Past Devotions

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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Convenient

by TerryLema

I love reading different Bible translations. Gets me out of the ruts I often create in my Bible reading. I like looking how a verse takes on new meaning with a slightly different translation of certain words. 2 Timothy 4 begins with a command to preach the word.  “Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season.” [vs 2 NKJV]

How often have we heard about the necessity to be ready “in season and out of season?” I decided to see how that verse is translated in the Holman Christian Standard Bible, which is now my favorite translation. “Proclaim the message; persist in it whether convenient or not.”

Persist in it, whether convenient or not.  When has the Gospel ever been convenient?  I have never known it to be such. The Gospel demands that we know its truth and that we live its truth. It demands that our conduct matches our words. It demands that we sacrifice, that we surrender. It commands us to praise during trials and to worship our God in spirit and truth. It tells us that His joy is the source of power and strength. It reminds us to pray always.

The immediately following verses in Timothy also give us pause. “…rebuke, correct, and encourage with great patience and teaching.  For the time will come when they will not tolerate sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, will multiply teachers for themselves because they have an itch to hear something new. They will turn away from hearing the truth and will turn aside to myths.” [2 Timothy 4:3-4 HCSB]

Not only is proclaiming the Gospel not convenient, but it is also not easy. People really do not want to hear the old sound doctrine of the Scriptures. They want something “new.” New and improved is the motto of our day and age, but there is nothing new in the Scriptures. It is that old, old story that still changes lives and brings hope to a dying world.

So convenient or not – easy or not – we are to always be ready to bring that old, sweet message to others.

 

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Profitable

by TerryLema

“All Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” [2 Timothy 3:16-17]

Profitable to Whom? That is the great question with this verse, especially in our times. When we think about the reasons why all Scripture is profitable listed in that verse – teaching, rebuking, correcting, training in righteousness – we often apply those things to the people we see in the world. They certainly need to be trained, taught, rebuked, and corrected, don’t they?

That is not to whom this verse is directed. It is directed to the child of God. Its intention is to make the child of God complete and equipped for every good work.

The person we should see in the Scripture’s mirror is none other than us. Everyone who claims to be a child of God through the power of Christ Jesus’ work on the cross needs to be taught the will and the ways of God. Otherwise, we are like that seed that has no root. The first wind that we encounter moves us away from the One Who Died For Us.

When we deviate from God’s will and ways, we need to be rebuked and our path corrected. The Scriptures are great at producing a godly sorrow in us that leads to repentance – if we let them.

We all need to be trained in righteousness. That word “trained” reminds me of children when they hit the “Terrible Two’s.” That is when our once sweet, innocent Infants help us understand that we are all born with a “sin nature,” a nature that loves the word “NO!” and to do things OUR OWN WAY. The Scriptures are designed to reinforce God’s righteousness and holiness in our lives and remind us that training takes consistency and time.

Thank you, LORD, for not leaving us as You found us.

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A Form of Godliness

by TerryLema

In Paul’s second letter to his son in the faith, Timothy, he wrote about the attitudes and actions of those who will be living in the last days. It is a familiar passage. [2 Timothy 3:1-5]

As I re-read the passage, I nodded my head over and over and thought, yep, that is where we are. We can just look out our windows and we can find proof of how bad the world is. Then I got to the last line in the passage.

“…holding to the form of godliness but denying its power.” [vs 5 HCSB]

Paul describes people who hold “to the form of godliness” but deny its power. The people in our streets are not claiming any form of godliness, they are shaking their fists at God. It is the people in our churches that claim godliness.

In these last days there are people who make an outward display of religion. They profess to be Christians, but their words and actions do not agree. Their worst feature is that they claim some form of godliness, but there is no evidence of the power of God in their lives.

True godliness results in the transformation of our lives. It changes hearts and lives. It bears fruit. True godliness is born through surrendering constantly to the indwelling Holy Spirit. True godliness is finding the character of Christ Jesus increasing in us, while the character of our natural man decreases.

In that, there is power.

