To Know Him is to Love Him

To know, know, know him is to love, love, love him
Just to see him smile make my life worthwhile
To know, know, know him is to love, love, love him
And I do.

Written by Phil Spector and first recorded by “The Teddy Bears,” this song hit the number-one spot in 1958. Through the years it was covered by many other artists and I bet as you read those lyrics, you were singing the melody. I know I did as I typed them. Do you remember those early days of love, when you just couldn’t get enough of your beloved? You wanted to spend every moment together, learning all you could about one another. What is her favorite flower? What is his favorite song? What makes her happy? What makes him laugh? Her fragrance was intoxicating. You hung on his every word. You became “a student” of the one you love, trying to discover all the wonderful things about them, like hunting for hidden treasures. It seemed that the more you knew about each other, the deeper your affection went.
Do you have the same desire to know and love God? Jesus said, “This is eternal life; that they may know you . . .“ (John 17:3). He also said, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind” (Matt 22:37). That’s not a casual Sunday-only relationship.
He is the greatest and deepest love you can ever know. Perhaps it never occurred to you that you can know God, but over and over His Word expresses His desire for us to know Him. The apostle Paul said God wants us to “seek Him and perhaps reach out for Him and find Him” (Acts 17:27) The same principle in our earthly relationships holds true in our relationship with God.
I have discovered that the more I come to know Him, the more I love Him and the more I love Him the more I want to know Him. Beloved, can there be any better pursuit for your life than to seek to know and love God? Not just know about Him, but know Him. In the Bible, the word “know” implies a level of intimacy that describes a marital relationship. It means there is nothing that comes between the husband and wife. It is deep. Committed. Unbreakable. Everlasting. That is the love God desires from us. “My heart says of You, “Seek His face!” Your face Lord, I will seek” (Psalm 27:8).

Marvelous God

“The LORD has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes” (Psalm 118:23).
When I am in a low season in my spirit God comes to me and lifts me up. He knows what I’ve been through the past year and He cares about the hurt and anxiety it has caused. He also knows that the cure for depression is not chocolate (believe me I’ve had plenty) or pasting a smile over my face. The answer to my weary heart is Him. It is turning my thoughts from myself and turning them to the Lord and how wonderful He is.
I look out my window this morning and see the sun brushing the sky with shades of pink and purple and I see the silhouette of the trees and hear the birds fill the air with praise and think, “LORD, You have done this, and it is marvelous in my eyes!” I look forward to picking up my granddaughter today to spend the week with us and I remember that a year ago I didn’t have any contact with her for several months and I think, “LORD, You have done this, and it is marvelous in my eyes!” I look at this pile of seminary books around me and ponder the opportunity to study and learn about His Word (for free!) and I think, “LORD, You have done this, and it is marvelous in my eyes!” I look at this sweet ministry of writing and teaching and remember when I had a breakdown and thought God could never again use this shattered woman and I think, “LORD, You have done this and it is marvelous in my eyes!” I look at my life, once lost in the pit of sin and the misery of my own foolish mistakes, now redeemed and full of hope and a future and eternal security, and I think, “LORD, You have done this and it is marvelous in my eyes!” And I look at the uncertainty of the future and think, “LORD, You will handle this and it will be marvelous!”
The Scriptures are replete with reminders to consider all that the Lord has done. It is the best way I know to recenter and refocus my mind and heart when life has delivered a hard blow. Beloved, what marvelous thing has God done in your life? Praise Him for it then trust Him to do it again.

Resurrection Sunday

Happy Resurrection Day! It’s Easter Sunday and Jesus is alive! Death could not hold Him. The grave could not keep Him. It’s a day to shout the news from the mountaintops: Satan lost and Jesus won! Everything changed when the King arose.
If you’ve been around the church very long, you know this story well. It is the foundation of the Christian faith. But the Spirit has been teaching me to sit in the Scriptures and soak up what I tend to rush over in my familiarity.
There is one part of the Easter story that came alive to me several years ago when I first started writing out Scripture. It’s in John’s account of the resurrection in chapter 20. Mary Magdalene had gone to the tomb to grieve. She saw that the stone was rolled away and looked inside to discover that His body was gone. Two angels guarded the place where He had lain. I imagine her stumbling backward in confusion and fresh waves of grief. Through her tear-filled eyes, she sees a man, probably the gardener, she assumes. He approaches and asks, “Woman, why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for” (v. 15). She pleads for the body of her Lord. Then He calls her by name: “Mary.” And she knows. It is Jesus. He is alive! Heart pounding. Mind racing. Hands shaking. She answers: “Rabboni!” And all her grief turns to Joy.
The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the most important event in human history. Easter celebrates the day the Son of God rose from the dead and assured eternal life for all who would believe on Him. But in that quiet morning, Easter was very personal for one woman. Before the disciples and the rest of Israel would hear that Jesus had risen, Mary saw Him with her own eyes.
As you gather in places of worship today and listen to the old, old Easter story, hear it with fresh ears. Imagine yourself all alone in the garden early on that Sunday morning. Listen closely as the Lord calls out your name. Easter is for all the world, and it is just for you. May the Joy of the resurrection fill your heart today Beloved. He is risen! He is risen indeed!

