Chaplain’s Corner – Who Do You Say That I Am?

Aug7

“When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, ‘Who do people say the Son of Man is?’ They replied, ‘Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.’ ‘But what about you?’ he asked. ‘Who do you say I am?’  Simon Peter answered, ‘You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.’ Jesus replied, ‘Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven’” Matthew 16:13-17).

Continuing with the theme of exploring questions that Jesus asked, here’s another. It’s one of his more “famous” questions because of the impact of the answer. Notice that for all his teachings, “people” still didn’t believe that Jesus was divine. They thought he was a prophet, a wise man. However, God put it in Peter’s heart to understand the divinity of Jesus (Jesus said this was revealed to Peter by his Father in heaven). Peter’s answer became the foundation of the church; it is our Confession of Faith as believers.

As important as it is, let’s be honest. It’s really hard to get our arms around the idea of divinity, of true godliness. Who could fault Mary and Joseph for not really understanding, as we read last week? Who could fault the disciples for not getting it? I often wonder what my reaction would have been had I met Jesus when he was still walking on the earth. Even today, despite all the proof, God has to put it into our hearts if we are to have any real understanding.

I enjoy studying history. I have been reading lately about 15th and 16th century England which was, as it continues to be, ruled by kings and queens. Kings (and queens) in that time were thought to rule by divine right (I’m not sure what they think today). As sons and daughters–princes and princesses–proliferated, there could be challenges to exactly who possessed divine right at the time; however, most people did not question an anointed king’s divine right to rule. Perhaps it was easier to believe in the concept of royalty and divinity during those times when the people accepted the fact that they lived in subjection to a king, believing that the king was empowered with those rights by God. For us here in the United States, raised to be independent, raised under a government by the people and for the people, it is more difficult to understand the concept of living as a subject to a king who has power over us.

What is helpful, I believe, is to compare our King of Kings to those earthly kings. Most earthly kings were very human in their weaknesses. It was accepted when a king was a glutton, a drunkard, a womanizer, spendthrift, cruel, etc. However, our King is none of those things. He is perfect, and He is loving and full of grace. I can’t imagine subjecting myself to an earthly king; however, it is my joy to lift my hands in total praise to my heavenly King.

Just as Peter’s answer defined his faith, our answer to this question defines each one of us. It is core to who we are. To understand that Jesus is the Christ, son of God and one of three persons of the Trinity, we must believe his divine attributes. Even so, I pray often like the father who asked Jesus to rid his son of a demon, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!” (Mark 9:21-24 NIV)

Jesus understands the challenge of believing in his divinity. He asked the question of his disciples, “Who do you say that I am?” as a way to instruct them, and we should remind ourselves often of Peter’s answer, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God” in order to re-orient ourselves to Jesus as God. Who else would you want to stake your life on? Who else would you want to worship?

Jesus, thank you for your patience as we grapple with our inability to truly comprehend your greatness. Give us wisdom. Help us to continually call on the Holy Spirit to help us in our unbelief to gain greater knowledge, and even more, a sweet relationship with you so that we can experience firsthand your character and attributes. We thank you that you have called us “friend,” and we give you all glory, honor, and praise as our King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

In Christ,

Judy

Chaplain’s Corner – Did You Not Know?

Jul31

I recently got to thinking about the questions that Jesus asked when he walked on the earth. I know that asking the right questions is a great way to teach and to learn, so I thought this might be a another good way to study the Word. Chronologically, the first question I came across was the question Jesus asked his parents when they found him in the temple. Incidentally, these are also the first recorded spoken words of Jesus. At the time, Jesus was twelve years old and his family had made their annual journey to Jerusalem to celebrate Passover. Jesus had been missing for at least three days. When he was finally discovered in the temple, Jesus asked his parents “’Why did you seek me?’ he asked. ‘Did you not know that I must be about my father’s business?’” (Luke 2:49 NKJV). The implication was that he believed his parents should have known where he would be and what he would be doing, but the Scripture says that they did not understand it (Luke 2:50).

This reminds me of times when our sons were teenagers.  NOT.  Of course, there were times when we didn’t know where they were, and that is a very heart-wrenching feeling. You know that being a parent means that your heart is walking around in someone else’s body.  And I’m sure there were times when I said “Where have you been?” and they answered, “Don’t you remember, I told you I was going….” However, the difference is in what they were doing and their motivations for doing it. As teenagers, they were more than likely about monkey business, not their father’s business. Some observations come to mind about this situation.

First, we know that Mary and Joseph knew that Jesus was special from the time of his conception (Luke 2:21-38). However, even knowing what his destiny would be through the prophecies probably did not extend to knowing how it would play out in their daily lives.

