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TerryLema

Joy + 2020 …

by TerryLema

We are probably not the same people we were when this year began. We have changed, perhaps viewing life with a bit more skepticism or regret. I know I am looking forward to a time when the virus, the economy, the election, the tension has dissipated and “normal” as I remember it has returned. I no longer want to fear “catching” something if I return to shopping in person in a grocery store or decide to visit a restaurant rather than “take out.”

But will we return to the old normal? That remains a question. AND, an even bigger question, while I may not be the same person I was when the year began, how have I changed. Have I grown in my Christian walk?

As I surveyed those questions, my focus turned to joy. If this year, 2020, has done anything, it has probably stolen the happiness and joy from many (most?) hearts, attempting to replace them with fear, doubt, anger, depression, and a host of other emotions.

Maybe another question is in order. This year may have been able to steal our happiness (since happiness is based on “happenings,”) but can it steal our joy?  The psalmist reminds us that having joy is different from being happy. Joy is not resident in our circumstances, or the events of any year, it is resident in the presence of the LORD.  There it is tucked away where nothing can diminish it, touch it, deplete it, or destroy it.  We always have access to it.

“You reveal the path of life to me; in Your presence is abundant joy; in Your right hand are eternal pleasures.” [Psalm 16:11 HCSB]

I think I am going to focus on joy in the coming days. Join me?

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One Giant Leap or One Small Step …

by TerryLema

I remember July 20, 1969. That is the day that Neal Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landed on the moon.  A few hours after landing, Armstrong would step foot where no man had ever been. His famous words, “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.”

 I could not sleep the other night and my mind was drifting when those few words came into focus, giant leap or small steps. I was not thinking about the moon; I was thinking about faith.

Too often we think acts of faith have to be giant leaps, like when a young shepherd boy named David raced down into a valley with a slingshot and a few stones to face a giant with a sword and a large army of trained soldiers behind him. Or maybe we think of Elijah having a “Fire from Heaven” challenge with a bunch of false prophets on the top of Mt. Carmel. Those kinds of giant leaps of faith are daunting—at least to someone in their 70’s!

There are, however, those small steps of faith in which all of us can participate. Faith, like most of our Christian walk, is so daily; it is something we practice every day of our lives. We display acts of faith much more often in little steps than in giant leaps.

Small steps of faith are demonstrated when we speak to a neighbor about the LORD, or when we write a note of encouragement to someone who is struggling. A small step of faith might buy a few groceries or gasoline for a single parent. A small step of faith might be that praise that we offer to God amid our own sorrow or uncertainty. It might be offering to pray for someone, or walk with them to the altar, or hug them and cry with them, or share their loneliness.

The one thing about small steps of faith, in the end, they mount up. If we had started putting $1 in a savings account each day when we turned 20, we would be amazed at how much we had accumulated by the time we turned 75, especially with the accruing interest the bank would add. One small act of faith, with compound interest added by God, will one day equal that giant leap. It is never too late to start!

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A Ditz …

by TerryLema

Last Sunday after church I went up on the platform to disassemble all my electronics. I use my phone to do the live Facebook event and I bring my computer to hook up to the church projector for the PowerPoint presentation. I took my phone off the tripod and noticed a message from the hospital about my appointment the next day, so accessed my voice mail and listened to a long list of things while I folded up cords and packed my computer.

Then I had a moment of panic. I could not find my phone! I started looking all around where I thought I might have set it down only to realize that I was still holding it in my hand and listening to the voice mail. Senior Moment? Medication foggy-brained moment? The beginning of something worse? Maybe even an “Aunt Irene” moment?

Everyone knows an “Aunt Irene.” I did. She was often defined as a ditz. She would drive from the suburbs into Pittsburgh to shop, take the bus home, and then call her husband to tell him their car was stolen. She did that with her kids once, left them in the department store. She painted the furnace in their basement the day before her daughter’s wedding reception because it looked “tacky.” The weather turned cold and they had to light the furnace for the reception only to drive the guests out coughing and teary eyed from the fumes. Yep, that was Aunt Irene.

Am I now becoming “Aunt Irene?” Probably not, but I am having to handle moments of forgetfulness, which seems to be a side effect of my medication. Bodies and minds change from all kinds of influences, and we need to learn to adjust to things we never expected.

Yet as I sit here contemplating, I am reminded that even if my mind should fail, that changes nothing with my LORD. My hope and my future are in His Hands, tucked away securely so that when I leave this life with all its challenges, I will have life abundant beyond measure.

When Jeremiah surveyed all the challenges his beloved people were facing with Babylonian captivity, God reminded him that the captivity had a limit, 70 years. Beyond that was promised welfare, not disaster, and a future and a hope. So, yes, body and/or minds may fail us here, but that does not negate our future or our hope!

“’For I know the plans I have for you’”—this is the Lord’s declaration—’plans for your welfare, not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.’” [Jeremiah 29:11]

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God is Not Silent …

by TerryLema

Micah 6:8: “Mankind, He has told you what is good and what it is the Lord requires of you: to act justly, to love faithfulness, and to walk humbly with your God.” [HCSB]

I came across that verse last Monday afternoon. It is a well-known verse. I have seen it quoted often. I have heard messages on it and even preached messages on it myself. It made me consider a few things once again.

