“And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it” (Matthew 16:18).

My husband and I are dealing with internet insecurity issues right now. Our computers have been hacked, and we have been told that hackers are trying to access our bank accounts. We are feeling hunted, as if every time we turn on our computers we are at risk that our identity or resources will be stolen. It is not a good feeling. We are trying to create an impenetrable firewall to keep them out so that we can be secure.

I imagine I am feeling on a small degree how people must feel who live in countries where war is being fought—like Ukraine, for example. Where can they turn, where can they go, to be safe from the enemy? David spoke of this: “Lord, confuse the wicked, confound their words, for I see violence and strife in the city. Day and night they prowl about on its walls; malice and abuse are within it. Destructive forces are at work in the city; threats and lies never leave its streets” (Psalm 55:9-11).

 And in a different manner, how someone who has cancer or other invasive disease may feel—as if out of control from the advance of a deadly virus or bacteria or tumor. Again, the Psalmist writes, “My back is filled with searing pain; there is no health in my body” (Psalm 38:7).

While not everyone deals with these issues, we are all dealing with an enemy that is constantly on the prowl looking for every weakness to invade and try to overtake us. We are advised to “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8).

What is even worse about this enemy is that he is so deceitful. That is why the command to be alert and of sober mind, because otherwise we might not realize he is there. Like that internet hacker, lurking in the background–you think all is well, until it is too late. The money is gone, the screen is dead, the operating system does not work anymore.

Three things we know for sure:

1. We are not alone. “Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings” (1 Peter 5:9).
2. God already has a plan. We see this so clearly in the narrative describing the Exodus. As far back as Genesis, God tells Abraham: “Know for certain that for four hundred years your descendants will be strangers in a country not their own and that they will be enslaved and mistreated there” (Genesis 15:13). Then in Exodus we learn: “Now the length of time the Israelite people lived in Egypt was 430 years. At the end of the 430 years, to the very day, all the Lord’s divisions left Egypt. Because the Lord kept vigil that night to bring them out of Egypt, on this night all the Israelites are to keep vigil to honor the Lord for the generations to come” (Exodus 12:40-42). As we read in last Chaplain’s Corner, God knows the beginning and the end of all our problems, and he has a plan to use them for his purposes and glory. And why? As he says in Exodus 7:5 “And the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord when I stretch out my hand against Egypt and bring the Israelites out of it.”
3. And finally, we know for sure that no matter what the enemy is up to, our God is stronger. God is building his church, and the gates of hell will not overcome it. A mighty fortress is our God! “The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.” (Psalm 18:2).

The Bible is referring to you and me in these passages; about all who believe. No matter what those hackers try to do to me, they cannot touch my soul and my promise of eternal life. The same is true for you. Whatever you are going through, God wins and therefore, so do you. “I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand” (John 10:28-29).

In Christ,

Judy

“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery”  (Galatians 5:1).

There are so many types and degrees of slavery: ownership of one by another which is opposed to the natural rights we have as humans, tyranny of evil government, oppression by someone in authority (leader, employer, spouse), inability to get around because of disability–physical or mental, lack of resources, and addiction. Slavery can lead to despair, hopelessness, or desperate measures. Some of us know this all too well. Others of us may have never experienced anything so traumatic.

However, the Bible tells us that we are all slaves; Paul explains that we are slaves to whomever we obey. “Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness? But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed, and, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness” (Romans 6:16-18).

In Genesis 15, God portends a time of slavery:

“Then the Lord said to him, “Know for certain that for four hundred years your descendants will be strangers in a country not their own and that they will be enslaved and mistreated there” (Genesis 15:13). God gave Abram this promise as part of the unconditional covenant he made with him to make Abram a great nation. “He took him outside and said, ‘Look up at the sky and count the stars—if indeed you can count them.’ Then he said to him, ‘So shall your offspring be.’ Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness. He also said to him, ‘I am the Lord, who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land to take possession of it’” (Genesis 15:5-7).

