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Paradox: Seeing Gains as Losses

When I survey the wondrous cross
   On which the Prince of glory died,
My richest gain I count but loss,
   And pour contempt on all my pride.

When I Survey the Wondrous Cross
By: Isaac Watts, 1674-1748

Listen as you read.  This is a nice instrumental version.

Having surveyed the cross a bit in Tuesday’s Tuning, inviting our heart to come back to a place of wonder, now turn your mind to the discipline of embracing the implications of the cross for your daily living in these Thursday Thoughts.

The Prince of Glory

A quick search of several different translations turned up zero occurrences of this name for Jesus.  While the King James refers to God as the “Lord of glory” in I Corinthians 2:8, nowhere is the phrase “Prince of glory” found in Scripture.  I find that interesting because it is such an apt name for Christ.

When you think of Jesus, what is your first thought of Him?  Healing the sick?  Feeding the thousands?  Walking on water?  Maybe even suffering on the cross?  Is it something like this image?  I must confess, it is not my first thought, yet what a powerful default mental image to conjure.  I suppose there are times in exuberant worship I have thought of Jesus like this, but not often enough.

What a beautiful image to create with his words to contrast the treatment He deserved with the treatment He received.  I want to come back to this image in my mind so as to cultivate a loftier view of Jesus in the days ahead.  I am thankful to Watts for using it, and maybe even creating it, but am far more thankful to Jesus for being it, yet humbling Himself to the point of death, even death on a cross.

Though I want to imagine Jesus like this more often, I do not want to lose another way of viewing Him that I often return to, which allows me to rightly see so many other things.

Backdrop of the Cross

Though the wonder and grandeur of the person of Jesus Christ and His unparalleled work on the cross  are remarkable in and of themselves, I think it is imperative that we also learn to see all of life through another lens.

“I always view my circumstances against the backdrop of the cross, where God demonstrated once and for all His deep love for me.”  Henry Blackaby, Experiencing God

For years I have returned to this practice to help contextualize things I have faced.  What Blackaby is encouraging here is the development of the ability or discipline to see everything, or better yet, interpret everything in light of the reality of the cross of Jesus Christ.  The cross changed the course of human history so it certainly has implications on the circumstances of my life.

Gains as Losses

The Christian Life is full of paradoxes.

  • die to live
  • give to receive
  • love your enemies
  • gains as losses

When I see the cross accurately for what it represents, the love of God on full display, I am left with little choice but to consider my “richest gains” as loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ.  But how do I do that practically?

When something is valuable to you, you treat it as such.  You protect it.  Defend it.  Spend time just thinking about it.  When we esteem to0 highly any of our gains, things we have earned or maybe simply been given, things can get out of balance.  It is not long before other things of value in our lives suffer from our inability to maintain a healthy perspective.

Ridiculous example.  Netflix and sleep.  Many of us have shows we like to watch.  Sometimes we stay up later than we should to enjoy another episode.  We let our desire to be entertained outweigh other things of value, namely in our example, sleep.  Yes, I have been guilty of this in case you are wondering.  I know it is a silly example, but hopefully it illustrates the danger, and the opportunity.

What gains, or things of value, might it profit you to consider as loss?  Maybe it’s another Netflix episode.  Maybe is something far more valuable.  Nothing compares with what you will actually gain by considering those things rightly.  Oh for the ability to survey the cross like that. Holy Spirit, help us.

Jesus, thank You laying down Your life on the cross.  It is wonderful indeed, and I know that full well.  But I long to know it more.  Help me to think rightly of the gains in my life, and to even consider them as losses, if that means I will now You more. In Jesus name.   Amen.

Joyful Thinking!

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Subscribers enjoy this podcast! Everyone else, the transcript below.

Podcast 4.1 Transcript

Welcome to Thursday Thoughts at Resonant 7, where we reflect on the reality of God and resolve to let it resound in our lives, repeatedly. Let’s think about this.

When I survey the wondrous cross

1 Corinthians 1:18 ESV

For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

How wondrous to see the cross of Jesus Christ for what it truly is, a symbol of His love for us.  Once it was folly to you, but now the power of God. Thank Jesus for giving you eyes of faith to not only see, but rightly appraise the value of His cross.