First, God is not – never has been – silent about what He expects of His creation. He has told us what is good, and He has been consistent in reminding us what is required of us. He did it in the Old Testament, and He repeated Himself through His Son in the New Testament.

It is clear. We are to act justly. We are to love faithfulness, or as the NKJV translates, we are to love mercy. We are to walk humbly with our God.

We are to act justly. As disciples of Christ Jesus, we are to act toward and treat all rightly, honorably, fairly, and honestly. Not always easy, but when have the commands of obedience from our God ever been easy! There are many in this life who have not been treated honorably or fairly. We can place whatever terminology on it we want, but the church must never be in the business of treating people dishonorably or unjustly.

We are to be a people who love faithfulness and mercy. Love it, act upon it, reflect it, give it. We know God always treats us faithfully and that His mercies are new to us every morning, but do we treat others the same way? Are we faithful to them? Are the mercies we have for them new every morning?

Last of all, we are to walk humbly with our God. If we strive to do the first two commands, we will find out just how difficult they are – then it is easy to walk humbly with our God!  There can be no arrogance, no pride, when we discover just how far removed we are from perfect obedience to a perfect, holy, wonderful, faithful, just God.

Amen & Amen

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Between a Rock and a Hard Place …

by TerryLema

The Red Sea in front, the Egyptian army behind. That is the situation of the Israelites after leaving Egypt in the Great Exodus. They have nowhere to go and nowhere to hide. And the most amazing thing of all is that God put them there. 

God told Moses to turn the people back and camp between Migdol and the Sea. All the while the Egyptians were massing their army to set out after them, having regretting letting them leave. God’s purpose was two-fold. He intended to eliminate the Egyptian army so that it could not pursue the Israelites and to show the Israelites His amazing power. (Exodus 14:13-14)

All the Israelites had to do was stand still and be quiet and let the LORD God Almighty fight for them: “The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still.” [Exodus 14:14 NIV]

Or, as the Holman translates it: “The Lord will fight for you; you must be quiet.” [Exodus 14:14 HCSB]

Stand still. Be quiet. Oh, how we hate to stand still and be quiet! Let’s move! Let’s raise a ruckus. Let’s storm the ramparts!

The LORD fought for the Israelites. The waters parted. Three to six million people crossed on dry ground. Then God released the waters as the Egyptians tried the same, killing the entire army, and that all happened in a day. A day!

It may seem like there is a great sea of opposition in front and an army chasing us from behind, but Beloved, the LORD is still fighting for us. Things can change in a moment. Let us look expectantly to the LORD for deliverance! Amen!

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You must …

by TerryLema

Deuteronomy 13 is part of Moses’ final address to the Israelites before they enter the Promised Land. In that portion, God addresses two evils, the false prophet and Idolatry. It is apparent when you read it that God does not take either lightly as the punishment for both is death.

In that portion Moses warns the people that the LORD their God will test them to “know whether you love the LORD your God with all your heart and all your soul,” and then goes with this command. “You must follow the Lord your God and fear Him. You must keep His commands and listen to His voice; you must worship Him and remain faithful to Him.” [Deut 13:3a-4 HCSB]

The dictionary defines “must” as an obligation, command, duty, or requirement. Moses is clear about “musts” for people who love the LORD God with all their hearts and souls.

We “must” follow. We “must” fear.” We “must” obey. We “must” listen. We “must” worship. We “must” remain faithful to Him. There are enough “musts” in that one verse to keep us on the right track for our entire lifetime!

The world around us will always be filled with false prophets and with idolatry. People who do not know the LORD will seek out others who will validate their choices and give them something other than a Holy God to worship. They will try to promote their own agendas instead of God’s righteous rule. They will seek to pull down any who follow the LORD God Almighty. It started in the Garden when the Serpent advanced his agenda and it is still going on today.

It is up to each individual follower of Christ Jesus to incorporate the “musts” of Deuteronomy 13:4 into their motivations, words, and actions. We will stand the testing if we follow, fear, obey, listen, worship, and remain faithful to the LORD our God. Amen.

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My God, How Amazingly Wonderful You Are!

by TerryLema

As I was combing my hair a few mornings ago, I was reminded to read the Psalm sequence for that day. I mark that sequence in my Bibles every time I get a new one. Five Psalms per day, so Psalms 1-5 on the first day of the month, Psalms 6-10 on the second day, reserving that wonderful long Psalm 119 for the 31st day. I began reading the psalms like this in the 1980’s! They have taught me so much—how to pray, how to worship, the wonderful character and love of my LORD.

The Psalms God directed me to that day were Psalms 36-40. When I opened my Bible to read, I did not get past the first one. Psalm 36, written by David, is labeled in my Bible as “Human Wickedness and God’s Love.” The opening four verses and the last two are directed at Human Wickedness. Verses 5 through 10 are all about God’s love.  (Suffice it to say, those are my favorite.)

