So, this may be my shortest blog ever, but could be the best ever 😅 haha.
Isaiah 53 - Jesus is refer to as "a man of sorrows"...700 years prior to His coming. A man of sorrows. I like that. I get that. Jesus really does understand me. A man of sorrows. A perfect man, who took on the rejection of sinful man, to love the rejected. He became a man of sorrows to walk with me through my sorrows. I really do like Jesus more today that ever...And He alone will never abandoned me. I really do like that today.
Thursday, August 30, 2018
Thursday, August 23, 2018
Apple Tree
I made a bad decision. I made a costly decision. It can't be undone. I fell short of the glory of God.
I am out of tears. I am broken. I want to get away. You ever been there? It sucks. It hurts. You are saying to Aslan (the lion from Narnia) how much more of this? Here is the scene:
My childhood was challenging. And one of my safest places was a tall tree in the backyard. It was the type of tree that says, "climb me." And i would go to the top of the tree and allowed the thick branches and the many leaves to cover me. No one could see me and no one could find me. And I was there for however long I needed too to feel safe again again.
Well, i made a bad decision. A costly decision. Today, I want to climb to the top of a tree and hide for as long as I need to, but my Jesus said no. You will not. Here is what you are going to do today. In fact, this is what you must do everyday. Please, I am pleading with you JT, this is what you must do. (This comes from Song of Solomon 2:3 that says - Like an apple tree among the trees of the forest, so is my beloved among the young men. In his shade I took great delight and sat down, and his fruit was sweet to my taste.)
"JT, you are not climbing the tree today, you are going to sit under My tree. You are going to sit under My Apple Tree. Sure, the other trees look good, but this is the only apple tree in the forest. And yes, they all look safe to climb and hide, but that is not what I am asking you to do. I am asking you to sit under My Apple Tree and allow my shade to protect you. The shade from the other trees will fade away, but My Shade never fades. And you are going to eat MY APPLES. You are not going to eat the world's apples, they will spoil. You are not going to eat other people's apples...not what I desire. You are going to eat MY APPLES. Because they are right, good, and satisfying not just for today but for eternity. And this is where you are going to stay."
How much more Lord? When I AM done!
I am out of tears. I am broken. I want to get away. You ever been there? It sucks. It hurts. You are saying to Aslan (the lion from Narnia) how much more of this? Here is the scene:
“You will have to let me undress you,” says Aslan the Lion.
So desperate was Eustace, even his fear of Aslan’s claws was not enough to stop him from laying down flat on his back. Laying anxious on the ground, here’s what Eustace felt.
how much more Lord? Please, how much more? He says, "when I AM done."The very first tear he made was so deep that I thought it had gone right into my heart. And when he began pulling the skin off, it hurt worse than anything I’ve ever felt. The only thing that made me able to bear it was just the pleasure of feeling the stuff peel off. . . .Well, he peeled the beastly stuff right off — just as I thought I’d done it myself the other three times, only they hadn’t hurt — and there it was lying on the grass: only ever so much thicker, and darker, and more knobbly-looking than the others had been. And there was I as smooth and soft as a peeled switch and smaller than I had been. Then he caught hold of me — I didn’t like that much for I was very tender underneath now that I’d no skin on — and threw me into the water. It smarted like anything but only for a moment. After that it became perfectly delicious and as soon as I started swimming and splashing I found that all the pain had gone from my arm. And then I saw why. I’d turned into a boy again. . . .After a bit the lion took me out and dressed me . . . in new clothes.
My childhood was challenging. And one of my safest places was a tall tree in the backyard. It was the type of tree that says, "climb me." And i would go to the top of the tree and allowed the thick branches and the many leaves to cover me. No one could see me and no one could find me. And I was there for however long I needed too to feel safe again again.
