TerryLema

I’m leaving on a jet plane (tomorrow) but, I do know when I’ll be back again. I’m flying to Salt Lake City where I will meet my friend Patty who is flying in from Montana. Then we’ll rent a car and head south to Cedar City to celebrate with our friend Vaunda on her birthday. It’s been a while since the three of us have been together. I anticipate lots of laughter, music, talking about our love for the LORD, and just relaxing in the presence of people who love each other.

At our ages, (I’m the oldest at almost 73, Patty is the spring chicken, and Vaunda is the middle child) we treasure these moments knowing that none of us are guaranteed tomorrow. Each of us has experienced health issues. Yet each of us is still going strong, still loving the LORD.

It is wonderful to see how God orchestrated our friendship. Vaunda was born in Oregon, Patty in Washington, and my birth state is Pennsylvania. God brought us together at a church in California. We come from different family backgrounds, but God put us together in the family of God. Vaunda and I around 1978 and Patty a few years later.

I am so thankful to God for friendships that endure the tests of life and time. I am so thankful that God is concerned about such things. David declared God’s concern in Ps 68 for the fatherless, the widows, the prisoners, but he also declared God’s concern for the lonely. “God sets the lonely in families.” [v6]

God knew I needed friends, friends that would become family, sisters in the LORD. He blessed me and put me in a family, His family. He has continued to bless me with more friends down through the decades. I am surrounded by people to love and who love me in return. Isn’t God good!

Today is Veterans Day. Veterans Day is a U.S. legal holiday dedicated to American veterans of all wars. In 1918, on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, an armistice, or temporary cessation of hostilities, was declared between the Allied nations and Germany in World War I, then known as “the Great War.” Commemorated in many countries as Armistice Day the following year, November 11 became a federal holiday in the United States in 1938. In the aftermath of World War II and the Korean War, Armistice Day became known as Veterans Day. (This according to History.com)

Today we honor our veterans, those men and women who have served in all branches of the Armed Forces, who have given of themselves to keep us safe and free. They served in wars, conflicts, police actions, covert operations, and during times of peace. They and their families sacrificed much, sometimes giving the ultimate sacrifice of life itself. We should give them honor today and every day. Take time to thank a vet, buy their coffee, pay for their meal, pray for them. It is the very least we can do.

Veterans Day always reminds me, however, that while mankind oversees this world, there will be no lasting peace. No matter how much we try, no matter how much our men and women sacrifice, peace is a temporary pause between conflicts. We have home-grown and global terrorists. We have conflicts among groups, tribes and nations which always threaten peace. Some countries have nuclear weapons, other countries want them. We proclaim peace, peace, as God reminded Jeremiah, “when there is no peace.” [6:14]

Yet, we can have true, eternal, ultimate peace if we want it. It is available to us, God Himself invites us to partake of it. “We have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand.” [Rom 5:1-2]

Peace with God is ours because of the sacrifice of our Lord Jesus Christ. We gain access to this lasting peace by faith through grace. In that peace, we can stand now … even in the midst of this unpeaceful world in which we live. Glory.

Do you have a need? Great! Then God has an opportunity for a miracle in your life. Without a need, there is no reason for a miracle. “His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness.” [2 Peter 1:3]

Are you thirsty? Wonderful! Then God has an opportunity to pour His living water upon you. Without thirst, there is no reason for His outpouring. “For I will pour water on him who is thirsty.” [Isa 44:3]

See how this works? We would prefer to not have a need. We would prefer to not be thirsty. We would prefer for life to be smooth sailing every moment, every day. Yet without a need, we never see God working in our life and our faith never grows. Without a thirst, we would never see God pour out His Spirit – His Living Water – upon us.

My first child was born with birth defects. At six weeks she had her first kidney infection. After the third one, I was reprimanded about the way I was caring for her. After a few more, tests showed she had four kidneys, ureters that were severely kinked, and alves that did not work. Her 10^th infection came on her first birthday, a hot bacterial infection that put her in the hospital.

I was not yet saved, but God had strong Christians in my family “hovering” around me. My great aunt, in her late 70’s told me that she and “the girls” (other women of faith just as old as she) would be fasting and praying for my child’s healing. We took our daughter home after a week in the hospital. She never had another infection – not even one. Tests when she was four showed all four kidneys functioning, ureters completely unkinked and valves working. My need was met with God’s miracle.

I know God works miracles. My child is 50 years old next year. I’ve saw what God did for her, and what He has done for many others. Got a need? Got a thirst? God’s got an opportunity to work in your life.

Ah, God is SO good! I had just finished writing yesterday’s devotion centered on God’s answer to Paul’s prayer in 2 Corinthians 12:8-10 when I opened my Bible Study program and saw my Daily Devotion. Can you guess what it was?

