Past Devotions

Compassions

by TerryLema

In a book called “Lamentations,” which contains the cries and expressions of grief of the prophet Jeremiah, there is a portion of Scripture that most Christians learn very quickly. Probably because we need to learn it very quickly.

“Because of the Lord’s faithful love we do not perish, for His mercies never end. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness! I say: The Lord is my portion, therefore I will put my hope in Him.” [3:22-24 HCSB]

In almost the direct center of that book is a reminder that God’s mercies have no end, and that they are renewed fresh each morning.

Why is the reassurance of that so important?

I think there are two reasons. The first is that we are so used to things “ending.” We come to the end of various stages of life. We come to the end of our resources, energy, money, time, even our talents. Our jobs often end. Our relationships also do so at times.

There always seems to be something drawing to a close. Except the LORD’s faithful mercies. They have no end. We can never out distance them nor run out of them.

The other reason I think we cling to this verse is that phrase, “renewed fresh” each morning. Life often compounds things. We suffer not just a loss but multiple ones. We do not have one health issue; we have a couple. When things compound, they increase our suffering, grief, and stress.

But each morning, God’s mercies come fresh, absolutely, and totally efficient for whatever or how many needs we might see that day.

It is easy to cry out along with the prophet Jeremiah, “The Lord is my portion, therefore I will put my hope in Him.”

 

Amen!

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It IS Good!

by TerryLema

I was reading Psalm 92, a song of “God’s Love and Faithfulness” the other morning. It was the morning after the 4th of July celebrations in our neighborhood. I was tired. People were firing off all kinds of illegal mortars and fireworks from around 8 PM on the 4th to almost 3 AM on the 5th. To say I was grumpy would probably be an understatement.

Opening my Bible, I heard God speak to me to check out Psalm 92, which I did. It opens with those three words, “It is good …”

“It is good to praise Yahweh, to sing praise to Your name, Most High, to declare Your faithful love in the morning
and Your faithfulness at night, with a ten-stringed harp and the music of a lyre.” [vs 1-3 HCSB]

I was fussing a bit, maybe more than a bit. I was even being a little stubborn. I knew God wanted me to praise Him, to thank Him for His faithful love to me, but I was intent on bringing my complaints before Him instead. I even thought to remind Him that I did not have a ten-stringed harp or a lyre!  He whispered quietly in my spirit, “no, but you have a voice.”

As I read Psalm 92 a second time and a third time, the Holy Spirit gave me joy. He reminded me of the work of God’s Hands in my life, and his profound thoughts towards me. [vss 5-6]

He reminded me that He has lifted me up and anointed me and that I have freedom from my enemies. [vss 10-11]

He said that because of all He has done for me and in me, I will thrive like a palm tree and grow like the cedars of Lebanon. I am planted in the house of the LORD and even in my old age I will still bear fruit.  [vss 12-13]

Lastly, the Spirit of the LORD confirmed that no matter how old I get, I will still be able to declare that “The LORD is just; He is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in Him.”  [vs 15]

I finally did stop complaining about the awful night and started rejoicing that morning in my LORD’s faithful love.

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Once I Was Blind …

by TerryLema

John 9 is a chapter devoted solely to the healing of a blind man. It started when the disciples spotted the blind man and asked the question, “who sinned, this man or his parents that he was born blind?”

Jesus’ answer must have startled his followers, “Neither this man nor his parent sinned. This came about so that God’s works might be displayed in him.”

Jesus then went on to make a mud, applied it to the man’s eyes and instructed him to go wash in the pool of Siloam. After that happened, a host of other things transpired.

The blind man’s neighbors who noticed his healing questioned him on how it happened. They brought the man to the Pharisees who also questioned him and discovered all this happened on a Sabbath Day.  The Pharisees did not believe his testimony about his healing, so they brought in his parents and questioned them. His parent begged off answering for fear they would be ostracized from the synagogue and turned the attention back to their son.

So, for a second time, they bring the man back and question him again, trying to get him to say that the One who healed him could not be from God since the healing took place on the Sabbath.  The Pharisees finally declare, “We know that God has spoken to Moses. But this man—we don’t know where He’s from!”

Then the former blind man boldly declares, “This is an amazing thing, you don’t know where He is from, yet He opened my eyes!”

I was struck by that word “amazing.”  In the Greek it means marvelous, describing an awe-evoking sight, moving the beholder to their deepest emotions. This poor man who had spent his life begging for alms, who had none of the privileges or benefits of the educated Jewish leaders recognized that Jesus was from God. He stood “amazed” at their ignorance and spiritual blindness. And I think there was another part to his amazement … that Jesus had the power and the compassion to open his eyes.

I, too, am amazed, moved to my deepest emotions when I remember that Christ Jesus had the power and the compassion to touch my blind eyes! For once I was blind, but now I see!

