TerryLema

Someone asked me once what my greatest fear of growing old would be. I replied, “becoming irrelevant.” I want to be useful to God while I have breath. I do chuckle, however, because I’ve come to realize that I will remain useful –even if it is only to give others an opportunity to learn patience with old folks!

When Paul wrote his second letter to Timothy, he reminded him that the LORD knows those who are His own. He also reminded Timothy that anyone who confesses the LORD Jesus as Savior must acknowledge the Savior as LORD by turning away from wickedness. (vs 19)

When we acknowledge Jesus as Savior and LORD, with both our words and actions, Paul says we will then “be an instrument for noble purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work.” [vs 21]

That is a most delightful image … “useful to the Master.”

Useful. In the Greek the word is euchrestos, it means “easily used, profitable.” It comes from a root word which means “useful in manners or morals.”

To think that the God of all the Universe, the Creator of all things, the Mighty God, would look upon us as useful is amazing. Even more that we could be considered profitable to Him Who is Totally Self-Sufficient!

As I said earlier, I want to be useful to God as long as I have breath remaining! That means that I must not only confess that Christ is Savior and LORD, I must turn from sin and live holy and wholly unto Him.

Let’s be honest, there is a lot more to being a disciple of Christ Jesus than merely saying some words or believing that there is a God. You can talk about the “man upstairs” or the “big guy in the sky,” but if your life does not change, if your actions do not reflect the life of Christ Jesus, I wonder if “accepting Christ” was a true conversion.

We have trivialized the path of salvation. We have made it an acknowledgement of words alone in many cases, without reminding people there is a cost to serving the LORD. After Paul reminded Timothy in his second letter that “The LORD knows those who are his,” he added. “Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness.” [2 Tim 2:19]

If you have confessed Christ as your Savior, there must be a life-style change that reflects Him as LORD.

God spoke to Isaiah about the condition of the nation of Israel and He was not pleased with them: “These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.” [29:13]

Jesus quoted Isaiah in Matthew 15:8 and Mark 7:6, using Isaiah’s verse as a warning to those He had labeled “hypocrites.” I know I fail God regularly, in my attitudes, when I doubt, when I sin, but I pray that I will always heed the conviction of His Spirit to turn and repent. I want my heart to never stray far from God. Failing is not hypocrisy. Hypocrisy is pretending Christ is our LORD (by our words) but refusing to honor Him in our hearts and actions. It would be a terrible thing to be labeled a hypocrite by our God.

Father, keep our hearts tender before you. May our actions honor You even more than our words.

One of the most comforting Scriptures for me as a pastor is found in 2 Timothy 2:19: “Nevertheless, God’s solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription: ‘The Lord knows those who are his.’”

Many commentators link this verse to Numbers 16 in the OT. Paul, of course, was an OT scholar, one of the best. He would have remembered the incident Moses had with Korah. Korah, a Levite, along with some Reubenites (Dathan, Abiram and On) roe up against Moses. They convinced 250 other men to join them.

When Moses was confronted, he fell down on his face, and then said to Korah and all his followers: “In the morning the LORD will show who belongs to him and who is holy, and he will have that person come near him.” [vs5]

The LORD definitely showed the Israelites who belonged to Him when the ground split apart and swallowed up Korah and the rebels.

There are times when people die that I, as a pastor, just don’t know about their spiritual condition. I can’t read hearts. Thankfully, God can. He knows if they accepted His salvation with their dying breath. He knows the state of their heart and the state of their minds when they stand before Him. I can trust Him to always do what is right by each of us.

What I would say to you, however, is to not leave anyone in doubt of your salvation. Make sure your family, your friends know that “you are His.” Don’t leave any to worry what your final destination is at your passing!

Today is our youngest son’s birthday. At the time, Bob had just decided to go out on his own as an underground contractor in California. That meant that unlike with our first two children, this time we had no insurance. We were living in an 800 square foot old home, about half of that footage was laundry, pantry and kitchen. The rest was divided between a living room, two small bedrooms and a bath. There wasn’t much room for another child.

We squeezed a small bassinette in our bedroom. I told God this baby would need to be a little girl, one that would fit in that bassinette for a few months while we figured out where we could put a crib. We even had a name for this “little” girl, Joyce Rene, after Bob’s aunt and my uncle. We were going to call her Joy.

When our son was born, he weighed 9lbs 6ozs and was 22 inches long. He filled the bassinette the day we brought him home. We hadn’t even agreed on a boy’s name we were that certain he was a she.

