Chaplain’s Corner – Advent: Hope

Dec2

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

This is the season of Advent, and during this first week we will focus on hope. Hope has many definitions, but the one we use is a person. Jesus is our hope, our blessed hope as the above scripture reveals.

What’s your plan for Christmas? Mine tends to read like this: decorate the house and tree, get the Christmas cards mailed, make candy and cookies, buy presents, plan the family gift-giving and eating gathering. It’s no wonder then, that when it’s over, I’m exhausted. I dread putting up the Christmas decorations, I dread getting the pounds off that I put on with all the candy and cookies, I dread seeing my credit card balance from all the spending, and I’m worn out from all the celebrating. That just sounds awful, doesn’t it?  Why would we put ourselves through it? We say we do it for everyone else, because it’s expected of us. Really?

Now I know some people don’t go in for all that. They don’t decorate, they don’t participate in gift giving or family gatherings. But the people I know who are like that usually have less than positive reasons—Christmas is a depressing time for them, and they just want to get through it, ignore it and hope it goes away uneventfully. I can see that, and I understand. Really, I do. But it sounds equally awful.

What if we celebrated Christmas another way? It might only take changing our mind about what we are doing. What if our mindset was totally on celebrating the birth of the Christ Child, the arrival of the Savior of the world? If so, then:

  • We might still decorate, but we are decorating for the most important birthday party in the history of the world. We are honoring our Savior by putting out our special beautiful seasonal décor, our best things that we save for such a time as this.
  • We might still cook, but we are preparing these foods to offer hospitality and our most delicious treats in honor of our King and to welcome others into His presence.
  • We might still send Christmas cards, but the purpose is to remind others of the coming of the Christ Child, which we can do with nativity-themed cards and messages, and even religious-themed stamps.
  • We might still give gifts, but it’s all in recognition of God who loved us so much that He gave us His only Son so that whoever believes in Him will not die but have eternal life.
  • We might still celebrate with family and friends, but we do so with the intention of sharing the gospel message through our love, words and deeds.

So, again I ask, What’s your plan for Christmas? Is it to follow the culture? Or is it to be intentional?

I pray that you will enjoy Christmas for all it’s worth. I pray that the Holy Spirit guide you and strengthen you as you dedicate this season to the celebration of Jesus, who as God incarnate, the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation, came to save his people from their sins. Our blessed hope. What a gift!!

In Christ,

Judy

Chaplain’s Corner – True Thankfulness

Nov25

Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth!
Serve the Lord with gladness! Come into his presence with singing!

Know that the Lord, he is God!
It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.

Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise!
Give thanks to him; bless his name!

For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations.

(Psalm 105)

The Thanksgiving holiday is very special to me. I love that we have a day to focus on being thankful. It’s neat to read Thanksgiving Facebook posts about things we are all thankful for, and I love the practice of speaking about what we are thankful for during our Thanksgiving celebrations. However, this year, I’m just holding my breath that we will be able to gather with our family and that no one will get sick as a result.

On an individual level, many of you have had worse times in your lives than Thanksgiving 2020. 2017 was a very difficult year for me. My father passed away just five days after Thanksgiving following an extended illness, and honestly, I don’t remember much else. Many of you have dealt with grief or illness or family concerns in past years. But on a group level, I’m hard pressed to think of a more challenging Thanksgiving season than we are experiencing right now. Everyone is impacted by something hard; and people I know and love are telling me they are scared.

The Scriptures tell us we should not make our thankfulness conditioned upon our circumstances. We should have a heart of continual thankfulness, no matter what we are going through, and we should even be thankful publicly when it is appropriate. Here are a couple of do’s and don’ts about how to be more genuinely thankful:

  1. Do treat thankfulness as a spiritual discipline and be intentional about practicing it. How can we be intentional? Set goals, schedule it, and measure your progress. That may sound unspiritual, but it is actually very spiritual because it is intentional. That doesn’t rule out spontaneous thankfulness, but it does ensure daily thankfulness and a growing awareness of the need to be thankful. Daniel is a great example to us in this when he was in exile and in a very vulnerable position in the public eye. “Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before” (Daniel 6:10). Daniel obviously was very intentional about his prayer life which including giving thanks.
  2. Do be thankful for everything, even the bad stuff. Why? Because the Bible tells us so. “Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore, do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Ephesians 5:15-20).
  3. Don’t have a hidden agenda in your thankfulness. Maybe a good way to describe this is through Scripture using as example the Pharisee who prayed “God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector.” Jesus could see right through this Pharisee, saying “For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted” (Luke 18:9-14).
  4. Don’t use your thankfulness to spread gossip.  We’ve all heard these prayers, which go something like, “Lord, thank you for bringing Joe through this bad time when his wife was running around on him.” Every word that we speak should be to build up and not tear down, whether we speak it privately or in public.  “Whoever slanders his neighbor secretly I will destroy. Whoever has a haughty look and an arrogant heart I will not endure” (Psalm 101:5).

I can’t think of anything that is as likely to change our state of mind, attitude and behavior for the good like thankfulness. Thankfulness points us to the Giver of all good things; it re-orients us to the sovereignty of God and aligns us with our true position in the family of God.

Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. (Col. 3:12-17).

Give Thanks

In Christ,

Judy

Chaplain’s Corner – Paint What You See

Nov18

“I was blind but now I see!” (John 9:25b)

I have been taking art lessons for the past couple of years. In fact, I started shortly after moving into this Chaplain role. I didn’t think that I had any talent for art but just wanted to participate with some friends of mine as a lark. My teacher says he can teach anyone who can hold a brush, and I guess I have proved him to be right. And one of his first instructions is always to “Paint what you see.”

There are skills that one can learn in order to paint all types of paintings from portraits to landscapes. However, the first and most important skill he has taught me is to see details, the nuances of an image. And it never fails, the longer I study the image, the more I see. A shadow here, a reflection there, a highlight where the sun is coming through. The better I see, the better the final work of art. To truly see is something that can be learned, and like any learned skill, practice helps us to improve.

This gift of seeing is what I have appreciated most about learning to paint, and it has made me realize the importance of seeing as well as using my eyes to listen to people around me. You see, in the past I was more often guilty of thinking about myself when I with others and not really paying attention. “What do I think, what do I want to say, how do I want to come across?” Or worse, I might have been thinking about something else altogether. Too late I would realize that I had missed an opportunity to learn something about the other person during our interaction. If I focus on seeing inside my head while painting, my canvas doesn’t reflect the truth about the object I am observing. It works the same with my conversation. If I focus on my internal thoughts while the other person is talking, my response won’t reflect what the person needs to hear from me.

Blind Bartimaeus could see that Jesus was the son of God even though he was blind (Mark 10:46-52). Meanwhile, the chief priests and teachers of the law had fine eyesight but still didn’t see that Jesus was the Messiah (Mark 10:32-34). How could they have missed something so important?

So, I recommend taking to heart what my art teacher constantly counsels, “Paint what you see.”

In Christ,

Judy

Chaplain’s Corner – Power

Nov11

“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).

One definition of power is “the ability to do or act; capability of doing or accomplishing … to supply with electricity or other means of power.”

It’s difficult, maybe impossible, to get much done without power. In the olden days we operated using horsepower; now we use electrical power, battery power, nuclear power, gas power, etc. I don’t know about you, but sometimes I think I am completely out of gas. Then something comes along that is a crisis, or maybe it’s something fun like seeing my grandchildren, and I find an inner reservoir of power that keeps me going.

And we admire powerful people, probably because of their ability to get things done. I once heard a highly respected person in the Nashville community speak on power (Nelson Andrews, now deceased). He said that a person could have wealth, position, intelligence, physical ability, talents or skills; however, unless that person spent those resources, they did not exhibit power.

As humans, we need power to keep us moving, and we also need power to keep us on course. Likewise, Jesus, in his humanity, needed power to keep him perfectly obedient. Did you ever wonder how He did it? How was he able to be perfectly obedient? After all, he was challenged, he was tempted just like we are. Many biblical scholars would say that it was impossible for Jesus to sin because of his God nature. I can’t argue with that; however, I believe that the Holy Spirit played a major role in Jesus’ perfect obedience. We know from Scripture that the Holy Spirit was with Jesus during his entire life on earth. Here are some verses that point this out:

  • At His conception:  “And the angel answered (Mary) and said to her, ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God’” (Luke 1:35).
  • At His baptism: “And the Holy Spirit descended in bodily form like a dove upon Him, and a voice came from heaven which said, ‘You are My beloved Son; in You I am well pleased’” (Luke 3:22).
  • During his time in the wilderness: “Then Jesus, being filled with the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness” (Luke 4:1).
  • As He worked: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor. He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed . . . Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing” (Luke 4:18,21).
  • As he performed miracles: “But, if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you” (Matthew 12:28).
  • To raise him from the dead: “But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you” (Romans 8:11).