I realize that verse thirteen does not sound very hopeful at first read; especially if you were on the front side of history. However, in this verse I see a Sovereign God with a purpose beyond what we can understand at times. I also see a limit, an end time, when slavery and mistreatment will end. God was not only prophesying about the Israelites sojourn in Egypt and their rescue by Moses, but also our sojourn on this earth, corrupted by the Fall. It may feel hopeless, it may feel like there is no end in sight. But God has promised, and he has already demonstrated his power to fulfil his promises. He made a plan to rescue us from sin and sent His son Jesus to lead us to the ultimate Promised Land.

God continues by saying: ^“But I will punish the nation they serve as slaves, and afterward they will come out with great possessions” (Genesis 15:14). It was these possessions that would be used to build thebeautiful tabernacle, portable earthly dwelling place of God. Our great possessions, our rewards from faithful obedience, will be the crowns we lay before the throne of God when we reach our heavenly eternal home.

Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness. This was Abram’s legacy of freedom. Let this be your story of freedom.

In Christ,

Judy

“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).

Jesus said that the greatest commandment is to love God. He quotes from Deuteronomy 6:5 “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.” Jesus then goes on to quote from the royal law found in Leviticus 19:18 “Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against anyone among your people, but love your neighbor as yourself.” When Luke writes of this teaching by Jesus, he includes the Parable of the Good Samaritan as an example of how we should treat our neighbor, which seems to indicate anyone in proximity to us without regard for their religion, ethnicity, social status, etc. In other teachings and commandments, we are told to honor our parents and to care for the poor, orphans, widows, and aliens. That pretty much covers everyone except our enemies.

There are two typical reactions to enemies:

1. Confront, or 2. Avoid.

I fall into the latter category. Jesus; however, gives us a different command. He doesn’t tell us to confront or to avoid. And he doesn’t just tell us to be nice to our enemies, although that is implied. Rather, he tells us to love them, to do good to them, to lend without expecting repayment. This is just not humanly possible. This requires a heart change. This is radical!

But this also describes the Father’s love for us. This passage says that Jesus is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Ungrateful and wicked pretty much describes you and me, at least before our salvation. Without the saving grace of Jesus, we are enemies of God. “Whoever is not with me is against me” (Matthew 12:30). “You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God” (James 4:4). What an amazing act of grace for God to seek us when we ignore or reject Him.

“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).

I remember the story of Joseph, a beloved son of Jacob. Because of Jacob’s favoritism, Joseph was hated by his brothers. They were enemies. When they saw Joseph coming, they first thought to kill him, then to abandon him in a pit, but then decided to sell him into slavery where he went to Egypt. Despite the mistreatment, when the tables turned and Joseph had an opportunity to exact his revenge, he instead offered them protection and protection. The brothers were understandably wary because they knew their own wicked hearts. “However, Joseph told them, ‘You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. So then, don’t be afraid. I will provide for you and your children.’ And he reassured them and spoke kindly to them” Genesis 50:20-21).

Joseph was reflecting God’s love, and his reward will surely be great. We can show the same kind of love for our enemies through the power of the Holy Spirit.

“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans5:8).

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.

“Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” (Matthew 4:19).

For believers, once we have accepted Christ we have an intense desire to be used by God. This is a desire that is placed in the heart of all believers by the Holy Spirit. “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” (Ephesians 2:10). Even so, we often fear that we do not have what it takes.

The backstory to Matthew 4:19 is that Jesus has just begun his active ministry, having been baptized by John the Baptist and having completed his forty days in the wilderness. He had begun preaching, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near” (Matthew 4:17). When he encountered Andrew and Peter, who were fishing, he called to them to follow him. Andrew, at least, was already a disciple of John the Baptist, we learn from John 1:37. When John the Baptist told him who Jesus was (“Look, the Lamb of God!”), Andrew was ready to follow Jesus.

Andrew become one of Jesus’ twelve disciples. He was not prominently mentioned during the Gospels. His claim to fame was extending the call to Peter, his brother. Based on Peter’s extensive accomplishments, that would have been useful enough. However, we do know from other writings that Andrew was a faithful evangelist after Jesus’ resurrection and was crucified for his ministry.

