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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 – Cleanliness and Godliness

Sep10

“For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love” (2 Peter 1:5-7).

Look closely at this this opening verse. It does not mention cleanliness in the list of godly aspirations, yet I’ve heard this all my life: “Cleanliness is next to godliness.” So why am I writing about it? For two completely opposite reasons.

Reason one: We must beware of taking as biblical any statement just because it sounds good. While this phrase is often attributed to the well-known preacher, John Wesley, you will not find it in the Bible. Supposedly, it was a reference to being pure, but that is not the intent whenever I hear it. It reminds me of so many other statements from culture or psychology that we have had ingrained in our lives as to think they are biblical, such as:
• God helps those who help themselves.
• God will not give you more than you can handle.
• God wants us to be happy.
• Bad things happen to good people.
• All good things come to those who wait.
• This too shall pass.
• Money is the root of all evil.
• Charity begins at home.
• The road to hell is paved with good intentions.
• When you die, God gains another angel.
• We all go to the same place when we die.
• To thine own self be true.

Sometimes, these sayings are a slight twist on Scripture, maybe they contain just a grain of truth; but they will throw us off track if we are not careful. Some of these sayings we as believers know to be false, but so many nonbelievers take them to heart. I am not going to explain each one; I encourage you to do your own research. In fact, I encourage you to listen with discernment to filter all you hear through the wisdom of the Bible. To do this, takes a diligent study of the Scriptures. Strive to be like the Bereans, who didn’t even take Paul on his word without thorough examination of the Scriptures: “Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true” (Acts 17:11).

Reason Two: While the state of cleanliness is never biblically said to be next to godliness, the Bible commends cleanliness in many ways:
• Cleanliness is an element of stewardship, which is a command given to all humankind, beginning in the Garden of Eden when God commanded Adam to “subdue the earth.”
• There are many biblical references to “clean” and “unclean.” These references are designations of acceptable and unacceptable elements to be used in worship. This could refer to types of food, certain animals, the condition of a person, etc. God made clear distinctions for what he considered to be clean, and for what we would say today is holy.
• Jesus used the idea of being clean to convey holiness. He condemned those who were hypocritical, just wanting to look good on the inside. Instead, we should work to be clean from the inside out. “Then the Lord said to him: ‘Now then, you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness’” (Luke 11:39).
• In this sense, we are exhorted to purity (spiritual cleanliness) throughout the Bible. The Psalmist wrote: “Who may ascend the mountain of the Lord? Who may stand in his holy place? The one who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not trust in an idol or swear by a false god” (Psalm 24:3-4). Paul told Timothy: “Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity” (1 Timothy 4:12).

I can’t leave this topic without making a distinction between being clean and the act of cleaning itself. Many of you are employed by the Mission in the ministry of cleaning. You are cleaning up for, and after, the least of these—in their sickness, in their addiction, in their helplessness, and sometimes just because. And you do it with a servant’s heart! It is clear that your effort in this work is based on your gratitude and love for Jesus and for those whom He loves. In so many ways, your work is the most powerful testimony of all. Thank you.

“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving” (Colossians 3:23-24).

In Christ,
Judy
e does not mention cleanliness in the list of godly aspirations, yet I’ve heard this all my life: “Cleanliness is next to godliness.”  So why am I writing about it? For two completely opposite reasons.

Reason one: We must beware of taking as biblical any statement just because it sounds good. While this phrase is often attributed to the well-known preacher, John Wesley, you will not find it in the Bible. Supposedly, it was a reference to being pure, but that is not the intent whenever I hear it. It reminds me of so many other statements from culture or psychology that we have had so ingrained in our lives as to think they are biblical, such as:

  • God helps those who help themselves.
  • God will not give you more than you can handle.
  • God wants us to be happy.
  • Bad things happen to good people.
  • All good things come to those who wait.
  • This too shall pass.
  • Money is the root of all evil.
  • Charity begins at home.
  • The road to hell is paved with good intentions.
  • When you die, God gains another angel.
  • We all go to the same place when we die.
  • To thine own self be true.

Sometimes, these sayings are a slight twist on Scripture, maybe they contain just a grain of truth; but they will throw us off track if we are not careful. Some of these sayings we as believers know to be false, but so many nonbelievers take them to heart. I am not going to explain each one; I encourage you to do your own research. In fact, I encourage you to listen with discernment to filter all you hear through the wisdom of the Bible. To do this, takes a diligent study of the Scriptures. Strive to be like the Bereans, who didn’t even take Paul on his word without thorough examination of the Scriptures: “Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true” (Acts 17:11).

