My Inscription...

Luke 20: 19 - 26

So, the scenario is this - here is Jesus who has been teaching and preaching and talking to the people, and the Pharisees and Scribes, the 'big dogs' of the day, were so angry and hated Him so much, they were literally spying on Him!

They were so very desperate to catch him, snag him in doing something - anything that was against the law of Moses that they held so dear.

The text says that they wanted to lay hands on Him 'that very hour' - They were intent on catching Him in a wrongdoing. And fast. That way, they could get rid of Him. He would no longer be a threat to them and their religious system, and they could go on living their unconvicted, self-righteous lives.
They were afraid of Jesus.
They were afraid of the people.
They knew that they really could not stand against what Jesus said and taught, so their way of dealing with it was to do away with Him... if they could only catch Him in something...and they really believed they could.

The plot was so crafty, so shrewd - send in some of their own people to 'pretend to be righteous' (v 20) catch Him in a statement and 'deliver Him to the rule and authority of the governor.'

So, in they go - acting as if they wanted to be there, as if they really were interested in hearing the things Jesus had to say - but theirs hearts were filled with evil intent and greed... they began firing questions at Jesus...
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I hate to say it, but this sounds terribly familiar in some ways - the church today has its fair share of people that represent this type of person - the greedy, contentious, self righteous one that will argue and fight and insist they are right and righteous, and will attack the bearers of truth at any cost... "There is nothing new under the sun"

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"Teacher, we know that you teach and speak correctly, and You are not partial to any, but teach the way of God in truth..."

Can we just stop for a moment?
This sounds like they are really trying to butter Him up - and here comes the big one - they thought they had this all figured out, and that they could use flattery and manipulation to catch Jesus - flattery to win Him over, to get him to 'let his guard down'. Lies to accomplish their mission... did they really believe that Jesus wouldn't catch onto this? That He would cave to flattery or deception? That He would really think they were sincere? THEY TRIED TO USE PARTIAL TRUTH to MANIPULATE. Geesh... glad we never do that.

"Is it lawful for us to pay taxes to Caesar?"

There it is. The clincher. The zinger.
HA! Surely this one will get him - Lets see what he has to say about THIS!

You can almost picture them sitting back, smugly waiting for his answer, smirking with delight, gloating over how very clever they are, drooling at the thought of how wonderful their scheme is, how great their reward will be when they finally get rid of this rebel...

But Jesus, detecting their trickery, said to them, "Show me a denarius."

I can see their jaws dropping a tad, maybe sitting forward, indignant, their smug attitudes crumbling maybe just a bit.... "What? A denarius? What is he talking about - what does that have to do with....?"

"Whose likeness and inscription does it have?"

"Ceaser's."

"Then render to Ceaser the things that are Ceaser's, and the things that are God's to God."

v 26 - "and they were UNABLE to catch Him in a saying in the presence of the people,
and being AMAZED at His answer, they became silent."

Oh Lord God, may I always remember that you are not a God to be manipulated, I cannot persuade you to my view with my version of the truth, and I can never twist what you say... Please let me bear YOUR likeness and inscription and know that I must simply trust you - I am unable to catch you in any fault, because you are faultless... I am unable to achieve my own righteousness because I have not one shred of it outside of what I have in you... I fall silent as the Pharisees when confronted with my own ways and means and my own version of 'truth'...and may I always remember that you love me - and because of this love, because of Your truth in my life, I can live freely and boldly....and honestly.

An Unholy Mess

Found this in an old 'notes' posting somewhere else and it just reminded me how very gracious the Lord is to me... His forgiveness is great and deep and His mercy truly IS everlasting!!!


"I was watching a movie today - well kind of- not paying much attention, until Katherine Hepburn says:

"I'm such an unholy mess of a girl!"

And I thought, wow, doesn't that sum up my life before Jesus! An unholy mess - betrayed and a betrayer, hurt, scared, insecure, filled with the rot of sin...and so lost, just so very, very lost.
Oh, but by the grace of God, I am now holy and beloved, His very own, and called according to His purpose - called by that precious name, "Daughter" - still a bit messy at times, but He cleans me up as we go... holy only by His great work on the cross and that alone!

I am grateful to be able to now say, this unholy mess of a girl was made new...thank you Lord Jesus!"

*This makes me think how much I need to remember this condition of "before Jesus" - I get so short of patience with others - and how dare I, really? I was no better and probably much worse than they are, and yet, I struggle in this... Oh God, let me be a giver of GRACE, on a mission of MERCY, to spread Your indescribable love...

