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TerryLema

Back to Wholeness

by TerryLema

Day before yesterday, I wrote about the command of God in both the Old and New Testament to “Be holy for I am holy.”  

Holiness has another meaning, not just “wholly other/wholly above” as God is, and “wholly set apart” as we are, but “wholeness.” It means to be completely healthy. We see this expressed by our Savior in Luke’s Gospel when Jesus met up with the ten lepers in Chapter 17. Luke tells as that as Jesus traveled along the border between Samaria and Galilee, He was approached by ten men who had leprosy. They called out to Him, “Jesus, Master, have mercy (pity) on us!”

Jesus’ response was to tell them to do what the Scriptures outlined, go show themselves to the priests to have their leprosy evaluated. Along the way all were “cleansed” or “made clean.” When one of the lepers saw that he was healed, he did an about-face and headed back to Jesus. There he began to shout praises to God and threw himself at Jesus’ feet thanking Him.

This amazed Jesus, first because he was the only one who returned when all ten were healed, and secondly because he was a Samaritan, one considered an outcast by the Jews. Jesus’ response, “Get up and go on your way. Your faith has made you well.”  [v 19 Christian Standard Bible]

The word Luke employed and often translated as “well” is sozo (sode’-zo), and the King James translates it as “whole.” It means to be or make whole. Wholeness. No longer broken apart or fragmented by sin and guilt. No long torn asunder by failure, addictions, bondages, perversions, or oppression. All our pieces are brought together and re-created into a whole, new, creation.

Jesus not only cleanses and heals, He brings holiness, “wholeness,” to those who come to Him by faith. Praise His Holy Name. Amen and Amen.

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Football & Fellowship

by TerryLema

This morning I am taking Bob, picking up our son Dan in Boise, and dropping them off at the airport. They are headed to Phoenix Airport, then to Glendale, Arizona. Our grandson plays football at Arizona Christian University (ACU) and Dan is taking his dad to a game.

It will be a fast turnaround. The game is tonight, and they will return tomorrow afternoon. I am sure Bob will be exhausted. But he will also be happy. He has wanted to go to an ACU game since Marcus got a scholarship to attend and play. The greatest joys in our life are the things done with the ones we love.

Although he won’t admit it, Bob is also a bit nervous about this trip. He has not flown anywhere in a lot of years, and he is not as robust at 82 as he was the last time he took a plane trip.  I keep reminding him to just let his son help him. Dan is young and strong, and he has everything planned out, the flight, the rental car, the hotel. He has even been to a game at ACU before, so he knows everything about the college, parking, the stands, etc.

I keep saying, “just let Dan guide you, he knows the way and what he is doing.”

Which reminds me!

Every night before I go to bed, I rest my soul in Psalm 23. Verse 3 promises that “He leads me in paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.”

I need never be nervous about where I am headed. The LORD knows the way. He promises to lead me correctly (in paths of righteousness).  I am always reassured by the power of His Spirit in me that “nothing takes God by surprise” in my life – even my own willfulness and dumb mistakes.

Bob can trust Dan to lead him and guide him through this weekend and bring him home on Sunday evening. I can trust my Father in glory to lead and guide me through this life and bring me safely home to Him one day. Amen.

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Be Holy

by TerryLema

“Be holy for I am holy.”  That is the command of our God in both the Old Testament and the New Testament, but that also raises questions.  If we are to be holy, what exactly is holiness? Is our holiness and God’s holiness the same or is it different? And of course, the ageless question, how exactly do we achieve this holiness to which we are called?

We probably should begin with God’s holiness.  “… for I am holy.”  When we speak of God as holy, we are saying he is “wholly other” or “wholly above.” God is unlike any other being, He is absolute perfection. There is not even a microscopic trace of anything other than perfection in Him. He is high above all others, no one compares to Him. Every other attribute is governed by His Holiness—holy mercy, holy grace, holy love, holy wrath. We can’t even grasp that kind of holiness, let alone achieve it.

So what kind of holiness is God indicating for us when he says, “Be holy ….”  We certainly can’t be “wholly other” or “wholly above.” For us, holiness may be defined as “wholly apart.” When God called Israel out of Egypt, he set them apart from other nations. He gave them specific instructions to govern their lives so that the world would know that they belonged to Him.

When Peter repeated the command regarding holiness in the New Testament (1 Peter 1:16), he talked specifically to believers and indicated that we needed to be set apart from the world. We are to be governed by God’s standards not the world’s or our own. Holiness calls us to be distinct, “wholly apart,” not perfect.

