TerryLema

This is one of my favorite days of the year – Halloween with its ugliness is behind us and what lies ahead is Thanksgiving and the hope found in the Christmas season. Thanksgiving and Hope. It is a dark world indeed if we have nothing for which to be thankful, and without hope, we are simply lost.

Two things I have learned in life. One, that thanksgiving … giving thanks in all circumstances … is to be celebrated daily. It is not reserved for one specific Thursday in November. It is to be an attitude that permeates every part of life, what we might consider good and what we might consider bad.  We have no idea when we are in the middle of situations what good God will produce from them. We simply trust that our God can work all things out to our good and we are thankful that He can!

Two, I’ve learned that Christmas hope is also to be celebrated daily. It is not reserved for December 25. It is more than celebrating Jesus’ birthday. To me it doesn’t matter what date Jesus was actually born, the hope that derives from His birth transcends a “date.”

The hope I find in Christmas leads to the cross. The cross leads to the resurrection. The resurrection leads to His ascension to the Right Hand of God and His exaltation as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. And in that hope, I find my salvation. My sin is gone. I have been made alive in Christ Jesus. I have been filled with His righteousness. I sit in the heavenly realms in Him now and will be with Him for all eternity. That’s everyday hope that carries me through life and into eternity.

Thanksgiving for each day. Hope for each day. Christ Jesus for each day. The love of the Father for each day. The power of the Holy Spirit for each day. That’s the way to live each day.

Today is the last ugly day (Halloween). Tomorrow I’ll wake up to Thanksgiving and Christmas seasons! Halloween will be behind me instead of in front!

I think today is a Psalm 100 kind of day, a day when we should be reminded once again to be a thankful people. And Psalm 100 says it so well for us!  Grab a Bible and read along with me. (I am reading out of the Holman Christian Standard Bible.)

^{Vs 1} SHOUT triumphantly to the Lord, all the earth.
^{Vs 2} SERVE the Lord with gladness; COME before Him with joyful songs.
^{Vs 3} ACKNOWLEDGE that Yahweh is God. He made us, and we are His — His people, the sheep of His pasture.
^{Vs 4} ENTER His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise. GIVE thanks to Him and PRAISE His name.
^{Vs 5} For Yahweh is good, and His love is eternal; His faithfulness endures through all generations.

As you read with me, did you notice that thanksgiving is about both words and actions? Shout. Serve. Come. Acknowledge. Enter. Give. Praise.

We do this because our LORD is good.

We do this because His love is eternal.

We do this because His faithfulness endures.

We do this because He created us to do this.

Amen&Amen

Decades have passed since I was in college, but I still remember an English professor from my creative writing class. We were given many writing assignments in that class, and I often wrote mine from a Christian perspective. She liked my writing; she did not like my Christianity. I got “A’s” but often delivered with a frown.

One day I was the last to leave the class and she invited me to spend a few minutes with her. She openly acknowledged she did not respond well to Christians. When I asked her why, she gave me the “lumped together” reason. I am sure you have also heard similar reasoning—those misguided souls who will get in your face and “remind” you that the KKK were Christians, Hitler was a Christian, etc.

I told her that it is not what I “claim to be” that matters, I can claim to be Chinese, but I am not by birth, ethnicity, or citizenship. That reasoning holds truth for Christianity. It is not what we “claim,” it is who “claims” us. “So the one who boasts must boast in the Lord. For it is not the one commending himself who is approved, but the one the Lord commends.”  [2 Corinthians 10:17-18 HCSB]

My Christianity is true only and if the LORD, who alone can read hearts, says it is true. I can apply the title, but if I do not walk as worthy of Christ Jesus my LORD, then I will not be approved, nor commended by Him. In fact, I will be judged by Him!

My life, in action as well as words must reflect the life of my Savior. Will I fail at that sometimes? Of course. But then my life must reflect godly sorrow and repentance and the obtaining of His forgiveness.

No one likes to be lumped together with those who falsely claim to be what they are not. We must remember always that it is not those who call themselves Christian–yet act like anything but–who truly are Christian. Christians are those who hav surrendered their lives and seek to speak, act, honor and reflect the attitudes and actions of Christ Jesus, their Savior and LORD. Amen&Amen

I’ve heard so many people utter the phrase, “I hate change.” That always amuses me. We live in a world that is nothing but change. And while we may dislike some changes, there are also changes that we embrace. I like the changing seasons. I like the change that brings more light in the morning than in the evening. Everything around us changes, moment by moment, light to dark and back again. Even the hairs of our heads are changing moment by moment (a good thing if you’ve ever had a bad haircut).

