ROOM FOR JESUS – DAY 4 of 8 - Gifts of the Spirit

Is there room for Jesus in your spiritual gifts and talents? We all have them. [See 1 Corinthians 12:4-11] Every gift of the spirit is of the same value to God. Hopefully, since they are given us for the purpose of service to others, we all use them or seek to use them to serve.

However, if we are not careful, we can find ourselves guilty of edging Jesus out of our use of those gifts. Let me give you a recent example from my life.

I was asked to give a scripture-based seminar to a mixed group of adults. It is a presentation I have done many times before. But I always practice a couple of times before any presentation to ensure that it comes out smoothly and I don’t miss any important points. Even with written out notes in front of me, without practice I might stumble over words or points.

My first run through was way more difficult than I expected. I wasn’t “feeling it”. Didn’t feel like I was connecting to the message or that it was flowing. I knew that I had the right message. I’d put in the time to craft it. It was not unfamiliar territory. Why was I feeling unconnected?

I stopped and prayed, asking for Jesus to help me, to speak through me and get this message, which I had been asked to give, out with feeling and connection. I asked Jesus to speak through me – to connect to His brothers and sisters in a meaningful way.

I stepped aside and made room for Jesus to speak through me. And He did. The next run through felt perfectly aligned. And the presentation went beautifully.

What was missing was that I had assumed, given all my work on it, that I could give the message myself. I had neglected to make room for Jesus.

God gives us talent and gifts that He intends for us to use. But even a God-given gift will not serve its purpose unless we purposefully, specifically and with intent make room for Jesus in its use.

I welcome your comments and questions along the way. You can write me in the comments/chat section or any time at Nancy@DynamicChristianMinistries.org

ROOM FOR JESUS – DAY 3 of 8

Is there room for Jesus at your church? Seems like that last place we should have to ask that question. Right? But remember that when Jesus showed up at the temple, He did not look like, speak like or act like the religious leaders expected the Messiah to look, speak and act.

So, maybe the better question would be, “Is there room in your church (or fellowship group) for a follower of Jesus who looks, speaks and acts differently than what is ‘normal’ for your congregation?”.

Do you know the difference between inclusion and belonging? From a work perspective, Dave Wilkin, CEO of 10KC, a mentoring and networking platform for companies like Nike, GE and more, describes inclusion as having a seat at the table, but belonging is not only being at that table, but having your voice heard and valued. * 

Thinking about this from a church perspective, inclusion means that you allow someone to attend, let them sit in a pew and listen to the sermon, but never give them a voice, or responsibility or a real place in the congregation. Never make them feel truly welcome or that they have a part in the work of God.

I once asked a minister what would happen if a transgender person showed up at services. Someone who had already transitioned. He asked for some time to think about it. Clearly, it was not something that the leaders had discussed. Yet, if we are casting the net as fishers of men, we are going to be catching all kinds of fish. You think God will never call someone who had transitioned to the other sex? Why not?

With issues such as this – issues new to our current society – it is wise to take some time to consider what you would do if Jesus or an angel showed up in a form like this, specifically to see if the church could make room for such a beloved child of God.

Sisters in Christ, it is important that we consider it, pray about it, maybe even fast about it, and seek wise counsel from the Bible. We would do well to see what we can learn from how Jesus treated the unwelcome of His time - the lepers, adulteresses, tax collectors and others who were generally not given the gift of belonging at dinner tables, let alone in the temple.

I won’t tell you what the minister eventually said because I am asking you if there is room for Jesus in your congregation if He shows up looking so differently from most of the children of God in you group, or if it is someone who sins differently or struggles with different issues that are “allowed” or “acceptable struggles” in your congregation.

I’m not going to tell you what he said, because when it comes to something besides the question of restrooms (which seems to be the one that immediately comes to most people’s minds), the real question is about welcoming sinners and how that works in hearts and minds of your congregation.

It may seem like the one place we should not have to ask if there is room for Jesus is when it comes to church congregations.  However, congregations are made up of repentant sinners who are not done learning about their own sins, about God, about Jesus, about love, about the scripture and about our Christian walk. How do I know? Because I am one of those congregants myself, still learning and growing, and working to expand the room for Jesus in my own life.

I welcome your comments and questions along the way. You can write me in the comments/chat section or any time at Nancy@DynamicChristianMinistries.org

* https://www.worklife.news/culture/inclusion-and-belongi/

ROOM FOR JESUS – DAY 2 of 8

Yesterday, at a women’s tea, one of the “get to know you” question was about leisure activities. If I had a day off, how would I spend my time? My sister and I both said “shopping”. The “with my sister” part was implied. We do love to shop, whether we buy something or not. Shopping involves a lot of talking and laughing and bonding. Often, there is very little buying. Except for lattes. There are always lattes.

Is there room for Jesus in your shopping? Other than work, this may be the number one way that we interact with people we don’t know to be believers, and we have the greatest opportunity to stand out from the crowd as believers ourselves. I’m thinking about how we treat those hired to serve us in our shopping.

Is there room for Jesus in how we treat the waitstaff at restaurants, especially when the food is not right. Is there room for Jesus in how we treat the checkout folks at the grocery clothing store when the lines are long? Is there room for Jesus in how we treat the airline staff when the flight is delayed, and you are going to miss your grandchild’s birthday because of it?

These are the times that try our patience. These are the times that can stretch and expand the place of the Holy Spirit in us. These are the times when we can stand out as those for whom love is more important than anything else.

Given the times He lived in, we know Jesus didn’t face the same shopping frustrations as we do. He was never impacted by a late flight. But issues like this often come down to shared resources and how we react when they are scarce. He did have to deal with that.

Here are a few incidents to consider and discuss how they might apply to our lives today.

1.        When the Pharisees accused the disciples of breaking the Sabbath.

2.        When followers were tired and hungry.

3.        When people followed Him out of town and interrupted what was supposed to be His time for recharging to ask for healing.

The way I see it is that Jesus’ reaction in both cases was to focus on compassion. He showed that caring for other humans and their needs was more important that other considerations.

My father used to have a saying that was something like, “If you kids fight now, when we have plenty, what will you do when things are scare?”. I think about that when I see people cussing out a ticket counter agent over a delayed flight.

What other places and buying situations can you think of where room for Jesus would cause you to react differently?

Life can be frustrating. Decisions of others can inconvenience us, cost us money, waste our time. In this case, I am not asking you to consider situations that might endanger you.

I’m asking if when everyday life, like shopping, flying or driving, gets frustrating, is there room for Jesus in how you respond? As my father was trying to impress upon my siblings and me, the way you react in these inconvenient or frustrating situations now is practice for the day that a greater call to respond like Jesus may occur.

Is there room for Jesus in the day-to-day frustrations of living?

I welcome your comments and questions along the way. You can write me in the comments/chat section or any time at Nancy@DynamicChristianMinistries.org

ROOM FOR JESUS – DAY 1 of 8

I am a fan of tiny houses. I enjoy looking at the floor plans and exteriors. If it comes into my social media feed, I’m going to look at it in detail. Given the current size of my home and all the stuff I have in use and in storage – shoot even just looking at my walk-in closet – it is obvious that I am not ready for a tiny home. But maybe someday…

One of my favorite scriptures is this: John 14:1-3 [NKJV] 1 "Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. 2 "In My Father's house are many mansions; if [it were] not [so], I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 3 "And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, [there] you may be also.

When I read “in my Father’s house are many mansions”, that doesn’t exactly sound right in concept. I mean we can think of many rooms in a mansion, but it seems odd to consider many mansions within a single house.

However, God, who exists beyond time and space, who inhabits eternity in both directions (past and future) is not limited by our human concepts.

I believe that Jesus wanted us to understand two things in this scripture:
1. There is plenty of room in God’s home. Salvation is not a finite string with no stretch. It is a rubber band that stretches toward all who wish to be included. God is not offering tiny homes where you cannot conceive of your family, friends, neighbors, or even those who consider themselves your enemies coming over for a BBQ. He is offering lots of room. We should not limit Him or salvation in our own minds. The way is narrow. I get that. But it is not OUR job to limit God’s ability to bring people in or monitor the eye of the needle to make sure no unwanted camels get through.

2. Although He left this earth, Jesus has not stopped wanting to be with us, or working toward our ability to join Him in the Father’s house. He is getting the spaces – our places – ready for the day He comes again to receive us to Him.

This reminds me of Thanksgiving with my family. For weeks ahead of time I’d be thinking about spaces for everyone. Maybe buying new air mattresses or blankets or towels to ensure everyone had what they needed to feel comfortable – to feel at home. I’d plan menus for breakfast and snacks. Our typical communal meals were lunch and dinner when the rest of the family – those not staying with me would arrive (or we’d all take off for my sister’s house). Crockpot egg scrambles, homemade cinnamon rolls, bowls of snack bars, candy and fruit.

In my excitement, I over-prepared. I’m not saying that Jesus will over prepare. He is our perfect Savior. He’ll prepare just right. But I am suggesting He is every bit as excited (and maybe more) to prepare a beautiful place for each of us, a MANSION of our own, and to welcome us in.

Now to the crux of this eight-day blog series: Do you have room for Jesus? What kind of room?

I invite you to join me as we explore the rooms of our lives and ask ourselves, “Am I making room for Jesus here?”

I welcome your comments and questions along the way. You can write me in the comments/chat section or any time at Nancy@DynamicChristianMinistries.org

Lessons from the Gospels – G.O.A.T. or L.A.M.B.?

We all have opinions on who is the “G.O.A.T.” (greatest of all time) in the sports or politics or music. When it comes to those who walked the earth in human form, hands down Jesus is the Greatest of All Time.

But what about prophets and apostles, leaders and healers, believers and followers? Is there a greatest among us? That is a trick question. Tricky to justify even asking it, let alone try to come up with an answer.