 On which the Prince of glory died,

Philippians 2:6-8 ESV

though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

Jesus had to condescend so far just to become like us, because He was after all the Prince of glory.  But His humbling did not stop there. The Ever-Living God died for us. Our minds can barely conceive the wonder of His love.  Thank Him for dying for you.

My richest gain I count but loss,

Philippians 3:8 ESV

Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ

So whatever was to my profit or gain I consider as loss that I may know Christ.  Ask Him to help you rightly value your accomplishments, and His.

 And pour contempt on all my pride.

Proverbs 11:2 ESV

When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with the humble is wisdom.

Oh that we would routinely see our pride with scorn, as opposed to defending it.  Pride is disgraceful, but never more clearly than when juxtaposed with the humility of Christ.  Ask the Holy Spirit to help you acknowledge and deal with your pride.

Take a few moments to talk to Jesus about what has come to your mind, or listen to what He is saying to you, then I will read our text once more.

When I survey the wondrous cross
   On which the Prince of glory died,
My richest gain I count but loss,
   And pour contempt on all my pride.

Take the mindfulness of God’s presence cultivated in these last few minutes into the next ones and beyond.  Until next time, be Resonant.

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Who, and Where, Are the Saints of God?

Glory, Praise and Love

Glory to God, and praise and love,
Be ever, ever given;
By saints below and saints above,
The Church in earth and heaven.

O For a Thousand Tongues to Sing
By: Charles Wesley, 1707-1788

Listen as you read.  This is a nice instrumental version.

The first two lines of this stanza instruct “what” must be done and “when”.  We examined those in our last Tuning, which you can find here.  The final two lines tell us “who” should be doing it and “where”.  Let’s think about this.

God’s Saints are the Church His Body

In some measure we might look at the first two lines as the qualifiers of who the saints actually are.  Those who eternally give God glory, praise and love are His saints.  But we should also consider what the Bible has to say about who the saints of God are.

There are many passages that speak of the saints in both the Old and New Testaments, and though our context here does not provide time to do an exhaustive study, let’s look at one from near the end of the book.

Revelation 14:12 Christian Standard Bible (CSB)

“…the saints, who keep God’s commands and their faith in Jesus.”

So there are at least two characteristics.

  1. Faith in Jesus
  2. Obedience

There are many who would give intellectual ascent to having some trust in Jesus but have no evidence of working that out in their daily living.

The Church on Earth

Saints Below

Giving God glory, praise and honor. This is our work now. Not going to church as the image might imply, but being the Church, the hands and feet of Jesus to one another and the world around us.

When you think of the Church, not your church or a church, but THE Church, what comes to mind?  Corporate gatherings like this one?  People offering songs of praise to God?  I would imagine it includes those things, but hopefully it is a lot more.

I am part of a missions movement that has kept my eyes beyond my local body with some success over the years, but even still, I long to find ways to celebrate the incredible, beautiful, diverse yet unified body we are!  I want to continue to get a taste of what heaven is and will be like, even before I get there.

Singers Together

Diversity is a word that is thrown around a lot today, but in the last few months I have had a taste of it that stoked my desire for more.  The experience was an opportunity to bring some differing cultural expressions together in a way that esteemed them both.  The admiration and love that flowed from some music offering God praise was undoubtedly a small taste of what our God has in store for us when He gathers all the saints together around the throne.  I am humbled to have been a part of something so wonderful and can hardly wait to experience it again, even before I join the…

Saints Above

Giving God glory, praise and honor. This is currently the work of the saints of God who have gone before and will be our work eternally when we join them there.

When you think about the “saints above”, what comes to mind?  Think about for just a moment…

If your eyes tracked ahead at all you may have seen this image.  I tried to find a good artists’ rendering that captured my sense of what that might look like and none represented the incredible differences that will make up that throng around the throne.  They tended to be a single large group gathered around our Lord shrouded in clouds and brilliant glory.

While I could appreciate that concept, because we are indeed one in our Lord, the diversity that will be reflected within that unity was not rendered in anything I could find.  Instead I offer this image.

