Want "Zoe"?! 3-22-15

“Be very careful how you live, not as unwise but as wise, 

making the most of every opportunity because the days are evil."Eph. 5:15b

This world stage is set.

Batting 1000 (perfect score), God’s perfect word continues to unfold daily.

It is light of these events, we feel prompted to share a more in-depth rendering of John 1: 1-5. Though not flawless in definition, we pray this heartfelt attempt will give us each a small, but more comprehensive understanding of the magnitude of these 5 power packed verses in Scripture. Here goes…

John 1:1-5

1) In the beginning “arche” (origin; the person that commences; principality/magistracy/rule of angels and demons) was the WORD “logos” (divine embodiment of wisdom, power, declaration, and administration of all aspects of the universe through all time) and the Word “logos” was with God “theos” (the Trinity), and the Word “logos” was God “theos” (the Trinity).

2) The same was in the beginning with God.

(“Houtos” (this, these) was in the beginning “arche” (origin; principality/rule of angels and demons) with God “theos” (the Trinity)).

3) All things “pas” (collectively and individually) were made “ginomai” (came into existence; came upon the stage; appear in history) by “dia” (the ground or reason by which something is or is not done; on account of; by reason of) Him and without Him was not anything made “ginomai” (came upon the stage or into existence) that was made “ginomai”.

4) In Him was life “zoe” (absolute fullness of life, essential, ethical and genuine; vigorous blessed life devoted to God). And this life “zoe” was the light “phos” (emitted light; spiritual purity of truth and knowledge; the power of understanding) of men.

5) And the light “phos” (heavenly brightness; spiritual purity of truth and knowledge; the power of understanding; God’s light) shines “phaino” (brings forth light; be bright or resplendent; to become evident/clear; come to view/appear) in the darkness “skotia” (ignorance of divine things and its associated wickedness and the resultant misery in hell) and the darkness “skotia” did not comprehend “katalambano” (to lay hold of so as to make one’s own; to take into one’s self; to perceive, understand) the light.

God warns that wickedness will continue to increase, the love of most will grow cold, yet men are without excuse in knowing Him. (Matt. 24:12; Rom. 1:30)

“Since the creation of the world, God’s invisible qualities –His eternal power and divine nature- have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made

so that men are without excuse.” Rom. 1:30

May we stand strong in Love. He is coming soon.       
~Big hugs, Shaun and Betsy

God Displayed in my Life? 2-26-15

“This happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life.” Jn. 9:3

Crisis reveals character.  Crisis molds character.

~What kind of character? This is up to the individual in crisis.

We’ve heard the saying “trials make us better or bitter.” Either we learn to use the adversity to grow stronger, or we allow the crisis to weaken us.

Bad things happen to all of God’s kids.

Some trials come to us regardless of any conscious action on our part where we may bear no responsibility at all. Others are the result of our proximity to loved ones in trial (hurt when loved ones hurt). Still others are the result of our own misgivings.

Regardless of the “why”, once amidst the trial, we have personal choices to make. No matter how large the trial (ISIS terror) or small (traffic), our responses are up to us.

Jesus gives us this promise:

“I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have peace.

In this world you will have trouble.

But take heart! I have overcome the world.” Jn. 16:33

A couple of non-graphic video clips were sent to us this week:

http://youtu.be/Wsxw_x4HIC4

http://youtu.be/-yCmnyzYeW8

Here, both Myriam and Beshir are allowing crisis to mold them into better and stronger children of the Lord. Amen.

What trial do you find yourself amidst today?

Amidst the personal trial we Cleary’s have been navigating, we continue to beg God: 1) show us what’s “actually going on” versus merely what we are perceiving

2) show us where we can grow, change and mature

3) give us the ongoing desire and strength to change and mature

4) help us see people and circumstances through His eyes

5) respond in love and understanding even when we are wronged

6) wholeheartedly trust the Lord and embrace what God is allowing

“Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” Jms. 1:2-4

Much love and hugs this week!

Shaun and Betsy

Shirt off His Back, Cross off Her Neck 1-22-15

“Do not merely look out for your own personal interests,but also for the interests of others.” 

Phil. 2:4

We’ve all heard of the cliché, “Give the shirt off your back.” The dictionary tells us its connotation: First recorded in 1771, this idiom means in an act of self-sacrifice, to give anything one possesses in order to help another in need.