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Loneliness Epidemic

by TerryLema

The U.S. Surgeon General recently announced: “An epidemic of loneliness is plaguing Americans, jeopardizing well-being, health and sense of belonging,” and added that “Loneliness is linked to an increased risk for anxiety and depression, heart disease, dementia and other health issues, as well as early death.” [USA Today, Story by Nada Hassanein, 5/3/23]

I remember as a child we would often gather in the small side yard next to my aunt’s and uncle’s house. There was an old water pump in the yard and a sprinkling can next to it. On hot days we would chase each other around with that sprinkling can until we were drenched. Then there were old mason jars in the basement which we could use to catch fireflies after it got dark.

While the youngsters ran around, the “older generation” sat on the small porch talking about their day, and watching the kids play. There was always home-made root beer to share.

It seems to me that modernization changed much of that. Air conditioning made homes comfortable to remain inside on hot days, television gave us something to do when inside. Now our social media consumes us (even at the dinner table). We have become isolated from our neighbors, friends, and even from our families.

The enemy of our soul always seeks to isolate us. He knows that a solitary person is much easier to pick off than a group of people who love and support each other. There truly is strength in numbers.

God knows that also. Psalm 68:6 reminds us that “God sets the solitary in families.”

The church is to be God’s family on earth, a living, breathing refuge full of love, life, and support for each person. It is to be a place with welcoming arms for the lost and lonely. It is to be a place where healings happen, and grace is given.

We are called to ‘be the church’ for this time. We need to make sure we make every effort to seek our and embrace the lonely.

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I Speak Jesus

by TerryLema

One of the great delights I have experienced in the last few weeks is to learn some of the songs of this generation of believers. I do love the old songs. I do love the old hymns. I guess I could say that I love all worship songs that exalt the name and work of Christ Jesus my LORD.

I have come to appreciate learning some new ones (at least new to me). That happened recently during worship. The song was, “I speak Jesus.” [Written by Dustin Smith, Abby Benton, Carlene Prince, Jesse Reeves, Kristen Dutton, and Raina Pratt.]

It begins, “I just want to speak the name of Jesus, Over every heart and every mind, I know there is peace within your presence, I speak Jesus,” and continues “Your name is power, Your name is healing, Your name is life. Break every stronghold, Shine through the shadows, Burn like a fire.” Jesus!

Peter and John spoke the name Jesus over a crippled man in Acts 3, and he was healed. The resulting celebration brought them to the attention of the Jewish rulers and High Priest. They took Peter and John into custody and the following day asked them, “By what power or by what name have you done this?” [Acts 4:1-7 NKJV]

Peter responded, “Let it be known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by Him this man stands here before you whole.”

He went on, “Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” [4:10, 12 NKJV]

And one day, across the cosmos, God will confirm that Christ Jesus’ name is power, healing and life for “God highly exalted Him and gave Him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow—of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth—and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is LORD to the glory of God the Father.”  [Philippians 2:9-11 HCSB]

Amen & Amen

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Good News! At What Cost?

by TerryLema

The word “Gospel” means good news. That good news is for everyone. Everyone means every one, all, none left out. It does not matter the condition of the “every one.” It only matters the totality of the Gospel.

Charles Spurgeon summarized what this Gospel [good news] is, “The heart of the gospel is redemption and the essence of redemption, is the substitutionary sacrifice of Christ” (1886).

“He made the One [Christ Jesus] who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” [2 Corinthians 5:21 HCSB]

We are the recipient of God’s good news. We rejoice in that. We acknowledge that God loves us. We celebrate His love. But we must never forget at what cost that love came to us. It came by God sacrificing His Son for us. It is the death of Christ Jesus that brought us life.

The Gospel is good news for every one of us. That means that no one is beyond the Gospel. No one is beyond its reach. No sin is too big (if repented of) to be forgiven.

Read it again, treasure it eternally … “[God the Father] made [Christ Jesus] who did not know sin to be sin for [me], so that [I] might become the righteousness of God in Him.”

Praise His Holy Name!

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Nuggets

by TerryLema

I am a firm believer that we can walk away from every Sunday service with a nugget of truth that ministers to our soul and spirit. We might glean it from something in the message, or a phrase in a song. We might gather it from something someone says to us or hear the whisper of God when we are praying.