Reason Two: While the state of cleanliness is never biblically said to be next to godliness, the Bible commends cleanliness in many ways:

  • Cleanliness is an element of stewardship, which is a command given to all humankind, beginning in the Garden of Eden when God commanded Adam to “subdue the earth.”
  • There are many biblical references to “clean” and “unclean.” These references are designations of acceptable and unacceptable elements to be used in worship. This could refer to types of food, certain animals, the condition of a person, etc. God made clear distinctions for what he considered to be clean, and for what we would say today is holy.
  • Jesus used the idea of being clean to convey holiness. He condemned those who were hypocritical, just wanting to look good on the inside. Instead, we should work to be clean from the inside out. “Then the Lord said to him: ‘Now then, you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness’” (Luke 11:39).
  • In this sense, we are exhorted to purity (spiritual cleanliness) throughout the Bible. The Psalmist wrote: “Who may ascend the mountain of the Lord? Who may stand in his holy place? The one who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not trust in an idol or swear by a false god” (Psalm 24:3-4). Paul told Timothy: “Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity” (1 Timothy 4:12).

I can’t leave this topic without making a distinction between being clean and the act of cleaning itself. Many of you are employed by the Mission in the ministry of cleaning. You are cleaning up for, and after, the least of these—in their sickness, in their addiction, in their helplessness, and sometimes just because. And you do it with a servant’s heart! It is clear that your effort in this work is based on your gratitude and love for Jesus and for those whom He loves. In so many ways, your work is the most powerful testimony of all. Thank you.

“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving” (Colossians 3:23-24).

In Christ,

Judy

Chaplain’s Corner – Prayer of the Tabernacle, pt 2

Aug20

“Build an altar of acacia wood, three cubits high; it is to be square, five cubits long and five cubits wide.Make a horn at each of the four corners, so that the horns and the altar are of one piece and overlay the altar with bronze. Make all its utensils of bronze—its pots to remove the ashes, and its shovels, sprinkling bowls, meat forks and firepans…. Make a bronze basin, with its bronze stand, for washing. Place it between the tent of meeting and the altar and put water in it” (Exodus 27:1-3; 30:18).

We are advised and encouraged to pray at all times about all things, but having a dedicated prayer time each day really helps to set the stage for these ongoing prayers. Last week we began working through a guide to pray based on the tabernacle/temple system from the Old Testament. (I recommend that you refer to last week’s Chaplain’s Corner if you didn’t get a chance to read it.) It is helpful to think about entering this dedicated time of prayer as entering into a physical meeting space, and we are using the OT tabernacle as our model. As we studied last week, we first enter the gates to the large tent/courtyard that is the tabernacle with praises and thanksgiving (Psalm 100). That’s how we begin our dedicated time of prayer.

The next object we see in the tabernacle is the bronze altar upon which the daily sacrifices were made. This should help us to remember that as we approach the throne of God, we must first ponder the significance of the cross. As believers on this side of the cross, we love to think about our risen Lord and Savior. And that is a good thing. But we must never forget the price He paid to redeem us. It was Jesus’ sacrifice of his own life that has allowed us the privilege of entering into the throne room of God. “And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit. At that moment, the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom” (Matthew 27:50-51). David writes of the benefits of the cross in Psalm 103:1-5: salvation, forgiveness, healing, redemption, satisfaction, and renewal. So, in your dedicated prayer time, ponder the cross.

The next object we see in the courtyard is a huge wash basin. This is a reminder of who we were before we received Jesus’ salvation, before we were washed in Jesus’ blood; and it is a reminder to exam ourselves regularly and continue to seek ongoing confession and sanctification. Psalm 139:23-24 have become regular verses for my personal meditation: “Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me and lead me in the way everlasting.”

Jesus tells us to take up our cross daily and follow him (Luke 9:23). Paul writes in Romans 12:1: “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.” As we ponder the cross and Jesus’ command to follow him, we incline our hearts to Him, we seek to commit our desires, our eyes, our ears, our minds, and our tongues; our hands, feet and our paths to Him, in praise and a desire to be more like Him. This is similar to the part of the Lord’s prayer where we pray, “your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”

I pray that this guide will help you in your prayer life. Practice these first three steps, as outlined last week and this week, and stay tuned for the next elements of this tabernacle guide to prayer.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight” (Proverbs 3:4-5).