Though it would take a thousand to truly begin to scratch the surface of the efficacy of Christ’s sacrifice on the peoples of the earth, this one gives enough material for the question I will ask, and the exercise I want to offer.

Look at a few of those faces.  Identify a few that are different from you, whatever that means.  Question:  Is your concept of the saints above expansive enough to include that face?  Exercise:  Will you ask God to expand your capacity for the saints above to match His?  While I realize such an exercise could cause your mind to melt, I think it is a worthwhile one.  Why?  Because I believe it will enable you to give even more glory, praise and love to Him who not only gave a tongue to sing…but everyone one of them as well.

Let’s make the most of it, here and now, then and there!

 

Jesus, thank you for giving me a tongue to offer You glory and praise, and a life to offer You love.  Thank You for granting me the privilege of becoming one of the saints, redeemed by Your blood.  Stir my longing for that great worshipful throng, even as I enjoy the ones I come across here. Glory to Your Name.  Amen

Joyful Thinking!

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Subscribers enjoy this podcast! Everyone else, the transcript below.

Podcast 3.5 Transcript

Welcome to Thursday Thoughts at Resonant 7, where we reflect on the reality of God and resolve to let it resound in our lives, repeatedly. Let’s think about this.

Glory to God, and praise and love,

Revelation 4:11 ESV

“Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.”

This view of the worship around God’s throne is an invitation for us to join that praise now, even as we prepare for it and long to join it in heaven one day.  He is worthy. Will you lift your voice and your life in praise today?

  Be ever, ever given;

Psalm 86:12 ESV

I give thanks to you, O Lord my God, with my whole heart, and I will glorify your name forever.

From Revelation and the end of time, back to the ancient worship book of the Hebrew people, the eternal call to worship resounds continually.  Forever and ever He is worthy of glory. Determine to continually find a way to be a part of the praise.

By saints below and saints above,

Psalm 30:4 ESV

Sing praises to the Lord, O you his saints, and give thanks to his holy name.

Not only is He worthy at all times, but also in all places.  Across all time and space the saints of God, those redeemed by their trust in Him, have been, are, and will be giving Him praise.  Thank Him that you get to be a part of that.

  The Church in earth and heaven.

1 Corinthians 1:2 ESV

To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints together with all those who in every place call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours:

What an incredible, beautiful, diverse, unified body we are!  Sanctified means set apart as holy. Not because of anything we have done, but solely because of what Jesus has done, we are the Church.  O, we have a thousand tongues, and far more, to sing our Great Redeemer’s praise! Hallelujah!

Take a few moments to talk to Jesus about what has come to your mind, or just listen to what He is saying to you, then I will read our text once more.

Glory to God, and praise and love,
Be ever, ever given;
By saints below and saints above,
The Church in earth and heaven.

Take the mindfulness of God’s presence cultivated in these last few minutes into the next ones and beyond.  Until next time, be Resonant.

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A Thousand Tongues, and Then Some

My gracious Master and my God,
Assist me to proclaim,
To spread through all the world abroad
The honors of Thy name.

O For a Thousand Tongues to Sing
By: Charles Wesley, 1707-1788

Listen as you read.  This version features the tune that is more often used in the UK.

All the World

What a wonderful world!  But a world that desperately needs to hear the name of Jesus.  And not only the world in general, but all the people of the world; every nation, tribe, people and tongue.  Revelation 7:9 gives us a glimpse of the future when our mission is complete describing the scene this way.

A Great Multitude from Every Nation

After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands,

Bringing that day about is going to require an incredible amount of work.  The awareness of that ignites this beautiful and powerful prayer. Having every language represented at that final celebration is our Lord’s desire.  Being a part of making it happen is our privilege and responsibility.

Hello Wordle

Every Language

If we want to truly spread through all the earth abroad the honors of the name of Jesus, and we certainly should, we are going to need the ability to speak in the heart language of all the people on the planet.  Learning to say “Hello” is a start, but it is going to take a lot more than that.  To communicate such important news, and to do so in a way that communicates deeply God’s love to every tribe, and nation and language, we must learn and use every language.  Just how daunting a task is this?