Human wickedness is summarized simply. “There is no dread of God before his eyes, for in his own eyes he flatters himself too much to discover and hate his sin.” [v1a-2 HCSB]

Then David tells us that the wicked person’s words are malicious and deceptive, and their actions are unwise. They have stopped doing good and have set themselves on evil paths. They even spend nights thinking of more maliciousness.

Suddenly David turns his attention from wicked persons to the LORD, and his vision soars. “LORD, Your faithful love reaches to heaven, Your faithfulness to the clouds. Your rightness is like the highest mountains; Your judgments, like the deepest sea.”  [v5-6a HCSB]

Stop and read that again. What a wonderful, faithful, holy God we serve. David goes on in the remainder of those middle verses to describe just a few of the blessings that flow from our wonderful, faithful, holy God. If you have a moment, open your Bible and read Psalm 36. Savor the words and the descriptions about our LORD. Meditate on how David’s words apply to your life today … no matter what you are facing!

God’s promises! God’s Faithful love! God’s righteousness! Amen.

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Who Knew She’d Do That Well …

by TerryLema

I was reading in the Book of Joshua and came to that wonderful account of the life of Rahab. She was famous for all the wrong reasons. She is described as a “harlot.”  Many scholars have tried to soften that description and call her an innkeeper, which is an acceptable translation of the OT word, but both the writer of Hebrews and James use a NT word that means “prostitute.”  As one commentator wrote, “Rahab did not manage a bed and breakfast, she ran a brothel.”

Yet despite her past, she had a marvelous future. She placed her faith in the true God of Israel and became the first convert in the Promised Land. She was accepted by a godly Israelite man named Salmon, a prince of the tribe of Judah. They married and had a son named Boaz. Their great-great-grandson was named David.

We find Rahab in the lineage of Jesus. I am sure that no one in the City of Jericho ever imaged the local harlot would end up so well.  God can take the most devastating past and give a brilliant future.

“Come now, and let us reason together,” Says the Lord, ‘Though your sins are like scarlet, They shall be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They shall be as wool.’” [Isaiah 1:18 NKJV]

Our past does not hinder God’s plans for us. Yes, we may have to live with the consequences of our past choices while in this life, but when God calls us to Himself, He will give us everything we need to live for Him now. We put our past, our reputations, into His marvelous care.

Rahab’s past included a brothel; Rahab’s future included a King. If God can do that with her, what can He do with us?

 

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It Is Finally Gone …

by TerryLema

I have been able to do short worship walks lately, just about a mile. I have been enjoying the cooler weather and less smoke-filled air. On my last worship walk, my MP3 player died. I cannot really complain, I bought it used 10 years ago for around $35 so I have gotten my money’s worth. But when it died, it took with it all the worship music that I had uploaded over the years from CDs I had. Now I must figure out what to do about worship music and future walks.

I think the latest thing is a playlist on my phone, but I am not up on the most recent technologies. I was comfortable with my old MP3 player. Now I am out of my comfort zone.

I think God likes me out of my comfort zone. He must because I often find myself there. New things pop up constantly that need my attention. New technology. New problems. New pathways. New issues.

This year probably has all of us out of our comfort zones. I doubt any of us has ever experienced a year like this. We are struggling with ideas and demands that are foreign—masks, closed schools, social distancing, empty sports stadiums, hateful politics, rage in our streets, and a virus and vaccine challenge. My comfort zone in 2020 is nowhere in sight.

As I write that, I realize that is true in one way, but false in another. My comfort zone in this world may be nowhere in sight, but my true and eternal comfort zone is always right with me. “The Counselor [Comforter], the Holy Spirit—the Father will send Him in My name—will teach you all things and remind you of everything I have told you.” [John 14:26 HCSB]

The Holy Spirit dwells with me and within me. He is my Comfort Zone. I do not know what will happen around me, but I know I am secure in Him who will teach me, remind me, speak to me the wonderful words of my Savior. Amen.

 

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Ever Wondered … ?

by TerryLema

Have you ever wondered why God loves any of us?

It certainly cannot be because of our goodness or our wonderful character or natures. It cannot be because we have such great smiles or are always positive or are kind to children and animals.  I am certain it is not because of our education, social standing, or political affiliation.

God loves us because He chooses to love us. It is all according to His own purpose and His grace.

“He has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace, which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began.” [1Timothy 1:9 HCSB]

We cannot do anything to earn that love … it is not according to our works.

There is a supreme difference between Christianity and religion. Religion’s favorite word is “do.” It commands us to “do” in order to appease God with our good works and win His acceptance and love.

Christianity’s favorite word is “done.” Everything has been done for us … not according to our works but according to God’s purpose and grace given to us in Christ Jesus.

Yes, as Christians we are commanded to “do” good things, but that is after we have been saved and called. Christ has “done” everything for our salvation, now what we “do” is in thanksgiving for everything He has already done.

Christianity is the only way to God that give you the reward first!  Amen & Amen!

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