Many people have heard the questions Jesus posed to His followers: “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” and then, “What about you? Who do you say I am?” (Matthew 16:13,15). But, I want to ask a follow-up question. What if Jesus would have asked them, and us as well, What does your life say about Who I am?

Now, that is a different question entirely. Even in Jesus’ day, many people identified as following this new Rabbi, but many walked away when Jesus’ teachings seemed to get more personal and required more of them (John 6). Ultimately, with the exception of Judas, the lives of the disciples went on to prove what Peter articulated, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:16) and  “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We believe and know that You are the Holy One of God” (John 6:68-69). This last declaration came after Jesus asked if they wanted to call it quits like so many were doing when His teachings became more dificult. These  disciples, by all means simple men of humble backgrounds, led a movement that has changed the course of history and continues to do so to this day. Eventually, they went on to be persecuted and martyred, so I would say with great confidence that their surrendered lives, through the power of the Holy Spirit at work in them, spoke volumes about just who Jesus was. 

That all is amazingly true, but what about us? What do our lives say about Who Jesus is? 

When life is stressful, do our lives tell the story of the One who quiets the storm in us and brings peace in the midst of the chaos(Mark 4:35-41; Acts 7:54-60)? 

When life is uncertain, do our lives tell the story of our Savior who has secured for us a Hope and Assurance for the future (1 John 5:11-12)?

When life is unjust, do our lives tell the story of the compassionate Lord who was full of Grace and Truth (John 1:14), who stands by the prostitute rather than the arrogant, religious leader (Luke 7:36-50)?

When life is painful, do our lives tell the story of One who comes alongside those who are mourning, hurting, beaten down and rejected…the One who cries with those who weep (John 11:19-35)?

When so many people go through the motions or simply fulfill their moral or religious obligations, do our lives tell the love story of the One we can never live without (Psalm 51)? 

When we see those who have lost their way, do our lives tell the story of the faithful Shepherd who left the ninety-nine to find the one (Matthew 18:12-14)

For our lives to be so bold of a witness, it requires much more than occasional church attendance. Jesus calls us to follow Him every second of every day, to intentionally follow in His steps with each moment He gives us…in every activity He allows us to enjoy…in every encounter with another human being which He provides…in every relationship He entrusts to us…in our everyday lives where each moment brings the opportunity to fall deeper in love with Him. This is a life of worship that testifies to the Savior we serve.

Will we do it perfectly? Not a chance! 

Even in those moments when we don't get it right, we do not need to live in fear but rather rest in knowing how much we are loved (1 John 4:13-18), that nothing can separate us from His love (Romans 8:31-39), and we can breathe easier knowing that we are not condemned (Romans 8:1). And one of the most beautiful parts about all of this is that we do not have to do this alone. He gives us the gift of His Holy Spirit to empower us every step of the way (John 14:15-27), changing us from the inside out to produce love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control, helping us to crucify the sinful nature within us as we keep in step with His Spirit (Galatians 5:22-25). Not only that, He calls us to live, serve, and encourage one another in community (Hebrews 10:24-25) and to use the spiritual gifts He gives us for building up His Body (1Corinthians 12). And, all of this is in accordance with His Word, which “is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness” that we may be “thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

So, once more, please take the time to consider, What is your life saying about Who Jesus is? 
Joy Cochran 

04.16.2025

In the Old Testament, God related to His people through the "tabernacle." The Exodus generation was given prescripted, detailed plans of a tent-like structure with six pieces of furniture that would be tended by priests. This tabernacle was where God would meet them and where priests could make intercession for the people with sacrifices and offerings. 

Within the Holy Place, outside the Holy of Holies, was the lampstand. Exodus 25 tells us the lampstand was to be hammered out of pure gold in one piece. It was to have six branches - 3 on each side - with a seventh branch in the middle (picture the modern Menorah of the Jewish faith).The cups on top of each branch were to resemble almond blossoms. Along each branch were four additional almond flowers. So each branch was essentially a series of almond flowers with the last being open like a cup. 

This flower-cup held oil. In the oil was placed a wick. Seven flower-cups with oil and a wick on each lampstand. The wicks were to be lit by the priest every evening and burn all night until morning, every single day. It was the job of the priest to tend to the lampstand. In Leviticus 24, Moses tells the people to make oil from beaten olives, and the priests would use the oil in the lampstand and trim the wicks and keep the fire burning by adding oil and lighting wicks throughout the night. 