Well, while in Costco last week, after complimenting a woman’s necklace, in a gesture of complete altruism, Betsy was “given the cross off her neck.” Not the shirt off her back, but her cross necklace off her neck! Wow.  What this woman didn’t know was the heartbreaking phone call Betsy had received a couple hours prior. Acting on news unbeknownst to her, in divinely orchestrated timing, this saint came to the aide of Betsy’s aching heart with a symbol of a cross… God’s message to Betsy saying, “I am in complete control, trust Me.”

S. Harris shares this equation: Self-sufficiency is the opposite of Christian faith; self-will is the opposite of Christian submission; self-seeking is the opposite of Christian compassion, and self-righteousness is the opposite of Christian humility and reverence. ~Last week in Costco, amidst a world entrenched in “I am most important” mentality, the opposite occurred…the essence of Christian love was refreshingly exemplified to all onlookers by this virtuous woman. Our Lord smiles.

“Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth.”

1 Jn.3: 18

“You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.

Though He was God,

He did not think of equality with God

as something to cling to.

Instead, He gave up His divine privileges;

He took the humble position of a slave

and was born as a human being.

When He appeared in human form,

He humbled himself in obedience to God

and died a criminal’s death on a cross.

Therefore, God elevated Him to the place of highest honor

and gave Him the name above all other names,

that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,

in heaven and on earth and under the earth,

and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,

to the glory of God the Father.”  Phil. 2: 5-11

Today, may we live out the heart of Christ with the breath of our lives.

Much love and hugs,

Shaun and Betsy

Broken, but Not Crushed 1-8-15

“I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.” Phil. 3:12

Broken, but not crushed.

As we enter this New Year and reflect on time gone by, good and difficult memories intermingle, creating a myriad of emotions within. The particular emotions and memories that “stick”, however, are the ones to which we place our focus.

On what memories are we going to choose to focus our thoughts?

Personal story: After unpacking from a recent family trip, we were unable to locate our camera. This particular Cleary adventure had been a mixture of both wonderful memories and broken dreams. Longer story short, our camera was found in a parking lot, broken, but not crushed.

~We find this broken camera “picture” analogous to events and relationships in so many of our lives.

Our camera, which had recorded pictures of all of our precious memories, was nearly lost/destroyed. Yet, despite the odds, the camera was both found and in tact enough to recover our good memories captured within its images.

Over time, as we focused on these captured images of joy, we healed and moved on from broken dream imagery, as God filled us with new dreams of hope and purpose.

We found like Paul: “One thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward

what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which

God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” Phil. 3:13-14

Our minds, like cameras, contain captured images. It’s a matter of choice and discipline which images we choose to place our focus. Likened to Samuel with God in 1 Sam. 15:35-16:1, there is a time to grieve/mourn alongside God. ~Then, there comes a time to move on. In 1 Sam. 16:1, the mourning period came to a close when God came to Samuel saying, “How long will you mourn?...Fill your horn (picture of authority) with oil (picture of anointing) and be on your way to the place I am sending you.” And God’s pattern is the same with His beloved today: there’s a time to mourn, then a time to move on in our Eph. 1:10 promise, “We are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

May we embrace all that He has for us in 2015 and refuse to allow negative memories to permeate and control us. Amen.

Much love and hugs,

Shaun and Betsy

“We have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you (“pleroo” meaning to be totally controlled by) with the knowledge of His will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding.” 

Col. 1:9

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all of our friends and family. Your lives bless us beyond measure and we are so very thankful for you! Much love and big hugs  ~ Shaun and Betsy

Own Independent Way: The Hard Way 12-9-14

“Where no counsel is, the people fall: but

in the multitude of counselors there is safety.” Prv.11:14

“Without counsel purposes are disappointed: but

in the multitude of counselors they are established.” Prv.15:22

Hasty decision-making and overexposure to worldly advice and can lead one astray. “Cease listening to discipline, and you will stray from the words of knowledge.” Pv 19:27

(Knowledge: da’ath means discernment, understanding, wisdom)

Do you know anyone wrestling with this right now? Perhaps your “boat is rocking” and you, or a loved one, is feeling antsy in decision-making? May we learn to draw our security from the great stabilizers: Jesus, His Word, His Spirit in us, and His counsel through God-honoring counselors.  His discernment (or the lack of it) can make the difference between success and failure, victory and defeat.