Let me Wash His Feet

“Having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end.” John 13:1 NKJV
This passage in John 13 is where Jesus washes His disciples’ feet before the meal, a job usually done by a servant or other “lesser” person. It was not a pleasant chore, but a necessary one and a traditional sign of welcome. Yet there was no servant to wash the men’s feet, and clearly all of the disciples thought themselves above such a menial and distasteful task. No doubt they all looked at the others and thought, “You should be the one to wash our feet.” They never imagined who would.
Their Lord rose from his place, removed his outer garments and took the towel and basin to the pitcher of water and poured. Imagine the shocked silence that filled the room at the sight of their beloved Teacher, kneeling before them. When the task was done, Jesus told them to take His example and live by this expression of humility and service.
I have pondered this scene in my mind and something strikes me about it. John (who was the only gospel writer to record this scene) never says that anyone washed the feet of Jesus that day. Perhaps one of them did, but surely John would not leave out such an important detail.
There will come a day – sooner or perhaps later – when I will see Him face to glorious face. When I bow before Him in grateful adoration, I want to wash my Jesus’ feet. I want to hold those beautiful feet in my hands. I want to splash water from the River of Life (Rev. 22:1) on His feet.
The gospels record two occasions when women washed and anointed Jesus’ feet. But the feet they caressed did not bear the scars from the cross. Those precious marks would come after their acts of love. They washed the feet of Jesus their Teacher; I want to wash the feet of Jesus my Savior. I want to touch the imprints left by the nails and kiss the scars that bought my redemption. He bears the marks of His love for me on His body, on His hands, His feet, His side and His brow. I want to show Him “the full extent of my love” (Jn 13:1 NIV), that I will love Him forever – “to the end” (NKJV).
I want to wash my Savior’s feet. The feet that kicked against the swaddling clothes in the manger. The feet that carried the Teacher to the shores of Galilee. The feet that walked the dusty road of the Via Dolorosa. The feet that bore the weight of His body and the weight of my sin on the cross. Those beautiful, glorious nail-scarred feet bear the marks of my redemption.

Church Doctrine: Jesus Messiah

When we meet someone special, we want to know all that we can about them. When I met my husband, the first thing I learned about him was that he is an Alabama Crimson Tide fan through and through. Thus, I became a Bama fan too. I discovered his favorite foods and learned from his mother how to cook them. I made it my mission to know him. I guess it worked – we will be celebrating our 39th anniversary this year. Last week I told you that if you want to know God, you should get to know Jesus. If you want to know Jesus, you should learn a little about the Jewish faith. This is His background and it is important to understand who He is. It also gives us insight into details that we, as non-Jews, miss.
The Jewish people lived under outside rule since the fall of Jerusalem to Babylon in the late 6th century BC, followed by the Medes and Persians, Greeks, and Romans at the time of Jesus. Because the Lord had promised a Redeemer—the Messiah, Israel looked for a military liberator to break the hold of other nations and restore their independence. They missed Jesus entirely because they didn’t have God’s perspective. They failed to see that they were under the control of the devil and that death was their true enemy.
In the church, this week has, for centuries, been called “Holy Week” and “Passion Week.” Today is Palm Sunday and marks the fulfillment of Zechariah’s prophecy. Jesus openly presented Himself as Israel’s Messiah and King. He chose a time when all Israel would be gathered in Jerusalem, a place where huge crowds could see Him, and a way of proclamation that was unmistakable.
The people lined the road, praising God, waving palm branches, and throwing their cloaks in front of the colt. They shouted “Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!” (Matt 21:9) because they recognized what Jesus was proclaiming. They began to spread their clothes in the colt’s path to provide a “royal carpet” and they cut branches from palm trees, adding them to their garments on the ground and waving them before the Lord.
He fulfilled every prophecy about the Messiah. He also fulfilled the first prophecy made about Himself as the one who would crush satan’s head (Gen 3:15). This is Jesus, Beloved. Son of God. Son of Man. King of Israel. Is He the King of your heart?