Jesus did name the greatest prophet in Luke 7:28 where He said, “For I say to you, among those born of women there is not a great prophet than John the Baptist…” But, there is a huge “but” after that: … “but he who is the least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.”

The real concern for those of us who might like to be the “goat” in this life is that the path to being great in the Kingdom is actually in the opposite direction from what might seem to be the logical path to earning the Greatest of All Time designation.

The path to greatness is the path of serving others: Matthew 23:11 [NLT] 11 The greatest among you must be a servant.

The path to greatness is the path of being like a child: Luke 9:46-48 [NIV] 46 An argument started among the disciples as to which of them would be the greatest. 47 Jesus, knowing their thoughts, took a little child and had him stand beside him. 48 Then he said to them, "Whoever welcomes this little child in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. For it is the one who is least among you all who is the greatest."

And it won’t go well for you, if you are trying to be the greatest: Luke 14:7-11 [NLT] 7 When Jesus noticed that all who had come to the dinner were trying to sit in the seats of honor near the head of the table, he gave them this advice: 8 "When you are invited to a wedding feast, don't sit in the seat of honor. What if someone who is more distinguished than you has also been invited? 9 The host will come and say, 'Give this person your seat.' Then you will be embarrassed, and you will have to take whatever seat is left at the foot of the table! 10 "Instead, take the lowest place at the foot of the table. Then when your host sees you, he will come and say, 'Friend, we have a better place for you!' Then you will be honored in front of all the other guests. 11 For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted."

Even if you do achieve the level of “goat” now, it won’t last: Luke 13:30 [NLT] And note this: Some who seem least important now will be the greatest then, and some who are the greatest now will be least important then."

Add in the parable where Jesus is seen separating sheep from “goats”, you don’t want to be a goat at all. [See Matthew 25:32-46]

Jesus was, is and always will be the Greatest of All Time. He walked this earth clothed in human flesh and never stumbled nor sinned. We should seek to be as much like Him as is possible with the power of the Holy Spirit working in us to have the desire and the will to live that way.

But rather than seeking to be “G.O.A.T.S.”, we should be seeking to be L.A.M.B.S., like the Perfect Lamb of God, Jesus. John 1:29 [NKJV] The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, "Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! That is, we should be seeking to be Loving, Acting, Meek, Blessing-counting, Servants. That includes feeding other of His lambs and He told Peter [See John 21:15-17].

Matthew 23:11 [NLT] 11 The greatest among you must be a servant.

The way to greatness is found in not seeking it at all, but in being His servants in this world – serving Him, feeding His lambs, caring for the needy from all walks of life, accepting “last place” now for the sake of future glory in Him.

Have a great week, my fellow L.A.M.B.S. And feel free to LMK if you can come up with a better acronym for L.A.M.B.S. I’d love to hear it.

I welcome your comments and questions. You can write me in the chat or any time at Nancy@DynamicChristianMinistries.org

Lessons from the Gospels – Do you have the answer?

“You have an answer for everything!”  Have you ever heard this accusation leveled at someone? I remember hearing it used toward so called, “smart mouthed” children. It may be a phrase that is out of favor these days, and for good reason.

However, we might consider, as Christian women, if we should have – if we should be prepared with – an answer for every question about our faith, about God, about our Christian walk.

1 Peter 3:15 [NIV] tells us to be prepared to answer, “But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect,”

Perhaps this scripture also comes to mind: 2 Timothy 2:15 [KJV] “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”

It is clearly a key factor of our Christian Walk that we should know the scriptures, the truth and the why of our faith well enough to explain it when asked.

However, what about accusations? Should we answer every accusation against our faith or walk?

Christ Jesus, at the trials before His crucifixion – first with the religious leaders and later with Pilot – set an example of not answering accusations.

Mark 14:60-61 [NKJV] 60 And the high priest stood up in the midst and asked Jesus, saying, "Do You answer nothing? What [is it] these men testify against You?" 61 But He kept silent and answered nothing…

Matthew 27:14 [NKJV] But He answered him not one word, so that the governor marveled greatly.

Mark 15:3-5 [NKJV] 3 And the chief priests accused Him of many things, but He answered nothing. 4 Then Pilate asked Him again, saying, "Do You answer nothing? See how many things they testify against You!" 5 But Jesus still answered nothing, so that Pilate marveled.

They marveled that He did not try to convince them of His innocence or answer back for the accusations leveled against Him. Most people would.

Although He remained silent during the accusations, Jesus spoke up to confirm Who He was.

Mark 14:61-62 [NKJV] … Again, the high priest asked Him, saying to Him, "Are You the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?" 62 Jesus said, "I am. And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven."

How might we put this into effect in our own lives?

1.      Know the scriptures. 2 Timothy 2:15.

2.      Know who you are. 1 Peter 3:15; Mark 14:62.

3.      Know when to keep quiet and when to answer.

a.      The scripture, via Jesus’ own words, instructs us to let the Holy Spirit lead us in what to say when we are accused.

Luke 12:11-12, 14-15 [NKJV] 11 "Now when they bring you to the synagogues and magistrates and authorities, do not worry about how or what you should answer, or what you should say. 12 "For the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say."… 14 "Therefore settle [it] in your hearts not to meditate beforehand on what you will answer; 15 "for I will give you a mouth and wisdom which all your adversaries will not be able to contradict or resist.

b.      In other conversations, when we do talk, lean into grace and salt.

Colossians 4:5-6 [NIV] 5 Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. 6 Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.

I know that my “go to” is to be defensive when accused, to justify my faith or stance or opinion. But the scripture tells us differently. And I am working on that.

I want to learn to ask myself, “Are these words I am about to say full of grace? Are they seasoned with salt as we are told to be the salt of the earth (to make lives around us better)?”. If not, perhaps I should just remain silent, even if I am being accused of something.

Even as Christ-followers, we can be tempted to jump into rhetoric, especially online, where we think we “must” in order to defend our faith, church, beliefs, etc. We have to defend the rights we feel are being taken away. We must weigh in on the validity of someone else’s religion, politics, belief, etc. so no one could even consider that we might not be opposed to it.

Colossians 4:5-6 [NIV] 5 Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. 6 Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.

But that is not the example Jesus set for us, nor the instruction that we read in scripture.

We learn the scriptures to be prepared. We must then leave it to the Holy Spirit to give us the right words at the right time. We are to focus on speaking words of grace and salt always.

We must also consider that more often than we might like to consider, keeping quite might be exactly what the Spirit is leading us to do. Even when we feel accused.

I welcome your comments and questions. You can write me in the chat or any time at Nancy@DynamicChristianMinistries.org

Lessons from the Gospels – The Worst Sinners Revealed!

Comparing ourselves to others seems to be a deeply ingrained human fault. We are either declaring “Well, at least I’m not as bad as ‘you know who’!” or we feel that we must hide our sins from others, so they don’t judge us for how bad we really are.

2 Corinthians 10:12 [NKJV] clearly tells us that this habit is not wise, “For we dare not class ourselves or compare ourselves with those who commend themselves. But they, measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise.”

The trouble stems from measuring ourselves against each other. The yardstick of our mate’s, child’s, parent’s or neighbor's behavior is the wrong measuring tool.  

Who are the worst sinners? How can we know?

1.      We cannot judge people (including ourselves) or their level of sin by the troubles they have.

Luke 13:1-5 [NLT] 1 About this time Jesus was informed that Pilate had murdered some people from Galilee as they were offering sacrifices at the Temple. 2 "Do you think those Galileans were worse sinners than all the other people from Galilee?" Jesus asked. "Is that why they suffered? 3 Not at all! And you will perish, too, unless you repent of your sins and turn to God. 4 And what about the eighteen people who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them? Were they the worst sinners in Jerusalem? 5 No, and I tell you again that unless you repent, you will perish, too."

Jesus says that time and chance happen to all of us. So, while we should really be diligent in working on our own sinful natures, we cannot use persecution or disaster to measure the level of our own level of sin – let alone anyone else’s!

This flies in the face of some comments that I have seen when disaster strikes – comments attributing that disaster to the level of sin in a nation, town or area. A better reaction is to pray for the people of an area that they be kept safe, including the innocent and the guilty.

Remember that God sends rain on the just and unjust [Matt. 5:45]. We are never wrong to ask for mercy for others, rather than assuming they deserve what they get. It is not weak. It is Christ like [Luke 24:34].  

2.      It is useless to judge levels of sin in ourselves and others because all sin carries the same penalty.

Romans 6:23 [NLT] For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.

Doesn’t matter what sins trip us, or others, up, because the penalty for any sin is death. Sabbath breaking? Death. Bearing false witness? Death. Murder? Death. Idol worship? Death. Coveting? Death.

Need more proof? Look at this list of those who are left outside the Kingdom.

Revelation 21:8 [NKJV] "But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death."

Revelation 22:14-15 [NKJV] 14 Blessed [are] those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city. 15 But outside [are] dogs and sorcerers and sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and whoever loves and practices a lie.

Note that lying, which often gets a “pass” from us as being “not so bad” is among the sins that keep people out of the Kingdom. I would assume that includes lying to get out of trouble, when honest truth and accepting responsibility is a much better reaction. I assume it also includes lying to “spare someone’s feelings”, when either honest and kind delivery of truth or just keeping quiet would be better reactions.

And I assume it includes posting false information on social media, when we should either run down all claims to ensure they are true or just don’t post stuff you cannot fully verify.

I don’t want to dive any deeper into that. But I wanted to point out that sin is sin. God does not rank sin. All sin requires the blood of Jesus. While it is true that some sins garner penalties in this secular world and some do not, all sin garners the penalty of death from God.

The title of this blog is “the worst sinners revealed!”. Here is what I want to reveal: it’s every one of us. We are the worst because God doesn’t rank sin.

Romans 6:23 [NLT] For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.

The good news is that once we repent, ask for forgiveness and the blood of Christ is applied to are sins, we are washed as white as snow. No longer the worst of sinners, but now sin free. And it happens every single time. Praise God that He takes the worst of sinners and frees us from sins penalty by the blood of our Savior.

