The Stench of Sin

This morning was spent prepping the house and some of the food for this Sunday's Easter gathering. Yesterday, JeJe and I spent the day grocery shopping and going to the farmer's market to get our Easter lamb...because, well, that's what you eat for Romanian traditional Easter dinner. I am sparing you the photos of what the farmer's market looked like. JeJe spared me from entering the "sacrificial" area. He told me to wait around a corner. Then we went inside where the already sacrificed lambs were displayed to select one.

Side note: the market place was so crowded with people busy buying and selling; the Lord reminded me of what His Word says about one of the signs of Christ's return...

"And just as it happened in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man: they were eating, they were drinking, they were marrying, they were being given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all."
Luke 17:26-27

We brought the Lamb home (yep, the WHOLE lamb; this is my Big Fat Romanian Easter ;o) and JeJe had to immediately "process" it. He and James did the cleaning and prep until the evening (great biology lesson). As we began cleaning this morning, the kitchen towel and aprons they used had been tossed next to the washing machine: and did they stink !!! It takes vinegar and soaps to get the stench out.

Elli went outside to the area they had worked and said "there is a really bad odor in the air outside where you guys worked". JeJe assured her everything had been cleaned with disinfectant soap and water (he is always careful after something like that).  

He said to us: "Can you imagine what Jerusalem was like when Christ was crucified? It was Passover and all those lambs being slaughtered in the market place? The air must have been so full of the smell; the whole city must have stunk!" He continued to say "I'm sure God was sending them (us) a message as to how badly our sin stinks".

And again, He uses the lambs to remind me how dirty my sin is. It stinks and affects everyone; but because Jesus gave Himself as the perfect, sacrifice for my sins, I am washed in His righteousness.
How great the Father's love for us...

"1 Who has believed our message?
To whom has the LORD revealed his powerful arm?
2 My servant grew up in the LORD’s presence like a tender green shoot,
like a root in dry ground.
There was nothing beautiful or majestic about his appearance,
nothing to attract us to him.
3 He was despised and rejected—
a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief.
We turned our backs on him and looked the other way.
He was despised, and we did not care.
4 Yet it was our weaknesses he carried;
it was our sorrows that weighed him down.
And we thought his troubles were a punishment from God,
a punishment for his own sins!
5 But he was pierced for our rebellion,
crushed for our sins.
He was beaten so we could be whole.
He was whipped so we could be healed.
6 All of us, like sheep, have strayed away.
We have left God’s paths to follow our own.
Yet the LORD laid on him
the sins of us all.
7 He was oppressed and treated harshly,
yet he never said a word.
He was led like a lamb to the slaughter.
And as a sheep is silent before the shearers,
he did not open his mouth.
8 Unjustly condemned,
he was led away.
No one cared that he died without descendants,
that his life was cut short in midstream.
But he was struck down
for the rebellion of my people.
9 He had done no wrong
and had never deceived anyone.
But he was buried like a criminal;
he was put in a rich man’s grave.
10 But it was the LORD’s good plan to crush him
and cause him grief.
Yet when his life is made an offering for sin,
he will have many descendants.
He will enjoy a long life,
and the LORD’s good plan will prosper in his hands.
11 When he sees all that is accomplished by his anguish,
he will be satisfied.
And because of his experience,
my righteous servant will make it possible
for many to be counted righteous,
for he will bear all their sins.
12 I will give him the honors of a victorious soldier,
because he exposed himself to death.
He was counted among the rebels.
He bore the sins of many and interceded for rebels."
Isaiah 53:1-12

by Coleen Jejeran, Missionary to Romania

Resurrecting Love

"Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh; is anything too difficult for Me?" Jeremiah 32:27

"With much prayer and consideration, we have decided to close our International Adoption Program in Ghana..."

I read the email again. I felt nothing. I tried, but...nope. Nothing.

Three years of working towards International Adoption, shot down with a bullet-like, single sentence. Fifteen thousand dollars, non-refundable, seemed a single cent matched against the late night prayers, longing hopes and "maybe" baby names scribbled on the edge of my journal pages - all non-refundable.

Hundreds of times I had glanced at our family photo hanging on our red wall, imagining a beautiful brown-skinned girl sandwiched between me and Eli. There was just enough space there for her, I thought. When we get matched, I can Photoshop her in. I wanted her to know she was always with us, even before we ever met her. 

