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TerryLema

Thanksgiving! Revised?

by TerryLema

Thanksgiving month has arrived. So grateful! I have so much in my life that is difficult, but I also have so much in my life for which to be thankful. And, of course, when I start to count my blessings, I find they far outweigh the trials.

This year inflation is hitting hard. I read that turkeys will cost 75 percent more this year than last. Gas prices are still way too high compared to last year, so traveling will cost more. I heard cranberries are in short supply. That doesn’t bother some people – and I already grabbed some I found in the store. They are waiting in the freezer for the day!

We might have to revisit the way we celebrate Thanksgiving this year, with what we cook, who we gather with, and what we do. It can still be, however, a day we offer thanks for all we have in this country, for all we have as the people of God.

God loves us. He has pledged His fidelity to us. We are His children. If we have nothing else for which to give thanks, we can thank Him for loving us and calling us to His side. Even when we walk through dark valleys, He is with us. (Psalm 23:4)

Thanksgiving is more than a holiday; it is more than a holiday-month. In Ephesians 5, there is a section in my Bible titled consistency in the Christian life. Part of that section reminds us that we are to “be filled by the Spirit: speaking to one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing and making music from your heart to the LORD, giving thanks always for everything to God the Father in the name of our LORD Jesus Christ.” [vs 18a-20 HCSB]

That sounds like every day to me!

Today: Thank you LORD for filling me with Your Spirit. May I sing and praise You with all my heart!

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Halloween

by TerryLema

It is Halloween. The last day of October. Tomorrow, we enter the month of Thanksgiving and soon it will be the Christmas month. The days are flying by, but I can’t say I am sad to see Halloween go. Just not a fan. My walk is so much more pleasant when the neighbors replace their dark decorations with the lights of Christmas (although in my neighborhood that may take several weeks or an entire month to accomplish).

The weather has finally turned to fall. We had a horribly hot summer, breaking all kinds of heat records even in the month of September. The warm temperatures lasted into October. Even the trees held on to their green leaves weeks longer than normal. But finally, the fall has arrived and with it the brilliant colors as the leaves turn from green to reds, oranges, and yellows.

I love fall. I love sweatshirts and sweaters. I love walking in the afternoon, rather than trying to get out early in the morning before the heat descends. I love the early nightfall, rather than the sun finally setting at 11 PM. I look forward to the change back to normal time, with more light in the mornings.

But that is me. So many others are bemoaning the coming winter months and lack of sunshine and warmth. They love the spring and summer and hate to see it depart in the fall.

Isn’t God gracious? We each have a season to savor.  And while it may depart and give way to one that we are not fond of, we know it will be back.  My beloved fall will give way to winter (my second favorite season). Then winter will yield to spring, and summer will come again. For now, I will enjoy my favorite time of year, my favorite season.

Today: Thank you LORD, that each of us are given a “favorite time of year,” to enjoy the beauty and wonder of Your creation, and to praise our Creator.

 

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I Will Praise!

by TerryLema

Last Sunday in church the worship team was singing “I’ll Raise a Hallelujah.” I love the chorus. “I’m going to sing in the middle of the storm, louder and louder you’re going to hear my praises roar. Up from the ashes, hope will arise, death is defeated, the King is alive!”

As we were singing, I heard the King say: “The world wants to keep you silent. Circumstance and difficulties seek to drown out your praise. It is only by an act of your will that you will praise God.”

I listened in the congregation and heard a few praises, but I don’t think I heard any that roared! I am not sure mine did either! When I looked in my Bible this morning, I found almost 50 instances in Psalms alone that say, “I will praise ….”

Praise is an act of the will.  I WILL praise. I WILL praise the LORD in the congregation. I Will praise the LORD in the silence. I Will praise the LORD forever. I WILL praise the LORD among the nations.

It does not matter if we like music, or whether we like the music we have. It does not matter if we are alone or if we are in the great congregation. It does not matter if we “feel exalted,” or if we “feel pressed down.” As believers we are to put forth our will to praise our Lord and Savior.

David tells us why. “You turned my lament (I was lost) into dancing (I am saved!); You removed my sackcloth (my sin, shame, and guilt are gone) and clothed me with gladness (the righteousness of Christ), so that I can sing to You and not be silent. Lord my God, I Will praise You forever.” [Psalm 30:11-12 HCSB, paraphrased]

Today: Lord, I will praise You with all my might for all You have done for me!

