Resurrection Musings

Dear Sister,

Someday we will all be given a disease, some diagnosis, even just old age, accident, or another circumstance which will take our lives…unless Jesus returns first. Our family was given a reprieve recently from the last enemy when my younger brother survived a heart attack, a resurrection of sorts.

The true believer in Christ, the one who has received Christ alone through faith alone through grace alone—that person will not die forever. In reality, no one will die forever, but the Christian will be raised to life everlasting. The unbeliever will be raised as well, but will be thrown into the fires of hell and eternal torment, banished forever from the presence of God.

Easter is here. A commemoration of the already and the not yet. His resurrection past. Ours to come.

Let’s look back.

On the first day of the week after that last Passover supper on Thursday, Peter tried to remember all the events leading up to what he was hearing now from Mary and the other women.  He remembered well that night when he was humbled, when the Master had removed His outer garment, wrapped a towel around His waist, knelt and washed Peter’s dirty feet as if the Lord were a common servant. If only he, Peter, had thought of doing it first.

That was the night Judas Iscariot had left the supper early, after his feet were washed…The night Jesus had talked about bread being His body and wine representing His blood. It did not make sense. A new covenant ratified by Jesus’ blood?

Fresh in Peter’s mind was his sleepiness in the Garden when he and his close friends could not keep their eyes open from exhaustion, physical and emotional. Jesus had gently chided him for not being able to stay awake with Him for even one hour, warning that the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. He had promptly fallen asleep again until Jesus jarred him awake, warning that soldiers and Jewish leaders were coming to take the Lord by force. Judas Iscariot—Judas, their friend and companion for three years, had betrayed the Master. How could this be?

Quickly came his own denials of the One he loved, the One he had formerly declared to be the Christ, the Son of the living God, thoughts which now crushed his soul. For the rest of his life he would remember Jesus’ eyes looking at him when that rooster crowed in the dawning light of Friday. Was it love or sorrow or pity or “I told you you would deny me” when their gaze met? It was enough to make him flee that courtyard and warming-fire to break down and weep bitterly in true shame and sorrow and repentance.

The mock trials and the frenzied chants of the mob screaming, “Crucify Him! Crucify Him!”, from the same people who had just a week before welcomed Him into town waving palm branches as if He were a king, were etched as a nightmare in his soul. The memory would probably haunt him forever, even after he would come to understand the reason for these things, things Jesus had told him many times, but his hard and stubborn heart would not, could not receive.

His Lord was executed on that macabre method of capital punishment devised by the Romans, the rugged cross of torture. Why? What had Jesus done to deserve this? Peter felt the deep oppression of the three hour darkness in the afternoon of the day and doubtless heard how Jesus had taken His last breath. Dead. Dead. Dead. And now, this Sunday morning, Mary was trying to tell him, on orders from an angel, that the Master’s body, wrapped in cloths and laid tenderly in the grave of a rich man, was gone. The dazzling angelic messenger declared Jesus was risen and to go tell Peter.  This seemed an idle tale, but he had to see for himself, so he ran with John, to the burial site. His friend was younger and quicker and was already peering into the cave, the stone having been rolled away just as Mary had asserted, when Peter, panting from his exertion, arrived and burst into the tomb to see what he would see. Grave clothes, but no body.  Anyone stealing a dead man surely would not have unwrapped the body from the burial cloths. Where was He?

The Scriptures tell us Peter departed, marveling to himself at what had happened. He had not understood the Old Testament Scriptures nor Jesus’ teachings about the necessity of the resurrection.  Perhaps the eyes of his understanding were gradually being enlightened.

Scripture does not tell us all of Peter’s feelings, but with some visualizing and human affinity, we can imagine some of the “if only-s” and “what if-s” going on in his heart. The worst was, no doubt, the fresh memory of those three denials after his flourish of bravado boasting he would never deny the Lord, he would follow Him wherever—

As Jesus is wont to do with His brothers and sisters, He was not finished with blustery Peter. The risen Lord, in His mercy and love and tenderness, appeared to His passionate and fickle friend before appearing to the rest of the disciples. We are not privy to the conversation, but it seems that Peter would have been reassured of the Savior’s love for him—that the relationship was intact. How I would have wanted to see the living Savior’s eyes as He met Peter along the way. What did Jesus say? What did the soul-battered fisherman do? We surely know he did not bitterly weep this time. Perhaps there were tears of great joy.

