Chaplain’s Corner – Resolutely (the Adverb)

Jan10

“As the time approached for him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem” (Luke 9:51).

Last week we looked at how Daniel resolved (a verb) to adhere to a healthy Jewish diet even while living in Babylon as a slave. We expounded on the concept of setting goals.

Now let us look at accomplishing those goals. As mentioned in earlier devotionals, I am especially good at setting good intentions, and I will allow that I am a great goal setter. I know how to set goals! Yay me!! However, I have about a fifty percent lifetime achievement rate—maybe–if I am optimistic.

As is obvious in the opening passage, Jesus is heading toward his crucifixion, which is a critical step in his plan to serve as the atonement for the sins of humankind. He knows this is going to be the hardest thing he has ever done. He has known it from the beginning, but now that his three-year ministry has begun in earnest, it is imminent. We want to think: It is Jesus! He is divine. He knows it will all work out and He will end up back on His throne in heaven (and He will). However, He is also fully human, and in His humanity He knows He will experience not only humiliation and extreme physical pain, but also the agony of separation from His heavenly Father. I imagine that Jesus is filled with an immense dread and sorrow which would manifest itself physically, mentally, and emotionally. You may recall that he was actually sweating drops of blood during the last evening before his arrest.

Nonetheless, Jesus is resolute. He is moving forward step by step. He is committing each thought to His divine purpose and prayerfully placing each second in God’s hands. He speaks words of truth and encouragement, bringing others along in His ministry, always keeping his ultimate objective in His sights. He serves as a beautiful role model for how to live a life of obedience, resolutely.

Let us resolve to do God’s will, and then resolutely follow through.

“May he give you the desire of your heart and make all your plans succeed” (Psalm 20:4).

In Christ,

Judy

Chaplain’s Corner – I Am Resolved

Jan3

“But Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine, and he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself this way” (Daniel 1:8).

Most of us know the story of Daniel, a Jewish boy taken into captivity by King Nebuchadnezzar when the Babylonians defeated Judah (for a summary of the backstory, read 2 Chronicles 36:15-21). Daniel received the permission requested, and proved himself to be worthy of trust, even as a slave in a foreign country.

I am reminded of this story when making my own New Year’s Resolutions. I have frequently admitted that one of my superpowers is my ability to set intentions. I intend to do so many good things. Doesn’t that count for something? A good intention is a start, but it only goes so far. One of my favorite secular books is A Gentleman in Moscow, in which the main character asks, “What is an intention when compared to a plan?”

Great question! What is an intention when compared to a plan? The most logical answer is that it is a first step. Set an intention. But do not stop at intentions. Create a plan to follow through. As some of us might recall the process, make it SMART! Specific, Measurable, Achievableor Action-Oriented, Relevant, and Time-bound.

Intention: I want to read my Bible more.

Plan: I will obtain a One-Year Chronological Bible and spend at least 15 minutes every day reading the daily portion. If I do miss a day, I will catch up as soon as possible to stay on track to read the entire Bible in one year. (Can you see how specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time- bound this plan is?)

When Daniel made his resolution in the opening passage, he sought God’s favor, respectfully asked permission from the guard (remember he was a slave in captivity) and suggested a short trial period to demonstrate the effectiveness of his plan.) This is also a particularly good model for how we can more effectively follow through on our intentions.

Not every resolution should be a one-year plan. Some resolutions might be short-term, and others may be lifetime or tied to a season of life. Whatever they are, seek God’s will, engage others in support, and be willing to evaluate and refine. Do not stop with intentions. If it is a worthy goal, make a plan, and carry it out.

“Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and he will establish your plans” (Proverbs 16:3).

In Christ,

Judy

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

Chaplain’s Corner – Jesus Is Our Yes and Amen, Our Living Hope

Dec27

“For no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ. And so through him the “Amen” is spoken by us to the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 1:20).

