“Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing. (Luke 13:34)

HOW OFTEN HAS GOD LONGED TO PROVIDE FOR US—

AND WE WOULD NOT LET HIM.

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Family photos. Memories that become more precious over time. The father with his children, the grandkids with grandma, little brother and big sister together. Finally, the adult son with his mother, a special moment—until the grandson runs in front of the camera and mischievously smiles. Photobomb! The planned picture is totally changed. We laugh and retake the picture.

But not everything can be so easily redone– without consequences.

Photobombers. Adam and Eve lost Eden. They would not refrain from eating of the Tree of Knowledge—wanting to know what God knew.  The rich young ruler lost the opportunity to follow Jesus and gain eternal life. He would not give up what he valued most—his possessions. The man with the talent buried it and simply returned what the Lord had given him– with no gain, no purpose, no added worth from his labor or investment. He lost the talent and eternity.

How many times have we been the one running in front of God to change the scene, the picture, the moment He had in mind for us? We take charge by our own free will, our own choice, which He has given to each of us. We decide we see a better option, a wiser decision, a better deal. But our choice versus God’s desire for us has no comparison, for “every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, Who does not change like shifting shadows” (James 1:17). In whatever manner we attempt to change what God wants for us, through His purpose for our lives, we can never “outbest” Him. And we risk losing His precious gifts, that picture He wants to take–and give to us.

What we must do is follow and obey Him. Our love for God will lead us to the right path for our lives, to the right decisions, to eternity with Him.

“Whoever has My commands and keeps them is the one who loves Me. The one who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I too will love them and show Myself to them.”  (John 14:21)

He will gather us together, “as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings,” and we will be His forever.

We must be willing.

   Sharon G. Tate (teacherforjesus.com) Meditations on God’s Word

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—

I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference.¹

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Someone once asked me,

“Why do you always insist on taking the hard road?”

I replied, “Why do you assume I see two roads?” ²

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The Lord took one road, one path. It was one that had never been traveled before. Others have tried to follow the path in His footsteps, yet it is still “one less traveled by.”

The path Jesus took: Coming down to earth as a baby. . .          learning to walk as a toddler . . . traveling the road to Jerusalem to sit with the teachers at the temple. . .sinking His footprints in the sand to call out those who would become “fishers of men” (Matthew 4:19) . . .hiking up the mountainside to deliver the Sermon on the Mount to the multitudes . . . going to  Bethany to raise Lazarus from the dead . . .walking the path to Gethsemane, praying there could be another way. . .choosing to follow His Father’s will. . . carrying the cross for us all on the road to Calvary. . .enduring the nails, the thorns, the cross . . . taking on our sins. . . proclaiming, “It is finished.” (John 19:30)

This was the hard road. It was the only road for Christ, in spite of the fact that another path was offered and could have been chosen. Satan’s temptations did not alter His path. At the    Garden of Gethsemane, He still followed the Father’s will. His path led Him to no other direction or outcome but the cross.  And this has made all the difference for you and for me.

To follow Christ, we must follow the hard road. It may take us to those who would betray us. It may lead us to suffering and cruelty. It will direct us to those who would walk with us on this journey. While on this path, we must do as Christ                  commissioned, ^15 “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.” (Mark 16:15)

Choosing the right road, the path of Christ,

does make all the difference.

It is the way to salvation, the path of Christ,

the road to death and back again to life.

¹ Frost, Robert. “The Road Not Taken.” https://www.poets.org

² http://www.wisdomquotesandstories.com

Sharon G. Tate  Meditations on God’s Word

teacherforjesus.com

When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they might go to anoint Jesus’ body. ² Very early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise, they were on their way to the tomb ³ and they asked each other, “Who will roll the stone away from the entrance of the tomb?”

⁴ But when they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had been rolled away. ⁵ As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed.

⁶ “Don’t be alarmed,” he said. “You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him. ⁷ But go, tell his disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.’”

⁸ Trembling and bewildered, the women went out and fled from the tomb. They said nothing to anyone, because they were afraid.          (Mark’s account–verses 16:1-8)

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The Stone: a physical barrier to entrance, 

a spiritual barrier to faith.

                                                      Who will roll away the stone?

The women could not enter the tomb until the great stone was removed from the entrance. It was an impediment to their purpose, they couldn’t move it themselves, and it blocked their view to what lay on the other side. They were worried about something God had already removed for them. They just needed to “look up” to see that their path was open and clear. Still, the women did not recognize it was God who had rolled away this physical barrier which now allowed them entrance and opportunity to remove the spiritual barrier of their disbelief.