Second, the family made at least an annual journey to Jerusalem, so Jesus would have been somewhat familiar with this big city, and presumably, the temple and temple customs (Luke 2:41-42).

Third, in the tradition of the day, Jewish boys began to learn their father’s trade at an early age. We know that Jesus learned the carpentry trade from his father and probably practiced it until about the age of thirty based on the reaction of the people of Nazareth when he later came home to preach.  They asked, “Isn’t this the carpenter?” (Mark 6:3).  But we also know from Luke 2 that he also considered God to be his Father and that he must learn his Father’s business as well. In fact, by the age of twelve he already knew enough to amaze the rabbis with his understanding and his answers.

Fourth, while he may have sounded impertinent, Jesus was without sin and we know that he submitted to the authority of his earthly parents until such time as he was called into full-time ministry. Once his parents found him in the temple, we read in Luke 2:51 that “…he went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them.” Children, do you read this?

What do we learn from this passage? I believe there are three basic applications.

  1. It is wonderful to have familiarity with Jesus. Like his parents, we would hope to be walking and talking with him daily. However, we must never take him for granted or ever forget that he is God’s son and part of the trinity. As Natalie Grant sings, “When did I forget that you’ve always been the king of the world?”
  2. We can always find Jesus with his Father. In fact, we know that Jesus sits at the right hand of God (Ephesians 1:20). And we know and therefore can trust that Jesus and God are always synchronized in their efforts (John 5:19-20, 30; 8:28; 12:49).
  3. If we are to follow in Jesus’ footsteps, we must also strive to be about our heavenly Father’s business.  “Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God” (Ephesians 5:1-2 NIV).

What if others could say that they always knew where to find us—in God’s company?

What if our testimony would be that we were always being about our Father’s business?

What if we actually followed God’s example and walked in the way of love?

Jesus pointed us to heaven by showing us how to live on earth. By following His example, we can achieve the closest thing to heaven on earth.

In Christ,

Judy

Chaplain’s Corner – Integrity, Part 6: Completeness

Jul24

“Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything” (James 1:4).

We have been focusing on integrity—what it is, why it is important, and what it takes. Last week, we said that “a thing, or a person, is not sound, unless every part is functioning optimally and working together as a system.” This applies to us as individuals—we must be striving to be whole and sound in each aspect of our lives in order to have integrity. This also applies to us as a ministry team. Each of us must be striving to be whole and sound individually in order for Nashville Rescue Mission to demonstrate total integrity as a ministry team. We can’t be incorruptible as a team if any of us is corruptible as an individual. We can’t be sound as a team if we are not striving to be sound as individuals (notice that I emphasize our strivings because we will not be perfected this side of heaven).

In the movie, Jerry Maguire, Jerry (played by Tom Cruise) declares to his estranged wife (played by Renee Zellweger):  “You complete me!” Some people think that is the most romantic statement ever made; others think that it is ridiculous. Guess what I think: I think it depends on your meaning. If you mean that two halves make a complete whole, while the math works this does not make for a sound, enduring relationship because it implies neediness for fulfillment by the other. If, however, you mean that we are each mature and functioning optimally in our own strengths and together we make a union that is even sounder, then I think it is a powerful concept. Think of our body as composed of many body parts. You know that if one body part is not functioning as it should, it affects the entire body’s effectiveness.

Recall that in the Chaplain’s Corner on “Singlemindedness,” we said the word “integrity” and the word “all” have some similar concepts. Colossians 1:15-20 makes it clear that Jesus possesses all of God’s fullness, and that God, in Jesus, holds all things together:  “15 The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 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. 17 He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy.19 For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.”

Brothers and sisters in Christ, I love you all and I pray all good things for you. My prayer for you is that you desire all good things for yourself–including integrity, incorruptibility, soundness, and completeness–and that you pray diligently for them. The scriptures say that God rewards those who earnestly seek Him (Hebrews 11:6).

We serve together on what I think is the most amazing mission field in Nashville. Where else does God bring so many helpless, hungry, and hurting men, women, and children every day? And God has brought each of us here with the opportunity to minister to these precious souls. We get to provide for their immediate needs as well as their longer term spiritual needs. We each bring important gifts to our work here, all of which contribute to the integrity of the whole team. I pray that together we will be used mightily for God’s purposes, and that we will have a single-minded, integrated focus on doing everything in our power to be good and faithful servants in the name of Jesus. I pray that nothing will distract us from this incredible mission.

