The Good Shepherd (part 2)

"The beloved of the Lord

shall dwell in safety by him;

and the Lord shall 
cover Him all the day long,

and he shall dwell between His shoulders."

Deuteronomy 33:12

The Good Shepard

"The beloved of the Lord

shall dwell in safety by Him;

and the Lord shall

cover him all the day long,

and He shall dwell between His shoulders."

Deuteronomy 33:12

Precious Laundry

"And there appeared an angel unto Him from heaven, strengthening Him.  And being in an agony...His sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground." Luke 22:43, 44

"The sleeping disciples had been suddenly awakened by the light surrounding the Savior.  They saw the angel bending over their prostrate Master.  They saw him lift the Savior's head upon his bosom, and point toward heaven.  They heard his voice, like sweetest music, speaking words of comfort and hope."  Desire of Ages, p 694.2 by Ellen G. White

As tenderly as any mother I imagine the angel coming to Christ and saying, "It will be alright."  I can see Gabriel gently lift up Christ's head and wipe the bloody sweat from His brow.  Pointing towards heaven, he reminds Christ of the Fathers love and of the great redemption He will purchase for humanity. Once Christ is strengthened enough to drink the cup, I again imagine Gabriel rising and noticing the stains of sweat and blood, mingled with the tears from the Redeemers face.  Oh the wonder of it,  Christ's life oozing out through the pours on His face; and carried to heaven on the bosom of the commanding angel's robe!  Precious laundry.

The Summit (Mountains, part two)

"And Jesus...went up into a mountain, and sat down there. And great multitudes came unto him, having with them those that were lame, blind, dumb, maimed and many others, and cast them down at Jesus' fee; and He healed them."  Matthew 15: 29, 30

There are times in the journey that bearing the weight of the injured is enough to make one become a casualty.  Their sorrow and suffering, their unending needs, ones own lack of resources can beat down until you feel like one of the walking wounded.  But there is a gift in accompanying the crippled soul up to a mountain; when we get there we find Jesus.  What we may suffer in getting them to Christ vanishes when we see them healed.  We climb down the mountain wearing bruises and scars that may last a life time, but what joy to see the lame walk and the blind see.

Hiking (Mountains, part one)

Like so many other Bible statements this is an amazing one.  "And Jesus...went up into a mountain, and sat down there.  And great multitudes came unto Him, having with them those that were lame, blind, dumb, maimed..."  Matthew 15:29, 30

Even a small mountain climbed in blinding darkness is treacherous.  Or a hill walked while in physical pain seems like Everest.  But these people stumbled, fell and ached up that mountain to be healed by Jesus.  The trek demanded fortitude and perseverance.  But the sweaty agony was made sweet because Jesus was there.   They could hear His voice, see His face, or follow where where He had been.  Faith in His ability to heal gave them power to climb to the summit.  Without disappointment, they went home whole.

Fire Water (Consuming Fire, part 7)

"And fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them." Revelation 20:9  God pours out His fiery heart toward the unrepentant and they are consumed by it.  The fire proceeds from Him as the last embrace after millions of rejections.  His unrequited love is still ardent, but they have no love for Him.  They do not know His presence and His presence is what would make it possible to walk in the midst of that fire water.

"And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and them that had gotten the victory...stand on the sea of glass..."  Revelation 15:2  This sea is mingled with fire.  Because of the reflection, the entire body of water must look like fire.  A sea of fire!  But there stand His beloved children doing things that are impossible, standing on water and walking in fire.  "When thou passest through the waters I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: When thou walkest through the fire thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.  For I am the Lord thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Savior." Isaiah 43:2, 3

Eventually we are all surrounded by God's fiery love.  If we stand there alone, it is consuming.  If we stand there with Him it is all consuming.  Dear friends choose love, "And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us.  God is love: and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him." 1 John 4:16

Napalm (Consuming Fire, part 6)

"How long halt ye between two opinions? If the Lord be God, follow Him: but if Baal, then follow him...Call ye on the name of your gods, and I will call on the name of the Lord: and the God that answereth by fire, let him be God." 1 Kings 18: 21, 24

The Israelites were "two-timing" God.  They loved and worshiped Baal while only giving God their cursory affections.  The moment of decision came with Elijah's confrontation.  Let the God who loves you answer you by fire.  They called on Baal, the devil, all day long, but he did not answer.  He has no love.