Give Me Jesus

I had some lovely praise and worship time this morning, thanks to a dear friend who posted some videos of songs that touched her heart. One of those songs was “Give Me Jesus.”. I remember the first time I heard it. I fell in love with it – and with the singer, Fernando Ortega. (I’ll post his beautiful version in the comments.) I loved his style of writing and singing. He was my personal worship leader.
But then my life got very busy when I started back to school. I was also working and serving at my church and caring for my family. I didn’t have – or perhaps I should say I didn’t make time for listening to my favorite musician. When we moved the CDs got packed up – and didn’t get unpacked. They weren’t a priority as I was still deep in seminary and eventually working again and along came a little girl who needed her Nana. Eventually, the box got shoved in a closet somewhere and I forgot about Fernando.
I believe that happens to us in our spiritual life too. We start out with Jesus – so in love and attentive to His word and His Spirit. We talk to Him – and about Him – at every opportunity. But then life happens and Jesus gets less and less of us. Work, family responsibilities, illness, a move, and of course, struggles, disappointments, life changes, and grief all work against our time with Jesus. Or maybe that’s just me.
All the things I’m doing are good in and of themselves. But if they draw me away from Jesus, they are not serving a good purpose. What’s the answer? I have to “Love the Lord [my] God with all my heart and with all my soul and with all my mind and with all my strength” (Mark 12:30). He can’t just be my No. 1 priority. He has to be my only priority. He has to have all of me. Does that mean that I don’t tend to my other responsibilities? No, but it does mean that some things – maybe even good things – may have to get less of me so that Jesus can have more. I can think of several time-wasters that I can eliminate. That may be true for you too.
Beloved, when you “Delight yourself in the Lord He will give you the desires of your heart” (Psalm 37:4). He will give you Himself.

Doctrines of the Faith: God of Love; God of Power

We continue to look at the doctrines of the Christian faith, and the first matter we must settle is the reality of God. We have established His existence and His place as both Creator and Father. Today we will look deeper at God’s core characteristics in a verse from the pen of King David: “One thing God has spoken, two things have I heard: that you, O God, are strong, and that you, O Lord, are loving” (Psalms 62:11-12).
I have pondered this verse for a long time and wondered what was the one thing that God said for David to draw his conclusion. I believe the Spirit has given me a clue that goes back to a burning bush in the wilderness. I want to suggest that David is speaking of God’s self-declaration. When Moses asked His Name, the Lord replied: “I AM.” ( Ex 3:14). That was it. But it was enough.
But how did David figure out two things from one statement? Experience. The same way you and I do. When he was surrounded by enemies, his God came in power. When his heart was breaking, his Lord was tender. We need a God who is both. A God who is benevolent but powerless is no help to us in our time of need. A God who is powerful but unfeeling breeds fear that drives us away from Him.
We need to know God as His Word describes Him and we need to respond to Him as He has revealed Himself. We must trust His love for us as our Heavenly Father. We must also trust that He is able to help us in our time of need. Many see God as see God only as harsh and uncaring, but that portrays Him as a mean-spirited ogre. Still others see Him only as a doting Father handing out blessings like candy. That makes Him into a one-dimensional entity. That is not the God of the Bible. The Lord God is all-loving, and He is all-powerful. Not in perfect balance, but in perfect fullness. We can come before Him boldly because we are convinced of His love for us, and we are persuaded that He can and will come to our aid.
Beloved you are in the most wonderful place today – supported by the arms of One who is so mighty and awesome, and who loves you with an everlasting and consuming love.

Acts: The End?

As we bring the book of Acts to a close, Paul and company wash ashore on the island of Malta. They are met with kindness and a warm fire. Paul, gathering firewood, is bitten by a viper, an extremely venomous snake. This is certain death, but Paul shakes the snake from his hand and has no ill effects from the bite. The islanders were amazed and assumed that Paul was a god. The chief official of the island gets word of the miraculous event and welcomes the refugees to his estate. Paul heals the man’s father who was gravely ill and the people send them on their way, refreshed and replenished.
With favorable winds behind them, they continue their journey and the promise of Paul’s Lord is fulfilled. Paul/Saul was chosen to carry the name of Jesus to the Gentile world, including Gentile kings and emperors (9:15). He was reminded of his calling while in prison: “Take courage! As you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify about me in Rome. (23:11). And again during the storm at sea: “Do not be afraid, Paul. You must stand trial before Caesar” (27:24). Finally promise became reality: “And so we came to Rome” (Acts 28:14).
Luke’s account in Acts does not take us into the Roman palace, but we learn that Paul indeed testified in Rome – He declared his innocence – and the gospel. He was allowed a rare measure of freedom and “Boldly and without hindrance, preached the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ” (28:31).
The entire book of Acts is about the power of the Holy Spirit, the sovereignty and providence of God, and the bold and devoted men and women who dedicated – and surrendered – their lives to the gospel of Jesus Christ. You and I are living in the continuing story of Acts. The work of the church is ongoing. We are granted the same Holy Spirit and have the same sovereign God guiding and guarding our steps. What is missing? Why do we not see the results they saw? Because we are not as bold and devoted to the Man, the mission, and the ministry of the gospel.
What will it take for us? The first-century church grew in spite of – or perhaps because of – persecution. The church today will grow stronger and deeper under the same conditions. It is coming. But this is not a reason for fear. It is a reason for preparation. It’s time Beloved. Get your armor on and stand up, stand up for Jesus.