We knew there were five children ready to be dispensed to families in the program. We were number three on the list. It was just a matter of time before we would receive the file with our child's photo tucked inside.  But all it took was a new person in power sitting at an adoption desk, to halt these international adoptions.

Just..Like...That. These five children, who had no other living relatives willing to care for them - no one in their own country who wanted them - were left frozen in place in an orphanage. 

Across the sea, there were five, waiting families frozen in shock.

We planned on naming her Zellie Anne Hope.
Zellie - short for Gizelle; which means 'a pledge'. Aaron and I were pledging to God that we would care. We would defend the cause of the orphan - and our precious, ransomed daughter.
Anne - honoring Aaron's Mom who passed away unexpectedly 5 years ago.
Hope - because that is what people would see when we walked hand in hand in Trader Joes.

All of these imaginings: Non-refundable. Two nights later, I sat on the floor, holding all of these thoughts like a burgeoning sack of potatoes - too heavy and awkward for my small frame to manage.

Ok God, You shut that door, but what do I do with all THIS? All these things I can't return, I can't get back. It feels like I've wasted so much on something that wasn't even real.

I wish I had a poetic way of describing how I felt, but the truth is, I was sad. Just so, so sad. Deep, I'm-so-heavy-I-may-crush-and-crack-the-floor-beneath-me, kind of sad. I am still sad over this loss. It feels like a death to me.

Jesus knows a thing or two about death. He knows a thing or two about resurrection, too.

Sometimes, He allows death, to show us He has the power to resurrect. He loves us that much.

"Now a man named Lazarus was sick. He was from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. (This Mary, whose brother Lazarus now lay sick, was the same one who poured perfume on the Lord and wiped his feet with her hair.) So the sisters sent word to Jesus, “Lord, the one you love is sick. When he heard this, Jesus said, “This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it.” Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days, and then he said to his disciples, “Let us go back to Judea" (John 11: 3-7 NIV).

Catch this:  Jesus chose to stay where He was two more days. If Jesus had gone to Lazarus as soon as He heard he was sick, He could have made it in time to heal him. He would not have died. Even Martha says this to Him when he comes,

“Lord...” if You had been here, my brother would not have died. But I know that even now God will give You whatever You ask” (John 11:21-22).

But he did die. Jesus knew he would, and He intentionally waited until Lazarus was buried in a tomb.

Why did He wait? The Bible tells us one reason in the preceding sentence, "Now, Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus, SO...He stayed where He was two more days".

In other words: Jesus loved them, so He allowed death.  It's a truth that is hard to comprehend from the earth side of heaven.

In this specific instance, Jesus chose to resurrect the dead. He did it so that the disciples traveling with Him would believe in His power, "for your sake I am glad that I was not there, so that you may believe" (John 11:15). But what about Martha? She already believed, saying, "I know that even now God will give whatever you ask".

Could it be, He allowed the death not to show her His resurrecting power, but His resurrecting love?

"When Jesus saw her (Mary) weeping, and the Jews who had come with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in his spirit and greatly troubled. And he said, "Where have you laid him?" They said to him, Lord, come and see." Jesus wept' (John 11: 33-35).

Martha witnessed the man she confessed to be, "Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world"(John 11:27) moved with compassion.  She watched the King of the World, the Alpha & Omega, the Saving Messiah, the Creator of all things: Weep.

I find this to be more powerful than the resurrection of a dead man.
I find this to be more powerful than the resurrection of our adoption dream.
We have a God who mourns with us.

Martha did not ask Jesus to come. She sent a messenger to tell him her problem. I imagine she knew he would come.  It appears Martha didn’t expect an earthly resurrection at that moment (John 11:24). But, she did expect Jesus. 

We may expectantly pray for Jesus to resurrect certain things in our life. But in most cases, that is not what we really need. What we really need is Jesus to come.

We need to understand that He is deeply moved with compassion for us. We need to see that He is willing to sit next to us and cry.

I do not know if God will allow adoption in our lives. It is a confusing time for us. I used to pray that He would resurrect this situation and blow me away by opening doors in Ghana again, or in the U.S.A., or anywhere!

These prayers were not bad. But my heart and focus have shifted. He has heard my 'problem', and He has come. Jesus is with me. He has shown He is deeply moved in His spirit for me. He has wept with me.

Oh, I still believe Jesus has the power to resurrect this situation! But let me be clear, the King of the World has wrapped his arms around me and whispered: I have come. I see you. Let me cry with you. I love you.

