GLEANINGS from Claudia: For My Sister in Grief

Posted on July 7, 2014 by Gleanings from Claudia

“Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” 2 Corinthians 4:16-18

There are times when the truth of scripture fails to penetrate. This failure isn’t due to a hardened heart or a willful decision of the one who is momentarily impermeable. Truth often bounces off of devastating pain.

Today I have a new sister in the family of grief. A friend lost her far-too-young-to-die daughter yesterday. I know what that means. It is losing the memories; the laughably silly memories that I hope my girls will remind me of someday as my ability to remember fades. It is losing the future memories that were still to be concocted out of daily life – perhaps a wedding, grandchildren, overcoming of troubles and just plain spending time together. It is losing all of the sleepless nights of prayers and hopes, the hours of joy and pain, everything that goes into raising a daughter. It is losing the yesterdays, todays, and tomorrows of a deeply loved daughter.

For hours and days and months and years this loss does NOT feel like a light and momentary trouble. It colors every waking moment with sorrow and weight. There are times in fresh grief when even fixing our eyes on what is unseen feels impossible because when we fix our eyes on what is unseen we see the one we miss so much.

Today I pray for my new sister in grief. I pray that she will sense the Lord carrying her through these first impossible hours and days of loss. I know that God will not leave or forsake her no matter what she feels and processes during this fresh pain. I pray that the day will come when she will comprehend the eternal glory that far outweighs our troubles. And I pray that she will know the compassionate eye of God fixed on her as she lives out her grief.

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GLEANINGS from Claudia: The Abiding Life – Answered Prayer

Posted on June 30, 2014 by Gleanings from Claudia

“To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” 2 Corinthians 12:7-9

Cynthia Bezek’s study “Prayer and the Word of God” led me to this passage about answered prayer in Paul’s life today. The passage speaks to me way beyond the simple words of this scripture.

When I think of the man Paul, I see an individual whose whole life was turned upside down by the unexpected, powerful intervention of God. He was a man who excelled in his sphere of life. He was dogged and determined, devoted to his understanding of God and willing to persecute and murder others to keep his God safe. Jesus was nothing more to him than an imposter whose teaching and works could destroy that which he believed. In Paul’s eyes, Jesus was a blasphemer, rightly condemned to die a criminal’s death. Paul knew of the work and teaching of Jesus, but likely much of that was through the stories and frustrations he heard from the leaders of the Jews. He may never have seen Jesus or experienced his teaching and miracles in a direct encounter. But then, one day on the road to Damascus to persecute those who believed in Jesus, Paul (Saul at that time) met the risen Jesus face-to-face and his life was radically changed.

This 2nd Corinthians passage is from the heart of a deeply different man than the Paul we first meet in scripture.  Over his years of knowing and loving Jesus, God has worked to use the incredible passion of Paul for His purposes. God has dug deep into the core of Paul to break down pride and to use this man for the most amazing gospel mission of all time. Because of Paul’s original mission to the gentiles, today I know Christ. There is no exaggeration in that statement.

I take great comfort in what Paul reveals about himself and about his relationship with God in this passage from 2 Corinthians 12. Here is a man who had seen the miracles of healing that God could do through his own hands and in the name of Jesus. Over and over again Paul saw the power of God at work in miraculous ways. How hard could it be for a God like that to heal Paul’s own thorn in the flesh? Paul was persistent in prayer and the prayer was fervent. The word translated ‘pleaded’ is the word ‘parakaleo’ which means invoke, invite, to call near. You may recognize this word, because it is one of the names Jesus gives for the Holy Spirit in John 14:26 when he calls him Counselor. Paul was fervently asking for God’s help in this thing that was tormenting him. Paul was a powerful servant of God and he had endured so much to gain so much for the Kingdom’s sake. Didn’t it make sense that God would give him this ‘little’ thing he asked for?