That leaves the last question. How do we achieve this holiness to which we are called? That can only come from a right relationship with God through the work of Jesus Christ our Savior. We cannot achieve holiness through our own efforts. To try to be holy without first being born-again in Christ Jesus is to descend into legalism, not the freedom found in Christ. Remember what Paul wrote to the Ephesians? “God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus.” [Eph 2:6 NIV]

Seated with Christ Jesus in the heavenly realm is truly “wholly apart” from the world. As we learn to live in that, we can truly “be holy for I am holy.”

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The Song of Our Soul

by TerryLema

Psalm 19 is one of my favorite psalms. David takes us to creation and shows how God speaks to everyone every day across this world. Then David turns his attention to the way God speaks to us in Scripture. Finally, he turns his attention to our hearts and applies the revelation of God to them.  It is the final verse of this song that always makes me think.

Ps 19:14: “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.” 

If there is a prayer that should be on the lips of every believer every day, it is this one. As we pray it, it reminds us that it is the meditations we allow in our hearts that will affect all the words that flow from our mouths (or our keyboards!)  It urges us to affirm that those meditations are pleasing to our LORD, our Rock/Strength, our Redeemer.

Jesus echoed David’s thoughts in Luke 6:45: “A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.” [NKJV]

One other thought on this daily prayer. The word “meditate” carries the image of a musician plucking the strings of a harp.  In other words, meditation is the music of the soul. 

What song is your soul singing this morning?

 

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I Love Teachers!

by TerryLema

I had a long talk with a teacher the other day (not our sweet Pastor Laura). Up front I need to say, teachers have a special place in my heart. I know three things about teachers.

First, teachers have the second most important and difficult job in society. (The first? Parenting).

Second, teachers don’t get paid what they are worth. Many begin teaching in debt with student loans from the years of college required and their beginning salary is a mere pittance. They usually must set up their classrooms out of their own pockets and often they supply what students need from their own resources.

The third thing I know about teachers … they love to teach. They must, otherwise they’d take their education and find much better paying jobs. Yes, I love teachers. I think they should get the big bucks.

Jesus was a great teacher. He, the Son of God, came for a specific purpose, to bridge the gap caused when mankind sinned and rebelled against its Creator. He died and rose to save us. But, Jesus also loved to teach. Read the Gospels and notice how often it says, “He opened His mouth and taught them.” [Matt 5:1-2 NKJV]

Not only did Jesus teach, He passed the job of teaching on to His disciples, to us, “Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, ‘All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.  Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.’” [Matt 28:18-20 NKJV]

Father, give us the heart of a teacher so that we might teach others of the love You have for us, the salvation that is available, and the duty of a grateful heart.

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Simple Joys

by TerryLema

I remember driving to church one Sunday morning and seeing an old man on one of the side streets behind the church. He was barefoot, shirtless, wearing only a pair of pants that stopped mid-calf.  He was leaning on a cane. What made me curious about him was that he was carrying a frisbee. You don’t often see old men leaning on canes carrying frisbees.

Then I noticed there was someone else in the picture … a black and white furball that came running around the corner, bouncing up and down urging the old man to throw the frisbee. Leaning on his cane, the old man reared back and threw the frisbee down the side street. With great joy, the dog sped after it. It seemed this was a familiar routine for both.  Watching them made me smile. I thought of the joy that can be found in the most simple of pleasures.

“Lord, you are my portion and my cup of blessing, you hold my future. The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places: indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance …. You reveal the path of life to me, in your presence is abundant joy, at your right hand are eternal pleasures.” [Psalm 16:5, 11 HCSB]

Across my almost 76 years, I have experienced trials, just like most of us. Yet, despite trials, my life has been resplendent with pleasures. The greatest of these have been the simple ones, and perhaps none so great as simply experiencing the presence of the LORD amid the trials. There were times when I felt as if God had pulled me onto His great lap and hugged me, wiping away my tears and softly whispering that He was with me and always would be.

And to know that the “lines have fallen for me in pleasant places,” that God has given me salvation and a promised inheritance is the best pleasure of all.

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Warning Labels

by TerryLema

Ever read warning labels, especially those on small appliances?  I remember reading a warning label on an iron I had purchased. It said something along the lines of “do not iron clothes while wearing them.” I laughed and thought who would be dumb enough to iron their clothes while they were wearing them?

Then a co-worker came in one morning with a burn on her leg.  I asked her about it, she blushed, said she got it when she tried to iron out a wrinkle on her skirt. She explained that while she pulled the skirt away from her leg, she didn’t realize that the steam would go through the material and burn her.

Now this was an intelligent woman, who later went on to become an ICU nurse. I told her that, finally, I met someone for whom warning labels were written. Actually I know lots of people for whom warning labels are written!

Psalm 19 is a song of David. Right in the middle of the psalm, David remarks about the perfection of the law of the LORD, the testimony of the LORD that makes those who heed it wise, the statutes of the LORD that bring rejoicing, the commandment of the LORD that brings illumination, the fear of the LORD which endures forever and the judgments of the LORD that are true and righteous.  He adds that they are to be desired more than the finest gold and that they are sweeter than honey.

