Archives

Chaplain’s Corner – Advent (Hope)

Dec24

“For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good” (Titus 2:11-14).

Hope is traditionally one of the themes of Advent. In fulfilling the promise of the first Advent of our Savior, God demonstrates his love for us and promises us the second Advent during which Jesus will return to earth as King of Kings and Lord of Lords to reign in power and glory (Revelation 19:11-16).

My real understanding of biblical hope came to me as a graduate student at seminary. I accepted Christ as my Savior around my tenth birthday and have always had a relationship with Jesus. However, I admit that I have also been a child of my culture and not immune to teachings of nonbiblical writers. I became infatuated with worldly definitions of success, love, power, comfort, entertainment, and security. The world view that is prevalent in our culture today denies the existence of absolute truth and good versus evil, and it encourages us to value worldly pleasures over the desire to please God.* These views have so infiltrated our thinking that they seem like truth—at least until really examined through the lens of the Scriptures. That is what Seminary did for me—it opened my eyes to the Truth. And here is the most important Truth that I learned (deep down I knew this, but I had really let the noise of current culture dilute it until it just wasn’t even obvious): Christ Is Our Only Hope in Life and Death.

In this context, hope is not “wishful thinking,” as in “I hope so.”  The hope we have in Christ is defined as “confident expectation.” When we say, “Christ is our only hope in life and death” we are not saying that maybe Christ is the answer to our problems. No! We are instead saying that we can confidently believe what Jesus tells us in John 14:6 when He says: “I am THE way and THE truth and THE life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” Hope is believing that Jesus is who he says he is and that he can do what he says he can do. Biblical hope is built on faith (Hebrews 11:1).

I am convinced that through Christ, we can redefine what it means to be joyful, successful, and secure; and to know that true joy, success, and security come from “…looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:2).

We know that Jesus not only authored our faith and through the gift of the Holy Spirit helps us to persevere and grow in our faith, He also seals our faith. “And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ(Philippians 1:6). “In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory” (Ephesians 1:13-14). This, my brothers, and sisters in Christ, is why we have hope. This is why our mission at Nashville Rescue Mission is “Hope for Today, Hope for Tomorrow, and Hope for Eternity.” This is why “Hope Lives Here” at Nashville Rescue Mission. This isn’t just a nice sentiment; it is literally why we exist. Just like the old gospel hymn “Rescue the Perishing,” the mission of the Mission is to proclaim the hope we have in Christ and His power to save. Offering shelter, food, clothing, case management, and programs are merely a means to that end.

In the first Chaplain’s Corner of Advent, I wrote about the Promise of a Savior. Then I wrote about the Peace and Joy that we have in knowing that Jesus is our Savior. Hope is what unites us with the Promise, and Peace and Joy are the resulting fruits of the Holy Spirit’s work in our lives. My prayer for you, as we are ending 2025 and moving into 2026, is this: “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit” (Romans 15:13).

My Hope Is Built on Nothing Less (lyrics by Edward Mote)

My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness;
And I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
But wholly lean on Jesus’ name.

When darkness seems to hide His face, 
I rest on His unchanging grace;
In every high and stormy gale,
My anchor holds within the veil.

His oath, his covenant, His blood
Support me in the whelming flood;
When all around my soul gives way,
He then is all my hope and stay.

When he shall come with trumpet sound,
O may I then in Him be found!
Dressed in his righteousness alone,
Faultless to stand before the throne!

On Christ, the solid rock, I stand;
All other ground is sinking sand,
All other ground is sinking sand.

In Christ,

Judy

*For more information on this topic, read: https://www.barna.com/research/competing-worldviews-influence-todays-christians/

Chaplain’s Corner – Advent (Joy)

Dec17

Luke tells us about the birth of Jesus: “And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid.” I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger’” (Luke 2:8-12).