How can we be useful like Andrew and Peter and the other disciples? What did Andrew and Peter do when they were called? The very next verse tells us: “At once they left their nets and followed him” (Matthew 4:20). It is not that they did not have anything else to do. They were gainfully employed with families to support. From an extensive reading of the Scriptures, it seems that the key requirement is responding to the call. That is all. There are really no excuses:

1. Age is not an excuse (neither youth nor old age).
   1. Elizabeth (Luke 1:36)
   1. Joshua (Joshua 13:1)
   1. David (1 Samuel 16:1-13), (1 Samuel 17:42)
   1. Timothy (1 Timothy 4:12)
2. Lack of ability is not an excuse.
   1. Moses (Exodus 4:10)
   1. Paul (1 Corinthians 2:1)
3. Your past mistakes are not an excuse.
   1. Rahab (Joshua 2:1)
   1. David (2 Samuel 11)
   1. Saul/Paul (Acts 8:3)
4. Lack of education or social status is not an excuse.
   1. Peter, John, Andrew, James, et al (Acts 4:13)

I am very blessed to participate in a Bible study with our women who are experiencing homelessness. Several of the women expressed to me last week their desire to be used by God, even while living in a shelter. We had a good discussion. We talked about how often all we must do is look right around us to find ways we can share our faith, help where needed, offer an encouraging word, or just set an example of love and compassion.

It is a privilege to be used by God in the furtherance of the gospel. It is one not to take for granted. Like Andrew and Peter, when Jesus calls, let us immediately follow Him.

“How beautiful on the mountains
    are the feet of those who bring good news,
who proclaim peace,
    who bring good tidings,
    who proclaim salvation,
who say to Zion,
 “Your God reigns!”

(Isaiah 52:7).

In Christ,

Judy

“But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen you and protect you from the evil one.” (2 Thessalonians 3:3).

Some of us may be challenged to trust this promise; some of us may not feel very protected. In fact, some of us have been exposed to much evil. The culture we live in, crime, hatred, disease, and death; the experiences of the people we serve, the heartbreak we feel from broken and messed up lives. Many in the world live in war-torn, gang-ridden areas, in devastating poverty, in constant fear for their lives. It’s obvious that we live in a fallen world. So how are we to understand this promise, and come to trust in it?

To understand this promise, we must have an accurate perspective. We must see the “big picture.” In Luke 4:6, when Jesus spent 40 days in the wilderness, Satan tempted Jesus by saying “To you I will give all this authority and their glory, for it has been delivered to me.” By whom? God. John Piper explains, “In his sovereignty, God considered it wise, as part of his curse on the world after the fall of Adam and Eve, to give Satan a huge power in this world…. Nevertheless, Satan’s sway in this world is terrible and vast…. All of his acts of opposition to God and Gods people are part of God’s plan as he gives Satan permission to exercise tremendous power in this world.” “The whole world lies in the power of the evil one” (1 John 5:19).

1. The good news is that it is not as bad as it could be. Satan’s real enemy is God, and Satan would do anything and everything to hurt the people God loves. However, Satan only has power by permission and authority from God, and in God’s mercy, Satan’s ultimate power is restrained. So, in an accurate perspective, it could be worse. God has already been protecting us from the evil one to a degree.
2. More good news is that Paul reminds us that even when we are tempted, God will provide.  God may allow Satan to go so far with his evil plans, but He promises that he will protect us from the evil one and bring us safely home to eternal life with him. For example, as Jesus told Simon Peter: “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren’” (Luke 22:31-32). ^“No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it” (1 Corinthians 10:13).
3. And the really good news is that Jesus has already struck the death blow to Satan. As Jesus faces Satan in His final hours, Jesus tells him, “Now is the judgment of this world; now will the ruler of this world be cast out!” (John 12:31). John Piper says, “Now in every battle with the devil, we can have total confidence of final victory. This is why Romans 8:38-39 says what it says: “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Jesus said, “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). 

In Christ,

Judy

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I (Jesus) have come that they may have life and have it to the full” (John 10:10).

