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Be Still

by TerryLema

I have been trying to be quiet before the LORD more in 2024. When I look back on 2023 it appears noisy and busy to me. I would label it a year of struggle. Not necessarily always struggling with bad situations, but a busy kind of struggle that has robbed my soul and spirit of quiet times before the LORD.

As I read Psalm 46 this morning, I came across that all familiar and often-quoted verse 10: “Be still and know that I am God.” 

Would it surprise you to learn that “still” does not mean to be quiet and not talk? The word is raphah, and it means “to cast down, let fall, to let hang down (especially the hands).”

It is used in the sense of not making any effort or putting forth any exertion.  It carries the idea of ceasing all struggle and leaving everything in God’s Hands.

When you read Psalm 46 notice how God is portrayed. He is our refuge, strength, ever-present help. He is the LORD Almighty, our fortress. He works among us; bringing desolations, causing wars to cease, and defeating enemies.

It doesn’t matter if the very mountains fall into the sea or quake mightily … our God is mightier than anything and as verse 11 points out … He is “with us.”

It is only in knowing our God after that fashion that we can cease all struggles, be still, and leave everything in God’s Hands.

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All Authority!

by TerryLema

My yearly Bible reading plan is arranged so that I read two chapters in the OT, one psalm or proverb, and 1 chapter in the NT. That takes me through the Bible in a year, reading Psalms and Proverbs twice, and the Gospels twice.

My NT chapter this morning was Matthew 8. This is a glorious chapter recording events early in the ministry of Jesus.

Matthew begins with three healings. First the man with leprosy, then the Centurion’s servant (more on this event tomorrow), and finally with Peter’s mother-in-law (which generated people bringing many others to Jesus’ doorstep).

There is a section on the cost of following Jesus. Then suddenly Jesus and the disciples are in a boat in a terrible storm calling out to Jesus to save them. He calms the winds and the sea with simply His word.

Finally, to end the chapter, Matthew reports Jesus delivering two demon-possessed men in the region of the Gadarenes.

Do you see what Matthew did in this chapter. He shows us a marvelous picture of our LORD’s authority. As we read through these events, we see that Jesus has all authority over sickness and death. He has all authority over the natural world. And He has all authority over the spirit world.

He heals by His Word and Touch. He calms nature by His word. He dispatches demons by His Word. PTL.

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Grace and Peace

by TerryLema

This past Christmas our family decided to forego giving Christmas gifts and decided instead to create Christmas Memories. I liked the idea at first.

Finances have been a struggle for Bob and me throughout many of our years together. Living on a fixed income amid inflation has not done anything to alleviate that.  So, replacing the expense of gifts with the expense of memories was very appealing.

Until Christmas came and we had nothing to give those we loved. Then it felt a bit empty.

Christmas is all about giving and sacrifice. God gave His Son for us. His Son sacrificed His life for us. The Holy Spirit was given to us to remind us of God’s giving and Christ’s sacrifice. And God in Christ continues to give and give and give.

Paul understood that. Almost all his letters begin the same way.  “Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”

The world is harsh, at times cruel. Animosity among people and nations abounds. The enemy of our soul assaults. The world seeks to seduce. Our own flesh often fights us.

If there is anything we need in this world, it is God’s grace and God’s peace. We need them moment by moment, every hour, every day.  How comforting it is to know that God loves giving us His grace and His peace in abundance.

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Kindness

by TerryLema

I saw this quote the other day on Facebook.  “I’d rather my kids be the ones who are average in school and sports but hold the door open for a teacher with too much in her hands, comfort a crying classmate, invite everyone to their table. I want my kids to be the kind kids above anything else, because that’s how they’ll change the world.” [Danielle Sherman-Lazar]

The quote was posted by a group called Creative Healthy Family.

It’s a great quote, especially the second sentence. But then as I read the first sentence again, I wondered … why can’t our kids be both excellent in school/sports and kind also? One does not negate the other.