When all is stripped away, the only resurrection that matters is HIS. I trust Him in all things - in death - in resurrection - in the waiting. I trust that whatever He allows, is because He wants more people to witness His compassionate love and faithfulness. So I write this to declare, even when I don't understand His ways: My God is good! My God is with me!

Dear God,
Use this situation, and all things in my life, to glorify You. Bring people to saving faith because of the ways You are working in my life. Thank You for never leaving my side. All I need is Your Presence.
Amen

by Jenna Masters

Perspective

"Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God's right hand. Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God." Colossians 3:1-3 (NLT)

TODAY IS ABOUT PERSPECTIVE

Ask yourself:
How am I looking at things
...in my life personally?
...in the world at large?
How am I looking at God?

Ask yourself:
Am I zooming in on
...the problem?
...the person?
...the situation?
...the pain?
...the circumstances?
...the what-ifs?
...the if-onlys?
...the doubts?
...the questions?
...the fears?

Or...
Am I zooming in on God?
...His love?
...His grace?
...His mercy?
...His power?
...His strength?
...His peace?
...His word?
...His sovereignty?

Am I focused on eternity?
...On things that are above where Christ is seated on the throne?
...not on earthly things as stated in Colossians 3:1-3.

I must be purposeful about my perspective. Like looking through a pair of binoculars, I can zoom in and focus on the problem, or I can turn the binoculars upward and focus on God. Most of the time, when I focus on this person or that situation, what I really need to do is turn the focus on what work God is trying to do in me, in my heart.

"The LORD does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart." 1 Samuel 16:7 (NLT)

So today, simply ask yourself...What is my perspective?
Allow God to adjust it, if need be.

by Cari Rosinko

Entrusted With the Special - Brianna's Story

"Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not on your own understanding. In ALL your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your path." Proverbs 3:5-6

How many of you have a child who howls - doesn’t cry in the normal way, but it's not a tantrum? They howl as if they were being slaughtered, refusing to budge. People around you roll their eyes as though your baby is a brat or you are a bad parent.

This is one of a million moments that cause your heart to stop. Your fear takes your breath away. First anger, then frustration, and then finally acceptance. You get over your embarrassment quickly and you're flooded with unconditional love for your child. If you’re lucky, the child will let you pick him or her up just to hold them, comfort them.

Every ‘Special Child’ has different triggers. To some it could be noise. Something that to us is not noticeable, but it hurts your child. It could be people or crowds or going somewhere unfamiliar.

It doesn’t matter what the world thinks of your child. They are a gift from God. You were chosen to be this child’s parent. We are entrusted with them. They belong to GOD.

"Behold, children are a gift of the Lord, the fruit of the womb is a reward." Psalm 127:3

Truthfully there have been times that Anthony and I have felt inadequate, not equipped to handle some of the things that have come up in Brianna’s life. I’ve cried myself to sleep wondering how this sweet girl was ever going to fit in at school, if she would ever make friends who would accept and understand her. Even now the thought of a Dentist appointment has me second guessing - ‘Does she really need this, do I have the strength today?’ - dreading the tears and struggle it will take to coax her to let the Dentist get near her. But God…

Man said:
Brianna will never be able to communicate well.
She will never be able to read beyond a first grade level. 
Her speech will be limited.
She will need medication for her anxiety and fears.
Beyond her family, Brianna’s shyness will keep her from making friends.
She can’t retain information. 
In other words; she is limited.

God said:

"See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, which are based on human tradition and the spiritual forces of the world rather than on Christ." 
Colossians 2:8

Brianna is now 26 years old. She has never taken medication beyond Advil for a headache. She went to El Dorado high school where she attended plays, football games and dances - she even went to prom!

Brianna reads and can do math at a 4th grade level. She is very verbal and can express absolutely everything she’s feeling. She and her other ‘limited’ friends text each just like anyone else.

She plays sports. She also has a ministry. She is called the ‘Baby Whisperer’ –, she can comfort little ones when they are fussy. She rocks them in her arms and they melt into her until they are calm or fall asleep.

Bri is also a prayer warrior. She sits with her Bible and pen copying pages of the Bible. Ask her why and she’ll tell you she is studying the Bible. And...she prays about everything.

Brianna is self-confident and has always known she is loved.
Because of Christ - she is limitless.

