Author

TerryLema

Holy Week Tuesday: A Conspiracy, An Anointing, A Betrayal

by TerryLema

Matthew Chapter 26 begins with three events, a conspiracy, an anointing, and a betrayal.

The chief priests and Jewish elders met with the High Priest on Tuesday following the triumphal entry. They were worried about the popularity of Jesus. Together they formed a conspiracy to arrest Jesus “in a treacherous way and kill Him.” [vs 5 HCSB]

They decided to wait a while, afraid to arrest Him during the Passover festival. They were afraid the people would riot in defense of this One who had recently been proclaimed “the Son of David,” the blessed One who “comes in the name of the LORD.” [21:9]

While the chief priests, elders and High Priest were conspiring to murder Jesus, one of the most beautiful and compassionate events in the life of Jesus was taking place, His anointing in the house of Simon the Leper. [vs6-13]

Almost always people came to Jesus with an underlying motive. Some had a need. Some begged for healing. Some peppered Him with questions. Others confronted Him, arguing and hoping to catch Him saying something they could use against Him. Even His own disciples had their eyes on a kingdom and argued who would be greatest there.

This woman came to minister to Him. She brought an alabaster jar of very expensive fragrant oil. She anointed His head. She asked nothing in return. When others around Him became indignant in what they considered a waste. Jesus said, “she has prepared Me for burial,” and told them the world would remember what she did for Him.

For Him. She gave what she had for Him.

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Blessed! Part Two

by TerryLema

I wrote yesterday about being blessed by God. Blessed is a word Christians use often because we see it often in our Bibles. But God’s blessings are far deeper and more profound than the way blessing is described in our contemporary thinking (as enjoying happiness, bringing pleasure, contentment, or good fortune.)

In Scripture, blessing is often linked to endurance and perseverance. It is not dependent upon circumstances and can be found even amid poverty, sorrow and other like conditions.

When I think of being blessed by God, I think primarily of three things. God’s love. God’s forgiveness. God’s inheritance for us.

God’s Love: “Who (what) can separate us from the love of Christ …. For I am persuaded that not even death or life, angels or rulers, things present or things to come, hostile powers, height or depth, or any other created thing will have the power to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our LORD.” [Romans 8:35-39 HCSB]

God’s Forgiveness: “We have redemption in Him through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace.” [Ephesians 1:7 HCSB]

God’s Inheritance: “He has given us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead and into an inheritance that is imperishable, uncorrupted and unfading, kept in heaven for you.” [1 Peter 3-4 HCSB]

I am blessed by God. I am loved. I am forgiven. And I have a future that nothing in this world can destroy.

And so do you. 

We are Blessed.

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Blessed! Part One

by TerryLema

I woke up the other morning thinking about being blessed by God. “Blessed” is a word Christians use frequently. We come by it naturally as the Scriptures speak of blessings and being blessed a lot in both the Old and the New Testaments.

Merriam-Webster defines blessed with phrases like, “Enjoying happiness,” “bringing pleasure, contentment, or good fortune.” We all surely want happiness, pleasure, contentment, and good fortune in this life, but is that the way we understand being blessed in the Scriptures?

The Bible speaks of being blessed differently from how the world thinks of it. One the primary passages on being blessed in found in the Beatitudes. In the Beatitudes blessing is linked to poverty, mourning, hungering and thirsting for righteousness, and even persecution.

To understand God’s blessings is to understand that they affect the inner part of us. They are not dependent upon circumstances. God’s spiritual blessings are a deep abiding joy that cannot be shaken by lack, sorrow, deprivation, persecution, war or any other trial or difficulty we face in this life.

James reminds us that “blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the LORD has promised to those who love him.” [1:12]

I doubt we would find, “perseveres under trial” as part of the definition of “blessed” in our contemporary dictionaries, but we find it, and phrases like it, in the Scriptures.

When I think of being blessed by God, I think of three things. Tomorrow!

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Almost Four Years

by TerryLema

In June or July 2019, I noticed changes in my body. I was walking three miles a day, no pain, lots of energy. I was 72 years old. But suddenly, in the space of a couple weeks, I could not walk even half a mile, I was stiff, fatigued, and pain was blooming in various parts of my torso. By September I had a diagnosis, Polymyalgia Rheumatica (PMR). Early the following year, they added a second auto-immune disease Giant Cell Arteritis (GCA). My life changed.