Kindness is encouraged throughout the NT. It is listed in Galatians 5:22-23 as one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit.

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, gentleness, self-control.”

The fruit of the Spirit is the character of Jesus. It is to be the character of all those who have placed their faith in Christ Jesus.

It is a character trait that seems to be severely lacking in our culture on many levels—politics, media, social media, freeways(!), etc. Yet, when given opportunity, kindness still overcomes rudeness every time.

Let’s make sure that as Christians, we are an example of kindness in all things.

 

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Do Not Imitate Evil

by TerryLema

Ok. I readily admit. I hate Halloween. I walk around our neighborhood and see witches and goblins and grim reapers (giant sized ones) adorning yards. It makes me cringe.

I think dress-up is fun for children (maybe adults too). But dressing our children in evil is just … well imitating evil.

John in his third letter warns the church about a man named Diotrephes. He calls him one “who loves to have first place,” one who is “slandering us with malicious words,” and one who not only “refuses to welcome the brothers himself, but he even stops those who want to do so and expels them from the church.” [vs9-10]

Then John immediate declares, “Do not imitate what is evil, but what is good.” [3John11 HCSB]

John does not want Gaius, to whom the letter is written, to act like Diotrephes. But I think the advice he gives is broad enough for us to apply it to other times and situations.

“Do not imitate what is evil.”

 The world has made evil “fun.” It dresses evil up as entertainment. It seeks to make it exciting. Or it seeks to make us think it is just a “harmless” activity. But evil is never harmless. Just ask Adam and Eve.

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Finally – Part One

by TerryLema

Paul second letter to the Corinthians is an interesting letter in that it is the least doctrinal of Paul’s epistles. The letter almost seems like Paul’s personal biography.

The letter explores the relationship between suffering and the power of the Spirit demonstrated in Paul life, ministry, and message. Some of Paul opposition argued that his sufferings meant he really wasn’t a Spirit-filled apostle of the Risen Christ.

Paul argued the exact opposite – that his suffering is the means God uses to reveal His glory to all. It is this letter in which we learned of the all-sufficiency of grace. “[God] said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.’ Therefore, I will most gladly boast all the more about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may reside in me.” [2Corinthians 12:9 HCSB]

As you get to the end of the letter, one word stands out … “Finally.” Chapter 13, verse 11 begins “Finally, brothers, rejoice!”  [HCSB]

Finally, after everything Paul wrote to the Corinthian church, he urged them to rejoice. Rejoice! After everything Paul endured (read Chapter 11:24-33), he urged others to “Rejoice!”

Paul writes consistently about rejoicing. (Nine times in the Book of Philippians alone!) It seems unusual that someone who suffered so much for the Gospel could possibly be known simply as “The Rejoicing Apostle!” But Paul saw beyond his sufferings to the glory that awaited him when he would see his Risen LORD in eternity.

No wonder he wants us to “Finally, rejoice” right along with him.

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Finish With Joy!

by TerryLema

Paul was on his way to Rome. He had appealed to Caesar. When the ship stopped in Miletus, he sent for the Ephesians elders. When they arrived, he told them that he would never see them again. He warned them that they would face hardships and attacks. He also committed them to God’s protection and grace. Finally, at the end, they knelt, wept, and prayed together.

As I was reading that in Acts 20, I was drawn to verse 24.

“But none of these things (the chains and afflictions that awaited him) move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.” [Acts 20:24 NKJV]

It was that one phrase “that I may finish my race with joy” that called to me. Those two little words “with joy” are found in some manuscripts; in others they are not. But I think they were found in Paul’s heart.

Paul was looking to the end of his race, to finishing the ministry given to him by God on the Damascus Road. He had lived his life testifying about the Gospel of the grace of God found in Christ Jesus his LORD and Savior.

Despite the hardships he had faced along the way, despite the chains and afflictions that awaited him in the not-so-distant future, when that race ended, I am sure Paul knew it would end “with joy.”

