Author

TerryLema

I See the Glory of God …

by TerryLema

The coming November presidential election is filling our airways and media sites again. It is even more divisive than the previous one if that is possible. Left and Right are screaming at us … vote this way or you will face these consequences. Everything hinges on voting, and the voting process itself is being threatened and disclaimed. Prepare yourselves, the rhetoric is only going to get louder and angrier. And, if you believe the rhetoric, the fate of everything hangs on who gets elected.

I am not a political person. I do not care for politics, to me it is a necessary requisite for my citizenship, but that does not mean I must like it. Nor do I look at politicians with any kind of expectancy. When I look at politicians, I do not see the source of answers, I just see the source of more problems.

The source of answers for me is found in a different direction. It is found in the glory of God and I see that glory when I look at my Jesus.  “For God who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of God’s glory in the face of Jesus Christ.” [2 Corinthians 4:6]

I see the glory of God in Jesus when He healed the blind man, the lepers and the paralyzed man carried by his friends. I see God’s glory in Jesus when He gathered the children to Himself, when He pointed to the woman with the mite as the one who truly gave it all. I see the glory of God when Jesus raised the dead and returned a daughter, a son, and a brother to loving families.

I see God’s glory in Jesus when He told the one who doubted to touch the nail prints in His hands and feet and the piercing in His side. I see it when Jesus forgave those who nailed Him to the cross, and the thief who turned with his dying breath and simply asked to be remembered.

I see the glory of my God in each event, hear that glory in each Word spoken by my Savior and LORD. Therein lies my hope … not in the politics of men, but in the loving heart of the Holy One of God, resplendent in mercy, grace, and truth. Amen.

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Ready for Amazing?

by TerryLema

One of the emails in my inbox when I got up last Saturday morning asked me, “Are you ready for an amazing August?”  Am I ready?  Ah, yep!  Of course, their determination of my August was dependent upon my purchasing a new coffee maker along with a lot of “autumn” flavors.

But am I ready for an amazing August? More than ready. The first half of 2020 has been less than amazing. I am ready to turn a corner and see 2020 end on a much better note. Do I expect that to actually happen?  No. I expect 2020 to end on a down note. I think recovery from this fear-and-virus pandemic and economic downturn will take far longer than we anticipate.

Still, can August be amazing?  Yes, it can. It can because I have put my hope in the promises of God, in His Word to His children. The psalmist wrote in Psalm 119, “You are my shelter and my shield; I put my hope in Your word.” [vs 114 HCSB]

At the end of his life, Joshua reminded those he led that everything God had promised them had come true. Not one of God’s promises had failed.  “I am now going the way of all the earth, and you know with all your heart and all your soul that none of the good promises the Lord your God made to you has failed. Everything was fulfilled for you; not one promise has failed.” [Joshua 23:14 HCSB]

I know August can be amazing, even in the midst of a fear-and-virus pandemic in our nation because our God has promised us that by trusting in Him, we have life and that life can be an abundant one. He has promised us that we have a future and a hope. He has promised us an inheritance in the saints. He has promised us that He alone is our shelter and our shield and if we put our hope in His Word, nothing in this world is strong enough to take us away from Him.

Amen & Amen. 

 

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Arguments Abound

by TerryLema

When was the last time you had a good fight? I mean a real good debate-style dispute. I am not talking about the nasty, in-your-face hate-filled posts that you often see where “I am right and everyone else can just shut up.”  I am talking about the type of disagreements where both sides present their views and we learn and grow from the thoughts and views of others.

