Chaplain’s Corner – The Law

Apr21

We have been studying the Exodus in our Bible Study on the Women’s Campus. About three months into their journey from Egypt to the Promised Land, God leads the Israelites to Mt. Sinai. Many scholars believe this is also the location where Moses was originally confronted by God in the burning bush to return to Egypt to rescue his people. At Mt. Sinai, God gives the Israelites the Law, a code of moral conduct that will, along with their shared experiences of deliverance, create a people and a culture that will identify these Israelites with God.

God has been revealing himself to these people all along:

  • He revealed Himself through Creation, and He covenanted with Adam that the Garden of Eden was Adam’s forever on the condition that he obey God’s order to abstain from eating the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. This is often called the Covenant of Works. Adam and Eve failed to uphold the covenant and were banished from the Garden (Genesis 2:16-17; 3:6-7, 23).
  • He revealed Himself again to Adam after the Fall, with a promise of a Redeemer (Genesis 3:15). This covenant was not conditioned on Adam’s obedience, and it has been fulfilled in Christ. (Galatians 4:4)
  • He revealed Himself to Noah and his family with a rainbow as a token to remind us of His promise that He will never again judge the world by flood. (Genesis 8:20-9:17)
  • He revealed Himself to Abraham, covenanting with Himself to make Abraham the father of many nations, and that those who blessed and honored Abraham would be blessed, and those that did not would be cursed. (Genesis 12:1-4; 13:14-17; 17:1-8)
  • He revealed Himself to Moses by giving the Law (Exodus 20:1-31:18), with the condition that we obey it perfectly. The LORD would bless those who were obedient, and he would discipline all others (Deuteronomy 28:1-2,15). This covenant has been broken by all except Jesus. Jesus was born under the law, and he fulfilled it (Matthew 5:17-19); yet Jesus has born the curse of the law for us (Galatians 3:13-14).

The Israelites have this shared history; and these shared experiences of being passed over by the Angel of Death, escape from Egypt, the miraculous parting of the Red Sea, and the provision of manna (daily bread), along with this new Covenant of the Law which God wrote on stone with His own finger all work to create and set apart a new nation and religion. These Ten Commandments have endured as a foundational and fundamental element of Jewish and Christian religion for more than three thousand years.

The first three of the Ten Commandments outline our vertical relationship with God and were summed up by Jesus (quoting from Deuteronomy 6:5) as the Greatest Commandment: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment” (Matthew 22:37-38).

The other seven of the Ten Commandments outline our horizontal relationships with other people. Jesus summed these up (paraphrasing Leviticus 19:18) as the Second Great Commandment: “And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:39).

Jesus proclaimed this about the Law: “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. Therefore, anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:17-19). He continued on with his Sermon on the Mount, concluding this chapter with this admonition to us: “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Matthew 5:48).

Because of their importance, I will be writing about the Ten Commandments in the next few Chaplain’s Corners. However, the good news, and I mean GOOD NEWS! is that our salvation is not based on our obedience to The Law. We are no longer bound by a covenant of works as in the days of Adam, praise be to God!

“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).

“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).

In Christ,

Judy

Chaplain’s Corner – Homeland

Apr14

“See, I have given you this land. Go in and take possession of the land the Lord swore he would give to your fathers—to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob—and to their descendants after them” (Deuteronomy 6:8).

Orphans. Displacement. Homeless. Migration. Deportation. Resettlement. Instability. War. Starvation. Refugees. Exodus. Exile. Foreigner. Outcast. Discrimination.

My Bible reading and study in recent weeks has focused on the Exodus. The last five secular novels I read have had, just by chance, some interesting similarities. The last two novels I read were coincidentally based on displaced people. One was about some of the surviving Jews from Germany, Poland, and Czech Republic who resettled in what would become the new state of Israel, reclaiming land from the Arabs who had occupied Palestine for hundreds of years, all of whom faced war, starvation, and resettlement as they struggled through the formation of this new country. The other was about the half million or so people from Oklahoma, Texas, Missouri, and Arkansas who traveled west to California seeking work after their land had been devastated by the Dust Bowl during the Great Depression, only to subsist in tent camps facing discrimination while migrating up and down the state seeking work picking crops. And recently, I read three novels in a row that coincidentally were each centered around the key figure being an orphan.