Joy—the angel says that he brings good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Just as we use the word “joy” often in our daily language, there are also many references to joy in in the Bible. What is joy? Joy is a feeling, or emotion. Many things can give us joy–a delicious meal, a visit from a friend, reuniting with family, obedient children–you get the idea. Spending time with my grandchildren makes me especially joyful, as do flowers, a delightful book, and those Hallmark Christmas movies that always end “happily ever after.” However, all these things are fleeting. What if the next meal isn’t forthcoming or especially good, what if the friend doesn’t come back, what if after reuniting there is dysfunction, what if the children then disobey? Sometimes good things happen and we still can’t appreciate it or summon a feeling of joy. Sometimes we have to use some kind of artificial stimulant to bring joy. I know myself that I can feel very joyful one day and not so much the next, even though my circumstances have not changed. The fact is that feelings, or emotions, are unstable. God tells us in Jeremiah 17:9 “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?”

So, what is this good news that will cause great joy? We know that the good news is that “Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.” The long-promised Messiah has come. “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14) ….” the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! (John 1:29) ….” has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel” 2 Timothy 1:10.

This is the good news that causes great joy, joy that is not dependent upon the fickleness of our hearts or the actions of any earthly being or thing! When we rest in the life-giving love and glory and majesty of Jesus and obey his commands, we are secure in the only thing that really matters.  Our joy is real and it is complete.

“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete” (John 15:9-11).

“That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched—this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. We write this to make our joy complete” (1 John 1:1-4).

During this season of Advent, let us proclaim to the world our joy for the gift of our Savior and the fact that our Savior reigns as the King of Kings and LORD of Lords.

I hope you will click on the link below—I promise you will be blessed by this rendition of one of my very favorite songs:

Lyrics to Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee (words by Henry Van Dyke, music by Ludwig Van Beethoven)

Joyful, joyful, we adore Thee,
God of glory, Lord of love;
Hearts unfold like flow’rs before Thee,
Op’ning to the sun above.
Melt the clouds of sin and sadness;
Drive the dark of doubt away;
Giver of immortal gladness,
Fill us with the light of day!

All Thy works with joy surround Thee,
Earth and heav’n reflect Thy rays,
Stars and angels sing around Thee,
Center of unbroken praise.
Field and forest, vale and mountain,
Flow’ry meadow, flashing sea,
Singing bird and flowing fountain
Call us to rejoice in Thee.

Thou art giving and forgiving,
Ever blessing, ever blest,
Wellspring of the joy of living,
Ocean depth of happy rest!
Thou our Father, Christ our Brother,
All who live in love are Thine;
Teach us how to love each other,
Lift us to the joy divine.

Mortals, join the happy chorus,
Which the morning stars began;
Father love is reigning o’er us,
Brother love binds man to man.
Ever singing, march we onward,
Victors in the midst of strife,
Joyful music leads us Sunward
In the triumph song of life.

In Christ,

Judy

Chaplain’s Corner – Advent (Peace)

Dec10

The night Jesus was born angels appeared to shepherds keeping watch over their flocks. “And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, `Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men’” (Luke 2:13-14 KJV).

Peace – what a potentially misunderstood word for Christians. My mom (a faithful Christian) frequently expressed a desire for some “peace and quiet.” I can’t imagine why! We often hear prayers for world peace; however, Jesus teaches his disciples that his second coming will be preceded by war and persecution. “You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come” (Matthew 24:6). In other words, it seems that a desire for world peace is contradictory to a desire for Jesus’ return. So, peace as defined by the absence of conflict and war is not realistic in the view of a Christian. Of course, that doesn’t mean that Christians are in favor of war, just that it is the reality of the end times we are living in.

That said, it is important to note that theheavenly hosts accompanying the angel were actually God’s Angel Army (see the Chaplain’s Corner from April 18, 2018). Among other duties, God’s Angel Army has been commissioned to engage in spiritual warfare with Satan and his demons. We read about their work in Old Testament passages (examples 2 Kings 6 and Daniel 10). Can you imagine how the heavenly hosts must have felt to be assigned to announce the birth of the Prince of Peace, knowing that at long last the end of war was in sight? To me, it would be similar to being in a time of turmoil, maybe like an interim period between pastors at church or between leaders at work, and finally the new pastor or leader is announced, and we have hope that everything will be good now. These heavenly hosts know that there will continue to be spiritual warfare for a time, but there is a new “general” in charge. Although he is a tiny baby now, he will be the King of Kings and LORD of LORDS, and that is why they are singing so joyously about the peace that is to come.