Think you are the worst sinner? You are. So am I. But in the next moment we can be the purest of people as Jesus applies His own righteousness to us.

Let me leave you with this:

Romans 3:23-26 [NKJV] 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God set forth [as] a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, 26 to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

I welcome your comments and questions. You can write me in the chat, or any time at Nancy@DyanmicChristianMinistries.org

Lessons from the Gospel – Active Waiting

We find several parables about servants waiting for the return of their master. It is very clear that we are these servants and the Master who will return is Jesus. But what can we learn about what we should be doing while we wait?

1.      Be “dressed ready for service” Luke 12:35 [NIV]

What does it mean to be dressed ready to serve? Well, we can find other scriptures that show what we should be wearing, as Christ followers. 1 Peter 5:5 tells us to be clothed with humility, and Psalms 132:9 talks about being clothed in righteousness. This is also repeated in Revelation 19:8 where it says that “fine linen, clean and white” is the “righteousness of the saints”.

How are we clothed in righteousness? Is it by acts we perform? No, it is by faith. [See Romans 3:22]

While we are waiting, we should be sure we have on the garments of humility and faith [His righteousness].

2.      We should be feeding God’s fellow servants. Luke 12:42 [NKJV]

 a.      The implication here is spiritual meat, like Jesus instructed Peter after His resurrection. John 21:16-17.

While we are waiting, we should be feeding others the word of God appropriately to the “due season”. I’ve heard this explained that pastors should be preaching the right messages for the time of year.

But that is a very narrow interpretation, especially since Luke 12 talks about the Lord’s servants, which would include all believers, not just preachers. Perhaps there are other factors we can consider for the “season” we are serving in. Can we consider that if we are speaking with a widow about the Gospel message and the love of God, we might focus on the resurrection, when she will see her loved one again. If we are speaking to someone going through a severe health trail, we might focus on the message of mercy and healing found in the Gospel. You get the picture.

When we are “feeding” the hungry, we must consider what their needs are at that time. The Gospel is good new for all seasons of our lives, and there is no lack of appropriate “meat” in it for any give “season” or situation.

While we are waiting, we should be feeding our fellow servants the right spiritual meat.

b.      We should be feeding the literally hungry too.

Luke 12: 47 [NLT] "And a servant who knows what the master wants, but isn't prepared and doesn't carry out those instructions, will be severely punished.”

While I do believe John 21 is talking about spiritual meat. We cannot forget that we are tasked with feeding literal food to those needing it as well. In the parable found in Matthew 25 we find a requirement to serving all types of physical needs – hunger, thirst, clothing, comfort, etc.

While we are waiting, we should be taking care of the physical needs of those around us.

3.      We should NOT be abusing our fellow servants. Luke 12:45.

 I do not think that I need to go into great detail about not abusing others, whether physical, mental or emotional abuse. But I will say that those who are clothed in humility and His righteousness are not going to have the kind of lust for power and control that leads people to abuse those fellow servants that they are meant to serve. That includes unbelieving fellow employees we might be in charge of, our fellow believers in our congregations (or other congregations/organizations), and those in our own homes. If you are tempted to “lord it over” someone, check your garments.

Luke 12: 47 [NLT] warns us about ignoring these actions while we wait, "And a servant who knows what the master wants, but isn't prepared and doesn't carry out those instructions, will be severely punished.”

Sweet sisters, I encourage us all to be actively waiting for the return of Jesus by ensuring we are properly dressed and are also properly caring for all of God’s children.

I welcome your comments and questions. You can write me in the chat, or any time at Nancy@DyanmicChristianMinistries.org

Lessons from the Gospels – Teach Us to Pray

When you think about Jesus’ teachings about prayer, does your mind immediately go to the “time His disciples ask for instruction on prayer and He provided what we call the “model prayer”?

Luke 11:1-4 [NKJV] 1 Now it came to pass, as He was praying in a certain place, when He ceased, [that] one of His disciples said to Him, "Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples." 2 So He said to them, "When you pray, say: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as [it is] in heaven. 3 Give us day by day our daily bread. 4 And forgive us our sins, For we also forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one."

This seems to be the starting point for prayer, though, rather than the total of Jesus’ instructions on prayer. This is a basic outline that includes praising God, praying for His Kingdom and His will, and asking for our physical and spiritual needs.

But Jesus had so much more to teach His disciples and us about prayer.

1.     Go to God with your need, at the time of your need, and be persistent:

Luke 11:5-10 [NKJV] 5 And He said to them, "Which of you shall have a friend, and go to him at midnight and say to him, 'Friend, lend me three loaves; 6 'for a friend of mine has come to me on his journey, and I have nothing to set before him'; 7 "and he will answer from within and say, 'Do not trouble me; the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give to you'? 8 "I say to you, though he will not rise and give to him because he is his friend, yet because of his persistence he will rise and give him as many as he needs. 9 "So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 10 "For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.

2.     It is God’s desire to give you the good things you ask for:

Luke 11:11-13 [NKJV] 11 "If a son asks for bread from any father among you, will he give him a stone? Or if [he asks] for a fish, will he give him a serpent instead of a fish? 12 "Or if he asks for an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? 13 "If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will [your] heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!"

3.     Prayer is meant to be about relationship, not self-importance:

Matthew 6:6 [NKJV] 6 "But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who [is] in the secret [place]; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.

I don’t believe Jesus was saying you can never pray in public. He certainly did – for example: when He prayed over the little children. [Matthew 19:13-15]  

I believe that the issue He points out is that we should be more focused on who we are praying to, than on who we are praying with. Prayer that is meant to boost self is not effective prayer.

Jesus sent an example of praying in public and in private – going into a private place or space to be alone with our Father. Mark 6:46 [NKJV] And when He had sent them away, He departed to the mountain to pray. See also Mark 14:32-39.

Luke 22:40 [NKJV] 40 When He came to the place, He said to them, "Pray that you may not enter into temptation."

4.     Be humble and show some respect:

Luke 18:10-14 [NKJV] 10 "Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 "The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, 'God, I thank You that I am not like other men--extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. 12 'I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.' 13 "And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise [his] eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me a sinner!' 14 "I tell you, this man went down to his house justified [rather] than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."

Perhaps the most telling part of this parable is the phrase “prayed thus with himself”. God knows who we are – both our good and our evil. He also knows Who He is by comparison. We should not forget that we are sinful mortals, and He is the All-Knowing, All-Wise, Eternal Father.

He is a merciful Father, who desires to give us good things. He is not like a boss here on earth whom you must try to impress with all your hard work.

5.     Prayer changes things. Most importantly, it changes us.

Matthew 9:38 [NKJV] 38 "Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest."

Matthew 24:20 [NKJV] 20 "And pray that your flight may not be in winter or on the Sabbath.

Luke 21:36 [NKJV] 36 "Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man."

Luke 22:40 [NKJV] 40 When He came to the place, He said to them, "Pray that you may not enter into temptation."

When the disciples said, “teach us to pray”, Jesus provided a lesson on prayer. However, there were many other times throughout His earthly ministry where He both modeled and taught them – and us – the way to have effective, impactful prayer.

I welcome your comments and questions. Did I miss any scriptures where Jesus taught us to pray? Let me know in the comments section or write me any time at Nancy@DyanmicChristianMinistries.org.

Lessons from the Gospel - Lazarus Vs. Lazarus

We have been discussing the unique place that the siblings Mary, Martha and Lazarus had in the life of Jesus during His earthly ministry. In the incident of Jesus resurrecting Lazarus four days after he’d been in the grave, Jesus reminded us all that HE IS the resurrection, connecting (at least in my mind) Lazarus’ resurrection to His own.

And that makes me curious about the story that Jesus told about Lazarus and the Rich man. Now, I know there is a debate about whether this is all parable or all true. I’m not getting into that. And I am not saying that this was about Lazarus, brother of Martha and Mary.

I do think that it is interesting that Jesus used the name Lazarus, only because it seems like an interesting thing and a curious coincidence if it was not on purpose.

What I want to focus on regarding Lazarus and the Rich Man is the one point of specific and important connection between that story and the narrative about Lazarus, brother of Martha and Mary.

So, let’s first talk a little about the resurrection of Lazarus. If you recall from my last blog, Jesus told His disciples that he was glad that He had not been there to heal Lazarus “that you may believe”. Then He reminded Martha (and the disciples standing with Him) of His role (as I said above) as the “resurrection and the life”. And finally, at the graveside, just before calling Lazarus back to life, He reminded Mary and Martha (plus the disciples or any of the mourners close enough to hear it) of this John 11:40 [NKJV] 40 Jesus said to her, "Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?"

Jesus’ words seem to focus a lot on believing in who He is and what His role is for not only those who knew Him during His earthly ministry but also all of us now.

Incredibly, after Lazarus was resurrected, we find this in the next chapter of John.

John 12:1-2, 9-10, 17 [NLT] 1 Six days before the Passover celebration began, Jesus arrived in Bethany, the home of Lazarus--the man he had raised from the dead. 2 A dinner was prepared in Jesus' honor. Martha served, and Lazarus was among those who ate with him. ... 9 When all the people heard of Jesus' arrival, they flocked to see him and also to see Lazarus, the man Jesus had raised from the dead. 10 Then the leading priests decided to kill Lazarus, too, ... 17 Many in the crowd had seen Jesus call Lazarus from the tomb, raising him from the dead, and they were telling others about it.

I am astounded by this turn of events and the hardness of the hearts of those “leading priests”. Rather than believing and glorifying God for the resurrection of Lazarus, they decided that they should kill him too.  

And now the connection to Lazarus and the Rich Man, which we find in Luke 16:19-31. Jesus told this Parable before His triumphal entry into Jerusalem. According to John 12, the time of His triumphal entry was after the resurrection of Lazarus, brother of Mary and Martha, and also the point at which the priest decided they should kill Lazarus too.