When God created the heavens and the earth, it was very good. God said so, Himself. Then He planted a Garden in which Adam and Eve had the best of everything. However, when Satan dropped by, he convinced them that they were lacking; that God had withheld something from them. Moreover, Satan convinced Eve (who then convinced Adam) that claiming that which they thought God had withheld would benefit them. So, they exchanged God’s truth for the lie of the enemy; and as a result, Adam and Eve were banished from the Garden to be on their own on a now-corrupted Earth. We call this The Fall, and it is not the season of the year. Instead, it is a death sentence. Instead of the Tree of Life, they now faced death. “…for dust you are and to dust you will return” (Genesis 3:19). Now, Adam and Eve’s life was cursed. The very ground they walked on was cursed. God said, “Cursed is the ground because of you, through painful toil you will eat of it all the days of your life.” (Genesis 3:17).

Yes, in the first Adam we must face the consequences of our sinful nature, but in Christ we have the promise of abundant life in Heaven and the New Earth once we have fulfilled our lives here on earth and Jesus fulfills his Second Coming. This abundant life will be even better than the Garden of Eden in which Adam and Eve lived.

Peter wrote, “In keeping with his promise, we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness” (2 Peter 3:13). He was probably reflecting on Isaiah’svision from God of our Future Heaven: “For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth, and the former things shall not be remembered or come into mind. But be glad and rejoice forever in that which I create; for behold, I create Jerusalem to be a joy, and her people to be a gladness. I will rejoice in Jerusalem and be glad in my people; no more shall be heard in it the sound of weeping and the cry of distress. They shall build houses and inhabit them; they shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit. The wolf and the lamb shall graze together; the lion shall eat straw like the ox, and dust shall be the serpent’s food. They shall not hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain,” says the Lord. (Isaiah 65:17-19, 21, 25).

Randy Alcorn, in his book Heaven, tells us that “There are things we love about our planet. The things we love are not merely the best this life has to offer—they are previews of the greater life to come.” Can you even imagine a world where “…nothing that is impure will enter the city, nor anyone who does shameful things or tells lies. Only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of the living will enter the city” (Revelation 21:27). In other words, Satan will not be dropping by as he did in the Garden of Eden because he will be banished to the lake of fire and eternal torment.

God has put this longing for a “better country” in our hearts. And he is gracious to provide The Way, through his Son Jesus, for us to enter that better country, where we can “have life and have it to the full.” This is our promise to claim.

“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…” (1 Peter 1:3).

In Christ,

Judy

“I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you…. If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.” (John 14:18).

This passage is part of a special message from Jesus to his disciples. It is called the Olivet Discourse, and it was given shortly before Jesus was taken away to be tried and crucified. These words represent some of his last words to his disciples. What makes it especially special is that toward the end of this discourse, Jesus also prayed for you and me:

“I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me. (John 17:20-23).

During our Tuesday Bible Study we are walking through the Bible, and we are now in Acts studying the growth of the church. There are many metaphors for the church: body, household, building, temple, army, bride, etc. Paul speaks of the church as family in 2 Corinthians 6:18: “and I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to me, says the Lord Almighty.” Paul is apparently referring to 2 Samuel 7:14 which is itself a reference to the “house” or dynasty that God will build for David rather than the literal “house” David wants to build for God.

In all these metaphors, we see unity. Even as God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit are one as the Trinity (see the references to “we” in the above verses), we are invited to be one with Him as family, as a unified structure, built and maintained in love. It is abundantly clear that God sees us living out our faith in relationship, just as he is in relationship as The Trinity. God ordained the family as the primary earthly relationship, and commanded us to show compassion for the fatherless and the widow because they were otherwise without family. And then when God sent His Son as our Redeemer, he put in place the church where we as believers in His Son would become the family of God.

This means that we are never alone. As an “older” person, this is especially significant. My parents have both passed, as have my grandparents and many of my aunts and uncles. I have even been referred to as the “matriarch” of my family. (Please! I am not ready for that!!) And even though I am blessed with family, it is emotional to see so many of my friends aging and passing on, even as I have hope of seeing them one day in Heaven. I have friends who have virtually no family left.

But brothers and sisters in Christ, you will never be alone. Jesus has promised that we will never be orphans. “Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—” (John 1:12).

He promises to come to us. And As sons and daughters of God, we are brothers and sisters with all believers. There is the family you are born with, and the family you are reborn into, adopted into. You have no choice in the former, but you do have a choice with the latter, with your brothers and sisters In Christ. You have a choice to love each other, and to “encourage one another daily, as long as it is called ‘Today,” so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness” (Hebrews 3:13).

