Tools of the trade—everyone has them.  Our Maintenance Team has lots of different tools because they do so many kinds of work, from electrical and plumbing to construction and painting.  The same can be said for our Kitchen Staff. They have tools and equipment to prep raw food and then to fry, bake, and boil foods according to the recipe to produce delicious and healthy meals. Guest Services, Case Managers, Life Coaches, the Finance, Development, and Human Resource Teams—all have specific tools from computer programs to resource materials to help them to safely and correctly perform their jobs. And we have tools at home—washing machines, lawn mowers, etc. Tools make our lives easier.  Tools help us to do a better job, produce a better product. In fact, if you don’t use the appropriate tool correctly, you can damage what you are attempting to fix, and possibly hurt yourself. For example, once (maybe more than once) I tried to use my shoe as a hammer to hang a picture, and ended up tearing my shoe. It would have been much better in the long run to have used the correct tool the first time!!

Tools are so important that the development of tools is included in our history lessons. The discovery of how to use a wheel was huge in mankind’s progress. As early as in the book of Genesis we learn about Tubal-Cain, the forger of all implements of bronze and iron. There are references to the plow, the axe, the hammer, and the saw in both the Old and New Testaments. In fact, Jesus was trained as a carpenter like his father, so we can safely assume that he used carpentry tools.

Hebrews 4:12 (NIV) speaks of the Bible itself as a tool as follows: “For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” I also like how The Message translates this passage (Hebrew 4:12-13):  ^“God means what he says. What he says goes. His powerful Word is sharp as a surgeon’s scalpel, cutting through everything, whether doubt or defense, laying us open to listen and obey. Nothing and no one is impervious to God’s Word. We can’t get away from it—no matter what.”

And we know that “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17). In these passages we see that the Bible acts as a tool to point us to Christ.  It convicts us of our sin and teaches us the right way to live before God.  Sure, you could substitute another “tool” for these purposes, but the result would not be as effective. In fact, it could be hazardous to your health.  This doesn’t mean that other tools might not be helpful in performing certain tasks, but the Bible is the most essential, life-giving tool we can use for living a godly life.

Most of us would not think twice about the necessity of using the correct tools of our trade. So why is it that we are so prone to turn to other sources for guidance—the television, internet, secular books and teachers, other people, our own hearts? Some of these tools may be acceptable for some purposes, but not for our spiritual health. As we seek to follow Christ, grow as disciples, and serve according to the gifts He has given us, let us be the best we can be by using all the tools available to us, most especially the Bible. I encourage you to not only read your Bible but also to study it, memorize it, and thoroughly absorb God’s Word into your very being.

Blessings,

Judy

I had a very nice traditional church wedding, very much like all the couples I knew had back in the 70’s, with a reception in the church fellowship hall.  Once my husband-to-be and I had set the date, I set my course on wedding-planner mode and I was absorbed in every detail of my wedding day—the invitations, the flowers, the dress, the bridesmaids, the wedding cake, etc.  Amy Vanderbilt and I became best friends as I sought her advice on every detail to ensure that it was done “just-so.”  I paid for most of the wedding myself, so I also worked on getting good deals or doing things myself.  I even made my own wedding dress (twice, because I didn’t like the first one I made), my mother’s dress, and the flower girl’s dress. The day of the wedding, I set up the fellowship hall and then cleaned the room where the bridesmaids and I would be making our final preparations.  Whew, was I ever tired!

The hour finally arrived.  I received the signal that it was time to come to the back of the sanctuary.  The bridesmaids began their procession. I met my dad, we exchanged a kiss, and we stepped up begin the walk down the aisle.  As I saw my husband-to-be waiting for me down at the altar, I almost freaked out. The thought came into my head:  “This is more than a wedding; I’m getting married! I had been working so hard on the ceremony for the past several months I had failed to realize that I was really preparing for marriage, not just a 30-minute ceremony.