“For my strength is made perfect in weakness.” –-2 Corinthians 12:9

Now some might call that “coincidence,” but I call it “confirmation.” It was a gentle reminder from my Father God not to fuss about all that’s happening, but simply to rest in His grace and strength for this moment. He’s got it all in His Hands.

When I served as a Hospice Chaplain, I met many people who were living in their worst nightmares. Sometimes it was the shock of a diagnosis for themselves, or maybe for a family member. Sometimes it was the grief that followed a loss. A question that always seemed to come up was the simple one-word question, “Why?” I came to understand that “Why?” is not really a question, it is a cry of pain.

As such, I would always gently remind people to take that question to God—but always with a caveat. Seek God, ask “Why?” but put it before Him this way. “God, please answer my ‘why?’ question or take away my need to ask it.”

God seldom answered why, but He seemed to always take away the need to ask. Either way is a win.

This morning, God has reaffirmed to me that I am to praise Him and thank Him and glory in Him no matter what my circumstances are. I don’t need to ask “Why?” He’s taken that away. I just need to know that His strength and grace are enough for all my needs. Thank you Father.

I have been thinking a lot about thankfulness, gratitude, praising our LORD in any and all circumstances, especially during this bout with PMR. While I’ve done a bit of research at numerous well-known medical centers’ online resources, I haven’t come away with much more knowledge than what my primary physician told me initially. That has led me to a different source, my LORD and Savior Christ Jesus. I’ve turned to Him with my requests, and yes, with my thankfulness, gratitude and praise. I’ve decided to follow Paul’s example in 2 Corinthians 12:8-10.

Paul was being tormented by what he calls his “thorn in the flesh.” He doesn’t reveal what that “thorn” was, but he does tell us he took it to the LORD in prayer three times. He kept praying until God gave Him an answer. The answer probably wasn’t what Paul hoped it would be. God did not remove his “thorn” but answered Paul in a much different way. “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” [v9]

He gave Paul grace … Charis in the Greek. Grace is the divine influence upon the heart, and its reflection in the life, including gratitude. He gave Paul grace sufficient for his need.

Paul’s response? It was to glory in his weakness, or as some translations render it, to delight in, or rejoice in his weakness, for that is what the Greek word means. Paul could glory, delight, rejoice in his own weakness for he knew that Christ Jesus’ power was resting upon him and making up the difference. The power of God was completing a circle of perfection, the weaker Paul was in himself, the more of Christ’s power was available to him.

While we don’t always welcome weakness in our lives … nor seek our infirmities for infirmities’ sake … we do welcome the power of the Living God that completes us. In that we can delight, rejoice and glory in. Praise and gratitude for all God is doing in us is the atmosphere of our lives, especially in our weakness! Glory in Him, church!

I’ve heard so many people utter the phrase, “I hate change.” That always amuses me. We live in a world that is nothing but change. Oh sure, there are those annoyingly too-frequent employment “realignments” that drive workers nuts, but change is something we often embrace too. I like the changing seasons. I like the change that brings more light in the morning than in the evening. Everything around us changes, moment by moment, light to dark and back again. Even the hairs of our head are changing moment by moment (a good thing if you’ve ever had a bad haircut).

Change simply means something gets better or worse or different. When we come to Christ Jesus, we are to change … for the better. That’s called sanctification. We are to become more and more like our Savior. Thankfully, the Holy Spirit in us makes that possible.

While I like the idea of change for most things in life, I am grounded on the truth that our God never changes. He said to Malachi, “I am the Lord, I change not.” [3:6]

God is absolutely perfect, immutable, He changes not. He cannot grow better, because He’s perfect. He cannot grow worse, because He’s perfect. He cannot be different than what He is … because He’s perfect!

 That attribute of immutability is the basis for His faithfulness. He is ever faithful because He changes not. I can trust that the God who rescued me from the degradation of sin in 1973 is the same God who continues to walk with me today. He promised in 1973 to “finish” what He started and I see Him at work in my life every day doing just that! The God who brought me into His family … as His child … in 1973 is the same one who will embrace me as His daughter when I enter His presence in eternity.

I can trust Him, because He-Never-Changes! Hallelujah!

When we travel to California to visit with family we stay in a local hotel. We initially found one that was inexpensive, but after staying there a few times it was evident why it was inexpensive. They were in a perpetual remodeling project, the hotel front desk staff was rude, our entrance bordered an alley filled with trash and people asking for money, cigarettes or booze. Even though we were in a wing already remodeled, the blinds didn’t work, and once our doorknob fell off!

After several stays we decided to look for a new place. We chose the Hampton Inn in Salida, easy access, lovely rooms, wonderful breakfast, and a staff that constantly smiles. It costs a little more to stay there but it is well worth it. We’ve decided that the Hampton is our dwelling place when we visit our California kids.

I pray “that [God] would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.” [Eph 3:16-17 NKJV]

There are 2 Greek verbs (paroiko & katoikeo) for dwelling. Paroiko means to inhabit a place as a stranger or alien. Katoikeo, on the other hand, means to settle down and refers to a permanent as opposed to a temporary abode.

