Dust to Dust

This past weekend I attended my first funeral in Germany.

Sure, "there is a time for everything," but when the "time to die" (Ecc. 3:1-2) hits, it's never easy.

I didn't know the man very well, but I remember that he laughed often, and seeing his lifeless body  was so surreal. That, combined with yesterday being Remembrance Day and reflecting on many lives laid down, was such a strong reminder that "all come from dust, and to dust all return" (v. 20).

Image Credit: Timo Kahlen

Death seems so daunting, the grave so greedy. And the last breath appears so final. Indeed, if "passing away" is understood as the end, even the Apostle Paul wrote, “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die" (1 Cor. 15:32). 

God "he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust. The life of mortals is like grass, they flourish like a flower of the field; the wind blows over it and it is gone, and its place remembers it no more" (Psalm 103:14-16). 

If death really is the end, and there is no such thing as resurrection or life afterwards, Paul writes that preaching is useless, our faith is futile, and we believe in vain.

That doesn't sound very hopeful. 

But what if there is something stronger than the power of the grave?

What if a lifeless body returning back to the earth is not a symbol of meaninglessness, but instead of hope and promise? Like how a seed sown in dust, in earth, in soil, does not bear fruit...unless it dies?

 Image Credit: Ladies of Virtue

"The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable; it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body" (1 Cor. 15:42-44).

Sounds pretty impossible, doesn't it? How can life come from lifelessness? But I have good news for you: "Death has been swallowed up in victory!"

Jesus Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, and because He lives, we also may live! God Incarnate, through His death, conquered the power of death itself.

Whoever believes in Him has eternal life. What a promise!

This reality provides hope for our life here on this earth. It gives us a purpose, because it shows us God's plan. After an entire chapter where he focuses on the resurrection of Jesus Christ, Paul concludes: "Therefore, my brothers and sisters..." Therefore, since we know that Christ is risen, since we too will rise, since God has the victory, since the grave has lost its sting, since our faith is not useless, and because of resurrection power... "Therefore, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain."

What we do with our lives here on earth is not in vain. The work we do, the people we love, the ways we serve...it matters. In the famous 1 Corinthians 13 chapter we read that "LOVE NEVER FAILS."


And it was exactly THIS great love that took Jesus to the cross. 

GOD…the greatest Being

SO… to the greatest degree
LOVED…the greatest passion
THE WORLD…the greatest company of people
THAT HE GAVE…the greatest act
HIS ONLY SON…the greatest sacrifice
THAT WHOEVER…the greatest opportunity
BELIEVES IN HIM…the greatest decision
SHOULD NOT PERISH…the greatest rescue

BUT… the greatest alternative
HAVE …the greatest possession
EVERLASTING LIFE…the greatest gift 

(adapted from PawCreek) 

 

 

Because He Is I Am...

Having been sent by Yahweh with the command to confront Pharaoh and rescue God's chosen people, Moses timidly asks the Voice coming from the burning bush, "Who should I tell them sent me?"

God answered Moses: "I am who I am. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I am has sent me to you’” (Exodus 3:14).

In Scripture, God reveals Himself as the Great I Am. What deep, powerful characteristics there are in God choosing to reveal Himself through that name!

Consider the following "I Am" statements, from the beginning of the Bible to the end:

"I am your shield, your very great reward" (Genesis 15:1)
He's our Protector.
 
"I am God Almighty" (Gen. 17:1)
Nothing is impossible for Him. 

"I am the Lord your God" (Ex 20:2 - Ten Commandments)
He is worthy of our love, respect and obedience.
 
"I am compassionate" (Ex 22:27)
 So very thankful for a God who is slow to anger.

"I am holy" (Lev 11:44)
Therefore we are called to reflect His holiness too.
 
"Be still, and know that I am God" (Ps 46:10)
Sometimes just knowing that He Is is enough.

"I am always with you" (Ps 73:23, Is 41:10)
Never alone. Ever.

"I am the first and I am the last" (Is 44:6)
He will be faithful to bring to completion that which He has begun.

"I am faithful" (Jer 3:12)
 A God who never breaks His promises, Who is always true to His word.

"I am gentle and humble in heart" (Matt 11:29)
And He offers for me to exchange my heavy burden for His light yoke.

“I am willing” (Luke 5:13)
Perhaps one of the most powerful "I Am" statements in Scripture - He is willing to heal, willing to hear, willing to help.

“I am the bread of life" (John 6:35)
I can be fully satisfied from Him alone.

“I am the light of the world" (John 8:12)
In His presence, darkness must flee.

