Relationships and the Son of God

My Friday night was a much needed "catch up" night with a girlfriend.  After a long winter, some cabin fever, and desire to catch up, we went to our favorite restaurant (Bella Monica) and to see the new movie, Son of God.  Hence, killing two birds with one stone.  

It's so easy to let weeks and months pass without being intentional with your friendships.  I'll be the first to admit that it's hard.  After each child my circle of intimate friendships got smaller.   And then I went back to work.  I didn't think my social life could shrink anymore, but it did.  What I have realized is that it comes down to prioritizing what's most important.  These are my life priorities:  God, husband, children, work, friends and family, house and hobbies.  As I type this, I am quickly reminded at all the ways I fail and mix things up on a regular basis.  I am also reminded of God's grace in all of this. 

The movie, Son of God, is the latest depiction of Jesus and His life.  This one is more broad and tells his story from conception, birth, teachings, torture, death and resurrection.  What I enjoyed most was how accurate it was.  Mark Burnett and Roma Downey's History Channel mini-series, The Bible, was put together to make this movie.  There is less room for controversy than other Jesus films, in my opinion.  For a full movie review, go to http://www.pluggedin.com/movies/intheaters/son-of-god.aspxutm_source=nl_focusenews&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=200605&refcd=200605.

The movie was a great reminder of the sacrifice Jesus endured for me and you.  The gospel is real.  As my pastor said at church yesterday, "I'm a bigger sinner than I thought, but He gives me more grace than I could have ever hoped for."  

Warmly,

Jill

The Name

 One of my spiritual heroes is Amy Carmichael. Amy was a missionary in India in the early 1900’s and she rescued very young girls from being dedicated to the Hindu temples as temple prostitutes. These girls were born in the lowliest of caste systems in India and at the time and there was a horrible tradition that if you dedicated your daughter to the “temple Gods” that you would find favor with them and when you were reincarnated the Gods would elevate you to a higher caste.

In a biography about Amy written by Lois Dick, Let the Little Children Come, she tells a story about a small Hindu girl who came down from one of the small villages to the town Amy lived. Amy was holding a church service and this young girl listened. The Hindu girl said as Amy said the name of Jesus she stopped and said, “that must be the one who is above all other God’s”. See, this girl would later tell that when she would go in the temple each day to worship she always thought to herself – "THERE HAS TO BE ONE GOD ABOVE ALL THE OTHERS”. She said when she heard the name Jesus – she believed. She knew instantly He was the one. The power of His name was evident to her.  She went back to her village and was forced into a Hindu marriage. For 24 years she never heard another bible story, was never discipled, never read a bible, never saw a bible, never met another believer until she left her village and came and found Amy. She told Amy that hearing the name of Jesus that night sustained her for 24 years.  THE NAME. Hearing The NAME one time sustained a Hindu girl who believed in the 1900s.

So the question becomes – what does the name mean to you today? 

The incredible thing about Jesus is that He met and meets every person exactly where they are. In the book of John alone Jesus says “I am… 23 times. To the SAMARITAN woman who was walking to the well to get water – Jesus said," I am the living water. Anyone who drinks of ME will never be thirsty".

To the 5000 he fed, He said, "I am the bread of LIFE".

To Mary and Martha when they were weeping over Lazarus He said “I am the RESSURECTION and the Life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live”

When Thomas asked Jesus, "Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way"? Jesus, said, "I am the way the truth and life. No one comes to the Father except through me".

The NAME.. 

Acts 2:21:  And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the NAME of the Lord will be saved

 John 20:31 – but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his NAME.

 Matthew 6:9  shows the reverence to His name in how we pray – “our Father who are in Heaven, hallowed be your NAME.

Acts 4:12- there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.

 Philippians 2:9 – Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name so that at the NAME of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Resting in Him,

Leeanne

 

Amy Carmichael

No book has moved me recently like Amy Carmichael's "Let the Little Children Come". Amy was an everyday person like you and me. She trusted beyond her comforts, her dreams, her hopes, her circumstances in a God she knew was real. Amy was a missionary in India for 53 years without ever taking a furlough. God called her to go to the Indian people and she went. She loved the Indian people and spent the majority of her life rescuing girls who had been dedicated to the temple as prostitutes. The caste system was a brutal taskmaster and tradition upon tradition perpetuated this belief that girl babies were a curse and if they were dedicated to the temple, then surely in the next life the parents would gain favor. Many girls were dedicated from birth and given over at age 4 or 5. It is estimated that Amy rescued over a thousand girls. 

Why does Amy speak so deeply to me?  She has become such a spiritual hero and mentor to me that I find myself reading and rereading so many things she has written. The thing that has gripped my heart lately is she tells a story of a young girl name Mimosa who was born into her spiritual traditions and never heard His name but knew deep down there had to be "a God above all Gods they worshiped". One night she heard the name of Jesus, and she knew He was that God. She knew. She believed. For 26 years after her conversion she never heard a sermon, lecture, read a bible, sang worship songs, had fellowship with any other believers but Amy said "she was kept by Him for 24 years until she arrived safely in Amy's home". 

For 24 years the name of Jesus was enough to sustain her. Only The Name can sustain. So the question I ask myself now is what is sustaining me?  Where is my hope and peace and comfort? When I hear the name of Jesus am I stirred in my spirit?  Does it invoke emotions that cause me to fall down and worship?  Does it motivated me to tell others the glorious news?  

Those are the things I'm mediating on this Easter. We search so hard in this world for peace. I find my thoughts drifting more and more towards people like Mimosa and Amy Carmichael. My spiritual hero's. I bet a young Hindu girl in 1900 never dreamed a girl in North Carolina in 2013 would be praising God for her testimony of faithfulness and endurance. I can't wait to meet her in heaven one day. 

As Easter comes I don't want to forget the beautiful simplicity of the gospel. "Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved" (Acts 16:31).

With great JOY,
Leeanne