I’m unclear on if the parable was told before Lazarus, brother of Mary and Martha, was resurrected or after it, because the Parable is only told in the Gospel of Luke and the resurrection of Lazarus is only told in the Gospel of John.

However, here is the very clear connection between the two: Luke 16:30-31 [NLT] 30 "The rich man replied, 'No, Father Abraham! But if someone is sent to them from the dead, then they will repent of their sins and turn to God.' 31 "But Abraham said, 'If they won't listen to Moses and the prophets, they won't listen even if someone rises from the dead.'"

Jesus knew that even the testimony of one resurrected from the dead would not cause people to believe if their hearts were too hardened to listen to the scriptures. This understanding is prophetic about the people of the time of Jesus’ earthly ministry who did not believe and repent, either at the resurrection of Lazarus, brother of Mary and Martha, or at Jesus’ own resurrection.

It is also a cautionary tale for all of us, sweet sisters. None of us may be so hard hearted and self-serving as to seek to kill someone who we felt to be a threat to our own power and importance, as the religious leaders of Jesus’ day did.

However, we must be careful that there isn’t anything that would get in the way of us hearing and implementing the messages of the scripture. Even if it is something hard to hear because it goes against our traditions or requires a big change in behavior. We must be easily convicted by the Word of God.

'If they won't listen to Moses and the prophets, they won't listen even if someone rises from the dead.'"

The phrase “he who has ears to hear, let him hear” is recorded six times in the Gospels. A similar phrase – “he who has an ear, let him hear” – is used seven times in the first three chapters of the book of Revelation.  

Jesus knew that people would find His message difficult to hear and challenging to follow – not because it is hard, but because humans can be “hard of hearing” when a message is one of radical change in our culture or our own behavior.

Years after Jesus raised Lazarus to life; years after His own death and resurrection, James reminds us of our responsibility toward scripture.

James 1:19, 21-22 [NIV] 19 My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, ... 21 Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you. 22 Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.

We must be willing to read scripture and use it to change, unlike the leaders of Jesus’ day who would not let the dramatic miracle of the resurrection of Lazarus convince them to accept the message and person of Jesus.

I welcome your comments and questions. You can write me in the chat, or any time at Nancy@DynamicChristianMinistries.org

Lessons from the Gospel – Lazarus the Prophetic

Lessons from the Gospel – Mary who loved much, Martha the Provider, Lazarus the Prophetic – Part 3 – Lazarus the Prophetic.

Throughout the Gospels, we learn a lot about this family that supported the earthly ministry of Jesus in so many ways. But it seems like the movers and shakers were the sisters, Martha and Mary. And the activities of the sisters seem to get the most mention and attention. Lazarus is only a sidenote, until…

John 11:1 [NKJV] Now a certain [man] was sick, Lazarus of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha.

And, just like that, Lazarus is front and center. And, boy, what a story it is going to be!

Here is the summary: Jesus gets word that Lazarus is sick, but does not return to Bethany immediately to heal him. When Jesus does return, Lazarus is dead and Jesus knows it.

John 11:14-15 [NKJV] 14 Then Jesus said to them plainly, "Lazarus is dead. 15 "And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, that you may believe. Nevertheless, let us go to him."

It would seem that Jesus intended to allow Lazarus to die and that his death had an important role to play in shoring up the faith of the disciples.

Although they would not have known if Jesus deliberately delayed His coming or if something prevented it, both Martha and Mary believed that Jesus could have and would have saved Lazarus from death had He shown up in time. In fact, the scripture make it seem like these were the first words out of the mouths of each of the sisters: "Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.” [Martha = John 11:21; Mary v. 32] It seems a little accusatory to me, but we really don’t know the tone used or what the sisters were feeling. Maybe I’m projecting how I would have felt in that situation.

Have you ever been in a situation where you had faith that God would “show up” and handle a situation – a healing or some work trouble or a personal battle – and you felt that He didn’t show up in time to save the person from death or you from getting laid off or the personal battle from having difficult consequences? I have.

But God is never late.

John 11:25 [NKJV] 25 Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.”

In the case of Lazarus, we get to see that Jesus had a plan and a purpose in allowing Lazarus to die. In the case of our own lives, we don’t know what is going on in heaven or in the heart of God. We don’t know His plans until we actually see them play out. Sometimes, we have to understand that we won’t see the full picture until Jesus returns.

Like Mary and Martha, we can know the ultimate plans of God for us and still feel disappointed, or simply wish for something different in the present circumstance. [John 11:24, 27]

Four days after Lazarus died, when no one could dispute that his death was real and Martha was concerned about the smell that would be coming from his body by that time, Jesus showed up and proved to everyone who He is, as He very pointedly told Martha: John 11:25 [NKJV] 25 Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.”

John 11:40-44 [NKJV] 40 Jesus said to her, "Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?" 41 Then they took away the stone [from the place] where the dead man was lying. And Jesus lifted up [His] eyes and said, "Father, I thank You that You have heard Me. 42 "And I know that You always hear Me, but because of the people who are standing by I said [this], that they may believe that You sent Me." 43 Now when He had said these things, He cried with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come forth!" 44 And he who had died came out bound hand and foot with graveclothes, and his face was wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, "Loose him, and let him go."

Two days of nursing their sick brother while waiting for Jesus to come heal him – not doubt wondering when He would come. Four days of mourning their brother’s death – no doubt wondering why the Lord who loved them so much did not show up for Lazarus. [John 11:5]

They remained steadfast in faith and in their trust in Jesus.

Because they did, and because God had a purpose and plan it this whole incident, Mary and Martha saw their brother resurrected to life. Incredible! And everyone there knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that the dead could be resurrected.

God works in mysterious ways. So often, like Mary and Martha, we know only His ultimate plan, and not His interim one for the moment of trial and trouble we are going through. Like them, we must remain steadfast through it all and wait for the time when we will understand and see the glory of God in action – whether in this life or in the next.

We have more to learn from this family that Jesus loved and from His interaction with them.

But here are the lessons that I hope you will take away from today:

·        Watch the quiet ones. God is working with them too and may be planning something HUGE.

·        Don’t worry if everyone else seems to be getting the attention from God, God has a plan for your life too.

·        Never think that God has arrived too late. His timing is always perfect.

I welcome your comments and questions. I invite you to tell me about a time when you waited for the Lord and either you are still waiting to understand why He didn’t show up as you had faith that He would or He showed up in a way you did not expect.

You can write me now in the comments section, or any time at Nancy@DynamicChristianMinistries.org

Lessons from the Gospel –Martha the Provider

Part two of my series on “Mary who loved much, Martha the Provider, Lazarus the Prophetic”

"Yes, Lord," she told him. "I have always believed you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one who has come into the world from God."

Martha gets a bad rap, but one incident should not tempt us to pigeon-hole this supporter of Jesus. Nor should it cause us to neglect the great good that she did and all the positive things we can learn from her.

Martha reminds me of the stay-at-home brother in the story of the Prodigal Son. We know that her sister was the kind of sinner that a Pharisee would not want in his home [see Luke 7:36-39] – a lot like a young man who went off and wasted all of his inheritance on “wild living” [as the NLT puts it]. But Martha seems to have stayed responsible, build a home for herself, and gained enough income to help support Jesus.

Luke 10:38 [NLT] As Jesus and the disciples continued on their way to Jerusalem, they came to a certain village where a woman named Martha welcomed Him into her home.

Somehow, SHE had a home, in a time when it seems like that would be highly unlikely or at least unusual. The scripture does not say “her family home” – not “their” home. But “her home”. It also never mentions a husband.

Martha was hospitable. She made a meal for Jesus and His disciples. More than that, remember that the scripture says “Martha welcomed Him into her home.” She welcomed them into her home. And, clearly, our Lord felt welcome and at ease there.

She was familiar enough with Jesus and had an intimate enough relationship with Him, that she felt comfortable interrupting His teaching to ask for a favor. In fact, I wonder if she wasn’t older than Jesus, because she comes across a little proprietary with Him, like an older sister might.

How incredible it must have been to be in that close of a relationship with our Lord and Savior! But, of course, we can be, sweet sisters. We may not be able to serve Him dinner, but we can, through prayer and study, know Him so well that we feel totally comfortable with the most mundane requests – like a request for some help with a stressful dinner party.

We know that Martha, like her sister Mary, must have spent a great deal of time learning from Jesus. Otherwise, the incident of Lazarus being sick and the conversation they had after Lazarus died would have gone differently.

Let’s take a closer look at the interaction between Martha and Jesus.

John 11:1, 5-6 [NIV] 1 Now a man named Lazarus was sick. He was from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha.... 5 Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. 6 So when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days,

Let’s first take note that the scripture specifically says that Jesus loved Martha. After Jesus mildly corrected Martha at the dinner party, we might be tempted to think He loved Mary a lot, but Martha He loved a little less. However, in verse 5 the scripture lists Martha first (as it lists Mary first in verse 1). I don’t think we can measure any difference between the love for Mary or for Martha in the Savior’s love for this family.

You might be tempted to think, “Well, Jesus loves us all.” That’s true. But take a look at how many times in the New Testament we find a written mention that Jesus specifically loved a particular person. The only other mention is John, who calls himself “the disciple Jesus loved”.

In the incident of her brother’s sickness and death, we find out a lot about Martha.

1.      She had faith

John 11:21-22 [NLT] 21 Martha said to Jesus, "Lord, if only you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask."

2.      Martha knew the scriptures and the promises of God! And she trusted in those promises.

John 11:23-24 [NLT] 23 Jesus told her, "Your brother will rise again." 24 "Yes," Martha said, "he will rise when everyone else rises, at the last day."

3.      She knew Jesus was the Messiah, when there were still many others who were unsure.

John 11:25-27 [NLT] 25 Jesus told her, "I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying. 26 Everyone who lives in me and believes in me will never ever die. Do you believe this, Martha?" 27 "Yes, Lord," she told him. "I have always believed you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one who has come into the world from God."

