who has believed that what The Lord has said to her will be accomplished."   Luke 1:45
NIV
As I read and reread this one verse in Luke, I tried my best to see what these words mean to me. God gave Elizabeth a child after many years of prayerful obedience, even when she was too old to carry a child. She did not once question Zechariah when he told her of Gabriel's visit.  Her response to her pregnancy was, "The Lord has done this for me.  in these days he has shown his favor and taken away my disgrace among the people " (Luke 1:25) I know myself well enough to know that I would have been very skeptical had I been in Elizabeth's shoes. God also sent Gabriel to visit Mary and share the news of Jesus. At the time Mary was more than likely only in her early teens, but accepted her purpose by answering, "I am the Lord's servant.  May it be to me as you have said." Luke 1:38
Both of these women answered their call to serve The Lord with grace, strength, and obedience. As I walk through my day to day life, do I handle things the way both Elizabeth and Mary did?  They had the blessing of spending 3 months together. What did they discuss?  What did they share?  What were their prayers?  My prayer and renewal from my study this week is to walk in faith as Elizabeth, mother of John the Baptist, and Mary, mother of Jesus Christ, did. I need to work to react with obedience, strength, and grace when called by God to service, for I know that what He says to me will be accomplished in His way and His time!

God Bless!

Shawn