Tag Archive | Nashville Rescue Mission

Chaplain’s Corner – Sanctification: Love in Action, part 1

Dec11

“Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. 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 12:1-2).

In the last few devotionals, we have been discussing sanctification, which is defined as growing more Christlike. Christ himself tells us that the two greatest commands are to love God and to love one another. “Love in action” is the way we continue to grow in our Christlikeness, our sanctification. In other words, this is how we apply the teaching to our own lives to conform to the image of Christ.

The passage above begins with the transition word “therefore.” Paul is transitioning from the first eleven chapters of Romans on the doctrines of the sovereignty of God, sin, salvation, faith, grace, etc. Then, in light of these great truths, Paul tells us to offer ourselves as living sacrifices, to be transformed by the renewing of our minds. He compares the church to a human body, working together in unity based on the unique gifting of each believer. In the second half of chapter 12, he gives us specific instructions on “love in action:”

“Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer” (Romans 9-12).

First, love must be from the heart: real, not faked, not an act. Our motives must be pure. This is harder than it sounds. In fact, this is impossible without the support of the Holy Spirit. As humans, other than the love for our own children, our love for others often has a self-serving component.

To love as Jesus loves, we must have a right perspective of ourselves, which requires prayerful intention and wisdom. Made in the image of God, all humans have equal value before God. We are not to look down on others, but instead to honor one another above ourselves. Can you imagine what a wonderful place earth would be if everyone loved like that, like Jesus does?

This passage gives us some additional qualities to pursue in our goal of sanctification. We are to zealously serve the Lord, to be joyful, patient, and faithful regardless of our circumstances. Faith is a gift of God. Joy, patience, and faithfulness are fruits of the spirit. Many scriptures reaffirm these qualities. In other words, we can only exhibit these qualities under the power and with the strength provided by the Holy Spirit.

If you are seriously reading this right now, if you are like me, you may feel overwhelmed, you perhaps even feel like a total failure. It is a really high bar to love like Jesus; sometimes, it is even too high a bar to want to love like Jesus. That is where the daily discipline of confession, prayer, and Bible study will change the desires of our heart and our ability to produce these qualities in ever increasing measure. As Paul says, we must press on toward the goal.

“Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:12-14).

In Christ,
Judy

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

Chaplain’s Corner – Setting Our Hearts on Things Above (Sanctification, part 3)

Dec4

“Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory” (Colossians 3:1-4).

We are in the middle of a series of devotions on sanctification. As we learned in an earlier Chaplain’s Corner, even though we have been set apart — or sanctified — positionally as God’s holy people, there is no question that we continue to sin. That is why God calls us to cooperate with the Holy Spirit in our ongoing sanctification with a goal of becoming more like Jesus Christ.  In Paul’s letter to the Colossians, Paul addresses these “holy and faithful” brothers and sisters in Christ, expressing his gratefulness for them and his ongoing prayers for them. This is a very practical letter, full of instructions. We would do well to heed these instructions ourselves.

He first gives us instructions about what to stop doing. They are very clear, and I doubt if anyone would argue with them. While none of us would say these are good things to do, what we may find ourselves thinking or saying is “that’s not so bad” because in the current culture, these are the behaviors that make us fit right in. But here is the deal, first, the Word of God tells us point-blank that these things bring on the wrath of God, and secondly, they are evidence that we are not growing in the image of Christ, which is sanctification. We learned in “Sharing the Gospel” training that it is essential to our witness that we do not discredit our personal testimony or the integrity of the Mission by our attitude, speech, or actions. Satan is fighting us all the way on these things. We need to see this situation for what it is and know that we have the power to overcome all evil through Jesus Christ our Lord in the power of the Holy Spirit. Here are the commands right out of God’s Word to us:

What Not to Do: – Sins of the body, mind, and mouth (Colossians 3:5-11):

  • Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived.
  • But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips.
  • Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. Here there is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.

What to Do Instead (Colossians 3:12-15):

  • Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.
  • Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.
  • And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.
  • Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace.
  • And be thankful.

Let us prayerfully and faithfully commit to these things and let us lovingly encourage one another to grow in our Christlikeness, all for the glory of God.

“Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him” (Colossians 3:16-17).

In Christ,

Judy

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

Chaplain’s Corner – Sanctification through Humility

Dec3

“Indeed, let this attitude be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus. Though he was by nature God, he did not consider equality with God as a prize to be displayed, but he emptied himself by taking the nature of a servant. When he was born in human likeness, and his appearance was like that of any other man, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death—even death on a cross” (Philippians 2:5-8).

As we read in the devotion last week, the goal of our progressive sanctification is to conform increasingly to the image of Christ. The passage above tells us much about this Christ to whom we wish to conform. Some words that come to mind that correspond to His humility are obedience and submission. Jesus submitted willingly and lovingly to His Father in total obedience, even death on a cross, for your sake and mine. This gets to me every time. Jesus did this for me!

In Revelation, we see Jesus in two quite different ways. I like to visualize him as the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, coming in all majesty and splendor leading the armies of Heaven (Revelation 19:11-16). But the other image of Jesus that we see is what actually made him worthy to usher in the events that would culminate in the New Heaven and New Earth—the image of Him as the slain Lamb of God, the Lamb of God who came to take away the sins of the world.  We can readily picture a sweet lamb, and we can probably picture a sacrificial lamb on the altar. But this image in Revelation 5:6-9 runs counter to our experience, a lamb that is fully alive while exhibiting all the fatal wounds of his death.

Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing at the center of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders. The Lamb had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. He went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who sat on the throne. And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp, and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of God’s people. And they sang a new song, saying: “You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased for God persons from every tribe and language and people and nation.”

When we think of unpleasant jobs, the job of trash collector, animal control, or prison guard might come to mind. Having to deal with nasty objects or convicted felons is not pleasant. And what about at the Mission? There are plenty of potentially unpleasant jobs around the Mission. Not meaning to exclude anyone else, I want to call out everyone who has cleaned a bathroom or any area where a guest or participant has been sick or messy. I want to recognize those who do the laundry, who sort through the myriads of donations of food, clothing, and other items. I want to encourage those who deal with guests or participants who for whatever reason are not able to properly care for themselves (you know what I mean).

As unpleasant as these jobs may be, they do not even begin to compare with how Jesus dealt with us in our sin. He died on the cross for sinners, those who disregard the laws of God, who commit sins at every level, who make themselves abhorrent to God. Let us face it, it is our sin that separates us from God, because God cannot tolerate sin. And yet, that is why Jesus gave His life. He humbled himself to deal with the messiest of the messy, the vilest of the vile, to offer his blood to redeem us from eternal torment into a beautiful eternal life with Him in eternity. He loves us just that much.

It takes many of you willing to do those unpleasant, humbling jobs so prevalent at Nashville Rescue Mission. Did you ever think that this was the road to sanctification? Just has Jesus humbled himself to save us from our sin, you are humbling yourselves to lead others to Him.

I will close with another important facet of humility, and that is gratitude. When we genuinely offer thanks, it is an act of receiving and then acknowledging and submitting to the mercy and kindness of another. As we celebrate this week of Thanksgiving, let us do so with all humility and remember to be grateful for the debt that Jesus paid obediently and lovingly on our behalf to rescue us from the fiery grave.

“Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Indeed, let this attitude be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 2:3-5).

In Christ,

Judy

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

Chaplain’s Corner – Sanctification

Nov20

“In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory” (Ephesians 1:13-14).

There are several words that explain how salvation works, and while this devotional is not intended to serve as a theological dictionary, a few explanations might be helpful. When Jesus died on the cross, he accomplished our salvation once and for all by paying our debt of sin with his life. This is referred to as “justification. “ We are also sanctified, or set apart, by our union with Christ. “But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God” (1 Corinthians 6:11).

Even though we have been set apart — or sanctified — positionally as God’s holy people, there is no question that we continue to sin. That is why God calls us to cooperate with the Holy Spirit in our ongoing sanctification with a goal of becoming more like Jesus Christ. “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, for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose” (Philippians 2:12-13).

My personal objective is to become more intentional in my efforts to conform to the image of Jesus Christ, by the power of the Holy Spirit, knowing that only when Christ returns will we as believers be made perfect in holiness. My desire is to hear Jesus say, “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).