And because of the faith, knowledge and service-mindedness of this family, they had a great and significant miracle performed for Lazarus.

I have often heard this phrase, “In a Martha world, be a Mary”. I think it over simplifies the relationship Martha had with Jesus and forces us to consider her in a one-sided perspective, which is unfair.

Martha was a provider. She was one of the women who supported Jesus in His ministry. She fed Jesus and the disciples. It seems as though both Mary and Lazarus lived in Martha’s home. She absolutely must have spent plenty of time at the feet of Jesus, learning scripture, understanding who He was, believing in Him. She built both her knowledge and her faith through that intimate relationship and felt comfortable bringing her daily needs and stresses to Him. And Jesus loved her.

Note that Jesus did not correct Martha for asking Him for something so mundane. He corrected Martha for her focus at that moment. It was a moment in time and John used it to help us learn to choose time with Jesus over our packed “to do” lists. It’s an important lesson.

But it is not the sole lesson that Martha’s life, and her love of the Messiah, can teach us.

As women of faith, what can we learn from Martha?

Ø  Provide for others with whatever blessings and means you have (including family and the church) as you have the means to do so.

Ø  Boldly ask Jesus for help with whatever needs you have, from healing of a sick family member to help with a particularly stressful day.

Ø  Get to know the Messiah by spending time with Him and the scriptures.

Ø  Trust in His promises for now and for the future.

In a world of Martha’s be one – be a provider. She lost her focus in that one incident. But she teaches us both in her one recorded mistake and in her life lived boldly, faithfully and knowledgeably. What do you think of Martha now?

I welcome your comments and questions. You can write me now in the comments section, or any time at Nancy@DynamicChristianMinistries.org

Lessons from the Gospels – Mary Who Loved Much

Lessons from the Gospels 12 – Mary who loved much, Martha the Provider, Lazarus the Prophetic – Part 1.

Maybe you thought I’d never get back to the blog series on the Gospel. I didn’t forget. I just got distracted for weeks with the lessons of that incredible and interesting woman who raised our Savior, Mary. But we jump back into the Gospels with another equally interesting Mary, along with her sister, Martha, and her brother, Lazarus.

A family of faithful believers is a great blessing, even if they are not blood relatives. But siblings who are also in the faith? Now that is special.

The thing is, Mary the mother, must have known this family of believers because of their close ties to Jesus and their support of His ministry.

We know that, during the time of His life on earth, Jesus’ own brothers (half-brothers) did not believe Him. [See John 7:5] It would seem that after the incident we read about in Mark 3:32-34, Jesus’ brothers no longer followed Him. Maybe they were offended by His words.

Jesus received the blessing of a “replacement family” that He spoke about in Luke 18:29-30, where He said, "Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or parents or brothers or wife or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God, 30 "who shall not receive many times more in this present time, and in the age to come eternal life."

For a time, at least, He gave up His family (or they gave Him up) for the work of the Kingdom. But God gave Him another family that were with Him until His death, at the resurrection and beyond it. It is the family of Mary, Martha and Lazarus.

Today, I want to focus on Mary. I call her “Mary who loved”. We first hear about Mary when she performs a shockingly intimate and touching act of service, love, and gratitude.

Luke 7:36-39 [NIV] 36 When one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, he went to the Pharisee's house and reclined at the table. 37 A woman in that town who lived a sinful life learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee's house, so she came there with an alabaster jar of perfume. 38 As she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them. 39 When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, "If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is--that she is a sinner."

If it wasn’t for John 11:1-2, we would not know that this was the Mary of Mary, Martha and Lazarus, since Luke protects the identity of this “sinner”. Thankfully, we do know that Mary loved much, and we know that this was because Jesus had forgiven much.

And here, where she first shows up at Jesus’ feet, you see why I call her “Mary who loved”.

We don’t know what she did to be called a sinner, but we know it was public enough that this Pharisee thought Jesus should also know about it and, therefore, should not be letting her touch Him. To see such an emotional and touching outpouring of love and appreciation must have been so moving. Yet all this Pharisee could think is “Eew! Why is He letting her touch Him?!” That guy was the one with the problem.

Jesus knew that Mary was a forgiven, repentant, new-life-living sinner who “loved much” in return.

We could all learn to be more grateful for the sacrifice and forgiven of Jesus. We could all learn to find more ways of showing it to the body of Jesus (His church). Since we don’t have His physical body here to anoint with oil, wash with tears and kiss, we must find ways to show love for Jesus, appreciation for Jesus and willingness to humble ourselves before Jesus in how we interact with and serve the part of Jesus’ body that we do have with us = the church.  

This humble and dramatic love of Jesus is probably why when we next see Mary, she is once again at the feet of Jesus. This time, she is sitting at Jesus’ feet, enthusiastic about hearing from Him, probably hanging on every word out of the Saviors mouth. [See Luke 10:38]

Luke 10:38-42  [NLT] 38 As Jesus and the disciples continued on their way to Jerusalem, they came to a certain village where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. 39 Her sister, Mary, sat at the Lord's feet, listening to what he taught. 40 But Martha was distracted by the big dinner she was preparing. She came to Jesus and said, "Lord, doesn't it seem unfair to you that my sister just sits here while I do all the work? Tell her to come and help me." 41 But the Lord said to her, "My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details! 42 There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her."

Mary wasn’t about to give up her place at the table of the Lord’s instruction in order to deal with food service. Especially when Jesus Himself did not seem too concerned about a physical meal at that time. I’m sure if He had asked her to go help, she would have done it. She had shown herself ready to serve Him in any way.

However, Jesus, at the moment, wanted her there (with the men, I might add), learning from Him.

We could all learn to do better at prioritizing time eating from the Lord’s table, and spending time with the Bread of life. That’s where our true nourishment comes from.

Mary did learn, there at the feet of Jesus, the one who forgave her sins.  Mary learned, undoubtedly among many other lessons, to have faith in Jesus, her teacher, even in a very sorrowful time.  

John 11:28-29, 32 [NKJV] 28 And when she (Martha) had said these things, she went her way and secretly called Mary her sister, saying, "The Teacher has come and is calling for you." 29 As soon as she heard [that], she arose quickly and came to Him…32 Then, when Mary came where Jesus was, and saw Him, she fell down at His feet, saying to Him, "Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died."

There she is, at His feet again. This time, worshipping Him even through the pain of losing her brother. She worshipped Him, even when she and Martha clearly had faith in Jesus’ ability to heal Lazarus, but He had not come in time to do that.

Her faith and faithful worship was rewarded by having her brother restored to life.

John 11:40, 43-44 [NKJV] 40 Jesus said to her, "Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?" ... 43 Now when He had said these things, He cried with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come forth!" 44 And he who had died came out bound hand and foot with graveclothes, and his face was wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, "Loose him, and let him go."

When we spend time at Jesus’ feet, we find forgiveness, instruction, and faith. We see miracles there. Sometimes it is that awesome miracle of being able to have faith, trust and hope, and to stay obedient when the answer from God is a heart-breaking “no”. Mary, the one who loved, is an example of this steadfast faith in action. And she got an even bigger miracle than she’d asked for.

We don’t know if Mary and Martha were there looking on at Jesus’ death. But Matthew 27:55-56 [NKJV] tells us, 55 And many women who followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering to Him, were there looking on from afar, 56 among whom were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of Zebedee's sons. We know that Martha and Mary were women who ministered to Jesus (in opening their home, washing His feet, worshiping and learning from Him). It’s reasonable to propose that they might have been among the women there.

Whatever the case, I wonder if, upon hearing of her Savior’s death, Mary didn’t think of the recent resurrection of her own brother and believe.

There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her.

Mary who loved much surely heard very quickly about Jesus’ resurrection. Other women, whom she must have known because they also followed Jesus and ministered to Him, learned of it first and started passing the happy news along.

What an amazing example Mary was. Frequently found at the feet of Jesus, she saw miracles, she experienced great love and chain-breaking forgiveness.

I hope she was among those gathered when the Holy Spirit rained down like tongues of fire and that she got to experience that first out-pouring. But the scripture doesn’t tell us.

Her example teaches us so much about what we can be as women, if only we choose to be at the feet of Jesus at every opportunity. You show me a woman at the feet of Jesus, and I will show you a strong, faithful saint who will hang on during the darkest times, knowing that ultimately she will see the light of all eternity.

I welcome your comments and questions. You can write me now in the comments section, or any time at Nancy@DynamicChristianMinistries.org

“Mary the Mother” Part 7– Ain’t No Heartbreak Like a Mother’s Heartbreak

As we wrap up our study of Mary the mother of Jesus, we look in on the fulfillment of Simeon’s prophecy and experience the breaking of a mother’s heart.

Let’s remember that while Jesus was the Divine, wrapped in human flesh, Mary was a very human mother. We have seen that she was told she would bear the Son of God. We have seen her faithfulness to that call beginning with what looked like a shocking and controversial teenage pregnancy. We considered that she had much to ponder in her life that so intertwined with her Savior (and ours).

Mary pushed Jesus to perform His first miracle that recorded in the Gospels. After that moment of pride and joy, she soon experienced what surely felt like rejection as Jesus focused on His earthly ministry. [See Matthew 12:48-50]

Then, things got worse. Mary had been promised that her heart would break. In spite of that, I can’t imagine that she was actually prepared for it when it happened. I can’t imagine that any mother could be prepared for what Jesus was about to go through: savagely beaten [Isa. 52:14], mocked and spit on [ Mark 14:65; 15:19], and crucified with common criminals [Luke 23:33].

But bless her mother’s heart, she was THERE until the bitter end.

John 19:25 [NKJV] 25 Now there stood by the cross of Jesus His mother, and His mother's sister, Mary the [wife] of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene.

