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TerryLema

Reaping!

by TerryLema

I do not think I have ever experienced a time like this. I know my parents did during WWII when they experienced fear, rationing, and a world gone mad. My lifetime, however, has been fairly mild. The roughest time was the View Nam era with the protesters in the streets of our cities and the venom aimed at our returning military.

Now we have multiple calamities. We have the political unrest, the virus-and-fear pandemic, the economic downturn, unemployment, closed schools, masks, vaccines and conflicting data from science and medicine.  It has made me weary.

I know I should hold my head up and face it head on, but all I really want to do at times is give up.  That is a natural reaction to the circumstances of our present age.  As Christians, however, we are not to respond to life with “natural reactions.” Instead, we are to see these challenges as opportunities to do good.

Following Paul’s reminder in Galatians 6 that God will not permit Himself to be mocked and that we will reap what we sow, he urged his readers to not quit but to keep working for good.

“So we must not get tired of doing good, for we will reap at the proper time if we don’t give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, we must work for the good of all, especially for those who belong to the household of faith.” [Galatians 6:9-10 HCSB]

Beloved, no matter how difficult the political climate gets, or how virulent the virus, or how devastating the health and welfare of our nation, or how strong the opposition, we do not quit. We do not give up. We do not go silent.

We keep doing good, speaking truth, reaching out to others. The world is growing darker and darker—which should not take us by surprise. That means we need to grow brighter and brighter with the light of Christ. Our brightness shines best when we are meeting each challenge with good.

If we do not give up, we will reap a reward that is out of this world! Amen!

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Sowing

by TerryLema

We are about halfway through winter and so far, where we are in Idaho, winter has been mild. I have walked a bit around the neighborhood in the afternoons, usually with just a sweater or light jacket. We have seen little in the way of freezing temperatures, icy roads, or snow in the valley. The mountains, however, have a good snowpack going so water should be plentiful for the farmers when it comes time to sow their seed.

There are many farms around where we live, although they are becoming fewer as people move into the Treasure Valley. Subdivisions are scooping up any available land. Still, close to us this spring we will see corn growing, alongside pumpkins, sugar beets, alfalfa, beans, mint, and lots of onions.

I like to watch after the farmers sow their seed and see what crop will come up in that field. I especially like the mint fields in the summer when the sun comes up and warms the plants. The mint gives off the most wonderful fragrance.

Paul, in the closing of his letter to the Galatians talks about sowing and reaping.  He begins by reminding his readers that God will not permit Himself to be mocked. “Don’t be deceived: God is not mocked. For whatever a man sows he will also reap, because the one who sows to his flesh will reap corruption from the flesh, but the one who sows to the Spirit will reap eternal life from the Spirit.” [Galatians 6:7-8 HCSB]

That word “mocked” means to turn up the nose, to turn away to sneer, or scornfully disdain.  Paul also adds the admonishment that whatever we sow, we will also reap. If we continually plant seed in our life that feeds only our flesh, we will reap death.  But if we plant spiritual seed—sowing to the Spirit—we will reap the reward of eternal life.

Every day we make choices. Those choices will either nourish our flesh or nourish our spirit. Those choices will lead us away from God or closer to Him. Those choices will either mock God or honor Him.

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Faithful

by TerryLema

I was found by God in my hiding place in August of 1973, almost five decades ago. God had been calling, and I had been running. Finally, with nowhere else to turn, I surrendered my life into His Hands. I can say without one shred of doubt, I have never regretted that decision.

Has it always been easy to serve the LORD God Almighty? No, of course not. There have been times when it has been difficult to obey. There have been times when I have struggled with what God asked. There have even been times when I have not been as faithful as I should have been.

Yet despite my struggles or even my lack of fervency, God has been always been faithful to me.  He was faithful when He was pursuing me – never giving up on me. He was faithful when I was first learning to walk with Him. He was faithful whether I was traversing a dark path or a lighted roadway.

And I know that as I have aged and have entered a time of life when I am dealing with physical limitations and difficulties, God has and will continue to be faithful to me. Whatever I face, be it remission or extended times of disease, whether it be life or death, God will strength me to the end. That is His promise to all His children.

“[God] will also strengthen you to the end, so that you will be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful.”  [1 Corinthians 1:8 HCSB]

When I one day stand before my LORD and Savior, Christ Jesus, I know I will be there because God has brought me there by His love, His mercy, His grace, and His faithfulness.

The most marvelous cry of the Christian has been and remains … “God is faithful!”

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Which Ones?

by TerryLema

I was reading in Matthew 19 yesterday and got to the account of Jesus and the Rich Young Ruler. The young man came to Jesus and asked Him a deep question.  “What good must I do to have eternal life.” [vs 16 HCSB]

Jesus immediately answered the young man’s question with another question, “Why do you ask Me about what is good?”