In our efforts to grow in sanctification, we must first learn what it looks like. We must approach it prayerfully and seek genuine heart change. This is what it means to be transformed by the renewing of our minds. Paul includes instructions to the followers of Jesus in his letters to the churches. During the next few devotionals, we will look at several of these passages in Romans, Ephesians, Philippians, and Colossians.

“Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. 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 12:1-2).

In Christ,

Judy

Chaplain’s Corner – One Hope

Nov6

”As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all” (Ephesians 4:1-6).

I wrote this on Tuesday afternoon, November 5. The election results would be coming in later this evening, and we would likely have a good idea who our next president would be. All the analysts are doing their what-if analyses, but it will probably be too close to call until the final ballot is counted. Of course, now we are pretty sure. And this devotional remains applicable.

We are a nation deeply divided in our politics. We are a nation that seems to define ourselves more by politics than by gender or race or economic background. We are divided by color—red or blue.

In our divisiveness, many fear that we are doomed if the “other” candidate wins. But if I have learned anything from our Bible study, it is that this is an incomplete scenario. Here are two principles that explain how this scenario falls short.

For this first principle, the book of Daniel, chapter 3, is instructive. The book is set in Babylon. King Nebuchadnezzar, the most powerful ruler in the world at that time, took the Israelites from Judah into captivity. This Nebuchadnezzar is so powerful and so arrogant and so egotistical that he is easily persuaded to build monuments to himself and to order hero worship. He is a ruthless king, willing to send those who disobey to certain death in the fiery furnace (you should really read the chapter). Yet when God saved Daniel’s three friends from the fire, Nebuchadnezzar praised the Lord (v.28).

    In chapter 6, a subsequent ruler sends Daniel to the lion’s den. God shut the mouths of the lions and Daniel was spared, causing the Persian King Darius to proclaim: ““I issue a decree that in every part of my kingdom people must fear and reverence the God of Daniel. ‘For he is the living God and he endures forever; his kingdom will not be destroyed, his dominion will never end. He rescues and he saves; he performs signs and wonders in the heavens and on the earth. He has rescued Daniel from the power of the lions’” (Daniel 6:26-29).

    The principle of the sovereignty of God is our guide. God was sovereign over Babylon and Persia during the time of Daniel, and he is sovereign over our world today, regardless of who is sitting in any oval office or on any earthly throne. “And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way” (Ephesians 1:22-23).

    Remember, we are commanded by God to obey whoever is elected, again, because God is sovereign over all. “Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God” (Romans 13:1).

    Secondly, there are two sides, but they are defined differently than by any of the above factors. The two sides are (1) believers in Jesus, Son of God, and (2) unbelievers in Jesus, Son of God. And each of these two sides includes both “reds” and “blues.” However, we need to realize that at least for believers, our unity in Christ transcends all else. Don’t get me wrong. It is not a bad thing to have differences of opinion and civil debates. But we need to see beyond these differences of opinion to the heart of our fellow man. The opening verse describes this unity that is empowered by the Holy Spirit. We are called to be peacemakers, not just peacekeepers. That takes work, sacrifice, grace, and mercy.

    The principle of the Trinity is our guide. The relationship between the Trinity–God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit–define and model the relationship we should have with God and each other, as witness to the world of the saving grace of Jesus.

    “I ask 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” (John 17:21).

    In Christ,

    Judy

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

    Chaplain’s Corner – Godly Wisdom, part 1

    Oct30

    “But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere (James 3:17 ESV).

    Last week we pondered James’ question “Who is wise and understanding among you?” (James 3:13). This is a convicting question. I think most of us agree that we desire wisdom. We talked about the opposite of wisdom, which is foolishness. None of us desires to be fools in anyone’s eyes. So, allowing James to be our guide, we will explore the first of eight elements of wisdom and how it applies to our Christian walk.

