"Never more than I can bear"-- Oh, really?

"God never gives us more than we can bear!" For some reason, I've been hearing that a lot lately, have you?

I don't know about you, but in my experience, it has been the opposite! God regularly gives me more than I can bear...and I'll tell you what I think is the reason.

As I now like to say, "I'm a tough nut to crack."  I'm a pretty strong personality! So for a lot of my Christian life, I've believed that it's my strength and know-how and abilities and wisdom, coupled with the blessing and help from Above, that will get the job done...successfully...even in the spiritual realm. I've eaten over and over again from the "Tree of knowledge of Good & Evil" thinking that was God's will and way!

But now I know differently. His way is His strength in my weakness! Not His help in my weakness! HIM doing it and being it!

Tears-300x198

Little by little I have been learning this, not just through Scripture, but through life experience. And the crowning lesson in it all wasn't my own mysterious anaphylactic reactions that lasted years, not the sudden deaths or disabilities of our parents within a 8 month period, not the everyday pressures of mothering, homeschooling, and Bible study teaching. No! It was the cancer of my beloved son and the health crisis of my darling daughter all within months of each other that truly brought me to the end of thinking I had anything to add to life.

When someone marveled at how we made it through, I replied, "The Lord carried us!"

And so little by little over the years, the truth of what I have been seeing in the Word has come to life:

My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.  Gal 2:20 NLT

It is not that we think we are qualified to do anything on our own. Our qualification comes from God. He has enabled us to be ministers of his new covenant. This is a covenant not of written laws, but of the Spirit.  2 Cor 3:5-6a NLT

But we have this treasure [the indwelling Christ] in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves; we are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. For we who live are constantly being delivered over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. So death works in us, but life in you.  2 Cor 4:7-12 NASB

But whatever I am now, it is all because God poured out his special favor on me—and not without results. For I have worked harder than any of the other apostles; yet it was not I but God who was working through me by his grace. 1 Cor 15:10 NLT

Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.  John 15:5 NLT

Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.  2 Cor 12:8-10 NLT

My weakness, His strength 2Cor 12

Even the following verse, which comes pretty close to our cliche, still says to me that it's not about my strength with His help.  The "way of escape" is HIM...otherwise I could never endure it:

No temptation [trial, testing] has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted [tried, tested] beyond what you are able, but with the temptation [trial, testing] will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it. 1 Cor 10:13 NLT

What about you, dear friend?

Just when you start feeling like you have the parenting thing tied up, has a new phase begun that knocks you for a loop?

After doing all the healthy stuff for your family, even more than what others do for themselves and their kids...Bam! Does a serious diagnosis enter your lives?

Or what about just the everyday stuff -- frustrations, noise, dirty diapers, crying, calling for mama? Pressures from schedules, deadlines? Difficult relationships...irregular people in your life?

Or what about your own human weakness, lacks, frailness, handicaps? Do you continually fall into the trap of thinking you can handle it with some help from God?

Oh really?  How has that been working for you?

O suffering child of God, turn from your own will and your own way and surrender to HIM, your Way of Escape, the One who will carry you through, so that you can endure even the unendurable, the unthinkable:

And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.Romans 12:1-2 NLT

trials

You might also like Nothing Wasted: My weakness, HIS Strength

Morning Meditation: LOVE when you feel unloved!

Have you had a rough day? week? month? year? Do you feel abandoned? alone? Reflect on the loving, indwelling Christ and the fullness of His love for you. Slow down and hear HIM in your soul:

I love you, even if no one else does!

love of Christ

Because of Christ and our faith in him, we can now come boldly and confidently into God’s presence.... When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth.I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit.Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should,...

...how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is.

May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.

Ephesians 3:12-18 NLT

The love of chirst, Eph 3

This song and video left me in tears...Oh, the Love! Lest we forget!

Incomparable kindness to less than the least To the broken, the battered, and weak To all who are hungry there comes a call To be filled with the fullness of God It's beyond all you can see Farther than you'd believe It's a mystery My prayer for you is that you would know

CHORUS: How wide, and how long, and how high, how deep is the love How deep is the love of Christ

The width of two arms outstretched on a tree The length of the road to Calvary The height of the crown on a cruel cross The depth of the pain is the cost All for you, all for me All for love did He bleed All to set us free My prayer for you is that you would know

The love of chirst, Eph 3

Songwriters: KING, WESLEY IVAN / CARD, MICHAEL J. / SMITH, MICHAEL W. Publisher: Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

Respecting the Holy Spirit in Your Child's Life

"Respect the Holy Spirit in other believers...including your children." Such was God's message to me years ago when I was raising my precious son and darling daughter.

When each of them came to saving faith, I was surprised by the immediate evidence of the Spirit in each of their young lives. With Jeremy, it was his hunger for God's word through his Bible story book; with Beth, her desire to knock on the doors of our neighbors to tell them about Jesus.

I'm not sure why this should be surprising.  After all, the Spirit of God lives within every believer, no matter how young or how old. Each of them is a sanctuary of God, a holy of holies, a dwelling place of the divine. Even in the midst of the human developmental stages of life, while still being children, God is there.

Many times in the Scriptures, we read of the Spirit of God working dramatically, mightily, profoundly in and through young people. Moses realized at a young age that he would be Israel's deliverer. Young Samuel heard the Lord and received his call as a child. John the Baptist leaped for joy in his mother's womb. And there are others.

You might wonder why this has come to my mind now in the midst of the summer.  Well, these weeks in Delaware, as God's delay unfolded and played out (see my previous post), I've spent lots of time with my grandsons, especially my oldest Kaden.

