Tag Archive | Nashville Rescue Mission

Chaplain’s Corner – Lent 2021: Temptation

Mar3

“Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry” (Matthew 4:1-2).

Jesus was led into the wilderness by the Spirit to be tempted by the devil.  In last week’s devotional, the topic was testing; today we will talk about temptation.  Understand that temptation is not the same as testing in the biblical sense. Temptation comes from the devil and it is for our harm. Testing is from God, and it is for our good. So, you may ask, why would a good God who is all-powerful allow us to be tempted? It all goes back to the Fall, when Adam and Eve believed Satan’s lies rather than God’s truth. The consequences have been severe. Our world is corrupted, and we are corrupted. Even when we accept Christ as our Savior, as long as we live in this fallen world we will continue to be subjected to temptation. But remember is not God who tempts us. As James writes, “When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. (James 1:13-14).

This does not fully answer the question of why, though, does it? For that, we need to continue to explore the Word of God, and the answer comes in observing Christ in the wilderness. As the verse above states: “Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.” This event was an intentional and critical time in the life and ministry of Christ to prove his power over the devil. In the same way, God allows temptation to occur in our fallen world so that we can learn to be like Christ. Learning to overcome temptation is part of our maturing process, preparing us for ministry.

Although God allows us to be tempted, he does not leave us alone in our temptation. As the Apostle Paul writes: “No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it” (1 Corinthians 10:13).

So, I think I know what you are thinking, because it is what I am thinking. This is all well and good, but unlike Christ, I have not been 100% effective in overcoming temptation. He is sinless. I am not. I have veered off the path and made some pretty bad decisions in my day. And that does not take into account all my daily actions, thoughts and words that are not Christ-like. So, what does this mean for my maturity and ministry, and yours?

Praise God that Jesus was sensitive to the fact that we are not perfect, and he gives us guidance.

  • Jesus advises in the Lord’s prayer to pray to God: “do not lead us into temptation but deliver us from evil” (Matthew 6:13).
  • He also advised us to remain diligent:“Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak” (Matthew 26:41).

But because we will not be 100% perfect until we achieve our glorified state after our physical death, God has been gracious to provide for us a way through the mess we sometimes make of our lives.

  • Speaking through the Apostle Paul, we know that “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23).
  • And we know that “the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:23).
  • “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).
  • All we must do is to accept, believe, and receive what Jesus did for us. “…if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Romans 10:9).

This is the good news of the Gospel that believers celebrate all year long, but especially during Easter. Jesus Christ died for us, and his death paid the price of our sins. And we can rest assured that no matter how we fall short, we are overcomers through Christ. Because of Jesus’ death on our behalf, we will never be condemned for our sins. “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1).

“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.” (Romans 8:38-39).

In Christ,

Judy

Chaplain’s Corner – Lent 2021: Testing

Feb24

“Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry” (Matthew 4:1-2).

Jesus was led into the wilderness by the Spirit to be tempted by the devil.  Our topic is testing. We will talk about temptation next week; but know this, temptation is not the same as testing in the biblical sense. Temptation comes from the devil and it is for our harm. Testing is from God, and it is for our good.

When we are given instruction, whether it be at school, at work, or in life in general, we should be tested to see what we have learned. When we fall short, then we know what we need to work on. God tests our faithfulness from time to time, and when we fall short, guess what? We find out what we need to work on. God’s desire for us is that we be found ready when he comes to take us to our final home. God is testing us for our good.

There are many examples in the Bible of God testing his people:

