Author: Stephanie Wolfe

Is it just me or do you also find it hard to comprehend that Jesus actually felt all the feelings we feel? It is hard to fathom that He is both God and human. But, when we take time to read of His life here on earth and understand that he had real-life experiences just as we do, we have a new heartfelt love for Him. He really gets us!

This is what we read about today in John 11:28-44.

Jesus wept.
John 11:35

The shortest verse in the Bible. Plain and simple. Why did Jesus weep?

Jesus, who was God in flesh, cried. He was so overcome with grief that he simply lost it. Not just a few tears either, He was uncontrollably sobbing. These two words show us the humanity of God.

What caused this reaction? Jesus had been teaching the crowds, which in turn caused conflict for the religious leaders. Then Jesus gets the news that Lazarus is really sick. Jesus and Lazarus were very close. But, what is surprising is that Jesus does not drop everything and run to His friend’s side.

So, when he heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was.
John 11:6

A few verses later we read that Jesus finally makes his way to Lazarus, who has now been dead for four days. Lazarus’s sister, Martha, hears Jesus is coming and runs to see him. Through her tears she displays incredible faith, saying that if only he had been there Lazarus would not have died. Martha’s sister Mary soon joins them and makes a similar statement…if only.

Now when Mary came to where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet, saying to him, “Lord, if only you had been here, my brother would not have died.”
John 11:32

Jesus is surrounded by devastated people. He is deeply moved. It is the same feelings we have when the emotions just overtake us. The tears cannot be held back. Finally, He can’t take it anymore.

Jesus wept.
John 11:35

Even though Jesus knows what is going to happen next. He knows that he is about to raise Lazarus from the dead. He knows the bigger picture. Yet still, he is overcome with grief and he ugly cries.

Through His grief and tears, Jesus instructs the stone to be taken away from the tomb where Lazarus laid. He called Lazarus to come out. And to everyone’s surprise, the man who died was now alive.

Jesus didn’t just cry because his friend had died. He knew he was about to see him again. Jesus wept because of the distraught people around him who were experiencing such deep pain. He cared so much for all of them, that it overcame Him when He saw them in such misery.

He cared so much for them that it overtook Him. This gives us insight into how much He must care for us. He weeps with us just as He did with Mary and Martha.

Why did Jesus weep? He wept because he cares about what we are going through on a deep and personal level. He truly cares about us and is profoundly moved by what we are going through.

 

In our passage today, Luke 9:46-62, we read about 3 different men that talk to Jesus as He travels to Jerusalem. Jesus is walking towards His eventual death on the Cross.

As the time approached for him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem.
Luke 9:51

Jesus had 3 different conversations with 3 different men along his way.

Conversation #1:

As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.
Luke 9:57

This sounds promising. The man will follow Jesus, he wants to do it. It is something we all might say or have said. Of course we want to follow Him.

Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.”
Luke 9:58

Jesus explains that following Him won’t be easy. He tells him that he may not have a place to sleep. The cost of following Him will be discomfort and loneliness. The cost will be great.

Conversation #2:

He said to another man, “Follow me.”
Luke 9:59

Jesus asked this man to follow Him. He chose Him from the crowd. But what does this man do? He made an excuse.

But he replied, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.”
Luke 9:59

Now, this seems like a reasonable excuse. His father died. But, in reality, his father wasn’t dead yet. “Bury my father” meant to go back and take care of him until he died (which could be years down the road).

Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.”
Luke 9:60

Jesus is very clear in his reply to this man. Jesus does not want an excuse, He wants an immediate response. He makes it clear that he does not want the man to follow cultural norms, but to go and proclaim the Kingdom of God.

Conversation #3:
The third person makes a similar request as above.

Still another said, “I will follow you, Lord, but first let me go back and say goodbye to my family.”
Luke 9:61

The mans says he wants to follow, but, he gives another excuse. He wants to say “goodbye”.

Jesus replied, “no one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.”
Luke 9:61

The cultural norm at this time was to ask parental permission. Jesus is saying you don’t need permission from anyone. He wants him to keep his focus ahead and not look behind at what he is leaving.

I humbly admit, I can see myself in all 3 of these examples. I say I follow Jesus, I want to follow Jesus, but I find excuses all the time. The reality is that we are called to follow Jesus.

He calls us to stand ready to live out God’s commands. He does not want our second best or our excuses. He wants us to be ready to follow. Jesus must come before our comforts, obligations and duties. Our eyes need to be focused forward on Jesus, never looking back to the life we gave up when we gave our life to Jesus.