And then, Jesus himself tells us in John 14:27 “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.” What is this peace that Jesus promises to us, this peace that is not of this world? In this verse from John 14 is the promise of the Holy Spirit. Jesus is explaining to the disciples about his pending departure, and here he is promising that God will send the Holy Spirit to be with them in his physical absence. This is a wonderful reference to the triune God—God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. The three persons of the trinity were perfectly reconciled to each other. Jesus came into the world to reconcile us with God, our Father, and he has asked that God also send the Holy Spirit to each of us. Ultimate peace is peace with God. We had alienated ourselves from God through our sin, and it is only through Jesus’ death on the cross that we can hope for reconciliation and peace with God, as Paul explains in 2 Corinthians 5:18-20 (NIV):

“All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.”

War and discord are prevalent all over the world—war between nations, between ethnic groups, between political parties, between individuals. There is a key principle in overcoming these conflicts–this lack of peace–and that is to realize who our enemy really is. War and discord are but symptoms of the spiritual warfare that is being waged between God’s Angel Armies and Satan and his demons. The enemy of peace is Satan; our common enemy is Satan. As we strive to make peace with God and with our fellow man, let us pray for wisdom and strength to resist Satan and engage in spiritual warfare, calling at all times on the Holy Spirit.

 During this season of Advent, let us praise God for his promise of ultimate victory over Satan and peace “that is not of this world” through the coming of his Son: “Everyone has heard about your obedience, so I rejoice over you. But I want you to be wise about what is good and innocent about what is evil. The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you” (Romans 16:19-20).

Lyrics to “It Came Upon a Midnight Clear,” by Edmund Sears

It came upon the midnight clear,
That glorious song of old,
From angels bending near the earth,
To touch their harps of gold:
“Peace on the earth, goodwill to men,
From heaven’s all-gracious King.”
The world in solemn stillness lay,
To hear the angels sing.

Still through the cloven skies they come,
With peaceful wings unfurled,
And still their heavenly music floats
O’er all the weary world;
Above its sad and lowly plains,
They bend on hovering wing,
And ever o’er its babel sounds
The blessèd angels sing.

Yet with the woes of sin and strife
The world has suffered long;
Beneath the angel-strain have rolled
Two thousand years of wrong;
And man, at war with man, hears not
The love-song which they bring;
O hush the noise, ye men of strife,
And hear the angels sing.

And ye, beneath life’s crushing load,
Whose forms are bending low,
Who toil along the climbing way
With painful steps and slow,
Look now! for glad and golden hours
come swiftly on the wing.
O rest beside the weary road,
And hear the angels sing!

For lo!, the days are hastening on,
By prophet bards foretold,
When with the ever-circling years
Comes round the age of gold
When peace shall over all the earth
Its ancient splendors fling,
And the whole world give back the song
Which now the angels sing.

In Christ,

Judy

Chaplain’s Corner – Advent: Promises

Dec3

‘For all the promises of God find their Yes in him. That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory” (2 Corinthians 1:20).

There’s a lot not to like about December. It’s cold. It’s often wet. It’s often wet and cold. It can be dreary. The days are getting shorter, and the traffic seems to get worse. But over the years, I have learned to love December for many reasons. Here are a few:

  1. As much as I love to garden and see things grow, December affords me some time to clean out my gardens and to rest along with the ground.
  2. I try to appreciate the cold crisp air, contrasting it with the hot and humid days of summer when I was wishing for a break in the heat.
  3. With the leaves off the trees, I can see through the trees into people’s back yards and even further. I can see through the trees into the fields beyond as I am driving along the interstate. I know that sounds weird (please don’t judge me), but it’s just fun to see what is usually hidden by the trees and other undergrowth of spring, summer, and fall. And you are more likely to see hawks and other similar types of birds when the leaves are off the trees.
  4. I love homemade soup, chili, and other hearty meals. They are just better when it’s cold outside.
  5. I love “cozy.” Cozy is just a wintertime thing and it’s so comforting.

I think that December is also a great month because of Christmas, of course, and because I know that the New Year is right around the corner, with its promise of new beginnings.

