Following the Lamb

Hi Everyone,
This has been a bit of a rough week with chemo side effects but I've been able to eat food without much discomfort or pain. I'm being careful about what I eat, but it seems that my healthy choices are somewhat limited and I end up feeling like I'm not doing much to nourish my body. I am making smoothies with protein-rich greek yogurt, frozen peaches and mangos and apple cider - these taste really good. I was able to go to school last Thursday and teach a class - which is so wonderful. The students are so encouraging - they are so happy and tell me they are praying for me. It is really very touching. I am not sure how many more rounds of chemo I am going to have - I have completed 5. So either I have one more or 3 more. I will need to check with Dr. Berlin about this. I don't know when the next chemo treatment is - but it should be around March 13. Since there are only 3 beds in the desensitization unit, sometimes they are booked and the 3 week schedule has to be adjusted.

Yesterday we had some dear friends over for dinner and we were fellowshipping about the verse Revelation 14:4b: These are they who follow the Lamb wherever He may go. These were purchased from among men as firstfruits to God and to the Lamb. Someone said that when we follow the Lord, our following is not behind Him but face to face. As we gaze into His eyes, He is able to strengthen us to continue to follow Him. It is the shining of His face that enables us to go on. This reminds me of the verse in Hebrews about running the race, looking away unto Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith (Hebrews 12:1-2). There is another verse which develops this further. 2 Corinthians 2:10:
But whom you forgive anything, I also forgive; for also what I have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, it is for your sake in the person of Christ; . There is a great footnote about person of Christ. Here is an excerpt from that note:

Note 10-3: Lit., face; as in 4:6. The part around the eyes; the look as the index of the inward thoughts and feelings, which shows forth and manifests the whole person. This indicates that the apostle was one who lived and acted in the presence of Christ, according to the index of His whole person, expressed in His eyes... In [this epistle - 2 Corinthians] we see a person who lived Christ according to what he wrote concerning Him in his first Epistle, in the closest and most intimate contact with Him, acting according to the index of His eyes; a person who was one with Christ, full of Christ, and saturated with Christ; a person who was broken and even terminated in his natural life, softened and flexible in his will, affectionate yet restricted in his emotion, considerate and sober in his mind, and pure and genuine in his spirit toward the believers for their benefit, that they might experience and enjoy Christ as he did for the fulfillment of God's eternal purpose in the building up of Christ's Body.

I am also reminded of the verse in 2 Corinthians 3:18: But we all with unveiled face, beholding and reflecting like a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, even as from the Lord Spirit. This is one of the most amazing verses in the Bible. With our unveiled faces as we behold the Lord - we are being transformed into the same image! So as we following the Lord by gazing into His face, we are being transformed into the image we behold. This is so wonderful! I realize that our following the Lord is not trying to do what we think He wants, or trying to fulfill the commandments or be good, but rather following the Lord requires our faces being unveiled, requires beholding Him day by day, moment by moment. As we behold Him, He reveals His will and He also supplies us with the ability to follow Him.

This reminds me of the sweet hymn about taking time to behold Him. Here is a link to a new tune for this hymn which is quite lovely.


1 Take time to behold Him,
Speak oft with Thy Lord,
Abide in Him always,
And feed on His Word.
Wait thou in His presence,
Submissive and meek,
Forgetting in nothing
His blessing to seek.

2 Take time to behold Him,
The world rushes on;
Spend much time in secret
With Jesus alone.
By looking to Jesus
Like Him thou shalt be;
Thy friends, in thy conduct,
His likeness shall see.

3 Take time to behold Him,
Let Him be thy guide;
And run not before Him
Whatever betide;
In joy or in sorrow
Still follow thy Lord,
And, looking to Jesus,
Still trust in His Word.

4 Take time to behold Him,
Be calm in thy soul,
Each thought and each temper
Beneath His control.
Thus led by His Spirit
To fountains of love,
Thou then shalt be fitted
His mercy to prove.


Be encouraged dear ones to follow the Lamb by beholding Him.

Much love,
Joanne