The decision to follow Jesus is one that we make and then remake over and over again throughout our life. Jesus is a God of mercy. He extends his hands to us continuously, even though we make excuses or reject him. Jesus is calling us daily to follow Him. He does not want our excuses. But through His grace and mercy we get to begin again and follow Him, even when we have an excuse.

 

The day has finally come. Your daughter, who you have been instructing for the past 9 months finally turns 16 and is able to drive off in the car all by herself. All the teaching is over, you get to let her drive off all by herself.

All the steps for learning to drive solo have taken place. Driver’s ED√ , hours behind the wheel√,  practice in all types of weather√,  permit √, test passed √ .  You have done all you can do to teach her how to drive successfully. Eventually you have to let go and trust that she will be able to drive solo. Are you ready to send her out to drive all by herself?

We see this today in our reading of Luke 9:1-17. Jesus decided it was time for the 12 disciples to drive solo. Up until now, they had been observers and hearers. They had sat while Jesus taught crowds of people, listening to his message and methods day after day, week after week. Now it is time for them to be sent out to minister, all by themselves.

One day Jesus called together his twelve disciples and gave them power and authority to cast out all demons and to heal all diseases. Then he sent them out to tell everyone abut the Kingdom of God and to heal the sick.
Luke 9:1-2

Jesus instructs them to take nothing for their mission.

“Take nothing for your journey,” he instructed them. “Don’t take a walking stick, a traveler’s bag, food, money, or even a change of clothes.
Luke 9:3

Can you imagine getting ready to leave for a trip and not packing a bag? When I leave for a trip I have a huge list of things I “need” and want to make sure I don’t forget. It takes much prepping and time to get ready to leave.

But why does Jesus tell them to take nothing? He gives them these instructions for a purpose. He wants his disciples to learn how to trust him to provide for them.

This is one of the most important lessons we can learn, that God will provide for our needs. It takes away a great deal of anxiety and fear.

So they began their circuit of the villages, preaching the Good News and healing the sick.
Luke 9:6

We are not told exactly how long the disciples are out on mission, but imagine the stories they had to tell when they returned. They finally were on their own and they got to come home to tell Jesus about everything they were able to do and how God used them. Jesus got to take them to a town called Bethsaida and listen to all their stories.

When the apostles returned, they told Jesus everything they had done. Then he slipped quietly away with them toward the town of Bethsaida.
Luke 9:10

These 12 men were so excited to tell about their ministry, but then Jesus shows them that anything is possible. As they were meeting with Jesus, a crowd found them and joined them. As the day went on, the crowds became hungry.

Feeding the crowds seemed like too much for the disciples. They wanted to send them home. But Jesus had different plans. He told the disciples to feed them.

Jesus tells the disciples how to distribute the five loaves of bread and two fish. Jesus breaks the bread and hands the food to the disciples. Through their connection to Jesus, the disciples provide enough food for each person present, with twelve baskets left over. No details of how this actually happened are given.

The first 6 verses in this chapter of Luke tell how Jesus has commissioned the disciples to share the kingdom message. Now, in the following verses, they become aware of what they can actually do through Christ. Jesus shows them that they have access to his authority through his power.

There is a lesson for both the disciples and the people gathered here who received the food. The disciples are amazed at the provision of food and the people are amazed at the provider.

These verses teach us that whatever we are doing, feeding the masses, healing the sick, or giving encouragement, the only effective way to do ministry is to keep Jesus at the center. He is our provider.

Today in our reading of John 5:1-29, I am humbly reminded of God’s grace. Grace that I do not deserve. This story today of the lame man who was healed, points us directly to Jesus.

Jesus said…”Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.” At once the man was cured; he picked up his mat and walked.
John 5:8-9

This lame man met Jesus at the pool of  Bethesda. Jesus asked him, “Do you want to get well?”  The man had an opportunity to say, “Yes!” and to be healed by Jesus, but instead, the man put his faith in the healing waters of the pool. He complained that the other people always cut in front of him when the waters are stirred.

The sick man answered, “Sir, there’s no way I can get healed, for I have no one to lower me into the water when the angel comes. As soon as I try to crawl to the edge of the pool, someone else jumps in ahead of me.”
John 5:7

Oh how I hear my voice in this man’s words! This man feels that there is no way he can possibly get to the water first. How often do we feel defeated and see no possible way out of our circumstances? This man had an excuse for Jesus and did not receive the offer of healing that Jesus was offering. So many times I am sure I pass up opportunities that are presented to me. I find it easier to complain and blame others for my problems.

But, this story shows us that healing is not about us! It is about Jesus! Even though the man didn’t respond to Jesus in faith, Jesus STILL healed him. Even though the man complained, Jesus STILL gave him the ability to walk.