Maybe promise is the best reason of all to love December, because December is a month of resting on God’s promises.

  • We know that December won’t last forever, that spring will always follow winter. “As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease” (Genesis 8:22).
  • We know that light followed darkness.  “…the people living in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned” (Matthew 4:16).
  • We know that eternal life is promised to all who believe. “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).

The Season of Advent began this past Sunday. It runs from the fourth Sunday before Christmas through Christmas Eve. During Advent, we plan and prepare for the second coming of Christ just as those in Jesus’ day anticipated the first coming of Christ. Let us celebrate the fact that we can both look back on how God fulfilled his promise beginning in Genesis 3:15 with the birth, life, death, and resurrection of Christ, as well as look forward to living each day in community with the risen Lord and our fellow believers.

In Christ,

Judy

Chaplain’s Corner – Gratitude for Provision

Nov26

“Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise!” (Psalm 95:2).

God made us to have certain physical “needs.” We need food, water, shelter, clothing. Most of us have lived through times of hardship as well as times of relative prosperity (I say relative because prosperity means different things to different people and doesn’t always mean money). I grew up with the essentials but not really any extras. In my adult life we have had times when there was more “month than money” if you know what I mean. But somehow, we always made it.

Jesus tells us in Matthew 6:25-34 not to worry about our physical needs. Paul, who also experienced his own ups and downs, goes a step farther than just not worrying or even coveting what someone else has. Paul encourages us to be content in our circumstances. He says “I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength.” (Philippians 4:11-13)

And what is that secret? Paul trusted God. He knew that “… my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19).

Let us give thanks for a God who answers our prayers, even the ones that seem unanswered. Let us give thanks to God who gives us what we need. “For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!” (Matthew 8:7-11).

Let us give thanks to our Good Father for His provision. Just as he sent manna from heaven to the Israelites (Exodus 16:35), just as he kept Elijah supplied with flour and oil (1 Kings 17:16), God will provide. He is Jehovah-Jireh (check out both the NIV and KJV).

“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change” (James 1:17).

In Christ,

Judy

Chaplain’s Corner – Gratitude In Our Circumstances

Nov19

Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise! Psalm 95:2

As believers, we are not granted a pass to escape all of life’s problems. In fact, Jesus told us in John 16:33 – “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

We learn in Deuteronomy 8:2 that sometimes God tests us like he did the Israelites: “You shall remember all the way which the Lord your God has led you in the wilderness these forty years, that He might humble you, testing you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not.”

We know that ever since the Garden of Eden, Satan seeks to tempt us and make us fail. BUT “No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it” (1 Corinthians 10:13).

However, Jesus did promise us that He would be with us in the storms of life. He would send the Holy Spirit to be with us always, to provide his presence and power to help us to deal with the troubles we will undoubtedly experience. As the ever-suffering prophet Jeremiah proclaimed in Lamentations 3:22-23 “It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: Great is Thy Faithfulness.”

I will be thankful in my circumstances, even the hard ones, because the Bible assures us that “No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it” (Hebrews 12:11). James took it a step further when he exhorted the Jewish believers who were struggling with trials, prejudice, and suffering, to “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance” (James 1:2-3).

I pray that we will be thankful in our circumstances, even the challenging ones, because we know that “God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28).

I pray that we will “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18).

In Christ,

Judy

Chaplain’s Corner – Gratitude for Rescue

Nov12

“Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise!” (Psalm 95:2)

“Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all his benefits—who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.” (Psalm 103:2-5)

What a mighty God we worship! He is King of kings, LORD of lords, robed in majesty and armed with strength. He is our God, and above all, we should be thankful for who He is and how He loves us.

I don’t know about you, but I am especially fond of the name of our organization. The name “Mission” conveys not only our purpose, but also that we are a place where the work of missionaries takes place. What I really respond to, however, is the name “Rescue.” It reminds me of the hopelessness of each of us before we find our salvation in Jesus. And combining “Rescue” with “Mission” speaks to the true work that is carried on in this special place.