Orphans. Displacement. Homeless. Migration. Deportation. Resettlement. Instability. War. Starvation. Refugees. Exodus. Exile. Foreigner. Outcast. Discrimination.

There are so many specific events in history about resettlement; some recorded in the Bible. Abraham was called by God to leave his home and resettle in Canaan, then his descendants had to move to Egypt to survive the famine, then those descendants escaped slavery in Egypt under Moses’ leadership to resettle in Canaan, displacing the Canaanites who had since settled there during the last 400 years. “So I gave you a land on which you did not toil and cities you did not build; and you live in them and eat from vineyards and olive groves that you did not plant” (Joshua 24:13). And we know that many years later, the Israelites were defeated in battle by the Assyrians and Babylonians, and many were deported to foreign lands; seventy years later they were able to return to the Promised Land to rebuild their temple and retake their land. So much instability, movement; so many casualties. Even Mary and Joseph had to take the baby Jesus to Egypt for a time to escape persecution. Globally, there have been major displacements on each inhabited continent. Even in our great country of America, Europeans displaced the Native Americans as the United States was formed, Africans were forcibly brought to America as enslaved people, and we continue to be a haven of sorts for refugees and those seeking political asylum from a variety of countries.

Now, my intention is not to have a political discussion about immigration, slavery, etc. What I am trying to say is that historically and globally, there has been at least as much instability as there have been families living out their lives in a stable environment. As I pondered my Bible study and the historically based stories in these novels, I thought about so many of you who have grown up in instability; for many of you the Mission has become your home.

What we call home has many different connotations. “Home is where the heart is.” “Home is where I hang my hat.” “Home is where my family is.” “Home is where I can let down my hair.” “Home is…. (each of you would probably finish the sentence a different way).

Biblically speaking, at one time, home a/k/a The Promised Land was a specified location. It was centered around the Ark of the Covenant because that is where the priests went to meet God.

While we as Americans are mostly extremely blessed by comfortable living conditions, and we should be thankful for these blessings, we should realize that where we physically live now or where we aspire to live is not our forever home. It is not the “be-all and “end-all.” We are not now living in the Promised Land. Now that “the day” has arrived with the first coming of Christ, we are living under the New Covenant, God dwells in our hearts, so our spiritual home is less about a location and more about a state of mind defined by our relationship with God.  

“Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, declares the Lord. For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Jeremiah 31:31-33

We never know what the future holds for us as to our earthly home; but praise God we know who holds our future. Let us always look to our Heavenly Father for our ultimate security.

So that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge — that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. (Ephesians 3:17-19)

In Christ,

Judy

Chaplain’s Corner – The Cross

Apr7

“And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:27).

As we celebrated Easter this past Sunday, we remembered how Jesus was tortured for our sins, then how he had to carry that massive wooden cross on his bleeding shoulders to the top of the hill before being crucified on it. We remembered the stunning miracles that occurred as he gave up his life. And we celebrate his miraculous resurrection. He is risen. He is risen, indeed. Hallelujah!

Well, shortly before Jesus’ last week leading up to his crucifixion and resurrection, he was teaching about the cost of being a disciple. And he put it like this: “Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said: “If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple. And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. (Luke 14:25-27).

Jesus’ audience would have understood the reference to carrying a cross. One did not carry a cross unless he was literally going to die. What are we to make of a statement like this? It sounds very harsh, very scary. In fact. Jesus was using exaggeration to make a strong point. We do not have to actually hate our family (remember the fifth commandment in Exodus 20:12), but, he is saying that we must love Jesus more. He must be first in our life. Anything that comes before Jesus is an idol, and what Jesus was preaching was that we must eliminate all idols; we must die to self to be his disciple. The Apostle Paul put it this way in Romans 6:1-14 (it is a bit lengthy, but I cannot say it better than Paul):

What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? 2 By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? 3 Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.

5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his. 6 For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin— 7 because anyone who has died has been set free from sin.

8 Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. 9 For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. 10 The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God.