While God did not heed our idea of what we thought we needed, He gave us so much more. We named him Dan, but truthfully, we could have called him Joy, as that is what he was. He had none of the difficulties and physical problems of our first two children. He seldom cried. He smiled, laughed, and brought a joy into our lives that we didn’t even know we were missing.

I am so thankful that God gave us what we needed, not what we thought we needed. The Scripture reminds us to not be anxious about anything, but “in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” [Philippians 4:6-7]

I would remind us to be prepared though, what we ask for might not be what God knows we need … and what we get from Him will be so much more joyful than we even imagined.

Please Note: I mixed up yesterday’s and today’s devotions. This one should have been published first. TL

September 13

Monday, on the way home from a hospital visit, I stopped to get grilled nuggets and a fruit cup from Chick-fil-a. The two-lane drive up was packed but going fast because servers were outside taking orders on tablets. When I finished my order and the server handed me back my debit card, I said, “thank you.”

A normal response to “thank you” is usually “you’re welcome.” At least that was what Miss Mannerly taught me as a young girl so many decades ago. Lately, I’ve noticed that “you’re welcome” has been replaced with “no problem” or the “NP” in texting. But not at Chick-fil-a. The servers respond, “my pleasure.” And they do it with a smile.

I had just come from visiting someone in the hospital and I thought about the response, “my pleasure.” It was my pleasure to visit, but as I considered that, I realized that even more so, it was my privilege. Merriam-Webster defines privilege as “a right or immunity granted as a peculiar benefit, advantage, or favor.

Paul wrote to the Romans that God had granted him the privilege of ministering to the Gentiles. He said it this way, “God gave me to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles with the priestly duty of proclaiming the gospel of God.” [15:15-16]

Perhaps we could say it this way and not do harm to the Scriptures, “God gave me the privilege to be a minister of Christ Jesus.”

It is a privilege to minister for Christ Jesus. It is a privilege to visit the sick, to pray for others, to bring the Rhema of God’s Word to the hopeless. It is a privilege to walk beside those struggling. Yes, God has granted us the privilege of representing Christ Jesus to this lost world.

Yesterday as I was thinking about the privilege of ministering for Christ Jesus, I remembered another Scripture about privilege. It’s not, however, one we embrace as readily. “For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for him, since you are going through the same struggle you saw I had, and now hear that I still have.” [Phil 1:29-30]

It has been given, or granted, to us on behalf of Christ the privilege to not just believe but also to suffer. Ah, privilege is not necessarily the word I would have chosen. The word Paul chose was charizomai and it comes from the word we usually see translated as grace. Charizomai means to grant as a favor, or we might say privilege.

Suffering is a universal experience. Everyone at some point will likely suffer from something. But the kind of suffering mentioned here is not the common suffering of mankind, it is a special suffering done “on behalf of Christ.” The privilege of believing on Him means we might also be called to suffer for Him.

Jesus reminded his disciples multiple time that a student is not greater than his teacher, nor a servant greater than his master. “Remember the words I spoke to you: ‘No servant is greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also.” [John 15:20]

Jesus’ suffering was unique in that He suffered and died for our sins … that is finished. Our suffering for Him is because we now testify that He is Savior and LORD. We testify that there is one way to the Father. There are many in this world who welcome that testimony, and there are many who do not. When our testimony of Christ is rejected, that rejection may also be accompanied by ridicule, denunciation, discrimination, and yes, even persecution.

When those things happen, it is wise to remember what Peter wrote, that while it is not something we seek, it is a privilege to suffer on behalf of our Master.

If you were to ask me what my favorite Scripture verse is, my response would go something like this, “Whatever I need at the moment.”

I do, however, have verses that have had special meaning to me during different times. When I was first saved and doubted I could ever “walk worthy” of God’s calling, God led me to Philippians 1:6: “being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”

I realized then that I could complete this walk with God because He promised that what He started in me He would finish. I also have a verse that I have tried to live by. You’ll find it in my email address, and in my signature on my emails. It is Colossians 3:17: “And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”

 I came to realize early that it is not the size or greatness of the task that matters. What matters is how we do it. It can be behind a pulpit, work in the marketplace or business, taking care of a young family or aging loved one. It can be as simple as cleaning up the snack table at church after Sunday Service, or perhaps attending a prayer group. I truly believe that what matters to the heart of our Father God is whether we do it to honor His Son … and do it with a thankful heart.

What is on your agenda today? “Whatever your hand finds to do,” do it all in the name of the LORD Jesus … and give thanks to Your Father for the privilege.