    1. Wisdom is pure. Ivory soap was advertised as 99.4% pure, meaning that it did not contain impurities. Likewise, wisdom is wholeheartedly pure, meaning that it is innocent and free from moral fault or blame. Wisdom is also free from mixed motives, intending only good. When one tries to be wise in some areas but exhibits foolishness in others, even those that seem to be insignificant, the entire being is tainted with foolishness. “’Well done, my good servant!’ his master replied. ‘Because you have been trustworthy in a very small matter, take charge of ten cities’” (Luke 19:17).
    • Wisdom is peace-loving. Godly wisdom is concerned with the truth but looks for solutions that bring about wholeness, not division. In other words, wisdom actively seeks unity. “Now we ask you, brothers and sisters, to acknowledge those who work hard among you, who care for you in the Lord and who admonish you. Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work. Live in peace with each other” (1 Thessalonians 5:12-13).
    • Wisdom is gentle. The quality of gentleness includes a willingness to yield to others. Jesus described himself as “gentle and lowly in heart.” Gentleness, as is peace, is a fruit of the spirit. Although not explicitly stated, it is also an element of the definition of love in 1 Corinthians 13:5 which says that love does not insist on its own way. “But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect…” (1 Peter 3:15).
    • Wisdom is open to reason. Being open to reason means being quick to listen and slow to speak, taking into account the views of others and being willing to defer to others when matters of moral or theological truths are not at stake. “To answer before listening— that is folly and shame” (Proverbs 18:13).

    As you can see from these descriptions, wisdom is more than being able to spout pithy proverbs. Wisdom is wisdom is God-focused and other-focused (both/and not either/or). To be both sometimes takes time and effort, with reliance on the Holy Spirit for the best outcome. Remember James’ question in the opening verse—who is wise and understanding? The fifth of Stephen Covey’s Seven Habits of Highly Effective People advises to “seek first to understand and then to be understood.” We cannot ultimately be wise if we have not put in the effort to understand—to understand God’s will, our own hearts, and the perspectives of the other person.

    “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.” (James 1:5).

    In Christ,

    Judy

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

    Chaplain’s Corner – Wisdom and Foolishness

    Oct23

    “Who is wise and understanding among you?” (James 3:13).

    If I were the one to whom the Apostle James was asking this question, I would hesitate to raise my hand. The question is really convicting for me. I want to be wise, but do I dare to think I am? What is wisdom anyway? Is it someone who always has a pithy comment to make, who always says the right thing at the right time? Is it someone who is seasoned with experience?

    The Book of Proverbs is known as the Book of Wisdom. Solomon wrote it “for attaining wisdom and discipline; for understanding words of insight; for acquiring a disciplined and prudent life, doing what is right and just and fair…” (Proverbs 1:2-3). Solomon wrote these words of wisdom, or borrowed them in some cases, earlier in his career. From a study of Solomon, we can deduce that just knowing words of wisdom will not make one wise, because Solomon did not heed many of his own words of wisdom. He made many mistakes, especially later in his career because he did not heed his own teaching.

    I imagine that you, like me, want to know the right way to speak and act with our spouses, children, and those that we work with and for here at Nashville Rescue Mission. The next few devotionals will be devoted to this concept of wisdom.

    For now, we will try for a simple way to understand what wisdom is so that we can be more alert to its use and misuse. Sometimes the best way to understand a concept is to explore its opposite: in this case, foolishness. What does the Bible say about foolishness or folly as contrasted with wisdom?

    A foolish person despises God; he rejects God’s Word and pays the moral consequences for not fearing God.

    • “The fool says in his heart, there is no God” (Psalm 14:1).

    Foolish people do not listen to others because they love to hear themselves talk.

    • “The tongue of the wise adorns knowledge, but the mouth of the fool gushes folly (Proverbs 15:2).
    • “Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions” (Proverbs 18:2).

    A foolish person demonstrates a lack of self-control displayed in words of temper.

    • “Fools show their annoyance at once, but the prudent overlook an insult… The words of the reckless pierce like swords, but the tongue of the wise brings healing” (Proverbs 12:16, 18).
    • “Whoever is patient has great understanding, but one who is quick-tempered displays folly” Proverbs 14:29).

    A foolish person has an attitude that they have all the answers.

    • “The way of fools seems right to them, but the wise listen to advice” (Proverbs 12:15).
    • “To answer before listening— that is folly and shame” (Proverbs 18:13).
    • “Do you see a person wise in their own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for them” (Proverbs 26:12).

