Archive | July 2019

Chaplain’s Corner – Did You Not Know?

Jul31

I recently got to thinking about the questions that Jesus asked when he walked on the earth. I know that asking the right questions is a great way to teach and to learn, so I thought this might be a another good way to study the Word. Chronologically, the first question I came across was the question Jesus asked his parents when they found him in the temple. Incidentally, these are also the first recorded spoken words of Jesus. At the time, Jesus was twelve years old and his family had made their annual journey to Jerusalem to celebrate Passover. Jesus had been missing for at least three days. When he was finally discovered in the temple, Jesus asked his parents “’Why did you seek me?’ he asked. ‘Did you not know that I must be about my father’s business?’” (Luke 2:49 NKJV). The implication was that he believed his parents should have known where he would be and what he would be doing, but the Scripture says that they did not understand it (Luke 2:50).

This reminds me of times when our sons were teenagers.  NOT.  Of course, there were times when we didn’t know where they were, and that is a very heart-wrenching feeling. You know that being a parent means that your heart is walking around in someone else’s body.  And I’m sure there were times when I said “Where have you been?” and they answered, “Don’t you remember, I told you I was going….” However, the difference is in what they were doing and their motivations for doing it. As teenagers, they were more than likely about monkey business, not their father’s business. Some observations come to mind about this situation.

First, we know that Mary and Joseph knew that Jesus was special from the time of his conception (Luke 2:21-38). However, even knowing what his destiny would be through the prophecies probably did not extend to knowing how it would play out in their daily lives.

Second, the family made at least an annual journey to Jerusalem, so Jesus would have been somewhat familiar with this big city, and presumably, the temple and temple customs (Luke 2:41-42).

Third, in the tradition of the day, Jewish boys began to learn their father’s trade at an early age. We know that Jesus learned the carpentry trade from his father and probably practiced it until about the age of thirty based on the reaction of the people of Nazareth when he later came home to preach.  They asked, “Isn’t this the carpenter?” (Mark 6:3).  But we also know from Luke 2 that he also considered God to be his Father and that he must learn his Father’s business as well. In fact, by the age of twelve he already knew enough to amaze the rabbis with his understanding and his answers.

Fourth, while he may have sounded impertinent, Jesus was without sin and we know that he submitted to the authority of his earthly parents until such time as he was called into full-time ministry. Once his parents found him in the temple, we read in Luke 2:51 that “…he went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them.” Children, do you read this?

What do we learn from this passage? I believe there are three basic applications.

  1. It is wonderful to have familiarity with Jesus. Like his parents, we would hope to be walking and talking with him daily. However, we must never take him for granted or ever forget that he is God’s son and part of the trinity. As Natalie Grant sings, “When did I forget that you’ve always been the king of the world?”
  2. We can always find Jesus with his Father. In fact, we know that Jesus sits at the right hand of God (Ephesians 1:20). And we know and therefore can trust that Jesus and God are always synchronized in their efforts (John 5:19-20, 30; 8:28; 12:49).
  3. If we are to follow in Jesus’ footsteps, we must also strive to be about our heavenly Father’s business.  “Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God” (Ephesians 5:1-2 NIV).

What if others could say that they always knew where to find us—in God’s company?

What if our testimony would be that we were always being about our Father’s business?

What if we actually followed God’s example and walked in the way of love?

Jesus pointed us to heaven by showing us how to live on earth. By following His example, we can achieve the closest thing to heaven on earth.

In Christ,

Judy

Chaplain’s Corner – Integrity, Part 6: Completeness

Jul24

“Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything” (James 1:4).

We have been focusing on integrity—what it is, why it is important, and what it takes. Last week, we said that “a thing, or a person, is not sound, unless every part is functioning optimally and working together as a system.” This applies to us as individuals—we must be striving to be whole and sound in each aspect of our lives in order to have integrity. This also applies to us as a ministry team. Each of us must be striving to be whole and sound individually in order for Nashville Rescue Mission to demonstrate total integrity as a ministry team. We can’t be incorruptible as a team if any of us is corruptible as an individual. We can’t be sound as a team if we are not striving to be sound as individuals (notice that I emphasize our strivings because we will not be perfected this side of heaven).

In the movie, Jerry Maguire, Jerry (played by Tom Cruise) declares to his estranged wife (played by Renee Zellweger):  “You complete me!” Some people think that is the most romantic statement ever made; others think that it is ridiculous. Guess what I think: I think it depends on your meaning. If you mean that two halves make a complete whole, while the math works this does not make for a sound, enduring relationship because it implies neediness for fulfillment by the other. If, however, you mean that we are each mature and functioning optimally in our own strengths and together we make a union that is even sounder, then I think it is a powerful concept. Think of our body as composed of many body parts. You know that if one body part is not functioning as it should, it affects the entire body’s effectiveness.