All of the Chaplain’s Corners in 2023 have been based on promises in the Bible. These promises and their fulfillment reveal the foundations of our theology and doctrinal knowledge. In other words, these promises tell us about God and Jesus and the Holy Spirit: The Trinity; the character of God, the attributes of God, the goodness, justice, mercy, grace, and love of God.

This final promise from this series is in the passage below: Our inheritance. To properly receive an inheritance, the provider of the inheritance has to die. Jesus’ death has secured for us an inheritance, and Jesus’ resurrection has guaranteed that our inheritance is eternal. My prayer for you is that you have secured this promise by receiving the gift of salvation through faith in Christ.

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil, or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time” (1 Peter 1:3-5).

Glory be to God!

Amen and Amen!!

In Christ,

Judy

Chaplain’s Corner – Jesus Promise of a King and a Kingdom

Dec20

“Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this” (Isaiah 9:7).

Isaiah’s prophecy about Jesus is that he would be King, a successor to King David. The Jews of Jesus day were ready to be rid of Roman authority. The Israelites had had what I would describe as a theocratic/tribal form of government up until the time of King Saul. This meant that each family existed loosely in groups by family and answered to the elder family member who answered to God. But they outgrew this and went through a time of transition with the Judges, then moved on into a monarchy, with the King chosen and anointed by God. We know that this government deteriorated over time because of sin and rebellion, and finally the nation of Israel was overtaken by invading countries.

It was only when King Cyrus of Persia, under the guidance of God, allowed the Israelites to return to their homeland, to be governed by a governor who answered to the then-ruling country, that they returned to their Promised Land. This continued on through the New Testament, with the only change being that the governor was replaced by a King who answered to Rome.

Daniel had also foreseen this and prophesied: “In the time of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed, nor will it be left to another people. It will crush all those kingdoms and bring them to an end, but it will itself endure forever” (Daniel 2:44).

How does this relate to us? There are Christians all over the world, living under all types of governmental regimes. We in the United States have an elected president as our leader (but I did not need to tell you that, did I?). Just as Ezra, Zerubbabel, and Nehemiah led the Jewish exiles to return to their Promised Land when King Cyrus signed the decree, we as Christians look forward to the day when we will be called to go to our Heavenly Home, our own Promised Land, a Kingdom ruled by the only just and eternal king, Jesus.

“Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever” (Revelation 11:15).

Jesus, our King, rules and reigns in his throne room at the right hand of God. Yes, we live in this world, and we submit to earthly authorities, now. But praise God we have the promise of our heavenly eternal King, to whom all the authorities will ultimately submit, and we offer Him our praise and worship due our only righteous King.

“On his robe and on his thigh, he has this name written: kingofkings and lord of lords. (Revelation” 19:16).

In Christ,

Judy

Chaplain’s Corner – Promise of a Savior (Advent)

Dec13

“The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14).

We celebrate the coming of Jesus at Christmas time; that is where we get the term “advent,” which means coming in Latin.  However, as we dig deeply into the Scriptures, we realize that Jesus, son of God, one of the three persons of the Trinity, as been with us all along. In fact, the first verse of the chapter quoted above reads: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1). Is this a contradiction? How can we celebrate His coming if He has always been here? The answer seems to be that verse 14 above is referring to is the incarnation of Christ.

Easton’s Bible Dictionary defines incarnation as “that act of grace whereby Christ took our human nature into union with his Divine Person, became man. Christ is both God and man. The union is hypostatical, i.e., is personal; the two natures are not mixed or confounded, and it is perpetual.”

“Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil— and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death” (Hebrews 2:14-15).

Notice the two little, seemingly inconsequential words underlined above: “so that.” These words explain a lot. We know that Jesus’s death on the cross was the atonement for our sins. In other words, he paid all the fines and penalties and punishments forever for all the sins of the world. He paid it all by his death on the cross. But the reason that His death had the power to accomplish this is because of his humanity. He was fully human, yet lived a perfect life, a life that none of us is capable of living in our humanity.

God demands perfection. “I am the Lord your God; consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am holy” Leviticus 11:44).  Only by living a life of perfect obedience in this world can we hope to achieve eternal life. The law was given to show His expectations, which none of us can fulfill. As the scripture reads: “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23); and “the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23a).