Paul uses Katoikeo when he describes the fullness of the Godhead abiding in Christ in Colossians 1:19 and for Christ’s abiding in the believer’s heart in the verse above.

When Christ Jesus comes to “dwell” in our hearts through faith, He makes it His own home. We are a permanent dwelling for the Master, not a hotel where He is treated like a visitor. Truly Amazing!

Yesterday I wrote about the Holy Spirit who comes to us when we receive salvation through Christ Jesus. The Spirit dwells in us. He brings light that illuminates the Scriptures. He teaches us how to pray, how to follow, how to live. Our lives are flooded with light as the Spirit unveils Christ Jesus, the Light of the World.

But we need not only light, we need the fire, the power of the Spirit if we are to live as Christ wants us to live. We need the fire and power of the Spirit to “go into all the world and make disciples.”

The truth is that the fire and power of the Spirit are resident within the Holy Spirit who is resident with us. It is His responsibility to provide that for us – but, BUT, it is our responsibility to allow the Spirit to release His power in us. Paul told the Thessalonians, “Do not put out the Spirit’s fire” [1 Thessalonians 5:19]

To release the fire and power requires obedience. Some scholars estimate that more than 500 people were present when Jesus gave the command to return to Jerusalem and wait for the release of the Holy Spirit’s power. When the Spirit fell in the Upper Room in Acts 2, there were 120. What happened to the rest? Where did they go? Were they not willing to wait and obey the words of the LORD Jesus?

We put out the Spirit’s fire when we fail to be obedient. We douse the flames of the Spirit when we allow ingratitude to creep in and fail to give thanks for all God has done. We restrict the Spirit’s power when we lose our joy, for it is the joy of the LORD that is our strength. [read 1 Thessalonians 5:16-22]

Paul’s warning is ominous. Do not allow the things of this world, our own flesh, or the devil to “put out the Spirit’s fire” in our lives. Blaze away fellow believers!

I have a small wax-melting plug-in in our hall bathroom. I turned it on the other day and discovered the light bulb that heats the wax and acts like a nightlight had burned out.  Bob was headed off to the store at the time, so I gave him the bulb and asked him to get a replacement, which he did.  I plugged in the appliance and voila I had light. When I checked later, I saw that while I had light, the wax had not melted. There was no fragrance. In checking, I found that Bob had bought a 5-watt bulb instead of a 15-watt. While the bulb served as a light, it didn’t have enough power to get hot and melt the wax to release the fragrance.

At Bible Study last Wednesday, we were discussing the Holy Spirit who dwells in us. When we come to Christ Jesus for salvation, the Scriptures are quite clear that we receive both Christ and the Holy Spirit. Our inner man, our hearts become the dwelling place of God.

Jesus told us that when the Spirit came, He would bring light. He would lead us and guide us into all truth, illuminating Christ’s words and ways.  That’s a given. But Jesus also told His disciples when He ascended into heaven to wait for the power of the Spirit … that power would be used to witness and take the Gospel into all nations.

On the Day of Pentecost, the power of the Holy Spirit fell upon those gathered in the Upper Room. He came like fire!  “They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit …” [Acts 2:3-4]

Jesus’ disciples went forth in power. They took the fragrance of God’s Son into every corner of the known world. Perhaps we’ve settled for less than we might … we’ve welcomed the light but failed to wait and seek the fire.

It is the fire of the Spirit that melts our hearts in submission to Christ Jesus’ LORD-ship. It is the fire of the Spirit that releases the fragrance of our God to all we meet.  Let’s seek the fire.

“Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think …” [Eph 3:20 NKJV]

“Wow!” Read that again. God is “able.” Double “Wow!”

He is able “to do exceedingly abundantly above all.” Glory!

He is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all “that we ask or think.” Are you rejoicing yet?

I have read that verse probably hundreds of times and still it floods my soul with such amazement. God is able to do exceedingly abundantly (immeasurably more, infinitely more) than what I might ask, or even think about or imagine. There are times when I don’t ask God for something because I think it might be too much to ask. Yet this verse tells me that there is never too much to approach God with as long as we stay within His stated will in His Word.

I guess that raises the question, are we asking enough from our Father God who tells His children to come to Him and present their requests? Are we asking for healing from the one whose “stripes we are healed?” Are we asking for provision enough for our daily needs? Are we asking for spiritual growth from the One who promised to send the Comforter to lead us and guide us into all truth? Have we perhaps decided that God is “not able” even though His Word says otherwise?

As I read this verse again this morning, I’ve decided to get bolder in my prayers and requests to Him. I want to see all that God can do in His amazing glory and power. I want to see Him work in me, through me, for me, with me. I want to see miracles that give evidence of our testimony to the world that in any and every situation our “God is able … exceedingly, abundantly, immeasurably, infinitely able.” Amen & Amen!