And specifically, I am talking about a good dispute with yourself.  Kind of like the ones found in the psalms. “Why am I so depressed? Why this turmoil within me? Put your hope in God, for I will still praise Him, my Savior and my God.”  [Psalm 42:5 HCSB]

Paul in 2 Corinthians 10 reminds us to engage in good arguments.  “The weapons of our warfare are not worldly, but are powerful through God for the demolition of strongholds. We demolish arguments and every high-minded thing that is raised up against the knowledge of God, taking every thought captive to obey Christ.” [vs 4-5 HCSB]

Every now and again, more often probably than we know, our old sin nature decides to go for a walk in our minds. Prompted by the enemy of our soul, that old nature demands that we focus on everything that is wrong, our fears, our anxieties, our troubles. When those things capture our attention, they capture everything and demand to sit over our souls as rulers and kings.

That is when we must recognize the tactic and start a good argument. The psalmist was depressed. He was in turmoil. His old sin nature was demanding that become the focus of his life. Instead, he began to argue with himself. “What are you doing focusing on what is wrong? Your hope is in God, He is your Savior and Your LORD, and He will keep you in the palm of His hand. Stop it!”

What was the first thing you started thinking about this morning – all the things that are wrong with your life?  Or did you have a good argument with yourself (and remember our minds are the battlefields in our lives), and put your focus and attention on Christ Jesus, Almighty God, your Savior and King?

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Hold on …

by TerryLema

I am returning this morning to one of my favorite chapters, Romans 5. That chapter always ministers to my soul. It begins with righteousness, peace, access to God by faith, grace in which to stand, and rejoicing in the hope of the glory of God. Those things make my spirit soar through the heavenlies as I meditate on them, and that is just the first two verses.

Then Paul gets down to earth and begins to write about this life on this planet, and the words change … afflictions, endurance, proven character. That is how we move through our days. Sometimes it seems we are pushing through so much muck and mire. The struggles are real.

At the end there is a bright and shining jewel—hope. Yes, we have afflictions that we must face with endurance. That endurance will produce character in us that can be achieved no other way. Through the stress and pressure we find our jewel, a hope that will not disappoint us.

The writer to Hebrews tells us that contained within that hope are courage and confidence. “But Christ was faithful as a Son over His household. And we are that household if we hold on to the courage and the confidence of our hope.” [3:6 HCSB]

We must understand, however, that the world hates our hope and seeks to destroy it. Circumstances and difficulties seek to chip away at it. Neglect and complacency can cause it to slip from our grasp. We must “hold on” as the Hebrew’s writer reminds us. Hold on to the promises of God. Hold on to His hope. Hold on to Him!

2020 has been a destroyer of hope for many. Their courage and confidence have been chipped away because of uncertainty, loss, difficulties and even the ignorance of others. Beloved, hold on. We may not see the end yet, and the fear that 2021 may not be different can arise, but our God is the same today as He has always been. Hope in Him is a sure thing especially when everything is crumbling around us!

 

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That Pursuit of Happiness …

by TerryLema

I was reading Psalm 119 yesterday. It is the longest chapter in the Bible, containing 176 verses. It has two parallel themes.

The first is the persecution and afflictions that often come to men and women of God. The writer describes serious difficulties he has encountered in his life, plans to harm him, oppositions, and insults.

Running alongside that, however, is the profound truth that the Word of God is all-sufficient for everything. There are eight different terms that refer to the word of God throughout the psalm, usually translated as law, testimonies, precepts, statutes, commandments, judgments, word, and ordinances. In almost every verse, one of those is mentioned.

The wonderful attributes of God also flow throughout the psalm. We see words of righteousness, truth, faithfulness, purity, light, holiness.

 The psalm begins with a beatitude: “How happy are those whose way is blameless, who live according to the Lord’s instruction! Happy are those who keep His decrees and seek Him with all their heart.”  [vs 1-2 HCSB]

We spend a lot of time in our society thinking about happiness and claim the right to the pursuit of happiness as part of our independence. Yet, so many of us are anxious, fearful, uncertain, and distressed. Perhaps, no more than just perhaps, the problem lies in where we “seek” that happiness.

The psalmist is clear. Happiness comes when we seek God with all our heart, when we live according to the LORD’s instructions. When our way is blameless, happiness flows from God’s loving heart to ours. You cannot have a more pure or finer happiness than that.