Help me Jesus to remember that each and every person, no matter how tainted by sin, was made in Your precious image... you love each one so deeply and completely - Oh! May I be like You!

YOU ARE WORTH IT!

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1sFRoWIC92I

This is an amazing video - please take the time to watch it. Made me really think about the 'condition of my knees' ...just copy and paste the link into your browser.

YOU ARE WORTH IT.

May the Love of our God and the Compassion of Jesus Christ guide you and keep you as follow Him. Journey on!

Out of The Darkness

I had never really lived out in the country - not REALLY out in the country - not like for real.... suburbs don't count, and the city lights even in the burbs have a way of hiding things....

I will never forget the first time I was out on a summer night in the country - so dark! Wow, those back country roads by me are something else! And the craziest thing is when you turn the lights off on the car you are driving as you are going down the road (yeah I know, bad idea... my disclaimer..."professional driver on closed course, do not attempt..." maybe? haha!)

But, when you turn the lights off on the car you are driving, the craziest thing happens - lightning bugs!

Everywhere, all over the place, lightning bugs, more than I had EVER seen in one spot, glowing, diving, floating, their little lights just beautiful against the blackest of night in the middle of no where. What an impressive show. It was to me then, and I was reminded of it again last night as I was going home, dead tired and just wanting to crawl into my cozy bed.

It is funny to me how the Lord just speaks in the simplest of terms. He knows my frame well, knows the things that yank at my heartstrings, knows my ways inside and out - and He knows how to get my attention, and how to reach my inner being where He reveals Himself to me.

So I am looking out over this 'up and coming' corn field, and it is just dusk, still a bit light out, and there are lightning bugs zipping around with an energy that I sorely lacked... and I was reminded of that blackest of night when I first realized how beautiful country life could be.

"That is so like us", I thought, in my hazy sleepiness... "That is so like us, when the Lord sends us out into the dark places of the world - we are just those little lights that shine in the blackest of places and light up our little corner of the world with the love and hope of our Jesus!"
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I have a problem with people who believe that we are to be soooooo segregated from the 'world'. Of course I realize that we are not be partakers in the things of the world - that was never a question - but we are to be in it, we are to be in a place where our light shines into DARKNESS.

If there is no darkness, there is no need for light... If the world didn't need the light of God, the love and hope and change and redemption and tenderness that God offers, we would never be called to Be Like Jesus in this way.

It is something to think about... am I too afraid of being contaminated by the dark, that the light of the Lord will never extend into the darkness? Is there use for light if there is no place to shine it?

The whole purpose of God making us lights in this world, is so that we can project it into the places that need it!! Right? RIGHT. :-)

Hang on to the Hem - Mark 5:25 / Luke 8:40

I am back at Mark 5:25 again... the woman who had the 'issue of blood'. It seems that every time I read this, I get something new from it.

Today, verse 27, 28 jump out at me - This woman who had suffered for years and years, with this 'issue of blood' - I imagine this is a proper way of saying that she was having bleeding like a menstrual period so very much and so frequently, it had brought her to a point of desperation.

This little gal thought in the midst of the huge crowd that was pressing in on Jesus, she might have a chance. She just might be able to take the risk of just reaching out, perhaps just one touch of his cloak.... just one little brush up against this prophet, this man whom she had heard so much about...

After all, He would never know! They were in the middle of a giant crowd of people, a throng that was pressing in on every side - I can just see the crowds trying to shove their way in, just to get a glimpse, perhaps just to touch the One they had heard so much about!

So our precious lady thought this may be her chance, maybe even her lst chance. Jesus would never know, it wouldn't be humiliating or embarrassing, or anything. Not like with so many of the others she had gone to for help. She could just kind of sneak in there, just one little touch...and maybe she would get well. No confrontation, no fear of what the crowd would think - after all she was labeled unclean! Rejected! Outcast! But just a small, slight touch - no one would ever know - but if she could just get close enough, she knew she would get well, she just KNEW!

You can sense her faith and fear rising up in her at the same time - oh she desperately wanted to be healed, and she had heard so much about the Great Teacher, and the miracles that He had done! But her fear - oh her fear!!! Would it win over? All the what-ifs she had ever thought rattling themselves off in her mind...

Verse 29 - she knew she was healed!
Verse 30 - Jesus knew power had gone forth from Himself... and then He says... "Who touched me?"