Peter saw the Lord several more times before that final scene when he craned his neck as long as possible, watching as a cloud swallowed Jesus from his sight. This time he was not desolate. He was not in despair. The Lord was alive forevermore and on a sandy beach over breakfast had given Peter his marching orders to feed Christ’s sheep. The promised Helper would come to fill him with power and boldness instead of fear and weakness.

The next time we see the once vacillating, denying, and fearful Peter, the one who had met the risen Christ in a priceless, face-to-face encounter, we hear him, before a crowd, lifting up his voice with confidence and understanding:

“Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through Him in your midst, as you yourselves know—-this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. God raised Him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for Him to be held by it…” (Acts 2:22-24)

If Peter were here now he would tell us that because Jesus lives, the grave will not be able to hold us either. Oh, wait, he does speak:

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to His great mercy, He has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.” (1 Peter 1:3-5)

Amen and amen.
He is risen! He is risen indeed!

Rejoicing with you,

Cherry

The Lord’s Unfailing Compassions

Dear sister,

Being a care giver is a very strenuous mission. It taxes one physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. I should know because I have been the mother of a special needs child for 27 years now.  Obviously because she is my child the love I have for her is not only indelible but it is a powerful source of motivation to care for her. However, I have learned that even my love for her fails at times.   If it is only because of my love for her that I care for her and act on her behalf then she will at times be wanting. I am only human and it is impossible for me to show her love and care one hundred percent of the time.

From a very early age I began teaching my daughter the truth that human love can only go so far.  I started the habit of finishing our day with prayers, sometimes a song, and a Bible story.  Then an exchange of snuggles, kisses, laughter and I love yous.  On my way out the door, with the lights out and her heart full I would ask her “Who loves you the best?”  The first few times she would say “Mommy and Daddy” to which I would say “Yes, mommy and daddy do love you but Jesus loves you even more!” And I would explain how that was.

Our Triune God is the only one who can love us mercifully and compassionately through and through, over and over, for all eternity.  I am grateful that God’s attribute of compassion is a shared one. However, having cared for someone 24/7 for these twenty – seven years (whether she has been in my presence or not) has shown me that it truly is only God’s compassions that fail not. My compassions are weak and feeble at best, no matter how much I love the person I am given the opportunity to show compassion towards.

God’s unfailing compassions are based on the attributes which He alone possesses. Some of these attributes are that He is the supreme ruler of all things, He is all knowing, all powerful, and always present.  He cannot be measured and He never ever, ever changes. Therefore, His compassions can never fail, meaning they are always working for the good of the recipient of those compassions, to the praise and glory of His Name.

When I see God’s compassions through this lens my heart melts.  It melts because I know that even though He has graciously shared the attribute of compassion with me so that I might be compassionate towards others, I have failed and I will most likely fail again. I need Him and I need His compassion towards me, a fragile, weak and sometimes rebellious sinner. My heart melts in knowing because of Christ’s righteousness being imputed to me, I am able to receive His compassions and to transfer those compassions to others in need. God showed compassion to those He calls His children by giving us His Son and by dying so that we might live for Him.  So, why would I not? Why would I withhold what God has so graciously and abundantly given to me? God forbid that I would be greedy with that which He so freely lavishes upon me!

I’m not perfect nor do I want to be. However, may you and I dear sister long to be compassionate like our Heavenly Father is and to rejoice when we see that His compassion toward us has not left us wanting. May we rejoice in the fact that He is sufficient in all ways.  Look for it today sweet sister, don’t miss the opportunity to rejoice in His unfailing compassions!

“Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion…”  Lamentations 3:21-23

In awe today,

Susan

 

 

 

Perfection Problems

 

Dear sister,

I hate to break it to you, but life is not perfect, and neither are you.When I was a kid, my mom would remind me, “Karlie, you are not perfect, and you never will be. You might as well realize this now.” This may sound harsh, but I really struggled with perfectionism as a kid, to the point of frustration. Basically, she was saying life is not perfect and putting my hope in something that I cannot obtain is hopeless. Telling someone they are not perfect may sound discouraging, but it can be exhausting expecting perfection in a fallen world.

So does that mean we stop striving for perfection? We desire perfection, but often look to the wrong places for perfection. I usually put my hope in planning. If everything goes according to plan, my life will be perfect. But life is not perfect; relationships fall through, cars break down, family members get sick, etc. So what do we do? Well, if you are like me, I worry. At least then I feel like I am being productive. But in the end I find worrying doesn’t accomplish anything other than raise my stress level.