Paul did get an answer to his prayer. God made it clear that the thorn in the flesh was a gift of God to keep Paul from falling back into his personal sin of pride and independence. This ‘thorn’ that Satan intended to use for his own evil purposes was actually something God would use to keep Paul dependent upon Him. And even more, through that very real dependency and weakness, God would reveal HIS power at work in and through Paul.

Is there anyone who more ‘deserved’ healing than Paul? Anyone whose ministry could better benefit from the freedom and power that comes from operating at full strength?  On the surface of it the answer seems to be straightforward and the miracle of healing seems a sure thing. But God had the best in mind when He said ‘no’ to healing and ‘yes’ to His power working at full throttle in Paul’s redeemed life. We can trust a God like that!

“Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” 2 Corinthians 12:9-10

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GLEANINGS from Claudia: The Abiding Life – We Don’t Know What to Do

Posted on June 24, 2014 by Gleanings from Claudia

“We do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon you.”
2nd Chronicles 20:12

I’m continuing my study through “Prayer and the Word of God” by Cynthia Bezek. This morning one of the scriptures I looked at covered the story in 2nd Chronicles chapter 20 of Jehoshaphat and his response when the armies of Moab, Ammon, and Meun massed together to come against Judah.

When Jehoshaphat gets word of this vast army coming against them and already at En Gedi, only about 50 miles from where he was in Jerusalem, he calls all of Judah to fast and come together to seek help from the Lord. The people gather and Jehoshaphat stands up at the temple of the Lord in front of the new courtyard and prays out to the Lord. Jehoshaphat reminds the Lord of what he heard prayed out and confirmed by the Lord at the dedication of the temple. He points out to the Lord that in response to their trouble he and the people are at the temple crying out to him and he reminds the Lord of the promise that he will ‘hear us and save us.’ The final line of Jehoshaphat’s prayer resonates powerfully with me – “We do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon you.”

And then “All the men of Judah, with their wives and children and little ones, stood there before the Lord.”

Wow! I found sources that say a well-trained army can travel about 40 miles on foot in one day. This large army was just a bit over a day away. At a time when every human response would be to run or hide or take up arms and prepare for what was surely coming in hours, the people of Judah stood in great vulnerability waiting on the Lord.

I’m often in this ‘I don’t know what to do’ place. Sometimes I feel more vulnerable in this place than at other times, but no matter the level of risk, I so want to be more like the men and women of Judah as led by Jehoshaphat. The format of their prayer is potent – thinking back on the provision and promise of God; reminding him of what he has done and promised; and then waiting until his answer comes. The faith of their prayer is incredible – standing vulnerably; waiting to hear.

By the way, God came through for the people of Judah in big ways. I don’t know exactly how long the people of Judah stood and waited, but within hours God answered.  God spoke through Jahaziel son of Zechariah, one of the men who was standing and waiting. And God’s primary message was to continue to stand and watch what he would do: “You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you, O Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the Lord will be with you.”

There is more to this story and the more is wonderful! But today my heart needed to be reminded of the power of acknowledging my lack of wisdom and where to keep my eyes in those times of not knowing!

Oh Lord – I’m praying today in one of those “I don’t know what to do” times. A time when I’m not even sure what to pray! But I can pray into your promise that you will generously give me wisdom when I ask – Lord I need wisdom. And I can speak Paul’s prayer over the Philippians that my love might abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight – Lord I need more love, but love that operates in knowledge and depth of insight. And now Lord I wait because I don’t know what to do, but my eyes are on you!

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GLEANINGS from Claudia: The Abiding Life – How Should I Pray?

Posted on June 23, 2014 by Gleanings from Claudia

“Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up.” Luke 18:1

My last post discussed the prayer “open your eyes, Lord; open your ears, Lord”. A friend commented on that post with a question that really made me think:

“Question…how can you tell when God is working on something in your character and wants you to wait and when does he want you to push through and ask him for something. I guess better said, when can you tell if he wants us to hold on and when to let go?”