In Christ,

Judy

Chaplain’s Corner – Godly Wisdom, part 2

Nov13

“But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere” (James 3:17 ESV).

Two weeks ago, we pondered James’ question “Who is wise and understanding among you?” (James 3:13). This is a convicting question. I think most of us agree that we desire wisdom. We talked about the opposite of wisdom, which is foolishness. None of us desires to be fools in anyone’s eyes. So, let us continue to allow James to be our guide in exploring elements five through eight of wisdom and how they apply to our Christian walk.

  1. Wisdom is full of mercy. We all benefit from God’s mercy, his withholding of wrath for the sinfulness of his creation. As God’s children, we are beneficiaries of God’s grace, whereby we have the righteousness of Christ so that our sin is not held against us. In that, we are absolute debtors to God for his gracious gifts. Who, then, are we to withhold any mercies that we can bestow on others? It is foolish to do otherwise. When Jesus taught us to pray, he included “and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors” (Matthew 6:12). Note that the verse reads “full of mercy.” An abundance of mercy! We must not be stingy with our mercy, as we are so thankful that God is so generous with His mercy that he sacrificed his only Son in payment for our sins. Praise God!! “For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required” (Luke 12:48).
  2. Wisdom is fruitful. Honestly, I got a little hung up on this one at first, and then I got back on track with Galatians 5:22-23 – “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.” These qualities, some of which we have already discussed, both contribute to wisdom and are the result of wisdom. These qualities are planted in our hearts when we place our faith in Jesus, and then are demonstrated in our works. (Just like an apple tree produces apples and a stalk of corn produces corn.) “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10). James tells us that faith without works is dead. He is not talking about works to earn our salvation; he is saying that our works, our wisdom, are evidence of our faith (James 2:17).
  3. Wisdom is impartial. The book of James has so much to say about impartiality, especially in Chapter two where he writes about avoiding favoritism, treating everyone with fairness, not judging on external appearances. I am reminded in this of the Golden Rule “So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets” (Matthew 7:12). Praise God for His impartiality. Praise God that He does not play the comparison game as we can be prone to do, whether making comparisons between others, or between ourselves and others. “For God does not show favoritism” (Romans 2:11).
  4. Wisdom is sincere. Sincerity means genuineness, transparency, consistency, trustworthiness. It implies integrity or wholeness, meaning that what you say is who you really are; what you say is what you really mean. What you see is what you get. It means that we are not putting on an act or a front; that we may change our personality depending on our audience. When we possess godly wisdom, we will avoid deceit and disguise and instead be honest with others and show sincerity in our words and actions. “Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good” (Romans 12:9).

Let us diligently pursue wisdom. Seek to nourish the seeds of faith and wisdom that the Holy Spirit has planted in your heart and grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

“A foolish person delights in doing evil. But wisdom will save you from the ways of wicked men….” (Proverbs 2:14).

In Christ,

Judy

P.S.: If you would like to talk more about any of these devotions or matters that concern you, please stop by my office, or call or text me at 615-804-3453 to arrange a time, and I will be happy to speak with you.

Chaplain’s Corner – Trials and Testing

Aug28

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. (James 1:2-4).

God is never far from our side when we Satan is tempting us, because Satan’s efforts to deceive us are really his way of trying to wage war on God. We are just being used by Satan. However, when we are going through testing and trials, it is quite easy to feel that God has abandoned us. We often ask “Why,” and fail to receive an acceptable answer. As we said a couple of weeks ago, it is because we are not asking the right question.

We have much to learn from reading about heroic men and women of faith in the Bible, who now serve as examples to us. Could this instruction be the answer to the “right question,” the right question being “God, what do you want me to learn from this?” Or “God, what do you want to accomplish through this test?”

Consider Abraham, who was commanded to sacrifice his only son Isaac, the son through whom God had promised to establish his covenant of the redemption of a sin-cursed world. When Isaac asked his father where the lamb was for the burnt offering, Abraham responded “God will provide for himself the lamb for the burnt offering, my son” (Genesis 22:7-8). God already knew the strength and character of Abraham’s faith; He tested Abraham to reveal and strengthen it. He tests our faith for the same reason: “the testing of your faith produces steadfastness…, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing” (James 1:3-4).

