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Complete Peace

In the Moments(It is Finished)

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As I write on Thursday afternoon of Holy week, there’s a cool spring breeze gently rocking the white azalea and dogwood blossoms at the end of our driveway. The powder blue, cloudless sky beautifully contrasts the tender tree buds, bursting alive from winter’s hold. Other than the sound of a wren chirping in the red tips to my right and the occasional gust of wind swaying the trees, the day is quiet. This seems fitting on this Maundy Thursday when the Lord Jesus celebrated the Passover feast with His disciples the night before He was crucified.

Our friends Jeremey and Karen, who have Messianic Jewish backgrounds, led us through a Seder feast a few days ago. It marked the beginning of the Jewish Passover holiday. Performed from a Christian perspective, the Seder gave a richer appreciation of how the deliverance of the Israelites from Egyptian slavery foreshadowed our deliverance from the power of the evil one by the death of Jesus the Messiah.

How intricately Sovereign God set His story of redemption in motion. How beautifully woven the details He employs to invoke our senses into the experience of His deliverance.

The Feast

We placed an eight-foot table for the ten adults in our living room. The adjacent breakfast room table was designated as the kid’s table. There were nine children ranging from a few months to thirteen years old. Though having so many kids added a bit of noise and confusion, hearing their questions and watching them take it all in was a highlight of the evening.

After all, telling of the Passover story was meant as a reminder of God’s faithfulness throughout the generations. God commanded the Jewish people to celebrate the Lord’s Passover.[1] And the Lord Jesus gave us the Lord’s supper to commemorate His fulfillment of the Passover sacrifice forever. My wife and I were pleased that among the celebrants were two of our children and three of our grandchildren.

A Seder plate, presented to Karen on her thirteenth birthday, was used to serve the elements of the Passover story. It had pictures of the different plagues inflicted upon the Egyptians leading up to the night of Passover, the slaying of the their first born.

Among the items on our plate were:

Parsley – New Growth, also used as the hyssop for painting blood (juice) on the door posts (fashioned in Matzah bread).

Dandelion – Bitter Herbs, bitterness of sin, of slavery and the cup Jesus drank for us.[2]

 Charoset (paste of fruit and nuts) – Hope/Sweetness, mortar for the bricks in Egypt, Hope for us because of Christ’s victory in the midst of sin.

Lamb (small lamb bone) – Purity, lamb without blemish, Jesus the Lamb of God.

Matzah (unleavened bread, striped with puncture holes) – Without sin, baked quickly as they left in haste, Jesus’ body, pierced and striped.  

Salt Water – Tears of Israel under slavery.

My son in law thought what was on the platter was all we’d have to eat for the evening. With gusto he painted the juice on the Matzah with the parsley and munched the bread. He cut his hunger with dandelion “sandwiches”.  It delighted him when, after the Seder, we brought out roasted lamb, potatoes, green-beans and salad.

Shalom

After our meal, we celebrated the Lord’s supper. Our celebration of the Jewish Passover we had just experienced brought new richness to the sacrament Jesus gave us.

As a gift for the evening, we gave each family a wooden dove in scripted with “Shalom.”

I’ve always thought the word meant “peace,” but I’m learning it’s deeper meaning. “Shalom” is be in a state of complete satisfaction, to be finished, to be perfected.

On the cross, when Jesus said, “It is finished,”[3] our complete peace was purchased. His life completed our forgiveness, our value, and our eternal right standing with God. Though our lives may contain sickness, pain, and brokenness, the peace Jesus died for does not change. Ever.

Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful (John 14:27 NASB).

Prayer

Dear Lord, I’m appreciating more than ever the significance of Your redemption story. Ranging from Your words to the serpent in the garden, through the deliverance of your people from slavery, to the giving up of your Son on our behalf, You have desired to redeem us from the power of sin. You’ve provided a way for us to be able to commune with You forever. We are complete in You. You have given us a deep peace which can not be altered by anything in the world. The “peace” of  “Shalom” flows from our completeness in You. It is finished!

[1] Leviticus 23

[2] Exodus 12, Leviticus 23

[3] John 19:30

Other posts in our series In The Moments:

As Sea Gulls Fly

The Gift of Presence

Joy in the Journey is about the gladness of God’s nearness in the midst of life’s adventures.