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Procrastination!

by TerryLema

Don’t put off till tomorrow what you can do today!

How many times I heard that saying as a young person. My mother was a very impatient person, if she told you to do something, you were to do it then and there. Saturday mornings my door was flung open and a loud shout came through that it was 7AM and I needed to get up, clean my room, and start my chores. I hated Saturday mornings as a teenager, I just wanted to sleep in, but my mother was relentless when it came to getting up, cleaning the house, getting laundry done, etc.

I know I was probably just as bad with my children when I told them to do something, I expected it to be done. I do not think, however, I was as militant about getting out of bed on the one day they had to sleep in!

Procrastination. That is putting things off. Stalling. Dithering. Delaying. It embraces the belief that if we can put off something long enough, we might not have to do it at all—especially the difficult stuff.

That is not the way of God. When it comes to the commands of God, we are not to procrastinate. We are to obey. Obedience is immediate. God speaks, we listen and obey. We do what He commands us to do. We do not argue, postpone, stall, dither, or delay.

“I will hasten and not delay to obey your commands.” [Psalm 119:60 HCSB]

Oops, there is that little phrase, “I will” again. I will hasten. I will not delay. I will obey Your commands, LORD. That is the response. Immediate and Decisive. Of course, it also means we must know what His commands are!

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I will …

by TerryLema

I was reading Psalm 138 this morning. It is a beautiful song of thanksgiving. It opens simply. “I will give You thanks with all my heart; I will sing Your praise before the heavenly beings. I will bow down toward Your holy temple and give thanks to Your name for Your constant love and truth.” [Psalm 138:1-2 HCSB]

I will. So much of what we do as human beings begins with those two little words—I will. What follows those two little words often determines not just how we live our lives each day (I will stop for groceries, I will go for that job promotion, I will call my friend), but also determines the focus of our lives as a whole.

This song reminds us that the atmosphere of our hearts is to be thanksgiving to the LORD. “I will give you [LORD] thanks with all my heart.”

I will do that by singing in the presence of heavenly hosts. I will do that by bowing down in worship. I will do that because your love and truth are constantly with me.

But the psalmist does not stop there. He finds many more reasons to bring his thanksgiving to the LORD. In verse 3, he says he called on the LORD who answered him with increased strength within. In verse 7, the psalmist says even when he walks in danger, the LORD will preserve his life and save him. Then in verse 8, he reminds himself that the LORD will not abandon him but will “fulfill His purpose” for him.

There has been a lot in 2020 that has perhaps driven thanksgiving away from our hearts. Uncertainty in so many areas is thriving, and desperation is hovering for many around the edges of their lives. No matter what is happening now, however, it does not change the truth that God will fulfill His purpose in us – and for that we can, and should be, eternally grateful to Him.

“I will give you [LORD] thanks with all my heart.” Amen.

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What’s in a Name …?

by TerryLema

I have a lot of names. My given name is Teresa (spelled not the French way with an H, but the Spanish way – even though I am predominately French). As a child I could not pronounce Teresa so was given the nickname Terry (spelled the masculine way with a Y, which once registered me into boys PE in High School). My middle name is Kay (but Kay was not recognized as a proper baptismal name, so it shows as Katherine on my certificate). I also took the name Grace for my confirmation, but that one is simple.

Then there is my maiden name—Brunelle, pronounced Bru-Nel (the LE on the end is silent). Still everyone usually pronounced it Brunel-Lee and then misspelled it Brunelli (like the Italians).

So, when I got that lovely little four-letter married name I thought, finally, a name everyone can pronounce or spell correctly. Never happened. LEMA, such a simple last name. Pronounced LEE-MA. Except now a lot of people spelled it like Lima (Peru). Others spelled it like Lima (Peru) and pronounced it lima (bean). At various times, I have been known as Leeman, Lemon, Lima (Bean), or Laman. I was known as Theresa Lemon throughout my last pregnancy, the doctor’s office never could get it right.