In Christ (He who holds all things together),

Judy

Chaplain’s Corner – Integrity, Part 5: Soundness

Jul17

The last few Chaplain’s Corners have been about integrity. We spoke of the need for single-minded focus on the pursuit of integrity. We learned that the definition of integrity includes incorruptibility, soundness, and completeness. Today I’ll focus on soundness, using this verse: “And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man” (Luke 2:52).

When I taught middle schoolers in Sunday School, this verse was one of the key verses that I always taught. However, this verse is not just for kids. It applies to each of us until the day we die. It references growth, and I love that this instruction for growth is four dimensional.

When we think about these dimensions of life, we sometimes think of balance, as in “life balance.” Once while participating on a panel of women leaders, I was asked how I managed to accomplish life balance. I laughed and said I had not managed to accomplish life balance, and it was not necessarily my intention or goal as the way to live my life. (I think the audience of women was shocked that I dared admit this.)  As a wife, mother, and business-owner as well as being very involved in my church, I was a very busy woman. However, as I explained, my family was my life, my work was my life, my church was my life, and to manage all that, I also had to take care of myself. I wasn’t always the best at all of it, but I could not imagine forsaking one for the other.

You see, the paradigm of “life balance” implies compartmentalizing all these dimensions; however, as the verse above implies, a preferred paradigm is an integrated life where we pursue all four dimensions with a single-minded focus and goal of being more Christ-like. Here’s what the Bible has to say:

(1) Growth in physical being (stature:  Although Daniel could have had anything he wanted to eat and drink, he asked to be able to observe the strict Hebrew diet. And Paul used many athletic comparisons such as boxing and running, with a goal of staying fit for duty. Growth in physical being (stature:  Although Daniel could have had anything he wanted to eat and drink, he asked to be able to observe the strict Hebrew diet. And Paul used many athletic comparisons such as boxing and running, with a goal of staying fit for duty.

a. “But Daniel determined that he would not defile himself by eating the king’s food or drinking his wine, so he asked the head of the palace staff to exempt him from the royal diet….’Try us out for ten days on a simple diet of vegetables and water. Then compare us with the young men who eat from the royal menu. Make your decision on the basis of what you see’…. At the end of the ten days they looked better and more robust than all the others who had been eating from the royal menu. So the steward continued to exempt them from the royal menu of food and drink and served them only vegetables” (Daniel1:8-16)

b. “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize” (1 Corinthians 9:24-27).

c. “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31).

(2) Growth in knowledge and wisdom: God demonstrated through Daniel’s commitment and Peter’s ministry the blessings that would follow, including skill and maturity.

a. “God gave these four young men knowledge and skill in both books and life” (Daniel 1:17).

b. “Therefore let us move beyond the elementary teachings about Christ and be taken forward to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God” (Hebrews 6:1).

c. “Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation….” (1 Peter 2:2-3).

d. “But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen” (2 Peter 3:18).

(3) Relational growth (favor with man):  Jesus himself was a model for developing strong relationships as we read about how he lived and worked and relaxed with his disciples and his closest friends, Mary, Martha and Lazarus.

a. “Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus” (John 11:5).

b. “It was just before the Passover Festival. Jesus knew that the hour had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end” (John 13:1).

(4) Spiritual growth (favor with God):

a. “Jesus replied: ‘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).

A thing, or a person, is not sound, unless every part is functioning optimally and working together as a system. I think a pretty good analogy might be with the four tires on a car. I’m no mechanic, so you are welcome to debate this (as long as you come up with a better analogy), but whoever goes and just gets one tire balanced? Is that even possible? But if we spend our entire spare time working out to be physically fit, or if we never work out, we are going to be out of alignment. And who cares if the tires are balanced if the engine doesn’t work? It’s just no good to be mightily physically fit but without biblical wisdom. It’s no good to have supreme knowledge and wisdom, but no relationships with which to share it. And it’s worthless long term to have human relationships without the foundation of a Godly relationship on which to build. We should strive for soundness by pursuing growth all four dimensions, striving to be like Jesus in every way.

The point I want to make about all of this is the importance of integrating growth in all four dimensions–to the extent humanly possible given the mind, body, and environment God has placed us in–to develop into sound, well-rounded, mature, effective Christ-followers with integrity.

In Christ,

Judy

Chaplain’s Corner – Integrity, Part 4: Incorruptibility

Jul10

Do you desire to be a person with integrity? As we learned last week, one of the definitions of integrity is incorruptibility. Incorruptibility itself is defined as something that incapable of corruption; someone who cannot be perverted or bribed; or something that will not dissolve, disintegrate, or decay.