Then Jesus redirects the man’s thoughts toward God and gives him a command. “There is only One who is good. If you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.” [vs17 HCSB]

It was the Rich Young Ruler’s response that had me both laughing and thinking. He immediately asked Jesus, “Which ones?” [vs18 HCSB]

Isn’t that so like us.  Jesus says, keep the commandments, and we ask, “Which ones?”  We certainly do not want to have to keep any more than is necessary to be in good with God. So LORD, just show us the least we have to do to please You.

Now, of course, the Rich Young Ruler was seeking the answer to salvation, and as Christians, we know we are saved not by keeping the commandments but by the grace and mercy of God in the giving of His Precious Son Christ Jesus to die for us at Calvary.  But Jesus, Himself, gave us commands … commands to love one another, commands to love even our enemies. He told us to pray and to bless, to be peacemakers, protectors of children, and lovers of all things holy.  We do those things not to be saved, but because we are saved. They are an expression of our salvation experience.

Still at times we prefer like the Rich Young Rulers to pick and choose what to obey … we quietly say to Him, “Which ones?”

He whispers back, “All of them.”

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What’s Missing

by TerryLema

I seldom go outside the house to shop anymore, but I needed to last week. So, I hopped on one of those electric carts at Target (my first time using one and they are not as easy as they look). When I could not find everything I wanted there, I went to Walmart and hopped on another one. I tried to avoid people, wore my mask, did not handle anything I did not have to handle, checked myself out to avoid even the cashiers and headed to the car. All in all, not an enjoyable experience.

Many of you probably do not like to shop, but I do. I like to smile at people as I walk through, talk to the cashiers asking them how their day is going. I have even prayed for people I met along the way at times.

All that has changed, of course, since the virus-and-fear pandemic hit. I order online and things are either mailed, delivered or I pick them up outside the store. And when I do go in, I am nervous about encountering people.

2020 has stripped so many of us of the joy we found in the common, everyday things of life.  But as I sit here this morning, I find that my heart still rejoices.

For the Christian, joy is found in God through our Lord Jesus Christ. It resides in hearts that have been set free from the shame and punishment of sin. It resides in hearts that cling to a Savior who has made them alive through His death and resurrection. Its security is a relationship. The world may strip away the happiness that we find in earthly delights, but it can never oust the joy of the LORD from our hearts – unless we let it.  [Romans 5:11]

“The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in Him, and I am helped. Therefore my heart rejoices, and I praise Him with my song.” [Psalm 28:7 HCSB]

 I sing today because God has set me free. He indeed is my strength and shield. I am helped!

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Overcoming!

by TerryLema

Romans 12 – that marvelous chapter outlining our spiritual service as well as practical principles of Christian conduct ends with an admonition on how Christians are to handle a hostile world.  It tells us that we are not to repay evil for evil and we are to leave vengeance for evil perpetrated against us in the hands of Almighty God. Vengeance is His prerogative as the Great Judge of All.

I sometimes wish Paul would have left it there.  But he did not. In fact, his next thought begins with that little word, “but.”

“But, if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head. Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”  [Romans 12:20-21 HCSB]

If our attempts to live at peace with everyone fail and after leaving any vengeance we might desire in the hand of God, Paul commands us to go the extra mile. We are now to show unexpected kindness upon those who want to visit evil upon us.

We are to feed our enemies if they are hungry and give them something to drink if they are thirsty.  We are not to give into the temptation to meet evil with evil, but we are to confront evil with good.

Evil cannot be overcome by more evil, it simply escalates the situation further. Only good can overcome evil. God’s people have always been called to reflect God’s goodness in any and every situation. There is no way we can forget Romans 5:6-8:

“For while we were still helpless [sinners], at the appointed moment, Christ died for the ungodly. For rarely will someone die for a just person—though for a good person perhaps someone might even dare to die. But God proves His own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us!” [HCSB]

While we were alienated from God, while we were His enemies, God’s ultimate goodness overcame!

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Peacemakers

by TerryLema

Today is Inauguration Day and as I write this, I have no idea what this day holds for anyone. The National and State Governments have been warned there might be trouble and have taken steps to mitigate it. Whether or not they are successful remains to be seen.

Christians too must be on guard – not as much against the trouble that might arise today, but in keeping our actions and responses in line with God’s Word.

Romans 12 is one of those heady chapters that begins with our spiritual service in the opening verses and then outlines principles governing Christian conduct in the middle. It is, however, those last verses (17-21) that may be most appropriate for today.

“Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Try to do what is honorable in everyone’s eyes.  If possible, on your part, live at peace with everyone.  Friends, do not avenge yourselves; instead, leave room for His wrath. For it is written:  Vengeance belongs to Me; I will repay, says the Lord.” [Romans 12:17-19]

Paul gives explicit counsel about how believers are to face a hostile world. We are not to follow the sinful nature which is inclined to repay evil for evil. Instead, we are to be sure that our behavior rises to higher standards found in the Gospel.

Of course, the charge to live at peace with everyone is qualified. First by the words, “if it is possible.” Sometimes it is not possible, conflict with others cannot be resolved. Even if others refuse to live at peace with us, however, we need to make sure that we are not the instigators of trouble. God expects us to be peacemakers when that is within our ability to do so.