But when Elijah asked God, "Hear me, O Lord, hear me, that this people may know that thou art the Lord God, and that thou hast turned their heart back again.  Then the fire of the Lord fell, and consumed the burnt sacrifice and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench.

The fire of love consumes everything, like napalm nothing escapes.

Fiery Love (Consuming Fire, part 5)

"Set me as a seal upon thine heart, as a seal upon thine arm: for love is strong as death; jealousy is cruel as the grave: the coals thereof are coals of fire, which hath a most vehement flame." Song of Solomon 8:6

Not to be too scholarly, but in Notes on the Bible, Albert Barnes says regarding this verse:

"The Key-note of the poem.  It forms the Old Testament counterpart to Paul's panegyric 1 Corinthians 13:1-13...

a.  Love is here regarded as an universal power, an elemental principle of all true being, alone able to cope with the two eternal foes of God and man, Death and his kingdom.  "For strong as death is love, Tenacious as Sheol is jealousy."  "Jealousy" is here another term for "love," expressing the inexorable force and ardor of this affection, which can neither yield nor share possession of its object, and is identified in the mind of the sacred writer with divine or true life.

b. He goes on to describe it as an all-pervading Fire, kindled by the Eternal One, and partaking of His essence: "its brands are brands of fire, A lightning-flash from Jah."

To put it simply... Love is a consuming fire ignited in God's heart.
                 

       

The Burning Bush (Consuming Fire, part 4)

"And the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush; and he looked and behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed." Exodus 3:2

Wood burns, that is what it does when in fire.  It is the natural response of wood to fire.  But in this case the wood did not burn.  What did God do, did He change the fire, or change the wood?  It seems to me, He changed neither.  It was His presence that prevented the naturally occurring thing from occurring.

"I will be with thee...When thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.  For I am the Lord thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Savior." Isaiah 43:2, 3
His presence will keep us through every fiery trial.  The naturally occurring will be unnatural when He is near.

A Flaming Torch Between the Pieces (Consuming Fire, part 3)

Suzerain - vassal contracts in Abrahams time were between a superior and a subordinate. They were irrevocable and bound the parties together for life.  The terms were confirmed by cutting one or more animals in half and walking in between the pieces.  If one of the parties did not keep his end of the bargain, the other had the right to saw him asunder like the animals had been.

"And it came to pass that, when the sun went down, and it was dark, behold a smoking furnace, and a burning lamp (maragin: flaming torch) that passed between the pieces." Genesis 15:17

God, the Suzerain, is represented by that flaming torch.  When He walked down that bloody path between the pieces, He put Himself on the line. Abraham did not walk in between the pieces; if the contract was boroken only God's life would be forfeited.  In this relationship with Him we hold no risk.  Our God is a "consuming fire" that was extinguished.  His fiery heart was pierced in two because we broke the contract.

The Flaming Sword (Consuming Fire, part 2)

"For the Lord thy God is a consuming fire..." Deuteronomy 4:24

Fire is first mentioned in Genesis 4:24, "So He drove out the man; and He placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life." At first glance it seems as if that sword was a punishment, but in reality it was a blessing.  That heavenly flame, prevented Adam and Eve from becoming eternally living sinners.  Imagine what horror life would be if we lived forever in this sinful condition.  Disease and sorrow would know no end.  Battles in war could never stop.  Mass murderers could inflict their tortures on victims one day and just begin again the next.  God prevented all that suffering, He interposed Himself in the flame and did not allow this planet to become worse than the worst horror movie ever filmed.  

Embers (Consuming Fire, part 1)

"For the Lord thy God is a consuming fire..." Deuteronomy 4:24

From the smallest ember to wind swept wild fires, God expresses Himself as fire.

In the dark night, the embers from our fire pit fly effortlessly up into the sky.  They are like tiny stars, dancing and shimmering their way up towards heaven, but their beauty is fleeting.

Everywhere we look God has tiny torches glowing and expressing His character.  They glow for just seconds and then die out, but their beauty is memorable.  The bird songs, the maple trees that seem to wave all their tiny hands as the wind blows by, the smile from a friend,  these are embers of God's beauty and love.  They float through our lives lighting us up with joy.

Little Presents

 “I would seek unto God...which doeth great things and unsearchable; marvelous things without number: who giveth rain upon the earth, and sendeth waters upon the fields.” Job 5:8 - 10  

Rain, sometimes called the gift of God, came in abundance this past summer.   In August, we had three times as much rain as usual, 11 inches compared to the average three.  I marvel at God’s wisdom in sending His blessings.