It would seem that we have no hope, but then we get the Good News of God’s gift to us!  “…the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:23b). “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). He was the perfect lamb, the perfect sacrifice. As prophesied by Isaiah 53:5 “But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.”

We know that Jesus died for our sins so that we, by receiving, can have eternal life. But his death could not have achieved this purpose without his first coming to us in human form—the incarnation—and living the perfect life, as the perfect role model and the perfect sacrifice, once and for all.

“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times” (Micah 5:2).

In Christ,

Judy

Chaplain’s Corner – Jesus’ Promise: We Will Reap What We Sow

Dec6

“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up” (Galatians 6:9).

As I was walking around the campus last week, watching and listening, I heard and felt so many emotions from our staff. A couple of you had literally saved lives in the last few hours, and that is just what I myself had witnessed. I know that these desperate interventions are all too common and occur every day all day. The fragility of life and the extreme emotional and physical struggles each of you see on a daily basis can wear you down. Even though you know intellectually that God is good, and His mercies endure forever, it may sometimes seem like a distant, academic reality, rather than up close and personal and timely.

We have heard of the principle of the “Law of the Harvest,” more often expressed as “you reap what you sow.” This usually is offered negatively, as in the consequences of disobedience. But this principle is neutral on its face–neither negative or positive, or perhaps we should say both negative and positive. Since we know all too well the negative implications, let us focus on the positive implications. The Bible includes many passages about the rewards of obedience. I suggest that we all meditate on these verses until they become imprinted on our hearts.

  • Walk in obedience to all that the Lord your God has commanded you, so that you may live and prosper and prolong your days in the land that you will possess. (Deuteronomy 5:33)
  • But the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love… (Psalm 33:18)
  • Fear the Lord, you his holy people, for those who fear him lack nothing. The lions may grow weak and hungry, but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing. (Psalm 34:9-10)
  • Sow righteousness for yourselves, reap the fruit of unfailing love, and break up your unplowed ground; for it is time to seek the Lord, until he comes and showers his righteousness on you. (Hosea 10:12)
  • But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. (Luke 6:35)
  •  Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness. (James 3:18)
  • Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God and receive from him anything we ask, because we keep his commands and do what pleases him. (1 John 3:21-22)

I hope to encourage you to keep on keeping on. We know from 1 Corinthians that love always perseveres; it never fails. But we can only do this under the power of the Holy Spirit. So how do we receive this power?

  1. Prayer: Pray for yourself, pray for each other, pray for those we serve. I commit to pray for each of you.
  2. Meditate on God’s Word: I can attest to the power of the Scriptures to be a sufficient authority for all things pertaining to faith and godliness; the final and inspired authority from God.
  3. Remember that God sees everything. Even when you think that your efforts are inconsequential or insufficient (my typical reaction), remember that Jesus said that if we do it for the least of these, it is as if we are doing it for Him.
  4. In everything you think, do, and say, seek the Lord and His righteousness. Make Him the desire of your heart. And like Paul, you will be able to say “Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing” (2 Timothy 4:8).

“Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. As it is written: ‘They have freely scattered their gifts to the poor; their righteousness endures forever.’ Now He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God” (1 Corinthians 9:6-11).

In Christ,

Judy

Chaplain’s Corner – Jesus’ Promise: He is Our Great High Priest Forever

Nov29

Chaplain’s Corner – Jesus’ Promise: He Is Our Great High Priest Forever

“Now there have been many of those priests, since death prevented them from continuing in office; but because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood”(Hebrews 7:23-24).

Most of you probably will not understand this, but one of my primary requirements for medical professionals is youth. Not because I necessarily think that youth has more current knowledge (though they may have) or is more compassionate (though they may be). It is for the simple reason that I want them to outlast me. I do not want to keep on finding replacement doctors. I want to find the one I like and have them with me for the rest of my life.