The Message puts it like this in Romans 8:9-11:

“But if God himself has taken up residence in your life, you can hardly be thinking more of yourself than of him. Anyone, of course, who has not welcomed this invisible but clearly present God, the Spirit of Christ, won’t know what we’re talking about. But for you who welcome him, in whom he dwells—even though you still experience all the limitations of sin—you yourself experience life on God’s terms. It stands to reason, doesn’t it, that if the alive-and-present God who raised Jesus from the dead moves into your life, he’ll do the same thing in you that he did in Jesus, bringing you alive to himself? When God lives and breathes in you (and he does, as surely as he did in Jesus), you are delivered from that dead life. With his Spirit living in you, your body will be as alive as Christ’s!”

The song, Same Power, by Jeremy Camp plays over and over in my mind, reminding me that I have the power of the Holy Spirit residing in me. And you have the power of the Holy Spirit residing in you. It’s up to us to call on this power residing in us, to use it to obey more perfectly, to grow in our Christlikeness, and to empower our ministry here on earth in Jesus name and for His glory.

Chaplain’s Corner – United in Christ

Nov4

“Jesus didn’t come to take sides; he came to take over” (Dr. Tony Evans).

I write this on Election Day, not having a clue who will win or even when we will know. Most political experts say we won’t know for weeks, maybe months. This is not the first time in our nation’s history that we have been so divided. The United States has survived our founding with its philosophical differences between strong central government (Washington) and states’ rights (Jefferson). The United States has survived the Civil War, the bloodiest conflict America has ever faced. The United States has survived the Great Depression and other traumatic experiences. There have been eight highly contested elections in U.S. history, and we have survived them all. We will survive this election. We will survive this president, whoever it is. And in four years, we will do this again.

My pastor* had a great perspective on this subject in his sermon this past Sunday. As believers, we hold dual citizenship. Yes, we are citizens of the United States of America, but we are first and foremost citizens of heaven. And as citizens of heaven, we have responsibilities that transcend our responsibilities as U.S. citizens.

We are called to be ambassadors of Christ, highest ranking, chosen and appointed, diplomats from heaven to the world:

“From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.” (2 Corinthians 5:16-20)

Jesus said in John 15:16: “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.” Galatians 5:22-23 tells us what that fruit is: “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.”

We are called to be a royal priesthood, representing Christ to the world, and as such we must keep our conduct honorable at all times: “…you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ….Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation. (1 Peter 2:5,12).

 It is true that whether our candidate wins or loses, we are called to submit to our elected leaders. “Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves….Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also as a matter of conscience.” (Romans 13:1-2,5).

And as Christian subjects, we are commanded to pray for our leaders. “First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” (1 Timothy 2:1-4).

So, brothers and sisters in Christ, let’s not worry about who is president. Win or lose, let’s not be critical of those who supported a different candidate. GOD IS IN CONTROL. Let’s continue to do our civic duty, and let’s remember what our Christian responsibilities are:

  1. Pray for our leaders. 1 Timothy 2:1-4
  2. Submit to our leaders. Romans 13:1-2,5
  3. Keep our conduct honorable since we represent Christ to the world. 1 Peter 2:5,12
  4. Go and bear fruit. John 15:16, Galatians 5:22-23
  5. Be reconciled to God; be reconciled to each other. 2 Corinthians 5:16-20

In Christ,

Judy

*Spencer Barnard, Pastor, Life Center Church

Dr. Tony Evans

Chaplain’s Corner – Praise God

Oct28

Praise God from whom all blessings flow
Praise him all creatures here below
Praise him above ye heavenly hosts
Praise father, son, and holy ghost.

I have written two Chaplain’s Corners for today, but all the while the above refrain keeps playing in my head. Rather than publish either of those other devotions, I just want to praise God for his goodness and mercy. I am so thankful today.

I am thankful that our leadership team had the foresight way back in the early days of what would become a pandemic to insist that we have additional shelter capacity in the city for those in quarantine as well as to accommodate social distancing.