Well, i made a bad decision. A costly decision. Today, I want to climb to the top of a tree and hide for as long as I need to, but my Jesus said no. You will not. Here is what you are going to do today. In fact, this is what you must do everyday. Please, I am pleading with you JT, this is what you must do. (This comes from Song of Solomon 2:3 that says - Like an apple tree among the trees of the forest, so is my beloved among the young men. In his shade I took great delight and sat down, and his fruit was sweet to my taste.)
"JT, you are not climbing the tree today, you are going to sit under My tree. You are going to sit under My Apple Tree. Sure, the other trees look good, but this is the only apple tree in the forest. And yes, they all look safe to climb and hide, but that is not what I am asking you to do. I am asking you to sit under My Apple Tree and allow my shade to protect you. The shade from the other trees will fade away, but My Shade never fades. And you are going to eat MY APPLES. You are not going to eat the world's apples, they will spoil. You are not going to eat other people's apples...not what I desire. You are going to eat MY APPLES. Because they are right, good, and satisfying not just for today but for eternity. And this is where you are going to stay."
How much more Lord? When I AM done!
Wednesday, August 15, 2018
Hey sinner, yay you...I'm a sinner too
As I feel like I have gotten closer to Jesus over these past few years I have also realized in those moments how much of a sinner I really am. I have an evil heart. Or as Revelation 3:17 says, "you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked." And yet, because of Jesus, I am loved. I am His. I am redeemed! In my weakness He is strong! In my brokenness He is perfect! In my stains He is spotless! He knows me! He already knows I am a sinner. Why must I "avoid" Him?
So what do I do? I come to Him and confess my sins and He responds with, "i am faithful and just and will forgive you of your sins and cleanse you from all unrighteousness." Wait...what? Really? Yep. But here is the kicker, but boy if I don't claim to be a sinner in need of a Savior, then I make Jesus out to be a liar...woa! And the outcome? His Word is not in me. (1 John 1:9-10)
So as I wrestle with this truth, I thought, for those of us who are "not in the Word" or "His Word is not in me" does that come from a place of not taking our sins seriously? And if we don't take our sins seriously, we sort of just skate thru life with Jesus nearby...Then there are those who understand the depravity of their sin and have no hope BUT to draw closer to Jesus, being reminded of His deep deep love for them even in their sinful state. And how do we learn the depth of His love for us? Simply by being in His Word!
Ok, so now it works out best for us if we wholeheartedly admit what He already knows about us, so that we can rest in His promise of grace (the forgiveness of sin) and allow ourselves to taste and see that He is good and that His love does indeed endure forever. Or better yet, what Jesus promises to do for us if we confess our sins - "I advise you to buy from Me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself, and that the shame of your nakedness will not be revealed; and eye salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see. (Rev. 3:18) Wow, all this by recognizing that we are sinners and admitting our sins to Him...that is love.
I'll finish up with one more truth for us to chew on, "and if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous." (1 John 2:1) We have no reason now to avoid spending time with Jesus, so let's open up the Scriptures today and soak in His promises and His faithfulness to us!!!
So what do I do? I come to Him and confess my sins and He responds with, "i am faithful and just and will forgive you of your sins and cleanse you from all unrighteousness." Wait...what? Really? Yep. But here is the kicker, but boy if I don't claim to be a sinner in need of a Savior, then I make Jesus out to be a liar...woa! And the outcome? His Word is not in me. (1 John 1:9-10)
So as I wrestle with this truth, I thought, for those of us who are "not in the Word" or "His Word is not in me" does that come from a place of not taking our sins seriously? And if we don't take our sins seriously, we sort of just skate thru life with Jesus nearby...Then there are those who understand the depravity of their sin and have no hope BUT to draw closer to Jesus, being reminded of His deep deep love for them even in their sinful state. And how do we learn the depth of His love for us? Simply by being in His Word!
Ok, so now it works out best for us if we wholeheartedly admit what He already knows about us, so that we can rest in His promise of grace (the forgiveness of sin) and allow ourselves to taste and see that He is good and that His love does indeed endure forever. Or better yet, what Jesus promises to do for us if we confess our sins - "I advise you to buy from Me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself, and that the shame of your nakedness will not be revealed; and eye salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see. (Rev. 3:18) Wow, all this by recognizing that we are sinners and admitting our sins to Him...that is love.