Kaden was just three years old when his Air Force dad was deployed overseas for six months. So our daughter Beth packed up Kaden, dog, and stuff and moved to Ohio to stay with us for the duration. Of course, this "Babci"* was thrilled! Lots of real life guts, glory, and grace were up ahead. And so we settled in.

It was during that time that I was teaching a ladies' Bible class in the letter to the Hebrews. As I packed up my Bible and notebook the first week, Kaden asked me where I was going.  When I told him that I was going to teach a Bible study, he replied, "When I grow up, I'm going to do that!"

And week by week, little three year old Kaden would remind me of his ambition to be a Bible teacher too when he grew up.

Little did he know that he didn't have to wait to be "grown up" to be a Bible teacher. He has been MY teacher for some time already!  In fact, several months ago I shared Kaden's first blog post (don't miss it!). So Kaden became my youngest "guest branch" at just 8 years old.

Since I gave Kaden a "Bible Reading Challenge" almost a year ago now, we have had awesome discussions ranging from Creation to the meaning of the Trinity to Resurrection of Christ to Paul's missionary journeys to the book of Revelation and everything in between.  The amazing thing is that this "spiritual adult in a 9 year old body" remembers everything he reads and explores in a simple way some of the most profound truths of Scripture.

For instance, before baseball camp started a few weeks ago, we were talking about how much easier it was to start a new thing in a new place when you know someone. Then I said that even if you had to go alone, God is with you.

Kaden thought for a moment and replied, face all aglow, "So then you always really do know Someone, don't you."

So for a week, as we drove together to and from baseball camp, conversations would take a turn from Minecraft and Pokemon to beautifully simple, child-like, faith-filled questions and realizations.

Finally, one day after such truly amazing discussions, as I dropped Kaden off and said good-bye, I was overcome by the manifestation of the Spirit in that precious young life. I had to just sit there awhile as I sobbed. I felt as though I had encountered a burning bush, a holy of holies, all in the person of my nine year old grandson.

What about you, dear mom or dad, grandma or grandpa, teacher, aunt, friend? Do you have the honor of caring for a child? Do you respect the Holy Spirit in your believing child's life?

You have a sanctuary, a holy of holies in your midst.

Yes, there is human development going on...with all the guts and glory that entails. But don't discount the Lord's working in their young lives.  In fact, why not learn from that profound simplicity of truth through the lips of a child who loves his Redeemer?

An Open Letter to a New Mom

Dear new Mom!

Welcome to Motherhood! You have entered a whole new mode of existence --that of being forever "MOM."  Your life will now take on exciting dimensions you’ve never before imagined.

You've probably gotten all kinds of advice -- some great, some good, some best to be forgotten!  Well, here's mine to add to the mix: “Stay a beloved child in dependent and intimate relationship with your Abba Father” (1John 3:1).

God tells us that we become like what we focus on  (1John 3:2; 2Cor 3:18).  As you focus on Him, you will more and more become like the Only Perfect Parent.

So let yourself “be parented” by Him everyday.  All else flows from that:  strength, wisdom, patience, insight, peace, rest, etc.  And you’ll need all of these and more!

Refuse to think of yourself as separate from your Father God (Col 3: 1-4) – that’s the devil’s trap.

Return in your mind and heart to that sacred, secure place in God from whom flows everything and anything that you will ever need.

Many blessings on you and your precious little one.

As I affectionately say,

We moms are ‘ruined’ for life – we can never not care again!

Welcome to that glorious Sisterhood!!!

With much love Jan & other  Old Experienced Moms of every generation

Touch Jesus...Touch Life

Years ago I had a mentor-friend named Donna.  She was the one the Lord used to usher me into experiencing Christ in me as the One who does the doing in the Christian life!  Her key phrase was (as I remember it) "God does it." Then, by the Spirit of God, came the realization that my indwelling Lord Jesus Christ is my All in All!  He is the Father's Ultimate Gift to me...no-thing else, no-thing more!

Jesus is __________

Most of us Christians, when we pray, ask for things...money to pay a bill, a turn-around for a wayward child, healing from sickness, comfort in grief, hope for the future, wisdom for the pending decision, strength for the task ahead, courage for the scary opportunity, patience for the unendurable, stability for the unthinkable.

But God doesn't give us anything apart from His Son.  He is the Gift! He is the "Stuff" we want...the Thing we ask for.  So what we are really longing for is a greater experience of our Lord Jesus Christ, in and through our lives.

Because...

...when we touch Christ, we touch Life!

I love how Watchman Nee says it:

How we need to have our mind renewed so as to understand that aside from Christ God has no intention for us to have many so-called spiritual things. According to God’s arrangement, there are things; only, these things are Christ. For Christ is the sum of all spiritual things. Christ is our righteousness—He has not given us a righteousness. Christ is our sanctification—He has not granted us a thing called power to make us holy. Christ is our redemption—He has not offered us a redemption. Christ is the way—He has not opened to us another way in which to walk. Christ is the truth—He has not presented some truth before us for us to understand. Christ is the life—He has not conferred on us a thing called life.

Brothers and sisters, as we travel along God’s course, we will discover more and more that of all God’s grace there is only one grace, of all God’s gifts there is only one gift. That grace is Christ, that gift is also Christ. Thank God, day after day He is showing us how Christ is all-inclusive.” (Christ the Sum of All Spiritual Things)

Let that sink in a bit, dear friend.  We are always asking for stuff in addition to Christ...but HE is All!

In case it takes you a while to grasp this, as it did me, rest right here and bask in the Glory of the Living Christ Whom the Scriptures describe as the Father's All!

In worship at church a few Sundays ago, I was moved by a song that sent my soul running to HIM who is Everything and Anything I could ever need. Enter in and run to Him Who is your All!