“The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, 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 your minds in Christ Jesus.”  (Philippians 4:5b-7)

I am not the one in control. Worry only reveals a heart that does not fully trust the Lord with all things. If God can take care of the birds of the air and the lilies of the field (Matt. 6:25-34), why do we doubt His care for you and me?

This year, I’ve made it my goal to stress less and trust God more. Will life go according to my plan this year? Probably not, and if hard times haven’t come, they are probably just around the corner. Yet what looks like failure or a mistake to us may just be God’s plan from the beginning. It’s frustrating when plans don’t work out, but that’s life. Thankfully, we cannot ruin God’s plan. His ways are above our ways and His timing is perfect, even if it does not fit our timeline. When faced with disappointments, we need to rejoice and trust in Him. After all, nothing is supposed to be perfect, on this side of heaven.

I guess my mom was partially correct, I am not perfect, but I am being perfected every day. As Paul says later in Philippians: “Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own” (Philippians 3:12).

We will be perfect someday, as He is perfect. When life doesn’t go according to plan, we need to look to the One who is perfect and makes us perfect in Christ; rest in His perfection.

In Christ,

Karlie

The Threads of Our Lives and Attitudes of Our Hearts

Dear Sister,

Disappointment. Deep disappointment. Wallowing in the pit of dismay. That is where the news of the day has found us. We did not lose anything tangible, just a dream. The object of years of hard work has proved elusive yet again and likely forever. Now where? Now what? Lord, we feel like we are standing in front of a locked door (locked on the opposite side), in a dark space. Deflated, depressed. Even amongst great blessing.

As we struggle with these feelings of discontent, I search the lives of individuals in the Bible and I find Rachel struggled as well. She was beautiful, wealthy, the recipient of amazing love; but she had not achieved the epitome of a blessed woman of her time. She had not birthed a son. All was hollow to her without that achievement. She even risked the ire of the man who loved her, the man she was dependent on for everything on earth. Eventually, she had her sons—along with robust sides of conniving and resultant rampant jealousy in her family.

I’m not saying Rachel was wrong in desiring children, but the pursuit of her dream was relentless and her priority above all else. I contrast her battle with that of Hannah’s in I Samuel 1. Where Rachel schemed, Hannah prayed. While Rachel pushed her agenda and forced her way, Hannah waited and kept praying. Both women achieved the object of their pursuit, but Hannah is lifted up as an example of humility and longsuffering and she had the blessings of the Lord and her husband. Rachel’s victories finally tasted as dust in her mouth, for in the birthing room, “It came about as her soul was departing (for she died), that she named him Ben-oni; but his father called him Benjamin.” Gen. 35:18. (Ben-oni: “the son of my sorrow”) Rachel realized her goal, but only in death and with great heartache.

Ironically, another Benjaminite learned what his ancestor did not. In writing to the Corinthians, Paul reports that he prayed and wrestled with God three different times that his “thorn in the flesh” might be taken away. God’s reply was not what we would have expected for His faithful servant and great miracle worker, “And He has said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.’ Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me.” II Cor. 12:9. He did not just accept defeat, but boasted in it, because that thorn was the receptacle through which God’s grace and power would flow.

We keep asking to be shown His way forward, but resort to gnashing our teeth when our way is thwarted, instead of turning to seek His guidance. We continue to regret the demolition of dreams, instead of rejoicing over the broken seeds from which God is using to grow beautiful fruit.

Throughout history, God’s will was accomplished—Rachel played her part in having children that were included in the 12 tribes of Israel; and Hannah gave birth to Samuel, the great judge of Israel. God’s plan is always fulfilled, He weaves with the threads of our lives—whether we are obstinate or not. We may be woven beneath his tapestry for long periods, but we are still used.   We cannot always choose how or where we are woven, but we can offer Him the brightness of our colors, the attitude of our hearts.

So, excuse me while I go play ‘Wonder Woman’ with the kids (complete with flying cape). We are rejoicing over our squashed dream—for God is using it to shower us with His grace and to show us His power. Amen!