And knowing this, our love for each other is our greatest testimony. “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” John 13:35).

“A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling.
God sets the lonely in families, he leads out the prisoners with singing; but the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land” (Psalm 68:5-6).

In Christ,

Judy

“I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, who will stay with you forever. He is the Spirit, who reveals the truth about God. The world cannot receive him because it cannot see him or know him. But you know him because he remains with you and is in you.” (John 14:16-17)

I have been blessed to have some very influential people in my life—my parents, grandparents, pastors, teachers. I was able to personally interact with them, work alongside them, learn from them. They have all passed on, and I miss them. When something happens, I want to pick up the phone to tell them or ask them something, only to realize all over again that they are gone. I bet you have had someone in your life like that.

I can imagine how the disciples were in disbelief that Jesus was going away, as he told them repeatedly. They had come to rely on Jesus for companionship and wisdom. He was so kind and compelling. In fact, most of us who have studied the New Testament have some envy for the disciples of Jesus because they had an opportunity to walk and talk with Jesus and have that in-person relationship.

Jesus responded by telling them that when he went away, he would send someone better in his place. Not someone more powerful or more effective or more kind, but someone more available. Where Jesus, in his humanity, could only be in one place at a time, the Holy Spirit is equally available to all believers, no matter how many are calling his Name at the same time, no matter the time of day. Where Jesus, according to plan, died and ascended to Heaven, the Holy Spirit would remain with them at all times, in all places.

Not only that, he promised that the Holy Spirit would also empower them to do things that they would have never dreamed possible. “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8). And indeed, they achieved incredible results through the Holy Spirit and the church grew by thousands, despite threats of persecution.

“The apostles performed many signs and wonders among the people. And all the believers used to meet together in Solomon’s Colonnade. No one else dared join them, even though they were highly regarded by the people. Nevertheless, more and more men and women believed in the Lord and were added to their number. As a result, people brought the sick into the streets and laid them on beds and mats so that at least Peter’s shadow might fall on some of them as he passed by. Crowds gathered also from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing their sick and those tormented by impure spirits, and all of them were healed.” (Acts 5:12-16)

The New Testament books of Acts and throughout all the Epistles tell of the growth of the church throughout the known world at the time, all by ordinary Christ-followers empowered by the Holy Spirit. The promise of the Holy Spirit is not time-bound—we have that same promise.

Peter replied, “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. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.” (Acts 2:38-39).

In Christ,

Judy

“My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.” (John 14:2-3)

My husband and I have two sons, and they each married precious girls. While their weddings were quite different from each other, they were equally special, with lots of planning and preparation. Each of my daughters-in-law prepared for their weddings as the most special day in their lives. They were chosen. They were blessed. And we celebrated. Their weddings caused me to reflect on my own wedding, and their weddings also caused me to reflect on another even more special day: the day that we as the church, as the bride, will be presented to our groom, Jesus, at the wedding supper of the Lamb. “For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready” (Revelation 19:7b).

Funny thing: I had diligently prepared for my own wedding, taking care of every detail so that it would be perfect. As I met my dad at the back of the church, as he was preparing to escort me down the aisle, it struck home with me that I was not only celebrating my wedding, but I was also GETTING MARRIED! This is the man I would be spending the rest of my life with (Note: it is all good). We had a brief honeymoon, then settled down into our new home.

In 2023, Ascension Day is celebrated on May 18, forty days from the day Jesus was crucified. “After his suffering, he presented himself to them and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God…. After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight. (Acts 1:3,9). In the days leading up to his death, Jesus had spoken with his disciples about his upcoming death, resurrection, and ascension. That is when he told him that he would come back for them, as the opening passage describes.

As a parallel, we have also been diligently preparing for our wedding to the Lamb of God. And the Lamb of God has been diligently preparing for our arrival at our final home with Him. “…I go and prepare a place for you…”  There are so many levels of promise in these two verses.