I have grown used to being called by different names and by different titles (Ma, Mom, Mother, Grandma, GT, Peaches, Pastor). It does not really matter because when I hear God speak to me, I hear him call me the best name ever, “His Child.” I am a child of God. He gave me that name when I surrendered my life to His Son, Christ Jesus my LORD.

“But to all who did receive Him, He gave them the right to be children of God, to those who believe in His name.” [John 1:12 HCSB]

My father always joked that it didn’t matter what anyone called him as along as they called him to dinner.  For me, it really does not matter what others call me, as long as my Almighty Father God calls me “His Child.”

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How delightful!

by TerryLema

I learned many years ago that God’s love for us never changes. We do not have enough power or might to influence God’s eternal, everlasting, perfectly holy love. That is one of the most beautiful lessons I ever learned at the feet of Pastor Jim Gardiner.  (After all, if we could change God’s love by our actions, His love would not be perfectly holy and He would cease to be the perfectly holy God.)

But I also learned that we are able to please God or displease Him. When our actions bring reproach to our Father God, He will chastise us because He loves us. So often we focus on this part of being a child of God … the discipline.

Today, however, I want to focus on the other side of that pleasure/displeasure principle. When our actions bring honor to our Father God, He delights in us.

“Who is a God like You, removing iniquity and passing over rebellion for the remnant of His inheritance? He does not hold on to His anger forever, because He delights in faithful love.” [Micah 7:18 HCSB]

God delights in, has pleasure with those who faithfully love Him. Think about that for a minute. Do you realize that is the same thing that Isaiah prophesied of the coming Messiah and which was applied to Jesus?

 “Here is My Servant whom I have chosen, My beloved in whom My soul delights; I will put My Spirit on Him, and He will proclaim justice to the nations.” [Matthew 12:18, Isaiah 42 HCSB]

God delighted in His Son. God delights in all those who exhibit faithful love for Him. I do not know what that stirs in your heart. I know what it stirs in mine. I long to have God’s pleasure with me. I want to do things which make His soul delight in me. I want to sense that joy every day. To have it, I realize, I must become more like His Son Jesus. Grant that, O LORD. Amen.

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Decision vs Discipleship

by TerryLema

By Faith, Abel …

A Sunday ago at The Way we continued our study out of Hebrews 11, “Finding Faith and Courage in Difficult Times” by looking at the life of Abel. We started with the question, “What would the heroes of faith think of our prosperity Gospel that promises fortunes and wealth for faith?” Their lives are a sharp contrast to the message from that kind of Gospel. Abel, the first man listed in the Hall of Faith was martyred for his faith, as were many that followed him.

I also wonder what Jesus’ disciples would think of our message that invites people to make a “decision” for Christ. The Great Commission speaks of something totally different. “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” [Matthew 28:18]

We are commanded to make “disciples” not “decisions.” Decisions are momentary and easily changed. Disciples are formed over many years, through many trials, and with much determination.

Discipleship involves intent first. We must determine that we will surrender our lives to Christ Jesus, all parts of our life, not just a mental decision. It involves reading the Scriptures to get to know this God Whom We Serve. It encompasses study, practicing Christian disciplines such as prayer, fasting, church attendance, sacrifice and giving.

It often includes refining fire, facing opposition, being joyful amid trying circumstances, standing for Christ when others run away, and witnessing even when people do not want to hear.

That is a lot more than simply going to an altar and deciding for Christ and it is certainly not an “immediately” prosperous life that brings fortune and wealth.  It is, however, a life that brings complete and eternal prosperity and reward when we see Him face-to-face in all His glory. Then, whatever sacrifice made here will be richly rewarded when we receive our inheritance in the saints. And honestly, I doubt we will care much about anything beyond just being in His Presence and sharing eternity with Him. Amen.

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