Upon entering the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in white “and they were alarmed.” The young man told them not to be alarmed, for he had good news to tell them: “He has risen!” This angel from God showed them proof that Jesus was not there: “See the place where they laid Him.” Their physical view was clear now, not blocked by the stone, and the women could not dispute what their eyes beheld. Jesus was not there. Only this young man was present, and he was telling them something that, though foretold, they had not quite believed as they had come to anoint the body of Jesus, the crucified Christ buried in the tomb, His final resting place. A stone still needed to be rolled away, a spiritual one.

The women were uncertain in their faith. There was still a barrier. The reaction to the young man’s announcement that Jesus had risen and was going ahead of them into Galilee where they would see Him again was shocking. The angel told them to go and tell the good news to the disciples and to Peter. The women left “trembling and bewildered” in flight from the tomb. And, being afraid, “they said nothing to anyone.” They were still uncertain and confused.  No one would believe this. Did they really believe it, even after seeing that Jesus wasn’t there with their own eyes?

Jesus later met Mary Magdalene, rolling away the stone of her questioning belief, and she left to tell the disciples–who did not believe her testimony. Jesus appeared to the eleven disciples and “upbraided them for their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they had not believed those who saw Him after He had risen” (Mark 16: 13).

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Who will roll away our stone?  Our uncertainty, confusion, disbelief, “hardness of heart,” and fear can all be rolled away by faith in the Lord, who goes before us. “The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged” (Deuteronomy 31:8). All impediments to faith are ones God can remove—if we just let Him. Though we have not seen with our own eyes, we can believe those whose testimonies of first-hand witness tell us.

The Good News: JESUS HAS RISEN!

(Sharon G. Tate blog) teacherforjesus.com Meditations on God’s Word

³⁷ And Jesus uttered a loud cry, and breathed His last. ³⁸ And the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. ³⁹ And when the centurion, who stood facing Him, saw that He thus breathed His last, he said, “Truly this man was the Son of God!”   (Mark 15: 33-39)

Breath.  Breathing.  Inhale.                                     Exhale. Breathe.

It isn’t something most people stop to think about. Breathing is just automatic to many. Breath is there.

Breath is life. Without it, like Jesus, we breathe our last and die, ending our mortal lives. But what lives on, that is still breathing life into others around and beyond us? The centurion declared that Jesus must be the Son of God, based on what he saw and heard. What did he do after that? How was he affected and how did he affect others through this testimony? What lived on through spoken words breathed out?

Our lives can be a living, breathing testimony to Christ. When we cease to be in this life and take our last breath, have we thought about what those standing around us will say? What will they utter in small breaths? What will they declare afterward? How will we each yet live and breathe-even after our last breath?

Jesus used the last breaths He had to speak some very important words that yet live and breathe in us:

— Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” And they divided up His clothes by casting lots. (Luke 23:34)

— Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with Me in paradise.” (Luke 23:43)

— ²⁶ When Jesus saw His mother there, and the disciple whom He loved standing nearby, He said to her, “Woman, here is your son,” ²⁷ and to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” From that time on, this disciple took her into his home. (John 19:26-27)

— About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”).  (Matthew 27:46)

— Later, knowing that everything had now been finished, and so that Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, “I am thirsty.” (John 19:28)

— After Jesus had taken the wine, He said, “It is finished.” Then He bowed his head and released His spirit. (John 19:30)

— Then Jesus cried out with a loud voice and said, “Father, into your hands I entrust my spirit.” After He said this, He breathed His last. (Luke 23:46)

Until and after His last breath, Jesus was teaching:

–Forgiveness to enemies, to those who do not come to our defense, to those who walk away.

–The reality of heaven, this prepared place where He will take us home to be with Him eternally.

–Responsibility to care and provide for family, an elder parent.

–The meaning of sin as anguished separation from God.

–Obedience to scripture and God’s Word, to the letter.

–The importance of completing everything God requires.

–That we must–and will—entrust our spirits to God in the end.

Learning in breaths, inhaling. Teaching in breaths, exhaling.

Breathe in the lessons. Breathe out His Words. Share Jesus.  

Will we yet live and breathe—after our last breath?

Sharon G. Tate  teacherforjesus.com Meditations on God’s Word

Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be My disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow Me.” (Matthew 16:24)

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“Gotta go. Love ya.”

 “Love ya back.” Turning.

 “Love ya more.” Waving.

Has the use of the word “love” become more and more casual in our communications?  What have we lost in the translation by possible overuse of this word that may result in the absence of true commitment in relationships?

The Cost of Love in Discipleship

¹² Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” None of the disciples dared ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord.¹³ Jesus came, took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish. ¹⁴ This was now the third time Jesus appeared to His disciples after He was raised from the dead.