11 In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. 12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. 13 Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to him as an instrument of righteousness. 14 For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace.

Does taking up our cross mean that we will be persecuted? Perhaps. Does it mean that we will give up sinful pleasures? It should. Does it mean that we will serve Him? Hopefully. Does taking up our cross mean that we will love Him and worship only Him? Yes!

Here’s the thing: Jesus died for our sins, but then He was resurrected to eternal life in heaven with his Heavenly Father. We must die to self and sin so that we can not only walk the Christian walk, but also so that we can live eternally with Jesus. It will not be easy to exchange the worldly life with all its seeming pleasures for a life of following Jesus, but it will be eternally worth it. It is the only way.

In Christ,

Judy

Chaplain’s Corner – Were You There?

Mar31

But He was wounded for our transgressions,
He was bruised for our iniquities;
The chastisement for our peace was upon Him,
And by His stripes we are healed. Isaiah 53:5

I had a moving experience last week. I have a set of resurrection eggs at home that I put out at Eastertime. Several of my grandchildren came over for a sleepover; they saw the eggs and asked to play with them. I sat with them and walked them through the story using the little toy that is in each of the twelve eggs. The first toy is a donkey, so we talked about how Jesus rode into town on a donkey. Remember, I am talking to small children. They liked the part about the donkey. We walked through some of the other events, each a little more disturbing, such as the whip and crown of thorns, but I chose my words carefully because of their young ages. Then we got to the crucifixion which was symbolized by a large cross-shaped nail. Again, I tried to describe it in an age-appropriate way, and then was ready to move on to the linen cloth and the stone for the grave and the empty egg representing the empty tomb. But the five-year old just stopped, near tears, and hugged me and said she was so sorry that Jesus had to be hurt so badly. I was surprised at how tender her heart was toward Jesus and his pain.

I was convicted by how she was impacted by Jesus’ suffering. While I know the crucifixion really happened, I do not feel it like I should. I am only too happy to move on to the resurrection and ascension, which of course are central and foundational to our faith. But we should not overlook the monumental event of the crucifixion.  It was my sin that put Jesus on the cross. It was my sin that killed him. And it was a brutal, painful death. The man, Jesus, physically suffered like any person would suffer. The divine Jesus also suffered as God turned his face away from him unable to look at his only begotten Son who had taken on the sins of the world, my sins. I can hardly write these words.

Were you there when they crucified my Lord?

Because of Christ’s willingness to suffer for us, we as believers have been redeemed from the pit of hell to live victoriously in Christ forever. “For God took the sinless Christ and poured into him our sins. Then, in exchange, he poured God’s goodness into us!” (2 Corinthians 5:21 TLB). Praise God!!

In Christ,

Judy

Chaplain’s Corner – Lent 2021: Overcoming Temptation #3

Mar24

Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.” Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.’” (Matthew 4:8-10).

This temptation that Satan presented Jesus with is what you and I deal with every day. Satan is the master of targeted marketing! He knows what we want, and he makes every effort to hand it to us on a silver platter. He makes it look so easy, so beautiful, so tempting. For example, he knew that Jesus had come to serve as King of Kings and Lord of Lords, so Satan offered him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. What Satan did not seem to understand was that Jesus was already supreme ruler of all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. Why would he give that up to worship Satan? But Jesus knew that he did not need anything Satan had to offer. He was, and is, our King of Kings and Lord of Lords, and “that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:10-11).

What do we want? What is our weak spot? Is it desire for more stuff, more popularity, more power, more recognition, more security, more thrills? My temptations are not the same as yours, but Satan knows what will make each of our mouths water for more and he is dishing it up on a silver platter. Once you are aware of this, it is more obvious. Satan is asking us to exchange the truth for a lie. He is asking us to worship something/anything that God created rather than the Creator Himself.

What we as believers must realize (and continually remind ourselves) is that we are already everything we want to be in Christ, and we already have everything we need in Christ. Of course, we are progressing in sanctification, and the journey is not easy. Jesus was already perfect, so he had different reasons for going through his trials. He was paying the price for our sins so that, despite all our efforts, we would not otherwise come up short. Without the work of Jesus on our behalf, we would never be able to throw off our yoke of enslavement to Satan. Although the reasons for our trials and testing differ from Jesus’s, they are vitally important to our relationship with God, both now and forever. “Worship the Lord your God and serve him only” (Matthew 4:10).