Consider Job. Job seemed to be a casualty in the war between God and Satan. Job himself was a righteous man, and his extreme suffering came about through no consequence of his own misbehavior. Satan had wagered that Job would repudiate his faith, but Job did not. “I know that my redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand on the earth” (Job 19:25). Job passed the test. And for his faith he was rewarded greatly.

Consider David. God tested David many times over. God chose David to succeed Saul as king but made him wait for more than ten years to take the crown. During this time Saul grew increasingly mentally unstable and jealous of David’s popularity, and Saul had David on the run. David had opportunities to kill or at least humiliate Saul, but he did not. In this, God was using David to give Saul every opportunity to repent of his own disobedience. God was also teaching David to wait on God’s perfect timing, pointing him and us to the ultimate fulfillment of his will in Jesus, our eternal King. “Your house and your kingdom will endure forever before me; your throne will be established forever.” (2 Samuel 7:16).

Consider Jonah. Jonah, already an established prophet, was called by God to go to Ninevah to preach the message of faith. Jonah did not want to go; in fact, he ran in the opposite direction. It is understandable because Ninevah was the capital of Assyria, a terrorist nation, the enemy of Israel, and practiced evil and cruelty. No one liked them. But God did not give up on Jonah and He did not give up on the Ninevites. Jonah ended up taking the message to them, and the Ninevites repented. God called Jonah to love his enemies, although sadly, Jonah failed this test (read Jonah 4). Jesus calls us to love our enemies; thankfully, He is not like Jonah, and hopefully neither are we. “The men of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and now something greater than Jonah is here.” (Matthew 12:41).

Consider Daniel and his friends. They served under a succession of Babylonian and Persian kings. From time to time, the king would command his subjects to worship the king and/or his gods. For failure to obey the king, Daniel was thrown into the lions’ den, but was not harmed. His friends were thrown into a fiery furnace but were unharmed. “If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand. But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.” (Daniel 3:17-18). And because of the unswerving faithfulness of these four men, both King Nebuchadnezzar and King Darius proclaimed the glory of God to the known world at that time. Daniel and his friends passed the test of faithfulness, and the greater good was served.

We may feel that God is far from us when we are undergoing these trials and testing. But just as with temptation, God never abandons us. In each of these examples, God was standing by, providing what was needed, whether it was the provision for the sacrifice, the fish to prevent Jonah from running from his responsibility, or the encouragement to persevere. And when we are going through the fire, our Lord and Savior will be with us in the flames. “Then King Nebuchadnezzar leaped to his feet in amazement and asked his advisers, ‘Weren’t there three men that we tied up and threw into the fire?’ They replied, ‘Certainly, Your Majesty.’ He said, ‘Look! I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods.’” (Daniel 3:24-25).

Judy

Chaplain’s Corner – I Can Do No Other!

Apr16

“Mary Magdalen went to the disciples with the news: ‘I have seen the Lord!’ And she told them that he had said these things to her” (John 20:18).

Easter Sunday was just a little over two weeks ago. Now it seems that we are all back to “business as usual.” Was Easter just another day on the calendar? No! Not for believers. Knowing that Jesus was crucified for our sins, rose from the dead, and ascended to Heaven to be with his Father demands a response from us. And do not be deceived: no response is a response. In His words: “Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters” (Matthew 12:30).

Reflecting on the events preceding Easter, I cannot imagine the roller coaster ride the disciples took from the day they entered Jerusalem during Passover Week on a high note, enjoying intimacy with Jesus during the Passover supper, then seeing him arrested, beaten, humiliated, and then crucified and buried. And then to see him risen from the dead! How could this be?

What emotions! We would expect joy, but there was also fear, for very good reason. In fact, the first thing the angel in the tomb said to Mary was “Don’t be alarmed. He is risen! He is not here.” “Trembling and bewildered, the women went out and fled from the tomb. They said nothing to anyone, because they were afraid” (Mark 16:6b,8).

I am sure Jesus’ family and friends were experiencing a variety of emotions from grief to disbelief, to fear. They had aligned themselves with a man who had become an enemy of both the Jewish leaders and the Romans, to the point where he had been cruelly murdered. They thought they had chosen to follow the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, but their guy had been hung up on a cross in between common criminals. What was to be their own fate? They were in hiding, trying to figure out what to do. Leaderless, unaffiliated, unemployed, in a hostile environment. The situation could not have been worse.