Jesus is___________

Forever Reign

You are goodYou are goodWhen there's nothing good in meYou are loveYou are loveOn display for all to see

You are lightYou are lightWhen the darkness closes inYou are hopeYou are hopeYou have covered all my sin

You are peaceYou are peaceWhen my fear is cripplingYou are trueYou are trueEven in my wandering

You are joyYou are joyYou're the reason that I singYou are lifeYou are lifeIn you death has lost it's sting

Oh, I'm running to Your armsI'm running to Your armsThe riches of Your loveWill always be enoughNothing compares to Your embraceLight of the world forever reign

You are moreYou are moreThan my words will ever sayYou are LordYou are LordAll creation will proclaim

You are hereYou are hereIn your presence I'm made wholeYou are GodYou are GodOf all else I'm letting go

Hallelujah, foreverAll the glory, foreverAll the praise to You

My heart will singNo other nameJesus, Jesus

[youtuber youtube='http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JRBQtIEEkrU']

Happy Dependence Day

In Memory of Mike Merritt 2022
Thanks to Mike Merritt for his creative sermon from the book of Daniel entitled "Dependence Day" (July 1, 2012, Believers' Assembly)

cross & flag

Here at A Branch in the Vine, we are proclaiming our Declaration of Dependence!

We are celebrating that every day is Dependence Day for those of us who "live from the life of Another." True liberation, freedom inexpressible and full of glory, begins when we embrace the words of Jesus,

I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. John 15:5 ESV

John 15:5

Nothing glorious can happen in and of ourselves! Only as we believe in the depths of our beings...

...the mystery [is] Christ in you, the hope of glory. Colossians 1:27

So please join me in celebrating the thrilling dependence of our union with our Risen Lord and Savior Jesus Christ* by faith:

I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. Galatians 2:20 ESV

Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God, who has made us sufficient to be ministers of a new covenant... 2 Corinthians 3:5-6a ESV

But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. 2 Corinthians 4:7-10 ESV

AMEN!

Lamg of God & cross

I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE LAMB

I have heard how Christians long ago Were brought before a tyrants throne And they were told that he would spare their lives If they would renounce the name of Christ. But one by one they chose to die The Son of God they would not deny Like a great angelic choir sings I can almost hear their voices ring.

CHORUS: I pledge allegiance to the Lamb With all my strength With all I am I will seek to honor His commands I pledge allegiance to the Lamb.

Now the years have come and the years have gone But the cause of Jesus still goes on And now our time has come to count the cost To reject this world, to embrace the cross And one by one let us live our lives For the One who died to give us life. Till the trumpet sounds on the final day Let us proudly stand and boldly say

REPEAT CHORUS:

To the Lamb of God who bore my pain Who took my place, Who wore my shame. I will seek to honor His commands I pledge allegiance to the Lamb.

Thanks to Mike Merritt for his creative sermon from the book of Daniel entitled "Dependence Day" (July 1, 2012, Believers' Assembly)

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

*You might also like to explore how this truth is operative in our lives as believers:

UNION with CHRIST, a summary

Sunrises say "Glory" in Scripture and Song

IMG_3071-224x300

The heavens proclaim the glory of God.    The skies display his craftsmanship.Day after day they continue to speak;    night after night they make him known.They speak without a sound or word;    their voice is never heard.Yet their message has gone throughout the earth,    and their words to all the world.God has made a home in the heavens for the sun.It bursts forth like a radiant bridegroom after his wedding.    It rejoices like a great athlete eager to run the race.The sun rises at one end of the heavens    and follows its course to the other end.    Nothing can hide from its heat.Psalm 19:1-6 NLT

IMG_3061

sunrise 8-14

sunrise 8-14

sunrise 8-14

...your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. Colossians 3:3-4 NIV

sunrise

sunrise

sunrise

sunrise -- low tide

And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit. 2 Corinthians 3:18 ESV

sunrise

For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. 2 Corinthians 4:6-7 ESV

sunrise

sunrise

sunrise

So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day.For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal. 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 ESV

sunrise

 I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. Romans 8:18 NIV

sunrise

sunrise

For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God. Romans 8:19-21 NIV

sunrise

sunrise

Sunrise Serendipities

Sunrises are always serendipities -- not that we don't expect them and not that they don't always come, but we never know what we will get.  Each one is different, and each one is a gift from the hand of our Creator! Maybe the gift part is more true than we realize, because each sunrise signals a new day.  And really, none of us is promised that day ahead of time...pure grace when it comes!

silvery sunrise

Sometimes, even what each day contains reveals itself as pure serendipitous gift.   And that was true last year in my sunrises in New Jersey on the coast.  From icy beaches and silvery skies in December to a school of dolphins close to the beach in August; from loyal Sunrise Club members, such as my brother Conrad & grandson Kaden renewing their membership to a brand new member, my cousin Peggy; from connecting to my fisherman brother Billy, fishing in the surf to being reunited to my sweet Dunkin' Donuts manager lady Diana...and everything in between -- all serendipitous delights straight from the heart of my Abba Father God.

But as if that weren't enough, a grand finale -- a surprise and pure delight!  Let me tell you about it...

On my last morning in NJ, Kaden and I got up early for my last sunrise of the trip.  We made our necessary stop at Dunkin Donuts for our morning essentials: coffee for me and hot chocolate and donut for Kaden.  As we climbed the boardwalk to make our way down onto the beach near the water, we were almost blown away by the wind.  Seeing a lifeguard stand & boat overturned right near my usual spot, we made our way there to see if we could find shelter from the wind.  No such luck!  The wind was coming directly off the ocean.