We can walk away with that nugget if we go in expecting to find it. That happened last Sunday. The message centered around fear. And right in the middle of it, I heard the pastor say … “Both fear and faith can move mountains. Fear moves the mountain into our path, faith moves it away.”

Suddenly I had a mental image of some of the mountains that have blocked my path over the years. I don’t think I spent much time wondering how the mountain got there, I was more concerned about how to get the mountain out of there!

Remember the event with the father and son following Jesus’ transfiguration on the mountain? The disciples had been unable to do anything to relieve the boy’s distress. After Jesus set the boy free, the disciples questioned Him about their inability. His response told them why.

“’Because of your little faith,’ He told them. ‘For I assure you: If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will tell this mountain, “Move from here to there,” and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.’” [Matthew 17:20 HCSB]

I always focused on working on getting that “mustard seed” faith to move my mountains. I never considered what part of my thinking (fear usually) put that mountain there in the first place. But I sure will consider my thinking going forward thanks to Pastor Jerrad last Sunday.

That was my nugget, and it was a good one.

 

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Silence

by TerryLema

It is Saturday morning as I write this. Bob is off to breakfast with some men from the church. The television is quiet, no news broadcasts, no Price is Right screamers. (Bob calls it “The Happy Hour.”) The neighborhood is still asleep. So far all I have seen is Mama Kitty and Shaky Jake in the backyard looking for breakfast. Even the birds are quiet.

Sitting here in the quiet I am reminded just how noisy the world is. Too often we equate noise with productivity. Even Christianity can get caught up with the notion that we need to always be on the move for God. And that means constant movement and noise!

In Psalm 37, we are prompted to trust in the LORD and do what is good, to take delight in the LORD, and to commit our way to Him. But we are also prompted to be silent and to wait. “Be silent before the Lord and wait expectantly for Him; do not be agitated by one who prospers in his way, by the man who carries out evil plans.” [Psalm 37:7 HCSB]

Sometimes moving with, working for, and serving the LORD is done in silence and waiting for Him.

One of the most profound passages of Scripture is found in Revelation 8. “When He [the Lamb of God] opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour.” [vs 1 HCSB]

The outpouring of God’s wrath is about to begin. The seven angels who stand in the presence of God are about to be given seven trumpets to blow. The prayers of all the saints are about to be offered up as incense. Fire is about to come upon the earth. But before all this, heaven is silent for about half an hour. All creation is holding their breath and waiting expectantly for God.

Sometimes we need a foreshadowing of that in our lives and in the life of God’s people. We just need to be silent and wait expectantly for Him.

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A Wow Chapter

by TerryLema

Luke Chapter 9 is a long chapter. It has 62 verses. Luke Chapter 9 is also a “wow” chapter. It contains some of the best-known events in the life of Christ Jesus and the Disciples. It begins with Jesus sending the disciples out with “power and authority over all the demons, and power to heal diseases … to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal the sick.” [vs 1-2 HCSB]

It moves on from there to the feeding of the 5000, Peter’s Confession of Jesus as the Messiah, Jesus’ command that His disciples “must deny [themselves], take up [their] cross daily and follow Me,” as well as the account of the Transfiguration.

It is the event following the Transfiguration that engaged my thinking this morning. Coming down from the mountain, Jesus is confronted by a father with his son, his only child. The father tells Jesus that “a spirit seizes” the boy, convulsing and wounding him. He had begged for help from the disciples, but they were unable to do anything. Jesus “rebuked the unclean spirit, cured the boy, and gave him back to his father.” [vs39-42 HCSB]

The crowd’s reaction was immediate … “they were all astonished at the greatness of God.” [vs43a HCSB]

It is what happens next that truly speaks of the greatness of our God. “While everyone was amazed at all the things He was doing, He told His disciples, ‘Let these words sink in, the Son of Man is about to be betrayed into the hands of men.’” [vs43b-44 HCSB]

Jesus without delay turns the focus of His followers. “Let these words sink in ….”

The greatness of God will never be more glorious than when the Son of God surrenders to a cross to bring about the salvation of mankind.

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