¹⁵ When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love Me more than these?”

“Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love You.”

Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.”

¹⁶ Again Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you love Me?”

He answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love You.”

Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.”

¹⁷ The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love Me?”

Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love You.”

Jesus said, “Feed my sheep. ¹⁸ Very truly I tell you, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.” ¹⁹ Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. Then He said to him, “Follow me!” (John 21: 12-19)

Master and disciple

Communicating

Three responses,

In so revealing

Love, Love, Love

Profound Depth

Beneath the words–

Follow The Master

With commitment

In shared sacrifice.

When we say to the Lord, “You know that I love You,”

We must remember His words of commitment,

“Follow me” And what they mean in love to Him.

For the Lord, who asked Peter three times if he loved Him, the meaning meant a deep commitment of sacrifice—even onto death.

 Sharon  G. Tate (teacherforjesus.com

Meditations on God’s Word

²⁰ So Ahab sent to all the people of Israel, and gathered the prophets together at Mount Carmel. ²¹ And Eli′jah came near to all the people, and said, “How long will you go limping with two different opinions? If the Lord is God, follow Him; but if Ba′al, then follow him.”

And the people did not answer him a word. (I Kings 18: 20-21)

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  A lone eagle perched on a dead tree branch. Watching. Looking. How long? To stay and build a nest here. To go and seek a more life-sustaining home. The eagle cannot remain in that stance on the branch. A decision must be made.

Like the eagle, we cannot sit on a branch or straddle a fence and remain there. A choice must be made where we will dwell. Indecision is not an option with God. We are for Him –or we are against Him. “How long will you go limping with two different opinions?”—when you could soar like an eagle.

. . .but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength,
they shall mount up with wings like eagles,
they shall run and not be weary,
they shall walk and not faint.

(Isaiah 40:31)

Willingness to make the choice and commitment  

to follow the Lord.

Christ made the choice and was committed to it throughout His life unto His death. He was not a fence straddler or a branch sitter. He chose. He acted. He committed Himself to the choice of giving us salvation through Him in His act of death on the cross. He was the only One capable of giving us renewed strength to soar above the sin of this world that we might view a higher plane and strive to dwell there.

With the Lord, we will not be limping. Our strength will be renewed. We can soar to new heights of understanding, compassion, and love. We will not be divided internally. Our commitment will result in the resolution to act for Him, to be like Him, to follow only Him.

We will not be the people who “did not answer a word” when asked “how long will you go limping with two different opinions.”  We will answer.  

¹⁴ “Now therefore fear the Lord, and serve Him in sincerity and in faithfulness; put away the gods which your fathers served beyond the River, and in Egypt, and serve the Lord.

¹⁵ And if you be unwilling to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell;

but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”

(Joshua 24:14-15)

Others will see us soar, watch where we land, notice how we build our homes, and observe the way we live our lives in service only to the Lord.

Will they still choose to limp as we soar?

The noncommitted must see the faithful

Live committed lives for Christ,

That they too will choose to answer–

“But as for me and my house,

we will serve the Lord.”

Sharon G. Tate blog   teacherforjesus.com

²³ When they hurled their insults at Him, He did not retaliate; when He suffered, He made no threats. Instead, He entrusted Himself to Him who judges justly. ²⁴ “He himself bore our sins” in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by His wounds you have been healed.” ²⁵ For “you were like sheep going astray,” but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.  (I Peter 2:23-25)

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Healed by pierced hands.

Redeemed in innocent blood.

Eternal life from one death.

Not mine. Not yours. But His.

One man on the cross.

The only begotten Son.

He who had known life with the Father chose to trust God to be the Judge of others who insulted Him, who tortured Him.  The Son did not seek vengeance. Instead, He asked His Father to forgive–

For me. For you.

He who had known life with the Father chose to bear the sins of all humankind.  He carried the weight of guilt, the weight of knowing, the weight of suffering, the weight of sorrow, the weight of horror, the weight of agony, the weight of carnage, the weight of defiled innocence, the weight of darkness, the weight of abandonment by the Father. The Son bore the weight of sin in every form, from all time–

For me. For you

He who had known life with the Father chose death, not a peaceful in-your-sleep slumber from which one does not awaken but a violent death of intense external and internal suffering and anguish–

For me. For you.

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We who have known life on this earth can choose to trust God. We can choose to forgive. We can choose to sacrifice ourselves for others. We can choose to follow Him, the man on the cross, the only begotten Son who gave His life–

For me. For you.