But in the process, we met a photographer on the beach trying to catch the sunrise too.  We exchanged pleasantries, and he asked to take a picture of Kaden and me together viewing the rising sun.  Since he knew my brother and was a local photographer, I consented.   Little did I know what a gift this encounter really was.  Here is the finished product:

sunrise, bill McKim 8-23-14

I am so grateful that Bill McKim of McKim Photography noticed a grandma and her precious grandson early that windy Saturday morning on the beach in Belmar, New Jersey.  Little did he know how special this encounter would be to this sunrise-loving "Babci" and her grandson Kaden.

Thank you, Bill, for your kindness in sharing your awesome expertise.*

And ultimately, thank you, Lord, for the sweetness of your gracious gift to me, your friend, who so loves to see YOU and Your presence in every good and perfect gift!

Whatever is good and perfect comes down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens. He never changes or casts a shifting shadow. James 1 :17 NLT

My Redeemer

Who taught the sun where to stand in the morning Who told the ocean you an only come this far? Who showed the moon where to hide 'til evening Whose words alone can catch a falling star?

Well I know my Redeemer lives I know my Redeemer lives All of creation testify This life within me cries I know my Redeemer lives

The very same God that spins things in orbit He runs to the weary, the worn and the weak And the same gentle hands that hold me when I'm broken They conquered death to bring me victory

Now I know my Redeemer lives I know my Redemer lives Let all creation testify Let this life wihtin me cry I know my Redeemer, He lives

To take away my shame And He lives forever I'll proclaim That the payment for my sin Was the precious life He gave But now He's alive And there's an empty grave.

And I know my Redeemer, He lives I know my Redeemer lives Let all creation testify This life within me cries I know my Redeemer lives

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9p4G2GbPYQA[/youtube]

Kaden watching sunrise

You might also like:

The Sunrise Club

*You can visit McKim Photography at mckimphotography.com or on facebook

Summer SONrises

Let us know; let us press on to know the Lord; his going out is sure as the dawn; he will come to us as the showers, as the spring rains that water the earth. Hosea 6:3 ESV

I'll be leaving town for the birth of my 5th grandson soon. That's right, 5 boys...no pink in this house! Just cars and trucks and balls -- fun galore!

So while I'm gone and enjoying the awesomeness of "new birth," I'll be sharing some blog posts from my archives.

Among my favorites, are sunrises over the ocean.  They remind me of the Lord -- His vastness, yet His intimacy and personal care! So that's where I'll begin.

Some sunrises are clear and visible, others are obscure and hidden...no matter! By faith, we know that the sun rises...just as we know that the "Son rises" and is present in every moment of every day, hallelujah!

Enjoy with me, as if for the first time, the unique rising of the sun day by day.

And we have the prophetic word more fully confirmed, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts... 2 Peter 1:19 ESV

"The Rifleman" & the Father of All Fathers

Oh hurray! It's almost 3pm! That means my favorite show is on Me-TV...The Rifleman.  I'm not often at home at this time of the afternoon, but when I am, on goes the TV (usually while I fold clothes or crochet) to enjoy this oldie but goodie.

What is it about The Rifleman that calls to me?  I love the interaction between the rancher/farmer Lucas McCain (the rifleman) and his middle school aged son Mark.  There's a firmness, but loving-kindness to Lucas' fathering.  You can even see it in his face...a wisdom that requires obedience, yet never harshly.  There's a "yes" face, an easy smile that passes between father and son...and a mutual respect, appropriate for the position each holds in the scheme of things. But the Rifleman is no wimp...he will take you on, especially when it comes to his dear son.

Jeremy with boys

This kind of fathering reminds me of my son Jeremy with his boys...firm, yet loving...never harsh.  And you can tell the enjoyment they all experience with each other. And be sure he would take on anyone who would seek to harm his precious boys.

But Jeremy (and the Rifleman) would be the first to admit that they don't do it perfectly.  Frustration, mistakes, fatigue, and even down-right sin overtake even the best of dads.

But I know a Dad who has no problem with any of that! And yes, He is kind and patient even with the fathers who do.  Our Abba Father God is filled with loving-kindness toward His kiddos.

And so this Fathers' Day we celebrate God our Abba Father because all other fathers are merely pictures, flawed at best, of His almighty, tender, strong Fatherhood...

So maybe you would like to explore these scriptures to honor and appreciate the Father of all fathers.  And remember, though He disciplines us, His children (Hebrews 12:5ff), He does so in love...and even with a "yes" Face.

My Father is...

A Brother's Personal Story: Mentoring Gone Awry!

Dear Readers In my last post, we discussed the difficult and often painful subject of mentoring that has turned into control rather than freedom and maturity in Christ.

A dear brother responded with his own story. David Bolton writes scripturally, deeply, and yet clearly on his outstanding website, Christ-Centered Christianity. David gets it about the supremacy of Christ in all things, so when he shares, I listen.

God desires to, as David has said, "restore this aspect of spiritual fathering and mothering in His family, as it is as important in the spiritual realm as it is in the natural for raising up matured sons and daughters. It is good to share our stories in this regard for we know the enemy ever seeks to distort what God has designed for His glory. We overcome him, though, "...by the word of our testimony!"

Listen with me as David recounts his own journey as a young believer.  May the Lord use this to open the eyes of those who may be caught in the throes of a spiritually unhealthy relationship with another believer.

David's testimony in his own words:

Thank you, Jan, for posting on this subject.  I too had a spiritual father/son relationship early on in my walk that initially was a great blessing to me, but also went awry over time.  A spirit of control grew stronger and stronger as time went on and got to the point where I had to make a decision to come out from under it. That process was very difficult because I didn’t want to be rebellious on the one hand, but it also began to involve other people in a consequential way, and so I/we had to make a break.

