Rescued!

Text and images taken from The Jesus Storybook Bible 

by Sally Lloyd-Jones, illustrated by Jago.

Then Jesus picked up some bread and broke it. 

He gave it to his friends. He picked up a cup of wine and

thanked God for it. He poured it out and shared it.

"My body is like this bread. It will break," Jesus told them.

"This cup of wine is like my blood. It will pour out."

"But this is how God will rescue the whole world. My life will break

and God's broken world will mend. My heart will tear apart

— and your hearts will heal. Just as the passover lamb died,

so now I will die instead of you. My blood will wash away

all of your sins. And you'll be clean on the inside

—in your hearts."

"So whenever you eat and drink, remember," 

Jesus said, "I have rescued you!"

The wind was picking up now, blowing clouds across

the moon, shrouding the garden in darkness.

"Stay up with me?" Jesus asked his friends.

They said yes and waited under the olive trees, but

they were tired and soon they fell asleep.

Jesus walked ahead alone, into the dark.

He needed to talk to his heavenly Father.

He knew it was time for him to die. They had planned

it long ago, he and his Father. Jesus was going to take

the punishment for all the wrong things anybody

had ever done, or ever would do.

"Papa! Father!" Jesus cried.

And he fell to the ground.

"Is there any other way to get your children back?

To heal their hearts? To get rid of the poison?

But Jesus knew — there was no other way.

All the poison of sin was going to have to 

go into his own heart.

God was going to pour into Jesus' heart all the sadness 

and brokenness in people's hearts. He was going to 

pour into Jesus' body all the sickness in people's

bodies. God was going to have to blame

his son for everything that had gone wrong.

It would crush Jesus.

But there was something else, something even more horrible.

When people ran away from God, they lost God —

it was what happened when they ran away.

Not being close to God was like a punishment.

Jesus was going to take that punishment.

Jesus knew what that meant. He was going to lose his Father —

and that, Jesus knew, would break his heart in two.

Violent sobs shook Jesus' whole body.

Then Jesus was quiet. Like a lamb. "I trust you, Papa,"

he said. "Whatever you say, I will do."

Facing Facts

I have five kids.

A small, large family.

Way more than I ever imagined when I was 20.

Yeah.

I love each and every one of them.

So much it hurts sometimes.

But, wow!

Sometimes life gets pretty crazy around here.

Shoes... everywhere!

Four of these people are girls... (Need I say more?)

I heard this quote once...

"I thought I was such a godly person,
and then I had kids
and I realized how far that was from the truth."

Well... that certainly was true for me.

But, I'm also realizing I am living a new version of that quote.

I thought I was pretty together as a mom
and then I ended up with five kids
and I realized how far that was from the truth!

I can be a bit of a rebel when it comes to "how to" tips.

I have a hard time implementing what works
for someone else in my own home.

I would actually snicker at blog posts
that were about organizing a larger family.

Yeah, well...

Now I'm going to have to eat crow.

Because, I now am starting to see
as I crawl out of the mire of "Survival Mode"
after the addition of Ruthie,
that I need to face facts.

We have a lot of kids.

We have a little house.
(of which I am very thankful for)

I homeschool above mentioned kids.

Above mentioned kids are very creative.

And very prolific in their creativity.

There are many details that can send me over the edge.

So, I am starting by acknowledging the facts.

I desire to discover ways to simplify and streamline
and eliminate some chaos.

Thankfully, I am blessed with several friends who also have lots of kids.

Hint, hint....

So, lay it on me girls!

Help this newly awakened dreamer accept reality.

What He Has Done For Us

Isaiah 53 

Who believes what we've heard and seen?

 Who would have thought God's saving power would look like this?

 The servant grew up before God—a scrawny seedling,
   a scrubby plant in a parched field.
There was nothing attractive about him,
   nothing to cause us to take a second look.

He was looked down on and passed over,
   a man who suffered, who knew pain firsthand.
One look at him and people turned away.
   We looked down on him, thought he was scum.

But the fact is, it was our pains he carried—
   our disfigurements, all the things wrong with us.

We thought he brought it on himself,
   that God was punishing him for his own failures.
But it was our sins that did that to him,
   that ripped and tore and crushed him—our sins!

He took the punishment, and that made us whole.
   Through his bruises we get healed.

We're all like sheep who've wandered off and gotten lost.
   We've all done our own thing, gone our own way.
And God has piled all our sins, everything we've done wrong,
   on him, on him. 

 He was beaten, he was tortured,
   but he didn't say a word.
Like a lamb taken to be slaughtered
   and like a sheep being sheared,
   he took it all in silence.

Justice miscarried, and he was led off—
   and did anyone really know what was happening?