  • In Genesis 2:16-17, God gave Adam an instruction: “And the Lord God commanded the man, ‘You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.” This was a test; Adam and Eve failed.
  • God promised Abraham that he would be the father of the nation of Israel. Then, “By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had embraced the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son,” (Hebrews 11:7). Also, reference Genesis 22:1. This was a test; Abraham passed.
  • When God brought the Israelites out of Egypt, “He gave you manna to eat in the wilderness, something your ancestors had never known, to humble and test you so that in the end it might go well with you” (Deuteronomy 8:16).  In Hebrews 3:8, we learn how the Israelites performed on this test: “Do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion, during the time of testing in the wilderness.”
  • In Judges 3:1, we learn that “These are the nations the Lord left to test all those Israelites who had not experienced any of the wars in Canaan.” Have you ever considered that wartime could be a test imposed on us by God?
  • In the New Testament, when Jesus was faced with the crowds of hungry people, hungry for his Word and for food, his asked one of his disciples, “Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat? He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do.” (John 6:5-6). And of course, we know that Jesus fed the five thousand with the five loaves and two fishes, with food left over.
  • The Apostle Paul, who endured many trials and obstacles in his missionary work, acknowledged that God tests our faithfulness. “On the contrary, we speak as those approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel. We are not trying to please people but God, who tests our hearts. (1 Thessalonians 2:4).

These are just a few examples. Perhaps if we have this perspective on the tests and trials that come our way, we will be more eager to demonstrate our obedience and faith so as to be found pleasing to our Master. And as we continue to grow in faith, perhaps we can even model the psalmist, who in his wisdom writings communicated his desire to be conformed to the character of God by praying intensely for testing, examination, and trials.


“Test me, Lord, and try me, examine my heart and my mind” (Psalm 26:2).
“Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts” (Psalm 139:23).

In Christ,

Judy

P.S.:

For more on testing, go to this link for the January 1, 2020 Chaplain’s Corner, which obviously was written before our lives were impacted by Covid 19, a testing of epic proportions, right? (no pun intended) https://wp.me/p26cEq-FA

Chaplain’s Corner – Lent 2021: Preparation

Feb17

“Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry.” (Matthew 4:1-2)

It seems like we have just celebrated Christmas and the arrival of the New Year with all the associated festivities. We have been experiencing a typical Tennessee winter with some moderate days along with some snow and some pretty cold days. We praise God for his supreme sovereignty over the seasons and his promise that Spring is on the way with milder temperatures and the greening of the grass and trees and the arrival of flowers (my personal favorite). During Spring, we celebrate Easter and proclaim the resurrection of Christ. For the forty or so days before Easter, we may also celebrate a special time on the formal Church calendar called Lent.

By observing the forty days of Lent, Christians remember Jesus Christ’s sacrifice and withdrawal into the wilderness for forty days. Lent is marked by fasting, both from food and festivities. Lent officially begins today, Ash Wednesday, and ends on Easter Sunday, April 4. In case you are doing the math, the forty days of Lent include all the days except for Sundays between Ash Wednesday and Easter Sunday. During Lent, we are celebrating Christ’s resurrection, and since Christians celebrate resurrection every Sunday, Sundays are not included in Lent.

Many denominations do not formally recognize Lent, and you will not find it referenced in the Bible. Some people think of it as a time of fasting, and more especially giving up something you love, like chocolate or coffee as a personal sacrifice (or perhaps to lose weight or kick a habit, and typically following a blow-out celebration on the day before called Fat Tuesday, or Mardi Gras in French).

Despite what modern culture might make of Lent, it is intended to be a season of reflection and preparation before Easter, which is the most solemn and significant season of the year. The culmination of Jesus’ earthly ministry was his crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension to heaven, which we celebrate during Easter. Jesus prepared to begin his earthly ministry with this time of temptation in the wilderness. It was intense, and he tested himself to the limit to prepare himself for the trials that were to come his way.

In only three short years, Jesus started a movement that changed the world. The number of Christians grew by approximately 40% per decade during the first and second centuries. As of 2020, Christianity is still the largest religion in the world with 2.382 billion adherents. Islam is next, with 1.907 billion, and a category called “secular/nonreligious/agnostic/atheist” is third with 1.193 billion. * Jesus began his public ministry when he found John the Baptist and asked him to baptize him. Here is the story, chronologically:

  1. Matthew 3:16-17: “As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, ‘This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.’”
  2. Then Matthew 4:1-2 records that “Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted] by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry.”
  3. After his time of temptation in the wilderness was completed, he withdrew to Galilee. “From that time on Jesus began to preach, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near’” (Matthew 4:13, 17).

