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TerryLema

Do Not Fear

by TerryLema

“Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you; I will help you; I will hold on to you with My righteous right hand.” [Isaiah 41:10 HCSB]

Whenever I read this verse I am reminded of my husband and our children. Whenever we were walking anywhere that had danger, a parking lot, along a sidewalk in a busy street, in a crowded theme park, he made sure they held his hands. I always see the “Righteous Right Hand” of our Father God in that. I remember that it was not the strength of our child’s hand in Bob’s that kept them safe. It was the strength of Bob’s hand holding them that assured them of safety.

While this verse was written to Israel originally, I know that God is now holding out His Hand to His beloved children from every nationality, tribe and tongue, to all those who have come to Him through the work of His Son Christ Jesus on the cross.

We are not to be afraid for He is with us. He is our God. He will strengthen us for this difficult time. He will help us as we speak out for the truth of the Gospel. He will hold on to us in the face of all danger with the strength of His righteous right hand where Jesus has ascended and now continues to make intercession for us.

As I read this verse, I am also thrilled by the promises contained in the verses that follow it.  “Be sure that all who are enraged against you will be ashamed and disgraced; those who contend with you will become as nothing and will perish. You will look for those who contend with you, but you will not find them. Those who war against you will become absolutely nothing. For I, Yahweh your God, hold your right hand and say to you: Do not fear, I will help you.” [vs 11-14 HCSB]

One day, in the presence of our God, we will look around and see that every opposition, all enemies are gone. They will have “become absolutely nothing,” and all that remains will be our Wonderful, Amazing Father God and His children. Amen & Amen.

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The Spirit of His Son

by TerryLema

Every day I get a new word in my inbox from Merriam-Webster (M-W). It is the word of the day. Many times, I recognize those words, they are familiar along with their meanings. Sometimes I have no clue how to pronounce them or what they mean. (Thankfully, M-W has a link to hear someone pronounce the word correctly.)

The word this morning was the French, noblesse oblige. This is what M-W says it means. “literally ‘nobility obligates.’ French speakers transformed the phrase into a noun, which English speakers picked up in the 19th century. Then, as now, noblesse oblige referred to the unwritten obligation of people from a noble ancestry to act honorably and generously to others. Later, by extension, it also came to refer to the obligation of anyone who is in a better position than others to act respectably and responsibly.”

 That definition struck me, especially the part that says there is an unwritten obligation of people of noble ancestry to act honorably and generously to others, to act respectably and responsibly.

We have been adopted into the family of the most noble, honorable, holy King of Kings. We are called children of God; we are sons and daughter of the Everlasting King. Should we not be the most honorable, generous, respectable, and responsible people on earth?

“And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, ‘Abba, Father!’ So you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.” [Galatians 4:6-7 HCSB]

We actually have not an unwritten obligation but a written one. Scripture is clear about what our attitudes should be like, how we should act, how we must look out for the care of others, how we are to give freely the Gospel which we received freely. Our Savior gave it all so that we might be adopted into His family, now we are to give it all so that others might see our example of faith and surrender their lives.

I have had to think about how my character, my attitude reflects my Savior’s a lot lately. What we are, who we are will manifest the clearest in times of distress and struggle … so far 2020 fits that perfectly.

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Are We a Stumbling Block?

by TerryLema

I was thinking again this morning about my trip to the grocery store the other day, about the requirement of masks and the clerks who were exposed to the coughing and sneezing of those who felt it was their “right” not to wear a mask.

I will not debate the efficacy of masks or the right not to wear one. I leave that to experts, of which, I am not. I will, however, remind us that sometimes in the simplest of things we find divine principles.

In 1 Corinthians 8, Paul deals with food sacrificed to idols, is it okay to eat meat that had been sacrificed to an idol. He begins with an interesting contrast between knowledge and love in verse 1. “About food offered to idols: We know that ‘we all have knowledge.’ Knowledge inflates with pride, but love builds up.”

 After debating the issue about meat sacrificed to idols, Paul makes two statements which should give us pause. The first is a principle that is to be applied to much more than eating meat. “But be careful that this right of yours in no way becomes a stumbling block to the weak.” [vs 9 HCSB]

The second is even more profound. “Now when you sin (putting a stumbling block in the path of others) like this against the brothers and wound their weak conscience, you are sinning against Christ.” [vs 12 HCSB]

 As Christians, it does not matter if it is meat, alcohol, masks, or anything else. It is the principle that while we may have the right to do something, and the knowledge about that right, to promote our right in the face of another is to cause them harm … and God regards that wounding of another the same as “sinning against Christ.”

Love does no harm.

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Comforted by Judgment?

by TerryLema

This is such a turbulent time we are living in. I ventured into a grocery store the other day, mask on, sanitizer waiting in my car when I exited. I did not handle a lot of things, just got what I needed. We were out of meat and I do not like to order my meat online for pick up. I never seem to get what I want, so into the store I went.

A large sign greeted me at the door, “Masks Now Required for Entry.” There was no one stationed there making sure masks were required and I noticed half the customers in the store did not have a mask on. When I arrived at the checkout, I found two very frustrated clerks, one checking out, the other bagging groceries.