“I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. You shall have no other gods before me.” (Deuteronomy 5:6-7)

In Christ,

Judy

Chaplain’s Corner – Lent 2021: Overcoming Temptation #2

Mar17

Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written: ‘He will command his angels concerning you,and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’”

Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’” (Matthew 4:7)

Now this is really challenging. Satan is throwing Scripture in Jesus’ face.  However, we should not be deceived. Consider Satan’s objective. He is asking Jesus to create an unnatural situation. He is asking Jesus to jump off the top of the temple, which would mean certain death. Satan is taunting him and suggesting that Jesus should test God because certainly God would not let him be harmed.

So, Jesus rightly rebuked Satan by quoting from Deuteronomy 6:16 “Do not put the Lord your God to the test (as you did at Massah).” Massah refers to the time when the Israelites were coming out of Egypt. They had been rescued out of slavery by God’s chosen deliverer Moses, then miraculously traveled through the Red Sea escaping from the Egyptians who were chasing them. Once they were safely across and had arrived at Massah, they began to complain about the lack of food and water, as though God would have rescued them only to let them starve.

Have you ever considered that our propensity to act independently without seeking God’s guidance could be a sin, that Satan might be tempting us to make an ungodly decision?  When we decide to “take a chance” and hope that God will bless our decision, are we not testing God? I know I am convicted of this as I write! I can remember far too many times when I acted on a decision, then asked God to bless it. As I ponder this Scripture, I believe that I was putting God to the test. I know that God will act as His sovereign will ordains. How many blessings do we miss by taking matters into our own hands rather than seeking His will?

In our world of constant input from a myriad of sources, it is such a challenge to sort through all the different messages we receive every day from our family, friends, authority figures in church and government, news sources, television, internet, and Facebook. How can we know what is of God and what is of Satan? Especially when many sources either quote the Bible or speak in a way that seems good and righteous. We must be discerning. Even Jesus told his disciples as he sent them on their way: “I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore, be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves (Matthew 10:16).

How can we be discerning? It is not enough to know Scripture. We must study Scripture to learn the character and attributes of God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. That way we can properly apply the Scriptures to our situations in life. Even when our circumstances are dire, we do not have to resort to extreme solutions unless it is clear that God is leading us. We can wait on Him, knowing that his plans are “to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future” (Jeremiah 29:11).

In Christ,

Judy

Chaplain’s Corner – Lent 2021: Overcoming Temptation #1

Mar10

The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread” (Matthew 4:3).

Jesus had already been in the wilderness for 40 days and 40 nights. He had been fasting. The Scriptures say he was hungry. I know I would be.

I used to be a runner (please do not act too surprised). Back in 1999 and 2000, I trained for a marathon, so I ran some fairly long distances. My goal, which I accomplished, was to complete the first Country Music Marathon in Nashville in April 2000. I developed a training plan, and I was very faithful to this and to my goal, so most weeks I had at least one long run that got progressively longer as the weeks went by in preparation for the ultimate 26.2-mile event. I ran in all types of weather. And it never failed that about halfway through my run that I began to think all kinds of negative thoughts, such as “Why am I doing this?” “You don’t have to do this,” “You are crazy to be doing this,” “You can quit now, and no one would blame you.”

I doubt if these negative messages were coming from the devil, because my goal was not part of a ministry or Christian maturity effort. However, I do understand how easy it can be to be persuaded to stop doing something that is difficult. I do not know if I could have l lasted 40 days and nights all alone in the wilderness without food, knowing I had the power to create food or the ability to just walk back into town and find a meal.

Jesus is both fully God and fully man, and in his humanity, he was tempted. He had those same voices telling him that he did not have to go through this ordeal. Just turn these stones into bread. He was not being tempted with prime rib or cheesecake, just some plain bread, right? But Jesus was in this time of testing as an act of obedience to God, and he knew this was the devil tempting him. What was Jesus’ response to the devil? “Jesus answered, ‘It is written: Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God’” (Matthew 4:4).