In 1911 (11th edition) Encyclopedia Britannica implies a figure of around 1,000 languages.  It is interesting to think Wesley, as best as he knew, could have been asking for enough different languages (1000 tongues) to be able to cover every soul on the planet, ensuring they could hear the name of Jesus and His Good News in their native tongue.  That estimate has continued to grow steadily over the last hundred years and now sits at over 6,900 distinct languages.  So you see pretty quickly it is a good idea for God’s people to ask for His assistance on this one.

Compelled

If the honors of the name of Jesus were not enough to compel us, and they certainly are, there is another motivation for the prayer.  Jesus issued the Great Commission in Matthew 28:18-20.

And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

If you are going to make disciples, not just converts, you are going to have to walk along with someone for some time.  Teaching someone to observe all that Jesus has commanded us does not happen overnight, or with a handbook of local phrases.  It will require a tremendous investment.

What’s Your Part?

For years I have thought of my part of the Great Commission in terms of four words:

  • Pray
  • Give
  • Go
  • Send

Each of them is self-explanatory.  Each of us must find some combination of these different pursuits as we respond to Jesus’ command to “make disciples”.  I like the other words this image adds.

  • Learn – we must understand that we are called to do this.
  • Welcome – the nations have come to our neighborhoods, so we may not need another language after all.
  • Mobilize – we each must be engaged, even as we set to engage others.

It is such a daunting task, it can immobilize us.  But when we look at it as our shared endeavor, with one another and God, it becomes more manageable.  None of us could ever accomplish it on our own, even if we had a thousand tongues, but together we can hasten that day pictured in Revelation 7:9.  What is your part?

Holy Spirit, show me what my part is in spreading the honors of the name of Jesus.  Inspire me to embrace that part and empower me to do it.  Help me to sing praises, but also to live them out daily, and to find my little part in this huge task.  IN Jesus’ name I pray.  Amen

Joyful Thinking!

Are these thoughts helping you to develop greater spiritual awareness?  Sign-up in the form to the right above to get updates of new tools to help you be Resonant.

Below is content normally available only to Subscribers.  Want to learn more about accessing all the additional material in the Subscriber Content Library, click here.  Or check out other some samples at our Free Member Content Library.  We have lots of tools and lots of options designed to help you be Resonant!  Check them out today!!

EVERYONE, enjoy this podcast and the transcript below!

Podcast 3.4 Transcript

Welcome to Thursday Thoughts at Resonant 7, where we reflect on the reality of God and resolve to let it resound in our lives, repeatedly. Let’s think about this.

My gracious Master and my God,

Ephesians 2:10 ESV

For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

Acknowledging Him as Master implies not only that He is in charge, but also that it is likely He has work for us to do.  This Scripture bears that our plainly. Our Master and our God graciously invites us to be His, and to do good works. Ask Him what He has for you to do today.

 Assist me to proclaim,

John 14:26 ESV

But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.

Here Jesus promises that the Holy Spirit, our Helper, will indeed assist us in our efforts to speak the marvelous mysteries of our God and His Kingdom. We can ask with confidence when we already know our Lord has promised to answer.  Ask for that help now, and then again any time you need it.

To spread through all the earth abroad

Matthew 28:18-19a ESV

And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations,

Again we find ourselves asking for something the Lord has commanded us and given us the authority to do.  While we should be a part of this work locally, we must find some expression of it globally as well. After all, how else we will have a thousand tongues to sing.  Ask Jesus to show you how to be a part of raising up a thousand tongues to sing, and more.

 The honors of Thy Name.

Matthew 28:19b-20 ESV / 9 helpful votes

…baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Jesus’ Great Commission continues with a focus on His name, and the teaching that flow from it, before concluding with the promise of His presence.  And what a promise it is. If we have any hope of being a part of something that has been changing the world for 2,000 years, we will absolutely need His presence.  Thank Him that He has promised it to us before we even begin.

Take a few moments to talk to Jesus about what has come to your mind, or just listen to what He is saying to you, then I will read our text once more.

My gracious Master and my God,
Assist me to proclaim,
To spread through all the world abroad
The honors of Thy name.

Take the mindfulness of God’s presence cultivated in these last few minutes into the next ones and beyond.  Until next time, be Resonant.

