Chaplain’s Corner – Victory in Jesus

Nov6

One of the saddest verses in the Bible is from Judges: “Everyone did what was right in his own eyes” (Judges 17:6). It’s sad because we know that it signified departure from God’s will, and we also know that the consequences were always defeat at the hands of an enemy. What is the opposite of doing right in our own eyes? Jesus tells us “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built His house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock” (Matthew 7:24-25). What is the opposite of defeat? It is victory. And how do we obtain victory? By building our house on the foundation of God’s word.

I recently returned from a trip to several countries in Europe. It was an amazing trip for all the reasons that you might expect–beautiful scenery and so many historical sights. I saw windmills and castles, Gothic cathedrals and Baroque palaces. I really like history and knew that I would love seeing things that I had only read about, buildings that were built as early as the ninth century.

What really struck me, however, was that alongside all those glorious buildings were ugly 1950’s era concrete-reinforced bunker-looking buildings replacing acres of towns that had been totally demolished by the bombing during WWII.  In Nuremburg we drove by the staging ground for Hitler’s Nazi rallies, and we saw where the war crimes trials took place. In several German towns we saw plaques memorializing the former homes of Jews who had been taken to concentration camps, and who never returned home.

We ended our trip in Prague, Czech Republic, probably the most beautiful city I have ever seen. Like many European countries, this area has been governed under many, many ruling peoples: Slavs, Huns, Avars, Bulgars, Magyars, Franks, and Mongols; The Holy Roman Empire, the Habsburg Monarchy, the Ottomans and Turks, and the Austrian Empire. It was the Kingdom of Bohemia, then the Czechoslovak Republic. Loyalties were in such disarray that Czech soldiers fought on both sides of WWI. The area was then occupied by Nazi Germany which targeted nearly two thirds of its citizens for deportation or death in order to make room for German citizens. German occupation ended on May 9, 1945 with the arrival of the Allied troops. However, in 1948 the Communist Party took over and Czechoslovakia became a Communist State within the Eastern Bloc.

The country was in turmoil for most of this time.  It was only in November 1989 that Czechoslovakia became a liberal democracy through the peaceful “Velvet Revolution” led by Václav Havel. Since then the country has amicably split into two countries: Czech Republic and Slovakia, and both countries are successful and democratic. As we toured this beautiful old city, we heard people speak of preparing to celebrate the 30th anniversary of their independence, and that is what really stuck with me, even more than the beauty–the fact that these people have been through so many traumatic changes, even as recent as thirty years ago.

The turbulence was not always ethnic. Jan Hus was a Czech religious reformer who predated Martin Luther by about 100 years. He was burned at the stake in 1450. Catholics and Protestants were in conflict all over Europe, including this area. Now this area, as is most of Europe, is largely nonreligious despite the number of beautiful cathedrals and churches which now function more as museums, art galleries, and tourist destinations. More than half of the residents claim to be nonbelievers.* This compares to the United States where 21% have no religious affiliation (according to a Gallup survey in 2017).

Learning just a little of what the people of this country have been through, in my own lifetime, was sobering. I know there are lessons to be learned. Here are some that I thought of:

  1. I am so thankful for the democratic republic form of government of the United States that has remained in place since its founding. Along with that, I am thankful for the peaceful transition of government when we have a change in administration. I tend to take this for granted, but in most of the world this is a time for unrest and potential violence.
  2. I am more motivated to want to know more about the current events in the countries around me, and to pray for them. Christians in Europe are a minority, and I fear that they are in jeopardy and need our fervent prayers.
  3. “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men (and women) to do nothing.” (often attributed to Edmund Burke). I am committed to being more firm in my beliefs and to stand up for my beliefs. There is nothing to prevent the United States from eventually going the way of Europe unless we, each of us, is committed to that not happening and to take appropriate action.

I’m not sure what caused all those changes, or maybe the better question is how did this country allow all those changes to occur? Complacency, apathy, fear?? In the swirl of news, fake news, and trash on the internet, I challenge myself and each of us to not look to ourselves or to anyone else as our spiritual leader, but instead always stay tuned in to God, our one true sovereign Lord. Let us be committed to always doing the right thing according to the Scriptures. Let us be strong and courageous, saying with Joshua, “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord” (Joshua 24:15). I want to thank Gabe Roberson for reminding me that our best next step is to always make the next right decision. Let us strive always for Victory in Jesus, for ourselves, our children, our grandchildren, and our world.

In Christ,

Judy

*For more information, read this article from Radio Free Europe entitled “Czech Republic: Hussite Church History Mirrors That of Nation.” (https://www.rferl.org/a/1097922.html)

Chaplain’s Corner – Biblical Themes: Speech

Oct30

“Death and life are in the power of the tongue….” (Proverbs 18:21a ESV).