Not only that, unbeknownst to them, the guards and priests were devising a cover story to put the blame on the disciples for stealing Jesus’ body. They were afraid that they would get in trouble with the governor of Judea, so now any punishment for “losing” Jesus would fall on the disciples. Where do you hide, now? Just try to absorb all this and put yourselves in their shoes. It has gone from bad to worse. But then!

“On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you!’ After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord. Again, Jesus said, ‘Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.’ And with that he breathed on them and said, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.’” (John 20:19-23).

What a roller coaster ride! Jesus is with them. Now He is blessing them and giving them the power of the Holy Spirit as He sends them forth. And they are obedient, even at risk of personal, financial, and physical harm. Jesus loves his followers; He calls us to tell the story of the Good News to all who would believe. What a story! What a Savior! Like those first apostles, how can we keep this Good News to ourselves, especially when the only real risk in our day and time is perhaps some unpopularity.

Easter represents the Resurrection of Jesus to all believers. As believers, we identify with Jesus and his message. He sends us forth to tell the Good News of forgiveness of sins through his atoning sacrifice. When we believe, we must share this Good News!

In the words of Martin Luther: “Here I stand, I can do no other, so help me God. Amen.”

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8).

In Christ,

Judy

Chaplain’s Corner – Mercy Triumphs!

Mar31

“And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, “The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion, and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished….” (Exodus 34:6-7).

The verse quoted above is how God described Himself to Moses. We know that God has many attributes, and among those we celebrate most especially during this Holy Week are God’s Justice, God’s Love, and God’s Mercy.

God is a God of justice: He is holy, so he cannot abide sin. The verse above says that “he does not leave the guilty unpunished.” God gave the law to establish the Hebrews as his people and to set standards for how his people should live. The tablets upon which God’s hand wrote the Ten Commandments were physically located in the Ark of the Covenant in the Holy of Holies. God commanded us to “Be holy, because I the Lord your God am Holy.”  Any time we are less than perfectly holy, we are in sin. And Paul tells us that “…all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).

God is a God of love: In the opening verse, God tells us that he is “abounding in love in faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands.” And the New Testament reinforces this attribute. “Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.” (1 John 4:8). “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).

God is a God of mercy: God knows that as humans we are incapable of perfectly keeping his laws, of being free of sin. So, in His infinite mercy, when giving the law, he also set up a system of sacrifices which were the shedding of blood to atone for sin. And He placed a mercy seat on the ark of the covenant in the Holy of Holies to receive these sacrifices. “In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness” (Hebrews 9:22).

When Jesus was crucified and died on the cross, an amazing thing happened. The curtain in the temple tore, from top to bottom (humanly impossible). This represented the opening of the Holy of Holies. Jesus replaced the annual sacrificial lamb with his own life, once for all, to atone for the sins of the world. He figuratively entered the inner sanctuary as the Great High Priest, with this body as the atoning sacrifice; and we now have the privilege of following him there as priests, able to meet with God personally through Jesus’ sacrifice. Mercy Triumphs!

Mercy is an element of God’s grace by which he gives His son as the as the atonement for our sins.   “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9). Mercy is God’s kindness and compassion as He forgives us for our sin (see the opening verse). Mercy Triumphs!

What are we to do with this gift of love, this great mercy? James tells us to “Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment” (James 2:12-13). In other words, we are to show to others the same mercy that we have been shown—the same patience, love, kindness, and forgiveness. There is a warning in this passage—don’t miss it! Don’t forfeit the gracious gift you have been offered by withholding grace, mercy, patience, love, and kindness to others.  “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (John 13:35).

“This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of the Lord’s people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God. Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, others will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else.  And in their prayers for you their hearts will go out to you, because of the surpassing grace God has given you. Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!”  (2 Corinthians 9:12-15).

In Christ,

Judy

Chaplain’s Corner – Jesus’ Promise He Is the Truth

Oct11

“I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6).

When I was in high school, my dream job was to be a journalist, on the order of Walter Cronkite. He was the long-time anchor of CBS news, and you could rely on whatever he said to be the truth. According to Wikipedia, “During the 1960s and 1970s, he was often cited as “the most trusted man in America” after being so named in an opinion poll.”

I am not trying to start something, but can you think of one person in the news media today (print or digital) that you could say the same about? Back then, journalism was an honorable profession. Today I must say that I am so thankful I did not follow that path.