The reason that God decided to flood the earth was because of corruption: “God saw how corrupt the earth had become, for all the people on earth had corrupted their ways (Genesis 6:12). When we corrupt our ways, then the earth itself becomes corrupted. It’s pretty scary, isn’t it, to think about the compounding effect of our lack of obedience? By the way, the basic definition of corrupt is to change from good to bad. Psalms 14:2-3 clarifies this definition: “The Lord looks down from heaven on all mankind to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God. All have turned away, all have become corrupt; there is no one who does good, not even one.”

So now we can make an assumption that if we are not corrupted, and we do not corrupt, then we are good.  How can we be good, and incapable of becoming bad?  And how can we become incapable of being corrupted, someone who cannot be perverted or bribed? How can we ensure that we will not disintegrate, and therefore maintain our integrity?

Here are some suggestions:

  1. Surround yourself with good friends, friends who appreciate the battles that we face and who will keep you accountable.  (And be that friend to others.)  Note the places you are more likely to find friends with Christian values, and avoid the places where you are more likely to find those who do not share your Christian values. It will be far easier to avoid corruption if you are surrounded by like-minded people.
  2. Zealously strive for purity. You have heard the term “garbage in/garbage out.” Be careful what you take into your brain—what you watch on the screen and listen to in your earphones. It will be far easier to avoid corruption if you are not filling your mind with trash but instead with wholesome words, music, and pictures.
  3. Replace bad habits with good habits. This involves diligently confessing even the least concern and resolving to begin doing something in its place that is more pleasing to God.  For example, if you regularly spend money on lottery tickets (just as an example—there are many others), then instead resolve to use that money to benefit someone less fortunate or increase your church offering, etc. Rick Warren says “Remember that your character is the sum total of your habits. You can’t claim to have integrity unless it is your habit to always be honest. A husband who is faithful to his wife most of the time is not faithful at all! Your habits define your character.”
  4. Adopt an attitude of gratitude. This will help you to build a stronger and more durable “skin” to withstand the slings and arrows that the devil uses against us by discouraging us and making us feel sorry for ourselves, which then make us vulnerable to corruption. If we look for blessings, we will find them. If we look for reasons to praise God, those reasons will present themselves. Stay invincible by staying thankful.
  5. Follow all the commandments, but especially the first one (which will make all the others easier): “You shall have no other gods before me.”  As you most likely know, this is very difficult. Even though we know God is our Creator, and how could we as His creation worship anyone or anything but Him, we do. Even Solomon, who God blessed so abundantly as the richest and wisest man on earth, “… offered sacrifices and burned incense on the high places” (1 Kings 3:3). However, nearing the end of his life, Solomon observed “Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the duty of all mankind.  For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil” (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14).
  6. Above all, constantly ask God for wisdom, which is the sound application of God’s Word. “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you” (James 1:5).

Why is it important to have integrity? This is our witness, our testimony, as followers of Christ. Paul encouraged Titus (a pastor) to not only speak, but to model a God-filled life to his congregation. He wrote: “Your job is to speak out on the things that make for solid doctrine. Guide older men into lives of temperance, dignity, and wisdom, into healthy faith, love, and endurance. Guide older women into lives of reverence so they end up as neither gossips nor drunks, but models of goodness. By looking at them, the younger women will know how to love their husbands and children, be virtuous and pure, keep a good house, be good wives. We don’t want anyone looking down on God’s Message because of their behavior. Also, guide the young men to live disciplined lives. But mostly, show them all this by doing it yourself, incorruptible in your teaching, your words solid and sane. Then anyone who is dead set against us, when he finds nothing weird or misguided, might eventually come around” (Titus 2:1-8 The Message).

In Christ,

Judy

Chaplain’s Corner – Integrity, Part 3: Singlemindedness

Jul3

“But if from there you seek the Lord your God, you will find him if you seek him with all your heart and with all your soul” (Deuteronomy 4:29).

I’m not fluent in Greek, Hebrew, or Aramaic, but I believe that in each of those languages, the word “all” literally means “all.” Young’s Literal Translation reads, “And — ye have sought from thence Jehovah thy God, and hast found, when thou seekest Him with all thy heart, and with all thy soul.”  The Orthodox Jewish Bible reads, “But if from thence thou shalt seek Hashem Eloheicha, thou shalt find Him, if thou seek Him with all thy lev and with all thy nefesh.” I don’t understand some of those words, but I do understand the word “all.”