That was 45 years ago last Friday, and as I pondered our marriage, these thoughts came into my mind.

1. I had fallen in love with the idea of marriage, but had not really embraced marriage itself. The wedding planning was not necessarily a bad thing, but when it replaced time spent with my husband-to-be it was certainly not the best long-term use of my energy. I think that we do that with Jesus sometimes.  We get wrapped up in the trappings, the ceremony, the religion, the idea of Jesus.  However, what is really important is the relationship with Jesus himself, spending quality time with Him. As James put it:“Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded” James 4:8.
2. My husband and I have had some ups and downs throughout these past years. I’ve been deliriously happy and felt very contented; and at other times I’ve felt miserable, terribly unhappy, and depressed. Sometimes it was hard to feel the love, if you know what I mean.  It’s taken me some time to realize that I cannot rely on my feelings because they can change based on the circumstance (Jeremiah 17:9). I’ve learned that a long-term relationship cannot be based on feelings, which are very fickle.  Instead, we must act on what we know is right.  We practice those daily disciplines, whether it be related to marriage or to our faith-walk.  We show love and we show respect, we faithfully read our Bible and pray for the Holy Spirit to display fruits of the spirit, we live by the teachings in 1 Corinthians 13.
3. Honestly, there were times when I didn’t want to be married to “that man” anymore (and he probably felt that way about me). We’ve had some pretty good fights.  However, we had made marriage vows.  We had covenanted “until death do us part.”  There were times when my commitment was to our marriage and to our family, if not to my husband (just being honest).  If you have been married for any length of time, I know you know what I mean.  We committed not to give up on each other. I think our faith-walk can be similar.  Sometimes we are not happy with how life is treating us; we think God has allowed us to experience a raw deal.  However, we have a covenant relationship with God. He has promised not to give up on us, and we walk faithfully through, trusting Him with our very lives.

It’s no coincidence that God designed the institution of marriage between man and woman to reflect the institution of the relationship between the Christ and the church (Ephesians 5:21-33). In fact, throughout the Bible God speaks of the unfaithfulness of Israel as prostitution or adultery, which is the antithesis of a faithful marriage relationship. However, his picture of the Marriage Supper in Revelation 19:6-9 excites me beyond expression. I so anticipate this celebration of what is to come.

“Then I heard what sounded like a great multitude, like the roar of rushing waters and like loud peals of thunder, shouting:

‘Hallelujah!  For our Lord God Almighty reigns.
Let us rejoice and be glad  and give him glory!
For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready.
Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear.’

(Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of God’s holy people.)

Then the angel said to me, ‘Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!’ And he added, ‘These are the true words of God’” Revelation 19:6-9.

Whether you are married or not, my prayer is that you recognize your position in the family of God.  I pray that you are making yourself ready with fine linen in preparation for the time when Jesus comes to take the Church to our Eternal Home.  That will be some celebration!

Blessings,

Judy

^“And He said to them, “Why did you seek Me? Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s business?” Luke 2:49 (NKJV)

This is what the twelve-year-old Jesus told his parents when they were looking for him in Jerusalem during their annual visit for the Feast of the Passover.  Always before when I read this passage, I just thought about it in the context of Jesus understanding and revealing his divinity. I did not see any application to myself. However, recently I re-read this passage and I realized that there is application.

First: As believers in Jesus, we are brothers and sisters in Christ, and children of God.  We call God “Father” just like Jesus did.

“The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.” Romans 8:16-17 (NKJV)

 This language, these terms, are used in the Scriptures for a reason.  We are to identify with these terms and consider them for what they mean to us today.  God is our Father, He is our authority, and He is our ultimate Provider.  Our God is wealthy and powerful beyond imagination, and as his children, we are heirs to everything He owns!  Is that not exciting? Who doesn’t dream that someone will send you a letter about a long-lost relative who has left you great sums of money in their will? Well, we all have a Father who wants to give us treasures beyond imagination, not because of anything we have done but because we are his children.

