Archive | February 2021

Chaplain’s Corner – Lent 2021: Testing

Feb24

“Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry” (Matthew 4:1-2).

Jesus was led into the wilderness by the Spirit to be tempted by the devil.  Our topic is testing. We will talk about temptation next week; but know this, temptation is not the same as testing in the biblical sense. Temptation comes from the devil and it is for our harm. Testing is from God, and it is for our good.

When we are given instruction, whether it be at school, at work, or in life in general, we should be tested to see what we have learned. When we fall short, then we know what we need to work on. God tests our faithfulness from time to time, and when we fall short, guess what? We find out what we need to work on. God’s desire for us is that we be found ready when he comes to take us to our final home. God is testing us for our good.

There are many examples in the Bible of God testing his people:

  • In Genesis 2:16-17, God gave Adam an instruction: “And the Lord God commanded the man, ‘You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.” This was a test; Adam and Eve failed.
  • God promised Abraham that he would be the father of the nation of Israel. Then, “By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had embraced the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son,” (Hebrews 11:7). Also, reference Genesis 22:1. This was a test; Abraham passed.
  • When God brought the Israelites out of Egypt, “He gave you manna to eat in the wilderness, something your ancestors had never known, to humble and test you so that in the end it might go well with you” (Deuteronomy 8:16).  In Hebrews 3:8, we learn how the Israelites performed on this test: “Do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion, during the time of testing in the wilderness.”
  • In Judges 3:1, we learn that “These are the nations the Lord left to test all those Israelites who had not experienced any of the wars in Canaan.” Have you ever considered that wartime could be a test imposed on us by God?
  • In the New Testament, when Jesus was faced with the crowds of hungry people, hungry for his Word and for food, his asked one of his disciples, “Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat? He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do.” (John 6:5-6). And of course, we know that Jesus fed the five thousand with the five loaves and two fishes, with food left over.
  • The Apostle Paul, who endured many trials and obstacles in his missionary work, acknowledged that God tests our faithfulness. “On the contrary, we speak as those approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel. We are not trying to please people but God, who tests our hearts. (1 Thessalonians 2:4).

These are just a few examples. Perhaps if we have this perspective on the tests and trials that come our way, we will be more eager to demonstrate our obedience and faith so as to be found pleasing to our Master. And as we continue to grow in faith, perhaps we can even model the psalmist, who in his wisdom writings communicated his desire to be conformed to the character of God by praying intensely for testing, examination, and trials.


“Test me, Lord, and try me, examine my heart and my mind” (Psalm 26:2).
“Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts” (Psalm 139:23).

In Christ,

Judy

P.S.:

For more on testing, go to this link for the January 1, 2020 Chaplain’s Corner, which obviously was written before our lives were impacted by Covid 19, a testing of epic proportions, right? (no pun intended) https://wp.me/p26cEq-FA

Chaplain’s Corner – Lent 2021: Preparation

Feb17

“Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry.” (Matthew 4:1-2)

It seems like we have just celebrated Christmas and the arrival of the New Year with all the associated festivities. We have been experiencing a typical Tennessee winter with some moderate days along with some snow and some pretty cold days. We praise God for his supreme sovereignty over the seasons and his promise that Spring is on the way with milder temperatures and the greening of the grass and trees and the arrival of flowers (my personal favorite). During Spring, we celebrate Easter and proclaim the resurrection of Christ. For the forty or so days before Easter, we may also celebrate a special time on the formal Church calendar called Lent.

By observing the forty days of Lent, Christians remember Jesus Christ’s sacrifice and withdrawal into the wilderness for forty days. Lent is marked by fasting, both from food and festivities. Lent officially begins today, Ash Wednesday, and ends on Easter Sunday, April 4. In case you are doing the math, the forty days of Lent include all the days except for Sundays between Ash Wednesday and Easter Sunday. During Lent, we are celebrating Christ’s resurrection, and since Christians celebrate resurrection every Sunday, Sundays are not included in Lent.

Many denominations do not formally recognize Lent, and you will not find it referenced in the Bible. Some people think of it as a time of fasting, and more especially giving up something you love, like chocolate or coffee as a personal sacrifice (or perhaps to lose weight or kick a habit, and typically following a blow-out celebration on the day before called Fat Tuesday, or Mardi Gras in French).

Despite what modern culture might make of Lent, it is intended to be a season of reflection and preparation before Easter, which is the most solemn and significant season of the year. The culmination of Jesus’ earthly ministry was his crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension to heaven, which we celebrate during Easter. Jesus prepared to begin his earthly ministry with this time of temptation in the wilderness. It was intense, and he tested himself to the limit to prepare himself for the trials that were to come his way.

In only three short years, Jesus started a movement that changed the world. The number of Christians grew by approximately 40% per decade during the first and second centuries. As of 2020, Christianity is still the largest religion in the world with 2.382 billion adherents. Islam is next, with 1.907 billion, and a category called “secular/nonreligious/agnostic/atheist” is third with 1.193 billion. * Jesus began his public ministry when he found John the Baptist and asked him to baptize him. Here is the story, chronologically:

  1. Matthew 3:16-17: “As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, ‘This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.’”
  2. Then Matthew 4:1-2 records that “Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted] by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry.”
  3. After his time of temptation in the wilderness was completed, he withdrew to Galilee. “From that time on Jesus began to preach, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near’” (Matthew 4:13, 17).