 “Words are not simply sounds caused by air passing through our larynx. Words have real power. God spoke the world into being by the power of His words (Hebrews 11:3), and we are in His image in part because of the power we have with words. Words do more than convey information. The power of our words can actually destroy one’s spirit; even stir up hatred and violence. They not only exacerbate wounds but inflict them directly. Of all the creatures on this planet, only man has the ability to communicate through the spoken word. The power to use words is a unique and powerful gift from God.”*

Think back over your life. I hope you can recall some examples of when someone spoke some encouraging words to you, or when someone took the time to give you some constructive advice. Maybe it’s when someone shared their testimony or the gospel message. What you may recall instead, unfortunately, is when someone said something hateful to you, or maybe even behind your back, and how that made you feel. Most of us carry with us the pain of words that have wounded us. Words can bring life, and they can hurt our hearts. I am thankful for the encouraging words you have been given, and I am so sorry when you have been hurt by words spoken thoughtlessly or from a mean heart.

And brothers and sisters, I think you know where I am going. Who of us is innocent of doing the same thing to someone else? Surely we have been mostly good with our speech when dealing with others, but if you are like me, you have said things that you are ashamed of. I can think of too many instances when I said something I should not have said, or in a way that I should not have said it.

I am reminded of the passage where Isaiah was called to the ministry. Isaiah had a vision of “the Lord, high and exalted, seated on a throne; and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him were seraphim, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. And they were calling to one another: ‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.’ At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke” (Isaiah 6:1-4). Then, in verse 5, surrounded by such a vision of glory, Isaiah reacts: “Woe to me!” I cried. “I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty.” When in the presence of the King, the LORD Almighty, he realizes with shame that it is his speech that is so condemning (can you relate?). After Isaiah’s confession, his lips are cleansed. “Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. With it he touched my mouth and said, “See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.” And then God speaks to Isaiah giving him his call to ministry. “Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” (Isaiah 6:6-8).

Clearly, speech is vitally important. It is how the Bible was brought into existence (Read). “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16).

And in John 1:1-5, 14 we read that “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 In him was life  and the life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. 14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.”

Jesus is the Word, and in Him is life. And clearly, as followers of Jesus, we must be obedient in the purity and usefulness of our speech. Just a few examples of the admonishment and instruction found in the New Testament:

  • Jesus said, “But I tell you that men will have to give account on the Day of Judgment for every careless word they have spoken. For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned” (Matthew 12:36–37).
  • Paul said “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen” (Ephesians 4:29).
  • Paul said: “Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone” (Colossians 4:6).

Friends, let us be ever diligent to make sure our words are thoughtful, beneficial, and truthful while full of grace. And when they are not all of those things, then I pray that we can just keep our mouths shut, right?

Some of you know how much I like Toby Mac. I hope you will enjoy one of my favorite songs of his which is so instructive. May it just play over and over in the back of your mind as a reminder to Speak Life.

In Christ,

Judy

*Excerpted from an article in Got Questions.Org. https://www.gotquestions.org/power-of-words.html.

Chaplain’s Corner – Biblical Themes: The Journey

Oct23

Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

In the Chaplain’s Corner last week, I wrote about wilderness experiences. These are times when we feel lost, when we don’t know what to do or where to go, where we feel as if we are not making progress in the right direction. The opposite of a wilderness experience is when we are on a journey, when we are moving confidently in the path that we believe to be ordained by God.

This message is similar to a devotional I gave last month at the Women’s Fellowship Luncheon, so a few of you might remember it. I said that when I began to pray about the message, the verse above from John 14:6 came almost immediately to mind.

That’s an absolute statement if I ever heard one. You know that some things are flexible, but there is no wiggle room in this statement. We can be vegetarians or meat eaters. We can travel by car, on foot, air, train or any number of ways. But in this verse, there is absolutely no flexibility or option. Jesus is THE WAY, THE TRUTH, THE LIFE. NO ONE comes to the Father except through Jesus.

And by saying that Jesus is the way, this implies to me a journey, and I have always liked that analogy of life, comparing our lives to a journey. The book Pilgrim’s Progress, by John Bunyan, which has been so popular through the years, is an allegory about Christian’s journey to the Celestial City, which is Heaven. Now some of us are on a pilgrimage type of journey—we have a destination and we are working hard to get there. If you are on a journey, but don’t have a destination in mind, then you might be more about wandering in the wilderness, and as we discussed last week, that’s okay, too, as long as we realize it. You can learn a lot about yourself and about God when you are in the wilderness, if you will let yourself.

Last month I had the opportunity to travel to Washington D.C. with a friend. My friend has a good innate since of direction, but I do not. She thinks she can’t read a map however, but I can, or at least I thought I could. The first day we were there, we just decided to wander. We didn’t have any tours booked, so we just decided to get the lay of the land. We asked the concierge at the hotel which way to the Washington Monument, which is a central point for all the famous sites. We thought that would get us going in the right direction, and it did. A special feature is that you can see it from a long way off, so that also gave us a reference point. We enjoyed our day, and all the rest of the time we were there. On Friday, our last day, we went to Mt. Vernon by boat, and returned to D.C. about 3 pm. We had plans for the evening, but nothing on the agenda for the afternoon, so I said I wanted to see the Museum of the Bible. It’s relatively new, opened less than two years. We didn’t have a lot of time because it closed at 5, so we Ubered there. It was amazing (that’s perhaps another Chaplain’s Corner), and then it was closing time. We decided to walk back to the hotel.