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Foulest to Faultless

His blood

He breaks the power of cancell’d sin,
  He sets the prisoner free;
His blood can make the foulest clean,
  His blood avail’d for me.

O For a Thousand Tongues to Sing
By: Charles Wesley, 1707-1788

Listen as you read.  This version is by Kaleb Brasse.

The foulest?  Really?

Yep

The prisoner on the cross beside Him is a great example.  Can you see the reflection of Jesus in that drop of blood?  And how about that prisoner of the cross to the right?  Do you recall the story?  Jesus was crucified between two criminals.

You can read the entire account in Luke 23:32-42, but let me draw your attention to the one who rebuked the other for taunting Jesus.  He acknowledged he was being punished justly, getting back what he deserved for the things he had done, while Jesus was innocent.  Then He pleads for mercy, an important concept to grasp when we think about His blood, because it is what keeps us from getting what we deserve.

He requests mercy simply by asking,  “Jesus, remember me when you come into Your kingdom.”  Luke 11:42  After the other criminal ridicules Him for appearing to be powerless to help Himself, the other acknowledges His kingly authority.  He may have been among the foulest, but Jesus promises to make Him flawless by saying, “…today you will be with me in paradise.”

Doesn’t seem fair does it?  A criminal about to die asks for mercy and receives it.  He has no opportunity to earn it, or somehow improve his standing.  It is offered without merit, and solely based on confidence in the One he is asking.

Adolf Hitler

For Comparison

When it comes to our salvation, that seems more fair, right?  I mean, I am not a criminal, and even if you have broken a few laws, you are certainly not guilty of doing anything that would justify being crucified – a terrible, agonizingly slow death, done publicly for the purpose of humiliation.  Maybe you do have a long list of misdemeanors, to go along with your felonies, but at least you are not Adolf Hitler or Charles Manson, right?

There is a problem with this comparison game though.  It simply does not work.  Why? There are no gradients of imperfection.  Anything that is not perfect is equally as imperfect as every other imperfect thing.  So we are all in the same position.  Imperfect, longing to be perfect.  Foul, and needing to be clean.  But this is no news to Jesus.

Good News

Knowing full well none of us possessed the capacity to get clean, Jesus came to provide a way.  As He sat and shared the last meal with His disciples before His crucifixion, Jesus said, “For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.”  Matthew 26:28 Remission is the cancellation of a debt, charge, or penalty.  Jesus knew He was about to shed His blood so the power of sin could be cancelled and we could be set free. 

When even the foulest among us acknowledges the power of His blood to cleanse us, everything changes.  We are forgiven.  Made clean.  Wesley declares “His blood avail’d for me”, which simply means it helped or benefitted me.  Though that is accurate, it seems like a gross understatement.  At the same time, it is a fact.  His blood did help me, and everyone else who ever asked, or will.

It makes me think of this powerful quote of Corrie Ten Boom.  “There is no pit so deep, that God’s love is not deeper still.”  You can not be so foul that you get beyond God’s ability to make you clean.  Think about it.  He cancels sin and its power.  He set the prisoner free.  His blood cleanses the Foulest among us, which is really good news because not one of us is very far off from that moniker.  In its place He gives us a new title, Faultless.  Thanks be to God for His deep, deep love.

Jesus, when I think of Your blood shed for me, I am humbled.  I did not deserve it yet You freely gave it.  Aware of how unworthy I am, there have been moments when I have struggled to believe Your blood could help me.  Forgive me Lord for ever doubting that You could make me clean.  I do believe, and that believe leads me to praise You again today, for my new standing and my new title.  Thank you Jesus!

Joyful Thinking!

Are these thoughts helping you to develop greater spiritual awareness?  Sign-up in the form to the right above to get updates of new tools to help you be Resonant.

Below is content available only to Subscribers.  Want to learn more about accessing all the additional material in the Subscriber Content Library, click here.  Or check out some samples at our Free Member Content Library.  We have lots of tools and lots of options designed to help you be Resonant!  Check them out today!!

Subscribers enjoy this podcast! Everyone else, the transcript below.