There was always the hope of remission. PMR can go into remission after two to five years. I am almost at four years and so far, PMR and GCA are daily companions. Doctors are hoping that the medications I take will keep them under control, but the medications also have side effects that can disturb daily life.

I realized at 76 years of age, I no longer have the hope that “I’ll get back to normal,” and that one day “I’ll get better,” and able to do what I once did. These diseases have taken a toll on my body and even if they go into remission, even if I no longer must do the infusions or take the medications, my body will never go back to what it once was.

That is disheartening. It means that every day will have some kind of struggle against pain or fatigue. It means that every day I will have to fight to do what I used to take for granted.

Still … I am grateful. I have an empathy for others with chronic pain or debilitation that I never had before.

Still … I am hopeful. I serve the God of Hope. “Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you believe in Him so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” [Romans 15:13 HCSB]

I believe and serve the God of Hope. He has filled my heart with joy and peace. Hope, joy, peace overflow in me because the power of the Holy Spirit remains in me! And one day I will stand strong again in the presence of my Father God because of all that Christ Jesus has done for and in me. That is what I will focus on today! Amen & Amen

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What Are You Looking For?

by TerryLema

Last Sunday Pastor Laura’s message was out of Elijah’s confrontation with the prophets of Baal found in 1 Kings 18, from verse 40 to the end of the chapter. Finally, Elijah gets to tell King Ahab of God’s promise to send rain, “…there is the sound of a rainstorm!”

God had given Elijah that promise before the confrontation on Mt. Carmel. Now Elijah released the knowledge of God’s promise to the king.

But still, the sky was blue and clear, no clouds in sight. Seven times Elijah’s servant goes to look toward the sea to try to spot a rainstorm while Elijah bowed to God and prayed. Seven times! Only on the seventh time does the servant see a small cloud the size of a man’s hand “coming from the seas.”

Pastor Laura said something that resounded in my spirit. “If you are looking for signs of God’s promise, or if you are looking for signs of doubt, that is what you will find.”

She likened it to “new car syndrome,” and that is why it hit me so strongly. My daughter just bought a new Hyundai Santa Cruz. It’s an unusual vehicle, SUV combined with a pickup. There has been one parked outside a house around the corner from me, but I never noticed it until I saw my daughter’s car. Now I see them everywhere!

What are we looking for … God’s promises or our doubts – because whichever it is, that is what we will find. For me, I want the Promises of God in my life. I want to keep my eyes on the things God has promised. I have waited a long time to see God’s promises come to fruition – I don’t want to miss out now!

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The Racer

by TerryLema

One of my favorite places as a youngster was Kennywood Amusement Park near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.   I loved the roller coasters, especially The Racer. (It was my favorite to ride.) The Racer is a wooden racing roller coaster, one of the oldest operating roller coasters in the world, and the last remaining continuous-track racing roller coaster in the United States.

I love the old-fashioned coasters. I’m not into the upside-down corkscrew coasters that are in vogue today. I loved the feel of the wooden ones, a bit shaky, noisy, and as a child—so much fun!

I remember the coaster leaving the station and climbing up that first tall hill. It seemed like it kept getting slower and slower as it approached the top. All you could see was the sky as it climbed up and up and up. Then suddenly it took up speed and you were barreling down the hill, faster and faster. Then there was another climb and another descent!

Often moving with God can be a similar experience. We pray and wait, and it seems God is silent or ignoring us. (We, of course, cannot see what He is doing in the heavenly realms or in the lives of others to bring everything we have prayed for together.) Then suddenly it is a whirlwind of activity, and we see everything we have desired and prayed for coming to pass. It can take our breath away.

That is my walk with God right now. As the former pastor of The Way Middleton, I have prayed to reach the lost in our area. It seemed God was silent. Now suddenly, He is moving, and moving faster than I ever thought was possible. The Way Middleton is soon to be Christian Faith Center Middleton with the vision and resources to reach the lost in our area.

God always surprises me! That is a good thing. What a thrilling time to be walking with Him.

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Set His Face

by TerryLema

As I was walking the other day, I found myself looking down at the sidewalk rather than looking at what was ahead of me. I think I do that because at this stage of my life I am not very steady. Along with the auto-immune diseases I have acquired a wobble! I look at the ground to make sure I will not fall.