Second: As children of God, we must also be about our Father’s business. I know people who have had the good fortune to inherit a family business. As God’s son, Jesus saw himself as the inheritor of the family business. “I must be about my Father’s business.”  It was his sole focus to build up the Kingdom on behalf of his Father and on behalf of all of us. In John 15:15-16, Jesus tells his disciples (and us): “I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.  You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you.”

Don’t miss this:  He chose us first, and because he chose us, we are to bear fruit.  Bearing fruit is not a condition of salvation, it is a result. And as we bear fruit for the Kingdom we are also building up treasures for ourselves in Heaven (Matthew 6:19).

As children of God and heirs to his Kingdom, I am thankful and encouraged to be about our Father’s business alongside you.  I pray that we will all make our focus the same as Jesus, to bear fruit and lay up treasures in the Kingdom so that we will all share in his magnificent reward.

“Listen, my beloved brethren: Has God not chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the Kingdom which He promised to those who love Him?” James 2:5 (NIV)

Blessings,

Judy

Last week I wrote about how God transforms each of us into new creatures when we receive Jesus’ work on the cross on our behalf.  Just like the transformation from a caterpillar to a butterfly, it is instantaneous.  At that moment of transformation, we are a child of God and we now can claim the promise of salvation and eternal life (2 Corinthians 5:17; Ephesians 2:9-10).

When the butterfly emerges from the chrysalis, it is an adult butterfly.  It’s as beautiful and mature as it is ever going to be.  When a baby is born, it is as human as it is ever going to be, but it still has a lot of maturing to do. Likewise, when we are reborn as children of God, we are as saved as we are ever going to be, but we still have a lot of maturing to be as pure and perfected as God would have us to be.

As you probably know, I have seven grandchildren, ranging in age from 11 (nearly 12) down to 1. It’s been so wonderful to watch them grow (without having the direct responsibility). Not one of them is content to remain in their current stage of growth.  The baby is walking now and learning to talk.  It seems like yesterday the others were at that stage; now they are swimming, riding bikes, going to school, learning sports, playing music, taking on chores, learning to cook, etc.  We expect for children to grow up, but so many times we think that Christians can stay in whatever state they were when they made their profession of faith.

In Philippians 2:1-11, Paul gives us the beautiful passage about the humility of Jesus.  He then goes on to say:

¹² 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, ¹³ for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.¹⁴ Do everything without grumbling or arguing, ¹⁵ so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation. Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky ¹⁶ as you hold firmly to the word of life. And then I will be able to boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor in vain” (Philippians 2:12-16).

 I’ve always loved Peter’s instruction to us in his second book, which also includes the compelling reason for our salvation:

³ His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. ⁴ Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. ⁵ For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; ⁶ and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; ⁷ and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. ⁸ For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. ⁹ But whoever does not have them is nearsighted and blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their past sins. ¹⁰ Therefore, my brothers and sisters, make every effort to confirm your calling and election. For if you do these things, you will never stumble, ¹¹ and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 2:3-11).

To be clear, it is God and only God who has the power to save us.  As believers, we are promised eternal life; however, don’t shortchange your life in eternity.  My intention in writing this is to encourage you to continue to grow in your walk with Jesus while here on this earth; to continue to make every effort to purify yourselves to be more like Jesus.  And what is so cool is that even while our physical condition may begin to deteriorate as we age, our spiritual condition can continue to grow as long as we make the effort (2 Peter 2:5).  And even better, it’s really our effort that matters most to God.  He is not concerned with our status, our accumulation of honors or wealth, or any other worldly measure of success.  He is only concerned with our efforts, motivated by a desire to please Him, to glorify Him, and to walk closer to Him.

“See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. ² Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. ³ All who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure” (1 John 3:1-3).

 To quote Randy Alcorn: “Every day matters. Every hour matters. So spend it with eternity in mind.”