It is difficult to say for sure what the light of the lampstand represents. It could be that the light of the lampstand represents the Presence of God. The lampstand was always to remain lit throughout the night. In John, Jesus was at the feast of booths, and He declares to the crowd that He is the light of the world. Many other places in the Bible associate light with God. It could also be that the light represences the people. The people, getting their light from God, are to keep their light shining. In Matthew 4 we see that God's people are like a lamp shining in a dark place. 

One other interesting Old Testament passage is relevant here. In Zechariah 4, Zechariah sees a vision of a lampstand that has pipes, or plumbing, going directly to two olive trees, so that the oil from the olive trees is contstantly flowing to the lampstand so that it will never go out. In that passage, we read the interesting verse that states: "Not by might, nor by power, but my Spirit," says the Lord." 

In other words, the Holy Spirit is the oil! And there will be a constant, never-ending supply of the Spirit to keep the lampstand burning. 

What does all this mean for us? In Revelation 1, John sees a vision of the Son of Man (Jesus) standing among seven lampstands. The lampstand was in the Holy Place, so this is the heavenly temple. Only priests tended lampstands. Jesus is the priest. In verse 20 we are told the seven golden lampstands are the seven churches.

Remember seven is the favorite number of Revelation. It means "complete and whole." The seven lampstands are the whole, complete church universal. And Jesus stands among the lampstands (the church) tending and caring for us. And we have a never ending supply of the Holy Spirit - oil- to keep the light on. 

Chapter 2 and 3 of Revelation will develop this further. But for now, know that we are God's workmanship, hammered out of gold, tended by Jesus Himself, with the power of the Holy Spirit, to let our light - the light of God Himself - the light of the Gospel, shine in the darkness. 

Have you ever seen a new sprout grow from the stump of a tree that was cut down? Certain deciduous trees, shrubs, and vines will re-sprout once they are cut. Rose bushes, oak trees, maples, and may other species will grow new shoots from roots or from the stump after a disturbance.

In the prophetic books of the Old Testament, the authors will refer to a “branch” (some versions will say “shoot”, or “root”). What is this? This “branch” seems to be not an actual piece of wood, but a mysterious person, a hero, a figure who will someday come and save his people. Who is this “Branch”?

The first occurrence of the term “branch” is in Isaiah 11. But we need to start with chapter 5 in Isaiah to understand what is going on in chapter 11. In chapter 5, God says he planted a vineyard – that’s the nation of Israel. Chapter 5 uses the imagery of growing a vineyard to describe how much God loved Israel. God planted Israel on fertile ground, he cleared the land of stones, he built a watchtower over the vineyard, and he built a wine vat in the middle of it (5:1-2). In other words, God took care of his vineyard – Israel. He did everything for Israel (5:4).

But the vineyard (Israel), didn’t yield good grapes, instead it yielded wild grapes. All that work tending the vineyard seemed to be wasted. In other words, Israel ignored all the work God did and they sinned anyway (5:4). So what does God do? He destroys the vineyard (5:5-7)!

Imagine an entire field of grapes that has been destroyed and all that is left are stumps! Remember, certain plants will re-sprout. That’s what happens to Israel. They re-sprouted from the stump. They recover from this judgment, not by themselves but because of the “branch” that re-sprouts from their stumps. So we read in chapter 11, “There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit. And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him,” The “Branch” is a person. Later in chapter 11 we read that the “Branch” will be a signal to all peoples and of him all the nations shall inquire (11:10).

We know Israel’s history. Despite all that God does for them, they continue to sin, until God judges them by sending them into captivity in Babylon. God’s judgement was like a farmer cutting down his entire vineyard. But after the sin of Israel and the judgement of God, the prophets speak of a “branch” that will eventually save Israel and the all in the world who believe in this “branch”. For example:

Jeremiah 23:5 - “Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and execute justice and righteousness in the land. In his days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell securely. And this is the name by which he will be called: ‘The Lord is our righteousness’. 

Jeremiah 33:15 – “In those days and at that time, I will cause a righteous Branch to spring up for David, and he shall execute justice and righteousness in the land.”

Zechariah 3:8-9 – “…Behold, I will bring my servant the Branch. …and I will remove the iniquity of this land in a single day.”

Zechariah 6:12- “Behold, the man whose name is the Branch: for he shall branch out from his place, and he shall build the temple of the Lord.”

What does all this have to do with Revelation?