A few truths from Scripture were very helpful to me in discerning the true nature of the relationship at the time, which wasn’t easy while in the midst of it as a young believer. The first was Romans 8:15 which says, “For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, “”Abba,” Father.” I realized that the relationship that I had with my spiritual father had become marked almost entirely by the first part of that verse rather than the second. Spiritual sonship should never be based on a spirit that makes us a slave again to fear, but one that evokes a loving, trusting heart which cries “Abba”, Father! Since that is true in our relationship with our heavenly Father, it should, likewise, be true in our relationships with the spiritual fathers and mothers He has given to us.

The second truth I discovered came when I searched the Scriptures carefully concerning the relationship that Paul had with Timothy, and also with Titus, whom he owned as “sons” in the Lord. I noticed that Paul referred to them an equal number of times as “brother” as he did “son”. That was an important insight for that balance seemed to be absent in my relationship with this older brother. It had become all father to son authoritarian. I believe that in Christ, we are first and foremost “brothers” and “sisters”, and secondly we may become fathers, mothers, mentors, teachers, pastors, etc… to a few, but never to the exclusion of the equality of brotherhood that is foundational and essential in Christ. Keeping the right balance in this regard is key to a healthy relationship and a good safeguard against undue control.

In my situation, I ended up appealing to one whom this brother owned as his spiritual father, and this godly man encouraged a separation, at least for a time.  We later worked through a number of attempts at reconciliation and were able to finally come to a place of mutual respect and peace, though the closeness of fellowship we once knew was never fully restored.

I share these things in hopes that they may be an encouragement to others, either as a mentor or a mentoree.  These relationships are some of the greatest gifts that God gives us if they are walked in in the right spirit. May we all have wisdom and grace to follow Christ in His humility and love!

Thanks for sharing your story and for tying in the lessons of John the Baptist. He is a great model for us to follow!

So good! Thank you, David.

Brothers and sisters, feel free to share your stories here in the comment section below.

If you care to read the story of another brother in the Lord, Frank Viola, as he also shares of his mentoring experience gone awry, click here A Tale of Two Mentors

Mentoring Gone Awry

He must increase, but I must decrease.John 3:30 ESV

Have you had a mentor, a spiritual father or mother? Do you have one now?

spiritual fathers

I have had a few.  For the most part, they were godly, sincere, vulnerable believers who shared the Lord freely and in a spiritually healthy way.  But recently, I have been shocked by one of my long term "fathers."

Because of our differences in interpretation of several passages of Scripture, he totally cut off fellowship with me, wanting no further contact.  This aging saint had said that he was "shocked, disappointed, and somewhat traumatized" by my "rejection" of his interpretation.

To say the least, I was shocked that a mature believer would handle differences in minor points this way.  But I've found that I am not alone. In fact, two of my friends have experienced the exact same kind of thing for the same reason.

So how does spiritual fathering/mentoring go awry?  Is it control? Insecurity? Pride?

As one of my friends aptly said of his own rift with his mentor,

The main issue [was] no freedom to disagree. My journey with Jesus couldn't progress without absolute freedom to follow wherever He led.  My dear mentor required uniformity of thought/belief which is unhealthy. --Rennes Bowers

Since I am at the stage of maturity where I have the honor of coming alongside other believers, I want to learn from all of this. And maybe you do too, whether you are a mentor or being mentored!

Well, there is good news! There is a gem of a spiritual father tucked away in the gospels, one of my heroes of the faith, John the Baptist!  He shows us what a true "spiritual father" is like.

Take a few moments and read through chapters 1 and 3 of the gospel of John to see...

john the baptist pointing

Spiritual Fathering at its best

I have observed three things about John:

1. John knew who Jesus was.

John was Jesus' cousin, yet John didn't really know who Jesus was until the Holy Spirit revealed directly to John,

Then John testified, “I saw the Holy Spirit descending like a dove from heaven and resting upon him. I didn’t know he was the one, but when God sent me to baptize with water, he told me, ‘The one on whom you see the Spirit descend and rest is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’ I saw this happen to Jesus, so I testify that he is the Chosen One of God. John 1:32-34

Once John knew Jesus as the Messiah, he was totally "all in."  Even though a prophet is without honor in his own country, John's cousin Jesus had the priority and honor due Him.  Look at some of what John knew through divine revelation about the Lord Jesus:

Jesus is the Light ...the One who is coming, who ranks ahead of him, because He was before him ...the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world ...the One who baptizes with the Holy Spirit ...Christ the Messiah, ...the Bridegroom who has the bride ...the One who comes from heaven and is above all ...the One who speaks God's words ...The One who has the Spirit without measure

The Lord Jesus Christ and all he knew about Him was what John focused on and proclaimed. John heard from the Father about Jesus the Promised One, and then John spoke from that continuous revelation.

2. John knew who he was.

John had no delusions of grandeur. When asked by the priests and Levites sent from the Pharisees who he was, John right away responded,

I am not the Christ!

Who then?

I love John's response,

I am the voice of one crying out:  'Make a straight road in the desert for the Lord.'

John knew he was a voice, unworthy to untie the sandal of the One coming after him.  His job was to testify to the Light that was coming into the world. John was a witness. That was his role, and he knew it and embraced it.

3. John never confused the two.

I am amazed at how John never deviated from his focus, despite the fact that his disciples were leaving him to follow Jesus.  He had no "Messiah complex," so to speak.  He freely released his followers, pointing them toward the Christ.

I love the imagery John used when he described himself as the "friend of the bridegroom who rejoiced at the bridegroom's voice."  He knew Jesus to be the Bridegroom who has the bride.  So John's joy was complete to point the way to Him!