One inch of rain falling on a square mile will weigh 1,650,501,280 pounds.  What would happen if it fell in one heap?  Annihilation of all living things.  But our merciful Father sends His blessings, which He heaps upon us, in such a subtle way that we do not realize the grand weight of their significance. We sometimes do not even realize He is sending them. But they are there, millions of little love gifts which if added together would be more than we could hold. 

Reflections

This spring my mother-in-law suddenly became sick with her final illness and my husband, my two younger children and I rushed to her side.  We drove all night from Massachusetts to Illinois.  Nearing bed time our oldest son called and asked, "Are you driving all night?"  We said, "Yes."  He answered, "Well, be careful."  Soon after that our second oldest son called.  He asked, "Mom, are you guys driving all night?"  I answered, "Yes."  He said, "Please, be careful.

Within an hour Nathan, our second son called back and said, "I've been thinking about it.  If I start driving now, I can probably meet you just past Cleveland and drive the car through the night for you so you don't get too tired and fall asleep at the wheel."  I was so moved by that gallant offer, but I declined.  A couple of hours later, he called again and asked to speak with my husband. He presented the same offer trying to be more persuasive.  Just as I did Pat declined the offer.  Later, Nate called again, just hoping that we would change our minds.

Gabriel, our oldest son, is married with three children. After his initial call he and his wife took turns through the night calling us every two hours, just to chat and make sure we were awake.  He never mentioned their strategy, they just called and talked to us.  After the third call, we figured out what they were doing and were once again grateful for such wonderful children.

It seems to me that those little acts reflect God.  Our Savior has done the gallant thing.  He left His kingdom and came to earth to guide us safely home.  At the same time He quietly works in the background, blessing us daily by providing power to keep us from harm.

I challenge all of us to notice God's reflection in the people and things around us. Flowers speak of His purity.  Mountains command our attention to His majesty.  Simple caring acts by those we love testify of His sacrifice.  "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven." (Matthew 5:16)

The Victory - The End

"Christ did not yield up His life till He had accomplished the work which He came to do, and with His parting breath He exclaimed, "It is finished." John 19:30.  The battle had been won.  His right hand and His holy arm had gotten Him the victory.  As a Conqueror He planted His banner on the eternal heights.  Was there not joy among the angels?  All heaven triumphed in the Savior's victory.  Satan was defeated, and knew that his kingdom was lost."  Desire of Ages, p 758, by E. G. White.

*anyone interested in getting a copy of The Desire of Ages, please contact me and I will get one for you.

The Drops

"Heaven viewed with grief and amazement Christ hanging upon the cross, blood flowing from His wounded temples, and sweat tinged with blood standing upon His brow.  From His hands and feet the blood fell, drop by drop, upon the rock drilled for the foot of the cross.  The wounds made by the nails gaped as the weight of His body dragged upon His hands.  His labored breath grew quick and deep, as His soul panted under the burden of the sins of the world.  All heaven was filled with wonder when the prayer of Christ was offered in the midst of His terrible suffering, "Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do." Luke 23:34.  Yet there stood men, formed in the image of God, joining to crush out the life of His only-begotten Son.  What a sight for the heavenly universe!"   (The Desire of Ages, p 760; by E. G. White)

*anyone wanting a copy of The Desire of Ages, please contact me and I will get one for you.

The Spotless Son

"The spotless Son of God hung upon the cross, His flesh lacerated with stripes; those hands so often reached out in blessing, nailed to the wooden bars; those feet so tireless on ministries of love, spiked to the tree; that royal head pierced by the crown of thorns; those quivering lips shaped to the cry of woe.  And all that He endured - the blood drops that flowed from His head, His hands, His feet, the agony that racked His frame, and the unutterable anguish that filled His soul at the hiding of His Father's face - speaks to each child of humanity, declaring, It is for thee that the Son of God consents to bear this burden of guilt; for thee He spoils the domain of death, and opens the gates of Paradise.  He who stilled the angry waves and walked the foam-capped billows, who made devils tremble and disease flee who opened blind eyes and called forth the dead to life - offers Himself upon the cross as a sacrifice, and this from love to thee. He, the Sin Bearer, endures the wrath of divine justice, and for thy sake become sin itself."  (The Desire of Ages, by E. G. White; p 755)

*anyone wanting a copy of The Desire of Ages, please contact me and I will send you one.