“What sorrow awaits my rebellious children,” declares the Lord.

“You execute a plan, but not Mine, and make an alliance, but not of My Spirit.” Is 30:1 

“Be careful how you walk, not as unwise, but as wise.” Eph 5:15 

(Walk: peripateo means to regulate one’s life; Wise: sophos means

forming the best plans and using the best means for their execution.)

When we choose to follow our own independent way, are taking the hard way.

“Where no counsel is, the people fall: but

in the multitude of counselors there is safety.” Prv.11:14

“The rebellious dwell in a parched land.” Ps 68:6b

(2 biblical examples from Moses and King Josiah of Judah: In Ex 2:11-14, Moses, acted in haste and made a serious blunder, which in turn caused his reputation to be discredited and forced him to flee his home in Egypt. And in 2 Chr 35:22-24a, against God’s wishes, King Josiah insisted fighting a battle which in turn cost his life.)

This said, there are times when the Lord prompts us to act quickly.

(2 biblical examples from Abram and Paul: In Gen. 12:1 God tells Abram to without delay, leave his native country with his family and go to the land God would show him.

And in Acts 22:17-18 God prompts Paul to quickly flee Jerusalem.)

Regardless of “haste or no haste”, what matters to God is our submission to His promptings. (Versus following the path of our impulses)

Obedience and submission lead to His absolute best for us. (And “best” sometimes comes in the form of inner forte and divine insight!)

May God richly bless us as we follow His lead this week.

Much love and hugs,

Shaun and Betsy

Dreams, Visions and Re-ordering Relationship

“I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy,

Your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams.”

 Acts 2:17; Joel 2:28

On September 15th, Shaun turned in his “daddy badge”, Betsy turned in her “mommy badge”, and together we closed a treasured chapter of life. With kids out of the house and both pets having died in recent months, we are definitely amidst a season of “re-ordering relationship”. For us, embracing divine change in this season entails a lot of travel.

Just two days ago we experienced a very intriguing commuter plane flight. Shortly after boarding and taxiing off the tarmac, our pilot announced that one of the airplane engines was not functioning, and we’d be pulling back to the gate. Long story short and some time later, we boarded a different aircraft and took our seats, Shaun on the isle and Betsy by the window. (We’ve found our inconveniences are often used for God’s greater glory, so we emotionally “just went with it”. All the while, Betsy was reading Dreams and Visions: Is Jesus Awakening the Muslim World? by Tom Doyle.)

Our first plane wasn’t fully occupied, but the second was at full capacity. Wouldn’t you know, the last man on the plane politely asked (in his Middle Eastern accent) if he could take the only seat remaining…the one between us. With a smile, “of course” was our reply.

Right away, Dreams and Visions caught Farhad’s attention. Having just returned from Tehran, Farhad’d heard stories of “a man in a white robe appearing in dreams”. (Jesus is on the MOVE big time in the Middle East!) Intrigued, Farhad and Betsy conversed as he showed her surprisingly lovely lush photos of his homeland. Their hearts and eyes uttered profound spiritual exchanges, and in the descent to landing, Betsy felt prompted to ask Farhad if he would accept her book as a gift, after all, this book had been a recent gift to her.

Farhad accepted the book, held it to his heart and tenderly uttered, “I will treasure this forever.” Then we prayerfully parted ways. (Betsy inscribed the cover and also wrote down the contact info for two of our Persian friends to whom Jesus appeared in their respective dreams, prompting their conversion from their Muslim faith to boldly following Jesus.)

It’s comforting to know that Farhad is beloved and treasured by Jesus, and that Christ will make Himself known to anyone who genuinely desires to know Him. It’s thrilling to partner with Jesus and watch Him “ooze His love” on precious souls through interaction and prayer.

“The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise, as some understand slowness. Instead He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” 2 Pet. 3:9

Are you experiencing a season of re-ordering relationship? If so, embrace the changes. (And thank goodness we have Jesus to leads us by example…like in Jn. 2:3 when He left the season of being a boy, modified His family relationships and began His public ministry!)

God has magnificent plans for each season of our lives. May we live every moment for Him! 

Much love,  ~Shaun and Betsy