Jesus chooses to heal us, even though we may not deserve it. This is the same with salvation. The source of our salvation is never based on our own actions or works; it is always by the grace of God. It is never about us. It is always about HIM. He chose us and continues to choose us over and over again.

“You did not choose me, but I chose you.”
John 15:16

 

 

 

Funny how life works sometimes. This being only the 5th day of the new year, most people have jumped into their new beginnings. The reflecting of 2021 is over. I thought I was done reflecting and thinking about all that God has shown me in 2021, but after reading Romans 5 it all came flooding back. The struggles, the endless down time and the time I got to spend with Jesus and in His Word.

I wrote in a previous post Trials and Suffering about my endless injuries and sufferings in 2021 (broken wrist, snapped tendon surgery, tooth problems, broken ankle, and then my husband had an unexpected surgery near the end of December). These injuries kept me in my favorite chair for weeks on end and kept drawing me back to Jesus.

I have a basket full of prescriptions I was given over the past year to relieve my pain. My body is so sensitive it does not respond very well to medicine, I always suffer the side affects X2!! But the suffering caused me to persevere. The perseverance pushed me further to rely on God and helped me discover that I am who He says I am. I have always read the scriptures and sang the songs of who God says I am. But, sadly I never really believed it. I still had the worldly view of who I am or who I am supposed to be.

I operated out of my worth. I was worthy if I looked a certain way, if I was busy with a job, if I kept my house perfectly, if my kids were successful, etc. It was all outward appearances that gave me a sense of self-confidence. I especially felt good about myself when someone gave me a compliment or a pat on the back. When I was not at my best, when I was slacking, maybe not keeping up with my house or my workouts or when I slipped up, my confidence went down the tubes real fast. I would fall in a slump thinking only the worst of myself. I am sad to say that for 52 years I operated like this. Yes, I read the Bible and listened to pastors and speakers tell me the opposite. But it was only in this last year through my suffering that Jesus got my full attention and got to tell me who I was! After all the weeks of being home bound it sunk in!! I AM WHO HE SAYS I AM!!

Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.
Romans 5:3-5

The Greek word for suffering is translated as “tribulation, something that causes distress.” These sufferings can range from minor things that we face every day, to major disasters that we never see coming.

According to Romans 5, our response to suffering is to rejoice. What? Seriously? Do you think I rejoiced in September when I found out that my ankle was actually broken and not just sprained from a stupid fall that I took? No! I cried! And I cried! And then, I turned back to Jesus. Knowing that He is in control and has a plan for my life. I knew that He was using this time for a reason.

Now reflecting back on all the suffering of 2021 I know that my suffering produced perseverance and character. I no longer look to what other people think of me. Or if I do (of course I am not perfect and still falter all the time), I quickly turn my thoughts back to who God says I am. I have a new confidence that only comes from Him.

We can rejoice in suffering because we know. We rejoice because we know something. It isn’t that we rejoice because it feels good to be hurt, it is because we know something about it. It is our faith that enables us to know. Our faith is like inside information that others do not know or share.

We know this because the Bible tells us so. Paul says, “Knowing that suffering produces…” Suffering produces something, it accomplishes something. It is productive. We know it works and that is what makes us rejoice. Suffering produces something worthwhile.

In the verses above, Paul tells us that suffering produces three things: perseverance (patience), character, and hope. The hope is that we will share the glory of God. We have the hope that God is producing the image of Christ in us. We are being changed through our suffering. We are becoming more like Jesus. He is using our suffering to transform us into the image of his Son.

Life is a funny thing. Looking to 2022, I sure hope I am finished facing the injuries and sufferings of last year. But I also know what was accomplished through these sufferings. I am so thankful for the hard year and the love that Christ showed me. He knew how badly I needed to learn who I am – only based on who He says I am!

Be Blessed and Be Thankful for your sufferings in 2022.

With all that is going on in the world today, the topic of end times is more readily talked about in Christian conversations. In the Old Testament, the fall of Babylon is an actual event. In the New Testament, it takes on a symbolic form. It is the time when Jesus will return and defeat the evil of our world.

“Babylon is fallen-that great city is fallen! She has become a home for demons. She is a hideout for every foul spirit, a hideout for every foul vulture and every foul and dreadful animal.
Revelation 18:2

The Bible tells us in Matthew 24:36-37 that no one knows when Christ will return. Learning about the fall of Babylon in relation to the end times can not give us a specific date to prepare for. But, it can help us strive to keep our relationship with God holy and on the right path for whenever Christ does return.