Excellent question. It helps me process this question to think about prayer not as a stand-alone, but rather as an aspect of relationship with God in the life of a believer. Once again I turn to 2nd Chronicles 6 and 7. In this passage the temple is completed and Solomon prayers a beautiful prayer of dedication over it. The whole prayer is about prayer – pleading with God to hear the prayers of His people that are prayed in or toward this place, a building specifically meant to be the dwelling place of God on earth. Key to Solomon’s petition is the knowledge that God’s people will sin and they will need restoration. In 2nd Chronicles 7 God answers Solomon’s prayer appearing to him at night and essentially saying ‘yes I will hear these prayers.” The key passage is 2nd Chronicles 7:13-16:

“When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command locusts to devour the land or send a plague among my people, if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land. Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayers offered in this place. I have chosen and consecrated this temple so that my Name may be there forever. My eyes and my heart will always be there.”
2 Chronicles 7:13-16

Reading through these passages has given me insight into the importance of the temple to the people of Israel – even today. God made some impressive promises about that place, but the heart of those promises seem to be more about people and relationship than about place. God is seeking a people who love and obey him, a people devoted to him and not to following after their own sinful impulses and desires. Jeremiah and Isaiah both shed light on this thought. In both of these books we see a people who are still centering their religious lives on the temple. They go there and offer sacrifices and prayer, but the actions lack the obedience to the law which was a foundational part of their covenant relationship with God. They are following their own sinful paths – even sacrificing their sons and daughters to idols on the sacred high places – but still they seek God’s blessing in the temple. God is devastated by this unfaithfulness. In Jeremiah he even tells the prophet NOT to pray for this people (Jeremiah 7:16; 11:14; 14:11.) There is also a passage in 1st John that seems to address this idea.

“If anyone sees his brother commit a sin that does not lead to death, he should pray and God will give him life. I refer to those whose sin does not lead to death. There is a sin that leads to death. I am not saying that he should pray about that. All wrongdoing is sin, and there is sin that does not lead to death.“ 1 John 5:16-17

The passages in Jeremiah and 1 John are the only passages I found that say ‘don’t pray.’ In the book of Jeremiah God was set to bring judgment on his people. He planned to send them into exile but with the knowledge that the hardship to come would turn their hearts back to him and he would have them back, heart and soul, in relationship. I find myself wondering if the command not to pray says that prayer was useless, or if God didn’t want his plans turned by prayer because he knew what was needed to get his people back?

One more thought on the relational aspect of prayer comes from Jesus’ teaching on prayer. There are so many times in scripture that Jesus indicates that if we pray and believe we will have what we ask for in prayer (Mt. 7:7; 18:19; 21:22; Mk. 11:24; Lk. 11:9; Jn. 14:13,14; 16:23-26). But I see these promises as very tied to our living out the loving and obedient life that shows our devotion to God. Faith isn’t demonstrated by praying fervently or being in church regularly, but rather by daily living life with God. As we better know him and understand his heart, obeying and loving him, he gives us all we ask for because what we ask is from his own heart. Jesus demonstrates what a loving, obedient, connected-to-God life looks like. His prayers are always answered and his life is always obedient. For me John 14 is a key chapter to understanding through Jesus how the connection between love and obedience and powerful faith works.

So what about us? How long do we pray about something? Perhaps the main thing is how we pray for something. I love the humility demonstrated in my friend’s question – the understanding that sometimes God IS working on something in us. As I come to God in prayer for anything, I want to come with a clean heart and pure motives – motives that say to him; I love you, I desire to obey you in all things to demonstrate that love. Search my heart O God and test my thoughts. Cleanse me from sin that I might bring a pure heart to the prayers I lift to you. When my prayers are offered from a clean heart with love for the Lord, I feel free to pray persistently until/unless the Lord clearly tells me otherwise like he clearly told Jeremiah – don’t pray. Persistence seems to bless the heart of God and there are times when decades of persistence in prayer don’t get the answer for which we long, but still we pray. And I feel free to pray boldly, asking God for what is on my heart and trusting him to answer from his greater knowledge and love no matter the situation I am praying into.