The Darkness

"With amazement angels witnessed the Savior's despairing agony.  The hosts of heaven veiled their faces from the fearful sight.  Inanimate nature expressed sympathy with its insulted and dying Author.  The sun refused to look upon the awful scene.  Its full, bright rays were illuminating the earth at midday, when suddenly it seemed to be blotted out.  Complete darkness, like a funeral pall, enveloped the cross.  "There was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour."  There was no eclipse or other natural cause for this darkness, which was as deep as midnight without moon or stars. It was a miraculous testimony given by God that the faith of after generations might be confirmed.

In that thick darkness God's presence was hidden.  He makes darkness His pavilion, and conceals His glory from human eyes.  God and His holy angels were beside the cross. The Father was with His Son.  Yet His presence was not revealed.  Had His glory flashed forth from the cloud, every human beholder would have been destroyed.  And in that dreadful hour Christ was not to be comforted with the Father's presence. He trod the wine press alone, and of the people there was none with Him." (The Desire of Ages, By E. G. White; p 753

*If anyone would like a copy of the book The Desire of Ages, please contact me and I will send you one.

The Ransom

"And now the Lord of glory was dying, a ransom for the race.  In yielding up His precious life, Christ was not upheld by triumphant joy.  All was oppressive gloom.  It was not the dread of death that weighed upon Him.  It was not the pain and ignominy of the cross that caused His inexpressible agony.  Christ was the prince of sufferers; but His suffering was from a sense of the malignity of sin, a knowledge that through familiarity with evil, man had become blinded to its enormity.  Christ saw how deep is the hold of sin upon the human heart, how few would be willing to break from its power.  He knew that without help from God, humanity must perish, and He saw multitudes perishing within reach of abundant help."  (The Desire of Ages, by E. G. White; p 753)

*anyone who would like a copy of The Desire of Ages, please contact me and I will send one to you.

The Expression

"For long hours of agony, reviling and mockery have fallen upon the ears of Jesus.  As He hangs upon the cross, there floats up to Him still the sound of jeers and curses.  With longing heart He has listened for some expression of faith from His disciples.  He has heard only the mournful words, "We trusted that it had been He which should have redeemed Israel."  How grateful then to the Savior was the utterance of faith and love from the dying thief!  While the leading Jews deny Him, and even the disciples doubt His divinity, the poor thief, upon the brink of eternity, calls Jesus Lord." (The Desire of Ages, by E. G. White p 750)

*anyone interested in receiving a copy of The Desire of Ages, just contact me and I will send you one.

The Plea

My words are insufficient.....

"The Savior made no murmur of complaint. His face remained calm and serene, but great drops of sweat stood upon His brow.  There was no pitying hand to wipe the death dew from His face, nor words of sympathy and unchanging fidelity to stay His human heart. While the soldiers were doing their fearful work, Jesus prayed for His enemies, "Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.? His mind passed from His own suffering to the sin of His persecutors, and the terrible retribution that would be theirs.  No curses were called down upon the soldiers who were handling Him so roughly.  No vengeance was invoked upon the priests and rulers, who were gloating over the accomplishment of their purpose.  Christ pitied them in their ignorance and guilt.  He breathed only a plea for their forgiveness, - "For they know not what they do." (The Desire of Ages, by E. G. White; p 744)

*anyone interested in receiving a copy of the book The Desire of Ages please just post a comment asking for one and I will send you one.

The Temptation

"If Thou be the Son of God..."  Matthew 27:40

Those seven words spoken by the dying thief echo Satan's words in the wilderness.  What was it in the question regarding Christ's relationship to God that was a temptation to Jesus?  It wasn't pride about the connection, it could not have been fear of being misjudged.  What was it about not being the Son of God that would have tempted Jesus?

It seems to me that Christ's biggest weakness, had He had one, was His great desire, rather His overwhelming need to save us. That is something that could only be done by the Son of God. He was healer, teacher and friend.  But, Son of God, that was His own atribute that He cherished most of all.  Not because of the connection to God, not because of the honor, but because being God's Son in the flesh allowed Him to save us from our sins.

The Bandage

"And they stripped Him, and put on Him a scarlet robe."  Matthew 27:28

Where did they find that purple robe?  Who did it belong to? Certainly it wasn't Pilate's.  It most likely belonged to some court official or rich person, who condemned of a crime, was stripped of his robe and honor. It may have sat in the lost-n-found box for months.  The soldiers had probably taunted other prisoners by putting that robe on them.  It must have been filthy.