The second qualification to our living at peace with everyone is that others might take advantage of our desire for peace. That may rise to the level of not just opposition, but outright persecution. When that happens our path of duty is still clear – we are not to become vengeful or act upon that. We are to leave room for God’s wrath.

Vengeance is God’s province. He is the Great Judge of all. God will visit wrath upon the enemies of His people. It may not happen immediately, but if there is no conviction of sin and repentance, God’s wrath will come. We can rest in that.

 

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Imitate!

by TerryLema

Last Sunday at The Way we studied what it means to love.  The world has a fascination with the word “love.” We love God and family, football and rock bands, pizza and popcorn. The word becomes diluted from its strength when we apply it to things we merely “like,” because love is not about what we feel, it is about what we do. Love is an action word.

Christian love takes it one giant leap forward in that it involves sacrifice. It involves loving people we may not even like. Jesus reminded us that we are to even love our enemies. [Luke 6:28]

A couple of the Scriptures I studied for the “love” message were in 1 Corinthians.  In Chapter 11 Paul told his readers to “Imitate me, as I also imitate Christ.”  [v1 HCSB]

Paul had already told them what that imitation looks like in Chapter 4.  “When we are reviled, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure it; when we are slandered, we respond graciously. Even now, we are like the world’s garbage, like the dirt everyone scrapes off their sandals.” [v12-13 HCSB]

While we casually read Paul’s actions about how he dealt with his enemies, I do not imagine that was a casual response for Paul.  I imagine it took every bit of courage, determination, and grit to respond to enemies the way he thought Christ would, rather than the way he probably wanted to respond.  It is far easier to respond in kind to harsh, unfair, slanderous treatment than to respond as Christ would, but Paul was determined to imitate Christ.

I am sure at the forefront of Paul’s mind was Christ Jesus’ response to His enemies at the cross. Jesus gave His life for the very people who were demanding and performing His execution, then He asked His father to forgive them.

We must remember that when Jesus was dying on that cross, not only was Paul his enemy, but we were also. Still, Jesus’ love reached out to us. Now it is our turn to reach out to our enemies as He would.

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Better?

by TerryLema

The striking question mid-way through January is probably, “Will 2021 be better than 2020?”  From the way the month began, and from the daily headlines about security, vaccines, politics, and virus mutations, I am thinking that the answer to that question is probably “No.”

Perhaps a better question for us, beloved, might be, “Will we be better in 2021 than we were in 2020?”  Hopefully, the answer to that question will be “Yes.”

Joshua, Chapter 3, describes the Children of Israel crossing the Jordan River into the Promised Land. The priests carry the Ark in front of the people and the moment their feet touch the edge of the water, the waters part. The priests lead the way up out of the Jordan and the nation follows.

The day before that happened, however, Joshua told the people, “Consecrate yourselves, because the Lord will do wonders among you tomorrow.” [v5 HCSB]

Consecrate means “to be set apart.” It means to be dedicated to a sacred purpose. God had promised Abraham centuries before that Abraham’s descendants would possess the Promised Land, but God also told Abraham that before that happened, they would be enslaved for more than 400 years in an unholy land. [Genesis 15]

I find it interesting that even though God promised Abraham that his descendants would inherit the land, they still had to set themselves apart. Even though Joshua promised that “the LORD will do wonders among you,” the people still had to dedicate themselves for the sacred purpose of possessing the land.

God works, and most often the way He works is through His people. So, will 2021 be a better year? From a worldly perspective, perhaps not. But will God’s people be better this year, consecrated to God’s purpose … hopefully, the answer to that will be a solid, resounding, “Yes!”

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Perhaps

by TerryLema

Amos and I do not hang out much. I read through my Bible at least once a year usually, so I am familiar with Amos. It is just that the book is so heavy. God begins by declaring judgment against Israel’s neighbors. He says, “I will not relent from punishing” and lists Damascus, Gaza, Tyre, Edom, the Ammonites, and Moab. Then God adds “I will not relent from punishing” Judah and Israel.

God also gives his reasons for punishing His own people (Judah & Israel) as social and spiritual corruption which has led to apostasy.

By the time I get to the part that exhorts God’s people to seek Him that they might live, I am exhausted.  More so now as I find described in Amos much of what is happening in this present age.

The LORD, however, is a gracious God. He reminds His people that mercy is available if they turn back to Him in repentance.

“Seek good, not evil, that you may live. Then the Lord God Almighty will be with you, just as you say he is. Hate evil, love good; maintain justice in the courts. Perhaps the Lord God Almighty will have mercy on the remnant….” [Amos 5:14-15 HCSB]

Repentance, of course, is always marked by a changed behavior.  It is not merely asking for forgiveness (although that is a necessary component), it is also making a 180-degree turnaround in our actions.  A change in attitude and actions is evidence that our repentance is sincere.

So, beloved, what should God find in us … He is quite clear … we are to love good and hate evil, we are to maintain justice for all people. Perhaps then, the LORD God Almighty will have mercy on our land.

Amen & Amen.

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