Prayer is an amazing gift, but the most amazing gift is that the God of the universe actually wants to be in relationship with us!

Lord, you astound me with your desire for me. Over the days of my life I can see you following after me and seeking me even before I knew to seek you. And when I look beyond my few days and see the way you have pursued relationship with men and women from the beginning of time I am in awe. You love us with an everlasting love. You seek us with a wanting that borders on obsession. Thank you, praise you, for opening the way for us to know you and love you! Teach me to pray without fear, but always with humility and a right heart that I might speak my love for you!

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GLEANINGS from Claudia: The Abiding Life – “Open Your Eyes Lord; Open Your Ears, Lord!

Posted on June 20, 2014 by Gleanings from Claudia

“O LORD, God of heaven, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and obey his commands, let your ear be attentive and your eyes open to hear the prayer your servant is praying before you day and night for your servants, the people of Israel.” Nehemiah 1:5-6

A couple of days ago I was processing the idea of ‘open my eyes’ prayers and I came across another aspect of those prayers – the ‘open YOUR ears and open YOUR eyes’ prayers lifted to the Lord.

In a sense God gives freedom to pray this as He reveals this aspect of Himself in Exodus 3:7-10.

“The LORD said, “I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering. So I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey — the home of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites. And now the cry of the Israelites has reached me, and I have seen the way the Egyptians are oppressing them. So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt.”

The Lord so clearly reveals that he hears, he sees, he cares, and he acts out of His compassion. He is NOT a distant ‘I’ve set the clock in motion and good luck to you all’ kind of God.

Solomon offered a dedicatory prayer after the building of the temple in which he asked “May your eyes be opened toward this temple day and night, this place of which you said you would put your Name there. May you hear the prayer your servant prays toward this place” 2nd Chronicles 6:20. And God responds “Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayers offered in this place.” 2nd Chronicles 7:15.

God’s people capitalize on this promise of God.  Later, when King Hezekiah receives a threatening letter from Sennacherib, King of Assyria, Hezekiah’s response is to take the letter to the temple and spread it out before the Lord. His prayer is simple and straightforward “Give ear, O Lord, and hear; open your eyes, O Lord, and see; listen to all the words Sennacherib has sent to insult the living God” Isaiah 37:17. And God responds and Sennacherib falls.

Just a short while later Hezekiah lays ill and gets word from the prophet Isaiah that God says he will die from this illness. Hezekiah, evidently too ill to go to the temple, turns his face to the wall and prays reminding God of his faithful walk and weeps bitterly. The Lord responds through Isaiah saying to Hezekiah “…I have heard your prayer and seen your tears; I will add fifteen years to your life. Isaiah 38:5”

There are times in life when it feels like God has gone deaf or blind. Scripture has shown me that an appeal to him to ‘open your eyes and see; open your ears and hear’ is not insulting or disparaging. It is a prayer to which he responds in his time and in his way because hearing and seeing is part of his nature.

“Lord God, there are things in my life and the lives of those I love right now that puzzle me. Apparent areas of attack and confusion that just shouldn’t be. Lord, open your eyes to see the truth of what is happening.  Lord open your ears to hear the prayers seeking your help and discernment. Give your servants guidance and send your help. I pray this in reverence of your holy Name!”