He died without a thought for his own welfare,
   beaten bloody for the sins of my people.
They buried him with the wicked,
   threw him in a grave with a rich man,
Even though he'd never hurt a soul
   or said one word that wasn't true. 

 Still, it's what God had in mind all along,
   to crush him with pain.
The plan was that he give himself as an offering for sin
   so that he'd see life come from it—life, life, and more life. 

   And God's plan will deeply prosper through him.

Out of that terrible travail of soul,
   he'll see that it's worth it and be glad he did it.

Through what he experienced, my righteous one, my servant,
   will make many "righteous ones,"
   as he himself carries the burden of their sins.

Therefore I'll reward him extravagantly—
   the best of everything, the highest honors—

Because he looked death in the face and didn't flinch,
   because he embraced the company of the lowest.
He took on his own shoulders the sin of the many,
   he took up the cause of all the black sheep. 

•

"What wondrous love is this, oh my soul?

Entering the Kingdom - Excerpts from Matthew 19

"Let the children alone, don't prevent them

from coming to me. God's kingdom

is made up of people like these."

•

"Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?"

 •

"God is the One who is good. 

If you want to enter the life of God,

just do what he tells you."

^•

"Do you have any idea how difficult it is

for the rich to enter God's kingdom?

Let me tell you, it's easier to gallop a camel

through a needle's eye than for the rich

to enter God's kingdom." 

 •

 "Then who has any chance at all?" 

 •

Jesus looked hard at them and said,

"No chance at all

if you think you can

pull it off yourself."

 •

"Every chance in the world

if you trust God to do it." 

Little ones 

To Him belong, 

They are weak

But He is strong.

Yes, Jesus loves me!

Kingdom Lessons from Matthew 18

The way of the Kingdom of God is so opposite of what my flesh chooses on its own.

If someone hurts me, even just some tiny, hurtful comment, I quickly fly to defend myself and hurt back if I can. 

But this is not His way.

"If a fellow believer hurts you, go and tell him—

work it out between the two of you. 

If he listens, you've made a friend. 

If he won't listen, take one or two others along

so that the presence of witnesses will keep things honest,

and try again.

If he still won't listen, tell the church.

If he won't listen to the church,

you'll have to start over from scratch,

confront him with the need for repentance,

and offer again God's forgiving love."

 --

Matthew 18:15-17

•

This whole chapter seems to be a pattern for us.

Is the order of these verses and that they are all together important? 

Do they give more insight into living the way of the Kingdom?

It is not about us being right.

It is not about condemnation, penance, punishment.

It is about concern for another.

It is about patience.

It is about mercy.

It is about forgiveness.

When a fellow believer has hurt us, 

we go to her, talk with her, 

give her many chances to see her sin and repent.

(Matthew 18:15-17)

Right after those verses, 

Jesus talks about the importance of our words

and how powerful it is for us to get together

with another believer and agree in prayer.

(Matthew 18:18-20)

Should we be praying for the believer who hurt us? 

(No gossip, no hurtful chatter...)

Immediately following this is Peter's question

about how many times we are to forgive.

(Seventy times seven is Jesus' answer.)

Jesus rounds out His answer by telling the Kingdom story

about forgiveness. What happens to the servant who

was forgive much who refuses to forgive in return?

Forgive, for we have been forgiven all.

"The king summoned the man and said, 'You evil servant!

I forgave your entire debt when you begged me for mercy.

Shouldn't you be compelled to be merciful to

your fellow servant who asked for mercy?"

 --

Matthew 18:32

Kingdom living does not come from ourselves.

Forgiveness is not always easy and is not always what we want to do.

It at times is an act of sheer obedience.

•

Work hard to show the results of your salvation,

obeying God with deep reverence and fear.

For God is working in you, giving you the desire

and the power to do what pleases him.

--

Philippians 2:12-13 NLT

•

Be honest before the Lord.

Pour out your heart to Him.

Ask Him to give you the desire and the power to forgive.

He wants us to follow Him, rely on Him, take the yoke He gives us to bear.

He will not leave us alone, to do His way on our own.

He who has forgiven much will help us to forgive as well.

Overflow

"For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks."

--

Matthew 12:34b NIV

•

"You have minds like a snake pit! 

How do you suppose what you say is worth 

anything when you are so foul-minded?

It's your heart, not the dictionary, 

that gives meaning to your words.

A good person produces good deeds 

and words season after season.

An evil person is a blight on the orchard. 

Let me tell you something:

Every one of these careless words 

is going to come back to haunt you.

There will be a time of Reckoning. 

Words are powerful; take them seriously.

Words can be your salvation. 

Words can also be your damnation." 

