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TerryLema

Power Over the Spiritual World

by TerryLema

Reading Luke 8 on Tuesday morning gave me much to consider. Beginning in Verse 22, Luke tells us three amazing stories about the power and authority of our Savior and LORD, Christ Jesus.

He begins in verses 22-25 with the calming of the storm on the lake. After that when the boat reaches the other side, they arrive in the region of the Gerasenes, opposite Galilee. There they are confronted by a man possessed by demons.  Jesus commands the demons to leave the man.

The demons recognize the authority of Jesus that they must leave the man, but they beg Him not to “banish them to the abyss.” [vs 31 HCSB]

Jesus gives them permission to enter a herd of pigs. Unable to contain the “Legion” of demons, the pigs rush down a steep bank and drown. That upsets the men tending the pigs who rush off to report the incident to the town.

When the townsfolk come out to see what happened, they find Jesus and the formerly-demon-possessed man sitting and talking.  Verses 36 and 37 report the outcome and as it turns out, it is the same reaction the disciples had when Jesus calmed the storm – fear.

“Meanwhile, the eyewitnesses reported to them how the demon-possessed man was delivered. Then all the people of the Gerasene region asked Him to leave them, because they were gripped by great fear.” [HCSB]

Fear was the response of the disciples when Jesus took authority over the storm, and fear was the response of the people in the region of the Gerasenes when Jesus took authority over demonic powers. In these two incidents we see the power and authority of our Savior, Christ Jesus, over the natural world and over the spiritual world.

No wonder we stand in wonder in the Presence of Jesus!  All authority, all power are His!

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Power Over the Natural World

by TerryLema

One of the new customs for the Christmas season is to read one chapter a day from the Gospel of Luke beginning on December 1. I was amazed by Luke 8, the chapter for Tuesday the 8th. It begins by telling us that women who had been healed and delivered were supporting Jesus and His Disciples. Then Jesus gives the Parable of the Seed and the Sower, along with a reminder that we are to be light for all to see. At one point, Jesus’ mother and brothers came to see Him but were unable to get through the crowd.

The part of the chapter that truly touches me begins in verse 22.  After a long day of preaching and ministry, Jesus got in a boat with His disciples and told them to go to the other side of the lake. He was so exhausted He fell asleep and did not even awake when a fierce windstorm arose and threatened to swamp the boat. [Luke 8:22-25]

Finally, the disciples woke Jesus and told Him, “Master, Master, we’re going to die!” [vs 24 HCSB]

Jesus got up, rebuked the wind and the raging waves and they immediately obeyed Him, and the storm ceased. In its place was a great calm. Of course, that frightened the disciples even more than the storm did.

As I thought on that passage all of a sudden I saw the storm in our country that is going on right now, and I started to chuckle. Let me explain why I laughed. Every politician, from local mayors, to state governors, to congressional leaders, president, and president-elect think they can calm the storm with their proclamations, directives, and strategies. But they cannot. They think – in a way – that they have the power over the storm when they are really in the same boat as the disciples! “Master, Master, we’re going to die!”

Only Jesus has the power and the authority to stop the storm. Even when He was at a low point, exhausted from ministry, He only had to say a word and the cosmos obeyed.

After quieting the storm Jesus had one question for His own, “Where is your faith?” [vs 25 HCSB]

We might ask ourselves that same question!

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Remember

by TerryLema

I love the Christmas music. One of my favorite carols is “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen.” The opening verses remind us of several truths.

“God rest ye merry, gentlemen, Let nothing you dismay. Remember, Christ, our Saviour Was born on Christmas day. To save us all from Satan’s power when we were gone astray. O, tidings of comfort and joy, comfort and joy, O, tidings of comfort and joy.”

I like how this carol reminds us to “remember.” We are to “remember” that Christmas is all about Christ, our Savior. We are to “remember” that He came to save us from Satan’s power. And, when we “remember” we will find comfort and joy.

It is easy to forget the deep message of Christmas. The world wants to keep us on a superficial level. It wants us to think about gifts and elves on the shelves and Christmas movies and food and Santa Claus. The world wants us to focus on temporary things that will pass away.

The enemy of our soul has his own goal also. He wants us stressed, weakened, hopeless, lonely, and unsatisfied. He wants us dismayed.

It is only when we “remember” that the reason for the season is the birth of our Savior that we overcome the intentions of the world and the devil.

1 Timothy 1:15: “This saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance: ‘Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners…’” [HCSB]

(770) [OFFICIAL VIDEO] God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen - Pentatonix - YouTube
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In the beginning …

by TerryLema

There are three genealogies of Christ Jesus in the Scriptures.  There is a lot of debate about the differences found in those contained in Matthew’s Gospel and Luke’s Gospel. Many scholars look at Matthew’s Gospel as the genealogy of Jesus through Joseph’s line, and Luke’s Gospel as the genealogy of Jesus through Mary’s lineage. I am not a great scholar so I will let you decide what you think.