I am thankful for our leadership team who have made the hard decisions in a timely way all during these past eight months.

I am thankful for all our fantastic staff who have carried out the decisions and made “in the moment” calls when needed.

I am thankful that we have the relationship with the Health Department to help manage the medical side of this pandemic, and I am thankful for the testing capacity.

I am thankful we made it so long without an “outbreak.”

I am thankful for the staff at the Women’s Campus who have courageously covered while so thinly staffed. (And the Men’s Campus have had their share of this as well.)

I am thankful that most of our women’s staff who tested positive are getting better, and some have already returned to work.

I am so thankful that we have been able to transport the remaining women guests to the overflow shelter where they will be cared for while giving our staff a much-needed break.

I am thankful that the number of positives at the Men’s Campus has been mercifully low.

I pray that our staff who are out on leave will recover to full health and be back at work as soon as possible.

I pray that those awaiting test results will get negatives.

I pray for our program participants and guests who are quarantined will be restored to good health.

I pray that we will be able to use these next two weeks to get back to full strength in every way.

I pray that we will all have grateful hearts, and that God will use us in a mighty way to testify to His glory and love.

I pray all this in Jesus name,

Amen

“Be cheerful no matter what; pray all the time; thank God no matter what happens. This is the way God wants you who belong to Christ Jesus to live.”

(1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 The Message).

Chaplain’s Corner – Fall Cleaning

Oct21

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).

I love gardening. I have several small gardens around the house for my herbs, flowers, and vegetables; and I also have plenty of potted plants.

This is the time of year to clean and prepare for next year; and as much as I love to see things grow, I also enjoy the cleaning process. My pots can get pretty nasty looking. You don’t notice it much when the flowers are blooming, but when the plants die and it’s time to toss them and the old dirt, the pot needs to be scoured.

At first, it’s not too difficult. A quick wash and most of the dirt is gone. However, there is always some crusty stuff that sticks to the sides of the pot; and it needs to be scraped, and sometimes soaked and scraped again. I admit that sometimes I just leave it, thinking it won’t hurt that much. You can’t see it anyway. But then the next year it’s even worse, and the horticultural experts say that the salts and bacteria residue are bad for the soil and therefore the plant.

There are so many metaphors that compare gardening to our Christian walk, but this is one that I hadn’t thought of before. However, as I was really scrubbing those crusty places on my pots, I thought about the extra effort it takes to scrape out our hearts of that residue of bitterness, pride, resentment, self-pity, and unforgiveness. It’s easy to let it go and cover it up with pretty words and actions thinking that no one will notice the quality of our heart, or that the crusty places won’t eventually infect the quality of our ministry.

We all have these areas that need cleaning out. Let’s commit to the hard work of inspection and cleaning. With the Holy Spirit, we have tools that would be the envy of any gardener, so let’s be diligent and faithful to this important element of our daily walk.

“See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many” (Hebrews 12:15).

For a real blessing, listen to this song below as you read Psalm 51.

Create In Me A Clean Heart, O God

Psalm 51

1 Have mercy on me, O God,
    according to your unfailing love;
according to your great compassion
    blot out my transgressions.
2 Wash away all my iniquity
    and cleanse me from my sin.

3 For I know my transgressions,
    and my sin is always before me.
4 Against you, you only, have I sinned
    and done what is evil in your sight;
so you are right in your verdict
    and justified when you judge.
5 Surely I was sinful at birth,
    sinful from the time my mother conceived me.
6 Yet you desired faithfulness even in the womb;
    you taught me wisdom in that secret place.

7 Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean;
    wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.
8 Let me hear joy and gladness;
    let the bones you have crushed rejoice.
9 Hide your face from my sins
    and blot out all my iniquity.

10 Create in me a pure heart, O God,
    and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
11 Do not cast me from your presence
    or take your Holy Spirit from me.
12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation
    and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.

13 Then I will teach transgressors your ways,
    so that sinners will turn back to you.
14 Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God,
    you who are God my Savior,
    and my tongue will sing of your righteousness.
15 Open my lips, Lord,
    and my mouth will declare your praise.
16 You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it;
    you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings.
17 My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit;
    a broken and contrite heart
    you, God, will not despise.