They took that smelly piece of cloth and laid it on Christ's injured shoulders.  Instead of sterile dressings, His wounds from being scourged were bandaged with contaminated clothing.  Jesus so pure and perfect opened His soul and flesh and accepted the filth of my sin.  Can my heart see this scene and not cry?

The Condemnation

"When he had scourged Jesus, he delivered Him to be crucified." Matthew 27:26

God incarnate, sovereign over all universes, stood silent as men condemned Him.  He accepted abuse and ridicule.  A magnificent power must have kept Him from the natural human temptation to retaliate.  It was greater than self discipline, stronger than brawn.  It was love.  It was His great human and divine love for me that grounded Him in those moments  He knew if He shrank from the test, I would be lost.  He loves me more than his comfort.  He loves me more than his reputation.  Ultimately, He loves me more than His life.

The Peace

"And He answered him to never a word; insomuch that the governor marveled greatly."  Matthew 24:14

The accusations were so outrageous that even Pilate marveled at Christ's ability to remain silent. How was He able to do that?  It was from 33 years of practice.  When His brothers disagreed with HIm, when the hungry crowd jostled Him, when the disciples argued over supremacy Jesus practiced peace of spirit and confidence of God.

The Calm

"Jesus saith unto him, Thou has said: nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.  Then the high priest rent his clothes, saying He hath spoken blasphemy; what further need have we of witnesses?"  Matthew 26: 64, 65

Jesus was the defendant in a crooked trial.  Everyone knew He would be condemned.  Yet, He stood there in complete peace.  Caiaphas on the other hand was the judge.  The law gave him power and protection.  Yet, he lost all composure.  What a contrast,; Jesus standing before Caiaphas;  the Calm before the storm.

The Dichotomy

"Then all the disciples forsook Him and fled."  Matthew 26:56

This is the point where contemplating the great sacrifice becomes difficult.  The mental picture of Jesus, the pure and Holy son of God, the one who always comforted, who never condemned standing alone in the middle of that angry mob churns my stomach.  In that moment He was meek, yet strong; defenseless, but conquerer.  A dichotomy.

The Question

"And Jesus said unto him, Friend wherefore art thou come?" Matthew 26:50

To all intents and purposes Judas had sealed his fate.  Christ was betrayed and the priests were arresting HIm.  With full knowledge of what was going on Jesus questioned Judas like a mother asking her son, "Johnny, what do you have in your hand; even though she knows his hands are stuffed with stolen candy.

The question was unnecessary everyone knew what was going on.  But Jesus ever hopeful, ever longing to lead others away from condemnation once again gave Judas the opportunity to choose a different destiny.  Jesus was true to His commission.  "For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through HIm might be saved."  John 3:17

The Excuse

"Watch and pray, that Ye enter not into temptation. (Matthew 26:41)

"The weakness of HIs disciples awakened the sympathy of Jesus.  He feared that they would not be able to endure the test which would come upon them in His betrayal and death.  He did not reprove them, but said, Watch Ye...  Even in His great agony He was seeking to excuse their weakness."  White, E. G. DOA p689

He is always looking for a way to relieve us of our guilt.  The entire plan of salvation was conceived to free us from it. He had just asked the disciples to watch with Him because as He said, "My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death." (Matthew 26:38)  In the crisis His anxiety was for the disciples, those friends who would soon betray and abandon HIm. If during those dark moments His concern was wrapped up in those He loved, how much more are His thoughts and hopes focused on us today?  If He was seeking to excuse their weakness is He not also seeking to excuse mine?  Am I willing to let Him?

The Conversation Stopper

"And as they did eat, He said, Verily I say unto you, that one of you shall betray me."  Matthew 26:21

What a topic to bring up in the middle of a meal!  It is easy to imagine the food getting stuck in some of the disciples throats or their jaws dropping when Jesus said that.  Why did He do that in such a dramatic way?  That is not how He typically did things.  He was the one that repeatedly asked people not to publish the miracles He had performed for them  That being the case this conversation stopper was more than uncharacteristic it was strange.