By observing the forty days of Lent, Christians commemorate Jesus Christ’s withdrawal into the wilderness for 40 days following his baptism by John the Baptist, as he prepares for his active ministry. In the weeks ahead, we will explore more regarding Jesus’ time in the wilderness, his testing and temptation. We will learn how we can model Jesus to overcome temptation.

As we commemorate this act of Jesus, let us seek to set aside during this time of Lent to meditate on God’s word, with time for reflection, confession, and repentance. I will be posting a Lenten scripture of the day if you would like to use these verses for your daily meditations.

“’Even now,’ declares the LORD, ‘return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning.’ Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the LORD your God, for He is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and He relents from sending calamity. Who knows? He may turn and relent and leave behind a blessing — grain offerings and drink offerings for the LORD your God.”  (Joel 2:12-14)

In Christ,

Judy

*https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_religious_populations

Chaplain’s Corner – Choices Part 6 (Destiny)

Feb10

“Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have a peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope” (Romans 5:1-4).

This is the sixth and final post on this topic of “choices.” By now, you should be familiar with this progression in our choice-making:

  • Your desires drive your thoughts.
  • Your thoughts direct your actions.
  • Your actions become your habits.
  • Your habits mold your character.
  • Your character shapes your destiny.

Our destiny provides our “why.” Perhaps we should have started here. As Stephen Covey writes in The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, “Begin with the end in mind.” In one sense, this progression is really a circle. Our destiny is impacted by our desires, and our desires are impacted by our destiny.  As Jesus puts it: “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Luke 12:34).

For believers, our ultimate destiny is eternal life with Christ; it is to have the confidence that our names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life, to be counted with the sheep at Judgment Day, to be invited to that glorious Marriage Supper of the Lamb. All we must do to have eternal life is to receive God’s gift of salvation. But there is more to it than that. We are promised rewards in heaven. As Charles Stanley writes in a blog post entitled The Judgment of Believers on his In Touch website:

“We are either going to be rewarded or lose reward in this judgment (of believers). Knowing what’s at stake eternally should motivate us to live a life that’s obedient and pleasing to God because we will be rewarded according to the way we have lived.”

Let me emphasize that the doctrine of rewards does not imply that it is our works that save us. But, as Paul said in Ephesians, “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” And there are more Scriptures that speak of our individual capacity and circumstances for good works. God will not judge us on a comparison basis (after all, none of us is Mother Teresa). He will judge us based on what we do with what we have been given (remember the parable of the Widow’s Offering). And Matthew relates a parable about how servants used the resources they had been given to invest, concluding with: “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’” (Matthew 25:21).

Remember, we all have a destiny, and it is eternal. Choose wisely. I am looking forward to the day when I can rejoice in heaven, sharing my Master’s happiness alongside each of you.

“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (Matthew 6:33).

In Christ,

Judy

Chaplain’s Corner – Choices Part 5 (Character)

Feb3

“And now, my daughter, don’t be afraid. I will do for you all you ask. All the people of my town know that you [Ruth] are a woman of noble character” (Ruth 3:11).

By now, you should be familiar with this progression:

  • Your desires drive your thoughts (Ruth
  • Your thoughts direct your actions.
  • Your actions become your habits.
  • Your habits mold your character.
  • Your character shapes your destiny.

Ruth is a perfect example of how this progression plays out. Her desire: “Your people will be my people, and your God my God” (Ruth 1:16). Ruth, a Moabite, was determined to return to Bethlehem with Naomi, the mother of her deceased husband. Because she was obedient to Naomi in all her actions, Boaz, a “man of standing,” looked favorably on her behavior (habits), and declared her to be “a woman of noble character.” Ruth’s destiny was to marry Boaz and become great-grandmother to King David and a direct ancestor of our Lord Jesus Christ (Matthew 1:1-17; see v. 5).

Notice the verbs in the bulleted progression above. What does it mean to mold a character? Some synonyms for “mold” include to shape, to fashion, to form, or to make. What is it we are making? What is “character?” Character usually is described as qualities or traits in a person. Qualities or traits can be positive, negative, or even neutral. Did you know that the word “character” can be traced back to the Greek charassein, meaning “to sharpen, cut in furrows, or engrave?” This word gave the Greeks charaktēr, a noun meaning “mark, distinctive quality.” 

I love the image of being molded, like a potter molds a sculpture or vase, with loving hands.  God spoke the earth into existence, including light, the sun, moon, stars, land, seas plants, and animals. However, Genesis 2:7 tells us that “the LORD God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life.” God formed us, he molded us, he shaped us in his image.

As believers, we recognize that we were made in the image of God. Man’s fall distorted this image, and in our ongoing sanctification we strive to grow to be more like Jesus, to possess His characteristics, his character. As believers in Christ, we have a “new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator” (Colossians 3:10, ESV). And as we grow in faith, we “are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another” (2 Corinthians 3:18, ESV).

The Apostle Paul gave us the list of fruits of the spirit in Galatians 5:22-23: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.” To grow in faith–to be transformed–is to grow in these qualities. These qualities are defined as fruits of the Spirit because in our distorted sin nature we cannot possess these perfectly without supernatural help.

Previous Chaplain’s Corners have discussed the process of making choices about our actions that will become our habits. The actions we choose to take and to repeat until they become habits are all designed to help us develop the qualities of the fruits of the Spirit. We choose this path because it is the path to becoming more Christ-like in our character. It will not be easy, but it will be worth it.

“Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have a peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.” (Romans 5:1-4). Our hope (our destiny) is in the Lord Jesus Christ.

In Christ,

Judy