WHY did He ask that? Why?
It appears to be such a ridiculous question, absurd to the disciples, to anyone watching, anyone near by...But really, Why did He ask?

His purpose was NEVER to humiliate or embarrass her, not to 'call her out' or make her look foolish...

V32 - He turns around and sees the woman - their eyes meet.
V33 - "fearing and trembling and aware"

I believe that when their eyes met, what she saw in Jesus' eyes was compassion, love, a longing to heal her fully, to have her know His Grace and Love.

She, being terrified, and knowing that something really big had happened in her body, may have been thinking "Oh, what have I done?! This is truly Messiah I have touched, and His power healed me - but what have I DONE?! Who am I (unclean, afflicted, a woman) to touch HIM?"

Crumpling to the ground, in the midst of her great fear, she told Him "the whole truth".

"The Whole Truth" - what was it?

"I'm desperate! I've tried everything! I am an outcast! It has been this way for 12 years! I don't know what else to do! I've gone to doctors, it has been horrible, they can't help me, they have mistreated me, they cannot help me, and I don't know where else to go!! When I heard about you, I thought maybe just maybe, if I could just get close enough to touch your coat, just the edge of your coat..."

She had positioned herself at his feet, a place of humility and poured her heart out to Him...

The reason Jesus had asked "Who touched me?" was for HER. For HER to understand the love and grace and mercy and the tender heart of God.

Look at what Jesus spoke to her -
"Daughter"
"Daughter"
.... affection, love acceptance, heritage, authority
"Daughter"
....MY daughter.Clean.Whole. Healed.
"Daughter"
.... Affirmation.

"Your faith has made you well."
Its not your imagination - this really happened, and your affliction has ended! What you thought happened, did happen! I affirm it, your Messiah has healed you!

Daughter....
Rest in the Fathers love.
Go in peace.
Don't be afraid. No more fear, you are loved, accepted, clean, blessed and touched by your Fathers great love for you...rest for your soul, peace in your heart, it is finished - you are Mine.

Stormy Weather

The other day my husband and I were sitting on the front porch. I have turned into this kind of weird 'bird lover' person over the last several summers... I don't know, they are just so cute and the little things remind of my Grandma - she used to have finches, and she always had sketches she had done of little birds. I guess I caught the bug from her.



So we are sitting on the porch and in the little crab tree right in front of the porch is a Momma Robin and her brood of babies. We had only just realized the eggs had hatched and the little guys were getting bigger by the day. It is so enjoyable to me to just watch these amazing creatures that God has placed in our everyday lives. Something as simple as a little common robin was about to teach me a new lesson about the King of the universe!

As we were watching, there was a storm brewing up from the west. It was getting windy and I asked Mike, "How do these little things hang on and stay in the nest when it storms like this?" He said he didn't know, they just hang on real tight!

Suddenly, it got VERY windy and the rain just cut loose! This little tree was just a swaying and blowing, back and forth like it might just come right out of the ground !! I thought those Momma and her baby birds were going to be gone!

By this time we had gone in the house, and were watching out our front window. The rain was coming down hard and fast, in sheets and sideways, and Mike says, " Would ya look at that!"

I look at the nest and there is this precious little Momma, with her wings spread out to cover her babies. She had her head up, taking the beating that the storm was dishing out, and just hanging on with all her might! That was one of those moments where time seems to stop, and the Lord speaks to my heart...

"He will shield you with His wings, He will shelter you with His feathers, His faithful promises are your protection and your armor." (Ps 91:4)

Oh. How amazing that the Lord God Almighty would use one the smallest of His creations to teach me one of life's biggest lessons!

In the midst of the storm, He will be my true protection - I can trust that He will be the One that will take the brunt of the storm for me, He will hide me safely away when life is hard and crashing in around me. Even when it seems my foundation is shaken and there is nothing to stand on, He will wrap me in His care, and will lead me to safety.

The greatest storm that Jesus ever suffered for me was the cross - as I watched that simple, plain little robin ride out this crazy storm with her babies tucked safely away, I was reminded of my precious Jesus in the cross. There is no storm greater than that, no hardship more difficult, nothing that ever could pass my way that would ever compare... Jesus willingly put me under His wings, took the harshness and hatred of the storm upon Himself, so that I could be free - to grow, to fly, to be with Him forever.

All praise be to the Lord of Heaven and Earth... Thank you God that you are so able to speak to the heart of a simple woman about the wonder of your great and amazing love.