We know that no one is perfect, and that we should always evaluate what we read and hear, but it is becoming increasingly difficult to discern what is the actual truth about what’s going on in government, education, medicine, etc. Even our religious leaders can sometimes be found to be less than credible in their personal lives and in their teaching.

Even as I look back to the “good old days of the sixties and seventies, I am reminded that even in biblical times there was much deceit. From Satan’s deception in the Garden of Eden, to God’s commandment to “…have no other gods before me” (meaning there must have been false gods, or he would not have needed this commandment) there was false teaching. In the Old Testament, do not think that Elijah and Elisha and Isaiah were the only voices preaching about their “god.” There were many “prophets” competing for the same audience.

  • Isaiah wrote “When someone tells you to consult mediums and spiritists, who whisper and mutter, should not a people inquire of their God? Why consult the dead on behalf of the living? Consult God’s instruction and the testimony of warning” (Isaiah 8:19-20).
  • Jeremiah wrote: “Then the LORD said to me, ‘The prophets are prophesying lies in my name. I have not sent them or appointed them or spoken to them. They are prophesying to you false visions, divinations, idolatries and the delusions of their own minds’” (Jeremiah 14:14).
  • In the New Testament, Jesus taught about false prophets in His Sermon on the Mount: “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves” (Matthew 7:15).
  • And the epistles are full of warnings about false teachers. For example: “But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves” (2 Peter 2:1).

We have been warned, but how can we discern truth from untruth? Here are some guidelines:

  1. Read and study God’s Word in the Bible. Thankfully, the Bible outlines foolproof tests for recognizing false teaching. First and foremost, the way to identify an untruth is to know the source of truth. The Holy Scriptures, which contain the Word of God, are our source of truth. Not only is the Word the source of Truth, it IS the Truth. That is why Jesus, who is the Word made flesh, can say “I am the way, the TRUTH, and the Life.” By diligently studying the Bible, you will be able to spot an untruth when you hear it because you will know whether it aligns with God’s Word. In other words, true teachings will:

…be consistent with Scripture.

…will encourage right and moral living.

…will acknowledge Jesus Christ as divine.

  • Pray for guidance from the Holy Spirit. “I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. 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. He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you. All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will receive from me what he will make known to you.” (John 12-15).

In this corrupt world, we live among deceit, dishonesty, rationalizations and justifications, white lies, fabrications. We are told that we can make things what we want them to be. That is, it is okay if it seems right to you in your own eyes, no matter how it might impact someone else. What a comfort to know that there is a standard. Not only does Jesus tell the truth, but He IS the Truth.

“Every word of God proves true; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him” (Proverbs 30:5).

In Christ,

Judy

Chaplain’s Corner – Jesus’ Promise of Guidance

May9

“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).

What a beautiful picture of how the Trinity works together on our behalf.  In this passage, Jesus is speaking to his disciples following the Last Supper and right before he was betrayed by Judas. During his earthly ministry, Jesus has lived with, walked with, and taught his disciples; and now he is preparing them for his return to the right hand of His Father. He promises that even though he will not be right there in person to instruct them and to answer their questions, His Father will send the Holy Spirit to them to teach them and to remind them of all his teachings. “But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you” (John 14:26).

Again, we see how the three persons of the Trinity work together. God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit will never contradict each other. And everything will be True, just as Jesus said he himself was the Way, the Truth, and the Life.

Why is this important? We humans can get off track sometimes. There are so many competing voices coming at us from people we know, what we read on the internet, what we listen to from a variety of sources, even from inside our own heads! We desire to discern the truth and synthesize the messages to develop our next steps, but how can we be sure?

Here are a few tips for getting the most out of the gift of guidance from the Holy Spirit:

  1. Prayerfully ask for wisdom and discernment and guidance. Ask daily; and ask in the moment.
  2. Listen. After you ask, wait for a response. It helps to tune in with your Bible at hand. Evaluate what you hear against God’s Word—The Bible will never contradict guidance from the Holy Spirit. If you don’t get an answer right away, that may be guidance to wait rather than an indication to take matters into your own hands.
  3. Obediently act on the guidance you do receive; in this way you will be more likely to keep the channel of communication open. Refusing to follow the guidance can result in a hardened heart whereby it becomes more difficult.

This is from Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived, because he himself asked God for wisdom:

  • “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;
    in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight” (Proverbs 3:5-6).
  • “In their hearts humans plan their course, but the LORD establishes their steps” (Proverbs 16:9).

In Christ,

Judy