I can tell you that we were still enjoying ourselves, but our feet were beginning to feel the accumulated stress of so much walking on concrete so we didn’t want to waste any steps on going in the wrong direction. So me, the map reader, gets out the map and says, we are on 4th, and therefore we should cross the street and walk up the block, and if we hit 3rd, we know we are ok. So that’s what we did, and we hit 6th. Uh, oh. We turned around and went the other direction, and then I said we should cross North Carolina Avenue next, but we didn’t. Uh, oh. So we stopped and asked a woman in uniform how to get to our hotel and she said go up the next light and take a right. What? That couldn’t be correct. By my calculation, that would mean we were going in the opposite direction, away from our hotel. But we did it anyway, walked to the next light, took a right, and guess what—the Capitol was right in front of us! Thank you!!!

As grateful as we were to get our bearings, I was also stunned. How could this be? How could I have been so off?

Well, first off, was I using the right map? I’m happy to say that I was. I knew the Museum was on 4th Street. If I had been looking for a map with a 4th Street, many city maps would do. Even a map of Nashville would do. But just because it has 4th Street doesn’t mean that it’s the right 4th Street. I need to be sure that I am using the correct map. That seems obvious, but you know that we often look for spiritual maps based on the qualities we desire; perhaps we look for spiritual maps that worship the idols we prefer to worship. In spiritual terms, that might be like saying I’m looking for a religion that is all about love. Many religions are about love. New Age religion, for example, is more about love of self, and it would be very validating of the way I might selfishly prefer to feel and live my life. But only one religion defines love as first and foremost about a relationship between ourselves and God, and that is the only Truth and our only hope. The Bible is our best map, it is the TRUTH, and it will not steer us wrong.

Well, the good news is that I was using the right map, so again, what had I done wrong? Come to find out, I had calculated our location incorrectly. The Museum of the Bible is on 4th Street, but somehow I had plotted it into the southeast rather than the southwest quadrant of D.C. So my lefts should have been rights, etc. That would be like trying to get to the Women’s Campus on 8th Ave. S, rather than 8th Ave. N. (or Rosa Parks as it is now). The spiritual comparison is ensuring that we are in right standing with God each and every day, before we head out on our journey. Even with the right map, or right belief system about God, we must re-orient ourselves continually with God, through prayer, confession, reading our Bible. These are basics, but they are most important to us as we continue our journey, our pilgrimage, to the Promised Land, the Celestial City, Heaven.

That last comparison I will make is about landmarks and advisors. The way I found out that I had calculated the location incorrectly was when we stopped to ask directions. We found a woman in a Park Service Uniform, so we knew she would be knowledgeable. She had the right credentials. When we were walking around town earlier in the week in the National Mall area with all the monuments, there were directional signs everywhere pointing us to the different memorials. That was very helpful. But I can’t tell you how relieved we were on that last day to see the Capital, just about three blocks away. Even though I knew I was not where I thought I should be, I knew that it was where it was supposed to be, and I could get my bearings. At last, we knew where we were! I love the memorials that are designated in the Bible. The Temple, the rainbow, the 12 Stones from the Jordan River are all tangible reminders of the majesty and power of God and what He has done for us. Weekly worship, and even the things we celebrate on a regular basis such as the Lord’s Supper and baptism are those reminders that help us to be sure that we are going in the right direction, heading toward our final destination.

So, when you are on your journey, be sure that you have the right map—the Bible, that you are orienting yourself regularly through prayer, confession, and reading and memorizing Scripture, and that you are taking advantage of landmarks and directional signs such as belonging to a Bible-believing church where you can participate in life groups and participate in corporate worship with the ordinances such as the Lord’s Supper and Baptism.

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

May God bless you on your journey.

In Christ,

Judy

Chaplain’s Corner – Biblical Themes: The Wilderness

Oct16

Have you ever experienced a time in your life when you felt so confident that you were where you were supposed to be, and doing what you were supposed to be doing?  Sort of a right time, right place kind of thing. I’ll be honest with you, that is how I feel right now. However, like many of you, I have also experienced those times when I felt like I should be somewhere else—I felt discontented with either my job, my place of residence, or my church. I felt like it was the wrong place to be, or that I should be doing more or something different. Should I go back to school? Should I leave and look for something else? Some of you may have that sense with the person you are dating—should you marry? Should you break up and wait for the person God has chosen for you? Maybe you or a loved one has endured a time of illness, and you are physically unable to do the things you used to do but not sure what to do next.

I equate those times to a wilderness. Although I have not counted them myself, I read a commentary that says there are over 300 references to wilderness in the Bible. Perhaps the most well-known example is when the Israelites were delivered from slavery in Egypt, only to wander for 40 years in the desert before finally getting to enter the Promised Land (the journey should have taken only 11 days).  Jesus spent 40 days in the desert where he was being tempted by the Devil. After Paul’s dramatic conversion on the Road to Damascus in A.D.34, it is not until A.D. 47 that he makes his first missionary journey. What did he do in that intervening time of about 13 years? Even though he was hot to trot to go on the road to preach, instead he had to hide out in Arabia for about three years, then traveled back to Damascus but had to escape, went to Jerusalem for a short time, then back home to Tarsus for his safety for about nine years. After such a wonderful conversion experience, he is seemingly stopped at every turn from doing what he feels called to do.