Change simply means something gets better or worse or different. When we surrender to Christ Jesus, we are to change … for the better. That’s called sanctification. We are to become increasingly more like our Savior. Thankfully, the Holy Spirit in us makes that possible.

While I like the idea of change for many things in life, I am grounded on the truth that our God NEVER changes. He said to Malachi, “I am the Lord, I change not.” [3:6]

God is perfect, immutable, He changes not. He cannot grow better because He’s perfect. He cannot grow worse because He’s perfect. He cannot be different than what He is … because He’s perfect!

 That attribute of immutability is the basis for His faithfulness. He is ever faithful because He changes not. I can trust that the God who rescued me from the degradation of sin in 1973 is the same God who continues to walk with me today. He promised in 1973 to finish what He started and I see Him at work in my life every day doing just that! The God who brought me into His family as His child in 1973 is the same One who will embrace me as His daughter when I enter His presence in eternity.

I can trust Him because He-NEVER-Changes!  Hallelujah!

“Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think …” [Ephesians 3:20 NKJV]

“Wow!” Read that again. God is “able.” Double Wow!

He is able “to do exceedingly abundantly above all.”  Glory!

He is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all “that we ask or think.”  Are you rejoicing yet?

I have read that verse probably hundreds of times and still it floods my soul with such amazement. God is able to do exceedingly abundantly (immeasurably more, infinitely more) than what I might ask or even think about or imagine.

There are times when I don’t ask God for something because I think it might be too much to ask. Yet this verse tells me that there is never too much to approach God with as long as we stay within His stated will in His Word.

I guess that raises the question, are we asking enough from our Father God who tells His children to come to Him and present their requests? Are we asking for healing from the one whose “stripes we are healed?” Are we asking for provision for our daily needs? Are we asking for spiritual growth from the One who promised to send the Comforter to lead us and guide us into all truth? Have we perhaps decided that God is “not able” even though His Word says otherwise?

As I read this verse again this morning, I’ve decided to get bolder in my prayers and requests to Him. I want to see all that God can do in His amazing glory and power. I want to see Him work in me, through me, for me, with me. I want to see miracles that give evidence of our testimony to the world that in any and every situation our “God is able … exceedingly, abundantly, immeasurably, infinitely able.”  Amen & Amen!

“I will praise You, O LORD, with my whole heart; I will tell of all Your marvelous works. I will be glad and rejoice in You; I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High.” [Psalm 9:1-2 NKJV]

Notice that those two words … I will … are so prevalent in the first two verses of Psalm 9. I will praise. I will tell. I will be glad. I will rejoice. I will sing.

We have so much for which to praise our God. When He called us to Himself and saved us, He gave us enough to praise and rejoice in Him for all eternity. But then our God gave even more. He gave us the righteousness of Christ Jesus our Lord. He gave us the right to be called His children – God’s children!  He gave us the opportunity to tell others about Him. Now we are to praise and tell and rejoice, be glad and sing about all that the LORD has done.

To be silent amid all that God has done for us is to be ungrateful. When we refuse or neglect our praise of God, we essentially harm ourselves. God may be saddened by the lack of gratitude He sees in His children, but He is not harmed by it. We alone suffer when we refuse to praise God for praise is a means to spiritual growth and health.

Praise lifts our burdens, invigorates our hopes. Praise will add to our faith and give us the incentive to be all we can be for the glory of God.

When others see us praise in every and all circumstance, it also benefits their spiritual walk. I have been strengthened when I see other saints walking through difficulties with praise on their lips and joy in their hearts. I know I can follow their examples.

So, let’s shore up our determination today to praise our God. I will praise. Yes, I will. Amen&Amen

Profit and Loss. In our society many people live by the concept of Assets and Liabilities, Profit and Loss. When the stock market and economy are flourishing and money is pouring in, they are excited. When the stock market and economy are in danger of recession or even depression, they become anxious. Greed and envy often drive their actions, trampling others in their eagerness for gain. Big corporations and small companies live by profit and loss.

But then I guess that we too will live by profit and loss if we follow the example set by the Apostle Paul.

 “Whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ-the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith.” [Philippians 3:7-9]

Paul’s idea of profit and loss is far different from the world’s viewpoint. Paul looked at all the things he had gained in his life by his own strength and ability and through his heritage and position. He was a true Hebrew-speaking Jew from the tribe of Benjamin. He was a ruling member of the most devout and stringent political/religious party – a Pharisee. He was educated by the great Rabbi Gamaliel. When the world looked at Paul, they put every one of those things in his profit column.