As John so beautifully stated,

He must increase, I must decrease!

walking with jesus

What can we learn?

Whether we are the mentors or the ones being mentored (even by messages we read and hear), we need to keep these truths in the forefront of our minds:

1. The Lord Jesus Christ is All!

As John knew, Jesus Christ is the Light, the Promised One, the Savior of the world.  He is the Bridegroom who has the bride (the "church," believers, the body of  Christ). He is the Sum of all Spiritual Things, as our brother Watchman Nee so aptly put!

2. We are all His!

All of us believers have the indwelling Christ through the Holy Spirit...from the youngest believer in the Lord to the most mature saint of God.

And like John, we each have a role to play.  God opens the way so that we can serve others in a unique way and be served by others in the body of Christ in Jesus' name.

And so, as the Lord spoke to my heart many years ago,

Respect the Holy Spirit in yourself and other believers...even young ones!

3. A healthy detachment characterizes healthy believers, young and old!

Each of us individually can learn to hear and follow the Lord day by day. Jesus Himself said,

My sheep hear [keep on hearing] my voice and I know them and they follow [and keep on following] ME! John 10:27

We can encourage each other to do that very thing, releasing our brothers and sisters to follow HIM even when their path may be different from our own.  John the Baptist did this well, didn't he?

Our own freedom to follow and our giving that freedom to others is at the heart of spiritual growth. As Andrew Murray said of abiding in Christ,

...independent of all else, because dependent on Jesus. Abide in Christ

Lord, Thank you for the brothers and sisters you have placed strategically in my life. They have loved me and taught me about you and your ways. Teach me to release others to You in Your name. You are our All and in all! Amen.

Remember your leaders who taught you the word of God. Think of all the good that has come from their lives, and follow the example of their faith. Hebrews 13:7 NLT

A Spiritual Father: Abba's Child

Before I bring this series to a close, I just want to share one more believer who "fathered me" into a deeper experience of the unconditional Father love of my God...Brennan Manning. I would like to repost the blog I wrote just after this dear brother went home to his Abba.  It is entitled,

Welcome Home, Brennan: Abba's Child April, 2013

I've always been a worker bee...a religious, spiritual worker bee...but sincerely so. A God who was straight-faced, hardly cracking a smile, was the One I served. Despite that, I still loved Him, but I wanted Him to smile upon me.My journey took me through the "do & don't" list of my "birth church" to a convent for several years to evangelical Christianity, all the while exchanging one "do & don't" list for another...sincerely so, "born-again" so,...but working, ever working, not for my salvation, but for my sanctification...but sincerely so! Then after a health breakdown and all, I got to know the Living God...the great I AM! And you know what? He was smiling at me! Why? Because of Jesus and the love of His Abba and MINE!!!! So when I discovered Brennan Manning's books, way back when, they were pure joy and delight! They were like the sweetest of "fertilizer" for the young plant beginning to grow of "being loved and embraced by my Abba" no matter what!So I am grateful to God for this "fellow runner" in the "race of faith." He has been one in the magnificent "cloud of witnesses" surrounding me. Hebrews 11-12

I've quoted Manning several times over the past two-plus years at a branch in the Vine. I'd like to share one of my favorites with my Congratulations to a dear brother on his graduation to Glory! You will be missed, dear brother, but we know you would never want to come back!

We are not cowed into timidity by death and life. Were we forced to rely on our own shabby resources we would be pitiful people indeed. But the awareness of Christ's present risenness persuades us that we are buoyed up and carried on by a life greater than our own.

The Christ within who is our hope of glory is not a matter of theological debate or philosophical speculation. He is not a hobby, a part-time project, a good theme for a book, or a last resort when all human effort fails. He is our life, the most real fact about us. He is the power and wisdom of God dwelling within us.The Rabbi's Heartbeat, Brennan Manning

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

I just found this "book trailer" on a link advertising Manning's last book, All is Grace. To my delight and surprise, I noticed that he retired in Belmar, NJ where my mother, brother, and sister live. In fact, it looks like he may have preached at my mom's church, St Rose in Belmar, at some time in the past. Take a look and follow this link to order his book.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

You might also like the series, Abba's Child...some of these posts are based on Brennan Manning's writings.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

A CD by Rich Mullins was playing in my car this week. I thought it would be appropriate to share this song of his (one of my favorites) in memory of Rich's mentor, Brennan Manning. Rich had named his band the Ragamuffin Band after Manning's classic book Ragamuffin Gospel. Both Rich and Brennan are now in heaven, "getting caught up!" Enjoy!

If I Stand Rich Mullins

There's more that rises in the morning Than the sun And more that shines in the night Than just the moon It's more than just this fire here That keeps me warm In a shelter that is larger Than this room

And there's a loyalty that's deeper Than mere sentiments And a music higher than the songs That I can sing The stuff of Earth competes For the allegiance I owe only to the giver Of all good things

CHORUS: So if I stand let me stand on the promise That you will pull me through And if I can't, let me fall on the grace That first brought me to You And if I sing let me sing for the joy That has born in me these songs And if I weep let it be as a man Who is longing for his home

There's more that dances on the prairies Than the wind More that pulses in the ocean Than the tide There's a love that is fiercer Than the love between friends More gentle than a mother's When her baby's at her side

And there's a loyalty that's deeper Than mere sentiments And a music higher than the songs That I can sing The stuff of Earth competes For the allegence I owe only to the Giver Of all good things

CHORUS(2x)

And if I weep let it be as a man Who is longing for his home

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

View Brennan's obituary and video tribute on his website:

http://brennanmanning.com

A Spiritual Father: a Modern-day Prophet

My husband John and I were students at Moody Bible Institute in Chicago in the mid-1970's.  It was during our student days at Moody that we were introduced to A.W. Tozer.  My impression of Tozer at that time was that he was a somewhat controversial Chicago pastor of recent years who had a unique gift for being very sound biblically but at the same time shaking up the conservative evangelical "troops." I bought a set of his volumes entitled, The Tozer Pulpit and enjoyed his fiery words.  He said such things as...