But Jesus was working under a handicap, He was trying to reach a heart of stone.  Christ would do anything to save Judas from committing the worlds vilest crime.  Shock and awe, that was His first strategy.  He shocked Judas by revealing the treachery,  all the time hoping to awe him to repentance.  When that did not work He tried the fear factor, He said, "The son of man goeth as it is written of Him, but woe unto that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed!  It had beed good for that man if he had not been born."  Matthew 26:24

For three years Jesus had been trying to win Judas' heart by love, but now in these last few moments left to them both He did not remonstrate with Judas for his betrayal.  Instead Jesus pulled out all the stops in His last ditch attempt at saving the traitor.  That is beyond understanding.  That is an amazing love!

The Memorial

"Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached, there shall also this, that this woman hath done, be told for a memorial of her." Matthew 26:10

What kind of person expects criticism for a loving and innocent act?  Someone who has been verbally abused.  Luke 10 gives evidence to the kind of treatment Mary was accustomed to.  Martha, Mary's sister, publicly proclaims Mary's faults by complaining to Jesus in the presence of a crowd.  Even Jesus' disciples felt comfortable in publicly reproaching Mary when she anointed Him with the perfume.  And after Christ's resurrection she tells the disciples that she has seen the risen Lord, but no one believes her.

Mary was the social pariah.  Free game for ridicule and disrespect.  It may be that something about her enlisted such behavior from others.  It could have been her past or her reputation.  Maybe she was difficult to get along with, argumentative, loud or obnoxious.  But Jesus defended her.  Not only did He defend her, He elevated her to an amazing status.  He made an eternal memorial to her devotion.

The Guaranty

"And it came to pass, when Jesus had finished all these sayings, He said unto His disciples, Ye know that after two days is the feast of the Passover, and the son of man is betrayed to be crucified. Then assembled together the chief priests, and the scribes, and the elders of the people, unto the palace of the high priest, who was called Ciaphas, and consulted that they might take Jesus by subtlety and kill him. But they said, not on the feast day, lest there be an uproar of the people." (Matthew 26:1-5)

Every year, like scenes at a living history museum, the Passover represented Christ's death and He understood the prophesies that were hidden in the Biblical ordinances. Not only did He live His own life based on them, but taught His disciples to live by them too.

The chief priests, scribes and elders comprised the government. They were a numerous, powerful and august group. They pit themselves against Christ and the Bible prophesies and believed they could prevent Christ's death on the Passover. They forgot one thing. God's word is 100 percent guaranteed. 

The Motivator

"For the joy that was set before Him endured the cross." (Heb. 12:2)

There was one hope, one great desire that motivated Christ through countless ages to push forward toward the cross. It was expressed in a myriad of daydreams...

I will get to prepare the best food for them and then I will have dinner with them. "I will give to eat from the tree of life." ( Rev. 3:7); "I will give to eat of the hidden manna." (Rev. 2:17) "I...will sup with him, and he with me." (Rev. 2:7)

I will get to spend time just sitting and talking with them. 

"To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne." (Rev.) 3: 21

I will serenade them.

"The Lord...will joy over thee with singing."(Zeph. 3:17)

I will give them special gifts. 

"I will give...him a white stone, and in that stone a new name written." (Rev. 2:17) "I will give him the morning star." (Rev. 2:28)

I will get to give them a great new outfit. 

"He that overcometh...shall be clothed in white." (Rev. 3:5)

I will marry them to me and be with them forever. 

"As the bridegroom rejoiceth over the bride, so shall thy God rejoice over thee." (Isa. 62:5) "Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given e be with me where I am." (John 17:24)

To sum it up, being with me was the great motivator. Does the thought of being with Him motivate me?

The Abundance of the Heart

"For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh." (Matthew 12:34)
It was the pinnacle of all missionary journeys; to the disciples the triumphal entry was the moment they had waited for. Their Master was finally hailed as the King of Israel. But after eons of restraint Christ let out a soul cry that gave evidence to His greatest desire. "And when He was come near He beheld the city and wept over it." (Luke 19:41) 

The abundance that poured out from His heart were words expressing sorrow over the destruction of the city that would reject Him. His pent up anguish was not over His trial and condemnation, neither was it about the disciple's great disappointment. He cried for the unpenitent and lost of Jerusalem. The abundance of his heart wept for all those who hate and reject Him. Amazing!

The Decision

"And it came to pass, when the time was come that He should be received up, He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem". (Luke 9:51)

The man who in the critical moment overcomes his fears and plunges himself into danger is often called a hero. Jesus was not that kind of hero. Adrenaline did not persuade His judgement. For days He traveled from Galilee through Samaria and finally to Jerusalem. During that death march toward Calvary He made thousands of decisions. Each dusty step was a decision. A decision toward infamy. A decision to surrender Himself into the hands of Satan. A decision to do His Father's will. 
Step by step for 68 miles, Jesus, my hero, decided to rescue me.