Then Paul met Christ Jesus, and, in that meeting, Paul found what true profit was. He went back to his profit column, saw all those self-made gains, and moved them all to his loss column. Then he put one thing in his profit column, the name “Jesus.” Everything else was a loss compared to the “surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus.”

Now, as believers, we follow the example of Paul. The things of this world are no longer what we strive for, some are necessary and useful, yes, but they are not our profit. Like Paul, there is only one thing in our profit column, the name “Jesus.”  That is our glorious profit – to be found in Christ Jesus.  Amen&Amen.

“But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.” [John 14:26 KJV]

That’s a promise of Jesus. Some of the other translations replace “Comforter” with “Helper,” or “Counsellor.” The Greek is parakletos and means an intercessor, consoler, advocate, or comforter.

I think I like the translation “Comforter” the best. So often I need comfort. I need to feel the loving arms of God around me and know that I am protected, secure, and loved in His care.

We walk in a dark, often evil world. It is not always a safe or delightful place to be. Loss often accompanies our walk here. Loss of loved ones, relationships, financial security, health … the list of losses is endless and personal to each one of us. Sometimes it is difficult to simply get out of bed in the morning knowing what the day is going to bring.

“But the Comforter .…” God’s Spirit is always with us. He never leaves. Never departs or ignores or neglects. And I know that it is especially during those difficult times that I need Him most to be my Comforter.

I need Him to teach me and remind me of the words of my Savior, Christ Jesus. Words that say that I have not just a present with Him here on earth, but a future where every tear and pain and distress and grief will be wiped away.

Oh, yes, how I love that word “Comforter.” Amen&Amen

Halloween is a week away. Thanksgiving one more month. Christmas about a month after that. I guess everyone has already bought what they want for Halloween, and except for some candy displays and a few meager children’s costumes left on the shelves, Christmas decorations have taken over. Christmas. The crazy season has begun.

What was on my mind this morning, however, wasn’t Christmas. It was the cross. “And [Jesus] bearing His cross, went out to a place called the Place of a Skull, which is called in Hebrew, Golgotha, where they crucified Him.” [John 19:17-18 NKJV]

Almighty God. The Great I AM. Yeshua. The Son of God. The Sinless One. Bearing the weight of HIS cross. Bearing the weight of OUR cross. Went out to a place. There THEY crucified Him. There WE crucified Him. Because it was for us that He went. For all of us. For each one of us He went. And because He went, we can come.

We all come to the same place. We all come in the same way. In surrender and sorrow. None of us stand proudly before the cross. None of us has more to bring than others. None of us is worthy of being there.

We come on our knees. We come with heads bowed. We come with hearts broken. We come knowing we have nothing to bring. Nothing to boast about. Nothing to offer.

And He looks down from that cross. Down from the Place of a Skull. Down from Golgotha. And He says, “Welcome.”

Oh, sweet Jesus, He says, “Welcome”

Someone asked me recently about faith and if my faith was “strong enough” to accomplish what God wants in me. The Bible speaks a great deal about faith, about Saving Faith, about the Gift of Faith resident in the Holy Spirit. Perhaps the faith we are most familiar with is our day-to-day faith we exercise as Christians. I think this is the “faith” they were referring to.

Jude calls it our Most Holy Faith. “Dear friends, build yourselves up in your most holy faith and pray in the Holy Spirit. Keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life.” [Jude 20-21]

This is faith that grows. It is supposed to become stronger and grow bigger, especially as we see God working in our lives through every trial, tribulation, problem, and test. As we experience the love of the Father, as we see every promise a “yes” in Christ Jesus, our faith becomes solid and sure.

Jude reminds us that part of that “build” comes when we pray according to the direction and desires of the Holy Spirit as He will always lead us higher and deeper into Christ Jesus. We are also to “keep [ourselves] in God’s love.” I found that command quite interesting. That word for “keep” means to watch and guard against loss or injury by keeping our eyes upon something.

I know that our Father God, who called us, is able to secure us. He will never leave us nor forsake us. But I also know that we can lose our perception of the Presence of God in our life. We can flounder around in our doubts and denials. We can let our emotions drive us so that we begin to focus on the wrong things instead of keeping our vision solidly on our Father’s love.

God has His part in “keeping” us. We also have a part … and that is to “keep” our vision upon Him and Him only. Amen&Amen