Then he adds the warning label in verse 11: “By them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward.” 

God has put forth his law, statues, commandments, and judgments. He has given His testimony in both nature and the written word. To heed them (the fear of the LORD) brings a great reward. While not overtly stated, David reminds us that to ignore or reject them will bring a far different outcome.

Father, may your testimony enlighten us, and your commandments bring rejoicing. Amen!

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Blessed!

by TerryLema

Sunday, September 18, was a wonderful day. I was blessed beyond measure. Two women in the church, Beth on piano and Lou on flute played my favorite hymn after song service. They said they had a “special request.”

That “special request” was from me. In all the years I have been in church, almost 50 now, I have never heard my favorite hymn sung. Honestly, I do not even remember when I first came across it.  It was in the hymnal at church as I was lazily going from one hymn to another practicing on the organ one day. It touched my heart so deeply then and has gone deeper and deeper as the years progressed.

These two wonderful women knew I loved this song, and they practiced it for weeks in secret. I am rarely surprised, but I sure was that morning. I cried throughout the day as I remembered their loving blessing.

The hymn is “My Jesus, I Love Thee.”  These are the words that touch my heart so ….

“My Jesus, I love Thee, I know Thou art mine; For Thee all the follies of sin I resign; My gracious Redeemer, my Savior art Thou; If ever I loved Thee, my Jesus, ’tis now.

 “I love Thee because Thou hast first loved me, And purchased my pardon on Calvary’s tree; I love Thee for wearing the thorns on Thy brow; If ever I loved Thee, my Jesus, ’tis now.

 “I’ll love Thee in life, I will love Thee in death, And praise Thee as long as Thou lendest me breath; And say when the death dew lies cold on my brow, If ever I loved Thee, my Jesus, ’tis now.

 “In mansions of glory and endless delight, I’ll ever adore Thee in heaven so bright; I’ll sing with the glittering crown on my brow, If ever I loved Thee, my Jesus, ’tis now.”

Yes, LORD. If ever I loved Thee, my Jesus, ‘tis now.

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Two Women

by TerryLema

Elizabeth II, Queen of England. Born April 21, 1926, Died September 8, 2022. Mother of four, grandmother, great grandmother. Served as Britain’s longest reigning monarch, 70 years.

Wanda, resident of Middleton Idaho. Born February 21, 1943. Died August 30, 2022. Mother of five, grandmother, great grandmother. Loved to sew, collect recipes, and read her Bible.

From what I have read, Elizabeth II, loved the LORD. She said in her Christmas message at the age of 90, “At Christmas, our attention is drawn to the birth of a baby. Billions of people now follow his teaching and find in him the guiding light for their lives. I am one of them.”

From what I know of Wanda, she loved the LORD Christ Jesus with all her heart and soul. She lived her life as a disciple of Christ and never wavered in her faith.

A few days ago, much of the world watched the pomp as Great Britain celebrated the life of Elizabeth II. Crowds lined the streets for days and thousands waited hours in the rain just to walk past her casket.

Today, in Idaho, we will celebrate the life of Wanda. It will be a simple service, filled with love and laughter and tears.

Two women. Far different backgrounds. Far different lives. Yet … YET … as Elizabeth II and our sweet Wanda entered into the presence of their LORD, just a few days apart, both were greeted the equally. “Welcome home, precious child of God.”

We all come to the cross the same way, declaring our need for God, our inability to save our own souls. There is no rank. There is no special status. There is no respecter of persons.

I am pretty sure both Elizabeth II and sweet Wanda received the same praise, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” [Matthew 25:23]

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Continuing On

by TerryLema

A couple Sunday’s ago I walked into church carrying my Bible and a new notebook. I had been filling up the blank pages in my church Bible and now needed a notebook to continue recording what I hear on Sundays.

I started taking notes on Sunday mornings when I first was saved at the ripe old age of 26 (nearly 50 years ago). While I put that habit aside when I pastored, I have picked it back up again since retiring.

I have been blessed with a God-given hunger to know the LORD and the Scriptures. That hunger has led me to read and reread my Bible, to do it in different versions, to read study books and look up words, to see what commentators say about passages … and to take notes on Sundays, at seminars and conferences. I do not want to fall short of all I can glean.

The first notes from Pastor Laura’s message to go in my new notebook were out of Ephesians 1 about knowing the LORD. (I am always amazed at the Spirit of God and how He coordinates “coincidences.”)

Pastor Laura reminded us that we must keep growing in the knowledge of the Lord. So, today, I pray the same prayer for you that Paul prayed for the church:

“Therefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers:  that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come.” [HCSB]

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