A View From The Sycamore Tree: Introductory Comments on A Book About Jesus

Thursday, December 9, 2010

Introductory Comments on A Book About Jesus

"The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ,
the Son of God..."

(Mark 1:1)

Recently I have found myself with a deeper need to dig into Jesus. (Honestly, God has sort of providentially backed me into the corner of deeper need! OK, so that's a vast understatement.)

In the past month I have truly begun to ask, "Who is this Savior of sinners and do I REALLY know Him or do I just know a decent bit about Him?" In striving to answer the question and answer it well, I found myself drifting to the gospel of Mark. There's a reason for that.

First, Mark is one of the four gospel accounts of the life of Jesus. Seems like one of the four historical gospel books would be a good place for me to start.

Second, Mark is, at least from my readings, a rather unique gospel account. Mark deals not as much with what Jesus says as with what He does - though both are there. Here, my attention is focused more on the works of Jesus though still holding forth the words of Jesus. Here, I am made to gaze upon the Person of Christ - the living, breathing, walking, and working God with us - Jesus!

Mark is not, like Matthew, a book meant to convince us that Jesus is the Messiah promised in the Old Testament. It is not, like John, written to primarily convince us of deep doctrinal truths about Him - though again they are there. To me, Mark seems to be Jesus for the average Joe - and there's a lot of average Joe in me.

Over a month ago I really began to dig into this book and I have not been disappointed in my excavation. I have asked God to introduce me to Jesus, my Savior, through these pages as I have never known Him and I must tell you, I think I am beginning to see Him more clearly than ever before. For years I have viewed Him much more as "Christ" - the theoretical office bearer who died for the sins of the world. Now, I am truly beginning to see Him - through this book - as "Jesus" the Lamb of God who came to take away the sins of Lori.

It is my prayer that as I share some of my personal notes and private lessons learned from Mark's gospel, which is described as "the beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God," that anyone who happens to pop onto the pages of this blog will catch a glimpse of the beauty of Jesus Christ as well.

How thankful I am for the Word of God which points us so poignantly to the Christ of God. Oh to love Jesus more and more - that is my heart's cry. May it be yours as well!

In His glorious grace,
Lori

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Here We Go!

This is a blog about the goodness and grace of God, even amidst the angst of autism.

So ... how did this whole thing start?

Well, I said I'd never do this but obviously here I am. After being challenged, encouraged, goaded and double dog dared, several years ago I began to blog.

Near the end of 2008, I found myself with renewed passion for God's Word, Kingdom, and people and I was stirred, through nothing other than the simple means of grace, to a hunger and thirsting for righteousness unlike any other time in my 20+ years as a Christian.

During that period, I began typing out the things that were striking me the most in my quiet time each morning. Honestly, I started because I wanted to have a written record that I could pass along to my children one day - lettered Ebenezers reminding them of how much their Mom loves God and His Word.

While doing that I found myself so excited on certain days that I began to email my musings to some of my girl friends, hoping to encourage them even as Christ was encouraging me. Many of those gals challenged me to put these things online in a blog form so others could have access to them. That's how this site started.

Now, to shoot really straight with you, that personal "revival" of mine has pendumatically ebbed and flowed over the course of the days, months and years since 2008. For a prolonged period after that initial renewing surge I actually found myself in an utterly antithetical place. God, in His wisdom, was pleased to grant me a substantial season in the dark dungeon of "doubting castle" - those days were some of the hardest of my life post-Jesus but were providentially ordained days ultimately used for my good and for my God's glory.

"Through many dangers, toils, and snares I have already come" by nothing but the amazing grace of an amazing God.

I've learned that even in the midst of the darkest of days there's just something about the light of God's Word that is powerful. The Scripture has been an anchor for me in the storm surge of life. Even when my eyes have seemed to be rather veiled and my vision somewhat dimmed, there has still been a re-focusing force that has risen when I have gazed long and hard upon the Word of God. Thus, even as a saint who struggles, I continue to write of my God, my Redeemer, His promises, and His truth.

I'm not always very regular at posting here because there are many more important duties in my life right now than blog uploads - ie. being wife, mom, housekeeper, cook, taxi service, chief bottle washer, and laundry lady - along with that music thing I do as a side gig! But, as time allows I'll be cutting and pasting from Joshua and Elizabeth's future journal gift and sharing some of it with you as well.

Thanks for stopping by!

Who's Doing This?

Lori Sealy is daily amazed at the grace of God in her life. Adopted as an infant and raised in an evangelical church, she rebelled against the things of Christ during high school and considered herself an atheist. Upon entering college, the God who ordains our steps ordained that her path would cross with several students who loved Christ and loved His Word. During that first year of college, she set out to destroy the faith of these young Christians. They set out to pray for her salvation.

Knowing that "faith comes through hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ," six college students daily confronted her sin and challenged her with the truths of God's glorious Word. Their obedience in proclaiming the good news of the gospel of Christ bore fruit in August of 1988 when by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, she was adopted for the second time in her life - this time into the family of God.

Lori is now the wife of Phillip Sealy. They live in Sylva, North Carolina where Phillip has been called to plant a new church for the Presbyterian Church of America (PCA) - Redeemer Church Sylva. The Sealys have two children Joshua (14) and Elizabeth (12). Lori and Joshua both live with autism.

In her spare time (what little there is) Lori masquerades as a part-time songwriter/singer and performs on a limited monthly basis. Lori's newest CD, "The Strife is Over," has recently released. Hard copies of it, along with her last release "Begone Unbelief", are available through CD Baby and Lori's own website. Digital downloads are available through iTunes, Google Play, and Amazon mp3!

Be sure to visit http://www.lorisealy.com/ to learn more!

Why the Sycamore Tree?

Zaccheus, the wee little man, wanted to see Jesus and so he climbed into the sycamore tree in order to get a good look. Lori, the wee little wife and mom, longs to see Jesus as well. I realize that the place where I will catch a true glimpse of Him is in the pages of His Word.

The Bible is my sycamore tree and I find myself longing more and more to climb up into its branches that I might see Christ more clearly. This blog is simply a record of what God is teaching me as I spend time in "the tree" of His glorious Word. If anyone reads it I'll be amazed; if anyone profits from it I'll be humbled; and if anything good is found in it Soli Deo Gloria!