The Chronic Burden

"The Lamb slain from the foundation of the world." (Rev. 13:8) This is a fact. It was not a completed act at Earth's foundation, yet it was still a fact. Jesus, fully omniscient, actually knew all the details of His sacrifice. He knew that He would be sold for the price of a slave. He knew the words He would say and the words that would be said to Him. He knew He would be bruised and beaten more than any other person.

In every perfect event of eternity past Christ held the knowledge of His great sacrifice. At Earth's creation, while the angels were singing, laughing and winging into jubilant flight somewhere in the back of Jesus' mind He could have been thinking, "This is the place where it will all happen." Yet He did not complain or even mar the universes happiness by sharing what He knew. "He walked the winepress alone"(Isa. 63:3), from eternity. What a weight to chronically carry in His heart for an ungrateful wretch like me.

The Great Sacrifice

"On account of the superstitious veneration in which animals were held by the Egyptians, the Hebrews were not permitted, during their bondage to present the sacrificial offerings. Thus their minds were not directed by this service to the great sacrifice, and their faith was a weakened." PP 334 

If faith is weakened by neglecting to contemplate the great sacrifice, then it stands to reason that faith must be strengthened by it's contemplation. 

Cover Me

When the darkness shrouds all light...
Cover me.
When I fall and loose my way...
Lord, cover me.
I'm so easily led astray.
I can't trust the way I go.
I need you to guide me and
Lord, cover me.

When I win some small battle...
Cover me.
When I bring down my Goliaths...
Lord, cover me.
My heart's proud and takes the credit
For all the things You do.
Please humble my spirit and
Lord, cover me.

When the judgment is set...
Cover me.
When the books are opened...
Lord, cover me.
Do not see my sinful ways,
Look to Jesus Christ instead;
Take His blood, His righteousness and
Lord, cover me.

Based on Daniel 7:11

Walking on Shadows

“Rosi, por favor, camina,” she said.  The sun lit the NYC street like a movie screen as my mother tried to get me to go forward.  I would not. I could not!  Her fingers squeezed my hand a little bit tighter and she repeated, “Camina”  But I could not walk.  And I could not tell her why.  This is a very distant memory. It may be prior to my gaining intelligible language, because I remember that I could not express my fear.  I could not say I was scared of my shadow.  The menacingly dark figure mimicked me. It licked at my feet. I tried to run away, but I could not escape it.  All the while my mother kept holding my hand.  She did not rescue me, she did not kill the threat, and she did not let me go.

I do not remember how that episode ended, but I know that it was repeated often.  It has become a family joke that I was afraid of my own shadow.  But I do remember that years later, when I did have speech, my mother explained that I did not have to fear.  She taught me the sun made the shadow.  She showed me everything had a shadow; she had one too.  She told me about Peter Pan and that a shadow can be like a friend. She taught me to play with it by making rabbit, dog and swan shadow puppets.  She taught me to sing, “When ever I feel afraid I hold my head erect, and whistle a happy tune, and no one will suspect I’m afraid.” In my first fearful “shadow memory” my mother did not let me go. In later such moments  she did not let me run away either. What she did do was show me how to deal with my fears. She changed my fearful failure into a victory.

Now in the middle of my life I find myself once again walking in the shadow.  I see other shadows looming in my periphery and my instinct is to retreat. But I learned to walk on shadows with my mother. And now my Heavenly Father is holding my hand.  He promises to walk through these valleys with me.  He provides hope. He has taught me what others have felt while in this valley of shadows.  I have seen His presence overwhelm the valley with darkness.  He has staked His reputation on the fact that He will bring great victory and light out from the shadows, and I trust Him.  I choose to walk close to the darkness,  for He abides there too.  “And Moses drew near unto the thick darkness where God was.” Exodus 20:21

Shirley M. Warner
1932-2011

It would be a much more difficult thing to walk in this valley if my mother had not taught me to challenge my fears.  If she had not showed me the truth about shadows I would have been left lingering in true darkness; and for that and a myriad other things I am grateful.  I am also grateful for other mothers who have left a legacy of true grit. Mothers who saw the light and the dark in life and went forward. Mothers who taught us to dance through life with strength and wit. Mothers who showed us how to hold God's hand. Mothers who have crossed  the valley of the shadow with bravery, fortitude and grace.