In Christ,

Judy

Chaplain’s Corner – The Intersection of Justice and Mercy

Oct14

“Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy.” (Proverbs 31:8-9).

The Bible is clear that God loves justice and He hates wrongdoing (Isaiah 61:8). Unfortunately, justice is not something that just happens. Because of our sinful natures, we naturally skew toward injustice and wrongdoing rather than justice and righteousness. At best, most of us just avoid making matters worse, or do we? It takes being proactive to bring about justice.

The concept of justice implies more than one party (and I’m not talking politics). Just as we can’t exercise justice in a vacuum, we can’t live in harmony with others without engaging and interacting with each other in healthy ways. (Like notes on a scale, without interaction and connection there is no harmony, just independent melodies.) If we are not engaging and interacting, then we are co-existing, but falling short of harmony.

The passage above advises us twice to speak up. That means to take action, to be bold, to advocate. I see that quality in heaps in our staff. That is the work of a Rescue Mission, and you do it so well.

This passage also tells us to judge fairly. Judging implies that we make decisions on behalf of others. We do this all the time, unconsciously as well as consciously. In all our dealings with others we are coming to conclusions about them that determine how and what we say and do. We are instructed to do this fairly. We must not jump to conclusions or be hasty in our decisions, although we should be aware when time is truly of the essence. To be fair, we must listen well, we must assume good intentions in the other person, and we must always make an effort to educate ourselves about the entire situation. To be fair, we must have all the facts possible about the individual and about the culture and environment.

I applaud the work that you do, and I want to encourage you to continue because God demands it. Our God is a God of justice as well as a God of mercy, and nowhere do these two traits merge more than in our interactions with the poor and needy. When Jesus returns and sits on this throne to separate the sheep (his followers) from the goats (those who are not followers), he places his sheep on the right, bound for heaven and the goats on the left, bound for hell). This passage in which Jesus is executing judgment indicates that the mercy we show toward others determines the mercy he will show toward us. (Read Matthew 25:31-46.)

We should not infer from this that it is our works of mercy and justice that will save us. The Scriptures are very clear that it is only by the grace of God that we are saved. “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. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do” (Ephesians 2:8-10).

Works of mercy and justice will not save us, but through them we can glorify God, which should be the chief goal of every part of our lives. “May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 15:5-6).

Can you just imagine how beautiful the harmonies are that are raised to God when we live in harmony with one another?

In Christ,

Judy

Chaplain’s Corner – Exile

Oct7

In our Bible study on the Women’s Campus, we have finished a study on Esther, and we are now studying the book of Ezra. What are some things these two books have in common?  For starters, they are people’s names, both start with “E”, they are both in the Old Testament. Also, both Esther and Ezra are Jewish, but both have been removed from their homeland and are living in exile, at least when the story begins. Exile is a theme used throughout the Old Testament. Adam and Eve, Cain, Abraham, Jacob, Joseph, the children of Israel, Naomi and her family, Ruth, Esther, Daniel, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel immediately come to mind. The books of Exodus, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, and Daniel are based on the theme of exile and return, as are several of the prophetical books. Exile is not stated per se in the New Testament, but because the people of Palestine were living under foreign (Roman) rule, it could be said that they also lived in exile.

According to Webster, the definition of exile is a: the state or a period of forced absence from one’s country or home, or b: the state or a period of voluntary absence from one’s country or home. 

So, a key factor in determining a period of exile is determining where one’s true home is. And then, if we are not at home, we are in exile. If one temporarily relocates to another state or country, say for a job, it could be said that he or she is in exile. When we become believers in Christ, we become citizens of Heaven. However, we can’t actually go to Heaven until after our physical death, so it could be said that as believers and citizens of Heaven, we are living in exile from our true home until that time.  What are some do’s and don’ts of living in exile that we can learn from biblical examples?