Blessings,

Judy

Over the weekend as I was watering my petunias, I saw a terrifying creature lurking on a leaf. I immediately called to my husband to save me and my petunias from this horrible creature. He did get rid of the creature, a caterpillar, but I don’t think he liked it much either (although he acted like I was a wimp for not doing it myself).

A bit later on as I was continuing to water the plants, I noticed several beautiful butterflies—some blue and black, some yellow and orange–flitting around, alighting on various blossoms and seeming to just enjoy floating around and providing a scene of peace and beauty. Who can’t love a butterfly, right?

It was then I felt guilty about the caterpillar, because you know that the ugly caterpillar becomes the beautiful butterfly through a transformational process. It’s not merely a change, like water becoming ice, because ice can also change back into water. It’s transformational because once the caterpillar morphs into a butterfly, it is not just a caterpillar with wings, and instead it is a totally different creature! Can you just picture in your mind the difference between a caterpillar and a butterfly? The transformation is a supernatural process, something that cannot be replicated by man. It’s something only God can do.

Becoming a believer in Jesus means that we are forever transformed, like the caterpillar to the butterfly. We may look the same on the outside unlike the transformation to a butterfly, but we are not the same person anymore. Paul says it like this: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” 2 Corinthians 5:17 (NIV)

Just as with the butterfly, this is a supernatural change, meaning that it is not something that we can do on our own. Our only part is to believe and receive this wonderful gift of salvation. “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 (NIV)

If you have already made this decision to believe and receive, then you know what I am talking about. If you haven’t yet but want to make this decision to believe and receive this wonderful gift of grace in order to be transformed to a new creation in Christ, I would love to have the opportunity to speak to you.

P.S. I’m still trying to figure out my strategy about caterpillars. I don’t want to inadvertently eliminate the butterflies by eliminating the caterpillars. Butterflies were not born that way after all, they were always caterpillars first. Maybe I’ll just cultivate some caterpillar-friendly plants. What do you think?

Blessings,

Judy

One of my favorite pastimes is gardening.  It is great exercise, I love to watch plants grow, and we enjoy the fruits of our labors. In almost every season, there is something fun to do.  In January there is the planning and anticipation.  In February I actually start seeds in little pots and then watch them grow during March.  In April I begin planting my spring garden (usually a little too soon), but I am so excited to plant peas and onions and greens as well as carrots and beets.  Throughout May and June we are getting the other plants into the ground—tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, beans, and okra; and we are harvesting some produce by then.

In July (NOW), the garden is exploding with produce.  I have to pick every day.  However, I spend most of my time in the garden performing other maintenance chores.  I am weeding, mulching, and staking the plants as they grow tall.  I am getting rid of pests so they don’t damage the plant or eat the vegetables.  I am cutting flowers so that they will continue to make new ones.  And I am continuing to prune and remove every dead or unnecessary branch so that the energy the plant is producing goes toward making new flowers and vegetables rather than trying to sustain something that will ultimately not be productive.

My particular battle right now is with two volunteer gourd plants.  Sometime back in May I noticed two sprouts that I had not planted.  As they grew, I began to realize they were gourd plants, probably from some compost I had used. These two plants are now monstrous, way taller than I am and they have now taken over one end of my garden and are encroaching on my beans and cucumbers.  I know from experience that these two huge plants might produce only four or five gourds.  And what do you do with gourds?  You don’t eat them.  They are decorative, but the ones I planted last year rotted before I could use them for anything.  Logic tells me I should pull them up before they destroy part of my garden; I know that it is silly but I am having a hard time with this decision.

I become very philosophical as I complete my garden chores.  I enjoy thinking about how Jesus used agricultural comparisons to explain spiritual truths.  He did that because agriculture was so prevalent that most everyone could understand immediately what he meant.  I think he also used agricultural comparisons because they are so appropriate.