Beloved, when our race ends and we see our Savior’s face, I cannot imagine it will be anything but “with joy!”

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The Struggle

by TerryLema

Some days are a struggle. I never know until I get out of bed how my body is going to react. I can face a day with a plethora of aches and pain (from the PMR), or I can have a good day with very little. I might have the energy to vacuum the whole house, or I might have to struggle through each room, pausing often to rest (long fatigue from either meds or that virus which shall be nameless. (Today is a struggle day.)

I try to keep moving. My watch reminds me of when I have been sitting for too long. I used to do 10K-14K steps a day. Now a very good day is around 7K. Some days I am lucky to get 5K, and that is only because I force myself to move. I could sit in my recliner all day and read until my eyes get blurry – but if I don’t move, one day I won’t be able to move.

Add to that the threat of blindness from the other auto-immune disease (GCA) and life is far different from what I thought it would be at this stage.

Many of us struggle. Life is often not fair and sometimes it is downright cruel. We struggle with financial security. We struggle with relationships. We struggle with loss. Sometimes the struggles are temporary and are resolved; other times they become our constant companions.

And still, I know that my Father God loves me. I know that my LORD and Savior walks with me. I know that the Holy Spirit of God indwells me. I also know that when I enter into their presence in glory, I will leave my struggles (my momentary light affliction) in the grave. None shall follow me to my eternal home. Amen & Amen

 “For our momentary light affliction is producing for us an absolutely incomparable eternal weight of glory.” [2 Corinthians 4:17 HCSB]

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Worry As a Companion

by TerryLema

Luke tells the story in his Gospel of a visit Jesus and His disciples made to the home of a woman named Martha, her sister Mary and brother Lazarus. Martha, at one point during the visit complained to Jesus about her sister not helping with all the work that needed to be done.

Mary, instead of helping, had spent the day at the feet of Jesus listening to Him.  I can’t say I blame Martha for complaining. She had at least thirteen extra mouths to feed that day!

“Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”  [10:38-42]

Too often this story is related as a battle between two incompatible ways of life. I don’t think it is that at all. Jesus doesn’t rebuke Martha for her service, in fact, the Gospel of Luke is all about service.

Jesus rebukes Martha, in love, for her worry – which indicates her service needed to be grounded in the same kind of personal, firsthand, experience of love that Mary had chosen – the “what is better.”

The choice is not to be a Martha OR a Mary. To serve the LORD is to be Martha AND Mary. We are to generously serve, but always from a living, personal, firsthand, experience of knowing Jesus Christ our LORD.

Service that flows from that will never have “worry” as its companion.

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Only One!

by TerryLema

I hate politics, and lately, everything before us is political. The definition of “politics” is the activities associated with the governance of a country or other area, especially the debate or conflict among individuals or parties having or hoping to achieve power.

Probably the two words contained in that definition that make politics so unpalatable to me are those words conflict and power.  That is what I see everywhere—in the media, on social media, in the reports about this next presidential election that are slanted to make us accept whatever the author wants to achieve. It is all about conflict. It is all about achieving power.

On further reflection, I think the main reason I find politics so distasteful is because it encourages us, nay, demands that we take our attention off the Only One who can fix our world, our nation, our own lives, and puts that attention on a person, or a political view, or a political party.

I care not what side of the aisle we associate with, neither side (nor the middle) will solve the problems that we face as a nation. You cannot rule, nor legislate, nor enforce righteousness because unrighteous is resident within the heart and no political view can change the heart. There is Only One who can.

“Let us run with endurance the race that lies before us, keeping our eyes on Jesus, the source and perfecter of our faith….” [Hebrews 12:1b-2a CSB]

As citizens of this nation, we have certain responsibilities, one of which is to vote, but let us never think that a political candidate (even a presidential one) is going to be the answer to our problems. Church, beloved, we must turn our attention back to Jesus. He is the Only One who can save us.

 

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