What happened during these wilderness experiences?

  1. Israelites – They were becoming a nation of God’s people. Make no mistake, they were a difficult group to manage. It was only by God’s grace and persistence rather than their cooperation, which is why it took so long. During this time, God taught them to trust him for their daily bread, he gave them their laws and celebrations to set them apart, and he reinforced his power over their lives by fighting all their battles for them, keeping them safe from harm. Starting with the parting of the Red Sea where the Egyptians were defeated and all the way through to the Battle of Jericho where the Canaanites were defeated, God demonstrated his unmistakable sovereignty over his people.
  2. Jesus – He was preparing himself for his earthly ministry. He had just been baptized by John the Baptist, and then was led by the Spirit in the desert, where for 40 days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them he was hungry (Luke 4:1-3). Jesus had been living with his family until then, and afterward his wilderness experience, he began to teach, to heal, and to drive out demons.  
  3. Paul – He was getting to know his Savior. He was a very well-educated Jew; no one knew the Bible better than he did. He would have even known all the prophecies about the coming Messiah. But until his conversion, he didn’t know Jesus. But by the time he started his missionary journeys, however, he had an intimate knowledge of Jesus, just as if he had walked and talked with Jesus like the disciples who surrounded Jesus during His time on earth.

Typically, we find our wilderness experiences uncomfortable. We may even characterize them as suffering. A big part of that misery is that we don’t know how long they are going to last and how it’s all going to turn out. If we knew that, we could probably bear most anything. But isn’t that the purpose? Every time I get through one of these times in my life, I realize that I could have handled it so much better. Rather than grumbling like the Israelites about every little thing, I should have been grateful for every little thing. I should have been fasting and praying like Jesus. I should have been reading and memorizing Scriptures and getting to know Jesus on a more personal basis to prepare myself for whatever is the next thing that God has in store for me.

I need to realize that the wilderness experiences are part of my Christian walk. Even though I don’t believe I am making progress, I believe that if I would approach these times correctly they could be some of the most rewarding and important times in my life, and I believe the same is true for you.

How do we know we are in a wilderness? The best indicator is a feeling of discontent. Is every feeling of discontent a wilderness? Probably not.  How can we know? I think when we experience this feeling, the first thing to do is to go to our knees and pray for discernment. The discontent could be because of unconfessed sin. It could even be for the lack of gratitude for how God is presently working in our lives. But if the discontent continues even after prayer, confession, and expressing gratitude, then we just might be in a wilderness experience. If so, seize it and ask God to do whatever he wants to do with you. Take Jesus’ example and fast and pray and devour the word of God so that it becomes your daily bread and your sustenance as you seek his will.  

Furthermore, this is an area where we as brothers and sisters in Christ can uphold each other with encouragement and accountability because sometimes it’s not always apparent to ourselves when we are in a wilderness. A loving and perceptive friend can be helpful. Maybe that’s why the fruits of the spirit include so many traits that are useful in these interactions: love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Every one of these can be essential in overcoming a wilderness, either of our own or of someone we know.

The second and third chapters of Revelation talk about the rewards of overcoming. That’s what I believe it takes to get through a wilderness successfully–to overcome the trials and temptations that are rampant in such an experience. And as you look back from such an experience, I pray that you will realize that even in the wilderness, you were right where you were supposed to be, in the middle of God’s will, right time/right place.

My prayer for you is that you will be as the faithful church in Philadelphia, even while persevering through your own wilderness experiences, as described in Revelation 3:7-12: “And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write, ‘These things says He who is holy, He who is true, He who has the key of David, He who opens and no one shuts, and shuts and no one opens: I know your works. See, I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it; for you have a little strength, have kept My word, and have not denied My name. Indeed I will make those of the synagogue of Satan, who say they are Jews and are not, but lie—indeed I will make them come and worship before your feet, and to know that I have loved you. Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth. Behold, I am coming quickly! Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown. He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall go out no more. I will write on him the name of My God and the name of the city of My God, the New Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God. And I will write on him My new name.'”

In Christ,

Judy

Chaplain’s Corner – Biblical Themes: The Least of These

Oct9

One of the most wonderful things to me about working here at Nashville Rescue Mission is being so securely in God’s will. How do I know this? Because there are so many references to God’s love for and desire for the least of these in the Bible: the widow, the orphan, the poor, the needy, and the foreigner.  This is definitely an enduring theme in the Bible; beginning in Exodus, there are at least 114 references in the Bible to the underprivileged and more importantly, to how we should treat them. For example:

  • “Do not take advantage of a widow or an orphan” (Exodus 22:22).
  • “Do not deny justice to your poor people in their lawsuits” (Exodus 23:6).

We may wonder why there are needy people in the world. The Bible tells us in both the Old and the New Testaments that there will always be poor people. It may be that some are called to be poor. We know that the poor, while having physical needs, can be very rich in spiritual matters. “Listen, my dear brothers and sisters: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him?” (James 2:5).