By observing the forty days of Lent, Christians commemorate Jesus Christ’s withdrawal into the wilderness for 40 days following his baptism by John the Baptist, as he prepares for his active ministry. In the weeks ahead, we will explore more regarding Jesus’ time in the wilderness, his testing and temptation. We will learn how we can model Jesus to overcome temptation.

As we commemorate this act of Jesus, let us seek to set aside during this time of Lent to meditate on God’s word, with time for reflection, confession, and repentance. I will be posting a Lenten scripture of the day if you would like to use these verses for your daily meditations.

“’Even now,’ declares the LORD, ‘return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning.’ Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the LORD your God, for He is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and He relents from sending calamity. Who knows? He may turn and relent and leave behind a blessing — grain offerings and drink offerings for the LORD your God.”  (Joel 2:12-14)

In Christ,

Judy

*https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_religious_populations

Chaplain’s Corner – Choices Part 6 (Destiny)

Feb10

“Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have a peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope” (Romans 5:1-4).

This is the sixth and final post on this topic of “choices.” By now, you should be familiar with this progression in our choice-making:

  • Your desires drive your thoughts.
  • Your thoughts direct your actions.
  • Your actions become your habits.
  • Your habits mold your character.
  • Your character shapes your destiny.

Our destiny provides our “why.” Perhaps we should have started here. As Stephen Covey writes in The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, “Begin with the end in mind.” In one sense, this progression is really a circle. Our destiny is impacted by our desires, and our desires are impacted by our destiny.  As Jesus puts it: “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Luke 12:34).

For believers, our ultimate destiny is eternal life with Christ; it is to have the confidence that our names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life, to be counted with the sheep at Judgment Day, to be invited to that glorious Marriage Supper of the Lamb. All we must do to have eternal life is to receive God’s gift of salvation. But there is more to it than that. We are promised rewards in heaven. As Charles Stanley writes in a blog post entitled The Judgment of Believers on his In Touch website:

“We are either going to be rewarded or lose reward in this judgment (of believers). Knowing what’s at stake eternally should motivate us to live a life that’s obedient and pleasing to God because we will be rewarded according to the way we have lived.”

Let me emphasize that the doctrine of rewards does not imply that it is our works that save us. But, as Paul said in Ephesians, “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” And there are more Scriptures that speak of our individual capacity and circumstances for good works. God will not judge us on a comparison basis (after all, none of us is Mother Teresa). He will judge us based on what we do with what we have been given (remember the parable of the Widow’s Offering). And Matthew relates a parable about how servants used the resources they had been given to invest, concluding with: “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’” (Matthew 25:21).

Remember, we all have a destiny, and it is eternal. Choose wisely. I am looking forward to the day when I can rejoice in heaven, sharing my Master’s happiness alongside each of you.

“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (Matthew 6:33).

In Christ,

Judy

Chaplain’s Corner – Choices Part 5 (Character)

Feb3

“And now, my daughter, don’t be afraid. I will do for you all you ask. All the people of my town know that you [Ruth] are a woman of noble character” (Ruth 3:11).

By now, you should be familiar with this progression:

  • Your desires drive your thoughts (Ruth
  • Your thoughts direct your actions.
  • Your actions become your habits.
  • Your habits mold your character.
  • Your character shapes your destiny.

Ruth is a perfect example of how this progression plays out. Her desire: “Your people will be my people, and your God my God” (Ruth 1:16). Ruth, a Moabite, was determined to return to Bethlehem with Naomi, the mother of her deceased husband. Because she was obedient to Naomi in all her actions, Boaz, a “man of standing,” looked favorably on her behavior (habits), and declared her to be “a woman of noble character.” Ruth’s destiny was to marry Boaz and become great-grandmother to King David and a direct ancestor of our Lord Jesus Christ (Matthew 1:1-17; see v. 5).

Notice the verbs in the bulleted progression above. What does it mean to mold a character? Some synonyms for “mold” include to shape, to fashion, to form, or to make. What is it we are making? What is “character?” Character usually is described as qualities or traits in a person. Qualities or traits can be positive, negative, or even neutral. Did you know that the word “character” can be traced back to the Greek charassein, meaning “to sharpen, cut in furrows, or engrave?” This word gave the Greeks charaktēr, a noun meaning “mark, distinctive quality.” 