Recall that in the Chaplain’s Corner on “Singlemindedness,” we said the word “integrity” and the word “all” have some similar concepts. Colossians 1:15-20 makes it clear that Jesus possesses all of God’s fullness, and that God, in Jesus, holds all things together:  “15 The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. 17 He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy.19 For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.”

Brothers and sisters in Christ, I love you all and I pray all good things for you. My prayer for you is that you desire all good things for yourself–including integrity, incorruptibility, soundness, and completeness–and that you pray diligently for them. The scriptures say that God rewards those who earnestly seek Him (Hebrews 11:6).

We serve together on what I think is the most amazing mission field in Nashville. Where else does God bring so many helpless, hungry, and hurting men, women, and children every day? And God has brought each of us here with the opportunity to minister to these precious souls. We get to provide for their immediate needs as well as their longer term spiritual needs. We each bring important gifts to our work here, all of which contribute to the integrity of the whole team. I pray that together we will be used mightily for God’s purposes, and that we will have a single-minded, integrated focus on doing everything in our power to be good and faithful servants in the name of Jesus. I pray that nothing will distract us from this incredible mission.

In Christ (He who holds all things together),

Judy

Chaplain’s Corner – Integrity, Part 5: Soundness

Jul17

The last few Chaplain’s Corners have been about integrity. We spoke of the need for single-minded focus on the pursuit of integrity. We learned that the definition of integrity includes incorruptibility, soundness, and completeness. Today I’ll focus on soundness, using this verse: “And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man” (Luke 2:52).

When I taught middle schoolers in Sunday School, this verse was one of the key verses that I always taught. However, this verse is not just for kids. It applies to each of us until the day we die. It references growth, and I love that this instruction for growth is four dimensional.

When we think about these dimensions of life, we sometimes think of balance, as in “life balance.” Once while participating on a panel of women leaders, I was asked how I managed to accomplish life balance. I laughed and said I had not managed to accomplish life balance, and it was not necessarily my intention or goal as the way to live my life. (I think the audience of women was shocked that I dared admit this.)  As a wife, mother, and business-owner as well as being very involved in my church, I was a very busy woman. However, as I explained, my family was my life, my work was my life, my church was my life, and to manage all that, I also had to take care of myself. I wasn’t always the best at all of it, but I could not imagine forsaking one for the other.

You see, the paradigm of “life balance” implies compartmentalizing all these dimensions; however, as the verse above implies, a preferred paradigm is an integrated life where we pursue all four dimensions with a single-minded focus and goal of being more Christ-like. Here’s what the Bible has to say:

(1) Growth in physical being (stature:  Although Daniel could have had anything he wanted to eat and drink, he asked to be able to observe the strict Hebrew diet. And Paul used many athletic comparisons such as boxing and running, with a goal of staying fit for duty. Growth in physical being (stature:  Although Daniel could have had anything he wanted to eat and drink, he asked to be able to observe the strict Hebrew diet. And Paul used many athletic comparisons such as boxing and running, with a goal of staying fit for duty.

a. “But Daniel determined that he would not defile himself by eating the king’s food or drinking his wine, so he asked the head of the palace staff to exempt him from the royal diet….’Try us out for ten days on a simple diet of vegetables and water. Then compare us with the young men who eat from the royal menu. Make your decision on the basis of what you see’…. At the end of the ten days they looked better and more robust than all the others who had been eating from the royal menu. So the steward continued to exempt them from the royal menu of food and drink and served them only vegetables” (Daniel1:8-16)

b. “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize” (1 Corinthians 9:24-27).

c. “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31).

(2) Growth in knowledge and wisdom: God demonstrated through Daniel’s commitment and Peter’s ministry the blessings that would follow, including skill and maturity.

a. “God gave these four young men knowledge and skill in both books and life” (Daniel 1:17).

b. “Therefore let us move beyond the elementary teachings about Christ and be taken forward to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God” (Hebrews 6:1).

c. “Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation….” (1 Peter 2:2-3).

d. “But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen” (2 Peter 3:18).

(3) Relational growth (favor with man):  Jesus himself was a model for developing strong relationships as we read about how he lived and worked and relaxed with his disciples and his closest friends, Mary, Martha and Lazarus.

a. “Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus” (John 11:5).

b. “It was just before the Passover Festival. Jesus knew that the hour had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end” (John 13:1).

(4) Spiritual growth (favor with God):

a. “Jesus replied: ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment” (Matthew 22:37-38).