In chapter 5 of Revelation in the throne-room vision of God, John sees a lamb, standing as if it had been slain, with seven horns and seven eyes. And an angel tells John that the lamb is none other than the Lion of Judah and the “Root of David”. Branch, shoot, root are synonymous. This is the Branch spoken of in the OT prophets. Branch/Root/Shoot verses are also royal declarations. The Branch or Root comes from David (or David’s father Jesse) meaning the Branch/Root will be the King.

At the end of Revelation, Jesus himself tells John that he is the root or branch of David. Revelation 22:16 “…I am the Root, the descendent of David...”

The Branch figure in the Old Testament is the same as the Root figure of Revelation. It is an unbelievable story of hope after judgment. A sprout grown from the judged nation of Israel who will also save Israel and all people who believe in him by becoming their King.

When John sees the throne room of God in chapters 4 and 5 of Revelation, he sees “in the right hand of him who was seated on the throne a scroll…sealed with seven seals” (5:1). John notes that no one in the universe was found who could open the scroll. John begins to weep. And then one of the “elders” in the heavenly throne room tells John that the “Lion of the tribe of Judah” has conquered and can open the scroll. 

Of course, we understand this person to be Jesus Christ. By why? Why is Jesus referred to as the Lion of Judah?

Lions in Old Testament are depicted as fierce, hungry, ferocious, and savage. They hunt and kill and destroy their prey. We know the stories of Samson (Judges 14), David (1 Samuel 17), and Daniel’s (Daniel 6) battles with lions. There are many passages about lions but here are just a few:

Psalm 7:2 – “lest like a lion they tear my soul apart, rending it in pieces with none to deliver.”

Psalm 10:9 – “he lurks in ambush like a lion in his thicket.”

Psalm 35:17 – “How long oh Lord will you look on? Rescue me from their destruction, my precious life from the lions.”

Proverbs 20:2 – “The terror of a king is like the growling of a lion. Whoever provokes him to anger forfeits his life.”

Lions are nothing to mess with. Calling Jesus a lion speaks to his judgement. As lions are ferocious, angry predators, so also Jesus in his judgment of his enemies will be the same way. Judgement is a major theme in Revelation, the seals, the trumpets, the bowls…they all speak of judgement.

But Jesus is not just like any lion. He is the “Lion of Judah”. This is an allusion to one very important verse. The verse is Genesis 49:9. The context is Jacob blessing his 12 sons before he dies. Each son visits Jacob on his death bed and Jacob has a blessing for each son. When he gets to his son Judah, Jacob says this – “Judah is a lion’s cub, from the prey, my son you have gone up. He stooped down, he crouched as a lion and as a lioness, who dares rouse him?”

But how this relates to Christ is in the next verse, Genesis 49:10, which says “The scepter shall not depart from Judah, not the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until He comes to whom it belongs, and to him shall be the obedience of the peoples.” What an amazing verse. Judah, and his lineage, is like a lion, who will be the father of many kings (the scepter is held by a king), until one particular king comes to whom the scepter belongs to…and all people will obey him. This is none other than Jesus Christ.

The Lion of Judah in Revelation is Jesus. He is from the line of Judah, the long awaited rightful king. It also speaks to the ferocious judgment with which Jesus will destroy his enemies.

By Joy Cochran

12.31.2023

Have you ever noticed that when you want to feel good about yourself, it's easy to find someone who is down in the dumps to compare yourself to, and suddenly you feel much better? Likewise, when you are set on martyrdom, you find so many others whose lives seem perfect, and your “Woe is me!” echoes through the depths of your soul. The problem with both of these approaches is that they focus on me, and when we are the focal point, we will never be satisfied. Our souls long for much more depth. We want to be known and loved, but that type of vulnerability seems so risky.

As a result, we look for a safer approach, perhaps something more measurable or black and white. We like neat cause-and-effect diagrams, so we find our way to religion and legalism which point to our efforts. But, no matter how hard we try, we can't make our way to God's good graces. As we learn in Isaiah 64:6, we have nothing to offer. Even what we see as our “righteous” deeds are considered filthy rags to a perfect, holy God. If we left it at that, what a depressing message this would be.

We can't clean ourselves up enough or somehow make ourselves presentable enough. The outward facade we work so hard to put on means nothing. God is not fooled. “Right behavior” does not equal right standing with God. Just read Jesus’ teachings in Matthew 5-7, and it's easy to see that God cares far more about the condition of our hearts. The problem is that we have been indoctrinated by our culture and rehearsed the story in our minds. We think that we have to prove ourselves worthy or somehow be able to pay back at least part of this debt we owe. That, my friend, is where we are so very wrong.