Subscribe below to get email notifications of new posts. We post a few times a month. Thank you for reading. 

Novels by the Author:

What happens when a professor figures out how to send messages to his younger self to try and avoid the suicide of his best friend? Did he change more than he bargained for?  Beyond Time

By finding two undelivered letters in a old shack deep in the woods, Cassie and Daniel unknowing set off a series of events which uncover a plot to wipe out a whole family. Hope Remains

Abiding, Loving others, Staying Present with God

In the Moments(The Gift of Presence)

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Enjoying the sun warming my face as I sit beside our waterfall on a prespring morning. The trees are awaiting the summons to explode into their canopy of multiple shades of green. As I take my last sip of coffee, the sunlight sparkles across the stream as the water cascades down the rocks into the turquoise pool below.

Two windchimes catch the breeze as it passes through the porch overhang and trade melodic peels. A wren rejoices in the new day splendor. A butterfly flutters past and lands among the yellow daffodils surrounding the garden fountain.

Our rooster crows, impatient to lead the hens out to scratch and peck. An anticipating young hawk squawks as it circles the barnyard. The coolness of the morning wind, carrying a hint of fragrant tea olive, refreshes my face.

The last twelve months have been strange. Sports were shut down. Politics and news became unbearable. Less distractions can breed moments as I describe above, intentionally savoring the details of our lives. But these moments don’t come easy for me. It’s a constant battle.  Life flies by at alarming speed. A quiet, internal voice whispers, “Slow down.”    

God has given us five sense to bring awareness of His creation around us.  These senses are available now, not yesterday, not tomorrow,  but now.

What are some of your favorites?

For me:

Sight:  Sunset or sunrise over water or mountains

Sound:  Water rushing past rocks in a mountain stream

Smell:  Tea olive, gardenias

Touch:  Sea breeze, fall wind in my face, soft sheets

Taste:  Chocolate pie, dark coffee

When we savor now, we’re enjoying what God has given us. A lady on a plane once told me that’s why now is called the present. It’s a gift.

There’s a movie entitled Our Town which drives home this point.

Emily, one of the characters, dies while giving birth to a child. However, she is permitted by the stage manager to revisit the past and to step back into the morning of her twelfth birthday as an observer.

From her vantage point, she has a nostalgic appreciation of the transient beauty of life’s little moments. However, she’s struck by how the people, including her younger self, don’t have a clue how precious the moments really are. She is stunned that nobody savors and fully appreciates now.

Emily saw everyone as so disengaged. She would later ask the stage manager, “Do human beings ever realize life while they live it?”

Emily’s questions is profoundly convicting. How many moments have I missed by regretting the past or worrying about the future? How many opportunities have I missed with the ones I love? Do I lean in and truly listen? Or am I more concerned with what I’ll say in response? Am I really with others or am I half engaged, pondering a pressing duty?

Even in my morning times with God? Have I already allowed the awaiting responsibilities to distract me? Have I forgotten that God, the Creator of the universe, wants to be with me and enjoys my fellowship? 

The Lord your God is in your midst, A victorious warrior. He will exult over you with joy, He will be quiet in His love, He will rejoice over you with shouts of joy, (Zephaniah 3:17 NASB)  

Have I forgotten there is no place for worry?

“So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”[1] Jesus

And as I go into the day, do I forget to  “abide” in Jesus the Vine of Life,  to “tarry,” to “stay present with” Him?

Staying present with Jesus is essential to my day. Otherwise, He tells me my efforts are worth nothing. [2] How exhausting and deflating is that?

Challenge:  Take notice of what you see and hear right this moment. Do you smell anything? Perhaps you’re drinking a cup of coffee and feel a gentle breeze upon your face.

What tends to call you away from being fully present? Is it a looming duty, a past regret, worrying about the future? Whatever it is it robs you of fully embracing the gift of now. Give these things to God and don’t take them back.

The people in our lives are loved and cared for during life’s present moments. In an instant, now become a memory. When we savor our times, with the people God places in our paths, there’s a richness which touches our hearts and slows the swirl of life.