"I am not of this world" (John 8:23)
His thoughts are higher than mine.

"I am the gate" (John 10:7)
He is interceding for me; He Himself is the Door through which I can approach the throne of grace.

“I am the good shepherd" (John 10:11)
Protecting, guiding, feeding, disciplining, teaching.

“I am the resurrection and the life" (John 11:25)
Because He lives, I can face tomorrow... 

“I am the way and the truth and the life" (John 14:6)
He doesn't just point out the way; He Himself IS the Way and invites me to follow.

“I am the true vine" (John 15:1)
And oh, the possibilities of what I too can be when I abide in Him...

“I am the Alpha and the Omega...who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty” (Rev 1:8)
 Always. Eternal. Everlasting. Without end.

"I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades" (Rev 1:18)
My God's not dead; my Redeemer lives!

Image Credit: Christian Post

So if God is the Great "I AM", what does that make me?

Because He Is, I am...

One of the greatest mysteries of faith is the spiritual reality that we are IN Christ. Our lives are now "hidden with Christ in God" (Col. 3:3). And at the same time, Christ is in us (Col 1:27). Jesus said He was one with His Father, and also said that we are in Him ("I in them and you [Father] in me", He prayed in John 17:23). So if Jesus is in us, and the Father is in Him, that means God is in us! This happens through the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit, God's Spirit. 

The Great Yahweh Who introduced Himself as "I AM" enables us to also be.

Did not Jesus say that WE are the light of the world, the salt of the earth? Are we not commanded also to be holy? Does Scripture not proclaim that because He lives, we also may live? Are we not also called to be faithful, compassionate, and willing?

These are things that God IS, and that we are also called to be. Made possible because we are in Christ, and He is in us. Like a bottle filled with water in the ocean - floating in the very substance it contains.

Image Credit Peter Bennett

This encourages me that I can love, because I have "God is Love" dwelling within me.
I am reminded that I can serve, because the One who took a towel and washed His disciples' feet lives in me by His Spirit.
I never need to be short on wisdom, since I have the Spirit of the Creator who spoke the universe into existence taking up residence in my heart.
I am able to show mercy, I can teach, prophesy, heal. I can, because HE IS.

Jesus working through me, building His kingdom using my hands and feet and voice.

Who is the "I AM" to you, and Who do you need Him to be through you today?

Unless a Seed Falls...

Now tell me...if this isn't a miracle, then what is?

I almost couldn't believe my eyes once I got started harvesting things from our garden last week. How incredibly, richly blessed we are! Food is something I so easily take for granted. It's a normal part(y!) of everyday life, isn't it?

It sincerely amazes me how such a variety of delicious, fresh, nutritious, and colorful fruits, vegetables and flowers can be brought forth from the earth from a single seed.

We all know that a seed needs sun and water in order to grow. But there's another important factor that we often forget...

"Unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies..."

(John 12:24)

Without death, there is no fruit. Unless it "falls to the ground and dies, it remains a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds." Paul commented on the same principle in 1 Corinthians 15:36 - "What you sow does not come to life unless it dies."

What if a seed had a mind of its own, and could choose it's own glory instead of bringing forth fruit? What if it could decide to become 'big and rich and successful'? It would, literally, be full of itself! Unless a seed bears fruit, it's useless.

Image from foodmate.com

Big seeds are impressive, but big fruit is what counts. The picture above shows the harvest of American pumpkin grower Ron Wallace's world record pumpkin that weighed 2,009 lbs. 

A British seed company bought an inch-long seed from the pumpkin, paying £170 on an online auction, about 400 times higher than what is normally paid by specialist growers for giant pumpkin seeds.

The only reason such enormous fruit is possible is because a seed died in order to give life. 

Sounds familiar, doesn't it?

"Deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow me..." is the invitation from our Savior. Give up your rights, surrender your dreams, and bear the fruit of the Spirit in your life. By refusing to build our own kingdom, selfish and limited, we participate in the building of the Kingdom of God, which is "RIGHTEOUSNESS, PEACE, and JOY in the Holy Spirit" (Romans 14:17). Now that is something worth dying for.

Death hurts. But we are called to "offer our bodies as living sacrifices" (Romans 12:1), meaning we always have the choice of crawling off the altar. Taking the easy way out means choosing to live out of our own strength, our own striving, and seeing limited fruit. Surrendering, on the other hand, means participating in God's marvelous, loving plan and fulfilling the "good works He has prepared in advance for us to do" (Ephesians 2:10).