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Rights or Privileges?

by TerryLema

Paul, in Romans Chapter 14 and beginning of Chapter 15 addressed the question, “How should a Christian exercise freedom in Christ?”

You see a number of principles about Christian freedom in those chapters. One of the greatest is that Christian liberty is not about pleasing ourselves.

“Now we who are strong have an obligation to bear the weaknesses of those without strength, and not to please ourselves. Each one of us must please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. For even the Messiah did not please Himself.” [Romans 15:1-3 HCSB]

Many Christians would be surprised to learn that true Christian liberty, unlike that of the secular world, is not a matter of demanding the “rights” we have. Before God we possess no “inherent rights.”  We forfeited all our “rights” in our sinfulness.

Now we exercise our “rights” as “privileges” obtained through the sacrifice of Christ Jesus our Lord. His sufferings obtained our freedom. The example Paul gives us is that even Christ Jesus, the Messiah, our LORD, did not live to please Himself.

That means we are now sensitive to others, especially those weaker brothers and sisters in the LORD. Whatever we do is not to please ourselves, but to build up our neighbors.

At times, that means we must restrain the exercise of our freedom if we know that our liberty will put a stumbling block in the path of others. (Of course, when the truth of the Gospel is at stake, we speak truth boldly and decisively.)

Americans may think in terms of rights – “live, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” Christians set free by Christ, must think in terms of privileges granted by God. That surely tempers the exercise of such.

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Freedom to be Holy Before God

by TerryLema

Living in liberty requires an attention to inherent dangers. It is far too easy to become unbalanced, leaning too far one direction or another.

There is a danger for those who forcefully demand liberty that they can fall into undisciplined living (licentiousness).  “As God’s slaves, live as free people, but don’t use your freedom as a way to conceal evil.” [I Peter 2:16 HCSB]

I remember speaking to a man once who told me he was free to have an affair. After all, he said, he could just simply come back and ask forgiveness when it was over and maintain his Christian standing.

There is also a danger for those who forcefully limit liberty that they can fall into a legalistic lifestyle. “Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now going to be made complete by the flesh?” [Galatians 3:3 HCSB]

These people become defined by what they are “against.” I remember visiting a gathering of churches where I was informed that I could not raise my hands during the singing because a certain member in the host church forbade such “emotional” worship.

The ultimate goal of freedom is to live a holy life that glorifies God, edifies our fellow believers, and maintains a good repute before unbelievers. Liberty neither hides iniquity (doing anything we want), nor does it restrict by rules or customs.

The only “rule” that we must submit to in exercising our Christian freedom is simple. Does what I am thinking, speaking, and doing, please my LORD and Master, Christ Jesus?

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Freedom to Serve

by TerryLema

One of the most interesting verses in Galatians 5, “Freedom of the Christian,” is verse 13.

“For you were called to be free, brothers; only don’t use this freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but serve one another through love.”  [Galatians 5:13 HCSB]

The words Paul used for “free” and “freedom” are eleutheria and eleutherian.  Pretty much the same word meaning freedom, liberty, especially a state of freedom from slavery.  We were called through the amazing invitation of God to become His own. When we accepted God’s invitation to come to Him through the work of Christian Jesus on the cross, we were set free from slavery to sin, guilt, and shame.

Paul goes on to tells his readers that since they have been set free by Christ Jesus and are now in a state of freedom from slavery, they should “serve” one another.  Paul uses the word douleuó, which means to be a slave. It comes from the word doulos, which describes the basest of slaves. Doulos was someone who belonged to another, without any ownership rights of their own.

When Christianity got hold of that word, they converted it to one of the highest honor to describe believers who willingly live under Christ’s authority as His devoted followers. They voluntarily serve their LORD and Master with great delight. And they gladly serve each other through unconditional love (agape).

The USA is celebrating independence today. Many citizens think that means they are “free” to do whatever they want, whenever they want, however they want.

God’s view of true liberty is being set free to willingly serve Him and others. It is freedom to love unconditionally as we are loved by Him. It is freedom to rejoice in a salvation that extends beyond borders and beyond time.

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Freedom From Slavery

by TerryLema

I am preparing a message about true Christian freedom for tomorrow’s service. I am studying many Scriptures and have many thoughts about freedom and liberty.

One of the passages I have been studying is Galatians 5, which is labeled in one of my Bible translations as “Freedom of the Christian.”

The chapter begins with a declaration: “Christ has liberated us to be free. Stand firm then and don’t submit again to a yoke of slavery.” [Galatians 5:1 HCSB]

Paul was writing because the Galatians were facing a crisis of theology. A group called Judaizers were insisting that Gentiles first convert to Judaism, get circumcised, and follow the Mosaic law to be eligible to be Christians. Paul wrote to counter this and proclaimed that true liberty is found solely in Christ.

The law had one purpose, to prove to fallen mankind that he could not be saved by keeping the law. It pointed ahead to the salvation that would come from God through the work of Christ Jesus on the cross. That salvation would be given by God’s grace and received (not worked for) by faith.  That salvation in Christ alone would set man free from the slavery of the law.