We need to be willing to stand before God naked and recognize that even the “good” we attempt to clothe ourselves in means nothing. It is only a barrier to seeing ourselves for who we truly are…the lost sheep in need of Jesus’ gentle rescue (Luke 15:3-7). It sounds scary, but when we humbly approach His throne, God is completely safe. Think of how shamelessly Adam and Eve walked in the Garden of Eden in the very presence of God…

When we step into the shower of Jesus’ blood, our eyes are open to the depth of the Father’s  love and the comfort of His presence, the very Spirit of God ministering directly to us. We are no longer fooling ourselves with whitewashing our bodies of death. Instead, we are made alive as new creations in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17) and begin to see clearly what He has called us to, this mission to join Him in loving people into the Kingdom (Matthew 28:18-20). When we grasp His unconditional love for us and sense the unwavering security He provides (Romans 8), our hearts melt before Him. To receive such grace when we know we don't deserve it, is so humbling. Until we have seen ourselves as the one in need of His rescue, we will never share His heart for the lost. But, once we get that, it changes us, and we can't help but want to share this crazy love that God offers to any and all who will receive it.

Precious Lord,

Thank you for the gift of Your Son. We are so humbled by your incredible love  recognizing that it isn't about our worthiness or our ability to somehow repay You someday. Rather, it is about You, the very essence of Love (1 John 4), choosing us as Your own, adopting us as Your sons and daughters, and dispelling our fears. May we share Your heart and look more and more like You, “[the God of Peace], as You sanctify [us] completely, and may [our] whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. [You, the Faithful One, have called us and You] will surely do it” (1 Thessalonians‬ ‭5:23‭-‬24‬ ‭ESV‬‬).

In the mighty power of the name of Jesus we pray,

Amen.

By Joy Cochran

Over the past five years, I have had the opportunity to be a fly on the wall, of sorts. For most of my working life, I had spent far too much time in a Christian bubble. Well, that is no longer the case. Now, as I work as a chaplain, I get to go into the workplace and see what has been out there all along. It has been both convicting and eye-opening. 

As strangers and aliens, we hail from a different kingdom (1 Peter 2:11), and as believers, we are called to be the ambassadors of Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 5:20). Our lives should be markedly different, because we should be continuously yielding to the Holy Spirit’s leading in our lives and being transformed more and more each day into the likeness of Christ. All of these choices should be in direct contrast to the ways of the world. That doesn't mean we look down on them, but rather it should cause us to respond like our Savior did, with compassion and grace. After all, it is His loving-kindness that draws lost people to Him, and just like Jesus, we need to be sinner magnets as well.  

This is where it seems to get tricky for some people. They think that in order to relate, they need to use the same foul language and perhaps engage in the same extracurricular activities on the weekends. What usually happens is that they slowly fade into the woodwork and leave no lasting impact on those who are lost. They may continue to go to church on Sundays when it is convenient for them, but all in all, their witness for Christ is ineffective at best, but more than likely it is a detriment to true Kingdom work. 

So what should work as worship look like? First of all, we must do everything as if we were doing it for God alone (Colossians 3:23-24). When we have this mindset, we embrace excellence in each and every aspect of our lives, and it keeps us from living compartmentalized lives where we act differently depending on the environment in which we find ourselves. Our entire lives should be poured out as an offering to God not out of obligation, but from overflowing, grateful hearts. When we get this right, our perspective shifts to ways we can serve God through the course of the day rather than being preoccupied with ourselves. We become more aware of others and the impact that our words and actions have on them, and we look to serve them, just as Jesus demonstrated when He washed the feet of His disciples (John 13:1-17). 

I can't tell you how discouraging it is when I meet people in the workforce and never have the slightest clue that they identify themselves as “Christians” until months or years have passed. All appearances point to them being just like everyone else who is lost. This breaks my heart. First of all, I feel sorry for them, because they don't appear to be experiencing the abundant life that Jesus came to give us (John 10:10), nor do they seem to be experiencing the joy and freedom that comes from walking with Christ daily (Luke 4:18-21). Secondly, my heart breaks at the mixed signals that those who are lost are receiving. If the life of the “christian” looks just like their lives, they really don't think they are missing anything. This is truly tragic, and when the lost person faces adversity, they may never even think to reach out to the “Christian” because they aren't seeing a faith that makes a difference.