How could a mother bear it? It probably helped that she had her tribe of women with her, including her sister, whom we hear nothing about other than this incident, Mary the wife of Clopas, whom we only meet here as well, and the dedicated support of Jesus, Mary Magdalene.

She was strong, this Mary the mother, in ways that we might miss if we don’t look closely.

While it had to be brutal on her heart and spirit, she was there for her oldest child in His darkest hour. Isn’t that what we mothers do? No matter how a child might break our hearts, whether by his/her life choices or by difficulties out of his/her control, we show up when they need us.

Because Mary acted like the loving mother she was, we get to witness one of the most touching interactions between Jesus and anyone. We are comforted by knowing that some of Jesus’ final thoughts were for the welfare of His earthly mother, ensuring that she was cared for when He was gone.

John 19:26-27 [NKJV] 26 When Jesus therefore saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing by, He said to His mother, "Woman, behold your son!" 27 Then He said to the disciple, "Behold your mother!" And from that hour that disciple took her to his own [home].

We can only imagine her joy at Jesus’ resurrection and ascension back up to heaven. He was a gift to the world, of course. But He was also Mary’s child, grown in her womb, nourished at her breasts, wanted and loved, supported and encouraged through it all.

I’m trying to imagine what Mary’s prayers would have been like once she could pray in Jesus’ name. What did she say to her Heavenly Father, knowing that the one who’d been her first born was also His. Knowing that the one she bounced on her knee now advocated for her.

John 19:25 [NKJV] 25 Now there stood by the cross of Jesus His mother, and His mother's sister, Mary the [wife] of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene.

We can learn a lot from Mary. She was humble and willing to serve. She was bold enough to push Jesus toward His first miracle. She was supportive and faithful. She had tenacity, wisdom and strength. She had the courage to stand with Jesus through His suffering and crucifixion. She loved like a mother, and, like a mother, she held on to the end.

Mary was blessed to raise our Savior and He will raise her to new life when He returns. That would be awesome to witness.

I’d like to sit down with Mary and ask her to tell the story from her own vantage point. What a thrilling and spell-binding tail that must be!

Thank you for joining me on this journey to learn more about and from Mary the mother of Jesus.

I welcome your comments and questions. You can write me in the chat, or any time at Nancy@DymanicChristianMinistries.org.

“Mary the Mother” Part 6 – Mothers in the Back

Mary was always meant to take a backseat to her son. Any of my readers who are mothers know that you raise children to move on and no longer need you. You hope they have their own, successful, happy lives. We still worry and pray, especially when they are enduring troubles and trials of their own. We want to know about their lives. But we no longer have a primary place in them, until they eventually have to take care of us. More about that in our final blog about Mary the mother.

Matthew 12:48-50 [NIV] 48 He replied to him, "Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?" 49 Pointing to his disciples, he said, "Here are my mother and my brothers. 50 For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother."

But with Mary and Jesus, since He came as Savior to us all, since He was foretold to be the perfect Lamb of sacrifice for us all, that relegation to the backseat of her oldest child’s life had additional consequences that no mother could truly prepare for. She could not protect Him, and so she witnessed the sacrifices He made for her and the whole world from her backseat position, beginning with giving up His family life (which may have seemed like giving up His family) to begin His ministry years.

Let’s look at some of the ways that Mary showed up in the ministry years of the life of our Savior, her child.

John, in his gospel, records the first known miracle Jesus performed. This incident also gives us a view into what Mary must have known or understood about who Jesus was. The way it is written, it seems like Mary was very comfortable with Jesus being able to perform a miracle. John 2:3-5 [ESV] “When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus said to Him, ‘They have no wine’. And Jesus said to her, ‘Woman, what does this have to do with me? My hour has not yet come.’ His mother said to the servants, ‘Do whatever He tells you’.”

Had He done miracles in her presence already? Or had the incidents she’d experienced in His earlier life given her this confidence? The visits from angels with good news and warnings, the prophecies of Anna and Simeon, His teaching the temple – all the things she kept in her heart – may have culminated in this confident request.

Let’s not miss that she was confident both that He could do it and that He would do it because she asked Him to.

After this, Jesus left the area with His disciples and His family. [See John 2:12] But things started changing at some point. Perhaps the incident where He turned over the money changers tables in the temple at the time of the Passover. [John 2:13-25]

Perhaps His siblings got embarrassed by that. Or maybe they just had their own busy lives and didn’t want to follow their older brother around while He went off to do His work.

Or maybe this incident did it for them. Mark 3:32-34 [KJV] 32 And the multitude sat about him, and they said unto him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren without seek for thee. 33 And he answered them, saying, Who is my mother, or my brethren? 34 And he looked round about on them which sat about him, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren!

I could see myself saying about my own sibling, “Well, if that is how he feels, then I’m just going to move on. He obviously isn’t concerned about me. Why should I support him?”

Whatever the cause, we find a changed relationship between Jesus and His brothers in John 7:2-5 [ESV] 2 Now the Jews' Feast of Booths was at hand. 3 So His brothers said to him, "Leave here and go to Judea, that your disciples also may see the works you are doing. 4 For no one works in secret if he seeks to be known openly. If you do these things, show yourself to the world." 5 For not even His brothers believed in Him. Notice, though, that we can safely assume that Mary did still believed in Him. And isn’t that the way it is with us mothers? We believe in, have faith in, our children, even when no one else does.

Like so much of what we experience, Jesus went through this loss of family support and also gave us instruction regarding this happening to us. Mark 10:29-30 [KJV] 29 And Jesus answered and said, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my sake, and the gospel's, 30 But he shall receive an hundredfold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal life.

It was necessary that Jesus leave His family home and His family to do the work that would save us all. The Father fulfilled for Him, as He will for us, the promise made in Mark 10:30. Matthew 12:48-50 [NIV] 48 He replied to him, "Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?" 49 Pointing to his disciples, he said, "Here are my mother and my brothers. 50 For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother."

While it seems that Mary no longer traveled with Jesus for the remainder of His ministry, it seems like she never lost faith in Him. We will cover more about that in the next blog. The things Mary “kept in her heart” may have sustained her when her other sons doubted Jesus.

Sweet sisters, we also need to keep the teachings, the love, the answered prayer and the other blessings we have received forefront in our minds and tucked into our hearts to be a shield and source of strength when trouble comes for our children, and belief might falter. Like Mary, these things will help sustain us in those tough times when our children have grown and moved on to fulfill their own purposes in life.

We have one more lesson to learn from Mary, the mother of our Savior. And it spans the gamut of human emotions from heart break to joy.

Thanks for coming along with me on this journey.

You can write me now in the chat, or any time at Nancy@DymanicChristianMinistries.org.

“Mary the Mother” Part 5 – Nothing to see here.

Once Mary and Joseph settle back in their native land, in the town of Nazareth they disappear from scripture for what may have been seven or eight years. Traditionally they were thought to have been in Egypt for about 4 years, meaning Jesus would have been around 4, maybe 5.  At the time of the next incident that we read about in scripture Jesus is 12.

There is nothing in the inspired scripture about the early childhood of Jesus. Maybe it was simply a normal childhood of those times. We know that siblings came along – four brothers (James, Joses, Simon and Judas) as well as at least two sisters. [See Matthew 13:55-56] Perhaps He learned carpentry with His adoptive father, Joseph. Maybe He and His siblings played games together. Maybe He helped with a garden or animals. He learned the Old Testament scripture (that He had inspired) and history of the Israelite people, whom He had guided in the Old Testament times.

Maybe the family was just a family in very many ways. Maybe Satan simply bided his time until Jesus was ready for His ministry. Or perhaps Satan was prevented from doing any of the things he might have wanted to try – held back by the Father so that the Son could grow up into the One who would take on the one act that would allow the tectonic shift in mankind’s destiny.

It feels like the inspired silence as though the Father said, “nothing to see here”.

But we do get to look in on one incident between the return from Egypt and Jesus beginning His earthly ministry at around age 30.

Luke 2:41-50 [NLT] 41 Every year Jesus' parents went to Jerusalem for the Passover festival. 42 When Jesus was twelve years old, they attended the festival as usual. 43 After the celebration was over, they started home to Nazareth, but Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. His parents didn't miss him at first, 44 because they assumed he was among the other travelers. But when he didn't show up that evening, they started looking for him among their relatives and friends. 45 When they couldn't find him, they went back to Jerusalem to search for him there. 46 Three days later they finally discovered him in the Temple, sitting among the religious teachers, listening to them and asking questions. 47 All who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers. 48 His parents didn't know what to think. "Son," his mother said to him, "why have you done this to us? Your father and I have been frantic, searching for you everywhere." 49 "But why did you need to search?" he asked. "Didn't you know that I must be in my Father's house?" 50 But they didn't understand what he meant.

If I were to view this from a modern viewpoint, I’d paraphrase Jesus’ response to His parents into something like, “There’s nothing to see here. I’m just doing my job.” We don’t know the tone of voice Jesus used or exactly how His words fell on Mary and Joseph’s ears. But it seems clear that He didn’t think it was a big deal to have chosen time in the house of God over time with His human family.

Mary and Joseph were parents, though, and had the natural sense of panic that any of us would. Mary and Joseph were told that Jesus was the coming Messiah. So, I doubt they were confused by Jesus feeling called to be in the temple - His Father’s house.  

The New King James puts it this way: Luke 2:49-50 [NKJV] 49 And He said to them, "Why did you seek Me? Did you not know that I must be about My Father's business?" 50 But they did not understand the statement which He spoke to them.

Perhaps they did not understand what business a 12-year-old would have in the temple. Or why Jesus thought they’d know to look there first.

Luke 2:51-52 [NLT] 51 Then He returned to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. And His mother stored all these things in her heart. 52 Jesus grew in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and all the people.

Though she didn’t understand it, Mary kept this event and Jesus’ words in her heart with other things she did not fully understand.

We have to do that too. When we don’t immediately understand the word of God or an incident, a trial, or an answer (or lack of one), we should keep it stored inside and consider it in light of other things that come after.