That is not, however, a very pleasant or inspiring walk. I need to look up, to focus on what is ahead of me. As I walked, whenever I realized I was looking down again, I would determine to lift my head and see the goal ahead.

As I walked the words, “set His face,” came to mind. That phrase is found in Luke 9:51. “When the days were coming to a close for Him to be taken up, He determined [set or stiffened His face] to journey to Jerusalem.” [HCSB]

A short while before that, Jesus warned and instructed His disciples of what He would find in Jerusalem. He told them that He must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders, chief priests, and scribes, be killed, and then be raised the third day. [Luke 9:22]

Yet, even knowing all that was ahead, Jesus set His face. He determined to journey to Jerusalem. His eyes were fixed on the goal.

Often, we need to lift our own eyes to the goal God has set. We need to set our face to complete the journey and must not allow the unpleasant or disagreeable things that might stand in the way discourage or stop us.

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Useless?

by TerryLema

One last thought out of Peter’s Second letter. It is summed up in a word rendered “useless” in my Bible translation.

 “For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they will keep you from being useless or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.” [2 Peter 1:8 HCSB]

We share “faith of equal privilege” and have everything we need for life and godliness in the knowledge of Christ Jesus. We also have God’s precious promises that He, by His grace, has provided a way for us to be partakers of the divine nature – we are born again the moment we surrender our lives to Him.

Because of those things, we now work out what God has given us into our daily lives so that we can keep “from being useless or unfruitful.”

That word useless is “argos” and means to be inactive, idle, lazy, thoughtless, or unprofitable. I must admit this study in 2 Peter Chapter 1 all began because of the word “useless” appearing in that verse above in one of my daily emails.

As I age and my body becomes frail, the one thing I fear is that I might become “useless or unfruitful” to my beloved Savior and LORD. I know that I cannot do what I once did. I also know that I cannot give up and do nothing.

God has given so much to me. He has flooded my life with His goodness and grace. I feel His love every day. I weep when I hear Him call me “child.” Because of all He has given me, I so desire to give to others. I want – no need – to be useful to my LORD and Savior. Let it be, dear LORD. Amen.

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Every Effort

by TerryLema

God has given us everything we need for life and godliness. He has also given us precious promises that we can now live, not according to our old sinful nature, but according to His divine nature. That is the message of the opening chapter of Peter’s Second Letter.

Now that God has given us everything, we need to do something with it.  “For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with goodness, goodness with knowledge, knowledge with self-control, self-control with endurance, endurance with godliness, godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love.” [2 Peter 1:5-7 HCSB].

Remember that storehouse I wrote about a couple days ago. It is filled to the brim with everything that we need to live a godly life. It is all there, available, waiting for us to enter and retrieve anything we need. So, Peter reminds us to “make every effort to supplement your faith,” that “faith of equal privilege,” with …

What do you need to be more like Christ Jesus? Goodness? Knowledge? Self-Control? Endurance? Godliness? Brotherly affection? Love?

I would love to be able to tell you that the moment you surrender your life to Christ you immediately and miraculously become exactly like Him. That doesn’t happen. It usually takes a bit of effort on our part. We are instantly born again, instantly made new, instantly indwelt by the Spirit of God. Now we must take that and work it out in our lives.

That is going to require a lot of visits to the storehouse!

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Precious Promises

by TerryLema

I am spending a few days in Peter’s Second Letter. I am in verses 3-8, titled in my Bible, “Growth in Faith.”

Yesterday I wrote about verse 3, which reminds us that God’s divine power has “given us everything required for life and godliness.”

Today it is verse 4 because, as if it were possible, there is even more! “By these He has given us very great and precious promises, so that through them you may share in the divine nature, escaping the corruption that is in the world because of evil desires.” [2 Peter 1:4 HCSB]

Not only do we have everything required for life and godliness, but we have “very great and precious promises,” so that we may “share in the divine nature.”

Our nature is what we are. It is our character, our individual personalities. We are born with Adam’s nature, a fallen sinful nature that has a natural proclivity towards pleasing ourselves. In other words, we live “My Way!” and are proud of it.

When we surrender to Christ Jesus, we undergo a radical spiritual transformation. We are new creations in Christ Jesus, born again in His divine nature. No longer do we have to answer to that old sinful nature, now we can live to please God, desire His desires.

We are children of God; His Holy Spirit indwells us. We now have the power to live “His Way!”

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