I was reminded recently about the seasons of our life. Last Sunday, as a congregation, we prayed for two newborn babies struggling with life-threatening issues, and two older women who have devoted their lives to their LORD, 96 and 82, also struggling with health issues. The congregation that prayed spanned all the years in between.

We are each in differing seasons of life. Some of us are right where we want to be. Some of us are not. Some don’t particularly like where they are now, they want it to be different, something new or exciting; or, they want it to be what it used to be. A verse in Ecclesiastes 9:10 helped me through a particularly difficult season of life: “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might.”

That verse carried me through what some have described as a “dark night of the soul.” It was a time when I could not sense God’s presence at all. I did not hear His voice. The heavens felt like brass when I prayed. I had no friend nor family near me. I had left a ministry I loved and had nothing to take its place. I wondered what I had done wrong to be where I was at that point in time.

But I did what the verse in Ecclesiastes 9:10 commanded. When I saw a need, I tried to fill it. When I saw someone struggling, I spoke about the love and beauty of the LORD. I don’t think anyone knew what was going on in my own soul then—I felt that this was between the LORD and me. I somehow knew that if I remained faithful to “do what my hand found with all my might,” one day the dawn would break and that dark night would be over. And, of course, it did.

We may not be where we want to be at this moment – maybe yearning for something new and exciting or desperately wanting to go back to when things were different – but we can be assured that wherever we are, God is with us. We just need to do whatever our hand finds to do – with all our might!

I am in that part of my Yearly Bible Reading Plan where I’m reading the book of Jeremiah. I am amazed at how much of Jeremiah can be applied to contemporary culture. Yesterday, however, I came across a definition of old age (my contemporary culture), “the old, those weighed down with years.” [Jeremiah 6:11]

Having gained entry into that group labeled “old,” I can verify that definition is quite accurate. Each year leaves a weight on my body. I laugh sometimes when I get up wondering what new ache I might experience today, or what part of me isn’t working quite as well today as yesterday. The other night as I headed for bed, I had warm compresses on my eyes, an ice pack on my neck, and was putting on my copper-fit knee sleeves because the weather was changing. I have become my grandmother!

Yep, each year seems to add a little more weight in the sense that my body, no matter how hard I try to keep it young and fresh with diet and exercise, feels just a bit heavier. My body is aging, becoming weighed down a little more as the years pass. But, let me be perfectly clear, that’s just my body, and only my body.

As my body is becoming heavier, I am also experiencing a lightness to my soul and spirit. I soar more often with the LORD, my praise and worship of my Savior and LORD is deeper and more profound. I sense God’s presence more often. I care less what people think and care more about what my LORD thinks of me.

If I look ahead at what the next years hold in this life, I see increasing weakness and eventual frailty. But if I look ahead with spiritual eyes, I see strength and glory and an eternal home where all pain and weakness and tears and death are banished forever. I am living each day in 2 Corinthians 4:16-18: “Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”

Thank you, LORD JESUS. Amen & Amen

September 9, 1966, I remember this date well. I was living in California working for the State of California Nursing Board. It was a holiday for us – California Admission Day, the celebration of the date California was admitted to the Union. It ended up being more than that.

I had met a young man, a former Marine, handsome, funny (he was 26, I was 19). We had our first date on August 11. On September 9 we went out to dinner and then up to Folsom Dam overlook to watch the sunset. As the night fell, we decided to get married. It wasn’t a formal proposal, no ring yet. In fact, Bob claims I asked him. I thought he asked me. After a few years of marriage, we figured out no one had really asked anyone, it was all a misunderstanding. (I did ask him to marry me 25 years later when we celebrated our 25^th wedding anniversary – so I guess after 52 ½ years we can no longer claim it was a misunderstanding!)

In Christianity, there are different views about how we become part of the family of God. The two main views (and there are dozens of sub-views) are Calvinism and Arminianism. Simply (very simply) defined, God chooses completely whom He wants—man has no part in it (Calvinism); or, God invites “whosoever will” – and man makes a choice (Arminianism). I have had people come unglued if I mention something that they do not consider part of their viewpoint. One man became so angry he threw his Bible on the floor and stomped out of a Bible Study.

So, if you meet me on the street one day and ask me what view I hold, I’m going to tell you that I am not really sure, and honestly, I no longer care who started it, I am just so thankful someone did! God may have asked me, or I may have “found God” and asked Him. Maybe it all happened at once. But, it’s a bit like my “engagement,” it doesn’t really matter after all this time; I am just so thankful that I am a child of God.

1 John 3:1: “How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!”