For further study: Exodus 2:24,25; Exodus 3:7-10; 2 Kings 9:16; 2 Chronicles 6:20,40; 2 Chronicles 7:15; Nehemiah 1:6; Isaiah 37:17; Isaiah 38:4,5; Daniel 9:17,18

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GLEANINGS from Claudia: The Abiding Life – Open My Eyes

Posted on June 18, 2014 by Gleanings from Claudia

“When the servant of the man of God got up and went out early the next morning, an army with horses and chariots had surrounded the city. “Oh, my lord, what shall we do?” the servant asked.  “Don’t be afraid,” the prophet answered. “Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.”  And Elisha prayed, “O LORD, open his eyes so he may see.” Then the LORD opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.” 2 Kings 6:15-17

I often pray “Open my eyes to see You Lord; open my ears to hear You Lord”. This prayer comes out of reading over and over in God’s Word of men and women whose eyes and ears are closed to the voice and direction of the Lord. Inevitably this blindness and deafness leads to catastrophe and loss. I know how hard headed I am and how blind. Even when I want to see, hear and follow the Lord my pride and ignorance just plain get in the way.

There is another dimension to this prayer that has been recently impressed upon me. Our daughter Kristin gave Steve the book “Surprised by Scripture” by N.T. Wright for Father’s Day. As always Steve is reading several things at a time, so this book has been tantalizing me and I’ve taken up reading it first! The book is comprised of several short essays on various topics related to scripture and one chapter focuses on Jesus’ second coming. In this chapter Wright talks about what Jesus’ appearing will look like.

“Think about the meaning of appear for a moment. When we talk of Jesus coming, we make it sound as though he is presently far away; as though, to come, he would have to make a lengthy journey. But appear is different. As we find in passages of the New Testament, Jesus is not far away; he is in heaven, and heaven is not a place in the sky, but rather God’s dimension of what we think of as ordinary reality. This is an essential feature of biblical cosmology, and the failure to grasp it leaves many Christians puzzled about how to put together the biblical picture of eschatology. The point is that Jesus is presently in God’s dimension, that is, heaven; however heaven is not a place in our space-time continuum, but a different sphere of reality that overlaps and interlocks with our sphere in numerous though mysterious ways. It is as though there were a great invisible curtain hanging across a room, disguising another space that can be integrated with our space; one day the curtain will be pulled back, the two spaces or spheres will be joined forever, and Jesus himself will be the central figure. (“Surprised by Scripture” page 96, 97)”

This concept that Wright describes is perfectly reflected in the 2 Kings account of Elisha’s prayer that his servant’s eyes would be opened to the other dimension reality of God’s help surrounding them. You can find this other dimension concept in Daniel 10:12,13 where the ‘one who looked like a man’ comes to Daniel to explain that his prayers were heard from the moment he prayed them but the evident delay in responding happened because of a 21 day battle the this messenger had fought.

There is a veil over our eyes and ears that prevents full comprehension of what is happening all around us. We live in this other dimension and the day will come when we will fully apprehend and experience the reality in which we currently dwell. I pray for sensitivity to what is happening all around me, an understanding of the battle and provision in the spiritual realm.

Lord, today open my eyes to see You at work. Open my ears to hear what You want to do in and through me in this world. Give me courage to love boldly serving You and those You place in my path. In Jesus’ name I pray!

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GLEANINGS from Claudia: The Abiding Life – Expand My Boundaries

Posted on June 17, 2014 by Gleanings from Claudia

“Jabez was more honorable than his brothers. His mother had named him Jabez, saying, “I gave birth to him in pain.” Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, “Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory! Let your hand be with me, and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain.” And God granted his request.” 1 Chronicles 4:9-10

I’ve been challenged the past couple of days. First on Sunday we sang the worship song “Oceans: Where Feet May Fail.” The bridge of this song is possibly the most challenging worship/prayer I’ve ever voiced.

“Spirit lead me where my trust is without borders
Let me walk upon the waters
Wherever You would call me
Take me deeper than my feet could ever wander
And my faith will be made stronger
In the presence of my Savior”