But what’s most important is being present with God. We are indwelt by the Holy Spirit of Jesus. God is in us and around us. We are in Him and He is in us. We are never alone. He’s always ready to enjoy the moment with us.

In Your presence is fullness of joy. (Psalm 16:11b NASB)

[1] Matthew 6:34

[2] John 15:5

Other posts in our series In The Moments:

As Sea Gulls Fly

Joy in the Journey is about the gladness of God’s nearness in the midst of life’s adventures.

Subscribe below to get email notifications of new posts. We post a few times a month. Thank you for reading. 

Novels by the Author:

What happens when a professor figures out how to send messages to his younger self to try and avoid the suicide of his best friend? Did he change more than he bargained for?  Beyond Time

By finding two undelivered letters in a old shack deep in the woods, Cassie and Daniel unknowing set off a series of events which uncover a plot to wipe out a whole family. Hope Remains

Choosing Joy, Unlocking the Paradox of Joy in Trials

Rejoicing at all Times Doesn’t Make Sense

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What do we Rejoice?

The Bible has commands which just don’t make common sense. They’re out of this world. Commands which require us to take hold of something eternal in order to even comprehend, much more to obey them.

Like this one:  Rejoice Always (I Thessalonians 5:16 NASB.)

Just found out a very good friend of mine has a mass on their chest. They go in for a biopsy on Thursday.

A marriage is in trouble. A job was lost. Relationships are broken. A long-time friend died of a brain tumor. Loved ones are sick. People are in deep emotional pain.

Yet, we’re to rejoice always. Rejoice what? Certainly not our circumstances.

Then what do we rejoice? What can we grab hold of from God’s greater, eternal story to rejoice in? The story God’s writing on human hearts involves far more than just our happy circumstances. We’re complete in Christ[1] and God’s wants us to know it. He’s orchestrating our lives to  free us  from the false affections of a happy life.

Our joy must come from the Lord. We’re to rejoice in Him. And as we joy in Him, the whole world is unlocked for us to enjoy. After all, God created sunsets, puppies, babies, flowers, sex and chocolate. We’re designed to delight in the Lord first, above all else, and then to joy in His creation. If we get the order wrong, let’s be honest, we’re idolaters.

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice! (Philippians 4:4 NASB)

What is Rejoicing?

Rejoicing means to be full of joy, to be cheerful, to be exceeding glad and calmly happy.

Let these meanings sink in. Savor them. Allow them to wash over your heart. Imagine being:

  • Full of Joy
  • Cheerful
  • Exceedingly Glad
  • Calmly Happy

Always.

We’ve longed for this quality of glorious satisfaction, but we thought things had to go well in our lives to get there. At least I did.

God is Joy. In His presence, Joy is full.[2] There’s a way to cultivate a lifestyle of rejoicing which isn’t dependent on the shifting sands of day to day living. There’s a way to be full of joy, cheerful, exceedingly glad and calmly happy every moment of every day. It must be possible. God commanded it.

How do we Cultivate a Lifestyle of Rejoicing in the Lord?

What James writes about joy is bizarre, especially if we’re looking for good circumstances to maintain our feelings of well-being:

“Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter varies trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, that you might be perfect, lacking in nothing” (James 1:2-4 NASB.)

Trials test our faith.  As we learn to celebrate in times of great opposition, endurance grows. Rejoicing brings the intimacy of our Lord into every crevasse of our most difficult situations, flooding our hearts with joy. The more we experience the amazing, paradoxical transformation of grief to gladness by the mere presence of Almighty God, the more we realize we lack nothing. This world doesn’t bring contentment. We’re joyous because He is near.

This isn’t easy.  But, Graham Cooke says no circumstance or person has the power to steal our joy unless we allow it. Even in nightmare scenarios, rejoicing pulls us above the circumstances and our negative mindsets.[3]

Perhaps our goal is not just to get through what we’re experiencing, but to enjoy the presence of the Lord in whatever we’re experiencing. Rejoicing in the Lord always.

Challenge  

Is there a situation or a person which is trying to steal your joy? Will you choose to rejoice in the Lord in spite of what’s going on?

Spend some time now asking for the Lord to cheer your heart with His nearness. Rejoice in Him in spite of how you feel.