According to Webster, as an adjective, the word “all” has these meanings:

  • 1: the whole amount, quantity, or extent of
  • 2: every member or individual component of
  • 3: the whole number or sum of
  • 4: every
  • 5: any
  • 6: nothing but 
  • 7: used up; entirely consumed 
  • 8: being more than one person or thing

Compare these meanings above to those for “integrity” below:

  • 1: firm adherence to a code of especially moral or artistic values:  Incorruptibility
  • 2: an unimpaired condition: Soundness
  • 3: the quality or state of being complete or undivided: Completeness

These definitions have similarities. To have integrity is to be pure, whole, complete. Therefore, I could conclude that God’s command in Deuteronomy 4:29 (above) equates to having integrity in our pursuit of Him.  If we pursue the LORD our God with integrity, with our whole hearts/all/every/nothing but our heart and soul, our “all,” we will find Him.

This is the singlemindedness that Paul speaks of in the verse from last week: “Brothers, I do not consider myself to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and reaching forward to what is ahead, I pursue as my goal the prize promised by God’s heavenly call in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:13-14).

We are called to leave our past behind and reach forward to what is ahead. If we try to maintain some semblance of our former selves, we can’t be new creations. Isaiah writes: “Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert” (Isaiah 43:18-19).

Jesus told his disciples in Luke 9:59-60 “To another he said, ‘Follow me.’ But he said, ‘Lord, let me first go and bury my father.’ And Jesus said to him, ‘Leave the dead to bury their own dead. But as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.’” Sometimes when we try to keep hold of the past, it is just wrong and we know it. When our old life includes breaking the law, whether civil or moral, then it’s absolutely necessary to flee and not look back. Remember what happened to Lot’s wife when she looked back as they were fleeing Sodom and Gomorrah.  And in other cases, decisions about obedience are based on choosing between two rights, and this is when we must use discernment from the Holy Spirit to make the best decision. In the case above, Jesus called a disciple who then asked to put off his calling to care for a sick father. Obviously, it’s not wrong to take care of your parents. In fact, the Bible says to honor your father and mother. However, if taking care of your parents is an excuse to put off a call from God, especially when there are other options for ensuring that your parents are cared for (in this case), then the right decision is to obey God’s call as expeditiously as possible.

And in Luke 9:61-62 “Still another said, ‘I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say goodbye to my family.’  Jesus replied, ‘No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.’” The example of the plow is a great one, and in keeping with Jesus’ other agricultural analogies. It’s impossible to plow a straight furrow unless you keep your eye firmly on the target at the far end of the field and your hands tightly on the plow handles. You just can’t plow even furrows with one hand while looking over your shoulder. If you can’t picture the plowing analogy, driving is also a good comparison. We tend to veer in the direction we are looking.

In The Life You’ve Always Wanted, author John Ortberg refers to Soren Kierkegaard’s book entitled Purity of Heart Is to Will One Thing when he says that we have failed to achieve simplicity. According to Ortberg, this means we have failed to have a life that is integrated, that is focused on one thing, seeking first the kingdom (Matthew 6:33).  I am reminded of so many of the kings in the Old Testament, such as King Solomon of whom is it written in 1 Kings 3:3 “Solomon showed his love for the Lord by walking according to the instructions given him by his father David, except that he offered sacrifices and burned incense on the high places.” James refers to this as being double-minded, and it’s not a good thing.

To sum up, if we believe that integrity is critical to being all-in followers of Jesus, then as we learned last week, we must first pray for the desire for godly integrity; and secondly we must be single-minded in our focus. I pray that you and I will be diligent in prioritizing the things of God and eliminating anything that is a distraction; seeking Him first and seeking Him only.

In Christ,

Judy

 

Chaplain’s Corner – Integrity, Part 2: Desire

Jun26

 “But if from there you seek the Lord your God, you will find him if you seek him with all your heart and with all your soul” (Deuteronomy 4:29).

It seems that water balloon fights are now a “thing” at the Women’s Campus. I’ve seen the kids do battle at the playground and I’ve even heard that our ladies want to have a water balloon battle. I’m sure the water feels good when it’s so hot outside. Have you ever tried to fill up a balloon with water, or air for that matter, when it has a hole in it? The balloon won’t hold water, or air, when it has a hole in it. Well, duh, that wasn’t terribly profound. Lately, I’ve been frustrated by plastic squirt bottles that crack, and then when you squeeze them the air comes out in all the wrong places. Now that’s a problem when you are trying to use the contents of the bottle. Last week I wrote about the danger of a dam that won’t hold water because of chinks, erosion, and leaks. The point is that when the object in question is not intact, when it has a hole in it, then it won’t function properly. It lacks integrity which causes it to fail in its purpose.