It is not for us to know why there are poor people, but what is very clear in the Scriptures is that we are all accountable to God for how we treat those who are less fortunate that we are. I believe that it is an extension of God’s command to Adam to serve as steward over all God’s Creation. We certainly cannot judge others for their poverty or distress; in fact, what I hear from so many of you, and what I have experienced myself, is that we all are or have been just one decision away from disaster.

I thank God for the privilege of serving you, as you so selflessly give of your time and talents to serve God by serving the poor and less fortunate among us. Whether you serve as in Guest Services, Life Recovery, Operations, or in Development or Administration, each of you has a vital role to play in supporting the overall Mission of the Mission: Providing hope for today, hope for tomorrow, and hope for eternity to the hungry, hurting, and homeless.

We certainly won’t get rich working for the Mission. In fact, for many it is a personal sacrifice. Most of you could work somewhere else for more money, and many of you work more than one job just to be able to continue to serve here. In that way, you are giving of your financial capacity to serve here, along with your gifts and talents. Your role may involve hospitality, meeting nutrition and clothing needs, case management, therapy, coaching, preaching, teaching, and/or advocacy. If you are not directly serving, you are making it possible for others to serve through your fund-raising and administrative efforts. Whatever your role, it always involves listening, loving, and sharing the hand and smile of friendship, just as the Bible commands:

  • “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).
  • “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress…” (James 1:27a).
  • “Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will never fail, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Luke 12:33-34).

When Jesus was nearing the end of his earthly life, he had left the temple where he had been speaking to his disciples and the crowds, and he had gone to the Mount of Olives. The disciples came to Jesus privately and asked him about some of his teaching regarding the end of the age. When you read chapters 24 and 25 of Matthew, they are almost totally written in red letters, meaning that these are the words of Jesus. They are some of his last words before the Last Supper, after which he was taken away to be crucified. In Matthew 25:34-40, Jesus tells his disciples about the separation of the sheep (on his right) and the goats (on his left).

  • 34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’
  • 37 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’
  • 40 “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’”

Nashville Rescue Mission is a wonderful place to work. It blesses my heart to see God working through and among you each and every day. I am confident that regardless of your position in this earthly life, as faithful, obedient Christ-followers and stewards of God’s Creation here on earth, you will be eternally blessed by our heavenly Father.

In Christ,

Judy

Chaplain’s Corner – Biblical Themes: Spiritual Adultery

Oct2

Do I have your attention with this juicy title?

My real subject is God himself; and in learning who God is, it is helpful to analyze recurring themes in Scripture. One of the recurring themes is faithfulness. Although we can be faithful to a principle, we can best understand faithfulness in the context of relationships. Relationships are critical to our spiritual walk. Starting with the Holy Trinity, we see that God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit function in relationship with each other.

We learn from Isaiah that God created man for his glory. “Bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the ends of the earth—everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.” (Isaiah 43:6b-7). We also know from Galatians that God created man to be in his family; in fact, his design is that as sons and daughters of God the father, we would be brothers and sisters in and with Christ. “I will be a Father to you, and you shall be My sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty” (2 Corinthians 6:18).

Faith is paramount in our own spiritual walk; not faith in God’s creation, but faith in God himself. The object of faith is the person of God, so faith is intertwined with relationship. It sounds easy enough, but it’s so essential to our relationship that we must get this right. What do we know about faith? The word “faith” is used 458 times in the NIV so I won’t refer to every passage, but here are a few to illustrate this principle:

  • God is faithful to us. “But you, Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness” (Psalm 86:15).
  •  God requires faithfulness of us. “Yet you desired faithfulness even in the womb; you taught me wisdom in that secret place” (Psalm 51:6).
  • It is faith that is required for our justification. “For we maintain that a person is justified by faith apart from the works of the law” (Romans 3:28).
  • Even so, we don’t seem to have enough. “If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith?”  (Matthew 6:30).
  • Oh, but what we could accomplish if only: “…Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you” Matthew 17:20).

Speaking of faith, then, we should begin to see how critically important it is for us to be faithful to God; and when it comes to being faithful to God, we quickly learn that bring faithful to God implies prioritization and even exclusivity. God would not perceive us as being faithful if we didn’t put him first, and if we didn’t exclusively love Him as our one and only God. So he has helped us again by giving us the concept of marriage to show us what faithfulness looks like. This may be why he created the institution of marriage in Genesis and upholds it throughout the Bible.

As helpful as it is to see marriage as a picture of faithfulness, sadly it might be even more helpful to understand what faithfulness is not. We know that adultery is the most obvious example of unfaithfulness in marriage. God gave us the explicit commandment forbidding adultery in Exodus 20:14: “You shall not commit adultery” (Exodus 20:14).

In addition to the many references in the wisdom literature of Proverbs to adultery as the path to foolishness, there are others that are actually historical references using adultery as the metaphor. For example:

“Yet they would not listen to their judges but prostituted themselves to other gods and worshiped them. They quickly turned from the ways of their ancestors, who had been obedient to the Lord’s commands” (Judges 2:17).