Peter writes, “but to the degree that you share the suffering of Christ, keep on rejoicing; so that also at the revelation of His glory, you may rejoice with exultation (I Peter 4:13 NASB).  

To what degree should we keep on rejoicing? To the degree in which we share in the sufferings of Christ.

To Peter, not only did suffering and rejoicing go hand in hand, there was a direct correlation of one to the other.

Prayer  

Lord, this trial, these trials have been going on so long. You know. Sometimes I lose hope they’ll ever get better. Yet, life keeps coming. It doesn’t stop for us to catch our breaths. These things don’t make me happy, but I’m seeing something glorious happen in spite of them. Your nearness is bringing gladness to every situation. I can rejoice in You and be cheerful even in the miry pit of hopeless dreams. Even when the unthinkable happens, You fill my heart with joy.

 I’m a container of your Joyous Presence. You indwell me.[4] May I yield to your Spirit in every situation that your Joy may flow. Joy inside . Joy overflowing. Rejoicing always, in You.

[1] Colossians 2:10

[2] Psalm 16:11

[3] Times of Refreshing, Graham Cooke

[4] Galatians 2:20

Novels by the Author:

Beyond Time

Hope Remains

Staying Present with God

Stay Present my Friends

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And now, O Lord, for what do I wait?  My hope is in you. Psalm  39:7

“What do you think?” a voice interrupts your thoughts.

Suddenly you’re brought back to the present. Your spouse, your child, your friend has been sharing something important, but you were thinking about what was next on your never ending to-do list. You have no idea what they just said.  Busted!

On another occasion you miss a magical moment on your family vacation because you’re dwelling on a regret from your past.

God has given us five sense to bring awareness of His creation around us.  These senses are available now, not yesterday, not tomorrow,  but now.

What are some of your favorites when it comes to your senses?

For me:

Sight:  Sunset or sunrise over water or mountains

Sound:  Water rushing past rocks in a mountain stream

Smell:  Tea olive, gardenias

Touch:  Sea breeze, fall wind in my face, soft sheets

Taste:  Chocolate pie, dark coffee

When we savor now, we’re enjoying  a gift from God. A lady on a plane once told me that’s why now is called the present.

There’s an old movie entitled “Our Town” which drives this point home.

One of the characters named, Emily, dies while giving birth to a child. However, she is permitted by the stage manager to revisit the past and to step back into the morning of her sixteenth birthday as an observer.

From her vantage point, she has a profoundly nostalgic appreciation of the transient beauty of life’s little moments. However, she is struck by how the people, including her younger self, don’t have a clue how precious the moments of life really are. She is stunned that nobody savors and fully appreciates “now”. They all seem so disengaged. Later she would say of the living, “They don’t understand.”

“Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead,”[1] Paul

“So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”[2] Jesus

God doesn’t want us to be imprisoned by the regrets of our past nor fears of our future. He wants us to be present with Him moment by moment.

Jesus tells us in John 15 to “abide” in Him. Other meanings of this word are to “tarry” or “stay present with.” Jesus goes on to say in the same chapter that there is complete joy found in “staying present” in His love and loving others as He has loved us.

Staying present with Jesus is essential to our Spiritual lives and it leads to experiencing and savoring life’s moments. Otherwise, life quickly passes us by.

Challenge:  Take notice of what you see and hear right this moment. Do you smell anything? Perhaps you’re drinking a cup of coffee and feel a gentle breeze upon your face like I’m experiencing as I write.

What tends to call you away from being fully present? Is it a looming duty, a past regret, a worry about the future? Whatever it is robs you of fully embracing the gift of now. Give these things to God and don’t take them back.

The people in our lives are loved and cared for during life’s “nows”. In an instant our present moments become memories. When we savor our times with the people God places in our path there’s a richness which touches our hearts and slows the swirl of life.

But what’s most important is being present with God. We are indwelt by the Holy Spirit of Jesus and we are never alone. God is in us and around us. We are in Him and He is in us.

Tarry, remain, abide in Jesus. His presence is experienced now.

In your presence is fullness of joy. Psalm 16:11 b

[1] Philippians 3:13

[2] Matthew 6:34