The next problem comes when you try to patch the hole. Have you ever tried to patch a balloon? I tried to tape over the crack in my toilet bowl cleaner bottle, but it still wouldn’t allow me to squeeze out of the opening in the top like it was supposed to (so frustrating). In this case, I just needed pour the contents into a new bottle and throw out the old one. In the example from last week’s Chaplain’s Corner, engineers are filling in the holes, building backup dams, and all kinds of other fixes to repair, shore up, back up, and strengthen Center Hill Dam.

The good news, and I mean GOOD NEWS! in the gospel sense, is that God has made a way to fix people who are broken vessels. He does not want to throw us out like I threw out my toilet bowl cleaner bottle. He has made a way to repair us so that we are not just restored to basic functionality, but as believers in the life and work of Jesus Christ we are actually NEW CREATIONS with the ability to beautifully and fully live out our calling from God and have eternal life with Him. My heart wells up when I think about this. (I had to stop writing for a few minutes here so that I could just rest and rejoice in this amazing fact.)

As broken vessels, we do not have integrity. However, as new creations in Christ, we will have integrity, we will be whole. That means there will be no holes, no flaws in our glorified beings which we will possess when we exchange this physical life for our immortal life. I have heard this referred to as the “already/not yet.” Until that day, we are called to participate with the Holy Spirit in becoming flawless, or sanctified. As new creations in Christ, we should be of one mind, committed to growing in Christ.

“Brothers, I do not consider myself to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and reaching forward to what is ahead, I pursue as my goal the prize promised by God’s heavenly call in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:13-14).

I daresay you know what you need to do. It’s not the knowing that’s the problem; it is the doing. It is the wisdom, capacity, and ability to obey. Many times in the Bible, God and Jesus tell us they desire obedience. Jesus said in John 14:23“Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching.  My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them”.

The starting point for true obedience is to have a desire to obey. And the best way to gain this desire is to pray for it. It’s as simple as that.  As you pray, meditate on God’s word, and ask God for the desire to fully and completely obey Him. When Paul says that he is forgetting, reaching, and pursuing, he means that he is praying and then obeying God’s Word.

Glenn often explains our Core Value of Extravagant Faith as believing that God is who He says he is, and that He will do what He says He will do. That is integrity in a nutshell. And that should be what we also aspire to, to be that good and wise servant, to be who we say we are and to do what we say we will do. Rick Warren put it like this: “The test of integrity is that your public life and your private life match—what’s in your heart and what’s in your life are the same thing. You ask yourself, ‘Would I want everyone to know about this decision that I’m making?’ The truth is, when it comes to integrity, even if you can fool everyone else, you can’t fool yourself. And if you violate your own conscience, you have to pay for that.”

Your assignment, should you choose to accept it, is to begin praying for the desire to do God’s will, the desire to pursue integrity, and the desire to obey Him with your life. I would love to hear about how your prayers are answered, because I know they will be.

In Christ,

Judy

Chaplain’s Corner – Integrity

Jun19

“I know, my God, that you test the heart and are pleased with integrity” (1 Chronicles 29:17a).*

Center Hill Lake, one of my favorite places and just about an hour east of Nashville. It’s so beautiful! I have spent many vacations on this lake with my family and friends.
Center Hill Dam

The lake was formed in 1948 when the Caney Fork River was dammed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for flood control and electricity production, and it’s also a recreational jewel.  However, the area has been in danger for a few years, ever since it was discovered that the dam is a high risk for failure. You might say the dam has lost its integrity. It’s no longer sound, no longer whole. It is in danger of not being able to perform its purpose and in fact, in danger of being dangerous.

The reason that Center Hill Dam is in danger is because its foundation was not built correctly, based on what we know today about geology. The dam is leaking and eroding. (Side note: this is a very simplified assessment; I do not claim to be a dam expert.) I have a friend who has been hired to work on the dam.  When I asked him about his specific assignment, he said he was tasked with building a new dam behind the adjacent “saddle” dam so that when it gives way, there would be a backup dam ready to take its place. You see, the dam is not a single structure; it is a combination of integrated structures, each of which must operate at 100% to ensure optimum performance of the whole.

Nashville Rescue Mission (NRM) is a lot like Center Hill. In fact, the first sentence of the NRM Employee Handbook – Section 104 reads, “Everyone on staff at the Mission is responsible to uphold the Christian integrity of the Mission so that it may continue to carry on the task that God has assigned….”  NRM has a God-given mission to fulfil, and it is people like you and me who are called by God to deliver on that mission every day.  As humans, we are not perfect, and most of us have flaws in our foundations. However, we must make every effort to maintain our individual integrity, and we must work together to be integrated as a team so that we can be effective in fulfilling this calling. This means that when there are holes or gaps, they must be rebuilt appropriately.