Mary would have plenty more incidents and sayings to ponder once her child and our Savior began His earthly ministry. Perhaps this incident came to mind the next time she saw Him in the temple, teaching. But for now, they went home for 18 more silent years. Maybe they were largely peaceful and normal. Nothing to see here.

Luke 2:51-52 [NLT] 51 Then He returned to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. And His mother stored all these things in her heart. 52 Jesus grew in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and all the people.

But time was marching inexorably forward toward the inevitable showdown between the Good Shepherd and the pretenders. The Light and the darkness. Sin and salvation.

Just because we don’t see anything of the life of Jesus and Mary doesn’t mean that the stage wasn’t being set and devilish plans being made to try to thwart the plan of God.

When the story emerges on the other side of this quiet, Joseph is dead and Jesus’ time is short. But mamma Mary will be with her child, the Son of God, until His last human breath. Until her heart breaks and perhaps she calls to mind the words of Simeon at the dedication of Jesus in the temple, “And a sword will pierce your very soul”. [Like 2:35]

Nothing to see here in these intervening years. We, too, can and do often enjoy a time of quiet between trails and troubles. It is a great blessing to just have nothing special going on and to live our lives growing and serving and preparing ourselves. In those cases, we should not think there is nothing going on in the spirit realm. There may be battles. Satan is certainly making plans to attack. And God is most assuredly working with us as we rest between battles and major event. We should trust in that.

In the case of Jesus, we know the plan was in play, the stage was being set, and He was being prepared for the battle for our very souls. Big things are about to happen in the life of Jesus and in the plan of God. And in Mary’s life too. Her mother’s heart is set to be broken in two, as much of the world around her rejoices.

We have more to learn from Mary the mother of our Savior. Thanks for coming along with me on this journey.

You can write me now in the chat, or any time at Nancy@DymanicChristianMinistries.org.

“Mary the Mother” Part 4

Has your life been like a flat roadway in West Texas, where you can see so far out that the curvature of the earth is visible? With clear road signs warning you in plenty of time about what lies ahead? Or has it sometimes felt more like driving down a mountain with twists and turns that you must navigate with “iffy” breaks in the driving rain and around road construction, punctuated by clear and straight roads from time-to-time?

Psalm 37:5 [NLT] Commit everything you do to the LORD. Trust him, and he will help you.

The latter option for me.

It was like that for Mary the mother of Jesus too. After the surprise of being told she, as an unmarried teenager, would get pregnant by the Holy Spirit, and the traveling to Bethlehem while pregnant, the joy of the baby’s birth (albeit in a barn) and surprising visits with shepherds, prophets and magi, Mary (and Joseph) experience a new hairpin turn. An angel visits Joseph with a warning and this little family makes a hasty run for their lives and out of town.

Matthew 2:13-14 [NLT] 13 After the wise men were gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. "Get up! Flee to Egypt with the child and his mother," the angel said. "Stay there until I tell you to return, because Herod is going to search for the child to kill him." 14 That night Joseph left for Egypt with the child and Mary, his mother”.

Note that they left “that night”. The warning was that dire. However, I think it also tells us a little bit about Joseph. That is: when God told him to do something, he did not delay in his obedience.

Therefore, for a time in his young life, Jesus and his parents lived as strangers in a foreign land. Even after Herod died and an angel told Joseph to take Jesus and Mary home, it was not safe for them to go fully home to Judea. Instead, they made a new home in Nazareth. And it seems like they were able to settle there for the rest of Jesus’ growing up years, until He was ready for His ministry.

I know we are studying the life and lessons of Mary the mother of Jesus. However, I think it is important to give some “props” to Joseph who clearly took his role as husband and father very seriously. We see time and again that when God directed Joseph, he responded without question or quarrel. Can there be any doubt that God put Joseph and Mary together long before He announced His plan for them?

Joseph and Mary experienced this once-in-all-eternity calling together as a team. And because of Joseph’s faithfulness and love, Mary and Jesus were kept safe while the Son of God was in their care.

When life’s twists and turns come your way, I hope, like Mary, you have a good mate by your side. I cannot say that Mary choose her mate well, for it would have been highly unusual for her to have any say in the matter of choosing her mate in those days.

But I can say that God was in the choosing. For her part, this is another area in which Mary trusted the God who had called her for this pivotal role in the plan of God. Her faith once again stands as an example for us as women today.

Perhaps she and her family prayed that they would find a good match for Mary. As a woman of God, if you have children, you probably do that too. If not, I recommend that you pray for good and godly mates for your children and then cover them in prayer as they navigate God’s plan for their lives together.

I hope, if you are married, that you pray for your relationship and your mate often.

Because, when life seems like driving down a mountain with twists and turns that you must navigate with “iffy” breaks in the driving rain and around road construction, who do you trust at the wheel? I pray that you have learned to trust God to direct you and keep you safe. But it also helps to have a trustworthy and godly mate at your side.

Psalm 37:5 [NLT] Commit everything you do to the LORD. Trust him, and he will help you.

Trust God first in all things, just as Psalm 37:5 tells us to do. Mary repeatedly showed that she trusted God. Just as Joseph as showed by his responsiveness to God’s direction. And because they did, they could trust each other as well. We would do well to follow their example, whatever kind of road we find ourselves traveling.

We have more to learn from Mary the mother. Thanks for coming along with me on this journey.

You can write me now in the chat, or any time at Nancy@DymanicChristianMinistries.org.

“Mary the Mother” Part 3

Even stranger than giving birth to the Son of God in a barn, were the comments of those who met Him in His newborn life.  

When I had my children, only my sisters, mother and mother-in-law came to see them immediately after their birth. Friends and other family waited awhile visit, giving me time to heal and the baby time to get a stronger immune system.

Today healthcare professionals suggest keeping babies out of crowded public places for the first 6-8 weeks of life, although you don’t have to say holed up at home.

If you’ve ever seen a traditional nativity scene, they depict a pretty crowded stall, including wisemen, shepherds, angels and animals. But, of course, that is not an accurate depiction.

Let’s see who did show up, and what we might learn from Jesus’ first visitors.

Luke tells us that angels visited some nearby shepherds and gave them the good news:

Luke 2:10-12 [NKJV] 10 Then the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. 11 "For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 "And this [will be] the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger."

The shepherds rushed over to see Christ the Lord while hew was still lying in the manger [verse 16]. Then, they ran around telling everyone else about it [verse17-18].

Note that they got the announcement the same day that Jesus was born.

What did Mary think? How did she react to their story of seeing the Messiah’s star and hearing about the message the angel brought to them.

Luke 2:19 [NKJV] But Mary kept all these things and pondered [them] in her heart.

She was a thinker, this Mary.

When Jesus was 8 days old and it was time for Him to be circumcised and the sacrifice for a first son that was required by the law, Mary and Joseph took Jesus to the temple and offered the sacrifice of poor people [compare Lk 2:24 with Leviticus 12:8]. There, they encounter two more people who were excited to see Jesus, the Messiah.

Simeon, to whom God had made the promise that he would not die before seeing the Messiah, had words of prophesy about Jesus being “a light to reveal God to the nations”. Anna, a widow, who spent her time at the Temple, worshipping with prayer and fasting, gave thanks and then spread the good news to everyone looking for the Messiah to come.

The scripture tells us that Mary and Joseph were amazed. [See Luke 2:33] It cannot be that they were amazed that Jesus was the Messiah. Afterall, they were told he would be. I think they were amazed at how quickly the word got out. And it was likely amazing to them that these two people knew that Jesus was the Messiah when Mary and Joseph hadn’t said anything about it. The shepherds had been visited by angels. Who told Anna and Simeon, they must have wondered.

There is a joke that says there are three ways to get the news out – “telegram, telephone and tell a woman”. Well, the gossip hot line has nothing on the angel and Holy Spirit network!

Then the “wise men” showed up. Unlike the shepherds, the star did not take the wise men all the way to the place where Jesus was sleeping. Instead, they got as far as Jerusalem and needed to ask for directions. Assuming he would have heard and known everything about it, they went to the chief Hebrew ruler of the day, Herod.

Incredibly, some random shepherds knew all about it, Simeon and Anna knew all about it, and we know that at least Anna and the Shepherds ran around telling everyone about it, but the leader at the time was clueless.

Luke 2:19 [NKJV] But Mary kept all these things and pondered [them] in her heart.

These wisemen must have shown up sometime after the Jesus was circumcised and could have even weeks. Why? First of all, they brought gold, frankincense and myrrh. Had Joseph and Mary had these precious items in their possession, there would have been no excuse for giving the poor person’s sacrifice of two doves or pigeons, instead of something more. Second, Mary, Joseph and Jesus were in a house by that time.

Matthew 2:11 [NLT] They (the wise men) entered the house and saw the child with his mother, Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasure chests and gave him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

They opened their treasure chests! And they bowed down and worshiped the little baby. Amazing.

Mary’s head must have been swimming. In addition to the strangeness of shepherds telling tales of angelic proclamations, prophets blessing Him, visitors from afar worshipping Jesus, their lives went from impoverished to (at least comparatively) wealthy overnight.

What can we learn from this part of the life of Mary? Well, when God calls you, and you humbly obey, not knowing what will happen or even how you are going to accomplish what He asks, there are beautiful and unbelievable things in store for you.

Count on it.

Thank you for joining me in this study of Mary. We aren’t finished learning from this young woman who bore and raised the Son of God.

You can write me now in the chat, or any time at Nancy@DymanicChristianMinistries.org.

Mary the Mother, Part 2

While I do not believe in worshipping Mary, the mother of Jesus because she was fully human – like you and me and only God the Father and His Son, our Savior, Jesus, are to be worshipped, I do believe that we all can learn something from this pillar of faith, who accepted a once-in-all-eternity call to be the mother of the Son of God. 

Let’s talk about the circumstances surrounding the actual birth of the promised Son. We again go to Luke for details.