I asked them how they were doing and found out quickly, they were not doing very well. The parent company had not seen fit to station someone at the door, as other stores had done to turn away anyone without a mask. They felt they were at risk, said people came through their lines coughing and sneezing and did not seem to care. I felt for them but had nothing with which to comfort them except to say I would pray for them.

I was reading in Isaiah this morning and came to this passage, “The arrogant constantly ridicule me, but I do not turn away from Your instruction. Lord, I remember Your judgments from long ago and find comfort.” [vs 119:51-52]

I thought about those clerks. They were following company rules, wearing their masks, working hard, but they were surrounded by arrogant customers who thought they did not need to follow the rules to shop there. In essence, these customers were flaunting their arrogance in the face of those clerks who were doing what they were supposed to be doing.

Sometimes we feel like those clerks. We follow the instructions of our LORD, but the arrogant surround us in their disobedience and ridicule us. Still we maintain our obedience to God’s will and ways. Our comfort comes now as we remember God’s judgments … and judgment is exactly what that word means … taking a case against someone before a judge.

We remember that God will not allow the wicked to win. He has in the past brought judgment, He will in the future bring a final judgment that will end all evil forever and ever. We can find comfort in that.

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To Mask or Not to Mask, that is the Question!

by TerryLema

To mask or not to mask, that is the question!

Well, it is only one of the questions that we face daily. Many stores are requiring masks, whether cities or states do or not. Is this virus thing real? That’s another question and accompanying that one are many more. Is it worse than the flu? Is it political? Are we losing our rights? Should I report people who are not obeying the directives or ignore those directives myself? What is the rate of infection and just who is dying?

Those things bombard us daily and … here is the ugly part … everyone has an opinion. Not only do we have an opinion, we express it constantly, even to the point of abusing others both verbally and physically who do not share our opinions. We have become a very impolite and cruel society.

There is an old quote “Tis better to keep quiet and be thot a fool than to speak and remove all doubt.”

That quote has been attributed to any number of people. It is definitely a quote describing 2020. There is a plethora of examples every day on social media, in the news media, in the political arena, and in our neighborhoods. It is not, however, the way of our LORD.

“1A gentle answer turns away anger, but a harsh word stirs up wrath. 2The tongue of the wise makes knowledge attractive, but the mouth of fools blurts out foolishness. 3The eyes of the Lord are everywhere, observing the wicked and the good. 4The tongue that heals is a tree of life, but a devious tongue breaks the spirit.” [Proverbs 15:1-4 HCSB]

Three of those first verses in Proverbs 15 tell us how the mouths of fools blurt out foolishness and provoke distress and anger in others, and how the tongue of the wise disperses anger and brings healing instead.

BUT, there is one verse in the midst of the others which should give us pause, verse 3, “The eyes of the LORD” see it all, both the good and the wicked. To mask or not to mask is not the question. The true question is when our LORD sees us and hears us, do we have the tongue of the wise that heals, or the mouth of fools that destroy.

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Do You See What I See?

by TerryLema

I take note of comments on the Facebook page where I post the daily devotions. I read what people say, I notice how many have shared the devotion, and how many have seen it. For a while, when this virus-and-fear pandemic began, there were hundreds of views, posts and comments whenever I posted a devotion that had a direct correlation to fear, standing strong in the face of opposition, uncertainty or difficult times.

I noticed recently that has changed. I doubt people are less fearful or less uncertain, but I think we have gotten “used to” the troublesome times. Maybe, we are just too tired from them to really care anymore. Everything around us has changed … from the way we go about our daily lives, our jobs, our church services, our schools, sports programs, restaurants, even the way we shop or visit with friends and family. Nothing is the same.

That is why when the following daily verse appeared in my inbox the other day, I really took note. “For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power.” [Colossians 2:9-10 NKJV]

I looked at the verse in the Holman Christian Standard Bible version and I was glad I did!  “For the entire fullness of God’s nature dwells bodily in Christ, and you have been filled by Him, who is the head over every ruler and authority.” [HCSB]

Do you see what I saw?  Look at that phrase … “you are complete in Him,” in the NKJV and then in the HCSB, “you have been filled by Him.”

 Oh beloved, does that not make your heart want to sing! Yes, everything around us has changed, but everything inside us is still the same!  Christ Jesus was the entire fullness of God’s nature among us when He walked this earth. Now He is the entire fullness of God’s nature in us while we walk this earth! Hallelujah! Amen!

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Looking Toward That Day!

by TerryLema

“For this reason God highly exalted Him and gave Him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow—of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth—and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” [CSB]

Every time I read Philippians 2:9-11, I long for that day to come. My heart yearns to see every knee bow and every tongue confess that my Christ Jesus is LORD.

I am 73 years old, halfway now to 74. I have loved God all my life and have tried to serve Him over the past almost 50 years. I have also seen a lot of suffering, pain, brokenness, grief, and death. I have seen firsthand the damage done to families by addictions of all kinds, criminal activity, abuse, and violence. I worked Hospice where “I met 125 new people each year, all of whom died.”