For me, the pruning comparison is most appropriate.  I have had a history of taking on way too much.  Even good stuff can become detrimental if it becomes excessive and prevents you from spending time on what is best.  With plants, if you don’t cut off the less vital branches, then you might get a lot of vegetables that are small and less tasty.  If you don’t pull up unneeded plants you crowd out the good stuff.  However, if you are selective about which plants or branches you allow to grow, then you can get larger and healthier vegetables.  Pruning is not something I do because I hate my plant or because I want to hurt it.  It’s actually hard to cut back a shoot or plant that you have lovingly cared for that might grow into something.  However, we know that the best thing to do is to focus energy into what really matters.

Jesus said in John 15:1-2 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.”

My prayer for all of us is that we will know our true purpose in Christ, that we will be open to conviction about where pruning in our lives is needed so that we can focus on our true purpose, and that we will have the courage to act on those convictions.

Blessings,

Judy

The big talk in the past couple of weeks has been the miraculous rescue of the soccer players from the cave in Thailand. We humanly wonder what they, and their parents, must have been thinking as the waters surged in and they realized they were trapped.  At least one of them had to think:  Why me? There is really no other logical way to explain the successful rescue of the soccer players other than the hand of God.  We would be remiss not to give God the glory in recalling the events of this story.

Why me?  How many of us ask this question when something bad happens to us?  Well, this is a great question because it gets to the heart of our purpose in life.  When we ask “Why?” we are presuming intent, and therefore purpose.  This is because God created human beings with purpose.  Here’s what the Bible says about our purpose:  “You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet. You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”  Matthew 5:13-17 (ESV). So when you are experiencing problems, remember that God can use everything in your life to give glory to Himself, even the tough times.

Why me?  When we ponder the situations in life that cause us to ask this question, we should distinguish between immediate and long-term purposes.  The most famous scriptural example of this is Genesis 50:20, when Joseph’s brothers express their fear that Joseph will take revenge on him for how they treated him. Joseph responded, “You meant evil against me, but God meant it for good.”  We all probably experience difficult and even tragic events in our lives and we assume that God could have prevented them if he had wanted to.  When we ask “Why?” that means we know the foundational truth, which is that God has a purpose for what happened.  And because God is good, we know that God’s purpose is a good one because his purposes and intentions are always altogether good.  So the immediate consequence might have been caused by something evil, but as Paul said in Romans 8:28, “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.”

So, “Why Me?” Is a great question to ask of God no matter what happens, good or bad.

God, what is your purpose in this? Lord, I know that you are to be glorified in every situation, so help me to know how I can best glorify you and be a part of the solution you working to bring about, and then give you all the glory. Amen.

Blessings,

Judy

Note:  My reference on this subject can be found at the following site from one of my favorite authors. https://www.ligonier.org/learn/articles/purposes-god/

Satan does not want you to read this message.  He is going to do everything in his power to keep you from reading it.  I promise that if you don’t commit yourself and pray through this, you will not finish, including reading all the scripture references which are hyperlinked to make it easier for you.  The Holy Spirit has put this on my heart, and it has been a convicting message for me as I write it. I am praying that you read it to the end and take it to heart.  I would love to know what you think.

I pray that we have all accepted Christ as our Savior. The thing is, there is a war going on all around us—believers and nonbelievers alike–as long as we live on this earth.  Ever since Satan fell, even before the earth was created, he has been waging a futile war against God.  Only Satan doesn’t seem to realize that it is futile.

Satan conducts this war by trying to entice us to his side.  He presents evil as pretty and desirable.  But do not be deceived, he only wants your destruction 1 Peter 5:8, because by destroying you, he thinks he can win this war against God.  We are just pawns in his chess game, and he will use every deception possible to win us over.  Billy Graham preached a powerful message on how Satan tries to confuse us.*  However, the Bible is crystal clear that those things that Satan entices us with are sins (Mark 7:21-23; 1 Corinthians 6:9-11; 1 Timothy 1:8-11). We are warned many times over, “Do not be deceived.”