Maybe this is something you do not concern yourself with now, or that you take for granted. But if you have a critical medical condition, regardless of your age, I bet you take comfort in the security of having a competent doctor and that he or she is walking along side you all the way.

Now think about this in the context of Jesus, our Savior. Jesus is our Great High Priest, meaning that he is our intercessor and mediator before God. He knows us fully and intimately. The High Priests of the old covenant only served to age 50, then they retired and ultimately died. Jesus is our eternal Great High Priest. It is such a relief to not have to start over again and again to develop a relationship with the One who holds our future.

This also brings to mind the situation one of my sons found himself in during his college years. He played college football. He worked really hard as a first-year student to earn his place on the team. Then the coach abruptly left at the end of the season, and my son realized he would have to start all over to prove himself worthy to the next head coach. It was quite discouraging. Most of us do not compete at that level, but perhaps we are in situations where we feel we must constantly prove our worth. Similarly, the Israelites before Jesus’s time were required to offer continual sacrifices because the sacrifices were not meant to be enduring. Also, the priests themselves had to offer continual sacrifices to purify themselves before God before they could offer sacrifices on behalf of others. That is really the way of the world. But Jesus atoned for our sin once and for all with His death on the cross. It is finished.

We must never take for granted that our most important status in life is already secured and cannot be lost, because it was secured by Jesus on our behalf. Jesus, the only God our Savior. Jesus, King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God. Jesus, Lord of Lords and King of Kings. You do not have to keep looking for another new priest, who has to continually purify himself. You do not have to keep proving your worth. All we have to do is accept Jesus. What a beautiful condition we find ourselves in, because of the grace of God, that we can be secure in our salvation.

As we prepare for the season of Advent, let us first look back with grateful praise for victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

“Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them” (Hebrews 7:25).

In Christ,

Judy

Chaplain’s Corner – God’s Promise: He Is Our Help

Nov22

Chaplain’s Corner – God’s Promise: He Is Our Help

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28).

Maybe you have not thought of this verse as a promise, but it certainly is. God assures us that he is always working for the good of those who love him. And even though we cannot always understand His ways, we can trust Him that He is working for our ultimate good. We know this because of His sovereignty, His ability, and His goodness.

First, God is sovereign:

  • “Sovereign Lord, you have begun to show to your servant your greatness and your strong hand. For what god is there in heaven or on earth who can do the deeds and mighty works you do?” (Deuteronomy 3:24).
  • “Sovereign Lord, you are God! Your covenant is trustworthy, and you have promised these good things to your servant” (2 Samuel 7:28).
  • “Our God is a God who saves; from the Sovereign Lord comes escape from death” (Psalm 68:20).

Second, God is able:

  • “If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand” (Daniel 3:17).
  • “And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work” (2 Corinthians 9:8).
  • “Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them” (Hebrews 7:25).

Finally, God is good:

  • “Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever” (1 Chronicles 16:34.
  • “The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; and He knows those who trust in Him” Nahum 1:7).
  • “No one is good but One, that is, God” (Mark 10:18).

God is sovereign, God is able, and God is good. The work he is doing in us is a good work. And do not miss the references to “all” and “always.” God is not just sovereign and able some of the time. God is good all the time, and all the time, God is good.

John’s Gospel tells of a time when many of Jesus disciples were turning away because of their lack of faith. Jesus asked The Twelve if they also wanted to leave, and Peter, speaking for all of them, said: “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We believe and know that you are the Holy One of God.” (John 6:68-69). In this time of Thanksgiving, thanks be to God for who He is and for his gift of salvation.

“But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 15:57).

In Christ,

Judy

Chaplain’s Corner – God’s Promise: He Is Our Refuge

Nov15

“God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.” (Psalm 46:1).

What a world we live in! Listening to the news can nearly put me into panic. The cost of everything is increasing. Family members are sick, both physically and mentally. Traffic is a nightmare. Kids. Parents. Politicians. Natural disasters. Violence everywhere we turn, even in places we consider to be sanctuaries. We are assaulted on every side. And then there is the craziness of the holidays. I do not have to tell you what you already know. We see it at home. And we see it at work. We truly can all say that we know someone who has it much worse than we do. And then we agonize over their situations. But that is not the reason I am writing.