Then on Monday a study guide I’m going through (Prayer and the Word of God by Cynthia Bezek) reminded me of ‘The Prayer of Jabez‘ and caused me to look again at that passage in 1st Chronicles.  I looked at the Hebrew words and saw that the word Jabez’s mother used for ‘pain’ also can be translated ‘idol – something fashioned for worship.’ Jabez lived in a time when idolatry was rampant. As you read through the history of Israel you read over and over again of the setting up and tearing down of idols. As Jabez grew to manhood, he focused his life on the God of Israel. In Hebrew his asking for blessing is very emphatic – in essence he says ‘Oh that You would bless me, bless me.’ He asks for enlarged territory and for God’s presence – that God’s hand would keep him from evil that he might not be harmed. The words that end up translated ‘that I will be free from pain’ in the NIV version of this passage can also be translated ‘to carve, fabricate or fashion.’ I sense behind Jabez’s request a desire that evil would not be the thing that shapes his life, but rather that his life would be shaped by the presence and hand of God.  Isn’t the simple line “And God granted his request” amazing? God delights in giving additional territory to those who carry His presence with them. Giving ground to those who are hand in hand with Him is giving ground to Himself and His Kingdom.

I’m challenged today to walk hand in hand with the Lord entering into the boundary expanding opportunities He puts before me. He has expanded my boundaries before, sometimes taking me to places I would never chose to go because pain was part and parcel of the new place. Today I am oh so comfortable in the blessings He has given me. Today I choose to see these blessings as gifts from His hand and to stand ready to walk wherever He invites me to walk – even if that means the terrifyingly exhilarating experience of walking on water.

“Lord – open my eyes to see You calling me to walk on the water of my life. Give me courage to follow You into the seemingly small, insignificant acts of service and love You set before me … or into the terrifyingly huge acts of obedient love You set before me. Define my life for Your purposes and delight. Give me the sure knowledge that You will be enough … it will be enough … I will be enough as I follow You. In the Name of Jesus – the Son who first followed You!”

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GLEANINGS from Claudia: The Abiding Life – A Threefold Love

Posted on June 2, 2014 by Gleanings from Claudia

“In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will.” Romans 8:26-27

“What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all — how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who is he that condemns?  Christ Jesus, who died — more than that, who was raised to life — is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.” Romans 8:31-34

The doctrine of the Trinitarian nature of our God is impossible to comprehend. Our God is one. Since God revealed Himself to man we’ve known this. The ancient Jewish prayer, the Shema, begins with this phrase “Hear, O Israel, the Lord is our God, the Lord is One.” The Ten Commandments open with this truth “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. You shall have no other gods before me.” Exodus 20:2,3

God is one. But from the earliest lines of Genesis we get hints that this ‘one’ doesn’t look like our concept of one. “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.” Genesis 1:1,2 In the beginning God created and present at creation was the Spirit of God. Then in Genesis 1:26 we see this phrase as God contemplated the creation of man – “Then God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, in our likeness …’” Let US make man in OUR image. There was present at creation a being that within one entity, God, embodied an ‘US’.  The book of Colossian reveals a bit more about this time before time, letting us know that the Son was also present at creation. “He (speaking of Jesus) is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.” Colossians 1:15-17

Read the New Testament with an eye to look for the presence of our triune God and you can’t miss Him. When Jesus walked the earth we see Jesus in constant communication with the Father. We see the Spirit descend upon him and we hear Jesus speak of the Spirit and the time when the Spirit would be given to all those who believe. The mystery of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is woven throughout the books of the New Testament.

Yesterday I once again read in Romans 8 thanks to a study I’m enjoying right now. What most struck me about Romans 8 was the obvious presence of our Triune God. Paul spends some time early in Romans 8 teaching the truth that those who are in Christ have the mind of the Spirit to help them live out a life of freedom. He describes the work of the Spirit as our intercessor, the one living in us who knows both the mind of God and our mind and is therefore equipped to pray on our behalf in ways we don’t fully understand. Since a trip to Latvia earlier this year, I’ve kept Google translate open in my web browser so that I can get a translation of the posts I see on my Latvian friend’s Facebook pages and blogs. These translations are rough at best, sometimes downright peculiar, but generally I get an idea of what is happening in my friend’s lives and often I end up in prayer for them. The Holy Spirit is my perfect translator/intercessor. He knows my mind, He knows the mind of God, and He can take my mixed up messed up motives and desires and pain and bring to the ear of God that which my ‘wanting to follow Christ heart’ truly desires.