This spiritual principle of a seed falling to the ground and dying gives us hope, since we can be assured that even the things that appear to be "dying" in our lives can be used of God to bring fruit, and can raise a harvest far bigger than anything we could ever do on our own. 

 

"Now this is to My Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples..." (John 15:8). 

Thinking Inside the Box

Passing rows upon rows upon rows of houses...

Some made of brick, others with stone.
Expensive ones, falling apart ones.
Small ones, big ones.
Dream houses, and just-to-get-by houses.

Have you ever thought about it? These box-looking-things lining roads, and the number of hours we spend in them?

"There's no place like home..."

And what makes a home?

I'm back in Ontario this week, missing my hubby, but enjoying celebrating with two precious friends from Bible school who are marrying two equally awesome men, and pondering the mystery of two lives becoming one, two hearts joining together, and new homes being created.

Oh, the joy! And oh, the pain. For some, the concept of "home" entails sweet memories of family time together, fun, games, sharing, love, encouragement and growth. But for others, the idea of going "home" is a fearful thought, connected to memories of abuse, damaged relationships, negative role models, or broken dreams.

What incredible potential is contained between the walls of these boxes along the streets. If only we could peek into the windows, if only the walls could speak. What would they say?

I'm learning that a culture doesn't just happen; it needs to be created. The statistics are appalling - people spending more and more time burying themselves alive in work; higher divorce rates; more school drop-outs; less families eating meals together.

Maybe it's time for us to start "thinking INSIDE the box." How can we better invest into our families? How can we create a culture of love and trust? What if we put a bit more effort into relationships with our loved ones, and a bit less focus on work (even ministry) or pleasing others?

Proverbs 3:33 says "The Lord’s curse is on the house of the wicked, but he blesses the home of the righteous." The Lord's blessing is upon us, but it's up to us to put it into practice in our homes!

Joy Dare

A Challenge from Ann Voskamp to "Count 1,000 Gifts" throughout the year. I started in April, and here are a few on my list so far:


For April 9: "A Gift Held"

Surprise roses...from my father-in-law! So thoughtful of him :)

For April 10: "3 Gifts Opened Up"
 

 

The sky opening up after a morning of rain.

 

 

Opening the pages of the Word of God...gifts of wisdom, encouragement, love!

Opening our fridge and being reminded of God's provision...His abundant goodness!

Where can you witness God's glory in the details of your life this day?

Join the Joy Dare: http://www.aholyexperience.com/joy-dares/

Like a child...

We are an auntie and uncle again! For the 10th time :-) My brother-in-law and his wife had a baby late this past Sunday evening, and we got to see him yesterday for the first time - Baby Benjamin:

 

He's perfect! And we are thrilled :-)

I was thinking this morning about what a miracle children are. We saw Mogi's brother and his family on Saturday night, and there was Mama...big belly, ready for their new son to come any day. And less than 24 hours later, the child is out of the womb, into the world, has a name, has a family, is self-sustaining (almost). It's incredible!

And then I read this verse out of Ecclesiastes 11:5  - "As you do not know the path of the wind, or how the body is formed in a mother’s womb, so you cannot understand the work of God, the Maker of all things."

That about sums it up! One of the most mysterious attributes of God is His identity as Creator. It evokes such awe and wonder! And I believe that awe and wonder are exactly the right response. As the Psalmist said, "From birth I have relied on you; you brought me forth from my mother’s womb. I will ever praise you" (Psalm 71:6). How can we not praise a God so marvelous, so beyond our understanding?

And his incredible power is coupled with his mighty love. He is pictured in the Bible as a Father, and we as his children. In this regard, little "Benni" is already teaching me some lessons. At this stage he has no choice but to rely on his Mama and Papa to provide for him, protect him, take care of him, nourish him, teach him, help him.

And though we might think we can do otherwise, we are really no different than Baby Benjamin. We are so, so dependent on the grace of God - even for our next breath! Our lives are but a blade of grass that grow up, and then are blown away by the wind. We need our Heavenly Father's protection; we need His hand guiding us and teaching us how to walk; we need His approval, his loving glances toward us; we need His provision.

And the key to receiving God's love and favor? Trust. "Yet you brought me out of the womb; you made me trust in you even at my mother’s breast." (Psalm 22:9) Even when God's ways don't make sense to us...even when we cannot understand his work...even when we throw a fit and wish it were our way instead...even when we have questions...letting go in surrender...choosing not to worry but being content in all circumstances...even in the pain...and also in the good times...faith.

 ...like a child.