I love John. Mostly because of how he loved Jesus. John was one of the twelve men Jesus chose to hang out with. He got to spend some serious quality time with Jesus, walking all over Israel, hearing Him teach, watching Him heal and just growing to love Him with what I like to think of as puppy love. We can learn some important things about John by studying the Gospels. Today I will highlight just a few. {You should be warned that I just started a class on John so you might be hearing a lot about him!} Just as any good dog follows his owner, John does not hesitate to follow Jesus when He is called. In fact John left everything behind to become a loyal follower of Jesus. John got to spend intimate times with Jesus, watching Jesus pray. Sure sounds like my dog, Pinot who curls up next to me as I work. The key lap dog moment for John can be found in John 13:23 I love this verse for a couple of reasons. The first being that John actually describes himself as the one Jesus loved. I love that he thought it. I love that he wrote it. Isn’t it just like us to think, yeah but He loves me best? Now, where was I? Oh, yes, the other reason I like this verse is because I think it was true….I believe Jesus did have a heart for John. I believe He has that same heart for each of us as well. It is believed that John was younger than the others, kind of like a puppy I’d say. I think Jesus loved his enthusiasm and playful side. I like to think that John entertained Jesus in a way the others might not have. Jesus took John into the Garden on the eve of His death. I cannot imagine what our playful puppy, John, experienced that night. I shared yesterday that our puppy, Pinot tries to lick our tears away. What must John have sought to do as he watched Jesus’ Agony in the Garden? I tremble to think of it. The image of Jesus’ faithful lap dog is conveyed in John 19:26-27 John again wants us to know that He is loved by Jesus. I think he is reminding himself of it as he watches this horrific scene unfold. Yet, as a faithful guard dog he stands at the foot of the Cross when all the others have scattered. His Master needs him and he is right there. Jesus knows what a great guard dog John is and entrusts His Mother to John’s care. I know he took care of her the way my puppy takes care of my kids. The final scene I offer you today is one where I playful puppy returns. We find it in John 20:3-4. Can you just see our puppy, John, running to the tomb on the off chance that his Master is alive? I see the look on my dog’s face when I come home and she looks like, “I can’t believe you came back.” Can you imagine John’s “I can’t believe you came back” moment? I picture him running with reckless abandon to find his best friend…alive! What can we learn from John? We can learn to be Jesus’ lap dogs. We can learn not to hesitate when Jesus calls. We can learn to obey the commands of our Master. We can search out times of intimacy with Jesus when we are completely alone with Him. We can learn to recline with Jesus and allow Him to teach us. We can unite our suffering to His. We can stand by Him when no one else does. We can faithfully care for those He has given us. And finally we can run like mad to meet Him whenever He comes. |
Thursday, July 7, 2011
John, Jesus' Lap Dog
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
The Best Of...Father's Day Week
Welcome back to Dude’s Week. Admittedly I have no clue what its like to be a father. But I do know what it is like to be surrounded by great ones: my own dad, my husband, my uncle, my business partner, my son’s godfather, my friends’ husbands. Man, as I write this, I see that I like to surround myself with good men. Good move on my part.
Today’s Biblical character study involves my good friend, David. David was a good man but he was far from perfect. Notice I did not say the guys I mentioned above were perfect. David starts off life well. He is chosen to be king but he plays his cards smart while he waits for that to unfold. We are going to fast forward in his life to the point where he is living life large. He is hanging out on the roof of his palace when he should have been in battle like the other kings. He has the best of everything and he is bored….so he takes what isn’t his, Bathsheba. They have a child together who dies. Sin always has consequences. But the consequences don’t end there. For a while it seems they have recovered. They proceed to have a son, Solomon, the Wise One.
We need to look deeper to see what happened because of David’s sin. His family fractured. I’m sure many of us can relate. His children don’t get along with each other. One son actually rapes his daughter. His son Absalom will be our focus today.
Absalom wants his dad’s throne. In fact he gives David quite a run for his money. But David has a father’s heart. He orders his men not to kill his son for any reason. Absalom winds up dead and we have some of the most gut wrenching words of Scripture in the lines that follow. “O my son Absalom, my son, my son, Absalom! Would I have died instead of you, O Absalom, my son, my son!” “ 2 Samuel 18:33
As I said before I have no idea how a father loves. But in this brief passage I think I catch a glimpse. I see a powerful man with the world seemingly at his command, reduced to his knees in grief over a child. In his case the child was dead. In yours it might be estranged, in sin, sick or whatever. The pain is real. And David’s pain is raw. In that sentence I can begin to see how a father loves…. mightily yet he cannot fix everything. The King is reduced to his knees on behalf of his son.
Scripture tells us that David had a heart like God’s. To me, that means a father’s heart. In David we see a man who made some pretty bad choices and some great ones. But he never stopped loving God. He loved his children with abandon and they broke his heart. Yep, sounds like a heart like God’s to me.