There is a third genealogy of Christ Jesus found in Scripture. It is in John’s Gospel. And it is amazing! It is the Divine genealogy of Christ Jesus.

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of men.” [John 1:1-4]

The true wonder of Christmas is that it is not the beginning of Christ! Sometimes we think it all started in the manger – it didn’t!  It started before the foundation of the world.

1 Peter 1:18-20: “For you know that you were redeemed from your empty way of life inherited from the fathers, not with perishable things like silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without defect or blemish. He was chosen before the foundation of the world but was revealed at the end of the times for you.” [HCSB]

Before the world was created, God had a plan to redeem fallen mankind. The Word, God’s Son, would come to earth to bring grace and truth, and to open the way for us into the Father’s House.

Long before the manger, the Word embraced the Cross. He agreed to leave the glory of heaven and come to earth to shed His precious blood for us.  The Word became the Lamb of God.

We celebrate our redemption this Christmas Season in light of that wondrous glory of Christmas that the manger was not the beginning!

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Glorious!

by TerryLema

The music of Christmas always blesses my soul. I could listen to it all year long. I love the traditional carols and I love the newer Christmas songs as well.

One of the newer songs (published around 2006) is “The Glorious Impossible.” The song was written by Carl Cartee who explains: “Nothing is impossible with God, that’s true, but the song is intended to be a celebration of God stepping into what was impossible for us and making it glorious through his overcoming power. The verses try to set up pictures of things that seem impossible for us, the incarnation, walking on water, the resurrection and then invite us to believe beyond ourselves and look for miracles that move us to worship.”

The truth of God coming to us as a baby born of a virgin is impossible to comprehend with our finite minds. Many of the theological truths about God make our brains fizzle thinking we must understand them.

Paul spoke of the most glorious of all in his letter to the Philippians. It is a passage we are all familiar with, and yet, it is so beyond our ability to comprehend that it must simply be accepted and allowed to lead us to worship our God and Savior.

“Christ Jesus, who, existing in the form of God, did not consider equality with God as something to be used for His own advantage.  Instead He emptied Himself by assuming the form of a slave, taking on the likeness of men. And when He had come as a man in His external form, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death—” [Philippians 2:5-8 HCSB]

God emptied Himself and assumed the form of a slave. He took on our likeness. He came as a man. He humbled Himself. He died. How can that be?  I do not know. I cannot wrap my mind around it. But … to know that He did that because He loved us and wanted us to be with Him for eternity drives me to my knees in worship.

Possible things are easy to believe. The glorious impossibles are those things that are beyond explanation but bring joy to our hearts, comfort to our souls, hope to our lives, songs to our lips. They cannot be explained, they can only be rejoiced in!

(770) Gaither Vocal Band - The Glorious Impossible [Live] - YouTube
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Take me into the Holy of Holies …

by TerryLema

When I opened my Facebook page to post the daily devotion the other day, a memory from about five years ago appeared on my page. Sometimes these memories are pictures of fun times, birthdays, or just something silly I might have posted on my personal page.  This recent one reminded me of something far different. It read:

“Sunday we sang the song, “Take Me Into the Holy of Holies.”  I awoke this morning with the opening phrase flowing through me, ‘Take me past the outer courts ….’  I realized that I’ve been spending the last week or so in the outer courts and I need to move.  As the song says, I need to move past even the gates of praise, and past the brazen altar to the place where I see His face. I am determined to keep Christmas simple this year – simply focusing on Him … but it is so hard sometimes.  The world has a grip on the holiday season and it often is louder and stronger than my own determination!”

I was amazed as I read that memory at how much HAS NOT changed this season from that one five years ago. The world still has a grip on the holiday season, and it is still louder and stronger at times than my determination to focus solely on my LORD and Savior. Add in COVID, social distancing, isolation, and masks and this season is screaming for attention.

As I read that, however, I realized that my desire is still there to go past the outer courts—the superficial acknowledgement of Jesus’ birth, and into the Holy of Holies where I can dwell in His presence. I want to experience all that God has for me this season.

Amid the virus-and-fear pandemic, our LORD’s birth is the beacon of hope to a world that can find hope nowhere else.

“Joy to the World” is still true no matter how big a mess the world is!

(770) Chris Tomlin - Joy to the World (unspeakable Joy) - Lyrics - YouTube

 

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Except for Grace …

by TerryLema

It was during a difficult time in my life when I first heard the song, “Except for Grace*,” by The Martins. To say it touched my soul would be an understatement. [*written by Jeff Silvey, link below]

Listen to the verses: “1) You’ve lost it all, your dignity and pride. A sinking soul swimm’in in the tears you cried. Alone and hopeless without a word to say, Cause guilt has taken it all away. 2) We’ve all stood right where you’re at, facing the shame of failures and regrets, Leaving us empty, broken and afraid to dream, Cause sin has stripped us clean of everything.”

I have been there. Have you? I have stood before the law of God in that place of failure, regret, and brokenness. I have had sin strip me of everything. I have been hopeless and consumed with guilt. But I met Christ Jesus, and now I sing the chorus!