One hundred religious persons knit into a unity by careful organization do not constitute a church any more than eleven dead men make a football team. . . .

We might be wise to follow the insight of the enraptured heart rather than the more cautious reasoning of the theological mind. The Knowledge of the Holy

Has it ever occurred to you that one hundred pianos all tuned to the same fork are automatically tuned to each other? They are of one accord by being tuned, not to each other, but to another standard to which each one must individually bow. So one hundred worshipers met together, each one looking away to Christ, are in heart nearer to each other than they could possibly be, were they to become 'unity' conscious and turn their eyes away from God to strive for closer fellowship. Pursuit of God

Current evangelicalism has...laid the altar and divided the sacrifice into parts, but now seems satisfied to count the stones and rearrange the pieces with never a care that there is not a sign of fire upon the top of lofty Carmel. But God be thanked that there are a few who care. They are those who, while they love the altar and delight in the sacrifice, are yet unable to reconcile themselves to the continued absence of fire. They desire God above all. They are athirst to taste for themselves the "piercing sweetness" of the love of Christ about Whom all the holy prophets did write and the psalmists did sing.

There is today no lack of Bible teachers to set forth correctly the principles of the doctrines of Christ, but too many of these seem satisfied to teach the fundamentals of the faith year after year, strangely unaware that there is in their ministry no manifest Presence, nor anything unusual in their personal lives. They minister constantly to believers who feel within their breasts a longing which their teaching simply does not satisfy.

Sound Bible exposition is an imperative must in the Church of the Living God. Without it no church can be a New Testament church in any strict meaning of that term. But exposition may be carried on in such way as to leave the hearers devoid of any true spiritual nourishment whatever. For it is not mere words that nourish the soul, but God Himself, and unless and until the hearers find God in personal experience they are not the better for having heard the truth. The Bible is not an end in itself, but a means to bring men to an intimate and satisfying knowledge of God, that they may enter into Him, that they may delight in His Presence, may taste and know the inner sweetness of the very God Himself in the core and center of their hearts. Pursuit of God

Tozer has fed my soul for years with his classics Pursuit of God and Knowledge of the Holy.  When I was trying to get free of, what I call, to do list Christianity, I rediscovered the Pursuit of God.  That precious little volume, hastily written by Tozer on a train ride, became my regular reading year after year for many years.

When asked why I kept reading the same book over and over again, I replied, "because I want to brainwash myself with spiritual truth.  I've already been brainwashed with the lie of the Christian to-do list. Now I want God's way to do life."

And so now when I come back to those treasured words in that well-worn volume, it's as if coming back to a beloved friend. I'm forever grateful!

So let me tell you a bit about A.W. Tozer...

A.W. Tozer

Aiden Wilson Tozer was an American evangelical pastor, speaker, writer, and editor. After coming to Christ at the age of seventeen, Tozer found his way into the Christian & Missionary Alliance denomination where he served for over forty years. In 1950, he was appointed by the denomination's General Council to be the editor of "The Alliance Witness" (now "Alliance Life").

Born into poverty in western Pennsylvania in 1897, Tozer died in May 1963 a self-educated man who had taught himself what he missed in high school and college due to his home situation. Though he wrote many books, two of them, "The Pursuit of God" and "The Knowledge of the Holy" are widely considered to be classics.

A.W. Tozer and his wife, Ada Cecelia Pfautz, had seven children, six boys and one girl.

You can read Pursuit of God in its entirety right here.  Each chapter has been a favorite for me at one time or another. So you too can take your pick.  My guess is that every time you read, it will be a different one for whatever God is saying to you at that given time.

th-2

Here are just a few of my favorite quotes from Pursuit of God, just to wet your appetite:

About Life and Faith:

Jesus calls us to his rest, and meekness is His method. The meek man cares not at all who is greater than he, for he has long ago decided that the esteem of the world is not worth the effort.

Faith is the gaze of a soul upon a saving God.

About Religion:

Every age has its own characteristics. Right now we are in an age of religious complexity. The simplicity which is in Christ is rarely found among us. In its stead are programs, methods, organizations and a world of nervous activities which occupy time and attention but can never satisfy the longing of the heart. The shallowness of our inner experience, the hollowness of our worship, and that servile imitation of the world which marks our promotional methods all testify that we, in this day, know God only imperfectly, and the peace of God scarcely at all...

When religion has said its last word, there is little that we need other than God Himself. The evil habit of seeking God-and effectively prevents us from finding God in full revelation. In the "and" lies our great woe. If we omit the "and" we shall soon find God, and in Him we shall find that for which we have all our lives been secretly longing.

About the Voice of God and the Scriptures:

One of the great realities with which we have to deal is the Voice of God in His world. The briefest and only satisfying cosmogony is this: "He spake and it was done." The why of natural law is the living Voice of God immanent in His creation. And this word of God which brought all worlds into being cannot be understood to mean the Bible, for it is not a written or printed word at all, but the expression of the will of God spoken into the structure of all things. This word of God is the breath of God filling the world with living potentiality. The Voice of God is the most powerful force in nature, indeed the only force in nature, for all energy is here only because the power-filled Word is being spoken.

The Bible is the written word of God, and because it is written it is confined and limited by the necessities of ink and paper and leather. The Voice of God, however, is alive and free as the sovereign God is free. "The words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life." The life is in the speaking words. God's word in the Bible can have power only because it corresponds to God's word in the universe. It is the present Voice which makes the written Word all-powerful. Otherwise it would lie locked in slumber within the covers of a book.