Jesus knew that he had not just fasted 40 days and 40 nights to wind up giving in. He had a purpose to accomplish, to prove that he could overcome the temptation of the devil, to prove his power over the devil and so identify with humans in our challenges to overcome temptation. To accomplish this goal, Jesus had to do several things.

  1. Jesus had to have a purpose and a plan. Whenever I walk into a situation that I know could include temptation, I know I need a plan. For example, if I am going to an event with a buffet, I know I cannot stay near the buffet table without grazing. If I am going to stay on my diet, I need to have a purpose for my attendance at the event that does not include going near the buffet.
  2. Jesus had to be in communication with God. It is amazing how the Spirit answers our prayers when we call on him to ask for guidance and strength to overcome.
  3. Jesus had to know that it was the devil talking. It was going to be either God or the devil advising him. James says we are tempted by the desires of our heart, so a foundational goal for us is to align our desires with those of God.
  4. Jesus had to know the Word of God. This is the only way to accomplish that alignment referenced in #3 above. By studying the Scriptures, we can learn what is of God and what is of the devil.
  5. He had to confront the devil with power. As the Apostle Paul writes in Ephesians 6:10-17, to effectively battle the devil, we must put on the full armor of God which includes  the “sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”

Brothers and sisters, we can overcome the temptation of the devil. We just need to follow Jesus’ example and have a goal of obedience, call on the Holy Spirit to conform our hearts to His, pray for guidance and strength, study the Word of God, and boldly call His Name. We need to ask forgiveness when we fail, and then keep on trying. In this way, we will be blessed.

For this reason, he had to be made like them, fully human in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people. Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted. (Hebrews 2:17-18).

In Christ,

Judy

Chaplain’s Corner – Lent 2021: Temptation

Mar3

“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.  In last week’s devotional, the topic was testing; today we will talk about temptation.  Understand that 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. So, you may ask, why would a good God who is all-powerful allow us to be tempted? It all goes back to the Fall, when Adam and Eve believed Satan’s lies rather than God’s truth. The consequences have been severe. Our world is corrupted, and we are corrupted. Even when we accept Christ as our Savior, as long as we live in this fallen world we will continue to be subjected to temptation. But remember is not God who tempts us. As James writes, “When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. (James 1:13-14).

This does not fully answer the question of why, though, does it? For that, we need to continue to explore the Word of God, and the answer comes in observing Christ in the wilderness. As the verse above states: “Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.” This event was an intentional and critical time in the life and ministry of Christ to prove his power over the devil. In the same way, God allows temptation to occur in our fallen world so that we can learn to be like Christ. Learning to overcome temptation is part of our maturing process, preparing us for ministry.

Although God allows us to be tempted, he does not leave us alone in our temptation. As the Apostle Paul writes: “No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it” (1 Corinthians 10:13).

So, I think I know what you are thinking, because it is what I am thinking. This is all well and good, but unlike Christ, I have not been 100% effective in overcoming temptation. He is sinless. I am not. I have veered off the path and made some pretty bad decisions in my day. And that does not take into account all my daily actions, thoughts and words that are not Christ-like. So, what does this mean for my maturity and ministry, and yours?

Praise God that Jesus was sensitive to the fact that we are not perfect, and he gives us guidance.

  • Jesus advises in the Lord’s prayer to pray to God: “do not lead us into temptation but deliver us from evil” (Matthew 6:13).
  • He also advised us to remain diligent:“Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak” (Matthew 26:41).

But because we will not be 100% perfect until we achieve our glorified state after our physical death, God has been gracious to provide for us a way through the mess we sometimes make of our lives.

  • Speaking through the Apostle Paul, we know that “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23).
  • And we know that “the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:23).
  • “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).
  • All we must do is to accept, believe, and receive what Jesus did for us. “…if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Romans 10:9).

This is the good news of the Gospel that believers celebrate all year long, but especially during Easter. Jesus Christ died for us, and his death paid the price of our sins. And we can rest assured that no matter how we fall short, we are overcomers through Christ. Because of Jesus’ death on our behalf, we will never be condemned for our sins. “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1).

“For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:38-39).

In Christ,

Judy

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