Paul takes us from this deep understanding of the Spirit’s work as our intercessor right to the heart of God. He reminds us that God is for us – that in all things He is working for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purposes. Then in Romans 8:31-34 he brings a series of the best questions ever and reveals another intercessor working for us in heaven.

  • What, then, shall we say in response to this? HALLELUJAH!
  • If God is for us, who can be against us? NO ONE!
  • He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all — how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?  YES, OF COURSE. PRAISE HIM!
  • Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen?  NO ONE!
  • It is God who justifies. Who is he that condemns?  NO ONE!
  • Christ Jesus, who died — more than that, who was raised to life — is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.  GRACE UPON GRACE! HALLELUJAH!

God is for us. The Holy Spirit lives in us, knows our mind, knows the mind of God, and intercedes in ways beyond our comprehension. Jesus Christ, the beloved Son of the Father, not spared by the Father but given on our behalf, is at the right hand of God also interceding for us.

Have you ever watched an obviously loving family enjoying one another? Teasing, laughing, deferring, honoring, choosing one another and delighting one another. It is fun to watch people who know each other well choose to delight and enjoy one another because of and as a response to their shared love. It is even better when that kind of winsome love isn’t exclusive. When there is so much love overflowing, that those enjoying one another invite us watchers in. “Come play with us! There’s enough love and joy for you too!”  This is the nature of our eternal, three-in-one, ever-loving, ever-relating God. God is love. Such abundant love that we are invited in. PRAISE HIM!

“Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us. We know that we live in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world.  If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in him and he in God. And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him.” 1 John 4:7-16

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GLEANINGS from Claudia: The Abiding Life – A Heart of Flesh

Posted on May 30, 2014 by Gleanings from Claudia

“At dawn he (Jesus) appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them. The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery.  In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?” They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him.” John 8:1-6

I read this scripture again today and was brought up short by the hearts of the Pharisees. These men were men who loved the law – they loved scripture. They lived and breathed it and followed it to the Nth degree. They knew it intimately – so well in fact that they wielded it like a weapon against this one who challenged them so. This story of this woman just tears at my heart. There was no care or concern for her in these men. No desire to see a hard-used woman caught in sin finally set free. And no thought for the man who certainly was with her when she was caught in the very act of adultery. Where exactly is he? These men care only to use the law of God and the sin of man to set a snare for God Himself. They throw the law at Jesus with intent to kill.

Once again I love Jesus. He seems to ignore their “Now what do you say?” and quietly stoops to write on the ground with his finger. What was he writing? I don’t know, but the very act shouts to me “Listen. See. Hear. Know my heart.” Many commentaries think he was writing the sins of the men before him. Could be, but I wonder if he was somehow writing the heart of God. Writing mercy and grace and compassion. Writing repentance and the call of God that says I love you – I love the world – I want none to perish.

And then those words … those precious, impossible words. “If any of one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.” And they slink away. There was one there without sin. One qualified to stone this woman and fulfill the judgment of the law. But he didn’t. Instead he did what he came to do and set her free with the command to “Go now and leave your life of sin.” “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” John 3:16, 17

Over and over in the gospel of John men use and interpret scripture for their own purposes totally missing the heart of God. They analyze the events of the day in the light of prophecy and totally miss the Son of God. There is likely little of greater importance than understanding how this happened. Jesus sheds light on this question both through his teaching and through his life. In John 5:38-40 Jesus makes it clear that life comes through relationship, relationship with him.  “You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life.” John 5:38-40

And Jesus demonstrates what relationship looks like as he interacts continually with the Father. In the gospel of John alone, the word Father is used 121 times. Sometimes Jesus is speaking about the Father, sometimes he is speaking to him directly, sometimes he describes his relationship with him. At the end of the gospel of John you know without a doubt that Jesus and the Father are tight. I challenge you to take some time and read John 14:15-27. What you’ll see here is love and obedience as parallel expressions of our relationship with Jesus and the Father. You’ll see equipping and teaching and empowerment provided through the Holy Spirit in our lives at the request of Jesus to the Father. And I believe you see the answer to how to live out a life that reflects the truth and heart of scripture.