Olympic Athlete Eric Liddell summed up this quandry by reminding us that how we live matters: “We are all missionaries. Wherever we go, we either bring people nearer to Christ or we repel them from Christ.” 

So how are we doing, North Woodbury? Are our lives like a beacon which points people to the light of Jesus Christ? If someone were to encounter you in your work place, would they see the same person they know from Sunday mornings?

Let us live in a way that glorifies God. That doesn't mean we will be perfect, but it does mean that our lives are set apart and that our words and deeds should be used to honor God at all times. May the words of our mouths and the meditations of our hearts be pleasing in God’s sight (Psalm 19:14), and when people see the fruit of the Spirit growing in our lives (Galatians 5:23-24) and ask us where our hope comes from (1 Peter 3:15), may we unashamedly point them to Jesus who has given us the ministry of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:18). May we help introduce people to Jesus, and may we fix our eyes on Him (Hebrees 12:2) as we worship Him through work.

Endings are often viewed as sad.  It’s true; many are.  Sometimes endings are anticipated and celebrated.  For instance, those who finally have that diploma in their hands, labor and delivery are over and that new baby is resting in his exhausted mother’s arms, the surgery or treatments are finished, or leaving one job for a better one.  

Each one of us will experience many beginnings and endings during the coming year.  Babies will be born and family members or friends will pass from this life to the next.  Some will lose their jobs and others will find their dream job.  Couples will marry and sadly, couples will dissolve their marriages.  We will hear news that will cause smiles and celebrations and news that will break our hearts.  There will be questions and hopefully, there will be answers.  Battles won and battles lost.  The good news is that some of us will see our dear ones saved, baptized and beginning their new life in Jesus!  There will be folks sitting in our sanctuary who will be freed from addictions and attitudes that have kept them from living the abundant life Jesus offers.(John 10:10) Perhaps, just perhaps, this might be the year the Lord Jesus will return!  My prayer is that in the midst of it all Christ will be magnified.

Philippians 1:20  “according to my earnest expectation and hope that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death.”

Take some time to meditate on these verses that I view as promises for this new year and beyond.

Proverbs 3:5-6  “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him.  And He shall direct your paths.”

Jeremiah 17:7 “Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, and whose hope is the Lord.”

Deuteronomy 31:6 “Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the Lord your God, He is the One who goes with you.  He will not leave you nor forsake you.”

A seeking seamstress,

Denise Crites

Exodus 2:1-4:17

A quick review of Moses’ life reveals that God was guiding him from birth.  Born to a Jewish couple living in Egypt as slaves, his mother defied the order of Pharaoh to have all the Hebrew baby boys thrown into the Nile River.  She hid her son until it was no longer possible.  God made sure Moses’  life was spared when his mother made a boat made from a basket coated with pitch to make it waterproof.  She placed her precious baby boy in it, placed it in the Nile and placed his older sister as a look-out.  As God’s plan unfolds, we read that Pharaoh’s daughter finds the baby and decides to keep him!  What happens next reveals so much about our God and deeply touches my heart.  As the woman takes the crying baby from the river, big sister approaches her and boldly asks if the woman needs someone to nurse the little one!  Pharaoh’s daughter says yes!  Sister runs for her mother.  The two women meet.  His mother is given her baby back to care for and also will receive a wage!  I think she would have done the job for free!   Isn’t that just like our God?  He comforted this mother’s heart by giving her baby back.  Eventually Moses returned to Pharaoh’s palace to receive all the advantages given to a prince of Egypt.  Through a series of events, God places Moses in a position to prepare him for God’s plan to rescue His people from slavery.  The moment arrives when God reveals His plan and Moses’ part in it.  He wants Moses to lead His people out of lives of slavery to freedom and their own country!  Moses begins to make excuse after excuse to the point where he finally says, “Oh, my Lord, please send someone else.”  Did you catch that? The first “Moses Moment”!   Finally, he is convinced, by witnessing displays of God’s power, to accept his part in God’s plan. Exodus 1-4.