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Really, I Need a Sign?

by TerryLema

I opened my newsfeed the other morning after I had posted my devotions. The caption on one of the articles caught my attention. It read: “Undeniably True Signs You Are Getting Old.”

I just had to open that article. It turned out to be a slideshow with amusing thoughts, such as “you’re given the senior discount on sight,” “you take much longer to get up,” “you actually know what probiotics are,” “you forget at least one thing every day,” and other funny signs.

My first thought was that I no longer need a “sign” to tell me I am getting old. (Life itself is a sign.) My second thought was about what one of the other slides said, “you become more spiritual.”

When I was younger, a group of ladies from the church went to a convalescent hospital every Friday morning. My mom played the piano, and I played the organ. We had a sing-along of songs from when the residents were young, and then transitioned to Christian hymns and a small message about how much God loved them.

We would also ask them if they wanted prayer. Most of the time, almost all of the time, those who wanted prayer were already Christians. They were at the end of a life that had revolved around the LORD.

The hospital administrator (a Christian) told us that seldom did she see anyone turning to Christ at this stage of life. They came to our meetings on Friday because they liked the old songs from their youth, not because of the Christian message.

It reminded me of how important it is to introduce our children to Jesus at a very early age.  Proverbs 22:6 is so true, “Teach a youth about the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.” [HCSB]

Today: I am thankful for churches who make children’s and youth ministries a priority. Thank you for every teacher and helper who gives of themselves to bring little ones to Jesus.

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Dire Threats!

by TerryLema

The mid-term elections are around the corner. If you have not noticed, both sides of the aisles are issuing dire predictions about what will happen if the other side wins. Both sides claim they are focused on differing issues, claiming their issues are the most important and that is why we need to vote for them.

From what I have observed, I think the only issue is power. I read a statement that once elected to a position of power, the only goal going forward is to get re-elected.

Earthly leaders want power, dominance, authority to put forth their own agendas and ideas. Yet in contrast to our Blessed LORD, even the most powerful have no real power.

“The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn [preeminent] over all creation. For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy.” [Colossians 1:15-18 HCSB]

And this Blessed LORD we serve was willing to not demand His own agenda but do the will of the Father and die for us.

“For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross. Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation….” [Colossians 1:19-22 HCSB]

Today: Thank you LORD that I live in a country which gives me the right to cast my vote, but never let me forget who has the real power and authority! Let me honor You in all I do.

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Frustrations!

by TerryLema

I cannot remember where I read it, but I recently came across a thought-provoking statement … “even our blessings have complications.”

I am so blessed to have the opportunity to write my thoughts about our LORD and our walk with Him. It gives me such pleasure to publish them daily.

I started by just emailing devotions to people who requested that. Then I was given a blessing of finances to set up a website, TerrysDevotions.com, where I publish daily. The third way is my Pastor Terry Lema Facebook page. It is a public page that anyone can see.

Recently, Facebook made some changes in how I add a devotion/picture. If they sent me a notice that they were doing that, I missed it. When I went out to post, it would not let me add anything. I tried everything, logging out, changing my password, using a different browser, but nothing worked. After several hours I was so frustrated I could have “spit nails!”

In the afternoon, I tried again and found a little notice that told me to go to my Meta Business Suite. (Honestly, I didn’t know I had a Meta Business Suite). There I found a new way to post my devotion and add a picture. I was still frustrated but getting less so.

Sometimes even our blessings have complications. Sometimes even our blessings leave us frustrated. So, guess what my Verse-of-the-Day was today?  “He restores my soul.” [Psalm 23:3]

Today: Thank you LORD that when I am frustrated amid so many complications in life (some even in my blessings), You come and You restore.

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Everyone Else!

by TerryLema

Ah, we have come to the last obligation found in 1Thessalonians 5:14: “And we exhort you, brothers: warn those who are irresponsible, comfort the discouraged, help the weak, be patient with everyone.” [5:14 HCSB]

That last command is pretty all-purpose. “Be patient with everyone.”

I think Paul left it for last because he knows a lot about the attitudes of people who might excuse themselves from the first three commands.  We may claim to not know anyone who is irresponsible, discouraged, or weak … but we all know an “everyone.”

The person who is “patient with everyone” is one who is even-tempered and slow to anger. We may need that trait abundantly when we deal with the idle, timid, or weak. We may need that trait abundantly when we deal with unbelievers.

Perhaps we need it most abundantly when we deal with believers who provoke discontent in the church through their thoughtless or even intentionally hurtful acts. We all have run across those believers who are harsh or judgmental.

