According to His great mercy, He has given us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that is imperishable, uncorrupted, and unfading, kept in heaven for you. 1 Peter 1:3-4
Sacred Assembly. Time of Confession. My mind and heart rewind to a place where I am broken hearted. Failed. Drowning. Helpless. Up against the wall. Sick. We've all been there in some form or fashion. 2009 was a desperate time for me. And yet out of pain comes healing. Even joy. New life.
The highlight of 2009 was the baby we prayed for, who came mid-crisis and mid-year. Savannah - "treeless plain" unintentionally describing our barren table when she arrived that year. Middle name after her Momma's - Joy. The hope for joy around the corner.
Rewind 35 years more - I am born third generation Seventh-Day Adventist. My own strong Momma who carries Joy in her name, ensures that I am raised in church and observing every Sabbath for over 18 years. I am baptized at the age of ten. I attend church schools. Unfortunately, it is overall, a joy-less faith for me. Although it did provide Christian values that give me moral ground and conviction in the face of many worldly circumstances. Yet, as I strayed from my Christian tradition in my college years, I always felt there was "something more than this". It would take me many years and heartaches, a marriage, and two children to bring me to the something more. Real Joy.
Back to 2009. I have a friend and former co-worker, who in my estimation, is one of the "best Christian ladies" I have ever known. Not perfect. But, she was unafraid to share her faith and invite me to her church. Yes, I told myself! Church must be where I will find that "missing something" for me and my family. I took my big kid to their community children's events, we visited the worship hour a couple of times. Loved the service, the music, the message. Then, something surprising happened.
I, one who never shied away from a new job, a new opportunity, a fresh start...would not budge from my comfort zone. Of course, at this point, my husband was working many hours and multiple jobs to keep our new "cash only" budget in the black and was not open to attending church regularly. My comfort zone kept me from continuing to attend without him. So, after a few visits, I figured it was back to "church shopping" or sleeping in on Sundays. I'm still a Christian, whether I go to church or not, I told myself and the world. So, why did I still feel so empty?
If there's one thing I have learned, God has a plan. He works this plan out in His own time, His way. I remember a couple of years ago, posting to my social network status: "Doing it my way!" That sure was true, and I sure did fail! I talked about God and Jesus with my big kid, and as she attended church camp and began the school year anew, she told me - "Mom, I don't want to visit any more churches. Mount Zion is my church!" I told her Dad this, and he agreed to give it another chance. We inquired about how to join, so we could be official members. (Remember, we considered ourselves Christians. Even had a membership at another Christian church - in name only. In my mind, if anyone needed "saving"...it was my husband.) Ah, the beauty of His plan unfolds.
Pastor Jeff asked if he could meet with us outside of the church service, because he "likes to really get to know people who join his church". Ouch...comfort zone pain...no like. We agreed to meet with him (just a formality, we told ourselves).
He told us his background as a youth, which included his former tradition - Catholic. Okay, here's somebody we could identify with..."I'm ex-SDA", I say...Husband says his religious background is a confusing mix of "every Christian church his mom visited" and the Jehovah's Witness meetings he was forced to attend every summer with his dad. Top that Mr. Ex-Catholic turned Baptist, we thought. Oh, he did.
We asked questions like: What does it mean to be Baptist? How do you join this church? Can we just get a letter from our old church? Pastor Jeff likes to be sure people in his church understand what being a Christian means. Christian first, Baptist also. God placed my friend in my life to bring me to Mount Zion, a biblically sound church. In this church are people who care about my salvation, like Pastor Jeff and Miss Carol (who took hours of her time to explain to me their children's ministry - very important to my comfort zone). It had to be these people, this church, this day in late September. We had been broken, we had been desperate, and we were now seeking the joy that we saw these people had in their lives!
Here's what Pastor Jeff shared with my husband and myself that day. The three of us in his office. No, make that four of us.
God loves you and wants you to experience peace and life - abundant and eternal. {Rom.5:1, Jn.3:16, Jn.10:10} The problem is our separation from God (all of mankind chooses to go our own willful way). {Rom.3:23, Rom.6:23} People have tried in many ways to bridge this gap between themselves and God. Such as: Good Works, Religion, Philosophy, Morality. <---THIS PART STRUCK A CHORD WITH MY HUSBAND AND ME! {Prov.14:12, Is.59:2} No bridge reaches God - Except One. Jesus Christ died on a cross and rose from the grave. He paid the penalty for all of our sins. Past. Present. Future. He bridged the gap between God and people. {1 Tim.2:5, 1 Peter 3:18, Rom.5:8} We must TRUST Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and receive Him by personal invitation. <---WE TALKED ABOUT THIS LATER AND WE AGREED THAT HE HAD BEEN KNOCKING ON THE DOOR, THIS WAS THE DAY HE OPENED THE DOOR AND SAT DOWN ON THE THRONE IN OUR HEARTS AND LIVES. {Rev.3:20, Jn.1:12, Rom.10:9}
We prayed with the pastor, admitting our need, repenting, believing, trusting, and inviting the fourth "person", the Holy Spirit, to control our lives from this point forward. Amen and Amen. We were baptized on 10/10/10. Our spiritual birthday, the day we entered into a life of Joy.
It is rare for husband and wife to accept Jesus and be saved at the same time. It just usually happens a different points in each person's life. In the months since we were born again, my husband and I have worked out our faith together and I truly believe that "even then, God knew about today". Just as my friend, our pastor, all the people who have already ministered to us in our church were placed in our lives...He brought the two of us together as part of His plan.
There is so much more to the story. If you'll stay with me this Passion Week, I will share more about what Jesus saved me from, how my life is different because of Christ, and the good things the Lord has done for me. As we approach Easter, we will turn to what Jesus' suffering and death on the cross means.
Until then, please consider these scriptures and song lyrics for meditation in your quiet time:
Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. Rom.10:13. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast. Ephesians 2:8-9. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know you have eternal life." 1 John 5:12-13
I’ve found his grace is all complete,
He supplies my every need,
While I sit and learn at Jesus’ feet,
I am free indeed.
What kind of joy is this?
It’s joy unspeakable: all you’ve done for me,
It’s indescribable, just a taste of your glory,
And it’s unnatural not to tell the story of all you’ve given me,
My words are incomplete,
It’s joy unspeakable.
I’ve found the pleasure I once craved,
It’s joy and peace within, within,
What a wondrous blessing,
I am saved from the awful gulf of sin.
It’s joy unspeakable: all you’ve done for me,
It’s indescribable, just a taste of your glory,
It’s unnatural not to tell the story of all you’ve given me,
My words are incomplete.
I’ve found the joy no tongue can tell,
How its waves of glory roll,
It is like an overflowing well,
Springing up within my soul.
It’s joy unspeakable: all you’ve done for me,
It’s indescribable, just a taste of your glory,
And it’s unnatural not to tell the story of all you’ve given me,
My words are incomplete,
It’s joy unspeakable.
Joy unspeakable,
What kind of joy is this?
~Todd Agnew
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