--

Matthew 12:33-37 MSG

•

 My words prove what is in my heart.

They are powerful.

Words have the power of life and death.

There are days that I wish that I would have just kept my mouth shut.

My words were toxic.

Shriveling the little lives in my care.

Haunting my mind later I wish that I could 

shove them back down my throat.

Recycled thoughts and words that come from the old me.

They cannot give life.

They do not thrive and produce healthy, plump fruit.

Fresh and running clean, I go to the Source.

Living Water flows down, cooling and saturating.

He cried out, "If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink.

Rivers of living water will brim and spill out

of the depths of anyone who believes in me this way,

just as the Scripture says."

--

John 7:37-38 MSG

•

"Live in me. Make your home in me just as I do in you.

In the same way that a branch can't bear grapes by itself

but only by being joined to the vine,

you can't bear fruit unless you are joined with me."

--

John 15:4 MSG

•

Separate, independent, I smother and destroy.

Attached, dependent, the sap of Your life pumps and flows.

I come. 

I drink deep.

Overflow, yes, overflow!

Shades of Grey

Today I got to thinking about what we, as Believers, are to do when we see another Believer doing something that we don't think they should be doing.

And so I spent an little time digging around in The Word to see what it had to say.

Please know that my humble blog post is simply that. My humble findings as I sought to find some answers.

Please, do not take this as all there is in Scripture on this subject.

Just know that I wanted to share what I found, because I think this is something we all may wonder about and need to know.

OK, back to the subject at hand....

Now, sometimes that "thing" is black and white sin.

And Scripture tells us what to do.

"Be alert. If you see your friend going wrong, 

correct him. If he responds, forgive him.

Even if it's personal against you

and repeated seven times through the day,

and seven times he says, 'I'm sorry,

I won't do it again,' forgive him."

--

Luke 17:3-4

•

If a fellow believer hurts you, go and tell him—

work it out between the two of you.

If he listens, you've made a friend.

If he won't listen, take one or two others along

so that the presence of witnesses will keep things honest,

and try again. If he still won't listen, tell the church.

If he won't listen to the church,

you'll have to start over from scratch,

confront him with the need for repentance,

and offer again God's forgiving love. 

--

Mathew 18:15-17

• 

Go easy on those who hesitate in the faith.

Go after those who take the wrong way.

Be tender with sinners, but not soft on sin.

The sin itself stinks to high heaven. 

--

Jude 22-23

And sometimes it's not necessarily black and white.

Sometimes it's just something that we feel is wrong for us.

And so, we start to think it is wrong for everyone else, too.

Forget about deciding what's right for each other. 

Here's what you need to be concerned about:

that you don't get in the way of someone else,

making life more difficult than it already is.

 --

Romans 14:13

•

Cultivate your own relationship with God, 

but don't impose it on others.

--

Romans 14:22

•

Don't pick on people, jump on their failures,

criticize their faults— unless, of course,

you want the same treatment.

That critical spirit has a way of boomeranging.

It's easy to see a smudge on your neighbor's face

and be oblivious to the ugly sneer on your own.

Do you have the nerve to say,

'Let me wash your face for you,'

when your own face is distorted by contempt?

It's this whole traveling road-show mentality

all over again, playing a holier-than-thou

part instead of just living your part.

Wipe that ugly sneer off your own face,

and you might be fit to offer

a washcloth to your neighbor. 

--

Matthew 7:1-5

So, do I just sit back and stew if I am concerned about my brother or sister and what they are doing?

Do I just go along and "live and let live"?

Here is a simple, rule-of-thumb guide for behavior:

Ask yourself what you want people to do for you,

then grab the initiative and do it for them.

Add up God's Law and Prophets and this is what you get. 

--

Matthew 7:12

•

Don't fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray.

Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers,

letting God know your concerns.

Before you know it, a sense of God's wholeness,

everything coming together for good,

will come and settle you down.

It's wonderful what happens when Christ displaces

worry at the center of your life. 

--

Philippians 4:6

I think that first of all we should pray for them. We should lay our concern before the Lord. 

Make your worry a prayer request.

And ask the Lord for the opportunity and the words to share your concern.

Watch the way you talk... Say only what helps, each word a gift.

--

Ephesians 4:29

•

Make a clean break with all cutting, backbiting,

profane talk. Be gentle with one another, sensitive.

--

Ephesians 4:31

As I looked through The Word this afternoon, what really jumped out at me is that I need to make sure that I am living a life wholly devoted to my Lord. 

I have enough on my own plate to be worrying about what is on yours!

I want to live in a way that points others to Jesus, instead of pushing them away because of my judgmental criticisms. 

Oh Lord, help me to love You and others with all that I do and say!