Luke 2:1-7 [NLT] 1 At that time the Roman emperor, Augustus, decreed that a census should be taken throughout the Roman Empire. 2 (This was the first census taken when Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3 All returned to their own ancestral towns to register for this census. 4 And because Joseph was a descendant of King David, he had to go to Bethlehem in Judea, David's ancient home. He traveled there from the village of Nazareth in Galilee. 5 He took with him Mary, his fiancée, who was now obviously pregnant. 6 And while they were there, the time came for her baby to be born. 7 She gave birth to her first child, a son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no lodging available for them.

Picture this: You and your fiancé know that you are carrying the Son of God and yet…

1.      You have to make a long, arduous trip when you are “big pregnant”.

According to my research, Nazareth is/was 65 miles north of Bethlehem. This journey would take four or five days on foot with Mary, I assume, mostly riding on a donkey. But that is just what I have seen in pictures. The Gospel accounts don’t say whether she walked or rode.

I love how the New Living translations puts it “Mary, his fiancée, who was no obviously pregnant.” She didn’t have a “cute baby bump” at this point. At the time of this writing, my own daughter is 8 months+ pregnant. I can’t fathom her driving 65 miles with that big belly, let alone walking or riding on a donkey for four or five days to cover that distance.

I wonder what Mary was thinking during this arduous journey. The scripture does not say that they were told by an angel that Joseph should take Mary with him. Joseph could have left her back at home, maybe in the care of friends who would have helped her, but we don’t think they had any family there.

Is that why he brought her along – so that they’d be close to family? Or did Joseph know the scriptures that foretold that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem?

Micah 5:2 [NLT] But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, are only a small village among all the people of Judah. Yet a ruler of Israel will come from you, one whose origins are from the distant past.

Picture this: You and your fiancé know that you are carrying the Son of God and yet…

2.      You have to make do with a barn for your living quarters.

Now, God had already done a really great miracle with Mary, in that she became pregnant by the Holy Spirit. She was now “obviously pregnant” with the Son of God as proof that it happened. And yet, here they were with no fancy accommodations, miraculously provided, making do with a very humble place to have the Savior of the world.

It was all in God’s plan and it would seem that Mary did not question or complain – nor did Joseph for that matter. What kind of rearing did she receive to be so steadfast and strong in light of both the mental struggle of being seen (an maybe condemned) as an unmarried pregnant woman and the physical inconvenience of giving birth in a barn?

Maybe once you’ve talked to an angel face-to-face you never doubt again. I wouldn’t know.

Sweet sisters, what does it take to break us down? Can we be reduced to frustration at God when things do not seem to be going the way we think they should or the way we’d hoped they would?

Could I remain calm and steadfast – could I serve without question – if God turn my life upside down, send me on a long walk, then ask me to accept pain and struggle when it already seemed like He was not smoothing my way at all?

Again, we cannot know what Mary was thinking through all this. However, we can think about how we handle the big, stretch trials or service projects God asks us to do. And we can think about whether or not we would be as happy and steadfast in performing that service if God did intervene to make it easier to do.

Micah 5:2 [NLT] But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, are only a small village among all the people of Judah. Yet a ruler of Israel will come from you, one whose origins are from the distant past.

I’m reminded of when I volunteered on a cleaning crew for church. I dislike cleaning. I like a clean house, just would prefer not to be the one who cleans it.  But they needed help and I felt pressured to volunteer.  One night, I was vacuuming, and the vacuum had a screw or something missing and kept coming apart. I kept putting it back together and trying to vacuum. I gave up after that and quit the cleaning crew. Now, I’m not sure God asked me to serve on the cleaning crew. But you get my point: a little bit struggle and I was out.

We should definitely be as sure as we can that God is calling us to a task or line of service. However, we cannot let a wonky vacuum cause us to doubt that calling. The apostles faced many struggles in fulfilling their destinies, as did the patriarchs of the Old Testament and we will too.

We can learn a lot from the example of steadfast Mary, who continued to follow through with her calling, even though its earliest days she faced both mental and physical trials and struggles. 

Thank you for joining me in this study of Mary. We aren’t finished learning from this young woman who bore and raised the Son of God.

You can write me now in the chat, or any time at Nancy@DymanicChristianMinistries.org.

“Mary the Mother” Part 1

With Mother’s Day just behind us, it seems appropriate to begin a short series of blogs about Mary the mother of Jesus. It’s not truly a break in our Lessons from the Gospels series – just a special focus.

Let’s get one thing straight before I get into this blog series. I do not believe in worshipping Mary, the mother of Jesus. She was fully human – like you and me. Only God the Father and His Son, our Savior, Jesus, are to be worshipped.

However, I believe that she was an extraordinary human being, a one-of-a-kind woman who faced a once-in-all-eternity opportunity. As an unmarried woman, Mary accepted the call of God to bear His son – a call that changed her life (and all of ours) forever.

I also believe that we all can learn something from this pillar of faith, who, it seems, began this incredible journey as the human mother of God when she was just a teenager.  

We can learn a lot, in fact, from Mary the mother. And so, I begin this series, titled “Mary the Mother”, looking at the faith it took to accept this singular call to not only carry, but also to raise the Son of God. We will try to walk beside her in her journey as the mother of Jesus until we read the last scripture that mentions her and the closing days of her life.

Let’s begin in the book of Luke, as he provides the most detailed description of young Mary’s encounter with an angel sent by God and to announce to her an incredible destiny.

Luke 1:26-38 [NLT] 26 In the sixth month of Elizabeth's pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a village in Galilee, 27 to a virgin named Mary. She was engaged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of King David. 28 Gabriel appeared to her and said, "Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you!" 29 Confused and disturbed, Mary tried to think what the angel could mean.

Confused and disturbed. I’d be scared spitless if an angel just showed up at my house to talk to me.

The Greek word used here means “to disturb wholly, e.g. agitate (with alarm): trouble”. I’ll say! An angel shows up and calls you “favored woman”. What do you make of that?! Favored woman? Mary is barely a woman – closer to the age of a child in our minds. Of course she is thinking, “what are you talking about?”. Or maybe, “what have I every done that warrants being called “favored woman”.

This is the only time in the Bible that we find this word used. I wonder if God inspired it to be so because what other incident held the impact of that meeting or that greeting? It does remind me of Gideon of the Old Testament.

In Judges chapter 11, Gideon is threshing wheat in a secret place to hide from the Midianites. In verse 12, and angel of the Lord appears and says, “The Lord is with you, mighty man of valor.”. At that point in his life, Gideon must have felt like anything but a “mighty man of valor”.

But God calls it like He sees it – not like we see it.

Please note that while the greeting reminds me of the angel showing up to talk to Gideon about what God would make of him – the kind of life and purpose God was calling him to – God sent an unnamed angel to Gideon.

However, when it came to what might be the weightiest news of all time, God send an archangel, Gabriel to speak to Mary. Gabriel (“man of God”) was also sent to Zacharias to bring the news that the one who would pave the way for our Savior would be born to him and his wife, Elizabeth.

Gabriel appeared twice to Daniel as well. In both incidences, Gabriel came to give Daniel understanding about a vision he had received. The latter vision included the coming of the Messiah.

I love the connection of that. Gabriel, an archangel, is specifically named in three incidents of bringing the news about the coming Messiah.

The weight of this news is HUGE. And Mary, our young woman (maybe just a girl, really) is rightly disturbed, alarmed and troubled by Gabriel’s appearing in front of her.

Also, please note that there is only one other incident that I can find where an angel came and spoke to a woman. Even in the case of the announcement of John the baptizer, Gabriel went to Zacharias, not Elizabeth.

The other incident is when God told Manoah’s wife (we are not told her name) that she would carry Samuel – another rescuer of Israel – but in a physical way. In both of these cases, the angel also spoke to the husband after having told the woman.

We find the interaction with Gabriel and Mary in Luke 1:26-38 [NLT] 30 "Don't be afraid, Mary," the angel told her, "for you have found favor with God! 31 You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. 32 He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David. 33 And he will reign over Israel forever; his Kingdom will never end!" 34 Mary asked the angel, "But how can this happen? I am a virgin." 35 The angel replied, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the baby to be born will be holy, and He will be called the Son of God. 36 What's more, your relative Elizabeth has become pregnant in her old age! People used to say she was barren, but she has conceived a son and is now in her sixth month. 37 For nothing is impossible with God." 38 Mary responded, "I am the Lord's servant. May everything you have said about me come true." And then the angel left her.

One of the most incredible things about Mary’s faith is that she was a teenager when this happened. If she was at the top of the age range that scholars estimate, she would have been 16. Some say she was younger. I say that even if she’d reached 21 (what we think of as adult these days), it was still a huge responsibility and commitment.

So, our first three points in this study of Mary the mother are:

1.      When God has a big ask for us, He will be sure that we are sure it comes from Him. He may not send an angel, but He certainly will be patient if we ask for confirmation in some form. [See the stories of Gideon and Ahaz.] We should pray and meditate, seek counsel in the Word of God and others if we feel God is calling us to something big – unless, of course, an angel shows up to give you the news.

2.      We need to be spiritually, mentally, and emotionally ready for God to call us to great things. That means always being close to Him. Studying and meditating on His Word daily. Working on our personal growth. Relying on faith in and trust. Staying obedient in the little things.

3.      Let God decide if you are ready and up to the task. Don’t doubt His timing and plans for you, and maybe miss out on an opportunity to do something big just because you don’t think you are ready.

Sweet sister, you are not too young, or too old, or too sick, or too rich or poor, or too much of any other thing for God to use you in a big way. God has a plan and purpose for you. Get ready for it by staying close to Him and being open to opportunities. Then, when it comes, you will be ready to walk by faith.

Thank you for joining me in this study of Mary. We aren’t finished learning from this young woman who bore and raised the Son of God.

You can write me now in the chat, or any time at Nancy@DymanicChristianMinistries.org.