None of this is a surprise. The point of my writing is to bring assurance. What is going on the world is not a surprise to God. Yes, the enemy is at work, unleashed by the Fall. Satan is at it–wreaking havoc until the day that even he knows is coming, when Jesus will put him under His feet. But Jesus assures us: “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 16:33).

So, my devotional for this week is a reminder. My brothers and sisters in Christ, I pray you will take comfort in the words of this beautiful song.

Psalm 46

1God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble.
2 Therefore we will not fear, even though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea;

3 Though its waters roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with its swelling. Selah

4 There is a river whose streams shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacle of the Most High.
5 God is in the midst of her, she shall not be moved; God shall help her, just at the break of dawn.
6 The nations raged, the kingdoms were moved; He uttered His voice, the earth melted.

7 The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah

8 Come, behold the works of the Lord, who has made desolations in the earth.
9 He makes wars cease to the end of the earth; He breaks the bow and cuts the spear in two; He burns the chariot in the fire.

10 Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!

11 The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah

And in the final chapters of the Book of Revelation: “These will make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, for He is Lord of lords and King of kings; and those who are with Him are called, chosen, and faithful.” (Revelation 17:14).

In Christ,

Judy

Chaplain’s Corner – Jesus’ Promise: He Will Equip Us for Battle

Nov8

“For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds” (2 Corinthians 10:3-4).

Several of these devotions have focused on spiritual warfare. We know that God fights for us, that He protects us. Last week, the devotion described how sometimes God provokes the enemy to destroy itself through confusion. We continue this theme this week by focusing on how Jesus promises to equip us for battle. There is a very important underlying assumption in this opening verse. The assumption is about who we regard as our enemy. Sometimes we overlook the real enemy by focusing on the people around us that we think have wronged us in some way. It is these people that Jesus tells us to love. In this case, our divine power comes from love.

Peter points out our actual enemy. He warns: “Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8). This describes a powerful and evil force, one that would require special weapons for defense. And in fact, Paul writes in Chapter 6 of his letter to the Ephesians exactly how we are to be equipped against this type of enemy. He describes it as putting on “the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” 

  1. “Stand firm, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist” – When we recall that Jesus called Satan the “father of lies” and how God considers deception to be an abomination, we realize how a zealous pursuit of truth will make us strong in the Lord. Jesus is the Truth, so when we trust Jesus, we are secure in our defense.
  2. “…with the breastplate of righteousness in place” – The breastplate is designed to protect our hearts. What is righteousness? “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21). Therefore, we have the protection of righteousness when we have accepted Christ as our Savior.
  3. “…and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.” – We must be ready to share in the message of salvation; that is, to go on the offense with the good news of the saving grace of Jesus.
  4. “Take up the shield of faith” – Our faith in the power of Holy God will “extinguish the flaming arrows” that Satan sends our way.
  5. “….and the helmet of salvation” – The helmet guards our head, that is, our minds, our way of thinking so that we can distinguish between truth and deception. God is the author of salvation. When we accept that only by the grace of God through Christ Jesus are we saved, then we know the Truth, and the Truth will set us free.
  6. “…and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God” – In other words, study and meditate on the Word of God so that it is ever on your mind and on your tongue, so that you can call on the Holy Spirit to tell you what to say and what to do. Follow Christ’s example: when He was tempted by Satan in the wilderness He quoted Scripture, to which Satan had no defense.
  7. “And pray in the spirit on all occasions” – This means that we pray with the mind of Christ, we seek His will and desire to align our heart with His.

This sounds complicated, but it really boils down to the simple (not necessarily easy) message of 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). And when we accept this marvelous gift, Jesus also promises “I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand.”

Satan has no power over Jesus! And when we receive the gift of salvation, we are protected by Jesus, our mighty King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Take comfort in that wonderful fact.

“Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2: 9-11).

In Christ,

Judy