  1. Do submit to and obey our local rulers with respect. Joseph, Daniel, Esther all showed respect to their earthly rulers. “For the one in authority is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for rulers do not bear the sword for no reason. They are God’s servants, agents of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer… “Pay to all what is owed to them; taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed” (Romans 13:4,7). “Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human authority: whether to the emperor, as the supreme authority, or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right.” “1 Peter 2:13-14”.
  2. Do what is good. Joseph, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, and Daniel and were able to obtain positions of authority and respect and influence for good as a result.  Ruth found a godly husband.
  3. Do educate ourselves, seek truth, and vote for candidates who we believe will make an effort to support truth. This is a very challenging mandate in these times. There are no perfect candidates, but here is what Billy Graham had to say on the subject: https://billygraham.org/answer/im-sick-of-politicians-and-political-campaigns-and-ive-decided-im-not-going-to-vote-this-year/. The bottom line is that we must educate ourselves on the issues and the candidates.
  4. Do pray. When Daniel found himself in exile and needing God’s intervention, he prayed: “ So I turned to the Lord God and pleaded with him in prayer and petition, in fasting, and in sackcloth and ashes. I prayed to the Lord my God and confessed: “Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and keep his commandments, we have sinned and done wrong. We have been wicked and have rebelled; we have turned away from your commands and laws.” (Daniel 3-5).  Follow the “40 Days of Prayer” guidelines published in Workplace, and I believe God will give us the guidance we need.
  5. Don’t give in to politics of anxiety and fear. “But our world does not end if the candidates for whom we vote do not win the day. Our Father in heaven is sovereign and wise and is in control. Our ultimate hope is not in any election. Our hope is in our Father in heaven.” (Dr. Keith A. Mathison, writing for Tabletalk Magazine, June, 2016.)

“Our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ” (Philippians 3:20).

In Christ,

Judy

Chaplain’s Corner – Who Are You?

Sep30

If you were asked to describe yourself, what would you say? Here are some things I would probably say if you asked me about myself:

  • I am Staff Chaplain at Nashville Rescue Mission.
  • I am Jim’s wife.
  • I am Wes and Andy’s mom.
  • I am (pick one) Annie’s, Lincoln’s, Ella’s, Audrey’s, Judah’s, Katie’s, or Gus’ grandmother.
  • I am a member of Life Center Church.

I have been known to frequently use any of the above to describe who I am. What would you say?

When Moses asked God who he was, here is how God replied: “Moses said to God, ‘Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, “The God of your fathers has sent me to you,” and they ask me, “What is his name?” Then what shall I tell them?’ God said to Moses, ‘I am who I am. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: “I am has sent me to you.”’” (Exodus 3:13-14).

Our God is The Great I Am. Simple, but it means that He is everything, always. He is complete and yet never ending.

Jesus claimed his identity in God: “The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him.” (Colossians 1:15-16).

And Jesus made his own “I am” statements:

  1. “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty” (John 6:35).
  2. “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12).
  3. “Very truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep.” (John 10:7).
  4. “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” (John 10:11).
  5. “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die” (John 11:25).
  6. “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6).
  7. “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener.” (John 15:1).

The apostle Paul claimed his identity in Christ. While acknowledging that he had the highest Jewish credentials ( circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for righteousness based on the law, faultless), Paul said all that was garbage. He goes on to say in Philippians 3:7-9:

“But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith.”

We know who God says he is, and who Jesus says he is.  We can know then that when we believe Jesus as our Redeemer, our highest identity is to be IN CHRIST.

The Bible tells us that when we are In Christ:

  • We are no longer condemned: “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are In Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1).
  • We become like new: “Therefore, if anyone is In Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” (2 Corinthians 5:17).
  • We are children of God, brothers and sisters in Christ: “So In Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith” (Galatians 3:26).
  • We are one In Christ: “There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one In Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:28).
  • We are marked with a seal: “And you also were included In Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit” (Ephesians 1:13).
  • We are his masterpiece: “For we are God’s handiwork, created In Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do” (Ephesians 2:10).
  • We are near to him: “But now In Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ” (Ephesians 2:13).
  • We are heirs to the kingdom: “This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise In Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 3:6).
  • We are forgiven, and forgivers: “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as In Christ God forgave you” (Ephesians 4:32).

What a heritage. Christ’s identity is in God. And our identity is in Christ. When we reflect on the attributes of God and his son, Jesus, and when we reflect on the many promises of God, we can begin to understand the gift that we have been given to have our identity In Christ. You may have noticed that I almost always sign my name using the closing, “In Christ.” That is because identifying with Christ by saying “In Him” or “In Christ” is the best way I know to explain to my readers who I am. “In Christ” is my identity. It is who I am. I pray that you can say the same.

“We know also that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true. And we are in him who is true by being in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life” (1 John 5:20).

In Christ,

Judy