Babylon of the Old Testament and the New Testament shared a common downfall. Idol worship was their main sin. Babylon idolized itself and it did not acknowledge or glorify God in any way.

This is no different from today. We are constantly consumed with multiple idols that turn our focus away from God, His faithfulness, and plan for our lives. Idol worship leads to immorality when you are so consumed with the worship of other gods instead of the one true God.

What does this idol worship in our lives look like? It can be the worshipping of money, our career, economic status, education, or politics. When we become focused on striving for success in these areas and not on God, we begin to rely on their role in our life rather than God’s provision.

Idol worship in Babylon caused Babylon to turn from God in the Old Testament. In the New Testament as a symbol of evil, Babylon will also be destroyed because of five areas of idol worship.

1 – Revelation 18:7 – The idol of self-sufficiency – Babylon believed they were the greatest superpower of the world. They had everything they needed and did not rely on anyone or anything but themselves.
2 – Revelation 18:14-17 – The idol of comfort – Babylon was clothed in luxury and wealth. They had no need for God.
3 – Revelation 18:3 – The idol of obsession – Babylon had the worship of all the nations surrounding it. Everyone wanted what Babylon had and could not see the immorality and sin they were indulging in.
4 – Revelation 18:24 – The idol of church persecution – Babylon persecuted the followers of God.
5 – Revelation 18:23 – Babylon deceived those who worship them by allowing them to believe in their greatness when they were full of sin.

We can easily see these same areas of worship in our own daily lives. We do not know when Jesus will return. Our focus can only be on living a life that consistently turns away from sin and honors God. When we focus on God we keep from worshipping the idol of our own self-sufficiency and greatness.

Our reading today gives us a powerful reminder that there is a great spiritual battle going on.  We are all experiencing the war between sin and satan.  The good news of Revelation  11 and 12 is that we will win the battle.  We will triumph because God has made our salvation secure in Christ.  

Today we celebrate the birth of our Savior and relish in the fact that He made our salvation secure by coming to this earth and denying himself over and over for us.  

They triumphed over him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony.

Revelation 12:11

All of the craziness in the world can tempt us to despair.  But God’s Word assures us we will prevail.  We will triumph by the blood of the Lamb.  

In Jesus we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavishes on us.

Ephesians 1:7-8

This battle between sin and satan will continue till the end of time.  So we are called to be victorious by our testimony.  Through our words and lives we must consistently declare the truth that Jesus is Lord.  What a better time to declare this!  Today, the day we celebrate the birth of our Lord.

Merry Christmas Blessings to all as we celebrate the birth of our King.  

Today’s reading is 2 Peter 2 and 3.

Are you ready for Christmas? Presents bought and wrapped? Family meals planned? House all clean and decorated? There can be so much pressure this time of year to make everything perfect. 2 Peter 3 gives us words that make us pause and take a step back. Read through the entire chapter of 2 Peter 3 and take in Peter’s words about what is coming. I’m pretty sure Jesus does not care about all the Christmas preparations we do, He cares about our hearts and how ready they are. Are we ready for him to come again?

We are in the midst of the Advent season. Advent prepares us for the birth and the initial coming of Christ. But, our reading today focuses on the second coming of Christ. When will he return? There have been many Christmas’ since the birth of Jesus. How long must we live in this world full of sin, injustice and judgment?

So, dear friends, don’t let this one thing escape your notice; a single day counts like a thousand years to the Lord Yahweh, and a thousand years counts as one day. This means that, contrary to man’s perspective, the Lord is not late with his promise to return, as some measure lateness. But rather, his “delay” simply reveals his loving patience toward you, because he does not want any to perish but all to come to repentance.
2 Peter 3:8-9

God is patient. He is patient enough to wait for me, for you, and for that person you pray for each day. He is waiting for sinners to repent and receive his salvation. Would you rather have a God who is in a hurry to return and punish? Or a God who is beyond our understanding and patient beyond measure?

As we wait this Christmas Season for the savior to arrive, we are also waiting for Him to return again. What are we doing while we wait? Are we praying for those who do not know Him? Are we telling others about the love that He offers? He will return. We do not know the date or time, but we are to be ready.

Peter reminds us that God is different, He has all kinds of time to make sure that no one misses their time to turn around and be saved. He is giving us time to share His love with all those we are surrounded with. Instead of focusing on the gifts, the decorations, and the meals, I am convicted to focus on the people I am surrounded by this Christmas.

As we celebrate the birth of Christ, may we also celebrate the RETURN of Christ, for He IS COMING.