    Ponder these descriptions and make some observations based on these standards. Remember, God alone is the righteous standard for what is wisdom and foolishness, and he ensures that we have access to this standard through the Holy Scriptures.

    A foolish person delights in doing evil. But “Wisdom will save you from the ways of wicked men….” (Proverbs 2:14).

    In Christ,

    Judy

    Chaplain’s Corner – God’s Right Hand

    Oct16

    “In his right hand he held seven stars” (Revelation 1:16).

    Can anything be more personal than holding or being held in someone’s hands? I used to sit with my grandmother in church and I loved to hold her hand, rubbing the wrinkled back and squeezing her fingers. Is there anything more precious than having a child place their hands in yours? It is such a gesture of love and trust.

    The opening passage is from Revelation, first chapter, where John is describing the vision of Christ. He writes in verses 12-16: “I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands, and among the lampstands was someone like a son of man dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest. The hair on his head was white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters. In his right hand he held seven stars, and coming out of his mouth was a sharp, double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance.”

    The seven stars are the representatives of the seven churches, possibly angels or church leaders. The point is that he is holding them in his right hand; in all his majesty and power, he is holding the representatives of the churches—in other words—all believers—in his right hand.

    There are many ways that God could choose to lead, guide, direct, and protect us. In His sovereignty, he can do anything anyway that he chooses. That he chooses to do so in such a loving personal way tells me how much he values me.

    The book of Genesis tells us that God spoke the world into existence, including the earth, sky, sun/moon/stars, plants, and animals. However, when he decided to create man, “the Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man because a living being (Genesis 2:7).

    David wrote in Psalm 139:9-10 “…if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.”

    And Jesus reassured us in John 10:28-29 “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.”

    Take some time today to rest in that fact. God has you in His loving hands and He will keep you there, no matter what.

    In Christ,

    Judy

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

    Chaplain’s Corner – Divided or Devoted?

    Oct9

    “Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord” (Joshua 24:15).

    Our God is unique in that He demands our 100% devoted, undivided affection. Every other “god” (if there is even truly such a thing), is dedicated to certain aspects of life. There were many Greek and Roman “gods,” one for everything of importance to those people (war, wine, agriculture, etc.). Many of the pagan nations of the Old Testament were happy to acknowledge our God; they just added Him to the pantheon of their Baals and Ashtoreths. And of course, in our day we are inclined to make idols or gods of many different things, all at the same time.

    The problem is it just does not work that way. Just because we make something a “god” does not mean that it has true power or even our best interests at heart. Think about it this way: Can you really trust a god that only has the power that you give it over your life? The one true God created us with a desire to worship, and He created us with a will to choose. The One True God makes it clear that when we choose to worship or serve any other god, it is the same as rejecting, or failing to choose, Him. Jesus also emphasizes this when he says, “Whoever is not with me is against me….” (Matthew 12:30).

    This principle is why God includes the prohibition of adultery as one of the Ten Commandments. To “love” or to seek another at any level when one has entered in marriage vows with our spouse is adultery. It is unfaithfulness. In marriage, we promise to cling to each other. You cannot cling to two different things, or you will be stretched in two compromising both sides. You cannot grab onto one thing without letting go of another. This is why God uses marriage to represent our relationship with Himself. This is why we call the Church the Bride of Christ.

    I love the language of “choose for yourselves this day.” I used to believe that it meant a once-for-all decision, and it does at the most fundamental level. When we trust Jesus as our Savior, he promises to never let us go. We are eternally secure. But “this day” also means today. We must continually choose to be faithful—in every thought, in every word, in every deed. Faithfulness is a moment-by-moment decision to love God with all our heart, mind, and strength.

    As humans, we will never be perfectly faithful; however, when we continually compromise our faith with our idols of the heart, our hearts can become hardened. Let this be our daily prayer “Search me O God and know my heart…see if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting” (Psalm 139:3-4). And let us be thankful for God’s grace and mercy and repent when we fall short: “Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, forbearance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance?” (Romans 2:4).