A thing, or a person, is not sound, unless every part is functioning optimally and working together as a system. I think a pretty good analogy might be with the four tires on a car. I’m no mechanic, so you are welcome to debate this (as long as you come up with a better analogy), but whoever goes and just gets one tire balanced? Is that even possible? But if we spend our entire spare time working out to be physically fit, or if we never work out, we are going to be out of alignment. And who cares if the tires are balanced if the engine doesn’t work? It’s just no good to be mightily physically fit but without biblical wisdom. It’s no good to have supreme knowledge and wisdom, but no relationships with which to share it. And it’s worthless long term to have human relationships without the foundation of a Godly relationship on which to build. We should strive for soundness by pursuing growth all four dimensions, striving to be like Jesus in every way.

The point I want to make about all of this is the importance of integrating growth in all four dimensions–to the extent humanly possible given the mind, body, and environment God has placed us in–to develop into sound, well-rounded, mature, effective Christ-followers with integrity.

In Christ,

Judy

Chaplain’s Corner – Integrity, Part 4: Incorruptibility

Jul10

Do you desire to be a person with integrity? As we learned last week, one of the definitions of integrity is incorruptibility. Incorruptibility itself is defined as something that incapable of corruption; someone who cannot be perverted or bribed; or something that will not dissolve, disintegrate, or decay.

The reason that God decided to flood the earth was because of corruption: “God saw how corrupt the earth had become, for all the people on earth had corrupted their ways (Genesis 6:12). When we corrupt our ways, then the earth itself becomes corrupted. It’s pretty scary, isn’t it, to think about the compounding effect of our lack of obedience? By the way, the basic definition of corrupt is to change from good to bad. Psalms 14:2-3 clarifies this definition: “The Lord looks down from heaven on all mankind to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God. All have turned away, all have become corrupt; there is no one who does good, not even one.”

So now we can make an assumption that if we are not corrupted, and we do not corrupt, then we are good.  How can we be good, and incapable of becoming bad?  And how can we become incapable of being corrupted, someone who cannot be perverted or bribed? How can we ensure that we will not disintegrate, and therefore maintain our integrity?

Here are some suggestions:

  1. Surround yourself with good friends, friends who appreciate the battles that we face and who will keep you accountable.  (And be that friend to others.)  Note the places you are more likely to find friends with Christian values, and avoid the places where you are more likely to find those who do not share your Christian values. It will be far easier to avoid corruption if you are surrounded by like-minded people.
  2. Zealously strive for purity. You have heard the term “garbage in/garbage out.” Be careful what you take into your brain—what you watch on the screen and listen to in your earphones. It will be far easier to avoid corruption if you are not filling your mind with trash but instead with wholesome words, music, and pictures.
  3. Replace bad habits with good habits. This involves diligently confessing even the least concern and resolving to begin doing something in its place that is more pleasing to God.  For example, if you regularly spend money on lottery tickets (just as an example—there are many others), then instead resolve to use that money to benefit someone less fortunate or increase your church offering, etc. Rick Warren says “Remember that your character is the sum total of your habits. You can’t claim to have integrity unless it is your habit to always be honest. A husband who is faithful to his wife most of the time is not faithful at all! Your habits define your character.”
  4. Adopt an attitude of gratitude. This will help you to build a stronger and more durable “skin” to withstand the slings and arrows that the devil uses against us by discouraging us and making us feel sorry for ourselves, which then make us vulnerable to corruption. If we look for blessings, we will find them. If we look for reasons to praise God, those reasons will present themselves. Stay invincible by staying thankful.
  5. Follow all the commandments, but especially the first one (which will make all the others easier): “You shall have no other gods before me.”  As you most likely know, this is very difficult. Even though we know God is our Creator, and how could we as His creation worship anyone or anything but Him, we do. Even Solomon, who God blessed so abundantly as the richest and wisest man on earth, “… offered sacrifices and burned incense on the high places” (1 Kings 3:3). However, nearing the end of his life, Solomon observed “Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the duty of all mankind.  For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil” (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14).
  6. Above all, constantly ask God for wisdom, which is the sound application of God’s Word. “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you” (James 1:5).

Why is it important to have integrity? This is our witness, our testimony, as followers of Christ. Paul encouraged Titus (a pastor) to not only speak, but to model a God-filled life to his congregation. He wrote: “Your job is to speak out on the things that make for solid doctrine. Guide older men into lives of temperance, dignity, and wisdom, into healthy faith, love, and endurance. Guide older women into lives of reverence so they end up as neither gossips nor drunks, but models of goodness. By looking at them, the younger women will know how to love their husbands and children, be virtuous and pure, keep a good house, be good wives. We don’t want anyone looking down on God’s Message because of their behavior. Also, guide the young men to live disciplined lives. But mostly, show them all this by doing it yourself, incorruptible in your teaching, your words solid and sane. Then anyone who is dead set against us, when he finds nothing weird or misguided, might eventually come around” (Titus 2:1-8 The Message).