Heaven

This morning, I was listening to a song about heaven – “No More Night” by the incredible David Phelps, and the Lord pricked my spirit and said, “Tell them what is to come.”
In heaven there is no more night and no more pain and no more sadness, grief, or shame (Rev. 21:4). There is no fear or anxiety. There is no cancer or heart disease or paralysis or diabetes. In heaven there is no abuse or war or anger or evil of any kind (v. 8, 27).
My knees will not hurt anymore and I won’t need glasses.
My husband will be able to breathe freely.
Joy will have two perfect hands.
In heaven no one will struggle with mental issues.
You will never be depressed.
Your child will no longer battle addiction.
There is always plenty to eat and no food is off-limits in heaven.
You will never be lonely.
You will never fall in heaven – except to your knees in worship.
You will never face temptation and you will not have the urge to sin.
No one will hurt you or criticize you.
You will live in a place prepared especially for you by the Master Carpenter (John 14:2). And no bank will ever foreclose on it.
My mom and Dad and big brother will greet me and we will never be separated again. Mom and I will explore the most amazing flower gardens.
Your child who left way too soon will be there.
We will be reunited with dear friends.
I will finally meet Dorcas, whose name I share, and Ezra who inspired me to ministry, and Deborah who is just the coolest lady in the Bible.
Oh, and Jesus will be there. JESUS WILL BE THERE! I will see Him face-to-face. I will run into His arms and thank Him a thousand times for saving a wretch like me. And I will know that I am home forever.
There is a throne in heaven and on it sits the Lord God Almighty, the Eternal One, the Creator of all things (Rev. 4:1-11). A sea of people will gather around that throne in worship “from every nation tribe, people, and language. And the angels will be there worshipping (Rev. 7:9-10). And so will we.
It will be a place of extraordinary, unfathomable beauty. All things will be new – including heaven and earth (Rev. 21:1). And me and you. Beloved, hold fast to Jesus in this journey of life; the best is yet to be.
And so we say, “Come, Lord Jesus” (Rev. 22:20).

A Church in Danger

Have you noticed that there is a lot of hero worship in Christendom? There are “rock-star” pastors with thousands of followers and Bible teachers who sell out auditoriums around the country. I’m not saying popularity in the church is wrong. Jesus had quite a crowd that followed Him and hung on His every word. Take the fellow in Luke 9: “As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, ‘I will follow you where you go.’” (v. 57). He wanted to be part of Jesus’ entourage. But Jesus didn’t encourage this would-be fan. “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay His head” (v. 58). I believe Jesus was saying, “This is not going to be the high-life you’re expecting. I don’t have a multi-million-dollar mansion to put you up in. I walk hot, dusty roads and sleep where I can.”
What did you expect from Jesus when you chose to follow Him? A solution to all your problems? A good reputation in the community? A full life with heaven thrown in after it’s all over? Just a few verses before He said, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me” (v. 23) Jesus was on His way to Jerusalem and the cross. He might have also told the man, “Don’t hook your wagon to me unless you’re prepared to die.”
In case you haven’t noticed, there is a war going on between good and evil, between light and darkness. God’s people are the enemy of the present ruling authorities who are bent on the church’s destruction. If you choose Jesus, you need to know that you are also choosing self-denial, persecution, rejection, and suffering. That is what the Lord endured. Why should we expect any less?
I look at the modern church – particularly in the West – so comfortable in our air-conditioned sanctuaries. Where is the suffering? Where is the persecution? Where are self-denial and the cross? I’m pointing my finger at myself. I believe the enemy’s strategy against the church in the U.S. is not a full-on battle, but to make us relaxed and contented while he waters down our theology and sugarcoats our worship. Just before he hits us with an all-out assault.
I realize, Beloved, that this is not a warm and happy message. Take it as a warning. If our Christianity is comfortable, maybe we’re in more danger than we know.