I love the image of being molded, like a potter molds a sculpture or vase, with loving hands.  God spoke the earth into existence, including light, the sun, moon, stars, land, seas plants, and animals. However, Genesis 2:7 tells us that “the LORD God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life.” God formed us, he molded us, he shaped us in his image.

As believers, we recognize that we were made in the image of God. Man’s fall distorted this image, and in our ongoing sanctification we strive to grow to be more like Jesus, to possess His characteristics, his character. As believers in Christ, we have a “new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator” (Colossians 3:10, ESV). And as we grow in faith, we “are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another” (2 Corinthians 3:18, ESV).

The Apostle Paul gave us the list of fruits of the spirit in Galatians 5:22-23: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.” To grow in faith–to be transformed–is to grow in these qualities. These qualities are defined as fruits of the Spirit because in our distorted sin nature we cannot possess these perfectly without supernatural help.

Previous Chaplain’s Corners have discussed the process of making choices about our actions that will become our habits. The actions we choose to take and to repeat until they become habits are all designed to help us develop the qualities of the fruits of the Spirit. We choose this path because it is the path to becoming more Christ-like in our character. It will not be easy, but it will be worth it.

“Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have a peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.” (Romans 5:1-4). Our hope (our destiny) is in the Lord Jesus Christ.

In Christ,

Judy

Chaplain’s Corner – Choices Part 4 (Habits)

Jan27

Three weeks ago, we began a series on “Choices” and introduced the concept below:

  • Your desires drive your thoughts.
  • Your thoughts direct your actions
  • Your actions become your habits.
  • Your actions mold your character.
  • Your character shapes your destiny.

If you have not already, I encourage you to go back and to read the three prior Chaplain’s Corners on Choices. Last week we touched on actions and how to conform our actions to our new heart and godly thoughts? Today we build on that theme to learn how to turn actions into habits.

Why are habits important? Habits are helpful tools. We form a habit through repetition, and when we repeat an action often enough, then it becomes encoded into our brain. The thing about habits, which is a positive and a negative, is that habits can be changed. This is a positive if you are trying to change a bad habit, but a negative if you are trying to maintain a good habit. A good example of this is going to church. As a life-long church goer, I had a good habit of going to church. My week was just not the same without being with my church family and my opportunity to worship and hear some good preaching. Since the pandemic, our attendance has been very spotty and while we always listen online, it is just not quite the same. And that habit of going to church is now broken. I do believe I will resume as soon as possible, but I cannot be sure about that until the conditions improve. Meanwhile, I am doing everything I can to be sure that my desire is for worship, that my thoughts and prayers are for my church family, and that I attend Sunday worship online. In that way I am hoping to feed the good habit when we can resume physical church attendance.

The really important concept to remember is something that Vince Lombardi once said: “Practice does not make perfect. Only perfect practice makes perfect.” We need to be sure we are taking the right actions before we try to build them in to habits. And to ensure we are taking the right actions, we must first work on our desires and our thoughts.

For perfect habit formation, I like to use the analogy of learning a new skill, whether it be playing an instrument or excelling at a sport. The word that comes to mind is “practice.” If you think about practice in this context, you can see that it includes instruction in the action, performing the action, evaluating your progress, doing it again. Perfect practice; perfected habit.

Here are some practical ideas:

  1. Each morning pray to God to direct your actions. “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths” (Proverbs 3:5-6).
  2. Be intentional about learning from others, modeling godly behavior. This speaks to the importance of seeking the company of godly people. The Bible is very clear about this.
    1. “The righteous choose their friends carefully, but the way of the wicked leads them astray” (Proverbs 12:26).
    1. “As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend” (Proverbs 27:17).
    1. “Walk with the wise and become wise; associate with fools and get in trouble” (Proverbs 13:20).
  3. Constantly think about your actions and your choices about your actions. This might be a choice about what you say or what you do in any given situation. This is especially important if you are going into a challenging situation, or one that you know might have some temptations. Remember that even Jesus was tempted. And he overcame that temptation through the power of the Holy Spirit and by using the Word of God as his weapon. “Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (Ephesians 6:17).
  4. It helps to remember your motivation for your words and actions. “So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of the Lord” (1 Cor 10:31). 
  5. Periodically through the day, reflect on your words and actions from the past hour, during that last meeting or interaction, etc. Repent when needed; ask forgiveness when needed, thank God for his guidance when you know you have done well. “Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you? —unless indeed you fail to meet the test!” (2 Corinthians 13:5).