1. The father’s house is large, large enough for everyone. There is no limit to the number of people it can hold. There is no waiting list, and we will not have to share a room no matter how many people show up.
2. Jesus is going ahead of us to prepare it. I can just imagine: Jesus has furnished it. He is ensuring that the beds have fresh linens, the tables are set with the good dishes, the toilet paper has been replaced with a full roll, and the towels are all clean and available. The refrigerator is stocked. Everything is ready.
3. Jesus is coming back to get us. We do not have to worry about the means of transportation or the directions (that is a biggy for me).
4. Jesus will bring us, his bride, back home with Him. Our destination, our heavenly home, is assured.

What a welcome we will receive!

“And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

“I did not see a temple in the city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp. The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it. On no day will its gates ever be shut, for there will be no night there. The glory and honor of the nations will be brought into it. Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life” (Revelation 22:3-4; 22-27)

How blessed are we to have this wonderful heavenly home to look forward to.

In Christ,

Judy

“And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age”(Matthew 28:20b).

We are dwelling on the promises of God this year, and this is one that I personally hold fast. It is this knowledge that encourages me. What is the context? Jesus is talking to his disciples. He has been with them since his resurrection, teaching them. Luke 24 reads “…he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures” (v 45). He told them “I am going to send you what my Father has promised” (v 49).

In the book of Matthew Jesus gave his disciples what we know as the Great Commission: “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:19), then made the promise to be with them always “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matthew 28:20b), and “was taken up into heaven” (Luke 24:51). These passages also indicate that when Jesus was taken up into heaven, he “sat at the right hand of God” (Mark 16:19).

When Jesus was sending out the disciples for their initial attempts at evangelizing, he told them: “When you are brought before synagogues, rulers and authorities, do not worry about how you will defend yourselves or what you will say, for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what you should say.” (Luke 12:11-12).

So now we have this promise, but what is the evidence that he has been fulfilling it?

Two stories from the New Testament about ordinary men give witness to the power of the Holy Spirit and his continued presence; both are after Jesus had ascended to heaven. Deacons were men who had been appointed by the apostles to care for the people in the church, especially the widows, so that the apostles could spend their time in the ministry of prayer and preaching. These men were known to be guided by the Holy Spirit, in the same way that all of us are as believers in Christ.

Evidence: When Stephen, a deacon of the early church, gave his famous speech to the Sanhedrin in his own defense after being seized for doing great wonders and miracles among the people, he said “Look…I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.” (Acts 7:56). I love this passage. As we read from the passage in Mark at the end of the second paragraph above, Jesus was seated at the right hand of God; but when Stephen was testifying to the Sanhedrin, Jesus stood up! He was with Stephen in his defense.

Evidence: Another deacon, Philip, was also guided by the Holy Spirit, and the result was the launch of the gospel to Africa!

^“Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, ‘Go south to the road—the desert road—that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.’ So, he started out, and on his way, he met an Ethiopian eunuch, an important official in charge of all the treasury of the Kandake (which means “queen of the Ethiopians”). This man had gone to Jerusalem to worship, and on his way home was sitting in his chariot reading the Book of Isaiah the prophet.

The Spirit told Philip, ‘Go to that chariot and stay near it.’ Then Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. ‘Do you understand what you are reading?’ Philip asked. ‘How can I,’ he said, ‘unless someone explains it to me?’ So, he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. This is the passage of Scripture the eunuch was reading: ‘He was led like a sheep to the slaughter, and as a lamb before its shearer is silent, so he did not open his mouth. In his humiliation he was deprived of justice. Who can speak of his descendants? For his life was taken from the earth.’

The eunuch asked Philip, ‘Tell me, please, who is the prophet talking about, himself or someone else?’ Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus. As they traveled along the road, they came to some water and the eunuch said, ‘Look, here is water. What can stand in the way of my being baptized?’ And he gave orders to stop the chariot. Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and Philip baptized him.

When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord suddenly took Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him again, but went on his way rejoicing. Philip, however, appeared at Azotus and traveled about, preaching the gospel in all the towns until he reached Caesarea.” (Acts 8:26-40)

Evidence: Many, many times, I myself have been in conversations where I did not know what to say. I prayed that the Holy Spirit would give me the words, and He always did; He always came through. I am sure he will come through for you. Just ask and be receptive.

“But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come” (John 16:13).

 “For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God” (Romans 8:14).

In Christ,

Judy