It is so much easier to have patience with people who are struggling in the circumstances of life. It is far harder to have patience with people we do not particularly like or who do not particularly like us! Yet, we all know those people exist both in and out of the church.

Paul does not leave us with much of an excuse … we are to “be patient with everyone.”

Today: Thank you LORD for giving me the opportunity to exercise patience with everyone, just as You exercise so much patience with me.

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The Weak

by TerryLema

I am in 1Thessalonians 5:14: “And we exhort you, brothers: warn those who are irresponsible, comfort the discouraged, help the weak, be patient with everyone.” [5:14 HCSB]

Four commands are given by Paul in that one little verse. We are to warn or admonish (counsel, exhort) those who are irresponsible in their faith. We are to comfort those who are discouraged.

The third command is that we are to help the weak.  Paul gave a similar command in Romans 15:1: “We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves.  Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up.” [HCSB]

The strong in faith are responsible (we have an obligation) to support those who are weak.  Paul does not tell us what that weakness was in Thessalonica. Perhaps people were shrinking from the persecution and opposition so prevalent in that time. Maybe they were giving in to temptation or perhaps they needed to exercise their full Christian liberty.

Whatever the weakness was, Paul is firm about the obligation that we have to look out for our neighbors, to put their good before pleasing ourselves.

And if we are honest with ourselves, every one of us is probably “weak” in some area compared to others. When my weakness is voicing its dominance, I need the aid of others who are strong in that area to help. When I am strong in a particular area and another is weak, I need to put aside everything and build up my brother or sister.

Today, thank you LORD, that we are not in this battle alone. Thank you for providing the experiences in other’s lives to benefit us when we are struggling.

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The Irresponsible!

by TerryLema

I have been studying that one little verse at the end of 1Thessalonians. “And we exhort you, brothers: warn those who are irresponsible, comfort the discouraged, help the weak, be patient with everyone.” [5:14 HCSB]

I started looking into that verse when I was a bit discouraged about the path my two auto-immune diseases were taking. It was that second command in the verse, “comfort the discouraged,” which drew me to it.

But then I looked at the other three commands. The first one is “warn those who are irresponsible.”

Irresponsible, or unruly as other versions render it, is ataktos. It means out of order or out of line. Paul is identifying those who refuse to observe God’s guidelines and live in faith.

Christians are given an injunction to warn (or admonish as some translations render the word) those who are idle or disorderly in their conduct. The order to warn or admonish was not given just to leaders but applies to all “the brethren.”

The church at Thessalonica faced a lot of opposition, both from the Jews and the Gentiles. They were vulnerable to threats of stoning, beatings, torture and even death. It would take all of them together to weather the storms that came against them.

While we, as believers in our culture, may not be vulnerable to those same kinds of threats, we do face opposition. It is imperative that we look out for each other and when we see one acting irresponsible in the faith, we should warn them – not harshly or from a judgmental spirit – but in love and with a big load of grace. (Remember: God always deals with us in love, giving us an example of how we are to approach others.)

Today: Thank you LORD for those who look out for other Christians. Give us a willingness to love and act in grace toward those who are irresponsible or out of line.

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Comfort

by TerryLema

As I wrote yesterday about the discouragement of having symptoms return from the two auto-immune diseases I battle, I thought more about the Scripture from 1Thessalonians 5:14. The entire verse reads:

“And we exhort you, brothers: warn those who are irresponsible, comfort the discouraged, help the weak, be patient with everyone.” [HCSB]

Comfort the discouraged. Some translations use “encourage” instead of comfort.

For Comfort/Encourage the word is paramutheomai. It comes from two words that mean “Close beside” and “soothing speaking.”  It is comforting that shows sympathy (encouragement), cheering someone up by soothing speech with a personal touch.

It does not mean pumping someone up by false cheerleading! And yet, how often is that the way we interpret encourage. We say, “it’s gonna get better,” or “This too shall pass,” or we throw Scriptures at a person. We may get them revved up for a while, but I guarantee that discouragement will find its way back.

I associate the word “comfort” with a hug (that close beside part of the word), and with a quietness that springs from a gentle and peaceful spirit (that soothing speaking part of the word).

When I am disheartened or discouraged, I just want someone to put their arms around me, pray for me, tell me they love me. I know they usually cannot change my situation, but to know that someone is there for me when I need to reach out brings a deep peace of spirit.

Today: I am thankful for the hugs of fellow believers and their soft words of love.

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