Podcast 3.3 Transcript

Welcome to Thursday Thoughts at Resonant 7, where we reflect on the reality of God and resolve to let it resound in our lives, repeatedly. Let’s think about this.

He breaks the power of cancell’d sin,

Hebrews 2:17 ESV

Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.

Propitiation is to atone.  He atoned for sins, making us at one with God, having formerly been separated by our sin.  Jesus did this when He willingly laid down his perfect life. Praise Jesus for breaking the power of sin.

  He sets the prisoner free;

Isaiah 61:1 ESV

The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound;

Jesus read these words in the synagogue as He began His ministry, and pronounced they were fulfilled.  Do you see yourself in this list: Poor, brokenhearted, captive, imprisoned? Thank Jesus that He was anointed to change our circumstances.

His blood can make the foulest clean,

Ephesians 2:13 ESV 

But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

Jesus taught he who has been forgiven much, loves much.  Paul called himself the foremost among sinners. Do you remember how “far off” you were?  Ponder that for a moment, and then thank Jesus for cleansing you with His blood so you could be brought near.

  His blood avail’d for me.

Romans 5:9 ESV

Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God.

Availed means to help or benefit.  What an understatement in describing what Jesus’ blood did for us.  Justification has been explained as being made “just-as-if” you had never sinned.  I needed a lot of help to look like that, and you did too. Thank Jesus.

Take a few moments to talk to Jesus about what has come to your mind, or just listen to what He is saying to you, then I will read our text once more.

He breaks the power of cancell’d sin,
  He sets the prisoner free;
His blood can make the foulest clean,
  His blood avail’d for me.

Take the mindfulness of God’s presence cultivated in these last few minutes into the next ones and beyond.  Until next time, be Resonant.

 

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Do Fears Have Ears?

Snake Charmer

Jesus! the Name that charms our fears,
  That bids our sorrows cease;
‘Tis music in the sinner’s ears,
  ‘Tis life, and health, and peace.

O For a Thousand Tongues to Sing
By: Charles Wesley, 1707-1788

Listen as you read.  This version is from Tyler Andrews.

Little strikes more fear in many people’s hearts than the very sight of a snake.  When they consider the prospect of sitting in front of one in at attempt to charm it like it is done in India, for example, their pulse increases, their palms become sweaty, and they all but pass out.  And for good reason.  Snakes can be very dangerous.

When we learn a little more about these street performers, we learn that for many of them the fangs have been removed, or the lips sewn shut.  Changes the game a bit.  But I am still pretty certain I remain uninterested in trying it.

Jesus, the Fear Charmer

When I first head these words years ago, I think I mistakenly thought the phrase here was “calms our fears” which actually also makes sense.   But frankly it is not nearly as profound as the statement that Jesus charms, or controls, our fears.  The meaning here implies to control or achieve as if by magic.  While Jesus uses no magic when He deals with our fears, there is absolutely something supernatural that occurs.  It is a powerful image, this one of Jesus being in control of our fears as they raise their terrible heads in our lives.  Reminds me of the disciples in the midst of the storm…

Jesus Calms the Storm

Mark 4:35-41 tells of the storm that was inducing fear in the disciples.  The threat was so real they thought they might lose their lives, but Jesus had slept through it all.  What an interesting commentary on His apparent lack of concern.  How we often mistake Jesus’ lack of intervention for lack of care, when He might be simply waiting for us to ask.

When the disciples finally wake Him and ask Him if He cares, not to calm the storm mind you, Jesus charms, or calms, the storm with “Peace!  Be Still!”  Wow!  Do you believe that happened?  Do you believe Jesus can speak with the same authority into your lives?  Or are you quietly convinced He does not care about the situation you are in the middle of, or the fear it is evoking in you?

Jesus cares and He wants to convince you of that.  Ask Him to speak “Peace! Be Still!” over the snake/fear that is raising it’s head in your life.  His statement may have a more profound effect on your heart that the situation, but either way, He will charm that fear.  What’s stopping you from asking?  Thankfully, Jesus often does wait for us to ask, but simply has compassion on us, like the widow who had lost her son in Luke 7:11-17.