Here in my old age I have now been favored with enduring a virus pandemic, an attack on churches, anarchy in our streets and history re-written. I have watched the pillars of our nation shaken to the core. If anything, I should be depressed or discouraged about life. It does not seem fair, does it, that I should have to live my final years in this dark atmosphere.

I am, however, not depressed nor discouraged. Life may be unfair, actually life certainly is unfair, but my God, my LORD and my Master is always good. He has called me out of my sin-filled life and redeemed me by the power of His death and resurrection. He has removed my guilt and shame. He has given me that wonderful promise that I shall one day see “every knee bow before Him and every tongue confess that He is LORD to the glory of God.”

Yes, I am looking forward to that day and its glory, and it is just because things are dark now and getting darker that the light of His promised glory is getting ever brighter before me. Amen & Amen.

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I Am Humble!

by TerryLema

Ever try to be humble?  Maybe you have been reminded by the Holy Spirit that you need to be more Christ-like in your attitude than you currently are, as Paul reminds us in Philippians 2:5 to “Make your own attitude that of Christ Jesus.”

So, you work at humility. You think you nailed it. You start thinking, I am humble(!), which of course defeats humility right then and there.  Humility is difficult because if we focus our attention on it, or if we chase it, we end up catching pride instead.

Paul gave us the recipe for humility.  “Do nothing out of rivalry or conceit, but in humility consider others as more important than yourselves. Everyone should look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.” [Philippians 2:3-4]

Humility is not trying to think less of ourselves, it is not thinking of ourselves first. It is considering the welfare of others more important and looking out for their well-being. Throughout the Scriptures are pathways to humility and they always lead us through the lives of others.

Let us understand. We are to provide for our needs and families surely, Scriptures are clear on that. We are to practice good spiritual self-care. But, when others need our time, our resources, our provisions, our encouragement, good will, comfort, or compassion—and we can provide those things—then we are to provide them. We give even if it means we sacrifice to do so. Most of us have far more than we really need anyway.

Perhaps, the most precious of all things we have to give others in need is our time. When we spend our time for others, humility slips in and takes up residence in our hearts.

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What’s the Goal? What’s the Plan?

by TerryLema

I remember all those yearly evaluations required when I worked in the secular world. It seems they did not just center on how the past year had gone, but they always pointed us to the year ahead with two questions, “What is your goal?” and “What is your plan to achieve your goal?”

You must have a goal to aim at. You must have a plan for hitting that goal. Both are necessary for success.

Paul reminds us that as Christians we too must have a goal.  “If then there is any encouragement in Christ, if any consolation of love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, fulfill my joy by thinking the same way, having the same love, sharing the same feelings, focusing on one goal.” [Philippians 2:1-2 CSB]

The NKJV uses the wording, “fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.”

Being of one mind, focusing on one goal. I wonder what we would say if someone walked up to us and asked us as a Christian, what is our goal?  Would we offer something like, “To be like Christ.” Or maybe, “To lead others to Christ.” Both would be great goals. But then, what would we say if they continued (like my old supervisors used to do), “Okay, what is your plan for achieving that goal?”

Ah, then we might flounder a bit. As a Christian, I am not always particularly good at setting up a goal or a plan to reach that goal. Too often, I just journey along, trying to respond to the Holy Spirit’s course corrections in my life rather than consulting Him on what He wants me to achieve and His plan for me to get there.

Maybe I need to consider this a bit more!

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Perception

by TerryLema

Back in March when the Saga of the Toilet Paper Shortage was in full swing, I went to various online sites trying to find available TP since none was available in the stores. After diligently searching I found some on Amazon from an associated Canadian business. I ordered a 10-roll pack. The business told me it was mailed but provided no tracking number. After waiting weeks, I contacted Amazon and they refunded my money and told me if the package arrived, I could just keep it.

It arrived, the end of June. I went to my regular-sized mailbox and found a brown envelope. When opened, I found 10 of the tiniest rolls of TP I have ever seen. It was nothing like the picture shown on the website, nor the description provided. The picture and description skewed my perception.

Perception. The English translation of that word is the ability to see, hear, or become aware of something through the senses.

When Paul prayed in Ephesians Chapter 1, one of the things he prayed for was that we might have “spiritual perception.”  He prayed “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.” [v17-18 NKJV]

 The Holman Christian Standard Bible uses the phrase “perception of your mind” in place of “the eyes of your understanding.”

“I pray that the perception of your mind may be enlightened so you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the glorious riches of His inheritance among the saints.” [v18 CSB]

We must have “spiritual perception” to understand the will and the ways of our God. We can use our natural senses,  our eyes, our ears to take in spiritual things, but to make them the foundation of our lives and the atmosphere of our minds, we must have the Holy Spirit to plumb their depths. We must cultivate “spiritual perception” by communicating and spending time with the Holy Spirit if we are ever to know the hope of His calling on our lives now and the riches of His glory for our future.

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