 

Today our reading is the last chapter in the book of James (chapter 5) and the first chapter of the book of 1 Peter. As I read through both chapters one common thread stood out to me. Particularly because it has been the thread that consumed my life over this past year – Patience while suffering through trials.

Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains. You also, be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand.
James 5:7-8

In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith-more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire-may be found to result in the praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
I Peter 1:6-7

 

James teaches us that through our patient trusting and turning to God, we will establish our hearts and to be ready for the Lord. 1 Peter teaches us that through our patient trusting, even through trials, we will be refined and matured in our faith.

How do suffering and trials really change us? Peter describes the gold “smelting” process where gold is heated up and impurities float to the surface. The next step in the process is to scoop away the impurities. The result is a purer piece of gold.

The result of our suffering and trials (the heating up of our lives) is to accomplish a purer and stronger character and faith. We have a choice when facing hardships in our life. We can get angry with God that our suffering has no purpose or we can begin to cling to the truth of God’s character. When we come through the trial, we find that our faith has been stretched to several times it original size. As we have clung to God during the difficult time, we now know Him in a more intimate way than ever before.

These verses urge us to show patience and courage because of the nearness of Jesus’ return. We should show a firm purpose and depend constantly on God’s grace. We can find the strength to stand firm because the return of the Lord will bring eternal life and spiritual health. Our belief in the return of Christ can provide us courage to face difficulty. It can give us stamina to endure persecution, suffering, and difficulties.

The picture in this post shows the outward expression of the trials I faced this year. It was injury after injury.
*a broken radius bone near my wrist
*a ruptured flexor tendon in my thumb and subsequent surgery resulting in 3 months of rehab and learning to use my dominant hand again
*3 months of antibiotics and pain from a root canal gone wrong
*a totaled car caused by a tire catapulting off a truck trailer, flying into the front of my car
*a broken ankle resulting in 3 weeks of no mobility

While each trial affected my bodily well-being, what was really affected was my mind. I questioned God when each trial occurred (and those closest to me know there were LOTS of tears!).  But each time, as I turned to Him, He refined me. He chose to sit me down (over and over again) to allow me to turn to Him and to Him only. After a year of suffering, I can say without a doubt that I am closer to Him than ever before.

And isn’t that the goal of our life?

And I continually long to know the wonders of Jesus and to experience the overflowing power of his resurrection working in me. I will be one with him in his sufferings and become like him in his death. Only then will I be able to experience complete oneness with him in his resurrection from the realm of death.
Philippians 3:10-11

The goal of the Christian life is to know Christ. Through our patience in suffering and trials we have the opportunity to mature in our faith.

Thank You Jesus for my year of trials and sufferings.

Have you ever looked up the meaning of your name?  Or asked your parents why they named you what they did?  I had a plaque in my room way back when, I have no idea who gave it to me, but it had my name and meaning engraved on it….

Stephanie – Crowned in victory

The only way my name makes sense to me is because of Jesus.  Because of Him and His death on the cross for me, I am crowned in victory.  Nothing I am on this earth, nor nothing I can do entitles me to wear a crown.  Only Jesus.

Onesimus had a similar story with his name.  We read about this man in the book of Philemon.  Onesimus was a slave who had stolen from his master (Philemon) and ran away.  

Through God’s amazing ways, Onesimus ran away to Rome and met Paul.  He came to faith through Paul and his ministry.  The book of Philemon is a letter Paul wrote to tell Philemon that Onesimus had come to saving faith in Christ.  

In the letter, Paul asks that Philemon let Onesimus return to him without fear of punishment.  It was unheard of for a master to receive back a runaway slave without inflicting punishment.  Paul was aware of this which is why he offered to pay any debt that Onesimus owed.  Paul was truly asking him to not only forgive Onesimus, but to receive him as a brother in Christ.

Onesimus’s name means “useful.”  Paul uses a play on words with his name when he writes,

(Formerly he was useless to you, but now he is indeed useful to you and to me.)                                                                          Philemon 1:11

Once a useless, rebellious slave, Onesimus became useful through the saving and transforming grace of God.

Just like Onesimus, it is only through Christ that we find our true selves and our true identity.  No matter what name we were given at birth, or what name we go by now, we become who we were made to be when God calls us by name.  Jesus took the punishment we deserved and paid the penalty at the cross.  He wiped our slate clean so that we could return home to the Father without fear.  

The book of Philemon reminds us that we are just like Onesimus and have the opportunity to encounter the gospel of grace.  Everything that we have done in the past is gone.  We are new creations, given a new name and a new identity.  

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.  The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.                                    2 Corinthians 5:17