“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).

In Christ,

Judy

Chaplain’s Corner – Choices, Part 3 (Actions)

Jan20

“But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves” (James 1:22).

Two weeks ago, we began a series on “Choices” and introduced the concept below:

  • Your desires drive your thoughts.
  • Your thoughts direct your actions.
  • Your actions become your habits.
  • Your habits mold your character.
  • Your character shapes your destiny.

Today we begin to talk about our actions, the visible and tangible evidence of our desires and thoughts. Will our actions automatically conform to our new heart and godly thoughts? Unfortunately, the answer is “no.”  Some of us have become good at acting. We can act “appropriately” despite our evil desires and/or our impure thoughts. Or maybe it is just the opposite: we act inappropriately even though we know better and wish to do better. Probably all of us have done this at some time, even today. And doubtless you would agree with me that this is ultimately very stressful. However, when we are acting in a way that is in accordance with our hearts and minds, we are showing integrity.

So how do we conform our actions to our new heart and godly thoughts?

The first thing is to realize that all our actions or behaviors are choices. Here are just a few examples:

  1. Show mercy to someone who does not deserve it.
  2. Look away/walk away before committing lust or covetousness.
  3. Give to those who ask from you; lend to those who ask to borrow.
  4. Attend worship service.
  5. Pray; give thanks to God.
  6. Greet everyone; acknowledge others.
  7. Get up on time, which implies getting up when your alarm goes off (which implies setting an alarm).
  8. Eat a piece of fruit rather than a sugary snack.
  9. Stay on your budget (which implies making a budget), not buying something just because it makes you feel good.
  10. Read your Bible and pray every day, even if it means giving up something else.
  11. Tithe.
  12. Switch the television channel to something that is wholesome, or just turn the thing off and read your Bible.
  13. Call your mother or father, or sister or brother, to check on them.
  14. Turn the other cheek.
  15. Repay evil with good.
  16. Respond with understanding rather than anger.
  17. Speak words of encouragement rather than destruction.
  18. Lend a helping hand rather than passing on by.
  19. Make the first move toward reconciliation, and the second, and the third if necessary.
  20. Deny yourself.
  21. Use your gifts for the glory of God.

Secondly, constantly think about your actions and your choices about your actions. This might be a choice about what you say or what you do in each situation. This is especially important if you are going into a challenging situation, or one that you know might have some temptations. Remember that even Jesus was tempted. And he overcame that temptation through the power of the Holy Spirit and by using the Word of God as his weapon. “Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (Ephesians 6:17).

The Apostle Paul himself admitted to struggling with aligning his heart and his actions. You can hear his anguish as he writes, in Romans 7:18-23

18For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. 19 For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. 20 Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it. 21 So I find this law at work:  Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. 22 For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; 23 but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me.”

Lastly, commit to prayer before, during, and after. Paul concluded the passage above with a prayer:

“What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!” (Romans 7:24-25).

In other words, do not give up. It will be worth it.

In Christ,

Judy

Chaplain’s Corner – Choices, Part 2 (Thoughts)

Jan13

“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will” (Romans 12:2).

Last week we began a series on “Choices” and introduced the concept below:

  • Your desires drive your thoughts.
  • Your thoughts direct your actions
  • Your actions become your habits
  • Your habits mold your character
  • Your character shapes your destiny

Godly choices begin in our hearts, and we talked about the importance of repentance, prayer, and remembering the great things that God has done to conform our hearts to desiring God.

“For it is from within, out of a person’s heart, that evil thoughts come–sexual immorality, theft, murder” (Mark 7:21). So, it is critical to get our hearts right to take the next step in the progression of Godly choices to conform our thoughts to what pleases God.

“We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:5).