I like this quote from the Precept Austin website (Kay Arthur): “Satan does not need to accomplish much to destroy integrity. Because integrity has to do with wholeness, even a small chink destroys it. Integrity is a true 24/7 concept. Consistently right choices create (or reveal) integrity. One evil choice creates a fault line of potential catastrophe.” (https://www.preceptaustin.org/Integrity_a_whole_heart

I will be writing more on this topic in the weeks to come because the Lord is leading me to believe that this is critically important for us. It is important because if we are not functioning at the best we can be individually and as a team, we are not obeying God’s commands regarding integrity, we are not serving to the highest levels, and we are in danger of actually being dangerous instead, just like Center Hill Dam if it should fail.

I’m going to be vacationing at Center Hill Lake in July again, and I’m counting on that dam to do its job. We have people coming to the Mission every day, and they are counting on us for something much more important: Hope for Today, Hope for Tomorrow, and Hope for Eternity.

My prayer for you this week is that you will earnestly seek integrity, that you will examine yourself and that you will obey God’s commands. As Paul wrote to the Philippians, I also commend to you to “Do everything readily and cheerfully—no bickering, no second-guessing allowed! Go out into the world uncorrupted, a breath of fresh air in this squalid and polluted society. Provide people with a glimpse of good living and of the living God. Carry the light-giving Message into the night so I’ll have good cause to be proud of you on the day that Christ returns. You’ll be living proof that I didn’t go to all this work for nothing” (Philippians 2:14-16 The Message).

In Christ,

Judy

*This was David’s prayer for the people of Israel and for Solomon upon receiving the offerings intended for Solomon to use to build the temple. These words in 1 Chronicles 29 mark the end of David’s life and the beginning of Solomon’s reign, and are some of David’s last words.

Chaplain’s Corner – When It Is About Me!

Jun12

I intend for this title to be a play on words. According to a survey conducted by George Barna, the most helpful book written after the Bible is Purpose Driven Life, by Rick Warren. The first words of the first chapter read, “It’s not about you.” Honestly, this is one of those messages I recite to myself quite frequently when I am in one of my selfish, prideful moods.

However, sometimes it is about me.  Here’s what I mean. I was sitting in church last week preparing to take communion. The pastor was speaking on, among other things, the need for conviction and confession. As he drilled down into each topic, I was trying to pray for conviction and trying to confess, but my mind kept going to other people in my life. Maybe you have thought this: “I wish so and so could hear this message.” In other words, they are who really need to hear this. Then I would tell myself to stop it, that I needed to pray for conviction in my own life and not worry about anyone else. That is between them and God, and this is between me and God. This monologue was repeated in my mind for the entire sermon. My mind wanted to remember someone else’s sin, someone else’s need for conviction, someone else’s need to confess. I would try to put that out of my mind so that could focus on my need for cleansing. I tried to pray as David prayed in 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.

It’s the same way with forgiveness. We want to be forgiven. We expect to be forgiven. But do we always truly forgive? When the offense continues to replay in our minds, maybe we haven’t totally forgiven. When we say we have forgiven, but we still think ill thoughts about that person, have we truly forgiven? The Bible is clear on this point.  In fact, I think that it is very intentional that the passage on dealing with sin in the church (Matthew 18:15-20) is sandwiched between two other passages.  Matthew 18:12-14 reads:  “What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off?  And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off. In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should perish.

Jesus made it personal. He made it about you, and me.

And then in Matthew 18:21, he tells the parable of the unmerciful servant: Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?” Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.”

Jesus went on to elaborate by telling about the master who forgave the debts of servant #1 who owed him. But then servant #1 did not likewise forgive the debts of a fellow servant #2 who owed him. Instead, servant #1 had servant #2 thrown in prison. When the master found out, he had his servant #1 tortured until servant #1 did repay his debts. Jesus explained in verses 32-35, “Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to.  Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’ In anger his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed. “This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.”

Jesus says we must forgive to infinity, as my granddaughter likes to say. He uses similar language in the Lord’s Prayer, “And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors” (Matthew 6:12).  

Jesus made it personal, and he made it mandatory. Forgiveness is clearly taught; when there is a problem between believers (fellow servants), then we (me and you) must take the initiative to forgive and reconcile. If you and I can’t forgive those who sin against us, how can we expect Jesus to forgive you and me? It is about us, sometimes. For more insight from Rick Warren, click here.