“Except for grace and our faith, And knowing that God’s love will forgive mistakes. There’s nothing that can clear our painful pasts, Bear our bitter pain, or will ever take our place Except for grace!”

“Indeed, we have all received grace after grace from His fullness, for the law was given through Moses, grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.” [John 1:16-17 HCSB]

We no longer must stand before the law, sin-filled, hopeless, facing punishment. Grace and truth came to us through Christ Jesus our Savior and LORD. On His cross He cleared our painful pasts, bore our bitter pain and took our place. Glory to His Wonderful Name! Amen

(768) The Martins - Except for Grace/Grace Grater Than Our Sin [Live] - YouTube
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Grace After Grace

by TerryLema

My thoughts at the beginning of this 2020 Christmas Season are centered on God’s grace. The Apostle John is quite clear in his Gospel’s opening chapter that Christ Jesus, the Word made flesh, is resplendent with grace and truth. He used the word “pleres” in the Greek which we translate as “full” in the English. Grace and truth were complete, abounding in our Savior and Lord.

John also reminds us, however, that out of His fullness we receive grace. And not just a single dose of grace when we first come to Him at salvation, but an experience of grace that continues to grow and expand in us.

“Indeed, we have all received grace after grace from His fullness, for the law was given through Moses, grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.” [John 1:16-17 HCSB]

His fullness of grace given to us leads us to a fuller experience of God’s goodness. And the more grace we experience, the more grace we receive.  It is as John writes, “grace after grace.”

Every time we experience God’s love, grace flows to us. Every time we bask in His presence, grace grows in us. Every time we consider our worth attained in what God was willing to pay for us, grace abounds in us. Grace becomes our spiritual life’s blood and permeates every part of our being.

Without God’s grace I am nothing. I would return to what I was before salvation, empty, sin-filled, hopeless, and lost. But God will never remove His grace from me … nay … He causes His grace to grow in me so that I may be conformed to the image of His dear Son. He causes His grace to abound so that I might reflect the “grace & truth” of my Savior and LORD to a world that is dying.

Grace, grace, God’s grace … how wonderful!

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… full of grace and truth

by TerryLema

As we begin this Christmas Journey 2020, I am so enthralled once again by God’s grace. I am captivated by God’s willingness – even what we might regard as eagerness to shed His love and grace upon an undeserving creation. His grace changes everything!

We are reminded each Christmas Season that God the Word became flesh and came to earth as a baby completely dependent upon a young Jewish maiden and her carpenter husband. John, in his opening chapter, presents a divine genealogy.  “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” [John 1:1, HCSB]

John reminds us that Christ Jesus, the Word, took up residence in our human flesh. John saw His glory, he witnessed His miracles, he heard His words.  “The Word became flesh and took up residence among us. We observed His glory, the glory as the One and Only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” [John 1:14 HCSB]

The part of verse 14 that always makes me catch my breath is that last phrase, however. This Jesus was “full of grace and truth.”

Full. It means abounding in, complete, completely occupied with. It is the Greek Word pleres, from which we get our English word plethora.

Jesus did not just have a little grace and truth, or even a moderate amount of grace and truth. Grace and truth were complete, abounding in Him. When He walked among us, He displayed grace and truth to all. Whether they accepted what He brought was their choice, but if they walked away from Him without, it was not because there was a lack in Him.

As we embrace Him and strive to be Christ-like, His grace and truth takes up residence in us. GLORY to the FATHER! Amen

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Grace, Grace to it!

by TerryLema

When the nation of Israel returned from their Babylonian captivity, they faced ruins. The temple and the city of Jerusalem needed rebuilding. They would have to do it in the face of opposition and multiple attempts to stop them.  At one point, God brought a word to their leader, Zerubbabel.  It was a promise that he and the people would complete the work of rebuilding the temple, but it would not be done through human might (resources), nor human power (strength).

“This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by strength or by might, but by My Spirit,’ says the Lord of Hosts. ‘What are you, great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you will become a plain. And he will bring out the capstone accompanied by shouts of: Grace, grace to it!’”  [Zechariah 4:6-7 HCSB]

If Zerubbabel and the people thought they were in this battle to rebuild alone, they were greatly mistaken. In fact, rebuilding the temple of the LORD by their human means alone would be impossible.  Human means are limited. God assured them however, that the temple would be completed by God’s Spirit. The completion of the impossible task would stand as a witness to God’s activity.

God is not interested in just rebuilding temples; He is interested in “building” us into a testimony of His love and grace.  The word to Zerubbabel in the OT often reminds me of the word to the Philippians in the NT.  “I am sure of this, that He who started a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” [Philippians 1:6 HCSB]

The wonderful work that God began in us will be completed – not through our human might (resources) nor our human power (strength). It will be completed by God’s Holy Spirit (with our cooperation)!

And one day, when we stand in the presence of our Gracious Father and the multitudes of saints and angels around His throne, He will bring out the capstone of our lives and heaven will resound with shouts of: “Grace, grace to it!”

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