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

The GOOD NEWS is that God sent Jesus to save us from this life of deceit and eventual destruction (John 3:16). Jesus is “the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6).  You can choose life.  It’s not easy, because as we said before, Satan never gives up.  However, God never gives up on us either.  If we have accepted and truly believe that Jesus has saved us through his sacrificial death on the cross, then we have the power of the Holy Spirit in us to defeat Satan and protect us from his ways.  We have to call upon this power daily through prayer.  We have to educate ourselves through Bible study.  We have to protect ourselves with the Word of God.

This message is on my heart because I sense that the Mission is a real target for Satan.  He knows about our work here and our love for Jesus, and he is targeting us.  To bring us down would be a real feather in his cap.  Many of the people who come to us for shelter, food, clothing, recovery have been exposed to much wickedness.  It’s very convenient for Satan to ride in on their coattails and to attempt to dwell among us in some form or fashion.

While this may sound scary and repulsive, that is exactly why we are all here.  This is our calling.  Others may serve as missionaries to unchurched people groups or the most impoverished third world countries.  But Nashville Rescue Mission is our mission field.  We are a Rescue Mission, which is a very specific designation with the objective of serving those who have nowhere else to go right here in our own city, and to be the light, to present the Gospel message to the hurting and helpless among us. We must commit to protect this ministry, this campus, the people we serve, and ourselves, by daily putting on the whole armor of God. The wisest man who ever lived says: “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” Proverbs 4:23.

Paul gives us specific instructions in Ephesians 6:10-18 that we would do well to follow.

¹⁰ Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.

 ¹¹ Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 

¹² 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. 

¹³ Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 

¹⁴ Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, ¹⁵ and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 

¹⁶ In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 

¹⁷ Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

¹⁸ And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. 

Finally, please know that prayer warriors are meeting twice weekly and praying not only over the individual prayer requests but also that God’s will be done at Nashville Rescue Mission.  Feel free to join us if you can, and pray from wherever you are if you cannot physically be present.

Tuesday, 2-3 pm, Women’s Guest Services Chapel

Thursday, 1:3-2:30 pm, Men’s Guest Services Chapel

Blessings,

Judy

*If you did not click on this powerful message, please do so now and read it in its entirety.

I know from your comments that you really like it when I write messages that include personal stories.  Because we are celebrating Independence Day today, I would like to tell you my personal story about liberty; however, I don’t have an interesting story about my freedom.  I have heard firsthand accounts from people who have had dramatic escapes from Rwanda and from North Vietnam, and who have now made their homes here in Middle Tennessee.  I have heard stories from my dad who fought in both WWII and during the Korean Conflict.  My own story is not nearly as exciting. I grew up in the United States with all the freedoms accorded to U.S. citizens.

My story, while similar to other lifelong U.S. citizens, is far from ordinary.  Did you know that according to Freedom House, only 39 out of 100 people worldwide live in a truly free country today, and this number is decreasing?  In fact, 71 countries suffered net declines in political rights and civil liberties in 2017, with only 35 registering gains. This marked the 12th consecutive year of decline in global freedom.

It may sound trite, but I believe it is critically important that we never take for granted the freedoms we experience as U.S. citizens, and I think that the most important of those freedoms is our freedom of religion. The First Amendment to the United States Constitution prevents Congress from making any law respecting an establishment of religion, prohibiting the free exercise of religion, or abridging the freedom of speech, the freedom of the press, the right to peaceably assemble, or to petition for a governmental redress of grievances.  It was adopted on December 15, 1791, as one of the ten amendments that constitute the Bill of Rights.

The Bible also speaks of freedom.  Freedom is the opposite of enslavement.  In the history of the world, people in almost every nation have suffered from slavery.  It is abhorrent to consider that slavery could have ever been legal.  It is unspeakable that slavery still exists, both legal and illegal. According to many credible sources, human trafficking is the fastest growing crime on the planet, and second only to drug-dealing.