Sharon G. Tate (teacherforjesus.com)

²⁴ “Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.” (Matthew 7:24)

Was it so very long ago . . .

The child in us built sand castles

On the seashores of our youth,

And skipped stones upon water,

Awed at the extending ripples

Growing outward beyond us,

Wondering at their impact–

As sand castles washed away.

How much time do we spend on the shifting foundations we try to build in our adult lives, those “sand castles” that cannot maintain structural integrity—when, instead, we should turn our focus to the ripples that we can extend outward from ourselves to others?

“Skipping stones upon water.”

“That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea.² And great crowds gathered about Him, so that He got into a boat and sat down. And the whole crowd stood on the beach. ³ And He told them many things in parables, saying: ‘A sower went out to sow. ⁴ And as he sowed, some seeds fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them. ⁵ Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and immediately they sprang up, since they had no depth of soil, ⁶ but when the sun rose they were scorched. And since they had no root, they withered away. ⁷ Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. ⁸ Other seeds fell on good soil and produced grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.  ⁹ He who has ears, let him  hear.’ ” (Matthew 13: 1-9)

We do not have Christ directly before us in a boat extending ripples of wisdom outward to us, but we have the Word and the capacity to envision this scene. We have the ears to “hear.” And we have the ability and opportunity to be like Him through the ways we can individually reach out to others and find good soil to plant seeds. Every single person impacted, rippling outward to how many others over time?

The “sand castles” we attempt to build

in this life will not endure.

²⁴ “Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. ²⁵ The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.²⁶ But everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. ²⁷ The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.” (Matthew 7: 24-27)

The foundation from God with Christ as the cornerstone is everlasting. Our focus doesn’t have to be on trying to hold the structure together when winds and rain come. We can, instead, place our time and energy on “skipping stones upon water” to reach outward and beyond self as Christ did during His time on earth.

³ Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, ⁴ not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. ⁵ In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus. (Philippians 2:3-5)

Skipping stones upon water,

Awed at the extending ripples

Growing outward beyond us,

Wondering at their impact—

Building upon the firm Rock

With focus, humility, and love.    

—Sharon G. Tate  (teacherforjesus.com)

“The doorstep to the temple of wisdom is a knowledge of our own ignorance.” ¹

Twitter, Facebook, and other social media or “news” sites offer those with access a platform to express personal “knowledge” and share or declare personal “wisdom” on many subjects and issues. Sometimes, however, these public sites become a stage for expounding untruths that reflect human pride—and human ignorance–not wisdom.  As we approach “the doorstep to the temple of wisdom,” we need to fall prostrate before the One waiting at the door, Who holds the only key to enter. We cannot approach Him with our own agendas, opinions, and limited knowledge with the objective to instruct our Lord on what is wise, for He will ask us: ⁴ “Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation? Tell me, if you understand. ⁵ Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know! Who stretched a measuring line across it? (Job 38:4-5)

What our society desperately needs today is wisdom, which can only come from the ONE true source: GOD.  When we seek His wisdom, we will have the knowledge we need to overcome the struggles, fears, and temptations of this world. We will have the Truth to guide us on the right path.

If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. (James 1:5)

For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.                                     (1 Corinthians 1:25)

When we ask God for wisdom, we will have His support to make the right choices and decisions that honor Him. He, in turn, will bless us: “To the person who pleases Him, God gives wisdom, knowledge and happiness, but to the sinner He gives the task of gathering and storing up wealth to hand it over to the one who pleases God. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.” (Ecclesiastes 2:26)”

Paul tells us, through the Corinthian letter, that Christ is the way to find the treasures of wisdom and knowledge:

^“2My goal is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, ³ in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. ” (Colossians 2:2-3)

As Christ is without sin, the wisdom from God is 100% pure and true, freeing us from greed, covetousness, power-driven desires, arrogance, pride, and self. How different the world would be if we all sought the wisdom of God and practiced what we learned from the Master Teacher.

But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. (James 3:17)

Oh, the riches we gain from the asking, the receiving, and the gifting of wisdom from our God:

¹³ Blessed are those who find wisdom,
    those who gain understanding,
¹⁴ for she is more profitable than silver
    and yields better returns than gold.
¹⁵ She is more precious than rubies;
    nothing you desire can compare with her.

(Proverbs 3:13-15)

In a world of folly and foolishness, greed and avarice, pride and selfishness, let us remember our Father, who will bequeath His legacy of a pure, true wisdom to us, His children, when we seek Him and call upon Him to help us through this life in order that we may enter His holy temple.

¹ Benjamin Franklin. brainyquote.com

(Sharon G. Tate blog / teacherforjesus.com                                    Meditations on God’s Word)