The question is how?  When one of my granddaughters was spending the night with us (she was about three years old), she was having trouble going to sleep. She kept having scary thoughts. I told her to think about something happy, but she said she was not able to. The scary thoughts just kept going through her mind and she could not do anything about it. I think that happens to us as adults. We have all kinds of thoughts that bombard our minds: impure thoughts, worries, fears, dredging up past hurts, anger, bitterness. It can seem like we have no control. These thoughts can keep us awake, they can keep us from hearing the sermon on Sunday, they upset us so that we are unkind to others. You know it is true. So again, the question is how do we take these thoughts captive and become obedient to Christ? One caveat. We cannot do this alone. We must submit ourselves to the power of the Holy Spirit. Here are five practical ways to take your thoughts captive to make it obedient to Christ:

  1. Decide in advance (daily or more often if necessary) that you are going to submit your thoughts to God’s guidance, and ask for his help, in advance.  The Holy Spirit has been given to us for just this purpose. Choose a Bible verse for the day to focus on when your thoughts begin to go astray and/or have a plan for something positive or productive to think about such as something you are grateful for. “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12).
  2. Think about what you are thinking. You may not be able to stop a thought from popping into your mind, but you can choose to continue to think it or to replace it with a more godly thought. “As someone thinks within himself, so he is” (Proverbs 23:7).
  3. As an ungodly thought occurs, confess it, and ask for God’s help, then immediately replace it with your Bible verse or thanksgiving. Remember, God already knew your thoughts. When you confess, you are agreeing with God that you need to change your thinking. “You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar” (Psalm 139:2). “The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds” (2 Corinthians 10:4).
  4. Repeat throughout the day as needed. “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world. (1 Peter 5:8-9).
  5. Be conscious of what you put into your minds in the first place. There is a computer term that applies: “Garbage in, garbage out (GIGO).” There is no substitute for the Scriptures; they should be foremost in our reading, studying, and meditating. Good commentaries, inspirational messages, and sound Bible study tools are also helpful. “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things” (Philippians 4:8).

The main thing is to remember that you do not have to be, and you should not be, enslaved to your thoughts. With the aid of the Holy Spirit, you can decide what to think. Some days might be more challenging than others, but just remember this is a moment-by-moment decision to claim your thoughts for God.

One final thought: Our faith is a matter of our hearts and minds, before anything else. “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness” (Genesis 15:6). All we must do is believe, and belief happens in our hearts and minds, not in anything that we do.

In Christ,

Judy

Chaplain’s Corner – Choices, Part 1 (Desire)

Jan6

“And the Lord God commanded the man, ‘You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.’” (Genesis 2:16-17)

God did something very intentional when he created humans during that first week of creation: He gave us the ability to choose.

He created the earth and all the plants and animals, and placed Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. Uniquely among His Creation, God made humans in His image to rule over the remainder of His Creation. He planted the beautiful Garden of Eden for them, He gave them responsibilities, and He delighted in spending time with them. It is clear that God made humans for relationship with Himself; and He wanted that relationship to be based on man’s willingness to love Him back. So, God also gave them a choice. We often call this “free will.”

God accomplished this by placing a tree in the garden, the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, and then telling Adam that if he ate the fruit of this tree he would surely die. This is also considered to be a conditional covenant, meaning that God gave to Adam this eternal paradise on the condition that he not eat the fruit of that tree. So, Adam’s choice was either to not eat the fruit of the tree and live forever, or he could eat the fruit and die. A life or death choice, a “no-brainer.”

But we know what happened. Satan, an angel who had earlier made his own choice to become an enemy of God, set out to win over God’s creation to the enemy side. Satan began a campaign of deception right there in the Garden of Eden, and Adam chose to believe Satan’s lies rather than God’s truth.

Do you find yourself wishing that God had not put the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil in the Garden of Eden? Why did he do that if He didn’t want Adam to eat the fruit? If God had just not given Adam this choice, our lives would have been so much easier, right? Well, in His infinite wisdom, He did give us choices. Our decision today, this very minute, is how are we going to choose?

Our choice is to believe and obey the Word of God, or to believe and obey the lies of Satan. There is no middle ground. It sounds simple, so why do we fail? Here is something to help us to understand:

  • Your desires drive your thoughts.
  • Your thoughts direct your actions.
  • Your actions become your habits.
  • Your habits mold your character.
  • Your character shapes your destiny.