I have had my share of “Moses Moments”.  God has been so patient with me, listening to all my excuses for not wanting to accept my part in His plans.  There were times when I tried to substitute His will with my own plans of how I would serve Him.  Though these activities were good and may have advanced the Kingdom, they were not how God wanted to use me.  I have had to repent, more than once, of this sin of disobedience.  For that is what it is-sin.  Oh, but our God is a forgiving God!  As the Holy Spirit reveals sin in my life, my response is to acknowledge it, or own it and then ask for forgiveness.  I John 1:9.   With the Holy Spirit’s help, I can avoid “Moses Moments”.  As I rely on Him through study of the Word and spending time in prayer learning of God and His ways, I can be ready for the next assignment He has for me.  Instead of offering excuses, I will offer myself to be used in whatever way He thinks best.  Knowing that with Christ as my Source, “I am able to do all things through Him who strengthens me.” Philippians 4:13

Still a Seeking Seamstress,

Denise Crites

By Angie Pfleiderer

It’s been four months since my father’s battle with melanoma came to an end.  We were blessed to have him live seven additional months past his prognosis; but we knew the end was coming.  Each day he lived felt like a treasured gift from God.  But those last fourteen days – they were hard!  Never before had such a vast amount of emotions passed through my heart and mind.  And never before had I depended on the strength of Christ to get me through each passing hour like I did in those final hours of my father’s life.  I could not face what I had to face, I could not do what I needed to do, I could not be what I needed to be.  But when I called on the name of Christ, He (living inside of me) became my strength. When Dad’s health took a drastic turn for the worse, Philippians 4:13 became so much more than a memorized verse.  It was my lifeline.  I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. (Philippians 4:13)  As I watched my father’s physical body weaken and decline, I noticed the presence of his spirit strengthen.  In the quiet hours of the night, Jesus showed Himself and taught me some valuable lessons.  

Lesson One – Jesus created us, loves us, and desires a relationship with us.  We are each knit together in our mother’s wombs by the Almighty Creator.  He loves us so and He wants to know us intimately (Psalm 139).  It doesn’t matter what great things you’ve accomplished, what treasures you’ve collected on your earthly journey, or even how many people love and treasure you.  In the end, it comes down to only this, “Do you know Jesus and of most importance, does He know you?” (Matthew 7:23)

Lesson Two – up to the moment of death, what you take in matters.  Dad was a Navy Veteran who served in the Vietnam War.  One of his favorite TV shows was, “M.A.S.H.”  When Dad could no longer see or communicate, we began to play episodes of this favorite show on his bedside television.  The results?  Dad began to unconsciously salute.  At first this seemed endearing, but there was agitation in his movements.  We began to stream County/Bluegrass Gospel music instead.  The results?  Instant and perfect peace.  After one day of the music playing, we turned it off while preparing for bed and Dad began to blink to request we keep the music playing.  Songs of praise were comforting his soul.  What we hear and allow into our minds really does matters.  And He said to them, “Pay attention to what you hear…” (Mark 4:24)

Lesson Three – love well.  To be honest, throughout his life Dad didn’t always love well.  He was a flawed human who did not know Christ as his Savior until January 2020. Sadly, his childhood offered him very few examples of love.  Dad’s philosophy was to speak your mind whether it was kind or not.  Often, it was not.  But, the gift of those extra seven months brought out a different side of Dad.  Perhaps that’s why it seemed like such a gift?  Dad began to freely express his love to his family, friends, neighbors, and caregivers.  He began to apologize when he was rude and testy.  Words like “thank you,” “I appreciate you,” and “I love you,” began to flow from him daily.  New memories replaced old hurts.  Childhood stories from both my Dad’s life and my own were fondly discussed and there was a new sense of both understanding and forgiveness covering past wounds.  1 Corinthians 13:13 says, Now these three remain: faith, hope, and love.  But the greatest of these is love.

Lesson Four – good intentions are not enough; be intentional.  Not everyone received healing from Dad in the same way I did.  Some relationships didn’t get mended and some mistakes were not forgiven.  Unfortunately, you can’t make people visit.  So, sadly, many misunderstandings continue to be misunderstood.  Matthew 5:23-24 says, “So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that you brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go.  First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.  Fellow brothers and sisters, you may have the greatest of intentions to heal past wounds, to offer reconciliation, to say that you are sorry, to express healing words to your loved ones, but if you do not actually do it – it’s of no use!  You must be intentional!  None of us know the hour of our death.  We are not all blessed with seven bonus months.  So….go do it!  Say it.  Reconcile.  Forgive.  Tell the people in your life that you love them.  Tell them what you know they need to receive from you while you are still able.  Life is fleeting, like a passing mist.  It is like trying to catch hold of a breath; all vanishes like a vapor… Ecclesiastes 1:2-4 (The Voice).  I know it’s hard.  But that brings us right back to the beginning point – You can do all things through Christ who strengthens you!