Many of us–I hope all of us–reading this message, enjoy the freedom of religion and other civil liberties. However, the fact is that we were all slaves to sin before receiving the gift of salvation from Jesus.

Regardless of any type of civil or physical restraint on our freedom, as believers we have true freedom in Christ. As Paul tells us: “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death.”  Romans 8:1-2

Again, I want to say how critically important it is that we never take for granted the freedoms we experience, so what actions should we take to protect the freedom that we have as citizens of the U.S. and as brothers and sisters in Christ?

• If you have not accepted Christ as your savior, invite Him into your heart right now. Let me know if you want to talk about this decision.
• Express gratitude for the freedom we have as citizens of the United States, and most importantly, for Jesus’ victory on your behalf over the tyranny of sin, hell, death, and the grave.
• Take full advantage of these freedoms. Go to church.  Read your Bible.  Confess your faith openly. Vote, and vote responsibly for godly candidates.
• Take the initiative to protect others from enslavement of any kind. Actively support your church and its outreach efforts.  Promote the Mission’s life recovery program.  Support efforts against human trafficking.

“Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow.” Isaiah 1:17

In the words of Jesus paraphrasing Isaiah:  “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” Luke 4:18-19

Have a blessed Independence Day!

Blessings,

Judy

The Chief of Staff at Nashville Rescue Mission has challenged many of us to send a note of gratitude to someone who has influenced our life and to do this daily for the next thirty days.  Here’s mine for today: I would like to thank each of you here at Nashville Rescue Mission who has been courageous and transparent enough to share your story.

I say courageous because I come from a tradition where everyone puts on a show of having it all together, which in retrospect seems rather cowardly. It reminds me of Garrison Keillor who would say as he welcomed listeners to Lake Wobegon, “Welcome to Lake Wobegon, where all the women are strong, all the men are good-looking, and all the children are above average.” Yeah, right!

I can remember from my youth that my mom and grandmother didn’t especially like my uncle (by marriage). I would ask why, but they never let on until much later that it was because they thought he was an alcoholic. That would never have been admitted in my family. I didn’t know until she was in her later stages of life that my mom herself was on antidepressants. It just wasn’t discussed. I remember a teenage friend from church who went to “live for a year with her aunt in California.”  It never occurred to me why until much later when it was acknowledged that she had a child. And I can remember how inferior I felt when it seemed that all my acquaintances had such perfect families and all the kids were getting college scholarships to the schools of their choice, etc. etc. etc.  It was only later that I heard (and not from my friends) about drug problems, eating disorders, jail time, etc. in the lives of these same acquaintances.  However, when I did hear about it years later, it was in the form of gossip, though, and not real confrontation or edifying, transformative discussion/interaction.

How and where do you go for help when it seems that yours is the only family that is struggling?  How do you learn to help others when you have never witnessed help in action?

So just in case you are wondering because I know how compassionate you are, I am really okay now.  But I suffered depression for way too many years of my life because I refused to acknowledge it and seek help.  I had no example, no precedent.  It just wasn’t done.  And in that depression I made lots of serious mistakes.  I have learned lots of lessons from my experience.  I have learned to forgive myself; I have learned to forgive others.  I am more compassionate because I know that no one is immune from similar struggles, no matter how put-together they look and act.

The Bible tells us that a hypocrite is someone who puts on a mask and pretends to be something he is not.  “If anyone thinks they are something when they are not, they deceive themselves” (Galatians 6:3). Ephesians 4:25 reminds us that as members of one body, we believers should be honest with ourselves and with each other.

So circling back to the beginning—I cannot begin to express how transformative it has been for me to work alongside you who have been so open about your own life struggles. Your honesty and your life story have encouraged me.  You are strong, you are courageous, you are loving, you are my heroes of the faith.

I thank you.  I hope you know what you mean to me.

Blessings,

Judy