Kathy Troccoli - Forever in Love with Jesus: Becoming One With the Love of Your Life

FOREVER IN LOVE WITH JESUS

Dee Brestin &
Kathy Troccoli

FOREVER IN LOVE WITH JESUS

2004 Dee Brestin and Kathy Troccoli. All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any meanselectronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or any otherexcept for brief quotation in printed reviews, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

Published in Nashville, TN by Thomas Nelson. Thomas Nelson is a registered trademark of Thomas Nelson, Inc.

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Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the New King James Version (NKJV), copyright 1979, 1980, 1982 Thomas Nelson, Inc., Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Other Scripture references are from the following sources: The Holy Bible, New International Version (NIV). Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Bible Publishers; The Message (MSG), copyright 1993. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group; J. B. Phillips: The New Testament in Modern English, Revised Edition (PHILLIPS). Copyright J. B. Phillips 1958, 1960, 1972. Used by permission of Macmillan Publishing Co., Inc.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Brestin, Dee, 1944
Forever in love with Jesus / Dee Brestin & Kathy Troccoli.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references.
ISBN-13: 978-0-8499-1825-4
1. Jesus ChristPerson and officesBiblical teaching. 2. Bible. N.T. John Religious aspectsChristianity. 3. Bible. O.T. HoseaReligious aspects Christianity. 4. Christian womenReligious life. 5. LoveReligious aspects Christianity. I. Troccoli, Kathy. II. Title.
BT203.B74 2004
232'.8dc22 2004018611

Printed in the United States of America
10 11 12 13 EPAC 11 10 9 8 7

We dedicate this to STEVE BRESTIN,
a friend of God

CONTENTS

We are thankful to the following individuals:

MATT BAUGHER:
If you look up diplomacy in the dictionary,
you will find your name there.

SALLY BRESTIN AND MARTIN FRENCH:
Beauty and truth are woven so powerfully together
in your artistic portrayals of Christ.

STEVE BRESTIN:
Just what the doctor ordered: rich in prayer and rich in courage.

WILLIE AAMES AND HIS TEAM AT OUTPOST:
Who better to video a Bible series than Bibleman?
What energy and creativity!

JILL WOLFORD JOHNSON:
Our Ruth. God cant help but delight in your servant heart.

MARY HOLLINGSWORTH AND HOLLY HALVERSON:
Editing needs crediting. Its truly an art, and you both are so gifted.

DEBBIE WICKWIRE AND DAVID MOBERG:
We have been allowed to give our best. Youve listened well.
Youve freed us to fly.

FOREVER IN LOVE WITH JESUS

TURN YOUR EYES
UPON JESUS

Of course Hes not safebut Hes good.

Aslan II
Artist: Sally Brestin (www.sallybrestin.com)

Both the children were looking up into the Lions face as he spoke
these words. And all at once (they never knew exactly how it happened)
the face seemed to be a tossing sea of gold in which they were
floating, and such a sweetness and power rolled about them and over
them and entered them that they felt they had never really been
happy or wise or good, or even alive and awake, before.

THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA
C. S. LEWIS

TURN YOUR EYES UPON JESUS

I magine that you are going with us and a few of our friends to one of our favorite museums: the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. When we arrive and get our tickets, the woman at the information booth tells us: We have two exciting exhibits on loan from Israel. If you walk to the left, you will find portraits of Jesus from the gallery of John the apostle, who wrote so much in the New Testament: the Gospel, three letters, and the book of Revelation. Audible exclamations rise from our group, and we know we will all be going into this exhibit.

But then the woman says, And if you walk to the right, you will find portraits of Jesus from the gallery of Hoseathe Old Testament prophet. We are kind of surprised; we look at each other: What? Christ in Hosea? That book is filled with infidelity, prostitution, and oppression. But we are certainly intrigued.

We decide to split up and meet at the Roof Garden Caf for lunch. One group goes to the left, to Johns gallery, the other to the right, to Hoseas gallery. Later, over chicken salads and Cokes, we talk enthusiastically about our morning.

My favorite in Hoseas gallery was The Bridegroom. Did you see His face? It was so full of love...

Wow! I was just going to comment on The Bridegroom in Johns gallery. Just seeing Him on that white horse reminded me of Mel Gibson in Braveheart.

Ohafter we finish eating, I want to go there.

The one Ill never forget from Johns gallery was The Lion of Judah: the mane was gleaming in the sun, and the eyes seemed to penetrate with an all-knowing look.

Thats amazing. There was a lion stalking by the side of the road in Hoseas gallery! Only he was so frightening.

As our conversation continues, it is obvious to us that the same portraits are in both galleries. And then, like a slow and widening light, we realize why there is a connection between the two. They painted the same Jesus because:

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.

HEBREWS 13:8

SOMETIMES IT CAUSES ME TO TREMBLE

We had no idea when we began to write Forever in Love with Jesus what lay around the corner for us. We sensed a magnificent staircase spiraling ahead, but God gave us only enough light for a step at a time. Now, when we look back, we can identify with the lyrics from that famous old spiritual:

Sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble...

Theologians have a term for this: the mysterium tremendum, or simply awful mystery. It is the kind of encounter with God that makes your blood run icy cold. For though God is completely good and loving, He is also holy and just, and when you suddenly realize He is truly present, as close as your very breath, a part of you cannot help but tremble.

(Dee) One of the portraits of Jesus we will study in depth is The Lion, who appears in both Hosea and John. As we were writing about The Lion, my daughter Sally, who is a professional artist, was commissioned by a couple to paint Aslan, the lion who is a Christ figure in The Chronicles of Narnia, the classic childrens series by C. S.

Lewis. Sally was inspired by the following conversation that occured when the children in the story first heard about Aslan:

Is he a man? asked Lucy.

Aslan a man! said Mr. Beaver sternly. Certainly not. I tell you he is the King of the wood and the son of the great Emperor-Beyond-the-Sea. Dont you know who is the King of Beasts? Aslan is a lionthe lion, the great Lion!

... Then he isnt safe? said Lucy.

Safe? said Mr. Beaver,... who said anything about safe?... Course he isnt safe. But hes good. Hes the King, I tell you.