As the Creator, he chose to make us in His image. And then, in our disobedience, our Merciful God chose to forgive us. Not only that, our loving Creator God, full of Grace and Mercy, designed a most beautiful way to rescue us from the pit of hell and restore us to His Heavenly Kingdom. All we must do is to ask for forgiveness of our sins and accept this precious gift of salvation, made possible by the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, son of God. My heart is full of gratitude for His love for me, a sinner.

We serve a God who seeks us to rescue, redeem, and reconcile us to Himself; to save us by his beautiful, wonderful, and powerful name from the eternal fiery pit of Hell. Praise God, What a Beautiful Name!

“Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).

In Christ,

Judy

Chaplain’s Corner – Gratitude

Nov5

“Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise!” Psalm 95:2.

Do you remember when you were a child how you took pride in comparing your stuff to the stuff of others? My (Dad, house, you name it) is bigger or better than your (Dad, house, you name it). While that sounds immature, guess what? It is perfectly acceptable to say that My God is bigger, my God is better. Just like Samuel, we can proudly acknowledge: “The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation. (2 Samuel 22:2-3).

What a mighty God we worship! He is King of kings, LORD of lords, robed in majesty and armed with strength. He is our God, and above all, we should be thankful for who He is and how He loves us. We worship the Creator. All other “gods” are created and are powerless against the mighty God we serve.

During this month especially dedicated to giving thanks, I want to express my gratitude for God, and I am thankful for everyone in my life who has pointed me toward God: My parents, my extended family, my church, my friends, and my coworkers at Nashville Rescue Mission.

This week, I am thankful for God who loves me and made a way to ensure that I would forever be a part of His Kingdom. “But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God” (John 1:12).

In Christ,

Judy

Psalm 103:2–5

Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all his benefits—who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

Chaplain’s Corner – I AM the Resurrection and the Life

Oct29

“I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in Me will live, even though he dies” (John 11:25).

The story of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead is well-known for several things. One, this passage contains the shortest verse in the Bible, well-known to those of us who have been challenged to recite Scripture on the spot – “Jesus wept” (John 11:35). Two, Jesus miraculously raised a man from the dead. And three, Jesus made one of his most outrageous claims: that He was the resurrection and those who believed in him could be guaranteed eternal life. In fact, he was claiming his Divinity.

After presenting Himself as The Resurrection and The Life, Jesus asked Martha an all-important question: “Do you believe this?” (John 11:26).

From Jesus’ question, we see that we have a choice as to whether we believe Jesus is who He says He is. We have always had this choice. In fact, in one of Moses’ final speeches to the children if Israel, when he was 100 years old, he told them they had a choice between life and success or death and disaster. He recommended that they choose life:

“Today I am giving you a choice. You can choose life and success or death and disaster…. Choose life! Be completely faithful to the Lord your God, love him, and do whatever he tells you. The Lord is the only one who can give life, and he will let you live a long time in the land that he promised to your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. (Deuteronomy 30:15, 19b-20).

Joshua also called on his people to make a choice. “Now fear the Lord and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your ancestors worshiped beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.” (Joshua 24:14-15).

If you carefully read the above passage, you will note that Joshua accurately tells his people that their choice is not if they will worship, but whom they will worship. Jesus also tells us this about our choices: “You can’t worship two gods at once. Loving one god, you’ll end up hating the other. Adoration of one feeds contempt for the other. You can’t worship God and Money both.” (Matthew 6:24 CEV).

We will die one day. And when we die, one of two things will happen. We will go on to heaven—to eternal life with our heavenly Father, or we will go to eternal damnation, to hell, separated from God forever, death. Choose Life. Choose Jesus, because “The Lord is the only one who can give life” (Deuteronomy 30:20).

When Jesus asked Martha that all-important question: “Do you believe this?” (John 11:26), she answered“Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God who was to come into the world” (John 11:27). Martha believed that Jesus is God, that he is the Bread of Life, the Light of the World, the Door, the Way, The Truth, The Resurrection and The Life. May our answer likewise be, “Yes Lord, I Believe.”

In Christ,

Judy

Chaplain’s Corner – I AM the Truth

Oct22

Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6).