“During the reign of King Josiah, the Lord said to me, ‘Have you seen what faithless Israel has done? She has gone up on every high hill and under every spreading tree and has committed adultery there’” (Jeremiah 3:6).

“Then in the nations where they have been carried captive, those who escape will remember me—how I have been grieved by their adulterous hearts, which have turned away from me, and by their eyes, which have lusted after their idols. They will loathe themselves for the evil they have done and for all their detestable practices” (Ezekiel 6:9).

“When the Lord began to speak through Hosea, the Lord said to him, ‘Go, marry a promiscuous woman and have children with her, for like an adulterous wife this land is guilty of unfaithfulness to the Lord’” (Hosea 1:2).

Malachi really sums it all up when he writes: “Judah has been unfaithful. A detestable thing has been committed in Israel and in Jerusalem: Judah has desecrated the sanctuary the Lord loves by marrying women who worship a foreign god. As for the man who does this, whoever he may be, may the Lord remove him from the tents of Jacob—even though he brings an offering to the Lord Almighty” (Malachi 2:11-12).

I don’t believe anyone would think that there’s anything good about adultery. It makes my face burn with shame to think that God compares my seeking after other things—whether for worship, for enjoyment, for provision, or to be praised–as spiritual adultery! This doesn’t mean that we can’t take pleasure in God’s creation; He created everything for our enjoyment. It just means that we can’t fail to give Him the glory and thanksgiving. Stop here, click on this wonderful psalm of praise, and read it aloud: Psalm 100.

I think that we as believers desire to be faithful, but we don’t always know how, or what it looks like. By using the picture of marriage and the opposite picture of unfaithfulness or adultery, both of which are common life experiences for us, we can hopefully learn how to be faithful and how to avoid spiritual adultery, which I know none of us desires. It’s really simple (notice I said simple; I didn’t say easy). Faithfulness requires single-minded devotion to God, always putting Him first, and looking only to Him for our joy and contentment. And yes, we will mess it all up sometimes, just as David did (read 2 Samuel 11:1 to 12:23). However, God in his mercy will also forgive us if we sincerely confess, repent, and seek his forgiveness (read Psalm 51).

One of my favorite scriptures, indeed one of my favorite things to look forward to in Heaven is when Jesus (the Bridegroom), takes the Church (all of us, his Bride) in marriage at the Marriage Supper of the Lamb (Revelation 19:6-9. What a day of rejoicing that will be!!

May this now and forever be our prayer:

”I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (Galatians 3:20).

In Christ,

Judy

Chaplain’s Corner – What Is Your Name?

Sep25

This is obviously a question, but rather than being one that Jesus asked as has been the last eight devotionals, it is a question that was asked first of Jacob by his father Isaac, then of Jacob by God, then of God by Moses. This is from a powerful sermon that my pastor preached a few weeks ago that has continued to resonate with me personally, so I hope that it will be meaningful for you.

One of the main points of the sermon was that God can’t work on us until we come clean, until we are transparent and honest about who we really are. If you don’t know the story about Jacob, here’s a brief synopsis:

  1. Jacob was the son of Isaac (and grandson of Abraham) and Rebekah. He was a twin. Rebekah had a difficult pregnancy. The Bible says that the twins wrestled inside her, and when it was time for her to give birth, Esau came out first making him the eldest (with all the privileges of the first born in that culture), and Jacob came out grabbing onto Esau’s heel. The name Jacob means “heel-grabber” and it also means “deceiver.” That’s a pretty difficult image to live down.
  2. When it was time for Isaac to bestow the blessings of the firstborn on Esau, he called Esau to him, told him to go out and kill an animal for a feast, then to prepare a meal and bring it to him so that Isaac could then bless Esau with his inheritance. Rebekah overheard and told Jacob (whom she favored) to hurry out and kill a sheep out back, cook it, and bring it to his father. She told Jacob to disguise himself so that he would feel and smell like his brother. Did I mention that Isaac was blind? Through the deceitfulness of his mother and himself, Jacob was able to beat Esau to the punch and got to his father first. His father was surprised that his son had gotten there so fast, so he said, “Who is it?” Jacob replied, “My name is Esau your firstborn.”
  3. Fast forward: Jacob had to leave town in a hurry when Esau found out about the deception. Jacob went to his mother’s family, got married (twice), prospered, and is now returning home. (As an aside, Jacob almost met his match with his brother-in-law, Laban, who tried to get one over on Jacob, but Jacob eventually out-deceived Laban.) Jacob is now a little nervous about the reception he will receive from Esau after all these years. When he finds out that Esau is coming his way, Jacob sends his family ahead and he stays behind (no comment). He lies down to sleep, all alone, and an angel of the Lord comes to visit him. They wrestle (see a theme here?), and finally the angel asks Jacob his name (as if he didn’t know), and Jacob replies, “Jacob.” Now that Jacob is ready to admit who he really is, the angel gives Jacob another name, “Israel,” which means “Triumphant.”
  4. Israel (formerly Jacob) matures in his walk with his God and becomes the patriarchal leader of his family, as Isaac and Abraham were before him. He is mostly known as Israel now, and the nation that was promised to Abraham is known as Israel.
  5. Through a series of events over hundreds of years, the Israelites end up enslaved in Egypt. Moses is enlisted by God to serve as their deliverer, to lead them out of Egypt. Moses is a little skeptical about taking on this assignment, and in a memorable encounter with God who speaks to him out of a burning bush, he asks God his name. God replies, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob.” Not Israel, but Jacob. Awesome, right?