I'll finish up with one more truth for us to chew on, "and if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous." (1 John 2:1) We have no reason now to avoid spending time with Jesus, so let's open up the Scriptures today and soak in His promises and His faithfulness to us!!!
Thursday, August 9, 2018
We Are In Battle
My hero Charles Spurgeon said this, "consider how precious a soul must be, when both God and the devil are after it."
God has come to give us life while Satan wants to come and destroy it and yet we give in! I was reminded of this the other day in a conversation I had with a friend that our battle according to Ephesians, is not against flesh and blood and yet, it seems that Satan deceives us by making us think that our battle IS against flesh and blood. He, the master of lies, deceives us in fighting each other and IT WORKS! UGGGGGGH! Friends, it is time we wake up and fight the real battle...not a secondary battle. Actually, as I typed that out my mind went straight to the truth of letting Jesus fight the battle and we just walk in Him...because we are no match for Satan. I am sadden to think about how many churches and families have fallen because of this unique strategy from the devil. Let's pause and look at what the devil means. He is a slanderer and an accuser and he likes to accuse us day and night, which makes me wonder if that is why Joshua and David said "meditate on the Word of God day and night?" Regardless, our battle is against the evil one...not one another. In fact, each one of us has enough to deal with each day, we don't need any help from anyone else. We need love. We need encouragement. We need grace. We need Jesus.
We need to set ourselves up with the power of Jesus and Paul tells us how in Ephesians 6:11-20. We need to suit up for battle and fellow soldiers, the best way for us to battle is in the full armor of God. Which is His Word: TRUTH. RIGHTEOUSNESS. GOSPEL OF PEACE. FAITH. SALVATION. SWORD OF SPIRIT. All these grow bigger and deeper on us from being in His Word...by sitting at the Table with Jesus. And as we move into the Word we pray before we "eat" of it. We pray while we are "devouring" it. We pray as we are "digesting" it. Let's start fighting the real battle...the devil. He is coming after our souls but only to destroy it...let's surrender our souls to our Hero, our Savior, our Jesus. Amen? Amen!
God has come to give us life while Satan wants to come and destroy it and yet we give in! I was reminded of this the other day in a conversation I had with a friend that our battle according to Ephesians, is not against flesh and blood and yet, it seems that Satan deceives us by making us think that our battle IS against flesh and blood. He, the master of lies, deceives us in fighting each other and IT WORKS! UGGGGGGH! Friends, it is time we wake up and fight the real battle...not a secondary battle. Actually, as I typed that out my mind went straight to the truth of letting Jesus fight the battle and we just walk in Him...because we are no match for Satan. I am sadden to think about how many churches and families have fallen because of this unique strategy from the devil. Let's pause and look at what the devil means. He is a slanderer and an accuser and he likes to accuse us day and night, which makes me wonder if that is why Joshua and David said "meditate on the Word of God day and night?" Regardless, our battle is against the evil one...not one another. In fact, each one of us has enough to deal with each day, we don't need any help from anyone else. We need love. We need encouragement. We need grace. We need Jesus.
We need to set ourselves up with the power of Jesus and Paul tells us how in Ephesians 6:11-20. We need to suit up for battle and fellow soldiers, the best way for us to battle is in the full armor of God. Which is His Word: TRUTH. RIGHTEOUSNESS. GOSPEL OF PEACE. FAITH. SALVATION. SWORD OF SPIRIT. All these grow bigger and deeper on us from being in His Word...by sitting at the Table with Jesus. And as we move into the Word we pray before we "eat" of it. We pray while we are "devouring" it. We pray as we are "digesting" it. Let's start fighting the real battle...the devil. He is coming after our souls but only to destroy it...let's surrender our souls to our Hero, our Savior, our Jesus. Amen? Amen!
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