In Christ,

Judy

Chaplain’s Corner – Integrity, Part 3: Singlemindedness

Jul3

“But if from there you seek the Lord your God, you will find him if you seek him with all your heart and with all your soul” (Deuteronomy 4:29).

I’m not fluent in Greek, Hebrew, or Aramaic, but I believe that in each of those languages, the word “all” literally means “all.” Young’s Literal Translation reads, “And — ye have sought from thence Jehovah thy God, and hast found, when thou seekest Him with all thy heart, and with all thy soul.”  The Orthodox Jewish Bible reads, “But if from thence thou shalt seek Hashem Eloheicha, thou shalt find Him, if thou seek Him with all thy lev and with all thy nefesh.” I don’t understand some of those words, but I do understand the word “all.”

According to Webster, as an adjective, the word “all” has these meanings:

  • 1: the whole amount, quantity, or extent of
  • 2: every member or individual component of
  • 3: the whole number or sum of
  • 4: every
  • 5: any
  • 6: nothing but 
  • 7: used up; entirely consumed 
  • 8: being more than one person or thing

Compare these meanings above to those for “integrity” below:

  • 1: firm adherence to a code of especially moral or artistic values:  Incorruptibility
  • 2: an unimpaired condition: Soundness
  • 3: the quality or state of being complete or undivided: Completeness

These definitions have similarities. To have integrity is to be pure, whole, complete. Therefore, I could conclude that God’s command in Deuteronomy 4:29 (above) equates to having integrity in our pursuit of Him.  If we pursue the LORD our God with integrity, with our whole hearts/all/every/nothing but our heart and soul, our “all,” we will find Him.

This is the singlemindedness that Paul speaks of in the verse from last week: “Brothers, I do not consider myself to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and reaching forward to what is ahead, I pursue as my goal the prize promised by God’s heavenly call in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:13-14).

We are called to leave our past behind and reach forward to what is ahead. If we try to maintain some semblance of our former selves, we can’t be new creations. Isaiah writes: “Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert” (Isaiah 43:18-19).

Jesus told his disciples in Luke 9:59-60 “To another he said, ‘Follow me.’ But he said, ‘Lord, let me first go and bury my father.’ And Jesus said to him, ‘Leave the dead to bury their own dead. But as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.’” Sometimes when we try to keep hold of the past, it is just wrong and we know it. When our old life includes breaking the law, whether civil or moral, then it’s absolutely necessary to flee and not look back. Remember what happened to Lot’s wife when she looked back as they were fleeing Sodom and Gomorrah.  And in other cases, decisions about obedience are based on choosing between two rights, and this is when we must use discernment from the Holy Spirit to make the best decision. In the case above, Jesus called a disciple who then asked to put off his calling to care for a sick father. Obviously, it’s not wrong to take care of your parents. In fact, the Bible says to honor your father and mother. However, if taking care of your parents is an excuse to put off a call from God, especially when there are other options for ensuring that your parents are cared for (in this case), then the right decision is to obey God’s call as expeditiously as possible.

And in Luke 9:61-62 “Still another said, ‘I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say goodbye to my family.’  Jesus replied, ‘No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.’” The example of the plow is a great one, and in keeping with Jesus’ other agricultural analogies. It’s impossible to plow a straight furrow unless you keep your eye firmly on the target at the far end of the field and your hands tightly on the plow handles. You just can’t plow even furrows with one hand while looking over your shoulder. If you can’t picture the plowing analogy, driving is also a good comparison. We tend to veer in the direction we are looking.

In The Life You’ve Always Wanted, author John Ortberg refers to Soren Kierkegaard’s book entitled Purity of Heart Is to Will One Thing when he says that we have failed to achieve simplicity. According to Ortberg, this means we have failed to have a life that is integrated, that is focused on one thing, seeking first the kingdom (Matthew 6:33).  I am reminded of so many of the kings in the Old Testament, such as King Solomon of whom is it written in 1 Kings 3:3 “Solomon showed his love for the Lord by walking according to the instructions given him by his father David, except that he offered sacrifices and burned incense on the high places.” James refers to this as being double-minded, and it’s not a good thing.

To sum up, if we believe that integrity is critical to being all-in followers of Jesus, then as we learned last week, we must first pray for the desire for godly integrity; and secondly we must be single-minded in our focus. I pray that you and I will be diligent in prioritizing the things of God and eliminating anything that is a distraction; seeking Him first and seeking Him only.

In Christ,

Judy