The Bible will never be a living Book to us until we are convinced that God is articulate in His universe. To jump from a dead, impersonal world to a dogmatic Bible is too much for most people. They may admit that they should accept the Bible as the Word of God, and they may try to think of it as such, but they find it impossible to believe that the words there on the page are actually for them. A man may say, "These words are addressed to me," and yet in his heart not feel and know that they are. He is the victim of a divided psychology. He tries to think of God as mute everywhere else and vocal only in a book.

Spiritual Fathers: Dead and Alive

I am writing to you, fathers,because you know him who is from the beginning. 1 John 2:13,14 ESV

Since the month of June is Fathers Day month,  I'm thinking about spiritual fathers.   I've been blessed to have some.  My life has been forever enriched by being "spiritually fathered" by these people of God.

So this month, I would like to share a few of them with you. But first, let's think together about "spiritual fathering."

In his first letter, the fatherly aged apostle John penned a tenderhearted passage on the growth stages in a believer's life.  He describes for us spiritual childhood, then young adulthood, and finally fatherhood:

I am writing to you, little children, because your sins are forgiven for his name's sake.I am writing to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning.I am writing to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one.I write to you, children, because you know the Father.I write to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning.I write to you, young men, because you are strong,and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one.1 John 2:12-14 ESV

Did you notice that he repeats two times the exact same description of the "father stage" of spiritual growth?

"...you know Him who has been from the beginning."

"You know GOD in His pure Person...the great I AM, the Burning Bush God, Jehovah!"  Nothing else is needed...nothing else distracts.  There's a total focus on the Ever-Present God and what HE is doing...especially in the lives of people.

return of the prodigal

Henri Nouwen, in his wonderful book The Return of the Prodigal Son talks about how we are each ultimately called to be the "father (or mother)" in others' lives.

...my final vocation is indeed to become like the Father and to live out His divine compassion in my daily life...every son and daughter has to choose to step beyond their childhood and become father and mother for others.  It is a hard and lonely step to take...Return of the Prodigal, p121.

Nouwen talks about three ways to truly compassionate fatherhood:  grief, forgiveness, and generosity.  All three of these characteristics require a heart completely empty of self-seeking, a heart that steps over our own stuff  and pours itself out for others.  This is where the Father seeks to take His children as they "grow up" in Him.

I love the image of "stepping over our own stuff."  It has helped me many a time in conversation or in situations to remember that as I mature in God I must be willing to step over this conflict, that slight, the other hurt, etc.  That's the way of the Father...and the way of fathers and mothers who walk in His way on behalf of His children:

Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. Ephesians 5:1-2 ESV

Do you have any spiritual fathers (or mothers, for that matter) in your life?  If so, thank God and imitate their faith!  If not, ask God for some...they are treasures!  And then grow to become one!

Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith. Hebrews 13:7 ESV

*More in the coming posts about some spiritual fathers, both dead and alive :)

Surprised by the Voice that I long to hear...in the hard

My sheep hear My voice...

This week I'm in New Jersey, caring for my 91 year old mom so that my care-giver sister can get a much needed break.

Mom has a number of health issues that have caused her to slowly, very slowly, deteriorate. Someone has called this period of life that many of us "baby boomers" face as we care for our aged parents, "The long good-bye." And it certainly is...and it's hard...very hard...and for a number of reasons.

First, of course, is the fact that our beloved one is declining and suffering in the process. That's hard to watch.

And my precious Mommy (as we sibs still call her) is developing backwards, so to speak.  She is declining back through the stages of human development, and that's hard! Hard to witness and hard to adjust to, especially relationship-wise.

The child becomes the parent, and the parent becomes the child.

It's also hard because of the physical energy and personal sacrifice involved in the care-giving.

It's a privilege in so many ways to be able to "give back" to one who has sacrificed all for us. But for those of us who aren't naturally gifted in the care-giving, serving gifts, it can also be particularly difficult...even humanly speaking, distasteful!  For instance,  the need to wash and toilet the person goes against most sensibilities, to be perfectly honest!

Well, this week the Lord met me in the hard-ness of the serving.  As I was helping my precious mom in her embarrassing needs in the restroom, as my back was hurting and the smells and required care were overwelming, as everything within me was yelling, "This is hard," the Voice that I always long to hear broke through.

You are doing this for Me! I am in your mom! So you are serving ME!

Oh wow, Lord! Of course! You said,

As you did it to one of the least of these my brothers [or sisters], you did it to me. (Matthew 25:40 ESV)

You are doing all this to ME!

I was serving HIM! Yes, the King, the Lord, the Master! Wow, what a privilege... not only to serve my darling mama, but in the serving, to be ministering to my Jesus!

As my heart took this all in, I remembered another time, years ago, when I sacrificially served. It was joyful and hard...very hard...in the same way.  But the thing that was especially hard was that I wasn't thanked in any way, though others were.

As I was sitting outside on my porch, "licking my emotional wounds," enjoying the weird "delight" of self-pity ("I can't believe that they didn't even thank me!"), the Voice that I always long to hear broke through,

Well done, good and faithful servant...Enter into the joy of your master. (Matthew 25:23 ESV)

Oh my! I was undone!

HIS "Well Done"  was worth it all! Much better than all of the thank you's and recognition on this earth!

So dear friends, members of the sandwich generation caring for beloved aged ones and moms and dads pouring it out for the beloved young ones and everyone else in between, hear this from the Voice that in reality you too always long to hear,

...as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.

Well done, good and faithful servant...Enter into the joy of your master.

Amen!