God has put people in our lives who are also raising these wonderful special children. We share burdens and joys. We learn from others' mistakes. We prop each other up with prayer and encouraging words.

I’ve heard a phrase that states, “If God takes you to it, He’ll get you through it” In blessing us with these children, God is telling us He will give us all the tools we need to bring them up. We need to trust Him one moment at a time.

"And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work."
2 Corinthians 9:8

Resurrection Day is coming. Without Christ, Anthony and I would not have known what we needed to bring up Brianna into the young woman she is today. We trusted God. We take no credit for the work in her life. In what could have been the darkest time in our lives came the Light that illuminated our path. Knowing and trusting in the Living God was paramount in everything we did and still do.

"The LORD is good. When trouble comes, He is a strong refuge. And He knows everyone who trusts in Him."
Nahum 1:7

by Eve Montano

From Blessing to Rebuke

"And He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. And He was stating the matter plainly. And Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him. But turning around and seeing His disciples, He rebuked Peter and said, 'Get behind Me, Satan; for you are not setting your mind on God's interests, but man's." Mark 8:31-33

Soon we will mark the anniversary of the events Jesus was revealing in this portion of scripture. The trial, torment, crucifixion, separation and Resurrection Victory of the work Jesus came to this earth to do. What we call "Holy Week," beginning with Palm Sunday, the day the lambs were brought into Jerusalem in preparation for the Passover Sacrifice later in the week.

Imagine yourself in Peter's sandals. You have been walking with perfect love for approximately three years. You've given up your livelihood to follow Jesus. In fact, you've staked all your hopes and dreams on Him because you believe He is the Son of God, the Messiah. Peter has just expressed that act of faith in the preceding verses.

"But who do you say that I am?' Peter answered and said to Him, 'You are the Christ.'
Mark 8:29

Historians and commentators alike, believe Mark's gospel is Peter's account of Jesus' life. So, we are reading scripture from Peter's point of view here. He leaves out the rest of Jesus' comments, as told by Matthew:

Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it."  Matthew 16:17

Peter goes from blessed to rebuked in a couple of verses. In one verse he is blessed because he stated a 'Holy-Spirit-inspired, faith-proving fact.' But, when Jesus began to tell him and the disciples that the outcome of His presence with them was not what they were expecting, Peter had the audacity to rebuke Him. Just like that his spiritual vision transferred from the heavenly perspective to his own thoughts and dreams.

How many times do we do that? We are human. We have hopes for ourselves and for our families. We have an idea of what our lives should be like. We hope God concurs with our goals.

Then He shows us He has something else in store for us. A trial shows up. Where is our focus riveted? On His power? Peter had been witnessing the miraculous power of God almost daily. He'd even experienced it in His life.

God has a plan. When the mob, led by Judas Iscariot, confronted Jesus in Gethsemane they fell backward when he said the powerful name of God, "I AM." Matthew's gospel records Jesus' telling Peter He could "appeal to His Father who would at once put at His disposal more than twelve legions of angels." 

Jesus suffered persecution from a place of power. He allowed Himself to endure the shame of the Cross because He is The Way. We can't come to the Father except through His perfect sacrifice. His love for us (the world) caused Him to give His life for us.

When we face trials, loss of our dreams, persecution - where is our focus? Is it on God's interests - what He plans to accomplish in us and through our testimony? Or is it on what is happening to us - our disappointment in our expectations of what God is doing?

Take heart, my Sister. At your weakest you have power. God did not leave Jesus' body to decay in the grave. He did not leave Peter to beat himself up over his denial of Christ to save his own skin. Jesus made special effort to restore him.

GOD IS FAITHFUL. His aim is to bring forth the pure nature of Jesus in us. Our trials are God-allowed or God-designed, meant for our flesh, our sin nature, to die...little by little. He won't give you or me more than we can bear so that we may come through victorious.

"No temptation (trial, testing) has overtaken you but such as is common to man' and GOD IS FAITHFUL, who will not allow you to be tempted (tested) beyond what you are able, but with the temptation (test) will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it."
1 Corinthians 10:13

Heavenly Father,
There are so many reasons for us to be grateful and they are all summed up in one Name. Thank you for Jesus, through whom we have all blessing. Thank you that there is purpose in the testing of Your children, that You give us the power to endure the test and the power to come through in victory. You are our strength and confident hope that we will hear, in this life and in the life to come, Well done, My good and faithful servant. Enter into the joy of your LORD.

by Marilyn Allison