Lord, so often I run from You. It is as if I fear loving You too much or letting You love me too much. In those times I tend to pull out Your Word only as it suits my purposes. I am a Pharisee. I repent of this. I long to love You more – help my un-love. I long to see You in Your Word and let Your Word change my heart to a heart like Yours. Thank You that this is Your desire for my life too. I love You Lord and I choose to obey You. Help me.

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GLEANINGS from Claudia – The Abiding Life: God’s Promises

Posted on May 20, 2014 by Gleanings from Claudia

“In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”

Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end.” Luke 1:26-33

I’ve been pondering this event in Mary’s life for a couple of weeks now. What keeps running through me is how hard it had to be for Mary to let God be God in the fulfillment of the angel’s prophecy over her. I read this section of scripture every year at Christmas time. I rejoice in God’s selection of Mary to be His Son’s mother. I sense the burden and hardship with this honor. But for some reason as I read this recently I realized the immense disconnect between what the angel said of the son Mary would bear and the reality of the life she and Jesus lived out.

When the angel delivered this news to Mary, she received it with simple faith and obedience. She asked a practical question, “How will this be since I am a virgin?” that the angel answered. And with that little bit of knowledge Mary’s response is one of the most significant faith responses in history, “I am the Lord’s servant. May it be to me as you have said.” The angel also gave her the news that her old, barren aunt Elizabeth was pregnant and about to have a child. This truth became the place of immense confirmation for Mary as she rushed off to see her aunt and found her far along in her pregnancy. She heard Elizabeth testify about the coming of Mary’s child calling Mary the ‘mother of my Lord’ and declaring that her own babe leapt in her womb for joy at the sound of Mary’s voice. What a time of delight and excitement this must have been for Mary. She was given a promise. At every turn she found new reason to believe what she had been told. The reality of the truth of the angel’s promise was evidenced by a rounding body, confirming prophecy from several sources, and the very physical antics of an unborn son.

But I keep thinking of what I would’ve expected out of the angel’s promise … those words that painted a picture of a king. ‘He will be great. He will be called the Son of the Most High. He will be given the throne of his father David. He will reign over the house of Jacob forever. His kingdom will never end.’  Most of the people of Israel missed the coming of Jesus because they were looking for a king who would put flesh to the reality of the words that the angel spoke. As Mary mothered Jesus through infancy, childhood, adolescence and then his short adulthood, did she struggle with the dissonance between the promise she had been given and the reality of her son’s life? Finally she stood at the foot of the cross where the promise turned to ashes on her head. What agony to watch her thorn-crowned son jeeringly labeled ‘King of the Jews.’ And then Jesus died. Did Mary still cling to hope? What an impossible test of faith, hope, and love.

I love it that in Acts 1:12-14 we see Mary the mother of Jesus as one of those waiting in constant prayer in an upper room in Jerusalem in obedience to Jesus’ command. Seeing Jesus alive; eating with him; hearing him teach again – all of this experience of a lively Jesus after a brutal death, would’ve been the guarantee that the promise of the angel was true. The reality looked different than what the words seemed to promise 33 years prior. The reality was much, much bigger than Mary could’ve begun to grasp and therefore impossible to communicate. The words were true; the promise was true; but the fullness of the truth didn’t become Mary’s until the day she entered eternity and experienced the reality of her son; her Lord and her King, reigning on the throne of David forever. So often in my own life the promises of God don’t seem to be playing out. Mary’s experience gives me hope to hang on, believing God and trusting that in time I will see the full reality of what He has promised.

“The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.”
2 Peter 3:9

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