    In Christ,

    Judy

    Chaplain’s Corner – Your Responsibility

    Oct2

    “You yourselves have seen everything the Lord your God has done to all these nations for your sake; it was the Lord your God who fought for you. Remember how I have allotted as an inheritance for your tribes all the land of the nations that remain—the nations I conquered—between the Jordan and the Mediterranean Sea in the west. The Lord your God himself will push them out for your sake. He will drive them out before you, and you will take possession of their land, as the Lord your God promised you” (Joshua 23:3-5).

    The devotional last week related how God precisely allotted as a personal inheritance to the Israelites all the land between the Jordan and Mediterranean Sea. God himself drove out the inhabitants so that the Israelites could take possession of the Promised Land. But now what? What are the Israelites to do? Just because they have been given this land does not mean that they do not have responsibility. The precedent was set in the Garden of Eden. God planted the garden, and he created and placed Adam and Eve in it, and God gave them two responsibilities: 1. To increase and multiply (I don’t think I need to explain that one), and 2. To work the garden and take care of it.

    Now that the Israelites are settled in the Promised Land, they also continue to have some responsibilities:

    1. Remember.
    2. Take possession.

    Sadly, what we see in the book of Judges is their utter failure to do either:

    1. They did not remember. “After that whole generation had been gathered to their fathers, another generation grew up, who knew neither the Lord nor what he had done for Israel” (Judges 2:10).
    2. They did not take possession. “The Israelites lived among the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites. They took their daughters in marriage and gave their own daughters to their sons, and served their gods” (Judges 2:5-6).

    Do you see parallels between then and now? I certainly do. God called the Israelites to be holy, set apart, based on their religion, their worship of the one true God. And Peter reiterates this calling in the New Testament.

    • “Speak to the entire assembly of Israel and say to them: ‘Be holy because I, the Lord your God, am holy.” (Leviticus 19:2).
    • “Consecrate yourselves, therefore, and be holy, for I am the Lord your God” (Leviticus 20:7).
    • “You are to be holy to me because I, the Lord, am holy, and I have set you apart from the nations to be my own.” (Leviticus 20:26).
    • “…Since it is written, ‘You shall be holy, for I am holy’” (1 Peter 1:16).

    Instead, the Israelites slowly assimilated into the surrounding culture until they were intermarried and you could not even tell them apart from the non-Israelites. We in our own day and age have a fervent desire to fit in, to belong, so we compromise. And we rationalize about our compromising. And before long, no one can tell a Christian from a non-Christian. And worse, Christianity is “put-down” because it does look like the surrounding culture. I am guilty.

    As believers, we know what to do. We must steep ourselves in the Word of God so that we remember all the good things that God has done for us. We must steep ourselves in the Word of God so that we know what true wisdom is and how we should obey. We must pray to the Holy Spirit to strengthen us. We must confess our sins and repent. Confession is not repentance. True repentance is turning away from our sin and back to God.

    The real story of Judges, and of our time, is the love of God, the patience of God. It is true that his patience will one day end. In Judges, we see that “In his anger against Israel the LORD handed them over to raiders who plundered them” (Judges 2:14). In the book of Romans, we see Paul preaching “The wrath of god is being revealed from heaven against all godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth,” and many times he refers to God “giving them over to their sinful desires” (Romans 1:18:32).

    But when you really stop to think about this, we must wonder with awe why he has not taken this action already. Why, when we read all the stories of unfaithfulness, didn’t God just take them out and start all over. Why hasn’t he given up on us? In Deuteronomy, he promised blessings for obedience and curses for disobedience. Why have we not experienced the curse? In fact, why did he even tell us all these stories about failures?

    It is because in God’s gracious love for us, he desires to keep his promises to us. He wants to save us from our sins. He gives us ample warnings. And He, in his ultimate grace and mercy, constructed a way to uphold His righteous justice along with his unending grace by giving us his son Jesus to serve as the perfect role model of obedience, then to serve as the final perfect sacrifice for all our sins, and finally then to show us eternal life through his resurrection.

    One of the ways God shows his great love for us is through his patience. Let us not overlook this great gift. Let us not delay. “Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, forbearance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance?” (Romans 2:4).

    “Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whole land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord” (Joshua 24:15).

    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.