Tag Archives: following Jesus

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Yes, Lord

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“You can’t say ‘Lord’ unless you say ‘yes’.”

It was December 1973 when I heard Elizabeth Elliot say those words to over 10,000 college students at Urbana ’73. I was one of those students about to start my last semester of college.

You can’t say:

  •  “No, Lord”
  •  “Wait, Lord”
  • “Later, Lord”
  • “I will if….., Lord”
  • “Not now, Lord”

If I say any of those things to the Lord – Jesus is not Lord.

The ONLY response I can make if Jesus is Lord is “yes’.

How do we feel when our children make excuses when we ask them to do something? We realize that they do not want to obey – so they have an excuse. We don’t like it.

Neither does our Lord.

We want our children to obey because we have their best interest at heart, even when they don’t understand why they can’t have ice cream before dinner, or wear shorts in the snow, or watch three movies a day.

It is because we love our children that we withhold certain things.

It is because God loves us that He withholds certain things.

Jesus was nearing the end of His earthly ministry. He was trying to communicate some very important truth before He left His disciples. (We do that as well with our children, don’t we? “Now one more thing before I go …”)

Luke 9: 57-62

57 As they were walking along, someone said to Jesus, “I will follow you wherever you go.”

58 But Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens to live in, and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place even to lay his head.”

59 He said to another person, “Come, follow me.”

The man agreed, but he said, “Lord, first let me return home and bury my father.”

60 But Jesus told him, “Let the spiritually dead bury their own dead![c] Your duty is to go and preach about the Kingdom of God.”

61 Another said, “Yes, Lord, I will follow you, but first let me say good-bye to my family.”

62 But Jesus told him, “Anyone who puts a hand to the plow and then looks back is not fit for the Kingdom of God.”

In each of these situations, people wanted to follow Jesus, BUT….

Jesus tells them that is not how it works.

When we ask our children to obey us and trust that we know what we are doing – it is just what God is requiring of us as parents. We are actually training our children to obey God when we have them practice by obeying us as their parents.

The biggest difference – God is perfect. God’s ways are perfect.

As our children say “yes” to us, they will learn to say “yes” to the Lord.

When we say “YES” to the Lord, we are modeling what it means to follow Jesus.

 

 

 

 

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Finding Treasure

This winter when our grandchildren were all here, Phil held a treasure hunt for them. He made up clues and even had a map (which I drew) so that they could find the next clue and eventually the hidden treasure.

They had so much fun!

The grandchildren that could read were the team leaders and the others helped once the clues were read. There was one misplaced clue – but all-in-all it was a success.

The treasure was found…

and eaten!

Last week some of the grandchildren returned and Lincoln wanted to design his own treasure hunt. He is in kindergarten and pleased with his new skill in reading and writing. Lincoln asked for “lots of paper, Nana” and began writing clues that would lead from one hiding place to another. The clues needed a bit of help in being “de-coded”. As with many early writers, Lincoln is in a hurry to express himself and doesn’t always leave spaces between the words. Any confusion was quickly cleared up because he knew exactly what he had written.

Lincoln’s clues were short and to the point – yet also effective. All the clues were found by his little brothers and ultimately – the treasure.

Gummy Bears!

treasure hunt 2

I was remembering the excitement that Lincoln expressed about making his own treasure hunt. He would not be able to participate by searching for clues – he was the one who wrote them. Yet he couldn’t wait for everyone else to find the clues and get the treasure.

It made me start thinking about how wonderful it would be if our children and grandchildren were as excited about finding real treasure.

Isaiah 33:5,6

5 The Lord is exalted, for He dwells on high;
 He will fill Zion with His justice and righteousness.
6 He will be the sure foundation for your times,
a rich store of salvation and wisdom and knowledge;
the fear of the Lord is the key to this treasure.

Here the prophet Isaiah tells God’s people the Lord is “a rich store of salvation and wisdom and knowledge”. Now that is real treasure!

I need to start communicating clearly to my children and grandchildren that REAL treasure is from God. Isaiah says “the fear of the Lord is the KEY to this treasure”.

The Amplified Version expands my understanding of “fear of the Lord” this way. It says “the reverent fear and worship of the Lord.” This is the awe that I feel when I realize the majesty of God and His creation. It is the overwhelming sense I have when I understand that God, and God alone is worthy of worship.

I find this treasure when I put God first in my heart and mind – the ONLY place worthy of God.
So – where is my treasure?

Do my children and grandchildren know what I treasure?

Lincoln copied Phil because Phil had made the treasure hunt so enjoyable. What kind of things do children see me do that look enjoyable – that look like I treasure them?

  • shopping?
  • cooking?
  • gardening?
  • cleaning? …(uh, no they don’t see that)
  • using an electronic device?
  • reading?

We must all be intentional in sharing with our children what really matters. I do many things during a day – but what really has my HEART? Do I express the importance of Jesus in all that I do?

Finding Jesus is finding true treasure.

 

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It’s All Who You Know

Who do I know/

Who do I know?

There was a LONG line outside the White House. It was so long that it snaked around the block farther than I could see. My father walked up to the gate and showed the official our passes.

“Go right in, Mr. Barker. Your guide is waiting for you.”

We went through the gate and met our guide for our special tour of the White House in Washington, DC. It was 1962, I was 11 years old and I still remember the impression it made on me to pass right in front of that long line, right on into the White House.

It‘s all who you know.

Our congressman, Elmer J. Hoffman, lived right across the street from us in Wheaton, Illinois where I grew up. He told my parents that if we ever visited Washington, DC to let him know. He could get us “Congressional passes” into the historic buildings with tours that allowed us to see more than the standard tour. These tours were all free, but there were long lines if you did not have a pass. My father figured we should take advantage of this generous offer – you never knew what might happen after an election!

It’s all who you know.

We sometimes try to apply this to our spiritual lives. We want to tell God that we deserve His favor because –

  • my grandmother was such a wonderful Christian
  • my father was a deacon in our church
  • my Sunday School teacher was Billy Graham’s wife
  • I’ve attended 5 Beth Moore Bible studies
  • I knew Third Day before they made it big
  • I’ve read all John Piper’s (Frances Chan’s , John McArthur’s, Francine River’s, C.S. Lewis’) books

We think it’s all about who we know.

It is.

But not the way our culture means it.
There is ONLY one we need to know – the One and Only. The King of Kings, the Lord of Lords.
Jesus.
Acts 4: 10-12
10 then know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed. 11 Jesus is ”the stone you builders rejected, which has become the cornerstone.” 12 Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.”

Jesus is the One we need to know.

Are we concerned about knowing the “right” people? Do we want our children and grandchildren to know the “right people”?
Paul was an accomplished man who had every reason to pride himself in who he knew. He was a descendant of the tribe of Benjamin and had many impressive credentials.

Yet Paul makes it very plain – it was all MEANINGLESS compared to knowing Jesus.
7 But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. 8 What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith. 10 I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11 and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead.

It is all who you know.

It’s all about Jesus.