When Greg was tucking Cali into bed the other night they read the story of the Poor, Rich Man. This man was very rich, but had no real relationships. While alive he kept a tight hold on his possessions and did not have compassion on anyone needing anything. When this man died, no one even cried, but instead the poor came and divided his clothes among them. In life, this man was selfish, but in death, others benefitted from him.
After reading the story, Greg asked Cali if she knew what "rich" meant. She said no and so he went on to explain that it meant you have a lot of money and things. Cali asked if he knew anyone who was rich and smiling, he said yes. She asked who, and he deterred her by asking her if she knew what "poor" meant. She said no and he went on to explain that there are people in the world who have little to no money.
After thinking on this, she told her daddy that we should take a trip to meet some poor people and give them some of our money. He smiled and told her that yes, we will have to do that soon.
This conversation makes me smile. Especially in our current job transition, little money coming in, and Greg and I wondering how we will pay our bills and praying daily that God continues to provide for us. In the midst of my feeling "poor," my daughter's perspective reminds me just how "rich" we are. Living where we do, participating in all we do, eating, drinking, wearing what we do... we are so rich in fact, that we have much to spare. Cali's recognition of all that we DO have and her desire to go out into the world to share it with others is just another glimpse of how God is using her as a light to not only this world, but to me as well.
Friday, November 18, 2011
Monday, November 7, 2011
Who Will Be There With Us?
While driving in the car a few months ago, I heard a little voice from the backseat ask me if Taylor and Lucas (her closest friends) would be in Heaven with her. I smiled, as Heaven seems to be something that Cali thinks about often, and thought for a minute about how to respond. How do you explain the whole story of salvation to a 4 year old? Do you talk about sin? Do you talk about the crucifixion? What stood out in my mind most at that time was these verses from Luke 13:25-27.
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’
I finally answered her, saying that yes, they would be there as long as they had a relationship with Jesus. Her response to that was eye opening. She said, "Mommy, then we need to pray right now that Taylor and Lucas have a relationship with Jesus." I told her that she could go ahead and do it, but she wanted me to instead. Right there, in the car, we prayed for her closest friends to know Jesus and have a relationship with Him one day soon.
I am always amazed at how little moments in life always seems to connect with each other. Fast forward to a week ago in my CBS group. We were discussing the Sanhedrin's actions towards Stephen in Acts 6-7. After his historical account of the Israelites, the Sanhedrin still did not believe that Jesus Christ was their Savior. Many people in my group thought this was because they were too prideful and resisted His grace. Some thought they believed He was the Savior but didn't want to give up their own control. One person brought up a point that none of us had ever really given too much thought to... "What if they REALLY didn't believe that He is the Savior? What if they were not stubborn, nor prideful, but really didn't think that He was the one?"
This reminded me of my trip to Israel 2 years ago and our experience with an actual Jewish priest. We were blessed to spend some time with this man who lives in Jerusalem and is a devout follower of Judaism. He welcomed us in to his bookstore and let us fire away with our own questions of history, religion, culture and even his belief of who Jesus was/is. What astounded me most, is the fact that he truly does not believe that Jesus was sent to be his Savior. He claims Jesus was a great man, who did wondrous things, but did not come to save the Israelites from the sinful nature of the world. This is not coming from a man who is a part of the Sanhedrin, who lived a couple thousand years ago, who lived before even the New Testament was written. Here was a man, living in the 21st century, who has full access to both the Old AND New Testaments, and still does NOT believe. He is not prideful, nor arrogant, but is so convinced that his Savior will be a knight in shining armor, who will ride in on his stallion and destroy all who get in the way of Israel. The saddest part about that day was my feeling of urgency that he know who Christ truly is. I left his bookstore with a defeat that only one could know when in the face of great opposition.
You might be wondering how all three of these experiences fit together. For me it is all about the power we have, as Christians, through prayer for those around us who do not know Christ. The urgency that Cali felt that day for her friends to have a relationship with Jesus is the same urgency I felt when leaving the Jewish bookstore. It is also the same urgency that Stephen felt to share his historical account for the Sanhedrin. It is the urgency you feel when someone you know doesn't know Christ and is about to come before their Creator and hear him say, "I never knew you." Who do you want to see in heaven? Who will be there with you? Pray for them with the same urgency that my daughter had that day for her friends... right now.
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’
I finally answered her, saying that yes, they would be there as long as they had a relationship with Jesus. Her response to that was eye opening. She said, "Mommy, then we need to pray right now that Taylor and Lucas have a relationship with Jesus." I told her that she could go ahead and do it, but she wanted me to instead. Right there, in the car, we prayed for her closest friends to know Jesus and have a relationship with Him one day soon.
I am always amazed at how little moments in life always seems to connect with each other. Fast forward to a week ago in my CBS group. We were discussing the Sanhedrin's actions towards Stephen in Acts 6-7. After his historical account of the Israelites, the Sanhedrin still did not believe that Jesus Christ was their Savior. Many people in my group thought this was because they were too prideful and resisted His grace. Some thought they believed He was the Savior but didn't want to give up their own control. One person brought up a point that none of us had ever really given too much thought to... "What if they REALLY didn't believe that He is the Savior? What if they were not stubborn, nor prideful, but really didn't think that He was the one?"
This reminded me of my trip to Israel 2 years ago and our experience with an actual Jewish priest. We were blessed to spend some time with this man who lives in Jerusalem and is a devout follower of Judaism. He welcomed us in to his bookstore and let us fire away with our own questions of history, religion, culture and even his belief of who Jesus was/is. What astounded me most, is the fact that he truly does not believe that Jesus was sent to be his Savior. He claims Jesus was a great man, who did wondrous things, but did not come to save the Israelites from the sinful nature of the world. This is not coming from a man who is a part of the Sanhedrin, who lived a couple thousand years ago, who lived before even the New Testament was written. Here was a man, living in the 21st century, who has full access to both the Old AND New Testaments, and still does NOT believe. He is not prideful, nor arrogant, but is so convinced that his Savior will be a knight in shining armor, who will ride in on his stallion and destroy all who get in the way of Israel. The saddest part about that day was my feeling of urgency that he know who Christ truly is. I left his bookstore with a defeat that only one could know when in the face of great opposition.
You might be wondering how all three of these experiences fit together. For me it is all about the power we have, as Christians, through prayer for those around us who do not know Christ. The urgency that Cali felt that day for her friends to have a relationship with Jesus is the same urgency I felt when leaving the Jewish bookstore. It is also the same urgency that Stephen felt to share his historical account for the Sanhedrin. It is the urgency you feel when someone you know doesn't know Christ and is about to come before their Creator and hear him say, "I never knew you." Who do you want to see in heaven? Who will be there with you? Pray for them with the same urgency that my daughter had that day for her friends... right now.
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