There was an interesting exchange between Jesus and Pilate when Jesus was brought before him. Pilate presented the accusation as he had heard it from the Jewish leadership. Then, “Jesus said, ‘My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jewish leaders. But now my kingdom is from another place.’ ‘You are a king, then!’ said Pilate. Jesus answered, ‘You say that I am a king. In fact, the reason I was born and came into the world is to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.’ ‘What is truth?’ retorted Pilate. With this he went out again to the Jews gathered there and said, ‘I find no basis for a charge against him.’” (John 18:36-38).

“What is truth?” asked Pilate. And that is the question we should be continually asking.

All of Jesus’ I AM statements are supremely important for us to believe and receive in order to have eternal life. But there is one that seems to be foundational for our understanding of all the others, and that is that Jesus is the Truth.

It is telling that the arch enemy, Satan, is known by his dishonesty and deceit. Jesus told the Jews who were challenging his claim to be God’s son, “You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.” (John 8:44)

What is truth?

Truth is about honesty. All school children in my day grew up learning that George Washington, the father of our country, could not tell a lie about chopping down that cherry tree. But truth is about so much more than honesty in admitting our wrongdoing, or even about our honest testimony in court as in “You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor” (the ninth commandment).

The subject of truth is important to consider because of all the deceit that surrounds us. We’ve all heard about “fake news.” Most of us are now savvy enough, or cynical enough, not to believe everything we hear or read about current events. How sad that is that there are so few trusted news sources. This is not a new thing. Even in the Old Testament, “Truth is nowhere to be found, and whoever shuns evil becomes a prey. The Lord looked and was displeased that there was no justice.” (Isaiah 59:5). How can we know what really is the truth?

And while the spread of fake news is intentional, there are other unintentional sources of untruth. This one gets rather personal, but my brothers and I used to joke about our dad “rewriting history.” Don’t get me wrong, my dad was a wonderful Christian man. But his memory was distorted. Clearly, there were things that he remembered about my childhood that were distinctly different from how I remembered it. I have since learned that our brains can be rewired. If we tell ourselves something enough times, our brain will “remember” it as if it happened that way rather than how it actually happened. Knowing that, I can’t really be sure if Dad was wrong or if it was me who was wrong about events from our past, but clearly, one, or maybe even both of us, misremembered. What is truth?

And then, perhaps worst of all, are those who tell us that truth does not matter. Your truth does not have to agree with my truth so long as you are true to yourself. This is called relativism, and it is deadly. “The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness” (Romans 1:18).

I don’t know about you, but all this really alarms me. If there’s one thing I have learned, it is that there cannot be multiple conflicting truths. Either young George chopped down the cherry tree, or he didn’t. Either the U.S. landed on the moon in 1969, or we didn’t. Either Dad’s car broke down so that we couldn’t take that trip, or it didn’t. And finally, there can be only one Creator; there can only be one Sovereign God.  Everyone and everything else are created by the one true Creator; everyone and everything else is subject to the one true God who is Sovereign over all.

So, in this culture of falsity, fake news, deceit, corruption, and even fading memories, where can we safely and reliably turn to for The Truth? You know where I’m going. The Bible is the source of knowledge about Truth. It is the filter by which we sift out all the conflicting information that bombards us. It is the lens with which we examine everything. The Bible is True. Jesus is the Truth. Jesus is the Word. The Word is Truth.

  • The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth (John 1:14).
  • For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ (John 1:17).
  • Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free (John 8:32).

Brothers and sisters in Christ, we must stay in the Word. It is our only reliable source of life-giving truth:

  • Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long (Psalm 25:5).
  • But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come (John 16:13).
  • Therefore, put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace (Romans 6:13-15).
  • This is good, and pleases God our Savior, 4who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus.” (1 Timothy 2:3-5).

And just a few more words to those of us who minister to others (and that’s all of us):

  • If you point these things out to the brothers and sisters, you will be a good minister of Christ Jesus, nourished on the truths of the faith and of the good teaching that you have followed (1 Timothy 4:6).
  • Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth (2 Timothy 2:15).
  • Opponents must be gently instructed, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth (2 Timothy 2:25).

“For the word of the Lord is right and true; he is faithful in all he does” (Psalm 33:4).

In Christ,

Judy