Running with you,

Rebecca

Enter into the Joy of the Lord

My Dearest Sister,

​If you watch the news, listen to the radio, or read the paper, then you know it is impossible to get very far without finding out about some horrendous act of violence, terrible accident, or unfortunate set of events. These stories never cease to shock and sadden us and so often they seem to come faster than we can even process them: Bombings, building explosions, homicides, kidnappings, school shootings, horrific car crashes. It is impossible to hear of such things without feeling some of the devastation, sadness, and fear that have gripped the lives of those involved. As a result, these stories are so often a reminder of the frailty of life, of how suddenly we can have our families, our homes, our security, and even our very happiness ripped from our grasp in one tragic moment. So how do we, dear sister, approach the topic of joy in the light of all the sorrow around us? If everything we have in this world can be taken away in a split second, as these stories and even some of our own lives have testified, how is it possible to have any lasting joy at all?

​The answer to that question lies in the source of our joy. Most of us in this world have at least some measure of happiness invested in our earthly circumstances, and as we should, for I do believe that God wants us to enjoy the blessings He has given us. However, we know that all things in this world will one day come to an end, meaning that any joy tied to this world will end as well. The only way we can have true and lasting joy then, my beloved sister, is when the main source of our joy does not come from this world, but from the promise we have in Jesus Christ. 1 Peter 1:3-4 assures us of this promise, saying we have an eternal future with our Savior, one that is “incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away”. Peter continues on in verses 6 and 7: “In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith… tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” You see, God knew we were going to have hardships and suffering in this life; But He also instructs us through Peter to rejoice that these trials are temporary and instead we have an eternal, undefiled inheritance in Him to look forward to.

​Jesus Himself says we will not be strangers to sadness while waiting for His return, but also tells us that the joy that is to come will outweigh any heartache we will experience on this earth: “Most assuredly, I say to you that you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice; and you will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will be turned into joy. A woman, when she is in labor, has sorrow because her hour has come; but as soon as she has given birth to the child, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has born into the world. Therefore you now have sorrow; but I will see you again and your heart will rejoice, and your joy no one will take from you.” (John 16:20-22).

I don’t know about you, but words cannot express the hope that fills me when I read that promise! Not only does Jesus intimately know my sorrows but He also has given me the assurance of that sorrow being quickly changed to joy when I see Him for the first time. And furthermore, He has promised me that no one can take that joy away; It is permanent and will not fade for all eternity. The hope we have for this joy is what keeps us going, through all the trials, all the pain, and all the sadness we will experience on this earth.

​So you see, my sister, suffering and joy are inextricably tied together. We cannot experience the joy Christ has set aside for us without going through the fiery trials. Indeed, it is the sorrow and the sadness that actually cause us to look forward to this unfading joy with such steadfast hope. If we had nothing but an easy life filled only with happiness, then the promise of eternal joy would not have nearly the same impact. Therefore, we have every reason to rejoice in the face of our earthly trials, knowing that they will one day be replaced by more happiness than we can possibly imagine. My response then, to the earlier question of how we have lasting joy in a world of strife and sadness is this: We have had it all along! This permanent, unfading joy has already been promised to us as believers; That’s the beauty of God’s plan for us. Yes, we will still experience sorrow and pain in this life, but the hope we have in the joy that is to come is ours to hold on to. No one can take it away from us.

​With this promise of eternal joy in our hearts, we can stand strong in our faith no matter what sorrows, tragedies, or horrific trials befall us. Know, dear sister, that this kind of resolute faith is powerful. It is how Jesus’ disciples and followers were able to go preach the Word, bearing up under the weight of ridicule, tortures, and even death. Because of his faith in the joy to come, the apostle Paul was able to sing praises to the Lord while shackled in dark and gloomy cells. And every martyr, minister, and missionary throughout the world has been able to face the daily threats, dangers, and persecutions for the same reason: They all lived every day on this earth in the light of their eternal future, always focusing on the joy that was set before them.

​My final question to you is this: If we had the same grasp on the lasting joy that is to come, what would we do differently? Maybe we would live each day a little more for the glory of God and a little less for ourselves; Maybe we would stop caring so much about what other people might think or do if they didn’t agree with our faith; Maybe, just maybe, we would be able to share our hope for lasting joy in Christ Jesus with someone who has none at all. Don’t be discouraged, my lovely sister, by the sorrows and troubles of this world, for we know they are temporary. Instead, live today and every day in the light of your eternal future, always looking unto the joy that has been set before you in the Lord.

​Grace to you and peace from God the Father and ​Jesus Christ our Lord.

​Your sister and friend,
​~ Lauren Titcomb