God is the God of real people. We don’t have to fake it with God. In fact, as long as we are refusing to come clean with God, it is difficult for us to really learn what we need to learn, to change what we need to change, and to become triumphant in our journey. We can’t deceive God. Let’s quit wasting time deceiving ourselves.

What is the practical application of this message? We need to confess our sins constantly—in the moment and daily. We need to pray that God will reveal our sins to us so that we won’t be blinded by our sin or dulled to our sin by comparison with the worldly culture in which we live. We need to not only confess but also to be willing to change, to turn from our sinful ways. We seek forgiveness, but forgiveness comes only after repentance, as Peter says in Acts 2:38 “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”

What is your name? Whatever is your given name, as a believer in and follower of Christ, you are an overcomer, a Christian, and your name is written in the Lamb’s Book of Life. “He who overcomes will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot out his name from the book of life, but will acknowledge his name before my Father and his angels” (Revelation 3:5). 

In Christ,

Judy

Chaplain’s Corner – Do You Now Believe?

Sep18

Do You Now Believe? This is another in the series of questions that Jesus asked. The context is that Jesus has just shared the Passover feast, what we now refer to as the Last Supper, with his disciples. He is nearing the time of his crucifixion, and he is intensely pouring into his disciples telling them everything they need to know to understand what is going to happen to him and what they can expect.

29 Then Jesus’ disciples said, “Now you are speaking clearly and without figures of speech. 30 Now we can see that you know all things and that you do not even need to have anyone ask you questions. This makes us believe that you came from God.” 31“Do you now believe?” Jesus replied. 32 “A time is coming and in fact has come when you will be scattered, each to your own home. You will leave me all alone. Yet I am not alone, for my Father is with me. 33 I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:29-33)

I am currently participating in the Beth Moore Bible Study “Believing God.” This is my second time through, and it’s having just as powerful an effect on me as the first time. It’s one thing to believe in something, but it is altogether another to believe something. I believe in eating healthy, but I don’t always do it. I believe in the benefits of physical activity, but I don’t always follow through. I believe in being generous, kind, patient (you get the idea), but, well, you know. In fact, my pastor said in his sermon last Sunday, “Just because we believe in soap doesn’t mean we won’t die dirty.” We just don’t always act on our beliefs. Our calling as believers is to do more than believe in Jesus. Our calling is to demonstrate our belief by following through on those beliefs.

What does it mean to believe Jesus?

  • For a start, it means following through on those daily commitments like prayer and studying my Bible when I’d rather be sleeping.
  • It means being open to the guidance of the Holy Spirit and acting on His direction—maybe to check on a neighbor when I would rather be watching TV.
  • It means tithing when I’d rather use that money to buy some new clothes for me or my family.
  • It may mean going on that mission trip when I’d rather be using that time for a vacation.
  • It may mean taking a leap of faith to work for a faith-focused ministry rather than a higher paying job in the for-profit world.
  • It does mean being grateful even when our health is failing or the bills keep piling up.
  • It means being kind to someone who is treating us rudely or unfairly.
  • It means forgiving those who have harmed us in any way, when I’d much rather nurse that grudge.

I don’t know exactly what it means for you, but I know that the Holy Spirit will guide us if we ask; and I know that if we follow through on the little things, the Holy Spirit will continue to make His will known. And I know that if we continue to ignore Him, our hearts will finally become unable to hear Him, and what a sad day that would be.

God promises us…., but we must believe; we must act on our belief.

Jesus asked “When the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?” (Luke 18:8).  Brothers and Sisters, I am praying that He will find us faithful right here at Nashville Rescue Mission, as well as in your families, your neighborhoods, your churches, and your schools.

In Christ,

Judy

Chaplain’s Corner – Do You Love Me?

Sep11

Do You Love Me? Another in our series of questions that Jesus asked; this is a question that Jesus put to Peter. Here’s the background:

Jesus had been crucified, buried, and raised from the dead. In the meantime, Peter had gone back to his old job as a fisherman. John MacArthur says in The MacArthur New Testament Commentary* that “Peter, impatient at Jesus’ delay in meeting the disciples and beleaguered by his own failures, had impulsively decided to return to being a fisherman” (John 21:3). 

The resurrected Jesus meets up with the disciples one morning while they were out fishing. He is on the shore and has prepared a fire to cook some fish for breakfast. “Jesus said to them, ‘Come and have breakfast.’ None of the disciples dared ask him, ‘Who are you?’ They knew it was the Lord. Jesus came, took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish. This was now the third time Jesus appeared to his disciples after he was raised from the dead” (John 21:12-14).