This “me” work is hard work. Satan wants to distract us from this work at hand by taking the pressure off us and making us worry about someone else’s guilt and sin. I pray that you and I can be diligent to pray for conviction and to confess our sins daily. This is where relationships begin, when we come clean before God. And know that while it may be difficult for us to confess and to forgive on our own, nothing is impossible with God. Pray for intervention from the Holy Spirit. This is God’s will, so He will surely answer our prayers if you and I sincerely pray.

Create in me a clean heart, O God.

In Christ,

Judy

Chaplain’s Corner – When Our Challenges Seem Insurmountable

Jun5

Or: Lord, you expect me to do what?

I am learning a painful lesson. As background, my husband Jim typically is one to creatively use any tool to make work easier. As a result, he manages to get more done more quickly and with less effort. By comparison, I’ve always been one to power through in most any situation, and I’ve been fortunate to have the physical health and endurance to do what I needed to do. You might say he works smarter, and I work harder. Not sure why that is, but it just is, at least until now. About six weeks ago I fell and dislocated my shoulder, breaking a bone in the process. It’s taken me all that time to get most of my range of motion back, and now I am working on my strength. Because I don’t want to slow down, I’m taking some cues from Jim on working smarter. For example, I am using a wagon to haul dirt for my garden rather than just dragging a bag of dirt around the yard.

The fallacy to my approach is that, as strong and/or stubborn as I am, there are going to be limits to what I can do, with or without a bad shoulder. I’ll give you another example. Years ago I went with our church youth group on a working mission trip. One of my team’s projects was to replace the valley on a woman’s roof. (Yes, I was the team lead; yes, I told them I didn’t know anything about construction! And no, I didn’t know what a roof valley was, much less how to replace it.) I was leading a team of teenagers who knew less than I did, and were sufficiently intimidated at this point to admit it. I was holding back the tears as I looked at this woman’s roof and our pile of tools and roofing materials without a clue what to do, feeling like a failure before we had even started.

A little later on that first morning, one of the roaming construction managers stopped at our worksite, and through God’s grace he actually had a construction background and was local (we were in North Carolina). Just so you know, most of the construction managers were not local, and many of them didn’t have much more construction experience than I did. We were very fortunate to have him assigned to us. He looked at our dilemma and advised that we start on another part of our assignment (insulating the floor, which is another story all together). When our team came back bright and early the next morning, the roofing job was already completed! Because the construction manager was local to the area, he was able to call a roofing buddy to come over and complete this job before he went to work at his real job. I had been so upset because I was not able to complete an assignment, but at that moment I realized that in my inadequacy, God was able to work a miracle and accomplish what I could not do on my own.

All of my misery was because of my own pride in my ability, my strength. Always before I had been able to power through on my own strength. In this case, God provided the solution, and accomplished what I could have never done on my own.

It’s like so many stories in the Bible when God’s people faced insurmountable odds. Times like when Joshua was instructed to take the city of Jericho, one of the most heavily fortified cities in the then-known world. Or when David faced the giant Goliath, or Saul, or a myriad of other enemies. Or when Elijah was hiding from the most wicked Queen Jezebel. Or when Esther, a young Jewish woman in Persia, was the only hope against looming genocide of her people.  And the list goes on.

One of my favorite verses is Joshua 1:9 – “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” These were the words of God to Joshua as he was leading his people against Jericho. God had also spoken these words to Moses, and Moses to Joshua. David repeated them to Solomon when he gave him the instructions to build the Temple. When the nation of Judah faced Assyria, King Hezekiah encouraged his people with these words, taken from 2 Chronicles 32:6-8; 21-22:

He appointed military officers over the people and assembled them before him in the square at the city gate and encouraged them with these words:  “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or discouraged because of the king of Assyria and the vast army with him, for there is a greater power with us than with him. With him is only the arm of flesh, but with us is the Lord our God to help us and to fight our battles.” And the people gained confidence from what Hezekiah the king of Judah said…. And the Lord sent an angel, who annihilated all the fighting men and the commanders and officers in the camp of the Assyrian king….So the Lord saved Hezekiah and the people of Jerusalem from the hand of Sennacherib king of Assyria and from the hand of all others. He took care of them on every side.

When Paul was imprisoned toward the end of his life, he wrote this to the Christians in Philippi: “I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength” (Philippians 4:13).

I pray that when you face seemingly insurmountable challenges, you will lean on God and rely on His strength. I pray that you will remember and be encouraged by these words: “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”

 “Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the LORD Almighty” (Zechariah 4:6).

Our God is powerful. He is faithful. He loves you.

In Christ,

Judy