For all you dads out there…love your children even though they can and will break your heart. When you feel like giving up think of David and his broken heart and love like him.
Today’s Biblical character study involves my good friend, David. David was a good man but he was far from perfect. Notice I did not say the guys I mentioned above were perfect. David starts off life well. He is chosen to be king but he plays his cards smart while he waits for that to unfold. We are going to fast forward in his life to the point where he is living life large. He is hanging out on the roof of his palace when he should have been in battle like the other kings. He has the best of everything and he is bored….so he takes what isn’t his, Bathsheba. They have a child together who dies. Sin always has consequences. But the consequences don’t end there. For a while it seems they have recovered. They proceed to have a son, Solomon, the Wise One.
We need to look deeper to see what happened because of David’s sin. His family fractured. I’m sure many of us can relate. His children don’t get along with each other. One son actually rapes his daughter. His son Absalom will be our focus today.
Absalom wants his dad’s throne. In fact he gives David quite a run for his money. But David has a father’s heart. He orders his men not to kill his son for any reason. Absalom winds up dead and we have some of the most gut wrenching words of Scripture in the lines that follow. “O my son Absalom, my son, my son, Absalom! Would I have died instead of you, O Absalom, my son, my son!” “ 2 Samuel 18:33
As I said before I have no idea how a father loves. But in this brief passage I think I catch a glimpse. I see a powerful man with the world seemingly at his command, reduced to his knees in grief over a child. In his case the child was dead. In yours it might be estranged, in sin, sick or whatever. The pain is real. And David’s pain is raw. In that sentence I can begin to see how a father loves…. mightily yet he cannot fix everything. The King is reduced to his knees on behalf of his son.
Scripture tells us that David had a heart like God’s. To me, that means a father’s heart. In David we see a man who made some pretty bad choices and some great ones. But he never stopped loving God. He loved his children with abandon and they broke his heart. Yep, sounds like a heart like God’s to me.
For all you dads out there…love your children even though they can and will break your heart. When you feel like giving up think of David and his broken heart and love like him.
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Monday, July 4, 2011
Sunday, July 3, 2011
Saturday, July 2, 2011
Saturday Reflections...
What movie would I like to study on AGOG? (be reasonable, people)
Have I expected too much of my Prince Regular?
How has looking for the ideal hindered what I have?
Do I allow the princes in my life to be who they are?
Do I know the real Prince Charming is in heaven waiting for me?
What glass slippers am I cramming my feet into?
Where do I fit?
Am I missing life looking for happily ever after?
Do I create “Happily” days? Or wait on others to make me happy?
Do I understand that happily ever after is only in heaven?
What did Joseph’s story reveal to me?
Do I struggle with forgiveness? Giving or receiving it?
Friday, July 1, 2011
In A Pit
We would be missing the obvious if we didn’t discuss the evil stepsisters in Cinderella. Now I know you are thinking, how is she going to connect the evil stepsisters to the Bible? You are probably even kind of thinking..this one is gonna be a stretch. Not at all. I immediately think of Joseph’s brothers. Let’s compare these today.
In Cinderella, the stepmother favors the stepsisters. She makes Cinderella do all of the work. The stepsisters hate Cinderella because she is beautiful. Eventually, good triumphs and Cinderella marries the prince. She is elevated to a high position and we are told that she lives happily ever after.
How does this relate to Joe and his brothers? Well, let’s see! Joseph was the favorite son of Jacob. He was Jacob’s favorite because he was the son of Jacob’s favorite wife, Rachel. Safe to say both stories have favoritism as a root of the problem. Where there is favoritism, there is jealousy. Joseph’s brothers resented him because their dad loved him best. (kinda the way the sisters hate Cindy cause she is the prettiest) Jacob gives Joe a lavish robe, which puts it in the bros faces. (kinda like the dress that the mice made for Cindy) The stepsisters rip the dress apart and Cindy is told she can’t go to the ball. The bros throw Joseph in the well and leave him for dead.
The brothers go back and tell Jacob that his prized son is dead. How cruel! Joseph is saved and ends up in Egypt. There he becomes quite successful and becomes second in command of the whole country. (Cindy becomes a princess) As God would have it, Joseph’s brothers have to come groveling to him to get food. Joseph helps them and is reunited with his father.
Although it was fun for me to compare the two, the message of Joseph’s story is much more profound than Cinderella. Joseph models forgiveness for us. He doesn’t hold a grudge and does what he can to help his family. We see that God took care of Joseph even when his brothers left him for dead. God rewarded Joe’s faithfulness but putting him in charge of great matters.
What is the lesson for us? God expects us to be forgiving even when what has been done is unforgivable. Forgiveness can be the loveliest gift you give others. But, more importantly, it can be the greatest gift you give God. By putting yourself and your feelings aside, you allow God room to move in your life. When God finds you faithful in matters like this, He often promotes you to new and exciting things, like He did with Joseph. Prove yourself faithful today. Let someone off the hook.
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