Jesus then turns to Peter, who had denied knowing him three times prior to the crucifixion, and asks him three times “Do you love me?”  MacArthur points out the different forms of the verb “love” used by Jesus and Peter. The first two times, Jesus uses a higher form of the verb that implies total commitment. Peter’s reply each time, as well as Jesus on the third time, uses a lower form of the verb that implies affection but falls short of actual commitment. Peter is probably unwilling to make rash claims like he did before, like “Even if I have to die with You, I will not deny You!”  Instead, he acknowledges Jesus’ omniscience in saying, “You know that I love you” (John 21:15-17).

First, Jesus asks Peter if he loves him more than these. “These” must refer to the trappings of the fisherman life that Peter had resumed. Earlier in Jesus’ ministry, he had challenged Peter to be a fisher of men rather than of fish, and he was calling Peter back to this commitment. Each time he asks Peter “Do you love me” and each time that Peter responds with “You know that I love you,” Jesus then responds with a call for Peter to be a pastor and shepherd of Jesus’ flock. He tells Peter that it won’t be easy and that he won’t always have his own way. Then he said to Peter, “Follow me.”

One of the first things that impressed me about our ministry here at Nashville Rescue Mission is that we are a place of second (and more) chances because God is the God of second (and more) chances. By this, I do not mean that it’s a second chance for us to try harder, to be better. I am referring to a second chance to receive grace. Jesus reached out to Peter. For every one of Peter’s denials, Jesus lovingly showed Peter grace with an opportunity to respond to that grace. I am quite sure that most of my own personal growth in discipleship has come from the painful process of my failing and then being lovingly restored by my Savior. Maybe yours, too? And our experience certainly helps us to be more empathetic with the people around us when they fail.

Recognizing the grace that has been shown to each of us, we strive to show grace to those we serve. This doesn’t mean that we don’t require accountability and don’t impose consequences, but it does mean that we are quick to forgive and accept with a goal of reconciliation and recovery and restoration. That’s why it is difficult to calculate the Mission’s “success rate” at any given time because we know that for each of us, our walk is a journey with peaks and valleys and diversions, and it’s mostly impossible to determine when any of us have finally arrived until the day Jesus finally takes us home. Thank God for grace, “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).

The other thing to remember is that along with Jesus’ gift of grace to us is a call to follow Him, using the gifts He has given each one of us. As Peter himself wrote later on in his ministry: “Therefore, I exhort the elders among you, as your fellow elder and witness of the sufferings of Christ, and a partaker also of the glory that is to be revealed, shepherd the flock of God among you, exercising oversight not under compulsion, but voluntarily, according to the will of God; and not for sordid gain, but with eagerness; nor yet as lording it over those allotted to your charge, but proving to be examples to the flock” (1 Peter 5:1–3).

And the Apostle Paul (himself a trophy of God’s grace) wrote in Ephesians 2:10 “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

Two of the greatest men in the New Testament, Peter and Paul, testify so powerfully to what Christ can do in the heart of a sinful creature. There’s hope for you, hope for me, and hope for all those we serve.

In Christ,

Judy

*https://www.gty.org/library/bibleqnas-library/QA0304/simon-peter-do-you-love-me

Chaplain’s Corner – Could You Not Watch With Me One Hour?

Sep4

Could You Not Watch With Me One Hour? Does this not stab you in right the heart? Here is Jesus facing the most difficult time in his life. Yes, he’s known all along this was to be his destiny; however, it’s now at hand. In his humanness, he is not looking forward to the pain and humiliation.  Most of all, he is dreading being abandoned by his Father. He has invested the last three years into developing the men who will carry forward the Gospel message when he goes back to his Father. He has taught them, he has shown them love. He has developed relationships with them stronger than any of their family ties. Or so he thought. Now he has taken them with him to pray over the events to come in the next few hours. He is agonizing so much that drops of blood are seeping out of his pores. And Peter, James, and John have fallen asleep. (Matthew 26:36-46)

How could they have let their friend and Savior down at his time of great need?

What I see as their greatest failure is the failure of the disciples to participate with Jesus in his time of preparation, and the failure of the disciples to pray for their own strength and courage to provide support during Jesus’ ordeal. Instead they slept; they kept a low profile in fear of what might happen to themselves; and most hurtful, Peter even denied knowing Christ.

What if we could say at the end of our lives that we had been constant prayer warriors for our loved ones, for our country, for our church, for our leaders and pastors, for our neighborhoods, for those in need? What if we could say at the end of our lives that we had earnestly walked and talked with Jesus, walked and talked with our brothers and sisters in Christ, during our time here on earth?  What if we could say that we had been mighty participants in the battle rather than merely spectators (or asleep)?

Jesus must be saddened by our weakness, but he is certainly not surprised. And if he is saddened, I think it is for the fact that he knows we will be ultimately disappointed in ourselves when we look back at our failures, our omissions. This is where the phrase occurs, graciously spoken by Jesus, and that we have all sheepishly used as an excuse at one time or another: “The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.” It is a true statement, but it need not define us. Let’s wake up; let’s pray for the desire, strength, and endurance to watch, walk, and work with Jesus in the hours and days to come.

In Christ,

Judy