Jesus Encounters Funeral Procession

Jesus the Sorrow “Ceaser”

Not Caeser, but Ceaser.  Yes, I made that up, but you see what I did there don’t you?  Jesus is an autocrat, having absolute power over even our sorrows, but rather than demanding they cease, He sometimes bids them to cease by inviting us into a different response as He demonstrates His ability to cease their cause.

In the Luke passage above, Jesus comes across a funeral procession.  The dead man is the only son of the widow in the passage.  When Jesus sees her, He has compassion on her, and invites her, “Do not weep” before He has done anything to change the circumstance.

Do you ever wonder how much time passes between the line of Scripture sometimes?  The very next line tells us “Then Jesus…”  The time between “Do not weep” and “Then Jesus…” is an unknown.  Inject yourself into that gap, because truth be told, you have actually found yourself there many times without knowing it.

Jesus Raises the Widows’ Son

Jesus was speaking “Do not weep” into your soul, He was bidding your sorrows to cease.  There are seemingly competing definitions of “bid”, with one being command, and another invite.  I believe both were active in those moments for you, for me, for the widow.  Jesus was commanding sorrow to cease, and inviting her, and us, into that reality in our experience.  I do not think she needed much convincing as her son sat up and she held his face tenderly in her hands.

What sorrows is Jesus bidding to cease for you today?  Do you need convincing?  Thank Him that there are times when you do not even ask, and He is already bidding.

Do Fears, or Sorrows, Have Ears?

Did you know that even though snakes can sense sound, they lack the outer ear that would allow them to hear the music of the charmer?  Instead they follow the movements of instrument and charmer considering them a threat, and responding to them as a predator.  Fears and sorrows do not have ears either.  Instead they follow the direction of the Jesus, and respond to Him as One with power over them.  With that in mind, let them respond accordingly, and you determine to do the same.  

You have the advantage of being able to hear the name of Jesus.  Let it be music in your ears.  Music which stills fears and sorrows delivers life and health and peace.

Jesus, charm my fears and bids my sorrows cease, until the music of Your matchless name ushers a wave of life and health and peace into my beleaguered soul.  Help me to realize You have already accomplished all this and I simply need to believe.  

Joyful Thinking!

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Subscribers enjoy this podcast! Everyone else, the transcript below.

Podcast 3.2 Transcript

Welcome to Thursday Thoughts at Resonant 7, where we reflect on the reality of God and resolve to let it resound in our lives, repeatedly. Let’s think about this.

Jesus! the Name that charms our fears,

Matthew 8:26ESV

And (Jesus) said to them, “Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?” Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm.

The disciples found themselves in a storm that was threatening to swamp their little boat, all the while Jesus was asleep.  When they woke Him, He spoke to the winds and they obeyed. What storm are you facing today that you need to see Jesus calm?  Will you give Him your fears to charm?

  That bids our sorrows cease;

Luke 7:13ESV

And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her and said to her, “Do not weep.”

Jesus spoke these words to a widow whose only son has just died.  Might seem strange if we did not read the next lines which tell us Jesus raises her son back to life.  He still has that kind of authority today. In our sorrows, He invites us to trust Him and His purposes.  What sorrows might Jesus be inviting you to cease today?

‘Tis music in the sinner’s ears,

Mark 2:17ESV

…Jesus…said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”

And how glad we are that He did!  So glad that it is as if His name were actually music in our ears.  Can you remember the first time you understood the significance of Jesus name’ and all that it accomplishes?  Give Him praise for making a house call so you, sin sick as you were, could have your heart healed.

  ‘Tis life, and health, and peace.

John 16:33ESV

I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

Peace is not the absence of fear or sorrow, peace is the presence of God. He is with us and in His name we find everything we need. Thank Jesus that you can find life and health and peace in Him even when the things in your world may be sick and dying and troubled.

Take a few moments to talk to Jesus about what has come to your mind, or just listen to what He is saying to you, then I will read our text once more.

Jesus! the Name that charms our fears,
  That bids our sorrows cease;
‘Tis music in the sinner’s ears,
  ‘Tis life, and health, and peace.

Take the mindfulness of God’s presence cultivated in these last few minutes into the next ones and beyond.  Until next time, be Resonant.

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