*This is a tribute to my mother, as well as to my mother-in-law, Shirley Warner

It’s all in the Name

It was an interesting coincidence, before we even met; my husband and I had picked the same name for a daughter should we ever have one.  We had both chosen the diminutive of Nicole.  Not the usual spelling of that name, but the one with two ‘K’s.  While pregnant with her, we decided that Nikki was too short a name so I added  ‘TA’ to the end of it.  Her name would be Nikkita. It would be the Spanish diminutive of Nikki, meaning, “little Nikki‘.

We always called her Nikki, but when she learned her full name she took to it and would introduce herself as ‘Nikki-Ta’ as if ‘Ta’ was her middle name.  Of course through time she figured out the truth about her name, but she kept a strong sense of propriety about how her name was said, spelled and used. Remembering her innocent childish mistake her older brothers would sometimes call her Nikki-Ta, and even at the age of four she would haughtily say, “My name is Nikki or Nikkita don’t call me Nikki-Ta.”

To this very day, she does not allow just anyone to use diminutives of her name .  There seems to be a caste system.  Friends and acquaintances may call her Nikkita or Nikki.  Family and very close friends may call her Nik.  There are a few other names immediate family may call her like “Miss Adventure” (a double meaning explaining her love of exploration and the resulting consequences) or “Angel” (which I call her) and “Sis” (which Daniel calls her).

Still, there is a name that may be spoken by only one person. I have always loved the close relationship the kids have had with my husband and Nikki is no different. I may be her best friend, but she is essentially a Daddy’s girl; therefore Pat is the only one who may call her “Ta”. Because he holds a special place in her heart, the "name rules" do not apply to him.

As sweet as it is that Nikki gives Pat the use of  her special name, it is small compared to what God expresses in the use of His name.  In Exodus 3 He has a conversation with Moses that shows how special we are to Him.
“And Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, “The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, What is His name? What shall I say unto them?”
And God said unto Moses, “I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.”

God gives Moses His name “I AM THAT I AM” then He tells Moses to let the people know the diminutive of His name, “I AM”.  The "name rules" do not apply to us! God wants us to understand how special we are to Him. Just like Nikki only allows her Daddy to call her by that special diminutive, God allows us to call Him by His special diminutive  This expresses the deepness of His affection for us.  It proves we have a place in His heart that no one else has.

In the New Testament  Paul says, “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.” Romans 8:14, 15.  I have heard that the word Abba is equal to the word Daddy. Not only does God give us His diminutive, but He wants us to call Him Daddy.

In our home it is right that Pat should have access to the name “Ta”, he is Nikki’s Daddy; he takes care of her, and does all the things good Daddies do.  And in their story I see how God esteems me. He allows me to use the diminutive of His name, because I hold a place in His heart that is shared by no one.  It is also right that He should be my Daddy.  He is the one who guides me, comforts me, provides for me, protects me and redeemed me.

“Snow on Snow” from: In the Bleak Midwinter

“Snow on snow”, that has been our winter.  We have had major snow storms weekly. Since New Years day over 6 feet of snow has fallen.  Our neighbor plows our driveway, my son shovels the roof.  We all work at keeping paths open to various important places on the property like the front door which is seldom used, the oil tank and the wood pile. It is a lot of work and a huge inconvenience.


As each storm pours its contents on our lawn layers of snow are created.  The white strata separated by thin layers of ice resembles the geological column.  Cambrian period: 8 inches of snow, thin layer of ice.  Triassic period: 24 inches of snow, ½ inch of ice.  Tertiary period: (which is falling down right now) 5 inches of snow, to be followed later by some melt and subsequent freezing into ice. Like the song says, “snow on snow.”


But my Father says that , “though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be white as snow.” (Isaiah 1:18)  An amazing promise!  He can remove the stain of my sin.  Not a trace of faded pink left, only the pure white of complete forgiveness.  That is comforting.


But, I have a huge problem.  The law of sin motivates and perpetuates everything in me.  And like Paul,  “the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice.” (Rom 7:19) When I think of how often I fall in the same temptations I get discouraged.  But just this morning, when I felt like it would be impossible for God to forgive, again; I saw the snow. Layer upon layers of snow.  White, pure and innocent snow! 


My gracious Father taught me that as deep as my sin goes, as often as I fall He has an abundance of mercy. Though my sins are red as scarlet they shall be white as “snow on snow.”