Many people have been credited with this concept. I believe it to be useful in helping us to make good choices, so it will be used as an outline for the next six devotions. As you can see, the starting point is desire. So, if, according to Genesis 6:5 “every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time,” how can our hearts be changed? In fact, it is only Christ’s death on the cross that enabled us to be saved, that accomplished our heart change. “And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you” (Ezekiel 36:26). “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” (2 Corinthians 5:17).

When we accept what God has done for us, we are able to build on our desire to make godly choices. Here is a three-step plan.

1. Repent of our sin nature. “Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death” (2 Corinthians 7:10).

2. Ask God to change our hearts. “God have mercy on me, a sinner” (Luke 18:13).

3. Make it a habit to remember all the good things that God has done for us. “Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart” (Psalm 37:4).

Note that while Jesus’ work of salvation was accomplished once and for all at the cross, our part in our sanctification is an ongoing process. As Paul instructed and encouraged the Philippians, “Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling” (Philippians 2:12).

Let us start with seeking to glorify God by desiring a relationship with Him. “Happy are those whose greatest desire is to do what God requires; God will satisfy them fully!” (Matthew 5:6) (The Message).

In Christ,

Judy Cline

Chaplain’s Corner – Be Ready

Dec30

“But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father” (Matthew 24:36).

When January 1, 2020 dawned, could we have ever imagined what we would be dealing with for the next twelve months, or how courageous and resilient and creative we could be? Truth is, we never know. Maybe there will not be another tornado to devastate much of Middle Tennessee in 2021. Maybe there will not be another global pandemic in 2021. Maybe there will not be another bombing (can you even believe it?!). But some of us will undoubtedly experience some calamity or tragedy or sickness that will wreck our schedules, require financial resources, and introduce the unexpected.

What have we learned in 2020 to help us to be better prepared for 2021, whatever it holds? One way to think about this is to realize what we most appreciate about what we have been through, and that will shed some light on what we have learned. I asked my seven grandchildren, ages 14 to 3, what they most appreciated about 2020, and their responses were overwhelmingly the opportunity to spend more time with their own families, as well as the use of technology (ZOOM) to be with more people than even would have been the case in a “normal” year. I can certainly identify with both of those. I cherished every moment with my family. And because of the pandemic. I joined a Bible Study Fellowship bible study online which includes people from England, Washington State, Texas, and many other states. These godly women are becoming very dear to me, and I probably would not have “met” them in a “normal” year.

In the above passage, Jesus is preparing his disciples for his upcoming crucifixion. He continues in Matthew 25 to give three parables or teachings on the need to be ready today, taking any needed action without procrastination, because we do not know what the future holds or when the end might arrive.

  • The first is the Parable of the Ten Virgins. “Five of them were foolish and five were wise. The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. The wise ones, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep.” When the bridegroom did arrive, the ones with oil in their lamps were able to go into the feast, but the others were scrambling to find oil for their lamps and got locked out of the event. Jesus then advises “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.”
  • The second is the Parable of the Bags of Gold. A businessman was going on a trip and gave three of his employees some money to take care of in his absence. The first two invested their money and doubled it. The third one, however, just stuck the money in a drawer. His boss was angry at this and said he should have at least put it in the bank to draw interest. But to the first two employees, he rewarded them for their faithfulness and their efforts, saying “Well done, good and faithful servant(s)! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!”
  • The third is the Parable of the Sheep and Goats. Basically, Jesus is telling us that when he returns as King of Glory, he will execute final judgement. Everyone will come before him and will be classified as a sheep or a goat. To the sheep he will say, “Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.” To the goats he will say, “Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.” The difference was that both sheep and goats had an opportunity to serve Jesus by serving the least of these, but only the sheep had done so.

Make no mistake; this message is not about doing good works. It is about being ready. It is about not waiting another moment to place your heart and soul in the hands of Jesus, believing him for your salvation. The good works, such as serving the least of these, follow our salvation, motivated only by our love and gratitude for what Jesus has done for us.

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”(Ephesians 2:8-10).

In Christ,

Judy