Once the law brings us to Christ Jesus, it has achieved its sole purpose. To go back under the law is to reject Christ’s work and fall from God’s grace.

“You who are trying to be justified by the law are alienated from Christ; you have fallen from grace.” [Galatians 5:4 HCSB]

Why would anyone set free through grace want to go back to trying futilely to be justified by keeping the law? And yet many do. I, for one, cling to the grace of God and my freedom in Christ Jesus. 

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Independence

by TerryLema

Independence Day is right around the corner. The fireworks booths in our area have been open for a few days and already the nights are filled with the sounds of fireworks (both the legal and illegal types). I cannot say I am a big fan of, nor celebrator of our modern-day 4th of July events.

At the same time, I cherish American Independence Day. I was raised in Pennsylvania, so the American Revolution was taught and revered. Pennsylvania was one of the original Thirteen Colonies.

One of the greatest experiences of my life was to visit the National Archives and see the Declaration of Independence, written and approved in Philadelphia.  Nine Pennsylvanians signed the Declaration, including the most notable, Benjamin Franklin.

As flawed as some of the men who signed that document were, they risked everything — “we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor” — for the principle of representative democracy.

By their signatures on that document, they declared open rebellion against one of the world’s then-great military and political powers, Great Britain. They had everything to lose. And they had everything to gain. The result was the creation of a great influence for good in world history, the United States of America.

Still, as I contemplate the upcoming Independence Day, it pales in comparison to the true freedom we have in Christ Jesus. The freedom we have in Christ Jesus transcends American independence. It is far, far beyond any national or political freedom we claim as Americans. (More thoughts on Christ-given freedom this week.)

Luke 4:18-19: “The Spirit of the Lord is on Me, because He has anointed Me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim freedom to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set free the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” [HCSB]

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Menó

by TerryLema

We picked our first ripe fruit of the garden yesterday. It was a lovely green zucchini, which promptly made its way into a pan with onions and peppers and tomatoes frozen from last year’s garden. If the heat had not already announced summer’s arrival, that zucchini did!

Bob has been tending his garden and it is beginning to respond to his attention. There are a lot of tomato blossoms and a couple little peppers on the vines. Soon we will also have Armenian cucumbers, eggplant, beans and other wonderful crops.

I was reading in John 15 this morning. The chapter begins with Jesus talking about “The Vine and the Branches.”

Jesus told his disciples that He is that true vine and His Father is the keeper of the vineyard. We are branches meant to produce much fruit. Read those first eight verses and notice how many times Jesus mentions abiding (or remaining, continuing depending on your translation).  I counted seven times in eight verses!

Each of those is a form of the Greek word “Menó,” which means simply to abide, remain, or continue.

As you read those eight verses, you will come away with a few truths. We are to produce fruit. God Himself will prune away anything in our lives that hampers that production of fruit so that we not only produce fruit, we produce abundant good fruit.

We cannot, however, produce any fruit unless we remain in Christ Jesus. In fact, Jesus is noticeably clear that fruit that pleases God cannot be brought forth by our own efforts. We can do nothing apart from Christ Jesus.

“I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in Me and I in him produces much fruit, because you can do nothing without Me.” [John 15:5 HCSB]

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Two Years

by TerryLema

I have a doctor appointment today with the Rheumatologist to talk about the two auto-immune diseases which are active in my body.  I see a Rheumatologist because there really are not any auto-immune disease specialists around … I am not sure auto-immune disease is even a specialty, and if it is, it is so new that there are not many in that field.

Because my two diseases involve inflammation, I see a Rheumatologist who specializes in rheumatoid arthritis, even though my diseases are not arthritic.  Others auto-immune disease sufferers may see different specialists. We get shuffled around according to symptoms.

Auto-immune diseases are on the rise, and more are being identified every year. It is confusing since the causes of most are still unidentified. Are they genetic, environmental, viruses?

There is only one medication that is generally effective for my two, some form of prednisone. It will not cure but can keep the symptoms under control … although prednisone itself has a whole set of side effects that are almost worse than the disease! (Some biologics are also being tried.)

My diseases have the potential of remission or even disappearing between two to five years. That is on my mind today since July is the two-year mark for the onset of my symptoms. My diagnosis came the following September, and my course of prednisone began.

All these thoughts are running through my mind this morning as I prepare to see the doctor this afternoon. My life changed drastically two years ago. And yet, I am not alone in this … how often do we find something enter our life that changes it significantly.

As I think about my auto-immune diseases today, I remember the words of my Savior … “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life … which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? … Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.”  [Luke 12:22-34 NKJV]

Whatever my Rheumatologist tells me, whatever is going on in my body, whether there is remission or not, I need not worry about my life … my Father, my Almighty Heavenly Father, is giving me a part in His Kingdom!  Amen.

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